# Whammy pedal vs whammy bar



## jaretthale78 (Jul 9, 2010)

not sure where to put this...but im getting an eight sometime soon, and the one i want doesnt have a tremolo, i use the tremolo ALOT, but i was wondering if a whammy pedal is a good alternative? i dont know exactly how they work...like, could you play steve vai shit with a whammy pedal? 

ps. "whammy" is probably the most annoying word to say repeatedly


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## Antimatter (Jul 9, 2010)

jaretthale78 said:


> not sure where to put this...but im getting an eight sometime soon, and the one i want doesnt have a tremolo, i use the tremolo ALOT, but i was wondering if a whammy pedal is a good alternative? i dont know exactly how they work...like, could you play steve vai shit with a whammy pedal?
> 
> ps. "whammy" is probably the most annoying word to say repeatedly


 
A whammy pedal is way less exact, but has a lot more options and possibilities. Here is an example of one used in the 'virtuoso' style.



It doesn't exactly work the same way, but it is the same function.


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## jaretthale78 (Jul 9, 2010)

thats pretty sick, is the part at 2:53 due to the whammy pedal? it sounds awesome


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## Dethfield (Jul 9, 2010)

Also note that there are a few Agile interceptor 8s at rondomusic.com that have Kahler trems on them.


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## Antimatter (Jul 9, 2010)

jaretthale78 said:


> thats pretty sick, is the part at 2:53 due to the whammy pedal? it sounds awesome


 
Yes, that is the whammy pedal in that part. The pedal has different settings, the model used is the digitech whammy, and I believe it has fifth up, octave up, two octaves up, one octave down, two octaves down, a myriad of harmonizers(It basically synthesizes another note, like the 5th, to play at the same time), and I believe that one has midi control or something. It might have more, I can't remember.

If you consider the pedal, I would definitely go for that one, it's really good for the price. One thing you may want to note though is that I've heard that it eats up batteries really fast.


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## littlephil (Jul 9, 2010)

Whammy pedals dont really sound anything like using a trem. They can make some pretty awesome noises though! If you want a trem, the whammy pedal is no alternative. If you want pitch shifting stuff like Satch used in Searching and that Vai and Tom Morello also use, the whammy is great.


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## jaretthale78 (Jul 9, 2010)

Dethfield said:


> Also note that there are a few Agile interceptor 8s at rondomusic.com that have Kahler trems on them.


 yea i was originally planning on getting one but i wanna try somethin different, and that blue septor with maple fretboard is pure sex!



Antimatter said:


> Yes, that is the whammy pedal in that part. The pedal has different settings, the model used is the digitech whammy, and I believe it has fifth up, octave up, two octaves up, one octave down, two octaves down, a myriad of harmonizers(It basically synthesizes another note, like the 5th, to play at the same time), and I believe that one has midi control or something. It might have more, I can't remember.
> 
> If you consider the pedal, I would definitely go for that one, it's really good for the price. One thing you may want to note though is that I've heard that it eats up batteries really fast.


 thanks for the adive man, loookin forward to a fixed 8/whammy pedal setup now.


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## jaretthale78 (Jul 9, 2010)

littlephil said:


> Whammy pedals dont really sound anything like using a trem. They can make some pretty awesome noises though! If you want a trem, the whammy pedal is no alternative. If you want pitch shifting stuff like Satch used in Searching and that Vai and Tom Morello also use, the whammy is great.


  ight.


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## Antimatter (Jul 9, 2010)

jaretthale78 said:


> yea i was originally planning on getting one but i wanna try somethin different, and that blue septor with maple fretboard is pure sex!
> 
> 
> thanks for the adive man, loookin forward to a fixed 8/whammy pedal setup now.


 
No problem, it's always nice to help a fellow guitarist


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## jaretthale78 (Jul 9, 2010)




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## Antimatter (Jul 9, 2010)

jaretthale78 said:


>


 Back at ya buddy


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## TheAceOfSpades1 (Jul 9, 2010)

You know I was just thinking about possibly getting a whammy pedal for the bass like Justin Chancellor uses, but now that I see that Satch video I'm defiantly getting one for myself!


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## jaretthale78 (Jul 9, 2010)

TheAceOfSpades1 said:


> You know I was just thinking about possibly getting a whammy pedal for the bass like Justin Chancellor uses, but now that I see that Satch video I'm defiantly getting one for myself!


 u f*ckin copycat!


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## vansinn (Jul 10, 2010)

I agree to what's said above; a whammy pedal can be very useful, but cannot replace a bar.
If you're considering the Digitech Whammy pedal, and is into programmable rack gear, also consider shopping a used Digitech TSR24.

It's capabilities are nearly limitless (especially the -S dual-DSP version), having two inputs and four outputs plus an efects library, all freely assignable to your desires.
This also means one input and output can be used for preshaping before other efects or the amp, while simultaneously using the other input and two outputs for post-processing (into stereo, if called for), all with separate effects.

