Solo of the Month #26

April 2017

This month's backing track is a medium paced, poppy sort of chord progression to start with, but then in the second half it moves through a more jazzy sequence of chords, which all resolve nicely back to the original.

I can usually work out what the base key of a track is, but this one had me stumped and, for the first time, I had to ask what the chords were. The first section is straightforward enough, it turned out (Emin7, A7, Dmaj7), but the second was completely beyond me. Still, once I knew the key, I could do the rest by ear, since I don't really have the theory to work out the "proper" notes.

I have a new toy, a Frederic Effects Unpleasant Companion (mk II), which is an absolute fuzz monster, so whatever I did was going to include that if at all possible. I had Ernie Isley's superb work on "Summer Breeze" and, in particular, "That Lady" in mind, and the simple signal chain of the Unpleasant Companion and an MXR Phase 90 gives something very close to that tone.

Sometimes it takes me a long time to work out a few lines for the solo, but this was a short piece with two clear sections and it didn't take long at all. A little practice to get it all in one go, and I was there.

I recorded it without reverb and added it in Reaper using the TAL Reverb 4 plugin, which is a nice and simple, to give a properly spacey feel. Finally, I'd fluffed the ending very slightly by not allowing the note to ring as long as I wanted, so I added a synced delay (iZotope DDLY plugin) on the last couple of seconds to extend it slightly.

Here's the final result:

Pedal Power 2017

Nearly two years ago, I surveyed my effects pedal estate. Here's an update, and what's striking (to me) is how much has changed. Gone are a few old favourites I'd hung to for years, decades even - sacrificed to the obsession with new things (and the realisation that I never used them). However, I haven't bought anything new for months so I thought it was worth documenting what I have.

Cry Baby Super Wah [1]

This now needs a replacement potentiometer, but I'm somewhat nervous about doing it myself. If it was working properly I'd probably use it more.

Korg AX1G [2]

I've had this multi-effects box for ages, but I forgot about it last time, because I hardly ever use it. It was cheap and cheerful at the time, and now it seems very out-dated, but it offered a lot of bang for the buck, including as it does a bunch of simple but effective settings and an expression pedal, in a small footprint. Good fun. I can't remember where I got this or how much it was though.

MXR Phase 90 [3]

A simple, good quality effect. Adds a nice, certain something to the sound.

MXR Carbon Copy [4]

This is always on my board and has in fact supplanted any chorus pedals, because I prefer the sound of the delays being modulated rather than the direct sound, and it's a more subtle and very good quality chorus. Also fantastic as a simple, longer delay on lead lines. A modern classic.

BOSS FB-2 Feedbacker/Booster [5]

Despite what it says, this isn't a Metal Core, but an FB-2 with a replacement switch cover because the old one was broken. The FB-2 is something of an unappreciated pedal and it's tempting to say that if a boutique company came out with it now, it would get rave reviews. As a boost, it's very versatile, and the ability to add sustaining feedback at any volume (or even at no volume, via the amp's direct output) is great.

Mission Engineering VM-PRO [6]

A buffer and volume pedal. Somewhat expensive for what I needed really, but it's wonderfully solid and the action is super-smooth. Pro quality.

Moog EP-3 [7]

A few of my pedals have the ability to use an expression pedal, so eventually I caved in and went for this very reasonably priced example. Great fun with the Pitch Fork, which basically turns it into a Whammy.

TC Electronic Flashback X4 [8]

Having bought the Carbon Copy [4], I realised that, while it's a great pedal, what I wanted for some things is a longer delay. This has a number of different delay types, including a modulated 2290 (TC's famous rack delay), multi-tap (instant Edge!) and a looper too, which is good fun. It's rather big and I can't figure out how the expression pedal is supposed to work with it, but the delays are superb and you can edit sounds via the PC app, so it's incredibly versatile.

TC Electronic Hall Of Fame [9]

I wanted a bunch of different reverbs and this just does the job. I keep the reverb on the amp off (it's digital anyway) and run this last, in the loop. Originally I'd bought a HOF Mini, which is great if all you want is a "set and forget" reverb sound, but I like being able to adjust things more. This also works with the TC PC app.

Electro Harmonix Soul Food [10]

I think this is a bit of a modern classic, for all that it's a copy(ish) of the Klon Centaur. It adds a certain something to any sound, whether as a clean boost or adding "more" to another drive. The one thing I am not as keen on is its standalone drive sound, which is a bit harsh.

BOSS TR-2 Tremelo [11]

I was specifically after a square wave tremelo, which is why the Joyo trem I had last time got sold on. This BOSS model is simple but effective, and can do a basic amp-like, subtle trem, or an aggressive hard choppy trem. Ideal unless you're after something really different ... like the Super Pulsar [17].

