INSTRUCTION STRINGS CDs & TAPES LINKS MAGAZINES

  The Steel Guitar Forum
  No Peddlers
  David Lindley's Tone

Post New Topic  Post A Reply
your profile | join | preferences | help | search

next newest topic | next oldest topic
Author Topic:   David Lindley's Tone
Mitch Druckman
Member

From: Arizona, USA

posted 16 June 2006 07:05 PM     profile   send email     edit
What does (did) Lindley use to distort his lap steels? It doesn't sound like an overdrive or fuzztone alone. The overdrive seems to have a filter or something on it, like a mild auto-wah. How did he do it? How can I get that tone?
Richard Sevigny
Member

From: Vancouver, BC, Canada

posted 16 June 2006 07:27 PM     profile   send email     edit
I read somewhere he's got custom made/rewired amps..

..this pic is from his website

Keith Cordell
Member

From: Atlanta

posted 17 June 2006 03:17 AM     profile   send email     edit
That pic is a Dumble Overdrive Special. I have been to see Uncle Dave a few times, even got to speak with his tech once, and got no real insight into his electric sound; once he was using a red knob Evil Twin, the other time it was all acoustic stuff and he had a short rack that he was hooked up to. Never saw any pedals, though I am fairly sure that he has something in the signal chain for a few things I have on live discs. Either way his tone is always incredible. I'd love to see an interview where someone talks with him about devices and tone.
John Dahms
Member

From: Perkasie, Pennsylvania, USA

posted 17 June 2006 07:30 AM     profile   send email     edit
I don't know what he uses, but it would seem to me that anyone who uses a Dumble amp would not put anything else in the chain. It would be like putting glass-pack pipes on a Ferrari- what's the point?
Terry VunCannon
Member

From: Randleman, North Carolina, USA

posted 17 June 2006 07:42 AM     profile     edit
I read in an interview, & talked to him after a show, and he considers his Dumble to be "His" sound on lap steel. He says when he was younger, he played "Real Loud". Pictured above is his main National Dynamic(For E & D tunings), he also has Panda Ric that he played on "Running On Empty" tuned to open A(yes A with the open E position, A-E-C#-A-E-A,)and I think his double neck is a Supro.
For his acoustic work, he is using Ultrasound amps with built in FX, two of the 50 watt versions.
I have a National that is the twin of Lindley's that I had him autograph at one of his solo show...I now call it "The Lindley".

[This message was edited by Terry VunCannon on 17 June 2006 at 07:44 AM.]

Brad Bechtel
Moderator

From: San Francisco, CA

posted 17 June 2006 09:06 AM     profile   send email     edit
Last time I saw Mr. Dave with El Rayo X, he played a Supro doubleneck through a red knob Fender Twin. He was using some kind of Ibanez Tube Screamer, but I couldn't see which one. I know that his classic sound with Jackson Browne relied on the Rickenbacker B6.

Here is a description of his acoustic instrument lineup as of 2000, via Acoustic Guitar magazine. He used a Roland Jazz Chorus JC-120 amp for many years; that might be part of the sound you're hearing as well.

I'd suggest a bit of overdrive, a small bit of chorus effect, and a lot of practice!

------------------
Brad's Page of Steel
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars

Jon Light
Member

From: Brooklyn, NY

posted 17 June 2006 09:18 AM     profile   send email     edit
OK--it's probably been asked before but........any recommendations of a CD for the best collection of his best electric playing? I hate not knowing his music beyond "Empty".
Terry VunCannon
Member

From: Randleman, North Carolina, USA

posted 17 June 2006 09:38 AM     profile     edit
Yeah Brad, he talked about really liking the Roland, but that lately he had switched to the Ultrasounds, smaller & easy to set up & move around...he said that the Ultrasound did not color the sound of any of the acoustic intruments, even with the FX on. I saw a picture of him with a Tube Screamer also...I carry a tube screamer with my rig in case I have to play someone else's amp...go from the lap to the TS, then into a clean channel of a amp & dial up your sound. If is a loud amp(Like a Fender Twin), you can get a good Lindley sound without being to loud...with a low watt amp, just plug in & turn it up.
Tom Baylis
Member

From: Portland, Oregon

posted 17 June 2006 10:12 AM     profile   send email     edit
ToneQuest did an interview with David in July 2005 which, coincidentally, I found is available as a freebie if one orders a trial subscription. I haven't read it yet, but recalling the info was enough for me, as a big fan of DL's tone, to just sign up for a trial subscription to read this. I've been meaning to subscribe anyway. Backorders are also available in pdf download format for $10 too.

http://tonequest.com/

[This message was edited by Tom Baylis on 17 June 2006 at 10:15 AM.]

