Twincam Posted August 14, 2015 Share Posted August 14, 2015 Inspired by the dirty/clean mojo thread. We all know the story of jamerson and his funky=filthy old flatwound strings. And various people using fried chicken grease on strings. There's also the famous story of the kinks and there razor slashed or knitting needle stabbed speaker (depending on which brother you believe). Anyone know of any other good tone voodoo stories like that, from famous people or the guy down the road swearing Vaseline coating his speakers is where he gets his tone. Or even your own. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted August 14, 2015 Share Posted August 14, 2015 JJ Burnel famously got his trademark sound (at least early on) from a cab with blown drivers in it, which was either a Marshall 4X12 or some flavour of 8X10 depending on which of the stories you believe... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beedster Posted August 14, 2015 Share Posted August 14, 2015 Yep, I had a lovely old tube combo in the 70's (WEM I think) that sounded outstanding, great gritty tone for guitar, until I took it in for a repair at my Dad's insistence (IIRC he was concerned at the burning smell and hint of smoke in the room whenever I played it). I collected it (or my Dad did), to find that the tech had replaced a 'badly damaged driver', as the result of which I now sounded like Hank Marvin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dad3353 Posted August 14, 2015 Share Posted August 14, 2015 Our main guitar amp at the time was a Linear Concord, a whole 30 watts. My brother used an enormous old (even then...) valve tape recorder as an overdrive; it was 3 times the size (and weight..!) of the amp. Our 2nd guitar, John Mac, wanted disto too so, not to be outdone, he brought along a whole stereo radiogram, as big as a sideboard. We did very few gigs with that formation, but the sounds were excellent, to our inexperienced (and poor..!) ears. Reggae became known, and we wanted to record something in that idiom. We finally nailed the bass drum sound we were looking for by shoving a giant stuffed ladybird into a plastic bucket, and whacking it with the flat of a wooden spoon. Happy daze. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beedster Posted August 14, 2015 Share Posted August 14, 2015 [quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1439551166' post='2843792'] Our main guitar amp at the time was a Linear Concord, a whole 30 watts. My brother used an enormous old (even then...) valve tape recorder as an overdrive; it was 3 times the size (and weight..!) of the amp. Our 2nd guitar, John Mac, wanted disto too so, not to be outdone, he brought along a whole stereo radiogram, as big as a sideboard. We did very few gigs with that formation, but the sounds were excellent, to our inexperienced (and poor..!) ears. Reggae became known, and we wanted to record something in that idiom. We finally nailed the bass drum sound we were looking for by shoving a giant stuffed ladybird into a plastic bucket, and whacking it with the flat of a wooden spoon. Happy daze. [/quote] Ha ha, that is outstanding, a radiogram on stage, made my day. You'd have needed a roadie for a 14w rig! Ah, the stuff we used to do just to be heard, hardly surprising that electric shocks and stage fires were so common Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muzz Posted August 14, 2015 Share Posted August 14, 2015 [quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1439551166' post='2843792'] Our main guitar amp at the time was a Linear Concord, a whole 30 watts. My brother used an enormous old (even then...) valve tape recorder as an overdrive; it was 3 times the size (and weight..!) of the amp. Our 2nd guitar, John Mac, wanted disto too so, not to be outdone, he brought along a whole stereo radiogram, as big as a sideboard. We did very few gigs with that formation, but the sounds were excellent, to our inexperienced (and poor..!) ears. Reggae became known, and we wanted to record something in that idiom. We finally nailed the bass drum sound we were looking for by shoving a giant stuffed ladybird into a plastic bucket, and whacking it with the flat of a wooden spoon. Happy daze. [/quote] Please tell me he'd left the table lamp and onyx ashtray on it, too...makes Geddy's stage rig look amateurish... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dad3353 Posted August 14, 2015 Share Posted August 14, 2015 [quote name='Muzz' timestamp='1439552743' post='2843813'] Please tell me he'd left the table lamp and onyx ashtray on it, too...makes Geddy's stage rig look amateurish... [/quote] Good gracious, no..! That would have been absolutely amateurish..! Whatever next..! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted August 14, 2015 Share Posted August 14, 2015 This is what used to be known as a 13 amp fuse ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beedster Posted August 14, 2015 Share Posted August 14, 2015 [quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1439555599' post='2843849'] This is what used to be known as a 13 amp fuse ... [/quote] Amateur effort Dave, heavy duty tin foil would take far more current Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Low End Bee Posted August 14, 2015 Share Posted August 14, 2015 [quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1439551166' post='2843792'] Our main guitar amp at the time was a Linear Concord, a whole 30 watts. My brother used an enormous old (even then...) valve tape recorder as an overdrive; it was 3 times the size (and weight..!) of the amp. Our 2nd guitar, John Mac, wanted disto too so, not to be outdone, he brought along a whole stereo radiogram, as big as a sideboard. We did very few gigs with that formation, but the sounds were excellent, to our inexperienced (and poor..!) ears. Reggae became known, and we wanted to record something in that idiom. We finally nailed the bass drum sound we were looking for by shoving a giant stuffed ladybird into a plastic bucket, and whacking it with the flat of a wooden spoon. Happy daze. [/quote] Thsi has made me chuckle to myself all afternoon. Effects pedals the size of a sideboard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted August 14, 2015 Share Posted August 14, 2015 [quote name='Beedster' timestamp='1439563460' post='2843975'] Amateur effort Dave, heavy duty tin foil would take far more current [/quote] I think you'll find that's only used in the slow-blo version. