Fade to feedback effect?

[H4T]

A popular technique that I like and want to try out is the really common "fade to feedback" effect, where theres distortion / fuzz, and the player strikes the note, then it starts to ring into feedback. Is this a byproduct of heavy distortion, or is this what an octave divider pedal (Octavia?) does?

[JimRayden]

Take a loud guitar amp, and as you pluck the string, touch the amp with your guitar's headstock. Then keep it there, held tightly in touch with the amp. A little distortion would help too.

That was the non-ear-crushing method. You could also turn all the gains and volumes up and get the feedback without the contact.


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Jimbo

[SonicVI]

Just to clarify, an octave divider produces lower octaves, octave multiplier produces upper octaves.  Boss made a pedal back the 80's called the Distortion/Feedbacker that let you hold a note/feedback by holding the pedal down. I've never used this pedal so I don't know how well it worked but it kinda sounds like what you're after, maybe put an octavia after the feedbacker.    Anyone have a schematic/layout for that old Boss pedal?

[SteveB]

A popular technique that I like and want to try out is the really common "fade to feedback" effect, where theres distortion / fuzz, and the player strikes the note, then it starts to ring into feedback. Is this a byproduct of heavy distortion, or is this what an octave divider pedal (Octavia?) does?

This is usually associated with louder amp settings or distortion boxes, not necessarily an Octavia. It can be done at decent lower volumes using a compressor into a distorted amp or a compressor & distortion pedal. Humbucking pickups or a general sound that is more rich with mids will get the feedback going quicker.

Here is a snippet that uses sustaining feedback with minimal picking. Although not always fading into octaves, it is mainly feedback notes. This was done using a Strat into a DIY booteek fuzz & screamer pedal into a SF Princeton Reverb at medium-low gig volume. I later came back & added some other guitars, & there is one in the left channel that I'm playing chords & those fade into feedback. The amp is an Alamo combo with vibrato on. I used a compressor pedal to get the sustain & feedback on that track.
http://www.sbkustoms.com/music/fly-snip.mp3

Steve

[smashinator]

With my scrambler clone around the 7th - 12th frets I was able to get some pseudo-feedback as the original note faded out and the octave became more prominent.

The "stick the headstock against the amp" trick works at surprisingly low volumes.

[Sir H C]

The boss pedal sounded synthetic.  It has a knob to control the overtones in the feedback tone but you couldn't change the pitch once you got it (no headstock bending or just running down the frets after getting a feedback note).  Still a fun little pedal.

[Stevo]

A pedal on rungroove which is the MAY Queen treble booster really has some sustain into feedback characteristics ..If you like the treble it is noisey like an old 60"s compressor but is is an easy build and really does the fade into sustain feedback for me...I dont use it though but I fool around on a 10 watt solid state amp with it :?

[Mark Hammer]

The old Boss DF-2 Feedbacker was a fun little pedal, but it does not always track perfectly.  Bit of a complicated build too, since the "feedback" makes use of a second function on the momentary switch that is not easy to implement.  Seems to me that it would be a fun pedal to use with the Third Hand foot controller attached to the Overtone control pot.  You can find the DF-2 around, but not that easily or cheaply.

If I'm not mistaken, the soon-to-be-released Dr. Distorto in the Line 6 Tonecore series resurrects the delayed overtone function, offering finer-grained control over it, and likely improving the tracking considerably.

Personally, I've found some of the high gain things that Joe Davisson has designed pretty damn good at easily generating overtones when you wiggle you fingers the right way.

[solarplexus]

is there a way to build the DF-2 (or DF-3) but with ONLY the feedbacker?  I had a ME-33 from BOSS, had a feedbacker feature in it and it was one of my favorite effects.  Can't find that anywhere now.  If the Line 6 Distorto can do that... I might buy it JUST for that (unless there is something I can build myself).

Anyway, just a thought...

[Mark Hammer]

I'm assuming yes, but to tell you the truth, the schematic is so jeezly mixed up that I could not either confirm or deny.  Note that the "feedback" function is enabled when one holds down the foot pedal.  That means you'd have to disentangle the basic overtone/tracker enabling circuitry from all that stuff that is used to distinguish a quick pedal press (for bypass/engage) from a held-down pedal-press (used to identify a tracking "request").

Edmundston, eh?  I spent a rather unpleasant night in jail there once, when my car broke down in Saint Louis de Ha!Ha! and I had no money for a motel.  Edmundston/Madawaska is probably the most fluidly bilingual place in North America.  "NOHM!!  You goin' to the PAH-ty in the BAH ehftuh the game?"  "Chu pas.  J'ai dzu'travail à faire"  "Okay.  Suit yuhself, but they got a new LAH-guh on tehp now".  :lol:

[petemoore]

Headstock to the 4x12'' cab.
 Pickups and height can make a big diff.
 LP Type HB's, tube amp with some dist, verb/delay...
 Certain amps do it easier or different or more.
 There are alot of signal clippers that help facilitate this though.
 Depends on alot of things...I have some Jfet stuff that seems to pretty dependable and predictable, either right away or after a second or few, it'll cause the rig to jump into focused harmonic.
 Tonebender does that, Meteor does that [I haven't built it], BSIAB was on every page here a few months ago, I read of many happy picky builders.
 The wall [L...O...L yupp], and to a lesser degree the air can play roles in the ability to get the string to focus into another harmonic interval.
 Dude had an old Galeen Krueger [big 2x12 fancy one], it'd sing a harmonic all day at Catsmeow volume  :wink: ..amazing. He had a guitar with ~20 coats of laquer and new strings, I don't know if the laquer mattered for low volume sustain.

[petemoore]

Ta kin bowt de jai...
 Wayy OT, belongs in OT Lounge...interesting story though...
 We were waiting for a late dinner [3 hrs late] one night, and the guard who finally showed up to quell us, and listen to our complaints said: "Ok...I'll  go see what I can do"...to which I replied:
 "Thanks, ... ...Ill wait here"
 While there I read of the jail manager Sheriff John Starks suicide in the Medina paper, which I held in my right hand. he was up for conspiracy to distribute the alleged 20 lbs of coke found in his basement, in my other hand I held the jail newbie 'pamphlet' with Sherrif John Starks name circled around a Police insignia.
 I had consumed 2 [two] beers that night, none an hour before driving.
 BTW it is illegal to drive in Medina Ohio, I allowed for a driver approaching from behind at extreme speed, maneuvering my car to the right side to avoid a rear end collision. Dude braked a bit and swerved at the last split second, hit the lights, then charged me with 'White Line"...that was 1996, the insurance Co. still recognized this 6 years later, and the fine was 100.
 The Medina Courthouse Criminals, they're all in on it...lol.
 Just avoid 271 through Medina and thank me later.

[solarplexus]

Wa, Edmundston is pretty bilingual, esti.  Kind of like talking with a hot potato in the mouth full with loads of butter.  Sorry for the night in jail, but must say that St-louis-du-ha-ha is a pretty horrible place in quebec.  NO OFFENCE