Today, my friends, you are in for a rare treat! It’s not often that I’m able to bring to your G.A.S.-y table someone with this much experience, talent, passion and MOJO, but somehow I managed it… and YOU are going to rock the benefit!
If you’re a studio drummer and session player in L.A., then… well, dude, YOU ROCK!!! You’re among the best in the world. But then, you know that, because you see other world-famous musicians everyday.
You also probably see, every day, drum kits assembled, repaired, tuned, delivered, customized and perfected for the studio environment by none other than Ross Garfield. His company,“Drum Doctors”, has been serving the drum community, and the recording studios, since 1981. His talent, finesse and work ethic are unrivaled… probably in ANY city. If you’re a drummer, and you want to sound the best you can be, then you’re going to talk to Ross!
My Link to Ross
I first came to know of him back in the 80s. Matt, my roomate and drummer of our L.A. band, “Reason Y”, worked for Ross. Matt would come home at night regaling us about setting up various drum kits in various studios for various “God would hire him” players, like Vinnie Colaiuta and Jim Keltner. I felt like I knew the guy ‘cuz about every day I heard about him and Drum Doctors, tho’ I never drove over to meet him.
Schnee studio control room
I’d also come home and talk about who came in to record that day at Bill Schnee Studio (today part of Larrabee Studios) where I worked nights. We were quite privileged kids to be able to work and hang with some of the best musicians of all time. Unforgettable inspirations, and skill-honing you just don’t get in little home studio.
Ross’s amazing company is known for having just the right kit, all set up and ready to go, for any type of session that highly- respected drummers might need. The creme of the crop have used Ross’ kits, and also paid him to come in and personally tune the drums for these important L.A. session.
For a really good look at Ross in his ultimate drummer’s man cave, WATCH THIS VIDEO first.
Our Little Chat!
Okay, maybe not so little – it was almost an hour long!!
But that just goes to show you one thing; the thing that I most noticed in talking with Ross. It’s something I relate to, because it’s exactly what this website is all about: our appreciation and love of music gear! You can tell Ross really enjoys what he does.
But then, really… who WOULDN’T in his position?! Ross not only works with the coolest, most sought-after drum gear in history, he also gets to hang with the greatest players of those drums, decade after decade after decade! Now that’s what I call a killer day job!!
Of course, all this didn’t come without serious effort, perserverance and great skill. It’s because of Drum Doctor RESULTS that the best in the industry flock to him. It’s what it always comes down to – who has the best sound around?!
The idea for this interview came when I was writing THIS POST on drum tuning. I thought I’d see how Ross did it. After the interview, however, it was clear that Ross provided insights far beyond my original thought, and it was obvious that his discernment about what produces legendary, world-class drum sounds needed to be shared.
So today’s the day! We may not be studio engineers or producers in L.A. (though some of you are!), or work in the biggest studios in the industry, but we still have the same drive as Ross… to produce standout, superior recorded tracks, no matter what the instrument. Well, for drums… you won’t find any resource better than Ross!
Our conversation was pleasant and fun. Ross is a genuinely pleasant person, quick to help, ready to fix any issues, and obviously still loving what he does after all these years…
And what he does… is DRUMS!! Let’s hear what he has to say…
Ladies & Gentlemen… the Doctor of Drums!!
(Phone ringing)
ROSS: Drum Doctors!
TEAJ: Hey, Ross!
ROSS: Yes.
TEAJ: This is Matt’s band mate Teaj, calling from Detroit!
ROSS: What’s happening, Teaj?
TEAJ: Hey, I’m doing an article on drums and I wanted to get your thoughts on a couple things. That cool?
ROSS: No problem, Teaj.
Bottom Vs. Top Heads
TEAJ: So, I know you like to first choose the right drum SET for projects. I totally get that. But on each drum set, or certain drum sets, do you tune the bottom head and the top head the same? Different? Or is it different for every drum kit?
ROSS: Um… yeah it’s different. A big part of what I do is try to make the sound for the project. It’s gotta be appropriate for the project.
TEAJ: So you’re gonna tune them differently – like you might let the bottom head be lower, to get that fat tail sound on one project, but then you might not tune it the same way for the next one.
ROSS: Right, and the way the shell is constructed will make a difference in that too. So if you have a shell that has reinforcement hoops, that’s gonna react differently to tunings than shells without reinforcement hoops.
Or, if you’re working with a drum set… like, right now I’ve got a guy who asked me to put a, uh… a set with calf-skin heads on it. That’ll be a different animal too.
TEAJ: Yea, no doubt! (laughs)
ROSS: So, it’s all about what is right for the song… like, for example, if somebody wants a set of, uh… Let’s say they want a Charlie Watts sound. I’ll bring them an old Gretch kit, so that they’re starting with the right drums, and I’ll experiment with the heads to make sure that the style is what they’re looking for, ‘cause a lot of times what Charlie uses live is different than what he uses in the studio.
TEAJ: Definitely, yea.
ROSS: So I’ll experiment to get the right heads on there. If they want it to be a deader sound, then, you know, we’ll tune ‘em a little lower, the top and bottom a little lower, put some more muffling on ‘em.
TEAJ: Gotcha.
ROSS: If they want a “live”-er sound, well, we’ll probably leave the bottom heads a little tighter and a little less muffling, that sort of thing.
Who’s in Charge of the Drum Sounds?
TEAJ: Now, Ross, who is making that determination though? Is it the engineer? the producer? or the drummer who’s playing your drums that makes that decision?
ROSS: (laughs) The drummers hardly ever make any of the decisions.
TEAJ: That’s what I thought. (laughs)
ROSS: (laughs) In fact, here’s a great story you may wanna… are you recording this??
TEAJ: Yea, I wanted to make sure I get you verbatim if I quote you, so I’m recording.
ROSS: Okay. Here’s a great little story. I get called up by Jeff Lynne to come up and tune a drum set that Ringo’s gonna be playing on… for some tracks. So I get up there at like noon, or one o’clock. I change some heads, start tuning the drums, and…
A lot of times in these situations, the talent doesn’t show up until I’m long gone. Especially somebody of Ringo’s stature.
TEAJ: Right.
ROSS: I’ll work until 2 or 3, and he may show up at 5 or 6, ya know, whatever works for him that day. So I’m sitting there, and we’re to the point where we’re getting sound, and I’m playing the drums, and Ringo walks in! He arrives early, and this is like the first time I had met him. And I just, I stopped playing, ‘cause if Ringo walks in… HE should be playing the drums, man!
So, uh, he goes, “No, no – carry on. Carry on.” I said, ”Well, how does it sound to you? Is this how you like ‘em??”
He goes, “I don’t give a F#@$! As long as Jeff’s happy.”
TEAJ: (Laughs)
ROSS: (In other words) as long as the producer’s happy, I’m happy.
TEAJ: And that’s probably the way it is across the board, right?
ROSS: Yea. Most of the time, that’s what it’s about. There are people that have a certain concept that they’re after and, with time, I’ve gotten to the point where if somebody calls me up and says, “We want it to sound like… whatever… Metallica’s ‘Black Album’”, I know what to do for that. Whatever it is.
Who Do You Make Happy?
TEAJ: So, when our buddy Matt was setting up for you, he did a lot of setups for Vinnie Colaiuta, and when he would set up Vinny’s kit, you would prepare that kit for what the producer and the project wanted – not necessarily then what Vinny would just automatically do for himself, right?
ROSS: In that situation, there’s a fine line, ‘cause I have to keep the drummer happy too. That’s a big part of it – understanding how to make the drummer sound his best.
And Vinnie was one of these guys… he had a thing that he was going for.
and I try to… do what he was doing, but… make it even better than what he would do himself.
TEAJ: Based on a project, right?
ROSS: Yea, well, the engineers used to tell me that. They’d say, “You guys are a good team”, ‘cause Vinnie’s like… the most amazing player and you get drums sounding so good that he just comes in and he just plays ‘em! He doesn’t have to mess around with ‘em.
TEAJ: Exactly!
ROSS: But this is all generalization, because it could very easily be a situation where we get the drum sound, and the engineer and the producer are thinking of the first song they’re going to be doing, and we get like a, you know, a ‘Doobie Brothers’ sound, or whatever it is – something big and punchy.
And then they move on to the next song, and the next song needs the drums to be DE-tuned, and really dead.
So, like I say, you gotta have a place to start.
TEAJ: Exactly.
ROSS: You help ‘em know that all their mics are working, and what effects their outboard gear is having on the signal, and then they can go from there. But the more you do it, the more you realize that, uh, it SHOULD change from song to song, to some degree. Ya know?
Standard Tuning Method vs. the Project
TEAJ: I agree. But what about tunings? We know that there are some standard tunings, like tuning your toms to the interval of a musical THIRD is pretty popular. But when you send out a drum kit to a studio do you have a standard tuning of the toms, or…
ROSS: I don’t… uh, it’s not like I say, “Okay, I’m going to tune these to be a third apart, or I wanna take the top heads a third tighter than the bottoms. I tend to do that naturally; I tend to get that nice interval between ‘em.
Somebody one time pointed that out – it was actually Steve Lukather. We were working for Toto, and he pointed that out to me, that I was actually tuning the drum set to “C”, which was the key of the song. But I was just tuning the drums so that they sounded GOOD in the song. I didn’t realize I was tuning them to an actual key.
Since then I’ve had people actually have me do that, where they say, “Okay, we want the rack tom to be a “C”, we want the next rack tom to be an “E”, and the last one to be a “G”, or whatever it is.
TEAJ: And is that the engineer or the producer asking you that?
ROSS: Yea.
TEAJ: Wow.
ROSS: They want it to fit perfectly in the song.
TEAJ: How often do you get that?
ROSS: Not very often.
TEAJ: So most of the time, they just trust that what you sent is gold and they go with it.
ROSS: It’s gonna be good when I send it!
Perfecting a Kit for a Recording Session
ROSS: It’s much better though when they have me come in and tune, and work with them.
TEAJ: Which is a separate transaction, right?
ROSS: Yea. I’ve got over 400 sets that I send out. So if somebody calls me up, I try to send the best set in my warehouse for that project.
But if they’re reeeally serious about it – they want it to be just golden, they have me come in and work with them for, you know, at least an hour or two, just to kinda tune ‘em into the room and work with them with the mics, make sure everything sounds good through the headphones.
Usually when I do that, and I come back to pick up the drums afterwards, the producer or the engineer are raving about how good they sound. Because I didn’t leave it up to chance. It was a situation where I dialed ‘em in, in the room, and… I have fun with it! After you’ve been doing it for 35 years, you get to a point where… it’s FUN to make it sound really good. I love it when I can do that.
TEAJ: Oh, Ross, I’m totally with you. I mean, my website for example is all about musicians and our gear and how we love it and how we have fun with it. That’s what my website’s about, so you’re definitely talking my language.
I could write and talk and sing and do all kinds of stuff about gear and music all day and all night so I am totally with you.
Different Kits for the SAME Recording Session
TEAJ: Now, have you ever had it where, because a drummer’s going to go into a session, the first song, yea, the kit might be perfect, but then they might go to a second song that is so different than the first one that they might even need a totally different kit. Has that ever happened?
ROSS: Yea. Yea, we do that quite a bit, actually. And lately especially. It seems like people are having me bring down, like, a big rock set, for example, in the big room. And we’ll have a smaller kit, like maybe a little hip-hop kit or a little tighter set in the smaller booth.
And if it’s a big enough project they’ll have options on bass drums and… I always bring options on the snares. Obviously, that’s a bigger budget project. But that way, you’re not like trying to set a square peg into a round hole.
TEAJ: No doubt, man.
