The Edge - Full Rig Rundown

Roysterdoyster

When I hear The Edges guitar from The Joshua Tree which is 30 + years old,it still excites me. Intro to "Streets", "Still haven't found..." probably my favourite riffs of all time,which for me are made as much by the sound,as to what he his actually playing.  Songs like Pride/Bad which are even older are still amazing to my ear now. Highly original and timeless. 

TA22GT

thegummy said:

impmann said:

So many people knock him, but genuinely, I think he is actually technically pretty good - playing sparsely, playing economically and playing *THE SONG* seems to be three things most guitarists find impossible to do, these days. Most of those held up as "great" guitar players overplay...

And those that cover his work tend to sound nothing like him, or anywhere near as 'clean' as his playing is.

I think this is even more true for bass. In my opinion, the best bass line for the song is usually stuff learned by beginners. I sing and play bass in my band so only have the ability to play simple lines but one time when my throat was too sore to sing I just played the bass and it was boring. So I realised a lot of fancy bass lines are written to avoid boredom than because it improves the song.

Used to be a fan but not so much theses days but when you listen back at The Joshua Tree album there are some ground breaking sounds on that album.
To reiterate what Gummy is saying about bass lines just listen to the simple but haunting bass line on With or Without you. Simple bass, haunting guitar  but the atmosphere that intro creates is fantastic. Probably the greatest love song ever written.
The drums lift it to another place.

Bridgehouse

John_A said:

thegummy said:

impmann said:

So many people knock him, but genuinely, I think he is actually technically pretty good - playing sparsely, playing economically and playing *THE SONG* seems to be three things most guitarists find impossible to do, these days. Most of those held up as "great" guitar players overplay...

And those that cover his work tend to sound nothing like him, or anywhere near as 'clean' as his playing is.

I think this is even more true for bass. In my opinion, the best bass line for the song is usually stuff learned by beginners. I sing and play bass in my band so only have the ability to play simple lines but one time when my throat was too sore to sing I just played the bass and it was boring. So I realised a lot of fancy bass lines are written to avoid boredom than because it improves the song.

New Year's Day - Wouldn't have been the same with Jaco Pastorius

I’m about to commit bassist herecy - I know he’s the Hendrix of bass playing but I find his stuff a total turn off.

ICBM

Bridgehouse said:

John_A said:

New Year's Day - Wouldn't have been the same with Jaco Pastorius

I’m about to commit bassist herecy - I know he’s the Hendrix of bass playing but I find his stuff a total turn off.

Well there's a first.
















I totally agree with you .

Bridgehouse

ICBM said:

Bridgehouse said:

John_A said:

New Year's Day - Wouldn't have been the same with Jaco Pastorius

I’m about to commit bassist herecy - I know he’s the Hendrix of bass playing but I find his stuff a total turn off.

Well there's a first.
















I totally agree with you .

Admit it. We have loads of bassing things in common

Voxman

The Edge doesn't pretend to be a great guitarist - he's very aware of his limitations but it's actually the whole reason why he developed his distinctive sound, to try & compensate and fill out his sound with all those delays.  He's great live, has a very individual sound, is very competent at what he does, and is a master of 'less is more'.  Plus he comes across as a very nice unassuming guy in interviews etc.  I like the guy!

dindude

Voxman said:

The Edge doesn't pretend to be a great guitarist - 

See, we’re on the same page with the outcome, but this really winds me up. The Edge IS a great guitarist, that’s the point. He uses the instrument as a true sonic weapon, and has created some iconic guitar moments, which makes him a great guitarist. He may not be a great technician, which is different. 

stickyfiddle

dindude said:

Voxman said:

The Edge doesn't pretend to be a great guitarist - 

See, we’re on the same page with the outcome, but this really winds me up. The Edge IS a great guitarist, that’s the point. He uses the instrument as a true sonic weapon, and has created some iconic guitar moments, which makes him a great guitarist. He may not be a great technician, which is different. 

Wis for this. 

He's my favourite overall guitar player by *miles*. His ability to play melodically and musically is WAY ahead of the "technical" players that are revered by so many but can't write a song to save their lives.

The FX aren't a crutch by any means - they become a fundamental part of the instrument, to the point that they inform the songwriting. 

Moltisanti

i haven't seen U2 since the Elevation tour in 2001 so i looked at the tickets for Manchester Arena...£207 EACH!!!! good grief that is expensive!

