Grateful Dead Music Forum

Here are three photo links…
http://www.gdao.org/items/show/831721

In Jer's rig ...just above the Mu's and above the switcher …is a unit with a blue stripe with 6-8 knobs. In this photo, his switch/tuner box is visible in the upper left.

http://www.gdao.org/zoom?ark=ark%3A%2F3 ... 833958&c=0

This could be the same night. Trouble ahead. Jerry in red. Two leads heading to the switch box.

Ok… "Bear" with me
http://www.gdao.org/zoom?ark=ark%3A%2F3 ... 833867&c=0

Here is a third shot. No switch box. and now two blue right-angle leads are plugged into the Blue-Stripe-Unit-McWigit. But there are also two heading back past the Mu's.

Something has been inserted into that Gizmo! One of you kids who paid attention in school knows what that box is. I would like to know

http://www.gdao.org/items/show/830704
Two cables in the unit. Switcher on top. Cables heading behind the rig. Dual cables coming out from by the Mu's. Both sets heading roughly in the direction of Budman.

http://www.gdao.org/zoom?ark=ark%3A%2F3 ... 830709&c=0
Switcher back. Logo of gizmo(s) in photo, but not legible to me.

OK you smart kids…WTF is the box with the knobs??? I loves me some knobs to twist. Maybe it's got some secret sauce?

http://www.gdao.org/zoom?ark=ark%3A%2F3 ... 828982&c=0

Nice shot of the front. I can almost read it. No plugs. No switch box.

5-15-83
http://www.gdao.org/items/show/830201
No gizmo

07-84
http://www.gdao.org/zoom?ark=ark%3A%2F3 ... 830177&c=0
No gizmo.

1985
Gizmo!
http://www.gdao.org/zoom?ark=ark%3A%2F3 ... 831900&c=0

http://www.gdao.org/items/show/827333
4-27-85
Gizmo plugged in. Have to listen to the show on Archive.

I'm sure the Gizmo is not nearly is fun as the search was. It's probably a volume know for his wireless or some such thing.

Looks to be an MXR Pitch Transposer. Interesting. Never knew he used that.

http://www.rocknroll-pedals.com/vintage ... allery.htm

5th row down on the left.

Thought that said MXR!

Yeah, the blue stripe is deceptive--usually see that on Lexicon units.

I never knew he used one of those... was it a period thing? Can someone link a clip of him using it?

Thanks in advance!!

=)

After listening to a couple of pedal demos on youtube to get a feel for what the effect does, I think he used it on a fairly frequent basis during the space segments of early-to-mid 80s shows. I thought there might have been a good example from the Devore Stadium, Chula Vista show 9-15-85, where they opened the second set with the twilight zone theme>scarlet, and a little later in the space leading into US Blues, but I think after listening again that on the latter it's Bobby using either that or a similar effect. I'm not sure on the former.

The unit has kind of a fascinating interface where four separate pitch shifted channels can be engaged either by a footswitch or via touch sensitive knobs on the rack mount unit itself. I have vague recollections of Jerry facing his rack during space and touching things to make changes in the sound of his guitar. It might have been him engaging different channels or tweaking the pitch shift setting. Either way this thing has pretty good potential for generating some deep space tones.