Grateful Dead Music Forum

I'm watching the Dead & Company boulder show right now. John is using the mutron effect and it doesn't look like he has OBEL on his guitar as I only see one input jack.

How is he getting a good jerry mutron sound without the OBEL?

probably because the volume is dimed on his prs.

Yeah, no OBEL, but the guitar does have some type of blaster. See the description in this thread about the special edition PRS guitar:

http://www.rukind.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=419&t=18813

I ask because I own a vintage Mutron, but I don't have an OBEL, just a vintage-spec strat. Does this mean I could get a good mutron fire on the mountain sound without the OBEL?

Currently I feel like my mutron is not vocal enough, doesn't sweep as much as I would like. Rather the effect is very soft. I don't know if I got a dud, or if it really needs the OBEL to get the vocal quality like jerrys.

your mutron will not sound good unless it see's full volume

Try front-loading with an overdrive pedal.

ace

tommybo wrote:your mutron will not sound good unless it see's full volume

But what if my guitar's volume is maxed out?

mkaufman wrote:Try front-loading with an overdrive pedal.

ace

yep, try this, set as a clean boost. An increased signal level should more easily trigger the mu-tron and increase its response.

Are you using single coil or hum pups? How are you configuring the Mutron? You should be able to get a decent Jerry mutron tone with a stock guitar if the mutron settings are correct. Note, the OBEL is not a crucial as the buffer--if you're serious about obtaining Jerry tone, contact Wald Electronics and buy a TPC1 preamp buffer http://www.wald-electronics.com/

But, if your mutron is set up correctly, you should be good to go. Here are recommended starting settings for Jerry mu: Range = Low, Drive = Up, Mode = LP, Peak and Depth = 4. Tweak the Depth up or down as needed to drive the quack--leave the Peak at 4 (I tend to see novices turn the Peak up to high).

Key to the Mutron without the effects loop -- actually, with the effects loop, too -- is all in your touch. You want to set it so it opens easily all over the fretboard ... you may find that it will choke out on the highest notes unless you make it very sensitive, but if you get it working on the highest notes, then you adjust your pick attack on the lower notes so you get it opening just right. Clean boost is good if your pickups are not giving it enough juice.

Meyer's signature PRS does not have the loop, I suspect he is using the guitar wide open and a volume pedal to set the level.

Ok I've tried front-loading with a overdrive, but it became super bright sounding, didn't sound good. Then tried front-loading with a compressor, but it didn't help with opening and closing the envelope, rather just muddied up the signal.

I gotta set my peak at 6 just to get any kind of wah sound... thats why I'm wondering if my mutron is a dud. I cannot for the life of me get a good quack out of it.

Single coil pickups seem to have a harder time with the mutron than buckers. Get a DOD bi fet boost pedal. They are cheap, have a buffer built in and will boost you signal without changing your tone at all. Put it right before the mutron at a very slightly hotter level than your guitar without it. Trust me....it works great. I used this pedal as my buffer before I got the Wald installed. It was only like $50 or so.

Between the guitar volume and tone knobs and the knobs on the Mutron, there are infinite ways to make the mutron "open up". An Obel is not needed. Sometime you just got to poke around.

I was at the boulder shows (very nice! first time seeing Dead & Co., John Mayer was pretty freakin' great) and I noted that during some of the envelope filter tunes, John had his neck pickup on. And I'm guessing that he'd have his neck pup in humbucker mode.

So, for you non-OBEL envelope filter peope, in addition to diming the volume...try neck pup and if you have a humbucker there, use it try full on. If no neck humbucker, use middle pup in humbucker mode (I have an OBEL and often still use middle pup in humbucker to get my TruTron gate opening up nicely).

So lot of options: pup position, hum on/off, vol.

thanks - Des

Question: Does anyone know what specific envelope filter Mayer is using?

He is using a QTron+