JACK IT UP & JAM IT TIGHT: A Future Perfect Guide to Musical Artillery

JACK IT UP & JAM IT TIGHT: A Future Perfect Guide to Musical Artillery

Michael Brooks

Guitars

The Ultimate Climax

Since the time of its earliest predecessor (roughly 2500 B.C.), the guitar has evolved far beyond what anyone imagined. What was once a simple five course French guitar is now a complex system of potentiometers, wires, woods, capacitors, transistors, switches and music.

The guitar has become something of a wonder machine, and its only limitations seem to be those of the user. Let's take a brief look at what's happening now.

For the 70s, there are basically two trends in the rock market: the more purist approach to integrating fine electric guitar sounds of jazz, and rock; and the more synthetic approach to creating mood music through the use of the electronic (relative) guitar. The trend right now seems to be to make guitars more electronic than electric. The electric guitar is now an adaptation of the acoustic with electric inputs ... but will soon be hooked up to synthesizers (on a more common basis) and other now-unknown configurations to be later known as the electronic guitar. With firms like the Norlin Company (Chicago Musical Instruments), Alembic, CBS (Fender Musical Instruments) and hundreds of small companies all developing and re, searching on a daily basis, the future of the guitar as a forerunning instrument never looked brighter.

If you.finally make that golden decisioifi to take up the guitar, you'll first have to contend with the question of where to get one. I would recommend that beginners find a good-name used guitar rather than a bad-name new guitar, especially if money is a consideration. But if that's no problem, it might be wise to head out for a music store — making sure to purchase from a reputable, franchised dealer who can sell you a good, brand-name product, and be able to back it up. Discount houses are all right, but you may run the risk of having your guitar in the mail more often than it's being played, if something goes wrong. Purchasing from a reputable music dealer is your only real insurance of getting a brand name, a good guarantee and a place of repair and adjustment.

Another good idea is to have the bucks together before you buy an instrument so you don't end up on desolation row because of credit. But, if you don't mind it, most music stores have some sort of credit plan you can work through if your musical mind is higher than your budgeting mind.

Many musicians will, unfortunately, buy a specific instrument because that's all they can afford. But that old cliche about only "getting what you paid for" is even more true in the music industry. If you don't want to get burned you should buy a good instrument and know what course you're heading for before you get there ... a simple matter of planning. Even after you've settled on a guitar, the hunt is not yet over.

While most brand name instruments will have the least tendency to be chingered up, you should still make the following observations. Is the neck warped? Sight down the neck from the nut to the bridge and check the neck for bows — either concave or convex. The strings serve as a good guide line. Make certain that the guitar is playable up the neck — at least to the point where you'll be playing most. If it's an electric monster you're searching for, be sure the electrical elements all functjon to your satisfaction. Plug the guitar into an amp which you feel you'll probably be playing through for the next couple of years anyway, and try it out in the store before you buy. Think of your local music store as a used car lot. Take the instrument for a spin around the block and scope out all the little functions. Check the pickups. When you plug the guitar into an amp and tap the pickups in each of the different toggle pickup switch positions, you shouldn't be able to hear any distracting noises, clicks, or garbage (unless that guitar has contact pickups — which are cheap). Also, make certain to put on a pair of strings which you think you'll be using in the future.

With an electric guitar, it's not a matter of buying just that instruinent if you have a total sound in mind. Along with the guitar, the amplifier, strings, picks, and style make up that total sound. So check them out as one unit, find the weakest link in that chain, and replace it.

If you're scoping out an acoustic guitar, check to see that the grain of the wood is straight (for aesthetics and resale value). See if the instrument has matching back and side wood panels (not in the case of Ovation, which has the excellent roundback design). Check the bindings, purfling, inlays, and general workmanship, as this is usually (but not always) a good sign that the instrument has quality. Check to find out if the wood showing is a veneer. Some guitar manufacturers use a plywood base and put a Brazilian rosewood or other veneer on it to make it look expensive.

For both electric and steel-string acoustic guitars, make certain that there is an adjustable truss rod (this is a steel or other alloy metal bar which runs through the neck of the instrument and is adjusted to straighten any warpage on the neck). A warped neck is a bitch and usually makes the guitar unplayable.

Also, don't worry if the instrument of your choice has a slight buzz or rattle, because most new instruments can and should be adjusted to fit your needs and modifications during the purchase period.

Temperature is the nemesis of all musical instruments. Since most guitars and other instruments are made of materials which expand and contract during heavy temperature changes, keep your instrument dry. If humidifiers aren't available to you, place half an apple wrapped in a punctured plastic bag in your guitar case to help absorb the moisture. But it is a better idea to buy a humidifier for your case, and they are. relatively cheap. Moisture is the bugger that kills finishes, cracks body tops, and curves the neck, making a $2000 instrument sound as though you shouldn't have sunk more than $20 into it.

Strings are almost as important as the instrument itself. A pair of funky cheap strings, especially on an acoustic guitar, can again make that $2000 guitar sound like $20. But a good set of strings, properly intonating the sound you want, can also make a $20 guitar sound like one worth $2000.

Equally important is a case that not only fits your guitar to a "T", but is also hardshelled and protects the instrument from that constant banging around which invariably happens when you travel (even from the kitchen to the living room).

Instruments are only getting better, not older (especially if the right decision is made at the right time). Manufacturers are finally coming to the realization that they cannot produce second-rate instruments and hope for a successful turnout at the old market place. Developers and researchers are finally bowing to the needs of the Twentieth Century musician, and while this is not an overnight success story, they are attempting to make the guitar a fine piece of equipment.

In the electric market, musicians used to be in almost common agreement over what was the ideal type of equipment to own if you wanted to put out a specific sound. If you wanted to sound like Hendrix, you'd obviously buy a Fender Stratocaster and use as many Marshall amp heads and cabinets as the stage could hold. Or, if you wanted that typical rock and roll mid-60s freak-o sound, you'd probably buy a Gibson Les Paul (circa 1952-1959) and use it with a Fender Bassman and a pair of Ernie Ball Slinky strings. But the times are changing and with that change the choice is not quite so easy. There were never so many options to the open-minded guitarist as there are today. While the purpose of this supplement is not to. provide a graduated scale of company comparisons, it should at least serve as a good grouping and a strong starting point for your search.

Before we give that infamous breakdown of the makers, we should say why we are not giving a total evaluation of all the companies" products. First off, there isn't enough space. Second off, everyone is built differently. Little Doris out there, you have small fingers, so you might be interested in a three-quarter sized guitar. And you, old weird Harold, your banana fingers wouldn't pick around a tooth pick, let alone that wide neck classical guitar. The point is that our physiques are different, and so are our personalities and sound preferences. You might want to buy one of those fancy Rex Boque guitars (used by John McLaughlin) just because you like that sound. But if you're really into jazz, you might like the new Gibson ES-175, since that's traditional. If you're into Loggins and Messina, Jim's Telecaster or Stratocaster provides that light, cheery sound you've been looking for. There is an instrument for every kind of taste. The idea is to choose the guitar for you, not because Soandso Johnny Electric plays it.

A company-by-company description of what's available:

Ampeg (The Ampeg Company, P.O. Box 310, Elkhart, IN 46514). Since the phase-out of the Armstrong see-thru electrics (1971), Ampeg has been introducing imports in addition to their own line of "Stud" electric guitars and basses. These instruments range from the high $200's to the low $400's and are considered a good electric instrument from a well-known amplifier manufacturer. They all have a two-way adjustable truss rod, all wood bodies (treated with epoxy) and special mid-range gutsy pickups. Ampeg guitars contain a minimum of jet-setter gadgetry, but still rate pretty high among rock guitars. Ampeg has also grabbed up the Hagstrom distributorship for the U.S. The Hagstrom line is finally starting to improve, especially the top-seller, the "Swede." While it's a foreigner, the Swede is a Les Paul-type rock and roller with very clean action, and that's probably why Larry Coryell is now using it. Ampeg also carries a Signet acoustic guitar line which is Japanese, and a Combo acoustic line which comes from Korea.

Epiphone (Norlin Music, Inc., 7373 N. Cicero Ave., Lincolnwood, IL 60646). Epiphone used to be a standard in the industry, then for awhile they quit production. Now they're back again, only this time they are a Japanese import. Epiphone makes a wellrounded line of classic, flat-top, acoustic, electric and solid body guitars.

Espana (Buegeleisen & Jacobson, Inc., 5 Union Square, New York, NY 10001). Classic, folk and electric guitars made in Finland and imported to the U.S. by B&J, these guitars are popularly priced with medium quality. Some of the classic guitars are really a knock-out for the price.

