Reverb
Equal to delay in the pantheon of revered
dub effects is reverb. Among the most
distinctive effects pioneered by master
mixers like Lee “Scratch” Perry, King
Tubby, and Scientist is the dry snare drum
sound that is suddenly saturated in wet,
boingy reverberance. Spring reverb units
were typically used for this effect, and
they remain an essential sonic landmark
of the traditional dub sound to this day
for every instrument. Other reverbs can
be great too, but the spring is where it’s
at for those rootsy tones.
Plenty of guitar amps have spring
reverb built in, so many guitarists won’t
necessarily need a ‘verb pedal on their
board, but a good pedal can often
provide extra control and tonal options
that a basic built-in can’t. For truly far-
out and flexible live dub tones, this is the
name of the game. One benefit of amp-
based spring reverbs (or genuine spring-
equipped outboard units) however, is
the fact that you can give them a little
whack at just the right moment to get
that crashing sound that graces so many
old-school dub tracks. In an ideal rig, one
might have both on-board amp reverb
and a pedal or two for less orthodox
sounds.
For digital spring reverb pedals, I like the
Subdecay Super Spring Theory, Keeley
Electronics
Hooke,
Catalinbread
Topanga, and Strymon Flint. If you want to
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TONE TALK //
go outboard the Fender Vintage Reissue
‘63 is hard to beat for superb vintage
tones. Demeter’s RRP-1 Reverbulator is
also a great choice, as it puts real analog
spring tones in a luxurious sounding and
rugged stompbox format.
Wah, filters, and modulation
Reggae and dub guitarists seem to have
an affinity for any effect that lends a
sense of motion to the static, repetitive
feel of the music. Envelope filters, wah
pedals, and phasers all can do this job,
with a wah or auto-wah pedal falling
solidly into the category of a basic
requirement for instrumentalists of the
genre. The standard issue Cry Baby or
Vox wah never goes out of style, and for
auto-wah tones Boss’s AW-3 and DOD’s
recently reissued Envelope Filter 440 are
excellent, classic choices. If you want to
take things further out, something like the
Subdecay Prometheus or Source Audio
Poly-Mod will serve as a source of endless
inspiration for live dub innovation.
Modulation pedals see considerable
use in dub as well. Slow, rhythmically
swooshing phaser sounds, like that of
a MXR Phase 45 or Phase 90 are ever
popular, as are watery, undulating chorus
and vibrato tones. Mikey Dread’s classic
1979 LP African Anthem Dubwise is a
great place to hear lush, shimmering
guitar tones in this style. Another great
example is Dr. Know’s guitar work,
The First Pedal Geeks: Essential Effects for Dub