Help on a couple of guitar sound i'm trying to get

amit

Hey guys, can anyone help me figure out how to get these tones, I'll try to explain them the best I can.

1. The first is that tone that Steve Vai uses in the G3 Denver concert. It's in his opening song (the one in which uses the triple headed guitar). In the middle of the song he gets this awesome smooth strong tone which he plays only using his fretting hand. It's not the main tone he uses, or the one which he plays the open tuned chord with. Do you guys get which one I'm talking about?

2. I just want to figure out how to get a good atmospheric noise. As in, some sort of sound that fills up the background of a song. Are there some kind of pedals or techniques which I can use to do this without having to use a synthesiser?

Thanks

MichaelMcKevin

amit wrote:

Hey guys, can anyone help me figure out how to get these tones, I'll try to explain them the best I can.

1. The first is that tone that Steve Vai uses in the G3 Denver concert. It's in his opening song (the one in which uses the triple headed guitar). In the middle of the song he gets this awesome smooth strong tone which he plays only using his fretting hand. It's not the main tone he uses, or the one which he plays the open tuned chord with. Do you guys get which one I'm talking about?

2. I just want to figure out how to get a good atmospheric noise. As in, some sort of sound that fills up the background of a song. Are there some kind of pedals or techniques which I can use to do this without having to use a synthesiser?

Thanks

Delay can give you that atmospheric thing.

lucylespian

From memory, that whole opening section is played on a fretless guitar, which is the third neck. You can't really get that tone unless you are playing fretless. The closest way to get that is to use a glass slide and a lot of sustain. A brass slide might be better, but galss gives a warmer more liquid tone. I prefer brtass nomally, finding glass a bit weak, but you could try both.
Some bass effects units like BOSS ME-20B have a "defretter" setting. I have no idea how effective that is.
TUrn your volume up and sit real close to teh amp, and be prepared to damop teh strings you don't want to sound. PLay with your fingers rather than a pick. He is using a firm hammer-on to voice the noted there, whiochis why he is not picking. LOts of volume and feedback there.

xtremehardy388

Delay, Flange, or chorus. Phaser might be overkill though.

ianvomsaal

To get those punchy articulated even notes that seem to sustain forever, I'd suggest getting a compression pedal.

- Ian

amit

Yeah true, it must have been a fretless neck for him to get that smoothness.
I think I'll try and work out something using high gain and a slide. Kinda like what Jeff beck does on Nadia.

But with that second tone I was talking about, I don't mean just a guitar effect mod. I was meaning like just any way (not neccesarily guitar related even, but preferably so) to get a good background filler. Pearl Jam never do that kind of thing. But bands like U2 use it a lot. I hope that helps in some way....

And Ian, is the compressor mod on my Vox Ad50VT pretty much the same thing as a compression pedal?

ianvomsaal

amit wrote:

And Ian, is the compressor mod on my Vox Ad50VT pretty much the same thing as a compression pedal?

Yes, and No.
Yes, it has similar characteristics (that solid state Vox amp uses modeling effects).
But NO, it's not the same thing.
A Compression Pedal works differently, creates better nuances, etc.
Plus you have more overall control with a good Compression Pedal.

- Ian