Secrets of the Hughes & Kettner Spirit Tone Generator: an evolutionary leap in guitar tone

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Every so often, a piece of gear or an invention comes along that revolutionizes the guitar game. The Spirit Tone Generator – based around Hughes & Kettner’s Spirit technology, found for the first time in the Black Spirit 200 amplifier – is one such item. But what does it do exactly, and why is it […]

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Playing in a tribute band (part 3): get your David Gilmour Pink Floyd guitar sounds here and GrandMeister goes Deluxe!

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One of Blog Of Tone’s intrepid writers has been playing the role of David Gilmour in a Pink Floyd tribute band for a few years now. Yes, we know, big shoes to fill. As he revealed in Part 1 and Part 2 of the story (which you should definitely read before starting on this! Part […]

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4×12, 2×12, 1×12, or 0x12: which is the best guitar amp cabinet size and why?

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For decades, the only way to play guitar live and be heard was with a 100-watt guitar amp and a stack of 4×12 cabinets. For lots of players, the idea of the full stack is still the epitome of coolness – but it’s certainly no longer the most practical solution out there. Or is it? […]

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Playing in a tribute band (part 2): the rig, the riffs, the Red Box, the Rotosphere

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When one of Blog Of Tone’s esteemed writers got the call to play David Gilmour in a Pink Floyd tribute band, he didn’t quite realize how life-consuming this new ‘hobby’ would be. From learning the songs to picking a rig that would do the job, to practicing, and practicing, and practicing, it was a huge […]

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The cathode follower: the tech secret behind classic tube amp guitar tone?

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What’s the secret behind amazing guitar tone? Great fretboard skills, the best guitar and amp your budget allows, a cathode follower… Wait a second! A cathode follower? What’s that? And how does it make me sound better? Good questions, all of them. Now read on to find out more about this understated little piece of […]

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Incredible tube tones without speakers: why every guitar player needs a full range flat response (FRFR) amp!

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Is the 4×12 cabinet going to die out? We don’t think guitar players would ever allow it, but there’s a new kid on the block promising to keep our tube tone awesome even without a speaker or cab. It’s called full range flat response, and it could just be the best thing to happen to […]

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