Description of sound frequencies. Please read our guide on  "Using Guitar Equalizers" before reading this.

This would be a useful list for guitarists who uses the equalizer often:

40-60 Hz Boomy - a sound over abundant in low lows. These waves move a lot of air, hence Boomy.
60-150 Hz Fat - the octave above Boominess. Makes things sound big, but not earth- shaking.
125-250 Hz Woofy - a somewhat nebulous term for sounds that are sort of "covered" - masked by low-end energy.
250-500 Hz Puffy - is like an octave above Woofy. It's still sort of a cloud, but not as big.
200-400 Hz Warm - obviously a positive characteristic often found between 200 and 400 Hz. Could easily degenerate into Woofiness or Puffiness if overdone.
500-1kHz Boxy - seems to remind one of the sound in a small box-like room.
500-1kHz Low end of Voice
500-5kHz Power range - mid-range band which contains the 1st and 2nd harmonics of most important sounds.
1.5-2.5 kHz Telephony - accentuating the limited bandwidth characteristic commonly associated with telephones with a roll-off both above and below.
2.5-4 kHz Cutting - Here, "cut" means to put an incisive "point" on the sound.
2.5 kHz Punch - Accentuating this range punches through vocals.
3-6 kHz Presence - Anywhere from 3-6 kHz can be used to make a sound more present.
7-10 kHz Sibilance - Dangerous "s" sounds and lots of other trashiness can often be found at 7-10 kHz.
10-12 kHz Zizz - refers to a pleasantly biting high-end resonance (think of a "harpsichord"-type brightness found around 10-12 kHz.
12-15 kHz Glass - A very translucent, but palpable brilliance associated with 12-15 kHz.
15-20 kHz Sparkle - A real smooth stratospheric brilliance almost beyond hearing, but can certainly be sensed.
Above 10 kHz Brightness - Most generally achieved by a global (shelving) EQ of everything above 10 kHz.
Below 10 kHz Darkness - The opposite of brightness (a general lack of highs at 10 kHz and beyond).
125-500 Hz Muddiness - Actually a compound problem: Woofiness plus Puffiness (excess low end and also low mids).
125-500 Hz Thinness - The opposite of Muddiness (a deficiency of lows and low mid frequencies).

Our favourite frequencies for electric playing:

Low end
120-150hz
This is for low end thump.

Low mid
400hz
Ever get a great sound that disappears in a track?
This is the frequeny to reach for, adding a couple of db's around 400hz will fatten up the tone.

High mid
1-2khz
Cutting this frequency will take away some boxiness, especially if you're using a small cab w/an SM57

High end
5khz
Boosting this frequency will give you more presence without the scratchiness.
Guitar amps produce very little above 5khz but boosting above with a wide bandwith (Q) can add some "air" to the tone.

Thats all in a nutshell. Have fun and I hope you've found this guide useful. If you've learned something or you have further clarifications, feel free to drop us an email. We'll love to hear from you!

Do also visit our store for specialized guitar backing tracks. At DollarBackings,  we've a wide range of unique and original guitar backing tracks covering all genre and all playing styles! See you soon.

Regards,
DollarBackings Admin
Your #1 source for Professional Guitar Backing Tracks