Favourite guitarists/why we build?

Nostradoomus

Nostradoomus

Well-known member
Does anyone else build certain pedals just to nail the sounds of their favourite guitarists? I don’t always, but once in awhile...I usually build because it’s fun and a very satisfying hobby for me and potentially something I can one day be good enough at to do as a job (but no illusions there :p )

I bought the Zapper board awhile ago and thought nothing of it til it was done...I know John uses a cocked WH10 (PCB please? :) ) but still, the smile on my face when this sound came out!


If you haven’t heard Before The Beginning by John Frusciante, do so. It’s his tribute to Eddie Hazel/Maggot Brain, beautiful.
 
The ones I’ve made for my friends were because they wanted the pedals their guitar heroes used. For me it started because i wanted an EQD “the depths” but wasn’t going to pay $200 for it and saw i could build it for about 30 haha. Then it spiraled into “i wonder what this pedal sounds like” and now it’s on to “man i wish i had a modded plexi” so I’m 90% done on my first amp build and wondering where I’m going to put all this stuff I’ve made.
 
Nice playing, melodic. I would have to say The Beatles for me then Metallica. I started building coz I love clones, it’s challenging especially for a someone who don’t know anything about electronics, satisfying when you build and get it to work and cheaper at times but addicting and could be an expensive hobby if sourcing parts a little at a time. Oh and I finally build one vero and perf boards that work! Lol they’re too damn hard to make.
 
Nostradoomus said:
Does anyone else build certain pedals just to nail the sounds of their favourite guitarists?
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I bought Zapper and Duo-Phase PCBs to get Frank Zappa 73-79 sound. I'm awaiting PCBs and parts...

I bought Muffin Fuzz for that Robert Fripp sound of 73-74. Still not built.

The remaining PCBs (Abyss, few delays, few OD/distortion and Captain Bit) are for my own fun and experimentation. But once VF-1 are back I will go to even more "experimental" stuff.
 
Not as much pedal related, but this recording of Sweet Dreams by Roy Buchanan is what inspired me to build a 2x10 Fender Vibrolux Reverb clone as well as a partscaster early 50's voiced Tele.

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I build pedals and play with DSP ideas mostly because I like to tinker and experiment, but I suppose if there's a bassist that makes great use of effects that I find especially appealing and well-integrated with the rest of the band, Justin Chancellor of Tool comes to mind. I've been learning a few of his bass parts lately. That Wal Bass tone, though... one day when I'm rich, I'm gonna get one.
 
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Dali said:
I bought Zapper and Duo-Phase PCBs to get Frank Zappa 73-79 sound. I'm awaiting PCBs and parts...

I bought Muffin Fuzz for that Robert Fripp sound of 73-74. Still not built.

The remaining PCBs (Abyss, few delays, few OD/distortion and Captain Bit) are for my own fun and experimentation. But once VF-1 are back I will go to even more "experimental" stuff.
Click to expand...

I’ve got both of those made now. Link me to the tone you’re after for Zappa...now I’m interested! Frank was incredible.

Also very interested in building my own amp. Chad, Jovi how did you go about this. Did you get a kit?
 
Nostradoomus said:
Also very interested in building my own amp. Chad, Jovi how did you go about this. Did you get a kit?
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Yeah, I built the 2x10 combo Encore kit from David Allen. I was fortunate to buy it while he ran a sale for $1.1k. It was my first foray in that kind of work so I was very nervous, but the documentation included and his incredibly knowledgeable and thorough troubleshooting emails made the build surprisingly easy. It's my dream amp. Everything about it is perfect. Also, it's dead quiet. Here's the finished amp and the 50s spec partscaster Tele that I painted and built but have since modded a bit and added a Bigsby to.
IMG_20191019_092409.jpg
 
Nostradoomus said:
I’ve got both of those made now. Link me to the tone you’re after for Zappa...now I’m interested! Frank was incredible.
Click to expand...

Zappa tone from 73-74 is really about the Roxy tone. So SG+Green Ringer + Systech Harmonizer + Mutron BiPhase and a Wah. Simple as that. The amps at the time where Marshal and Accoustic Amp.


The other one, way harder to get IMHO will be Shut Up n' Play Yer Guitar tone. In other words, Inca Roads solo from 1979.


This one require a SG guitar, Micmix Dynaflanger, Green Ringer and that parametric EQ found in the circuit of Son of Kong (http://spontaneousaudio.com/products/son-of-kong/).

I'm anxious to get my hands on this book in the making for the last 4 years: https://www.amazon.ca/Zappa-Gear-Amplifiers-Keyboards-Equipment/dp/1540012026 . One of my picture is in the book... :)
 
Jovi Bon Kenobi said:
Yeah, I built the 2x10 combo Encore kit from David Allen. I was fortunate to buy it while he ran a sale for $1.1k. It was my first foray in that kind of work so I was very nervous, but the documentation included and his incredibly knowledgeable and thorough troubleshooting emails made the build surprisingly easy. It's my dream amp. Everything about it is perfect. Also, it's dead quiet. Here's the finished amp and the 50s spec partscaster Tele that I painted and built but have since modded a bit and added a Bigsby to.
View attachment 2042
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Oh jeebus that’s pricey for something I still have to put together haha. Very cool tho! Love the Peavey badge. And that guitar is slick bud!