Favilla (Favilla Guitars, Inc., P.O. Box 308, Deer Park, New York 11729). Good acoustics, custom made in the high-price bracket, as well as a fine string for classic, acoustic steel-string and electric guitars.

Fender (Fender Musical Instruments, a Div, of CBS, 1300 E. Valencia, Fullerton, CA 92631). Fender hasn't dropped or added any new guitars or amplifiers since last year's supplement, and remains a leader in sales in the rock guitar field. The Musicmaster is their lowest priced model and the Jaguar is their highest regular at $451. (They also make an Ltd., which is higher in price). When Leo Fender first began, his philosophy was to make an electric with a stock format; that is, a hard-driving Ford or Chevy without too many features, which he felt just meant more repairs. The most desirable Fenders in the rock market are the Telecaster and Stratocaster. These are used by hundreds of top-ofthe-rock type people like Jim Messina, Ian , Hunter, Mark Farner, and on and on.

Fender guitars are priced to give you what you pay for. Their top-of-the-line Jaguar features two adjustable pole-type pickups, tremolo bar, adjustable truss rod, pickup selector switch, volume and tone controls for both lead and rhythm playing, and a bridge string mute. Next popular model down is the Stratocaster which features three adjustable pickups, bullet truss rod and micro neck adjustment, master volume, two tone controls and pickup selector switch; next down the Telecaster features two humbuckers, threeposition master pickup switch, master volume and tone control. All are damn good guitars. But that's not all. Fender nearly has the bass market cornered with the Jazz and Precision; both basses are worth checking out carefully, and definitely worth the price. Fender also has a full line of acoustics, all the way from classic, to folk, to rock.

Gibson (Norlin Music, Inc., 7373 N. Cicero Ave., Lincolnwood, IL 60646). Nothing in the rock field will ever be so desirable to many guitar players as the early Les Paul, Firebird or Flying V guitars, and the famous ES blues/jazfc/rock series, not to forget the SG series./ The solidbodied Les Paul comes in many different names: there's the Les Paul Custom which is a high impedance guitar with adjustable truss rod, deluxe pearl inlays, two gold-plated humbucking pickups and the tune-o-matic biidge; next is the Les Paul Deluxe, another high impedance electric with two humbuckers, three-piece laminated mahogany neck with adjustable truss rod and gold finish; next, the Les Paul Personal and the Les Paul Professional, both low-impedance guitars. Then there's the' dream of a lot of rockers, the Les Paul Recording guitar, which is like having a mini-studio right on yo.ur guitar strap and has many features which are just now starting to astound guitarists. Also in the Gibson line are electrics with names like the Johnny Smith, Barney Kessel, and Tal Farlow. These are gems in an ocean, but require big bucks to purchase. Then there's the Super 400, a top of the line Gibson hollow-bodied line that features f-hole configuration on the box, like the one B.B. King has. There's also the SG series which is a solidbody electric commonly used as a rhythm guitar in rock, though its potential as a lead instrument is fair. In the SG series there's the Custom, Standard, Special, and Junior aB the way down to the Melody Maker.

Gibson also makes a fine line of electric solidbody basses under the EB series. They even have those EDS-1275 double neck electrics with one neck of six-strings and the other of twelve. A new-comer to the line which is beginning to attract a lot of attention is the L-6S guitar, which Carlos Santana recently flipped over.

Gibson also makes a fairly good acoustic guitar, but their forte is definitely electric.

Gretsch (The Fred Gretsch Company, 1S01 Gilbert Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45202). Gretsch just recently introduced a new model called the Broadcaster, which retails for $395 and features solidbody construction, double pickups and adjustable truss rod. Along with this new model, Gretsch is still making its old standards like the Super Chet (a semi-hollow bodied electric), the Country Gentleman (anqther semi-), the Nashville, Tennessean, Country Club, and the Streamliner, not to mention the famed White Falcon (stereo or regular) which is hot among people like Steve Stills and Neil Young, when Steve lets him play it. The White Falcon is definitely their rock instrument and it's also the top-of-theline at $1200.

Guild (Guild Musical Instruments, 225 W. Grand St., Elizabeth, NJ 07202). Guild makes a full-line of electric guitars and basses as well as a pretty hot acoustic line. Their electrics are available in botfy semi-hollow form and solidbody, plus a Couple of hollow-body acoustics-electrics. Models range from their S-50 single pickup solidbody to their special order Artist Model. Their Starfire is a hotrock jazz guitar for rhythm. The semi-hollowbodied electric is less than two inches thick at the body, and the fingerboard is rosewood. The Bluesbird series features a 3/4 size body and a full-scale neck. Featured on the M-75GS are two gold-plated humbucking pickups, a phase switch, master volume control and Grover machine heads.

New from Guild is the electric solidbody series S-100. This line is Guild's latest S-100 standard, stereo or carved, all featuring adjustable truss rods, and two humbucking pickups. The S-100 series is priced from $374 to $475. Guild's Dreadnaught series of acoustics is a sure-fire line.

Gianini (Merson Musical Products, 78 Frost St., Westbury, NY 11590). A good line of handcrafted acoustics made in Sao Paulo, Brazil. They carry a line of steel-string, folk, country/western and 12-string guitars. They also carry a unique guitar-type of instrument called the Craviola.

Harmony (The Harmony Company, 4600 S. Kolin Ave., Chicago, IL 60632). While they aren't known for ultra-high quality or expense, Harmony makes a good-buy acoustic and electric line for the beginner to intermediate player. For around $200 you can get a guitar that produces original and funky sounds. They have an extensive line of hollow, semihollow and solidbody electrics and a good line of flat-top and arch top, f-hole acoustics. A good carry-along instrument, like to the beach or mountains.

Hofner (Sorkin Music Company, Inc., 370 Motor Parkway, Hauppauge, NY 11787). Hofner, a German manufacturer, only makes basses which come up to par (and price) with the American market. But they do make inexpensive guitars. Their five different electric basses include the Beatle model (500/1), also available in left-hand model. They also make a guitar similar in shape to the Les Paul, which they call the Hi-Fi (model 4579); it features two pickups with individual volume and tone controls and weighs in at seven and one-half pounds.

Hohner (M. Hohner, Andrews Rd., Hicksville, NY 11802). Hohner is another of the moderately priced instrument companies, and features a full line of acoustics, along with two electric basses (XK-251 in natural blond, and XK-250 in jet black). They are semiacoustic, double cutaway* and double pickup basses. Not bad for the price.

Ibanez (The Eiger Company, P.O. Box 469, Cornwells Heights, PA 19020). The Ibanez series of guitars is known for copycat characteristics at about half the price. They design their guitars to look like Fenders, Gibsons, or other popularly known American models. Probably the most spectacular are their Artwood guitars, which look like Rex Boque guitars. The. Ibanez Artist series of electric and acoustic guitars was just introduced to this country and the line includes five acoustics and four solidbody electrics. The Artist electric solidbody guitars (Models 2611, 2612, 2613, and 2614) all feature a double cutaway designed body and are finished in either black, mahogany, or natural curly maple. All include a truss rod and two specially designed humbuckers. If you want to have a guitar that looks like the "real" thing and plays almost like it, Ibanez is for you.

MCI (MCI, Inc., 7400 Imperial Dr., Box 8053, Waco, TX 76710). These people make what they consider a cross between an electric guitar and an organ. It plays like the standard electric guitar line but has the potential to sound like an accordian, or organ, vibes or synthesizer. It's pretty interesting to say the least, especially since you can play octaves, fifths and the like — all in stereo. The two basic models available are the B-300, which puts out an organ sound; arid the B-340 which

features string and reed section characteristics.

Martin (C.F. Martin Organization, Nazareth, PA). Now here's a line of acoustics featuring something novel in the music industry ... no shuck, and no jive. But,, of course, they are one of the few companies which doesn't need to create myths about its instruments, because it has a back order that's been long standings And, for a very good reason. They give a good guarantee, offer a quality product, and have established a reputation surpassed by none as far as acoustic guitars. They only new insert to the Martin line lately is the D-12-18, which is a 14-fretsto-the-body D-18 with a 12-string neck.

Mosrite (Mosrite of California, 1424 "P" St., Bakersfield, CA 93301). While most Mosrites, both electric and acoustic, do have a fast action neck, their acoustics have a deadened sound and their electrics are peculiar. Among the electric models now available, there are ,two solidbodies, a six-string and a bass, and two semi-hollow models, both sixstring. All are equipped with two pickups.

