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Topic: What sort of phase shifter did Sneaky Pete use? |
Jeremy Threlfall
From:
now in Western Australia
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Posted 3 Dec 2008 9:28 pm |
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I want to buy a phase shifter to have an experiment (with the steel, and my tele). My natural inclination is to buy the classic - the Small Stone (EH)
What did Sneaky use? (his phase shifted sound is the motivation for all this)
did/do any other noteable steel players use phase shifters in other different ways?
Is there a big difference between the Small Stone (classic chassis) and the Nano small Stone (the smaller die-cast chassis)?
Three questions is enough for now!! |
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Jim Palenscar
From:
Oceanside, Calif, USA
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Posted 3 Dec 2008 10:55 pm
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| It is my impression that he used 2 different ones- most commonly an MXR Phase 90 but also on occasion a Mutron Biphase. |
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Jeremy Threlfall
From:
now in Western Australia
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Stu Schulman
From:
Ulster Park New Yawk (deceased)
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Posted 4 Dec 2008 9:58 am
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Jeremy, You should check out the DOD stereo phaser you won't believe how great it sounds plus you can do a lot more with it $39.00,Stu 
_________________
Steeltronics Z-pickup,Desert Rose S-10 4+5,Desert Rose Keyless S-10 3+5... Mullen G2 S-10 3+5,Telonics 206 pickups,Telonics volume pedal.,Blanton SD -10,Emmons GS_10...Zirctone bar,Bill Groner Bar...any amp that isn't broken.Steel Seat.Com seats...Licking paint chips off of Chinese Toys since 1952. |
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Brad Sarno
From:
St. Louis, MO USA
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Posted 4 Dec 2008 11:23 am
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Jeremy,
thanks for the cool link on the Small Stone phasers. I've got a couple old ones here. Great phasers. If anyone ever had a Peavey amp with a built in phaser, I understand that's actually a Small Stone circuit licensed to Peavey by Electro Harmonix.
Pretty much the Small Stone and the MXR Phase 90 have been the most popular and hailed phasers. I love both. MXR script logo Phase 90s are the best. They've recently reissued them, and they are killer. There are other great ones too, but these two really seem to have made their mark in history. These are very much at the other end of the spectrum as the Boss phasers, which I really don't care for at all.
Maxon makes the PT-999 which is a clone of a true script logo Phase 90. You can see some photos from the '70s where Buddy Emmons has a Phase 90 coming out of his steel.
I love phasers and much prefer them to chorus pedals. They put such a nice watery vibe across the sound without messing with pitch like a chorus pedal does, which can sound kind of cheesy or over-processed.
I'm not a huge fan of the new Nano series by Electro Harmonix. They use all surface mount parts, and typically these types don't sound as full and sweet as the larger components in the older models. But the sound sample on that link above demonstrates that the new Nano version does sound pretty darn true to the original. Still, I think the new reissue script logo Phase 90 by MXR would bring the most satisfaction. A bit pricey, but really sounds great.
All that said, I don't know what phaser Sneaky Pete used, but given the time period, it very well may have been a Small Stone or Phase 90.
Brad |
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 4 Dec 2008 12:24 pm
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| If you're getting an MXR, I wouldn't recommend the Phase 90, as it's just terribly limited. Their Phase 100 is a far more versatile unit. I have both, but the one I've used for over 20 years is the 100, and it does some great effects. |
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Brad Sarno
From:
St. Louis, MO USA
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Posted 4 Dec 2008 10:37 pm
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I have an old Phase 100 as well. Great unit and lots of variety with the 4-position switch. It makes some great sounds. But overall, the resonance of the 100 to me is a bit too strong and can't really be tamed to be as subtle as the 90. Even though the script logo 90 is more limited, it really nails a gentle and watery phase effect as good as anything I've heard.
Brad |
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Danny Naccarato
From:
Burleson, Texas
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Posted 5 Dec 2008 6:09 am
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Since this is about Phase Shifters, does anyone have a good setting for a Lex MP1? I am doing a couple of Sneaky tunes with a band in SoCal this weekend and could probably use a good setting  |
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Loren Claypool
From:
Mequon, WI
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Posted 5 Dec 2008 8:16 am
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I have vintage versions of the MXR Phase 45, 90, and 100. They are all different animals. The 90 and 100 have been addressed above, I'd add that the Phase 45 is a very subtle device, the opposite end of the spectrum from the 100. They all have their place depending on the application and desired results.
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Loren Claypool
genre-indifferent instrumental guitar music
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Brad Sarno
From:
St. Louis, MO USA
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Posted 5 Dec 2008 10:14 am
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Loren,
I've never had a Phase 45, but I sure like the sounds I've heard from them. Nice lushness without getting in the way.
From what I gather, the 45 is a 2-stage phaser, the 90 is a 4-stage, and the 100 is a 10 stage.
Brad |
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Bob Carlucci
From:
Candor, New York, USA
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Posted 5 Dec 2008 3:14 pm
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I could be wrong but on some of Pete's playing especially on Jackson Browne's For Everyman album, it sounds like it was manually flanged... "thumbed"...
