Effects

[Uncle Roy]

I was wondering what effects are you guys using in your set up and how do you find them? What makes etc.?

[Malcolm]

Digitech RP150, excellent unit, has Lexicon Reverb in it, only use that and delay. Don't use all the other effects or built in amp models.

[SHAKEY]

Hello Roy, I have for years used Digitech, the RP100, then the RP150, then the RP155, I have now gone back to the RP150 as I have yet to find anything better. If I see one on ebay I'll buy it. I've tried loads of different effects like Boss, Roland, Behringer etc., well the list goes on, but I always come back to Digitech. Why pay hundreds of pounds for fancy names, (even though they may be electronically superior) when you are playing to people that just want to listen to the sound of steel guitar.

Let's go back to the 60's and 70's, THE MASTERS, Emmons, Green, Rugg, Jernigan, Crawford, and my favourites, Jimmy Day and Weldon Myrick, what effects did they use back then? In the studio they would, I suppose use studio effects but on stage it was usually a bog standard "twin reverb" or similar type of amp and just think about the sound they got then!!! So why do we need all these fancy gizzmos now at ridiculous prices to try and emulate the sounds of our heroes.

I would love to sound like all these amazing steel players but I don't think spending a fortune on FX pedals will do it. I'll stick with my Digitech until I find the Day/Myrick magic.

[Malcolm]

Dave said it all, if it's good enough for him then it is sure good enough for me.Dave why did you have to tell them?they will all be buying them off fleabay now,making prices higher for us.

[Donny Johnston]

I HAVE ONLY EVER USED A FENDER TWIN AND A STEEL KING, I HAVE ALWAYS JUST USED THE AMPS REVERB, NEVER FELT THE NEED TO ADD ANYTHING ELSE.

[Zebedee]

On the very rare occasions that I gig, I use a Boss RDD 20 digital delay, incorporated into the 3 cord hook-up method (because I use a passive volume pedal) into my Peavey Vegas amp.


At home, I don't go through an amp, I use a Line-6 Pod X3 with headphones.

The X3 is actually far too complex for me, it has a gazillion sounds that are useless for a steel player, but I did eventually fathom how to program it for a decent steel sound (through headphones, I've not tried it through an amp, although I have used it direct into my computer for a couple of youtube recordings)

[Malcolm]

Used to have that Boss unit, was a great little unit, I got the bigger unit and gave the small one to Willie Gamble who used it for a few years till it bit the dust.Never tried the Pod but it does get good reports both live and studio.

[Tony Russell Davis]

Used several effects, mostly delays. Best I had was an Ibanez analogue delay pedal. But a Watkins kittycat (tape echo) did it too.
Now it's - Fender pedal steel guitar (and lap/consul) through a Twin Reverb. Only sometimes add a Boss DE7 delay pedal (noticible delay time, barely audible echo, lengthy decay) for E9th. That adds "body" to the sound, but can be muddy for C6th (which also calls for a little top taken off). Depends on the room.
Mullen goes though a Peavey Vegas and usually "straight" too. I have a Midiverb to swap with the Boss, similar settings and sometimes use that with the Peavey.
BUT, Donny's right - the amp needs to do the work. Judicially used, effects can add; but be careful and don't imagine they will compensate for technique (that includes compressor V blocking). T

[SteelieAJK]

I mainly use a little delay & reverb. I originally used a RP150, nice unit, but because I found it hard to tweak on the fly I prefer to use stomp pedals. My current pedal board has Digitech Hardwire Delay (DL-8) & Reverb (RV-7). I also have a Line6 Roto Machine which is an ok Leslie emulator (use sparingly) connected on a loop switch.
I have recently acquired a Zoom ZMS-70CDR. Used it on my last gig. Very impressed. Delays & Reverb are fine, I have an adequate setting for Leslie emulation already. If it works out, my pedal board should shrink to just a tuner and the Zoom.

[Tony Russell Davis]

Alan - let's know what you think after a couple of gigs or so - that's a lot of stuff in an (Thomann's) £80 box. T.