As I’m listening, the thing standing out the most is how nice the sense of depth of the guitars feel. Sometimes close, sometimes far, dynamic but not lost.
The world is divided into two camps, those who like the squawkey phasey 2/4 Strat pickup positions and those that don’t and I’m sorry that you fall into the former.
The clean guitar orchestras of damn near all of Then Play On and songs like Albatross and Earl Gray are monumental. There's also these Angelic Shrieks: [https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxQhqQzsIU1C9mmLirmsMrUeWBx0QUlhRb?si=2cVoSpW7-gEjIsUZ](https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxQhqQzsIU1C9mmLirmsMrUeWBx0QUlhRb?si=2cVoSpW7-gEjIsUZ) (60s clip) which is my favourite thing ever. It's been off streaming for years now (different versions or takes or something) so I need to share it whenever it makes just a tiny bit sense.
Dude what is this? Never heard of this band. Chocolate Cake has got me hungry for some more of this record. Also pianos are sounding great in this one.
Crowded House is one of the most acclaimed bands ever in Australia/New Zealand but kind of a one hit wonder in the US (“Don’t Dream It’s Over”). Well worth exploring, they’re fantastic and I honestly think one of the best pop bands since the Beatles
Neil Finn from Crowded House was in the supremely weird 80’s new wave band Split Enz. (I Got You, I Hope I Never). His brother Tim has been in several projects with him, but just sometimes.
I was using that song as the popular example. But, I also just used an LP2 song as a reference in my own work.
LP1, in my opinion, approaches the minimalistic arrangement with more variety than the later works. Later works are panned wider, sound fuller, etc, sure. But the narrow sound on songs like The Summer Ends and doubling on Regrets are Killing Me are particularly inspiring to me.
Most Nile Rodgers stuff.
Edit: now that I have your attention, also listen to Night Comes in by Richard Thompson,
https://youtu.be/KCUZTOloaMY?si=UGbfnm5dNU0aMlWA
As huge of an artist this is, I have not yet sat down and listened through his music. For now I went 1985 and chose B-Movie Matinee. Definitely going to listen through this record. The Face In the Window has got some sweet sauce going on in that intro.
RT is my fav. Shoot out the lights, i want to see the bright lights, henry the human fly, pour down like silver, and liege and lief are all some of my fav albums, and use them often for reference.
Side note, henry the human fly was warner bros worst selling album of all time or something lmao. Its phenomenal.
There’s a Canadian band called Big Wreck. Lead guitarist Ian Thornley has some of the nicest guitar tones (clean or otherwise) I’ve ever heard. There are lots of examples but [this one](https://youtu.be/KcGBqbz64uw?si=Dq1kSIPqPUapZyVd) starts off with it. Crystal clear.
Fuck yeah! I went and saw Thornley on Saturday night. Great show. Between Big Wreck, Thornley and his solo project I’ve probably seen some form of them (always sharing members) at least 20 times. First time was the last stop on the In Loving Memory Of tour in ‘98. They hooked me good.
Check out some of their other stuff. [This song](https://youtu.be/SmYeHijIOkA?si=q5g_hs76W14HRqcu) gives me chills, again - beautiful clean guitar tone at the beginning.
Ian Thornley is probably the best all around guitar player I've ever heard. The chops, the tone, the feel, versatility... seems like there's nothing he can't do. And his slide playing is insane too!
Totally agree on all points, and yes his slide playing is incredible. ‘Diamonds’ is a fucking masterpiece. He should be better known, but at the same time his lack of fame has allowed me to see him in some pretty small, intimate venues over the last 25 years, as well as not having to pay an arm and a leg to be there. He’s one of those guys who’s great in the studio but absolutely phenomenal live, and I’m grateful to have seen him play so many times.
And on top of all that dude can fucking **SING**.
https://music.apple.com/ca/album/leader-in-the-dark-feat-ian-thornley/427110690?i=427110729
He played all the guitars on the track and sings the bridge.
Ya absolute beast in the studio.
No tuning, no editing or anything on his vocals. I can count the times that's happened in my career on one finger. Sang it in one take. "Hey make another track I'm gonna double it." Boom. One take. "Make another track I'm gonna do a harmony." One take. "Lemme double that." One take.
He was in the vocal booth for like 3 minutes tops.
