Somewhere Over The Rainbow . . .

There's an old saying about rainbows - - you chase enough of them, eventually you'll come across a pot of gold. For young Dorothy Gale, the "treasure" at the end of her rainbow was returning to her Kansas home. Standing in her way - a wicked witch, a crazy wizard, flying monkeys, and lions, tigers, and bears - - OH NO!

These days, the search for "true" vintage gear is akin to a trip through Oz - wrought with danger at every turn, and usually minus the magical part where you actually find something incredibly cool. Friend and String Bean Music proprietor Phil Feser recently found himself the exception to that rule by his acquisition of two sparkling examples of vintage Fender amplification: a 1953 wide-panel Deluxe and a 1958 Deluxe. The circumstances by which these grizzled, Fullerton-made warriors came back into the fold remain classfied, and respectfully so. However, once you plug plug in - and behold the pristine timbres of fifty years passed - you soon realize that the real story is less about the find, and all about the tone.

Written words do little justice in describing the auditory nirvana of a vintage Fender amp, and most especially when you're standing face to face with it. Besides the thrill of seeing and hearing the genuine article, one is instantly struck with a deep respect for the humble simplicity of the design. Modern-day manufacturers still use the same circuitry for their own products, hoping to capture even a smidge of that elusive vintage mojo.

Driving home the "work horse" persona of these two amps were several make-shift "modifications". The '53 sported a kitschy, but effective floral upholstery grille cover; and the '58 had been spray-painted (*yes, I said spray-painted) gold; its handle - wrapped lovingly with several layers of cloth athletic tape (hopefully I got those mods on the right amps). Looking at the two side-by-side evokes some interesting thoughts, particularly those of modern-day collectors - staring in disbelief at the undoubtedly primitive customization efforts. But there is a certain charm to vintage gear that has met a similar fate - mostly in the fact that they were looked upon as musical "tools", and not as potential museum pieces. And as any good Tin Woodsman will tell you - what really matters is the heart that beats inside of it.

Armed with a sassy new ESP Vintage Plus Strat, Phil brought these gems to life. Running both in stereo with a *new* DigiTech Hardwire Stereo Reverb pedal, the tone hung ever-so-thickly in the air. Tone that only comes as the result of having 50+ years of electricity run through it; of components being exposed to decades of heat, humidity, and gradual wear; and of generations of legendary music being projected through their sturdy chassis. This, my friends, is the true definintion of vintage; the end of the tonal rainbow. Treasure to hear and behold.

I, too, was fortunate enough to savor the pleasure of playing through these two amps (*on the same, buttery-smooth ESP Strat), and I smiled that big, wide Jon Nelson smile as those lovely vintage timbres tickled my ears. Yes indeed, there's no place like tone. - - J.

Hirsute it on the X

Thought I'd drop this little blurb in behind the ZZ Top concert review.

This past July, that Lil' ol' Band from Texas signed onto American Recordings, most likely with the hope of re-tooling their somewhat stagnant studio presence of the past decade or so. If you are not familiar with American, its headed by none other than uber-producer Rick Rubin - who like the ZZ boys, sports a solid mass of chin shrubbery.

Most recently, Rubin played an integral role in revitalizing the career of 70's pop icon Neil Diamond, and prior to that, produced a legendary trio of releases with the late Johnny Cash. Rubin's production credits have crossed many genres - from rap to alternative, country to metal, and everything in-between.

One of the trademarks of Rubin-produced sound is his innate ability to reduce music to its "purest essence"; to strip down the layers of un-needed production hoodoo - and look directly into the soul of the artist(s) and their music. This, I think, will bide well for ZZ and their forthcoming release, as most of their recent material has lacked some of the bare-knuckled bravado present on classic releases such as "Tres Hombres" and "Deguello".

The Top's most recent studio effort "Mescalero" (2003) isn't totally devoid of an attractive hook or two. But stacked up against their early to mid 70's catalog, it's like a lonely AMC Gremlin sitting in the back of a lot full of '57 Chevys. Easy not to notice.

Some of Rubin's more notable rock production gigs include work with AC~DC (Ballbreaker); Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers (Echo); the Red Hot Chili Peppers (Blood Sugar Sex Majik, Californication, Stadium Arcadium); Audioslave (Audioslave, Out Of Exile); Jakob Dylan (Seeing Things); and last but not least, Metallica (Death Magnetic). Did I mention that he's also worked with that politically-charged trio of country goodness - aka the Dixie Chicks . . . of which his efforts garnered three Grammy Awards. Yeah - didn't impress me either.

