searching for that sound

[Metal Fingers]

Hi,I need to work on my electric sound so I was wondering if anyone had some advice on the topic.
I basically suck at this point at using petals etc etc.I haven't played electric in YEARS.I need help!!!
All I have is a small Boss multi effects unit which I don't really like.What would be the best things to get to beef up my sound.
The more specific the better.thanks!

[Baltar Hornbeek]

I find that playing with the thumb and finger tip fleshy pads beefs up my electric sound.

[mr. beaumont]

who, in your opinion, has "that sound" you're looking for?

there's literally a 1000 ways an electric guitar can sound...what are you going for personally?

(oh, and advice on pedals might be sparse on a jazz board--a lot of jazz guys, myself included, are pretty much "guitar--cable--amp" kind of guys.

[backliner]

Originally Posted by Metal Fingers

...What would be the best things to get to beef up my sound...

Heavier strings; heavier pick; roll off some treble.

Any kind of processing will distort the sound -for jazz- probably in ways that aren't ideal.

A Delay can fatten the sound towards Robben Ford's sound, but he's combining a quick doubling with a Dumble tube amp and possibly some EQ'ing (again, cut highs).

I prefer a full hollow body archtop with a wooden bridge and humbucker pickups, but I also don't like much sustain as it screws with my phrasing somehow. YMMV

[Metal Fingers]

I just want a really good sound.I will be covering stuff like jimi,Led Zep,Allman Bros,Cream,Blues,Funk,Jam kind of stuff. I know some stuff I should get but was looking to see what others would recommend.
I play a 1980 as-200.

[mr. beaumont]

Oh, so not jazz.

Sounds like you'd love a marshall tube amp. Effects pedals be damned, none will capture the sound of a cranked tube amp.

[JohnW400]

Marshall, Mega Boogie, Fuchs, ect.

The only pedal I might use is one of those 10 band EQ's by MXR. I hear it's excelent for getting that Clapton sound form the 60's through D&D

[Soco]

I am enjoying playing through Fender tube-amps, such as a modified Princeton reverb, It sounds great with semi-hollow guitars. I use a fulltone fulldrive for overdrive, then some a reverb and modulation pedal from t.c electronics as well a eventide timefactor. Gets me a really nice sound for blues-rock as well as jazz. Those as 200's from the early 80's are great guitars by the way.

[markf]

Originally Posted by Soco

I am enjoying playing through Fender tube-amps, such as a modified Princeton reverb, It sounds great with semi-hollow guitars. I use a fulltone fulldrive for overdrive, then some a reverb and modulation pedal from t.c electronics as well a eventide timefactor. Gets me a really nice sound for blues-rock as well as jazz. Those as 200's from the early 80's are great guitars by the way.

this guy (soco) does have a great sound, check out his "showcase"


the thing missing from my sound is a tube amp overdriven.

nothing beats that, but hard to do at low volume.

[Soco]

Thank you Mark!
Here is a clip with and overdrive sound:
YouTube - "Pac Man"-JMJ Trio

[Metal Fingers]

sweet music!listening to it right now.thanks for the advice,all.

[Soco]

Thanks! I have a BOSS Me 50 multi-efx board I sometimes use also.
I could get a similar sound as this with the BOSS and a good Fender or Music Man tube amp. Some over drive, a bit reverb and some delay is all it takes.

[Metal Fingers]

Originally Posted by Soco

Thanks! I have a BOSS Me 50 multi-efx board I sometimes use also.
I could get a similar sound as this with the BOSS and a good Fender or Music Man tube amp. Some over drive, a bit reverb and some delay is all it takes.

That's the effects board I have.What kind of o/d do you use on that?I've mainly used the natural o/d .I've played around with the other settings but I was unable to set them to sound good.It seems kind of confusing with so many variables.Delay is another thing.I seem to use the lower ones on the left. Do you set your amp low and run through the board?

I guess I will spend more time with the Boss. I was ready to give up on it.I do need a better amp though.Playing electric with effects seems so foreign to me at this point.That's the draw back of never plugging in I guess.

[Soco]

Right now my Boss ME 50 is over at my parents house in Europe. I left it there and use it on gigs whenever I am over there. I use several different overdrives from the board.I seem to recall that the scream setting works well with relatively low gain. Also the Delay setting 400-2000ms is something I am using. I always set the levels low on the delay, and don't have too many repeats.
The hall reverb setting is quite good also on this board.
These would be my basic setting, and I could add some modulation effects and kick in the wah pedal as desired.
I never run my amp low-it is usually a good idea on raising the volume on a tube amp-you could lover the master volume on the board and even on the guitars. In Europe I have a 100w Music Man, which is really loud and almost impossible to break up. I only mike the amp on bigger gigs, it is more than load enough for most gigs.
In the u.s I run various pedals through my Princeton reverb.
I hope this helps. It is a good idea to sometimes practice with the amps and effects, and usually less is more.

[Metal Fingers]

Thanks.That is helpful.Less is more...I just have to apply that.

[Metal Fingers]

Originally Posted by mr. beaumont

Oh, so not jazz.

Sounds like you'd love a marshall tube amp. Effects pedals be damned, none will capture the sound of a cranked tube amp.

Er well,I plan to sneak some in somewhere...

[pierre richard]

I'm with mr beaumont...

time on the instrument...

thats all it takes..

pierre