Sustaining feedback techniques

[Gtrplyr]

There's a couple songs I play that call for a note to hang and sustain and turn into controllable feedback. My problem is one day positioning my guitar relative to the speakers works and the next it doesn't. It's very frustrating and I feel like the surfer that gets left behind trying to catch the big wave.

My set up now is a Les Paul with 500T pup through a Marshall and Fulltone FD11. As I said sometimes I get it to work but one would think this would be the optimal equipment to acheive this.

Anyone have any trick or tips on how to attain controllable feedback at reasonable volume levels?

[Tele-Bob]

You need another OD pedal just for this purpose. When it comes time to get the note, just hit the second OD pedal at the same time. It won't really get any louder, but you sure will get the sizzle!

Or, turn your rig up a little louder than usual for those songs and play the song with the guitar volume backed off. When it's time to hit the note, crank the guitar volume and you're there.

I would also suggest getting this sound set up before you go on. Then you know you'll have it when it comes time.

The extra OD pedal method is the most expensive alternative, but it's probably the most reliable.

[mgade]

Let the guitar touch the cab. Looks like wizardry too.

[Kap'n]

Guitar touching amp works.

Sometimes it takes your tube amp warming up an hour or two before it gets into that mode where you can get it on demand.

[Gtrplyr]

Awesome! Thanks guys I will give both of these tips a shot. I have other OD pedals around so that won't cost me anything to try.

This just was becoming a frustrating problem for me and I was out of ideas. I am hopeful once again

[hudpucker]

Anyone have any trick or tips on how to attain controllable feedback at reasonable volume levels?

maybe one of these...




a Boss Super Distortion Feedbacker pedal would also work though they can be hard to find.

[mmcquain]

The MXR DynaComp is great for giving you lots of sustain. You can use it instead of a second overdrive pedal (which would be trying to do about the same thing but may make your note sound "dirty" because of the extra overdrive). A compress/sustainer is made just for what you're looking to do. I run mine BEFORE the overdrive (so that it is sustaining only the note from the guitar and not the extra hiss/noise that may be introduced by the overdrive/distortion pedal).

With a Les Paul I play on the neck PUP and roll my guitar's tone back a little. Then with the compressor and the overdrive both on I get that nice long sustaining "woman tone" that you hear with Santana, Gary Moore, etc.

Of course, finding that "sweet spot" on the stage where you get natural feedback sustain from your amp during sound check lets you then mark the stage (just put some tape there) and then you can get back to the right spot when you're playing the gig. This is what Gary Rossington does for "That Smell", etc. Santana also marks the stage (as does Ted Nugent, etc.).

Keep in mind that the spot will vary depending on the note (G, A, D, etc.) you want to feedback. This is because the feedback is actually being produced by creating a standing wavelength that matches the note (or one of it's harmonics). Lower notes produce longer wavelengths than higher notes, thus the variation in finding "the spot". Good luck...

[curtisstetka]

Teleboob's idea is the cheapest and easiest. Jack up your rig to the point where you're feeding back all over the place, then back off the guitar's volume a couple notches for most of your non-feedback-y playing.

A little bit of left hand finger vibrato helps as well. I'm not talking about up and down bending - rather the left to right vibrato.

The pick attack is a factor as well. Different attacks bring out different upper harmonics on a note. You want a nice, fat note that can blossum as it feeds back on the reinforcement from the amp.

I get that from a flat pick attack as opposed to a "slicing" sort of approach. It's a fuller note and the amp can grab ahold of it and make it sustain. Does that make any sense?

Or...

Put a compressor after your overdrive.

[fezz parka]

Jack up your rig to the point where you're feeding back all over the place, then back off the guitar's volume a couple notches for most of your non-feedback-y playing.

It's best when the amp is on the edge, but I used to get controllable feeback using a wah--->tubescreamer--->dynacomp. Hit the amp hard and rock the wah forward until it feeds back. Worked every time.:yay

[Kap'n]

It's best when the amp is on the edge, but I used to get controllable feeback using a wah--->tubescreamer--->dynacomp. Hit the amp hard and rock the wah forward until it feeds back. Worked every time.:yay

The "Zappa Trick!"

[fezz parka]

Yep. It works!:hee

[Offshore Angler]

Actually, the Boss GT400 (or is it 450) has the feedback sustain deal built into it, and is actually sounds halfway decent. You could loop out to one and use it for those songs for which it is needed, and then bypass it with your analog loop the rest of the time. That would be the easiest solution.

[Gtrplyr]

I've had a chance to experiement a bit with touching the neck to the cab which works well sustaining a power chord. I was actually quite surprised how the whole guitar became very electrified when touching the neck to the cab but for single note feedback it was too uncontrolable.

I also tried adding my old Boss OD-1 pedal after my Fulltone Fulldrive 2 and it seems to be doing the trick well. I just may keep an eye out for a used compressor pedal too. Never have used one but perhaps its time I checked into one.

[chuckocaster]

It's best when the amp is on the edge, but I used to get controllable feeback using a wah--->tubescreamer--->dynacomp. Hit the amp hard and rock the wah forward until it feeds back. Worked every time.:yay

i used a rat instead of the ts and it was crazy. we used to do "jailbreak" and i would use the wah to change the note that was feedback during the bridge section. i was kinda imitating a siren or something. it was way high.

[itbepopples]

You could buy a Silvertone Twin Twelve, turn the reverb up all the way and then press the reverb on button when you need the feedback...it's fun as all hell but its a little strange because there's a ton of feedback and then you notice this little bit of twinkling reverb. I don't think all 1484's do this but I know mine sure does.

[Gtrplyr]

You could buy a Silvertone Twin Twelve, turn the reverb up all the way and then press the reverb on button when you need the feedback...

Don't know why I didn't think of that ;)