I'ts got really good (fast tracking) harmonizings, pitch transposings, whammy, wah, several EQ's, echoes, reverbs (which aren't Lexicon or TC quality) and many other things..

Dieter from German has an upgrade to faster working software (being the first to get the re-engineered upgrade, I proofread the manual): http://www.tube-tester.com/sites/tsr24/tsr24-main.htm
However, the basic version cannot anylonger be upgraded to dual-S/DISH (dual DSP), because the DSP's aren't available these days.
Still, even the basic version is usually more than enough. I have both, and use the single-S/DISH in my rig.


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## Bloody_Inferno (Jul 10, 2010)

As an avid user of both kinds of whammys, I agree with littlephil. For dive bombs and pitch shifting, yes they both can be used similarily. Though the whammy pedal can't replace extreme vibrato, flutter/gargles, ultra fast bar dips and slack string noise, nor does the bar can harmonise, pitch shift 1 or 2 octaves without resorting to harmonics etc. 

But don't let that limit you. I use the whammy pedal on everything, guitar, bass, keys, vocals, everything.  I still say get the whammy pedal as it opens up to all sorts of possibilites. Hell, give a whammy pedal to 7 different players and you will get 7 different approaches to the instrument.  And if you get an 8 with the Kahler trem, you kill 2 birds with one stone. 

Steve Vai also uses the whammy pedal a lot as well. Touching Tongues, Deep Down Into the Pain, Fever Dream, Asian Sky...


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## AK DRAGON (Jul 10, 2010)

Antimatter said:


> A whammy pedal is way less exact, but has a lot more options and possibilities. Here is an example of one used in the 'virtuoso' style.
> 
> 
> 
> It doesn't exactly work the same way, but it is the same function.




take note that Joe is using a 7 string and a Digiitech whammy set for octave


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## SnowfaLL (Jul 10, 2010)

best example of whammy pedal I know.. is David Gilmour..



Around 3 minutes, listen to that solo.. perfect use of the whammy pedal.


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## Guitarwiz2k (Jul 10, 2010)

So fluid! It's not like, "OH, Now I'm using a whammy pedal." Much like hearing a new player tap, then switch back to picking; then an experience player, where you just can't tell where one ends and the next begins. I love Gilmore; One of the better guitarist of all time!



NickCormier said:


> best example of whammy pedal I know.. is David Gilmour..
> 
> 
> 
> Around 3 minutes, listen to that solo.. perfect use of the whammy pedal.


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## chucknorrishred (Jul 10, 2010)

master


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## carcass (Sep 25, 2010)

i would like to ask one thing, is there chance to get similar sounds from Digitech Whammy pedal like the guy in this video get from whammy bar (Slayer-ish whammy madness)?


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## blister7321 (Sep 25, 2010)

listen to the intro to becoming by pantera that is whammy pedal(the sqeak)


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## Black_tear (Sep 25, 2010)

This is by far the best use of whammy pedal (by Gilmour) 



Of course Tom Morello would'nt have the same sound without it to.


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## Vinnydude (Sep 25, 2010)

2:56 thats also the whammy pedal. Tom Morello uses it quite a lot in his solo's and stuff.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aORjTo0B47E



P.S How do i embed videos?!!! lol


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## Antimatter (Sep 25, 2010)

Videos should automatically embed if you just post the link. You didn't mess with anything did you?


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## Vinnydude (Sep 25, 2010)

I took the link straight out of my address bar. I'll try again.


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## Vinnydude (Sep 25, 2010)

weird! lol


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## All_¥our_Bass (Sep 25, 2010)

carcass said:


> i would like to ask one thing, is there chance to get similar sounds from Digitech Whammy pedal like the guy in this video get from whammy bar (Slayer-ish whammy madness)?


Yes and no.
You can just "flail" around with the pedal a bit for the same general effect, but it sounds a bit different-shifting higher starts sounding brighter in an unnatural way, lower gets artificially murky sounding. Both legit effects mind you, but it's not always what you need/want. 

For example harmonizing up a fifth with that extra zing sounds great for leads (add in some diminished/eastern sounding scales and you've got instant Nile ripoff material!! ), but it won't substitute for regular power chords since the tone is different. Same thing with harmonizing lower, the tone is MUCH smoother than it would from just moving down a string or two.

Getting rid of the original signal and only leaving the lower one into some dist. or fuzz creates some very synthy/organesque sounds.

Another thing, since it isn't effecting the tension on your strings, it doesn't cause notes to die out sooner going down nor do you get extra sustain from going up.

The solo in Nevermore's "Bittersweet Feast" features it. Very Cool.


I remember I made a Patch for my BP80 MultiFX Pedal that had swell>whammy(up 2 octaves)>delay>reverb that sounded much like those creepy theremin sounds from old sci-fi movies.


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