Killer Guitar Feedback at Apartment Living Levels

[dug dog]

Thanks to a poster on the Reaper forum for turning me on to this technique.

I'd never seen these things before, but they're transducers that stick on to various items to turn those items into speakers. (Think milk cartons, cardboard boxes, hollow doors....) Sold under different brand names- Vibe It, Rock It and maybe others.

I sent the monitor output from the headphone jack of my interface into the Vibe It which I stuck to the headstock of my guitar and then I started playing. Yowser! Sweet, heavenly feedback at a sound level that won't wake the baby! A must-have for every bedroom or apartment dwelling home recordist.

 

[dug dog]

Forgot to mention, they're cheap - less than $20.

 

[ashcat_lt]

I think it was I who mentioned it on the Reaper board. Glad to hear it's working out for you. I don't use mine nearly as much as I probably should, mostly because it's a bit awkward with the cable going to the wrong end of the guitar.

 

[dug dog]

It WAS you. Many, many thanks!

 

[GONZO-X]

a more realistic way would be to install a set of fernandez sustainers in the guitar

 

[dug dog]

That Fernandes thing looks pretty slick (I'd never seen one before) but I don't know if I'd call it a more "realistic" solution. The cheapest one I saw costs $249 and requires swapping out your guitar's electronics. It may even require enlarging the control cavity in the guitar and, if you have more than one guitar, then you need more than one Fernandes system.

 

[ashcat_lt]

...and the Fernandez system requires that you only use the bridge pickup.

...and it's electromagnetic feedback, which is in fact noticeably different from the physical feedback caused by actually shaking the body of the guitar.

 

[Armistice]

what things?

 

[ashcat_lt]

-click the picture, it's a link, and only $13!

Mine's called a Boombox, but is exactly as pictured. My gadget-happy mother gave it to me. I was like "WTF do I need this for?", and the it hit me!

 

[Justsomeguy]

that's awesome man! for christmas my better half almost bought me one of these (someone in her office got one and, as she knows i'm a sucker for musical gadgets, thought "oooh, chirstmas!") but didn't as, when she was testing the water and asking me questions about it before christmas, i couldn't think of what i'd do with it! (i have a stereo and headphones, why would i want my fridge or table to be speakers!?). I'm really glad that someones found an awesome use for it! i'm off to reconsider what else i could do with one and drop hints for valentines day

 

[ashcat_lt]

It just occurred to me now that it could also be used for "reamping" purposes to maybe get some unique resonances or something. Maybe stick it on an acoustic guitar, an autoharp/zither, or even maybe a piano. Get a little extra crack and rattle by sticking it on a snare...