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Anaon Group: Members Posts: 77 Joined: May 2006 Posted: May 31 2006, 13:02 Hello, I have read the 13 pages but I didn't see any models apart from the Danelectro Fab distortion but I'm not really convinced about it. It's my first post here, I hope that I won't say any stupid things and that you will understand my english So, I am genuinely in love with his guitar sound in his old albums and even in the new Live In Montreux DVD, I find the guitar absolutely amazing because it's so warm. Si I'm really aware that it's a question of fingers but not only, I'm really talking about the sound. I have seen a Fender Twin Reverb for the Live In Montreux but he seemed to use a distortion pedal and I would like to know which one... Did he ever use a Electro-Harmonix Big Muff? It sounds a bit like that... I plan to buy a Jim Reed SG with one P90 just for pleasure. I don't know if you know this brand but it's great for nothing. So if you have any suggestions about amps or distortion pedals, it would be great Thanks a lot. -------------- > My music: http://www.spleenarcana.com > My blog: http://www.awenwoods.com Back to top

Ray Group: Members Posts: 857 Joined: Jan. 2000 Posted: May 31 2006, 14:36 Mega Boogie Mark 4 and a rack compressor with a PRS guitar or A tech 21  - 30 with a guitar with 1 P90 - no compression needed With this you can get close to some of the older sounds but Mr Oldfield has so many sounds that are all very good. One thing to also try is to listen to the difference when you use your fingers to play lead guitar bits and when you use a plectrum - that makes a difference that is noticeble. I also have a Roland VG88 with a Vigier guitar and a GK pickup - but there are so amny options on the damn thing I can never get time to fiddle with them enough to get the exact sounds. Cheaper option is to get a POD XT.  But I find real amps are less plastic sounding.  But the POD is pretty close.  If you get a POD XT - let me know and i'll send you the setup file for some of the oldfield sounds I have made. - not many but some. I have been trying along time (20 years!!! to get the MikeO sounds but it want until I got a P90 pickup on an old Gibson that I thought - WOW it's not thr amp and effects so much as the guitar it'self that gives the perticular sound. There are other who are part of tubular net that are better at getting these sounds than me - Booster, Jonny, Korgscrew.  I would like some tips from them too!!!  (Hint Hint guys). Good luck Ray Which sound in particular do you like. -------------- Looking out over the harbour in Peel....... Back to top

Anaon Group: Members Posts: 77 Joined: May 2006 Posted: June 01 2006, 04:23 Hello Ray, thanks for your answer So, what sounds I like the most... Well, to be sure of my answer, I would say his sound on the Live in Montreux DVD, I find his sound perfect! Warm and deep, with a lot of sustain it seems. So I'm happ to know about the P90 and what you say about it. I'm sure now that I'll buy a SG with one P90 setup. About the Pod XT, I'm not sure about that... I have a Johnson Jstation which is quite similar but I want to come back to amps. Because I feel the sound is digital and even if it's only in my mind, I feel it and it's bad to feel taht when you are playing So I'm looking for a Fender Bassman or something like that... And a stompbox... Maybe an Ibanez TS9? Or a Dunlop Fuzzface? I don't know... -------------- > My music: http://www.spleenarcana.com > My blog: http://www.awenwoods.com Back to top

nushky Group: Members Posts: 104 Joined: Nov. 2005 Posted: June 01 2006, 05:25 As I only have one Boss DS-1 and a toneport (PODXT) I am striving to get this sound too (with a Gibson L6S fitted with 2 P90s). Yet I don't think that using fuzz would help me a lot but maybe I should give it a try. So far I have been using either my DS-1 or the toneport ProcoRat modeled effect through the modeled V0X . I also try to use some compression, because his tone is very sustained (but not through heavy distortion, so I think compression is needed). I think that to achieve sustain, it's important to use left hand vibrato and not to expect the effect to do all the job. Also some EQ is needed to boost the medium. This is what I tried so far, by reading previous posts. If you are using a real tube amp, have a look at a treble booster (like the BSM OR), it is said to be a trademark of many sounds of the 70s ! Back to top

