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Post subject: Feedback Techniques
Posted: Thu Aug 14, 2008 12:34 pm
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This is all about techniques generating, using, & controlling feedback on your electric guitar through your amp/pedals.
Joe Satriani gets extremely controllable feedback, so did Hendrix (different though) & many others...
What is the best way to acheive that "It's ALiVE!" style chaotic yet controlled feedback.
Is it a combination of pedals? EQ? Gain structure?
Maybe a controlled filter set to a slow rate of sweep?

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Posted: Thu Aug 14, 2008 12:40 pm
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Man I know there is a ton of different techniques but for what little I use it I simply rely on volume and position in front or beside the amp. I very rarely play pure clean so I always have some OD or distortion and move close to my amp when I need it. But I would love to hear more about how, and other techniques others use and do. Good thread

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Last edited by stephenr66 on Thu Aug 14, 2008 12:45 pm, edited 2 times in total.

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Posted: Thu Aug 14, 2008 12:42 pm
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amp gain and singlecoil buzz is enough if you turn the amp up loud enough although its more to do with sound pressure (dbs) against the strings acting on thepickups.
I like the feedback through my 2203kk head, mid boosted and noise gated. very controlable but thick and wild until the fingers mute the strings.

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Posted: Thu Aug 14, 2008 1:49 pm
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A Strat through a dual gain tube processor works well for me. I also notice that I can get longer sustains and overtones by getting closer to the speakers of the amp and sometimes the trem helps bring out some cool sounding harmonics as well. :wink:

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Posted: Thu Aug 14, 2008 2:18 pm
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tapping certain parts of the back of the neck whilst manipulating the trem during feedback can yield some interesting results. If you have a wah in the signal too you can fade the frequencies in and out to create a desert wind effect.

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Posted: Thu Aug 14, 2008 3:33 pm
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nikininja wrote:
If you have a wah in the signal too you can fade the frequencies in and out to create a desert wind effect.
Yes or like I was sayin.
A 'filter' of some sort with a rate set slow so that the feedback changes on its' own. just a thought...
I would like to achieve a living almost breathing feedback...
I think Im missing something...
Maybe I need a highend compressor?
...to get that vacuuming or suctioning effect
ya kno, intensified instances of feedback that seem to have a life of their own.


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Posted: Thu Aug 14, 2008 4:08 pm
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i think what your after the wah and trem manipulation technique should do good. Its alot more organic feeling/sounding in that its realtime filtering rather than a preset thing. The trick is finding what position on the wah boosts the pitch that the trem arm is positioned in. Its one of them things you've got to experiment in and be patient with. Modulation effects work well with the wah and feedback particularly into the front end of a amp rather than the loop. Get some earplugs too, from what i found with feedback playing is that it encourages you to turn up nearly constantly. Theres no initial 'attack' to the sound and its easy to be decieved into thinking its not hurting you. watch for tinitus after mucking about with it.

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Posted: Fri Aug 15, 2008 8:24 am
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Just a silly little aside on this feedback thing.

Back when they were new out I bought a Boss GT3 multi-effects unit, to see if amp sims were going to be my thing (they weren't). Amongst its effects that box has one called a "Feedbacker". You can assign it to the Control pedal and have it come in just when the pedal is depressed, rather than as an ordinary on or off thing. So just touch your toe on the pedal and get a moment of effect as and when. Lots of controllable parameters, like attack and swell, so you can have the effect build rather than come on abruptly.

(Come to think of it, I've never tried assigning it to the expression pedal - hmm...)

Of course, what you get has not much to do with real feedback. And no grown-up would be caught using a thing like that in public. But it is such an amusing little toy, strictly in private through headphones late at night, that I am slightly surprised Boss don't do a Feedbacker as a stand-alone compact stomp box. It is foolish but shamefully entertaining...

Don't know if it still exists in more up to date GT units, or other brands: didn't find myself going the multi-effects route after all.

Anyway. Back to the serious business of real feedback - C


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Posted: Fri Aug 15, 2008 11:17 am
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Guitar + pedal + Tube amp=Harmonic Bliss

I use HSS configuration coupled with a DOD YMJ308 and DOD250 overdrives for two distinctly different but outstanding feedback.
Turn volume up on pedal and control with master volume on
guitar. You need a Tube amp, of course.


