😂

My favorite moment, of gear picking up a radio frequency, is Hendrix at The Isle of Wight. They’d been having issues with the PA system picking up the hand held radios, that people working the festival were using. During Machine Gun, Jimi is slowly building it up, just as an actual riot has started, with people pushing fences down, and storming in, while random Hell’s Angels members, we’re beating the crap out of people. Jimi’s team have already called the chopper, to have it ready to be there in minutes, because they thought the crowd might storm the stage. Then, suddenly one hears a guy yelling “security personnel, security personnel…” then it’s hard to hear the rest, as Jimi was so pissed by then, that he starts ripping into the guitar, and they eventually have Mitch do a drum solo, while Jimi makes sure it’s not his Fuzz Face, which they’d test before shows, to see if it was picking up radio signals. He’s told it’s the main PA, snd that a riot is happening, etc. So he tries to get people to chill for a bit, then he just plays his last song, and they run straight to the chopper, as reports of people being killed are coming in. The version, with the full drum solo, is great, but usually not a well mixed and mastered recording, on the bootlegs one can find it on. The edited version, which takes out the drum solo, and maybe a minute or so of the parts around it, was mixed by Eddie Kramer, and sounds excellent. I remember wondering, if Jimi told someone to get on a megaphone or something, and say the “security personnel, security personnel, we have a…” for the song, because it works so well within it. 😄

classic

Awesome freak'in statement. I will jam with you anytime my fellow Human.

Dude… You forgot the best expressive option of all: Acoustic into gated fuzz, octave, ring modulator, delay and heavy reverb!

Exactamundo!!! I say a very similar version of this, all the time, when someone sees my board, and asks “why do you have so many pedals…” I’ve only had a few people, make a comment, after we’ve jammed, or after I play the gig, etc. It’s usually, “I can do most of what you did, with just my amp…” and occasionally, someone being sincere, saying I sound great, but I don’t need so many dirt and Fuzzy pedals. Which has been true, because I was still finding the tones, that inspire me to play songs I would never listen to, in a cover band, or just sitting in with a band. The folks who say they can do it with just their amp and a wah, I’ll show them that I have a phaser on, at all times, at a low depth and rate, just for a little movement, and then the delay and reverb I use the most. Then I turn on the Uni Vibe, and ask them to do that tone, with just their amp, and on and on. I try to be respectful, and not get into a dumb argument, so I usually just ask who their favorite player is, then I tell them the gear, that I know they use. So many will name Angus, yet he has a preamp built into his guitar, that is based on one in a wireless piece, from just before or during the Back in Black tour. Clapton gets named, and I go through some effects he used in Cream, and after. I mention how he put a treble bleed in his Strat, and how he does use pedals, including a delay. He was using Boss DD-2 and then the 3, when it was released, among others that he will try for different songs or shows. I ask what Gilmour would sound like, without a Fuzz, some type of boost, with a mid hump, compressors, eq pedals, buffers, his modulation pedals(which have been every basic mod effect, except maybe a Pitch Shifter) and his delays. I will even show them what it would sound like, by dialing in a good Gilmour tone, like Dark Side gigs, or just to play the main melody in Shine On… That one, not only shows how important, that the effects are, but also how one should really think of them as another instrument, or an extension of the guitar. That reverb and delay drenched, phaser and Leslie combination shows how he gets the tone. Then when one takes away, one effect after another, until it’s just the amp, or amp with its Reverb, they are left with playing that very easy melody, that just falls flat and dry, unless they crank the reverb, and then one loses the guitar and how each note is so clear. I’ve turned many a player, into someone who got them at least 4 or 5 pedals, if not the same person having a bigger board than me, when I see them a year later. 😆

⁠​⁠@@steverolfeca The octave up pedals, that are done like an Octavia, don’t seem to work well with most acoustic pickups, I’ve tried. My best pal, who is the frontman, of the band we’re in, has used an acoustic for everything, through a cheap solid state Fender Stage 100, since 2009ish. I have the same amp, because it’s a great pedal platform, snd I used to bring it as a backup, because it’s only went out one time in the 14 years I’ve had it now. The transformer gave out, and it cost what the amp did, to replace it, but being barely $130, it’s not that hard a hit for an amp that is so durable and reliable. He was against pedals too, until I had to move away, for a few years, to take care of my father, who was losing the ability to get around, and my mom wasn’t able to do it all anymore, as she’s the same age. I left him with most of the pedals I bought, in order to see if I need a Klon type pedal, or a certain type of fuzz, a digital multi mod pedal and the Malekko 616, that I used with a DD-3, to get really trippy sounds, or just to have one darker delay, one pristine. I showed him how they work, and every way he could use it to do things not possible without one. He ended up buying a few other pedals, and now he’s found an even better sound, for how he wants his acoustic, with gain and distortion. He isn’t a lead player, so he used the effects to do things, when I’d normally be soloing, or doing a certain sound for the songs.

If you have 40 pedals, you've made more of a connection with Sweetwater, than humans. Humans just plug in and play with, wait for it, HUMANS. Consumers play at home, alone, with 40 pedals. None of my friends or family need pedals to connect and play music together. A consumer mindset is antithetical to human connection.

"When I had all that extra time on my hands" Correction, time and extra MONEY. Most people during COVID were trying to keep their jobs and homes, not buying overpriced pedals. Everyone had time, but only the most fortunate hade EXTRA money, instead of more debt.