Anaon Group: Members Posts: 77 Joined: May 2006 Posted: June 01 2006, 07:22 Quote (nushky @ June 01 2006, 05:25) As I only have one Boss DS-1 and a toneport (PODXT) I am striving to get this sound too (with a Gibson L6S fitted with 2 P90s). Yet I don't think that using fuzz would help me a lot but maybe I should give it a try. So far I have been using either my DS-1 or the toneport ProcoRat modeled effect through the modeled V0X . I also try to use some compression, because his tone is very sustained (but not through heavy distortion, so I think compression is needed). I think that to achieve sustain, it's important to use left hand vibrato and not to expect the effect to do all the job. Also some EQ is needed to boost the medium. This is what I tried so far, by reading previous posts. If you are using a real tube amp, have a look at a treble booster (like the BSM OR), it is said to be a trademark of many sounds of the 70s ! Hello nushky, Thanks for your reply! I will see what's a trebble booster is Mike Oldfield used a Boss DS1, did he? -------------- > My music: http://www.spleenarcana.com > My blog: http://www.awenwoods.com Back to top

nushky Group: Members Posts: 104 Joined: Nov. 2005 Posted: June 01 2006, 08:32 I don't think he used a DS-1. Treble boosters were used by guitarists during the 70s, like David Gilmour, Mike Oldfield, Brian May, ... see this site http://www.treblebooster.net/ where they sell reeditions of such boosters (OR treble booster is a reedition of the Orange treble booster that Mike used). I supposed he used one to help get that searing guitar sound. But as it is only a component in the sound chain, the overall sound will depend a lot on what stands behind (amp, ...) Back to top

Anaon Group: Members Posts: 77 Joined: May 2006 Posted: June 08 2006, 12:39 Well, the Big Muff works pretty well indeed but I need a SG P90 to be sure... -------------- > My music: http://www.spleenarcana.com > My blog: http://www.awenwoods.com Back to top

Anaon Group: Members Posts: 77 Joined: May 2006 Posted: June 22 2006, 11:17 Do you think that a Ibanez TS9 could work better to approch the Ommadawn tone guitar? -------------- > My music: http://www.spleenarcana.com > My blog: http://www.awenwoods.com Back to top

emac Group: Members Posts: 66 Joined: May 2002 Posted: June 23 2006, 05:38 Yep, the Ts9 will get you there also consider some of the other ts pedals (I have a 10 and a 7 and they are both pretty good although my favorite one is the TS10) Using a mild setting they will (with a P90 powered guitar) do a very controlable riff and rhythm sound, Think of the live version of Airbourne/platnum. For the lead sound simply turn the gain up (and perhaps the tone down) a bit or: Add a compressor pedal to the front of the signal chain to turn the lead sound on or off. The compressor will increase sustain and volume (and noise) without ruining the tone of the TS pedal I know that is not how mike did it but I find that it works well for me. One thing about tube screamers is "that" mid range push that sounds a bit like there is the treble boster in the chain. In use however it is important to have the screamers volume up high enough so your bass response is about the same with the pedal on or off. If you set the gain up too high and the pedal volume too low a TS can sound a bit weedy. Once you get it right you tend never to fiddle with the pedals settings ever again as they can be real magic when set correctly! But if you are recording I can not recommend the sansamp GT2 enough it is a brilliant bit of stuff (there is a cheaper Behringer version as well) It will do the early and later MO distortion sounds no problem, but they only seem to work plugged straight into the desk as they sound a bit funny through a guitar amp. But the Ts pedals are well worth a look (Behringer have also done a knockoff of the TS) This any help? Back to top

mortal wizard Group: Members Posts: 7 Joined: July 2006 Posted: July 30 2006, 06:57 hi guys after ages of searching i have found a decent Oldfield amp setting without need for effects, on overdrive channel gain 6 treble 0 middle 10 bass 0 reverb 0 use both pickups or (since i have a strat) the middle and bridge pickups with guitar tone set to about 3 or 5. should be ok for most although mike uses fender amps and plays fingerstyle, cheers Back to top

mortal wizard Group: Members Posts: 7 Joined: July 2006 Posted: July 30 2006, 07:02 Quote (Anaon @ June 08 2006, 12:39) Well, the Big Muff works pretty well indeed but I need a SG P90 to be sure... A Big Muff will probably be best for that solo in tubular bells pt 1 about 6 minutes in on a strat or telecaster so it sounds crunchy. Try it, please quote if i'm wrong. Back to top

