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Author
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Topic: Acoustic sound from pedal steel
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Buck Dilly
Member From: Branchville, NJ, USA
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posted 10 March 2004 12:23 PM
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Does anyone have experience getting an acoustic guitar-like sound from a pedal steel? Electronic or otherwise. I already have a Match-Bro; I was thinking more like a streight acoustic guitar sound. ------------------
Lacquer Emmons PP,D-10, 9+9, Mica Emmons PP, 9+9, Nationals, Dobro-8, Dan-O's, '70 ES 340, Scofield-Ibanez ES, Tube Amps. "Blue Sparks From Hell", "Kings in Disguise".
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Mike Perlowin
Member From: Los Angeles CA
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posted 10 March 2004 02:27 PM
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There are a couple of stomp boxes that are supposed to emulate an acoustic guitar sounds. One is made be Boss, the other, which is no longer being manufactured, was made by Rockman. I don't know how well they would work on a steel, but you might want to try one out. |
Lee Baucum
Member From: McAllen, Texas (Extreme South) - The Final Frontier
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posted 10 March 2004 04:03 PM
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I tried the Boss unit. It didn't make any of my electric guitars or steel guitars sound like an acoustic. To my ears, it sounds like they have just incorporated different eq settings into the unit. ------------------
Lee, from South Texas
Down On The Rio Grande |
Jerry Hayes
Member From: Virginia Beach, Va.
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posted 11 March 2004 10:42 AM
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Hey Lee,
I've got the Boss unit which I got a pretty good acoustic sound from. The big problem was I had to change my basic setting for the steel very dramatic. It just wasn't usable on the bandstand. Maybe if a person had an amp dedicated for that sound only it might be OK. Also my Fender Hot Rod DeVille sounded better with the Boss box than my Nashville 400 did but the Fender isn't that great for steel. Oh well, I guess it might be usable for a session or something...JH------------------
Livin' in the Past and the Future with a 12 string Mooney Universal tuning.
[This message was edited by Jerry Hayes on 12 March 2004 at 05:41 AM.]
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Ernie Pollock
Member From: Mt Savage, Md USA
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posted 21 March 2004 05:49 AM
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Jerry: I have one of those boss units, you can do run one cable to a separate channel or another amp & switch back & forth from standard elec to the acoustic sound, although I must admit I have never tried it with my pedal steel yet. I did get excellent results with my Fender Tele with that unit. I may give that a shot with the steel just to see what I can do with it. I guess most of us steel players are really more interested in the dobro sound more so than a straight acoustic sound on steel. I use a Boss SE-50 for the dobro sounds & does ok for that one. I will let you know if what I come up with on the 'acoustic steel' after I try it. Ernie Pollock  ------------------
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Scott Appleton
Member From: Half Moon Bay, California, USA
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posted 21 March 2004 10:11 AM
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i was reading somewhere of a guy who used those
hex pickups in back of the steel PU and one of those
outboard midi converters to trigger acoustic sounds.
also a fella who talked about insalling seperate
crystal PU in each finger similar to some electric guitars. The new variax may have some electronics that could be adapted.
possibilies abound.
