Re-creating Big Country's classic guitar tone

[@ThePhotoglyph]

Wow! One of the best recreations of Big Country's guitar sound. I've heard people using the actual MXR Pitch Transposer who do not sound as well -programming is obviously the key.

[@benjaminprivitt9530]

Your playing on Inwards is fantastic. I'm so grateful for this demo. I was able to emulate this sound on my Boss Katana using the turbo overdrive and pitch shifter (the harmonizer had more of an edgy steel drum sound). I got close to your tone for Fields of Fire. A real gift to the community!

[@angleparktv7006]

@benjaminprivitt9530 Thanks so much for your kind comments! Yep...turbo overdrive without being too heavy. I'm constantly fiddling about with the settings for the pitch shifter, so that it doesn't have so much of the Jamaican steel drum sound...just a nice bit of chime. Our other guitarist has same set-up as you; with a Katana...although I'm trying to get him to roll back with the chime a little lol

[@adrianchin69]

Thanks for sharing mate. Probably first time I've seen someone recreate the BC sound so well.

[@jg769]

Great video, thanks for sharing. Stuart Adamson had a way with guitar sounds that hadn’t been heard before or since. It’s amazing to think that The Crossing was released nearly 40 years ago.

[@RobUttley]

I've got a Katana MkII 100 ... off to play with the Tone Librarian to see if Boss included the Harmoniser in there too.... thank you, you've got a great take on that sound right there!

[@originalhaggis]

Great video and well done with recreating “the sound!” 👍🏼

[@johnmalone4373]

Very cool! Loved hearing that BC sound. Thx for sharing.

[@scopex2749]

That is totally superb! I have been a lifelong fan of BC and guitarist, it is so sad we lost Stu Adamson so young One of my favourites is 'Lost Patrol' and I did find out from one of the techs in the band that Stu used an 'Ebow' (electric bow - a small silver , fits in the palm of your right hand, agadget that you rest on the strings to vibrate them) Luckily i managed to grab one as they are obsolete now as far as I know. The LONG sustain note at the intro was produced by this amazing device. I tried for ages to reproduce it without luck until I found out about the Ebow - I still have it but arthritis has destroyed my hands and I cant play guitar much anymore only keyboards. I never managed to get that sound you have produced now I know how its done! I used to use a Line 6 DL4 but it never really got the sound.

[@angleparktv7006]

Thanks so much for the compliment! Correct....the album version of Lost Patrol has Stuart using an Ebow for the elongated lead intro. The chrome ones are hard to find these days...they're the plastic ones with a harmonic switch nowadays. Sorry to hear about your playing issues with your hands.

[@scopex2749]

@@angleparktv7006 thank you - yes its hard to play now so i just watch the experts! Do you know if he used the GT-5 for 'Walk The Hill'? It always amazed me being part Scots, that he managed to make his guitar sound like bagpipes! Incredible!!

[@angleparktv7006]

@scopex2749 No....the GT-5 is just my own multi-effects unit that I use to try & get somewhere close to the BC sound...I've had it for 20 years lol. Stuart & Bruce both used a rack-mounted MXR pitch transposer unit to create what everyone refers to as the 'bagpipe' guitar sound back in the 80's. They're another thing that's very hard to find these days. The MXR is only part of a more complex rack mounted effects system featuring things like echo & reverb etc. I just do it the easy way by using a the multi-effects unit at my feet lol! To answer your question regarding 'I Walk The Hill'....there's probably not a lot of the pitch-shifter used on it...if any...it's more to do with the opening riffs being doubled up & with overdubs added in.

[@helter2K10]

Great work - thanks for sharing

[@jergervasi3331]

Well done!

[@lando7561]

Great sound. Thanks for sharing

[@beejdailey9824]

Great job bravo!

[@kevinlambert3161]

Thanks so much for that. What amp sim/gain etc are you using? I know Stuart used an HH solid state but I've noy found the sim on new modellers.

[@angleparktv7006]

@kevinlambert3161 Hi Kev! The multi-effects was run into a Line 6 150watt combo. Could pretty much do it with any amp as I was simply using the bass, mid & treble on the amp. Everything else is on the effects unit; turbo overdrive, delay, reverb & harmoniser/pitch-shifter. Not too heavy on the overdrive & keep the effect level relatively low on the pitch-shifter; so that you can just hear it chiming without sounding like a Jamaican steel drum 😉

[@kevinlambert3161]

@@angleparktv7006 Brilliant . Thanks for that, I’m having a lot of fun with Harvest Home. I’m using the Tweed sim at the moment with the Turbo off but I’ll try a cleaner amp with the Turbo on 👌🏻

[@Philly5G]

Amazing!!!!

[@larshausted4257]

Great stuff, great band. Do you by any chance know how they made the guitar on ‘Everything I Need’ - the one where the notes are prolonged? Sounds like a mix between an electric guitar and a violin - but mostly a guitar though 😊

[@angleparktv7006]

Hi Lars, thanks for that! Yes, the sound on 'Everything I Need' is produced by an E-bow.

[@larshausted4257]

@@angleparktv7006Thank you 🥂👍

[@billybyrne523]

You didn't just have a rattle, you had a savage rattle in fairness to ya.😀

[@loutiscrive]

nice one!!!!!!!!!

[@OPTIONALWATCH]

How did the band fake that sound? I always thought they were bagpipes. How could that be? 2:07 I like how this gentleman pronounces "Turbo" I own a GR-55 maybe I can do something with that.

[@andymiles3886]

Cool stay alive

[@Voxyness]

👌

[@londoncalling1757]

This is great, now I can get my guitar to sound like a set of bagpipes....

[@angleparktv7006]

😆😆😆🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@ThePhotoglyph]

Only critique I would offer is as you're recording with your phone, proximity is allowing it to pick up your picking noise, if you could place the mobile nearer the speaker, that might help.

[@mario486waluigi2]

Are you Scottish?

[@angleparktv7006]

No....close though lol! About 25 miles from the west coast of Scotland. I'm from Northern Ireland 😁