David Lindley's Tone

Mitch Druckman · Post by **Mitch Druckman** » 16 Jun 2006 6:05 pm

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 · Post by **Richard Sevigny** » 16 Jun 2006 6:27 pm

I read somewhere he's got custom made/rewired amps..

..this pic is from his website

Keith Cordell · Post by **Keith Cordell** » 17 Jun 2006 2:17 am

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 · Post by **John Dahms** » 17 Jun 2006 6:30 am

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 · Post by **Terry VunCannon** » 17 Jun 2006 6:42 am

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.]

Post by **Brad Bechtel** » 17 Jun 2006 8:06 am

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!

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

Jon Light · Post by **Jon Light** » 17 Jun 2006 8:18 am

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 · Post by **Terry VunCannon** » 17 Jun 2006 8:38 am

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 · Post by **Tom Baylis** » 17 Jun 2006 9:12 am

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 · Post by **Russ Tkac** » 17 Jun 2006 9:28 am

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 · Post by **Keith Cordell** » 18 Jun 2006 4:29 am

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 · Post by **Bill Quinn** » 18 Jun 2006 5:07 am

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 · Post by **Terry VunCannon** » 18 Jun 2006 6:55 am

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 · Post by **Dan Tyack** » 18 Jun 2006 1:19 pm

IMHO the key to this sound is a Supro/National played through a tube amp with the volume turned way up.

Bill Blacklock · Post by **Bill Blacklock** » 18 Jun 2006 3:55 pm

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 · Post by **John Billings** » 19 Jun 2006 12:10 pm

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 · Post by **Alvin Blaine** » 19 Jun 2006 11:48 pm

try a Fender Deluxe Reverb(around 40 watts I think)

A stock Fender Deluxe Reverb is 22 watts.

Chris Walke · Post by **Chris Walke** » 20 Jun 2006 10:25 am

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 · Post by **Mike D** » 20 Jun 2006 11:11 am

and was using the immense rack as an amp stand!

Mmmmmm, immense raaaackkk.....

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

Keith Cordell · Post by **Keith Cordell** » 20 Jun 2006 12:22 pm

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 · Post by **John Billings** » 20 Jun 2006 1:02 pm

Gee Mike! Get your mind out of the gutter!
BWAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!