What Is An “Aggressive” Guitar Sound?

Date:2020/1/4 16:42:41 Hits:

“Aggressive” is not in itself a word that describes tone or sonics. The term “aggressive” as applied to guitars and basses has been used to describe everything from completely fuzzed out to clean and jangly. Does the term mean anything at all?

Much of the perceived “aggression” in guitar tone comes from percussiveness. From fuzzy to jangly, the one thing that aggressive guitar and bass tones have in common is sharp attacks. There are many ways to emphasize a distinct, “clicky” attack. Many modern amps are capable of “stiffer” rather than “spongy” attacks better for aggressive tones. You can use a compressor pedal to emphasize the attack portion of your sound and give you a more aggressive tone. Equalizer pedals, especially when you’re playing clean, can be set to give you a high treble boost that will affect the attack. And some overdrive and distortion pedals emphasize the attack of your picking.

Whether you get your sound from amps, pedals, or modelers, if you want your tone to be “aggressive,” begin by focusing on the percussive qualities of the sound.

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