The Ultimate Tone

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As a writer, you know how important it is to choose the right word for the meaning you're trying to convey.

The evolution of guitar amp circuits becomes a revolution! The Ultimate Tone, Volume 6 takes you through advanced DC Power Scaling methods; reveals the secrets of Dumble amps; explores the truth about high-gain preamps; demonstrates how to build Z-B-X push-pull power amps with a single power tube; simplifies the design.

The Ultimate Tone Volume 6 – Timeless Tone Built for the Future Today In many ways, Volume 6 is a continuation and extension of the material in Volume 4, where Power Scaling is introduced. A new ‘direct control' version of Powerscaling is introduced in Volume 6 which was introduced in Vol 4, but was dropped with integral circuits. The Ultimate Tone Volume 3 – Generations of Tone. By Kevin O'Connor, ©2002, ISBN 0-9698-6088-9. 304 pages, 8-1/2″ x 11″, spiral bound with clear protective covers; 189 figures (schematic diagrams and layouts) View the Table of Contents Read a magazine review of the TUT series. Deciding which TUT volume to purchase first (next)? This book 'The Ultimate Tone' is the first in a series of books explaining musical instrument vacuum tube amplifiers. At the time of this review, there are 6 books in the series, each focusing on different aspects of tube amplifiers.

And part of that is knowing what tone words are and which one to use in a particular context.

The wrong one is like an errant note in an otherwise flawless performance. Even if it has the same dictionary definition, it just doesn't sound right.

But where do you go to find the wordswith just the right tone and cadence to make the sentence flow as it should?

Welcome to our ultimate list of tone words.

  • Sad Tone Words

175 Words to Describe Tone for Authors

Any tone words list (worth the time it takes to make it) should provide the fuller meaning of each word — i.e., not just the denotation (dictionary definition) but it's connotations, too. Grand theft auto 5 for mac os.

For this tone words list, you'll see each word explained with a short definition or with synonyms that have the same general tone.

All you have to do is open a thesaurus to find synonyms for a particular word to realize that some of those words do NOT have the tone you're looking for. Some are obviously negative. Some are positive. And the rest are more or less neutral. Files cleaner for mac.

The tone word you need for the moment is the one that evokes the right emotions and that allows your sentence to flow without speed bumps.

Positive Tone Words

Treesize for mac os x. Positive tone words are those that evoke positive emotions.

If you hear a person described in words with a positive tone, you're more likely to think favorably of them, even before you've met.

