Dinosaur Jr fans - Which phaser on Without A Sound?

[EXP]

Sounds lush and swirly I’d like to find this phaser. Read somewhere that J used a MXR Phase 100 on the track ‘’Seemed Like The Thing To Do’’ from Without A Sound. Does anybody know if J used the script or block logo version MXR Phase 100?

 

[John Mark Painter]

I'm not a Dino expert but think he always used an Electric Mistress

EDIT...I was thinking of a totally different song.

 

[EXP]

While we’re on the subject of J’s gear - does he really use the Tubeworks Real Tube 901 as his always-on dirt live?

He said on the rig rundown that he runs the Marshalls/Hiwatt clean so I’m guessing his dirty tone is just the Real Tube 901 + Rams Head Big Muff or the Jerms Tonebender MKI. So am I to understand his dirty tone is mainly coming from the Real Tube 901?

 

[John Mark Painter]

This Phaser is stereo

 

[EXP]

I'm not a Dino expert but think he always used an Electric Mistress

EDIT...I was thinking of a totally different song. Never mind...

That’s a flanger though. He uses the Electric Mistress for the more extreme jet airplane sounds.

 

[EXP]

Bump

 

[marmalade cream]

While we’re on the subject of J’s gear - does he really use the Tubeworks Real Tube 901 as his always-on dirt live?

He said on the rig rundown that he runs the Marshalls/Hiwatt clean so I’m guessing his dirty tone is just the Real Tube 901 + Rams Head Big Muff or the Jerms Tonebender MKI. So am I to understand his dirty tone is mainly coming from the Real Tube 901?

Maybe he's contradicted himself in other rig rundowns, but the one's I've seen he says the Real Tube is his "clean" sound, as in Real Tube into fairly clean Marshalls/Hiwatts. The Big Muff with the volume turned down (via a gain pedal that just drops the gain) is his main dirty tone, and full volume Muff is his basic lead tone (sometimes he adds the tone bender into the Muff for more chaos). Pretty wild but it sounds cool!

 

[tonedover]

Sounds lush and swirly I’d like to find this phaser. Read somewhere that J used a MXR Phase 100 on the track ‘’Seemed Like The Thing To Do’’ from Without A Sound. Does anybody know if J used the script or block logo version MXR Phase 100?

I’m no help as I USED to remember this information.....
Anyways just wanted to say it’s always nice to recognize another Dino Jr fan

 

[nkt275]

Great band

 

[Kev O)))]

I'm sure Jay has used just about every effect imaginable but I always thought the mainstays were the Phase 100 & the Electric Mistress.

For that song, im pretty sure it's the Electric Mistress.

 

[AwakentheDawn]

I always chuckle at these threads on J.

Have you guys ever seen interviews with him? Do you honestly think he writes down let alone remebers how to tie his shoes before he gets off the bus? He has more pdeals than anyone in America.

I was just thinking today, out of anyone in my life and guitar heros, my sound just emulates J. Mascis, which isnt bad.

I do think its a electric mistress, through some weird old amp with a true vibrato circuit, eho knows, I'm sure no one, especially J. Mascis

 

[EXP]

Maybe he's contradicted himself in other rig rundowns, but the one's I've seen he says the Real Tube is his "clean" sound, as in Real Tube into fairly clean Marshalls/Hiwatts. The Big Muff with the volume turned down (via a gain pedal that just drops the gain) is his main dirty tone, and full volume Muff is his basic lead tone (sometimes he adds the tone bender into the Muff for more chaos). Pretty wild but it sounds cool!

Yeah he refers to the Real Tube 901 as his ‘’clean’’ sound (since he apparently doesn’t like his straight-in amp tone), but we both know in actuality the Real Tube is set for light drive. I know I’m over-analyzing minute details (pointless to some) but I just felt like talking with like-minded Dino fans.


