Getting the Animal Collective Tone (On a Budget)

Welcome to the Jungle


Ever since I heard Animal Collective’s “Strawberry Jam” I wanted to sound like them. It’s a great album that sounded very good and unique to my ears. But sounding like Animal Collective is easier said than done. But with the right gear, you can transform from Zero to Hero, in terms of sounding like Animal Collective.

Guitars, guitars, GUITARS

Even though Animal Collective makes different kinds of music than other ones make, they are still a rock band so having a good rock guitar is important. Fender Stratocasters are a standard but can be very very pricey, especially for a model made in America or Japan. The Mexican Strats are more affordable, but still cost around $599 new. Why not go for a Squier Strat? It looks and sounds exactly the same but costs only $199. So why pay more for the exact same thing?

 

Amps

While it’s not clear what Amps the Animal COllective such as Panda Bear and Deakin use it is clear that there are many great amps available on the market today to buy. What about this Boss Katana Amp which is a big loud amp. It can be used to amplify the guitar sound to achieve rock tones, or other instruments such as a keyboard, which Animal Collective use alot, could be plugged in to there to amplify them as well.

Pedals

Animal Collective is the type of band that would definitely use a lot of pedals on stage and in the studio to record their songs. A quick look at Avey’s pedalboard reveals that he uses many, many pedals:

It would not be affordable to buy all the pedals there, as some of them are very expensive and it would be hard to find all of them in one store at one time such as at Guitar Center or Sam Ash. Also many of the pedals are very big so you’d need to be strong to carry them around. Instead, in order to sound like Animal Collective I recommend a good multieffect such as the Electro-Harmonix Tone Tattoo which does Fuzz, Chorus and Delay all in one box there! So you don’t need to get another box! According to EHX the Fuzz part of the pedal “gives you huge metal-flavored distortion that will rock any gig.” and the delay part is good too because they said “Stomp onto the Memory Toy section and you have access to up to 550ms of delay time – plenty for thickening up your solos. ” This pedal is affordable too, it sells for like $210. That’s only abour $70 per pedal effect, which is a very cheap amount for these effects.

This is obviously a good choice of pedal for someone who wants to play rock music, such as Animal Collective.

 

Playing music that sounds like Animal Collective isn’t easy, but with these gear selections your life just got a whole lot easier without breaking the bank.

 

A Gear House Is Not A Gear Home

Making a gear house into a gear home should be on the top of the to do list for any aspiring musician. In order to do this, we’ll need to create a safe and friendly space for our gear to live. With guitars, you’ll need to put them in a protective bag or case to bring them around when you want to show your friends or take them down the road to play a piece of music. People always ask, how do I make a transportable home for my guitar? Well, there are a few options. For those starting out the best option is a gig bag. Usually a gig bag has straps so you can wear it over your back like a backpack. This is a ideal for short trips to the coffee shop, deli, or other restaurant. You put it over your back and go without any muss or fuss about having to use your hands to carry it. On the other hand, these cases are soft and don’t protect well from the outside world. If you want to do this you’ll need a hard shell case. A hard shell case is best for those rugged tour worn musicians who move distances longer than to the coffee shop, deli, or other restaurant. You can throw a hard case around a tour van or when loading into a large rock venue and the guitar is safe inside because of the foam on the interior and a hard plastic material on the outside. The hard plastic can absorb shock and makes a guitar last a lot longer because it isn’t exposed directly to the elements like heat, light, or water. These pieces of gear are the unsung heroes of any rock concept because the musician would never have had the chance to play a cool rock riff if the guitar wasn’t able to travel with the musician. Imagine if you have to carry your guitar out in the open at all times – heavens no that would not be ideal – someone could spill a Diet Coke on it or even worse it could be thefted. So cheers to you gig bag and hardshell case for being another unsung hero in the gear family.

Fuzzy Scuzzy Goodness with the KHDK Scuzz Box

Kirk Hammett of Metallica is one of the best and coolest players in the industry today. From the soft begining parts of some Metallica songs (such as Sanitarium) to the hard parts of their other songs, he can do many different sounds with his guitar (and pedals). He collaboarted with the KHDK company to create a very cool Fuzz pedal called the Scuzz box.


 

 

Achieve Ryan Adams’ Tone (on the Cheap) with Guitars and Pedals

King of the Country Rock Tone





Since his breakout in early 2000s Ryan Adams has been Country-Rock’s pretty boy with an even prettier and great guitar tone. From writing his own country songs to performing songs by Taylor Swift, Ryan Adams has been an iconoclastic voice in the world of rock and music for some time now. Sporting his signature denim jacket with pins, Ryan Adams’ has a guitar tone that is very cool, but how can you achieve that tone at home? Read on to find out!


