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Post by warewolf95 on Jun 15, 2021 14:00:00 GMT
Howdy guys. Longtime QZ'er (may she rest in piece!). So glad to have this place now 
Anywho, I've always thought Brian's 1986 Magic Tour guitar tone was extra "wet" or spongy sounding. Like he's got a light phaser or chorus effect going on.
Just subtle enough to make his guitar sound noticeably different to me.
Has anybody else ever noticed this/have any insight?
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Frank
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Post by Frank on Jun 15, 2021 15:44:06 GMT
Yeah, I've noticed this too. Could never quite place why.
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Lord Fickle
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Post by Lord Fickle on Jun 15, 2021 16:34:00 GMT
I don't know if it's the same thing, but he had a little effect going on the home videos he did during the lockdown, so maybe it's just something like a 'default' effect he likes?
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Post by warewolf95 on Jun 15, 2021 19:11:09 GMT
I don't know if it's the same thing, but he had a little effect going on the home videos he did during the lockdown, so maybe it's just something like a 'default' effect he likes?
I've sometimes thought perhaps its just something on the recordings where his live sound was affected by the acoustics of large outside venues versus inside, but I have no idea, lol
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Lord Fickle
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Post by Lord Fickle on Jun 15, 2021 19:19:10 GMT
I don't know if it's the same thing, but he had a little effect going on the home videos he did during the lockdown, so maybe it's just something like a 'default' effect he likes?
I've sometimes thought perhaps its just something on the recordings where his live sound was affected by the acoustics of large outside venues versus inside, but I have no idea, lol
Not being a sound engineer, I wouldn't know, but I assume outdoor venues are much tricker for sound than indoors, particularly when dealing with wind. Stop giggling at the back... 🤨 |
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pg
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Post by pg on Jun 15, 2021 19:40:40 GMT
Has no-one watched Star Licks? Admittedly it was three years earlier, but he was explicit that a chorus pedal was almost always switched on.
Maybe the default setting for it was slightly more intense for the Magic Tour.
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Lord Fickle
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Post by Lord Fickle on Jun 15, 2021 19:45:51 GMT
Has no-one watched Star Licks? Admittedly it was three years earlier, but he was explicit that a chorus pedal was almost always switched on. Maybe the default setting for it was slightly more intense for the Magic Tour. Actually, no. It's one of those things I keep meaning to watch, but whenever I come across it I haven't time. One for the to do list. |
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Post by warewolf95 on Jun 15, 2021 21:34:53 GMT
Has no-one watched Star Licks? Admittedly it was three years earlier, but he was explicit that a chorus pedal was almost always switched on. Maybe the default setting for it was slightly more intense for the Magic Tour.
Good catch. I have seen Star Licks but, as you say, perhaps the chorus effect was more prevalent on the '86 tour. That's the only tour I noticeably hear anything different about his usual sound, hence this thread, lol
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vh
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Post by vh on Jun 15, 2021 21:35:21 GMT
Brian's live sound has changed through the years.
At the time of The Magic Tour Brian was using a different treble booster to the one used in the early to mid 70's. He also had a four amp set up instead of his original amp setup. The two middle amps are basically dry, (although with minimal chorus feeding both) the two outer amps having the delay signal (one delay to each) The three amp set up has one dry and two delays. He also used extensions to his curley guitar lead because of the larger stages. The extra cable length and possible use of a line driver to compensate for the extra length ( signal path ) certainly changed the guitar sound.
The guitar volume pot may have been changed too, which also added to the changes.
His sound changed again at the time of the Freddie Tribute Concert and his solo tours. At some time the polarity of the middle pickup was changed, which again changed the guitar sound in certain settings. This has since been reversed back to its original configuration.
Of course the way gigs are recorded, mixed and mastered could also make a difference to how things sound to a listener.
