According to the guy who maintains his instruments, Eddie van Halen wants his guitar to “sound like nut butter.” And he means it. The words musicians use to describe music are a special language, and those who swing the electric guitar are virtuosos of this sounds-like-a-non-sequitur-but-isn’t argot.

An electric guitar, by itself, sounds like nothing—quiet and weak, it requires amplification. A guitarist’s “sound” is a combination of the vibration of the strings, the wooden body of the guitar, the electronics picking up the sound, and the amplifier broadcasting the sound. (Also, according to Eddie van Halen, the cable connecting the guitar and amp makes its own contribution.) The elements that affect the sound of an electric guitar add up to the “tone.” Every guitarist has his or her own holy-grail tone, and the language guitarists use to describe tone includes not only straightforward terms like crunchy, smooth, dark, rich, and warm, but also more abstract terms, like “brown tone” and “woman tone.” Hard to picture, but carrying common meaning among guitarists—everyone knows “woman tone” refers to Clapton’s late 60’s sound. Right?

To affect the tone, guitarists put electronic devices between the guitar and the amp, often in the form of “stomp boxes.” Many are covered with knobs and buttons, usually including a big button the guitarist can step on (ok, stomp on) to turn the effect on and off. There are many companies making stomp boxes, and classic circuits custom-designed for, say, Jimi Hendrix are reissued with modern electronics on-board that provide more customization of the tone.

Entertainingly, stomp box manufacturers choose various strategies for naming their products. Some focus on the technology, describing aspects of the circuit contained within. Others describe the effect on the tone. Some pick very descriptive names, while others are more evocative. Some are technical, some emotional. And a few…well, maybe they’re meaningful to a better guitarist than me. To help you navigate the landscape, here’s a map. Rock on.

[Photo by Michael Morel]