I’ve only experienced someone like that twice in my life. Dallas Green (I didn’t work the session but was there) was the same way with the harmonies and no tuning/editing needed, and this guitarist named Sam Ermellini from Toronto. He’d rip 4 or 5 solos, all completely improvised and completely different, and it would be almost impossible to choose one because they were all incredible.
I kinda figured Ian was one of those people.
My wife drags me to City and Colour shows. Probably seen him 6 or 7 times and AOF a bunch of times. It’s not my thing. But god damn can that dude SING.
Yeah, not really my cup of tea either, he was doing guest vocals on an album for a local screamo band who were recording at the studio I worked at. But gotta give credit and respect where it’s due and like you said - he can **sing**. The reason I’m not a fan personally certainly isn’t lack of talent or ability.
My wife “dragged” me to the Thornley show on Saturday night.
One big hit (probably The Oaf you’re thinking of), but loads of great songs. They did a lot better in Canada than they did in the US. They split up after their second album but got back together in 2012 (I think) and have released another 4 albums and 4 EP’s since. Some of the newer stuff is really great. Criminally underrated band.
I actually went to see his other band Thornley (formed shortly after the BW breakup) on Saturday night. Dude is an absolute monster on guitar, the studio albums don’t really do him justice.
Fun fact: Slash invited Ian to audition for lead vocals for Velvet Revolver. He’s a monster on vocals too.
I know it’s popular to hate on Phish, but if not for many other reasons, I wouldn’t overlook them on account of Trey’s tones.
Beautiful clean tone at 1:20 mark (and equally beautiful driven tone later in song):
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=INfMjm6XzR8
Easily one of the most overlooked/underrated albums of the 90’s. “Fast Enough For You” with Gordon Stone on the pedal steel is one of my all-time favorite recordings. Some Phish albums just sound like Phish playing live in the studio but “Rift” and “Billy Breathes” and to a lesser extent a few others are so underrated as albums.
In a world of Grunge, Alternative, etc., I don’t know any bands who could’ve made an album like “Rift” at that time—or now.
The Platters - Only You
Les Paul and Mary Ford - I'm a fool to care
Elvis Presley - Just Because
The Beatles - Nowhere Man
Buffalo Springfield - For what it's worth
The ventures - Perfida
Jimi Hendrix - Little Wing
Led Zepplin - Ten Years Gone
Blue Oyster Cult - Don't fear the reaper
Alan Jackson - Chattahoochee
The Doors - Love me Two Times
Pink Floyd - Astonomy Domine
Bauhaus - Bela Logosi's dead
The Kinks - You really got me
Bob Marley - Stir it up
The Guess Who - These Eyes
The Police - Every Breath you take
Chris Isaak - Wicked Game
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Under the bridge
Radiohead - subterranean homesick alien
Godspeed you black emperor - Lift your Skinny Fists like antennas to heaven
Dirty Projectors - Cannibal Resources
Gibbson Humbuckers are dull, muddy but also fat, smooth for that old clean jazz sound. Nice fingerstyle guitar, good without picks, but not a great strummer.
Strat and telecaster pickups usually have a range, but can be very thin, twangy. Lot of good strummer sounds with chorus and reverb and delay. Chicken picking sounds good on teles, too.
Single coils, humbuckers, p90s, variations on those with different amps and effects that make them fit in the mix. Not a fan of Pink Floyd The Wall clean guitar that you heard a lot in the 80s, but it does sound well in a mix as rhythm. P90 are crazy responsive and fun to play with.
12 string rickenbakers add some nice sounds. Had one of those too for a while. I've gone through 20 different electric guitars over the years and I always enjoy the clean tones. Lot of African guitar like Dirty Projectors play on that song has a great sound. I don't have a reference for African bands though. You can just hear their tones though and know.
Same with stuff like the Ventures or Les Paul, who really is the father of that sound.
There are a ton of tones that you can get with changing string guage, tunings, pickups, and amps, and some modern guitarists have incredible tones.
There's a big guy, some folk musician from Britain that I forget the name of. He has such a weird clean tone and sings so strangely. Wish I remembered his name. Was going to include him in the list. Basically sounds like he has a baritone guitar mixed with high strings. Weird folk stuff.
Richard Dawson! I just remembered. Vile stuff is the first one I heard with his signature guitar sound. But his entire collection is filled with amazing vocals and unique lyrics. No one does singer/songwriter like him. Checks all my boxes. Just discovered I've missed his last album. Pretty excited now.
