String separation

Sinfonia

You know when you play a note on say the high e string (if you've got it tuned that way) with distortion, and it sounds clear and crisp?
And then say you play a note on say the b string and it also sounds clear and crisp?
But when you play them together, they sound all gainy and not as clear as when played individually?

Is there any way (any pedal or anything) that anyone knows of that can separate the two sounds to make each note sound clear on its own (in other words, so it sounds like two guitars playing in harmony)?
I don't like using the effect where you play one note and it also sound an interval you have preselected, because you can't change between minor and major 3rds, for example...

I've never heard of any such effect, has anyone else?

Sinfonia

SumGuy wrote:

You know when you play a note on say the high e string (if you've got it tuned that way) with distortion, and it sounds clear and crisp?
And then say you play a note on say the b string and it also sounds clear and crisp?
But when you play them together, they sound all gainy and not as clear as when played individually?

Is there any way (any pedal or anything) that anyone knows of that can separate the two sounds to make each note sound clear on its own (in other words, so it sounds like two guitars playing in harmony)?
I don't like using the effect where you play one note and it also sound an interval you have preselected, because you can't change between minor and major 3rds, for example...

I've never heard of any such effect, has anyone else?

Jesus Christ, I swear, I've actually been playing nine years, I just can't think of any of the names of things

It wasn't me!

Whammy pedal is the one you're thinking of. Hmmm. Short of the weird stereo guitars where each string is amplified individually, I can't think of anything, to be honest. Get better at those double stops perhaps?

Voodu Child

It's the character and quality of your distortion that will determine how clear each note in a distorted chord will ring out (technique aside).

There's no one 'device' that will help separate the notes in your chords (afaik). You could mess around with eqs in different positions, and the controls on your amp obviously, and some people swear by exciters or bbe sonic maximisers.

But as I said, the primary influence is whatever you're using to generate the distortion (amp/stompbox). Different amps and stompboxes will have different degrees of inherent note separation.

Edit - pickups can make a huge different also. I find my Dimarzio Steve's Specials are the clearest under heavy distortion compared to any other pickups i use.

A Primal Nut

You could experiment with finger-picking maybe? Picking the strings seperately might be interesting.

DerKaiser

Not only are both notes carrying distortion, but also the oscillation generated by two notes struck in harmony carries distortion too, you could bring it down a little by using less gain, making sure the guitar is as perfectly in tune as it can be (to reduce the size of oscillation), have you also tried a noise suppressor?
The more effects you use the more you are muddying the waters, so look at your set-up

nij

Brian May had the same problem, and that's why he has a phase switch on each pickup. I think it's also the reason he uses a treble booster. I tried reverse wiring one of my pickups (so i was using bridge and neck humbuckers together, out of phase) and that increased clarity by about 20%.