1. During the first week of August 2020, we'll be upgrading the software TGP runs on to the currently available up-to-date version. The software version is a significant upgrade, so there will be some downtime as we do the work under the hood. We've got a team of professionals, including the software development company assisting the process. We've conducted substantial tests using backups of the current forum to ensure a smooth and successful upgrade. We've gone to great lengths on the design of the theme (aka 'skin' or look and feel) of the forum to offer a better user experience for members and visitors. The default theme will be new, yet clearly influenced by the classic TGP look. We will have a dark version of that also easily selectable. Also available will be a "Classic TGP" theme that closely matches the current theme you are accustomed to using with the current software. There is also an easy width adjustment to make it set width or expand to your window width for each theme. As we get closer, I'll update everyone so hopefully, no one will be caught by surprise.
    Dismiss Notice

What do I really need? (cover band guys)

Discussion in 'Effects, Pedals, Strings & Things' started by steeeve, Oct 7, 2005.

  1. Oct 7, 2005 #1
    steeeve

    steeeve Member

    Messages:
    206
    Joined:
    Sep 14, 2005
    Location:
    The ATL
    I know this is a brave question, but what do I really need? Let me explain. I am hooking up with a cover band. We're doing a pretty broad range, but they're all "standards."

    Brick House
    Mustang Sally
    Brown Eyed Girl
    Get Down Tonight
    Boot Scootin' Boogie
    etc...

    Anyway, I've been stressing and obsessing about my pedal needs. The only things I know for sure will be on the board are (in this order) a Wizard Wah, DDSS, Timmy, 2 Loooper, Tone Press, undecided clean boost. What I'm stressing about is chorus and delay. I don't really think I need them for any of this material, but I don't know. Logistically, the absence of the chorus and delay is certainly appealing, but it seems like everyone doing covers has them. BTW, we aren't doing a whole lot of 80's stuff. What do you guys think? You think anyone would "notice" if I didn't have any effects?

    Opinions much appreciated.

    Thanks,
    Steve
     
    steeeve, Oct 7, 2005
    steeeve, Oct 7, 2005
    #1
  2. Oct 7, 2005 #2
    dave s

    dave s Member

    Messages:
    6,434
    Joined:
    Apr 24, 2003
    Location:
    NE Ohio
    Trust me, doing covers you'll get a lot of mileage from a chorus pedal. It doesn't have to be a boutique pedal either. Heck, I used a trusty Boss CH-1 for a lot of years before buying the Retrosonic Chorus Ensemble.

    Delay? I don't know ... they're fun to play with when you get bored from doing the 'standards.'
    :rolleyes:

    dave
     
    dave s, Oct 7, 2005
    dave s, Oct 7, 2005
    #2
  3. Oct 7, 2005 #3
    Ed Alvarado

    Ed Alvarado Member

    Messages:
    1,899
    Joined:
    May 26, 2005
    Location:
    So Cal
    This is the kind of band I've been playing in for years. It just depends on what you like to hear. Chorus pedals are very cool and I should get one back on my board but I'd do a few gigs and see how things go, you'll know. Some of my amps don't have reverb so I like a little delay to fatten things up but that's just me. I like a little delay in my Santana tone as well but a friend of mine has killer Santana tone without it so it's kind of what floats your boat.

    Good Luck!
     
    Ed Alvarado, Oct 7, 2005
    Ed Alvarado, Oct 7, 2005
    #3
  4. Oct 7, 2005 #4
    cvansickle

    cvansickle Silver Supporting Member

    Messages:
    11,847
    Joined:
    Oct 7, 2004
    Location:
    Atlanta, GA USA
    A lot of clean but strong guitar parts in the songs you listed - a compressor would help a lot. Is that what a Tone Press is? I'm not familiar....

    Reverb too.
     
    cvansickle, Oct 7, 2005
    cvansickle, Oct 7, 2005
    #4
  5. Oct 8, 2005 #5
    steeeve

    steeeve Member

    Messages:
    206
    Joined:
    Sep 14, 2005
    Location:
    The ATL
    Hey, thanks guys.

    I do tend to like a bit of delay on for rock solos, and a bit of slapback for country stuff. Hmm...

    I'm not sure where I would use chorus, but I just can't help feeling like I need one. I have a Cool Cat that I could use. It's weird, I hear a lot of guitarists in party bands using chorus where I normally wouldn't, such as clean funk parts.

    cvansickle, that's precisely what the Tone Press will be for. I have a TC compressor now that I'm replacing with the TP. I also use the comp for country solos.
     
    steeeve, Oct 8, 2005
    steeeve, Oct 8, 2005
    #5
  6. Oct 8, 2005 #6
    erksin

    erksin Member

    Messages:
    23,161
    Joined:
    Nov 17, 2004
    Maybe a Phaser instead of the Chorus..?
     
    erksin, Oct 8, 2005
    erksin, Oct 8, 2005
    #6
  7. Oct 8, 2005 #7
    gitpicker

    gitpicker Silver Supporting Member

    Messages:
    1,473
    Joined:
    Aug 11, 2005
    Location:
    Indianapolis
    [ It's weird, I hear a lot of guitarists in party bands using chorus where I normally wouldn't, such as clean funk parts.

    Hey Steeeve - I know just what you mean. I played 25 years without pedals for the most part - and one major reason was hearing guys put chorus on EVERYTHING. It just sucked. I was forced out of a band because the previous guitar player had some little stereo Gallien Kruger amp with built in chorus that he never turned off - the chick singer bummed out at my tone (Strats and Les Pauls through a 1965 Super Reverb) - she said it did not sound PRETTY, like her old guitarist!