Ovation (Ovation Instruments, Inc., Greenwoods Rd., New Hartford, CT 06057). Since last year, Ovation has been moving out to please the picky musicians in both the electric and acoustic fields. They've completely changed their pickups, reducing them in size and spreading them farther apart on the electric solidbody "Breadwinner" and "Deacon" models. They are also starting to offer the Deacon in natural and red colors, as well as in their standby, sunburst. Also new is the Custom Legend which is how being used by Jeff Hanna of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Clapton and Jim Messina. This model is an Ovation adaption of the Martin D-35 with abalone on the fingerboard, and abaloid purfling around*the body.

In the area of electric modification, Ovation has made some circuit changes on the Breadwinner. But other than that, Ovation still carries its line of roundback acoustics and acoustic-electrics. Besides the Ovation Deacon and the Breadwinner (their solidbodies), they offer the popular Electric Artist model, Custom, Legend, and the Custom White Top. The Custom Legend has a new bracing system to hold the pickup and goes for $640 ($750 with pickup).

Rickenbacker (Rickenbacker, Inc., 201 E. Stevens St., P.O. Box 2275, Santa Ana, Ca 92707). New from Rickenbacker this year is the model 481, a solidbody which features two humbucking pickups, a similar design to the 4001 bass, a phase reversing switch, and a double cutaway design. Other features of the 481 are the innovative features found on all Rickenbacker electric guitars and basses: special bridge adjustments for perfect string intonation and height, sculptured heads for ease in tuning, dual neck truss rods, and body-contoured styling.

Rickenbacker offers a solidbody series, standard thin body series, deluxe thin body1 series, deep body acoustic series, and bass. Prices start at $285 for their model 420 solidbody and go to $585 for their model 366 Deluxe thin" body. The 366-12, a 12-string Deluxe thin body, is their highest at $611.

Washburn (Beckman Musical Instruments, Inc., 2925 S. Vail Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90040). As with Epiphone, the re-creation is not quite the job that was done on the original.

Amps

Buzzing Monoliths

The first electric guitar, which was invented by a guy in Seattle, was a combination of a telephone receiver pickup and an acoustic guitar. It took two big men to carry the amplifiers and speakers that made that little device croak out a sound comparable to today's 10 watt amp. Ah, yes, those were the days. Another problem with this ingenius setup was that it incorporated what is known today as a contact-type pickup,. which not only amplifies the sound of the Strings, but also the sound of clothing rubbing on the guitar's body and fingers; scraping the neck ahd guitar body. They were (and are) too sensitive to get just the sound of music.

Next 'up, it was figured that since all electric guitars used metal strings, a magnetic pickup could be used. So it was. The manufacturers wound high impedance coils on iron cores and placed them under the strings — the point on the instrument where the strings" vibrations were greatest — near the soundhole. When the metal string is played through the magnetic field of the coil, voltage is created in the coil. This voltage is exactly what's being amplified when you plug that electric guitar into an amplifier and strike up the band.

Amplifier manufacturers used to be some of the most fad-prone builders of musical furniture ever, but for good reason. Because there are so many theories involved in the production of good sound, each manufacturer pretty much started with his own theory and proceeded to make what he considered the best in the business. But since he didn't know for sure, he'd always keep an eye out for the other guy. Sound is that way — a variable commodity. The result is that today musicians have never had so many options in reproducing sound and just about all of them are good to excellent, depending on where your ear is at.

When you go shopping for an amplifier, there are several considerations to make for yourself. How big do you want it? What kind of dates are you going to be playing? Is it a module system (which can be added on to as you develop)? What wattage are you looking for? What special effects or tone controls are necessary to your sound? How much can you afford (what is the amp's resale value)? Do you want solid state or vacuum tube circuitry? Before you even go shopping, you should spend " some time deciding what requirements you'll need, because once you get in the st6re you'll only be further confused.

One major bit of confusion surrounding today's amp purchases concerns power output. While the industry is starting to shape up, there's still a lot of muck in the river as far as power ratings on certain guitar amplifiers. A little trick of the big boys is to use what they call peak music power ratings, and these are usually about double the RMS (root mean square) ratings.

The three major ratings still used in the music industry are RMS (or sine wave power), peak music power, and music power (EIA or IHF); RMA should be the searching musician's choice since there are fewer variables involved in the measurement in this rating, and it is more reliable. There is one shortcoming in all three methods, though; they all refer to electrical output of the amplifier portion of the unit only, they don't consider the speaker efficiency. There are some cases where a 200 watt rated amp will not be as effective as a 100 watt rated amp with an efficient speaker. Amp companies are beginning a transition as far as mobility and transportability. It used to be that if you had a great amp and took it oh the road, it wouldn't be worth half a bowl of week-old split pea soup (fermented). But now the trend is to make them not only more portable, but also, more modular in concept, and more durable. This has a tendency to make a great number of roadies happier, and that tends to make a great deal of musicians happier too!

Output isn't the only problem, though. Some musicians are attracted to amps like they are to ladies. They don't look at an amp for its co-operational effort, but for its appearance ... forgetting things like overall tone, construction, cabinet design, guarantee or warranty, accessibility of switches or controls, how easily the controls can be manipulated, how visible the settings are from where you'll be playing, and countless other factors.

The best way to find out which amplifier would best complement your sound is to go to a music store and try "em out with your ghitar. This way, you can better compare sounds, tones, and overall playability. If you find an amp which meets all your needs as far as tone and you've checked it out for guarantee and everything looks good but the output, you can always boost your sound by adding onto it, re-miking it through a good P.A.

One caution for the unknowing: DON'T play a bass guitar through a guitar amplifier, unless the manufacturer specifically states that, you can. If a bass is plugged into a guitar amp, it'll blow the speakers right out.

Amp repair is expensive, so maintain your amp and do not push it beyond its limits. Most amps will do what they say, but unless you have money to blow, it's best to keep as close an eye on your amp as you would on any musical instrument. Abuse of equipment is self-abuse.

The major amp manufacturers:

Acoustic (Acoustic, 7949 Woodley Ave.,

Van Nuys, CA 91406). Acoustic is a name that developed quickly in the music industry and has been traveling upward ever since. They're pretty tight on giving discounts to name groups because they can well afford to be. They make a good, durable, on-the-road amp which has all the power you heed. All Acoustics have a well-rounded control panel on the amplifier head portion; some come with graphic equalizers, which can help balance out your sound. They are relatively expensive as far as amps go, but you really get what you pay for. Acoustic makes ten guitar amps, ranging* from the 135 (110 watts, self-contained with 4/2-12" speakers) at $549 to the 274 (375 watts, two cabinets, with 4-12" speakers each) at $1459. Their five bass amplifiers range from $549 to $1349.

Ampeg (The Ampeg Company, P.OJ Box 310, Elkhart, IN 46514). Ampeg has three basic amplifier configurations. You can get self-contained (head and speakers in same enclosure), separate head and cabinet, or the amp with which the head is stored within the speaker cabinet and brought out to rest over the top when in use. Ampeg makes a good small practice or beginner amp called the GU-12 tube amp, which is a self-contained system with 20 watts RMS and a 12" speaker. They start with that model and go on up to a V-4, which features 100 watts RMS and 8-12" speakers. They also produce a good bass amp line. Ampeg is known for a good, rugged and dependable amplifier with plenty of power. They are one of the few makers to almost under-rate itself as far as power output.

Electro-Harmonix (Electro-Harmonix, 15 W. 26th St., New York, NY 10010). ElectroHarmonix is known primarily as a special effects devices company, but does manufacture an amp for both guitar and P.A. applications. Probably the only amp of its kind on the market is the Mike Matthews Freedom Amp, which works off a battery and has unbelievable power output (which I won't quote, because I think it's a misquote). It's supposed to let you play at the park without a hookup.

EMC \ (Electronic Music Corporation, 21819 Royalton Rd., Cleveland, OH 44136). The latest from EMC is the S300, a small, self-contained power-packed amp. It features 125 watts RMS, 2-12" speakers, five band graphic equalizer, master volume, and controlled harmonic distortion. It also has reverb,' weighs 90 lbs. and is hot

They also make two series for the professional musician, the B400-800 series and the G400-800 series (B for bass and G for guitar). The guitar amp, G400, features 165 watts RMS, two channels — a normal channel and a channel for effects.. The effects include high and low gain inputs, volume, distortion control, bright switch, reverb and a graphic equalizer.

Earth (ISC Audio, 40 Smith St., Farmingdale, NY 11735). Earth's newest amp is the KT-82 amp with power head and speaker cabinet. It's a stackable, with places on top of each cabinet for the coasters to slip right into. Controls on this two channel model feature volume, treble, mid-range, bass, and presence. Earth makes a fine line of amps, but they're not offered in too many places so you'll have to look around.

