How do I get the Edge's "U2" sound? on guitar?

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capetown172

The Fly
Joined
Nov 12, 2004
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Location
Bethesda, MD
Hello everyone,

I apologize for the simple question...but I started playing guitar, and I am wondering how to duplicate Edge's classic U2 guitar sound. I refer to songs like "All I Want Is You" and "Beautiful Day."

Can anyone help?
 
Well, for one thing, you're going to need something that will give you the echo delay, that's what you're hearing on those songs, Pride, WTSHNN, etc.

Echoes used to be produced all by analog, but there are digital echo things now...pedals, amps, etc. I'm not the best person to ask, but that's just a general idea there.
 
If you really want to sound like Edge, you will need his equipment lol. The Korg SDD-3000 or whatever it is... it is a rackmount unit. If you look behind Edge during concerts and see all those crazy gizmo's.... that's what is making his sound. I'm not a techno wiz, but that's as far as I know. That Korg delay unit costs a couple grand. You'll be fine with a simple delay pedal though. It won't sound quite the same, but you can work it out.
 
Thanks for all the insightful feedback. I don't think I ever fully appreciated the incredible effort The Edge makes to contruct the right guitar sound for each song and create those special U2 riffs.

I think I'll start with the dealy pedal for now.
 
I saw one of those Korg units on eBay for $700. There were a couple Korg rackmount delay units on there. I'm thinking to really get his sound downpact, you will need a pedal that will not only do just delay, but allow you to set the repeat times and such.
 
I have heard that the Electro-Harmonix Deluxe Memory Man Pedal was at one point, early on, used by the Edge, but I'm not sure how much faith you can put into that rumor or not. If you go onto www.musiciansfriend.com you can find that pedal and listen to some of its sound - and I must say it comes pretty close to the Edge.
 
You might want to try going here, (sorry, I can't post links yet):

Triple "W" dot u2sound-forum dot com/cgi-bin/ikonboard.cgi


This forum is all about U2's sound. Mostly about the Edge. Or you could check out the U2_recording group on Yahoo Groups.
 
Last edited:
DrMusk said:
I have heard that the Electro-Harmonix Deluxe Memory Man Pedal was at one point, early on, used by the Edge, but I'm not sure how much faith you can put into that rumor or not. If you go onto www.musiciansfriend.com you can find that pedal and listen to some of its sound - and I must say it comes pretty close to the Edge.

It sounds dead on ... of course mine has the "Analog Man" true bypass mod ... taking out some of the coloration.

Check it out here ... http://www.analogman.com/eh.htm

The Edge used this pedal through the War album. Then he switched over to the Korg SDD-3000 , on The Unforgetable Fire.

I have two delays on my board ... besides the Electro-Harmonix Deluxe Memory Man , I use a Guyatone MD-3 delay for longer delays. Use should get a good Digital Delay ... then if you are really fanatic about the early Edge tones , get the Memory Man.

The Edge's sound is mainly;

Strat/Les Paul/Explorer --->Distortion --->Tremolo --->Delay ---> Vox AC30/Roland Jazz Chrous 120

For more Edge info check out these pages ...

http://snow.prohosting.com/crasio/u2/Musician8300.html

http://snow.prohosting.com/crasio/u2/Musician9203.html
 
scarlet october said:




The Edge's sound is mainly;

Strat/Les Paul/Explorer --->Distortion --->Tremolo --->Delay ---> Vox AC30/Roland Jazz Chrous 120



thats kind of simplified, dont you think? Edge uses 2 full stacks of rack effects, not to mention his wahs and volumes and whammy.



but for us mere mortals, that would pretty much do it :up:
 
I've gotten a pretty good Edge sound with my Gibson SG, Rivera M100, and Line 6 DL4. *shrugs*
 
I use a 1990 Digitech GSP2101 Studio Tube pre/amp processor into a Marshall poweramp. The Digitech let's you change signal paths so you can stack effects in series or parallel, anything goes as long as the processor can handle it. I think it shares the cpu (a general purpose motorola) with early 90s Apples.

For AB Edge used the Korg A1, a similar unit without the Tube preamp., but with Digital IO very handy in a digital recording studio.

A multieffects unit allows you to switch from Discotheque to Unforgettable Fire to Electric co to Zooropa at the touch of a button. I would recommend a second hand Digitech 2101 or 2120 or a new Vox ToneLab SE at $599 or ~400EUR

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/g=guitar/search/detail/base_pid/150314/

BTW my Guitar is an Ibanez Jem90HAM

Bottom line though, Tone is in the Hands
 
Hi everyone

been playing Edge stuff for 20 years!!! The economical way to get a decent Edge sound is a good delay pedal such as a Boss digital, a chorus to give modulation and a good compressor such as the MXR. This gives the clean sounds for Streets or Pride. Then there is an array of overdrives he uses. A good way round this is to buy a Line6 DM4 distortion modeller. Edge has been using 11 of these as they only have 4 presets each. However each unit can model 10 classis distortion units...enough for any budding Edge!

The Vox AC30 amplifier is central to his sound but these are very expensive. There are many amps that can now digitally reproduce the Vox sound such as the Line 6 range.

