ANDRE’ CHOLMONDELEY ADDS TO MULTI-FACETED GUITAR SOUND WITH EVENTIDE TIMEFACTOR STOMPBOX

“The TimeFactor lets me do things during performances that I wouldn’t be able to do unless I had both hands free, and then some.”
– Andre’ Cholmondeley, guitarist

Andre’ Cholmondeley, best known as a guitarist for Zappa-repertoire band Project/Object, has distinguished himself by his uniquely versatile approach to the instrument. As such, Cholmondeley regards technology as a very crucial extension of his guitar. This attitude led Cholmondeley to the Eventide TimeFactor stompbox, which he has incorporated into his sound for the studio and on the road. As guitar-tech for experimental guitar icon Adrian Belew, and formerly Al DiMeola, Cholmondeley has worked with most of the top delay and effects devices available.

In addition to Project/Object, Cholmondeley is involved in other projects including Delicious (a 3-piece psychedelic instrumental band) and Don Preston, Frank Zappa’s original synthesizer player. While the diversity of Cholmondeley’s numerous projects belies his experimental nature, Cholmondeley has found common technical threads between different musical styles and eras. “Echo and delay have always been major components in modern music,” he said. “All those bands in the 1960s used vintage tape delay and reverb was always a big thing. With the TimeFactor I can recreate that ‘60s, vintage tape delay sound, but I can also find delays heard in today’s music. So this little box actually takes you through the different eras of music, one delay at a time!”

Utilizing the TimeFactor’s stereo input and output, Cholmondeley runs his guitar through two amplifiers. “Since Delicious is a trio, I need to fill up a lot of space and the TimeFactor gives me a real nice wash of sound,” he said.

Additionally, since the TimeFactor stompbox boasts a level of functionality normally only found in rackmount equipment, Cholmondeley can now take studio-quality performance to the road. “I’ve owned every kind of delay pedal, I’ve worked with tape delays in the studio, but the TimeFactor lets me do things during performances that I wouldn’t be able to do unless I had both hands free, and then some,” he said. “The ability to save different delays in patches and store so many different settings is really unique for a pedal.”

Cholmondeley also cites the TimeFactor’s modulation effects (including chorus and light flanging) as unique yet extremely beneficial features of the stompbox. “Nobody has incorporated modulation into a foot pedal to this extent,” he said. “Combine that with the ability to store the delays in so many different combinations, and my live performances have really become 3-dimensional.”