  1. Adoring — loving ardently; worshipping; venerating
  2. Amused — entertained or diverted; pleased
  3. Animated — lively; full of excitement or enthusiasm; vibrant; spirited; impassioned
  4. Appreciative — grateful or thankful; showing gratitude, approval, or pleasure
  5. Assertive — sure of oneself; brave or fearless; self-confident; authoritative
  6. Ardent — passionate; enthusiastic; fervent; zealous
  7. Benevolent — kind; generous; compassionate; tolerant; well meaning
  8. Blithe — in good spirits; of a sunny disposition; happy; cheerful
  9. Bold — audacious or daring; assertive; fearless or seeming to be fearless
  10. Calm — serene or tranquil; unruffled or unshaken; placid
  11. Candid — honest or truthful; straightforward; unreserved
  12. Celebratory — paying tribute to; glorifying; praising or honoring; making merry
  13. Cheerful / cheery — positive or uplifting; optimistic; salutary;
  14. Comforting — consoling; healing; warming or calming; soothing
  15. Comic — funny/humorous; amusing or entertaining; diverting
  16. Compassionate — empathetic or sympathetic; nonjudgmental; quick to forgive
  17. Contented — wanting for nothing; grateful; accepting
  18. Curious — inquisitive or questioning; wanting to know more
  19. Direct — straightforward; blunt; lacking in hesitation
  20. Earnest — serious; wholehearted; sincere or showing deep sincerity or feeling
  21. Ebullient — high-spirited; brimming with enthusiasm or excitement; exuberant
  22. Elated — joyful or jubilant; in high spirits; happy or proud
  23. Elevated — exalted; lofty; honored
  24. Eloquent — beauty or fluidity of expression;
  25. Empathetic — showing empathy; feeling the emotions of others
  26. Enchant — cast a spell over; entrance; bewitch
  27. Endearing — inspiring warmth or affection
  28. Enthusiastic — excited; energetic; optimistic; bubbling over
  29. Exhilarated — invigorated; enlivened or feeling alive; stimulated; made cheerful
  30. Forthright — straight to the point; frank; outspoken; unambiguous; direct
  31. Gentle — kind; considerate; tender; soft; not severe; gradual; moderate
  32. Hilarious — amusing; uproariously funny; ridiculous or laughable
  33. Inspirational — motivating; energizing; reassuring; instilling hope; catalyzing
  34. Intimate — familiar; confidential; confessional; private
  35. Joyful — filled with gratitude; elated or exuberant; supremely happy
  36. Laudatory — praising; extolling; recommending
  37. Learned — educated; knowledgeable; erudite; involved in the pursuit of knowledge
  38. Lighthearted — positive; carefree; relaxed; optimistic; in good spirits
  39. Lively — full of life; energetic; vigorous; animated; spirited; sprightly; vivacious
  40. Lofty — exalted in rank; elevated in tone, style, or sentiment
  41. Loving — affectionate; showing deep concern or solicitude for someone
  42. Modest — free from ostentation; unpretentious; showing humility
  43. Objective — without prejudice; fair; basing judgment on facts rather than feelings
  44. Optimistic — hopeful; cheerful; expecting good; disposed to taking a favorable view
  45. Powerful — potent; efficacious; having or exerting great power; forceful
  46. Reassuring — restoring hope, security, or confidence
  47. Reflective — given to reflection, meditation, or contemplation; thoughtful
  48. Relaxed — calm; free or relieved of tension, trouble, or anxiety
  49. Respectful — full of or showing politeness, sympathy, or deference
  50. Reverent — showing deep respect; holding someone or something in high esteem
  51. Righteous — morally right or justifiable; pious; guiltless; upright
  52. Romantic — imbued with idealism; preoccupied with love, adventure, justice, etc.
  53. Sanguine — hopeful; cheerfully optimistic; confident of a good outcome
  54. Scholarly — learned; educated; committed to furthering one's education
  55. Self-assured — having or showing self-confidence; bold or fearless; forward
  56. Sincere — honest; truthful; not false or deceitful; free of hypocrisy; genuine
  57. Stable — not likely to fall or give way (as a structure/support); steady
  58. Stately — grand; imposing in size or magnificence; elegant; majestic
  59. Straightforward — honest; straight to the point; not roundabout; direct
  60. Sympathetic — understand what another is feeling; showing compassion
  61. Tender — gentle; soft-hearted; compassionate; kind; delicate; young
  62. Thoughtful — considerate of others; thinking before acting; pensive
  63. Tolerant — open-minded; patient; charitable; sympathetic; lenient; accepting
  64. Tranquil — calm; unruffled; unprovoked; peaceful; placid; serene
  65. Vibrant — full of life and vigor; lively; full of vivid color; vivacious
  66. Whimsical — playful or fun; offbeat; mischievous; quaint; capricious; fanciful
  67. Witty — quick-witted; entertaining; amusingly clever; intelligent
  68. Wonder — admiration; fascination; awe; curiosity; amazement; admiration
Vol

Negative Tone Words

Anything described in negative tone words is likely to leave you with a bad impression, whether the thing described is a place, a book, or a group of people.

Choose your words carefully. If this is a time for honest negativity, this list will help you find the right words.

