Question:
When someone says I need a _________ for playing worship music, what does that mean?
Is that just another way of asking, what pedal do I need to sound like artist X? Since artist X markets his music as contemporary worship, that must mean it's the sound God likes?
I'm not trying to discredit the idea that some effects are generally considered more/less appropriate in certain settings or songs. But who gets to say that PRS through a tubescreamer and a Line6 echopark is worship, but that a Big Muff & a phase 90 are not?
Answer:
Originally Posted by jbm222 When someone says I need a _________ for playing worship music, what does that mean?
Is that just another way of asking, what pedal do I need to sound like artist X? Since artist X markets his music as contemporary worship, that must mean it's the sound God likes?
I'm not trying to discredit the idea that some effects are generally considered more/less appropriate in certain settings or songs. But who gets to say that PRS through a tubescreamer and a Line6 echopark is worship, but that a Big Muff & a phase 90 are not?
The only real 'rule' for worship (and this is a slight generalization) is that it's a good idea to keep the gain down. I don't mean you have to play clean, but cranking up your mesa boogie or kicking in your Hot Head or Metal Master may not be a great idea. I think a Big Muff would be excellent for worship, as would a phase 90.
I think what has become generally aceptable in worship is mild to medium overdrive, once in a while some harder distortion, delay, reverb, and wooshy effects like phaser and chorus.
I personally use the same rig for praise and worship as I do for when I play my somewhat watered down brand of rock music - Highway 1 strat > Seymour Duncan pickup boooooster > Crybaby > Echo Park.
Hmm, I rambled a bit. What was the original question?
-Nick
Answer:
Originally Posted by jbm222 ...but that a Big Muff & a phase 90 are not?
You mean they're not!? Oh no! Hope no one noticed that the last few times I'm played in a worship setting I was using a few different fuzzes...including an octavia!
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Phase 90? I've got a Digitech HyperPhase...pretty much the same thing (HP has more features) and I think its fine for P & W...good for solo's and interludes during wednesday night and fast paced Sunday morning songs.
But the reason most people recommend a tubescreamer is because its the closest thing to a tube amp effect you can buy (obviously, check the name) and tubes tend to add distortion without making the sound dirty or chunky...more of a liquid overdrive. In short, you can tell what chord they are playing, and you hear more than BIZZZDOWSHZHHOUOUSHHZZHHHH!!!! (like my death metal onomatopoeia?)
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I was just throwing the Big Muff and the Phase 90 out there as examples because they're both great sounding pedals that most people would not recomend when someone asks what's a good effect for worship.
To me, anything that sounds good, is a good sound for worship, and anything that sounds bad is a bad sound for (almost) any situation. Good and bad are both very subjective words of course, but I don't see why a worship rig should be different than a rock rig.
Answer:
I definately have been rocking the Keeley Fuzz head in the sunday morning worship set, and have actually gotten a lot of complements on account of it, the new Keeley compressor, and the HBE Powerscreamer.
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i've occasionally set my J&H to midscoop for laughs...haha.
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Here's how I would decide if a pedal was appropriate for worship...look out at the congregation or listen or ask the congregation. If you're using some effect that is distracting the crowd, you can tell by their faces and body language. If they're into it, you can also definitely tell.
It's going to differ for each church and if you're on the team, then it would definitely serve you to get to know what the congregation can handle.
But then there are some times where I like to throw out funky stuff that may catch people off guard. It may sound cool, but in the end...does it glorify God or me??
If the person coming up to you is just trying to negatively criticize you just because you don't have some pedal.....I don't think you have to take those comments to heart. It's the comments that say, "there was too much fuzz, or the flanger/phaser was too distracting, or the delay was out of control" that I would really pay attention to and accomodate for them.
I agree with you jbm...tell him to give you the money to get the expensive gear, and then you'll think about it. haha
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^ and if you do that be prepared to translate old folk lingo into what they are trying to get across. They may say things like "weird racket" or "it sounded like a cow dyin a hail storm!" or maybe even "thats what it sounded like at Hiroshima!"
haha. man, gotta love those seniors.
Answer:
I suspect that y'all are over-analyzing this.
What do you need for worship? First and foremost, the correct heart condition. it's not about gear or style or volume, it's about your all being focused on the One who is worshiped.
All the cool gear in the world is meaningless if you're doin' it for the gear and the chance to be up in front of people.
If I've stated the obvious, apologies but I see so many people get caught up (and I've been guilty too, I admit) in this process of "If I only had *insert trendy piece of gear here*, my worship would be off the HOOK!!" and it's probably just not true.
You probably just want new gear. Everybody wants new gear. And if God wants you to have that new gear, He'll find a way for you to get it before you even know you need it.
