Artists have used guitar effects for instruments other than guitar for a long time. And with a joystick taking center stage on the enclosure, Walrus’ Melee, which combines three reverb algorithms and a distortion circuit, looks like it was designed in explicit acknowledgement of that fact. You see, it’s not easy to control a joystick precisely with your foot. So, the presence of the joystick—which blends distortion and reverb in seemingly infinite combinations—makes the pedal seem intended as much for use by synth, laptop, and keyboard artists as guitar players.
That may be true. But even if it were fact, it would do nothing to diminish how cool the Melee is as a pure guitar effect. Melee’s distortion is rich and often old-school fuzzy. Its three reverb algorithms—ambient, octave-down, and reverse reverb with feedback—are awesome, too. And with switches to change effect order, alter decay time, and select EQ emphasis, the tone-shaping options are many. But it’s the joystick that makes the Melee extraordinary and makes it such a deep well of possibilities.
Free-Form Interactions
Walrus’ Melee is far from the first joystick-controlled effect pedal. Walrus already has a dual-joystick fuzz/tremolo in its line in the Janus. A prototype of former Premier Guitar editor Joe Gore’s excellent Filth Fuzz used a joystick before he recognized the perils of fuzz-crazed users stomping it to death. Visionary companies like Devi Ever and Dwarfcraft have also given the joystick a go.
“The distortion is remarkable. It’s articulate and communicates individual string detail clearly, even at high-gain settings.”
Though unorthodox, Melee’s use of a joystick-centered design is a relatively elegant application. The only potentiometer is the master output volume. Situated below the master volume, there are three toggle switches. The topmost toggle controls the tone profile of the pedal—switching between progressively less bright settings. Curiously, the least bright setting is situated in the middle position, and a rotary knob might have been more effective here. Even so, the three EQ voices work well within the context of the fuzz voice. The middle toggle selects the range of reverb decay. It’s essential, given how expansive the Melee’s reverb can sound. And while the longest decay setting is incredibly fun, the shortest decay range can be indispensable at extreme fuzz settings. (The decay switch, by the way, can also be re-purposed to select reverb modulation level by holding down the bypass footswitch.) The third toggle re-orders the reverb and distortion effects, and it vastly expands the Melee’s range of sounds. I love the hazier, more mysterious textures of situating the reverb before distortion. Players that like more precision and control over picking dynamics might prefer the distortion in front.
The already impressive range of sounds afforded by those controls is made exponentially larger thanks to the very sensitive joystick. Pushing the joystick along its vertical axis increases the distortion gain. Moving it from left to right increases the reverb mix. The spaces in between are home to many blends of the two effects, and interacting with the control is a satisfying process akin to shaping clay.
Cross-Pollination Yields Beautiful Fruit
As cool as Walrus’ interface is, it’s only as good as the effects behind it. The distortion is remarkable. It’s articulate and communicates individual string output clearly, even at high-gain settings. But it can also sound searingly fuzz-like—evoking mid-’60s classics like the Fuzz-Tone and Fuzzrite. That combination isn’t easy to find. And Melee’s ability to walk the line between those two worlds is impressive. It’s also critical when working with reverbs as intense as the Melee’s can be.
Each of the Melee’s reverb algorithms is distinct and powerful. The reverse reverb with feedback was a logical launching point for me, given my own My Bloody Valentine predilections. And many settings uncannily evoke MBV sounds—particularly with the joystick in the upper-right quadrant or in the shallower reaches of the upper-left quadrant. Unlike a lot of reverse reverbs, the Melee’s feels fluid and cohesive. Shoegaze devotees would serve themselves well by investigating the Melee for this function alone.
The ambient reverb setting seems mostly free of the cloying high-octave tonalities that can evoke bad TV dramas. Instead, Melee’s ambient reverb setting is more cave-like in its reflections, which meshes nicely with the fuzz at long decay settings, but also creates a nice wash in the trail of heavy fuzz at low decay settings. The octave-down algorithm, meanwhile, will thrill any composer who loves to incorporate doomy, fractured textures as a bed for slow melodic movements. It also delivers treats like haunting, dolorous foghorn tones that sound magnificently terrifying coupled with deep, slow vibrato dives.
