Thus:
Devi Ever wrote: Being so dynamic though [THE SODA MEISTER], it's almost like learning a new instrument... you really will have to learn to "play" it to get the most out of it.
I think this is a vital misnomer about our effects that keeps a lot of people away, yet at the same time really inspires the more creative and experimental types. You always see me throwing around the word "organic" and I mean it! I realize now though I should be using the word "dynamic", but only as dynamic as you're willing to make it.
Most people just plug in and want to sound like SRV or whoever, but don't realize that the greats had an amazing connection with their guitars in terms of dynamics. That's why I've always said that Jimi Hendrix would get Effector 13... people always are talking about him being a rock god, but who actually has ever tried to emulate his sound? It's like they give him a nod, but then that's it... they then turn to their TS-909's and pump out polished non-distinct rock tones.
I rarely hear guitarists really wanting to push the various envelopes of dynamics, texture, and noise into a musical whole like Jimi did, and while I think it's a shame, it's also pretty cool. I'd actually hate to think it could ever be big... save it for the truly amazing local bands... japanese rockers... and the occasional big act that most people will never even really care or know about the tone and texture and instrumental magic involved in creating that sound. :')
Anyhow, I've ranted enough.
love!
devi-
AND THEN!!!
Suilebhain wrote:
True enough. Tone and variations thereof have always been my ambition. When I was a bassist (back in the days of the rock dinosaurs), people would frown when I would show up and start setting up my boxes or plug my treble pickup into the more expressive channel of the amp. Often I would be told that I was not a bassist, but more of a wanna-be guitarist, because bass was supposed to hold down the bottom (which I did, with my bass pickup) but keep it simple so the drummer could follow along (I always thought we were supposed to follow the drummer, not the other way around).
Anyway, Jimi really started ripping into tonal variations on Electric Ladyland, my all-time favorite album, and from it the Big Muff was born (I read that a prototype Big Muff was used by Jimi and was going to go into production based on his feedback). We also hear him experimenting with different ways of using phasing and flanging throughout (granted, many of those effects were studio-oriented, but I am sure he would have found a place for a device that could do those things live).
Post-Jimi, very few players have broken away from traditional timbres - Zappa, Fripp, Belew, Marino, Hackett - and those who have are amongst my favorite players, their work my favorite work. Marino does emulate Jimi's sound pretty well and deserves a listen, both for his chops and his ability to string five or more effects together and keep control of his rig (though there is absolutely NOTHING wrong with losing control once in awhile).
The only reason I am asking all of these questions is because I AM trying to find something that is not already present in my sound, not challenging the usefulness of the box itself. I have a Peaker and a Disaster so I am trying to make sure that what I get next is going to be different from them and supply something that my other (conventional) distortion boxes do not cover.
BTW, no Tube Screamer on my board...hehheh. Maybe a few things that are compared to it, but I don't know. I've never been overly fond of SRV, myself. Not enough feedback.
ALL HAIL BOB!
And then:
Stacco wrote:With electric sound being, well, ELECTRIC! in its nature, the quantity of variables you can work into your way of expressing yourself is staggering. I would add more players to the list of "sonic innovators" though.
As for something new, I have LOTS of fun with purely mechanical solutions... cloth-pegs, drum-sticks, vibrators, paper clips, a slide in the picking hand... you name it! There's a WHOLE lot to explore in that area.
We really are working within varous coordinates, ie: tone, harmony, rythm, sound processing, attack, technique... How you choose to develop yourself is up to you, but I do think that it's great that we have so many paths to choose from.
I also don't agree with anyone who disregards any of these manyfold ways of expression.... they're all there for the talking. There's people who can't work effects just as there's people who don't know fuck about harmony, and that's kewl, the important thing is to be yourself and develop through the use of these tools and... (realises he's ranting and shuts the fuck up)
ALL HAIL ERIS! And Bokonism, too, WTF!
So, ON TO THE LIST: Feel free to submit more and rant! Then someone with ADMIN SUPERPOWES can add your contributions in snazzy read to this first post!!!
ANDERS HANA http://www.myspace.com/themoha
ANTENNAE JIMMY SEMENS
ADRIAN BELEW http://www.adrianbelew.net/
BILINDA BUTCHER
BILL FRISELL http://www.billfrisell.com/
BILLY CORGAN
DAVE BROCK
DAVID TORN
FRANK MARINO
FRANK VINCENT ZAPPA
FRED FIRTH
GARY DUNCAN
GREG MALCOLM
HARVEY BAINBRIDGE
HELIOS CREED
J MASCIS
JACK WHITE
JAMES MARSHALL HENDRIX
JERRY GARCÍA
JOHN CIPOLLINA http://www.johncipollina.com/
JOHN ETHERIDGE
JOHN FRUSCIANTE http://www.johnfrusciante.com/
JOHN McLAUGHIN
JOHNNY GREENWOOD
JORMA KAUKONNEN
KAKI KING http://www.kakiking.com/
KEIJI HAINO
KING BUZZO
MARC RIBOT
MATT BELLAMY
MIKE KENEALLY http://www.keneally.com
NEIL YOUNG
NELS CLINE http://www.nelscline.com/
OMAR RODRÍGUEZ-LÓPEZ
OREN AMBARCHI
PAT METHENY (Don't think so??? Check out "Zero Tolerance for Silence)
PHIL MILLER
RANDY CALIFORNIA
REGGIE WOOTEN
ROBERT FRIPP
STEPHEN O'MALLEY
STEVE HACKETT
STEVE HILLAGE
STEVEN MALKMUS
STEVEN WILSON
TERMINATOR X (And don't you fuckin' doubt it!)
TETUZI AKIYAMA
THURSTON MOORE/LEE RANALDO (NOT separate entities as such)
TOM MORELLO
TOMMY BOLIN
TONY IOMMI
THE FUZE
VERNON REID
ZOOT HORN ROLLO
Have we left anyone out? WELL OF COURSE WE HAVE!! So don't keep your yap shut and add to the list NOW!
Love
Stacco
Half a morning gone copying and pasting, but WTF!
