Tone Report Weekly Issue 125 | Page 17

Michael More, via Wikimedia Commons Jack White One of today’s most prolific Whammyists is Jack White of The White Stripes, The Dead Weather, The Raconteurs, and probably a bunch of other “The...” bands. White is a master of seamlessly incorporating the Whammy pedal, which one might be inclined to think of as a very modern, almost futuristic guitar effect, into his decidedly old-school mashup of punk, blues, and garage rock. In his hands, the Whammy often sounds surprisingly organic, blending with the saturated bark of his guitar and amp rig and magnifying its sweet upper-harmonic howl. His unhinged lead breaks in “Ball and Biscuit” are a great example of this application. White also uses the Whammy in very subtle fashion on “Seven Nation Army,” where it is used in octave-down mode to convincingly mimic the sound of a bass guitar.  ToneReport.com 17