
Just look at a guitarist like Gary Clark Jr. When guitarists use a lot of distortion or specific effects, it is often easier and cheaper to recreate their tone. This is what makes it quite difficult to sound like him, without spending a lot of money. This is because John Mayer’s tone is built around a very high quality clean sound. I have attempted to do the same here, but in the interest of full disclosure, this one has been a bit more challenging. In all of the articles I have written in my ‘ Sound Like‘ series, I have tried to offer up budget friendly alternatives to the often very expensive gear of your guitar heroes. So without further ado, here is everything you need to sound like John Mayer. It will improve your tone and give you a rig that is great if you want a vintage blues tone. The gear that Mayer uses is amazing for the blues. I decided then, that in this case it is almost irrelevant if you are a huge John Mayer fan or not. Just listen to songs like ‘ Slow Dancing in a Burning Room’, ‘ Helpless’ and ‘ Belief‘. Yet when he pushes it, he can get that soft crunch that sounds amazing for the blues. It is so smooth and all of his notes retain perfect clarity. In addition, John Mayer’s tone is amazing. He is without doubt one of the most tasteful and versatile guitar players in the modern era. His playing is not overly flashy or complex and it always serves the song. His phrasing is beautiful, he has exceptional control over his dynamics, and his feel is amazing. Yet whilst this might be the case, John Mayer’s skills as a guitar player are without question. His music is aimed at a wide audience, and as a result, a lot of it is closer to pop music than it is to the blues. Mayer is not a traditional blues guitarist. I have to admit, I was at first a little reluctant to write an article on how to sound like John Mayer. Discover how you can create similar tones to suit your budget and set-up John Mayer has a beautiful guitar tone, perfect for soft and mellow blues.
