« Guitar Hero? | Main | The Good ‘Ole Days »
My “Edge” Tribute
By admin | November 16, 2007
Less is more.
We’ve heard it said hundreds of times, and most of the time it applies. Backing off and leaving people wanting more is so much more enticing than giving people way too much to handle, especially in a musical sort of environment. We’ve all had the experience of trying out a new band - we throw the CD in, click through the first track or two, and figure out very quickly that the music is just too “busy”. Its like they tried to cram 12 minutes of music in to a 4 minute space: it just gets annoying. I believe in music, there is an element of “space”, where sometimes its alright not to have the biggest possible sound we can achieve. We have to play a song leaving somewhere to go, and if the song calls for us to get as big, loud, and rockin as we can, you can’t make that the norm. You wait for those moments, and treat them well when they arrive.
David Howell Evans has mastered that. You know him as The Edge from U2.
I believe he is one of the most influential and pioneering guitar players of the last 2 decades, and certainly one of the most recognizable. Anybody who has spent any time listening to The Joshua Tree, Unforgettable Fire, or even How To Dismantle an Atomic Bomb has become familiar with that signature Edge tone and feel, and whether you love U2 or hate them, The Edge is still someone worthy of some recognition. When U2 was getting started in the early 80’s, speed metal (and metal in general) was the dominant genre by far. Classic rock was fading out, and the likes of Metallica, Van Halen, and Megadeth were storming on to the scene with a whole new twist on rock & roll. This seemed to not affect The Edge, who stuck with his style and with it helped launch one of the most successful rock bands of all time.
Now 25 years later, he is still part of an elite team of musicians who continues to crank out great music. He was listed as #24 in Rolling Stone’s Greatest Guitar Players of All Time, and while I don’t put much stock in those sort of lists I would say they got one thing right! His style is just as recognizable today as it was was 20 years ago, as well as just as enjoyable. After a little research, I managed to find an equipment list of his effects rig. Check it out, you’ll be druling:
- Pedals and Rack
- “Floor board” - Digitech WH-1, Dunlop Wah, Skrydstrup SC-1 (foot controller which controls the gear in rack, and the pedals as well.)
- “Rack” -Lexicon PCM, TC 2290 Dynamic Delay, Line6 Pod Pro, Korg SDD 3000, AMS S-DMX, Korg A3, Line 6 CUSTOM Distortion Pro, Rockton DVC
- “Pedals” - BOSS CS-2, BOSS DD-3, BOSS FA-1, BOSS GE-7, BOSS PW-2, EHX Big Muff, Ibanez Tube Screamer, Lovetone Doppelganger, Lovetone Meatball
And of course all of that is run through the legendary Vox AC30, but he can also be seen on stage with a Fender Deluxe Tweed from time to time (see Live at Slane Castle DVD). To power it all, he uses a myriad of axes, probably the most famous of which being his Gibson Explorer. He doesn’t stop there by any means, frequently switching to Strats, Les Pauls, and all sorts of other goodies. A thoroughly envy-worthy gig, without a doubt.
But what makes him The Edge (other than the wool beanie) is that flawless playing style. He seems to always have the perfect riff at the perfect moment, an ability I will eternally be envious of. He is the ultimate “ensemble player”, completely understanding when to play and (more importantly) when NOT to play. He seeks to compliment music with his riffs, as opposed to stealing the overall value the song is offering. He knows something inherently that every guitar player needs to hear at some point:
Less is more.
After pasting in all the effects, it got me thinking - leave a comment and let me know what you are running! Let us know what sweet a sweet rig you have so we can all be jealous…
Topics: Guitarists of note |