best sound enhancer?

Mickey Lawson · From: Cleveland, Tennessee, USA

Help, what is the (one) best sound enhancer for the pedal steel? To get a fuller, high fidelity sound that is less tin-like. Thanks. (not counting technique)

Steve Hitsman · From: Waterloo, IL

Gotta be Brad Sarno's Black Box.

David Doggett · Posted 15 Sep 2005 4:55 am

How come this is posted twice? Here's my answer for the other one.

Mickey, it would help if you described everything in your equipment chain (guitar, pickup, volume pedal, black box?, effects unit[s], preamp [if separate], power amp [if separate], speaker). That would help us see your weakest link, and would keep us from suggesting something you already have, or don't need.

Nevertheless, I'll tell you what has worked for me. A Fender silver-face era all tube amp with a 15" speaker. I know you didn't ask for technique, but there is one technique of the hands that makes a world of difference. Instead of picking where your hand might naturally come to rest near the changer, move you picking hand over to the left so that you are mostly picking about an octave above where your bar is. It doesn't have to be exactly an octave, the frets are so close together up there that if you get anywhere near the octave area you will get the richest overtones possible. This will give your tone a very full, round, bell like tone. Near the 15th fret works well for having the bar almost anywhere in the first octave. If you get your bar up into the second octave, of course you have to move your picking hand over to the right some.

Jim Sliff · From: Lawndale California, USA

The older model Match Box with one control is great for fattening things up considerably.

Jack Stoner · From: Kansas City, MO

The best advice, since you are not that far from Nashville is to go visit with Bobbe Seymour and try out the Nashville 112 amp and whatever else he has there.

As mentioned you didin't say what equipment you have, but regardless a trip to Bobbe Seymour's in Hendersonville will be worth it, no matter what suggestions you get here. Take your steel, volume pedal, etc with you so you can compare using your guitar.

Everyone has their favorite items or what they consider the "ultimate" sound and for you, what you consider the ultimate sound may be entirely different. Hands on and being able to do side by side comparisons in a fully stocked steel guitar music store is the best thing. www.steelguitar.net

John Ummel · From: Arlington, WA.

Hi Mickey,
A little touch of reverb. Some people like the sound of spring reverb some don't. Then, in the days before all the digital stuff came out, I think it was pretty standard to have an Ibanez analog delay and chrorus. These two pedals set properly can yield an absolutely HUGE sound. Now days you have digital boxes that can combine these and many other effects in one unit. Although lots of guys still swear by the old analog stuff. And I've read some anaysis that supports why the analog delays sound better than digital. Check out (generalguitargadgets.com) There are links there to all kinds of articles on the subject. But I still think that a little delay and a touch of chourus is a very fat sound.
Johnny

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johnny
GFI Ultra S-10 3&4, G&L ASAT, Jackson Dinky Hardtail, homemade solid body electric violin w/ Zeta pickup, homemade 100W amp w/ 12" Jensen. As Bill Monroe once told me: "Don't never give up"

Jerry Hayes · From: Virginia Beach, Va.

My favorite item is the BBE Sonic Maximizer. It's a one rack space item that goes for around $80 to $100 and will make every note you play sound better....JH in Va.

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Don't matter who's in Austin (or anywhere else) Ralph Mooney is still the king!!!

Charlie McDonald · From: out of the blue

We used to say 'drugs.'
Now, I prefer a little spring reverb, and nothing else.

John Daugherty · From: Rolla, Missouri, USA

Without a doubt.... a delay device. I like the Lexicon 110, rack unit.

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www.phelpscountychoppers.com/steelguitar

Justin Douglas · From: Austin, TX

my two biggest tone enhancers were:

1. a peterson tuner - it's amazing how much better an instrument can sound and ring out when everything's in tune just right.

2. a old analog delay pedal - just a touch of this real warm delay adds some real depth and gives you a nice "fake sustain" to play with.

cheers,
justin

Donny Hinson · From: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.

