PHOTO BY HEINRICH KLAFFS VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
E F F E C T : S. HAWK LTD. HAWK II TONAL EXPANDER
Rory Gallagher is one of the most
influential players that many people
have never heard. His tone is legendary
and serves as a linchpin of the tones
of many similarly influential guitarists
such as The Edge, Johnny Marr and
Joe Bonamassa. And much like Mr.
Gallagher himself, his signature,
unheralded tone is due in part to a
similarly unheralded box. Straight
out of left field, the Hawk II Tonal
Expander is a weird-looking device,
and one that Rory Gallagher used as
his secret tonal sauce for years. The
box consists of three rocker switches
and three sliders with no explanation
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TONE TALK //
for either one other than assorted lines
and shapes. They provide an inductorbased EQ circuit, rather than a gyrator
“virtual inductor” type EQ pedal, one
that has been implemented in almost
no stompboxes before and after it.
The frequencies boosted and cut
by the Tonal Expander are markedly
different from the frequencies usually
comprising an EQ: 170, 550 and
2500Hz. Liberal use of the Hawk
II allowed Rory to achieve his very
distinct tone, one that required an
original Hawk II or clones now built
by Flynn Amps and Maritime Analog
to replicate.
He Played What? 6 Signature Sounds Using Lesser-Known Pedals