Members GomezAddams1 Posted October 1, 2012 Members Share Posted October 1, 2012 pretty sure Eddie Van Halen still has that title and is not relinquishing that title to anyone else as long as he is still alive. Gibbons had this title before anyone ever heard of EVH. I've got a Guitar Player magazine from the 70s where Gibbons claims his guitar strings are made from melted down Buick bumpers. He claims his amps were made by "Jake's Bait and Music". He claims there is a sqeaking audiable on either First or Rio Grande Mud that is a result of a rat being trapped in the studio reverb tank. He claims that on El Loco, he built a "cabin" out of all sorts of combo amps and put a mic inside for the recording. He claims the odd effect on Cheap Sunglesses is a pedal box he designed called "The Bizark-o-tron". He's claimed that his tone comes from 6 daisy-chained expandora boxes. Until several years ago, he claims he was playing 11 string using a peso or quarter as a pick. Now, his guitar tech claims he plays 7s. Hell, over the years he's offered a hundred different stories of where the name "ZZ Top" came from. Gibbons has a love of mystique. He has always worked hard to keep people guessing. Read Blaine's book Sharp Dressed Men. He covers Gibbons' bent on mystery pretty well. And as far as the recent video showing Elwood documenting Gibbons' stage setup, I'll say maybe it's true, and maybe Elwood is just following the master's lead and perpetuating the tall tales. I really wouldn't be surprised if Gibbons and Elwood sit and watch the YouTube video watch count go up, and just laugh their asses off. Chambered necks? Really? Please... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members RogerF Posted October 1, 2012 Members Share Posted October 1, 2012 He claims that on El Loco, he built a "cabin" out of all sorts of combo amps and put a mic inside for the recording. Now Billy is scaring me with this one; I just watched The Cabin in the Woods the other day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Yer Blues Posted October 1, 2012 Members Share Posted October 1, 2012 I did thru the mid 80s. I've also used a stereo setup with a pair of half-stacks in the last 10 years. Did you mic your cabs back then? Why did you select a pair of half stacks over a pair of 1x12 combos? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Yer Blues Posted October 1, 2012 Members Share Posted October 1, 2012 That and some old Magnatone 4X12 cabs. Maggys, who'd have guessed it. Does anyone have any first hand experience with those old Magnatones? I think that is what Phil X's Evil Robot is based off and the thing sounds killer... MYvAIrcgOBs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Wyatt Posted October 1, 2012 Members Share Posted October 1, 2012 Chambered necks? Really? Please... Not unheard of in the square-neck realm, not just hollow-necked weissonborns, but a few lapsteels have chambered, and even "tuned," necks. You forgot the one where the entire Afterburner album was recording with a Rockman. Or Eliminator was recorded with a Rock and Roll 50. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Wyatt Posted October 1, 2012 Members Share Posted October 1, 2012 Gorgeous tube-base true pitch-shifting vibrato. A Robert Cray staple. "Pile o' spaghetti" true point-to-point construction. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members fretmonster Posted October 1, 2012 Members Share Posted October 1, 2012 I don't know why but Estes corp made amps labeled Magnatone, Americana and Tonemaster (maybe more I don't know about). Phil X made the Tonemaster famous which became the model for the Evil Robot series (originally called Tonemonster). I'm the lucky owner of an old beat up looking Magnatone Custom 413 which is basically the same design as the Tonemaster and yes it sounds epic and has proven very durable. Seems like they removed all of the original Tonemaster stand alone stuff but here is Phil X doing a side by side comparison: [YOUTUBE]LJrNVqB9mZs[/YOUTUBE] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members sammyreynolds01 Posted October 1, 2012 Members Share Posted October 1, 2012 Chambered necks aren't unheard of but they are few and far in between. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members sammyreynolds01 Posted October 1, 2012 Members Share Posted October 1, 2012 It's like why lie or be misleading though as far as telling people your using something different from what is really being used.....i mean i just dont get it if thats the case? I understand the props for stage presence and the empty cabs..but i dunno...and im not implying that is what the Reverend is doing... Same reason EVH did it. They didn't want people to know how they got their sound. Hell, EVH used to play to his back tot he crowd. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kulardenu Posted October 1, 2012 Members Share Posted October 1, 2012 Its all Paper Jamz > Mic'd > Autotune > PA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Flogger59 Posted October 1, 2012 Members Share Posted October 1, 2012 Gibbons had this title before anyone ever heard of EVH. I've got a Guitar Player magazine from the 70s where Gibbons claims his guitar strings are made from melted down Buick bumpers. He claims his amps were made by "Jake's Bait and Music". He claims there is a sqeaking audiable on either First or Rio Grande Mud that is a result of a rat being trapped in the studio reverb tank. He claims that on El Loco, he built a "cabin" out of all sorts of combo amps and put a mic inside for the recording. He claims the odd effect on Cheap Sunglesses is a pedal box he designed called "The Bizark-o-tron". He's claimed that his tone comes from 6 daisy-chained expandora boxes. Until several years ago, he claims he was playing 11 string using a peso or quarter as a pick. Now, his guitar tech claims he plays 7s. Hell, over the years he's offered a hundred different stories of where the name "ZZ Top" came from. Gibbons has a love of mystique. He has always worked hard to keep people guessing. Read Blaine's book Sharp Dressed Men. He covers Gibbons' bent on mystery pretty well. And as far as the recent video showing Elwood documenting Gibbons' stage setup, I'll say maybe it's true, and maybe Elwood is just following the master's lead and perpetuating the tall tales. I really wouldn't be surprised if Gibbons and Elwood sit and watch the YouTube video watch count go up, and just laugh their asses off. Chambered necks? Really? Please... Back in the 80's, Canadian manufacturer Odysee made the Paul Dean model (yeah, the one from Loverboy) with a chambered neck. Paul was quite proud of it, and it did sound awesome, but the frets were levelled by a drunk monkey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members tlbonehead Posted October 2, 2012 Members Share Posted October 2, 2012 Did you mic your cabs back then? Why did you select a pair of half stacks over a pair of 1x12 combos?I just like the punch and wider "wall-of-sound" soundfield of a pair of 4x12" side by side. I don't play that loud onstage though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GomezAddams1 Posted October 3, 2012 Members Share Posted October 3, 2012 Same reason EVH did it. They didn't want people to know how they got their sound. Hell, EVH used to play to his back tot he crowd. Gibbons does it because he loves to create a mystique about himself and the band - I don't think he's trying to protect some secret. Read Blaney's book for more examples of Gibbon's misdirection antics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members tlbonehead Posted October 3, 2012 Members Share Posted October 3, 2012 Gibbons does it because he loves to create a mystique about himself and the band - I don't think he's trying to protect some secret. Read Blaney's book for more examples of Gibbon's misdirection antics.my favorite was when he had a second speaker cab connected using about 200' of speaker cable rolled up inside a coffee can to give a slight delayed signal along with the other cab. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GomezAddams1 Posted October 4, 2012 Members Share Posted October 4, 2012 my favorite was when he had a second speaker cab connected using about 200' of speaker cable rolled up inside a coffee can to give a slight delayed signal along with the other cab. Never heard that one. I can't imagine Gibbons wouldn't know the delay would be about, um, zero seconds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mesa/Kramer Posted October 4, 2012 Members Share Posted October 4, 2012 Did you mic your cabs back then? Why did you select a pair of half stacks over a pair of 1x12 combos? You Obviously have never played through a 4x12 :poke: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Yer Blues Posted October 4, 2012 Members Share Posted October 4, 2012 You Obviously have never played through a 4x12 :poke: I have a 1960 4x12 cab. Knowing Mr. Bonehead's history of being a successful cover band musician and always mic'ing guitars I was curious about the particular application (venue) where that he decided a pair of half stacks was a better option than a pair of combos. :poke: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members tlbonehead Posted October 4, 2012 Members Share Posted October 4, 2012 I have a 1960 4x12 cab. Knowing Mr. Bonehead's history of being a successful cover band musician and always mic'ing guitars I was curious about the particular application (venue) where that he decided a pair of half stacks was a better option than a pair of combos. :poke:Makes sense to ask, but there is a huge tone difference between a 4x12 closed-back cab and an open back single 12". Has nothing to do with actual volume. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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