ROSS: You’ve got the right gear. It’s kind of like, “Yea, for this song, a bigger, slower song, let’s put up the 26” bass drum. That kind of thing.
Dead or Alive?!
TEAJ: Now here’s an important question, again with regards to recording, ‘cuz most of my readers are about recording: a lot of people say that you should tune your drums so that each one of them sings out as clear and as resonant as possible and not try to dilute the ringing – just let the drums ring as much as they want to ring, and then the engineer, in post, can take that out.
But then some other engineers say, “No, I want you to put on the heads that stop the ring, and I want you to put a towel in the kick drum and all that.
What do you see happening most of time?
ROSS: All of it! All of it – it happens.
It really all depends. There’s no rule. Basically these sessions are experiments, and I find that each team is different.
Like when I work for Beck, their guys always, always want the drums really dead. They want, like, T-shirts on top of the drums! That’s Beck’s production team.
So, every team is different. Everybody has a way they like to do it. They have a system, and fact that I’ve worked with, like, the Beck team, for the last 15 years or something… they call me up and I know what they’re looking for. We’re talkin’ the same language from the get-go. I don’t bring ‘em a Vinnie Colaiuta set that’s tuned wide open because they wouldn’t be happy. They’d be like, “Okay, what else do you have??” Like, “Where’s our set?? Where’s the kit that we like so much?!”
Then there’s other guys I work with… you know, 20 years ago we had a bass drum shoot-out, for example, where we brought out TEN bass drums, and we listened to them all, with the same mics, in the same room, to basically figure out what was the best bass drum for a producer, for his “sound”.
Then we did that with the snares, we did that with the toms, and once we figured out what those drums were I put that set aside for him so anytime he wanted it, he’d call me and say, “Bring me that set!”.
So we spent like a day or two figuring out which drums were going to work for what his thing was. He built the sound that way. That was our starting point.
TEAJ: Man, that’s a great idea. The studio I have here, I have two drum sets just of my own and I just keep them exactly like I want them, but with every recording session I change tunings, toms, cymbals, snares… it all makes a difference.
Heads & Shoulders Better!
TEAJ: Now, what about heads? Because you know that the kits are all going to be so different you can choose a specific kit that’s going to give you that specific sound like, you know, maybe an old Motown sound versus a Led Zeppelin sound but… are you tending to use, you know, like, Ambassador heads on everything or do you even go to many different drum brands of heads to try to get a different sound?
ROSS: I do use different heads for different sounds depending on what the project is. That being said, I tend to use a lot of Ambassadors, especially on the toms.
TEAJ: Don’t we all! (laughs)
ROSS: Yea, a lot of coated Ambassadors. They have the sound. There’s something to be said to the fact that when we grew up listening to music, whether it was on the radio or vinyl or whatever… that’s probably what they were recording, and that kind of was ingrained in my head – what was “a cool drum sound”. You know what I mean?
TEAJ: Heck yeah.
ROSS: So, that’s our reference. We’re saying, “Wow, man… that Led Zepplin song had the best, greatest-sounding snare drum ever!” What was he using?? It usually turns out to be, ya know, a Ludwig snare with a white ambassador or a white Emperor on the top.
TEAJ: Great combination. Can’t go wrong there.
ROSS: Yeah, and I tried to like Evans heads. I don’t have a use for ‘em.
TEAJ: If they don’t make what you have sound good, then why bother?
ROSS: Yeah, I find that they… I think that they’re trying to make a head that’s easy for novices to tune.
TEAJ: Probably. Yea.
ROSS: I think that’s what it is. And by doing that, it limits how much life the heads have. If the head has to much life, it gets wild, it gets outta hand.
TEAJ: And that’s part of the reason I write these articles, is… you know, there are players out there that don’t even consider tuning their drums! They just play them and they’ve never stopped to consider what what tuning is; what it can do.
They think that just working on their technique is going to make them sound great, and, I mean, that’s a part of it, but I’m always mentioning that this is something that can really bring your playing, and your sound, to life.
So what would you say to those kind of people who’ve never really stopped to consider what tuning, and the type of drums, and all that, has to do with their sound?
ROSS: I think they should just call me, and have me do it.
TEAJ: (Laughs)
ROSS: That is one of these things that… a lot of guys never get it. And the guys who DO get it appreciate what I do even more.
Ross the Drummer!
TEAJ: Why do you think you got it? Because I know you were a drummer so what was it that suddenly you know slammed you into wow this is really my gift?
ROSS: I’ll tell ya what I think happened: when I came up in the 70s basically, and I was listening to a lot of Rolling Stones and Beatles and Led Zepplin and Little Feat and bands like that.
TEAJ: Great stuff.
ROSS: Yea, that was the kind of stuff that I grew up listening to. And I’m not sure how I tuned my drums (back then).
And then I got recruited to audition for this reggae band. Their manager was hiking behind my house while I was practicing, when I lived in Northern California, and he basically knocked on the door and he said, “Man, we’re looking for a drummer and it sounds like you could do it!”
TEAJ: Wow.
ROSS: So, to make a long story short, I got the gig playing in this reggae band and I started listening to all these Bob Marley records. There’s a hundred great reggae artists but… the drum sounds on Bob Marley records are pretty phenomenal. And I started to make a study of that, and I started thinking to myself “How do I get to that? How do I get that sound?”
By getting that gig and then having to change my sound completely around, to try to cop that reggae thing, it really made me conscious of what drum sounds were.
And then as an offshoot of that… I used to tour constantly. People saw me playing and started calling me asking if I could do sessions for ‘em. So I’d go into the studio. And I’d be playing on all kinds of different stuff – a country/western thing, or a punk rock thing, or ya know, a straight up rock thing, and… I started really getting into kind of being a chameleon that way, with my playing as well as my tuning.
Ross Becomes the Drum DOCTOR!
ROSS: Then when I moved to Los Angeles I tried to make it playing, for a few years. But once you see what’s really going on out there, you realize that to be a musician and make a living and actually be able to put your kids through college and that kind of thing, it kind of struck home with me that “I don’t think I can compete with these guys!”
I felt like I was smart enough to realize that if Jeff Porcaro is… if someone can call HIM, or call me, for a session… they’re not gonna call me!
Jeff & Ross
TEAJ: (Laughs)
ROSS: Ya know?! And back then, the cats that I used to see working the most were Vinnie, Jeff, Jim Keltner, Pete Erskine,… all these guys. One day I just said, “Ya know what? If ya can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em!” And I figured I’ll be the guy that helps them get their shit together.
So I started working for Vinnie. Back then, Vinnie’d do two or three sessions a day! He was just a monster.
TEAJ: So Vinnie was your first customer!
ROSS: Yea. He was the first guy.
TEAJ: Wow.
ROSS: Yea. The thing is he needed personal servants. He needed to have somebody, first of all that he could depend on, ‘cause he’d have, like, a 9 a.m. start at Warner Brothers on a TV show, or a movie soundtrack… and he’d be working at Universal or Sony or… any of these big scoring stages.
So, we’d have to load in at like 7:30 or so, to get it ready, for when this 60-piece orchestra was ready to hit it, at like 9 a.m.
He’d do that for like a three-hour call, and then he might have another session in the afternoon at like one or two. And on the really busy days, he’d have another one that night, like at six or seven! So I’d be reprogging (?) drum sets from studio to studio, get him going at one place, then go back, get another set, take it over to another place, and then go pick up the one from the first session and maybe take that to the third session!
And what happened was, I was working for Vinnie one day at Ocean Way, and I saw Jim Keltner in the hall. He was working in the other studio. So I just basically told Jim, I said, “Man, I’m a big fan and I’d love to work for you.” And Jim’s just the nicest guy on the planet. He said, “You know what? I could use somebody like you. If you’re doin’ Vinnie, you obviously have it together. Here’s my number. If I don’t call you in the next two weeks, call me.”
TEAJ: Ah HA!
ROSS: Sure enough, I called him, and he goes, “You know what? Next week I’ve got two sessions and… this is what I want for the one, this is what I want for the other. Let’s give it a go!”
TEAJ: And the rest is history!
ROSS: Yea. I’ve been working for Jim for like 31, 32 years! Something like that.
D.D. Kits Only??
TEAJ: So these players like Keltner, and Vinny – are they always using your kits? There’s never a time, in other words, that they take their personal kit? Or is there?
ROSS: No, they do use their own personal kits. Vinnie, most of the time, used his own drums (and back then he was using Yamaha). That was kind of his thing: it was a Yamaha Recording Custom: a ten, twelve, fourteen, sixteen, floors for the 22, and he almost always used a 5×14 Supraphonic.
Sometimes he would get stuck and he’d use one of my kits, and if he used one of mine it would usually be like an 80s Gretch kit. I had some of those that he really liked.
But Jim… Jim is probably the most experimental guy I know. He’ll use different stuff on every single gig. He was using my stuff in the beginning a lot. Like a 1930 Reedy kit with 1920 snares. I have a bunch of old Ludwig snares that are bitchin’.
But these day’s Jim uses primarily his own stuff. And DW will build him whatever. If Jim sees something that I’m using, like some old 1920s set or something, and he likes the way it sounds in my shop, I’ll let him borrow it. He’ll take it out to DW, and then they’ll make a DW copy of it.
TEAJ: Man!
ROSS: Yea, so he’s got friends in high places.
TEAJ: No doubt!! (Laughs) And no surprise. I mean… he IS Jim Keltner!
New Heads?
TEAJ: Now you still make it a point that every time a drum set is brought into the studio it has brand new heads? That’s just a given, right?
ROSS: I wouldn’t go so far as to say “brand new”. Sometimes they’ve been played on for a day or two, and they sound so good that I can’t bring myself to change ‘em. So it’s not always “brand new”. As long as they’re not dented, you know what I mean?
TEAJ: If they sound good and nobody can tell that they’re not new, then why not?
ROSS: Yeah, and sometimes they sound better than new, when they’re just broken in just the right amount. The player played ‘em but he didn’t hit ‘em too hard and they’re kind of finessed. They get to the point where they’re real sexy… like I say, “better than new”.
TEAJ: I know what you mean, because in the studio, when we put them on, right when I first put them on they’re not usually what I would want to record. But after the drummer’s kinda played for a couple hours then we’re ready to go and they sound great.
ROSS: Yea, sometimes they sound a little too brittle or a little too bright when ya first put ‘em on. You gotta kinda break ‘em in a little bit, and then that gets you kind of like a sweet spot.
Best Kit Ever!!
TEAJ: Alright, so you’ve had this long, rich history – this is a killer question that you might not even be able to answer, but if you could just have one kit, which one would it be??
ROSS: (Laughs)
TEAJ: I mean I know that there’s so many and you might not be able to say there’s one but… I had to ask! (Laughs)
ROSS: Yea, it’s hard. It’s hard for me to answer a question like that. You know, I might… I might go back to the original Ludwig set that my dad bought me when I was 12.
TEAJ: Awww, man… we’re all shedding tears here now!
ROSS: Yea, that might be the one… for this conversation, anyway!
TEAJ: Exactly. What year was that?
ROSS: That was a 1969 Ludwig Super Classic.
TEAJ: Wow. Do you still have it?!
ROSS: Yea.
TEAJ: Do you ever rent it out?!
ROSS: Yea! Here’s another great story, and this happened like ten or twelve years ago:
At that point I probably had 250 to 300 sets of drums. Something like that.
I get a phone call from an artist, and they’ve looked on the website, and out of all the sets that I have, they wanted to rent THAT SET.
TEAJ: (Laughs)
ROSS: They said, “Yea, we want THAT SET! The ’69 Ludwig set. And we want you to send it to Compass Point, which is in the Virgin Islands.
