Attn 70's-80's effects pedal experts: please ID this pedal!

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Justine_X
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Attn 70's-80's effects pedal experts: please ID this pedal!

Post by Justine_X » Mon Aug 03, 2009 8:31 am

I have always appreciated this band's bass tones... always assumed it was a phaser or flanger being used, but I don't know -- anyone have a specific guess? Check out this rocker

or from the same album, the powwwwer ballad.

Bonus points & much appreciation if you can surmise what the settings would be on the pedal as well as bass type, amp, and EQ'ing... and also what kind of weird fuzz pedal the guitarist is using on the solos, as well!

The album came out in 1984 but I believe the band had assembled most of their gear at least a few years before.

No problem if you want to make fun of the pterodactyl-like singer. 8) This album rules my world.

Image

Gentleman Jim
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Post by Gentleman Jim » Mon Aug 03, 2009 9:33 am

Here's my guess:

Gibson Ripper > Ibanez Autofilter > Ibanez Phase Tone > Sunn Colliseum Bass head with matching 2x15 cab.

That stuff is so over the top it's like someone called central casting looking for a cartoonish metal band. It's so incredibly un-self-aware I can see how it would really appeal to a teenaged metal fan. It's like Manowar without the image consultant.

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Post by brinnbacka » Mon Aug 03, 2009 10:33 am

Another guess:

Gibson Ripper or Rickenbacker + Mutron Envelope Filter. Any transistor stack, probably 15" drivers.

sound for sandwiches
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Post by sound for sandwiches » Mon Aug 03, 2009 12:47 pm

man, those songs and the "related videos" links on youtube sent me on a serious nostalgia trip. seen names of bands I haven't thought about in years. I'll be no help on the pedals though.

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DrummerMan
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Post by DrummerMan » Mon Aug 03, 2009 2:53 pm

This might be totally offensive to your senses but listening to that track, it might be worth looking into Geddy Lee's setup circa the mid 70's. Rick bass and whatever pedals he favored around then.

Idolizing and therefor copying that old rush bass sound doesn't seem like too far of a stretch for a band called "Cirith Ungol".

Worth a shot.


Not exactly, but kind of like this.
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Justine_X
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Post by Justine_X » Tue Aug 04, 2009 2:56 am

are you guys sure it would be an envelope filter/follower? i hear more of a steady rhythmic sweep going back and forth, like a phaser or flanger set to oscillate slowly and subtly. here's another song i'm getting this impression from... (the bass in the very beginning.)
DrummerMan wrote:This might be totally offensive to your senses but listening to that track, it might be worth looking into Geddy Lee's setup circa the mid 70's. Rick bass and whatever pedals he favored around then.
no offense taken, and mostly likely an accurate guess considering they were into 70's bands that in turn were probably influenced by rush.
That stuff is so over the top it's like someone called central casting looking for a cartoonish metal band. It's so incredibly un-self-aware I can see how it would really appeal to a teenaged metal fan. It's like Manowar without the image consultant.
heh, it's always a trip to see the spectrum of reactions metal gets here on the TOMB. it's actually the lack of self-awareness that makes me appreciate this band. they were 100% sincere... and totally doomed. definitely not getting laid! :lol:

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Post by Gentleman Jim » Tue Aug 04, 2009 6:49 am

Justine_X wrote:
are you guys sure it would be an envelope filter/follower?
Not at all, I guessed. The Ibanez thing was simply me being cheeky, but I would guess an autowah/envelope follower and a phaser.
heh, it's always a trip to see the spectrum of reactions metal gets here on the TOMB. it's actually the lack of self-awareness that makes me appreciate this band. they were 100% sincere... and totally doomed. definitely not getting laid! :lol:
I didn't mean to cast aspersions on metal as a genre. I could find some very un-self-aware punk and rap. Probably a few other genres to boot, if I thought about it. I just think that teenagers have a higher capacity for liking otherwise ridiculous stuff. I know I did.

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jgimbel
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Post by jgimbel » Tue Aug 04, 2009 1:04 pm

From Cirith Ungol's founding bassist Greg Lindstrom's new band's website (http://www.falconband.net/greg.htm):

GEAR:

Basses:
'67 Rickenbacker 4000
'69 Gibson Thunderbird
'72 Acoustic (Mosrite) Black Widow
'76 "The Greco" Suzi Quatro Signature Model (Gibson Thunderbird style)
Fender Custom Shop Relic Jazz Bass
Ampeg Dan Armstrong
Hondo II H1181 Longhorn
Epiphone Jack Casady Signature
Orange AD140B Bass Head
2 Ashdown 4x10" Cabs
MXR M-80 Bass D.I. Box
ADA Flanger
Rotosound & Dean Markley Strings

So there's my guess!

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Rodgre
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Post by Rodgre » Tue Aug 04, 2009 2:15 pm

Sounds like an A/DA Flanger in negative feedback mode. It has more of a phasey sound to flanging.

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Post by AstroDan » Tue Aug 04, 2009 4:21 pm

Good call on the Gibson bass. Has that woofy, clarity-is-not-what-I-do thing going on.

I wouldn't be at all surprised if it were a Jazz, however, seeing as that bass can do anything.
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Post by Justine_X » Wed Aug 05, 2009 3:13 am

well, shit! good lookin out on the falcon website, i should've thought about that.

an envelope follower combined with phase is still possible, i guess, but after reading about the ADA flanger (which i had no idea existed), it seems highly probable that's the one. especially considering it has a threshold knob that gates the flange effect when not being played, which i guess is pretty similar to an envelope follower...?

the rickenbacker bass also seems to be an accurate guess... or i guess the gibson.. very nice..

heh, no problem actually with making fun of any aspect of metal, especially considering the rancid popcultural trauma that the second 1/2 of the 80's inflicted on all of us. (not to mention all the new overcompressed metal from the past 5-10 years, which has been also horrid)

on a related note, i liked it when larry mentioned in the tapeop letters section a while back, "i've never worked with steve vai. his music scares me." :lol:

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Post by desdinova » Thu Aug 06, 2009 3:37 pm

Oh wow, the singer.

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Post by oldguitars » Fri Aug 07, 2009 5:45 am

I am not sure what pedal the bass player is using, but I wonder if the pedal is what is causing him to not lock in with the drummer... :D
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