Sitar sounds in a pedal

[Pengrin]

Hey guys, I played a sweet Variax 600 the other day and while it had great sounds, the one I liked the most was the sitar sound. The rest of it was good sounding but since I have most of those guitar bases covered I am not interested in buying it for just one sound.

 

Since I won't use it that much I don't want to pay the AUD 1500 for the Variax 600. Tried the Variax 300 but didn't like the feel of it (the 600 was far better for playability).

 

So is there a pedal out there that does a good sitar sound? Any of the multi fx do a good sitar sound?

 

I've heard the Digitech Weapon (Dan Donegan pedal) does on ok Sitar sound. The reviews on the Dano Sitar Swami seem awful.

 

Is this best done with a synth pickup like the Variax or Roland GK-2 over a pedal?

[booher]

i {censored}ing hated the sitar model.

 

you're better off saving up your money to buy a Rogue sitar guitar, or learning how to play the real thing. Only problem with the Rogues, Corals, Jerry Jones (etc.) is that they have godawful intonation.

[SpectralJulian]

Or find a nice open tuning that has a sitar sound to it, put on a clean ring mod setting just so you can get metallic overtones, and some put on some chorus.

[Pengrin]

It is possible I like it because I didn't play it for long. I felt though it would lend itself to getting some cool sounds here and there when recording.

 

I have a keyboard with a sitar program but it sounds rubbish, nothing like a sitar. I thought the Variax at least sounded like a sitar.

 

Yeah I could get a Sitar but that would be a whole new kettle of fish.

 

A pedal would be a nice solution or possibly adding a synth pickup to one of my guitars.

[Pengrin]

So a ring mod could get me close. I have a Zoom G2. I'll have to play with that to see if I can get a decent sitar sound.

[booher]

If the Zoom G2 is as awful as the 505II, then don't count on the ring mod being anywhere near what you want for a sitar sound. Start by trying out a Frequency Analyzer, or the Freq. Analyzer on steroids...the moog.

 

Whenever I tried that Acoustic Variax's sitar setting, I just couldn't get it to sound ANYTHING like I wanted it to. I thought it was awful.

[houseofglass21]

So is pengrin the way Japanese people pronounce "penguin"?

[Pengrin]

Thanks for the suggestions. I play with the G2 ring mod (never tried it yet) and see what happens. I agree, the 505 and 707 ring mods were quite awful.

 

And houseofglass21, Pengrin is a derivative of Penguin I came up with one day when I was coming up with a word made of other words that sounds like another word (Pen + Grin sort of sounds like Penguin, ie Pengrin). And yes I am insane.

 

I only played with the Variax 600 briefly but the sitar sounded tits. Not worth buying but it got me thinking, hence I started this thread.

[Armoredfist316]

I have never played the weapon pedal, but i have heard the sitar model is one of the best things about that pedal. It may be worth a try.

[TrashFace]

boss DD3.

 

delay time really short.

 

feedback close to maxed

 

plug a patch cable in the direct output leading to nowhere.

[Pengrin]

Ok, I played with the ring mod on my G2. Didn't like it. Also tried some stuff with delay with the G2, no dice either.

 

I have a Ibanez DE7 delay. On echo mode with short delay time, lots of repeats and a lead going no where in the dry out output plug it sounded pretty good, not like a sitar, but unique and useful. Thanks for the tip Trashface, I will use this for other sounds.

 

I've been reading and some websites say putting something near the bridge to cause some buzz will get a sitar type sound. I'll read more and experiment on the weekend.

 

Short of that the Digitech Weapon might be the way to go. I listened to the samples recorded by dan Donegan on the Digitech website. The Sitar sounds really good to me at least in the demo.

 

I'll have to find a retailer who stocks it and try the pedal.

 

Cheers for the suggestions guys.