Fender (Fender Musical Instruments, a Div. of CBS, 1300 E. Valencia, Fullerton, CA 92631). Fender amplifiers are the workhorses of the rock world, and are pretty much repair-free as far as amplifiers go. They make a complete line of guitar and bass amplifiers, all the way from their little Fender "Champ'v with six watts and an 8" speaker up to the Quad Reverb, which features 100 watts RMS with 4 specially designed 12" speakers. One thing about Fender speakers is that they are interchangeable (for a fee) with JBL speakers (which are very good). One drawback to Fender is their dropping of the vacuum tube components in favor of the popular solid state construction. But they are still a dependable amp and carry a high resale value if you're planning on moving up the totem pole.

GBX (GBX Amplifiers, 109 Bermondsey Rd., Toronto 16, Ontario, Canada; dist. in the U.S. by Arc Musical Instruments, 16 Harvester Ave., Batavia, NY 10420). GBX is another company with a complete solid state circuitry line, featuring amps for guitar and bass. They carry a lifetime guarantee, and most amps include two channels — one straight and the other for effects (standard).

Guild (Guild Musical Instruments, 225 W. Grand St., Elizabeth, NJ 07202). Guild is not known for amplifiers, although they have been making thejn for a long time. Their two basic series are the Quantum and the Thunder. Their Quantum X model is the top-ofthe-line and features 225 watts peak -music power, which is probably around 100 watts RMS. Guild uses mostly JBL and Jensen speakers. They carry both self-contained systems with head and cabinet combinations.

Harmony (Harmony Company, 4600 S. Kolin Ave., Chicago, IL 60632). This company makes several well designed inexpensive guitar and bass amps which are especially useful as practice amps, or for beginners.

H/H (H/H Electronics, Industrial Site, Cambridge Rd., Milton, Cambridge, England CB4 4AZ). A relative newcomer, these people make a powerful, typical, English flash-loud amplifier in both self-contained and topbottom configurations. A good amp, but a little hard to get your hands on. You might have to go through the hassle of ordering from overseas, but if you're lucky an English group carrying H/H amps might pop into your town and at least you can see and hear them.

Heath (The Heath Company, Benton Harbor, MI 49022). Just thought I'd put down this address in case there's any do-it-yourselfer's out there who'd like to save some bucks. If you do a good job, you'll have a quality amplifier which you'll know how to fix yourself.

Kustom (Kustom Electronics, 1010 W. Chestnut, Chanute, KS 66720). Things are happening at Kustom. They have dropped their Kasino line and have greatly condensed their regular line, which used to be too big to make a choice out of anyway. Many of you low-riders out there will be disappointed, but Kustom has dropped their rolled and pleated models also. But they do make a great line of amps ranging in price from the $300's to the $1500's, One of their hottest is the Kustom 4 Lead Stackable which features two cabinets with 4-12" CPS speakers in each cabinet and 276 RMS watts of power. Kustom has dropped its lifetime guarantee and now offers a five year guarantee on the heads and one year on the speakers.

Marlboro (Musical Instrument Corporation of America, 6801 Jericho Turnpike, Syosset, NY 11791). These are inexpensive and medium to low quality, but can be very effective as practice amps or amps for beginners.

Marshall (Merson Musical Products, 78 Frost St., Westbury, NY 11590). One feature is industrial tube protection. Part of the character of the famed Marshall amp was derived through destruction of the tubes at least once a month if you didn't want a blow-out on stage (if only Jimi could read this), but now... with industrial tubes the amps can be cranked up and sustain that sound for an even longer time. Marshall also carries a transistorized line. They offer only the 50 and 100 watt RMS heads now, having dropped the 200. The 50 goes for $499.50 and the 100 for $699.50. Stacks range from $1129 to $1959, depending on the speaker setup. They offer a 4-12" speaker cabinet, a 16-10" speaker cabinet, as well as 8-12" and on. Right now they're asking $850 for their 4-15" speakers. The Mark II, which will be out soon, is a single, self-contained unit which will retail at $759.50.

Myriad (Musical Instrument Associates, 425 Lakeside Ave., North West, Cleveland, OH 44132). This new company makes two amps, one for bass and one for guitar, and three P.A."s; good, strong equipment in the medium range.

Orange (Orange Musical Industries, Ltd., 3/4 New Compton St., London WC2, England; distributed in U.S. by Musonic, Inc., 7161 N. Cicero Ave., Chicago, IL 60646). Orange has had a fine reputation as one of England's best, and now that reputation is starting to spread to the U.S.; however, since they're having problems just keeping up with the English demand, it's highly doubtful that they'll keep up with the U.S. demand. I think Frank Zappa was the first to introduce Orange to the U.S. This brand is rather expensive, bqt well worth it (if you can get it).

Peavey (Peavy Electronics, P.O. Box 5315, Meridian, MS 39301). Now here's a company that in a few short years has moved to the forefront in the guitar and bass amplifier market, not to mention their P.A. systems. They've not only pioneered the combination bass/lead amps which can be used for either bass guitar or lead guitar, but have made graphic equalizers relatively commonplace. They're rugged pieces of machinery, and can blow the tin cans off the fence. Especially notable are Peavey's vintage lines, replicas of early tube type Fenders, as well as the Century and Musician models. Full tone controls and available in self-contained or top/bottom models. Their latest is the Pacer.

Premier (Sorkin Music Company, 370 Motor Parkway, Hauppauge, NY 11797). Makers of small, inexpensive and low-tomedium quality amplifiers, Premier is vying for the limited power market; They make four amps with a gutty tone and an interesting, unusual sound.

Pignose (C.F. Martin Organization, Nazareth, PA). Like the ads read, Pignose is a high quality answer to the worldwide demand for a completely portable, yet sensibly priced guitar amplifier. It's powered by six penlight batteries and only weighs five pounds. It's really surprising what they can do, and they're priced under $100. If for no other reason than novelty, you should try one out.

Randall (Randall Instruments, Inc., 1132 Duryea, Irvine, CA 92705; P.O. Box 10936, Santa Ana, Ca 92711). New from Raqdall are the RG-90 Commander Power Head, which features 100 watts RMS, solid state circuitry, and a 4-12" speaker enclosure; the RB-90 Commander Bass Power Head, with 100 watts RMS and a folded horn enclosure for bass; the RG-100 Alpha Hybrid Power Head, with 100 watts_RMS and a 4-12" speaker enclosure for guitar; and the RB-90-115 Commander bass (which is their only new self-contained amp)* featuring 100 watts RMS and a 15" heavy duty bass speaker. Randall is a good quality line, but is not all that popular in the rock field. Their stuff should be looked into,

Rickenbacker (Rickenbacker, P.O. Box 2275, 201 E. Stevens St., Santa Ana, CA 92707). While known more for guitars, ftickenbacker does make amps. Under the heading of Rickenbacker's .Trusonic Sound Systems, they make a Dual Enclosure which has 200 watts RMS, built-in fuzz, reverb, tremolo, plus a stereo option. They look a little arachaic, but are functional. Rickenbacker's amps are in the medium-to-high price bracket.

Risson (Risson Musical Instruments, 2108 S. Wright St., Santa Ana, CA 92705). Risson offers a complete line of amplifiers for guitars and bass — the Professional Series (features head and enclosure combinations), Concert Series and Professional Series (self-contained). Their amps are well-constructed, and range in price from $299 to $2059, which is relatively high in the amp industry, and they just might be worth it

■ Road (Road Electronics, Inc., P.O. Box 932, Fort Scott, KS 66701). New from this company is their Model 601-218 bass guitar amp. The 601 features travelability, 300 watts RMS, two channels (graphic equalizer and effects controls), solid state chassis, diffused lighting over entire front panel, cabinets made of 3/4" solid core plywood, and 2-18" Road speakers. It looks good, sounds good and should be a winner. This company has some good ideas, especially for the professional.