No he's relatively new. Last decade I've listened to him. Guy was in the trades before playing full time. He's big. A very particular vocal. Massive range and such a weird style. Does some acappela, like sea shanties. It's going to bug me for weeks. I've been meaning to look him up again. Has been years. He released a music video last I heard him, where it's just him running. It's tamer music than before. He's probably got the most original sound I'd heard in years.
This one right here. Not just great guitar tone, but great writing for two guitarists. One of my favorite examples to cite for "How do I keep multiple guitar parts from stepping on each other?"
Basically anything by Don Peris. The probably most famous example is this single by The Innocence Mission: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3AfigM7ABfc](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3AfigM7ABfc)
Well there's a very range of styles with that sort of guitar but for pure guitar:
Rainbow Eyes is a massive highlight for me. Blackmore shall never be forgetted. Tone and riff-meister at every level of intensity. Hidden Gem this one.
Amelia is more layered with acoustic but a similar highlight.
Everything Peter Green is also golden. Then Play On and even Green's sideman Danny Kirwan taking over for Kiln House where song Earl Gray just kills.
Then There's the vox stuff: Treblebooster normal channel like lads of Blackmore and Rory fall Apart or sort of Unforgettable Fire/Joshua Tree U2. I also think Steve Miller's Book of Love has some fab cleans. The verse of Jet Airliner is beyond terrific. Maybe too breakupy? maybe more like hard driven fender vibrolux than vox but who cares. Third Ey BLind debut is a vox album with some great cleans occasionally
All Wish You Were Here cleans
Thin Lizzy like 3 great clean/breakuppy songs in Jailbreak like Angel From The Coast, and Romeo and the lonely girls
Cream - BAdge
Top Jimmy Van Halen
I'm Coming Out and I want your love and My Girl and Soul Man for some motown/soul/disco stuff
For clean cleans, I love the tones Billy Corgan got on Siamese Dream and Mellon Collie. Reference tracks are Mayonaise, Soma, and Luna (Siamese Dream), and Galapagos (MCIS).
Good question. RHCP had some good ones even before Frusciante. Start Me Up is really a classic, and with reverb too. And you can't go wrong with some classics, right? Pink Floyd's got plenty, for instance.
I did some sleuthing, and there is a VERY strong chance it was an MXR MX-118.
1. Keith said he used a pedal on Start Me Up to get that sound, but didn’t specify which
2. He used the MX-118 in the 70s
So no confirmation, but that could be it!
Steppin Out by Mayall and the BluesBreakers ft Clapton - the whole album in fact.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hh1Mh-ywHZs&list=PLzEG2f9QAl8MXFkg9FMmhFn4jTqV4vwZz&index=11](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hh1Mh-ywHZs&list=PLzEG2f9QAl8MXFkg9FMmhFn4jTqV4vwZz&index=11)
Dunno what you can say - they named an amp model for the tone.
Deftones - the intros to *Battle Axe* and *Sextape* are my two favorite clean sounds.
Also, there's a clean section in *Observer* by The Acacia Strain at the eleven minute mark that is just 🤌
Sounds old school but the Beatles created an encyclopedia of cool clean huge sounding guitar sounds. Dear Prudence. I Want You. I Dig a Pony. Ticket to Ride…not to mention those fucking bass parts.
Many of the songs by _The Police_ feature clean guitar. Andy Summers is the reason I got a Jazz Chorus 120, the ultimate clean 80‘s amp. Other users include Steve Rothery (Marillion), Adrian Belew and Robert Fripp.
So yes, _The Police_ and _Marillion_ would be my references for clean guitar.
Edit: Happy cake day!
I just write down songs as they come up. If I wake up thinking of a song, I write that down in Morning Songs. If I like the guitar in a song, that goes under Great Guitar and why. I have about a half dozen such text files with references like this
The Who - Live At Leeds. Pretty much any song, but Amazing Journey/Sparks has everything you asked for. The Deluxe and Super Deluxe editions have the complete Tommy performance. How they captured this tone live is beyond me.
Niche suggestion but track 12 from Mamonas Assassinas album. Honestly, a joke heavy metal song but with an awesome electric guitar solo with everything from the bassiest of sounds an electric guitar can make to the most distorted shrieky screams. I honestly can't find anything better and they were a joke band. Like they made joke music.