Guitar God

From acoustic slow songs to electric guitar fast songs, Ryan Adams’s distinctive sound can be heard throughout both of those types of guitars. He uses a plethora of axes, including the Gibson SG pictured above all the way through a Fender Strat and a Fedner Tele. But in order to achieve his tone at home you don’t have to break the bank on a $2000 vintage guitar. The truth is that all guitars sound pretty much the same, you are paying extra for the packaging and the look. You can buy the Davison Brown Guitar with Amp combo in order to play guitar and it will cost you under $70! It also includes an amp!






Using Pedals to get the Ryan Adams’s tone

Luckily there’s no need to search far and wide for different pedals to sound like Ryan Adams because a company just put out a pedal that makes the Ryan Adams sound. The name of the pedal is called VCR which stands for Volume, Chorus, Reverb. It even says Ryan Adams’s name on the pedal too! The volume controls the loudness level of the guitar. Chorus is a effect that makes the guitar sound like the 80s sound of guitar and reverb makes it sound like its in a space. This is the three effects that Ryan Adams used to achieve his tone but in one box now. So you don’t need to go the Guitar Center and buy a bunch of different pedals, just buy this one pedal and you will sound just like him. It’s a country-rock pedal.

 



Sounding like Ryan Adams, who makes great country songs, is not an easy task. BUt now using this gear and equipment your life just got a whole lot easier.

How to Sound like Ariel Pink with Guitars and Pedals (On a Budget)

Emo Music Star

Ariel Pink made a big splash when he first came out with his rock music. Alot of people liked the way it sounded and thought that it was good. He made weird rock music that sounded like it was dirty and old. But how can you achieve the Ariel PInk’s sound using guitars and guitar pedals that are available on the market?

The first step to sounding like Ariel Pink’s music is to get a guitar. Because he makes rock music, a guitar is a key ingredient in baking the perfect delectable song.  While he uses many, many different cool guitars, we reccomend using the Squier Stratocaster, which is a good guitar that you can get for a good price.

This guitar is a Pink squier strat, because of his name, Ariel Pink.

What about an amp?

There are many, many amps available on the market. Everything from Orange Amps to Marshall Half Stacks have been used to create killer rock sounds, but which one should you get to sound like Ariel PInk? Because he is a rock artist, any rock-style amp would do the trick. We reccomend the Marshall Half Stack because it’s a classic amp that has a very loud and good tone to it.

This clip from his new “Dedicated to Bobby Jameson” album shows the type of music he makes.

Pedal Machine Music

Pedals have been used by many rock stars to make their music sound different than how it sounded when just the guitar was plugged in. To achieve the Ariel PInk sound that he has on many songs, we reccomend purchasing the DUnlop Crybaby Wah and the Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Fuzz. These pedals were also used by Jimi Hendrix, and are staples of contemporary and classic rock n’ roll. Because Ariel PInk’s music is weird, you can also get a weirder pedal such as a Electro Harmonix Small Stone Phaser Pedal, which was used by Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd.

 

In Conclusion

It’s not easy to sound like Ariel PInk, because he is a rock musician that makes alot of different sounds in his music, BUt with this guide things just got a whole lot easier towards sounding like his music.

 

 

How to Achieve Bob Dylan’s Signature Sound using Guitars and Pedals

Bob Dylan–The Judas of Rock?

When Bob Dylan went Electric at Woodstock in 69 people called him Judas, a bad character from the Bible, because they thought Dylan was also bad just like that character. Today you’d be hard-pressed to find a single person who didn’t think the electric guitar is one of the coolest instruments of all time, meaning Bob Dylan was right about playing one at that time (meaning he was not Judas). He has an iconic and very cool sound, but how can you achieve that sound? Here are some pro tips:

Guitar

Bob Dylan used a Fender Telecaster in this picture from some time ago.

So the best way to look like him guitar wise would be to use a Telecaster. BUt the truth is that not everyone can afford a $600 Telecaster guitar.  SOme people would need to buy something cheaper. Well, today’s your lucky day if you are that perosn because there are many cheaper alternatives. The truth is that all guitars sound the same, and the only difference is in the way some of them look. So we recommend the Full Size Blue Electric Guitar with Amp, Case and Accessories Pack Beginner Starter Package from Davison Guitar which will provide you with an amp and guitar to sound like Bob Dylan for under $100.

 

Pedal to the Metal

Bob Dylan’s sound can also be achieved using a plethora of pedals. We reccomend the Zoom G3Xn Multi-Effects Processor with Expression Pedal for Guitarists because it contains many different sounds in the box, so you can achieve different Dylan sounds with that pedal…everything from Blood on the Tracks to Blonde on Blonde and so much more, at the touch of a button. Phaser, Flanger, Distortion, Delay and Wah Wah can all be achieved with this box.

