delay caught me...

[rdba]

Hey guys,

I have a problem, since i heard u2 for the first time, i'm a delay fanatic...:messedup
delay is in almost every guitar sound i use, BUT i wanna change the way i play and use effects...different styles, different rhythms etc...long story short...gimme some new inspiriation...!!the bands i'm listening to are: u2, Coldplay, BRMC, The Verve, Oasis, The Listening, Death Cab for Cutie, Kasabian (this is one of my favourite)...so are there any old or ex-delay fanatics out there...what helped you out of your delay-nerdiness...???

Ruben

[Ken Ho]

I'm a new delay fanatic.
I just got teh TC Nova, and have been merrily wood-shedding U2 since.
Here's somet9ing different to try.
YOu know the intro to the Who song, Baba O'Reilly, covered by Pearl Jam ? No ? It has a rapid sequence of 16th notes at 120bpm, originally done on a sequencer. It can be picked on guitar, but it's very fast. I set a single 16th note repeat, at mix 50, so I only have to play every second note. It sounds fabulous. I use the dynamic setting, so the delay disapperas when I hit the power chords.

The Tainted Love cover we are doing also has a fast repeated riff line which I can pick, but using the same trick, and a delay time of about 145 ms I get the same sort of effect playing every second note wiht a heavy mute to separate them.
Another good song is Boulevarde of Broken Dreams. It has a 16th note delay during the intro, which sounds good when done right.
So, I guess what I'm sayin is, use the delay to play notes, not just to echo the notes you play.

[Joe Robinson]

You could take on just about anything a project with the idea that it is about learning. In that regard, simply learn something that's not all about delay.

You sound like you are about the current bands. You might try Wilco. There is a lot to learn there and not a ton of delay driven hooks and such.

But there are two bands that to me are the mother and father of that branch of Rock n Roll. Meaning a strong pop sensibility and somewhat less r&b influence. Those two bands are The Beatles and the Who. Take a spin on Revolver or just about any Who album and there are tons of opportunities for major chords and less bluesy song structures.

You can also try

Peter Frampton
King Crimson/Robert Fripp
The Police/Andy Summers
Television/Tom Verlaine/Richard Lloyd
Matthew Sweet/Robert Quine
Prince
Lot's of David Bowie stuff has inspired guitar on it. Particularly the Mick Ronson years.

There's a billion great players out there.

Another thing, I think you are probably talking about delay driven hooks and song structures. U2 and Public Image pretty much were on the forefront of that. But prior to that tons of guitar players relied on delay to smooth their leads out. So it's been around for a long time.

I started playing guitar in 1980 and the Edge was a huge inspiration to me. But at the same time, I've always liked rootsy music also. Seriously, try some Pete Townshend stuff and learn all the bits. For my money the best songwriter there is.

[funkycam]

try going cold turkey in your practise or maybe try a wah wah!

[tvegas99]

Bill Frisell has an interesting delay vibe, are you familiar with him?

http://www.billfrisell.com/

here's and example of his heavier delay/looping side

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Svzv-YkUzdk

less wacky but beautiful Bill

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUoAgbRtJ28&feature=related

[giggedy]

play around with dotted 8th notes, fun stuff.

[Clrtxf]

boost pedal and a kicked open wah