Sound City (Dallas Music Industries, 301 Island Rd., Mahwah, NJ 07430). New from Sound City is the SMF series, which features heavy duty construction for travel. These are tube amps with a lifetime guarantee. Sound City amps, an English import, range in price from $500 to $1500 and include a line of about 12 amp heads and 20 cabinets. While the SMF series hasn't really hit the mass market yet, Larry Coryell has already picked up on this line. They use a combination of Vega, Eminence, and other speakers,

SG (SG Systems, A Div. of Norlin Music, Inc., 7373 N. Cicero Ave., Lincolnwood,IL 60646). SG, while fairly new, has created quite a noise in the amp industry with its innovations. Designed for the rock market^ the SG systems start with their model SG212, which features 2-12" speakers (Altec optional), 100 watts RMS of power, solid state preamp, two channels (normal and effects), bass, midrange, treble, accent and volume, three-speed Phase Shift control, four-position 'Notch Shift control (deep rhythm, full range i jazz, hard rock, and the SG sound), variable wave shape control, reverb, polarity switch, and heavy duty construction. The rest of their line goes something like the first one, only with more. A strong entry into the amplifier line.i

Sunn (Sunn Musical Equipment Company, Auburn Industrial Park, Tualatin, OR 97062). When Sunn first hit the rock market in the mid-to-late 60s; people like Hendrix and Peter Townshend were really blown out about them and they are still very much a strong contender in the rock market. Starting off the Sunn line is their Studio Lead (a 50 watt RMS self-contained unit), and from there they can get bigger than your imagination; for instance, their Coliseum Lead with 320 watts RMS output. Sunn makes their amps with durability, and the musician in mind.

Tray nor (Yorkville Sound, 56 Harvester Ave., Batavia, NY 10420). Tray nor is one of the few companies sticking with tubes. They offer a complete line of bass guitar and guitar amplifiers in both self-contained and headcabinet configurations. They're presently using Cerwin-Vega speakers for all their bottoms, but with Traynor (like most companies) you can special order many different types of speakers if you wish.

Univox (Merson Musical Products, 78 Frost St., Westbury, NY 11590). Univox dropped its UX series amps last year, and now offers twelve different amplifiers for guitar and bass, ten of which are made in the States. They recently came out with a tunneling device on their amps which allows you to use the power of both channels when you plug into only one. They have also expanded their midrange frequency control.

Sound Systems

Units on the March

If you want to make it as a musician you've got to acquire a good sound system. I don't believe there is any number one, ace, all-around sound system good enough to be used as the universal. But there is a sound system which will complement a particular group's sound.

You might be amazed at the number of biggies who have sound systems comparable to the one hooked up to the juke down at Molly's Busy Bee Cafe. Really! If you have a good sound, why waste it on a ten dollar transistor radio system playing at beach parties (in the water)? It makes a lot of sense to sink some bucks into a good setup, with the right kind of sound (PA) in the audience, and the right kind of sopnd. (monitor) on stage.

A sound system includes a mixer, microphones, amplifier, speaker system, horn system (if you like crispness in projection), a good electrical joint box (safe!), and a monitor system. You'll have to compromise a lot until you reach the stature of the Grateful Dead and can afford the $350,000 system they're now using.

There are shortcuts. One is to write a few of the major speaker companies for booklets onhow to make your own PA enclosures. Many companies will either send it free or for a slight fee. These booklets are usually very easy to read, and if you have the skill, your chances are pretty good of putting, together an enclosure like the Voice of the Theatre. If you can't afford a good sound system, don't buy a dog; it's usually much wiser to rent a good one (even though that's expensive). But, anyway, let's break it up by components and get into it.

THE MICROPHONE

In selecting the right types of inicrophone for you and your group, you must decide what they are going to be used for: should they be directional (only picks up the sound from that direction), or non-directional, should they be high or low impedance, are they going to be used for vocal or instrument (it's very common to re-mike guitar amps, drums and almost any instrument into the PA).

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, The problem doesn't seem to be selection. There are many mikes on the market, and all have qualities and characteristics which could probably fit into your guidelines for buying. Turner (909 17th St., N.E., Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52402) offers a wide range of good mikes for picking up the sounds of almost any instrument in the band as well as voice. Their TC Series, which seems to be fairly popular, is billed as being good for anything from brass -to vocals. These are multi-port cardioid designed mikes, which means background noise and feedback are reduced. The dynamic cartridge utilizes a Lexan diaphragm to assure uniform response firom 50 to 15,000 Hertz. A roll off oecurs with this series below 100 Hertz and above 15,000. The TC series also uses a double-wall cartridge and a series of silicone rubber shockmounts to assure isolation from handling noise. The average price of this line is around $135 per mike.

Shure (Shure Brothers, Inc., 222 Hartrey Ave., Evanston, IL 60204) also makes a damn good mike. Their Unisphere and Spher-ODyne mikes and the Model SM61 are great for rock sounds. Other great names in mikes are Sdny, Peavey, Neumanns, Electro-Voice, and AKG. All these mikes, may be inspected at your local dealer. But don't go into a store expecting to get away cheap, or you'll walk out with a lot of unusable garbage.

Mikes come in a variety 6f types, including uni-directional, omni-ditectional, condenser, and cardiod. Do some homework before you head into the store, so you won't be sold on a mike just because you didn't know any better. For instance, it'd be good to know. that Wally Heider of Heider's Recording Studios in San Francisco and Los Angeles (he's recorded people like Hot Tuna, the Beatles, CSNY, Arlo Guthrie and Donovan) recommends Neumanns, tjie Sony C-500's, and the AKG C-12's for recording acoustic guitars. He definitely prefers condenser mikes for acoustic guitars. When you're Recording electric guitars, you probably want to use a dynamic mike, since electrics normally distort quite a bit.

THE MIXER

As you can probably guess by the name, this is an electronic device used to mix the sound of the microphones, tape loops, special effects, and other input signals.* It mixes these sounds not only as far as volume, but also by tone. Sometimes it adds on reverb and other sound effects. The output of the mixer is hooked up directly to the amplifier (power plant), and sometimes they are built as one unit. Most mixers are part of the power amp. The features and effects of a mixer can be very important to a group, especially the number of inputs. Of note is a 20 channel stereophonic Sound City/Kelsey mixing consple which Dallas Music Industries (301 Island Rd., Mahwah, NJ 07430) carries. This' is definitely a first for the industry. It has microphone channel^, master channels, a submaster channel, a foldback channel, an echo return channel, and an earphone monitor/intercom channel. Each individual channel plugs

in and can be replaced in moments. You probably wouldn't need this unless you were at the top and wanted to put forth a sound (several sounds) from each instrument; for instance, put four or five mikes on the drums, two mikes for every amp on the stage, and that kind of stuffing. But it's impressive. Sony makes a pretty good mixer which is much less expensive, but has less than one-fourth the characteristics, of this Sound City board. Shure makes two models of mixers. The Model PE68M is a standard microphone or musical instrument mixer with five inputs, and piaster volume control as well as a volume control for every channel. The Model PE70RM is a special reverb mixer which is designed for vocalists and has four inputs. But these Shure mixers are basically for extra mikes above and beyond the Shure console line, and most Shure PA heads are offered with built-in mixers. Check your local music store for more models and brand name equipment.

SPEAKERS

In this category, you've got to decide how many PA speaker columns are sufficient to carry the sound you've got, if you require a bassy sound, if you need Korns, the importance of your midrange sound, what you can get by with and which speakers you sound best with. Not to mention that your speakers must be pumped by the power amp you select. Your system, especially if it's a component system, "should be checked out by your whole band before the final decision is made on any one item under these categories. You don't have to buy, just give it a demo run at your local music store.

MONITOR

The monitor system should do just that, monitor (or let you hear) exactly what sounds

on stage are important for you to get your total sound off the stage. For instance, it is usually important that the drummer hear the bass player (vice versa), and that the lead guitarist hear the whole sound so he doesn't get off beat when he's doing his involved runs. It's a good feeling to hear the sound of all the musicians onstage when you're playing. (Usually on stage, you can't hear What the other people are up to because you're turned up so loud just to. have the audience hear you.) Monitoring systmes are essential to vocal harmonies if the vocalists are not shoulder to shoulder. They're equally important for instrumental harmonies. It's also important that you, as a member of the group, can communicate to a non-playing member of the group (an engineer, roadie, mixer or whoever) to turn up or down or change the sound of a specific instrument or voice (usually by hand sign) while you're playing.

POWER AMP

The power amp is what drives the PA system, and it must have enough guts to carry your sound whether it's Toby's Roadside Cafe, or Yankee Stadium. What starts as a relatively weak signal must be multiplied several times over to effectively drive your Speaker system and make your sound heard. And that's just what the power amp must be capable of doing. Make sure your power amp is what you need, or will need when you make it, as these babies are expensive; you might as well only buy one because under normal circumstances you'll be paying for it for a long time.

But don't over buy. If you're a folk duet, you obviously won't need a 1000 watt RMS super mama, so a sensible consideration should be given to how loud or soft your requirements actually are. Sometimes cost and space available on the job axe important too. But if you're committed to becoming a successful group, the power with which you project your sound can be a major consideration.