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beedster Posted August 14, 2015 Share Posted August 14, 2015 [quote name='Low End Bee' timestamp='1439563756' post='2843983'] Thsi has made me chuckle to myself all afternoon. Effects pedals the size of a sideboard [/quote] And is why musicians who made it through the '70s were real men; every gig meant hauling monolithic boxes - including sideboards it seems - up creaky rotten stairs with no bannisters into clubs whose electrics hadn't been touched since the Blitz, running said boxes from one extension cables that had been repaired numerous times with sellotape or Elastoplast but was still trailing through puddles of beer, and then subjected to an atmosphere not unlike a nicotine testing laboratory for three hours. But the tone ...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevB Posted August 14, 2015 Share Posted August 14, 2015 Hammond players with Leslie cabinets looked like Quasimodo after a few gigs unless they had a roadie... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Low End Bee Posted August 14, 2015 Share Posted August 14, 2015 [quote name='Beedster' timestamp='1439564385' post='2843995'] And is why musicians who made it through the '70s were real men; every gig meant hauling monolithic boxes - including sideboards it seems - up creaky rotten stairs with no bannisters into clubs whose electrics hadn't been touched since the Blitz, running said boxes from one extension cables that had been repaired numerous times with sellotape or Elastoplast but was still trailing through puddles of beer, and then subjected to an atmosphere not unlike a nicotine testing laboratory for three hours. But the tone ...... [/quote] I gigged and HH VS100 through and ex reggae sound system 18" bass bin made from what felt like paving slabs '79-81. Can you imagine the awesome tone? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted August 14, 2015 Share Posted August 14, 2015 (edited) [quote name='Low End Bee' timestamp='1439565062' post='2844012'] I gigged and HH VS100 through and ex reggae sound system 18" bass bin made from what felt like paving slabs '79-81. Can you imagine the awesome tone? [/quote] Similarly I had HH VS100 plus VS100 Slave and two 15" Electrovoice PA bins. It was crap but, most importantly, it was heavy. Edited August 14, 2015 by EssentialTension Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leschirons Posted August 14, 2015 Share Posted August 14, 2015 Funnily enough, I bumped into Kevin Willoughby in a Norfolk pub (fabulous bass player from the Cambridge area) when he was doing a little Sunday afternoon freebee. He plugs into a 15 watt practice amp then out, into a 75 watt keyboard amp. What a sound. Really warm and rounded. He swears by it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beedster Posted August 14, 2015 Share Posted August 14, 2015 [quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1439565338' post='2844017'] It was crap but, most importantly, it was heavy. [/quote] Genius Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beedster Posted August 14, 2015 Share Posted August 14, 2015 [quote name='Low End Bee' timestamp='1439565062' post='2844012'] I gigged and HH VS100 through and ex reggae sound system 18" bass bin made from what felt like paving slabs '79-81. Can you imagine the awesome tone? [/quote] This is why roadies in the 70's were generally gargantuan, hair-covered beasts, who communicated in subsonic grunts, and from whom one sideways look - even to major stars - would inspire fear and immediate obedience. These days you see roadies who Mo Farrah could take apart in a Greco-Roman Wrestling competition Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazzneck Posted August 14, 2015 Share Posted August 14, 2015 (edited) [quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1439555599' post='2843849'] This is what used to be known as a 13 amp fuse ... [/quote] Marlboro? Pah! Boys stuff! - we used to use the silver paper from this: [attachment=198501:download.jpg] and to get us home when the van blew out a sparkling plug we improvised Helicoil with the silver foil from this; [attachment=198502:article-2356670-1AAD2050000005DC-738_306x272.jpg] Edited August 14, 2015 by Jazzneck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted August 14, 2015 Share Posted August 14, 2015 [quote name='Jazzneck' timestamp='1439567608' post='2844057'] Marlboro? Pah! Boys stuff! - we used to use the silver paper from this: [/quote] In actual fact, in Birmingham, it was the silver paper from a packet of Park Drive but I couldn't find a pic with the silver paper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazzneck Posted August 14, 2015 Share Posted August 14, 2015 [quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1439569613' post='2844083'] In actual fact, in Birmingham, it was the silver paper from a packet of Park Drive but I couldn't find a pic with the silver paper. [/quote] Snob. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted August 14, 2015 Share Posted August 14, 2015 I've never heard 'Park Drive' and 'snob' in the same sentence before. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beedster Posted August 14, 2015 Share Posted August 14, 2015 Let's not forget the tone voodoo instruments of the day, for example my Satellite Les Paul, described to my father (who was paying) "as every bit as good as the Fender version and probably made by the same people". It had tone by the bucketload, not very nice tone, but lots of it. Oh, and it weighed a ton as well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted August 14, 2015 Share Posted August 14, 2015 [quote name='Beedster' timestamp='1439570789' post='2844098'] Oh, and it weighed a ton as well [/quote] That's the main thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beedster Posted August 14, 2015 Share Posted August 14, 2015 [quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1439571437' post='2844105'] That's the main thing. [/quote] I should point out that my 1975 Strat weighs close to 11lbs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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