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Home , Buddy Whittington, Dusty Hill, Frank Beard (musician), In Your Face Tour, Moving Sidewalks, THD Electronics

Mountainview Publishing, LLC INSIDE tthe The Rev Delivers the Goods from The Player’s Guide to Ultimate Tone TMTM the Woodshed ! $10.00 US, October 2002/VOL.3 NO.12 Report Billy F. Gibbons 10 Lighten Your Load with a classic Les Paul Special

11 The Radiators’ Dave Malone on Tone from the Bayou!

19 The Electro- Harmonix Holy Grail Reverb

www.tonequest.com cover story

WWelcome, Señors and Señoritas. We resume our exploration formed a feisty combo The Jazzy Five, followed by The into the mysterious realm of tone, and this month our journeyy Gibbons Brothers Band , appearing in the upstate New York begins midway between and San Antonio in a little resorts. Full out 30’s elegance… and a bit of ragtime, shabby town called La Grange. You know how that story goes... The sheik to boot. creepin’n’ shuffle boogie intro to “La Grange” exploded into one of the most unique and recognizable tones on the TQR: Jimmy Reed is credited as a most important influ- planet, compliments of Billy F. Gibbons and that Little ol’ ence. Why Jimmy Reed in particular? Band from . YYou gotta hand it to the Rev... with just one note stroked from Pearly Gates, there is no absolutely no The JR simplicity is nothing short doubt who’s in charge,ge, and that’s a high wire act matched by of infectious. It grabs you quick. A a mere handful of players in the long and colorful history of pure and accessible sound, which the guitarr.. is always still around. Two and drums is the ultimate trio. We caught up with Mr. Gibbons in his hometown of Houston, Jimmy Reed, and also the Big Beat and it was a good hang. ZZ Top has ridden high on the charts Master , Bo Diddley… Street-sim- with a ton of hits over the past 30 years, yet the band and ple and elemental, with an unex- crew are a completely down-to-earth outfit lacking any of the pected complexity of the inner hubris that often infects successful artists and their ‘people.’ workings of tremendously toneful We spent two days in Houston talking about Billy’s unique trios. Bo Diddley on guitar, vibe and how he nails it,, and as you might expect,ect, many sur- Clifford James on his solid snare, prises await, so let’s get to it!! and Jerome Green’s propelling maracas. All quite intriguing. Loud became the move. TQR: What was the first exposure to this strange music that set ya’ll on the path to play the ? TQR: So LOUD electric guitar was next?

BB King, Jimmy Yeah… single cut, single pickup Melody Maker with Reed, Muddy a Fender Champ amp. Waters, Little Walter, Howlin’ TQR: Damn… you got right on it, didn’t you?? Wolf, Elvis, and Houston blues Yessir… That was ignition! radio! It started way early… these TQR: I suppose your garage band scene was not far are just a few of the behind? many that stand as the inventors of this fine American art form. The challenge Yeah. At first, just bangin’ and jangin’ things after school, remains to attempt a refreshed interpretation of the magnet- chasing blues records. Some buddies also picked up the gui- ism of the blues. tar, and a guy a couple of streets over with a set of well-beat drums, well, that was it. It was on. The unlikely aggregation TQR: YYour dad entered the picture about that time, yes? The Saints started runnin.’

Indeed. He enjoyed entertaining, spanning a remarkable TQR: WaWas there any particular mentor, or was it picking career, from concerts through the motion picture business, things up on your own? and all points in between. He developed quite a wide range of creative expressions… The back rooms blaring the likes of Chuck Berry and Little Richard took over. TQR: A house full of music,, no doubt! TQR: SoSo The Saints provided a genuine beginning! Si, Señor! Most certainly… neighborhood parties, always out of control TQR: YYou’ve got ties from England, correct? – always real gone. Truly reckless. The Stones suddenly jumped on the scene, playing their version of classic R&B Yes. My poppa and his five bro’s hangin’ in New York with their different twist, and providing even more influ- -continued- 2 TONEQUEST REPORT V3. N12. October 2002 cover story

ences. I organized a new group and recorded a tune, “99th at Gazarri’s Floor,” released on a local Houston label, which fortunately on The Strip. caught on over the region’s radio stations. Out of town calls I saddled up and bookings started showin’ up. We loaded up a station along side wagon and headed out of town. Nuthin’ but a blast. the drummer to redesign TQR: Is “99th Floor” still available? the lineup back in Yeah, the original version is to be included in a new ZZ Top Houston, boxed set. It’s furious and fuzzy. Texas. After looking TQR: And the name of this new band was… around a bit, we found a The . By that time we were guitar, bass, friend of drums, and keyboards. There was a brief time when soul ours who was an accomplished Hammond B3 specialist. He music was the rage and we briefly added horns to the band, also kicked bass pedals, which filled out the sound, and that’s but the tough sound of a combo was tighter. all we really wanted.

