The Steel Guitar Forum

Can anyone tell me what kind of equipment is needed to get the sound that the pros get. I have been at this electric sewing machine too long to mention and still can't get the sound that the "big" guys get. Especially up above the 15th fret. It sounds like a school bell telling the kids recess is over.

Sierra Crown SD10, Nashville 400, Peavey Deltafex, BJ Bar. :

it`s all in your heart and hands buddy...

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It's a mixture of a good guitar, a good amp, and lot's of technique and practice. No combination of equipment will give you that sound by itself.

I don't think many of us will ever sound like John Hughey going up the neck. However, most of the players I've talked to use some reverb and a small amount of delay. The delay fattens the sound of each note. Don't use much delay leve or feedback or it will sound like an echo.

I've discovered with my preamp playing through headphones --without the amp-- that I like the tone better when I switch in Buddy's tone pot (standard equipment, mounted between the necks on the Emmons guitars). Through the amp (Nashville 400) I usually leave that off and go with the brighter tone.

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HagFan

Don, I have the same equipment you have except for the PSG, I have an Emmons SD-10 Lashley Legrand.

With no reverb mine will sound like a zither to me sometimes.

For kicks run the Deltafex in Mode 3 or 4 (i.e. room and cathedral) and no NV400 reverb. Set the two value pots at midposition and the mix at 50%. It's a starting point anyway. Gives a nice sound. Be sure to check out several other "reverb" threads that have run in the last 10 days. They've been very educational to me. And thanks again to all contributors for their help.

I think Ray is right on. Getting your amp set right is first and formost, then get some reverb from your rack and for sure leave it off on the amp.

Sometimes what sounded good yesterday sounds bad the next day.

Bob

Is there anyway you can truck all your equiptment over to somebody who has the sound that is evading you? They can evaluate everything you have and even try your guitar using their stuff. For once and for all, you can find out if it is in "the hands" or if something in your equiptment is the problem. You have a sound in your head that you are after, which is good. Most guitars sound good, but some will have the sound you are after and some won't. What one person likes, another will not. If someone who has the sound you are looking for cannot get that sound out of your rig, then by the process of elimination, figure out if it is the guitar, the pickup (tried a truetone?), amp, cords, effects, etc. You may be trying to duplicate a sound that is just not possible to get using your equiptment.<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by George Kimery on 11 November 2003 at 08:58 PM.]</p></FONT>