still a few well known guitarists that embody
this very personal approach to the electric
guitar and its unique timbre. If asked to
name such a modern guitar slinger, the first
one that would come to my mind would be
Josh Homme of Kyuss and Queens of the
Stone Age. His tone and style are entirely
unique, developed over a lengthy career
that has spanned both underground and
mainstream rock circles, and he has proven
himself to be both a devoted student of the
instrument as well as a very thoughtful,
deliberate contrarian, especially where gear
is concerned.
My and many people’s introduction to Josh
Homme’s singular guitar onslaught was the
now classic Kyuss album Blues for the Red
Sun. This definitive entry into stoner/desert
rock canon features some of the most
idiosyncratic, bowel-rumbling heavy guitar
tones ever committed to tape, and at the
time of its release in 1992, sounded
completely unlike anything that had come
before. It was clearly the work of a guitarist
that was consciously developing a unique
and personal vision. This sound has mutated
and progressed over the years as Kyuss
broke up and Homme went on to form
Queens of the Stone Age, Them Crooked
Vultures, and a variety of other offshoots
and side projects, but the core elements of
his tone have remained in place.
18
TONE TALK //
Unfortunately, Homme is notoriously
protective of his gear secrets, actively
spreading misinformation and outright lies in
interviews, or just refusing to answer
technical inquiries he deems too sensitive. I
can’t say I blame him, but perhaps to his
dismay, most of the primary building blocks
of his sound are rather easily sussed out. A
simple internet search will reveal what
pedals live on his pedalboards, what amps
have bolstered his backline, and what guitars
have filled his hands. It’s hard to keep a
secret with the Internet around.
GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF
THE HOMME TONE
Obviously, like any great artist, the true
sources of Josh Homme’s tone are his head
and his hands, but these subjects are far
beyond the scope of this article, so let’s start
with some general gear guidelines. If you
seek to summon a little of your own Homme
sonic magic, you’ve got to hone in on the
low end. A good place to start is with
a neck-position humbucker. This is essential,
and has been a consistent and crucial
element of Homme’s tone since the
beginning. He has been quoted as saying
that he used the neck pickup for “every note
on every album.” Over the years, in many
different guitars, he has employed various
neck position ‘buckers from Seymour
Duncan, DiMarzio, and other custom
Tones for the Deaf: Nailing Josh Homme’s Sound