I only used a Wah, that I could fit in the back of my amp, for many years, until I found used DD-3’s for $30-40 in 1998ish. It was just a couple years, after they first released the DD-3. I knew Dave Navarro had said he used a DD-2, when gigging, for awhile, then went to the DD-3, after it came out. It was small enough to fit in the back to, but I eventually got a gig bag. I’d tried many a Fuzz Face, in the years, after I first started playing, but I never knew why I had trouble with them. I found, that it was because of how many I was trying, that were germanium vs Silicon. I had a cool guy, who owned a half pawn shop, half guitar shop, who knew my family, and would let me bring some gear home, to try it out, and it helped him not have to do it to make sure it worked properly. Yet, he had several Germsnium Fuzz Faces, that had no bias pot, so when they weren’t the right temperature, it sounded terrible. Sometimes it seemed like it just didn’t matter if the pedal was hot or cold. Eventually I got to play some very nice, snd some real garbage vintage pedals, that he acquired. 5 or 6 Uni Vibes from 68’ and 69’, and about 20 Fuzz Faces, ranging from one that looked like it had just been made, dated to 1967, to ones that looked so dirty and dented, that it felt weird, plugging in my guitar. 😄 It was the ugliest one he had, that was a BC108 silicon, that was dated to have been made in 1968. It was like a different pedal, compared to all the Germanium ones if used. The myth of the best components, snd the perfect transistors, had become a thing, and folks were looking for the ones from 1966 or 67’, even though Jimi likely didn’t have a Fuzz Face to use on any track on Are You Experinced?; so they could take the transistors out and make a better Fuzz. Analogman benifitted most from this, as he saw how hyped people get over using gear that their heroes did, and he made them with the best components he could get. All those Uni Vibes had slight differences in how deep the throb was, and how much range the speed control had. Some were garbage, but three of them are the times in my head, that I still judge my reaction to hearing a Uni Vibe by. Once I got a BC108 Fuzz Face, I used it for everything, until the value went up drastically, when I was in a bad situation, and I sold it for a lot. I got the Dunlop JHF1, when it was released around 2008ish. Still have it, snd several others, that work much better with other pedals, but the volume knob cleanup, on the Dunlop BC108, is my favorite clean tone. So, I still have it, and use it sometimes.

@@kennethc2466 too true. I bought cheap. Still do, with varying results.

Yeah

Couldn't agree more with you and everything you said

Whilst im not a huge U2 fan, what people miss often is the influence he had on the sound of guitar on pop records from the 80s onwards. Especially with the session players. Tim Pierce talks a lot about this

About many more things than just guitar, too.

I've noticed these last few years there seems to be a trend towards 'I'm offended by . . . ' as if that's the end of the discussion (remember when people discussed stuff?). I think it's pervasive across all sorts of things - a bit sad really , , , well the 'offended ones' are sad, anyway 😅 Each to his own!

@@mortonwilson795 it’s a millennial thing. We’re hardwired to have self righteous indignation. I’m not proud of it.

@@mortonwilson795 I completely agree with you- and yes, where more could "to each their own" apply but playing guitar/art/hobbies?

been there, done that 😂😂

If all you play is one genre or style that may work, then again maybe not. ACDC tribute band, yeah one sound will work. Playing covers from 50s to today, one sound isn't gonna work, and it will take away from the songs not having appropriate tones.

@@salg1386 Well it is not just one sound. We played a broad spectrum in those days from flletwood mac, southern rock (skynard , allman bros etc.) to Roy Obison, Beatles, Aerosmith, Eagles and on. All sounded good enough to make $$. Only a few bands I know can get by with one sound. I had many pedals over the decades, but rarely used them live, a wah and a fuzzface at times (I remember using it on Revolution by the Beatles for instance) A lot of players just never indulged in pedal board idea with a dozen patch cables and a lot of effects. Back then, if you played with a long signal chain you would be amplifying the buzz and 60 cycle hum of all the flourecent lights in the bar! The pedals were a great antenna for interference. Also, the guitar was just part of the sound for most of the money making gigs, not always the center of attention. Dancers and drinkers are not going to notice and the venues sound like crap. Live is just another world apart from recording.

​@@6stringcodger450I think some people take for granted that its possible for even smaller local level bands to get record quality production values at there live gigs these days. I was looking at reviews for the Strymon Decco recently and was amazed that you could sound like an authentic 70s record just live in the room without having to lug a big analogue desk and reel to reel tape machines etc. is truly a great age we live in, ironically where i live there has never been less live music available in The local scene. Go figure?

Facebook groups are tough. For every good person looking to share in common interests, it seems like there are 10 who just want to act superior to everyone else for whatever they think is best. From their parents basement.

I wish most bands would become Ramones tribute bands!

Robben may be one of the best examples of a perfect combination of musicality and technical proficiency

If it sounds good it is good - I don’t particularly care about the raw signal as long as the signal I have sounds good.

Forums mostly. And out in the wild.

☝️

Mitch!

I want to hear music, not a recital.

I agree about them possibly being a crutch, but I think learning how to play pedals is a skill in and of itself that can lead to a lot of musical creativity

I'm curious, though- how do pedals act like crutches? Like- what playing do they cover up?

@@Amish_Trivedi heavy delays, excessive reverbs, etc. Play one note per bar and fill lots of sound space. Nothing against pedals at all. But please learn to play, make phrasing, and vibe with parts first

Only a crutch to those that don't know how to use tools.

@@jameshughes9706 That's fair- I guess I just don't feel like using all those things gets in the way of "playing." Plenty of great players bury their sound in some ways.