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Post by warewolf95 on Jun 15, 2021 21:41:29 GMT
Brian's live sound has changed through the years. At the time of The Magic Tour Brian was using a different treble booster to the one used in the early to mid 70's. He also had a four amp set up instead of his original amp setup. The two middle amps are basically dry, (although with minimal chorus feeding both) the two outer amps having the delay signal (one delay to each) The three amp set up has one dry and two delays. He also used extensions to his curley guitar lead because of the larger stages. The extra cable length and possible use of a line driver to compensate for the extra length ( signal path ) certainly changed the guitar sound. The guitar volume pot may have been changed too, which also added to the changes. His sound changed again at the time of the Freddie Tribute Concert and his solo tours. At some time the polarity of the middle pickup was changed, which again changed the guitar sound in certain settings. This has since been reversed back to its original configuration. Of course the way gigs are recorded, mixed and mastered could also make a difference to how things sound to a listener. Awesome write up. Very insightful. Thank you |
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Post by Ryan Newton on Jun 15, 2021 23:16:04 GMT
Howdy guys. Longtime QZ'er (may she rest in piece!). So glad to have this place now
Anywho, I've always thought Brian's 1986 Magic Tour guitar tone was extra "wet" or spongy sounding. Like he's got a light phaser or chorus effect going on.
Just subtle enough to make his guitar sound noticeably different to me.
Has anybody else ever noticed this/have any insight?
Same deal in 1982 I feel. Especially noticeable when he's playing clean. |
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Post by warewolf95 on Jun 16, 2021 1:26:02 GMT
Howdy guys. Longtime QZ'er (may she rest in piece!). So glad to have this place now
Anywho, I've always thought Brian's 1986 Magic Tour guitar tone was extra "wet" or spongy sounding. Like he's got a light phaser or chorus effect going on.
Just subtle enough to make his guitar sound noticeably different to me.
Has anybody else ever noticed this/have any insight?
Same deal in 1982 I feel. Especially noticeable when he's playing clean.
I know what you are talking about.
For me, the big thing about his 1986 tone is that it sounds more...stringy. More like a single-coil or Stratocaster type tone.
Perhaps he was just favoring different pickup/switch settings or something.
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Post by masterstroke on Jun 16, 2021 8:30:41 GMT
Howdy guys. Longtime QZ'er (may she rest in piece!). So glad to have this place now
Anywho, I've always thought Brian's 1986 Magic Tour guitar tone was extra "wet" or spongy sounding. Like he's got a light phaser or chorus effect going on.
Just subtle enough to make his guitar sound noticeably different to me.
Has anybody else ever noticed this/have any insight?
Aaaah! i like to read this. So I'm not crazy. I have always thought the same when I have listened to the 86 concerts. And personally it is a sound that I did not like. I don't know if it is because of the habit of the previous tours, but it is one of the reasons why I am not very attracted to listening to the Magic Tour concerts. |
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Lord Fickle
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Post by Lord Fickle on Jun 16, 2021 9:36:13 GMT
At the time of The Magic Tour Brian was using a different treble booster to the one used in the early to mid 70's. I have one of his Red Special guitars, and bought one of his treble boosters in an effort to sound a bit like him even if I can't play anything like him! The biggest problem I found with the treble booster is the hiss, like at the end of White Man. You can tone it down by turning the effect down, but it remains a problem. |
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Post by warewolf95 on Jun 16, 2021 11:51:30 GMT
At the time of The Magic Tour Brian was using a different treble booster to the one used in the early to mid 70's. I have one of his Red Special guitars, and bought one of his treble boosters in an effort to sound a bit like him even if I can't play anything like him! The biggest problem I found with the treble booster is the hiss, like at the end of White Man. You can tone it down by turning the effect down, but it remains a problem. Grab you a handy noise suppressor pedal  |
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Lord Fickle
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Post by Lord Fickle on Jun 16, 2021 12:25:25 GMT