  1. Abashed — embarrassed or ashamed; humiliated; shy
  2. Abhorring — hating; despising; loathing; abominating; detesting
  3. Abstruse — difficult to understand; esoteric; secret or hidden; obsolete
  4. Absurd — laughable, ludicrous, ridiculous; senseless; illogical; untrue
  5. Accusatory — suggesting someone (else) has done something wrong
  6. Acerbic — biting, abrasive, cutting, or sharp; hurtful; severe
  7. Aggressive — hostile, forceful, argumentative, contentious
  8. Angry — irate or furious; menacing or threatening; resentful
  9. Annoyed — irritated; agitated; provoked; disturbed; bothered
  10. Antagonistic — argumentative or contentious; contrarian; belligerent
  11. Anxious — focused on negative thought loops; feeling out of control
  12. Apathetic — indifferent or lacking concern; unemotional; showing little interest
  13. Apprehensive — worried or nervous; expecting the worst
  14. Arrogant — conceited or self-important; overbearing; condescending
  15. Authoritarian — domineering or bossy; insisting on complete obedience
  16. Belligerent — bellicose or warlike; antagonistic; combative
  17. Bewildered — baffled, confused, or flummoxed; lost
  18. Bitter — angry; acrimonious; resentful or dwelling on past injury
  19. Boorish — dull; pretentious; arrogant or self-absorbed
  20. Brusque — abrupt or dismissive; rough; blunt
  21. Callous — uncaring or unfeeling; indifferent; lacking in compassion
  22. Caustic — making cutting or corrosive comments; intending injury
  23. Censorious — critical or quick to judge or condemn;
  24. Choleric — quick to anger; short-tempered; hot-blooded; irascible
  25. Churlish — critical in a mean-spirited way; nasty; belligerent; bullying
  26. Cliché — overused; trite; stale; unimaginative; hackneyed; commonplace
  27. Clinical — humorless; detached; unfeeling or uncaring; aloof; cold
  28. Complicated — unnecessarily complex; difficult to comprehend
  29. Condescending — patronizing; talking down to those you consider beneath you
  30. Confounded — confused; befuddled or mystified; bewildered; damned
  31. Confused — bewildered; unable to think clearly; vague; perplexed; disoriented
  32. Contemptuous — hateful; spiteful; quick to hold others in contempt; toxic
  33. Contentious — argumentative or combative; quick to stir the pot
  34. Critical — finding fault; complaining or criticizing; disapproving
  35. Cruel — causing pain or suffering; unkind; spiteful; devoid of humane feelings
  36. Cynical — critical of motives; quick to assume the worst; mocking or sneering
  37. Derisive — mocking; sarcastic; dismissive or scornful; snide
  38. Derogatory — insulting or demeaning; disrespectul; unkind
  39. Detached — aloof or distant; uncaring; unfeeling; frigid; machine-like
  40. Diabolic — demonic or satanic; evil or malicious;
  41. Diffident — lacking confidence in your ability or worth; timid or shy
  42. Disgusted — appalled; repulsed; repelled; disappointed
  43. Disparaging — critical; scornful; dismissive; insulting
  44. Distressing — saddening or heartbreaking; troubling; disturbing
  45. Dogmatic — thinking in black and white; intolerant; inflexible; close-minded
  46. Domineering — imposing your beliefs and/or authority on others; tyrannical
  47. Dubious — questionable or having questionable motives; inclined to doubt
  48. Egotistical — ego-centric; self-centered or self-absorbed; vain; arrogant
  49. Enraged — furious; unhinged; infuriated; extremely angry
  50. Evasive — cryptic or unclear; avoiding; ambiguous; elusive or evanescent
  51. Facetious — inappropriate or impertinent; flippant or dismissive; glib; shallow
  52. Farcical — ridiculous; absurd; mocking; humorous and highly improbable
  53. Fatalistic — pessimistic; expecting the worst as inevitable
  54. Fearful — frightened; afraid; terrified; paralyzed or immobilized; shy
  55. Flippant — casual or thoughtless; glib; inconsiderate; dismissive
  56. Foppish — dandified; pretentious; vain; excessively refined and fastidious
  57. Foreboding — dread; strong feeling of impending doom or evil
  58. Frivolous — unnecessary and costing more than it's worth; silly or lacking
  59. Frustrated — feeling thwarted in your efforts; feeling besieged or undermined
  60. Ghoulish — delighting in the loathesome, perverse, or revolting
  61. Grim — serious or humorless; of dark intent; macabre; depressing
  62. Hapless — unfortunate or appearing to be doomed to perpetual bad luck
  63. Harsh — unkind or unmerciful; unnecessarily painful; unyielding
  64. Humble — modest; deferential; self-confident; unassuming; respectful
  65. Inane — foolish; stupid; silly or nonsensical; vacuous; empty; insignificant
  66. Incredulous — disbelieving; unconvinced; suspicious; questioning; skeptical
  67. Malicious — having ill intent; mean-spirited; spiteful; vindictive
  68. Naïve — unsuspecting; gullible or easy to deceive; unsophisticated
  69. Narcissistic — self-admiring; pathologically self-centered
  70. Obsequious — fawning; overly submissive or obedient; servile; groveling
  71. Outraged — furious or extremely angered; deeply offended
  72. Pretentious — affected; artificial; grandiose; flashy; superficial
  73. Satirical — mocking to show a weakness; ridiculing; derisive; scornful
  74. Sarcastic — ironic; saying the opposite of what you mean to mock or ridicule
  75. Scathing — harsh; critical; cutting; unsparing; vicious; harmful or injurious
  76. Sensationalistic — inaccurate; hyped up; exxagerated; provocative
  77. Subjective — biased; prejudiced; based on emotion rather than facts
  78. Sulking — resentful; sullen; bad-tempered; grumpy; self-pitying
  79. Tragic — calamitous; disastrous; catastrophic; devastating
  80. Uneasy — worried; ill at ease; edgy; nervous; unsettled
  81. Vindictive — vengeful; spiteful; petty; unforgiving; hateful
  82. World-weary — bored; tired; cynical; pessimistic