mortal wizard Group: Members Posts: 7 Joined: July 2006 Posted: July 30 2006, 07:09 Quote (Anaon @ May 31 2006, 13:02) Hello, I have read the 13 pages but I didn't see any models apart from the Danelectro Fab distortion but I'm not really convinced about it. It's my first post here, I hope that I won't say any stupid things and that you will understand my english So, I am genuinely in love with his guitar sound in his old albums and even in the new Live In Montreux DVD, I find the guitar absolutely amazing because it's so warm. Si I'm really aware that it's a question of fingers but not only, I'm really talking about the sound. I have seen a Fender Twin Reverb for the Live In Montreux but he seemed to use a distortion pedal and I would like to know which one... Did he ever use a Electro-Harmonix Big Muff? It sounds a bit like that... I plan to buy a Jim Reed SG with one P90 just for pleasure. I don't know if you know this brand but it's great for nothing. So if you have any suggestions about amps or distortion pedals, it would be great Thanks a lot. i think he used a Big Muff in tubular bells but then his sound changed altogether in Ommadawn and so forth he uses fender amps for sure and his guitar tone is something like: no bass or treble, middle to full and gain to about 6 on overdrive channel with both, bridge or middle and bridge pickups with the tone at about 3 or 5. works with telecasters and sg's, although i have a strat and that sounds ok too please comment, cheers! Back to top

mortal wizard Group: Members Posts: 7 Joined: July 2006 Posted: July 30 2006, 07:10 Quote (Anaon @ May 31 2006, 13:02) Hello, I have read the 13 pages but I didn't see any models apart from the Danelectro Fab distortion but I'm not really convinced about it. It's my first post here, I hope that I won't say any stupid things and that you will understand my english So, I am genuinely in love with his guitar sound in his old albums and even in the new Live In Montreux DVD, I find the guitar absolutely amazing because it's so warm. Si I'm really aware that it's a question of fingers but not only, I'm really talking about the sound. I have seen a Fender Twin Reverb for the Live In Montreux but he seemed to use a distortion pedal and I would like to know which one... Did he ever use a Electro-Harmonix Big Muff? It sounds a bit like that... I plan to buy a Jim Reed SG with one P90 just for pleasure. I don't know if you know this brand but it's great for nothing. So if you have any suggestions about amps or distortion pedals, it would be great Thanks a lot. i think he used a Big Muff in tubular bells but then his sound changed altogether in Ommadawn and so forth he uses fender amps for sure and his guitar tone is something like: no bass or treble, middle to full and gain to about 6 on overdrive channel with both, bridge or middle and bridge pickups with the tone at about 3 or 5. works with telecasters and sg's, although i have a strat and that sounds ok too please comment, cheers! Back to top

Anaon Group: Members Posts: 77 Joined: May 2006 Posted: Oct. 06 2006, 14:04 Thanks a lot for the informations That's great! I'll probably go soon for a Les Paul Custom copy and a Fulltone OCD as my main overdrive pedal... -------------- > My music: http://www.spleenarcana.com > My blog: http://www.awenwoods.com Back to top

Anders Group: Members Posts: 4 Joined: Jan. 2006 Posted: Nov. 17 2006, 10:08 Why not get an old reel-to-reel tape recorders with valves in it and overdrive it? I connected two in series (with built-in speakers) with an old broken Hagström echo-unit between them which, I think, gives a kind of a compressing effect (and also resistors between). Also I used a third tape recorder which received the signal from an hammond spring reverb I plugged my Ibanez SG (1975) into this and I think I got pretty close to Mike's sound in the 70's. I played along to William Tell Overture and it was quite similiar. Anders Back to top

Anaon Group: Members Posts: 77 Joined: May 2006 Posted: June 07 2007, 13:50 I think more and more that a P90 guitar is needed to find the early MO's sounds... But anyway, it's not so important, Big Muff can bring some great sounds! -------------- > My music: http://www.spleenarcana.com > My blog: http://www.awenwoods.com Back to top

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