Crown, Shure, Ovation, Kustom, Peavey, Acoustic, Ampeg, Altec,' EMC, Heil and Bose are just some of the people who make very good PA units.

Keyboards

ZZZZZIIIIIWWWAAAH HHpoof!

Some people believe that when an instrument's music has progressed beyond the

capabilities of that instrument, then electronic special effects devices become necessary. Especially if the electronics make that instrument a totally different bird capable of flying not only sideways, downward and up, but beyond the dimension of sound

employed by the original one. What? That's just what Robert A. Moog came up with in the mid-60s.

While most synthesizers are commonly hooked up to a keyboard system, it is not uncommon today to see a synthesizer with just a box of dials, or.being run-through by a guitar or . other instrument. Nonetheless, the synthesizer is capable of just about anything; it's so capable that musicians are just beginning to find out what realms are open to them. It can produce sounds beyond description, and although some of the synthesizers on the market today look like cockpits on 747's, there are models available which are very basic.

Even within the limited realm most synthesizers use, they do produce moods and create imaginative effects for music... especially as found in the music of Emerson, Lake and Palmer, Yes, Zappa, The Who, Led Zeppelin.

But the electric piano, being the forerunner of the sunthesizer, should not be underplayed (excuse) either. So here"^ a little list to help you in your search.:

Acetone (Sorkin Music Company, 370 Motor Parkway, Hauppauge, NY 11787). Acetone features a small professional line of combo organs. Their GT-7 seems to be the most popular.

ARP (ARP Instruments, 320 Needham St., Newton, MA 02164). ARP is one of the best companies for synthesizers. They not only give a well-written instructional manual, but also service their clients (Peter Townshend, Edgar Winter, Stevie Wonder, Jerry Garcia) more than most. The two models from ARP this year are the Explorer Twin 900, whidh is similar to their Soloist model, but with improved voicings; and their String Unit, SE-4, which is similar to the Mellotron (made by Dallas).

They are still producing a large number of synthesizers, all the way from their Pro Soloist to the ARP 2500. They carry a well-constructed line with relatively few bugs.

ElectroComp (Electronic Music Laboratories, Inc., P.O. Box H, Vernon, CT 06066). There are four ElectroComp synthesizers presently being produced, starting with their 500 at $895, to their Sequential Synthesizer, which is new, and varies in price depending upon the complexity, but starts at $950.

Farfisa (Farfisa Musical Instruments, 1330 Mark St., Elk Grove Village, IL). Under the portable organ catagory, Farfisa makes a Mini-Matador for $495 and a Matador at $795. They also have eight other portable organs. Their only electric piano is the Professional Electric Kano (PEP), which is lightwieght, 61 keys (F to F), and has dynamic touch on the keys (you press hard and you play loud automatically). The PEP retails for $1050 and comes equipped with a three-position decay selector and a split keyboard. In the synthesizer liner Farfisa has the new Synthorchestra, which is a manual polyphonic synthesizer with both monophonic and polyphonic control that retails for $995. These people are known mostly for portable electric organs, like the VIP 600 for $1895 and the VIP 345 at $1150.

Fender/Rhodes (Fender Musical Instruments, a Division of CBS, 1300 E. Valencia, Fullerton, CA 92631). Fender/Rhodes pianos have been an established electric in both the country, and rock fields for years. Their . models are the Suitcase 73 (keys) complete with speakers at $1141, the Suitcase 88 (keys) at $1296, the Mark I Stage 88, which is designed for playing through other speakers (they're not built in) and retails for $886, and their Mark I 73 for $736. The new Super Satellite System for stage is three pieces (master, preamp* and slave) all for $818. They also carry a Kano Bass which has 32 keys and retails for $430.

Hohner (M. Hohner, Inc., Andrews Rd., Hicksville, NY 11802). Hohner makes a fairly complete line of electric keyboards priced just right. Their Clavinet D6 can simulate sounds of a clavinet, harpsichord, guitar, harp, spinet, or zither. It's portable and has a 60-tone keyboard. Other models include the Kanet, Keyboard Bass 1 and 2, the Clavinet, the Combo Kanet (61 keys and completely portable) and their Electronic Kano.

Kustom has dropped their Kombo II line.

Mellotron (Dallas Music Industries, 301 Island Rd., Mahwah, NJ 07430). Mellotron is still making their model 400. which retails for $3950. By the end of the year it will be designed with a double keyboard. The Mellotron is the exciting instrument which provides a string section backdrop to your sound. The end result is that once you've paid the tag on this one, you don't have to pay union fees for having a string section tagged onto your sound. It simulates most of the sounds of the orchestra.

Moog (Moog Music Inc., A Div. of Norlin Music, Inc., 7373 N. Cicero Ave., Lincolnwood, IL 60646). The Mini-Moog is the most popular of this well-known line; according to one of their sales people, they're selling these at the rate of about 300 a month. Moog has, recently changed. They are now emphasizing their module concept, which is much more flexible than the old complete system. They offer six basic systems, two sequencer complements and eight modular systems. The Moog 1, 2 and 3 have all been superceded by their Model 35 and 55, retailing respectively for $5400 and $8795. These are primarily for in-studio use. Synthesizer 15 is their latest, and it retails for $3495.

Rythm Ace (Sorkin Music Company, 370 Motor Parkway, Hauppauge, NY 11787). This little box is not by strict terms a synthesizer, but it does provide percussive effects in a half-dozen models ranging in price from $299.50 to $550. Some have amps, others don't, but the basic concept is that these little goodies produce sounds all the way from cowbells to snares to bass and cymbals.

Roland Synthesizer (Beckman Musical Instruments, . Inc., 2925 S. Vail Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90040). Featured synthesizer is the SH-3, which is a solid state addition to their SH-100 model. The SH-3 has eliminated all pre-set tabs to allow the musician total control in mixing and matching wave forms and effects on a single, compact control panel. This model features a 44-note keyboard (F scale), with the option of shiftingone octave higher or lower via the transpose switch.

Synthi Hi-Fi (Musonic, Inc., 1271 Rand Rd., Des Plaines, IL 60016). Combining maximum ease of operation with a wide range of effects, the Synthi Hi-Fi has top boost, octave shift, fuzz switch, "ring mod" effect, sustain and fuzz, pedal switches, solo and strum, bypass mix fader and many other features.

Univox (Merson Musical Products, 75 Frost Street, Westbury, NY 11590). If you want something a little less expensive than the going price in the synthesizer lines, you might want to try the Mini-Korg, which retails for $499.50. It's a 37-note keyboard with many effects. They graduate up to the Mid-Korg, which has two tones on one note and a ring modulator, and retails for $695. Perhaps you want the tops, the Maxi-Korg with a twin filtering network, 44 tone keyboard and twin oscillators for $995. Also, scope out the Univox Mobile-Ohn line with systems ranging from $439.50 to $835. Hard driving amps good for the Korg.

Special Effects

The Phasewah Fuzzle

With thousands of rock guitarists vying for a sound unique enough to put their band over the hill into the money, a great number of electronic gadgets have been developed. As of the last five or six years, most of the effects which have achieved any sort of popularity — feedback, sustain, distortion, reverb, tremolo, and vibrato — can be produced without devices, just standard equipment: guitar and amp. But there is that constant search for something different which will be added to the line.

The trend in rock today is to attempt to produce a sound that's as diverse as possible without having to rely on twenty million flicks of twenty million switches ... that is, condensation of device effects. Most of the devices which have survived have established a reputation among rock players as providing valuable assistance in putting over a' song.

Care should be taken that special effects are, not over-used. The point of special effects is to add a variety of colors to your music; if music is monochromatic it has a tendency to be boring. Most devices require a peat deal of pre-performance experimentation. A device should be thoroughly explored before it is put on stage. Too many guitarists have destroyed the effect of wah by using it in e(very number. While wah does have its place, its place is not everywhere. The same goes for most other special effects. People like to hear different sounds and effects, not the same one over and 6ver. If you're heading out into the special effects world you ought to keep this in mind.

Another consideration in buying special effects devices is how difficult it will be to intepate the device into your guitar. Some of today's devices may require re-wiring of the guitar. If this is the case with the device you want, you ought to consider if that's the kind of sound you will want to play a year from now.

Just about all devices can, however, provide a peat deal of interest for your listeners, if they axe used with taste. Don't overdo it. Let's look at some of the effects makers" productions:

BCM (B.C.M. Sound Systems, P.O. Box 17112, Cincinnati, OH 45217). This company makes a well-rounded effects producer called the ""Mode Synthesizer." This twelve button box comes equipped with a foot pedal device changer.