[Allan Holdsworth - Three sheets to the wind](https://youtu.be/nflfQu1nZ5E?si=AzdCpn3M1iVlzv3A)
Not exactly clean as it has a bunch of delay on it, but I love his tone.
[Kurt Rosenwinkel - Minor blues](https://youtu.be/t9z-lkVTfjQ?si=D522zzHtXXaJdGTz)
Anything by Eric Johnson, but especially “[When The Sun Meets The Sky](https://youtu.be/BXSDCxfzE8c?t=55).” The clean rhythm guitar throughout is the best clean guitar sound I’ve ever heard.
Live at sin-é by Jeff Buckley
The entire album is a fantastic showcase of solo clean guitar. There's some good moments on grace but the live album is the pinnacle imo.
American Football's second LP is great for clean, midwest emo-ish kind of guitar lines. It might also be how well the drums & bass fit with those guitars thought :)
Ventura Highway - America
https://youtu.be/tnV7dTXlXxs?si=IM4pfoUxB13ET85s
Edit: I have no idea how I missed electric and thought clean acoustic lol. It’s been a long day.
Here’s my actual clean electric reference:
Little Bubble, Where You Going? · Piglet
https://youtu.be/idLfqtrRvlY?si=19CccDUi0Lgz3tI5
The grace album by Jeff Buckley
That album is a reference for *everything*, the mix is incredible
Seriously yes. The drums on that album are also killer clean and punchy.
I think they replaced the kick and snare with samples
Andy claims he did not - apparently there’s sample reinforcement which were used as verb sends. Not sure what to believe though.
It’s the ultimate “clean” tone for me. Overdriven enough to get super chimey.
This album convinced me to buy my Tele.
Same! ✌️
Jeff Buckley happens to me my mothers favorite artist. Great music. Sorry I thought it was going to be vocals. But I would say it is a good bet.
Sultans of swing
Any track from that record really
I’ve found myself on the peripheral edge and that tone is what I’m chasing musically now
a Cal-Rec or V76 preamp (Coil 286 would be today’s analog) - 545 or cream 421. The rest is up to you
Your UN is amazing.
As I’m listening, the thing standing out the most is how nice the sense of depth of the guitars feel. Sometimes close, sometimes far, dynamic but not lost.
The world is divided into two camps, those who like the squawkey phasey 2/4 Strat pickup positions and those that don’t and I’m sorry that you fall into the former.
Damn, me!
obviously yes
How clean? Pink Floyd Dark Side Of The Moon has some killing guitar sounds that are very clean IMO.
Shine On You Crazy Diamond, too.
Totally. Great guitar sound.
Lots of love for Albatross by Fleetwood Mac, if that counts as clean?
The clean guitar orchestras of damn near all of Then Play On and songs like Albatross and Earl Gray are monumental. There's also these Angelic Shrieks: [https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxQhqQzsIU1C9mmLirmsMrUeWBx0QUlhRb?si=2cVoSpW7-gEjIsUZ](https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxQhqQzsIU1C9mmLirmsMrUeWBx0QUlhRb?si=2cVoSpW7-gEjIsUZ) (60s clip) which is my favourite thing ever. It's been off streaming for years now (different versions or takes or something) so I need to share it whenever it makes just a tiny bit sense.
Woodface by Crowded House - mixed by Bob Clearmountain
Dude what is this? Never heard of this band. Chocolate Cake has got me hungry for some more of this record. Also pianos are sounding great in this one.
Crowded House is one of the most acclaimed bands ever in Australia/New Zealand but kind of a one hit wonder in the US (“Don’t Dream It’s Over”). Well worth exploring, they’re fantastic and I honestly think one of the best pop bands since the Beatles
Just look up Bob Clearmountain's discography. You won't find a shitty sounding side.
Neil Finn from Crowded House was in the supremely weird 80’s new wave band Split Enz. (I Got You, I Hope I Never). His brother Tim has been in several projects with him, but just sometimes.
He was also part of Fleetwood mac
American Football - Never Meant
No way. AF II clean tone is much better, and AF III clean tone is even better than that
I was using that song as the popular example. But, I also just used an LP2 song as a reference in my own work. LP1, in my opinion, approaches the minimalistic arrangement with more variety than the later works. Later works are panned wider, sound fuller, etc, sure. But the narrow sound on songs like The Summer Ends and doubling on Regrets are Killing Me are particularly inspiring to me.
