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Solo on "How Long" by Ace


Tom Kiefer

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a classic guitar solo (for me anyway) which still gives me goose bumps is from the 1974 song "How Long" by Ace. I've been trying to replicate that heavy tone, but it's likely as much in the guitar and amp as well as in the effect that is being used, but one can only try.. Is that a phase shifter? It's got that rotary, almost spinning sound, kind of Leslie-like, and I've heard it on many solos of that era and I just love it. and the solo just jumps out too, great tone. Thoughts on how to achieve this sound?

 

Thanks!

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Hi Tom , welcome to the forum...hmmm just youtubed the video, but the audio wasn't great so it was hard to tell. Perhaps two mics were slightly out of phase on the guitar cab...but youtube audio can often sound like that anyway on the whole mix. I did noice the guitarist was playing fingerstyle...that'l sound different to a pick.

 

Wasn't there a Tom Keifer in Cinderella?

 

cheers

 

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It seems obvious there was some sort of fuzz on it, and I think there might be a slow phase shifter or flanger too. Whatever modulation effect it was, it seems like it was set to a rather light effect. I also think a lot of the way the tone was generated had more to do with the way he bent, slid and hammered into double stops. Can anybody get it touch with Paul Carrack(Ace's vocalist) and see if he knows what then guitarist was using?

Always remember that you are unique. Just like everyone else.

 

 

 

 

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A old fave song and solo.

 

I saw Paul Carrack play with Nick Lowe's Noise to Go, opening for Elvis Costello and The Attractions at the World's Fair in New Orleans in 1984 (forever ago), and they played it along with "Tempted" and Carrack's single at the time ("I Need You") and Martin Belmont (from The Rumour) did the solo pretty faithfully. Great show.

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Ok, it took about 2 hours of jammin and fiddlin and trying out different combinations but I've finally found that elusive tone, and it's 110% easier now to get into that groove and climb right inside that classic solo. (can you tell I'm pumped?)

 

I play live using Apple's Logic 9 with various plug-ins, and I used a pair of Candy Fuzz pedals, pinned, into a Vintage British Stack (clean) and finally into a Spin Box pedal and now I'm in retro heaven. That fuzz and vintage Marshall tones are essential in the broth, but the key ingredient is that rotating Leslie sound, the secret sauce of a lot of vintage solos of that era. If anyone else uses Logic I'd be happy to send a copy of the Channel Strip I'm using if you're interested.

 

Tom

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