Tone Talks.

Weekly talks with your favourite DIY bands, on how they get their tone!

[tonextalks]

Sorry we’ve been quiet lately. Had a lot going on and no internet. Back in buis now.

Here's the riff machine that is Chris Webb from MILK TEETH.

Hey, I’m Chris and I play guitar in Milk Teeth (@milkteethpunx)

Starting at the beginning I use a Korg Pitchblack tuner, it was the first floor tuner I ever used and I think it’s the coolest. It looks bad ass and is easy to see/use on a dark stage.

Next up is my Russian Electo Harmonix Small Stone phase pedal. I only got it a few days ago so haven’t had a lot of time to sit down and play with it but it sounds so good, on my favourite phases ever. I use it mostly to add depth to my lead lines and it’s a good little noise maker too.

Third is another Electro Harmonix Small Clone chorus pedal. I use this on pretty much everything. I love it. One of take most recognisable chorus sounds ever and it’s so easy to use, It’s my boy.

Next is my favourite guitar pedal, the Silly Rabbit by Heavy Child. It’s like a gross (in a good way) sludge distortion pedal and it sounds wicked. So noisey and loud.

Another Electro Harmonix now, the Big Muff Pie fuzz. I use this in some of our slower more meatier song to really make the riffs as heavy as I can. It’s takes up a lot of my board but it’s worth it.

Next in my chain is my MXR Phase 90! It’s cool little pedal but I don’t think it’ll get a lot of use now I’ve got the Small Stone. But I am keeping it on my board tuned up to 11 so it works, almost, like a vibrato pedal for Sound Garden style stuff. But I’ll probably just use it as a gross noise maker really.

Almost there, next is a my old Boss DD3 delay pedal. This was the first pedal I ever bought and I’ve only recently started using a lot on our newer songs! In the studio I used a Strymon Big Sky delay pedal and it was the best thing ever. My little Boss can’t really compare so I’m probably gonna have to upgrade soon. But it does the job for now.

Second from last is my Electro Harmonix Holy Grail Reverb pedal. I don’t use reverb a lot really so didn’t need a fancy one and the size fitted on board excellent. It’s a cool reverb though. Got a load of diversity for such a tiny pedal! Would recommend for sure.

Last is just a Boss Volume Pedal, does what it says on the tin and control the volume. Need that a lot in our set!

My favourite would have to be my Silly Rabbit. I’ve never heard a distortion quite like it, it’s so noise and heavy and it’s perfect for the sort of music I wanna make. It was made Romily Alice (@romilyalice) from one of my favourite bands Japanese Voyeurs. So that’s pretty neat. But I don’t think they are in production anymore :(

[tonextalks]

A little late, but this week we have Josh Bannister. Josh plays in one of the sickest upcoming bands, Milk Teeth. If you'd seen them play live you'll probably want to know how they get such a sick tone. Well here you go! We'll also be putting up Chris' Tone Talks tomorrow. MILK TONE.

I'm josh bannister I play in the heavy rock band known as MILK TEETH in order I've got a boss chromatic tuner which I got because ya gotta stay in tune next in my chain is the mooer shimverb which my girlfriend got me and I wanted it purely for the shimmer setting I'm a massive shoegaze and dream pop fan this pedal gives me the chance to make some dreamy sounds so far I've only used it for the intro of one song and to just make noise. Next in the chain is a mooer ensemble king which is a standard chorus pedal the reason I went for the mooer pedal was 1. It was cheap 2.it has a level depth an rate control which I like I hate pedals with one knob on them don't get anywhere near enough control supposedly the mooer pedals are just boss copies so it's a pretty nice chorus sound and I just have it on constantly. Next in my chain is a Proco rat which is my main distortion it's just filthy I use this on nearly every song we play it's not the greatest for feedback however as it just screams I used one at the studio when we recorded "vitamins" and I fell in love with it it's just gross. I then have a little big muff after the rat this was the first pedal I bought for 25 quid I used it for all the songs on "Smiling Politely" I used to have to change the tone on it for different songs but now I have the rat I have it purely for certain songs the rat is a very thin high gain distortion and I use the big muff too do the opposite to create just a big wall of fuzz it's very warm sounding compared to the rat it's not used much on our new record we just recorded but I've wrote a few songs where it wouldn't sound right without it and sometimes I just wack it on with the rat and just let it get noisy. The last pedal in my chain is a electro harmonix cathedral city reverb I use this pedal for my standard reverb it has the capability too do a wide range of crazy shit but I just have it set on room or hall depending on song and have the blend half way I mostly use it on clean sections of song live like "swear jar" as a way of adding some warmth I also use it on the new record for certain lead lines to make as Chris calls it "ghost noise". I often wack them all on together and just beat the shit out of my guitar that's my favourite part. My favourite pedal on my board is the shimverb you would have to hear it to understand but when it's on the shimmer setting with everything on full it's just beautiful man. As for general pedals I'm a big fan of vibrato pedals I have no use for one right now but I will write something that warrants one and that shall be my favourite pedal http://milkteethpunx.bandcamp.com/