TEAJ: Oh, my goodness!!
ROSS: And we’re gonna rent it for, like, a month or two.
TEAJ: Hohh!!!
ROSS: And when that kit came back, I called up my dad and I said, “I just got the rental check on the set that you got me, for the last six weeks, and… I wanna pay you back for that set.
TEAJ: (Laughs)
ROSS: ‘Cause, I made more than what he paid for that set.
TEAJ: Yea, probably 10 times or more!
ROSS: (Laughs) We won’t go into the details, but he wouldn’t… he wouldn’t take my money.
TEAJ: Of course not. That’s how dad’s are.
ROSS: I said, “I just wanted to let you know what I’ve done with drums, because there was a time when my parents were like, “Oh, God, our kid’s a musician!” and “We hope he has something to fall back on” and all of that. Obviously they were just worried. They wanted to make sure I had a good life.
TEAJ: Sure.
ROSS: But there was a time when they were like, “Oh, God, we worry about you!” (Laughs)
TEAJ: I think we’ve all had that, if we’re musicians, at one point or another. Man, if I get out there I definitely have to see this ‘69 Super Classic kit. Is it on the website?
ROSS: I think it is.
TEAJ: I’m gonna have to look that up later.
ROSS: Yea. “Sky Blue Pearl”. And what’s crazy is: now I have just about every Super Classic finish from 1969. That turned out to be a very good year for Ludwig, and I just got lucky that that was my first kit. They had the Beatles, you know, they were selling a lot of Ludwig because of Ringo.
And they finally got to a point where they weren’t just slapping ‘em together. ‘Cause for a while there was such a demand for those sets they couldn’t make ‘em fast enough so they weren’t making ‘em as good. But by ’69 they really had it down.
Drums Through Time
TEAJ: Do you think drums are better today than ever?
ROSS: I tell people: there’s drums that were made in the 1920s that are way better than what’s being made today.
TEAJ: (Laughs)
ROSS: It’s true! I do a lot of repairs, and a lot of customizations on drums still. By doing that you really see what different drums are made of and where they, ya know, cut corners. That’s when basically they’re just trying to make a profit on each instrument they sell.
TEAJ: I think the Ludwig kit that I have in the studio here is an 82, and my Pearl kit is ’87. Much later, and much different than your original Ludwig kit!
ROSS: Different shells. Those are different shells in a 60s kit. Ludwig changed their shells probably… at least four times by the time they got to the 80s. They made the mistake of trying to be like the ‘other guys’.
TEAJ: They probably didn’t need to do that.
ROSS: No, it was a mistake. It was a bad call. They should have kept to their guns. They should’ve said, “We have a good thing going here, so don’t try to compete with Pearl, or Rogers, or anybody else, just… stay on your path and do what you’re doing, ’cause it’s good.”
But I see the differences they started making. People bring ‘em in, you know… bring ‘em in to have ‘em repaired or modified or whatever. Most agree they kind of lost their way at that time…
TEAJ: They certainly changed things up.
ROSS: Yea, and what’s crazy is now, their latest shell, the thing that they’re touting the most, their top of the line shell, is a copy of a shell that they were making in, like, 1972.
TEAJ: (Laughs)
ROSS: BUT, they’re having it made in Taiwan or something. But, ya know, you can’t blame a company for trying to make money but… you gotta keep the integrity or you’re just going to lose your following.
TEAJ: Yea, I mean look what’s happening with like Gibson guitars I mean they’re potentially going to go out of business! I can’t even believe that. It’s just hard to fathom that somebody that makes a Les Paul can go out of business. It’s just unfathomable to me.
When To Hang Up the Sticks!
ROSS: It’s a different world now out there than it used to be. There’s lots of people that ask me… like, I walked into a studio like two or three months ago. I’m delivering a set of drums. The studio manager looks up and he goes, “You’re delivering the drums?? Why don’t you retire?!”
TEAJ: (Laughs)
ROSS: And then he’s like, “Don’t you have guys to do this?!” I said, “Dude, this keeps me young, man! I’m out here movin’ gear and I set ‘em up and tune ‘em and I still like doing it! And because I still like doing it… it just gets better and better. I didn’t let it get diluted by handing it off to some manager or some employee of some sort.
I still try to be at every session! Even if I don’t deliver them. Like tomorrow morning I’ll have my crew deliver a set, but I’ll show up and tune ‘em. I’ll make sure that when somebody hits’ those drums they’ll say, “Hell, yeah!! This is what we’re talkin’ about. THIS is why we got the drums from Drum Doctors, because it’s this down!!”.
TEAJ: You love what you do, man. I’m the same way. I just… I wouldn’t want to be doing anything else and I could spend the whole day doing it and probably after 24 hours still keep going even if I am tired because it’s just so much fun! (Laughs)
ROSS: Yea, it’s very satisfying.
The Perfect Snare…?!
TEAJ: This one isn’t so much for my readers, but just more for me: I’ve got probably 7 snares but you know how it is you’re always looking for the “gold snare sound”, right? Just this sound that will bring your recording to life.
So, out of all the ones you have, which snare has really just sounded great for recording?? ‘Cuz I’m going to purchase another one here soon and I’ve really been researching what’s great for recording, for the studio… and I know there’s different genres but for just straight “rock/pop” what is The Golden Snare for you??
The Black Beauty Supraphonic!
ROSS: Well, I’ll tell you: probably what you’re looking for is, like, a late 60s, early 70s Black Beauty. A 6.5 x 14. They’ve become very collectible, and the price has gone up.
But there’s a drum that I get from a company called George Way (it’s like a little boutique drum company) and they use a real nice solid brass shell on this drum. So I buy that drum from the George Way drum company and I modify it to sound like an old Black Beauty.
TEAJ: Nice!
ROSS: So, instead of spending, like, $2,500 or $3,000, like that, on a Black Beauty, for like a thousand bucks you can get one of these little modded drums that are a real close second (to the Black Beauty). Are you in L.A.?? Stop by and see one…
TEAJ: I’m in Detroit now, but I gotta make it out there again soon, see the old band, stop by your man cave. Sounds like I’ll be flying home with a new snare carry-on!! (Laughs)
ROSS: Great! (Laughs)
The Trash Can Ending!
TEAJ: Well, Ross, thank you, man. It’s really a pleasure to talk to you! I’ll give you a heads up when I’m out your way. I’ll probably bring your ol’ employee Matt along with me!
ROSS: Alright, Teaj, well… thanks for the call. Thanks for the interest.
TEAJ: Keep up the great work, Ross. Talk to you soon!
Sick Drums?
Well, now you know where to take them?!
Do yourself a favour and check out Ross’ MANY available rentals if your on the West Coast. You can’t go wrong by going Drum Doctors.
So, what did you get out of Ross’s answers? Did you learn anything? Do you prepare your drums the same? Differently? What questions would you like him to answer that I didn’t ask??
Lemme know in the Comments. For now, after my longest post yet here on SeriousG.A.S….
There’s one night in L.A. that I’ll never forget. It probably sticks with me not just because of the company and the surroundings, but the possibilities that filled my head from that day forward. It was my first glimpse into what weird musical instruments could add to a song…
My friends Laura & Mini had just laid down tracks for a song they called “The Hands of Time”, and they wanted some sort of a different drum track. Something unexpected, and a little hypnotic.
It just so happened that I’d just stumbled onto a new sound recently and thought it’d be just the ticket. At the record company where I worked during the day I had to occasionally wrap large pallets of records (yes… RECORDS!) for transport on the big trucks. To keep them stable we’d wrap them with large swath thick plastic wrap. About 15 times around and those boxes weren’t gonna move anywhere.
The week previous I’d finished a roll of this industrial wrap and just for fun hit the end of the empty tube, which was quite hard and unyielding. Lo and behold – it gave up a rubbery, bouncy sound… like an Udu drum, only warmer.
I offered my services as “Pallet-Wrap-Roll-Hitter-Dude” and they accepted. Guess they were open to experimental as much as I was. Either that or their curiosity just got the best of them!
Soon enough, there I was – the mic was hooked up; the tape machine ready… it was “go” time.
“Hit it.”
The first time through was okay, but I thought the sound wasn’t clear enough, sharp enough. I had another idea…
“Can I have a bowl of water?”
Everyone assuredly thought I was certifiably crackers at that point, but Laura went and got the water. I wet the edge of the roll a bit, letting the dampness sink in.
“Roll it again.”
Sure enough, this time the sound was much more cutting; the water had given the edge more suction with my hand and provided a clearer transient and even more volume.
Each time we recorded, I’d dip my hand in the bowl of water to “re-seal” the edge. Each time it gave clarity to the rhythms.
A couple takes later, with varying rhythms, and we were done. A successful, fun night of experimental music making!
Unusual AND Usable!
What follows here today are new music inventions that I think really work for live music or recordings. I would bring any of these instruments into a session without hesitation, especially if they came with the player associated with them… so I wouldn’t have to learn it and play it as well as engineer and produce it!
There are hundreds more experimental music machines out there. I perused at least a few dozen in researching for this article. I found most to be interesting, but not that great for actually using in a modern, popular music track.
Also, I often come across what appears to be the largest drawback in new music instruments: that they mostly work in only one, or few, keys. And many don’t even follow Western Music keys (i.e. “Equal Temperament”) at all – they just make noises.
So if you’re like me and appreciate new inventions, but would prefer they actually be continuously appropriate to ongoing music production, then you’re in luck – have I got five new instruments for YOU!
1) The Apprehension Engine!
Mark Korven is the first musician up. He’s a film music composer with his own home studio.
He got tired (as I have too!) of the ubiquitous, same-ol’, overused synth patches that get thrown in to scary movie soundtracks. You know… the ones designed to creep you out when the girl falls while running… as she ALWAYS will!
One can only take so much of the same old cliche noises before the itch for something new becomes a full-blown rash of hives, so Mark asked his friend Tony Duggen-Smith for help. Tony’s usually working a more traditional role as a guitar luthier and guitar maker by day. But Mark’s request allowed him to branch out into the night… into the dark… into his soul’s shadows!
Because he’s used to working with wood and metal, he was able to construct something totally… well, OTHER. Because of that, what the world now has is the greatest horror-sounds-producing instrument the world has ever known. Mark and Tony refer to it as the Apprehension Engine. The masses just call it the Nightmare Machine. One listen to its music and you’ll know why – it’s creeeeeepyyyyyy!
Go listen to the ominous “music” of this new instrument in THIS VIDEO!
I especially appreciate the use of the Ebow. I’ve used it for years for special effects and guitar beds and can totally see why Tony thought of it for scary music composition. Long, droning resonances full of glass-shard-like overtones shattering upon our ears make for a disturbing effect – just what you want for horror!
Somewhere, Christopher Lee is smiling.
With fangs.
For those of you who actually do soundtrack work, Tony IS actually producing these as real instruments for composers to purchase. They are currently working on an “Apprehension Engine 2”, which should amp up the chill factor to 13 sometime soon. Contact him for your own machine at tonyds@pathcom.com.
2) The Swiss Hang Drum Takes Over the World!
The Swiss are a wonderful group of people. I lived there for six months and I never met an Alpine Horn blower I didn’t like. I found they like their music quite eclectic. My host families, for example, listened on any given day to Spanish Pop, Classical, German rock, Latin dance, and (of course) a good smattering of American Billboard hits.
It appears that eclecticism reaches into the inventor’s lab too. In the year 2000 Felix Rohner and Sabina Schärer, citizens of Bern, Switzerland, developed the first prototypes of the Hang, which is the Swiss-German word for “Hand”. It has a sound similar to a steel drum, but is played in a totally different fashion and sounds much softer and warmer. To hear what I mean, LISTEN HERE.
