While this may seem obvious , this can mean a multitude of things , all having to do with our favorite little glass “ light bulbs ” ( as the non-initiated call them ). Tubes do a very funny thing to an audio signal that makes our ears happy , especially when pushed to saturation . They add a very specific character to a signal that of which we just can ’ t get enough . When guitarists talk about something being tube-like , it ’ s more about a combination of things and less one quantifiable frequency . The more tubes saturate , the more they add a natural sort of compression to your tone . Tubes are also very reactive to minute changes in dynamics , which creates a very defined sound that glues itself to your unique touch . This combination of saturation , dynamics , compression , and of course feel all contribute to what a guitar player would call tubelike .
This saying had its birth in the 1984 classic film , This is Spinal Tap . For those of you who haven ’ t seen this film , it is essentially a mockumentary covering the 1982 USA tour of the fictional rock band , Spinal Tap . It is a play on rock ‘ n ’ roll culture , and is endlessly quoted by guitar players and non-guitar players worldwide . In the famous “ 11 ” scene , the documentary ’ s director Marty Di Bergi ( who also happened to be the film ’ s director , Rob Reiner ) is asking Spinal Tap guitar player , Nigel Tufnel , about his gear . Nigel is talking about his amps , explaining that his amps are special because everyone else ’ s goes to 10 , and his go to 11 . When Di Bergi asks Tufnel why he doesn ’ t just make 10 louder , he looks at him with a sort of blank stare responding “ Well these go up to 11 .”
TUBE-LIKE :
While this may seem obvious , this can mean a multitude of things , all having to do with our favorite little glass “ light bulbs ” ( as the non-initiated call them ). Tubes do a very funny thing to an audio signal that makes our ears happy , especially when pushed to saturation . They add a very specific character to a signal that of which we just can ’ t get enough . When guitarists talk about something being tube-like , it ’ s more about a combination of things and less one quantifiable frequency . The more tubes saturate , the more they add a natural sort of compression to your tone . Tubes are also very reactive to minute changes in dynamics , which creates a very defined sound that glues itself to your unique touch . This combination of saturation , dynamics , compression , and of course feel all contribute to what a guitar player would call tubelike .
34 TONE TALK // A Beginner ’ s Guide to Guitar Buzzwords
TURN IT UP TO 11 :
This saying had its birth in the 1984 classic film , This is Spinal Tap . For those of you who haven ’ t seen this film , it is essentially a mockumentary covering the 1982 USA tour of the fictional rock band , Spinal Tap . It is a play on rock ‘ n ’ roll culture , and is endlessly quoted by guitar players and non-guitar players worldwide . In the famous “ 11 ” scene , the documentary ’ s director Marty Di Bergi ( who also happened to be the film ’ s director , Rob Reiner ) is asking Spinal Tap guitar player , Nigel Tufnel , about his gear . Nigel is talking about his amps , explaining that his amps are special because everyone else ’ s goes to 10 , and his go to 11 . When Di Bergi asks Tufnel why he doesn ’ t just make 10 louder , he looks at him with a sort of blank stare responding “ Well these go up to 11 .”