Jimmy Page Reveals Fingering Techniques

What better way could we supplement CREEMs Fourth Annual Guitar Break than with an interview with none other than the picker you, our readers, selected as the BEST GUITARIST in the CREEM Readers Poll three years running? You want it, you got it: Jimmy Page talking about his music. guitar practice, and shall we say. some odd. personal quirks. In general, everything that made him the Guitar God he is today. But it wasnt easy. Our reporter had to traverse the chilly seas, battle the marshy bogs and barely escaped the Loch Ness Monster itself, dll to get this interview in your hands. Its short but, baby its sweet and if you saw a slobbering hunchbacked manservant haul in a whole pile of English bone china plates we think that you'd cu't out in a hurry, too. Or would you?

CREEM: Who do you think is the best rock “n roll guitarist playing?

PAGE: 1 dont know, but Hendrix was probably the best rock “n roll guitarist.

CREEM: When did you first start playing rock “n roll?

PAGE: I started playing rock “n roll when 1 first started playing, or was attempting to play. I wasnt playing well. I was 16 or something, playing with friends, getting nowhere fast. Then 1 got into a group, and 1 was touring around. From there it went on to.. . we were doing Chuck Berry numbers, Bo Diddley numbers and all that sort of thing—probably about two years before the Stones were dding it. It didnt make any difference because nobody knew what they were. They wanted to hear Top 20 numbers in those days anyway.

CREEM: Did anybody in that band ever make it besides you?

PAGE: No, nobody ever made it.

CREEM: Led Zeppelin is considered by many to be the definition of "heavy music." What are your feelings about this?

PAGE: I dont know what the term is, really. It$ not a term that I use. So I dont know whether they mean its something thats intense, something thats really going to get you thinking or something that is loud and has power to it. I dont know what the connotation is.

CREEM: What about the blues?

PAGE: Well, I was really playing rock “n roll more than blues. I dabbled with the blues. I didnt have the blues roots, for instance, that Cyril Davies had. He was about 38 or something. Hed been turned on by the blues early in his youth and hed followed the blues right through. And the first thing that turned me on was rock “n roll. Ill be the first to admit it. And everybody that was playing with him —and Nicky Hopkins was in it, too—in our particular band had all come from rock “n roll roots as well. In fact, I didnt join the band because I went to art college instead. But I was playing the blues, and blues was something that I was really getting into at that time. A lot of people were sort of turning to the blues and getting all these strange imports and everything. Prior to that, I had all rock “n roll roots.

CREEM: Why did you drop out of live performing and touring in favor of college?

PAGE: I decided to get-out of that particular bag, and I was thinking of going to art school when Cyril Davies asked me to rehearse with him. It was really good, but I just knew—because I was getting ill a lot traveling around—I knew there would be even more intensive work with Cyril Davies, because obviously youre gonna be a reasonably big group. Except, you see, he died. Thats what happened. A tragedy really, because he sowed all the seeds, and he never reaped the benefits. And not m^iny people give him credit for it either, ujhich is very sad. Well,anyway, I just knew that I was going to get ill again, or at least I thought l was. So I went to art college.

CREEM: So you dropped out of music completely?

• PAGE: Yes, sort of. Except I used to go uptown and jam in the evenings at the Marquee Club. I still used to keep in touch with everything.

I was approached to do some session Work and it started going on and on and on ... I mean, as far as reputation . . . Then the Yardbirds and then this. ■

CREEM: Robert Plant once said that you and he would like to do an acoustic album, but that it would strike people so strangely that youll probabjy never get around to doing it.

PAGE: Are you sure he said that? I know it was suggested once by a reviewer. I remember once' upon a time in one of those funny reviews of a concert that Page and Plant should do an acoustic LP.

CREEM: But there are no such plans? i

PAGE: No, not really. Not a pure acoustic LP. Weve done acoustic numbers. In our concerts we were doing it for a while, a 20-minute acoustic set. And it was just going over the top, adding another 20 minutes on top of three hours. Its hard going three hours. Its a long time to be playing without a break. In England, we were doing one acoustic number, but it took so long for the changeover and balancing out the monitors, because they always start wailing and feeding back and that sort of thing. As a result, weve kept it all electric, but it doesnt mean to say that next time we wont be doing an acoustic set or an acoustic number, or whatever.

CREEM: Why do you play those long sets and use no opening bands?

.PAGE: Well, there are a number of reasons for that. The first and probably most important reason is that we felt the way that we kept building up—Im talking about, say, four-and-a-half years back now—we felt we needed that amount of time to get it all across: different things that we were attempting to say, different moods that we were attempting to create. And I still feel thats the same now. Now, if you have an opening act, in some places youll find theres a municipal hall that wants to get the people olit by elev en oclock.

If were doing three hours and weve got an opening act thats going to do, say, one-half to one hour, weve got to start pretty early. Plus youve got your changeover, too, which always takes about 20 minutes. And then finally, theres the fact that its fair to give people really as much I as you can give them. Most concerts Ive been to only last about two to two-and-a-half hours, with two groups. Weve always tried to give them as much as we can. I mean, when you go and see a concert, you may have traveled a long way to see it. I think its a bit disappointing if the group comes on and only doe$ an hour, when youve been really looking forward to seeing them, maybe for years, and they wont be back for years. Still, thats only a matter of opinion, I suppose.