The instrument is basically two half-shells of formed sheet steel that are glued together at their rims, and have tone dimples that are hammered into them that you activate with your fingers. You can also slap the steel for percussive accents, so it’s a very musical, usable piece, although to play many keys you’d need several Hangs that are produced in different keys.
The instrument has become so popular (probably because it’s easy to play from the get-go) that today there are more companies making these types of instruments. They can’t call them “Hangs” because it’s a copyrighted term, so the more widespread term for them has become “Handpans“.
For those of you in America who would like to incorporate this instrument and its hypnotic sound into your music, contact the American Handpan company “Pantheon Steel” at THEIR WEBSITE HEREand ask about their now famous “Halo”. Something tells me… you’ll be hooked!
3) You’ll Dig This One!
Sometimes, just being a well-rounded guitar slinger is not enough. You wanna go that… extra mile. The one Robert Johnson took… down to the Crossroads.
I don’t know if Justin Johnson (no relation to Robert… that I KNOW of) has sold his soul, but he sure has bought his share of music gear, or at least had somebody make it. I’ve seen him play a lot of guitar, but the most memorable and cool-sounding thing to ME that he’s done is this bizarre amalgam of guitar accouterments and… a shovel.
Yup. A shovel. Whudah thunk??
The groove he lays down on THIS SONG is so contagious, so cool, so unrelenting… I just wanna pick up my shovel and learn it! Right now!! But, of course, I don’t haaaaave a shovel guitar, soooo….
Ohp, wait a second… I think I have one like that in the garage. Now, with a little ingenuity and scrap guitar parts…
Who’s with me?! Meet me in the woodshed!!
4) The Ice Music Festival in Luleå, Sweden!
If you haven’t experienced the long, long, looooooong, dark winter nights of the high north Scandinavian countries, then you have no idea just how depressing it can get. Folks need something to keep their spirits up, their creativity flowing and their hopes for spring alive.
Enter the Ice Music Festival!
Tim Linhart, formerly a simple ice-carver, had the idea for hand-carved instruments made of ice years ago, when he knew nothing of music. Since then, he’s learned a lot, from a lot of very good musicians. He provides for them the instruments, and the hand carved Ice Hall for the audience to sit in, and they take it away and do the rest.
For an excellent peering into the chilled cavity of tone, GO HERE. Don’t forget your gloves.
There, now didn’t you feel like you were practically there? Seeing your breath? Stomping your boots? Numbing your bum?! I would record any of those instruments and their players in a heartbeat. They sounded great!
One thing that separates Tim from many other ice music festivals is that he demands that the instruments actually be tuneable to Western tonalities. He wants to be able to hear famous pieces and songs that we all know and love, not just meandering new-age-sounding trance beds. I’m with him. There’s a time for “Hearts of Space” ethereal music, but after a while you just wanna… well… pick up Justin’s shovel and JAM!!!
The Yabahar!!
Okay, straight up… this is my favorite one. Wow. The sound of this thing is mind-blowing.
To take an amazing, beautiful trip to the islands with me and listen to Görkem Şen play this wild, out-there mind trip, CLICK HERE.
I have to also hand it to Görkem for the cinematography. I don’t know if he actually lives in this house he’s filming in, but if he does… HOW COOL IS THAT??!!! The view of the ocean alone is worth the price of admission!
My favorite parts of the instrument are the bowing technique he uses on the upright fretboard. It’s obviously in a Turkish scale but still… that could easily be modified to a Western scale sensibility. Or a Western scale neck could be swapped on it. The proof of its compatibility is shown when plays excerpts from Beethoven’s 9th Symphony near the end.
One thing’s for sure: with all that natural reverb coming from the coils and sounding bowls, I wouldn’t be adding any Lexicon halls any time soon!
And You Thought the 60s Were a Trip!
Hope you enjoyed this little jaunt around the world today, listening to an aural smorgasbord of my favorite out-of-the-box, tasty, tonal treats. Maybe one o’ these guys will see this article and come to Detroit to lay some tracks down.
You KNOW I’d be writing about that session! 😉
Music can definitely take us on some funky brain trips. Do you play an obscure instrument? Do your musical preferences walk on ‘the wild side’? Are you trapped in a tower high above the sea and forced to make fantastic, aberrant musical sculptures to pass the time away?!
Whatever your preference, let us know. Share your eccentric wealth with us, and we’ll waft through your performance like yellow, rubber, bendy-men… on our way to the Plasticine Porters Convention.
for after all… we don’t all have to take the same approach to appreciate the same gift. Music speaks… through anything.
In 1985, Dire Straits came out with a killer album, “Brothers In Arms”. It’s hanging on the wall in my studio, an example of one of the best albums I’ve ever heard.
I picked it up immediately as soon as I heard the first single, “Money For Nothing”. What a GREAT guitar tone!!
The cover of that album featured something I’d never heard of: a Resonator, or Dobro guitar. It looked pretty cool, especially against that awesome sky background.
Ironically though, Knopfler didn’t actually USE a Dobro anywhere on the album! So I never looked into the strange metal instrument any further. I was too busy anyway… learning the guitar part to “Money For Nothing”!! lol
Fast forward six years later – it was 1991, and I had just picked up the newest recording from my favorite songwriter (then as now) – Bruce Cockburn.
In those days, everything was on CD, and all the car audio systems had a player. After anxiously stripping off the plastic wrap (and swearing at the security tape that wouldn’t come off!), I finally got the album open, and slipped the CD into the dashboard deck.
Bruce Cockburn’s Reso Guitar, A. Patak
Four songs in, “Soul of a Man” began to play, and I heard for the first time the biting grit that a resonator guitar can bring to a recording.
The song is an old tune that Blind Willie McTell recorded way back in the late 1920s. Bruce stayed true to the spirit of the tune by also playing a reso guitar, just like Willie did in his recording. Moving, indeed.
I continued driving away (Bruce pun intended!) but the sound haunted me. What was that? It had a prairie-brown survival sound to it; an edge like a dusty, rusty hoof nail half-stuck in a Black Hills rise. A cowboy seriousness, a sound like heat rising…
I had to investigate. Serious G.A.S.raised its lusty head again!
After a little research, I discovered some interesting facts that only furthered to whet my appetite…
@$%!# HORNS!
The first resonator guitar was made in 1926. A guy named John Dopyera had been asked by a guitar player (who was constantly being buried under the sound of horns) to make a guitar for him that could compete with louder brass and reed instruments. This was before the days of electric amplification so the only option was to make a louder instrument.
He decided he’d make a guitar out of metal, and add to the front a kind of ‘speaker’, or resonator, that could amplify the guitar sound more. They then discovered that you could get close to the same result from building a wooden guitar, but adhering the metal fixtures to the front.
It worked! Players were hooked and the new instruments started rolling off the line like hotcakes, at times up to 50 guitars a DAY, which for that time was undeard of. That sing. Without words. And have strings. You get the picture.
The brand name was “National“, and today those original guitars sell for a veeeery pretty penny. Oh, and now you understand what Paul Simon was referring to in the song “Graceland”. 😉
Not even two years after John formed National guitars and changed the industry, he quit the company. His financial backer patented a single-cone design, that they both had discussed and worked on, without including him. Rude! So, he started another resonator company, with his brothers, in direct competion with his first company – “Dobro“, which was a contraction of “Dopyera Brothers”.
Slidin’ ’round the Reso!
Both companies survived the Great Depression, and even thrived. No surprise; music knows no financial boundaries. Eventually, electric amplification made the loudness factor a moot point, but the different, signature sound of the resonator kept it in guitarist arsenals.
Both brands are still being sold today, albeit under different leadership.They’re especially desired by Blues and Bluegrass artisans, and it seems like you can hear their distinctive voice on recordings these days more than ever.
And speaking of that… the first artist to ever record on a resonator guitar?? Tampa Red, playing a National steel reso. Check him out on Spotify, or HERE ON YOUTUBE. They called him the “Guitar Wizard” back in the day!
So… what options do we have today for these throwback-sounding treasures?
Teaj’s Regal RD40V Resonator
My Own Swampy-stringed Reso
Oooo… fancy inlay!
First, I’ll just throw out here what I play currently: the Regal RD40V.
I played through a bunch of resos some years back and took home the one that sounded best to my ears. Interestingly, it was NOT the most expensive one. In fact, I was floored when I realized that a much more expensive Guild guitar (a brand I’m a huge fan of!) just didn’t sound as good as the one I took home. Whodda thunk?!
I’m always listening mostly for how things will sound in the studio, since that’s where I spend most of my time. This unit didn’t come with electronics, but I didn’t care since I mic everything up from multiple angles whenever I record any kind of acoustic guitar. The sound is great – metallic bite but still with an undercurrent of warmth due to the mahogany body.
It fits nicely within a band mix too. I use it for doubling and panning in tandem with a regular acoustic guitar. Of course, if you’re ready for some slide, tune down and take it away on this one… it’ll get the job done with grit, gain and gumption!
The Name Game
Since there’s some confusion about all the monikers these instruments have, let’s take a moment to clarify. If you hear people talking about a “Dobro guitar” in our day and age, it usually means, simply, any resonator guitar. “Dobro” over time became like the word “Kleenex” – less of a brand name and more of an adjective for a certain type.
Though most people today use the two words interchangeably, Gibson, who now owns the Dobro name, is quick to point out the differences in their resonators compared to others (Hint: it’s mainly in what type of metal cones are used). Still, they’re basically all the same instrument, but built with differing types of metal amplification cones.
About the only time I wouldn’t use the term “Dobro” is when a reso has THREE metal cones. That was the design of the original National resonator guitar, before the Dobro company even existed.
Resonator guitar with flat neck
Lap or Strap?
You have two choices if you want to play a resonator guitar:
a LAP reso with a square neck
a CONVENTIONAL reso with a rounded neck
Within these two decisions are other factors to consider:
String action, and
Playing position
A lap reso will typically have a very high action, so you won’t be fretting any notes on the instrument at all. Instead, you’ll play solely with your steel bar or bottleneck slide. This type of reso is typically played on your LAP, not across your chest in the Spanish style. The square neck lends itself to more stability as it sits on your leg.
If you go with a conventional curved-neck dobro, you’ll wear it with a normal guitar strap across your chest and be able to fret notes on the lower action, AND use a bottleneck slide.
I’ve only seen performances live with conventional players, but you can find lots of both kinds on YouTube (along with a dancing man in a horse mask cooking wild mushrooms. Um… yea). In fact, in trying to finish this article, I’ve spent more time watching some AMAZING reso players on YouTube than I wanted to. But, hey… inspiration’s worth somethin‘, right?! 😉
Cord or Mic?
As with any guitar, reso guitars can come ready to be amplified or not. Some sport piezo pickups, some internal mics, some even a combination of both, or… some have nothing.
Which you choose obviously depends on the types of crowds and venues you want to pursue.
It’s also an option, however, to buy a reso now that has no electronics and simply install them later. If you can’t do this yourself, there’s usually a music store or luthier somewhere near you that can do it for you. I’ve used this method with a couple of guitars. It enabled me to buy the guitar at a cheaper price, get proficient on it, then add the amping later when I had more money and was good enough on the instrument to use it in concerts.
Wood or Metal?
There is a real difference between an all-metal Dobro guitar and one that has a wooden body. Different types of songs and music will call for each of these different approaches in construction.
I actually prefer the all-metal body for a lot of things, but especially for recording. As soon as you hear an all-metal reso, you instantly know this is NOT your papa’s acoustic! The resos that have a wooden body, on the other hand, are often very subtle in their difference, and thus not as instantly recognizable as something “other”.
To see a really good video of the different sound between the two, CLICK HERE.
