CarlA
31 posts
Jun 07, 2012
5:34 PM
|
I really enjoy Rick Estrins playing, especially the new Twisted album. I know he uses a harpking amp, and I guess recently started using Greg's custom built wooden mic.
My question is does Rick usually play directly into his amp, or does he use effects pedals much? The reason I ask is because the harp solo on cut #6 sounds more distorted than the previous sounds, and I kinda dig that sound for certain songs.
Any info would be greatly appreciated. And please, don't reply that it's just tone. He's got a great tone for sure, but is there more?
-Carl
|
The Iceman
339 posts
Jun 07, 2012
5:59 PM
|
Is he still using a harp king amp?
I know he bought one just to hear himself on stage when he used to play w/Little Charlie. Rick actually went partially deaf in his right ear from playing next to Charlie (who really did play too loud live) for years.
----------
The Iceman
|
timeistight
603 posts
Jun 07, 2012
6:06 PM
|
He was using the Harp King when I saw him, a little over a year ago (after Twisted was recorded). Of course, that's not to say he'd necessarily use such a big amp in the studio. I think players often take a variety of amps to a recording session and use whatever suits the song.
|
Greg Heumann
1636 posts
Jun 07, 2012
9:03 PM
|
Rick has a number of amps but uses the Harp King most often. As far as I know he uses no pedals.
----------
/Greg
|
Joe_L
1872 posts
Jun 08, 2012
1:49 PM
|
The past several times that I've seen Rick, he was sitting in with other bands or he didn't bring his equipment meaning he used whatever was on stage.
He used a Shure SM58 into the PA or a Shure CM into Aki Kumar's modified Fender Blues Deville or whatever mic Greg had into his Avenger. I saw him with a Harp King about 18 months ago. He sounded great through all of these combinations.
The real bad news (and the news people don't like to hear) is that he's got great tone.
----------
The Blues Photo Gallery
Last Edited by on Jun 08, 2012 1:51 PM
|
arnenym
52 posts
Jun 08, 2012
2:38 PM
|
I don't know what Rick use on track#6 Earthquake, but IMO most tracks sound like a small amp, like a champ, recorded with line out in to the the mixer board. Or a pedal like a Harp attack.
Last Edited by on Jun 08, 2012 2:39 PM
|
Tuckster
1057 posts
Jun 08, 2012
4:20 PM
|
I've seen him play through a Super before he got the Harp King. I asked him if he wanted to get rid of the Super,but he laughed and said he was keeping it for backup.
|
CarlA
32 posts
Jun 08, 2012
7:41 PM
|
"Joe_L
1872 posts
Jun 08, 2012
1:49 PM
The real bad news (and the news people don't like to hear) is that he's got great tone."
LMAO!!!! Next time an acoustic guitarist asks how he can get a nice dirty, gritty, distorted sound on his acoustic guitar, I'll tell him that all the greats achieved that sound through flawless finger picking technique!
----------
The Blues Photo Gallery
Last Edited on 8-Jun-2012 1:51 PM
Last Edited by on Jun 08, 2012 7:42 PM
|
bharper
170 posts
Jun 08, 2012
8:45 PM
|
I've seen Rick Estrin & the Nightcats several times in the last few years. He always played his HarpKing amp, mic'ed through the PA, with no pedals.
Joe is right: Great tone. Also great phrasing and stagecraft.
|
Kingley
2017 posts
Jun 09, 2012
1:44 AM
|
Rick has superb tone and that's why his amped sound is so good. So what amp/mic he uses is pretty much immaterial as it's him that makes the sound. What I can tell you is that for over twenty years Rick most often used a Super Reverb. Then he got a HarpKing a few years back. Here's the thing though which applies to ANY touring pro. He has played through a multitude of amps over the years that have been provided at various venues for him, where bringing his own rig was not possible. When he has done / does this, he still sounds just like Rick Estrin! Now do you still want me to tell you that his secret to a great sound is a certain amp and not his acoustic tone?
|
CarlA
33 posts
Jun 09, 2012
4:00 AM
|
Listen guys, I understand that Rick Estrin has great tone. You know that and I know that. Ricks tone is better than 99.99% of those who post here, including myself. My question was never, "Man, I want to sound just like Rick Estrin, please tell me what gear to buy so I can magically sound just like Rick"!