I have one of his Red Special guitars, and bought one of his treble boosters in an effort to sound a bit like him even if I can't play anything like him! The biggest problem I found with the treble booster is the hiss, like at the end of White Man. You can tone it down by turning the effect down, but it remains a problem. Grab you a handy noise suppressor pedal Trouble is, it becomes never-ending doesn't it? One pedal to do this, and another pedal to rectify that, and then something else for something else... I've also got one of those DigiTech multi-effects gizmos, so I'm sure that's got a noise suppressor on it. |
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vh
Ploughman
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Post by vh on Jun 16, 2021 13:12:16 GMT
At the time of The Magic Tour Brian was using a different treble booster to the one used in the early to mid 70's. I have one of his Red Special guitars, and bought one of his treble boosters in an effort to sound a bit like him even if I can't play anything like him! The biggest problem I found with the treble booster is the hiss, like at the end of White Man. You can tone it down by turning the effect down, but it remains a problem. That's the nature of the device, because it boosts the treble end of the sound spectrum it normally produces unwanted hiss. Do you play through an AC30? Some amps don't sound good using a treble booster. |
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Lord Fickle
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Post by Lord Fickle on Jun 16, 2021 13:16:41 GMT
I have one of his Red Special guitars, and bought one of his treble boosters in an effort to sound a bit like him even if I can't play anything like him! The biggest problem I found with the treble booster is the hiss, like at the end of White Man. You can tone it down by turning the effect down, but it remains a problem. That's the nature of the device, because it boosts the treble end of the sound spectrum it normally produces unwanted hiss. Do you play through an AC30? Some amps don't sound good using a treble booster. No, I've got a Vox Cambridge 50 modelling amp, and a Marshall DSL-15C. As I implied, I don't really *play*, just muck about at home when I have the time. I have a habit of buying guitars more keenly than is probably wise for my abilities. 😄 |
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Post by The Real Wizard on Jun 18, 2021 9:28:32 GMT
At the time of The Magic Tour Brian was using a different treble booster to the one used in the early to mid 70's. I have one of his Red Special guitars, and bought one of his treble boosters in an effort to sound a bit like him even if I can't play anything like him! The biggest problem I found with the treble booster is the hiss, like at the end of White Man. You can tone it down by turning the effect down, but it remains a problem. That's the amp tubes being overdriven - not much you can do about it ! There are workarounds, but it just won't be the same tone. |
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Post by The Real Wizard on Jun 18, 2021 9:30:14 GMT
I've played professionally for 15 years and I still can't figure out the nature of the massive difference between his tone on the NOTW and Jazz tours, never mind the Magic tour. His tone on Live Killers is without a doubt the greatest tone he ever had, and I've never been able to get a straight answer about what effects he was playing through. Anyone have any insight ? vh ?
That said - it actually varied from night to night in '86. His Wembley tone was pretty thin, but by Knebworth it's a full-on assault again.
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Lord Fickle
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Post by Lord Fickle on Jun 18, 2021 9:53:46 GMT
His Wembley tone was pretty thin, but by Knebworth it's a full-on assault again. That's one of the reasons I'm not keen on the official Wembley releases. Live Magic is slightly better but it's still not quite as full on as his 70s live sound. |
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vh
Ploughman
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Post by vh on Jun 19, 2021 17:34:01 GMT
I've played professionally for 15 years and I still can't figure out the nature of the massive difference between his tone on the NOTW and Jazz tours, never mind the Magic tour. His tone on Live Killers is without a doubt the greatest tone he ever had, and I've never been able to get a straight answer about what effects he was playing through. Anyone have any insight ? vh ?
That said - it actually varied from night to night in '86. His Wembley tone was pretty thin, but by Knebworth it's a full-on assault again.
I agree with your view of Live Killers you can almost smell the valves cooking in those AC30’s Another factor in the sound difference could be down to his backline choice. Up until the NOTW tour he was using old AC30’s. I believe some of the amps were replaced by the European Jazz tour. The backline on the Magic tour was mostly new AC30’s which again could have added to the sound changes. I guess there’s no definitive answer, rather a number of changes through the years. |
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