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Posted: Fri Aug 15, 2008 7:35 pm
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ur probably right u need a tube amp for feedback... hendrix just put the front of the guitar right in front of a row of marhsalls all turned up to ten... it helped him vey well create bomb sounds for his patriotic version of the anthem :D


i get some feedback on my strat through a roland.. but it's only certain frets/notes. if i turn on the lead channel and play the fourth fret of the g and bend it a little and then use the trem... i get some really nice harmonics/ feedback! also i play the tenth fret of the d when my amp is at two and my guitar volume is at ten... it creates a sound that's indescribably... it's the same pitch.. but more bassy feedback and it almost fills your ears. it's like a ringing... except very bassy. pretty cool.
hope it works for most solid state amps!


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Posted: Fri Aug 15, 2008 7:57 pm
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all you need is volume. you dont even strictly need gain. It comes from sound pressure from the speakers vibrating the strings. Just turn up or put your pickups nearer the speaker. Valve or solidstate it doesnt matter. If it did marshall MG's and AVT's would never feedback.

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Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2008 4:48 pm
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Nothing sounds as harmonically rich as an overdriven tube amp
with volume/gain induced feedback.
A squealing solid state amp just sounds shrill and nonmusical to me...


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Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2008 6:25 pm
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realy could you hear the recorded difference or the difference from audience perspective between a solidstate and valve amp?

remember diamond darrell released 3 cds before anyone found out he was using solidstate, not many people could control feedback and squeals the way he did. Whether you liked his music or not (i personaly dont) he incorperated unconventional feedback and squeals into solo's with hendrix like mastery.

Some other interesting facts picked up from a engineer friend of mine the weekend, who was present during the recordings.
1 Parisienne walkways lead was recorded with a cheap ibanez superstrat.
2 Albatross was recorded on a strat not a les paul.

certainly gives creedence to the statement 'tone is in the fingers'

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Posted: Wed Sep 17, 2008 9:18 am
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I have done more research & also gave this topic more thought.
My experiment now is going to be compression...
I have already been considering a Keeley Compressor for sustain &/or leveling.
It seems to me feedback & compression are relevant topics.
Lets get some feedback on this. LoL

Below are some quotes from random sources I came across:

"One popular use of compression is to increase an instrument's sustain.
This is technically incorrect since a compressor doesn't change an
instruments behavior, and it only operates on an audio signal. The
compressor will try to maintain a constant level of output by amplifying the
incoming signal to maintain that constant level.
For example, after a string on a guitar is plucked, the voltage produced by
the pickups gradually dies away. A little compression will keep the
instrument's level from changing radically after it's plucked, which is
perceived as increased sustain or a 'smoothing' of instrument. A release
time longer than the instruments decay will preserve the instrument's
sound."
http://www.harmony-central.com/Effects/ ... mpression/

Adrian Belew wrote:
“Using compression is one of the best ways to get a consistently good
tone. It makes the guitar feel electric and alive in your hands, because the
notes sustain, rather than die on the vine as soon as you play them.
Any stompbox compressor (RK: He uses the KEELEY COMPRESSOR and
his band mates!!!) will do. I always place the compressor at the beginning
of the signal chain, before going into the amp. Setting all the dials at 12
o’clock is a good starting point because it should give you a lot of extra
sustain and a little bit of breathiness without affecting your basic tone
much.”—Adrian Belew


Below are clipped quotes from HarmonyCentral.com reviews for the Keeley Compressor:

Tim O wrote:
"There's plenty dB of boost available and I can use it to push the Black
Cat into power valve saturation and feedback with a fairly clean sound."
(harmony central reveiw for Keeley Compressor submitted 8/2005 by Tim O)


JonLagore wrote:
With the sustain around 10 O'clock, I can pull out
some awesome country tones (Yes, out of the rig I mentioned earlyer,
weird eh?), or turn the sustain up to around 4 O'clock, add some
distortion, and you've got some singing leads and instant feedback
when you want it.
(harmony central reveiw for Keeley Compressor submitted 6/2005 by JonLagore)