BTW are you sure the Big Muff is always on for his dirty tone? You can tell when he turns it on because there’s an upper midrange bump and his dirty tone gets fuzzier IMO.

 

[marmalade cream]

Yeah he refers to the Real Tube 901 as his ‘’clean’’ sound (since he apparently doesn’t like his straight-in amp tone), but we both know in actuality the Real Tube is set for light drive. I know I’m over-analyzing minute details (pointless to some) but I just felt like talking with like-minded Dino fans.


BTW are you sure the Big Muff is always on for his dirty tone? You can tell when he turns it on because there’s an upper midrange bump and his dirty tone gets fuzzier IMO.

I'm pretty sure it is... about 17:40 he switches from his "clean" tone to his main rhythm dirty tone (Big Muff with volume turned down), then at 17:48 he turns on his basic lead tone, which is just the Big Muff with the volume all the way up. He does mention he sometimes will use the tonebender by itself if he wants a staccato, gated tone.

Btw sorry to derail the original question... I wish I knew what phaser that was on the OP track. Such a cool sound!

 

[Flouncingfleasbag]

Can't answer the phaser question, but I have heard he has also been known to lean on a harmonic percolator pretty hard at times, as far as dirt tones go.

 

[EXP]

I'm pretty sure it is... about 17:40 he switches from his "clean" tone to his main rhythm dirty tone (Big Muff with volume turned down), then at 17:48 he turns on his basic lead tone, which is just the Big Muff with the volume all the way up. He does mention he sometimes will use the tonebender by itself if he wants a staccato, gated tone.

Btw sorry to derail the original question... I wish I knew what phaser that was on the OP track. Such a cool sound!

I think you’re right..the pronounced upper mids I’m hearing are probably from the volume boost from his Big Muff. I mean J has been using his ‘76 Rams Head Muff live since 1989, so why would he deviate from his core sound...

Here’s a good example of his multiple gain stage setup - Real Tube to Real Tube + Big Muff. You can hear him engage the muff @ 1:23 mark on this song (Thumb). Which is one of my favorites BTW:


Does this sound like Big Muff + Tonebender, or just his Jerms Tonebender MKI:


No worries man I’d like to know myself. Sounds too lush to be the Electric Mistress IMO. I’ve tried the Electric Mistress and it has a “metallic” quality that I’m not hearing on that track. To me it sounds like a Phase 100 with the intensity knob on the far right position and rate set fairly low. But that’s just what I’m hearing with these ears. YMMV.

 

[Devin]

J's rig rundowns are my favorite things on the internet.

 

[EXP]

Cool version of “Thumb” from MTV’s 120 Minutes. The intro defintely sounds like a phase shifter (almost like a Univibe), but I don’t see a Univibe on the stage. Maybe he had a rackmount Roger Mayer Supervibe? Since J did use the Roger Mayer stuff exclusively in the 90’s.

 

[John Mark Painter]

If you have an hour to spare, this was a fun interview

 

[EXP]

Thanks!

Did J ever use a RAT? Because on the Beyond album (“It’s Me” comes to mind) it sounds like a RAT (Gain at 3:00, Filter at zero, Volume cranked) IMO. Anybody know what he actually used though? On the solo it’s the Big Muff + Super Fuzz or Roland Bee Baa. Definitely sounds like a Bee Baa on the outro solo IMO.

 

[marmalade cream]

Thanks!

Did J ever use a RAT? Because on the Beyond album (“It’s Me” comes to mind) it sounds like a RAT (Gain at 3:00, Filter at zero, Volume cranked) IMO. Anybody know what he actually used though? On the solo it’s the Big Muff + Super Fuzz or Roland Bee Baa. Definitely sounds like a Bee Baa on the outro solo IMO.

I don't know, but I've seen some footage and read some interviews about his recording methods and he does deviate from his live rig when in the studio. J seems to like teles into princetons and champs in the studio... so I don't think it's a stretch to think he would use something other than his Big Muff while recording as well.