CREEM:. Have you noticed any big changes in the group as youve gone along?

PAGE: Its maturing, yeah. When we first started, we had more urgency to it, sort of a dramatic'quality creeping in. Now, were a bit self-indulgent, perhaps.

CREEM: Are you satisfied with what youre doing?

PAGE: I think Im doing the right thing. I mean, Im not getting it out anywhere near as quickly as I ought to be doing it.lt comes through, but if Im a scribe, which is what I am, I suppose, Im not getting it out as quickly as I ought to be , getting it out. Theres so much to come through, and Im only just scraping the top. Ill take a hell of a lot of v/ork, really, to get it out. See, I know what way Im going now musically. It probably took about 18 months to realize just exactly what I was gonna have to do, as far as writing. I can see bits of it coming out in particular chords and things . But I just know that it needs so much work and practice. A lot more work than I put into it— in the past anyway, and Ive put a lot of work into, it, dont get me wrong. Ive never stopped working for five years. .But Ive got to intensify certain patterns. . . Its all a race against time, isnt it?

CREEM: Led Zeppelin has somehow acquired the reputation of being one of the most debauched and perverted bands around. Do you think thats a fair assessment? )

PAGE: Well, I dont know. It depends on what you mean by perverted, really. It depends what you class perversion as. One mans meat is another mans poison, isnt that the line? Well, I dont know how you want me to go into it, really . . . ' Were just mild barbarians, thats all.

CREEM: Are you saying that the rumors are exaggerated?

PAGE: Well, I dont know.

CREEM: What about the story on how you sprained your finger?

PAGE: Yeah, that I did it by beating up a chick or smacking bottoms. I mean, its so bizarre. But thats Hollywood, really, isnt it? I mean, I just laugh at it. I think its quite funny.

BASS

When choosing a bass, look for an instrument that feels comfortable and will give you the sound you need for the music you want to play.

Listen to the sounds of different bass players, and if you like ones sound, find out what bass hes using. But, dont forget that his amp has a lot to do with his sound too.

If you want a growling sound, try a bass with a stronger pickup. For moire punch, try a less powerful pickup.

If this doesnt help you find the sound you want, practice with your amp and bass until you have foiind the right fretting and picking techniques to perfect your sound.

Mr. McC. uses the famous upside down Rickenbacker bass (he used a Hofner vlolin-shaped bass with his former group, the Beatles). Also uses an Ovation acoustic with electric pickup.

Here is a list of the more popular basses on the market:

FENDER (Fender/Rogers/Rhodes, 1300 E. Valencia, Fullerton,-Ca. 92631). Fender is still making the same models with no complaints. The Precision and Jazz basses can still hold their own in sales and service. Fenders many years of flawless professional performance says everything that can be said.

ALEMBIC (c/o L.D. Heater, 10300 S.W. Allen Blvd., Beaverton, Or. 97005). Beautifully-crafted instruments with a five-piece maple and walnut neck which runs the full length of the guitar. The bodies are two sections glued to each side of the neck. The tailpiece and bridge are made of brass or bronze, giving great sustain. These are beautiful instruments with ingenious engineering. ,

Craig uses a Fender jazz bass with Roto sound strings, two 1970 acoustic 360 power bottoms, (he likes them because It was the first year they made them so the circuitry is all done by hand; kind of like a Rolls Royce), Peavey front-leaded double 15" cabinets, an MXR phaser and a funk machine. He plays as hard as he can for • "his sound." The strings give him a full octave sound—when Rod Price goes off on a solo he can follow him and it adds a better tone to Roger's bass drum. He puts Johnson's baby powder on his hands. Craig suggests a Fender Precision for beginners, as it has a larger heck and stretches the fingers." You have to work more because there's a larger space between the frets and you have to use your little finger; most people get lazy and don't and they should.'* He also suggests using 1972 360 amps or Vega folded 18" speaker cabinets with Ampeg SVT head.

GIBSON(Norlin, Inc., 7373 N. Cicero Ave., Lincolnwood, Ill. 60646). Gibson has recently revamped their line of bass guitars.

Their most expensive bass is the Les Paul Triumph bass. This Is a single cutaway Les Paul body with two low-impedance pickups wired in a low-hi impedance tonal circuitry.

"I use Fender basses. I use a Fender Precision on Stage 'cause it's got more punch with its one pick-up compared to the slit pick-up on the Fender Jazz, which I used In the studio cause it's got better control over the highs and lows."

On stage for the current Derringer tour, Kenny uses four Cerwin. Vega bottoms, two SMF cabinets with four twelve inch Jensen speakers in each. He powers them with two 300 watt Macintosh RMS amplifiers and controls the whole shebang with two Parabolic Equalizers.

"I've been playing for about ten years and my advice to anyone just starting out is to listen taxis many different people as possible-to see what kind of styles they play. The most important thing is to practice, practice and practice and never stop."

The LP Signature bass is a long scale, double cutaway, thin line, semi-acoustic bass. The same low-impedance pickups are used in this bass.