There's not a phase shifter in the world that will duplicate that sound... bob
_________________
I'm over the hill and hittin'rocks on the way down!
no gear list for me.. you don't have the time...... |
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Skip Edwards
From:
LA,CA
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Posted 5 Dec 2008 4:39 pm
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I sort of remember Pete using a Maestro when they first came out.
I imagine he used a few of them over the years.
And I'm pretty sure Bob's right about the flanging. |
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Jeff Watson
From:
Anza, CA. USA
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Posted 5 Dec 2008 6:04 pm
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| Manually flanged...."thumbed". Jeez guys, tell me more. I learned to play pedal steel by working on Sneakys backing on "For Everyman" for a year or two until I could pull it off (kinda). |
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Bob Carlucci
From:
Candor, New York, USA
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Posted 5 Dec 2008 7:55 pm
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here ya go Jeff http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flanging
_________________
I'm over the hill and hittin'rocks on the way down!
no gear list for me.. you don't have the time...... |
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John Ummel
From:
Arlington, WA.
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Posted 5 Dec 2008 9:10 pm
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I loved Sneaky's playing on Everyman...saw him live with the Burritos here in the Seattle area a couple times..really great, and a superb guy, talked with me at length after one show. I wholeheartedly agree with Brad regarding chorus messing with pitch. A really cool phaser you guys might want to check out is the "Phaseur Fleur" at 4mspedals.com
and at commonsound.com he'll give you all you need to build your own. I built one and its VERY tweakable.
Cheers,
Johnny |
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Jim Sliff
From:
Lawndale California, USA
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Posted 6 Dec 2008 12:07 pm
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The Phase 90 is NOT limited if you want Sneaky's sound - it's the closest thing to his BiPhase (which IS what he used). Set the speed control at 9:00 and let 'er rip.
I get close to the BiPhase sound by using a Phase 90 in tandem with a Way Huge Blue Hippo analog mono chorus set on "slow" - unfortunately the Hippo is an incredily expensive collector's item, but another good unit that works well with the '90 is the older cheap Arion SCH-1 Stereo Chorus (not the newer SCZ-1!).
One other key component, though: Do NOT use reverb. None. Use (preferably) an analog delay or tape unit, set it on about 200ms, and with a few repeats and the delay intensity down fairly low. It's a much crisper, less washed-out sound than reverb, works on low frequencies (reverb is EQ'd for highs) and in combo with the phasing makes a huge difference.
It also helps to have two pickups out-of-phase. That's another Sneaky tonal component, and he used it very often. My 400 has a sotcj bridge pickup and a Stringmaster neck pickup, with on-off switches for each (using push-pull pots) and a phase switch; he had that combo for a while in the 70's, had a hex pickup for synth use for a while (never got it off the ground), used both older and newer-type 400 pickups, and finally ended up with two stock-looking ones custom-wound by Seymour Duncan - plus all the wierd electronics mounted inside the guitar, like his fuzz, phase switches (he could reverse either pickup), a series/parallel switch; the rest is a mystery. I was hoping to get a look under the hood someday but have not been able to arrange it...yet.
_________________
No chops, but great tone
1930's/40's Rickenbacher/Rickenbacker 6&8 string lap steels
1921 Weissenborn Style 2; Hilo&Schireson hollownecks
Appalachian, Regal & Dobro squarenecks
1959 Fender 400 9+2 B6;1960's Fender 800 3+3+2; 1948 Fender Dual-8 Professional |
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Jonathan Shacklock
From:
London, UK
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Posted 7 Dec 2008 3:12 pm
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| The Line6 MM4 unit has a Mutron BiPhase model. I'm not sure how faithful to the 'Everyman' sound it is. |
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b0b
From:
Cloverdale, CA, USA
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Posted 7 Dec 2008 3:29 pm
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For a recent Gram Parsons Tribute show, I used the phaser emulator in the Line 6 Pod XT. It sounded really good on Hot Burrito #1. I know it's not what Sneaky Pete used, but it came close enough to please the singer and the audience.
_________________
-𝕓𝕆𝕓- (admin) - Robert P. Lee - Recordings - Breathe - D6th - Video |
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Jeremy Threlfall
From:
now in Western Australia
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Posted 7 Dec 2008 10:40 pm
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I ended up getting a EH Small Stone
partly because it was cheap (second hand virtually unmarked for AUS$135)
partly becasue it was the coolest looking one on the market!
it would take a lot more than the right phaser to make me sound like Sneaky Pete! |
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Brad Sarno
From:
St. Louis, MO USA
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Posted 8 Dec 2008 5:39 am
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The Small Stone is a great phaser. Really hard to go wrong there.
Brad |
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Jeremy Threlfall
From:
now in Western Australia
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Posted 8 Dec 2008 9:55 pm
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Thanks, friend.
I had a go at it last night with my tele. It was fun.
not many useable sounds for me above the half way mark - and I definitely prefered the 'colour' switch OFF.
tonight on the PS .... |
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