a pedal that sounds like pearly gates

[jeremy]

Re: a pedal that sounds like pearly gates

a lot of early zz top was recorded with a strat as well as pearly. an eq pedal and good tube amp should get you in the ball park but youll never get a strat to sound like a lp without going to something like billys modern rig

 

[Aceman]

Re: a pedal that sounds like pearly gates

All ZZ Top was recorded by the Rev Billy G. That could also be a factor.

 

[Mincer]

Re: a pedal that sounds like pearly gates

I will mention the Pickup Booster, which has a switch to lower the resonance of a Strat's single coil. You get a boosted thicker sound, and this is probably the best way to 'thicken up' that Strat without switching pickups.

 

[YeRedHouseOverYonder]

a pedal that sounds like pearly gates

^ The "2" position of the pickup booster sounds really good with single coils. It could help you get in the ballpark if used with other items mentioned in the thread. Not an easy task, but good luck


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Mincer]

Re: a pedal that sounds like pearly gates

Yeah, I think a Pickup Booster and an EQ pedal are the correct answers here.

 

[Gainstage]

Re: a pedal that sounds like pearly gates

Bogner La Grange.
Depends on how Billy you want to copy. Billy also plays 7s and uses his rig in ways most of us would not but that is him and his hands are unique.
Pearly Gates pickups are available from Seymour Duncan but it's the whole rig that makes the collective tone. That Bogner is your best bet for an easy way out that will deliver no matter the amp or guitar.
Sure tube amps are the deal but I have also seen Billy use a stack of 6 Expandora pedals. Check out the La Grange and send it back if if does not do the deal. Only pedal that comes to mind that can do those tones and much more. Best of the Bogner's if you ask me.

 

[jeremy]

Re: a pedal that sounds like pearly gates

billy plays 7's and 8's now but played much heavier strings back in the early days. he "used" lots of weird stuff in the 80's and 90's but a lot of that was bs too. billy likes to tell stories. i saw the six expandora pedals but they were a stage prop if you ask me, just like the crate stacks. i know for a fact that billy's crate combo was nothing but a 18w marshall type circuit hand built by one of st louis music's top amp guy. one is a little noisy, two was almost unbearable, six would be nothing but a blizzard of white noise with some super fuzzy guitar hidden in there. the bogner pedal does look delicious though

 

[Mincer]

Re: a pedal that sounds like pearly gates

Yeah, I never believed he used Crates or those 6 pedals in a tower. I wonder how many people went out and bought that setup.

 

[Gainstage]

Re: a pedal that sounds like pearly gates

Mystery as to why they had it wired up. I think it is absurd to be sure, probably just used one and had spares is more likely.
Recent Elmore-guitar tech rig rundown who has been with Billy for ages, I sort of trust the behind the scenes gear shots. Billy said recently he got the notion of super thin strings from BB King very early on. Elmore said he never played with a Peso and such and had his packs of 7s strings right there. You know what they say you could pick up Billy's guitar (or anyone for that matter) and you are not going to really sound like them because of their hands and technique which is unique. I think many times the notion of copying someone's gear line io sound like them is a serious misconception, especially for the less experienced players.

 

[Mincer]

Re: a pedal that sounds like pearly gates

I don't know, but it sells gear. No one would know of those little round fuzzes if it weren't for the pics in every guitar magazine (and Billy's stories) at the time. Who knows? Maybe he had a deal with the company, and he'd better help move these things or else they'd ask for them back. Guitar magazines are full of artist endorsements when the artist doesn't actually use the gear (it was really bad in the 80s and 90s).

 

[PFDarkside]

Re: a pedal that sounds like pearly gates

I don't know, but it sells gear. No one would know of those little round fuzzes if it weren't for the pics in every guitar magazine (and Billy's stories) at the time. Who knows? Maybe he had a deal with the company, and he'd better help move these things or else they'd ask for them back. Guitar magazines are full of artist endorsements when the artist doesn't actually use the gear (it was really bad in the 80s and 90s).

OT, but isn't that how the Ozzfest era was too? Half the bands had stacks of Krank amps, but back stage they were micing an old Marshall or Mesa Dual Rectifier or Mark series?

 

[Gainstage]

Re: a pedal that sounds like pearly gates

I'll I say for sure is Billy is certainly the coolest cat around and he could play a rubber band and make it sound good. It's a sort of irony I guess when someone reps a pedal and you try using it only to find out a great player made a crap fest sound cool.
I do not know about most but it really annoys me and is a huge integrity issue when "artists" endorse gear they do not ever use. I do not think I ever see them the same way again.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: a pedal that sounds like pearly gates

Not a foolish question at all.

And there is one. It's called the Simble. Made by Mad Professor. Makes a Strat or Tele sound like a guitar with humbuckers through a Dumble. I use one and it's as good in person as it sounds in this video.

Robben Ford is using the Palladium, BTW, but I think he uses it with a guitar with humbuckers.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=sS0wfdj3DiQ

I use the Simble with both single coils and with humbuckers although the settings would be different.

I've also had good luck getting singles to sound like humbuckers with my Klon KTR.

And when I want to emulate humbuckers the humbuckers I have in mind are the Pearly Gates since that is my favorite set.

 

[Mincer]

Re: a pedal that sounds like pearly gates

OT, but isn't that how the Ozzfest era was too? Half the bands had stacks of Krank amps, but back stage they were micing an old Marshall or Mesa Dual Rectifier or Mark series?

I don't know for certain, but I'd believe it. Industry people know this stuff, but the average audience member at an Ozzfest show doesn't, and thinks Krank amps get the sounds they are hearing. I do think it hurts both the brand and the artist when we find out that it isn't what they actually use, though.