Electric Guitar Effects

Question 1

How was distortion originally achieved?

Answer 1

By overloading the circuitry at some point in the signal chain

Question 2

When valve amplifiers used almost exclusively until?

Answer 2

The late 60s/early 70s

Question 3

What did solid-state amplifiers use in their construction rather than valves?

Answer 3

Transistors

Question 4

Why were transistors used in solid-state amps rather than valves?

Answer 4

There were cheaper, smaller and more reliable

Question 5

Why has there been a resurgence in the use of valve amplifiers?

Answer 5

They soft clip the signal, giving a warmer overdrive

Question 6

What is overdrive?

Answer 6

A term commonly used to describe a form of distortion that is smoother than fuzz

Question 7

What is guitar overdrive usually used for?

Answer 7

Chordal passages and riffs

Question 8

Who made the guitar effect ‘fuzz’ famous?

Answer 8

Jimi Hendrix

Question 9

Why does the guitar effect, fuzz, work better with solo lines than with chords?

Answer 9

Because simultaneously sounding notes all interfere with each other, merging in a dissonant fashion

Question 10

With regards to distortion effects, what is the gain?

Answer 10

The drive, giving the amount of distortion

Question 11

With regards to distortion effects, what is the output parameter?

Answer 11

The volume of the output to compensate for the increase in gain necessary to achieve distortion

Question 12

With regards to distortion effects, what does the tone control do?

Answer 12

Controls the cut-off frequency of a low pass filter

Question 13

In what genre is wah wah commonly used on guitars?

Answer 13

Funk

Question 14

How is a wah wah effect created?

Answer 14

By sweeping the centre frequency of a band pass filter

Question 15

What does the effect, vibrato, do?

Answer 15

modulates the pitch of the signal using an LFO

Question 16

How does a guitarist create a vibrato effect?

Answer 16

By moving their finger on the fretboard

Question 17

What does the effect, tremolo, do?

Answer 17

Modulates the volume of the signal using an LFO

Question 18

Historically, how were modulation effects created?

Answer 18

Using tape machines or rotary speakers

Question 19

How were tape machines used to create modulation effects?

Answer 19

• Recording would be duplicated and played simultaneously on two tape machines
• Hand pressure was applied to one of the reels, slowing it down, creating a slight delay and variation in pitch

Question 20

What physics effect does a rotary speaker take advantage of?

Answer 20

The Doppler Effect