Bronco wrote:
The Keeley Comp has proven VERY musical with all of
my effects. I used to use the BOSS comp. Yuck. I use it to play country
music, or to create feedback in a rock setting. Also to sustain delayed
tones. Of course to get those different results I have to twist the knobs, but it's easy- only two knobs.
(harmony central reveiw for Keeley Compressor submitted 5/2005 by Bronco)


chris wrote:
The Compressor driving the Blues Driver is great. I get a
bit of a volume boost and it allows me to sustain forever or get feedback
really easy.
(harmony central reveiw for Keeley Compressor submitted 11/2004 by chris)


Anonymous wrote:
Paired with one of the overdrives it really sings, and
the Starcaster's tone easily melts into a musical, controllable feedback and
sustains literally forever at the right volume.
(harmony central reveiw for Keeley Compressor submitted 3/2004 by an anonymous user)


mrbluetone wrote:
get the intensity knob up to 12 o'clock and start soloing....sustain for days...and of course controlled feedback.
(harmony central reveiw for Keeley Compressor submitted 4/2003 by mrbluetone)


JW wrote:
I crank it to anywhere between 12 and 2 o'clock for certain
songs, and it will sustain forever. Feedback is easily accomplished at very
low levels. This always gets peoples attention at shows. I especially like it
when the last band's guitar player had his marshall stack cranked way to
loud and he couldn't get any where close to the sustain and wailing sounds
that I'm gettting at a reasonable volume out of a 2x12 or 1x12 combo.
(harmony central reveiw for Keeley Compressor submitted 3/2003 by JW)


Irish wrote:
...the higher "S" settings add tasteful feedback with held notes...
(harmony central reveiw for Keeley Compressor submitted 3/2003 by Irish)


Anonymous wrote:
You can get some very easily controlled feedback at
VERY low volumes with the sustain turned to about 2 o'clock.
(harmony central reveiw for Keeley Compressor submitted 2/2002 by an anonymous user)


Anonymous wrote:
This pedal is also quite usefull for producing feedback at lower than usuall volume levels.
(harmony central reveiw for Keeley Compressor submitted 1/2002 by an anonymous user)


Anonymous wrote:
...the feedback is so controllable...
(harmony central reveiw for Keeley Compressor submitted 11/2001 by an anonymous user)


Anonymous wrote:
It seems to add a bit of character or expression to
my playing. At high sustain levels and used with a Tube Screamer I could
get killer feedback at super low volumes!
(harmony central reveiw for Keeley Compressor submitted 10/2001 by an anonymous user)


I think you are getting the point by now...
Bonnie Rait uses Keeley compressor for playing slide like she does...
John Mayer does... And there are many others too.

Satriani compresses the mics on his amps live.
When he is up front with those wedge monitors he uses.
The area where he approaches the edge of the stage is literally
surrounding him with his guitar signal in a zone he & the crew have
dubbed Guitarvana in which feedback & sustain are almost boundless.
That signal coming out of those wedges (stage monitors) in Joe's face are
compressed (the mics).

Weather it is natural compression from amp drive, OD pedals, cranked
volume (maximizing the signal through the tubes or just say it 'squashing')
or even a high end compressor either on the mics or IN YOUR SIGNAL CHAIN...
Compression seems to be the key element involved...

So now my experiment begins...

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Posted: Wed Sep 17, 2008 9:36 am
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Interesting.
Not long after I started playing many years ago I was trying to get feedback on demand from my little practice amp and had a go with the Boss Effect. Think it was a DF-2 Pedal (Super Feedback and Distortion or something). There were other Boss feedback pedals if I remeber correctly. Late 80's.
They were great fun when I was a crap player! Felt like a hero making those noises, but actually it was unmusical and awful.

HOWEVER: I do have an unhealthy interest in the Line6 products after being served very well by a Flextone 2 for about 7 years. Noticed one of their single effect pedals (think they are called tonecore?) has a feedback effect. Pretty sure its the Dr Distorto!! (Nice Vintage name eh?)

Its bound to be crap I suspect, but might be ok for a cheap bit of fun. I only noticed it due to being intrigued by the possibility of producing feedback when recording to a digital mutlitrack directly from an amp modeller. Just to bring a bit of life to it. But deep down I know it is a BAD BAD idea. :lol:


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