More Related Articles:

Sad Tone Words

Some negative tone words leave you with an impression of sadness rather than disgust or anger.

Here's a sampling of these, most of them described using other sad tone words.

  1. Apologetic — full of regret or remorse; repentant; acknowleding failure
  2. Depressed — lacking in energy or buoyancy; apathetic; emotionally blunted
  3. Despairing — hopeless; sinking without an attempt to rise; seeing only darkness
  4. Disheartening — discouraging; depressing; demoralizing; undermining; sad
  5. Gloomy — depressing; dreary; discouraging; sad or low-spirited; pessimistic
  6. Grave — serious; morose or moribund; solemn; weighty; important
  7. Hollow — lacking substance; empty; meaningless; joyless
  8. Melancholy — sad or prone to sadness; having a gloomy outlook
  9. Pathetic — evoking pity; marked by sorrow or sadness; pitifully inadequate
  10. Somber — gloomy; solemn; grave; melancholy; depressing
  11. Wretched — miserable; sorrowful; distressed or in agony; despairing

Neutral Tone Words

When you want a neutral tone in writing, it can be hard to find.

The Ultimate Tone

It doesn't take much for us to associate words with an emotion or to feel the emotional undercurrent of a word — whether positive or negative and to whatever degree. But some neutral words remain.

