(OT) RIP Steve Albini

[redir]

Originally Posted by EB

Have you ever heard the first Gang of Four album? Steve borrowed very heavily from Andy Gill, something he was the first to acknowledge. Gill was really the pioneer of that dry, scratchy cheap transistor amp tone that Big Black then blew up 10x.

Gill was also a huge influence on The Edge who took that same tone and softened it and drenched it with echo - sort of the yin to Albini’s yang.

Definitely seek out that Gang of Four album if you’ve not heard it.

I have not but just checking it out I can totally hear what you mean.

I remember an interview I saw with Albini a long time ago when asked what effects he was using in Big Black and he said it was just his guitar into an amp. I think he said his guitar was unique, not a Strat or Paul, but something different with out of phase wiring or something like that. I don't remember what amp but nonetheless I was like.. What? How?

[cash05458]

I can't remember exactly what Steve used to play in Big Black...tho I think he did have a Fender Lead for some of the stuff...kinda an overlooked guitar via fenders...more interesting than something say than strats or certainly telecasters (which Durango played) depending on what you were trying to get. I say that as well soundwise it worked via those songs via the pickup setup which was fairly quirky on those things...it had a single bridge position 3 way split switch on it...meaning you could split the humbuckers into one being two coiled and jump the other down to a single coil reading and bounce those around in different ways if that makes sense...you could mess with the setup via wiring via that as well to screw with the sound and what you are choosing to run it thru etc... but pretty sure he had an effect pedal or two...no big board of the damn things like you see now but surely some sort of distortion box and I think linked to a chorus pedal for a bit more ringing and such via the distortion sound but to keep it cleaner... which is a way of bypassing using too much reverb for that effect...but it's been a very long time. The amps were always tubes, not solid state of course...tho I can't remember much of which...ampegs pop into my head from visual memory but that could be wrong...soundwise tho I bet Traynor stuff to be honest...one thing I do remember was the damn drum machine, Roland, constantly breaking down in shows...that happened a lot...it was great for the studio but those things used to be incredibly touchy when playing live...I know most of the Shellac stuff is done on one of those Travis Bean alu. models for that shimmering metallic affect...

[GOTHBROOKS]

does that guitar strap that hangs from the hip instead of over the shoulder do anything tone wise?

[cash05458]

Originally Posted by GOTHBROOKS

does that guitar strap that hangs from the hip instead of over the shoulder do anything tone wise?

lol...no...not that I can imagine tho I am no expert on that stuff...but christ, back then he used to be so damn skinny and it was a cool look...I know he was still able to do it much later and a good bit heavier with shellac and was pleasantly surprised...

Actually, now that you ask...it would make a difference if you were the sorta player who liked to bend necks via certain sounds yeah...easier to control actually than just both ends of the strap hanging etc....but he wasn't that sorta player of course...

[redir]

That must have been quite an experience cash05458.

I play the guitar up high but if you are a down stroke playing metal guy then there really is a technical advantage to having the guitar slung low.