Nigel Tufnel: The sustain, listen to it.
Marty DiBergi: I don't hear anything.
Nigel Tufnel: Well you would though. If it were playing.
Posted on 01/23/2015 7:09:15 PM PST by rdb3
Mesa boogie amps.
Yes, what you said.
I saw Carlos at the Bill Graham memorial free concert, which was an all-day all-star show in Golden Gate Park. Most acts came out onstage and did a quick set, but Carlos first did a sound check. He carefully placed bits of tape on the floor where the desired effects could be made due to amplifier feeding into the guitar at various locations. He appeared to control it easily.
Crank the gain, set the volume to just below projectile-ear-bleeding, and hold or bend any note you want for a half hour... just to piss off the neighbors.
8^)
You're quite right that it's only suited for medium-to-large clubs, though. If you want that great tone of the output tubes at their limits, the only way to do it is at their limits, and that's freakin' loud.
> I wonder what the durn thing is worth now?
In good shape, probably around a grand.
Joe Satriani gets some marvelous feedback effects that are dependent on stage location, and you can watch him on some of the YouTube videos, moving around to find the sweet spots for certain harmonics. No tape -- he's too cool to use tape -- but he mentally notes where the zones are and returns at will.
Nigel Tufnel: The sustain, listen to it.
Marty DiBergi: I don't hear anything.
Nigel Tufnel: Well you would though. If it were playing.
Not 100% on the timeline, but likely a Mesa Boogie Mk1 or II as he was a fan and used them extensively. Simple Overdrive/gain/Saturation. Add feedback and finger tricks and you can sustain for a loooooooong time without even needing compression.
Today, you can get a Sustainiac system/Ebow and sustain until the power dies with a crystal clean tone as well as that violin saturation.
Then theres pedals. Then there’s Hi gain amps like a Recto or an Ubershall Or Engl or Diezel or...
Cranked Twins definitely have a sound all their own. But as you found out, it’s at about 140 decibles ;)
A friend had one and I liked it. I was always more a fan of the 80s modded Marshall tone though.
If you ever get the chance to hear a real Pultec parametric EQ pushing even a stock JCM800 with a good set of tubes, you will know the voice of God. Just be standing back as far as you would the Twin. God is pretty loud too ;)
Tragic that a discussion about guitar feedback here on FR didn’t mention the Nuge until near the end of the thread!
His early work with the Amboy Dukes included many wild, magical examples of controlled feedback. He had areas ‘mapped out’ around his amps, and knew exactly where to stand and how to position the Byrd in order to selectively cause specific tones to feed back according to their harmonic contact.
Check out the beginning of ‘Loaded For Bear’ - all guitar sounds. Or ‘For His Namesake.’ Or the heaviest version of ‘Baby, Please Don’t Go’ ever recorded, when Nuge was a teenager. The list goes on: ‘Migration’, ‘Scottish Tea’, ‘Prodigal Man’. Back in those days, Nuge was far more listenable than he ultimately became when he began to front the band and write juvenile, double entendre lyrics. He was an absolute master of feedback, with the creamiest guitar tones and sustained notes around.
For honorable mention, check out Gary Quackenbush of SRC, another Detroit area band of the late 60s. He lacked the virtuosity of Nuge, but had an early sustain device that produced very long notes. Highlights: ‘Black Sheep’, and a killer version of ‘In the Hall of the Mountain King/Beck’s Bolero’. Check ‘me out if you like guitaring with long, sustained tones.
Here is a fav of mine:
Dave Mason - All Along the Watchtower
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1n3f8NeUm-k
I recall reading many years ago that Carlos also had a custom made block of brass embedded into his Yamaha that the bridge anchored into to help with sustain. But yeah, it was mostly amplification and peddle effects.
Very interesting. I like him and also Eric Clapton.
LOL! No doubt wearing his che-zee t-shirt.
Went to see Boston and Doobies last year. Boston had a big support the “Sea Shepard Society” banner behind them and were donating parts of the cd sales to them. Scholz was sporting one of their t shirts. Doobies Pat Simmons son kinda broke the ice and played some acoustic before they took the stage. He talked about his farm on Maui that takes a serious 4 wheeler to get to and how he sees what we’re doing to the ocean on a daily basis while he’s out surfing blah, blah, blah..... Never entered his feeble little brain that he wasn’t teleported to the mainland. Shut up and sing. In a lot of cases, just shut up. We walked out of a csny show after the 3rd song a few years ago.
That Golden Gate Park was a hell of a show. The Dead played a set with John Fogarty..
Although Santana has three sustains in the piece, the second one just floored me. I yelled out very loudly "DUUUUUUUUDE!" on that second sustain and my wife thought I had lost my mind.
Oh, well.
Jesus Christ: You can’t impeach Him and He ain’t gonna resign.
Whoa - wait just a dang minute there.
Thats some serious fretting. He merits inclusion in the same league as Zappa, DiMeola, and McLaughlin.
There’s a pretty awesome, long-held sustained guitar in “Don’t Fear The Reaper” by Blue Oyster Cult, too...
At the end of the guitar solo, he holds the note forever, then just as the “came a last night of sadness, and it was clear that she couldn’t go on” part starts, he BENDS the sustained note up two or three steps.
It’s just ... amazing. Still. One of the coolest guitar songs ever written, simplicity and chilling all in one.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClQcUyhoxTg
Starts the feedback at the 03:20 mark..continues till 3:49, where he bends it up...
Santana is not a very complex player at all. He takes that pentatonic scale and proves that 5 notes and “good tone” can make you famous...: )
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