Spider, Biscuit or Tri-Cone?
Resonator Tricones
I know – hard to believe we’re saying these three words in the same sentence! The reason? They’re each a version of resonator guitar construction. Let’s break ’em down:
The Tri-Cone Reso: This is the very first kind of reso ever made by Dopyera. If you take the top metal cover or faceplate off of this guitar, you’d see underneath three separate convex cones, each one designed to amplify the sound on its own. Combining the three of them gave the musicians in the late 20s and 30s the bigger volume they needed to compete with those #$%!@ horns!
These have a more complex engineering, so they’re typically more expensive. They have great sustain tho’, and a more complex robust sound, distributed more widely because of the number of cones. Slide players are big fans of this type.
The Biscuit Cone design
The Biscuit Bridge Reso: These dobro guitars look different from the tri-cones, so it’s easy to tell them apart. Under a metallic cover plate, there is an inverted cone, looking convex, with a small black piece of wood that’s called the “biscuit”. The saddle that the strings are set on rests in a slot in this black biscuit.
This type of reso is used a lot in Delta Blues. It produces strong fundamental frequencies, but not so many overtones. It also has a very quick, strong attack, but not so much sustain. Some say it sounds “dirtier” than the others.
The Spider Bridge Reso: This take on resonator is probably the most popular, just in sheer terms of market demand. It gets its name from the spider, or
The Spider Bridge design
spider web, type of look of the whole bridge assembly. There’s a lot more string vibration dispersal with this type, since there’s so many places where the bridge leads to the cone.
The spider cones also sit under a metallic cover plate, but its cone appears concave. Then, on top of that cone sits a spider-web-looking structure that supports the saddle and strings.
A Dobro Soundwell
Underneath the whole spider bridge assembly, there’s also usually what’s called a “soundwell”. This looks like a tambourine without any jangles on it – just a
round band of wood. If it’s a quality soundwell, it will be hard wood and have large holes in it to disperse the sound throughout the body cavity of the guitar.
To see a video showing you a biscuit type and a tri-cone taken apart, GO HERE!
To see the innards of a spider versus a biscuit type reso, CLICK HERE!
From the Mouth of Babes!
Mike Franks with some of his hand-made guitars
Well, actually… sorry. I couldn’t find any hot babes with resonator guitars, so…
… I had to interview Mike Franks. LOL
Kidding, Mike!! For those of you that haven’t yet been introduced to Mike Franks, by way of my article that expounded on the outstanding craftsmanship he poured into making my #1 acoustic guitar, check out THIS POST!
Otherwise, let me just say that you’d be a rare player indeed if you ever met as skilled a luthier and devotee to the guitar-making craft as Mike. His instruments are one-of-a-kind, hand-made, lovingly perfected, and an timeless JOY to play.
Including Dobro-style models! So because he is uber-familiar with the engineering and structure of resonator guitars (having built so many), I asked him some pertinent questions about these Delta-grinnin’ beauties. Here’s what he has to say:
Roll tape! Er… I mean,… Hard Drive!
TEAJ: So, Mike, how did you first start making resonator guitars?
MIKE: Well, I was always interested in resos, so when I finally really wanted to build them I went into (a local shop), and I took down and played everything they had hanging there, and, honestly, I thought they all sounded bad.
TEAJ: How do your resonator guitars differ from the ones typically sold at music stores?
MIKE: Well, there are three things that separate a well-made Dobro-style instrument from the posers.
TEAJ: What are they?!
MIKE: Well, I’ll tell ya. First, the raw materials: Most resonators you find out on the market are made out of sub-par wood – many even out of plywood! If you want a great guitar, you have to start with great wood, otherwise you might as well stop right there!
TEAJ: And the second feature?
MIKE: Second is the acoustic contribution of the body: Most music store options have a flat back, and a flat front. Take a look and you’ll see what I mean. That flatness doesn’t lend itself to resonating very well. So they don’t project as well and they have less harmonic content.
My guitars have an arched front and back, so you get a lot more sound and many more frequencies pouring through the F holes or sound ports on the face of the guitar.
To get a real feel of how LIVE a guitar’s back is, do this: turn the guitar on its side, strum the strings, and feel the wood on the back. If you don’t feel much vibration, then you have a pretty dead back and it’s not gonna contribute significantly to a great-sounding instrument.
But if it’s rounded, as my guitars are, it’ll contribute greatly to tone and volume, because of the parabolic effect causes it to resonate more.
TEAJ: What about the third thing?
MIKE: Finally, if you want a really good resonator guitar, you have to consider the quality of the cone and the spider. If you take a look at most mass-produced resos in the music stores, their cones are merely cheap, STAMPED cones, meaning they stuck a thin piece of inexpensive aluminum into a stamping machine and, in one crush, out pops a sub-standard cone.
To really resonate well, across the musical spectrum, the aluminum has to be hard, thin and hand-spun. Like drum cymbals! Just as the best drum cymbals are spun by experts, so the come out sounding all dead or floppy, so too are the best resonator cones only produced by few experts who really know what they’re doing.
The only two people that I trust in the world that really know how to produce superlative cones are Quarterman and Beard. Their cones are hand-made, hand-tuned… made with a flexible lip around the edge so the cone can vibrate easier. That’s what you need for a cone to sing. And when it does it will have a clearer sound, longer sustain, and more overtones.
TEAJ: What style of resonators do you create?
MIKE: Well, I’m a traditionalist, so I’m focused on the sound, more than anything, not trying to create some new design that’s never been done before. If it ain’t broke, ya know…
For all the resos I produce, I use the single-cone spider bridge design. This spider type of engineering is always warmer and louder to me from the other designs.
The guitars I make aren’t exactly like what the National company, or the Dobro company made, but they’re typical of that approach.
I also use solid mahogany for the body, solid ebony for the fretboard; brass for the tuners and other small parts. No cheap, second-rate parts anywhere – just parts and materials that perform great long-term.
TEAJ: How many resos that you make are ready for electric amplification?
MIKE: Well, that’s an interesting question. I’d say… probably about 50% to 75% are made to plug in. Ya know, most of the people buying my guitars are out there touring and playing a lot, so they typically are going to need amplification ’cause they’re with a band.
TEAJ: And what amplification electronics do you use?
MIKE: There’s really only one company that I think is worth it: Fishman. If I’ve made a Dobro with a square neck, which is usually played with a steel guitar bar, then I put in their “Jerry Douglas” set-up. If I’ve produced a round neck reso for a customer, based on all their preferences, then I’ll stick their “Nashville” system in.
(Editor’s note: For a thorough walk-through these systems and to learn why Fishman is ‘top of the heap’ for resonator electronics, check out THIS VIDEO.)
Clinesmith Resonator Guitar, C. Knowles
Slap Down Your Dough For A Dobro!
Thanks, Mike! Excellent stuff, and you can tell he knows his business. To see some of the finest guitars ever made, go to his website at mjfranksguitars.com. If you’re like me, you’ll need a towel to catch all the G.A.S. drool – fair warning!
If you want to read more detailed info on resonator guitars, besides all that we’ve covered here today, check out Wikipedia’s POST HERE. It’s got a lot more juicy bits and nitty-gritty beyond the scope of this article.
Really though, your best bet is to simply… BUY ONE! You know that you can only truly understand an instrument once you’ve played it. So go pick and grin! If you play it enough, you and your Dobro will enjoy yourselves into quite a reciprocally beneficial relationship… one that just might find you developing your own style.
Are you already an experienced resonator player? What styles, tunings or neck do you prefer? What Dobrophonic string explorations have inspired you in the past? Tell us in the comments so we can pass your insights along too!
In the meantime, pardon me while I just kick mah boots up down at the Delta, and let the sun warm my face as I let some diminished 7s fly…
Last Tuesday, the beloved guitar company, Gibson, filled for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. They put all their cards on the table in a grand acquiescent fold, and now the chips are falling where they may.
And they’re not in Gibson’s favor.
Even Guitar Center is in the cross-hairs of potential bankruptcy, being in debt today. They will probably make it through, though, because of uber-fans that have come like superheroes to its rescue in THIS REAL ARTICLE.
It is real, right?
So, was all this monetary loss a surprise? Or was it expected? Depends on your level of awareness, and/or cynicism.
One thing’s for sure: the music business has changed, and not only we musicians, but the companies that serve our interests (and our G.A.S.!) must change with them.
The Pundits Punt in
I read and listened to and watched lots of experts in our field kick around this news story recently. They’ve given many reasons why the debt has amassed so out of control, and they have enumerated at length all the many things Gibson did wrong to get them here.
One of the top slams against them was the “Robo-Tune” feature that they premiered on some guitars. Players hated ‘cuz it, uh… didn’t really work! Was that enough to put them in the dire straits they’re in today (cue the Knopfler track)? No.
Was it the buying up of many other businesses to widen their market influence? That certainly had a significant effect. I’m not going to say that Gibson is innocent of making some unwise financial decisions. They clearer over-reached their gamble in hopes of winning a bigger slicer of the pie.
But here’s what I found interesting: I heard none of them speak about how WE, the buyers of their gear, influenced, exacerbated, or perhaps even created the problem.
Why would I think we had anything to do with it? Well, let’s see…
To Eat, Or Not To Eat?
… maybe because… we’re not rich yet?!
Of course, one day we ALL will be rich: once that song becomes a hit; once our tour sells out; once our merch’ is depleted from rabid fans; once…
Yea, we keep the dream alive. But for right now, I dare say, a fair majority of us musicians are in the habit (somewhat forced, admittedly) of finding THE BEST DEAL we can find on the gear we’ve got G.A.S. for.
Otherwise, we might have to go without Top Ramen for the sake of a new gear piece.
More than we already DO. lol
Did you know that full-time U.S. musicians earn a median wage currently of only $39,899per year? Um, yea, that probably has a little to do with it.
Would we have more drums, more mics, more guitars… if we didn’t have to eat? Oooooh, most deeeeefinitely… !!
So, if we are typically having to either go without gear, or buy it at rock-bottom dollar wherever we find that, could our frugality have affected not only Gibson, but the whole music industry of late?
I believe so. Here’s why…
The Music Times, They Are A-Change-in
in the last ten years significant new sales tools were given to us in the Buyer’s Market that we NEVER HAD before. These tools have leveraged our buying power to unimaginable new heights, giving us the ability to, like never before, amass really exceptional studio gear and instruments for a SLIVER of the cost we used to have to shell out.
In other words, we get cool gear AND get to keep a lot more money! We obviously have nothing against the music gear companies. They have every right to make a living just like we do.
But when new, cheaper purchasing funnels are discovered, monopolies are broken up, and money is dispersed over wide new vistas, away from where it used to normally be gathered, a heavy toll must be expected for the businesses that were the “only gig in town” in former days.
This is exactly what we’re seeing happen today.
So what are these tools, that we now brandish with burly buying power like a singing “Excalibur”?
Oh, come on… you know. Because like me… you’ve got ’em bookmarked on your home page too!
Make Way For EBay
The first tool that revolutionized my music buying habits was EBay. Upon looking its potential almost a decade ago, I soon discovered that pretty much everything I might want to buy is already on EBay for, many times, hundreds of dollars less. Add to that the fact that, most of the time, the only drawback is a scratch here or there that no one would notice anyway, and you can see why I was soon buying almost all my gear via EBay.
Granted, you have to be careful to buy from reputable dealers, but it’s so easy to check those stats on EBay that there’s no excuse to try it. I can tell you, straight up: every single piece of used gear I’ve gained through EBay has worked flawlessly. In fact, the only gear that’s given me issues, repair costs, and ultimately had to be thrown out as useless have been things I bought in a retail store! Every time. Go figure.
