What is the secret of great guitar tone? Ruben Wan has the answer

Guitarist, songwriter and producer Ruben Wan is at the forefront of the new wave of players building their reputation through a huge digital following with sublime playing and composition. But his thoughts on what makes great guitar tone are reassuringly straightforward for the rest of us to achieve, as Ruben explains in the video above, made in partnership with Elixir® Strings and Guitar World.

As long as your guitar and your guitar strings feel nice on the fingers, your tone will be exponentially better

"I've always believed that great guitar tone comes from your fingers first, rather than your equipment," says Ruben. "The first thing that touches your fingers though is your guitar strings and your guitar. So as long as your guitar and your guitar strings feel nice on the fingers, your tone will be exponentially better. 

"Maybe it's a psychological thing and has nothing to do with guitar tone but that's how it is for me," adds Ruben. And we think many of will agree with the soul and R&B artist here; because that first point of contact with our instrument is vital. 

Elixir® Strings

(Image credit: Elixir® Strings)

Straight out of the box, the strings feel amazing, they have great resonance, sound really loud and the tone also doesn't diminish over time

Ruben chooses Elixir® NANOWEB® coated acoustic guitar strings. "They sound great, and on my fingers they feel amazing," he says. 

"I personally discovered Elixir® Strings maybe ten years ago, and since then I haven't looked back," the Los Angeles-based musician explains. "Straight out of the box, the strings feel amazing, they have great resonance, sound really loud and the tone also doesn't diminish over time."

Find out more at Elixir® Strings.