Cirrus

To be fair, maybe this is just my own weakness coming through - I think it's even a bit simplistic to say that his playing is quite basic. Parts of his playing are, but then every now and then... Try playing the Until the End of the World guitar solo, with all the ringing notes (live, as well as the actual guitar melody, he's droning against the high E the whole time, and playing the open D, A, and E strings to fill out the sound underneath. It's not, like, shredding or anything, but it's still something to play it cleanly without choking any of the notes. Then there's the Bullet the Blue Sky solo, which has undergone a few iterations over the years but he gets close to shredding with a strat, wah and fuzz at times. Then look at the actual live "One" guitar part - again, playing the bass strings while doing a melody at the same time, pull-offs and hammer ons, a very funky verse riff from halfway through... it's not EVH, but it's a level above the likes of, say, Peter Buck of REM or quite a few other guitarists in a similar genre. Even some metal guitarists - no one questions the skills of Stephen Carpenter from Deftones, or Adam Jones of Tool. And yet, are their catalogues of recorded work more technically advanced than the Edge's? I'd question it.

It just seems to be a social "meme" among musicians that the Edge is great "despite his limitations". I guess it doesn't help that their most famous songs are often the more repetitive basic ones.

guitartango

I can think of another guitar player who may not be the greatest shredder in the world, but most "Heroes" look up to him. Red Strat, Exchoplex and a vox AC30/15 !!! 

redrighthand

Shredders and blues bores are 10 a penny. Edge is a genuine guitar hero. It’s much more about the licks, melodies and beautiful noises than the speed you can move your fingers around the fretboard.

I’ve posted this before but never tire of it. The very young U2, Belfast 1981. Everything here is is right: guitar, bass, drums, frontman. Enjoy:

https://youtu.be/yaTPls-m3sk

thegummy

dindude said:

Voxman said:

The Edge doesn't pretend to be a great guitarist - 

See, we’re on the same page with the outcome, but this really winds me up. The Edge IS a great guitarist, that’s the point. He uses the instrument as a true sonic weapon, and has created some iconic guitar moments, which makes him a great guitarist. He may not be a great technician, which is different. 

If someone picked up a guitar, recorded a few sloppy notes into their computer then used melodyne to create a whole tune with great melody, nice harmonies etc. and used other software to shape the tone etc. - would that person be a great guitarist?

Bridgehouse

thegummy said:

dindude said:

Voxman said:

The Edge doesn't pretend to be a great guitarist - 

See, we’re on the same page with the outcome, but this really winds me up. The Edge IS a great guitarist, that’s the point. He uses the instrument as a true sonic weapon, and has created some iconic guitar moments, which makes him a great guitarist. He may not be a great technician, which is different. 

If someone picked up a guitar, recorded a few sloppy notes into their computer then used melodyne to create a whole tune with great melody, nice harmonies etc. and used other software to shape the tone etc. - would that person be a great guitarist?

If a guitarist is someone who uses a guitar to create really good music, then yes

Roysterdoyster

redrighthand said:

Shredders and blues bores are 10 a penny. Edge is a genuine guitar hero. It’s much more about the licks, melodies and beautiful noises than the speed you can move your fingers around the fretboard.

I’ve posted this before but never tire of it. The very young U2, Belfast 1981. Everything here is is right: guitar, bass, drums, frontman. Enjoy:

https://youtu.be/yaTPls-m3sk

My mum wouldn’t lend (well,give! It was unlikely to be repaid!) me the money (tix were 12/13 quid!),to go to the Joshua Tree Tour gig in The Kings Hall Belfast.....gutted! 

guitartango

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BU-VF9dtWeE

thegummy

Bridgehouse said:

thegummy said:

dindude said:

Voxman said:

The Edge doesn't pretend to be a great guitarist - 

See, we’re on the same page with the outcome, but this really winds me up. The Edge IS a great guitarist, that’s the point. He uses the instrument as a true sonic weapon, and has created some iconic guitar moments, which makes him a great guitarist. He may not be a great technician, which is different. 

If someone picked up a guitar, recorded a few sloppy notes into their computer then used melodyne to create a whole tune with great melody, nice harmonies etc. and used other software to shape the tone etc. - would that person be a great guitarist?

