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Guthrie Govan – Robben Ford Guitar Sound | Guitar Tips Licklibrary


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Originally posted by UCfvdirLsoCLpdBt4bJ8ZH2Q at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmohdG9lLqY

48 thoughts on “Guthrie Govan – Robben Ford Guitar Sound | Guitar Tips Licklibrary

  • Banging on about guitarist’s tone. Like a talentless footballer who insists he needs Pele’s boots to be a star. If you don’t sound like your favourite guitarist then practice more and create your own sound.

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  • Thanks for the advice, I’ve seen Robben several times and you’re right… None of us will ever sound exactly like him. That was a brave word, Bravely spoken ????

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  • Good short video which explains not only Robbens tone but everyone’s really. All in the fingers and touch. Rolling off the tone on the back pickup is a great tip.

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  • Loveliy, how he starts talking about Robben´s tone. But when he plays the first note and there comes this "wääähh…!" my finger automatically hits the stop button (-:

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  • The closest tone (not sound) I get is with a Princeton Reverb Tweed (12" speaker) or a Hotrod deVille

    Volume: 4.5 (Princeton) 2 (DeVille – on stage 4))
    Treble: 2
    Base: 8
    Reverb: 3.5
    Vibrato:
    Speed 1 (off)
    Intensity:1(off)

    Then a Zen-Drive:
    Vol: 10-11 o'clock
    Gain: 11 o'Clock
    Tone: 2 o'clock
    Voice: 3 o'clock

    Then a delay: (I run a TC Electronic) – have downloaded Robben's setting from TC Electronic's database and then set to:
    Delay: 11 o'clock
    FX/level: 10 o'clock
    Feedback: 9-10 o'clock

    Guitar: Fender Telecaster American Vintage 1964 (reissue) with rosewood fretboard.
    where I turn the volume down to 80% – so, that the tone is just about to break. And the tone to 70-80% that you do not loose definition (as Guthrie said)

    For my ears this is the setting for the closest tone of the instrument. For the fingers I can say it's apprx. 21-22 lightyears away from Robben (or yours, Guthrie)

    Setting will not work with Roland BluesCube. It reacts sensible to digital Pedals (digital noise). A better choice is Robben Ford's Tonecapsule for the bluescube – so, minimum a BluesCube Stage.
    But, definitely it still sounds better with real tubes – even though my Roland does a damn good job.
    The Fender Tonemaster (digital) is nice – but, when comparing it straight against a deVille …

    But as you say so wisely: You will never ever sound exactly like Robben Ford. None of us will.

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  • So much attention paid to Robben's tone and how he strikes a note, fingers, etc. But I think a lot of his sound comes from his timing – the way he flexes time within a phrase or lick. It's not quite like anyone else. I learned this trying to play along to a YT cover of one of his solo's. It only takes a few bars before you feel the difference. Look up eg GuitarLand's cover/lesson on Nothing to Nobody. (BTW, that guy is great at emulating Ford.)

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  • "I've been lucky enough to jam with robben ford,which is a religious experience for me…" thats why he is a great musician…he gets it!

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  • Thanks for the video. Great comments, like other greats also, Albert Collins, you won't ever sound like him, or Gary Moore even with a 57 LP from Peter Green, a Marshall and an Ibanez tube screamer. One thing I saw Robben say on his Tele, he doesn't like light gauge strings with a low action i.e. Easier to play. He said something on the lines of by using heavier gauge set a little higher, you have to concentrate and work them against the neck, it needs to feel like you are making an effort. He also plucks a country finger style which I noticed Clapton does on his 335 / Reconsider Baby revival getting into the strings, pulling and bending and playing two at once for a singe note. One other thing, take the point about his sound being similar different rigs because it's him, but that's partly because he keeps it simple, generally just good guitar and good amp, maybe a little reverb. And he does have the guitar set up to his clean taste so even on a vintage 50 something Les Paul he will swap out the Gibson pickups for custom made e.g. Seymour Duncan specially for him, not off the shelf. He likes it clean with a little overdrive / boost rather than that thick heavy bridge hum bucket riot. He used to play a Fender Esprit, kind of Fenders attempt at a 339 / Casino which sounds incredible on Ain't got nothing but the blues a mix of jazz chords and blues that runs into a Cream style solo towards the end… All with no pedals. Genius. And on hollow body lines an Epiphone Reveira. Any ways, I'm a fan and hope these bits and pieces add something for you.

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  • I'm not sure about rolling the tone down ?  I have seen an Interview with Robben saying that he leaves all the knobs wide open . . . . . . all in all they are both amazing ! 

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  • We have now added & amended new links to the Guthrie Govan Webcast & Guthrie Govan Lessons available on our website – find them but clicking the 'Show More' tab in the description. All the best Licklibrary!

    Reply
  • ok!~ so how do they sound to you? or robin trower does he sound like it? and I noticed that they don't sound like pilby gaynard, is that because of their strings they don't get an easy one, but does he play the gtitar and sound like big jim bekker? that is the question!! don't you agree? because they are the best in the world ever!! yes? ok may be not but certainly in upper westbridge community center the lights and the noise was a thumpin' and we could see the sirens but hey who knew?

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  • (Great job Guthrie!) This reminds me of a Wolf Marshall Clinic I attended at Guitar Center years ago, and how dissapointed I was when he baisically all but said to steal other peoples licks to make them your own. To Guthrie's point – you will NEVER sound like Robben is correct. Gee, what about sounding like yourself?? Randy Rhoads even before his Ozzy days was playing his own stuff and didn't rely on copying other people. Robben is one of my favorite guirarists, but I want to sound like ME.

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  • The way to get a kind of a robben ford tone, is first to have the right gear, a two humbucker, les paul 335 style guitar, a fender twin or something like that, and the trick is in the overdrive. The trick is to use a lot of gain, and then turn the guitar volume almost to no sound, 1 or 2 in the knob. This works whether is a strat or a les, it gives an unmistakable breath to the sound, and articulation between the notes

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  • @SuperGuitarSlut Yes especially when he says that his tone is in the fingers and not the gear….its a phrase that no guitarist wanna hear.Guitarists wanna hear amps,pedals and pickup suggestions,sound mods etc etc.God forbid dont tell them that the way your finger meets the string is half the battle…who need this…gimme more gear please…..

    Reply

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