A complete new line of solid bodies have put Gibson basses back in the running. The Grabber is an excellent long scale, double cutaway bass. Its sliding pickup can be moved to different positions under the strings. This allows various tones, not just from electronics, but from different string harmonics.

The G-3 is the same basic bass as the Grabber, but incorporates three new design pickups wired in humbucking configuration for unusual.sound versatility.

The Ripper is still the same body design with* two super humbucking pickups. This bass is also available fretless.

RICKENBACKER (Rickenbackef, P.O.Box 2275, Santa Ana, Ca. 92707). Rickenbacker offers four different basses plus a double neck bass'and six-string guitar. The most popular is the model 4001. This is a double-pickup bass with a full frequency range for those, crisp piano highs and fundamental lows. These pickupsare wired stereo or mono, with individual tone and volume controls. The body is maple and comes in a wide choice of finishes. The model 4000 is the same fine instrument with one wide-range pickup.

The 4005 is a thinline, hollow body bass designed for that upright sound. The 4005/6 is the same bass in a six-string model.

Rickenbackers new design is the model 3000, ajow cost, single pjckup bass offered in a long or short scale. No quality was sacrificed in this soonto-become-popular bass.

Rickenbacker also offers all model basses: fretless, short scale, and lefthanded.

GUILD (Guild Musical Instruments, 225 W. Grand St., Elizabeth, N.J. 07202). Guild manufactures four models of electric basses foj jazz or rock.

The model SF2 and SF1 are double cutaway hollow body instruments. These basses have single and double humbucking pickups.

The M85-2 is a solid mahogany, double pickup base. Its small, single-cutaway design is practical and beautiful.

The J52 comes with two humbucking pickups on a double cutaway, thin solid body. It is also available with a hand-cbrved design in the top and a long scale neck.

The JS1 is the same as the JS2, with a single pickup.

Guild basses are available wired for stereo and fretless.

STRINGS

Thumbing, pluckin or strumming, the thing that takes the most immediate wear on your guitar are the strings., so choose em with care, both for sound and wear. There are two basic types of strings, steel for both acoustic and electric guitars and nylon or gut for the classic guitars. The gauge of the string refers to its thickness. The lighter gauge are easier to fret and bend.

GUITAR MAN (C/O Musicians Supply P O Box mo. El Cajon. Ca. 92020). Guta Man strings feature alloy combinations adding additional life and brilliance to its shhicjs.

ERNIE BALL (P.O. Box 2117, Newport Beach. Ca. 92663). Ernie Ball makes a fine line of strings for every type of guitar.

LABELLA (c/o Mari. 3801 23rd Ave., Long Island City. N.Y. 11505), La Bella manufactures an extensive line of strings for guitars, violins, mandolins, harps, banjos, and just about everything else that use? a string.

BLACK DIAMOND (New Brunswick, N. J. 08903). Black Diamond has been around quite a while and produces a line of well respected strings for all fretted instruments.

DAD DARIO ]1176 Route 109, Linden^ hurst. N.Y. 11757). DAddario offers fine quality strings that will serve you well, giving good sound and long life.

FENDER STRINGS (Battle Creek, Michi,gan). From the same people who brought you the famous guitars, an excellent line of quality strings.

DARCO (3535 35th St., Long Island City, N.Y. 11106). A brother of Martin Guitars, Darco offers a good line of strings for both electric and acoustic.

OVATION (New Flartford. Conn. 06057). Quality is the word for. Ovations strings for all fretted instruments.

MARTIN (Nazareth. Pa.). Martin offers a very complete and extensive line of strings for most fretted instruments. N f lnc^v225 Grand StElizabeth, ,: •) .No s,ranQer to guitars or strinqs Guild has a fine line of strinqs both fl*t j "Ir , d " GIBSON i M i a* and round wound. u,n5UN (c/o Norlin 7373 N n. A Lincolnwood. Ill 606461 A -Cicero. Ave., products..,he strLs" „T Ai Wl,h al> Norlin good sound and a wide 0fferin9

AMPS

ACOUSTIC (7949 Woodley Ave., Van Nuys, Ca. 91406). Acoustic offers a large selection df bass and guitar amps ranging from 125 to 275 watts. Acoustic amRS are extremely easy to move due to a lot of forethought and the liberal use of handles and wheels. Acoustic amps are capable of surprisingly high S.P.L.s.

AMPEG (Box 310. Elkheirt, In. 46514). Ampeg manufactures an extremely rugged line of instrument amps, both tube and solid §tate. Ampegs construction is excellent.

EARTH (790 Park Ave., Huntington, N.Y. 11743). Cant find that vintage amp with the sound you love? Take a close look at Earths Revival line, cosmetically and electronically fine copies of those great old amps. The Earth producer is an exceptionally well-designed and nice sounding amp.

FENDER (1300 E. Valencia, Fullerton, Ca. 92631). The legendary FenderTwin Reverb has at one time or another been played by almost everyone in the biz. Because of their popularity Fender amps hpld their value extremely well.

KUSTOM (1010 W. Chestnut, Chanute, Kansas 66720). Kustom amps have undergone \some definite changes for the better in the last several years. The top of the line amp features 276 watts, two channels, a graphic equalizer, itremelo and reverb.