The Verdict
Melee is an overflowing source of sound and texture. How well it works for you as a guitar effect depends on your style and mode of performance. Experimental guitarists that work outside the performance constraints of footswitch-activated effects and can situate the Melee on a tabletop, stool, or, heck, a fancy, ceremonial side-stage plinth, will delight in the hands-on nature of the pedal’s interface. More kinetic stage performers may have a hard time avoiding accidental displacement of the joystick.
Melee’s most promising guitar applications probably exist in the realm of non-traditional rock stage presentation and in the studio, where the Melee’s intuitive functionality can be explored more freely. But in any situation where you can make the Melee’s idiosyncratic design work for you, its brilliant fuzzy distortion and varied and expansive reverb voices make it a tone-crafting asset with huge potential.
Walrus Audio Melee Wall of Sound Demo | First Look
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On her new record with her trio, Molly Miller executes a live-feeling work of structural harmony that mirrors her busy life.
Miller has a lot on her plate. In addition to gigs leading the Molly Miller Trio, she also plays guitar in Jason Mraz’s band, and teaches at her alma mater, the University of Southern California (USC), where, after a nine-year stint, she earned her bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate in music. In 2022, she became a professor of studio guitar at USC. Prior to that, she was the chair of the guitar department at the Los Angeles College of Music.
Molly Miller's Gear
Miller plays a fair bit of jazz, but considers herself simply a guitarist first: “Why do I love the guitar? Because I discovered Jimi Hendrix.”
Photo by Anna Azarov
Guitars
- 1978 Gibson ES-335
- Fender 1952 Telecaster reissue with a different neck and a bad relic job (purchased from Craigslist)
- Gibson Les Paul goldtop with P-90s
Amps
- Benson Nathan Junior
- Benson Monarch
- Fender Princeton Reverb Reissue (modified to “widen sound”)
Effects
- Chase Bliss Audio Dark World
- Chase Bliss Audio Warped Vinyl
- EarthQuaker Devices Dispatch Master
- EarthQuaker Devices Dunes
- EarthQuaker Devices Special Cranker
- JAM Pedals Wahcko
- JAM Pedals Ripply Fall
- Strymon Flint
- Fulltone Clyde Wah
- Line 6 Helix (for touring)
Strings & Picks
- Ernie Ball .011s for ES-335 and Les Paul
- Ernie Ball .0105s for Telecaster
- Fender Celluloid Confetti 351 Heavy Picks
To get things done, Miller has had to rely on a laser-focused approach to time management. “I’ve always kind of been juggling different aspects of my career. I was in grad school, getting a doctorate, TA-ing full time—so, teaching probably 20 hours a week, and then also doing probably four or five gigs a week, and getting a degree,” explains Miller. “I had to figure out how to create habits of, ‘I really want to play a lot of guitar, and gig a lot, but I also need to finish my degree and make extra money teaching, and I also want to practice.’ There’s a certain level of organization and thinking ahead that I always feel like I have to be doing.”
“The concept of the Molly Miller Trio—and also a part of my playing—is we are playing songs, we are bringing back the instrumental, we are thinking about the arrangement.”
The Molly Miller Trio’s latest release, The Battle of Hotspur, had its origins during the pandemic. Miller and bassist Jennifer Condos started writing the songs in March 2020, sending files back and forth to each other. They finally finished writing the album’s last song, “Head Out,” in December 2021, and four months later, recorded the album in just two days. The 12-song collection is subtle and cool, meandering like a warm, sparkling country river through a backwoods county. The arrangements feel spacious and distinctly Western—Miller’s guitar lines are clean and clear and dripped with just the right level of reverb, trem, and chorus, while Jay Bellerose’s brush-led percussion trots alongside like a trusty steed.
