THE SOUND OF SURPRISE: TOMORROWS GUITARS & AMPS ON TODAYS PAGES AT YESTERDAYS PRICES

THE SOUND OF SURPRISE: TOMORROWS GUITARS & AMPS ON TODAYS PAGES AT YESTERDAYS PRICES

A Musicians Guide

PLAY IT LOUD

Guitar Arnie

by

Once a year all the people who make and sell guitars, amplifiers, and related musical equipment get together to display their product lines, engage in a bit of communal chit-chat, and, hopefully, take a few orders. This year's NAMM Expo at Houston's Astrodome is no exception. To celebrate the ongoing business of guitars and amps, whichis so much a part of the business of rock music, this month's column is more of a minisupplement, a progress report on some of the new products that the manufacturers are unveiling in Houston and recent products 'which are already on their way to your local music store.

Fender (Fender Musical Instruments, 1300 East Valencia Drive, Fullerton, California, 92631) often seems to get slighted when folks start talking about musical instruments. Everyone remembers their fine electric guitars, electric basses, guitar and bass amplifiers, and even their strings. But their accessories! One is a new fuzz-wah pedal which offers an amazing variety of sounds with the controls set so that wah, volume, and fuzz attack are continuously variable.

David L. Gupton, who's director of marketing at Fender, announced that the new unit has the following specs: the instrument has two foot operated switches — fuzz on/off and wah-wah/volume. With the wah switch off the pedal is a volume control, with or without fuzz. The effects are combined when both switches are on. With fuzz off and wah on, the pedal controls the wah effect. With both switches off, the pedal is an ordinary volume control, giving a straight-through signal from guitar to amp.

The list price of the unit is $99.50. It's made of rugged cast aluminum and operates on a nine volt battery. If you're in the market for a fuzz that allows you to regulate the exact balance of fuzz and wah gain and then blend the signal to the point where it sounds best to you, then this new fuzz wah pedal from Fender is ideal.

Chicago Musical Instruments (Chicago Musical Instrument Co., 7373 North Cicero Avenue, Lincolnwood, Illinois, 60646) A name which may not be immediately familiar to the average guitar picker. CMI is aptually a big company that mothers any number of well known brand names, among them: Gibson guitars and amps, AKG microphones, and Maestro Sound Effect Electronics.

Since I can't do justice to all of CMI's fine products in this limited space, I'd like to harp back to one of their systems which I did a column oh a couple of months ago, the SG Systems amplifier series which includes guitar amps, bass amps, and pa systems.

I was talking to Bob Rubin of CMI on the phone the other day and we were having one of those shop talk sessions that people who aren't interested in guitars and amps must find unnerving. Our discussion centered around the SG Systems line and the fact that these amplifiers should really be considered as musical instruments. Bob pointed out that the controls on the guitar amp? allowed the player to really get the sound he or she wanted. The amps have a "notch shift" effect. For instance, a 300, cps setting will give you the response curve of a Twinreverb. The 450 cps setting is a great rock sound that is peculiar to the SG design. 600 cps is for jazz, 700 cps for blues.

Martin (The C.F. Martin Organisation, Nazareth, Pennsylvania) is one of the most traditional, respected names in the field of acoustic guitars — both nylon-classical and steel string models. This year they've made an ipipressivk move that may, eventually, have important consequences to the musical instrument industry. Martin, with large, full page advertising in music journals and rock magazines, has given us headlines like: "Who inspected and approved your Japanese guitar?" With a smaller line reading: "Martin approved us!"

Japanese guitar manufacture has made the same strides forward that the Japanese electronic industry has; those cheap transistor radios have turned into reliable, well constructed amplifiers — why not the same for guitars..,.

Martin's Sigma Guitar line features both acoustic and electric instruments: one nylonclassical guitar, a couple of steel string acoustics, one twelve string acoustic, one electric six string and one electric bass. They're well worth your consideration, especially if you're in the market for a second guitar or are still saving yoyr pennies for a Martin of your own.

Ibanez (Eiger Company, Dept. C., P.O. Box 469, Cornwells Heights, Pennsylvania, 19020) guitars are, speaking of the Japanese, an interesting addition to any guitar shop's inventory. These instruments are finely made reproductions of some of the classical American guitar styles and, while not cheap (prices for Japanese guitars are competitive for the quality they provide), are reasonably priced.

Among the Ibanez models available through Eiger are: The "Double Axe" (No. 2402) — a six and twelve string electric with a double neck and using four humbucking pickups; the "Rocket Roll" bass (No. 2387B) with its flying-V body design and deluxe tuning machines; other Double Axe combina-" tions are also available (4/6, 12/6, and 6/6 string configurations), plus a number of new models will be introduced this month to coincide with the NAMM convention.

Now, when are the Japanese going to start making amps? Can you imagine, The Sony Twin Reverb!

Guild (Guild Musical Instruments, 225 West Grand Street, Elizabeth, New Jersey, 07202) has always been one of my favorite electric guitar lines, but this year my rave for Guild goes to their PA Mixer/Pre-Amplifier which I also wrote about in a recent issue. This mixer is a five channel unit, with seven inputs, volume and tone controls for each channel, a master volume control, and a price tag that puts it in a league by itself. The M-700 Mixer (with tone controls) is $149.50; the M-70 Mixer (without tone controls) is $110. If you've ever tried to buy a mixer and an equalizer you'll know that $149.50 is a very low price for these components. Recommended both for pa use and as a mixer/ equalizer if you're planning to make some audio recordings of your band.