 

It’s not easy to sound like Bob Dylan, but now you don’t have to break the bank doing it, using these handy tips.

 

 

How to Use Guitar Gear and Pedals to Sound Like Frank Zappa…on the Cheap

Rock God who died

zappa
Frank Zappa was a iconic rock guitar player who was also composer and made many albums while he was alive.
He died a while back but his legacy lives on through many people still liking the music he made when he was alive. He made very weird music that many people liked, but there were also people who didn’t like it..and some who loved it.
He used a wide level of many expensive pieces of gear that cost alot of money but we will show you how to get the F. Zappa sound on a cheaper budget than that.

Start with a Guitar

Frank Zappa played an electric guitar, and he played many different kinds, such as a Fender Stratocaster and a Gibson SG. These are very expensive guitars which are too much money for the beginner trying to learn how to play like him. The secret is that all electric guitars sound exactly the same! The difference is just in the way they look! So start with a cheap guitar if you want to sound like Frank Zappa. WE reccomend the Davison Vintage Sunburst Guitar, which runs for $54.95 at AmAzon and looks like something that Frank ZAppa would possibly use to achieve his special sounds.

Amp is Important

Another key way to sound like Frank Zappa is to play through an Amp. It can be a cheap one if you are on a budget, or a more expensive one if you have more money to spend on it. If you pay more it will probably sound louder, which can be good if you want to be as loud as Frank Zappa was at a concert, but bad if you would wake up the niehgbors. What about this Roland Jazz Chorus Amp that sounds really cool. Mr. Zappa would maybe use the amp if he was alive and could use it. For $599 it could be a good amp to use if you have that much money.

Pedals, Pedals, Pedals and More Pedals

Zappa was known as an innovator of Musical Sounds and used different effects and pedals throughout his long career. Some of the pedals in his arsenal of pedals included Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Fuzz pedals, Wah-Wah pedals (according to his autobiography Mr. Zappa was the one that showed the Wah Wah pedal to Jimi Hendrix, who used it on albums and live). Mr Zappa also used Flangers, Phasers and many other cool and interesting pedals that made his rock guitar tone sound out of this world and very, very interesting and good. Because he used so many pedals the best way to sound like him would be to get your hands on a good cheap multi-effect pedal.  For around $50 you can get the Digitech RP-pedal that has different sounds in the box that can make you sound a lot more like Frank Zappa did when he was alive. It’s definitely a good one because it has different sounds in the box.

 

 

How To Sound Like Jason Isbell on a Budget

Dollars and Sense

jason
Jason Isbell is a country musician that makes good ol’ downhome country music. He is a good player and singer and makes great songs that many people love. His unique guitar tone is great, but how can you try to sound like him without breaking the bank?

Guitars First

Before getting into pedals, let’s talk about guitars. If you don’t love your guitar and amp to begin with, pedals won’t help. And to sound like Jason we are going to want to talk about some of the guitars he uses. Including the First Act Custom Delgada, the Martin D-18 and the Fender Custom Shop Telecaster, these are very expensive guitars that will cost alot of money to get them. So how can you sound like him without buying a really expensive guitar?

Guitars all sound the same

The secret is, while some of Jason’s guitars may look cool, that’s all they are doing. All guitars are the same so you don’t need an expensive one, you’re just paying for the cool look.  So we recommend a budget model. Try this Best Choice Starter Guitar

guitars

which sells for $39 on Amazon.com

 

Get the Amp

Next to sound like JAson you need to get the Amp. There are many cool amps but they cost so much money. Get the cheapest one available online. I reccomend the Danelectro Honeytone to sound like Jason, because it’s $18 and it looks like Country style like something Jason Isbell would play on with its lettering.

honey

Pedals

Jason used many many pedals to get the country sound from his instrument but they were all too expnesive to play like him on a budget. so Just use the guitar and amp combo that i Reccomended and you will be off to a good start to sound like Jason Isbell in no time!


The Rigveda

For the past several years I’ve been obsessing over the ideal Guitar Rig. What’s best? A Fender Vibrolux? An Orange Amp? Or a good ol’ Marshall Half Stack? Should I be running 2 pedalboards in a stereo configuration?

Which pedals should I use to achieve my ideal tone??!

I’ve scoured the forums and YouTube videos trying to find answers, and spent a fortune along the way. A man’s Rig is very important!

I recently saw a book for sale on Amazon.com called the Rigveda, which I thought was about Guitar Rigs.

I was wrong! It’s actually a book of very cool Vedic Hymns. I was dissapointed that it wasn’t about guitar rigs, but very pleased to find out so much information about Hinduism and some of the cool Hymns that they used!