The Battle of Hotspur has a live feel, and that aspect was 100-percent deliberate. Miller says, “That’s the exact intention of our records—we want to create a record that we can play live. Jason Wormer, the recording and mixing engineer that did our record, came to a show of ours and was like, ‘This is incredible.’ He’s recorded so many records and was like, ‘This is the first time I’ve ever recorded a record that sounds the same live.’ And that was our exact intention. Because I feel like [the goal of] the trio itself was to be full. It’s not supposed to be like, ‘Oh, let’s put saxophone and let’s put keys and other guitars on it.’ The concept of the record is a full trio like the way Booker T. & the M.G.’s were. It’s not, ‘Wouldn’t it be cool if you added another instrument?’ No, we’re an instrumental trio.”
Musicality is what separates Miller from the rest of the pack. She has prodigious chops but uses them appropriately, when it makes musical sense, and her ability to honor a song’s written melody and bring it to life is one of her strong suits. “That’s a huge part of what we do,” she says. “The concept of the Molly Miller Trio—and also a part of my playing—is we are playing songs, we are bringing back the instrumental, we are thinking about the arrangement. The solo is a vehicle to further the story, to further the song, not just for me to shred. So often, you play a song, and you could be playing the solo over any song. There’s not enough time spent talking about how to play a melody convincingly, and then play a solo that’s connected to the melody.... Whether it’s a pop song, an original, or a standard, how you’re playing it is everything, and not just how you’re shredding over it.”
Miller still gets pigeonholed by expectations in the music industry, including the assumption that she’s a singer-songwriter: “I don’t sing. I’m a fucking guitar player.”
Photo by Anna Azarov
Miller’s strong sense of melody can be traced to her diverse palette of influences. Even though she’s a “jazzer” by definition, she’ll cover pop songs like the Everly Brothers’ “All I Have to Do is Dream” and the Rolling Stones’ “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction.” Miller says, “I spent nine years in jazz school. I practice ‘Giant Steps’ still for fun because I think it’s good for my guitar playing. But it was a release to be like, ‘I am not just a jazz guitar player at all!’ Why do I love the guitar? Because I discovered Jimi Hendrix, right? What made me feel things in high school? Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, and No Doubt. It’s like, Grant Green’s not why I play the guitar.
“I play jazz guitar, but I’m a guitar player that loves jazz. What do I put on my playlist? It’s not like I just listen to Wes Montgomery. I go from Wes Montgomery to the Beach Boys to freakin’ Big Thief to Bob Dylan to Dave Brubeck. The musicians I love are people who tell stories and have something to say—Brian Wilson, Cat Stevens.... They’re amazing songwriters.”
“Whether it’s a pop song, an original, or a standard, how you’re playing it is everything, and not just how you’re shredding over it.”
Despite a successful career, Miller continually faces sexism in the industry. “I went to a guitar hang two days ago. It was a big company, and they invited me to come and check out guitars. And I’m playing—I clearly know how to play the instrument—and this photographer there is like, ‘Oh, so are you a singer?’ And I’m just like, ‘No, I don’t sing. Fuck you,’” recalls Miller. “It’s such an internal struggle because of the interactions I have with the world. This kind of gets this thing in me where I feel like I need to prove to people, like, I am a guitar player. And at this point, I know I’m established enough. I play the guitar, and I know how to play it. I’m good, whatever. There still is this ego portion that I’m constantly fighting, and it comes from random people walking up to me and asking about me playing acoustic guitar and my singer-songwriter career or whatever. And I’m like, ‘I don’t sing. I’m a fucking guitar player.’”
YouTube It
Molly Miller gets to both tour with and open up for Jason Mraz’s band. Here’s a taste of Miller leading into Mraz’s set with some adeptly and intuitively performed riffs from a show in July 2022.
Bassist Sebastian Steinberg’s credits range from deep-cut avant-jazz to the highest levels of pop stardom.
Think weird samples, colliding harmonies, and half-sung boho poetry, all over some seriously sick grooves, with Steinberg driving the bus to Beelzebub with his thick upright tone and funky feel.
