Hi Everyone!

For anyone who can help, can anyone tell me why Prince's Hohner has a nice twang to it?

I was watching the vanguard performance and at the begining of his solo to soul sacrifice I noticed as he is bending the bottom strings the twang I'm referring to comes out

Is it the guitar's tone or certain effects in use. If effects are used what types are being used?

Any help would be great

Thanks!

Anyone at all

Twang?

mmm has to be an effect

I wouldn't bother trying to copy it
because prince loves to combine effects and make crazy sounds...
it'll take ya forever to figure out the right combo
but i would go with A Fuzz-Wah pedal mixed with distortion
you'll get a "Twang"

Luv4oneanotha said:

Point taken, Thanks!

Thats why I used the above example cause it is hard to explain as everyones ear is differnt

Thanks again.

Anyone else?

I'm no expert (Hectim, Otan, where U at ?) but I believe alot of it has to do with the body of the guitar being maple. Also the pickups he uses - Kinman, I think ??

BTW - HAPPY BIRTHDAY P !!!

The TWANG. It can be directly associated with telecasters in general, to start with. The bridge pickup is brittle and sharp, but from what I've read, he's got bridge pickups in both positions. I don't know for sure about the kinman part, but a telecaster has that tone. He had that tone back on Dirty Mind and even on For You, (go listen to the second half of "I Wanna Be Your Lover" where he starts mucking with the guitar a little more).

As far as an effect giving a guitar it's twang - I dont know about that. I'm sure some effects would help accentuate it a lot more, but the twang pretty much comes from the guitar itself. A compressor would help boost the twang, some e.q. might help balance out the tone so it's not so brittle. But, it's likely he was playing in the middle position - using both pickups; that's the de-facto prince rhythm tone (at least up until he started playing Clouds and no longer cared about his tone. (OH DID I JUST SAY THAT? YES I DID!)).

Not special woods, not a pearl neck and abalone body and gold strings, but just the bridge pickup pumping through an amp with the bottom end cranked to compensate for the loss of bass. (the neck pickup is just the opposite - full of body, but no twang at all).

The amp/air probably has sumpm to do with it too. Playing your guitar direct wont get a twang as much as a quack. It's gotta go through an amp or an amp simulator to put a little air in there.

Also, you can't really enjoy a good twang with humbuckers. Well, maybe, but I'm pretty sure it's a characteristic of a single coil bridge pickup.

So there you go. That's my take on the twang. But as with all audible noises, how do I know that a twang to you is the same kind of twang to me? I'm thinking about the honking twang he got out of the "Live at the Alladdin" DVD, at the beginning of "1+1+1 is 3".

THAT's some sweet twang.

Here's a telecaster, bridge position honking through a fender amp at the start of this song. Is this what you're talking about or is it something else entirely? (NOT the guitar solo. that's effects out the wazoo).

http://www.blindslim.com/...ngdown.mp3

and with that, let the puns and jokes and play on words begin.
[Edited 6/7/05 5:48am]

What otan said

Tol' ya !

Otan the Man !

Thanks everyone, all your help is greatly appreciated!!