Conference napalm::guitar

    The grandaddy of these is the Mutron III, discussed elsewhere in these
    notes somewhere.  Vintage $$$ if you can find em these days, but there
    is also a re-issue on the market.  There was also a smaller, limited
    features version of the Mutron; I forget the name, but it had one
    knob, one rocker switch, one button.
    
    Speaking of Mutron, there's some interesting wah work that I would've
    sworn was auto-wah on the Chuck Wayne/Joe Puma record "Interactions".
    On a straight jazz record no-less!  It could just be manual though.
    Anybody know?
    
    /rick
    

    Spend the money on a VOX.

    If a conventional Wah is what you want, the Vox is (arguably) the best.
    If you really want an envelope follower, the Mutron is the way to go.
    I used to own a Boss FT2 which is also known as a "dynamic filter". 
    This is essentially the same as an envelope follower. 
    
    One artist that used the Mutron Unit as part of his signature sound
    was Gerry Garcia. He used this sound on tons of Dead tunes including
    "Shakedown Street", "Estimated Profit", "Help on the Way" and many
    others too numerous to list. The Boss unit provided a reasonable
    facimile of the Mutron tone for a fraction of the price. I think I
    sold mine for $35.
    
    Mark

    
     I had a Mutron in my younger days, and it was really a major pain
     in the butt to get a decent sound out of it. You had to really tweak
     it just right.  I hardly ever used it because of its finickiness.
    
     I thought I still had it some where around the house, but damn if
     I can find it.  re: .0 & T.J. Kirk ... I love the wah opening on the
     2nd tune on the CD, really sets up a cool groove.
      
      Lv

   I've had several, from the Mutron to a weird 70s thing with about a dozen
   "editing" switches on it (wish I had kept _that_ one!) to an MXR I have
   currently.  They do cool sounds, especially for bass, though not
   something you want to use all the time (wish someone would tell Flea!
   See "Sir Psycho Sexy").  

   I find them more useful on bass than guitar.  I think it has something to
   do with string volume and attack, since that's what triggers the e.f.  I
   also prefer a standard wah for guitar, since you can find that "gritty
   edge" with the pedal and leave it there for a few notes.  'Course, you
   can get a leg cramp trying to do "Voodoo Chile" without practice. 

   -- Sam

    I own a King Vox wah pedal now - this was like a 70's retro of the 
    original.  It's not bad, but (with most?), you use alot of low end 
    when you click it on,  though it can be a nice 'tone control' sorts
    too.  I was just looking for something else, that might give some
    additional interesting sound.  I don't think Boss makes the earlier
    mentioned envelope filter any longer.  I'll try out their current
    AW-2 (think it's called) and see what that sounds like.  
    
    Wish I could find something that'd give a sitar type effect.  I read
    that the Boss DD5 (delay unit) can give you backwards guitar sounds!
    
    I stand up next to a mountain,.......
    
    /pauli
    

    >Wish I could find something that'd give a sitar type effect.
    
    Anybody know how much a Coral-Bell electric sitar costs these days (if
    you can find one)?  I'd love to have one of those.
    
    I've gotten a sitar-like effect with a wah-wah pedal by playing in
    first position on the a, d or g strings and not using too wide a
    sweep with my foot.  I would guess that the relative slackness of
    the strings down there helps the illusion along.
    
    Paul

    Last time I checked, original Coral-Bell sitars were going for close
    to $2000.  Don't know if they're still that high; to be honest I
    haven't even seen one for sale in a long time.
    
    The good news is that Jerry Jones, who's been doing high quality
    Danelectro copies for some time now, is also making a version of the
    Coral sitar.  These list for $1200, so figure you can grab one for
    $800 or so.  His Dano copies are great; they catch a lot of the vibe
    of the originals, with a few small improvements in key places (like
    the bridge design).
    
    /rick
    

sitars ??? Woah,, I sort think they smell bad, 
personally, I prefer a pipe with some nice brown 
cavendish, but only with some cold ale....

    
    	Or just get a GR-1.  The sitar is pretty close.
    

    The last two Coral-Bell electric sitars I've seen for sale were at an
    asking price of $2K, but this was at least two years ago.
    
    I've heard real good things about Jerry Jones' stuff, too.
    
    Jim

Wow, Coral-Bell sitars cost more than I would have expected.  How hard
would it be to make a removable gizmo to convert a regular electric guitar
into an electric sitar?  Isn't it just a flat piece of hard rubber (or
something similar) for the strings to vibrate against at just the right
distance that makes that sound?

Paul

    Actually, someone was manufacturing just such a gizmo; a bridge
    attachement of some sort.  Saw it in the mags awhile back.
    Sorry, I'm short on further details.
    
    The Coral has a set of sympathetic strings (I can hear the jokes coming
    now) which add to the effect; not to mention at least $1500 worth of
    vintage mojo :-)
    

    >not to mention at least $1500 worth of
    >vintage mojo :-)
    
    For that much $, it should include a pair of plaid bell-bottoms
    and pointy boots to complete the picture.  8^)
    
    Paul

    I tried a couple of Jerry Jones guitars in a Music Store in Plymouth
    Ma. They were definately a cut above the original DanElectros. Played
    really nice. I wouldn't mind owning a few. However, they were not cheap.
    
    Mark 

    
    For a cool sitar effect (not the tone), try a DADDAD tuning.
    Get the right tone with whatever effect you need, and Shankar heaven.
     
     Lv

    Well, I tried a Boss AW2 this past weekend and while it was quiet,
    clean, etc...generally, the sounds I got out of were not too earth
    shattering.  Seemed like a couple settings were kinda neat when
    using very light picking technique, but I couldn't get that sound
    I've heard John McLaughlin gets on "Are You The One?" (Electric
    Guitarist) which I assume is a Mutron, or the sound that John Scofield
    gets on Miles Davis' Decoy album.
    
    I was looking for something more intensely vowel like.
    
    Guess I'll have get in line for the retro Mutron's that are selling
    for $399 8>) !
    

    
    I think I read that McGloughlin makes his 
    own effects.  That is a wild sound he gets
    on that tune.  
    
    Dave