The other incredibly useful feature of EBay is the ability to search for “Completed Listings“. It’s under the “Show Only” menu selection on the left side of the home and search page.
Once you use this on whatever you want to buy, you can see what dozens, if not hundreds, of people have recently paid for the item in question. In other words, you get an instant look at the current going rate, or market value, of the instrument you’re interested in.
Once that’s done you can look at auctions that are not completed yet and be able to confidently set your “highest offer” price, based on the completed sales you just monitored.
Oh, and I also noticed in the last decade that I was not the only one switching over and no longer hitting Guitar Center as much. Most of my musician friends were doing the same.
Nail in coffin #1.
Craig, and His Most Entertaining List
The second tool to surface in the 2000s was Craigslist. If you haven’t discovered this wonder of wonders yet, let me tell you: once you start using this website, you probably will never go back. It’s addictive. Aaaaaand… it saves you a ton of money.
Why? To find out, take any piece of gear into any music retail store. Ask them to give you a trade-in price for it.
Then ask them this: “Could I get more money for this if I sold it myself instead of trading it in?” Most sales assistants will be honest, as they have been with me, and they’ll tell you, yes, you can get substantially more if you sell it yourself. Many just don’t because they’re in a hurry, they have serious G.A.S., and can’t wait!
If you still need further proof, go to the Internet, and compare the price they just gave you with the prices you see for the EXACT SAME ITEM on EBay or Craigslist. You’ll see what I mean.
Any retail shop will not give you what your instrument or gear is really worth, because that’s what THEY will have to sell it for. Instead, they must give you substantially less so they end up making SOME bit of profit. And these days, their profit is dwindling smaller, and smaller, with every passing new website.
The only caveat I give with Craigslist is you must USE the piece of gear before you hand over the money. Most things work great, but I have played through a couple things that I ended up not buying because it had a defect of some kind that the seller did not disclose, either because they didn’t realize it (yea, right) or they conveniently left out that little detail.
I have seen on Craigslist, however, that most people are honest, helpful and take good care of their gear like I do. At least half of the guitars on my wall did NOT come from any retail store. There’s a reason.
Do they all work flawlessly? Ooooooh, yea, baby.
“But wait,” you might say, “we used to buy used gear before. We just looked in the Classified ads.”
True, but do you remember how many ads there were, compared to how many listings there are on Craigslist or EBay? A much smaller percentage. The reason was because it wasn’t easy or convenient to have to try to finally get through to the newspaper and spend a loooooong time giving the particulars of your ad. And most times…HELLO! It cost MONEY to place an ad.
Does Craigslist? Nope. Quick, free and easy.
So, do you think thousands of us no longer going into a big box music retail store and instead using the Internet has had an effect on their business?
Oh, look – who’s that flying through the air?! It’s Captain Obvious!!
Nail in coffin #2.
Dizzy From the Savings Goin’ Round!
The third venue that has aided me in my G.A.S.-y quests again and again is the fine establishment called “Music-Go-‘Round“.
I had never heard of this store until about five years ago. I was driving by one of our local malls and happened to see its sign and said, “Hm. What’s that?” I stopped in and discovered a gold mine. Of savings!
Music-Go-Round is a store whose mission is to take in your used gear, and sell you other people‘s used gear. There’s sundry little items that are new, like strings and capos and the like, but otherwise everything in the store was (hopefully “gently”) used by someone else at one time.
I have a great relationship with Chris Wilson, the manager at my local Music-Go-Round in Troy, MI. We know each other by name, greet each other warmly, and have what I consider a good reciprocal relationship.
I teach music in my studio, so I always tell my students about the store, and have even driven with them there to show them what a great place it is if you need gear and want to save money. I also check with Chris first, before I buy anything. This helps support both a friend and a great local store that is SO worth having at our disposal.
Chris, then, gives me the best deal he can, based on demand, inventory and the money he already has into whatever instrument I’m looking at.
Together, we have completed many a transaction, and my studio would look, and SOUND, a lot different without him and his crack bunch of audio nerds. Of which I am proudly one. lol
Now, do you think having a whole store full of used gear at great prices and good quality, has made a dent in the profits of the big box retailers and manufacturers??
I’ll just say… nail in coffin #3.
Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On
So our industry keeps feeling the earthquakes of the Internet revolution. It’s amazing to think that we really have only been using the Web for a couple decades, yet already we wonder how we ever got along without it… and never wanna go back.
I mean, come on… who doesn’t like Siri telling a joke or singing? lol
Anyway, I think it’s time we as musicians started raising our hand and saying, “Yea… I contributed to this problem, and here’s why”, so the manufacturers and retail shops understand… it’s all about that dirty bottom line. We know shops have overhead costs to maintain their brick-and-mortar presence, but if it means hundreds more from our pockets… we’ve gotta go elsewhere.
Secondarily, it’s about convenience… like the convenience of not having to leave our home AND saving money at the same time.
What do you think? Have your buying habits changed, like mine did? Do you do most of your shopping online now? Do you get an Amazon box almost every day on your doorstep, like my family does??
And finally, do you think we’ll still see the big box audio chains survive?
I personally hope we can all find a way to make it through and thrive, not just survive, but to do so, it means being honest about what’s really going on, and not keeping blinders on to the little revolutions spinning all around us.
Let us know your thoughts in the comments, and how YOU would solve the whole issue.
In the meantime, I feel the need to get real wacky and practice the Locrian scale. I know – what’s wrong with me?! ;-o
Every once in a while you see something that just makes you stop. You have to take notice. You cannot NOT see it. It’s just that… striking!
Once such moment for me was when I saw for the first time, in utter incredulity, the inimitable Hussein Yoga. No one should be able to do what he does. It’s… it’s just…
Well, see for yourself:
The amazing Hussein Yoga. Trying to find a guitar pick?!
See what I mean? You’ll never forget that now. Tho’ maybe you want to try?! lol
What does Hussein’s incredible litheness have to do with the Ovation Balladeer guitar? Simple: FLEXIBILITY. Obviously Hussein has it in spades, but so does the Balladeer.
Why?
I’m so glad you asked… 😉
Can’t Drive 55
Ovation has been making guitars and gaining speed for 53 years now. Only two years away from a Hagar Cabo Wabo party! They obviously know what they’re doin’ after that long in the game.
Here’s something you might not know also: in 2015 Ovation was purchased by Drum Workshop! Makes total sense, right? Uh… (?!!)
You have to hand it to Ovation historically: they came up with a truly revolutionary way to build acoustic guitars and it actually worked. And it built for them not only a great reputation, but also a loyal following.
Now, not everybody likes Ovations. There are plenty of “wood purists” who would never dream of putting any kind of polymer on a guitar body. And others just don’t like how the rounded back looks. Or the odd headstock. Or the…
You get the point. I, for one though, see a lot of merit in their design and am a fan of having an Ovation as a second or third guitar. I’m still a bit of a purist in that if I only had one guitar, it would be all wood. So… I guess I’M a bit old-fashioned now! lol
Well, Isn’t That SPE-cial?
The Balladeer first came out in 1966, was discontinued, and then re-introduced in 1993. My Balladeer Special S771 was made in ’05, and retailed for around a thousand bucks. It was American-made in New Hartford, Connecticut (not Korea as some of their other lower-price models), and production of it was finally halted on it after a long, successful run in 2009. It features the following:
a solid A-grade spruce top w/ hand-rubbed finish
a mid-depth cutaway
Lyrachord body
A-bracing (previously only available on high-end models)
I like that I can record this guitar with both microphones AND direct out of its preamp and end up with great, usable signal from either source, no matter if I’m finger-picking, or really going at it strumming.
In fact, going direct when playing live in a band, it 1) sits in the mix great, and 2) sounds like a real, wooden acoustic and has great tone.
Tone, tone, tone. In either setting, that’s what rules the day, right? To that end, I know I can grab the S771 anytime and get a really good sound immediately without a lot of fuss.
Bu-YAH!! 😉
This guitar is also extremely capable and consistent for those who, like me, mess with bizarre tunings and capos a lot.
I had one instance where I wrote a song in an extreme drop-C tuning and went from quiet, intricate finger-picking on the verses to aggressive strumming on the chorus. I tried a couple of my other, more expensive, guitars and, guess what? They didn’t sound good at all during the chorus.
So I thought I’d try the Balladeer. BOOM! Problem solved.
Again, it comes down to flexibility; I’ve found that this guitar can handle whatever you throw at it really well and allows you, via its preamp, to sculpt the tone however you like, within the given EQ slider parameters, of course. If you want 24-band notch EQ controls, well… call up your DAW for that!
The Electronics “boat”!
Another excellent feature is this all-in-one electronics “boat” that sits snugly on the guitar side. It’s really cool, in that it comes out in one piece, looking kinda like… well, a BOAT, and without any attaching cables or cords. This enables you to swap out the battery with ease, within seconds, if needed.
The chromatic tuner does all that it should normally, but it also has this useful addition: ever have to play with a piano and it’s slightly flat? Or some other instrumentalist whose axe is… shall we say… not dead on?! Well, with this tuner you can tune one string to the instrument that is off-pitch, designate that as your comparison pitch, and tune the rest of the strings relative to the off-pitch string. Outrageous!
You’ll also notice this acoustic has no bridge pins to lose or break. When you change strings, you simply thread the strings from the bottom of the bridge, through it, and up and over the saddle. Nice, and a lot quicker too.
Finally, the feel of the neck and fretboard are fantastic. The action is nice and low but with no accompanying buzzing ever.
Granted, I give my guitars yearly maintenance, but still… Right from the get-go, the Special felt like but-tuh, baby!
En Guard!!
The Cherry Burst Balladeer
If you look at the red Balladeer to the right, you’ll notice that it does NOT show a pickguard.
If you were an astute observer earlier, you’ll remember that mine DOES have a pickguard.
What gives??
Well, I’m a pretty aggressive player at times, if the music’s uptempo enough, and I knew after playing my Ovation just once that if I didn’t buy a pickguard for it, I’d end up fairly quickly with a similar approximation of Willie Nelson’s guitar “Trigger”.
So, I hopped over to Amazon and picked up one that I thought would really complement the finish and wood of the Balladeer. There’s dozens of options so I knew I would find something good. And, boy, DID I! I love how it looks now. When I see pictures of the normal Balladeer now, to me it just seems… naked.
You may have also noticed (if you’re a REEEEEEEALLY astute observer!) that my strap pins are different. Yep, those are Strap-Loks. I even put ’em on my acoustics.
What can I say – I’m an energetic performer and that calls for… precautions! The Balladeer as it ships from the factory has normal strap pins.
Round Up
There is one thing about playing Ovation guitars that some just never get used to: the round back.
If you’ve never had an Ovation on before, it feels really different – mostly because the back is smooth, as well as rounded. It can definitely slip around a bit, unlike traditional squared-off guitar backs which pretty much stay in one place when you’re jumping around on stage.
Now, I haven’t had it influence my playing negatively, so I don’t have a problem with it. In fact, if I ever want to get a little more precise and do some finger-picking or what-not, I can slide the body easily to whatever angle I want in a jiffy. It actually ends up being a plus.
Still, some people just don’t like how the rounded back feels against their torso. Different strokes for different folks.
I suggest if you are serious about testing out the Ovation sound for your own music that you go try one on for size. Play it standing up, as if you’re in a concert, and just see if it’s okay with your own personal sensibilities.
Or do like I did and just order it. I mean, come on… if the sound is great, are we really going to be picky about how the back feels?!