Having shot through a circuit of solid summer and fall performances, The Rev. & Co. hopefully have their chops honed to gritty perfection - and are primed and ready to hit the studio with their surfer foot gas pedal to the floorboard. Rumor has it that the upcoming release will meld elements of their classic 70's style / tone with the pop sensibility and hooky-ness of the Eliminator-era material. Which to me sounds like some good, old-fashioned bump n' grind - ZZ style. A how, how, how . . . J.

Blow Your Top . . .

Tone Farmer Joe Austin recently had the good fortune of catching that 'Little 'Ol Band From Texas live at a standing room only Grand Forks tilt. And not in some boomy, over-sized machine shed, mind you - - but at the acoustically delicious Chester Fritz Auditorium!! My oh my, those tones must've been sweeter n' a heapin' helpin' of smoky, down-home BBQ!! Joe was kind enough to pen a review for us, and it goes sumthin' like this . . .

On Saturday, October 18th, the Chester Fritz Auditorium on the UND Campus had the distinct privilege of having the legendary rock band ZZ TOP entertain the good folks of Grand Forks! When I heard that the Fritz would be the select venue (ZZ TOP is playing smaller, more intimate venue to give the fans an "in your face" feel!) for this concert, I began telling people that they were in for a treat. I also enthusiastically reminded them that a band the caliber of ZZ TOP could easily chose to play the Ralph Englestad Arena, The Alerus, or even the Fargodome. Yet, they graciously chose the 2,000 seat Chester Fritz Auditorium. And for that, we, and especially the town of GF should be extremely grateful!

The show started at 8:00 with an Atlanta Ga band, Blackberry Smoke opening. Out of all the opening acts I have recently seen, this one is one the better ones. A simple four piece band, Blackberry Smoke played a well-received 45 minute set that showcased their unique sound blending several classic rock and country rock bands such as the Black Crowes and Lynyrd Skynyrd, yet forging a style all their own. My favorite part of the set was watching guitarist Paul Jackson play some sweet looking and sounding Les Pauls. In fact, as I watched him closely, I swear he looked more and more like a young Gary Rossington.

After a brief intermission, ZZ TOP took the stage to thundering and deafening applause. The tres Hombres got in their positions and proceeded to rip into "Got Me Under Pressure", followed by "Waiting For the Bus" and "Jesus Just Left Chicago". After this three song opening, Guitarist Billy Gibbons address the crowd telling them how glad they were to be in North Dakota and this tour was designed to be more in your face for them. He also mentioned that they would be playing more bluesier, obscured tunes than the ones that got lots of MTV airplay. They didn't disappoint. Several great album tracks were performed such as "Goin' Down to Mexico" from 1971's First Album, "Just Got Paid" from 1972's Rio Grand Mud, and a great version of "Hey Joe" by the one and only Jimi Hendrix. This part of the show, by far, was my favorite. I've always preferred the material where it's just the power trio w/o the synthesizers and Billy Gibbons can just get down and dirty with his guitar work. Which also explains why I prefer the 1977 release of "The Best of ZZ Top" versus 1992's "Greatest Hits.

Of course, ZZ Top did it's best to please everybody and played their most popular hits towards the middle and end of the set including "Cheap Sunglasses" and the Eliminator trilogy "Gimme All Your Lovin", "Sharp Dressed Man", and "Legs". By this time the crowd was really on it's feet and wanted more. ZZ Top obliged and delivered ass-kicking versions of La Grange and Tush for their encore.

Bottom line, ZZ Top delivered the goods. And I would highly recommend all fans of good quality blues drenched, classic rock, and in your face music to go see ZZ TOP when they come to a small venue near your town. It's not every day, that bands like these decide to go the smaller route. So when they do, be sure to get off your butt and go see them. You'll be glad you did! - - by Joe Austin

Also - be sure to visit the following websites for more band-related information:

http://www.zztop.com/

http://www.blackberrysmoke.com/

Hard To Handle

As one might imagine, I was excited to see Black Crowes guitarist Rich Robinson and newly minted foil Luther Dickinson on the cover of July's Guitar Player Magazine. Having had a full (3) months to absorb their latest release Warpaint, and digging it quite a bit, I was very interested in what Rich and Luther had to say about the guitars / gear they used.

That is, until I read this: "A good tone will make your whole body tingle with energy," says Rich Robinson, "and I think the way many guitarists are using digital technology has destroyed that."

Wow. Not even a paragraph into the feature, and here comes a well-aimed diss at guitarists using digital technology. Being a player who has readily embraced the idea of 1's and O's in relation to his own pursuits, Rich's somewhat cynical view didn't sit too well with me.

For starters, let us examine Mr. Robinson's current state of affairs in regards to "real" gear: a home studio crammed full of top-shelf vintage equipment; an ever-expanding network of legendary luthiers and analog amp gurus eager to custom build any guitar / amp he so desires; and a nearly unlimited supply of funds to support his tingly, mind-expanding quest for tonal perfection. And lest we forget - access to the finest recording facilities in the world. Yes indeed, as far as tone is concerned, Mr. Robinson hasn't ventured too far out of the "land of milk and honey" - - if at all. Sort of like the Kennedys bitching about the quality of food at McDonald's.

