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Topic: best sound enhancer? |
Mickey Lawson
From:
Cleveland, Tennessee, USA
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Posted 15 Sep 2005 3:33 am |
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| Help, what is the (one) best sound enhancer for the pedal steel? To get a fuller, high fidelity sound that is less tin-like. Thanks. (not counting technique) |
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Steve Hitsman
From:
Waterloo, IL
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Posted 15 Sep 2005 4:14 am
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| Gotta be Brad Sarno's Black Box. |
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David Doggett
From:
Bawl'mer, MD (formerly of MS, Nawluns, Gnashville, Knocksville, Lost Angeles, Bahsten. and Philly)
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Posted 15 Sep 2005 4:55 am
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How come this is posted twice? Here's my answer for the other one.
Mickey, it would help if you described everything in your equipment chain (guitar, pickup, volume pedal, black box?, effects unit[s], preamp [if separate], power amp [if separate], speaker). That would help us see your weakest link, and would keep us from suggesting something you already have, or don't need.
Nevertheless, I'll tell you what has worked for me. A Fender silver-face era all tube amp with a 15" speaker. I know you didn't ask for technique, but there is one technique of the hands that makes a world of difference. Instead of picking where your hand might naturally come to rest near the changer, move you picking hand over to the left so that you are mostly picking about an octave above where your bar is. It doesn't have to be exactly an octave, the frets are so close together up there that if you get anywhere near the octave area you will get the richest overtones possible. This will give your tone a very full, round, bell like tone. Near the 15th fret works well for having the bar almost anywhere in the first octave. If you get your bar up into the second octave, of course you have to move your picking hand over to the right some.
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Jim Sliff
From:
Lawndale California, USA
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Posted 15 Sep 2005 5:05 am
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The older model Match Box with one control is great for fattening things up considerably.
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Jack Stoner
From:
Kansas City, MO
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Posted 15 Sep 2005 5:08 am
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The best advice, since you are not that far from Nashville is to go visit with Bobbe Seymour and try out the Nashville 112 amp and whatever else he has there.
As mentioned you didin't say what equipment you have, but regardless a trip to Bobbe Seymour's in Hendersonville will be worth it, no matter what suggestions you get here. Take your steel, volume pedal, etc with you so you can compare using your guitar.
Everyone has their favorite items or what they consider the "ultimate" sound and for you, what you consider the ultimate sound may be entirely different. Hands on and being able to do side by side comparisons in a fully stocked steel guitar music store is the best thing. www.steelguitar.net |
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John Ummel
From:
Arlington, WA.
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Posted 15 Sep 2005 5:10 am
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Hi Mickey,
A little touch of reverb. Some people like the sound of spring reverb some don't. Then, in the days before all the digital stuff came out, I think it was pretty standard to have an Ibanez analog delay and chrorus. These two pedals set properly can yield an absolutely HUGE sound. Now days you have digital boxes that can combine these and many other effects in one unit. Although lots of guys still swear by the old analog stuff. And I've read some anaysis that supports why the analog delays sound better than digital. Check out (generalguitargadgets.com) There are links there to all kinds of articles on the subject. But I still think that a little delay and a touch of chourus is a very fat sound.
Johnny
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johnny
GFI Ultra S-10 3&4, G&L ASAT, Jackson Dinky Hardtail, homemade solid body electric violin w/ Zeta pickup, homemade 100W amp w/ 12" Jensen. As Bill Monroe once told me: "Don't never give up"
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Jerry Hayes
From:
Virginia Beach, Va.
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Posted 15 Sep 2005 5:22 am
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My favorite item is the BBE Sonic Maximizer. It's a one rack space item that goes for around $80 to $100 and will make every note you play sound better....JH in Va.
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Don't matter who's in Austin (or anywhere else) Ralph Mooney is still the king!!!
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Charlie McDonald
From:
out of the blue
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Posted 15 Sep 2005 5:34 am
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We used to say 'drugs.'
Now, I prefer a little spring reverb, and nothing else. |
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John Daugherty
From:
Rolla, Missouri, USA
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Justin Douglas
From:
Austin, TX
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Posted 15 Sep 2005 6:24 am
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my two biggest tone enhancers were:
1. a peterson tuner - it's amazing how much better an instrument can sound and ring out when everything's in tune just right.
2. a old analog delay pedal - just a touch of this real warm delay adds some real depth and gives you a nice "fake sustain" to play with.
cheers,
justin |
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 15 Sep 2005 7:37 am
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| A good amp with a "mid" control! If you can't dial down the mids, it just doesn't have any "body". Reverb, and maybe a touch of delay help, too. But without a good amp, your just spitting in the wind. |
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John Ummel
From:
Arlington, WA.
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Posted 15 Sep 2005 8:08 am
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| That's a good tip on dialing down the mids, thanks Donny. |
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Kevin Hatton
From:
Buffalo, N.Y.
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Posted 15 Sep 2005 9:09 am
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| Donny, thats right on as usual. |
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Pat Burns
From:
Branchville, N.J. USA
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Posted 15 Sep 2005 9:54 am
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....enhances looks, too...
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