Going Solo - Sort of - What do I need?

Travisthedog · October 2014

So my band has reached a point where our drummer and bassist are off doing other things as well as our band. Me and the singerist are feeling all left out and want to go out as an acoustic duet, doing acoustic versions of som of our set but also some acoustic versions of well known rock and metal songs (to be arranged by me!!)

I have a nice old 1976 Epiphone texan acoustic that has no pickup in it at all but plays and sounds nice - and that is it.

What will i need to get out there and get us going. I will be going through the PA I guess so will nedd something between me and it and I was thinking about one of them stompbox things to add some rhythm

I dont really know? I am on a budget though - do i need delay, compression? chorus? can i use anything from my main board

Help!!

hubobulous · October 2014

I'll give a starting point, but there will most likely be better suggestions.

Firstly, think about how the guitar and vocals will get into the PA. Do you need a mixer of some sort? Sounds like you might need to mic up the guitar to get its sound through the PA.

In terms of effects, I guess that depends on your compositions and the part you'd like them to play. Compressor, chorus, delay and reverb can all easily be incorporated in a subtle manner for a great tone. There's no rules for stuff like phase/flange, tremolo etc, so they could make you a little different from other bands. Not sure how the mic signal would work going into stomp boxes.

I would also recommend the vocal processors out there that use the guitar signal to create harmonies - in a two piece, these can sound stellar, though again, that might not be possible with your signal coming out of a mic - depends on the unit I guess.

We're in exactly the same situation. At some point, my wife and I would like to create an acoustic set, so we're thinking about this sort of stuff too. My acoustic uses a lead, so its slightly easier in terms of effects/harmonies.

Travisthedog · October 2014

I can buy a pick up so we will be going through our powered mixing desk

Vocal processors sounds ace

thomasross20 · October 2014

Interested to hear replies to this, too.

I've an acoustic but no second strap button and no installed pup.

Gassage · October 2014

You need several cards of the same suit and a little bit of luck

hubobulous · October 2014

I use the H1 vocal harmoniser pedal and my wife uses the Digitech Vocalist Live 4. Both great, just depends on how many harmonies etc that you want

Grunfeld · October 2014

Travisthedog said:

What will i need to get out there and get us going.

I was gonna suggest: a beard, a hat to collect coins in, and ideally a black dog on piece of string to complete the look. But I see you're going for a classier kind of solo gig.

Bidley · November 2014

As far as a pickup goes, if you're a budget, the humbucking Seymour Duncan Woody sounds good enough and can be had fairly cheap second hand. Shadow do a similar pickup that sounds pretty good too.

I posted this in your classifieds thread, but you could do worse than the humble Zoom 504 II. It has an "air" effect which replicates the sound of a mic in front of your guitar, and sounds really good, really fills out the sound. If you're worried about the plasticness I believe the Zoom A2 is pretty similar, but metal-housed and with a few more bells and whistles.

As far as effects go I use a bit of reverb and that's it.

DesVegas · November 2014

Loopstations are pretty funky for adding basslines and to help out putting solos over your chords

darcym · November 2014

honestly - nothing,

acoustic guitar, vocals, you can make it work really well, less tricks more simplicity and more natural acoustic sets.

Travisthedog · November 2014

darcym;401865" said:
honestly - nothing, acoustic guitar, vocals, you can make it work really well, less tricks more simplicity and more natural acoustic sets.

That's the right answer Matt

ICBM · November 2014

Travisthedog said:

darcym;401865" said:
honestly - nothing, acoustic guitar, vocals, you can make it work really well, less tricks more simplicity and more natural acoustic sets.
That's the right answer Matt

That's what the singer from my old band and I still do. You can even play *completely acoustically* if you want to! Something that tends to be forgotten nowadays. OK, not at large venues but there are places where you really can just play with an unamplified acoustic guitar and a vocal.

We cover some modern stuff up to current chart dance/R&B-type songs sometimes - always goes down well. If you can work out the chords and a hint of any hook riff you just make the rest up to fit. The more you learn to do this the less you find you need to rely on gadgets to fill the sound out.

Jeremiah · November 2014

Or you could, you know, just use your electric for a solo/duo project… there's not actually a law that says if you're playing without a drummer then your guitar has to have a hole in the middle.

Unless you're playing somewhere that doesn't have electricity, why not use a guitar that is designed to be amplified?

ICBM · November 2014

Jeremiah said:

Or you could, you know, just use your electric for a solo/duo project… there's not actually a law that says if you're playing without a drummer then your guitar has to have a hole in the middle.

Unless you're playing somewhere that doesn't have electricity, why not use a guitar that is designed to be amplified?

I do this too sometimes. I think it works better with complex-sounding guitars - I use a Rickenbacker usually - if you're using a very clean sound or DI'ing it… you can, there is no rule that says you must use an amp or even a simulator. Or you can use a simple electric guitar sound, something like a small amp slightly overdriven - but if you go too far down that path it just sounds like you've forgotten the band

.

bigjon · November 2014

I do acoustic gigs with a female singer - recommend the no FX route, although I have to use quite a lot of EQ to get the balance right across the strings in different venues. I reckon a cheap electro-acoustic will sound better and be easier to control the EQ than a good acoustic retro-fitted with even a mid-priced external pickup.

bigjon · November 2014

The singer usually works with backing tracks, so I have to replicate those as closely a possible on an acoustic guitar - I love the challenge of it, although experience has taught me that all subtlety and finesse has to be abandoned in favour of driving power chords that keep the energy and the groove going

IvisonGuitars · November 2014

I've just started booking some acoustic solo gigs for parties & pubs and I've just got a TC Harmony Singer pedal. Fantastic bit of kit, sounds great and can really add a bit of dimension to vocals....used sparingly.

tonyrath · November 2014

I have a Yamaha CPX900 which I use and a 55 old voice. I have my own built in speaker and amp system and have no need for reverb as even sitting down I can sing over a 90 piece orchestra in a large theatre

The more talent you have the less you need IMO

Travisthedog · November 2014

That means Ill need banks of effects and a million watts of PA

tonyrath · November 2014

Travis you exaggerate surely 500.000 watts (grin)

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Going Solo - Sort of - What do I need?

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