But back to the original question...your "tone" is suited for "worship" when the people of God are not offended by what you're playing because they'll know it to be genuine worship and not a show.
IMHO, that's it.
Regarding the "seniors" comment; in over 10 years of being involved in this thing called 'contemporary worship' (man, how I hate labels), my BIGGEST supporters have been twice my age and beyond.
Electric guitars, amps, overdrive, etc...they love it IF it's authentic worship.
I pray that I've been authentic as much as possible.
Sorry if I've rambled but maybe a chord was struck with me (no pun intended) in what I've read in this thread.
No offense meant.
Answer:
Originally Posted by gtrdave I suspect that y'all are over-analyzing this.
What do you need for worship? First and foremost, the correct heart condition. it's not about gear or style or volume, it's about your all being focused on the One who is worshiped.
All the cool gear in the world is meaningless if you're doin' it for the gear and the chance to be up in front of people.
...
I pray that I've been authentic as much as possible.
True, the condition of the heart is the core. My rule of thumb is it's best to use something that doesn't distract the people--in other words taking their attention from God to us. Of course, the limit of what distracts people will vary between one congregation to another. Just my 2 cents.
Answer:
When someone says I need a _________ for playing worship music, what does that mean?
Is that just another way of asking, what pedal do I need to sound like artist X? Since artist X markets his music as contemporary worship, that must mean it's the sound God likes?
What I think is that since "worship" music became a genre on its own, we have essentially used that as the mark for what "worship" sounds like, and would have reccomended X pedal, because it caters mainly to what stereotypical worship music sounds like. We don't reccommend the Big Muff for worship, on the simple basis that the Big Muff is not gonna give a tone that people associate with worship music. Sure, it's still usable.
I think the argument of what musical style is most suited to worship is a completely unrelated discussion. Whatever style of music you use, you can use whatever pedals you want, accordingly. However, when someone asks for a worship pedal, we can only assume that they mean something like what's on the radio.
Answer:
Originally Posted by gtrdave I suspect that y'all are over-analyzing this.
What do you need for worship? First and foremost, the correct heart condition. it's not about gear or style or volume, it's about your all being focused on the One who is worshiped.
All the cool gear in the world is meaningless if you're doin' it for the gear and the chance to be up in front of people.
If I've stated the obvious, apologies but I see so many people get caught up (and I've been guilty too, I admit) in this process of "If I only had *insert trendy piece of gear here*, my worship would be off the HOOK!!" and it's probably just not true.
You probably just want new gear. Everybody wants new gear. And if God wants you to have that new gear, He'll find a way for you to get it before you even know you need it.
But back to the original question...your "tone" is suited for "worship" when the people of God are not offended by what you're playing because they'll know it to be genuine worship and not a show.
IMHO, that's it.
Regarding the "seniors" comment; in over 10 years of being involved in this thing called 'contemporary worship' (man, how I hate labels), my BIGGEST supporters have been twice my age and beyond.
Electric guitars, amps, overdrive, etc...they love it IF it's authentic worship.
I pray that I've been authentic as much as possible.
Sorry if I've rambled but maybe a chord was struck with me (no pun intended) in what I've read in this thread.
No offense meant.
Point made.
But this is Effects, and we're here to talk about the effects. It's not about 'cool gear', it's about what's becoming a cliché effect in a worship setting.
-Nick
Answer:
Originally Posted by Only Alive ...it's about what's becoming a cliché effect in a worship setting.
-Nick
Which is why I responded in the way I did.
*and now we return you to your regularly scheduled discussion on cliche' effects for worship*

EDIT: I echo the sentiments of the original post.
Answer:
Originally Posted by Rainer. What I think is that since "worship" music became a genre on its own, we have essentially used that as the mark for what "worship" sounds like, and would have reccomended X pedal, because it caters mainly to what stereotypical worship music sounds like. We don't reccommend the Big Muff for worship, on the simple basis that the Big Muff is not gonna give a tone that people associate with worship music. Sure, it's still usable.
I think the argument of what musical style is most suited to worship is a completely unrelated discussion. Whatever style of music you use, you can use whatever pedals you want, accordingly. However, when someone asks for a worship pedal, we can only assume that they mean something like what's on the radio.
ok, I think I can agree with that answer. So when someone asks if a given pedal is appropriate for worship, it's a terrible misuse of the word worship, taking it to mean the genre of music many churches play during worship services.
To me worship could be any genre (for the most part). Say you worship to electronica of some sort and the guitar plays a much more subtle role... chances are you're going to want weird effects. Fuzz instead of OD, envelope filters instead of wah, etc. And perhaps buzzsaw tone destroying distortion at times.
But like you said, the issue of what genre is best for worship is another discussion, that's only related to effects in that effects sometimes play a role in defining a genre.