Ralph Mooney Effects?

Carl Burcham · Post by **Carl Burcham** » 21 Jan 2022 7:11 pm

When Ralph is playing the first little run he does in big city is he using any effects?
To me it sounds like he almost has a little bit of a overdrive with it and possibly some delay, if anyone has an idea please let me know. I’d like to try and replicate his tone for this song. I think it’s the perfect tone in my opinion.

David LeBlanc · Post by **David LeBlanc** » 22 Jan 2022 4:11 am

Maybe I don`t understand the question, but on the original recording I think Norm Hamlet played the steel. Not sure on the effects. Hope this helped.

Mitch Ellis · Post by **Mitch Ellis** » 22 Jan 2022 10:46 am

I thought it was Norm Hamlet too

Mitch

Carl Burcham · Post by **Carl Burcham** » 22 Jan 2022 12:45 pm

Might just be my mistake but I thought Ralph played this one. But I just really like the tone for the first lick after the fiddles. I’d love to be able to replicate it.

Ken Metcalf · Post by **Ken Metcalf** » 22 Jan 2022 1:58 pm

I do it using strings 3,5,6

Jim Pitman · Post by **Jim Pitman** » 23 Jan 2022 1:08 am

Carl, I agree with you assessment - a little delay and overdrive. The overdrive could be simply the front end of a tube amp. That first stage, jack 1, is unattenuated with high gain, a combo that can lead to some distortion especially for pedal steel with it's heavily wound pickup (at least twice the wire of a standard electric guitar pickup).

Bob Hoffnar · Post by **Bob Hoffnar** » 23 Jan 2022 7:59 am

I’m hearing :
low resistance pickup,
Forceful picking
Amp pushed into slight distortion
Studio chamber reverb

Pretty much all classic steel tone is not clean and sounds way better than the 80’s clean with tons of headroom sound that became common.

Bob Hoffnar · Post by **Bob Hoffnar** » 23 Jan 2022 8:06 am

Jim Pitman wrote:Carl, I agree with you assessment - a little delay and overdrive. The overdrive could be simply the front end of a tube amp. That first stage, jack 1, is unattenuated with high gain, a combo that can lead to some distortion especially for pedal steel with it's heavily wound pickup (at least twice the wire of a standard electric guitar pickup).

Jim, I’m not sure about that. The sound of a heavy pickup overdriving the input creates very audible difference tones. Those low ghost tones move around when you play bends.

Bob Bestor · Post by **Bob Bestor** » 23 Jan 2022 2:54 pm

Bob Hoffnar wrote: Pretty much all classic steel tone is not clean and sounds way better than the 80’s clean with tons of headroom sound that became common.

Agreed.

Ricky Davis · Post by **Ricky Davis** » 23 Jan 2022 7:17 pm

Pretty much all classic steel tone is not clean and sounds way better than the 80’s clean with tons of headroom sound that became common.

Yes the difference between "Tube Amp" and "Solid State Amp"...and that solid state sound really came about that 80's era...> and yuk yuk yuk.(except for Lloyd Green studio sound and Tom Brumley and a small few others),,,
Yes that is Norm H on Steel and Dobro on that whole Album.
Ricky

Bob Carlucci · Post by **Bob Carlucci** » 24 Jan 2022 7:00 am

Not sure of which era of Moon's playing you are talking about because it was a long career, probably 4 decades... Here is the secret to the sound of his early recordings... However, it won't fit into your pack seat or gig bag... bob