Printable Version of Topic

Posted by: Murloc May 14 2009, 10:33 PM

Hey guys

What is it that Buckethead is constantly pressing instead of strumming in this clip, a killswitch? What is a killswitch anyway?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-woe3SCAaA&feature=related

Posted by: Matt23 May 14 2009, 10:39 PM

It is a killswitch. What it does is it stops the signal while the button is pressed, so the guitar is silent while the button is held down. What it does when he presses it rapidly like that is create short breaks in the sound that seperate individual notes. He uses it to create a robotic sounding alternate to picking.

If you want to see more killswitch stuff, watch more buckethead, he uses it quite a lot, and watch some tom morello solos. He doesn't have a "killswitch", but he sets one of his pickups to 0 volume, and the other to 10, then uses his pickup switch as a killswitch.

Posted by: Emir Hot May 14 2009, 11:52 PM

Very cool effect. I did it on Gibson long ago. Turn the volume knob off from the neck pickup and leave just the bridge one full open. When I am switching between these two positions I get the same effect. I learned it in 1990 from Kee Marcello (Europe).

Posted by: Ramiro Delforte May 15 2009, 12:11 AM

A long time ago I was searching for that effect and I found these vids, I hope this helps you in anyway.

Posted by: lcsdds May 15 2009, 12:34 AM

I have kill switches on two of my guitars......still haven't found an opportunity to use it much. Maybe in Emir's next collab.

Posted by: Emir Hot May 15 2009, 12:45 AM

That would be cool to hear

Posted by: AlexLion May 15 2009, 07:02 AM

Oh you lucky man!!

Posted by: Jakub Luptovec May 15 2009, 10:16 AM

When I saw this, I am planning this to:) One more way how to step out of the crowd of soulless shredders

Oh.. first I need to learn to shred.. well w/e

EDIT:

LOL at the drummer from 4:00

Posted by: Matt23 May 15 2009, 10:18 AM

I made myself a killswitch, but I got to admit, I don't actually use it much.

Posted by: gibsonmatte May 15 2009, 10:31 AM

Dude! Did you actually meet up with Kee Marcello and he showed you this?

Posted by: AlexLion May 15 2009, 11:12 AM

No surprises

Posted by: Jakub Luptovec May 15 2009, 11:20 AM

I guess Emir showed him twice as much btw...

Posted by: AlexLion May 15 2009, 11:59 AM

And he was only 12 at 1990

Posted by: Jesse May 15 2009, 12:30 PM

crap, I thought I invented this!:D

Posted by: Murloc May 16 2009, 02:59 AM

If a killswitch simply "kills" the sounds, how can it then be used to create sounds?

Posted by: jafomatic May 16 2009, 04:03 AM

Negative space, Murloc-san!

Also, tap at his pace on the body of your guitar (say, near the volume pot) while fretting the 12th fret of your 6th string. Hear anything? That will vibrate the strings even after he releases the button. By releasing and pressing again, as he is tapping it vigorously, he is effectively "gating" the signal coming from the instrument.

The fun part is that you control the gate tempo & rhythm with your own picking hand, rather than programming one into your DAW or some effects processor.

edit: further, he will also use legato timed with the engaged switch watch how he plays jumpman or jordan.

Posted by: kahall May 16 2009, 06:52 AM

Only the bucket knows.

Posted by: AlexLion May 16 2009, 07:55 AM

+1