Any idea how they're getting this guitar sound?

[milkypostman]

Man, I have looked all over for some gear info on Sam Coomes from Quasi because I love the sound he's getting on this song.  Really grungy fuzz type effect.  I thought maybe you guys might have an idea of what's going on here.  I'm not looking to rip off his sound, but I'm interested in what he's doing to at least gain some knowledge for my own sound.

I'm also wondering if it doesn't have a lot to do with how it was recorded.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IET0it5Vqw

[jcuempire]

Not sure.  Too much chunk to be a Big Muff.  He is using a P90 equipped SG.  I know that my P90's push a fuzz box differently than humbuckers or Fender single coils.  If you are on facebook, you could ask - http://www.facebook.com/pages/Thee-Quasi/67090369178?v=wall

[DDD]

Cutting lows and highs post-distortion I guess.

[jrod]

Pretty cool song!

The guitar is double tracked or stereo delay with the dry signal hard panned one side and the quick repeat hard panned the other side. That, to me, adds to the sound. But, as far as the tone, it sounds to me like a cranked amp.

In one video it looks like he is playing a SG with P-90's, as mentioned above, through a black face Fender Deluxe and Hot Rod Deluxe. It looks like some kind of multi effects unit on the floor.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZ6RYtwS1OU&feature=related

[milkypostman]

He may have a booster pedal down there or something also because at one point he hits something that's not on multi-effects but it's just at a part where he's getting a feedback.  Could be a compression too I guess.  Anyways, it's a really great kinda overdrive he's getting.

What I wonder is if he's pushing the deluxe to overdrive but keeping the hotrod clean and the combination gives him that really dirty sound.  I love it regardless.  It just stands out to me.

[wavley]

Field Studies is one of my favorite albums of all time, I love Janet's work in nearly everything, that stuff with Malkmus is some of her best work.  I didn't realize that there was a new Quasi record.

Sounds to me like it might be two pickups neck and bridge at the same time, I get kind of that same sound with a jaguar with both pickups on... nice and growly/sludgy.  I'm thinking cranked amp, but it's really hard to tell on my little work earphones what's going on.

[tiges_ tendres]

Look at this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZ6RYtwS1OU&feature=related

I've looked through it, and it looks as though he has some kind of zvex vexter pedal plugged in before the multi effect. 

It's a giveaway because of the landscape layout.  Looks like it has four knobs, but I cant tell how many switches.

My guess would be something like a fuzz factory or box of rock.  something along those line. 

No idea if that's what they used in the studio though.

[Derringer]

I think this will get you pretty much there

First distortion stage of the Big Muff using MPSA13. 0.1uF input cap, 470k base to collector, 100k base to ground, 10k-22k from collector and tie the emitter straight to ground. .1uF to a 100k volume. Now ya gots a good gritty boost, and just drop a couple back to back Si diodes in parallel with the 470k. If ya want some kind of gain control, you can do a 1k pot between emitter and ground with a 10uF cap from the wiper to ground in typical fashion.

from this thread
http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=86726.0

I built it without the gain option or diodes, just a volume pot and I think it'll do it for you with or without minor tweaking.

[milkypostman]

I stopped into a local music store to get some random stuff and they had both a hot rod deluxe and a hot rod deville.  I LOVE THE SOUND OF THESE AMPS

This is exactly what he's using for distortion.  He's got the gain on the distortion channel cranked up and it's got that nice fuzz sound.  Man, I've never heard an amp distortion that was so beautiful it almost made me cry on the spot.  I have to see if I can pick it up tomorrow.  At only 499 I think I may have a chance of talking them down a bit and maybe getting it.  Damn, I want it.

Thanks for letting me know.  I would've never guessed it.  Lots of people seem to complain about the distorted channel.  I just hope I won't regret this later on