WOWY "Infinite Guitar"

[lyra14]

"With or Without You," the album's first single and one of the band's most well known songs, uses a technique called "infinite guitar," developed by Michael Brook, to distort the notes into an eerie wail"

from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Joshua_Tree

I know what they're talking about, but I never realized that was a guitar until I saw it performed live. How does Edge do that? Does it have anything to do with a Fernandes guitar, or something?

Andrew

 

[packcrush]

I'm not sure about on the album; theres some sort of infinite sustain system in use; but I'll leave it to someone more experienced to explain it to you.

Live, however, Edge uses a thing called an Ebow. http://www.ebow.com/
Its a wee electronic thing that uses an electronic field to vibrate the string. You hold it over a string; and it sounds the string for as long as its held there; hence infinite sustain. Edge used it on the Unforgettable Fire song too; you can see it in the few recorded live performances. Other artists use them; REM on "Ebow the Letter" and Radiohead on "My Iron Lung". Its a cool wee toy.

 

[Bono B. Jones]

Does it have anything to do with a Fernandes guitar, or something?

Andrew

It is, in fact the Fernandez "infinite guitar". It's the way the guitar is made...the pick up's and electronics that make it able to sustain the notes.

 

[Ladera Heights]

I believe the "infinite guitar" used on Joshua Tree was a rack unit created by Michael Brook. Live, from JT to ZooTV, Edge used an e-bow to do the same thing. PopMart and on Edge used the Fernandes.

 

[schoo2]

in the 80's edge did use the micheal brook "infinite guitar" now the edge uses the fernandes sustainer equiped guitars. and if you take a good look at his fernandes guitars you'll notice he uses three differant models. the decade elite, the native pro and the new retro rocket elite. the funny thing is, Edge being Edge, its almost impossible to find these guitars with the pickup configuration he has which are all configured with strat pickup(three single coil design)most of these new fernandes models Edge uses, if you were to buy from a dealer are all loaded with one pickup if your lucky or two double humbuckers. the end result is a totally differant sound. i have two of these guitars and have had to do alot of custom work to get them to look and sound like edges'. just thought you'd like to know.