“Hi gain amplification. Tube saturation. It’s magical.”
Just like a certain dude with a a Gibson Birdland used to do
but with a little feedback thrown in.
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.