help choosing a pedal

[the_stig]

Hello,
I am looking for a pedal that would give me a "glassy" and "bluesy" tone. I have set up samples for download here: http://www.rogepost.com/dn/4xnc .
Any help appreciated.

Phil

[Gilles C]

I'm no expert on how to get sounds, but this may help to get started.

http://www.gilmourish.com/?page_id=151

Gilles

[krister]

Hello,
I am looking for a pedal that would give me a "glassy" and "bluesy" tone. I have set up samples for download here: http://www.rogepost.com/dn/4xnc .
Any help appreciated.

Phil

If you are looking for a pedal to build. Start with this one.

http://www.generalguitargadgets.com/diagrams/asb_sc_i.gif

[the_stig]

Yes, yes I have studied the gilmourish site. But all the effects presented there do not give this glassy, bluesy tone I am writing about. I know that the effect used on these songs is the Pete Cornish G2. However, it does cost a lot. Is there a pedal that would give me a silmilar "response".

Philip

[krister]

Yes, yes I have studied the gilmourish site. But all the effects presented there do not give this glassy, bluesy tone I am writing about. I know that the effect used on these songs is the Pete Cornish G2. However, it does cost a lot. Is there a pedal that would give me a silmilar "response".

Philip

Are you looking for a pedal to build or buy?

[slacker]

dunno if there is one pedal that will give you the sound on the clip. You can do reasonable Gilmour impressions with a BigMuff.

[the_stig]

Are you looking for a pedal to build or buy?

Either.

dunno if there is one pedal that will give you the sound on the clip. You can do reasonable Gilmour impressions with a BigMuff.

Yes, a BigMuff is quite good for most of the stuff, but for some songs it's way too harsh and not enough "amplike".

I have just read that the G2 (the pedal used in the samples) has four gain stages. Possible that creates the "amplike" effect. Are there pedals with similar construction?

[jonathan perez]

you want AMPLIKE?

buy yourself an amp.

[blanik]

glassy! that's a good word for what i've been trying to get in a guitar sound... i'm shure we talk about the same thing...  there's nothing that will give you that sound if you don't have a good tube amp to start with... Fender anyone? 
then you can work on pedals....  the Blue Magic seems to be there (didn't finish mine yet) the BD-2 also, some of the boosters in here would probably do the same... i think it's got more to do with the amp and pickups than the effect... (although a bad effect will ruin that sound you're looking for)

and yesss, as mentionned in this forum earlier, a neck pickup (single coil) with the amp set on high level with the volume on the guitar turned down a little will throw you in glassy territory before you can yell "tube screamer"   

R.

[JimRayden]

I'll second blanik. For a tone that good, you first need a decent guitar and an amp. If you've got a soviet piece of guitar-shaped plywood into a random transistor practice amp, it is not very likely for a pedal to save your bum.

A good quality strat into a fender tube amp yields a pretty good glassy clean tone. That's a good starting place to work your way up with some pedals.

---------
Jimbo

[Gilles C]

As I said I'm no expert on sounds, but I keep trying to hear a blues sound in that clip, and I can't say I hear it.

For me, the "glass" sound you hear is some diode type of distortion (with delay of some sort for the sustain), compared to a smoother type of distortion  which sounds more blues to me.

But as I said, it may be only my feeling about a blues sound. We all have our own feeling about that.

Added: I just noticed what you said about the effect used in that clip.

http://www.guitarexperience.co.uk/html/modules.php?name=Shopping_Cart&file=product&c_op=viewprod&prodID=80

That makes it clearer in my head.

Gilles

[krister]

As I said I'm no expert on sounds, but I keep trying to hear a blues sound in that clip, and I can't say I hear it.

For me, the "glass" sound you hear is some diode type of distortion (with delay of some sort for the sustain), compared to a smoother type of distortion  which sounds more blues to me.

But as I said, it may be only my feeling about a blues sound. We all have our own feeling about that.

Added: I just noticed what you said about the effect used in that clip.

http://www.guitarexperience.co.uk/html/modules.php?name=Shopping_Cart&file=product&c_op=viewprod&prodID=80

That makes it clearer in my head.