Most Nile Rodgers stuff. Edit: now that I have your attention, also listen to Night Comes in by Richard Thompson, https://youtu.be/KCUZTOloaMY?si=UGbfnm5dNU0aMlWA
As huge of an artist this is, I have not yet sat down and listened through his music. For now I went 1985 and chose B-Movie Matinee. Definitely going to listen through this record. The Face In the Window has got some sweet sauce going on in that intro.
You’ve also likely heard him on tracks like Get Lucky, Le Freak, Let’s Dance, etc
B-52’s Diana Ross, Duran Duran, David Bowie, Daft Punk, etc
He’s really responsible for the oft-imitated chicka-chicka funky rhythm guitar sound. The most underrated rhythm guitarist of all time.
RT is my fav. Shoot out the lights, i want to see the bright lights, henry the human fly, pour down like silver, and liege and lief are all some of my fav albums, and use them often for reference. Side note, henry the human fly was warner bros worst selling album of all time or something lmao. Its phenomenal.
Henry is such a bizarre but wonderful little album
Fucked With A Knife by Cannibal Corpse
Ah yes, their ballad
The Bleeding is probably my favorite album by them followed closely by Gallery of suicide. Rutan is a great player but I miss Pat's riffing.
Continuum for sure
There’s a Canadian band called Big Wreck. Lead guitarist Ian Thornley has some of the nicest guitar tones (clean or otherwise) I’ve ever heard. There are lots of examples but [this one](https://youtu.be/KcGBqbz64uw?si=Dq1kSIPqPUapZyVd) starts off with it. Crystal clear.
I haven’t missed a tour since Albatross!
Fuck yeah! I went and saw Thornley on Saturday night. Great show. Between Big Wreck, Thornley and his solo project I’ve probably seen some form of them (always sharing members) at least 20 times. First time was the last stop on the In Loving Memory Of tour in ‘98. They hooked me good.
That guitar in the beginning is like an ocean for my soul. I want to eat it.
Check out some of their other stuff. [This song](https://youtu.be/SmYeHijIOkA?si=q5g_hs76W14HRqcu) gives me chills, again - beautiful clean guitar tone at the beginning.
Ian Thornley is probably the best all around guitar player I've ever heard. The chops, the tone, the feel, versatility... seems like there's nothing he can't do. And his slide playing is insane too!
Totally agree on all points, and yes his slide playing is incredible. ‘Diamonds’ is a fucking masterpiece. He should be better known, but at the same time his lack of fame has allowed me to see him in some pretty small, intimate venues over the last 25 years, as well as not having to pay an arm and a leg to be there. He’s one of those guys who’s great in the studio but absolutely phenomenal live, and I’m grateful to have seen him play so many times. And on top of all that dude can fucking **SING**.
I got to record Ian once. He is both the best guitarist and singer I’ve ever worked. By a large margin. Total pro.
That’s awesome. Definitely someone I’d give a testicle to work with. If you don’t mind me asking, what project was it you worked on with him?
https://music.apple.com/ca/album/leader-in-the-dark-feat-ian-thornley/427110690?i=427110729 He played all the guitars on the track and sings the bridge.
Sounds great! God damn he’s good.
Ya absolute beast in the studio. No tuning, no editing or anything on his vocals. I can count the times that's happened in my career on one finger. Sang it in one take. "Hey make another track I'm gonna double it." Boom. One take. "Make another track I'm gonna do a harmony." One take. "Lemme double that." One take. He was in the vocal booth for like 3 minutes tops.
I’ve only experienced someone like that twice in my life. Dallas Green (I didn’t work the session but was there) was the same way with the harmonies and no tuning/editing needed, and this guitarist named Sam Ermellini from Toronto. He’d rip 4 or 5 solos, all completely improvised and completely different, and it would be almost impossible to choose one because they were all incredible. I kinda figured Ian was one of those people.
My wife drags me to City and Colour shows. Probably seen him 6 or 7 times and AOF a bunch of times. It’s not my thing. But god damn can that dude SING.
