How to get a DJ scratching effect?

DiscoStu

We're planning doing Sabotage by Beastie Boys and I want to do the DJ scratching sounds with my guitar. I've got a Whammy pedal but can't quite figure out the best way to achieve it.
Any tips?

digitalkettle

I think Tom Morello gets a similar effect by scraping the strings whilst using a kill switch.

DiscoStu

Yeah I was trying to find a Tom Morello tutorial vid, he's got quite a few but couldn't find a scratching one.
I've got a guitar with two volumes and a 3-way toggle switch so that's worth a go for 'killswitch' but I assumed there'd be a Whammy involved somehow

TJT1979

We do Sabotage, and I get the scratching thing just by scraping the pick along the low wound strings. You can change the pitch to a certain extent simply by changing the speed. It's not perfect but in the mix is definitely good enough. 

To be clear I have the pick perpendicular to the strings, and run it along the low E, in the direction of the string. Using the long edge/side of the pick, not the tip.

AntonHunter

Pretty sure he demonstrates it in his Rig Rundown. Been a while since I watched it though

Kurtis

Killswitch works OK with scratchy/fuzzy sustain. 

EricTheWeary

The Rainger FX Break Box has a built in scratch pad thing. I think (might be wrong) that the pedal needs to be in on mode though which is high gain distortion and optional weird chorus. 

Headphones

there'd be a certain irony by sampling it from a 90's rap video and triggerring it...

NicoAdie

Pick scratch -> distortion -> some sort of random out of tune pitch shift...et voila.

soma1975

Morello used to do it with an Allen Key

DiscoStu

Right, I'll give some of these a go. Cheers!

TTBZ

Allen key was for People Of The Sun intro I think. For the scratching in Bulls On Parade I seem to remember a video of him saying it's just his hand, then he boosts the front of the amp with an EQ pedal, I guess with more highs to enhance the scratch. 

Or you could take inspiration from the Cancer Bats version with a wah

jhumber

As well as a pick scratch, try just swiping your RH open fingers back and forth along the strings…the more gain you use, the more pronounced it’ll be. Real simple to do, doesn’t involve changing your pick grip (fingers 2-3-4 will do it), and sounds pretty effective.