It’s Women’s History Month and we wanted to talk to some of our favorites about their gear and tone setup(s). If you are not familiar with Guitar Girl Magazine’s “Tone Talk” series, this is where we dive into what makes the tone of different musicians’ setups unique to them. We unpack their likes and dislikes and what makes their setup perfect.
If you like what you read, check out Chena’s Tone Talk on our IG page where she walks through some of her favorite gear.
Chena Roxx is a guitarist from Washington D.C. who plays rock and metal guitar. She is currently working on a couple of projects including “Catalyst Crime” which is a symphonic metal outfit that will make their debut later this 2021, and “Rome Music” which is hard to describe as it’s a totally new genre fused with rap, metalcore, symphonic music, deathcore.
I have been playing for twelve years and I love so many styles but shred metal guitar has always been super fun to me. I’m always trying new techniques, learning new songs, styles, and trying to incorporate that into my everyday playing and truly be a well-rounded guitar player and musician.
What is your definition of tone, and how has it changed over the years?
Tone to me is character. It’s a huge element of making your guitar talk. A great tone is emotional, has feeling, dynamics, is memorable—it needs to give me chills. I used to just cover my tones with high-end distorted tones, now I think I’m more sophisticated. I prefer lots of mids in my tone and more low-end, I love depth.
Which guitars, amps, and pedals are you currently using and why?
I’m proud to say I endorse Jackson guitars; I have a collection of seven-string pro series models. A sandblasted Dinky HT7, Pro series SL7, and a Dave Davidson Signature warrior—all locked and loaded with Fishman Fluence pickups
What about strings?
I don’t have any preferences really with the brand of strings I use, but I play .7s and .9s because I still do a lot of bending on my guitars.
Are there certain recording techniques you prefer in the studio?
I’m still learning how to record my guitars better and better. I like double and quad tracking, it just makes my guitars sound mean. Also, I record with a DI box so I can explore different tones via reamping, especially with my large set of Neural DSP plugins and OwnHammer Impulse responses.
How do you keep your sound consistent onstage?
Before I hit the stage, I usually set up all of my tones in a way that I am completely confident and happy with. I use a floor modeler so it’s all saved on there and I can toggle depending on my needs for each song. This makes switching to my rhythm, clean, and lead tones an easy process, especially with the help of my Neural DSP tones. I’ll be getting their new floor modeler and the quad cortex soon (which is a total game-changer). The quality, easy-to-use software is the core of having epic, consistent out-of-the-box playable tones.
What does your practice consist of?
My practice regime is always changing depending on the areas I want to focus on. These days, I’m working on really learning the fretboard, memorizing all the notes, working on my control, dynamics, and playing more complex tunes that I can get interesting licks and techniques out of.
What is your advice for young women who hope to work in the music industry?
I think young women should just continue to do their best and find influences in a wide range of musicians. Never feel that you will be held back because of your gender. We are so capable of greatness. Anything is possible if you put your mind to it.
Follow Chena on IG @ChenaRoxx
Check out Chena’s Tone Talk video here