Looking for tone advice

[w6fdo]

I own the exact same guitar that Vinai T uses in this video, however I'm struggling to find the tone he has on my Helix using amp and effects combinations.  Any suggestions on what to try from you tone pros would be super appreciated. =)    Thank you!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSyLwFKZtgY

[DunedinDragon]

Well there's lots of things going into this performance other than the guitar.  It's not a particularly original tone.  In fact it's very reminiscent of the older George Benson sound.

First things first, you'll need a very accurate playback setup with good studio monitors or a decent powered speaker.  If you go cheap on those it will show up because of the accuracy and clean nature of the style of playing.  Any of the clean amps would probably be okay.  I might choose the Jazz Rivet since it's a very popular amp for this style, and a 1x12 Blue Bell for the same reason.  I'd start with a R121 ribbon mic to ensure you get the darkness/fullness and add a 421 dynamic mic if necessary to get the crispness without any of the harshness some of the other dynamic mics would add.

I can't really make out what his selection is for his pickups but I suspect it's a combination of both pickups.  An important aspect of the tone he gets is his picking style as it is for most jazz guitar players.  Look carefully at how he holds his pick.  It's never flat against the strings because he holds it at an angle.  The makes the picking action very smooth and reduces the pick noise.  There's just the very slightest hint of a crunch when he digs in so that may take a while to find the settings for that.

That's about everything that hits me when I watch it.

[w6fdo]

Thanks so much DunedinDragon!  That's fantastic advice and it got me the closest tone to his that I've been able to get.  In particular, the mic and cab choice made a huge difference, and adding some drive to the Jazz Rivet helps with that little bit of crunch.  So great to have tone pros like you for advice, thanks again.  =)