Folk who mentioned the Electro Harmonix delay and Korg SDD3000 are correct. Althouhg his main delay is the programmable TC Electronic 2290. I have one and it is a beauty but very pricey!

Good luck
Steve (guitarist from U22U)
 
I just sue a boss ME 50 and fiddle about wiht it til i get as close as sounds good, great for beautiful day anyway! streets hmm never can quite perfect it but can get damn close, pride yeh you can get a nice sound for that.

I just got a new guiatr yesterday, a tolkai copy of a PRS i think, i tried a les paul copy but hatted the feel and i fouind the guitar i got to be more 'U2'

I also tried a fender strat but it wasnt different enough to my old yamaha pacifica! humbucker guitars just seem to be seriosuly superior, one i got is about 5 times the price of my old pacifica - bit of a step up!

so anyway boss me-50 and a humbucker guitar you like (try it in the shop) is my advice, although the guy above knows what hes talking about!
 
I've only been playing guitar for around 4 months, I use an acus. Soon though once I get better, I'm gonna try to get an electric tho. The Edge is my hero, and one of the reasons I got a guitar so I can learn WTSHNN and so on. Do any of you pros have any advice on a good guitar under say $300? I'm only in high school, don't have a lot of money. Plus I gotta get the delay pedal too :)
 
Save up for another $100 or so extra. There are lots of good axes available between $300-$500.

I'm partial to Ibanez, but most of the electrics from the big brands are made in the same "shared" factories in Korea. Their quality has been increasing by huge steps the last few years.

I like these:
2005 SZ320 Electric Guitar $429
or
2005 S470 Electric Guitar $479
or
RG350DX $355

The Ibanez RG series is more or less percieved as a "metal" instrument (aka superstrat), but they are in fact extremely versatile, the tremolo is very stable and usable. PUPs are a combination of single coils & humbuckers for tonal flexiblity.
The SZ-series is more of a classic hardtail, but much sleeker with better playability than a Les Paul (copy).
The S-series falls somewhere in between. Works well from jazz to pop to metal. Exellent playability and tone.

If you spend just a bit more right now, you will find the guitar will last you a lot longer and you will not regret waiting just a bit longer. Good hunting!
 
Yes, Ibanez are good. You want something with humbuckers and single coils, preferably a good set of humbuckers with coil taps theoretically would be best. But a single coil guitar like a Strat would be fine too. Everything else about effects and amps I've seen so far is true (to my knowledge, though I've never seen him use a Roland JC-120).

I can't post links yet, I guess, but I'll tell you how to find a great site that a guy put together about the Edge's delay. Go google "A Study of The Edge's Delay" and you should find something by a guy named Tim Darling. Very useful.

Andrew
 
Edge Pedal

Acrobat_Al said:
There's a pedal called "Edge", thats all you need to get the sound, and maybe some reverb as well

I have worked in a US Guitar Center and have never come across the 'Edge' pedal. I usually reccomed a Line 6DL4, which usually goes for at least $249.99.

Does anyone know where to find this 'Edge' Pedal?
 
There is no such thing as the Edge pedal... it was a joke. :wink:

There are a few ways to get the sounds of The Edge:

1. Use the same gear the Edge does

2. Use gear that is a copy\clone\modeler of Edges gear

3. Use what ever you can get your hands on

Option 1 is going to cost you a lot! Read the Sept issue to see all of Edge's current gear in use for the Vertigo tour.

Option 2 is a lot cheaper, and option 3 requires a lot more skills to get the playing right when you don't have the tone right.

If I had to pick a few pieces key to Edges sound:

1. Blue Heridium picks
2. Vox AC30 or AC15 or Laney VC30112
3. Ibanez TS-9
4. Boss SD-1
5.Pod Pro or Pod Pro XT (all in one unit)
 
yeah its me again, i got about $500 to spend now, i'm thinking about this Fender Strat, it's very tempting. What are some good amps, delay and distortion/overdrive effects you guys reccomend? i know i wanna sound like the edge, but also want a setup versatile enough for other types of rock
 
chrisjnyc said:
If I had to pick a few pieces key to Edges sound:

1. Blue Heridium picks
2. Vox AC30 or AC15 or Laney VC30112
3. Ibanez TS-9
4. Boss SD-1
5.Pod Pro or Pod Pro XT (all in one unit)

There's no way edge's picks should be #1 - that is absolutely the LEAST important thing in his arsenal - you need great vintage guitars, great vintage stompboxes (e.g., delay and distortion) and great vintage amps. . .
 
Re: Edge Pedal

Ultravioletsky said:


I have worked in a US Guitar Center and have never come across the 'Edge' pedal. I usually reccomed a Line 6DL4, which usually goes for at least $249.99.

Does anyone know where to find this 'Edge' Pedal?
 

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GG_The_Fly said:


There's no way edge's picks should be #1 - that is absolutely the LEAST important thing in his arsenal - you need great vintage guitars, great vintage stompboxes (e.g., delay and distortion) and great vintage amps. . .


the picks are a very big part though -- they play a bigger role in his sound than other artists' picks do.


and they are the best picks ever made.
 
Does anyone know what your EQ should be on your amp while playing Edge's stuff? Mainly New Year's Day...that song is my revelation in tone.
 
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