Please suggest a FUNK effect.

[The Iron Chef]

I've built a few effects but nothing that augments the funk sound.  Im looking for suggestions for a build that is true to the genre. I respect all opinions.
TIA
-Keith

[aron]

Phaser, Auto-wah, Wah.

http://www.angelfire.com/music5/hectim/links.html

[BINGEWOOD]

http://moosapotamus.net/THINGS/funnycat.htm

[Papa_lazerous]

when I think funk I think wah thats it, and possibly a little top boost too

[kurtlives]

I think Wah, Phaser, Delay and a Compressor with a lot of knobs.

[andrew_k]

envelope filter x 100000.
I also enjoy playing funk and am in the process of building a Maestro Boomerang wah thanks to the work of Paul Marossy. (boomerang wah = Shaft theme + Curtis Mayfield).

You have to have a wah though.

[Mark Hammer]

When you talk funk, you're talking about effects that can accentuate "the beat", and that lend a percussive feel to guitar.  As many have noted, swept filters, whether foot or envelope-controlled, certainly fall into that category.  But another I would suggest is the "exciter" circuit, that rhythm players like Nile Rogers have made excellent use of to emphasize the rhythmic stroke.  Look up the "Harmonic Sweetener" circuit posted around, that Jules Rykebusch originally published in EM.

[axg20202]

Wah is obvious, but man you NEED a Meatball (clone is called the McMeat) envelope controlled filter. Very funky indeed, but definitely an advanced build. Other than that, a Talkbox could be good fun for funk, but they are a hassle to make and use IMO and nobody looks good on stage using one!

[Arn C.]

Out of phase pickup switch............on guitar.  Get sort of a honk out of mine.


Peace!
Arn C.

[axg20202]

Out of phase pickup switch............on guitar.  Get sort of a honk out of mine.

Good call. Forgot about that option. If you play a strat (which you probably should for 'fonk'), then I can recommend the Fat-o-caster switch by Deaf Eddie. Great product and a top bloke too.

http://www.deaf-eddie.net/switches.html

[Mark Hammer]

Out of phase pickup switch............on guitar.  Get sort of a honk out of mine.


Peace!
Arn C.

Ice pick through the forehead, baby!  Hard to get funkier than Johnny Guitar Watson or T-Bone Walker or Jimmy Nolen, and those guys get an absolutely delightful honk from their pickups.  If'n a phase switch doesn't do it for ya, consider a cap in series with the pickup, à la Jaguar, to thin things out a bit.  I also heartily endorse using a volume-pot compensating cap like 1000-1500pf such that when you turn the volume down a bit you thin out the bass but keep the top and mids to get a great chickin-pickin tone.

[SPAZ]

           A funk effect ? I would suggest the orange squeezer. Percussive 

[markm]

What da FUNK!! 

[The Iron Chef]

Wow!, Thanks for all the responses and suggestions. Have a Strat ("Dad, I really need a Strat for Funk"), A Dunlop Cry Baby, and the Tonepad Orange Squeezer (Natanjito). I'm trying to de-bug the Tonepad MXR envelope filter (Aguafilter) that I made. I'll prolly start again on that one. I'll hold off on re-wiring the Strat untill its got more miles on it.
Thanks again
-Keith

[MarcoMike]

Hey, Markm is back!!!! cool!

the crybaby is a good funky pedal! but I think the ultimate funk comes from an envelope filter plus octave down (better if in the loop of the EF)