We know that Kim Wilson has great tone, but no matter how great it is, he can't magically create delay or reverb. So if someone asks, "What is Kim Wilson using to CREATE his delay", then those who know should answer by sayingsuch and such a pedal, etc. To answer by saying, "Kim Wilson achieves his delay purely because of his great tone" would be proposterous to say the least!!
(this example is for illustrative purposes)
So, for those who answered my question by responding, "Rick uses a harpking amp, or an empty can of soup with a string tied to the end as a mic, etc, than thanks for taking the time to ANSWER my original querry. To those who answered its his tone need a good spanking-lol
Last Edited by on Jun 09, 2012 4:07 AM
|
5F6H
1233 posts
Jun 09, 2012
7:15 AM
|
CarlA, the answer to your question is "no one here knows", or if they do, they are not coming forward. Ask someone a question and the very last thing they ever want to say is "I don't know". However, I have found it quite liberating, when in such a position to just come right out and say, "I don't know"...go on, ask me anything, literally anything, "why do men have nipples/why is fluff in you tumble drier always blue/do you know how to get to Carnegie Hall"....:-)
Rick could have used any of the amps that he has been seen on stage with, by anyone at anytime, or one of the amps that he has been quoted as recording with in the past, or something else. He may have even used the same amp throughout the album not just at track #6, just turned it up... Ask Rick if you want to know THE answer...otherwise you are in danger of just getting AN answer.
----------
www.myspace.com/markburness
http://www.facebook.com/markburness
|
CarlA
34 posts
Jun 09, 2012
7:48 AM
|
"5F6H
1233 posts
Jun 09, 2012
7:15 AM CarlA, the answer to your question is "no one here knows", or if they do, they are not coming forward. Ask someone a question and the very last thing they ever want to say is "I don't know". However, I have found it quite liberating, when in such a position to just come right out and say, "I don't know"...go on, ask me anything, literally anything, "why do men have nipples/why is fluff in you tumble drier always blue/do you know how to get to Carnegie Hall"....:-)
Rick could have used any of the amps that he has been seen on stage with, by anyone at anytime, or one of the amps that he has been quoted as recording with in the past, or something else. He may have even used the same amp throughout the album not just at track #6, just turned it up... Ask Rick if you want to know THE answer...otherwise you are in danger of just getting AN answer."
Thanks for the reply. I guess at the end of the day it doesn't make that much a difference. Just thought I would ask originally, maybe that was the first mistake-lol!!
|
tmf714
1117 posts
Jun 09, 2012
8:05 AM
|
I will be seeing Rick next month in NY-I will ask him and get back to you with an answer-hang in there!!
Tom Fiacco.
|
Joe_L
1874 posts
Jun 09, 2012
9:06 AM
|
Carl - Actually, I remembered the answer because the guy who owns the studio is a friend of mine and I loaned him a couple of amps for some recording sessions. The Nightcats session was one of them. I didn't feel like answering the question because of your response. Your attitude kind of sucked.
----------
The Blues Photo Gallery
|
Greg Heumann
1640 posts
Jun 09, 2012
9:08 AM
|
"So if someone asks, "What is Kim Wilson using to CREATE his delay", then those who know should answer by sayingsuch and such a pedal, etc. To answer by saying, "Kim Wilson achieves his delay purely because of his great tone" would be proposterous to say the least!!:"
I love that. For some reason there are always a few people who believe that gear doesn't matter - and probably some who don't yet understand that skill doesn't matter either. If all you needed was great acoustic tone, our favorite players wouldn't be playing through expensive gear. YES - they sound like THEM through anything - mostly because of WHAT they play and HOW they play it. But they do have a notion of a tone they want to be known for - and they know that every gear combination sounds different.
The best reason I know to "match" some pro's gear is because you WANT to sound like that , and you know that if you use the same gear, you SHOULD be able to sound like them. It focuses all of your attention on developing your own tone and technique, like a laser - eliminating any hint of possible "gear blame" in which it is all too easy to otherwise indulge.