In comparison to the opinionated Mr. Robinson, the common player knows little of such frivolties - - being bound to more responsible pursuits than the "tingling of one's engergy." I can, however, personally attest to experiencing "tingling" sensations when playing through digital equipment - - although I have not compared these sensations to those achieved when using my '68 Super Reverb, Classic 30, or any of my other tube-based amplifiers. Perhaps it might be a good idea for a future Tone Farm feature? No matter how you choose to look at it, I find it a bit jaded for anyone, much less a prominent rock guitarist, to dismiss digital technology as "tone-less" destroyers of musical energy. It's simply not so.

Delving further in, one might also ponder the following questions: "Is the music-making and / or recording process somehow undermined if it's not analog." Or, "is one's playing less inspired because the sound is being created / processed digitally?" I would suppose that certain types of players could be more / less inspired - depending on the type of gear they play. However, this supposition should also reflect the contingent of players who are inspired by, or actually prefer digitally-rendered tone to analog / tube-based tone. To me, what it boils down to is this: if the song is good, and the playing kicks ass, how it came to be is irrelevant.

Here's another small, but tasty morsel of information: ALL of the Black Crowes' new album was recorded using M-Audio's Pro-Tools - a DIGITAL computer recording program!! Imagine that. In a world teeming with vintage Neve and Studer analog consoles - any of which would be at the Black Crowe's instant disposal - - they recorded the album using *ahem* . . . Pro Tools.

Today's gear manufacturers have done a fantastic job of leveling the playing field between preening analog wind-bags and the average joe player - and most especially with digital technology. As I see it, having access to something that tone-wise sounds reasonably close to, or has some of the playing nuances of a decent Fender or Marshall amp - I absolutely can't see anything wrong with that.

So, to all of the tone "purists"- please feel welcome to obsess about crap like amp sag, tube degradation, point-to-point, and cone wear all you want - digital / modeling technology is here to stay. Myself and a gazillion other players will make damn sure of it.

Now that I've ranted to my heart's content, I think I'll saunter into the jam room, crank up my PODxt, dial in a nice over-driven Fender Tweed - and play some Black Crowes. Damn you, digital technology. Damn you! - - J.

Goodbye Mr. Crudfinger

I honestly don't know how I forgot to include this exceptional product in my "Small Change . . . Big Tone" post - - but I did.

I was introduced to Kyser's Dr. Stringfellow Guitar String Cleaner & Conditioner by Brakin' Records solo recording artist & good friend Craig Schulte. Being a performing musician on budget, and not having the lettuce to re-string his axes with new strings each and every nite, Dr. Stringfellow String Conditioner was Craig's answer to preserving that “freshly re-strung” tone, as well as significantly extending string life.

About the cost of a new set of strings, a bottle of Dr. Stringfellow will last for months – maybe even years (*depending on how many guitars you have.) Applied with a soft, lint-free cloth, it removes all of the tone-robbing oils and skin crud left over from regular playing, leaving in its place a snappy, vibrant, and re-vitalized guitar string. Bravo!

Dr. Stringfellow has been a integral part of my regular guitar maintenance regimen for over (13) years, and thus comes highly recommended. - - J.

Guns n' Delusions

Some recent web-browsing uncovered another wave of “rumblings” regarding Guns n’ Roses long-fabled studio release Chinese Democracy. Apparently, the album is done (???), and the powers that be are now haggling over royalties, distribution rights, and the omnipresent marketing salvo that is typical to high-profile releases.

Having heard the whole convoluted story line countless times over the past fourteen years (*yes, I said (14) years), I can only imagine what real G n’ R fans are thinking. Will this be “the one”? Will it actually happen? Will they tour behind it? Will Axl be sporting his American flag spandex shorts or his kilt? Better yet - will he self-destruct mid-tour? (*even money says he does!!) And the question of all questions: will it spawn a reunion tour with all of the original members? So many questions . . . so few answers.

Looking back, there’s no getting around the fact that in their heyday, G n’ R was truly a force to be reckoned with. Style-wise - they had it all: the chemical-powered raunchiness of Get Your Wings-era Aerosmith; the punk-ish, shotgun delivery of vintage Ramones; epic, Zeppelin-esque songwriting abilities; the tatoo’ed, bad-boy gaffe; and perhaps best of all, a Les Paul-wielding, Marshall-powered juggernaut of a guitar player who called himself Slash. Stir that drink with an ample dose of hair-trigger egos, add in an insatiable appetite for anarchy – and you have yourself an enticing, but extremely dangerous rock n’ roll cocktail. Indeed, the stuff of legend.