Gilles

The G2 looks like a bunch of marketing hype. A good guitar, amp, and the effects you choose (even digital will get you there) and don't forget David Gilmour isn't using anything special, what is special about his sound is him. You are a large part of the tone equation. If you can get a happening sound out your guitar and clean amp (solid state, tube, digital or a combination of the above) getting to where you want to be won't be that difficult.

[JimRayden]

The G2 looks like a bunch of marketing hype. A good guitar, amp, and the effects you choose (even digital will get you there) and don't forget David Gilmour isn't using anything special, what is special about his sound is him. You are a large part of the tone equation. If you can get a happening sound out your guitar and clean amp (solid state, tube, digital or a combination of the above) getting to where you want to be won't be that difficult.

Kudos, mate! Finger pressure, picking strength, amount of vibrato... it all adds up to one's personal style. Everyone has a certain, original 'feel' to handling a guitar.

---------
Jimbo

[RaceDriver205]

glassy! Ive always wanted a descriptor for that sort of guitar sound. With the neck pickup, and plucking hard notes about the middle of the string, I tend to hear that sort of sound. Steve vais "the boy from seattle" has that sort of sound, but the guitar is clean. Oh, and you'll need a delay. I recommend the Rebote 2.

soviet piece of guitar-shaped plywood

The soviets made guitars?

EDIT: Just remembered, the Shaka tube sample sounds "glassy".
http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=35011.0
Select the original demo clip.

[JimRayden]

soviet piece of guitar-shaped plywood

The soviets made guitars?

Soviets made everything everyone else did, only it sounded a thousand times worse, yet was a thousand times more durable. I am a proud owner of one of these guitars and a few of the pedals also.

Soviets also made the funkiest guitars with built-in effects.

Here ya go!
http://www.cheesyguitars.com/

---------
Jimbo

[brett]

Hi
What about a valve pedal?  The Real McTube is cool, but the gain is really high.

Also, there are a few variations available on the tube-sound fuzz.  They could be made low-distortion by simply changing a couple of resistors.  Mark Hammer is a guru about this circuit.
cheers

[captntasty]

From what I could gather concerning Gilmour's sound he uses a Cornish P-2 (silicon, I think) rather than the germanium G-2.  I believe the P-2 started life as a Big Muff but was modded gradually to the point that it isn't really a BMP.  What those mods could be?
There seem to be a few pseudo-commercial pedals out there on E-bay - The BMP Whizzer Mod and Diceworks something or other - that some have said approximate the P-2.  The mods are typically a toggle (2 on the Whizzer) that alter the tone.  I'm sure there are BMP mods on this board or readily available on the net that might get you started if you're going DIY.

Also remember, Gilmour employs equalizers both pre-effect and post-effect - not necessarily simultaneous, but in different configurations to achieve certain tones as well as overdrive and compression, again in various combinations.  His rig is complex but can be emulated - he only used 3 maybe 4 effects at a time, but in variable configurations - compression, distortion/fuzz/overdrive, chorus/flange, delay.  Chorus may really help in getting that "glassy" maybe "semi-sparkly/shimmering" thing.  I find turning on my chorus (low speed/medium depth) with a FF and delay instantly produces Gilmouresque tones and my chorus unit tends to bump the high-mid and high frequency even on a sort of dark sounding FF.

Enough rambling... may you find what you're looking for.
Peace

p.s. Forgot to mention the Hiwatt heads... I'm not saying go out and get a Hiwatt, but it's a major component of his sound.  He runs them clean and Hiwatts are known for their clean sound due to incredibly high quality hi-fi audio transformers.

[jaysg]

p.s. Forgot to mention the Hiwatt heads... I'm not saying go out and get a Hiwatt, but it's a major component of his sound.  He runs them clean and Hiwatts are known for their clean sound due to incredibly high quality hi-fi audio transformers.

I believe he bypasses the Hiwatt preamps and uses them only for power.  The preamp is an Alembic F2-B, a.k.a.  Fender Blackface preamp, with a cathode follower added because that preamp can't drive much.

[RaceDriver205]

yet was a thousand times more durable

Sounds about right. As opposed to china-made stuff, which is the same worse quality, and 1000 times less durable.
Russians are cool, I hope putin fixes their fertility problem before they disappear.