----------
/Greg
Last Edited by on Jun 09, 2012 9:09 AM
|
markdc70
116 posts
Jun 09, 2012
9:58 AM
|
I last saw Rick about a year ago, and he was using a Harpking amp and I'm pretty sure had a Boss DM2 delay pedal.
|
bharper
173 posts
Jun 09, 2012
10:20 AM
|
Rick Estrin and Kim Wilson (for example) prefer certain amps over others. I think it is fair for us to suspect there is a tonal reason for it: They think they sound better while playing through a particular amp. Amps do make a difference.
I like trying different amps. The tone Nazis who all shriek about tone coming only from the player can hit the road, jack. The amp is part of the instrument when we aspire to sound like Estrin or Wilson. It certainly is for them.
|
Tuckster
1058 posts
Jun 09, 2012
10:35 AM
|
Even using the same amp,differences exist. Estrin & Piazza both use a Harp King. Their amplified sound is completely different. Piazza has a much "dirtier" sound than Estrin.
|
ReedSqueal
288 posts
Jun 09, 2012
11:15 AM
|
Tone? Technique? I've asked a similar question in the past - mainly the Dave Barrett sound. Answers were adamant that it's ALL technique, nothing to do with equipment. i.e. Dave could play soup cans on a string and still sound like Dave. Well, I get that... to a certain extent. But maybe I was asking the question from a wrong angle, maybe I am asking about a particular -sound-.
Hence, lets say for purpose of this discussion, Dave (or Rick) plays with Mic A and Amp B. Ok, there it is. Sound, tone. I say I like it. I say how do I get that SOUND. Well, you get Mic A and Amp B. Use all the same settings.
Then - Rick (or Dave) then stuffs a pillow into the back of the amp cabinet around the speaker, and I didn't see that happen. Then I ask, how do I get THAT sound? The answer wouldn't be "you have to have tone like Rick or Dave." The answer would be "you need to stuff a pillow in the cabinet around the speaker"
So I still don't buy the "it's 100% the player and technique" (and hence nothing to do with the equipment.
So yeah, CarlA is on it with:
"Listen guys, I understand that Rick Estrin has great tone. You know that and I know that. Ricks tone is better than 99.99% of those who post here, including myself. My question was never, "Man, I want to sound just like Rick Estrin, please tell me what gear to buy so I can magically sound just like Rick"!"
So I guess I need to understand the difference between sound and tone. or other sonic/audible/acoustic characteristics...
----------
Go ahead and play the blues if it'll make you happy.
-Dan Castellaneta
Last Edited by on Jun 09, 2012 11:19 AM
|
Tuckster
1059 posts
Jun 09, 2012
11:42 AM
|
That was the point I was trying to make above. Piazza likes his amp to break up a whole bunch. IMHO his amped sound is really distinctive.To me,it's particularly that sound of "ripping canvas"-sorry,my best description. He seemed to always have that sound through whatever amp he was playing through. Estrin plays with less hard break up. The amp has to be dialed in differently. That's not all there is. Mic and technique certainly affect it,too.
|
CarlA
35 posts
Jun 09, 2012
2:08 PM
|
"Joe_L
1874 posts
Jun 09, 2012
9:06 AM
Your attitude kind of sucked. "
Joe L,
I dont think my attitude sucked, it's just that quite frankly some of the original responses were, "it's all about tone" blah blah blah. I was asking about sound, not tone.
Also, this message board is great, as are many of the members on it. Problem is, it doesn't have those cute little emoticons to translate my verbal tone properly on this board. So, my "thick as molasses sarcasm( I am a sarcastic pig), may have appeared as "sucky attitude".
No worries though Joe L, if this board had emoticons I would still put a little teddy bear next to your name to denote my appreciation towards your cute little comment. Much appreciated my friend!( hopefully the bitter sarcasm broke through this time) ;)
To Greg Heumann, markdc70, bharper, and redsquel, I do sincerely appreciate the POSITIVE insights and wisdom of words. Many thanks once again.
----------
The Blues Photo Gallery
Last Edited by on Jun 09, 2012 2:11 PM
|
bharper
175 posts
Jun 09, 2012
10:31 PM
|
Different amps sound different. I don't see how anybody can dispute that. Here is a cool video that George Stackhouse put up on his Facebook page a few days ago, demonstrating a Premier Twin 8 he had for sale. This is some unique amp tone.
(not sure this link will work... I think it depends on his Facebook settings.)
Click Here
Last Edited by on Jun 09, 2012 10:34 PM
|