TQR: What kind of guitar were you playing? TQR: What kind of music were you playing?

A white ’63 Jazzmaster . Stabbin’ at that cool look … match- We kept all the blues influences, and then the psychedelic ing stuff … Fenders and blonde piggybacks. scene captured us. One of the first psychedelic bands ever – – actually coined the term psyche- TQR: Definitely a style, Amigo. delic. Their first record was called The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators , and they followed that with an Oh, yeah… two blue album called Easter Everywhere. frame 12’s behind maroon grill cloth – full TQR: We’ll check that out. Another heavy acid band from volume. Then Vox started that period were Blue Cheer , and that was a direct, making an appearance on 4-way hit. the scene. Vox were the biggest things we experi- Oh, man… I loved that band. When was that… 1967? enced. From the rare Vox tube models moving on TQR: Yes, when they broke out with “Summertime to the super chrome- Blues…” framed towers. Meanwhile, I switched Loved that song. We went out to see them one night, and not the Jazzmaster to Fender only were they the loudest band we had ever heard, but that Esquire. And with the was the first time we had ever seen a drummer use cut-off inherently thin, cutting broomsticks for sheer power (laughs). Esquire, Vox made the sound pretty hairy. Those circuits could really bark. TQR: You retained your 3-piece organ trio?

TQR: What happened on the heels of “99th Floor” and Yeah, we changed the name from The Moving Sidewalks to the subsequent Moving Sidewalks releases? ZZ Top, and we cut a single in 1969 titled “Salt Lick,” backed by a track called “Miller’s Farm.” It was named after a ranch we’d been given access to. We set up at the ranch house and We continued performing throughout Louisiana and you could play as loud as you wanted and bothered no one. Mississippi – mostly southern stuff – and in 1968 we were signed to appear on the tour along with the TQR: Did you come up with the idea for the name of the band from Paris called The Soft Machine. We played a num- band? ber of shows in Texas and a few in Arizona, and wound up in California twisting off on our own for awhile. We’d play a Yeah… we practiced and wrote material for about six or so, middle of the week gig at this joint or that, then Friday nights and the drummer and I decided on recruiting our buddy from -continued- TONEQUEST REPORT V3. N12. October 2002 3 cover story

Dallas to play bass, Billy Etheridge. He originally was ning. Marshalls and humbuckers. rhythm guitarist in one of Jimmy Vaughan’s first groups out of called The Chessmen. And then, Etheridge intro- TQR: Is that when you began to really hone in on what duced me to drummer , who quickly established we would consider to be “your sound?” the now famous backbeat. And Frank then recommended

auditioning another Dallas bassist, . Frank and Pearly Gates Yes. Things took another Dusty worked together in Dallas, and made for a solid step up a month later rhythm section. when a friend called and said he knew a farmer TQR: Rock solid and tight, indeed… with an original Les Paul. He kept it under Yeah, Dusty did a few pickup gigs around Houstontown, and his bed and rarely took Mr. Beard’s offer to join an afternoon jam session. We played it. At that time I did a simple blues shuffle and it lusciously lasted for three was driving an old 1930s full hours. We looked at each other and said, “Man, this feels Packard automobile, and pretty good.” That’s what went down. I gave it to a girlfriend so she could get out to TQR: What gear was on the deck at this time? California to audition for a part in a movie. She We still had Vox, the old made it and got the part, Esquire, an Oyster Pearl and swiftly sold the Packard and sent a check to me. I Ludwig kit, and, of course, remember the day her letter arrived, and immediately struck a Fender bass. Then we met out toward the farmer’s place and said, “How ‘bout $250 for Jeff … We hung that guitar?” He said, “Fine,” and that’s Pearly Gates. around with his outfit for awhile and noted a strange TQR: An original Texas gee-tar… amp even bigger than the Vox. Man, it did sound It sho ‘nuff is. great. We had discovered Marshalls. Beck ’s road TQR: And what followed was the culmination of one of manager had contacts at the most distinctive, unique, and recognizable gui- Jim Marshall’s factory back tar tones on the planet… in the U.K., and suggested he score a couple of stacks for us. They were the 1969 Super Leads, and as soon as they arrived, Well, it did take we jumped over to them immediately and never looked back. some time to Now, when I met Beck, he was playing his sunburst Les Paul. develop, and there Shortly thereafter, the Group album came out… was an evolution what a great record. in progress, but all of these little indi- TQR: So Beck was playing his ‘burst… cators… seeing Beck, and then Yeah, I kept asking around and discovered that Gibson had Pearly Gates Clapton with one discontinued them. The original sunburst Les Paul as we all of these guitars, and Mayall through his brilliance, finding so know it, now long gone, got replaced by the Les Paul SG. At many wonderful guitarists like and Mick Taylor. the same time, and the Bluesbreakers appeared, They were all playing these sunburst Les Pauls. and on the back of the album cover was a picture of with a ‘burst and a 2x12 Marshall Bluesbreaker TQR: And ZZ Top was off to the races… combo. Well, I saw that, and thought there must really be something to that guitar. I didn’t have much technical knowl- Yeah, we had met this individual who had an interest in man- edge at that time, but noticed the pickups on the Les Paul agement. He had come down to Houston with another friend were larger than the pickup on the Esquire, plus there were of his to see us perform with . He ran a record dis- two of them. A buddy of mine, Red Pharoah, had a guitar tribution agency in Houston that happened to handle London with a couple of those pickups on it, so I bought it… a 1958 Records, which was the label for and Flying V. I picked it up for $300, and we were off and run- Mayall. Well, Mayall had organized a U.S. personal appear- -continued-