ROAD (Griffin Music, Inc., 11312 Santa Monica Blvd., Los (Angeles, Ca. 90025). Versatile and built with obvious care, Road amps are available for bass or guitar, and in either a 160 or 375 watt version. Road amps offer many unusual features that you might find to your liking.

MUSIC MAN (1260 State College Parkway, Anaheim, Ca. 92806). Amps of excellent design and good sound. Whatever happened to Leo Fender? Hes alive, well, and manufacturing Music Man amps.

PEAVEY (711 A St., Meridian, Miss. 39301). Peavey has come a long way fast, and is rapidly closing in on the Number 1 position. Weve seen the 160 watt "Mace" model amp showing up in a lot of surprising places. Peavey also has a vintage series with a nice warm tone, reminiscent of the good old days. If you play many big gigs, check into the Roadmaster amp.

GALLIEN-KRUGER (504 Vandell Way, Campbell, Ca. 95008). These guys are a recent addition to the amp field and with amps like these you'll probably be hearing a lot more from these folks. Worth looking into.

MARSHALL (75 Frost St., Westbury, N.Y. 11590). The famous Marshall sound is due in

large part to the excellent speakers used in their cabinets. Marshall has come up with a 100 watt solid state amplifier exactly duplicating that rich Marshall value amp sound., Well worth looking into. -

SUNN (Amburn Industrial Park, Tualatin, Oregon 97062). Sunn is a monster and its growing. Youll find more and more of their equipment in use at every concert you see. They've got everything in amplifiers for guitar, bass, and even keyboards as well as some of the finest speaker cabinets available on the market.

MARLBORO (MICA. 170 Eileen Way, Syosset. NY 11791). Noted for their excellence in compact amps, Marlboro features a complete line of reliable, quality amplififcation equipment at affordable prices. An added plus is their lifetime guarantee.

v THE MINIS

P1GNOSE (8600 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, Ca. 90069). This is the one that started it all, the first mini-amp commonly available. Batteries or AC.

DWARF (21st Century Products, 102C Hamilton Dr.. Ignacio, Ca. 94947). Excellent sound arid good looks. Weve noticed several special effects manufacturers using these to demonstrate their products at industry shows. Battery or AC operation.

OBERHEIM (1549 9th St., Santa Monica, Ca. 90401)., Oberheim manufactures a superb mini amp intended for studio use including volume and tone control. Two models are available, one with a built-in phasor and the other without. Battery or AC operation.

KEYBOARDS

We've made it simple this year. Any instrument with white artd black slabs of wood that you push on and eventually get 'a noise from qualifies for this section, be it animal, mineral or vegetable. Unfortunately, due to lack of space, we couldnt get into everything, but this section should provide a hefty base to start from when you launch, yourself into the oyter space world of shopping for keyboard instruments. When you do shop , _ dont be afraid to pass up the first deal you come across; theres lots of stores andjots of models to check out before you commit your pocketbook. If you dont know how to wbrk all the facets of the i instrument yourself, make sure you get a salesman whocan. so youll know before you get your instrument home or on stage what sounds it**, makes and what sounds it doesnt make. We also suggest that you check the action on all the keys while listening for any variance in pitch (which betrays shoddy circuit design), and listen for extra-Vnusical noiSes when,you turn the various knobs and switches (if you hear anything pass pn to the next model). Remember, looks are more / deceiving on keyboards than on any other instrument. because the most important things are all on the inside; So, godd luck and happy high pitched squiggling to you.

ARP (320 Needham St., Newton, Mass. 02164). A ke'yboard firm that boasts a synthesizer for every need and very pocketbook. Latest' addition to the line is the ARP String Ensemble which offers a very realistic violin synthesis and a well designed construction that mqkes this unit excellent for work on stage. Model 2500 is dubbed the perfect marriage between patch corql and pre-set synthesizers, if you can afford it. This baby combines versatility with the luxury of fast r switching due to a series of several matrices./ ■^Mod-el 2600 is the one Edgar Winter ;used on "Frankenstein" to earn him a home in the Playboy Jazz Flail of Fame, Definitely a top of the line t patch cord synthesizer with a price to match.! But what you pay for is genuinely worth it. ARPs Odyssey is prirharily a pre-set two voice polyphonic unit thats versatile' and about half the price of the/2600. ARP also makes the Pro Soloist; a monophonic pre-set "unit thats very versatile with reed, woodwind, brass, string and percussion controls. Its notkcheap but its relatively affordable.

MOOG (Norlin Music, Inc.; 7373 N. Cicero Ave., Lincolnwood, Ill. 60646). Keep in mind that founder Robert Moog is considered the pioneer of synthesizer development and. the line that bears his name ref lects his driving force as the vangqard of the industry. The Moog Synthesizer 15 is a professional studio two voice polyphonic three octave keyboard made for the road. Model 55 is a four octave expandable top of the line unit. Not forgetting the struggling working musician, Moog has a full line of moderately expensive as well as top dollar models. The word "quality" says it all.

YAMAHA (P.0 Box 660b, Buena Park, Ca.