[tonextalks]

Today we have a very lovely read from my man, Billy Hutton from Hindsights. Look out for more info regarding their debut full length real soon. It'll be a belter. https://www.facebook.com/hindsightsuk

Hi! I'm Billy I play guitar and sing in Hindsights.Okay so first in the chain is my volume pedal, I'm not 100% if this is a good or a bad thing but it's where it worked for me. I have the volume set about half way on the pedal to basically roll back the gain instead of completely cutting off the sound. I use this for swells and as a crunch. (Basically didn't want to buy another pedal) Next i've got a Boss T-3 tuner. All tuners are the same I just got this one because I saw Slash used one. Next is the Electro Harmonix big muff wicker. I put this on with the distortion channel from my amp, basically using it for a volume boost with a bit more "ballz" for heavy rock riffs. Next to that but not in the chain a channel switch. After that I've got a line 6 DL4 delay. It's got 3 settings you can program in. I use the digital delay which is my main one I use, I have the mix quite high and the "repeat" quite high. Then I have a tape echo which I only use with the reverb just to add that little bit more space. Then I've got the sweep delay Which I use mainly for "noise" In Between songs just adds a bit of flanger to the delay. Then I've got the Hall Of Fame mini reverb which is incredible and probably my favourite. You can use your phone to change the settings on it......I KNOW! Magic. I've not had a proper mess about yet but I've got it on the "Sigur rós" setting at the moment which is beautiful. And last but not least I've got a electro harmonix small clone which in my opinion is the best Chorus pedal. People say "but it makes you sound like nirvana!!!"...AS IF THATS A BAD THING NERD. I use a fuel tank Jr to power everything \m/You can't really see through how punx it is but before the stickers and drawings my amp was a Orange Thunder 30. Usually don't push it too much with gain because I'm not fortune enough to play beatdown. Usually have it to just about half way. My guitar was a Fender Mexican strat which I ripped apart and made into DIY Tom Delonge custom. I don't like too many switches and buttons on a guitar. I just want it simple. I hope you had fun learning about how i make rock music. Party on.

[tonextalks]

Next up we have one of my best friends, and favourite dudes to talk gear with, Jamie Collison. The Winter Passing's new record "A Different Space Of Mind" has been one of my most anticipated records for a very long time, and it was well worth the wait. Look out for it on Fist In The Air Records. And check out the new track "Creak"

https://www.facebook.com/TheWinterPassing https://soundcloud.com/dog-knights-productions/the-winter-passing-creak

Hi my name is Jamie and I play guitar in The Winter Passing.

Ok so here is my pedal board.

The first thing on my chain is an ERNIE BALL VP JR. I never really knew just how useful this could be to me. I used to spend so much time during sets fiddling around with my volume knob on my guitar in the middle of songs to the point where I'd literally fuck parts up so having full control of the volume at my feet is so handy, just so you can take it up and down as you feel. It's also really cool to fuck around with swells and stuff too.

From here we go into a BOSS TU3. Just your standard tuner. A definite must. Don't go on stage without one.

Next thing you probably see is my footswitch. I know it's not really a pedal as such, but it's actually one of the best things I got starting out. When we started the band I literally used to play with distortion on all the time and turn down for the quiet parts, it wasn't so good. So this is my switch for my dirty channel and cleaner channel. Playing gigs so far from home means I don't always have my head with me so I do often get caught out when there is no footswitch input on the amps provided. For this reason I've bought a little back up distortion pedal.

Okay back to the pedals.

Next up it my JOYO VINTAGE OVERDRIVE. This is my cheap Tube Screamer clone. I picked this up pretty recently online after watching a few demos on YouTube. YouTube is the best when it comes to pedal advice. It's so helpful cause they compare stuff on there and this pedal sounded good to me. I use this as my boost for when I need to get louder during lead parts. Apparently this boosts the mids a lot and that makes it stand out more live. Sometimes I find playing that I can't hear my guitar on stage. I read online somewhere that if you boost the mids on your amps and lower the treble and bass a little that it stands out a lot more in the mix. I've tried it and it does work. The guitar sounds a little muddy on its own and I wouldn't record this way but it's a good way to make yourself heard live. Sometimes turning up your volume to be heard isn't always the best option.

So after this is my BIYANG FUZZ STAR. This bad boy is fresh out of the box. I haven't got to play with it much but I believe its a Big Muff clone. It does sound good though. Again YouTube was my best friend when I was checking out this. We used some fuzz pedals for parts of our new record so I wanted to pick up something, and these are cheap so I said why not?

Next up is the ELECTRO HARMONIX SMALL CLONE. So everyone knows this is the Kurt Cobain pedal. I always wanted a chorus pedal and this is the one that comes to mind when I think chorus, so I picked it up on ebay. I like to use it sparingly to be honest. I do use it a little on the new album. I find if you turn the knob up fully it almost has a tremolo/organ sound. I like that. It's freaky.