4 TONEQUEST REPORT V3. N12. October 2002 cover story

ance tour, traveling alone from town to town. More often than some of our cherished contemporaries, like the late great not, he would get a hankering to put together impromptu jam Doug Sahm, Jimmy Vaughan, and of course, Stevie… Also sessions, and would usually inquire who might be available the work of John Mayall and his line of infamous to handle a couple of hours of the blues. And that ’s how we Bluesbreakers, who have continually provided a source of met our soon-to-be manager. Being somewhat familiar with mystery and entertainment. our work, we got together and it was a classic scene. He brought out some cigars and said, “I’m going to make you a TQR: The first time we heard Buddy Whittington on a star.” With our handful of songs, we piled into this 1968 record we thought, “Now, who the hell is that?” Buick deuce and a quarter – a big old land yacht – and drove to a little town in east Texas. We cut the first ZZ album at (Laughs) Yeah… and another great player, James Hard Robin Hood’s on the Texas/Louisiana line. That studio Harpin’ Harmon is a fine entertainer who would be just as already had a couple of national hits with J. Fred and the happy walking onto a stage at 9 p.m. opening a show or Playboys, Mouse and the Traps, and a lot of the big soul strolling in at midnight as the headliner. bands from southern Louisiana…The Boogie Kings, GG Shinn and the Rollercoasters, Cary Ray and the National TQR: You can righteously be accused of having created Soul Review… all from Robin Hood’s. They had the momen- the perfect marriage of the smokiest, greasiest blues tum and knew how to do the do. A preview of the ZZ record- riffs slithering around the ka-ching of monster big ings reached a few labels, with London Records showing a time Top 40 lyrical hooks and tongue and cheek keen interest. I said, “Man, that’ where The Rolling Stones imagery… a tall order, indeed. What’s the voodoo are. Let’s go there. behind your song writing success? Is it more inspi- ration by accident (“I was playfully engaged with a TQR: In regard to your playing and your fine, fine signa- warm snifter of Reposado one evening when ture guitar tone – you mentioned an ‘evolution’ had Mescalito appeared…”) or do you just sit down and taken place over time. We might say a revolution deliberately create another hit? considering the impact you made with Pearly… Looking back now with the benefit of hindsight, The mystery behind the magic of ZZ Top is an engaging how were your influences as a guitarist continuing endeavor… We take the latest composition and go to the to develop and become more defined, from Tr é s woodshed, where we place Frank Beard at the opposite end Hombr é s, onward? of the room where Dusty and I are set up. We then deliver the goods, and at the end of the day we ask Frank what it is he A most interesting thought we said? Usually, it’s an interpretation that is so far question… A revisit removed from what was actually written, yet it’s usually bet- of the vintage record- ter than what we had originally started with earlier in the day ings from some (laughs). favorite blues per- formers, including TQR: So there’s still room for the happy accident coming Muddy, Little Walter, from the ZZ woodshed. BB King, Clifton Chenier, It starts out with the two bearded boys posing a challenge to Howlin’Wolf, and the the beardless Mr. Frank – “Where’s it going, and what’s your all-time longstanding interpretation?” favorite, Jimmy Reed. Oddly enough, as many times as one revisits these timeless, TQR: How has your stage rig evolved from the early days unchanged recordings, different ways to look at the blues as with ZZ Top to the present? You’ve credited the Les an art form continue to appear. As soon as you think you’ve Paul ‘burst and the Marshall Superlead… got a bead on exactly what’s going on, at the very least you discover something that might have been overlooked or inter- The Marshall and Pearly were the energized origin of the preted in a different fashion. My interest in the blues still sound of the ZZ Top trio, enjoying the acquisition of some rides high. really exotic critters that we’ve since collected over the years. We managed to build a couple of stacks of guitar rigs on TQR: Were any of your contemporaries or blues heroes of either side of the drum riser, and in essence, we have Dusty the past inspiring your playing and songwriting? pounding out his thang on a Fender 4-string, (which is basi- cally a low guitar in the band), and the Reverend Willy G We all have our personal influences, and it’s worthy to note slamming out his thing on a high bass … and we have Mr. -continued- TONEQUEST REPORT V3. N12. October 2002 5 cover story