: 90620) A relatively newentry in the field, offering one synthesizer thats totally polyphonic that proves beyond a shadqw of a doubt that theyre headed in the right'direction. Yamahas are superb for use on stage from the top to the bpttom of their line and arent tod costly at all. By the jA/ay. Yamaha makeSa grandpiano, acoustic of course. While not inexpensive, it has a very crisp tone and just about everything you could want from such an instrument.

"Well, I wouldn't go as far as saying that guitars have seen their day or anything like that, but I think It's about time for something else. I'm personally sick and tired of it. I mean how many different things can you do on a guitar that haven't been done?

"What I play most of the time when soloing is a Mini-Moog (that“s modified of course). The most amazing thing about the Mini-Moog in addition to ifk beautiful sound, is that it also has an incredibly versatile keyboard setup. In addition to the keys, there are two wheels and some, switches which enable you to bend the pitch. Everybody who is into it knows about that and are trying to bend notes, but nobody is making it. Everything that I've heard so far has really sounded funny, because you've really got to integrate it with melodic thinking. You cannot play a standard piano-scored lead and then stop,, for a second, bend a note and go on. So far I haven't heard anybody escape that pitfall.

"T he Oberheim thing that I use on stage is basically just the heart of a synthesizer without a keyboard. Which brings me to the point that a synthesizer is not exactly a keyboard instrument. It's got to be approached as a whole new term and then you can Integrate ail the bending and sliding organically into the music. But if ,

you approach it as a keyboard instrument you're only gonna have this funny sounding organ . , . the synthesizer is not gonna have thp total sound of the instrument that it is.

"The keyboard (ust happens to be the most convenient way to interface a human being with this electronic marvel. I just happened to be lucky to have been playing piano and organ for a long time. But that alone, by far, by a long shot,, is not dnough to play a synthesizer. You've got to have a lot of audio engineering to hear it as well, in order to rdally get into it. What I'm talking about isn't taught anywhere. You can gpt a basic knowledge of electronics. Of course.. what makes it tick, how the basic patches work, how you go from an ofdllator to get a trigger pulse, how to get an envelope, how to get all that patched together but, it still won't mgke a bit of sense in music. It's a feel that goes beyond the keyboard. The music does not originate at the keyboard. Rather, the music should not originate,at the keyboard; music should originate way before then.'You have to use th^ keyboard to communicate with the machine bi^t the melodies are not inspired )sy where your fingers fall.

"We've got to get the word outl Otherwise the music is not going to chpnge." And the word is SYNTHESIZERI Not Gultarl -

DRUMS

WURLITZER (1700 Pleasant St., DeKalb, 111. 60115). Wurlitzer offers a compact piano that*s the closest thing to a Rhodes in just about every respect except for a lower cost and fewer keys. The Wurlitzer only has 64 of em, but coupled with its vibrato control, head phone jack and internal amp (for private practice) and light weight; its got everything most players need. A speedy service dept, is an added plus.

SPECTRUM (c/o St. Louis Music Supply, 1400 Ferguson AVe., St. Louis, Mo. 63133). The SLM Concert Spectrum is a widely coveted machine among professional musicians. SLMs feature excellent string, horn, piano, harpsichord settings and since its a stereo unit with two volume pedals, its possible to achieve extremely exciting pan effects when you run it through two amplifiers. The price is well worth it for the stereo Concert model as well as the mono SLM Spec* trum unit.

HOHNER (P.O. Box 130, Andrews Road, Hicksville. N.Y. 11802) Jn addition to its fine line , of keyboards, this year Hohner is offering a new jazz-rock organ, the International PianoII and the String Vox. The jazz-rock organ features a 61-key keyboard with a wide range of effects. The International piano has a split bass thatVa plus for you southpaws. The String Vox features /piano, harpsichord, and full orchestra string voicings. Tops in popularity in the Hohner line is the Hohner Clavinet. used by the likes of Billy Preston, Stevie Wonder and BT Express. The portable light weight clavinet can easily duplicate electric, guitar, harp, zither or harpsichord.

UNIVOX (Merson Musical Products, 75 Frost St., Westbury, NY 11590). While this company makesa small line of amps, it puts its emphasis on .keyboards. Univox makes a string synthesizer thats probably the most popular on the market and with good reason , too, since its totally polyphonic and relatively inexpensive as far as string machines'go. Their compact piano is a unit that gives you three pianos for the price of one! with switches that allow for piano sound one alone, piano sound two alone, or both together. Univox's Maxi'Korg and Mini Korg make excellent stage synthesizers, which accounts for their popularity. A very accessible price helps too.

RHODES (c/o Fender, 1300 E. Valencia, Fullerton, Ca. 92631). Makers of the most popular stage piano in terms of portability (although theyre far from light) and ruggedness. Along with Fenders brand name comes the company's quality and dependability and its own unique sound which makes all their models popular in the studio as well. Enough said. Play one and it speaks for itself.

FIBES (c/o C.F. Martin Organization, Box 329, Nazareth, Pa. 18064). The/Fibes Drum Company use fiberglass exclusively for construction of their drum shells. They use a thick, sturdy shell and excellent quality metal for hardware. Bobby Grauso, the Fibes drum inventor, has been the innovator of many useful goodies from the Sta-Way bumper to the first tom mount with nylon fittings. They now have a hardward line with some revolutionary ideas and have some interesting projects in the works. At this years Music Merchants trade show, Fibes had some of the most unjque finishes Ive ever seen. Fibes Drum Company is part of the C.F. Martin; Organization, so you know theyve passed the test!

