The electro-harmonix B9 and C9 Organ Machines effectively add a variety of different organ sounds to your guitar rig, which is pretty darn cool. Beyond the obvious use of playing organ parts on guitar, these pedals can add variety to your guitar sound, from subtle to over the top.

Input and Routing
E-H recommends that you place the B9 and C9 first in your signal chain for the most accurate tracking. The only possible exceptions being the use of a boost pedal to compensate for low-output pickups or a compressor to even out performance. These pedals will track your “guitar-isms” flawlessly so you can bend, slur, hammer-on, and pull-off with total confidence.

Both pedals have outputs for Organ and Dry so you can process your guitar and organ sounds separately. This would be useful for making your band sound bigger. Imagine another amp and sound onstage that appeared when you engaged the pedal. That sound could have a different amount of reverb or distortion than your “regular” guitar sound, which would make it even more distinct. You could also have the C9 or B9 on its own volume pedal and blend in the sound as needed.

If you use the Organ output only, the organ and dry sounds are blended. You can control the amount of each from the volume knobs on the faces of the units. This application would be more useful if you wanted to use the B9 or C9 like an effects pedal, giving you another sonic option that’s different from modulation or EQ pedals.

Sounds
I would definitely recommend trying any of the B9 and C9 sounds blended with guitar; it doesn’t take much of the B9 and C9 sound to get you there. Here’s a few that will work using either one output for blended sounds or both outputs for separate processing:

On the B9, adding in a little bit of Fat & Full to a clean or slightly dirty guitar sound will act like a thickener to your rhythm part, especially in the lower octave.
Add the B9’s Classic Rock to your distorted guitar sound and you’re in some seriously grandiose sonic territory; Lord Purple on the C9 will give you the same effect.
Bottom End will give you just that; use it clean or dirty to fatten low-end riffs.
Octaves is great for adding a sweetness to soft arpeggiations or chord swells; use it with reverb, delay, and a hint of modulation. Adjust the Click control to dampen or accentuate upper harmonics and key click. C9’s Blimp is in the same sound family but it’s more subtle.
Continental is quirky and cool for mid-register, clean rhythm parts; very ’60s. Compact and Telstar on the C9 are variations on the same flavor, one may suit your ear better than the others.
Bell Organ will add serious gloss to clean, upper-register arpeggios; Click controls the amount of chime.
Mello Flutes will make your simple, mid-to-upper-register rhythm parts instantly iconic; try a clean, compressed warm guitar sound with nice reverb and a phase shifter; picked parts will come to life.

Possibly my favorite sound on the B9 and C9 is Shimmer. I’m always looking for a vibey, wash behind chord swells and Shimmer adds something that you can’t get anywhere else. Mod adjusts the attack time and Click controls the amount of sustain so it’s easy to get it as subtle or pronounced as you want.

Wrap Up
For the types of sounds they offer, the B9 and C9 are unique in the way they integrate with guitar rigs; no special hardware or software, they operate like any other pedal. This makes it possible to introduce new sounds into your palette without getting mired in a bunch of technology. Take advantage of this and remember that these uses are merely suggestions, there are no rules. Use these pedals in the way that suits you and your style best. As always, your ear is your best musical guide.

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How To Use the B9 and C9 in Your Guitar Rig

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