  1. Ambivalent — uncertain; having mixed feelings; undecided
  2. Cautionary — raises awareness; gives warning; admonishing
  3. Compliant — in conformity with rules/expectations; flexible; acquiescent
  4. Conciliatory — meant to pacify or placate; seeking to please
  5. Colloquial — familiar; everyday language; casual or informal
  6. Defensive — defending or guarding a position; watchful; preventing aggression
  7. Formal — respectful; following accepted rules/styles; preserving form/custom
  8. Impartial — objective; not favoring either side over the other
  9. Intense — deeply felt; concentrated; passionate; earnest; extreme
  10. Introspective — inward-focused or turning inward; contemplative
  11. Pensive — lost in thought; introspective or reflective; contemplative
  12. Pragmatic — realistic; dispassionate or detached; ruled by logic; practical
  13. Solemn — serious; not funny; in earnest; sober; reverent; grave; mirthless
  14. Urgent — insistent; implying something must be done as soon as possible
The Ultimate Tone

Did you find the tone words you were seeking?

Now that you've looked through our list of tones, which ones stood out for you the most? What kind of tone did those words have (positive, negative, or neutral)?

O

Sometimes, our moods make certain words stand out for us as more fitting or more resonant. And sometimes we just see them because we've used them or heard them used recently — in a way that made them stick.

I hope your life gives you plenty of reasons to use positive tone words. But some situations and contexts call for the opposite. Your current work in progress might call for plenty of the opposite.

And in certain contexts, even the neutral tone words sound more negative than otherwise. The right context can even change the tone of words that are usually considered positive.

I hope the words you use to describe yourself are kind and encouraging. And at the end of the day, may the balance of your words leave you with a smile.

Description

Ultimate Volume Amplifier

The Ultimate Tone – Modifying and Custom Building Tube Guitar Amps

By Kevin O'Connor, ©1995, ISBN 0-9698-6080-3

368 pages, 8½' x 11″, spiral bound with clear protective covers;
395 figures (schematic diagrams)

Deciding which TUT (The Ultimate Tone) volume to purchase first (next)? See our TUT Selection page.

TUT is the book that jump-started the boutique tube guitar amp business!
The Ultimate Tone is an enduring industry standard – as relevant today as when it was published in 1995.

  • learn the truth about tube preamp design and modification
  • see how tube power amps work and how they can be made more reliable
  • see how reverbs and effects loops work and learn better ways to configure them
  • learn why some amp brands are easier to service and to mod than others
  • see how simple switching circuits are but how capable they can be
  • browse tube data for the common types used in guitar and bass amps is provided
  • read a discussion of stage set-up and player ergonomics

TUT itself is an overview of all-things-guitar-amp. Much of its information is accessible to hobbyists of low to moderate skill, while other sections require some schematic reading fluency and circuit knowledge.

The Ultimate Tone offers the technician or hobbyist a wide information base for properly implementing guitar amplifier modifications, and for simply building better guitar amps. Sonic perceptions and stage setups are analyzed to demonstrate how optimal sound can be obtained from existing equipment. A survey of amplifier brands follows, with an eye toward ease of modification and service. Basic vacuum tube operation is clearly presented, as are power supply principles. Preamp circuits and master volumes are explored with a discussion of guitar sustain and interactions, for clean and distorted tones. Power amplifiers are investigated, and power tubes are explored regarding choice of tubes, relative reliabilities of tube types, the relevance of tube matching, and the sonic impact of each tube type. Methods of improving reliability are presented. Tube and solid-state effects loops and reverb loops are investigated, with relative performance issues highlighted. The Best All-tube Effects Loop shown here has been widely copied throughout the industry, as has the jfet-mosfet cascode loop.

Kevin O'connor The Ultimate Tone

An extensive discussion of switching methods is presented, a subject which is rarely explored with regard to guitar systems. Channel, reverb, effects, lead boost, mute and speaker switching are explored. Foot-switch controllers with and without LEDs are detailed, with an eye to multiple controllers for larger stages.

Tone

Negative Tone Words

Anything described in negative tone words is likely to leave you with a bad impression, whether the thing described is a place, a book, or a group of people.

Choose your words carefully. If this is a time for honest negativity, this list will help you find the right words.

