Rory Gallagher tone

Its all in the fingers, or is it?

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Re: Rory Gallagher tone

Post by Bg »

Love Rory, me.... He didn't always have the best tone and I've pulled off my version of his songs through everything from a LP/Marshall to Strat/AC30. Tones in the fingers.
So, is that low alcohol or no alcohol at all? mmmm, no alcohol, do you want to try it? Noooooooooo.

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Re: Rory Gallagher tone

Post by griff »

Rory.. one of the best there was.
It's uncanny how many great artists came out of Ireland

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Re: Rory Gallagher tone

Post by Slowy »

Frey wrote:So as yall probably know I'm broke and or cheap when it comes to music gear. Maybe one day when I'm old and respectable I'll be able to hold a candle to the mollys of this world LOL! anyway as such I am generally happy with approximations of tone and cant go to the nth degree.

I have a laney VC30 with celestion gold that is a pretty good approximation of an AC30.

I just bought this:
https://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listin ... 1540644074

it's a rangemaster clone. Hope it goes well with the laney. It should. My only electric currently is the dearmond les paul with tvjones dynasonic copies. As I said I'm an approximator so that's close enough to clean/fender territory to me. Although I'm bidding on a nice squier tele. They certainly bring the jangle although some would question the wisdom of putting $600 pickups in a $280 guitar, although that was obviously a score. With the brass compton bridge it's definitely comparable to a good duo jet. And I do love my bigsby! in fact I'm addicted to it! I can't get enough of that wobble for chords and leads!

At this point 'm thinking I never should have sold my 82 JV squier strat. That was a beast! I love that strat tone particularly for the richard lloyd part of the Television sound. But I don't need a bunch of electrics as I'm not in a band and my recording endeavors only partially feature electric guitar.



sorry, tl:dr
I know someone in Auckland who owns one of Rory's AC30s.
I know someone else who is a RG tone freak.
They've never met but they both say the same thing: Crank the amp, kick on a Rangemaster and beat on a Strat with everything you've got.
Beyond a critical point within a finite space, freedom diminishes as numbers increase. This is as true of humans as it is of gas molecules in a sealed flask. The human question is not how many can possibly survive within the system, but what kind of existence is possible for those who so survive.

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Re: Rory Gallagher tone

Post by Dharmajester »

Taste were one of my favourite live bands when at high school. Saw them nine times in little clubs and the secret to their sound was dynamics. They went up and down like they were all on buggy cords and Rory was constantly playing with his vol control. They would take a song down so low Rory would be playing with his amp sound at almost zero than whallop back in again at full volume. Very dynamic and consequently very exciting. After Taste, the subsequent RG band was far more straight ahead boogie and the suspense generated by the trio ( for me ) was gone. Unfortunately none of their recordings captured the live lightning in a bottle magic.
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Re: Rory Gallagher tone

Post by Slowy »

Dharmajester wrote:Taste were one of my favourite live bands when at high school. Saw them nine times in little clubs and the secret to their sound was dynamics. They went up and down like they were all on buggy cords and Rory was constantly playing with his vol control. They would take a song down so low Rory would be playing with his amp sound at almost zero than whallop back in again at full volume. Very dynamic and consequently very exciting. After Taste, the subsequent RG band was far more straight ahead boogie and the suspense generated by the trio ( for me ) was gone. Unfortunately none of their recordings captured the live lightning in a bottle magic.
I have played the AC30/Rangemaster combination this way. It's so true, the dynamics and changes available in a tiny volume knob turn are amazing. If only I had the skill to make something of it.
Beyond a critical point within a finite space, freedom diminishes as numbers increase. This is as true of humans as it is of gas molecules in a sealed flask. The human question is not how many can possibly survive within the system, but what kind of existence is possible for those who so survive.

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Re: Rory Gallagher tone

Post by Molly »

BK make a tribute set called Irish Tour. Ok, it's just one piece of the puzzle but it's still a piece.

