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How did Roy Buchanan get that sound....


Bruno

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I saw Mr. Buchannan in 76' and he used a Tele >Cord > Fender Black Faced Twin Reverb. He really rolled the volume knob on his Tele like no one I've seen since.

 

You might want to check out cds by Danny Gatton as well. :D

 

I miss Roy....:( I miss Danny too...:(

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I know this much: he did the opposite of what most guitar players do. He put the amp (fender vibrolux) on 10 and controlled the volume by his guitar's volume knob.

Theres a book out on his life called : american ax.

 

also check out : Jim Campilongo.

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(fender vibrolux) on 10 and controlled the volume by his guitar's volume knob.

 

 

Yup, the Vibrolux was his main personal amp. He was known to occasionally use whatever backline amp in spot situations. There's a pretty killer live version of Sweet Dreams on the burlap album, or Roy Bucannan and the Snakestretchers.

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never heard anyone that could make a tele with an "ice pick in the ear sound"... sound so good.

 

Vibrolux 210 bright switch on, treble on 10, mids on 5, and bass on 4.

and a Fritz Bros Custom tele with joe bardens..

 

At least thats what I noted about a year before he died. He came here ( chattanooga) for the River bend festival and I was in charge of backline rentals that year.

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Originally posted by Bruce Bennett

never heard anyone that could make a tele with an "ice pick in the ear sound"... sound so good.


Vibrolux 210 bright switch on, treble on 10, mids on 5, and bass on 4.

and a Fritz Bros Custom tele with joe bardens..


At least thats what I noted about a year before he died. He came here ( chattanooga) for the River bend festival and I was in charge of backline rentals that year.

 

 

True, but the bright switch's effect with the volume on 10 is pretty small.

 

You've got to turn the bass down that low on a Fender when it's cranked, or it's ugly sounding.

 

I'd bet the mid control was really on 6.8

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The VR doesn't have a mid control, just a resistor of 6.8Kohm.

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Originally posted by Bruce Bennett

never heard anyone that could make a tele with an "ice pick in the ear sound"... sound so good.


Vibrolux 210 bright switch on, treble on 10, mids on 5, and bass on 4.

and a Fritz Bros Custom tele with joe bardens..

:eek:

I have my Old Flame 210 (similar to a VR) set with bright on but treble only at about a third up. mids and bass up at about 2:00 (bass much lower at volume). The pot tapering and the MIDs knob probably make the same setting different for my amp.

 

That would be very, very bright tho', with a tele...and I like bright. How'd it sound?

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A bud of mine caught Roy live in the 80's and said Roy was playing a Les Paul into a Twin and he had exactly the same tone as his trademark tele/Vibrolux.

 

A highlight of the show was when Roy played Hey Joe with one hand and smoked a cig with the other.

 

Personally I liked his first two albums the best.

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Originally posted by 4Kenoath


:eek:
I have my Old Flame 210 (similar to a VR) set with bright on but treble only at about a third up. mids and bass up at about 2:00 (bass much lower at volume). The pot tapering and the MIDs knob probably make the same setting different for my amp.


That would be very, very bright tho', with a tele...and I like bright. How'd it sound?

 

Kap'n;

The "Volume" wasn't on ten.... the treble was. and MY 70s Vibrolux Reverb DOES have a mid knob Cuz I PUT one there.. point being,, He set the controls where HE wanted them and I know MY amp. it was not a sound you or I would normally choose to play as an average.

 

4Kenoath;

It WAS "very very bright" as you may note from my "ice pick in the ear sound" comment.

 

as far as overall sound.. I would say it had a little of that SRV "sting" in it but something else too.

Words like ..harsh, Biteing, stinging, percussive, would get close.

 

It was not a sound that many guys would use or even try. and it sounded way thin without the band. but WITH the band it "cut" through like a double edged sword and sounded excellent.

Roy was a truely unique player with an unsual tone and style....

 

 

 

and .. I think that maybe he had a severe high frequency hearing loss.

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