I used a pitch rider system for a while on a MSA
it was hard to controll and finally quit working. I never got IVL in canada to repair it properly so i sold it.------------------
Mullen S12
Acoustic 165 100W tube
71 Tele, Regal 45, Gretch
Lap, Columbia Lap, Line 6 |
Bobby Lee
Sysop From: Cloverdale, North California, USA
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posted 21 March 2004 04:18 PM
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Here's a track I did with my Sierra Session and a Genesis 3:
http://soundhost.net/b0b/All_In_All.JohnReese.mp3 It's the stock "Acoustic" patch on the G3. I'm moving this topic to the 'Electronics' section of the Forum. ------------------
 Bobby Lee - email: quasar@b0b.com - gigs - CDs, Open Hearts
Sierra Session 12 (E9), Williams 400X (Emaj9, D6), Sierra Olympic 12 (C6add9),
Sierra Laptop 8 (E6add9), Fender Stringmaster (E13, A6),
Roland Handsonic, Line 6 Variax |
Gary Walker
Member From: Morro Bay, CA
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posted 22 March 2004 10:07 PM
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Zumsteel used to make a portable pickup stuck on with double sided tape in front of the built-in pickup and gave a pretty good acoustic sound, sort of a dobro type sound. I have one on my Mullen. |
Ricky Littleton
Member From: Steely-Eyed Missile Man from Orlando, Florida USA
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posted 23 March 2004 06:32 AM
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One of the reasons I bought the PX4 Pandora's box was for an acoustic sound. Never did pan out overly "acoustic" for me, but makes my '93 LeGrande sound a bit like an old Fender pedal steel. WOrks good and I use it when doing the old Buck Owens stuff or any Mooney stuff.Ricky ------------------
Emmons LeGrande - 8x4
Session 400 Ltd
Dan-Echo, E-Bow, Ibanez Distortion, Boss Comp./Sustain, Ibanez Auto-Wah |
Jeff Hogsten
Member From: Flatwoods Ky USA
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posted 24 March 2004 06:17 AM
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Has anyone tried or know about the variax guitar by line 6 it is incredable. It is a modeling guitar with over 20 diferent guitar sounds. The acoustics dont sound like you sitting there playing a martin in your living room but coming through the PA it sounds just as good as a tak. or some of the other hi end guitars with a pickup. The tele sounds are right on incredable. Ive been watching the modeling technology for some time starting when roland came out with the vg 8 but line six really has it nailed. I maean you cant tell the difference. NOW for the big question, why cant we use this technology for the steel. Can you imagine sitting there and being able to dial up a push pull or a sho bud or a Jerry Bird rick sound or acoustic guitar or better yet a dobro. I dont know if the only thing is not having a ten string pickup or not what are you thoughts Jeff |
Jeff Hogsten
Member From: Flatwoods Ky USA
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posted 24 March 2004 06:20 AM
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one other thought. You are not going to and some may disagree get a acoustic sound through a guitar amp. The line 6 variax has two outputs, one for your amp for electric sounds and one to your pa for acoustic sounds. A guitar amp just cant reproduce the hi end needed for acoustic so if you want acoustic sounds your going to have to get an acoustic amp for those sounds or run through the pa Jeff |
Buck Dilly
Member From: Branchville, NJ, USA
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posted 24 March 2004 07:25 AM
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Thanks for the feedback. |
Bobby Lee
Sysop From: Cloverdale, North California, USA
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posted 24 March 2004 12:24 PM
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I have a Line 6 Variax and it works well for stage acoustic sound through the PA. I also use it for recording rhythm guitar parts. I don't play lead guitar, so I can't really comment on whether it would work as a lead instrument.
Also, it doesn't have pedals!------------------
Bobby Lee - email: quasar@b0b.com - gigs - CDs, Open Hearts
Sierra Session 12 (E9), Williams 400X (Emaj9, D6), Sierra Olympic 12 (C6add9),
Sierra Laptop 8 (E6add9), Fender Stringmaster (E13, A6),
Roland Handsonic, Line 6 Variax |
Mike Perlowin
Member From: Los Angeles CA
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posted 02 April 2004 08:36 PM
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I also have a line 6 variax, and I love it. But the technoloy won't work on a pedal steel guitar. Neither will installing Peizo pickups in the changrer fingers (or anywhere else.) The problem is that the Peizos will pick up all the mechanical noise of the pedals and changer mechanism. Even of you install the Peizos someplace else on the guitar, they will still do this. I know because I tried. I've even tried installing the peizos on the neck under the strings, near the nut and as far from the changer as was physcally possible. It didn't help. I'm a great believer in installing Peizos on electric instruments and running both systems in stereo. I have two 6 string guitars retrofitted this way and plan to do the same thing to more of them. But the problem of them picking up the mechanical noise on a pedal steel guitar seems to be unsolvable. |
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