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Re: Rory Gallagher tone

Post by Bg »

Dharmajester wrote:Taste were one of my favourite live bands when at high school. Saw them nine times in little clubs and the secret to their sound was dynamics. They went up and down like they were all on buggy cords and Rory was constantly playing with his vol control. They would take a song down so low Rory would be playing with his amp sound at almost zero than whallop back in again at full volume. Very dynamic and consequently very exciting. After Taste, the subsequent RG band was far more straight ahead boogie and the suspense generated by the trio ( for me ) was gone. Unfortunately none of their recordings captured the live lightning in a bottle magic.
That's what I love about bands who know how to play with different colours, the palette includes loud and soft. I always tried to go to whisper quiet on a couple of songs. There would usually be a drunk harmonica player outside that would intrude a little, but feck it, I tried ;)
So, is that low alcohol or no alcohol at all? mmmm, no alcohol, do you want to try it? Noooooooooo.

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Re: Rory Gallagher tone

Post by calling card »

Greatest compliment from my son when he was a lot younger showed me what chord sequence to do an ACDC song. I play it and he looks at me with puzzled look and says that sounded like Rory Gallagher.
It's in the attack, yes the fingers and lot in the loud but there will only ever be one Rory Gallagher...
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Re: Rory Gallagher tone

Post by calling card »

That's the part I'm emulating now... haven't picked up a guitar for almost 2 months.

This, not a great gig, the punters were pissing him off a bit I'm told, a bit messy but it's Rory getting on with it. A lot his technique and little tricks here, you'l hear a slightly celtic flavour to the licks. At the intro the Boss OC2 if I'm not mistaken, flanger was something he used too - listen to Shadow Play.



Me, I'm not worthy... came here 10 years ago thinking I might build a tribute act but no I have to be me. Really do love his tunes & sounds though.
2024; I have explored the extent of the perimeter dome, there is no escape. I am become Morpheus

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Re: Rory Gallagher tone

Post by Molly »

calling card wrote:
Me, I'm not worthy... came here 10 years ago thinking I might build a tribute act but no I have to be me. Really do love his tunes & sounds though.
I've wondered in the past if there'd be a demand for a RG tribute band. Don't think I'm the man for the job either though.

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Re: Rory Gallagher tone

Post by calling card »

There are some quite talented people doing it across the globe. Davy Knowles (Back Door Slam) recently going to front the RG band remains with Gerry McAvoy and Ted McKenna. I'm picking this will be good.

Rory hated anyone copying him... while he was alive :)
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Re: Rory Gallagher tone

Post by Molly »

calling card wrote:There are some quite talented people doing it across the globe. Davy Knowles (Back Door Slam) recently going to front the RG band remains with Gerry McAvoy and Ted McKenna. I'm picking this will be good.

Rory hated anyone copying him... while he was alive :)
Davey Knowles. Now then, there's a chap I missed the chance to check-out. He was in his schoolboy band (Back Door Slam, as you said) back when I was a teacher in the Isle of Man. When he first emerged I wondered for a moment if I'd taught him. Would've been a nice claim to fame to say I'd given Davy Knowles guitar lessons, but no, he was already an accomplished player by then.

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Re: Rory Gallagher tone

Post by Bg »

calling card wrote:That's the part I'm emulating now... haven't picked up a guitar for almost 2 months.

This, not a great gig, the punters were pissing him off a bit I'm told, a bit messy but it's Rory getting on with it. A lot his technique and little tricks here, you'l hear a slightly celtic flavour to the licks. At the intro the Boss OC2 if I'm not mistaken, flanger was something he used too - listen to Shadow Play.



Me, I'm not worthy... came here 10 years ago thinking I might build a tribute act but no I have to be me. Really do love his tunes & sounds though.
Definitely one of my favourites, I even took the trouble to learn it note for note :)
So, is that low alcohol or no alcohol at all? mmmm, no alcohol, do you want to try it? Noooooooooo.

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Re: Rory Gallagher tone

Post by calling card »

Well done, don't think I ever got anything that close, intolerant of picking through tab etc.. just got the basic guts of it.
Got some Irish Tour tracks running at work - I'm getting the itch again!
I was looking for that opening track off the Tony Palmer Irish Tour movie. The one where he's drenched in sweat playing walk on hot coals. Apparently a morphe of Howling Wolf's shake for me.
Can't find it, thinking maybe Donal has closed it off youtube.
This will have to do...

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Re: Rory Gallagher tone

Post by Mini Forklift »

In Christchurch many of The Warehouse stores have RG’s Irish Tour DVD for about $10 or less. There’s some great tour footage, a couple of brief interviews with Rory and some decent live footage. I do remember it starts with a song where the editors have done the worst sync job ever, I don’t even think the audio is taken from the same performance. Ahhh the 70’s aye :-)

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