Ernie Isley
Ernie Isley's Gear
Ernie is seen here playing his zeal
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A Ram's Head was famously used on "That Lady", in addition to "Climbing Up The Ladder" and "Voyage to Atlantis". This is documented on the Big Muff Users section of Kit Rae's Big Muff Page.
A year after that, the funk/soul scene was hammered with the famous solo from the Isley Brothers hit, (Who's) That Lady, played to perfection by Ernie Isley. There are various accounts of what was actually used in the studio, some sources state it was recorded directly into the mixing board with a Strat and Roger Mayer Octavia, but other sources state it was a Big Muff and Maestro Phase Shifter, and Ernie also used a Big Muff and a Maestro Phase Shifter when playing it live throughout the 1970's (the modulation on the record actually sounds identical to the Maestro too).
(the signal) goes through a Cry Baby wah-wah, a Big Muff fuzz, a Maestro Phase Shifter, and an Octavia made by Roger Mayer. - Ernie isley from Guitar Player, September 1981
“On ‘That Lady’ there was a Big Muff, a Maestro Phase Shifter, and a Fender Twin. That was pretty much it.” - Ernie isley from Vintage Guitar magazine, February 2018
The Isley Brothers songs Climbing Up the Ladder and Voyage to Atlantis from 1977 are other examples of Ernie playing lead with the Big Muff. A V2 Big Muff is pictured on the Isley Brothers stage in the photo below, circa 1975, along with the Maestro to the left.
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In an interview with The HUB from Musician's Friend, Ernie Isley of The Isley Brothers mentions his use of a Fender Twin amp, highlighting its versatility in complementing the band's diverse sound.
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Ernie Isley is known to use a Fender Stratocaster Electric Guitar, as evidenced by images found through a Google search.
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Famously used on "That Lady", as documented on the Big Muff Users section of Kit Rae's Big Muff Page.
A year after that, the funk/soul scene was hammered with the famous solo from the Isley Brothers hit, (Who's) That Lady, played to perfection by Ernie Isley. There are various accounts of what was actually used in the studio, some sources state it was recorded directly into the mixing board with a Strat and Roger Mayer Octavia, but other sources state it was a Big Muff and Maestro Phase Shifter, and Ernie also used a Big Muff and a Maestro Phase Shifter when playing it live throughout the 1970's (the modulation on the record actually sounds identical to the Maestro too).
(the signal) goes through a Cry Baby wah-wah, a Big Muff fuzz, a Maestro Phase Shifter, and an Octavia made by Roger Mayer. - Ernie isley from Guitar Player, September 1981
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Pro Co Rat 2 is seen between the wah and flanger.
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Used on 3+3, particularly on "That Lady". There are multiple sources:
The Big Muff Users section of Kit Rae's Big Muff Page
A year after that, the funk/soul scene was hammered with the famous solo from the Isley Brothers hit, (Who's) That Lady, played to perfection by Ernie Isley. There are various accounts of what was actually used in the studio, some sources state it was recorded directly into the mixing board with a Strat and Roger Mayer Octavia, but other sources state it was a Big Muff and Maestro Phase Shifter, and Ernie also used a Big Muff and a Maestro Phase Shifter when playing it live throughout the 1970's (the modulation on the record actually sounds identical to the Maestro too).
(the signal) goes through a Cry Baby wah-wah, a Big Muff fuzz, a Maestro Phase Shifter, and an Octavia made by Roger Mayer. - Ernie isley from Guitar Player, September 1981
“On ‘That Lady’ there was a Big Muff, a Maestro Phase Shifter, and a Fender Twin. That was pretty much it.” - Ernie isley from Vintage Guitar magazine, February 2018
“We were working with the same engineers Stevie Wonder was using on what would become Innervisions,” Ernie begins. “We were working on the record that became 3+3. There was a fuzz box and a phase shifter by Maestro, and that was pretty much it. We took it from there. It was fun.”
Stompbox: 100 Pedals of the World's Greatest Guitarists by Elion Paz
- Reported by All Arts on November 30, 2020.
“Stompbox” features actual pedals from celebrated guitarists past and present, including Hendrix’s legendary Fuzz Face, the Maestro PS-1A Phase Shifter used by Ernie Isley, and Marc Bolan’s Vox Clyde McCoy wah-wah. A photo of each pedal is set next to an interview with its owner, and the book broken into sections about history, innovation, design and use cases.
- Pedal 40, as can be seen in the quick browse video at 0:19.
I plugged in, and I discovered the "That Lady" sound right there in Guitar Center. Nobody even turned around. But I knew that I'd discovered a new sound.
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I used one clean guitar and an Electric Mistress on another track. Music companies sell equipment, but if the player is there, you don’t need the equipment. If you wear Michael Jordan’s shoes, you’re not going to play like Michael Jordan. It’s the player. In the studio, Carlos had six or seven guitars on a stand, but he was playing a Strat. He’s a very dynamic musician. Everything he does on a guitar ultimately sounds like him.
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You can see here, Ernie Isley playing a black Yamaha Pacifica 112 or 212. There are times in early 90's he used a white one with black bridge humbucker
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In a 1977 photo of Ernie Isley's rig on PhotoBucket, the Whirlwind Selector A/B Box is visible, indicating its use during the recording of "That Lady."
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His pedalboard included a Dunlop Rotovibe, Voodoo Lab Proctavia, Boss BF-2 Flanger, ProCo Rat, and a Dunlop Crybaby wah
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Famously used on "That Lady", as documented on the Big Muff Users section of Kit Rae's Big Muff Page.
A year after that, the funk/soul scene was hammered with the famous solo from the Isley Brothers hit, (Who's) That Lady, played to perfection by Ernie Isley. There are various accounts of what was actually used in the studio, some sources state it was recorded directly into the mixing board with a Strat and Roger Mayer Octavia, but other sources state it was a Big Muff and Maestro Phase Shifter, and Ernie also used a Big Muff and a Maestro Phase Shifter when playing it live throughout the 1970's (the modulation on the record actually sounds identical to the Maestro too).
(the signal) goes through a Cry Baby wah-wah, a Big Muff fuzz, a Maestro Phase Shifter, and an Octavia made by Roger Mayer. - Ernie isley from Guitar Player, September 1981
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His pedalboard included a Dunlop Rotovibe, Voodoo Lab Proctavia, Boss BF-2 Flanger, ProCo Rat, and a Dunlop Crybaby wah
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His pedalboard included a Dunlop Rotovibe, Voodoo Lab Proctavia, Boss BF-2 Flanger, ProCo Rat, and a Dunlop Crybaby wah
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Listed on the official Lovetone "Clients" page.
Ernie Isley MB/DG/BC
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Listed on the official Lovetone "Clients" page.
Ernie Isley MB/DG/BC
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Listed on the official Lovetone "Clients" page.
Ernie Isley MB/DG/BC
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This is a community-built gear list for Ernie Isley.
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Discography
