SRV "the sky is crying" sound? HOWTO?

[krister]

I listened to The Sky is Crying several times and it sounds to me like he's wailing through a Fender Bassman with a tone similar to Buddy Guy's. The crying part are harmonics above the fretted note probably being produced from the picking hand as pinch or false harmonics. Billy Gibbons loves to do that kind of stuff too. Try these settings if you haven't already.

http://www.grailtone.com/guitar-tone-articles/srv-tone.html

Have a nice day!

[ildar]

Any question can be asked here, certainly. It's just that the "How can I sound like xxxx?" questions straddle the line of laziness.
I don't see how the "learn to play" answer is the easy answer...it's DAMNED GOOD advice. You like SRV? Listen to him, listen to his influences, read the interviews, get an idea of who he was, how he played the way he did, and maybe more importantly, WHY he played the way he did. And after all that, if you still want to play like him, have at it. Maybe you'll be as good as you think he was, maybe better.
Maybe even "original"...whatever that is.

[Paul Marossy]

I don't see how the "learn to play" answer is the easy answer...it's DAMNED GOOD advice. You like SRV? Listen to him, listen to his influences, read the interviews, get an idea of who he was, how he played the way he did, and maybe more importantly, WHY he played the way he did.

In the past, when I wanted to emulate certain aspects of my favorite guitar players, I would find out as much as I could about them as people - I'm not really interested in learning their licks/lines, only on occasion. I want to know how they approach playing the guitar, what makes them tick, etc. The stuff they use and how they play is really secondary in my mind. For example, it is really amazing how much I think like Allan Holdsworth did in the early days of his career. I don't sound much like him at all, yet he is a large influence in my guitar playing. Same goes for Scott Henderson, in the area of tone and feel.

What I really want to accomplish is to come up with my own style with a certain flavor that is influenced by other players of my choice. Actually, I've already accomplished that. But, I have never ever been, nor will I ever be interested in trying to be someone that I am not. If I had to play other people's licks and songs all the time, I would hang up my guitar and do something else! Don't get me wrong, I can appreciate tribute bands as much as the next guy, but that ain't my gig. 

The bottom line is that I have to be who I am, not find my identity by trying to be someone else.

[bwanasonic]

but i expect more imagination, on a designer point of view,
i think it is my mistake was to ask for a pedal to reproduce this sound.

The problem is, aside from the issue of playing technique, you need to consider the entire signal chain, and issues of acoustics ( i.e. sheer volume). A Tube Screamer is not the same thing plugged into a solid-state practice amp at low volume, as it is plugged into a cranked 50 watt tube amp at stage volume. What setup are you trying to recreate this sound with?

Kerry M

[zoe]

  the biggest part of any SRV sound is talent and equipment, hands down
                       BUTthe tubescreamer and the one effect everyone seems to be forgetting is a octavia pedal or to get really close for his solo sound is a VOODOO LABSPROCATAVIA pedal with the fuzz low and the octave up feature at a mid position.

[cbriere]

but i expect more imagination, on a designer point of view,
i think it is my mistake was to ask for a pedal to reproduce this sound.

The problem is, aside from the issue of playing technique, you need to consider the entire signal chain, and issues of acoustics ( i.e. sheer volume). A Tube Screamer is not the same thing plugged into a solid-state practice amp at low volume, as it is plugged into a cranked 50 watt tube amp at stage volume. What setup are you trying to recreate this sound with?

Kerry M

that is exactly my question....
Any suggestions?
Actualy i play with a "the twin" witch is all tube amp. really loud.
but i cannot play really loud even with my band
because i would get on top of everyone else. We try to play
not too loud , so that we do not ear that  high pitch oscillation for the next two days....

[Apehouse]

Actualy i play with a "the twin" witch is all tube amp. really loud.
but i cannot play really loud even with my band
because i would get on top of everyone else. We try to play
not too loud , so that we do not ear that  high pitch oscillation for the next two days....

you could always build an isolation box to put the amp in. i haven't built one myself but I've read plenty of threads on them if you want to search the forum.
-greg

[RDV]

cbriere:

I did not mean to imply that you need to learn to play. I apologize.

I went back and listened to the track in question and I know what you are saying, there is a tone that I have not heard on his other songs.

This may be off the mark, but it really sounds like he's playing on the front(or bass) pickup through a partly %^&*ed open wah-wah. That would explain some of the overtones at certain frequencies.

If you can't play real loud I'd use a tube screamer type pedal along with it.

Hope this helps.

RDV

[bwanasonic]

Any suggestions?
Actualy i play with a "the twin" witch is all tube amp. really loud.
but i cannot play really loud even with my band
because i would get on top of everyone else. We try to play
not too loud , so that we do not ear that  high pitch oscillation for the next two days....

Just listened to a bit of SRV "The Sky Is Crying" (I'm partial to the Elmore James original myself). I would try a *sparkle drive* approach, where the original *sparkly* character ( you are using a strat with single-coils, right?) is mixed back in with the clipped signal. Then work on your right-hand technique to get the *crying* effect. Try facing your amp away towards a wall to avoid the icepick in the ear. A 12" circle of cardboard taped between the 2X12s helps avoid the *beamy* treble as well. Tricks like this may allow you to push the amp a little more without hearing loss and alienating bandmembers/ audiences.

Kerry M

[wampcat1]

  the biggest part of any SRV sound is talent and equipment, hands down
                       BUTthe tubescreamer and the one effect everyone seems to be forgetting is a octavia pedal or to get really close for his solo sound is a VOODOO LABSPROCATAVIA pedal with the fuzz low and the octave up feature at a mid position.

Yeah, but there isn't octave or fuzz on this song I don't believe.

Brian

[cab42]

you could always build an isolation box to put the amp in. i haven't built one myself but I've read plenty of threads on them if you want to search the forum.
-greg

I was thinking about making an attenuator for my amp. Searching this forum I found a link to a page dedicated to attenuators.
It can be made very simple with a few resistors.

Regards

Carsten

[JimRayden]

  the biggest part of any SRV sound is talent and equipment, hands down
                       BUTthe tubescreamer and the one effect everyone seems to be forgetting is a octavia pedal or to get really close for his solo sound is a VOODOO LABSPROCATAVIA pedal with the fuzz low and the octave up feature at a mid position.

Yeah, but there isn't octave or fuzz on this song I don't believe.

Brian

Don't be so sure. The pinch harmonics caused by heavy picking that I mentioned earlier might aswell be just a very slight octave up pedal. In fact, the more I listen, the more I begin to think it actually is so.

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Jimbo