Wurlitzer/Rhodes sounds from guitar?!

knuckleberryfinn

I'm in a six piece jazz standards band which sometimes plays as a trio (guitar, bass, drums) and I'm trying to get some electric piano type sounds into the set to keep audiences interested over two hour sets. The EHX Key9 looks absolutely perfect (and I think it sounds great) but I don't buy EHX stuff - it always breaks.

So, I'm trying to find another way.  Should I get a Boss ME-80 and try and get close to the sound with compressor, auto wah, phaser and octaver? I could do with the chorus for some other stuff I'm doing too, so this seems a good option. Or are there any individual pedals I should be looking at? Can one of the FB people build me something for the job? Or should I just forget it/learn keys?

I'm not at all a pedal-type person, so bear with me.

Winny_Pooh

Aside from the EHX stuff you cant IMO. You can do a B3 though with a fast rotary, mild drive and a neck pup w the tone rolled back. 

Winny_Pooh

Aside from the EHX stuff you cant IMO. You can do a B3 though with a fast rotary, mild drive and a neck pup w the tone rolled back. 

flying_pie

Boss GT 100 or GT 001 can do some organ sounds. I have a couple of patches on mine. I'll try and record a couple of clips later this week of you want to hear them 

thecolourbox

Organ sounds are easier to do in general than the piano sounds that the OP is after.

OP, if you are able to play even basic keys parts, a second hand Microkorg probably isn't much different in price and can be fiddled with to do an impression of an epiano type thing

impmann

"They always break"

No. They don't *always* - and I've said it before, but I've got *A LOT* of EHX pedals and none of them have ever broken for me. I genuinely don't know what you lot do to your pedals...

Therefore perhaps if thats the sound you want either 1) learn to play the piano and buy a Fender Rhodes, 2) shove a GK3 pickup on your guitar, buy a GR20 Guitar Synth or 3) buy the EHX.

The other two options cost a shit load more, weigh a lot more and if you've ever tried gigging a Fender Rhodes or a Roland GK-based synth system, you'll adore the reliability of the EHX.

thecolourbox

I understand the "EHX always breaking" thing having had a Big Muff Pi, Freeze, Big Muff Germanium, Bassballs and an LPB1 arrive already broken, before I've even used them! Annoyingly the crappy sounding Double Muff won't just break so I can sling it out...

However despite this if I were dead set on that sound and could not play piano, the EHX would have to be worth the risk, if you buy new you at least get warranty.

Otherwise, you could just try tweaking your eq and adding some tremolo, and adjust your playing to include three note chords instead, different accents on the single note playing etc, and you might get something different that is a more natural sounding than a digital approximation?

knuckleberryfinn

@impmann I've had three EHX pedals and they've all broken. I barely even used them. 

I think you're right @thecolourbox that an approximate sound might have to do. I've just bought an ME-80 to experiment with. I'll probably use it once and sell it a year later judging by past form. But worth a go.

prowla

MrMusic

I have to agree, EHX pedals do always break and i stay well away from them. I used to have a Key9 and it did sound great (especially the rhodes sound) but it went kaput just after i bought it. Still havent found an alternative to the key9 to emulate keyboads and sadly not sure there is one. Let me know if you find a decent alternative 

slacker

The 9 pedals don't ike non eh power supplies