Garcias faux-slide tone

[Mosfed]

Hi guys

I was wondering how successful people had been at recreating Garcia's faux slide tone that he used towards the end (1994/5) on songs like Shining Star, Fire, the Maker etc.

Some great examples are Seattle 5/26/1995 - Fire, MSG 10/14/1994 and most JGB shows. The attached video is a good example starting at 1:05

I think it's a Whammy pedal but am not sure. Any idea of the settings? Anyone try to recreate it on a Roland GR-55 midi synth?

[SarnoMusicSolutions]

Whammy pedal. It's tricky to stay in the key. I would refer to it as a faux-pedal-steel tone, not really a "slide" tone because it's creating a bending harmony like the way a pedal steel bends notes in harmony. When I saw him "dabble" with it, he never quite had it nailed. The potential was there though.


Uh, I just watched your video link. That's pretty damn tasty stuff right there Jerry....

B

[jeffm725]

Whammy all the way, he used it alot in Corrina too.He could be pretty uneven with it when playin leads, but in that time period he was uneven overall. The maker is another song that got alot of whammy treatment.
I have been screwing with one, it is difficult for me because I'm thinking about the transposing instead of playing. Trey Anastasio has been using one for a couple years in the same context Jerry was going for ( bends both per and post) and has it down so smooth sometimes you can't even tell its on until you hear an interval that sounds fret less .

[Mosfed]

Yeah - I would have to agree that faux pedal steel is better.

I could see how it would be challenging. Garcia was a pedal steel player from the start and even he seemed occasionally overwhelmed with the pedal. Every time I have sat at a pedal steel I have been beyond lost.

Any opinions on the original issue v reissue on the Whammy?

[Mr.Burns]

I think the originals might be hard to come by, or they used to be...for some reason I remember not wanting to settle for the reissue, and I never did find one. Guess I stopped looking for it.

The new ones are polyphonic and true bypass, though. So there's that.

[Mosfed]

I've found one for not a small amount at a local guitar shop. GBP 350 - so the equivalent of $500. There is a great video that I have seen (attached below) that does a comparison btwn original and 4. And I do like the original more. True Bypass is a nice option though given that people say that there is a ton of tone suck on the models without it. I can't seem to decide whether I would have the same experience I have had with most Digitech products or whether this one is worth it.

It is a KILLER tone.

[Mosfed]

Hey boys

So I just picked up a Whammy - the new one with True Bypass.

What's the best setting to get that faux pedal steel tone? Been playing around and I don't feel like I am getting very close.