When You’re Spoiled Rotten…
The OP-30 electronics system
If you read THIS POST on this year’s best Tuners, then you know I’m a stickler for being in tune. I have grown so used to being dead on in pitch through the years, thanks to my Petersen tuner, and so spoiled by its excellence and constant exactitude, that the tuner that is on board this Ovation just isn’t precise enough for me.
Would most people think it’s off?? Probably not, but if you’re finicky, you might want to just use your preferred outboard tuner.
Precision usually comes at quite a cost. I don’t expect any tuner built-in to a guitar to be uber-precise, at least not if the guitar is below a thousand bucks.
Like I said, you’d probably think it’s fine, but I had to do the reveal. Here at Serious G.A.S., we’re an open book!
That Sound Outside Your Window
A smooth axe among artists!
Whether you’re a pro and want to add another dependable acoustic-electric to your mix for live playing OR for studio recording, the Balladeer will do the trick with polished, full-spectrum flair.
If you’re in love and want to serenade your beloved from down below a warmly glowing bedroom some summer night… well, it’ll work for that too, and not break apart from the heat like all-wood guitars might!
All in all, I wouldn’t trade this guitar for anything. It’s provided me with too many really good recordings, and given me all the flexibility I’ve needed in countless live gigs and studio sessions. ‘Nuff said!
Where Do We Go – o Now?!
So, because the S771 was discontinued in 2012, where do you go if you want one now??
Well, you can probably find some on EBay, or Reverb, or Music-Go-Round, but if you want something new, with a warranty, then opt for Ovation’s follow-up to the S771 – the Standard Balladeer. It has pretty much all the excellent, American-made options that the S771 did, but with the electronics upgrades that is quieter than ever.
Oh, and I also like that now you have a volume knob instead of just another slider sitting next to the EQ sliders. A much better choice, since we’re gonna be reaching for the volume a lot more than the EQ.
We are guitarists, after all. lol
That Deserves A Standing…
Have you played an Ovation? Have you captured their sound for your recordings? How do you weigh in on the Ovation “feel” of its polymer back?? Leave a comment and let us know.
In the meantime, let’s all get back to practicing or writing, and go… make… sounds!!
… full disclosure, right here, right up front, before I even talk about the EVH 5150 iii: I’m a huge Eddie Van Halen fan.
Whenever I struck a rock pose or played air guitar in front of a window or mirror with friends, (before I started the real thing, of course!) I was usually mimicking Eddie.
Okay, maybe sometimes David Lee Roth too. LoL
When I started learning guitar, Eddie’s licks were the ones I spent the most time on and first ventured to master.
When I continued progressing, and really decided to pursue this as a career, song after song of his I studied and honed (sometimes painstakingly by lifting a RECORD PLAYER needle over and over again!) to slowly build up an arsenal of his stylistic tricks.
Our cat Pimenny loves EVH corner!!
If you’re asking “What’s a record player??”… oh, never mind!
And when I want to learn a really inspiring new song to this day, I still dip into Eddie’s repertoire to find something amazing.
Studying his unique approach has expanded not only my mind, not only my skill set – his decisions in the recording studio have dramatically influenced how I produce a GOOD guitar amp tone.
So when I talk about the EVH 5150 iii amp, just know that there was probably no way possible that I’d DIS-like it… unless Eddie really screwed up the engineering and quality, which I’m very happy to say he did NOT!
Does it have some weak points? I found one, but even that was addressed and fixed as of this year, as we’ll discuss later in this article.
So, let’s put this snarky puppy through its paces and I’ll show you what it can do…
… and why I rarely play anything else! 😉
Me~Wise~(AMP)~Magic!!
My own personal EVH set-up consists of the ivory 5150 iii 50-watt head, connected to the ivory 5150 iii 2×12 cabinet.
These two units were perfectly engineered to connect to one another, such that you can slant the cabinet back on the two steel legs that are on each side of the cab, while the head stays securely fastened with two hefty bolts on either side.
I love that, because now I don’t have to have any of my guitar fed through my monitors if I’m using floor wedges – my amp and cab is pointing right up to my ears so I always hear it perfectly, no matter what anyone else does.
If you’re using in-ear monitors you’ll need a little guitar in them, but I still leave it pointing at my head so I don’t need as much. Obviously you’ll need to discuss this with your soundman to come to a happy medium… we’ve all had our share of “you’re too loud” sound engineers, right?! lol
I have to add to that, not only is it a great design from the sound standpoint, these two units LOOK outrageously cool and impressive when slanted back and delivering the goods. Whenever I take this rig on a gig I feel like a proud parent or something about it – it’s grown up to be everything and more that I could’ve dreamed!
Because of its small size, the amp is easily carried at 35 lbs. Or, since the cabinet is on wheels, just stick the amp on the cab at your car and wheel the whole thing in… easy-peasy.
My 5150 with protective cover… ready to get giggin’!!
My amp still to this day looks brand new, and I attribute that solely to my EVH cover which has kept it in immaculate condition. If you ever try to resell your 5150 (for the 100 watt-er maybe?!), you’ll be glad you picked up this inexpensive but dependable accessory!
Chicken Foot Heads!
The front panel content gives ya what you’d expect on an amp, no surprises. All you need to craft your sound is right under your fingertips.
Eddie chose chicken head knobs for his amps. A great choice! I much prefer these to other smaller, rounder little nubs that you find on other amps. When you’re a long way into a stage gig, sweaty from being under the hot lights, it’s a lot easier to grab one o’ these chicken heads than the others, lemme tell ya!
This 5150 iii comes with TWO CHANNELS. Both of them have the same controls:
Gain
Low
Mid
High
Volume
There also one global PRESENCE knob on the front that makes an interesting modification to both channels and, obviously, to your sound if you want it. It definitely adds some sparkle to the tone, as it’s basically boosting the ultra-high frequencies. I usually have mine set at around noon.
That’s it! Nothing too pretentious or complex, just strong, basic sound sculpting controls that are easy to finesse, just like Eddie has always preferred it.
Take Me BACK!
The rear of the unit gives us a lot of options for hooking up other gear, as well as further tailoring our tone a bit.
Besides the obvious things you’d expect on an amp back, they also included a number of helpful additions:
a MIDI port, which is really helpful if you’re hooking up any MIDI-capable processor, like I did
a Preamp Out, with which you can send your dry, unprocessed signal to a mix board. I’ve done this once, but won’t again, because honestly the amp sounds SOOOOO much better mic’ed there’s just no comparison. You could also use this to go into another amp or another amp’s Effects Return tho’.
A Resonance knob, which will globally increase your low frequency response if you feel your fans are thinking “Where’s the beef??” I have mine set at almost full, but that’s just me… I like to be the elephant in the room when I solo. lol
Load Impedance switches that allow you to use this amp with 4 Ohm, 8 Ohm, or even 16 Ohm cabinets. You want versatility… you GOT it!
Because of the extreme LOUDNESS of this amp (don’t let the ’50 watts’ moniker fool you!) I only run one speaker cabinet out of the amp, but there are two ports should you choose to go all surround-sound on us. ‘-)
Eruption… of Sound!
This will probably never, EVER be needed!
This amp is loud.
VERY loud.
So loud that I rarely have to turn it above noon. Seriously. And if I’m playing live, every sound guy has asked me to have it at about 8 o’clock. Can you believe that – eight o’clock!!
I don’t know how they did it but this 50-watt-er is just insane when it comes to volume. In fact, that’s the main reason I didn’t buy the 100 watt version. I tried them both, playing the 100 watt one first, and found that… dude, I will probably NEVERRRRRRR need more than the 50 provides.
And the 100 watt-er? If you want any buildings demolished I have a better idea than calling in the wrecking balls… Just play the first power chord of “Eruption” with that amp set on full gain and volume.
There’ll be nothing left but quivering rubble.
Everybody Wants Some… of This TONE!
I’ve owned lots of amps over the years, but this one is still my favorite. I can’t tell you how much the tone inspires me when I play it because… well, there just aren’t enough glowing adjectives!
The first and the second channels (that both share the same controls on the left side of the amp face) are my favorites. Here’s the best way I can describe them:
Want clean and crisp? This delivers it in spades.
Want to NAIL the sound of Eddie’s tone on the track “Mean Street” (which I did!)? Look no further; you have arrived at your holy grail tone destination!
Now, you can fiddle with the controls to get tones that don’t match the Van Halen records too, especially if you’re playing guitars that are very unlike what Eddie uses. I, however, LOVE the fact that I can nail his tone with this amp and his guitars. It’s incredible. It’s awe-inspiring. It’s… it’s…
Sorry. Don’t mean to get all fan-boy on you, but I’m truly sincere when I say that I will never, ever get rid of this amp. It’d be like selling off a ’65 Corvette Stingray – you’d have to be insane!
If you want to actually here the tone of this beast, “As Is”, as VH would say, jump on over to THIS POST and scroll down to near the bottom. There you’ll see quite a few recordings I did with the amp using NO EFFECTS, just the sound of amp itself, on both the Clean and the Crunch channels.
And did I have a blast doing that?? Oh, yes… oh yes I DID!! :-0
Might As Well JUMP!
This amp is 5-starred almost everywhere you click (just check out THESE REVIEWS to see what I mean!), but there is one issue that plagued the amp when it was first introduced – the VOLUME JUMP.
Foot pedal that comes with the amp
If you get a 50-watt-er from before 2018, when you change from the Clean channel to the Crunch channel, with either the “Select” button or your foot pedal, there is a significant boost in volume, at least if you are below about the noon setting for Volume. So much of a boost that your sound men will want to pummel you if you click into Crunch-land without fixing the large jump in loudness.
Was it a deal-breaker? Obviously not, because I bought it even tho’ I heard it plainly.
The good news is that now, as of January of 2018, both of the 50 watt-ers available this year, the 6L6 AND the EL34 versions, have concentric dual knobs on the front, that allow you to set the Volume and the Gain knobs separately for the Clean and the Crunch channel. EVH obviously listens to its fans and went the extra mile to resolve this issue swimmingly, so… Fender – YOU ROCK!!
To tell the difference I’ve put these pictures up: knobs like those on the RIGHT, that are completely white, are the old models. Knobs like those on the LEFT, that have the black circle around the knob, are the new models that give you separate controls. Easy to tell which is which when you know what to look for!
If you do have an older one (or are considering picking up a “formerly loved” model!) there are lots of ways to easily fix this niggling issue:
Put a “Boost” pedal in your signal chain
Install a 10k voltage divider to 42k. This will raise the clean level to match, tho’ it will increase the gain slightly.
Buy the Conversion Kit that mods all older models to fix the jump. Kits are due to hit in the 4th quarter of 2018.
Use a programmable guitar processor and program in the volume adjustment.
I personally went with option 3 to resolve the issue. It gives me the most flexibility and control possible.
The unit I use (which I’ll do an article on soon) is the Digitech GSP1101. It’s a Guitar Preamp/Processor that is specifically designed to be transparent enough that your amp tone isn’t sucked away.
The 1101 is a perfect match for the EVH 50 watt head, allowing its stellar tone to charge right on through, while at the same time providing any effect you could possibly want immediately and cleanly.
By the way, I personally use the 4 cable method to interface with my effects. I started running my rig that way about a decade ago and I’ll never go back. Things never sounded better. If you’re unfamiliar with that, check THIS EXPLANATION out.
Finally, if I’m recording with the 5150 and I want all the beefy tone that comes with high volume settings, but don’t wan’t the whole 2nd floor of my house to cave in, I put the Mesa Boogie CabClone in the signal flow between the amp and my cabinets.
That sucks up a TON of the dB but leaves me with rich, chocolaty sonic richness that leaves one salivating for more – a virtual LAVA CAKE of TONE!!