  1. Abashed — embarrassed or ashamed; humiliated; shy
  2. Abhorring — hating; despising; loathing; abominating; detesting
  3. Abstruse — difficult to understand; esoteric; secret or hidden; obsolete
  4. Absurd — laughable, ludicrous, ridiculous; senseless; illogical; untrue
  5. Accusatory — suggesting someone (else) has done something wrong
  6. Acerbic — biting, abrasive, cutting, or sharp; hurtful; severe
  7. Aggressive — hostile, forceful, argumentative, contentious
  8. Angry — irate or furious; menacing or threatening; resentful
  9. Annoyed — irritated; agitated; provoked; disturbed; bothered
  10. Antagonistic — argumentative or contentious; contrarian; belligerent
  11. Anxious — focused on negative thought loops; feeling out of control
  12. Apathetic — indifferent or lacking concern; unemotional; showing little interest
  13. Apprehensive — worried or nervous; expecting the worst
  14. Arrogant — conceited or self-important; overbearing; condescending
  15. Authoritarian — domineering or bossy; insisting on complete obedience
  16. Belligerent — bellicose or warlike; antagonistic; combative
  17. Bewildered — baffled, confused, or flummoxed; lost
  18. Bitter — angry; acrimonious; resentful or dwelling on past injury
  19. Boorish — dull; pretentious; arrogant or self-absorbed
  20. Brusque — abrupt or dismissive; rough; blunt
  21. Callous — uncaring or unfeeling; indifferent; lacking in compassion
  22. Caustic — making cutting or corrosive comments; intending injury
  23. Censorious — critical or quick to judge or condemn;
  24. Choleric — quick to anger; short-tempered; hot-blooded; irascible
  25. Churlish — critical in a mean-spirited way; nasty; belligerent; bullying
  26. Cliché — overused; trite; stale; unimaginative; hackneyed; commonplace
  27. Clinical — humorless; detached; unfeeling or uncaring; aloof; cold
  28. Complicated — unnecessarily complex; difficult to comprehend
  29. Condescending — patronizing; talking down to those you consider beneath you
  30. Confounded — confused; befuddled or mystified; bewildered; damned
  31. Confused — bewildered; unable to think clearly; vague; perplexed; disoriented
  32. Contemptuous — hateful; spiteful; quick to hold others in contempt; toxic
  33. Contentious — argumentative or combative; quick to stir the pot
  34. Critical — finding fault; complaining or criticizing; disapproving
  35. Cruel — causing pain or suffering; unkind; spiteful; devoid of humane feelings
  36. Cynical — critical of motives; quick to assume the worst; mocking or sneering
  37. Derisive — mocking; sarcastic; dismissive or scornful; snide
  38. Derogatory — insulting or demeaning; disrespectul; unkind
  39. Detached — aloof or distant; uncaring; unfeeling; frigid; machine-like
  40. Diabolic — demonic or satanic; evil or malicious;
  41. Diffident — lacking confidence in your ability or worth; timid or shy
  42. Disgusted — appalled; repulsed; repelled; disappointed
