Blues Guitar Tone: Equipment on a Budget

In the last post, I talked about how to get a good blues guitar tone. Even if you do this, you will have to have some equipment. So what if you don’t have much money, or don’t want to spend an arm and a leg on equipment.

First off let me say that I now have some really nice guitars and amps, but that was not always the case. I have worked extremely hard to get the equipment I have and I know what each guitar and amp can do.

So you are on a budget, but would still like to have some decent tone. In this blog post, I’m going to make some recommendations to what I think will help you make the decision when purchasing some new equipment. There is so much info on the internet these days that it can be truly daunting trying to make sense of it.

There’s Harmony Central reviews, there’s the Amazon reviews, and then there’s hundreds of forums saying how that amp is only good if you upgrade the speaker and put in telefunken tubes.

While the upgrades do make a difference, I can tell you that it is not a night and day difference. Most stuff sold stock sounds pretty decent. All the upgrades are for getting that last 15% of tone out of the equipment. If this is important to you, then by all means do it! But if you’re trying to stay on a budget, I can guarantee you that the equipment will be usable without doing these upgrades.

Everyone is always looking for the best amp, at the cheapest price, that can go from country to metal with one knob while still sounding good at bedroom levels. These amps really don’t exist. Some are more versatile than others, but it’s hard to find an amp that can do everything.

If you’re looking for a versatile amp, choose a one channel Fender and add effects pedals to change the tone. I’ve played in bands that go from Marvin Gaye to Bon Jovi to Cindi Lauper to the Gorillaz with a Pro Junior and some Ibanez stompboxes and it sounded great!

Fender Pro Junior

Pros

• Lightweight
• small
• All Tube
• Good sound
• Loud enough for a band unless your drummer is John Bonham, even still you can mic it
• Only 2 controls, volume and tone, yes I think this is good
• Easy to maintain. 3 12 AX7 preamp tubes,2 EL84 power tubes. Cheap to replace these tubes (about $60 depending on type)
• Easy to change the speaker no soldering
• Reliable and easy to fix if it breaks down. With only 1 channel, any tech can fix this fast
• Price
• Soundman will love you

Cons

• Can’t control the Bass. It can get a little flabby, but a speaker change can help that.
• No reverb
• Can get lost in the mix if you can’t mic it with a loud drummer
• 1 10″ speaker can be a little thin sounding, but not a problem if you mic it
• Can be a little noisy
• Sometimes the tubes may rattle. This is the case with any amp containing EL 84’s

Guitars

Squier Classic Vibe 50’s Telecaster

Pros

• Inexpensive
• Good Sound
• Durable
• Pickups are pretty decent
• Nice Look
• When set up the action feels great and bends are easy to execute
• Responsive volume and tone controls
• Stays in tune fairly well

Cons

• Can be a little thin sounding
• Pickups aren’t as responsive as higher end models
• Bridge pickup is very bright
• No hardshell case

PRS SE Custom 22

Pros

• Humbuckers that are very nice sounding
• Similar to a Les Paul Sound
• Nice neck and action when setup right
• Pickups can go from mellow to rock
• Lightweight
• Nice Finish
• Stays in Tune
• Great for Slide Guitar

Cons

• No Hardshell Case
• Won’t be quite as thick as a Les Paul but it’s 1/4 the price

Pedals

Maxon OD 808

– This pedal is not really cheap, but it sounds amazing and you won’t ever sell it. At least I won’t. This overdrive will give you that warm blues tone that is very sought after at an affordable price.

Final Thoughts

I could take the above equipment and use them on a regular basis and get great results. Why don’t I? Well at this point I’ve been playing so long that I know exactly the sound I want to get and I choose to get it. I make a living using my guitars and there is a certain sound I want to have.

If you still think these prices are too much, then look for them used. I got my Pro Junior for $250. In reality for around $500-$1000 you can get an amp, a guitar, and a distortion pedal that will sound excellent! These pieces can be used in the studio and in live situations and you will sound awesome if you know how to play. These items will not hinder you from playing great music. Only your ability to play will do that.

With so much information on the internet, I think a lot of people get stuck on the idea that if they don’t have an SG or a Les Paul they can’t play slide. Untrue. I played slide on my strat for 10 years before ever getting an SG. I would re tune from open e tuning to standard in between songs at gigs because I couldn’t afford another guitar.

So What Do You Think?

If you have some other suggestions on budget gear, please leave a comment below. Other people want to know what equipment is good quality and sounds great at an affordable price.