Weir's Rig

[mkaufman]

So...who can name each component in the rig???

http://www.claytoncallphoto.com/Music/G ... zgjC-XL-LB
http://www.claytoncallphoto.com/Music/G ... uAe5-XL-LB

btw...can anyone upload these photos?

mk

[tigerstrat]

Nice photo site... wow! I was just listening to this show in my car today, the awesome Other One> Dew from 10/9/82: http://www.claytoncallphoto.com/Music/Grateful-Dead/8173044_boyr7#548338264_h2qH6-XL-LB

So, back to 9/13/81 , what an incredible Greek run.

Well, the bottom unit is the Intersound IVP preamp... just above it is possibly a Furman Parametric EQ, a PQ-3 perhaps.


I don't know what has the 4 large silver knobs spaced widely across the front, but right above that is an Ashly SC-50 comp... and I think right above that is the Ibanez UE-400.

The AD-202 might be in the shadows at the top space in the rack. He had to have had some kind of juicy analog delay at these shows. Unless a pod of humpback whales went swimming by an underwater microphone during Eyes> Space on the previous night.

I don't see anything looking remotely like the Furman RV-2.

[mkaufman]

I give you partial credit!

One clue: there is no AD-202.

mk

[jeffm725]

TS did great, not much that I can add to that..

from bottom to top
the very bottom could be the AD230.... hard to tell from the pic, but it looks like an ibby
right above that is the IVP preamp
above IVP is the parmetric EQ
Then there is Cutler switcher
the very mysterious 4 knob device
Defintely the ashley comp
Then the UE400 no question
It seems there is an empty single space above the UE400 and then there is some single space unit at the very top of the rack that I cant make out at all (Furman reverb maybe)

[tigerstrat]

Maybe an RV-1 instead of an RV-2.

Almost looked to me like the bottom space was empty but I think you are right, I guess the AD-230 was the gonzo delay used here.

[mkaufman]

The empty space above the UE400 is actually the UE400 footswitch with TS808-style switches laying flat on top of the UE400.

So, what do we know about the Cutler switcher and what do we surmise the unit with the big knobs are for?

mk

[jeffm725]

dont know about the knobs yet, but I can tell you how the cutler switcher worked (this is what I heard, ymmv)at least in regards to the UE400 with the 400 foot pedals on top of rack.

Weir used to select the ue400 effect(s) either before a song or mid song by going back to his rack and hitting the standard ue400 pedals with his hand (actually with the side of his fist, like he later did with the tap tempo delay, if you had seen a lot of show in the 80's you know exactly what Im talking about). He would then use a patch on the cutler switcher floor controller that was by his mic stand to bring the whole UE400 into the signal path. The UE400 was not in the signal path unless at least one effect was being used (or a device in the UE loop,.......... yes he ran at least one other pedal or effect within the UE400 loop).

[mkaufman]

So, the UE400 was not modified? ie: they didn't create separate loops for each UE400 effects?

btw...if you look carefully, you can tell he's using the Distortion & Chorus/Flanger effects. If the UE400 wasn't modded, then the question is in what order? I would think Distortion -> Chorus/Flanger.

mk

[tigerstrat]

TS did great, not much that I can add to that..

from bottom to top
the very bottom could be the AD230.... hard to tell from the pic, but it looks like an ibby
right above that is the IVP preamp
above IVP is the parmetric EQ
Then there is Cutler switcher
the very mysterious 4 knob device
Defintely the ashley comp
Then the UE400 no question
It seems there is an empty single space above the UE400 and then there is some single space unit at the very top of the rack that I cant make out at all (Furman reverb maybe)

I think that top 1 spc. unit is an Furman RV-1 reverb (not the 2 spc. RV-2). If you look at the off-topic photo I linked from 10/9/82, http://www.claytoncallphoto.com/Music/Grateful-Dead/8173044_boyr7#548338264_h2qH6-XL-LB you see it residing in the bottom space, with sort of white square label on the left side. That white square is visible on the top unit in the '81 pics.

[jeffm725]

good cal TS, I think that is it......

Isnt interesting how many times the same gear swapped rack spots? I have seen the smae Rack lineup with the IVP up near the top and the UE400 on the bottom....


MK,
in regards to custome switching for the individual effects for the UE400, on the one hand, you would think so.....but on the otherhand if it was setup that way, then what is the need for the 400 pedal at all in (or on top) of the rack?

[mkaufman]

Jeff:

That makes sense. If the UE400 was modded so that each individual effect was run into the effects switcher, then all the effects would probably be left permanently on and thus left controlled via the custom switcher.

Unless proven otherwise, I'm assuming the UE400 was stock.

mk

[Laytonco]

This is great info and finally we're talking Bob!! LOL! I would think that the UE would be on all the time, but out of the path, and each effect would be put into the path via a foot controller when needed. I have a UE400 and really like it, but it is a bit of a tone sucker. I am hoping our tech can do something to help with that, but I wish I had a way of setting it up like Bobby to eliminate the tone loss.

Peace,

Gil

[Quebee]

Are any of you Bobby guys using buffers in your guitars? I have a 400 and 405 I just can seem to wrangle, yet I can't let them go. The phaser especially does nothing for me, yet Weir clearly used the hell out it.

[jeffm725]

Are any of you Bobby guys using buffers in your guitars? I have a 400 and 405 I just can seem to wrangle, yet I can't let them go. The phaser especially does nothing for me, yet Weir clearly used the hell out it.

funny how that works, the phaser is my favorite effect in the UE400

[piccard]

hey all- i'm new around here.
i have been doing some research to put together a rig to get some of the tones Bobby got out of his gear. I am using an Axefx modeling unit to get there.
Right now i am concentrating on the ue 400- i figured i would try to get the phaser figured out first as it seems to be Weirs favorite affect. does anyone have clips of there rig using a ue400 that i could use to dial in? ive listened to many recordings-but none are straight guitar and effect - or even point me in the right direction?
thanks.