LATtN PERCUSSION (Latin Percussion, P.O. Box 88, Palisades Park, N; J. 07650). LP products are known for a high standard of quality in authentic sounds not readily available. Their congas',are fiberglass which projects well and their finishes are excellent. L.P. has the nicest line of cowbells anywhere!

Im using Ludwig now. I have been for the last seven years. They're custom built with especially heavy wood shells. I have two 26" x 20" bass drums, two 20" by 10" tom toms, two 16" x 16" tom toms and the snare drum is a six and a half inch metal shell Symphonic. All the cymbals are; by Paiste.ana there's eleven in all. I use Ludwig 3-S sticks which are extra heavy— more or less military sticks-^-they're the heaviest ones you can get."

Why so heavy? Do you play harder than most drummers?

"Yeah, basically. I've been playing pretty hard for a long t ime and since I've been with Ritchie, who plays particularly loud, for those who don't know, it's become even more so. To compete with all the fuggin' amplification that the Band uses I've got to play really hard. I've always used a big kit and big sticks anyway, so it wouldn't help to play with those skinny little jazz sticks. I'm just a basher, really. That's all there is to it. I just hit 'em rather than tickle 'em.

GON BOPS (Gon'Bops, 2302 E. 38 St., Vernon, Ca. 90058). Gon Bops have become the most popular wooden congas and tumbas in the world. They offer their "latin" drums in mahogany and oak, and theyre also available with fiberglass outside, wood inside. They have excellent service, competitive prices and a sound all their own. Send for their complete catalog of percussion accessories.

Some percussion specialty companies that could be of interest are:

REMO, PRO-MARK (12804 Raymer Street, North-Hollywood, Ca. 91605). Two complete lines of sticks, also mallets, beads, an incredible imported hi-hat stand and other goodies for the we(l-equipped drummer.

CARROLL SOUND (351-53 W. 41 St., New York, N.Y. 10036). African log drums, Chinese bell ties, boing box. Temple cup gongs, chimes, tablas, and tons of sound effects.

HUMES AND BERG MFG. CO. (4801 Railrpad Avenue, East Chicago, Ind. 46312). A complete line of vulcanized fiber cases. They will build anything you want.

SLINGERLAND (Slingerland Drum Co., 6633 N. Milwaukee,-Niles, II. 60648). Founded in.,1916, the Slingerland Drum Company is one of the largest suppliers of percussion equipment world-wide. They offer an excellent selection of sizes and finishes and are the most flexible company of their size. If your needs are not met by something shown in their catalog, Slingerland will go that "extra mile" whenever possible. Their customer service department is one of the best and they love to hear from you!

Slingerland has just expanded their outfit line to include a 5-ply shell also. Their rock-solid ^3-ply shell has always been known for a mellow "round" tone and the new 5-ply shell is built without an inner reinforcing hoop for a different "funky" sound. Each shell,design has its merits and youll want to hear them both. Both arevmaplewood shells and are available in many nice finishes, including wood, at realistic prices.

All Slingerland heayy-duty sjands have extrawide basses for those' shaky gigs weve all encountered. The set-o-matic tom holders have always been reliable and the new super set-o-matic hold is a welcome addition to an already good-line.

"The first time I hit a drum I knew I really wanted to get into it. I worked at a butcher shop and saved all my .pennies to buy a second hand set of drums. Thenl became a Gene Krupa groupie. This first set was a 1920 set of drums, almost the jfams set as Krupa had. They were really old, but before that, I only had an army snare drum and two garbage cans."

When you shop for drums give Slingerland drums a good once-over, then check the prices, youll be pleasantly surprised!

LUDWIG (Ludwig Industries, 1728 N. Damen Ave., Chicago, 11. 60637). The best known "name" in percussion is Ludwig and theres gotta be a reason. The innovation erf hundreds of developments in the percussion field make Ludwig the largest manufacturer of drums and drum-related instruments in the world.

The Ludwig drum set line now includes three different material choices for a wide variety of sounds. Wood, the best shell for a rich, mellow tone, has retained its popularity for most of this century, with no end of its success in sight. Vistalite, the transparent shells brought into prominence by Ludwig, are especially popular with the rock groups, and are fine for large areas where a drummer needs a fat sound and good projection. Stainless Steel, their latest development, offers a good tonal projection, hard" shell, and should prove durable enough for the most grueling roadwork.

As important as good drums today is good hardware. The Ludvyig stands are now offered with tubular legs for added strength and each leg has a self-leveling floor glide which eliminates the rubber tips which get lost easily. The stanceof the basses is adjustable for better stability than ever. And for the multiple tom set-ups of today, the boom cymbal stand is a must! Combine all these features with over a hundred possible color combinations, and Ludwig drums are here to stay.

AVEDIS ZILDJIAN (P.O. Box 198, Accord, Ma. 02018). Since 1623, the Avedis Zildjian family have been making thelbest cymbals in the world. That kind of a statement would not be made unless there was proof.

