The sounds of an organ are amazing, but if you’re a guitarist who doesn’t have time to learn how to play the keys, then why not make your guitar sound like an organ? Imagine getting sounds of a combo organ like The Doors and Pink Floyd with your favorite axe, or the famous rotating tones of a Hammond B-3, or perhaps you want those long choir sounds of a church organ. This article will show you various ways to achieve an organ sound with your guitar.
EarthQuaker Devices Organizer
The EQD Organizer is a pedal that is specifically designed to make your guitar sound like an organ. You can get sounds of a Hammond B3, church organs, and also some really experimental stuff. There are blend controls that allow you to specify the amount of your original guitar tone coming through the pedal. I personally own this one and its the only digital pedal on my board. Read the full review (with sound clips) of the EarthQuaker Organizer here or view the Organizer on Amazon.
Vox V251 Guitar Organ
In the ’60s, Vox made a guitar specifically to cop organ tones. It can be used as a regular electric guitar as well. The circuitry was built similarly to their popular Vox Continental combo organ (used by Ray Manzerak of the Doors) which was the organ sound of ’60s psychedelic music. The touch sensitivity of the V251 is done in a way to emulate what its like when you press a key on an organ. So it was easier to make it sound like an organ, rather than a guitar trying to emulate one. Included is a remote power supply to provide the necessary voltages for the Vox Guitar Organ.
Pedal Combinations
Another popular method is stacking an Electro-Harmonix POG2 with some other pedals, such as reverbs, delays, and compressors. Of course some experimentation is needed. Go a step further and add a Leslie Rotating Speaker to the mix to get the warbly tones. One of the closest simulations I’ve heard with using a pedal is actually the Electro-Harmonix HOG, which is a harmonic octave generator. With various settings, I’ve heard this pedal get the closest to the B3 sound.
Any of these ways will get that great organ sound on your guitar. Though if you are looking for a pure authenticity of both sound and the way an organ is played, then only the real thing will suffice. If you just want to cop some organ tones, then these methods are sure to please.
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I use the POG2, which does get great organ sounds…it can also be used as a simple octave up pedal, and it has a detune slider which creates a nice chorus effect. I can also record bass lines by cutting the dry signal and using the octave down sliders…really versatile pedal!