Acoustic guitar effects

Subject: Acoustic guitar effects
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 26 Jul 06 - 04:35 AM

I've just bought my third pedal - after being really excited by the work of Chris Conway (he backs Vikki Clayton Fairport member on solo gigs, as well as other stuff) - I got a Zoom one this time.

If you think an acoustic guitar is not something that should ever be processed - obviously this thread is not for you.

However I would be interested in hearing what other guitarists do. Stuff they've bought - stuff they have discarded as useless, stuff they use for recording, stuff they use live.

Subject: RE: Acoustic guitar effects
From: Scrump
Date: 26 Jul 06 - 05:26 AM

I have a Zoom 707 (IIRC?) fx box but I've only ever used it with an electric guitar (solid bodied). I have an electro acoustic and I've been meaning to try it with that and haven't got around to it.

The Zoom 707 has an 'acoustic' setting I've used with the electric guitar, which sounds an OK approximation as long as you don't expect it to sound like a real acoustic!

If I try my electro-acoustic with it I'll let you know how I get on.

Subject: RE: Acoustic guitar effects
From: Leadfingers
Date: 26 Jul 06 - 06:52 AM

Nothing wrong with using effects on acoustics ! Dont use them myself ,
but I know a number of 'good' performers who do - Mike Silver for one !

Subject: RE: Acoustic guitar effects
From: GUEST,punkfolkrocker
Date: 26 Jul 06 - 07:15 AM

nothing wrong with a touch of reverb or delay..

.. even gritty distortion can just about work on some piezo electroacoustic pickups..


even.. wah wah

but the one FX i cant stand in folk [or just about any music]
is chorused guitar

too many late 70's and early 80's folk rock recordings ruined
by prissy 'tastefully' arpegiated over-chorused guitars spoiling the mix..!!!


..recently got an M-Audio Black Box USB recording audio interface..

it provides a few presets derived from Roger Linn Adrenalinn
beat-synched filter FX box..

http://www.rogerlinndesign.com/products/adrenalinn2.shtml



might be worth trying out a not so expensive used one,
sometime in the not too distant future..

Subject: RE: Acoustic guitar effects
From: Hand-Pulled Boy
Date: 26 Jul 06 - 11:34 AM

Chorus, tremeloe (both just noticable), forward and reverse delay and wah wah. All tastfully executed! A touch of Ebow here and there.

Subject: RE: Acoustic guitar effects
From: number 6
Date: 26 Jul 06 - 11:46 AM

"I would be interested in hearing what other guitarists do. Stuff they've bought - stuff they have discarded as useless"

I sold my Gibson 335 and Fender tube amp ... went completely accoustic, ... the only effects used now are picks, fingering, slides (glass, brass, have yet to try out ceramic) ... tried an eBow, but best results are in using an amplified guitar.

sIx

Subject: RE: Acoustic guitar effects
From: Mooh
Date: 26 Jul 06 - 12:45 PM

A little reverb depending on the room, delay for weird fun at home, a little (!) chorus depending on the arrangement, but not much else. Distortion doesn't cut it with me unless I'm playing electric, in which case it's on alot. What I like in my acoustic signal chain is a tuner, volume pedal, EQ, chorus, and reverb on the pickup, and a seperate condensor mic.

For what it's worth.

Peace, Mooh.

Subject: RE: Acoustic guitar effects
From: Don Firth
Date: 26 Jul 06 - 01:01 PM

Never touch the stuff, myself. I've only played a guitar that has to be plugged in once. I found all that power at the twist of a knob to be addictive. I smiled. I grinned. I leered! I was on the point of being hopelessly lost!

Then I notice all of the amplifiers, speakers, pedals, consoles and such, had a passing flash of how much money I could wind up spending on a lash-up like that. I leaped up, shouted, "Get thee behind me, Satan!!" and ran off into the night!   

Since then, no wires, tubes, transistors, or knobs. A little metal in the frets and tuning pegs, nylon for strings, and the rest is mostly red cedar and rosewood. It makes a pretty sound, and I don't have to plug it into anything.

Don Firth

Subject: RE: Acoustic guitar effects
From: Phil Cooper
Date: 26 Jul 06 - 03:43 PM

I used to use a phase shifter a long time ago.

Subject: RE: Acoustic guitar effects
From: Bee-dubya-ell
Date: 26 Jul 06 - 04:32 PM

I highly recommend an ABY signal splitter to anyone who likes to fool around with effects and has access to two amplifiers. The ABY lets you send the same signal to two amps, one with clean settings and one with all the effects. Put one on each side of the room and it's like you're playing two guitars at once.

I use a Fender Acoustasonic for the acoustic side and a Marshall adjusted for lots of crunchiness for the effects side. Any pedals go in the line from the splitter to the Marshall so that it only effects the sound coming from that amp, not the Fender.

It's not something I do frequently because I don't have room to keep a bunch of equipment set up all the time, but it's fun when I get bored enough to pull the backpack full of cords and pedals out.

Subject: RE: Acoustic guitar effects
From: Matt_R
Date: 26 Jul 06 - 05:10 PM

I want to know what pedals they used in the '60s, most notably by The Move, to get a quasi-sitar sound.

Subject: RE: Acoustic guitar effects
From: GUEST,punkfolkrocker
Date: 26 Jul 06 - 07:22 PM

possibly a danelectro electric sitar..

.. possibly a wah wah..

but join

http://www.themoveonline.com/movelist.html

they will know everything anyone could ever want to know about

The Move..


and be very happy to share their knowledge with a new member..

iknow.. i'm one of 'em..

Subject: RE: Acoustic guitar effects
From: GUEST,punkfolkrocker
Date: 26 Jul 06 - 07:23 PM

actually it might have been roy woods home made electric banjo and a wah wah..!!??

Subject: RE: Acoustic guitar effects
From: Terry Allan Hall
Date: 26 Jul 06 - 08:52 PM

I don't FX much at my solo gigs, but with my trio, I have a pedal board set up thusly: Guitar -> Tuner -> Dano auto-wha -> Boss HM-2 -> Boss Phazer -> Boss Super phazer -> Boss Flanger -> Dano chorus -> Dano digital delay -> acoustic amp and/or PA system.

The trick, IMABO, is to use FX like you use spices in cooking...sparingly

Subject: RE: Acoustic guitar effects
From: Matt_R
Date: 27 Jul 06 - 01:31 AM

Aha! This homemade electric banjo may be what he used on "When Grandma Plays the Banjo"

Subject: RE: Acoustic guitar effects
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 27 Jul 06 - 04:29 AM

Fascinating stuff, please keep it comingand thankyou to all those who have contributed so far.

Can anyone for example think of how they use an effect to generate an atmopheric sound that helps with the telling of a narrative in a song?

Subject: RE: Acoustic guitar effects
From: Mooh
Date: 27 Jul 06 - 08:17 AM

"Atmospheric sound"? Lots of modulation effects like chorus, phaser, flanger, tremolo; delay and reverb effects; maybe octave divider and something for noise like EQ or a noise gate, and my favourite Ebow. But lots of atmospheric sounds come from the hands and instrument with tremolo, sustain, phrasing, and harmony.

Peace, Mooh.

Subject: RE: Acoustic guitar effects
From: Ned Ludd
Date: 27 Jul 06 - 08:26 AM

The guitarist in 'Hokum' used a delay pedal to great effect! going to the bar for another drink in one of our more rythmic numbers to the rest of the band's consternation and the audiences amusement.