Drummers, strange lot that they, are, have individual needs and preferences for the drums they buy and there are at least half a dozen popular drum manufacturers to choose from. But from the beginner to the most particular studio drummer where perfection is a must, the name Avedis Zildjian is synonymous with consistent quality in cymbals. The process for making Zildjian cymbals is a closely-held family secret and has been for 350 years. The Zildjian Co. is also famous for coming up with new cymbal sounds and innovations for whatever application is desire^. Ideas such as the New Beat hi-hats, Rock hi-hats, and Flat Top ride cymbals set the standards for the industry. Now more than ever, Avedis Zildjian is THE professionals choice.

SONOR (Sonor Drums, Southwest Industrial Park, Westwood, Ma. 02090). The Sonor drum and hardware line has added new meaning to the words "heavy duty." For the discriminating player who really appreciates quality, and doesnt mind payingfor it, Sonor drums are the ultimate.

All metal parts are made of the highest quality steel, with all stands being extremely sturdy, yet folding up very compactly. The Sonor Champion foot pedal has always been a favorite, and the Super Champion pedal is one of the finest pieces of machinery ever related to drums, and any drummer whos ever had a head loosen up while playing will love the optional counter nuts which lock the tension screws against tHe lug and make it impossible for the tension rod to back off. The double and triple tom holders are completely adjustable and the bass drum spurs eliminate any "walking" of the bass drum. All chroming on Sonor hardware is exceptional.

Roger uses a L udwig kit; four Symphonic tomtoms, 14", 15", and 18", two 24" bass drums, assorted snares (Gretsch and Rogers), Ziod|fan cymbals: 18" crash, 18" mini cup ride, 20" crash, two 18" crash, 20" ride, three highhats; 14", 15", and 16". Why? He used to use another brand, on the first and second LP, but his set was stolen. When he found out that he would have to wait for six months he was freqked, so he called Carmine Applce to ask for advice. Carmine suggested Ludwig drums; Roger called up on a Friday and got his set delivered on Monday. He also likes his Ludwig because he can always get parts for it, everywhere.

The Sonor drum shells are made of beechwood, which has an extremely dense and hard texture to it. The shells are also sanded and shellacked on the inside to further add to the resonance. The heads are mounted so that they "float" without crimping against the side of the shell. Each shell is built one ply at a time, perfectly round with staggered seams, and there is no pressure on the wood to return to a flat state. This makes it unnecessary to use reinforcing loops, resulting in a very "live," fully-vibrating shell.

Asif this wasnt enough, Ive seen a sneak preview of thei/9-ply drum line that will be available in December, with even tougher hardware, that should put these drums in a field by themselves.

GRETSCH (1801 Gilbert Ave., Cincinnati, Oh. 45202). Gretsch are 6-ply maple shells with each ply finger locked together. The shell is then put into a rhachine that compresses under 60,000 PSI of pressure to make a hard, very resonant shell Gretsch drum shells are "Guaranteed for Life." Gretsch is also the only drum company to use die-cast hoops. '

Gretsch really pride themselves in their wood finishes and when you see them youlliknow why. They offer natural maple along with ebony, walnut and cherry redwood. Each finish is painstakingly executed with an eleven step process that results in a stunning high lustre shine.

Gretsch has always been a favorite with jazzers, and with the new spurs, concert toms and hardware coming out, are making their mark in the rock scene.

PEARL (c/o Norlin, 7373/N. Cicero Ave., Lincolnwood, Ill. 6Q646). Pearl drums are one of the newer, professional drum lines available. They have enjoyed very rapid growth and offer two lines of hardware and accessories as well as drum shells made out of several different materials for different uses. Their fiberglass shell is especially well-suited for rock drummers where projection is a consideration.

Pearls, new ultra-heavy cymbal stand and boom stand looks promising and there are more improvements on the way. They also have just cotne out with one of the most complete and easy to use parts catalogs available, and good service is especially important where drummers are concerned.

ROGERS (c/o CBS Musical Instruments, 1300 E. Valencia Drive, Fullteron, CA 92631). Rogers drums have been around a long time and have been through a lot of changes. The new Memri-Loc hardware is the latest and includes some good ideas. Along with the change in hardware* came a new shell design and the externally mounted tone control. The new ni-hat and cymbal stands are massive looking and they have a good selection of bass drum pedals.

Rogers is also the exclusive U.S. distributor for Paiste cymbals ana gongs and,offer a nice clinic program featuring Rqy Burns.

REMO ROTO TOMS (Pemo Rotp Toms, 12804 Raymer St.. North Hollywood. CA 91605). The Remo Roto Tom defies easy description because of its unique capabilities arid unusual, appearance. They are being used as solo instruments because of their incredible versatility and, in place of conventional toms for their unusual effects. You hav4 to see and hear them to realize their potential and', they are definitely worth looking into.

SPECIAL EFFECTS

TYQDBRAHE (Tycobrahe Engineering Co., 665 Valley Dr., Hermosa Beach, Ca. 9Q254.) Tycobrahe, long known for excellence in their large touring PA systems, has just come out with three special effects devices; an octave doubler, a pedal flanger, and a rather unique wah-wah, if youre so inclined.

