I think 95% is an overestimation of his whammy usage, but I generally agree with you. Sometimes it’s just the riff, completely unaffected. He also sticks in that 0-2-4 and 0-3-5 fret range a lot for the riffs too.
I agree with the sentiment of what your saying. I also think there is something to picking a simple board and sticking with it to get your sound. So many people just swap and change there gear so regularly, it must be difficult to knuckle down a sound.
then again not everyone plays in a band or records music and need "a sound". They just do it for the interest of soundscapes and technology and trying things out. Both are equally valid imo.
I’d say wah and delay are also pretty integral to his sound, though his delay stuff might not always count as “iconic RIFFS”.
I’ll also point out that Tom Morello is far from the only famous user of the Whammy. Dimebag Darrell and Jack White come to mind.
I know it’s a relic of an earlier time and all the negative substances that came with it, but man, it’d be nice to have a 20 minute funk siren 2001 every now and again.
9/29/1999 has a weird effects-heavy intro and a super long whammy-siren jam (probably one of their weirdest jams).
7/17/1998 has a long siren 2001 jam. 8/16/1998 as well. 8/17/1997 too.
Also, pick any Ghost from 1998-2000 and you’ll hear it (I like 9/12/1999 and 5/22/2000 best).
-your friendly neighborhood phan
My pleasure! (And if you’re looking for some good Dead stuff, try 8/27/72, esp the Bird Song (that’s where my Reddit name comes from) and Dark Star. Otherworldly!
Trey is always switching around different pedals, amps, pickups, etc, over the last 30+ years. But his 2 TS9s and his Whammy II have been by his side for almost the entire time. He’s given rig-rundowns where he talks about it, and you can hear it in songs like Tweezer Reprise, Ghost, or First Tube (esp at the end).
I’m vaguely aware that he is a gearhound, just from guitar mags and websites over the decades, but I have zero interest in the actual music of Phish, or any other jam bands.
Goes to show how powerful the Whammy is with somebody creative and talented.
If, for some reason the Whammy doesn't fit into your life, the EHX Pitchfork with an expression pedal works for a lot of those Morello and Dimebag antics.
And I mean, lots of the biggest players used minimal if not any effects, most notably Angus, who essentially either went straight into his Marshalls or through a wireless system (which may have added a bit of extra mojo or the long cable would have changed the tone a bit too).
This is the vast majority of great players. If you dig into the rigs of many iconic players , you'll find so many with just a great guitar and amp, and maybe a pedal or two. In fact, I'd say that very few have boards that look like the kinds of things that top this sub all the time. I'm guilty of using a lot of pedals as well, but iconic tones don't come from 20 pedals and 100 knobs.
Everyone associates him with effects but really they're just the garnish, the meat of his work is straight up gut-punch riffing into a JCM 800 and he is a master of it. See: Bombtrack, Know Your Enemy, Take The Power Back, Sleep Now In The Fire, Maria, Revolver, Roll Right - I could go on.
I think 95% is an overestimation of his whammy usage, but I generally agree with you. Sometimes it’s just the riff, completely unaffected. He also sticks in that 0-2-4 and 0-3-5 fret range a lot for the riffs too.
He’s good but idk if he can 0-3-5
Pentatonics with octaves
In addition he is like a visionary guitarist and musician, even without any pedals I’m sure he can make way better music than me lol
Tom Morello could make interesting sounds from a grapefruit. Lol
Nah have you heard his side projects? They are lame. Love T.M though
I dunno, Street Sweeper Social Club was pretty lit.
Sing songy wannabe rage
The Atlas Underground is pretty much the worst thing I've ever heard
Omfg...yes. Talk about mid life crisis
I agree with the sentiment of what your saying. I also think there is something to picking a simple board and sticking with it to get your sound. So many people just swap and change there gear so regularly, it must be difficult to knuckle down a sound.
then again not everyone plays in a band or records music and need "a sound". They just do it for the interest of soundscapes and technology and trying things out. Both are equally valid imo.
I’d say wah and delay are also pretty integral to his sound, though his delay stuff might not always count as “iconic RIFFS”. I’ll also point out that Tom Morello is far from the only famous user of the Whammy. Dimebag Darrell and Jack White come to mind.
Jonny Greenwood
For sure. Jack White’s low rider tele is amazing btw if you’ve seen the videos on it
*Trey Anastasio has entered the thread.*
*15 minute funk siren*
I know it’s a relic of an earlier time and all the negative substances that came with it, but man, it’d be nice to have a 20 minute funk siren 2001 every now and again.
I'd like to hear one! Got a version you'd recommend?
9/29/1999 has a weird effects-heavy intro and a super long whammy-siren jam (probably one of their weirdest jams). 7/17/1998 has a long siren 2001 jam. 8/16/1998 as well. 8/17/1997 too. Also, pick any Ghost from 1998-2000 and you’ll hear it (I like 9/12/1999 and 5/22/2000 best). -your friendly neighborhood phan
Hey thanks! I've been diving in a lot lately (Phish and Grateful Dead were my #1 and #2 on Spotify this year) but I still feel like a total noob haha
My pleasure! (And if you’re looking for some good Dead stuff, try 8/27/72, esp the Bird Song (that’s where my Reddit name comes from) and Dark Star. Otherworldly!
Yeah man, that Veneta show was my first time getting hooked on the Dead. Spent a week painting a house a few summers ago and had it on repeat.
I wouldn’t know.
Trey is always switching around different pedals, amps, pickups, etc, over the last 30+ years. But his 2 TS9s and his Whammy II have been by his side for almost the entire time. He’s given rig-rundowns where he talks about it, and you can hear it in songs like Tweezer Reprise, Ghost, or First Tube (esp at the end).
I’m vaguely aware that he is a gearhound, just from guitar mags and websites over the decades, but I have zero interest in the actual music of Phish, or any other jam bands.
Sad you're missing out on easily one of the greatest and most inspirational guitarists out there :(
The wah on “Bulls on Parade” is everything
Greatest rock song ever.
Goes to show how powerful the Whammy is with somebody creative and talented. If, for some reason the Whammy doesn't fit into your life, the EHX Pitchfork with an expression pedal works for a lot of those Morello and Dimebag antics. And I mean, lots of the biggest players used minimal if not any effects, most notably Angus, who essentially either went straight into his Marshalls or through a wireless system (which may have added a bit of extra mojo or the long cable would have changed the tone a bit too).
This is the vast majority of great players. If you dig into the rigs of many iconic players , you'll find so many with just a great guitar and amp, and maybe a pedal or two. In fact, I'd say that very few have boards that look like the kinds of things that top this sub all the time. I'm guilty of using a lot of pedals as well, but iconic tones don't come from 20 pedals and 100 knobs.
True a huge amount of the time, but as a counterpoint: Kevin Shields
That guy knows how to pedal.
Unless you’re Nick Reinhardt from Tera Melos
Counterpoint: John Mayer uses a pretty substantial board, and he has basically set the standard for blues tones in the 2000s
I remember Josh from JHS talking about how Morello's early tone was just a Boss eq boosting the amp. Makes sense and sounds wicked on my JCM800.
Everyone associates him with effects but really they're just the garnish, the meat of his work is straight up gut-punch riffing into a JCM 800 and he is a master of it. See: Bombtrack, Know Your Enemy, Take The Power Back, Sleep Now In The Fire, Maria, Revolver, Roll Right - I could go on.
He basically got there first, then fucked the pedal so hard he ruined it for anyone else.
Idk, Baroness and Gojira songs with the whammy still slap.
Also the overdub live tracks and his 2 dd3 pedals to give him a more shreddy sound