If a guitarist is someone who uses a guitar to create really good music, then yes

Well, we'll all have our opinion on it. I personally don't think that would make them a great guitarist at all.

I'd imagine most people wouldn't, even those who think the Edge is. I'm just making the point that for most people there probably is a cut off where starting off with a guitar and ending up with a good record doesn't necessarily make the person a good guitarist, it depends what else goes on.

Gilmour uses a lot of delays but I think if you took away the delays, there would be plenty of great guitar playing left.

From what I've heard from the Edge, if you took away the delays there wouldn't be. Some people might think there would be, which is fine.

For the people who don't think there would be anything left but you can't judge him without the fx, my melodyne example might be worth considering.

horse

thegummy said: hi

Bridgehouse said:

thegummy said:

dindude said:

Voxman said:

The Edge doesn't pretend to be a great guitarist - 

See, we’re on the same page with the outcome, but this really winds me up. The Edge IS a great guitarist, that’s the point. He uses the instrument as a true sonic weapon, and has created some iconic guitar moments, which makes him a great guitarist. He may not be a great technician, which is different. 

If someone picked up a guitar, recorded a few sloppy notes into their computer then used melodyne to create a whole tune with great melody, nice harmonies etc. and used other software to shape the tone etc. - would that person be a great guitarist?

If a guitarist is someone who uses a guitar to create really good music, then yes

Well, we'll all have our opinion on it. I personally don't think that would make them a great guitarist at all.

I'd imagine most people wouldn't, even those who think the Edge is. I'm just making the point that for most people there probably is a cut off where starting off with a guitar and ending up with a good record doesn't necessarily make the person a good guitarist, it depends what else goes on.

Gilmour uses a lot of delays but I think if you took away the delays, there would be plenty of great guitar playing left.

From what I've heard from the Edge, if you took away the delays there wouldn't be. Some people might think there would be, which is fine.

For the people who don't think there would be anything left but you can't judge him without the fx, my melodyne example might be worth considering.

 Maybe not - your example is "correction" rather than creative enhancement. Maybe guitarists shouldn't be able to use studio compressors in that case?

thegummy

horse said:

thegummy said: hi

Bridgehouse said:

thegummy said:

dindude said:

Voxman said:

The Edge doesn't pretend to be a great guitarist - 

See, we’re on the same page with the outcome, but this really winds me up. The Edge IS a great guitarist, that’s the point. He uses the instrument as a true sonic weapon, and has created some iconic guitar moments, which makes him a great guitarist. He may not be a great technician, which is different. 

If someone picked up a guitar, recorded a few sloppy notes into their computer then used melodyne to create a whole tune with great melody, nice harmonies etc. and used other software to shape the tone etc. - would that person be a great guitarist?

If a guitarist is someone who uses a guitar to create really good music, then yes

Well, we'll all have our opinion on it. I personally don't think that would make them a great guitarist at all.

I'd imagine most people wouldn't, even those who think the Edge is. I'm just making the point that for most people there probably is a cut off where starting off with a guitar and ending up with a good record doesn't necessarily make the person a good guitarist, it depends what else goes on.

Gilmour uses a lot of delays but I think if you took away the delays, there would be plenty of great guitar playing left.

From what I've heard from the Edge, if you took away the delays there wouldn't be. Some people might think there would be, which is fine.

For the people who don't think there would be anything left but you can't judge him without the fx, my melodyne example might be worth considering.

 Maybe not - your example is "correction" rather than creative enhancement. Maybe guitarists shouldn't be able to use studio compressors in that case?

I don't mean playing the tune on guitar then correcting any bum notes, I'm talking about recording a couple of notes then turning it in to a song on the computer.

HarrySeven

stickyfiddle said:

dindude said:

Voxman said:

The Edge doesn't pretend to be a great guitarist - 

See, we’re on the same page with the outcome, but this really winds me up. The Edge IS a great guitarist, that’s the point. He uses the instrument as a true sonic weapon, and has created some iconic guitar moments, which makes him a great guitarist. He may not be a great technician, which is different. 

Wis for this. 

He's my favourite overall guitar player by *miles*. His ability to play melodically and musically is WAY ahead of the "technical" players that are revered by so many but can't write a song to save their lives.

The FX aren't a crutch by any means - they become a fundamental part of the instrument, to the point that they inform the songwriting. 

Spot on @dindude and @stickyfiddle - couldn’t agree 
more.