E-BOW (Creative Sound Products, 611 Ducommun St., Los Angeles, Ca. 90012). The E-Bow is a hand-held device that creates a magnetic drive field. Totally unlike any other device, the E-Bjow Drive Field is swept over the strings to control harmonics, allotoing the guitarist to create a wide range of sounds, and imitate other instruments. The E-Bow also, allows full control of attack, sustain, and delay!

ELECTRO-HARMONIX (27 W. 23rd St., New York, N.Y. 10010). Electro-Harmonix manufactures a large, relatively inexpensive line of special effects, including the really fine "Queen Wah."

OBERHEIM (1549 9th St., Santa Monica, Ca. 90401). Oberheim is best known as a leader and innovator in state-of-the-art synthesizer techniques. Oberheim now manufactures several special effects, the most notable being the voltage-controlled filter (VCF), actually two effects in one. The VCF will either produce automatic wah wah, or in the sample/hold mode an effect known as pseudo-random filtering. For the guitarist looking for a unique sound, the Oberheim VCF is worth looking into.

MAESTRO (c/o Norlin, 7373 N. Cicero Ave., Lincolnwood, Ill. 60646). Maestro echo units have been the standard of the industry for years. The popular echoplex is now available in a four channel version (Echoplex Groupmaster), and a smaller, less expensive version (Sir Echo). In addition to their fine echo units, Maestroi also has one of the most complete lines of rhythm devices.

SEAMOON (2802 11th St., Berkeley, Ca. 94711). Seatnoon is a company of young musicians and engineers turning out some very high quality equipment. Currently available are: "the Funk Machine (an automatic wah-wah), and F,resh Fuzz (an unusually clean-sounding fuzz device).

M^CR (MXR Innovations, 277 N. Goodman St., Rochester, N.Y. 14603), MXR is clearly the leader in this special effectsfield. All MXR devices are housed in rugged die cast alloy boxes, feature low battery drain, and superb construction. Of particular interest in the MXR line are: a ten-band graphic equalizer, allowing extremely accurate tone control; the Dyna-Comp, a compressor that limits your dynamic range without affecting your tonal characteristics; the Nosegate Line Driver, a device which silences your amp when your instrument is generating less than a pre-set amount of power (no more amp hum at the end of a number) and will also drive a mike line (handy in the studio or with a professional PA system) ; and of qourse the Phase 90 which is rapidly becoming the standard phasor. The list of performers using MXR equipment reads like a Whos Who of rock V roll.

MORLEY (Tel-Ray Electronics, 2301 W. Victory Blvd., Burbank, Ca. 915>06). Morley builds pedal effects the way Peter builds trucks. Expensive but the best, Morley pedals use optical isolators instead of a mechanical linkage to a carbon variable control. This means you will never get a scratchy sound from a worn or dirty control. Among their quality lineof devices, the one that flipped out our engineers the most is their echo pedal— it creates echo in a totally new way, and is free from all the problems of conventional echo devices.

ROEW/DE ARMOND (1702 Airport Highway, Toledo, Ohio, 43609). Besides rnanuma'nufacturing a line of pickups for most instruments, Brown De Almond also sells six rugged pedals including a combination tone and Volume control qnd a pan pedal that allows the musician to sweep his sound between two separate speakers. This device allows many different artistic uses. For example, you c oil Id sweep back and forth between two different chains of pre-set effects.

SYSTECH (Systems & Technology, 2025 Factory St., Kalamazoo, Mich. 49001). Systech markets a full line of special effects Besides the common stuff (phasors, distortions, etc.) Systech has some unusual effects, such as the harmonic energizer, originally developed by Systech fpr Greg Lake and endorsed by J oe Walsh among others. Its essentially a peaking filter with variable band width and center frequency. The harmonic energizer allows the musician to reshape the guitars harmbnic structure.

UNIVOX (Merson/Univox, 75 Frost St., Westbury, N.Y. 11590). Univok features an echo chamber utilizing a high quality spring type reverb which is a significant improvement over the reyerbs built into most instrument amps. A recent addition to the Univox line is the synthepedal. a variable voltage controlled filter with a foot pedal to control the prominence of the effect. ■ V

MUTRON (Musitronics, Box 57, Rosemont, N.J. 08556). Mutron, makers of the ramous Mutron III Synthesizer effect pedal, and the bi-phase (a versatile dual phaser unit) have just come out with their Dan Armstrong line of special effects. The Dan Armstrong series features six devices including the green ringer—a distortion device capable of ring modulator type effects, the humper—a bass boosting device providing 7 db of boost at 100 Hz and + 10 db at 2000 Hz, the purple peaker—a guitar or keyboard booster providing a + 12 db at 4000 Hz and + 7 db of boost at 200 Hz, and the red boost/ranger—a combination signal booster and tone modifier.

HEIL SOUND (No. 2 Heil Industrial Blvd., Marissa, III. 6^257) : Although primarily qoted for their innovative excellence in mixing boards, power amps and PA speaker systems, Heil Sound also features probably the finest and most affordable "talk box" unit on the market. Now you can show Peter Frampton the way.