Mysterious guitar sound

[jolup]

So I've always been fascinated by the guitars on this Judas Priest song (from the intro onwards):




How did they achieve such an unusual sound? I've been told on another forum that those are clean electric guitars, but to my ears there's an acoustic vibe to them.

I know this is basically impossible to replicate without the same room/recording setup, but I wonder if you guys have any tips to point me in the right direction.

Thanks!

[Rudy4]

Originally Posted by jolup

So I've always been fascinated by the guitars on this Judas Priest song (from the intro onwards):




How did they achieve such an unusual sound? I've been told on another forum that those are clean electric guitars, but to my ears there's an acoustic vibe to them.

I know this is basically impossible to replicate without the same room/recording setup, but I wonder if you guys have any tips to point me in the right direction.

Thanks!

The opening guitar is an acoustic that is being run through a chorus effect. There's probably a bit of other modulation thrown in, but mostly chorus.
Chorus usually has both rate and depth adjustments and this one is pushed a bit toward the over-processed side of how most use chorus.

[dnf777]

I agree, that sounds like a high setting on a chorus pedal on an acoustic. Also, a shimmer reverb can give you that effect when in the higher settings. Its fun trying to figure that stuff out...especially when you can finally learn exactly what they really did.

[DupleMeter]

sounds like an acoustic guitar into a chorus fx, sounds like it might be a Publison. There is a slow auto-pan thing on the chorus fx, which is what makes me suspect the Publison in "true stereo" mode.

[jolup]

It does sound like there's a chorus effect on there... however, this was recorded in 1975 and I'm not sure if chorus pedals even existed back then lol. So I'm assuming they achieved this effect in a different way right?

[Rudy4]

Originally Posted by jolup

It does sound like there's a chorus effect on there... however, this was recorded in 1975 and I'm not sure if chorus pedals even existed back then lol. So I'm assuming they achieved this effect in a different way right?

The first production year for Roland's JC-120 (which I owned) was 1975, so it pre-dates that somewhat.

[strangersfaces]

"History

The first uses of something that we could call a chorus effect can be traced back to the 1930s, with the usage of Hammond organs. It was basically the first time where one signal was out of tune on purpose, and it was physically created detuning.

Later on, during the 1960s, some studios started incorporating Automatic Double Tracking effect, or ADT. It used a copy of the recording, slightly delayed and played over the original one. It gave the enhanced sound of instruments or voices in the mix. The first use of this effect was in Abbey Roads Studios when The Beatles requested it in 1966."

https://www.ultimate-guitar.com/arti...ck_music-68293

[DupleMeter]

Originally Posted by jolup

It does sound like there's a chorus effect on there... however, this was recorded in 1975 and I'm not sure if chorus pedals even existed back then lol. So I'm assuming they achieved this effect in a different way right?

Clapton was using the first "chorus pedal" in the late '60s...just take a listen to Cream's Badge. It wasn't really just a pedal, but an elaborate setup that sent a buffered split to a Leslie 122H along with the signal to his Marshall. From that recording manufacturers were racing to create a pedal to recreate that sound.

And, the earliest version of the Publison was being produced in the '70s. The B2 version was released in 1978 IIRC.

[jolup]

Well I did some digging and actually found notes from the engineer talking about another song off this album!

https://kkdowning.net/steelmill/k-k-...wings-destiny/

"I recall Glenn asking for the clean guitar in the middle section ‘…once she was wonderful… ‘ to have some kind of chorus effect. The light bulb above my head turned on, and I suggested we use the Fender Rhodes suitcase piano as the chorus, basically plugged the guitar into the amp section of the piano, and messed with the chorus controls till we achieved the effect you hear on the record."

He's talking about clean electric guitar in this case, but I wonder if it would've been possible to apply the same effect to the acoustic guitar?

[DupleMeter]

Originally Posted by jolup

Well I did some digging and actually found notes from the engineer talking about another song off this album!

https://kkdowning.net/steelmill/k-k-...wings-destiny/

"I recall Glenn asking for the clean guitar in the middle section ‘…once she was wonderful… ‘ to have some kind of chorus effect. The light bulb above my head turned on, and I suggested we use the Fender Rhodes suitcase piano as the chorus, basically plugged the guitar into the amp section of the piano, and messed with the chorus controls till we achieved the effect you hear on the record."

He's talking about clean electric guitar in this case, but I wonder if it would've been possible to apply the same effect to the acoustic guitar?

Possibly as an insert on the console, since it would have to come after the mic pre...but it would be mono, since The only optopns for a Fender Rhodes in '75 is the Mark I. That 12 string is stereo. So, I suspect they used something else. I'm still betting an early Publison.

I suppose they could have done an ADT type thing to get the 2nd side. I'm just not hearing enough flanging for it to be something like the ADT technique.

[Rudy4]

Originally Posted by DupleMeter

Clapton was using the first "chorus pedal" in the late '60s...just take a listen to Cream's Badge. It wasn't really just a pedal, but an elaborate setup that sent a buffered split to a Leslie 122H along with the signal to his Marshall. From that recording manufacturers were racing to create a pedal to recreate that sound.

And, the earliest version of the Publison was being produced in the '70s. The B2 version was released in 1978 IIRC.

Interesting info, I knew he used a Leslie as the basis for those early works.

There's a lot of great sound that has been derived from Leslie and Hammond circuitry. I have a friend that makes a interesting vibrato / reverb from old Hammond parts. His creation is known as a "scanner" after the main component he uses. His shop is filled with hundreds of old Hammond organs that he cannibalizes for specialty parts. Last time I was at his shop his white board was filled with very well-known names waiting in line for his vibrato units.

Analog Outfitters Scanner as reviewed by Sound On Sound

Ben makes a pretty respectable line of custom tube combos and heads, most housed in re-purposed highway department sign material.