A Word About Eq, Resonators, And Guitar Tone; Resonators, Eq, And Tone - Alesis GT Reference Manual

4.7 A WORD ABOUT EQ, RESONATORS, AND
GUITAR TONE

Resonators, EQ, and Tone

A guitar tone is a complex thing. Factors as diverse as the wood, size, and
shape of a guitar can alter its tone. Strings, pickups, hardware, active
electronics, and a myriad of other factors make up the distinctive and
elusive intangible known as "tone".
All of these factors, however, have one thing in common: they alter the
harmonic structure of the guitar's sound. While the fundamental
frequency of A above middle C is 440 Hz, the timbre of the note itself is
made up of not only the fundamental frequency, but a series of
overtones (harmonics) as well. When you play an A on one guitar, the
note will have a unique sound. When you play an A on a different
guitar, the note will have the same 440 Hz fundamental, but can have a
completely different sound. This is due to the difference in overtones.
This difference, which can be caused by all of the previously mentioned
factors, means that every guitar setup has its own unique sound. Its own
unique tone.
The Quadraverb GT's EQ/Resonator section gives you specific control
over fundamental and harmonic overtones in your guitar's tone.
The parametric EQ gives you precise control of the fundamentals of your
guitar tone by increasing or decreasing the amplitude of specific pitches
over a variable bandwidth.
By tuning the resonators and controlling their amplitude and delay
resonance you can accentuate harmonics in your guitar tone. A
resonator is a special filter whose response is so sharp that it actually
imparts a pitch to any signal going through it.
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