Colorsound (Sola Sound, Ltd., London, England; Distributed in the U.S. by Musonic, Inc., 1271 Rand Rd.', Des Plaines, IL 60016)., Colorsound makes a complete line of traditional and not-so-traditional rock effects devices. Included in their line is the Fuzz-Wah for $79.95, a Wah-Wah for $54.95, a Tone Bender which offers variable intensity and sustain for $59.95, and an Organ Swell-Wah, a Sustain Module, a Dopplatone which offers the famous Doppler effect (phase shifting type unit) for $79.95, a 9-ban Graphic Equalizer for $199.95, a Ring Modulator for $139.95. And that's just the beginning with them!

Electro-Harmonix (Electro-Harmonix, 15 W. 26th St., New York, NY 10010). Best known for their boosters and goodies which escape description sonically, Electro-Harmonix makes things like the Big Muff, which is a distortion device with low distortion and high sustain. Also in the line are a Screaming Bird (a treble booster), the EGO (microphone booster for vocalist), the Mole (a bass booster), the Black Finger (a distortion-free sustain device) and a Frequency Analyzer (which offers harmonics of a reverse nature).

Fender (Fender Musical Instruments, a Div. of CBS, 1300 E. Valencia, Fullerton, CA 92631). Fender was one of the first in the effects market, and in line with Fender conservativism, nothing outrageous is carried. They make the. Fender Blender, a combination fuzz and sustain device; a Fender FuzzWah with on/off switch; and a Tone and Volume pedal. All very basic, and all made with Fender quality.

Foxx (Foxx, Ridinger Associates, Inc., 20700 Dearborn St., Chartsworth, CA 91311). Foxx recently introduced their Guitar Synthesizer I, which retails for $169.95, and provides simulated echo and repeat effects. Their Foot Phaser, retailing at $169.95, features a foot pedal controlled effect varying the speed of the phase cycle. The O.D., which has been used by poups like Humble Pie, is basically a powerful booster which can help produce a peat deal of sustain from your amp, while their Wah and Volume Machine, $64.95, allows an effect of four( different wah-wah pedals in one.

Guild (Guild Musical Instruments, 225 W. Grand St., Elizabeth, NJ 07202), Guild makes the famed Copicat line and handles the Echorec. The Copicat is a mini-tape recorder with five recording/playback heads and a loop of audio tape running past them so effects which are normally pre-recorded may be made right on stage. Echo, swell and repetition of sounds in chambers are the highlights of the Copicat. The Binson Echorecs are distributed by Guild and do not employ the tape system, but use an iron oxide-coated material for making effects. Two models available are the 606, with echo, repeat and swell, and the 601 with echo and repeat.

Heil (Heil Sound & Manufacturing Company, Heil Industrial Blvd., P.O. Box 68, Marissa, IL 62257). The Heil people put out what they call the Talk Box, which creates vowel sounds through a wah-type setup. Driven by any guitar amp, this unit produces a sound at the end of a six-foot tube placed in the mouth. It is usually re-miked to a P.A. The Heil HD 800 60-watt driver is mounted in a fiberglass floor module complete with all jacks and switching.

IGI (Spectracom Corporation, 1101 State Rd., Box 307, Princeton, NJ 08540). The IGI, or Internal Guitar Intensifier has within its capabilities the power to distort and affect the tone of your guitar while compounding the sound with sustain, attack and punch to the signal.

Morley (Morley Div. Tel-Ray Electronics, 8114 S. Avalon Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90003). Morley makes a Power Wah/Boost volume pedal which runs off AC instead of the usual battery setup; they also have the Rotating Sound Power Wah, which offers the famed Leslie speaker swirling effect with wah; then thereVthe Morley Synthesizer, which is simply a Leslie-type effect without other effects.

Maestro (Norlin Music Inc., 7373 N. Cicero Ave., Lincolnwood, IL 60646). Maestro makes a good quality line of devices, both special effects and transducers. The effects line reads much like the Yellow Pages, but some of the items available are a Rhythm Jester ($159.95), Rhythm King ($599.95), Echoplex ($309.95), Ring Modulator ($249.95), Super Fuzztone ($54.95), an Envelope Modifier ($99.95), Sustainer ($79.95), an Octave Box ($109.95) and a Bass Brassmaster ($59.95).

Mu-Tron (Musitronics Corporation, Rosemonf, NJ 08556). These people make a Mu-Tron Phasor (a phasing device), the MuTron III (foith controls for effecting gain, drive, and range; it's foot operated), and a PS-1 Battery Eliminator, which is an accessory for the Mu-Tron III. The Phasor retails for $129.95, the III for $99.95, and the Battery Eliminator for $19.95.

Sekova (Charles Alden Music Company, Southwest Industrial Park, Westwood, MA 02090). Sekova makes a line of inexpensive special effects devices which include the Bizzy Bass Booster, the Power Booster, Tinny Treble Booster, and Frizzy Fuzz, all under tyie $20,00 price tag.

S. Hawk (S. Hawk, Ltd. Box 72, Sag Harbor, NY i 1963). Hawk is into the business of synthesized special effects devices, all the way from I to VI. The Hawk I is a linear preamp for $54.50; the Hawk II and III are done contour devices retailing for $94.50 and $89.50, respectively; the Hawk IV, V and VI, which get built-into the instrument, provide a wide variety of effects. Most notable is the Hawk VI (around $175.00) which is a linear preamp, active volume control, fuzz, sustain, bassmidrangeand treble equalizer, vowel filter contourer, and treble contourer, all made with their "triple p" system. The triple p's' stand for the idea that you are replacing your pickup switch, so you can mix your pickups" signals together or separately. When the VI is finally built-in to your guitar, you will not need a preamp, just a power amp and you will have at your disposal five slide controls and four three-way switches. Whew.

Sound City (Dallas Music Industries, 301 Island Rd., Mahwah, NJ 07430). Sound City offers the famous Fuzz-Face and Wah.

Univox (Merson Musical Instruments, 78 Frost St., Westbury, NY 11590). Univox is currently offering the Univox Phaser at $159 and the Univox Echo at $135. The echo device utilizes cassette tapes to put across your sound.

Drums

The Big Bong

Ringo Starr, Keith Moon, Ginger Baker and Charlie Watts are a few of the drummers with reputations in the rock market place. But few drummers ever reach the rock spotlight. And yet, few bands, with the exception of John Mayall's on Turning Point and later Jon Mark and Johnny Almond, have ever made it without a drummer. That great thund, with crashing cymbals, ratting hi-hats, thwapping snares and rolling toms is the basis of so much of the rock sound that without them, rock is just gravel.

For today's drummer, there are so many options, so many buying decisions, so many setups to create, that at first glance, the task looks hopeless. What brand? What model? What kind of bass? Should the kit be openfaced (open ended)? Should all the drums be bought from the same firm? What size drums? What kind of hardware (spurs, stands and foot pedals)? What color or finish? What materials (metal, wood, fiberglass, acrylic or plastic)? What ply and name brand heads? What kind of sticks? Brushes? What size cymbals? What kind of hi-hat?

The trend in rock, since Ginger Baker first played it with Cream, is to have double bass drums - or two drummers as the Allman Brothers do, for that loud, over-powering rhythm sound. It's hard to co-ordinate but ultimately it provides a flashier sound.

Another trend is toward see-through drums. Transparent drums, according to Fred McCraw of Zickos, first appeared in 1969 on a custom order basis from Zickos, who claim to have invented them. But Fibes Drums wgre first on a mass production basis sometime around September of 1971. Later in "72, the English company Hayman, and the world's largest drum dealer, Ludwig, started producing them.

Before see-through drums appeared, the choice was between wood or metal. But drum manufacturers came to the realization that some of the clearest, loudest rock sounds were created by plastics, or so say some of the manufacturers. Accordingly, their story runs that wood semi-muffles the sound, and metal is brash, which is good for snares, but not so hot for bass and toms.

Another future-peek into the drum world was provided by Walter Johnson at Peajrl Drums. According to Walt, they are currently experimenting with a setup which Ed Shaughnessy is using with good "ol Doc Severinson's on-the-road show, the Now Brass. Ed is now using a Maestro transducer hooked directly to the drum heads and then run through a ring modulator. Drummer Larrie Londin is using a similar setup in Nashville, working on jingles.