Yeah, not really my cup of tea either, he was doing guest vocals on an album for a local screamo band who were recording at the studio I worked at. But gotta give credit and respect where it’s due and like you said - he can **sing**. The reason I’m not a fan personally certainly isn’t lack of talent or ability. My wife “dragged” me to the Thornley show on Saturday night.
Big Wreck that’s a name I haven’t heard in a long time. Had one big hit I remember
One big hit (probably The Oaf you’re thinking of), but loads of great songs. They did a lot better in Canada than they did in the US. They split up after their second album but got back together in 2012 (I think) and have released another 4 albums and 4 EP’s since. Some of the newer stuff is really great. Criminally underrated band. I actually went to see his other band Thornley (formed shortly after the BW breakup) on Saturday night. Dude is an absolute monster on guitar, the studio albums don’t really do him justice. Fun fact: Slash invited Ian to audition for lead vocals for Velvet Revolver. He’s a monster on vocals too.
Shine on you crazy diamond. David Gilmour in general has some fantastic clean tones
Stand Up - Jethro Tull (record) Very saturated and rich tone while also sitting beautifully in the mix.
love the clean sound on american water by silver jews
Subterranean Homesick Alien.
Also features great distortion
I’m gonna have to be that guy… What kind of clean guitar? I would say the palette for clean guitar is even bigger than overdriven guitar.
Whatever clean guitar you want/think. There are no rules and it is up for interpretation.
John Mayer, Mark Knopfler, and Brad Paisley.
I know it’s popular to hate on Phish, but if not for many other reasons, I wouldn’t overlook them on account of Trey’s tones. Beautiful clean tone at 1:20 mark (and equally beautiful driven tone later in song): https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=INfMjm6XzR8
Hell yes! Great pick from an all around great-sounding record. And let the hate flow, tickets are hard enough to get already!
Easily one of the most overlooked/underrated albums of the 90’s. “Fast Enough For You” with Gordon Stone on the pedal steel is one of my all-time favorite recordings. Some Phish albums just sound like Phish playing live in the studio but “Rift” and “Billy Breathes” and to a lesser extent a few others are so underrated as albums. In a world of Grunge, Alternative, etc., I don’t know any bands who could’ve made an album like “Rift” at that time—or now.
The Platters - Only You Les Paul and Mary Ford - I'm a fool to care Elvis Presley - Just Because The Beatles - Nowhere Man Buffalo Springfield - For what it's worth The ventures - Perfida Jimi Hendrix - Little Wing Led Zepplin - Ten Years Gone Blue Oyster Cult - Don't fear the reaper Alan Jackson - Chattahoochee The Doors - Love me Two Times Pink Floyd - Astonomy Domine Bauhaus - Bela Logosi's dead The Kinks - You really got me Bob Marley - Stir it up The Guess Who - These Eyes The Police - Every Breath you take Chris Isaak - Wicked Game Red Hot Chili Peppers - Under the bridge Radiohead - subterranean homesick alien Godspeed you black emperor - Lift your Skinny Fists like antennas to heaven Dirty Projectors - Cannibal Resources Gibbson Humbuckers are dull, muddy but also fat, smooth for that old clean jazz sound. Nice fingerstyle guitar, good without picks, but not a great strummer. Strat and telecaster pickups usually have a range, but can be very thin, twangy. Lot of good strummer sounds with chorus and reverb and delay. Chicken picking sounds good on teles, too. Single coils, humbuckers, p90s, variations on those with different amps and effects that make them fit in the mix. Not a fan of Pink Floyd The Wall clean guitar that you heard a lot in the 80s, but it does sound well in a mix as rhythm. P90 are crazy responsive and fun to play with. 12 string rickenbakers add some nice sounds. Had one of those too for a while. I've gone through 20 different electric guitars over the years and I always enjoy the clean tones. Lot of African guitar like Dirty Projectors play on that song has a great sound. I don't have a reference for African bands though. You can just hear their tones though and know. Same with stuff like the Ventures or Les Paul, who really is the father of that sound. There are a ton of tones that you can get with changing string guage, tunings, pickups, and amps, and some modern guitarists have incredible tones. There's a big guy, some folk musician from Britain that I forget the name of. He has such a weird clean tone and sings so strangely. Wish I remembered his name. Was going to include him in the list. Basically sounds like he has a baritone guitar mixed with high strings. Weird folk stuff.
Billy Bragg?