Tech 21 Double Drive [12]

I saw this up for grabs on the board and it had been around for a while with no takers. Tech 21 isn't one of the favoured brands of the board (it definitely does have favourites), which must account for it, because it was an absolute bargain at £45. It's a superbly versatile overdrive that (along with the amp drive) has pretty much removed any desire for more drive pedals.

Mooer Blues Mood [13]

I bought this drive new, which was a mistake, because it was expensive, and it turned out I didn't really need it once I'd bought the Douuble Drive [12] a few weeks later. I've had it up for sale for a while but no-one seems interested - odd, because the BOSS Blues Driver is a board favourite, and this is a copy of it. Still, while I have it, it's another option.

Electro Harmonix Big Muff Pi Tone Wicker [14]

Everyone needs a fuzz and a Big Muff is where you start. Does what you expect.

Electro Harmonix Pitch Fork [15]

Multiple intervals - octaves up and down, 3rd, 4ths, 5ths etc. Great fun and, with an expression pedal, much like a Whammy. A bit digital in nature but some very cool effects.

Voodoo Labs Pedal Power 2 Plus [16]

Once you have this many pedals, particularly the higher-draw digital pedals like the Flashback [8], things can start getting a bit noisy with a daisy chain power supply. This does the job perfectly. Expensive but absolutely worth it.

Electro Harmonix Super Pulsar [17]

Only a couple of weeks after I bought the BOSS Tremelo [11], this came up second-hand. I'd been wondering about getting one for a while and I couldn't resist. It is incredibly flexible - as well as sine wave, triangle wave and square wave tremelo, you can make it work to a pattern you define, it can change depth or speed based on the volume of the guitar ... and it can take an expression pedal too. I haven't managed to use it in a track yet though!

Mooer Graphic G [18]

I saw Dan & Mick on That Pedal Show discussing graphic EQs, and then this came up in the classifieds. Pretty close to the industry standard BOSS pedal in function but nice and compact, and useful tailoring a tone.

Bright Onion Pedals Mini Looper [19]

Simple and effective.

3Leaf Audio Proton [20]

A bit of an indulgence - a superb example of an envelope filter, but quite niche. Popular with bass players, apparently.

Phase 45 Clone [21]

A very subtle but nice phase sound, with a mod to kinda do a Univibe sound.

Ken Multi MCP-7 [right]

Bought new from Maplins in the late 80s for about £40 (equivalent to £80 now), this is obviously a BOSS CS-2 clone but in all grey plastic. I hadn't used for literally decades until recently when I tried it - and it still works, and surprisingly well. Definitely worth keeping for those occasions when I want a compressor.

Frederic Effects Unpleasant Companion [product page]

My most recent acquisition is this completely bonkers fuzz, based on the "classic" (it says here) Shin-Ei Companion FY-2 Fuzz. Whatever. Far wilder than the Big Muff, but a fantastic "guitar about to explode" sound. 

Shopping 8 April 2017

Retail therapy

I haven't been listening to previous purchases as much as I expected, and probably haven't given them enough of a chance if I'm honest. So this time round I decided I would buy fewer albums and divert some of the cash into a pedal (or two) on Denmark Street. Nevertheless I still found myself browsing and taking a chance on a few albums. Here's what I ended up with this time:

Green Onions by Booker T. & The MG's (1962)

Soul Limbo by Booker T. & The MG's (1968)

I have McLemore Avenue by these guys, their own take on Abbey Road, and it's nice stuff. I thought a couple more in the same vein wouldn't go amiss.

Whirlpool by Chapterhouse (1991)

A shoegaze classic of course, but one that I don't really know, as evidenced by the fact that when I got home I realised I already owned it. Doh!

Garlands by Cocteau Twins (1982)

Early 'Twins that I don't have in my collection, despite having been a big fan for a long time.

Wheels Of Fire by Cream (1968)

Odd half studio, half live double album. Some great tracks but feels a bit contract filler to me.

Crosby, Stills & Nash by Crosby, Stills & Nash (1969)

A classic album, which is probably why I already own it. I must be getting old.

Alice's Restaurant by Arlo Guthrie (1967)

I've known this for ages thanks to dad, and it's a bit of a classic, or at least the title song is.

The Inner Mounting Flame by The Mahavishnu Orchestra with John McLaughlin (1971)

This could be either superlative, influential guitar jazz-fusion or utter tripe.

Octahedron by The Mars Volta (2009)

Modern prog, as far as I am aware.

No Room For Squares by Hank Mobley (1963)

I'm a sucker for Blue Note covers. Hey, who isn't?

A Moon Shaped Pool by Radiohead (2016)

One of the finest bands ever, full stop.

I Wasn't Born To Lose You by Swervedriver (2015)

Swervedriver have possibly the best name in rock, and a great back catalogue. Whether this reunion matches up remains to be seen.

Future Disco Vol. 8 - Nighttime Networks by Various Artists (2015)

Can't go wrong with a bit of disco, although I imagine this isn't really the same. Happy to have a listen at £2 though!

