| If you use a tremelo or vibrato effect from an amp, stompbox or rack FX, which do you prefer? |
| Tremelo |
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75% |
[ 9 ] |
| Vibrato |
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25% |
[ 3 ] |
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| Total Votes : 12 |
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| Author |
Topic: Poll: Tremolo versus Vibrato |
Clete Ritta
From:
San Antonio, Texas
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Posted 7 Apr 2010 11:43 am |
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Hey all, I've just discovered an interesting bar technique which is a nice alternative to the rolling vibrato most commonly used.
Try strumming a big chord, placing the bar up high around fret 12. Then, instead of rolling the bar gently side to side, press down evenly while rolling back just enough to keep the pitch constant. This pushes the strings just enough closer to the pickup that a subtle increase in volume occurs, creating a pseudo tremolo effect.
If you combine this with a little circular rolling too, it combines tremolo and vibrato for a really great chorus type effect.
Though its impossible without a kill switch of some sort to achieve the full on/off tremolo effect you can get from an amp or effect, this is a nice sound that is naturally created with subtle bar movement. You'll be surprised at how low the strings can be depressed, but don't press down too hard or you'll be depressed too if a string breaks.
Of course you could use the volume pedal, so I suppose this technique may be more useful for those who dont use one, but the more you can get out of the tonebar the better in my book. Try swelling the tremolo sound with the volume pedal and experiment!
Clete
Last edited by Clete Ritta on 8 Apr 2010 11:03 am; edited 2 times in total |
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Ulric Utsi-Γ
hlin
From:
Sweden
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Posted 7 Apr 2010 11:17 pm
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Tremolo means amplitude mod,and vibrato frequency
mod so...since the latter is half destined to clash
w/ the bar vibrato we all use,I see little use for
the true vibrato effect in Steel Guitar playing.
McUtsi |
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Dave Grafe
From:
Hudson River Valley NY
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Posted 8 Apr 2010 5:26 am
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| What Ulric said... |
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Clete Ritta
From:
San Antonio, Texas
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Posted 8 Apr 2010 10:58 am
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Chorus is used as an effect on steel occasionally. Although chorus is not exactly the same as vibrato, it does modulate frequency, so it is similar in nature.
Tremolo can be done with a volume pedal too, if you have a quick foot. I like to use a wah pedal sometimes like that on guitar. Sorta sounds like tremolo, but its eq rather than volume that is modulated.
Clete |
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Tony Glassman
From:
The Great Northwest
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Posted 8 Apr 2010 3:29 pm
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neither for steel.....both for guitar.
The "organ-like" vibrato effect (e.g. Magnatone amp) is cool for Lonnie Mack/Stevie Ray type blues. On the other hand, tremolo gives a great "throbbing" swamp/surf feel. To my ears both FX sound totally different from one another. |
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Clete Ritta
From:
San Antonio, Texas
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Posted 9 Apr 2010 1:15 pm
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The rotary Leslie cabinet has been used by guitarists like SRV as a great effect.
To me its almost a combination of tremolo and vibrato, since the volume changes as the horn revolves, and a subtle doppler effect is created as the sound wave changes direction. The switch to turn the motor on and off to change the speed is the coolest part of controlling the effect! Many digital simulators are either on at a set speed, or off.
Clete |
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Ray Minich
From:
Bradford, Pa. Frozen Tundra
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Posted 9 Apr 2010 7:14 pm
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Leslies are to my estimation the truest and sweetest tremolo.
When I was a kid my dad built an amp that was a collage of circuits lifted from a Fender, a Heathkit, and a Gibson amplifier schematic. I remember that the "tremolo" effect was achieved by modulation the gridbias on the power pentodes. Neat driver circuit too.
I love how Buddy used tremolo in some of his Ray Price tunes.. |
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b0b
From:
Cloverdale, CA, USA
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Posted 9 Apr 2010 10:16 pm
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Thanks, Clete. It never occurred to me that tremolo could be done with the left hand. Very ingenious!
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