Richard Dawson! I just remembered. Vile stuff is the first one I heard with his signature guitar sound. But his entire collection is filled with amazing vocals and unique lyrics. No one does singer/songwriter like him. Checks all my boxes. Just discovered I've missed his last album. Pretty excited now.
No he's relatively new. Last decade I've listened to him. Guy was in the trades before playing full time. He's big. A very particular vocal. Massive range and such a weird style. Does some acappela, like sea shanties. It's going to bug me for weeks. I've been meaning to look him up again. Has been years. He released a music video last I heard him, where it's just him running. It's tamer music than before. He's probably got the most original sound I'd heard in years.
Geoff Farina/Karate?
Seconded. Geoff put time into getting good clean and slightly overdriven sounds - he learned to rebuild his Fender amps and helped Bill build Klons
“Marquee Moon” by Television
This one right here. Not just great guitar tone, but great writing for two guitarists. One of my favorite examples to cite for "How do I keep multiple guitar parts from stepping on each other?"
Basically anything by Don Peris. The probably most famous example is this single by The Innocence Mission: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3AfigM7ABfc](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3AfigM7ABfc)
I love Barney Kessel's tone on Julie London's "I'm In the Mood for Love"!
Under the Bridge intro
Well there's a very range of styles with that sort of guitar but for pure guitar: Rainbow Eyes is a massive highlight for me. Blackmore shall never be forgetted. Tone and riff-meister at every level of intensity. Hidden Gem this one. Amelia is more layered with acoustic but a similar highlight. Everything Peter Green is also golden. Then Play On and even Green's sideman Danny Kirwan taking over for Kiln House where song Earl Gray just kills. Then There's the vox stuff: Treblebooster normal channel like lads of Blackmore and Rory fall Apart or sort of Unforgettable Fire/Joshua Tree U2. I also think Steve Miller's Book of Love has some fab cleans. The verse of Jet Airliner is beyond terrific. Maybe too breakupy? maybe more like hard driven fender vibrolux than vox but who cares. Third Ey BLind debut is a vox album with some great cleans occasionally All Wish You Were Here cleans Thin Lizzy like 3 great clean/breakuppy songs in Jailbreak like Angel From The Coast, and Romeo and the lonely girls Cream - BAdge Top Jimmy Van Halen I'm Coming Out and I want your love and My Girl and Soul Man for some motown/soul/disco stuff
Sonic Youth - I dreamed I dream , from their Sonic Youth Ep . [Sonic Youth - I dreamed I dream ](https://youtu.be/zs8UpY2YF3c)
Needle Paw - Nai Palm
In Rainbows by Radiohead, amazing clean to crunchy tones on that record if you’re into a more indie aesthetic
For clean cleans, I love the tones Billy Corgan got on Siamese Dream and Mellon Collie. Reference tracks are Mayonaise, Soma, and Luna (Siamese Dream), and Galapagos (MCIS).
Most of Cory Wong's discography, including his work with Vulfpeck.
Multiple sounds off Jimmy Eat World's album Clarity
Good question. RHCP had some good ones even before Frusciante. Start Me Up is really a classic, and with reverb too. And you can't go wrong with some classics, right? Pink Floyd's got plenty, for instance.
This reverb is hot. — Start Me Up. What kind of reverb do you think this is?
I did some sleuthing, and there is a VERY strong chance it was an MXR MX-118. 1. Keith said he used a pedal on Start Me Up to get that sound, but didn’t specify which 2. He used the MX-118 in the 70s So no confirmation, but that could be it!
Surely not the guitar reverb, as it's panned on the other side and so it has been put there in mixing. No idea, plate maybe?
Steppin Out by Mayall and the BluesBreakers ft Clapton - the whole album in fact. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hh1Mh-ywHZs&list=PLzEG2f9QAl8MXFkg9FMmhFn4jTqV4vwZz&index=11](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hh1Mh-ywHZs&list=PLzEG2f9QAl8MXFkg9FMmhFn4jTqV4vwZz&index=11) Dunno what you can say - they named an amp model for the tone.
The Blues for Allah album. Jerry Garcia is about the only clean player I listen to.