A good amp with a "mid" control! If you can't dial down the mids, it just doesn't have any "body". Reverb, and maybe a touch of delay help, too. But without a good amp, your just spitting in the wind.

John Ummel · From: Arlington, WA.

That's a good tip on dialing down the mids, thanks Donny.

Kevin Hatton · From: Buffalo, N.Y.

Donny, thats right on as usual.

Pat Burns · From: Branchville, N.J. USA

....enhances looks, too...

Fred Nolen · From: Mohawk, Tennessee, USA

Mickey,

If you don't have one, try a Hilton volume pedal. They do make a difference.

Ol' Fred

Chris Bauer · From: Nashville, TN USA

Your hands. (Okay, I know that's technique but it's still the best place to start.)

[This message was edited by Chris Bauer on 15 September 2005 at 02:47 PM.]

Mickey Lawson · From: Cleveland, Tennessee, USA

Thanks for all the help, for starters bought a sonic maximizer 462, on ebay. Plugging in my small, all-tube Ampeg Jet II.

Donny Hinson · From: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.

Do yourself a favor...forget that 15-watt "toy amp" you're using and get a steel amp! (The "Sonic Circumsizer" was probably a waste of money for steel, too.)

Also, ponder these little "tidbits" of mine...

Generally, the gear used with straight guitar isn't very good for pedal steel. Pedal steel is an entirely different animal.

Generally, most of the people who play straight guitars (and those who sell them) know absolutely nothing about pedal steel, or how it should sound.

There! I just saved you a ton of money!

James Quackenbush · From: Pomona, New York, USA

Donny,
Don't you think you should tell Mickey how you really feel ? .....

ajm · From: Los Angeles

After your hands.....

new strings.

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Artie McEwan

Donny Hinson · From: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.

James, you know I've never been one to mince words!

If you want "feel good", there's always Richard Simmons or Oprah.

That little class-A Ampeg might be great for harp or acordion, maybe even for straight guitar (in a studio), but it just doesn't have enough cahones for pedal steel. It also doesn't have any tonal range at all, compared to a good steel amp.

I kinda got the feeling (with his "circumsizer" purchase) that Mickey's been influenced by some "other-than-pedal steel" musicians, and I wanted to nip that in the bud. He's a newbie, and I'd like to see him get started off on the right foot, rather than buy gadget after gadget to try and get a decent sound.

David Doggett · Posted 17 Sep 2005 3:56 pm

Listen to Donny, Mickey. Most guitar amps sound too shrill for pedal steel - not nearly enough bottom. Also, You need 2 to 4 times as much power for pedal steel as for regular guitar, because of the way the volume pedal is used. You need at least 30 watts, even for home practice. The smallest amp being used by most steelers is the 80 watt Nashville 112, which is specially designed to have extra punch on the bottom. And there is a whole thread about players who have found it inadequate for some gigs. They either use two NV 112s or something much bigger, like the NV400 (200 watts) and NV1000 (300 watts). I use a Dual Showman Reverb (100 all-tube watts) for low volume gigs, and a Super Twin Reverb (180 all-tube watts) for loud gigs. On these loud gigs the lead guitar is using a 20 watt Tweed Deluxe. Regular guitar and pedal steel guitar - two very different animals.

Loren Morehouse · From: Meadowlands, MN USA

A good sounding guitar!! Loren.

Brad Sarno · From: St. Louis, MO USA

http://www.dwfearn.com/whytubes.htm

Brad

Donny Hinson · From: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.

IMHO...

There's no doubt that tubes have some subtle advantages, but it depends on how the amps are played. I recently did an A/B test with a modded S/S Peavey, and my old B/F Twin Reverb. At low volumes, I think the differences are small enough to be called "insignificant". When the amps are pushed, though, the Fender has a nice round sound, while the S/S Peavey is a little sterile. This is no doubt due to the harmonic structure becoming more notable.

The fact, however, that Peavey provides all S/S amps for the I.S.G.C. speaks volumes about the real differences. Most players there have a fine tone, and the average listener would be hard pressed to say that the sounds there coming from the S/S amps are unsatisfactory.

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