U2 & Guitar Gear: Q & A

Originally posted by RattleandHum1988:Just a quick thought.

What is the opinion around here on using a guitar for original music that looks just like a guitar used by an inspiration of yours? The obvious here is, I successfully turned my cream les paul into an Edge look-a-like (it sounds and plays amazingly now, had other upgrades done to it) and I'm in a band that writes original music, we don't sound like U2 at all, but I'd say my guitar playing is definitely influenced by Edges a bit (among others).

How do you guys feel about guitarists using guitars that look like guitars that infuenced them? There's tons of examples: John Mayer using the Monterey Strat-replica of Hendrix', Dave Keuning using a natural explorer (I know his is an ibanez destroyer and isn't cosmetically identical, but the similarity is there) and there are many others.

I ask because after I showed the other guitarist in my band my les paul, he didn't even know it looked like Edges (neither did the guitar tech) but after he found out he said "why wouldn't you just get your "own" les paul look?". Truth be told, I didn't make my les paul look the way it does now becuase I wanted to look like Edge, I only did it because I think it's the best looking Les Paul I've seen. I'm not into the bursts or any black or white colours, I've always loved the cream colour of Edges and the gold rings around the pickups are just an added bonus for the eyes.

What are your guys thoughts?

Originally posted by LikeASong:[..]
I didn't mean a vintage 1976, and I obviously didn't mean Gibson. I just meant "looking like Edge's". I'll probably end up buying an Epi Explorer.

Originally posted by jofice:[image]

What are the mics above the pedal board for? They can't be for recording the sound of his switches?

Originally posted by WojBhoy:[..]
People either associate your guitars with you and your influences or not, I wouldn't fret about it (pun unintended but I'm quite proud of it now I look at it!). I'm not in a band at the moment, but I write a lot of my stuff on my Strat. copy or my Explorer, and I'm fairly sure much of the motivation behind it was because I love the guitars AND my favourite guitarists use the same guitars extensively. My style certainly owes a lot to Edge and my other heroes, but I'd probably say I'm developing my style. That said, most of the people I know aren't overly familiar with Edge's guitars, but are with the sound, i.e. people who know me know how much I love to use delay for various things, and in that sense I'm told I'm very Edge-like, in both positive and negative senses (i.e. cool to notice influences on someone's style / just a rip-off).

Originally posted by anstratdubh1979:In the catalog for the Music Rising Auction, Edge said that he bought the 1975 LP Custom as it reminded him of Steve Jones (Sex Pistols). In another interview, he also mentioned Mick Jones (The Clash).

So to some extent, even The Edge has bought a guitar inspired by one of his musical influences.

In the end, you have to get what works for you... what inspires you to play - and in the case of your original band - what inspires you to write songs. If that is a guitar that reminds you of The Edge / one of your musical influences... then that is perfect.



[..]

Originally posted by jofice:[image]

What are the mics above the pedal board for? They can't be for recording the sound of his switches?

Originally posted by RattleandHum1988:Cool, it's very similar to me. Last time we rehearsed it was our first time with our new bassist, and as we were getting ready to play songs he would notice me tweaking my effects, going through presets etc. and he said to me "You know you're very Edge and Gilmour like in your tone" and I said "yeah I know". And truth be told, I didn't feel any feeling of "wow, I'm ripping off" it was more "Wow! I'm proud to be categorized in the same area as Edge". He was remarking on my nitpicking of my tone rather than the tone itself, which is good. I also tend to use delays a lot, mainly because I've gotten so used to how well they fill out a sound. On more than one occasion when writing with the band though, they've told me to leave the delay out and give it a rest. I use it when I feel it's needed and when I think it creates a cool atmosphere, and when they tell me to give it a rest or I'll sound too much like those other guitarists, I listen.

Originally posted by WojBhoy:[..]
Sounds good to me man have you guys got any of your stuff available to listen to, like Myspace or SoundCloud etc.? Would love to hear some of it.

Originally posted by Sinisterbr:Hi guys,

I´m new around here, and I didn´t really know where to put my question, so sorry if this wasn´t the appropriate place.
Anyway, does anyone know how does The Edge get his crunch tones in the Boy album? I´m not sure if it´s a boosted AC30 (saturated preamp) tone, or an overdrive pedal (SD-1) into a clean AC30. Any ideas?

Thanks!

Originally posted by anstratdubh1979:[..]


GUITARS:

- Gibson Explorer.
- I have seen some early era pictures of The Edge in the studio w/ a tobacco Fender Stratocaster (most likely the same one seen in the "Street Mission" clip.), although, those photos may have been from the U2-3 sessions.

EFFECTS:
Electro-Harmonix Deluxe Memory Man (Edge used 2)

AMP:
Vox AC30

There was no Boss SD-1, as that model didn't come out until 1981.

One of the things that Edge did to get overdrive was by using his volume knob. If you set your volume knob below 10 and your amp setting a bit hotter... when you then bring up the guitars volume, you get some warm overdrive.

Another trick is that I have heard that with some settings on the EH Dlx Memory Man, that can drive the amp a bit too.

I am not 100% sure when Edge got the Boss FA-1 Bi-Fet pedal. Might have been during the Boy or October tours... It was there by the War era. Initially it was used to bring up the level of his Stratocaster, as its pickups were lower output.


Long answer short, you should be able to get most - if not all - of the Boy tones with:
Explorer, Stratocaster, an acoustic for some parts (Edge borrowed one during the recordings), (2) Electro-Harmonix Deluxe Memory Man delays (using the vibrato setting for Mod-Delay) and a Vox AC30 amp.