Home› Musicians and Gearheads
Options

Question about Mike's effects

FinsburyParkCarrotsFinsburyParkCarrots Seattle, WA Posts: 12,223
edited December 2003 in Musicians and Gearheads
Forgive me for not knowing much about Mike's effects, but it sounds to me as if he uses a Uni-Vibe. If so, is he using a newish model or one of those Shen-ei Hendrix models that Roger Mayer had something to do with? I love that sound on "Not For You" and "All or None". Phasers and flangers and racking leslie effects don't compare with that real Univibe wobble.
Post edited by Unknown User on

Comments

  • Options
    exhaustedexhausted Posts: 6,638
    he used to use a dunlop uni-vibe copy. right now, he is using a hughes & kettner tube rotosphere.

    giventowail.com has a 2003 tour gallery with shots of his board.
  • Options
    exhaustedexhausted Posts: 6,638
    other vibe-like stuff is achieved with an mxr phase 90.
  • Options
    Pacomc79Pacomc79 Posts: 9,404
    Originally posted by FinsburyParkCarrots
    Forgive me for not knowing much about Mike's effects, but it sounds to me as if he uses a Uni-Vibe. If so, is he using a newish model or one of those Shen-ei Hendrix models that Roger Mayer had something to do with? I love that sound on "Not For You" and "All or None". Phasers and flangers and racking leslie effects don't compare with that real Univibe wobble.

    The original Uni-vibe that Mike uses was manufactured by the Univox company who also make several guitars and the Super Fuzz. The one he uses on tour is a Dunlop version of the Univox Uni-vibe.

    It was an attempt at copying the sound of the very large and cumbersome Leslie speaker cabinets, a terrible attempt at copying them actually It sounds nothing really like a leslie but there was beauty in their failure. They created this rich phasey ping pong chorus tone that has become famous unto itself. In essence it is a photocell they use blinking light to simulate the spinning rotor of the leslie and the high voltage (18V) makes the sound thick and fat. You can also use the Uni-vibe as a vibrato but in my opinion that side is rather worthless. The vintage vender tube amp vibratos are really the only vibrato worth a damn.

    Boom has 2 leslie cabs behind his Hammond organ a top rotor and a bottom rotor, if you look closely you can see them spinning on the DVD.


    On the last tour I believe Mike scrapped using the vintage univibe and DM-2 delay in favor of the Line 6 MM-4 and DL-4 also the Hughes and Kettner Rotosphere a much more accurate copy of a leslie cabinet. Pics are available at http://www.giventowail.com special thanks go to RickP
    My Girlfriend said to me..."How many guitars do you need?" and I replied...."How many pairs of shoes do you need?" She got really quiet.
  • Options
    FinsburyParkCarrotsFinsburyParkCarrots Seattle, WA Posts: 12,223
    Thanks, friends. I have a Dunlop Uni-Vibe with the additional foot-pedal. That set me back a few ducets, back in '96! Used to have a Roto-Vibe as well (remember them?).
  • Options
    Pacomc79Pacomc79 Posts: 9,404
    Originally posted by FinsburyParkCarrots
    Thanks, friends. I have a Dunlop Uni-Vibe with the additional foot-pedal. That set me back a few ducets, back in '96! Used to have a Roto-Vibe as well (remember them?).


    yeah which one is your favorite?
    My Girlfriend said to me..."How many guitars do you need?" and I replied...."How many pairs of shoes do you need?" She got really quiet.
  • Options
    El_KabongEl_Kabong Posts: 4,141
    Dunlop made a cheaper uni-vibe that was like a wah or the roto-vibe. Decent but not as good as the stomp box type vibe they sell.

    I still have my roto-vibe but never use it.
    standin above the crowd
    he had a voice that was strong and loud and
    i swallowed his facade cos i'm so
    eager to identify with
    someone above the crowd
    someone who seemed to feel the same
    someone prepared to lead the way
  • Options
    goto_lgoto_l Posts: 1,189
    The Hughes & Kettner is pretty awesome, so much swirl you can get seasick playing it. Still use my Univibe some also. A bit closer to that Robin Trower sound with the uni than the Hughes & Kettner. Stay away from a roto though. I have to back load it with some punch to even get anything out of mine.
    You men eat your dinner
    Eat your pork and beans
    I eat more chicken
    Than any man ever seen




  • Options
    FinsburyParkCarrotsFinsburyParkCarrots Seattle, WA Posts: 12,223
    Sorry for not replying until now. I went out last night with my big brother who lives in London and never usually gets a chance to go to the pub; the first pub we went into was owned by one of his best mates from school whom he hadn't seen since 1976. Lots of pints consumed.

    Anyway, about the Univibe: there's a guy called Kimberley Rew who performs in Cambridge; he was in Katrina and the Waves, and wrote that song "Walking on Sunshine"back in the 'eighties. I don't know him or anything, but I supported him at a gig (yes, I was bottom of the bill, back in 1999) and he had one of those original Shen-ei (?) Univibes set up on stage. It's an odd effect because even when it's off it colours/colors the sound.

    That Univibe is also notoriously fragile. How much does it cost? Last time I checked, if it was still in good condition, it could cost about £850.

    THAT'S my ideal Univibe, Pacomc79!!!!
  • Options
    El_KabongEl_Kabong Posts: 4,141
    The Option 5 Destination Rotation is a really good rotating speaker sim as well and is better for stereo. When I was looking into them it was down to that and the H&K (ended up with a vibe instead)

    I don't think vibes are that expensive, at least not anymore. I know those 2 RSS's above are under $300. I know the Dunlop vibe is under $200 (or pretty sure) and the MJM 60's Vibe wasn't more than $200 when I looked into them.

    My mom LOVED that song 'walking on sunshine'!

    and it's time to feel good, hey! all right now
    standin above the crowd
    he had a voice that was strong and loud and
    i swallowed his facade cos i'm so
    eager to identify with
    someone above the crowd
    someone who seemed to feel the same
    someone prepared to lead the way
  • Options
    FinsburyParkCarrotsFinsburyParkCarrots Seattle, WA Posts: 12,223
    Kimberley Rew played "Come On (Part 1)" from "Electric Ladyland", note-for-note, solo, at that gig I was talking about. He did it with a red Gibson SG set up through a Univibe. (But I think Hendrix first used the Univibe well after EL, and after Noel Redding quit, during the rehearsals for Woodstock in August 1969.)There are good sound engineers at the Boat Race in Cambridge, England, where Rew (and I!) played, and they got the most out of his Univibe.


    Going back to Pacomc79's question about what pedal I prefer, I used to like the Rotovibe. One of my big mistakes and regrets was selling it. I saw one in John Palmer Music, Waterford, Ireland, in October and I was so tempted to buy it!
  • Options
    El_KabongEl_Kabong Posts: 4,141
    What exactly did you like about the roto-vibe? Cos mine's just collecting dust...maybe I'm missing something or need something to help push it. I've only played it by itself without any other effects set up.

    And yeah, the uni-vibe was first used at Jimi's performance at Woodstock.

    I found this at the dunlop site about the difference between the uni-vibe, roto-vibe and uni-vibe stereo-chorus
    http://www.jimdunlop.com/faqs/univibe_faq.html#diffs
    standin above the crowd
    he had a voice that was strong and loud and
    i swallowed his facade cos i'm so
    eager to identify with
    someone above the crowd
    someone who seemed to feel the same
    someone prepared to lead the way
Sign In or Register to comment.