  43. Disparaging — critical; scornful; dismissive; insulting
  44. Distressing — saddening or heartbreaking; troubling; disturbing
  45. Dogmatic — thinking in black and white; intolerant; inflexible; close-minded
  46. Domineering — imposing your beliefs and/or authority on others; tyrannical
  47. Dubious — questionable or having questionable motives; inclined to doubt
  48. Egotistical — ego-centric; self-centered or self-absorbed; vain; arrogant
  49. Enraged — furious; unhinged; infuriated; extremely angry
  50. Evasive — cryptic or unclear; avoiding; ambiguous; elusive or evanescent
  51. Facetious — inappropriate or impertinent; flippant or dismissive; glib; shallow
  52. Farcical — ridiculous; absurd; mocking; humorous and highly improbable
  53. Fatalistic — pessimistic; expecting the worst as inevitable
  54. Fearful — frightened; afraid; terrified; paralyzed or immobilized; shy
  55. Flippant — casual or thoughtless; glib; inconsiderate; dismissive
  56. Foppish — dandified; pretentious; vain; excessively refined and fastidious
  57. Foreboding — dread; strong feeling of impending doom or evil
  58. Frivolous — unnecessary and costing more than it's worth; silly or lacking
  59. Frustrated — feeling thwarted in your efforts; feeling besieged or undermined
  60. Ghoulish — delighting in the loathesome, perverse, or revolting
  61. Grim — serious or humorless; of dark intent; macabre; depressing
  62. Hapless — unfortunate or appearing to be doomed to perpetual bad luck
  63. Harsh — unkind or unmerciful; unnecessarily painful; unyielding
  64. Humble — modest; deferential; self-confident; unassuming; respectful
  65. Inane — foolish; stupid; silly or nonsensical; vacuous; empty; insignificant
  66. Incredulous — disbelieving; unconvinced; suspicious; questioning; skeptical
  67. Malicious — having ill intent; mean-spirited; spiteful; vindictive
  68. Naïve — unsuspecting; gullible or easy to deceive; unsophisticated
  69. Narcissistic — self-admiring; pathologically self-centered
  70. Obsequious — fawning; overly submissive or obedient; servile; groveling
  71. Outraged — furious or extremely angered; deeply offended
  72. Pretentious — affected; artificial; grandiose; flashy; superficial
  73. Satirical — mocking to show a weakness; ridiculing; derisive; scornful
  74. Sarcastic — ironic; saying the opposite of what you mean to mock or ridicule
  75. Scathing — harsh; critical; cutting; unsparing; vicious; harmful or injurious
  76. Sensationalistic — inaccurate; hyped up; exxagerated; provocative
  77. Subjective — biased; prejudiced; based on emotion rather than facts
  78. Sulking — resentful; sullen; bad-tempered; grumpy; self-pitying
  79. Tragic — calamitous; disastrous; catastrophic; devastating
  80. Uneasy — worried; ill at ease; edgy; nervous; unsettled
  81. Vindictive — vengeful; spiteful; petty; unforgiving; hateful
  82. World-weary — bored; tired; cynical; pessimistic

