Robert Smith tone

[The_Grinch]

Hello...

A little while back I started a thread regarding this very same topic over in the modifications forum and
received great advice which has practically gotten me to where I want to be in terms of tone however I
thought it would be a good idea to show what I mean with a couple of samples of live Cure performances
from the early 80's where the guitar can be heard quite clearly:

Accuracy: http://kiwi6.com/file/q6gq56j98q" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Other Voices: http://kiwi6.com/file/x710m1k788" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

There is a great (imo) percussive quality to the guitar and I think a compressor pedal might have
something to do with it.
I was hoping to hear if anyone has stumbled upon this kind of sound themselves or if they've heard it
elsewhere.

Pre-emptive thanks

[Domm]

boss pedals were his standard for a long time

[horizontalmode]

It could quite possibly be the solid state amp he was using back then to get that percussive quality that you are seeking.

[OffYourFace]

I don't think he ever used a compressor pedal. Any compression would be coming from the board. He switched from Roland jazz chorus amps to the peavey musician amps around '81-82. He used the musician heads live for many years and still uses it for Bass VI in the studio.

[Kestrel-]

While it doesn't relate too much with The Cure's early 80's sound, here's an interview with Robert from the Bloodflowers-era in which he discusses some of his gear, including how he gets his 6-string bass sound.

http://www.musicfanclubs.org/cure/press" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ... rdens.html

[OffYourFace]

While it doesn't relate too much with The Cure's early 80's sound, here's an interview with Robert from the Bloodflowers-era in which he discusses some of his gear, including how he gets his 6-string bass sound.

http://www.musicfanclubs.org/cure/press" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ... rdens.html

if you went back and edited your post, the link got destroyed. I don't know why but that happens... repost it if you can.

[DrOctagon]

I get relatively close to his early sound in the Cure with my Jaguar through a Sunn 112 combo and an Electric Mistress. Not spot on but close enough for me.

[empyrean]

Not that it was the only ingredient to his tone, but I have an '84 Boss Flanger (and used to have a chorus from the same year) which got me pretty far towards his tone. A Bass VI would be great but my Jaguar and Jazzmaster along with the Flanger and a little delay work great.

[Kestrel-]

While it doesn't relate too much with The Cure's early 80's sound, here's an interview with Robert from the Bloodflowers-era in which he discusses some of his gear, including how he gets his 6-string bass sound.

http://www.musicfanclubs.org/cure/press" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ... rdens.html

if you went back and edited your post, the link got destroyed. I don't know why but that happens... repost it if you can.

Let's try this again

Link to the Robert Smith interview:

http://www.musicfanclubs.org/cure/press ... rdens.html

[The_Grinch]

Let's try this again

Link to the Robert Smith interview:

http://www.musicfanclubs.org/cure/press" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ... rdens.html

Really great interview, the part regarding amp settings was particularly useful.

I don't think he ever used a compressor pedal. Any compression would be coming from the board. He switched from Roland jazz chorus amps to the peavey musician amps around '81-82. He used the musician heads live for many years and still uses it for Bass VI in the studio.

Well I was also skeptical but according to http://impressionofsounds.com/equipment2b.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; he used a storm compressor in 80-81' and having just acquired a cheap behringer dc9 I have to say it helps quite a bit in terms of punch and clarity.
Also I actually have a JC-120 although at the moment there is a problem with the chorus effect (ie one of the speakers) shutting off when the volume goes below a certain point.

I'm about as close as I can be at present but once the jazz chorus is fixed and I've gotten a decent (storm/coron/whatever) compressor I think I'll be there.

[chase]

[never mind, Kestrel beat me to it - I should have reloaded the page!]

[eggwheat]

Well I was also skeptical but according to http://impressionofsounds.com/equipment2b.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; he used a storm compressor in 80-81' and having just acquired a cheap behringer dc9 I have to say it helps quite a bit in terms of punch and clarity.
Also I actually have a JC-120 although at the moment there is a problem with the chorus effect (ie one of the speakers) shutting off when the volume goes below a certain point.

I'm about as close as I can be at present but once the jazz chorus is fixed and I've gotten a decent (storm/coron/whatever) compressor I think I'll be there.

No compressor pedal, you're hearing the compression on the recording. The tone is quite simple, a vintage JC-160(quite different to the 120 in tone) an early Jazzmaster and the occasional MXR Flanger...(you could add the Top20 pickup in there, although he said it was just a 'teenage angst' thing rather than an essential mod). They also used the old Yellow MXR distortion pedals around that time.

BTW that is not a fault, all early JC's do that..(as does RS's) it's part of the design to reduce noise.

[The_Grinch]

No compressor pedal

How can you be sure of this? Not to discredit your experience/judgement but the website I linked to has been reliable and consistent with photographs of the time. It also seems odd that they would specify it as a storm pedal if they were only speculating, rather than just any compressor, although it could have been misidentified.

BTW that is not a fault, all early JC's do that..(as does RS's) it's part of the design to reduce noise.

Thanks for informing me of that, it is somewhat a relief however I forgot to mention that the effect controls don't seem to function either (That's not a part of the 85's design as well is it? ).

[eggwheat]

No compressor pedal

How can you be sure of this? Not to discredit your experience/judgement but the website I linked to has been reliable and consistent with photographs of the time. It also seems odd that they would specify it as a storm pedal if they were only speculating, rather than just any compressor, although it could have been misidentified.

BTW that is not a fault, all early JC's do that..(as does RS's) it's part of the design to reduce noise.

Thanks for informing me of that, it is somewhat a relief however I forgot to mention that the effect controls don't seem to function either (That's not a part of the 85's design as well is it? ).

Thats correct, the controls only function in vibrato mode. I believe the mention of a Storm pedal comes from a very old musician magazine. Have you seen an actual picture? I mean that site makes no mention of the MXR distortion pedals..but there are clear photos from the time of them in use.

[The_Grinch]

Thats correct, the controls only function in vibrato mode.

Really, the depth and rate knobs are only used for the vibrato? I've learnt quite a lot recently.

I believe the mention of a Storm pedal comes from a very old musician magazine. Have you seen an actual picture? I mean that site makes no mention of the MXR distortion pedals..but there are clear photos from the time of them in use.

No I haven't seen a picture and that's the main problem with the website in that they don't provide evidence, apparently the information comes from someone named Lina?
As for the MXR distortion I believe this is the only image I have seen of it which is from 83'. I believe storm essentially copied many MXR pedals though right?

http://www.myspace.com/noko440/photos/4" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ... 9507409%7D

Edit: Woops, that ^ isn't a distortion pedal I think there is a mention of storm pedals being used in one or two interviews but they look almost identical the mxr ones so it's difficult to tell.
http://picturesofyou.us/photos/80-82/p- ... ive-14.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; <-- Probably Simon's pedalboard, I can't quite tell what's on it.