After this is the BOSS TR 2. This is just your basic tremolo pedal. I just use a little of this here and there for effect. A lot of our older stuff was kinda Gaslight Anthem influenced, I still love that band, but I heard Brian Fallon speak about how he constantly has some tremolo on during all his parts. I think thats the main reason I wanted one. I like how they sound. I really like when the Rate and Depth are turned up full, it has that really choppy sound, that's cool.

Next for me is my BOSS DD3. It's amazing what you pick up and learn from other bands. Nearly all the pedals I buy are because I've watched someone else use them live or I heard it on a recording and I liked it. When we toured with Forrest, Ryan used to use one of these. I thought it was so awesome and so spacey. I thought to myself "Ya I need some of this". He was cool enough to let me try his and since I've bought my own. I just use it for lead parts here and there to make it sound a bit more MASSIVEEE. Billy from Hindsights also let me try some of his stuff on tour. It's the best way to learn shit and pick up ideas. Go on tour.

Last on my chain is my ELECTRO HARMONIX HOLY GRAIL PLUS. I think this is my favourite pedal. I use it for almost all my lead parts just to give it that space and depth. I really like how it sounds clean too. It's lovely. I always feel after every pedal I buy that, that's all I'll need but I always find something new I want to try. I'm currently into ripping off Aaron Dessner from The National so who knows what I'll pick up next.

My main guitar is my Fender telecaster. I have had this guitar for almost 7 years now and I still love it. I've always wanted a telecaster. There's just something about the headstock that I love and I love how simple they look. I switched the bridge pick up to a Seymour Duncan Hot Rail. It's basically like a humbucker but in single form. I was too afraid to cut into the guitar when I first got it so I went for this option. I needed something to make the guitar sound a little beefier.

This all runs through a Marshall JCM 2000 with a 1960 cab. It's kind of the first amp I learned about back when I decided I wanted to buy a half stack. It does the job but I wouldn't mind upgrading eventually. I rarely get to use this live as we always travel for shows and it's impossible to bring with limited transport so it's always cool to try out new amps on the road at different shows.

11th - Dublin - Fibbers w/Balance and Composure, Seahaven & Milk Teeth

14th - Dublin - Academy 2 w/The Subways

15th - Glasgow-13th Note w/Algernon Doll, The Sinking Feeling, Veto https://www.facebook.com/events/567221823383607/?fref=ts 16th - Aberdeen- downstairs w/Algernon Doll, Lung Season, Cavalcades https://www.facebook.com/events/726441200724783/?fref=ts 17th - Newcastle - The Central w/Algernon Doll & Shades  https://www.facebook.com/events/701692396566668/?fref=ts 19th - Birmingham - Scruffy Murphy’s w/Algernon Doll https://www.facebook.com/events/1521935511357062/ 20th - Nottingham - JT Soar w/Algernon Doll & Max Jennings  https://www.facebook.com/events/341073392733515/?fref=ts 21st - London - The Stags Head w/Algernon Doll, Playlounge & Doe  https://www.facebook.com/events/294927697374715/?fref=ts 22nd - Guildford - The Keystone w/Algernon Doll, Our Lost Infantry, Faux, A Bear Called Tom https://www.facebook.com/events/1466425620290894/?fref=ts 23rd - Swansea - Mozarts w/Algernon Doll https://www.facebook.com/events/310541652458487/?fref=ts

25th - Dublin - Academy 2 w/Framing Hanley

[tonextalks]

First up we have everyones favourite bassist, Josh BT. This is for anyone that has ever wondered how South Wales’ Pipedream have such a beefy live sound for a three piece. Check out their new two track record “April Showers” on bandcamp. www.facebook.com/pipedreamcc www.pipedreamcc.bandcamp.com

Hi my name is Josh or BT and I play bass in the bands Pipedream and Question the mark. I’ve also filled in for Forrest. and Deadlines.

Currently on my board I have (in signal chain order)

Electro harmonix big bass muff pi Boss TU-2 tuner Little bear RATtack Bespeco VM14 volume pedal TC Electronic ditto looper Tech 21 Sansamp BDDI Soundlab pedal power 450

My bass muff and RATtack pedals are for the overdriven sections in pipe dream songs. Because we’re only a 3 piece sometimes there can be quite a lot of space sonically so overdrive just helps fill out the sound a little. At the moment i’m only using the bass muff because the RATtack is a new pedal i’ve got and i’m still trying to fiddle with it and get a good sound from it.

I send the dry out of the muff into my tuner because the output section of my tuner doesn’t work. I’m also working on the theory that it’ll make the signal chain a bit less noisy if its on directly in it. The output section breaking is also the reason for the volume pedal. It means i can still tune silently.

The ditto looper is a pretty new pedal as well but i’m gonna get rid of it soon. It’s a cool pedal but its not what i need. I’m hoping to swap it for a jam man solo so we can add samples into our live shows.

The sansamp i use as my preamp. Its the first pedal i bought and its probably the best pedal i’ve ever bought. It makes a sound engineers job a breeze and sounds great.

I’m gonna go with my sansamp as my favourite pedal. It sounds great and is pretty versatile. I’ve made 100 quid heads sound like 500 quid heads. It can make just about any bass or amp sound amazing.