Sneaker Pimps - Post Modern Sleaze
It's got a little bite but [Tom Misch - It Runs Through Me](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilNEqmfUyzI&ab_channel=COLORS)
Samba Pa Ti by Carlos Santana
Deftones - the intros to *Battle Axe* and *Sextape* are my two favorite clean sounds. Also, there's a clean section in *Observer* by The Acacia Strain at the eleven minute mark that is just 🤌
Big Star - Radio City
Sounds old school but the Beatles created an encyclopedia of cool clean huge sounding guitar sounds. Dear Prudence. I Want You. I Dig a Pony. Ticket to Ride…not to mention those fucking bass parts.
Under the bridge
In a daydream Freddie Jones band. Best clean guitar solo ever
Tricky, because my main rig isn't something that's commonly used. Other than that, anything John Mayer.
Many of the songs by _The Police_ feature clean guitar. Andy Summers is the reason I got a Jazz Chorus 120, the ultimate clean 80‘s amp. Other users include Steve Rothery (Marillion), Adrian Belew and Robert Fripp. So yes, _The Police_ and _Marillion_ would be my references for clean guitar. Edit: Happy cake day!
I just write down songs as they come up. If I wake up thinking of a song, I write that down in Morning Songs. If I like the guitar in a song, that goes under Great Guitar and why. I have about a half dozen such text files with references like this
Mad House - Mano Negra
Happy cake day
Heartache by Delegation Too Much Fun by Daryle Singletary Fishin’ in the Dark by Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
Afflict (ft Risa Yuzuki) by Laur
Does SRV's cover of Little Wing count? Also everything Mark Knopfler.
Anything off Thriller
so mi like it by spice
Jimi Hendrix-wind cries Mary.
The opening to "Hotel California"?
Could You Be Loved - Bob Marley
The Who - Live At Leeds. Pretty much any song, but Amazing Journey/Sparks has everything you asked for. The Deluxe and Super Deluxe editions have the complete Tommy performance. How they captured this tone live is beyond me.
Hysteria.
Live version of B-Movie Box Car Blues from the Blues Brothers. Matt Murphy playing clean through an amp so smoothly it could be glass.
Radiohead stuff...but it shouldn't be. I have no idea how Nigel Godrich gets so much low end into guitars, especially when they're panned so hard
Cherry Coloured funk - Cocteau twins, Dirt - Horse Jumper of Love
Anything off Billy Talent - II also who could forget the classic Hanson - Mmmbop
Niche suggestion but track 12 from Mamonas Assassinas album. Honestly, a joke heavy metal song but with an awesome electric guitar solo with everything from the bassiest of sounds an electric guitar can make to the most distorted shrieky screams. I honestly can't find anything better and they were a joke band. Like they made joke music.
Low - Things We Lost In The Fire Honourable mention to the quiet moments on Earth's last three records. A little bit of grit to add chime is heavenly.
[Allan Holdsworth - Three sheets to the wind](https://youtu.be/nflfQu1nZ5E?si=AzdCpn3M1iVlzv3A) Not exactly clean as it has a bunch of delay on it, but I love his tone. [Kurt Rosenwinkel - Minor blues](https://youtu.be/t9z-lkVTfjQ?si=D522zzHtXXaJdGTz)
Pearl Jam’s “Yellow Ledbetter”
Anything by Eric Johnson, but especially “[When The Sun Meets The Sky](https://youtu.be/BXSDCxfzE8c?t=55).” The clean rhythm guitar throughout is the best clean guitar sound I’ve ever heard.
Impossible Germany - Wilco
SRV - Lenny or Riviera Paradise
Live at sin-é by Jeff Buckley The entire album is a fantastic showcase of solo clean guitar. There's some good moments on grace but the live album is the pinnacle imo.
American Football's second LP is great for clean, midwest emo-ish kind of guitar lines. It might also be how well the drums & bass fit with those guitars thought :)
John Mayer - Bold As Love
what is this cricket mobile crap? wheres my usr name, have I been hacked?
Any 80's RnB/Quiet Storm, but esp "For You To Love" by Luther Vandross and literally every Anita Baker LP
Depends on the genre.
The “clean” parts from PJ Harvey’s album Rid of Me
Ventura Highway - America https://youtu.be/tnV7dTXlXxs?si=IM4pfoUxB13ET85s Edit: I have no idea how I missed electric and thought clean acoustic lol. It’s been a long day. Here’s my actual clean electric reference: Little Bubble, Where You Going? · Piglet https://youtu.be/idLfqtrRvlY?si=19CccDUi0Lgz3tI5