There’s an amp/stereo guy in town here I think I can get a chassis and turretboard from for pretty cheap and the rest is up to me haha. We’ll see...I’d have a hard time spending thousands on something like that when I can just buy the amp I’m trying to build for the same cost.
 
That whole rig is slick!

All the money in building a tube amp is in the glass & iron. If's it's a combo, then the speakers can be a major cost driver too.

A friend of mine wants to add a Bigsby to his Tele. Any advice you can provide would be most welcome.
 
Dali said:
Zappa tone from 73-74 is really about the Roxy tone. So SG+Green Ringer + Systech Harmonizer + Mutron BiPhase and a Wah. Simple as that. The amps at the time where Marshal and Accoustic Amp.


The other one, way harder to get IMHO will be Shut Up n' Play Yer Guitar tone. In other words, Inca Roads solo from 1979.


This one require a SG guitar, Micmix Dynaflanger, Green Ringer and that parametric EQ found in the circuit of Son of Kong (http://spontaneousaudio.com/products/son-of-kong/).

I'm anxious to get my hands on this book in the making for the last 4 years: https://www.amazon.ca/Zappa-Gear-Amplifiers-Keyboards-Equipment/dp/1540012026 . One of my picture is in the book... :)
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zappa had so many neat and inventive tone ideas. he was a true pioneer
 
Chuck D. Bones said:
That whole rig is slick!

All the money in building a tube amp is in the glass & iron. If's it's a combo, then the speakers can be a major cost driver too.

A friend of mine wants to add a Bigsby to his Tele. Any advice you can provide would be most welcome.
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Yeah I’ve retubed a few amps in my time haha! To start I’d probably just do a low wattage head...an AC30 style would be nice as I also have Rory Gallagher tone lust haha. I have 3 speaker cabinets so that’s not a concern.Looks like about 200cdn for the choke and output transformer, not bad.
 
Chuck D. Bones said:
A friend of mine wants to add a Bigsby to his Tele. Any advice you can provide would be most welcome.
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Yes! pick a light Tele to install one on. mine was exactly 6 lbs before adding it. If going the factory Bigsby route, including adding a fixed bridge (which is what I did) I recommend using a drill press for the bridge bushings, Mastery bridge in my case. Measure ten times and drill once. Haha.

Also, and this is a big one, even though I think it looks cool on mine, I don't recommend using the "F" branded Bigsby B5. The reason is because the "horseshoe" piece is longer, fitting the stamped big F, than it is on the "Bigsby"stamped B5's. This means you have to install it very close to the bridge, creating a harder break angle...in turn, making returning to pitch harder. I would guess that you could move it about ¾" closer to the end pin if you used the regular Bigsby.
If he installs one, try to get the roller bar as far from the bridge as possible. I remedied this by adding a spacer to raise up the entire Bigsby assembly. It works beautifully, but I had to do a lot of tweaking. Another big upgrade are the soft tension springs you can buy from Reverend Guitars. I highly recommend those over the super stiff factory springs.

Here you see that I (crappily) made the two risers out of pickguard. To drill the bushings for the Mastery bridge I headed over a buddy's garage to use his drill press. The nitrocellulose paint color I used here was called Gorilla Vanilla in rattle cans from Reranch.
IMG_20191027_160425.jpg
 
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Excellent! That is most helpful. I'll probably end up doing the installation. Got the drill press. Thank you.

On the topic of favorite guitarists, David Gilmour has been at the top of my list since DSotM came out. I'd like to add:
Robert Fripp
Pete Townshend
Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree)
Bill Nelson (Bebop Deluxe)
Tommy Bolin
Buck Dharma (Blue Oyster Cult)
Billie Gibbons

I never lose sight of the fact that for all of these guys, 95% of the tone is in their fingers. The equipment can take credit for maybe the last 5%.
As The Rev. Willie Gibbons so eloquently put it: "It's meat on steel on wood."
 
Chuck D. Bones said:
Excellent! That is most helpful. I'll probably end up doing the installation. Got the drill press. Thank you.

On the topic of favorite guitarists, David Gilmour has been at the top of my list since DSotM came out. I'd like to add:
Robert Fripp
Pete Townshend
Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree)
Bill Nelson (Bebop Deluxe)
Tommy Bolin
Buck Dharma (Blue Oyster Cult)
Billie Gibbons

I never lose sight of the fact that for all of these guys, 95% of the tone is in their fingers. The equipment can take credit for maybe the last 5%.
As The Rev. Willie Gibbons so eloquently put it: "It's meat on steel on wood."
Click to expand...
What gets me is that Billy plats .08 strings! His touch has to be light as a feather!
 
Jovi Bon Kenobi said:
Yeah, I built the 2x10 combo Encore kit from David Allen. I was fortunate to buy it while he ran a sale for $1.1k. It was my first foray in that kind of work so I was very nervous, but the documentation included and his incredibly knowledgeable and thorough troubleshooting emails made the build surprisingly easy. It's my dream amp. Everything about it is perfect. Also, it's dead quiet. Here's the finished amp and the 50s spec partscaster Tele that I painted and built but have since modded a bit and added a Bigsby to.
View attachment 2042
Click to expand...
That photo and the quality of your builds says a lot, set a grenade off in the middle of that and you'd have my rig!
 
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