Of course, when you have gear this good, it does present a quandary… do my music students stay with me so long because of my teaching skills…
… or my AMP?!! lol
Finish What Ya Started…
In the final analysis, what is it guitarists want out of an amp, really?? I think it boils down to these three:
Great tone
Long-lived reliability
Flexibility
The 5150 iii 50 watt head certainly gives you all of that, and much, much more.
For all the specs and to get this monster for yourself, let Musician’s Friend safely send you one today!:
Now, obviously tone is a very subjective subject, and what might sound like gold to one shredder will flop like prairie patties to some other axe-man or woman. But either way, this amp definitely deserves attention as one of the best amps available today, with an excellent track record for longevity and road-worthiness and, if you ask me, a tone to die for.
Questions? Comments? Got a 5150 yourself? Thinking of taking the plunge into one? Lemme know in the Comments. Amp-ey love is meant to be shared… dispersed… AMPLIFIED!!! 😉
Why? If you guessed “to see the mouse”, well… you’re kinda right.
I’ve been a long-distance runner since high school. I love the trial of pushing your limits and finally reaching the goal after giving it your all. It’s how I try to live life.
So, I’m here to do both the Disney Star Wars 10K & the half-marathon, a combination they call the “Challenge”.
More medals to hang above my sock drawer? Check. But for our purposes, these races remind me of how to be a successful musician. Or should I say, how to be a successful anything? The elements of achievement really don’t change that much with differing career paths. Progress and advancement come down to a few, simple things really, and we can all do them.
Notice I said simple… not easy! 😉
Tools Along the Way
If you’re going to do anything well, you need the correct tools that will enable you to complete the task. Imagine lumberjacks with no saws or axes. Or NASA without computers. News channels without predisposed political views.
Just kidding. But you get the point. To succeed as a runner this weekend, my tools will be:
a pair of Asics running shoes, called the “GEL-Kayano 23“. They’re my second pair in this line, because I can run farther and faster in them, with no pain or discomfort during or after, than any other shoe I’d tried before. The right tool for the job, no question.
a mostly vegetarian DIET, with careful emphasis on legumes and nuts so I get the requisite proteins needed to rebuild muscle after running.
a MUSIC PLAYLIST that includes some of my favorite songs that keep me in a specific running tempo range. Without these killer tunes to keep me wired and inspired during a race, I know I wouldn’t do nearly as well. Heck, I even play air drums on a couple as I push through the final miles!
My BODY. Keeping it in top form means daily making good choices about food, exercise and environmental conditions. It is, after all, my most important tool of all!
Being a true musician, in the same way, requires great tools like these. This business is no different than any other profession or task we set out to accomplish – if we fail to gather in the best tools, we will rarely be a force to be reckoned with in the industry.
I know, I know, there will always be those who’ll say, “But if you already have one guitar, why would you need another one??” Patiently explaining to them that it’s the same reason a painter doesn’t just use white might do some good.
Then again… it might not. If you’re playing country, you need a Tele. If you’re playing pop, your keyboard had better have lots of usable, modern sounds, as well as vintage patches. If Americana or folk is your thing, you’d better have a stellar acoustic.
A good Tele will always raise your marketability!
So, to sum it up, if we’re going to make good music, we must do all in our power to have two things:
the right COMBINATION of instruments and gear,
the highest QUALITY of instruments and gear.
With this two-pronged preparation, we’ll be able to play at the top of our abilities and, because of the instrument’s inspiration, even exceed them.
Paths of Education
If you want to stay ahead and not behind, both in music AND in running (literally), you need to TRAIN well in how to best utilize your tools. Knowledge is always power, and having extensive insights into your music gear is crucial.
As a runner, I’ve studied how gait, pronation, shoe choice, foot type, breathing techniques, body movement and many other things come to bear upon my running. Each one of these areas of study opened my mind to possibilities, and gave me understanding that helps me to avoid injury, the bane of any consistent runner.
To be a long-term musician, we also need to STUDY. ALL… THE… TIME!! I’ve been at this a few decades now, and I still see there’s soooooo much more yet to learn. I feel like I’m just now becoming my best player self, yet there’s still vast room for improvement.
Still, I’m learning and writing new songs, practicing to become adept at new techniques, trying methods I’ve never needed but that might unlock new skills, and never, ever locking myself into one style or approach, but rather being open to wherever inspiration might lead me, no matter how off-the-wall (you go, Michael Jackson!).
Roads of Consistency
This morning I finished the 10K. Tomorrow morning at 3 a.m. I’ll go line up in a corral to be ready for the start of the half-marathon. Do you think I’d be able to finish both of these at all, in two days, if I hadn’t practiced? It took months of preparation to get here! Outside, inside, on roads, on treadmills, on old train track paths… each long and winding road played a part in prepping me for success this weekend.
In a similar way, these days I’m pretty adept at some of my instruments. When I think of why, it’s an easy answer: I kept picking up those instruments again and again and simply played them. A LOT.
Now, we don’t have to play those instruments or fiddle with that gear. In most cases, no one’s making us. Except for some drive within, we could never touch ’em again and no one would be that bothered.
But hopefully… we would. They compel us. They motivate us. Day after day, they inspire us… onward… to higher heights, better chops, swifter licks. It takes listening daily to their voice. This is our COMMITMENT to our craft. Anything less than consistent just will not do.
One of the things I tell all my music students (all the time!) is that if they can get on their instrument every day for some amount of time, even if it’s just ten minutes, it’s better than trying to cram a lot of rehearsal into a few hours one or two days a week. Muscle memory just doesn’t develop as well when given inconsistent practice with lots of time off between efforts.
Do you practice a little every day, to hone your muscle memory into a seriously impressive music machine?! Do you say “No!” to other things in life in order to instead woodshed and craft your technique into a sharp weapon of musical warfare?? Do you spend so much time with your instrument that you notice you are developing your own “way” of playing things, an innate style that’s all your own being drawn to the surface?! Then you, my friend, are going to go the distance!
Highways of Perserverance
While you’re pursuing excellence on your instruments, with your gear, there will always be set-backs.
Not only will life send huge storms in around you to keep you from your goals, other people and your own thoughts will at times summon up violent storms within you that will threaten your resolve, destabilize your commitment, shake your faith.
To prepare for this weekend’s races, I had to endure cold and rainy weather, a water heater dying, a writing and studio production schedule that was increasingly demanding, meetings and family events that took me out of town…
But with THIS weekend in mind, I consistently trained and prepared my success this weekend.
Are you preparing for your success?
There will always be all kinds of life distractions trying to keep us “too busy”. Doesn’t matter. We either endure, or fold.
Now, there’s no shame in admitting sometimes that life seems to be conspiring to boot you out of the musician’s circle. There’s nothing wrong with admitting sometimes it hardly seems worth the struggle.
But it is. So remember this wise adage: “The road to success is dotted with many tempting parking places.”
And as Edison said, “Many of life’s ‘failures’ are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.”
Don’t let that be you. Commit to your destiny as a world-changing and influential musician and just… keep… going!
On the Right Track… of Reason
If you’ve tried to pursue music seriously, you’ve probably heard this one:
“Have something to fall back on.”
Walk like an Egyptian!
Now, I’m actually not going to argue with the logic and wisdom of that suggestion. There’s a reason why “triple threats” (those who can sing, dance AND act) are highly desirable and honored in Hollywood – they’re good at more than one thing! Who wouldn’t want to be awesome at several things instead of just one?!
But what I do stand against is those who would try to talk you out of a career in music because it has no guarantees and provides little fortune and success most of the time.
What in life IS guaranteed?? And is lots of money really a goal worth pursuing over other more important things, like fulfillment, inner joy and daily inspiration?!
Why do I run races like the ones this weekend? Because I genuinely LIKE TO. It’s fun, and though it might be hard to believe, after the races I actually feel better inside in many ways. Is there pain here and there? Sure. But nothing in life worth doing comes without a little discomfort.
As I mentioned in my “look back at 2017” article (read that HERE), it’s one of the toughest times I’ve ever seen to be a musician, and especially a songwriter, which is my primary passion. Streaming has all but decimated music sales revenues, which is how most classic artists made their bundle in the past.
But obstacles can always be overcome, or circumvented, or even OBLITERATED. Each of us has legitimate REASONS to be working in the music industry, and for most of us, it’s because there’s nothing else that moves us so deeply inside, and inspires us so consistently.
We simply can’t imagine NOT doing this.
Regardless of the hardships, current or past, if we keep the faith, work our craft daily, make wise financial decisions, and pursue good working relationships with each other, genuinely wanting to help all of us through these times, we will see the impossible become possible.
It’s amazing what humans can accomplish together. Even though we can go far just on our own I believe we’ll go farther if we enlist the help of others that we trust.
In the final analysis, if you are truly called to music, it won’t let you leave. You’ll be drawn to it again and again, moth to flame, bear to honey, shark to blood.
Meet ya in the water. 😉
The Finish Line
The last energy bean to chew on is this: to maintain an overall positive “fitness level” in the career of music, it’s imperative that you define, quite specifically, what constitutes “SUCCESS” in music to you.
Here are some options that I’ve wrestled with and seen fellow musicians adopt:
Fame/notoriety for yourself
Monetary riches
A steady stream of gigs
Fame/notoriety for the songs
Nice outcomes if you can get ’em. But consider this: they are all things you have LITTLE CONTROL OVER.
You can certainly market yourself well, network, put out every potentially desired merch… but at the end of the day it’s not your call whether people want and like your stuff.
So if you define your success by these first four, you’re going to constantly be at the mercy of public whim. And public whim is, as we know, oh so fickle.
Keep writing! Keep playing!
Now consider these definitions of success:
Being true to your own style/leading
Consistently progressing as a musician
Always working hard to be YOUR best
Committing to being better today than you were yesterday
These are things that you DO have control over. Every day. And that means youhold the reins of your advancement. It means you’ll not have to wait for anyone to accomplish what needs done, according to your timetable, and your decision of what is the important next step.
With these last four options as your defining lighthouse of victory, you will never feel lost at sea, or end up emotionally shipwrecked. Instead, you’ll be calling all the shots and remain in control of what’s really important – your career as you wish it do be.
Whichever option(s) you pick, just know they will dramatically impact your daily attitude, direction and level of perseverance. Make your decision carefully, because your choice will define you… for a long time.
So… what is your finish line? How will you know every day that you’ve “made it”?? What is now your personal benchmark of success??
Your answer to this will define you, and dominate you for years to come.
THIS is your Matrix moment. Choose your pill wisely. 😉
The Longest Journey…
The sun is going down behind the palm trees now, and since 3 a.m. comes early, it’s time for me to sign off and prep for a few hours sleep before my loooooong run in the morning.
Like music, running is something that inspires me. It keeps me thinking of the future: the possibilities; the chances for victory; the potential to be better than I’ve been.
Whatever instrument you play, or gear that resides in your studio, don’t give up on their abilities to turbo-boost your musical achievement. You are capable of things you can’t even imagine. Your success, as youdefine it, is possible.
Let that vision empower you for the days to come. If you’re here, then you’ve already taken the first step of the longest journey, and that was the hardest one. Now just keep running strong and true, with all that you’ve got, to the completion of your vision.
Cheers!
And afterwards, let’s all go for a drink to toast our victory!
Now, go… make… sounds!!
P.S. If you, like me, are a musician AND a runner, try this trick for fun and rhythmic progress (especially if you play drums):
Most people breathe in simple 4/4 time to their footfalls and/or their music.
Try mixing it up! If your pace or music is in 4/4, try breathing in 3/4. Or (even harder, I find) try triplets or dotted quarters. It’s an interesting, fun way to study music even when you’re pushing your body to new limits. Not to mention it gets your mind off the “12 miles to go”!!