Bob Yeager, who owns the Professional Drum Shop (Hollywood) which caters to most of the studio musicians in L.A. and drummers Of the world, gave us a bit of insight. According to him, Ludwig Drums, the number one seller, ,used to have 53 percent of the world's drum market, but is slowly being circumvented by other companies like Pearl, Slingerland, Gretsch and Rodgers. At his shop, the most popular setup amongst rocksters is a five piece: a snare, two ride toms (also called mounted toms since they are connected to the bass drum), one floor torn and a bass drum. He sold over 250 setups like that last year. Most use four cymbals, with a crash, a couplb of hi-hats and a 20" combination ride/crash cymbal. The difference is that a ride cymbal usually makes that "ping" sound and a crash cymbal is (obviously) the crash. Bob claimed to have a customer who came in and bought a 22-piece setup; while he doesn't know how the guy's playing it, he gladly sold it.

The best way to become a good drummer is to take lessons (check your local music store for teachers). It requires the kind of step-by-step co-ordination that has an initial tendency to blow out the beginner. If you don't want to soak at least $1000 in a kit (a drum setup), you'd best try out somebody else's to make certain that this is what you want... or maybe even rent a kit. Another cheap way of begjnnine is to bqy -what is called a practice pad and pair of sticks, and a package of bandaids and just cut into it. If you're buying new equipment, the least you can get away with for a fairly decent setup is around $1000 to $1100 and that's a lot of bucks. But if you have that together from your busy dealing schedule, you might want to scope out the following list to find what's available:

Capitol & Universal Drums (Kapa Music Company, 7221 Wisconsin Ave., Bethesda, MD 20014). They make mostly band drums, but have a few models offered as sets.

Drumland (Ralph Kester, Inc., 2216 N. Dixie Hwy., Lake Worth, FL 33460). He features "Flat/Jacks" shell-less single head marching, dance and concert drums, "Zoom" drum holders, and "Play-Chings" which are a new type of practice pad.

The Fibe Drum (C.F. Martin Organization, Nazareth, PA). The Fibe people are the first to mass produce the see-thru drum, which they call Chrystalite. They offer three different sizes of bass drums (from 14" x 18" to 14" x 26"), three snares (from 5" x 14" to 6" x 14"), three ride toms (8" x 12", 9" x 13", and 10" x 14"), and'three floor toms (14" x 14", 16" x 16", and 16" x 18"). They offer a combination of seven sets all together, but their biggest seller is the Forte" setup, which is a five piece kit (one bass, two ride toms, one floor tom, and one snare). The two different types of construction used by Fibes are fiberglass with metal finish or Chrystalite.

Gretsch Drums (The Fred Gretsch Company, P.O. Box 2525, Cincinnati, OH 45202). Gretsch offers a good set of drums, as well as the K. Zildjian cymbal line (not to be confused with the very fine A. Zildjian cymbal line — A. is made in the U.S. and the K. line is the foreign make) and the Ajaha cymbal line.

Hayman Drums (Distributed by Dallas Music Industries). Offer a wide line of drum choices. The English-made kit, Hayman, is the choice of Ollie E. Brown, .Stevie Wonder s drummer. A good product if you can find a set.

Hoshino Drums (York Musical Instrument Co., Inc., 55 Marcus Dr., Melville, NY 11746). Hoshino is a Japanese firm which offers six complete drummer's outfits from a three piece to a 12-piece setup in a variety of metals and colorations. They also offer a beginner's snare drum setup with cymbal, a complete line of sticks, and hi-hat stands. Features of their drum setups include a better hook to hold the brass drum tightly to the shell, along with a new type of double toni-tom holder.

Kashian Cymbals (Made exclusively for Slingerland Drum Co.) This new line of cymbals features a wide variety of types and sizes. Included are splash, crash, crash-ride, ping, bounce-ride, and swish. All cymbals are handmade.

Lacen (Lacen Industries, 619 A State St., Santa Barbara, CA 93101). Lacen makes a line of drummers" accessories including a bass pedal, drum mufflers, sizzlers, etc.

. Ludwig (Ludwig Industries, 1728 N. Damen Ave., Chicago, IL 60647). The world's largest drum manufacturer, Ludwig makes many different types of outfits, 19 stock setups offered in a variety of 27 finishes, ranging in price from $600 to $1600. Vistalite is their see-thru model, but their two biggest sellers are their Model 989, called the Ludwig Big Beat outfit, and their model 2005, which is their Quadra-Plus outfit. The top of the line model is the Octa-Plus, which features 12 drums, including 8 single head tom-toms which are tuned to an octave. With their outfits, Ludwig also sells A. Zildjian cymbals, which are the Cadillacs of cymbals. They also offer the Ludwig Standard cymbal, which is a medium priced model for the beginning student. Featured in their accessory line is an Air Life Drummer's stool, which works off a pbeumatic principle. A good set of drums for the best of drummers.

Pearl Drums (Norlin Music, Inc., 7373 N. Cicero Ave., Lincolnwood, IL 60646). Pearl is a Japanese drum with a good price and excellent quality. They are offered in four different shell combinations: plain wood, wood-lined with fiberglass, pure fiberglass, and acrylic (transparent). The acrylic models were shown at the NAMM show in tinted colors. Pearl will soon be introducing transparent drums with tinted colors of blue, green, red, and yellow. Their 5-piece setup is their most popular. Trend seems to be going from the 14" x 22" bass drum to the 14" x 24". Their most popular snare is the Jupitor and Deep Jupitor metal snares with parallel snare strainers. They offer three different sizes of toms (8" x 12", 9" x 13'Vand 10" x 14") and up to a 16-piece setup. Their 5-piece set with wood shells is their cheapest at $715, while their transparent model retails for $1075 — both prices include hardware and two cymbal stands. Pearl's latest to come is a completely electric drum, much like the amplified acoustic guitar.

Pro-Mark (Pro-Mark, .10710 Craighead, Houston, TX 77025). Prq-Mark makes drum sticks, and good ones at that. Their catalog features 13 models of U.S. Hickory, 5 models of Rosewood from Denmark, and 33 models of handmade white oak drumsticks.

Rodgers Drums (CBS Musical Instruments, 1300 E. Valencia, Fullerton, CA 92631). Rodgers has been an industry standard for a long time. Their newer lines are the DynaSonic, Super-Ten, and Power-Tone Drums. As early as 1958, Rodgers introduced the SwivO-Matic accessories, including the "ball and socket" equipment, tom-tom holders, snare drum holders, filters, leg rests, cymbal holder extension arms and the disappearing "internal spurs." All in all, Rodgers makes a good strong drum worth checking out.

Slingerland Drums (Slingerland Drum Company, 6633 N. Milwaukee Ave.,"Niles, IL 60648). Slingerland, without a doubt, has one of the widest selection of percussive instruments in the business, if only they could keep up with the business. When I spoke with them, they were six to fifteen weeks behind on orders. They offer many different outfits in over 24 different finishes. The variety os too much to mention..

Sonor Drums (Distributed by Charles Alden Music Co., Inc., Southwest Industrial Park, Westwood, MA 02090). Sonor, which are made in Germany, offers many different sets, the most popular being the five and six piece Champion set which is offered in standard colors of red, silver, gold, black and acrylic (clear). They also offer rosewood (while the Supply lasts!). Their five-piece standard set retails for $950, their five piece acrylic goes for $1100, and their rosewood five piece for $1050, and rosewood six-piece for $1350 (all suggested retail). All sets include (where applicable) two cymbal stands, drum pedal, hi-hat stand, snare stand" and double tom holder. Good people to do business with.

Ultratone (Norlin Music, Inc., 7373 N. Cicero Ave., Lincolnwood, IL 60646). Mostly deals with marching band drums, but they have a few moderately priced outfits.

Zickos (Zickos Corporation, 11844 W. 85th. St., Lenexa, KS 66214). This is a revolutionary company in the drum-making business. Not only do they produce unusual sizes of drums, but they are the people who invented the transparent drum. They are geared for the rock market; their drums have fuller sounds. Their drums weigh the most of all other transparent drums, because they all have 1/4" shells made of plexiglass (the same stuff airplane windshields are made from). Another Zickos innovation is a gasket separating the head from the shell, thus causing the shell to vibrate more, thus giving more and fuller sound. It's a soft vinyl gasket. They also send out all their drums with a two-ply, heavy-duty head, build bigger sizes, and their shells (they claim) vibrate more than anyone else's. Their most popular set is their 400, a four piece set which features a 22" x 18" bass, 18" x 18"^ floor tom, two 14" x 10" ride toms (6 1/2" x 14" snare optional). Their newest innovation is the X-15 Rocket drum, which looks like the first stage of a rocket. It's a single head floor tom.