    Effects are there to make something great sound even better - but they should not wag the dog!

    The Gitpicker
     
    gitpicker, Oct 8, 2005
    gitpicker, Oct 8, 2005
    #7
  8. Oct 8, 2005 #8
    eric-d

    eric-d Member

    Messages:
    3,409
    Joined:
    Aug 14, 2005
    Location:
    Heaven, Hell, or Houston
    [​IMG]

    This is my board that I use in my band that's mainly a cover band. I can do almost anything with this. We can cover SRV, Arc Angels (Doyle Bramhall II), Cream, Hendrix, Beatles, Black Crowes, Stevie Wonder, Temptations, Ian Moore, Pink Floyd, Zepplin, Etc...
     
    eric-d, Oct 8, 2005
    eric-d, Oct 8, 2005
    #8
  9. Oct 8, 2005 #9
    steeeve

    steeeve Member

    Messages:
    206
    Joined:
    Sep 14, 2005
    Location:
    The ATL
    Man that sucks about getting forced out due to lack of chorus, gitpicker. I hear you bro. I think chorus adds like this "professional sheen" that non-guitarists perceive as "pretty."

    I don't have a problem with chorus if its integral to the sound for a particular tune like "Message in a Bottle" for example. It just doesn't make sense on, say, Motown stuff where the guitars were generally bone dry. Maybe the chorus gives it like a modern edge or something. For something more "open" like "Breathe" where I'm kind of filling in steel guitar duties, it actually makes the mix a little more dense which is nice. It just doesn't sound cool on tight guitar parts to me. It's like 80's porn guitar or beer commercial or Miami Vice or Vegas show band. Take your pick :D
     
    steeeve, Oct 8, 2005
    steeeve, Oct 8, 2005
    #9
  10. Oct 8, 2005 #10
    gitpicker

    gitpicker Silver Supporting Member

    Messages:
    1,473
    Joined:
    Aug 11, 2005
    Location:
    Indianapolis
     
    gitpicker, Oct 8, 2005
    gitpicker, Oct 8, 2005
    #10
  11. Oct 8, 2005 #11
    HHB

    HHB Member

    Messages:
    6,641
    Joined:
    Aug 6, 2002
    Location:
    East Flat Rock NC
    I use 2 OD's a wah and an analog delay thats on all the time set to a reverbish setting. I took the swooshy pedals off , IMO they really don't add anything in a live setting, when I do use one it's a Boss trem pedal, I like the physical movement over the modulated pitch live ( make sense? ) one a wild hair I'll drag out the rotosphere ( and use it way too much! ) IMO the right gain for the tune is the key to covers
     
    HHB, Oct 8, 2005
    HHB, Oct 8, 2005
    #11
  12. Oct 8, 2005 #12
    JPenn

    JPenn Member

    Messages:
    1,800
    Joined:
    Jan 4, 2002
    Location:
    Blytheville, AR
    I'm working on getting a pedalboard together. Here's what I'm thinking of going with

    Vox wha

    either an AM TS9 Silver or Barber LTD - to put the DD into the liquid zone.

    Barber Direct Drive- main drive tone, the hot-rod Marshall seting in the DD manual.

    Trem - my main "effect". I use a L6 Flex III with one of the bands I play with and use this more than chorus, rotary or delay.

    Chorus - can use it for slow songs or crank the speed and use it as a leslie sim

    Delay - slow songs or trippy breakdown sections in fast songs

    RC Booster - I like to have a little volume bump for leads in a 2 guitar band. This way by the end of the night everyone's not on 10.

    My main band plays most of the same stuff that every bar band plays. I doesn't require a lot of effects, but they can be used tastefully (or not) if you chose to do so. Right now I'm just using the a standard TS9 ->Direct Drive ->RC Booster and amp reverb. I have no problems making it thru a gig as is, but I miss having other sounds to mess with.
     
    JPenn, Oct 8, 2005
    JPenn, Oct 8, 2005
    #12
  13. Oct 8, 2005 #13
    Rob Eadgbe

    Rob Eadgbe Member

    Messages:
    466
    Joined:
    Oct 2, 2005
    Location:
    Greater Vancouver B.C.
    I've been playing in a similar type band for a long time, and I've gone through a lot of different modulation pedals. I'm always surprised at how little I use them. Delay though, I couldn't live without.
     
    Rob Eadgbe, Oct 8, 2005
    Rob Eadgbe, Oct 8, 2005
    #13
  14. Oct 19, 2005 #14
    Phil M

    Phil M Supporting Member

    Messages:
    11,493
    Joined:
    Apr 25, 2002
    Location:
    Rochester, NY
     
    Phil M, Oct 19, 2005
    Phil M, Oct 19, 2005
    #14
  15. Oct 19, 2005 #15
    Gary Brennan

    Gary Brennan Old cavorting member Gold Supporting Member

    Messages:
    1,777
    Joined:
    Jan 22, 2004
    Location:
    Cooperstown NY
    I find chorus is needed very infrequently for the type of tunes you mention. Delay and verb however are much more applicable for a wider variety of tunes, and especially useful on outdoor gigs where a room isn't already supplying a verb characteristic.

    I strongly suggest that you go with a wet/dry delay and verb setup, with tap tempo. Wet/dry/wet is even fatter, but too much to move IMO. The clarity of your basic tone and the 3D quality of your fx are so improved with wet/dry over the all thru 1 amp approach, you will love it. Frequently, this approach includes a reasonably useful chorus.

    gb
     
    Gary Brennan, Oct 19, 2005
    Gary Brennan, Oct 19, 2005
    #15

Share This Page