More Related Articles:

Sad Tone Words

Some negative tone words leave you with an impression of sadness rather than disgust or anger.

Here's a sampling of these, most of them described using other sad tone words.

  1. Apologetic — full of regret or remorse; repentant; acknowleding failure
  2. Depressed — lacking in energy or buoyancy; apathetic; emotionally blunted
  3. Despairing — hopeless; sinking without an attempt to rise; seeing only darkness
  4. Disheartening — discouraging; depressing; demoralizing; undermining; sad
  5. Gloomy — depressing; dreary; discouraging; sad or low-spirited; pessimistic
  6. Grave — serious; morose or moribund; solemn; weighty; important
  7. Hollow — lacking substance; empty; meaningless; joyless
  8. Melancholy — sad or prone to sadness; having a gloomy outlook
  9. Pathetic — evoking pity; marked by sorrow or sadness; pitifully inadequate
  10. Somber — gloomy; solemn; grave; melancholy; depressing
  11. Wretched — miserable; sorrowful; distressed or in agony; despairing

Neutral Tone Words

When you want a neutral tone in writing, it can be hard to find.

It doesn't take much for us to associate words with an emotion or to feel the emotional undercurrent of a word — whether positive or negative and to whatever degree. But some neutral words remain.

  1. Ambivalent — uncertain; having mixed feelings; undecided
  2. Cautionary — raises awareness; gives warning; admonishing
  3. Compliant — in conformity with rules/expectations; flexible; acquiescent
  4. Conciliatory — meant to pacify or placate; seeking to please
  5. Colloquial — familiar; everyday language; casual or informal
  6. Defensive — defending or guarding a position; watchful; preventing aggression
  7. Formal — respectful; following accepted rules/styles; preserving form/custom
  8. Impartial — objective; not favoring either side over the other
  9. Intense — deeply felt; concentrated; passionate; earnest; extreme
  10. Introspective — inward-focused or turning inward; contemplative
  11. Pensive — lost in thought; introspective or reflective; contemplative
  12. Pragmatic — realistic; dispassionate or detached; ruled by logic; practical
  13. Solemn — serious; not funny; in earnest; sober; reverent; grave; mirthless
  14. Urgent — insistent; implying something must be done as soon as possible

Did you find the tone words you were seeking?

Now that you've looked through our list of tones, which ones stood out for you the most? What kind of tone did those words have (positive, negative, or neutral)?

Sometimes, our moods make certain words stand out for us as more fitting or more resonant. And sometimes we just see them because we've used them or heard them used recently — in a way that made them stick.

I hope your life gives you plenty of reasons to use positive tone words. But some situations and contexts call for the opposite. Your current work in progress might call for plenty of the opposite.

And in certain contexts, even the neutral tone words sound more negative than otherwise. The right context can even change the tone of words that are usually considered positive.

I hope the words you use to describe yourself are kind and encouraging. And at the end of the day, may the balance of your words leave you with a smile.

Description

Ultimate Volume Amplifier

The Ultimate Tone – Modifying and Custom Building Tube Guitar Amps

By Kevin O'Connor, ©1995, ISBN 0-9698-6080-3

368 pages, 8½' x 11″, spiral bound with clear protective covers;
395 figures (schematic diagrams)

Deciding which TUT (The Ultimate Tone) volume to purchase first (next)? See our TUT Selection page.

TUT is the book that jump-started the boutique tube guitar amp business!
The Ultimate Tone is an enduring industry standard – as relevant today as when it was published in 1995.

  • learn the truth about tube preamp design and modification
  • see how tube power amps work and how they can be made more reliable
  • see how reverbs and effects loops work and learn better ways to configure them
  • learn why some amp brands are easier to service and to mod than others
  • see how simple switching circuits are but how capable they can be
  • browse tube data for the common types used in guitar and bass amps is provided
  • read a discussion of stage set-up and player ergonomics

TUT itself is an overview of all-things-guitar-amp. Much of its information is accessible to hobbyists of low to moderate skill, while other sections require some schematic reading fluency and circuit knowledge.

The Ultimate Tone offers the technician or hobbyist a wide information base for properly implementing guitar amplifier modifications, and for simply building better guitar amps. Sonic perceptions and stage setups are analyzed to demonstrate how optimal sound can be obtained from existing equipment. A survey of amplifier brands follows, with an eye toward ease of modification and service. Basic vacuum tube operation is clearly presented, as are power supply principles. Preamp circuits and master volumes are explored with a discussion of guitar sustain and interactions, for clean and distorted tones. Power amplifiers are investigated, and power tubes are explored regarding choice of tubes, relative reliabilities of tube types, the relevance of tube matching, and the sonic impact of each tube type. Methods of improving reliability are presented. Tube and solid-state effects loops and reverb loops are investigated, with relative performance issues highlighted. The Best All-tube Effects Loop shown here has been widely copied throughout the industry, as has the jfet-mosfet cascode loop.

Kevin O'connor The Ultimate Tone

An extensive discussion of switching methods is presented, a subject which is rarely explored with regard to guitar systems. Channel, reverb, effects, lead boost, mute and speaker switching are explored. Foot-switch controllers with and without LEDs are detailed, with an eye to multiple controllers for larger stages.

Tube data is provided for the seventeen most common types used in guitar amplifiers, with pin-outs for nine less common numbers.

Replacement transformer data is provided for the two Hammond Mfg. model lines which cover most guitar applications.

The intended reader must be able to work from a schematic.

The Ultimate Tone By Kevin O'connor

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