Sadly, the same things that contributed to their success were also harbingers of their eventual demise. Fame often causes individuals to lose touch with reality, and in the case of Axl Rose, it was a very plausible explanation. As put so aptly by fellow Tone Farm contributor James Reetz, “the difference between a great band and a legendary band may be tied to the neurotic nature of the lead singer (VH, Motley Crue, Aerosmith, Pearl Jam, STP / Velvet Revolver, Audioslave / Rage Against The Machine ...) I'm sure it takes an enormous amount of chemistry to make something that really kills, but at the same time - that chemistry is too volatile to control for long. The greatest ones are destined to split.” Rock n’ roll Zen, my friends.

However you choose to view the news, you can color me uninterested. The music industry hype machine has long been a sore spot in my book, and the G n’ R situation only adds fuel to that fire. Having weathered similar disappointment with KISS’ Psycho Circus (*which publicity whore Gene Simmons had the gall to compare to the band's seminal, multi-platinum smash Destroyer), I could really care less as to whether or not the much bally-hoo'd Chinese Democracy ever sees the light of day.

My point of this whole bit: fuck Guns n’ Roses. Go out and support your local music scene. Support independent artists / musicians whenever and however you can. There’s a wealth of amazing talent to be found on online sites like Our Stage, Acid Planet (*linked to the right under Back Forty), or any number of web destinations that feature independent artists. If you know of others, by all means, tell us about them. It's about time we give the music / radio industry the collective finger they so rightfully deserve! - - J.

Undisputed Tone

The Fender Champ is an amplifier that can trace its roots back to the earliest days of amplified guitar. Legions of aspiring players and guitar greats have employed its no-nonsense Class A tone in everything from garage practice to hi-end studio work. Seeking to capitalize on that formula once again, Fender has re-issued the venerable Champ in the form of the Super Champ XD.

Unlike the Champs of old, the SCXD boasts several new "twists" in the way of (16) digital "voicings" (Channel 2) and (5) digital effects. Oh yes, Fender is proudly waving the “all-tube-powered” flag above their Vintage Modern line - which essentially is true; they are, in fact, all-tube powered. However, Fender does employ some digital sleight of hand in both of their XD models (Super Champ / Vibro Champ), making them "hybrid animals" of sorts (*mainly digital voicing and effects). This is not a bad thing at all - actually quite to the contrary. The nod to digital obviously has some Fender purists growling their obligatory curses (they’re an extremely tough crowd to please) - but budget-conscious bottom-feeders like myself will enjoy the SCXD’s dual channels, wealth of usable tones, and all-around tubey deliciousness (*thanks to two 6V6's and one 12AX7.)

Where the Champ's voicing channel covers a broad spectrum of tones - the amp's first channel is devoted solely to a single elixir: the classic Blackface clean tone. Truth be known, if all the SCXD had was this one channel, it'd still be worth the money. Silky, glass-like timbres purr effortlessly from every nook and cranny of a Stratocaster. The twangly rumble of a driven Tele is but a few quick top-hat knob twists away. Pedals also meld beautifully with Ch. 1, making the SCXD's optional foot-switch all but a necessity. That is - if you can find one to buy.

Channel 2 holds (16) different “voicings” – (6) of which are based on vintage Fender tones (Tweed, Blackface); and another on the Hot Rod series. Other tones include (2) Marshall settings; a Vox; a nicely-done "boutique" (*which I'm guessing is a Mesa-Boogie); and (2) clean Fender amps - a Jazz King and Acoustasonic. The tweakability for each is pretty straight-forward, and all are reasonable incarnations of the real thing. As one would expect, the Fender tones are the best, with the "boutique" not too far behind.

Having owned an all-solid-state Cyber Champ a few years ago, the “voiced” channels held some familiarity in regards to tone and response. The SCXD’s all-tube power section lends a bit more authenticity to them, however, and provides the player with the unmistakable touch and feel found only in the analog realm.

Like the voiced channel, Ch. 1 can be sculpted further with the amp's treble, bass, and onboard effects. Gain on Ch.1 is achieved the old fashioned way - - i.e. cranking it up, and letting the tubes saturate. The resulting effect is lovely, even if a bit "tethered" by the amp’s 10" speaker and smaller cabinet.

Amongst the throngs of vintage, low-watt knock-offs and fluffed-up boutique offerings saturating the gear market these days - the Champ still remains a American rock n' roll original. The SXCD continues this storied tradition with great usable tones all over the dial; a warm, organic tube feel; a retro-cool vintage aesthetic; and a total kick to play. In short - everything you'd expect from a great Fender tube amp. At $299, it’s an extremely hard deal to pass up.

Next – SCXD Pt. II – Tale of the Tape - - J.