4 Responses to "Don’t call me SRV: Joe Bonamassa"

• Jeff F 09:15 AM 19/8/2008

  This is an interesting observation that I think holds a lot of truth to it. It really is strange how people will tell you that you sound just like someone for predisposed reasons, when in actuality, you KNOW that you are not sounding like them at all.

  Some people just are ignorant I guess.

  But Joe Bonamassa is a great player and I look forward to seeing what he has in store next!
• Robert Fisher 10:18 AM 20/8/2008

  Interesting timing for me considering, just this week, I’ve started learning some SRV riffs and finally enjoying the SRV setting on my Digitech RP350.

  I think when someone says something like that, they’re usually just trying to be complimentary and don’t really know how to put their appreciation of your playing into words. It can be hard for someone trained in music and writing to put appreciation into words.

  I wonder how many times people told SRV he sounded like Clapton or Hendrix or Albert King. Or even guys farther afield.

  As a player, sometimes I like to do an “impression” (if I was better, you’d call it a “tribute”) of another guitarist, but I like to mix it up. Once I’m comfortable with my take on SRV’s style and tried to tweak it for myself, I’ll probably try to find another tone to play that style with. Then try to find another style that fits the SRV tone. Well, that’s kind of simplistic, but you get the idea. As fun as it can be to try to emulate our heroes, sometimes you’ve got to push yourself a little to combine all your influences and synthesize something your own.
• Chris|StudioGTB|GuitarToyBox 07:13 PM 20/8/2008

  I think there is a live DVD coming out soon, or maybe out now. I'll have to find me a copy of that one. Wished he'd come down to Australia.
• Chris|StudioGTB|GuitarToyBox 07:18 PM 20/8/2008

  That's kind of how I work. I'm a tone nut, and my starting point though is always Slash. I need to be able to pull back and get that intro tone from Sweet Child and then I take it a bit tamer from there, as in the neck pickup tone is the Sweet Child style tone if I add a Tube Screamer on it. That's how I come up with my basic guitar to amp setting and add extra colours with effects.

  Does that make me sound like Slash – hell no!!! But you guessed it, I get comments that I “sound like Slash” because people recognise the tone, the sound.

  Is it possible to come up with an individual tone… hmm I see a new post coming on