Russ Tkac
Member

From: Waterford, Michigan, USA

posted 17 June 2006 10:28 AM     profile   send email     edit
I believe I read in the studio it was a tweed deluxe turned up. I got the sound with my 66 Bassman blackface 212 cab on loud! When I would record a solo my friend's wife had to leave the house.
Keith Cordell
Member

From: Atlanta

posted 18 June 2006 05:29 AM     profile   send email     edit
Yeah Terry I heard about the Evil Twin amps he was using too. I had one and it was so loud when turned up to 2 that I was afraid the art would fall off my walls. If there was a lower powered version of that amp I'd probably bite, but yikes.
Bill Quinn
Member

From: Minnesota, USA

posted 18 June 2006 06:07 AM     profile   send email     edit
In an interview way back in the Running on Empty days, possibly in Guitar Player, he said he used a distortion pedal that he had altered in some way. The only time I saw him live was with El Rayo X, that was some incredible playing!!
Terry VunCannon
Member

From: Randleman, North Carolina, USA

posted 18 June 2006 07:55 AM     profile     edit
Keith...try a Fender Deluxe Reverb(around 40 watts I think)...the bass/guitar player in our band keeps two of them on her van, & I like them a lot. Here lately, I have been using a Fender Blues JR(15 watts with a 12)& it is perfect for lap steel. I also bought(Don't laugh)a cheap Peavey Bandit 65, & it really sounds a lot like the Lindley sound...I paid around a $100 for it...I could play guitar through it, but it really sounds good for the lap steel...there is something about solid state & steel. And Bill, I wonder if the pedal had something done like the things that "The Analog Man" does...I have played through one that he worked on & it was killer...check analogman.com I think.

[This message was edited by Terry VunCannon on 18 June 2006 at 07:56 AM.]

Dan Tyack
Member

From: Seattle, WA USA

posted 18 June 2006 02:19 PM     profile   send email     edit
IMHO the key to this sound is a Supro/National played through a tube amp with the volume turned way up.
Bill Blacklock
Member

From: Powell River, British Columbia, Canada

posted 18 June 2006 04:55 PM     profile   send email     edit
National Dynamic through a Tonebone "Classic" distortion pedal , any amp will do. This pedal will give you tones all the way from Lindley to Zepplin (you shock me). About $100 bucks on e-bay
John Billings
Member

From: Northfield Center, Ohio, USA

posted 19 June 2006 01:10 PM     profile   send email     edit
All this talk about Mr. Daves stuff reminds me of seeing his cohort Ry Cooder on the tonight show. I think it was "Little Village" era. He had a gigantic rack behind him. I mean like 6 feet tall, crammed with stuff. On top of this huge rack sat a little old Supro type amp. He was plugged directly into the little old amp, and was using the immense rack as an amp stand! Cracked me up!
Alvin Blaine
Member

From: Sandy Valley, Nevada, USA

posted 20 June 2006 12:48 AM     profile   send email     edit
quote:
try a Fender Deluxe Reverb(around 40 watts I think)

A stock Fender Deluxe Reverb is 22 watts.

Chris Walke
Member

From: St Charles, IL

posted 20 June 2006 11:25 AM     profile   send email     edit
On the Running On Empty album, he seems to use a Phase pedal on a couple of the tunes. The one that comes to mind immediately is "You Love the Thunder."
Mike D
Member

From: Phx, Az

posted 20 June 2006 12:11 PM     profile   send email     edit
and was using the immense rack as an amp stand!

Mmmmmm, immense raaaackkk.....

------------------
Half-assed bottleneck and lap slide player. Full-assed Builder of resonator instruments.


Keith Cordell
Member

From: Atlanta

posted 20 June 2006 01:22 PM     profile   send email     edit
I know that song, I always thought he got that phasey tone with his bar. I've done it accidentally a few times, hehehe. Hard to control it just so, but Dave certainly has the technique.
John Billings
Member

From: Northfield Center, Ohio, USA

posted 20 June 2006 02:02 PM     profile   send email     edit
Gee Mike! Get your mind out of the gutter!
BWAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!

All times are Pacific (US)

next newest topic | next oldest topic

Administrative Options: Close Topic | Archive/Move | Delete Topic
Post New Topic  Post A Reply
Hop to:

Contact Us | Catalog of Pedal Steel Music Products

Note: Messages not explicitly copyrighted are in the Public Domain.


Ultimate Bulletin Board 5.46

The greatest musical hands in the world, now on CD!
"Legends of the Incredible Lap Steel"