What pedal did I buy, you ask? Well, thanks for asking. After spending an enjoyable hour or so browsing along Denmark Street (possibly for the last time ever if what I've heard about it's redevelopment is correct), I splashed out on the utterly bonkers Frederic Effects Unpleasant Companion, a superb remake/update of the "legendary" Shin-Ei FY-2 Companion Fuzz (no, I'd not heard of it before either).

Reading - March 2017

Guitarist (March 2017 / Issue 417)

The Week (4 March 2017 / Issue 1114)

Guitar & Bass (April 2017 / Vol 28 No 07)

Pride And Prejudice by Jane Austen (1813)

I read this often - at least, I thought so, but I can't find any note of this for the last several years, so maybe this is the first time in a while. For something now over two hundred years old, it is still a wonderfully easy read and an absorbing story. And I do like a happy ending.

The Week (11 March 2017 / Issue 1115)

The Week (18 March 2017 / Issue 1116)

The Week (25 March 2017 / Issue 1117)

Tom's Midnight Garden by Philippa Pearce (1958)

A twentieth century classic for good reason. I've been reading it to Z for the last few months and although it took him a while to get into it, by the end he could hardly wait to find out what happened. The fact that it's fifty years old does throw up some dated aspects, but not as many as expected.

Different Seasons by Stephen King (1982)

I got this collection of four novellas from the library specifically to read Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redepemption, the source of the film. The film follows it closely, so there's nothing new in it and I think the film is more powerful (although this may of course be because that's what I saw first). The other stories - two of which have also been turned into films - don't really appeal. King is a superb story-teller of course, but mostly he tells stories I don't want to know about - they're too unpleasant. I found myself being drawn into the next story, Apt Pupil (also filmed) but peeked at the end and decided I didn't want to read it, so I left the book there.

Guitarist (April 2017 / Issue 318)

Solo of the Month #25

March 2017

Here we have a simple 4 bar repeated pattern in E major, with a rock 'n' roll feel. It seemed to call for a rockabilly style, which is unfortunate since I can't play that at all.

In fact, the first question for me was whether I should use a major or minor scale. The track itself is purely major chords, but a major scale felt far too polite and not rock 'n' roll enough. A minor pentatonic isn't "right" but it does fit with the expected feel of a piece like this, so that's what I went with.

To give it the right sound I set up a slapback delay on the MXR Carbon Copy, with lashings of reverb from the spring emulation on the TC Hall Of Fame, and a single coil (tapped) setting on the neck pickup which gave it the right wirey-ness.

I worked over the track many times, making up for a slight lack of ideas by repeating a few notes over multiple changes (I'm sure I've heard Rory Gallagher do this ...). I particularly struggled with some of the quicker playing at about 38 seconds, but I was pleased with my ending. Sometimes I piece the solo together from multiple takes but this didn't have any gaps, so I had to practice the whole thing enough to get it acceptable when played right through. Once recorded, I just balanced the levels a little in Reaper and that was it.

And et voila:



I didn't do the two months' SotM before this, due our kitchen refit - the first I've missed in almost two years. The amp and pedals were packed away, but I still intended to record it with an amp sim in the box. In the end I just didn't have time.

Reading - February 2017

The Week (4 February 2017 / Issue 1110)

A Big Boy Did It And Ran Away by Christopher Brookmyre (2001)

I've lost count of how many times I've read this (or other Brookmyre books), but it still works for me - funny, thrilling and fantastically plotted.

The Week (11 February / Issue 1111)

Guitar & Bass (March 2017 / Vol 28 No 6)

The Week (18 February / Issue 1112)

The Week (25 February / Issue 1113)

Where Wizards Stay Up Late by Katie Hafner & Matthew Lyon (1996)

I bought this about 20 years ago, while working in the US. Its subtitle is "The Origins of the Internet", which explains the contents better than the main title, and it's a very thorough story about we got from the original, tiny Arpanet to what we had in 1996 - when the internet was just about starting to go mainstream. What's happened in the last 20 years could fill another book. Hopefully it would be a little less plodding than this one.

Reading - January 2017

Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson (1886)

B was reading this for school so, having never read it, I thought I'd give it a go. I'd thought of it as proto-horror, in the same category as Dracula or Frankenstein, but in fact it's both much shorter (it's a novella) and milder than I expected. The basic idea is so well known that perhaps it loses its impact. Entertaining enough, with a clear moral.

Guitar & Bass (February 2017 / Vol 28 No 05)

The Week (7 January 2017 / Issue 1106)

The Week (14 January 2017 / Issue 1107)

London Bridge In America by Travis Elborough (2013)

The story of the sale of the "old" London Bridge (it wasn't that old) to a town in the US is mildly interesting but the basic facts aren't that complicated. A lot of padding and tangential detail has been needed to make this book into anything more than a pamphlet, which doesn't help the central narrative.

The Week (21 January 2017 / Issue 1108)

Guitarist (February 2017 / Issue 416)