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Flanger for under $50?


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Well, I live and die by my Boss BF-3. It was $110 after I got the goons at my local shop to reduce the price to what Musician's Friend was charging. They were trying to charge me $180!! It's the best flanger I've ever heard, but that's ridiculous. I don't even use mine much. However, the reason I like the Boss BF-3 is becuase its very versatile. It can go from swirling chorus-like sounds to on the edge of phaser sounds to harsh jetplane effects. I tried a BF-2 once, and it doesn't even compare. But honestly bluestrat - I've given up on all cheap flangers. The one on my DG-Stomp sounds horrible.
Shut up and play.
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Slightly OT...trying to remember a few songs using a flanger??????

 

I don't know if he used a flanger, but my band does "Too Rolling Stoned" by Trower and my flanger nails the tone very well. I do know that a flanger was used on the vocals on "Tube Snake Boogie".

I thought I was wrong once, but I was mistaken...
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Originally posted by guitar geezer:

Slightly OT...trying to remember a few songs using a flanger??????

 

(Oh yeah..I always say Musicians Fiend..not out of menaness, bought a lot of stuff there...I just like messin with words ;) )

 

LynNG

No problem. I just thought it was a typo. I'm trying to practice good journalism and grammar skills, as that's one of my classes this semester, Critical Thinking and Writing JOURN 1002. I call it Learn to Be a Grammar Nazi.
Shut up and play.
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Originally posted by fantasticsound:

First, I own a Danalectro Hashbrowns pedal and it sound fantastic. I'd put it up against many far more expensive flanger pedals. Quiet, too.

 

As for songs, LynnG...

 

How about the granddaddy of gratuitous rock flanger... Heart's Barracuda! :D

That's one of the finest songs ever recorded. The song that made me want a flanger was Lenny Kravitz's 'Are You Gonna Go My Way?'. It's only used in the bridge/guitar solo part, on the rhythm guitar. I remember being 12 and saying 'MAN THAT SOUNDS LIKE A JET TAKING OFF!!!' and I asked my brother what it was, and he told me. Of course, I was poor then, and I still haven't bought a flanger, but still... the memories. I'm saving up for a BOSS ME-50 right now, so no effects for awhile. Once I get that, I can pick and choose some individual boxes, for different tones. :thu:
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Originally posted by bluestrat:

Has anyone tried the DOD FX-75 flanger? It's right at $50 at musician's friend and I know that the case is metal, not plastic like the Danelectro's.

That's what I use. I picked it up on eBay for $35 a little while ago. IT works great and I love the tone (it even doubles as a chorus pedal with the feedback pulled all the way down).

Whenever you find that you are on the side of the majority, it is time to reform.

Mark Twain (1835-1910)

--------------------

Reporter: "Ah, do you think you could destroy the world?" The Tick: "Ehgad I hope not. That's where I keep all my stuff!"

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I've got a coupla' DOD pedals that I got on ebay. They're well made and sturdy. I got the FX-55C (Distortion) and the FX-90 (Delay, the one I was really after) for $25 with s & h included.

 

DOD's don't seem to go very high on ebay.

 

The delay is a fine "basic" delay and the distortion is WAY over the top. I wanted a delay to see if I'd use one much before I got a "good" one. The distortion I figured I could use for metal mashin' :D

 

Dave

Gotta' geetar... got the amp. There must be SOMEthing else I... "need".
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You might check out a used rack unit. The old ADM Effectron delays do a very thick flange with the added benefit of being able to go to longer delay times where guitar boxes usually din't go. If you fiddle with the knobs, they also can do the Radiohead OK Computer effect that's at the end of one of those songs whose title I can't remember.

 

Anyway, the Effectron Jr. is the one I've got, and I've seen them for around $50. They have a jack for a footswitch so you can bypass them as you would a pedal.

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Definitely check out ebay as you'll probably get more for your $50 used. If you keep your eyes open, you can sometimes snipe a Boss BF-2 (industry standard) for under $50, although it might not look too pretty. I generally haven't been too happy with FX series DOD pedals but I've never owned an FX flanger. Effects are pretty subjective anyway. The little Danelectros might be pretty cool for the money too. I have a French Toast that I like and the only thing I'm not happy with is the noise. It's a fuzz though, so it's kinda the nature of the beast. Also, on ebay, the Ibanez Soundtank series pedals often go for next to nothing, like in the teens. I picked up a Soundtank compressor for under $10 and a flanger for something like $16, both plus shipping. To me, they sound pretty damn good and the plastic case is sturdy enough if you're not gigging with it often. Oh yeah, I had an old Arion Flanger that I just gave to a buddy of mine. I hated it and he LOVES it, so that tells you a bit about the subjective nature of this whole subject.

 

As far as songs with flanger go, I point directly toward Roth-era Van Halen. EVH just used the effect to spice up little sections here and there, and I can't think of a more judicious user of the flanger. "Ain't Talkin 'bout Love" has cool little flanged bits, including the part during the outro where he's not really playing anything so you just here the flanger noise sweep. The clean intro to "Talk about it Later"; The "chunk chunk chunk chunk" in "Unchained" and many, many more. Dammit, now I gotta go break out some VH CDs! :D

None more black.
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Originally posted by Chipotle:

You might check out a used rack unit. The old ADM Effectron delays do a very thick flange with the added benefit of being able to go to longer delay times where guitar boxes usually din't go. If you fiddle with the knobs, they also can do the Radiohead OK Computer effect that's at the end of one of those songs whose title I can't remember.

 

Anyway, the Effectron Jr. is the one I've got, and I've seen them for around $50. They have a jack for a footswitch so you can bypass them as you would a pedal.

Hey Chipotle,

 

I think I've got one of those Effectron Jr's! It's a JR 350, IIRC. I got it for $50 off e-bay, but it doesn't quite do the jet airplane flange thing, not like a BOSS, DOD, Danelectro, or Ibanez foot-pedals. I'm bidding on a Rocktek Flanger, it's at $10 right now. :D I just won a Rocktek Vibrato for $15. :cool:

 

There's four jacks on the back of the Effectron, and I didn't get any sort of instruction sheet with mine. How is that bypass switch wired? Maybe I can make one for mine. I've built a cabinet for it, but it's not finished yet. It's got space for three more units of the same size, so I've got room to expand. :D

BlueStrat

a.k.a. "El Guapo" ;)

 

...Better fuzz through science...

 

http://geocities.com/teleman28056/index.html

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I'm going to have to look when I'm back at the studio as mine's racked up there. I think the four jacks are in, out, dry out, and bypass. Bypass is the one you want, although if they're not labeled, it'll be hard to find. Just a regular footswitch, locking not momentary, should work.

 

I haven't done a formal side by side comparison, but I've messed around with an old, grey MXR flanger, either the boss or Ibanez yellow four knob one, and other digital multieffects like the SPX90 or Alesis, and I think flange wise the Effectron sounds the richest and gets the most extreme sound. It'll do airplanes. Mess around with it some more; slow speed, high feedback, and fiddle with the delay time. They're a bit noisy for recording, but what can you expect for $50? I like them.

 

A vibrato pedal for $15 sounds like a pretty good deal! You'll have to report back on that one and I'll take a look and let you know what the layout of the jacks on the effectron is.

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