“In the middle of every groove, there’s the stupid part,” he told me then, drawing my attention to, as an example, the steady high-hat part in Sly & the Family Stone’s “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin).” If a groove makes your head nod, he said, “there’s something absolutely idiotic weaving its way down the middle.” As a bass player, he cautioned: “Sometimes you’re it.”
This idea stuck with me over the years, so I thought I’d see what Sebastian was up to. I caught him at a good time. After three well-received albums in the ’90s, Soul Coughing went their separate ways, and Steinberg went on to play both upright and electric with a variety of artists, including several that he describes as “fearlessly original.” That’s him on Fiona Apple’s acclaimed pandemic release, Fetch the Bolt Cutters, as well as singer-songwriter Iron & Wine’s latest album, Light Verse. This summer he’s touring Europe in a trio with drummer Matt Chamberlain and pianist Diana Krall (who didn’t want to play with “jazz guys”), and in the fall, he’s hitting the road with a reunited Soul Coughing.
I asked what it was about his approach that appeals to certain artists. “I like to play songs,” he answered. “But I have a musical curiosity and I can throw in my own ideas. My hands tend to be the smartest part of my body, so I can follow where the music leads.”
Steinberg says Fiona Apple’s 2020 record, Fetch the Bolt Cutters, “surpasses anything I’ve ever been involved in.”
Interestingly, when Sebastian started working at different points with Apple, Iron & Wine, and Krall, all three artists asked him not to listen to their previous albums. They wanted to create something new, current, and genuine, rather than, as Sebastian puts it, “trying to do stuff that’s already happened.”
“I’m not the bass player for everyone, which I’m really delighted to discover,” Steinberg continued. “But I’ve been sort of working out that there is a place for me. I’ve always been drawn to music that tends to ruffle feathers rather than smooth them. I gravitate towards people who are really strong individual thinkers, sometimes very much at the cost of their convenience, comfort, and public opinion. But the music is real. When musicians are real with each other, they’re as real as it gets.”
Sebastian describes the making of Fetch the Bolt Cutters as this kind of very real, exceptional experience. “It surpasses anything I’ve ever been involved in, including Soul Coughing,” he says. “I haven’t made an album so true, where nothing like this music has existed before, since Soul Coughing’s first album,” he said, referring to 1994’s Ruby Vroom. “Both albums were alive, unfettered, and truly unexplored territory.”
Fiona put the band together in 2016, inviting Steinberg, drummer Amy Aileen Wood, and multi-instrumentalist David Garza. “The four of us would go to the house, stomp around, sing in a chant she’d made up, and literally play like children or birds. After a while, songs began appearing. By the time we started going into the studio, we’d developed a level of trust and intimacy with each other, because we’d been playing in this non-specific but very personal way together. It's the most powerful band I’ve ever been in.”
“There are so many ways to approach music that transcend what the instrument was built to do. But you should know what it was built to do, because that’s a great job. It’s the best seat in the house.”
Sebastian notes that you do have to balance this kind of boldness with musical functionality. “Bass is a function, not an instrument,” he says. “There are so many ways to approach music that transcend what the instrument was built to do. But you should know what it was built to do, because that’s a great job. It’s the best seat in the house.”
So how does one go about getting real? “It’s about getting out of the way of whatever niceties musicians tend to inflict on each other,” he says. “You have to overcome fear and let the truth speak. Find the music and play it. Don’t bring your ego into it, but don’t let somebody scare you off from the music. And if you believe in what you’re doing, stick to it.”
A note of clarification
Last month’s column was about playing style, with Funkadelic bassist Billy Bass Nelson as an example. However, the magazine was already off to the printer when I finally connected with Nelson after several attempts. He told me that he did not play with a pick on Fred Wesley’s “Half A Man,” but often used his fingernails to get a similar attack. He also suggested two other songs that exemplify his style: Parlet’s 1978 track “Love Amnesia,” and the Temptations’ 1975 single “Shakey Ground.”