Pedal sounds by technique alone!

frankus · May 2014

So, here's where we can share techniques to recreate pedal sounds:

Wah - hammer ons and swell the tone control. Anything to add? pots to help this?
Ring Modulator - flip one string on top of another on the fret board and pick!

I've got more which I'll use to bump this thread if noone contributes - you've been warned!

EricTheWeary · May 2014

The Buddy Guy variation on wah - mad flicking if the 5 way on a strat. Hammer ons and one of the tone knobs down help.

digitalscream · May 2014

Aziz Ibrahim doing delay and wah @ 4:53 and 5:35 respectively:

xSkarloey · May 2014

Subtle tremolo- just move the volume pot up and down to taste.

Harder tremolo/ killswitch: flick between pups where one is turned fully down.

You can something approaching a flange/phase type sound by doing a hammer on and moving a finger or pick down the string. Best with high gai I've found.

Nice idea for a thread BTW.

JAYJO · May 2014

i can create echo!, i play the same part shit continuously! i dont even have to try

not_the_dj · May 2014

There's a great "sitar" effect in that Aziz clip as well.

bluechargeboy · May 2014

I try all this on acoustic guitar with varying degrees of success!

I can just about emulate tape echo on my acoustic; you need a deft touch to make the volume tail off.

I make an odd modulated noise by tremolo picking on the G string and moving my left hand up and down just resting on the string (as if doing natural harmonics). Also varying the picking position. Audience trembles with awe.

Wah continues to elude me.

Usually plugged into the PA so I need to try some of these volume control techniques, never thought of doing that! Wonder if I can do wah by twiddling me mid slider? Hmmmmmmm..........

EricTheWeary · May 2014

JAYJO said:

i can create echo!, i play the same part shit continuously! i dont even have to try

As per @bluechargeboy you can do tape echo effects with a careful touch.IIRC if you can find the Rockschool episode where they cover reggae there is somebody demonstrating this, so its been in my head for decades just never quite got the hang of it! Possibly there is a more up to date demonstration on youtube somewhere...

The other reggae thing is if you do a really staccato double chop rivvum it can get to the point where it sounds like there is maybe (auto) wah on there. Actually I don't know if staccato is the right word but that very quick down-up on a small ( like, 3 notes, maan) chord and then the chord quickly cut off.

xSkarloey · May 2014

I also like trem flutter for a laugh. It doesn't really sound like anything though apart from someone gargling or pushing a a babbling baby in a pushchair over cobblestones.

ChrisMusic · May 2014

So for those of you who have always wished for that elusive and exotic Indonesian Gamelan pedal, with the rare vintage ring modulator option:

Weave a spare plectrum through three adjacent strings (over-under-over on 1st to 3rd for starters maybe),

and just play either side of it, single note runs, picked chords and harmonics are all worth trying. (jazz picks are a bit small for this)

Push the pick up by the bridge to keep it a bit more secure, or try in various positions.

Do the same on different strings and mix normal playing with this sound.

Add in another plectrum further up the string and try picking either side or between the two.

Or add it to the other 3 strings for that full orchestral ring-modded Indonesian Gamelan experience.

Not great for live as the picks can ping out into the audience at any moment, they are a bit unstable, but that is part of the enjoyment.

Have fun

PolarityMan · May 2014

There's a part in one of our songs where I play a fake delay, i really like the feel of it, admittedly i do add a touch of reverb to that part to enhance the illusion but the actual "delayed" notes are jsut softly picked.

I think with these it would be really cool to see some you tube demo's. Ill be watching the Aziz Ibrahim one when i get home.

EricTheWeary · May 2014

EricTheWeary said:

JAYJO said:

i can create echo!, i play the same part shit continuously! i dont even have to try

As per @bluechargeboy you can do tape echo effects with a careful touch.IIRC if you can find the Rockschool episode where they cover reggae there is somebody demonstrating this, so its been in my head for decades just never quite got the hang of it! Possibly there is a more up to date demonstration on youtube somewhere...

The other reggae thing is if you do a really staccato double chop rivvum it can get to the point where it sounds like there is maybe (auto) wah on there. Actually I don't know if staccato is the right word but that very quick down-up on a small ( like, 3 notes, maan) chord and then the chord quickly cut off.

Dennis Bovell on guitar from about 6:15. Why I remember this stuff is beyond me. But thats the 'fake delay.'

viz · May 2014

Pitch shifter by playing in another key. And digitech wammy by bending thestrings.

Cirrus · May 2014

Rotary simulator by playing normal guitar with a wireless and spinning round really really fast.

Phaser by forcing the audience to drink vast quantities of sambuca.

Vibe by wiggling the guitar neck back and forward really fast.

ChrisMusic · May 2014

Thanks Cirrus, you reminded me on another (I rather like your surreal ones

Rotary / Leslie on *acoustic*

Play an open chord or harmonics and let it ring out while you hold the guitar away from your body, by the neck and the guitar's body by the strap pin end, and rotate back an forward around the guitar:neck axis (i.e. push upper edge of guitar forward and lower edge back, and then the opposite, and keep it going) much easier done than said.

It gives a proper doppler effect and modulates the volume too. Great for a song end, or just freaking the cats out...

(please note, tolerant, musical and lovely cats are required for the latter exercise, it works with dogs and humans too, this is an animal inclusive technique. No animals were harmed in the making of this post)

bluechargeboy · May 2014

Audiences love it when you make demented noises on acoustic. They are conditioned to expect strumming so it breaks their brains.

xSkarloey · May 2014

Cirrus said:

Rotary simulator by playing normal guitar with a wireless and spinning round really really fast.

What about attaching a portable amp to a strap around your neck and playing on a swivel chair?

frankus · May 2014

on a serious note... pignose tricks:

wah - get someone to open an close the box while you play
reverb - put it in a metal bucket.
leslie - get someone to waft it with a dan dare annual while you're playing (Dan Dare ... not Dandy - that annual won't cut it)

Branshen · May 2014

Aux in on looper/jam pedal - Holding your phone speaker up against the guitar pickup.

EricTheWeary · May 2014

digitalscream;232486" said:
Aziz Ibrahim doing delay and wah @ 4:53 and 5:35 respectively:

Just watching that now, really interesting.

;;)

Deijavoo · May 2014

Aziz has to be one of the most under rated guitar players out there for my money.

ChrisMusic · May 2014

And he's a really nice bloke too, I met him and chatted at the GB Guitar show where he did a set. Very interesting approach to playing.

Deijavoo · May 2014

He played my mate's venue a wee while back, I couldn't go for various reasons and he also said he's just a total gent.

mellowsun · May 2014

Not sure if it counts as a pedal sound, but you can get a cool 'gargle' sound on a Strat with a floating trem by flicking the bar downwards with your little finger, causing the bridge to vibrate. I think I read about this in Phil Hilbourne's 'Solo' book, from Steve Lukather's Rosanna solo iirc.

You can get a subtle modulation/vibrato effect on an acoustic by clamping the body with your right arm and pushing and pulling the neck backwards and forwards with your left hand. Clive Carroll and Pierre Bensusan do this.

daveyh · May 2014

mellowsun said:

You can get a subtle modulation/vibrato effect on an acoustic by clamping the body with your right arm and pushing and pulling the neck backwards and forwards with your left hand. Clive Carroll and Pierre Bensusan do this.

On electric, Slash does this a lot

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Pedal sounds by technique alone!

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