Guild is also responsible for the servicing and distribution of the Madeira line of guitars. Check out the Madeira EG-100 six string electric and the Madeira MB-100 bass, noth moderately priced. Really nice features including rosewood fingerboards, a bound fingerboard, enclosed machine head, and humbucking pickups.

Earth (Instrument Systems Corporation Audio, 40 Smith Street, Farmingdale, New York 11735) is perhaps best known for their lightweight, portable electric piano. This unit weighs only 25 pounds, can be plugged into any size amplifier, and gives the player an exceptionally realistic piano sound. Three tabs on the unit allow for effects that range from honky-tonk to harpsichord.

At the suggested retail price of $499, the Earth piano is as moderately priced as it is a reliable, fully professional piece of equipment. It has a full 61 note keyboard that gives you a booming^bass section.

Othpr items from Earth that you should include are their portable organ which has a self-contained amplification system and a 49 keyboard with the first 20 keys coupled with bass; and two new guitar amplifiers, their G25E and G-35 — the amps contain two and three, respectively, heavy duty 15 inch speakers with amplification of 275 watts peak.

S. Hawk (S. Hawk Ltd,, 65 Bank Street, New York, New York 10014) is making three pre-amp modules which are a must for any guitarist who wants to get the full potential out of his six string or bass guitar. I'm planning to report on S. Hawk's equipment more fully next issue, but let me give you a rundown now. They are the Hawk I which is a linear pre-amp and fuzz unit which will give the guitarist fuzz, sustain and a healthy power boost along with performing several other functions; the Hawk II which is a tonal expander and equalizer that will allow the guitarist to graphically equalize the signal, adding treble and bass boost, tone control, and full pre-amp facilities; and the Hawk III — a bass player's delight — with graphic equalizer, upper bass harmonic booster, bass booster, and pre-amp circuitry.

To get the full potential out of their units, S. Hawk is now providing a series of Trip Tickets for each of the modules. These computer-card sized cards tell you how to make your Telecaster sound like a Stratocaster or your Stratocaster sound like a Gibson 335 — by making the proper settings on the module (in this case the Hawk II). With these illustrated control settings the player should have a great time finding out just what guitar and amp can really sound like.

Mellotron (Dallas Music Industries, 301 Island Road, Mahwah, New Jersey, 07430) is a unique musical instrument and one of the variety of fine products that Dallas/Arbi ter is importing into the U.S. from England. If you're interested in the electronic potentials to which instruments can be developed, then you owe it to yourself to see and play a Mellotron. I ran into my first one several years ago at Olympic Studios in London and since then I've found that an endless number of guitarists and musicians find they must have one with them both in the studio and on the " road as an integral part of their music system. Among those presently using Mellotrons are: The Stones, Yes, Chicago, David Bowie, Genesis, Cat Stevens, Stevie Wonder, and Argent, not to forget the original sound heads, Pink Floyd.

Hofner (Sorkin Music Company Inc., 370 Vanderbilt Motor Parkway, Hauppauge, New York, 11787) is one of the fine old European names in guitars and their instruments are just as available now as they ever were — although the clamor for the Hofner bass played by Paul McCartney does seems to have died down a bit. If you're looking for an acoustical steel string guitar, I'd suggest that you consider Hofner: reasonably priced for the quality. If you're interested in the Hofner line, Sorkin will send you an illustrated catalog for 25 cents; use the above address.

Univox (Merson Musical Products, 75 Frost Street, Westbury, New York, 11590) is one of the amp lines that has come into its own in the past few years. Folks like Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck have even been seen using them! They are available in a variety of head and bottom combinations which will deliver as much power as you could possibly ask for, or need.

Another product from Merson is the Giannini guitar, The-Craviola. This is a beautiful six string nylon-classical guitar with a sweeping asymmetrical design that is a real eye catcher. It is also available in steel string and 12 string models. You've got to see this guitar to really appreciate it; it's really pretty. The spruce and rosewood construction is polished to a rich luster, and the tone is mellow.

Since I haven't got a great deal of space in this issue to tell you all the products now available on the guitar and amp market, I'd like to quickly run over a few old friends, giving you an idea of what they're up to: Sunn Musical Equipment Company (Amburn Industrial,Park, Tualatin, Oregon, 97062) has a powerful line of amplifiers and pa systems which are rugged and dependable. I especially like their Coliseum bass; Altec (1515 South Manchester Avenue,A Anaheim, California, 92803) has really gotten into the rock and roll biz. Their systems are in use all over the world and they're now offering their skill and know-how to any of you who'd like a really superior sound System; Ovation Instruments, Inc. (New Hartford, Connecticut, 06057) has a nice line of guitars and amps and they'll send you their latest catalog for 50 cents; Hohner (Andrews Road, P.O. Box 130, Hicksville, New York, 11802) is known for their harmonicas, but also makes keyboards, guitars, banjos, and amps. They've just added a new twist: they'll give you a denim style case and a real denim strap when you buy one of their Contessa folk or classical guitars. Peavy Electronics Corp. (P.O. Box 2898, Meridian, Mississippi) has proved themselves to be one of the new, * aware generation of manufacturers and their amplifiers have become known as powerful, dependable, and electronically reliable; Darco Strings (Long Island City, New York, 11106) is part of the Martin organization and if you're looking for funky strings they've got "em; Music Man (P.O. Box 3880, Fullerton, California, 92631) is a new amp company that we don't know too much about yet, but expect to be hearing from in the coming months. Now, if you'll all go out and buy a copy of my Electric Rock: The Rock Musician's Guide To Electric Guitars And Amplifiers (Pyramid Books) which is available from Carvin (1112 Industrial, Escondido, California, 92025), maybe I can make enough on royalties to go out and buy some of this stuff!