Beard in between. Over time, there were some interesting It’s a mouse excursions into guitar design centered from that one corner- trap which is stone element… Pearly Gates was the mystery factor that still not founded the sound of the band, and that particular sonic ele- completely ment was the one to be acknowledged. All of the creative understood, excesses we’ve made managed to succeed as playable instru- yet, it is one ments while retaining the tonal qualities still found in Pearly of the key Gates. features in the old Bo TQR: Were you putting Seymour Duncan’s Pearly Gates Diddley pickups in a lot of the custom guitars you had built records. for ZZ Top tours? Steve Melkisethian Yes, and we also had the goodly assistance of Angela Instruments had stumbled across one and sent it of the Gibson Custom Shop, the Fender down thinking that we might be interested and perhaps even Custom Shop, Seymour Duncan, Mr. John find a use for it. Bolin’s outfit out of Boise, Idaho, James Trussart, Tom Anderson, WD Products, TQR: How long ago was that? Warmouth… the list is endless. I should also mention the late Eric Yunker. It is a Pre- Eliminator . We framed it somewhat idealistic approach, entering as a quizzical shelf piece in brave new worlds without compromising our studio and on one after- tone, taste, or tenacity. As most instrumen- noon, one of the great talists know, you could grab the first six Houston engineers, “Willy the guitars on an assembly line and the last six Workingman” took the on the line and none of them will necessari- DeArmond over to the con-

l e e T ly sound the same. In the final analysis, it’s sole to see what this thing was o o b basically meat on metal on wood At the all about. It rattled and shaked m … a B same time, you’ve got a complex and tumbled and quaked, and collective of different grain struc- we thought it was a little bit tures and wood from different of insanity, but it sure sounded stands of trees held together by good. new glue, old glue, and sometimes no glue… Pickups are wound with TQR: He had taken it over to the console and he was run- 42 gauge wire that might have ning the guitar signal through it? been dipped in lacquer one week and something else the next. Yeah, he had it plugged up and we said, “What is that doing Thanks to the stalwart persever- over here?” to which Willy replied, “We’re gonna find out.” ance of people like Seymour As you know, the DeArmond has reached a point with me Duncan, Lindy Fralin, DiMarzio, Rio Grande, and others, we that has gone beyond the point of being ridiculous, yet if you now have insights into the unknown. can get one that actually works, they produce one of the cra- ziest, indescribable tremolo sounds… TQR: We live in the golden era of the guitar. We have more choices today than ever before. TQR: It’s a reddish blue, transparent throb which we find particularly satisfying on “What’s Up With That?” That’s the good news. And despite these disparate, unpre- on Rhythmeen. dictable elements, it really comes down to diggin ’ in deep for some creative soul and spirit, and from there you can sho Oh, yeah… ‘nuff make it happen. TQR: That track showcases the throb quite nicely. TQR: Now, the DeArmond tremolo is very cool, and we particularly liked it on “What’s Up With That?” and I think that’s an appropriate description of the sound. Thanks “Zipper Job” on Rhythmeen. When and how did to Bo Diddley and Steve at Angela Instruments, we have you discover it? another peek into the Wonderful World of Tone. -continued- 6 TONEQUEST REPORT V3. N12. October 2002 cover story

TQR: Your two pound hemp Tone Tubby, so we did a little experiment and loaded ‘bursts are quite the one cabinet with the two darker ones side by side and the thang… How’d they do other cabinet with the two brighter ones. Then we tried that, and what were you another cabinet with one of each in the same cabinet. Each thinking when you de- one of them has merits, and they’re all different, but we con- cided to gut them perfect- cluded that no matter how you stack it, that is one fine, fine ly good guitars? piece of product. They look great, but most importantly, they sound great. They are really stunning, and they stand tall with Sheer laziness… I got to anything – blue frame Jensens, 30 year- old Celestion talkin’ to some of my Les Greenbacks, the Vox Bulldog… you name it. All of the indus- Paul buddies… Jimmy try leaders are now standing beside another new individual, Page, Jeff Beck … even and it’s really cool. Eric Clapton… he kind of grimaces when you bring TQR: We couldn’t agree more. It’s not often that some up the Les Paul. “Hey, Eric, how about throwing this over thing truly new and cool comes along, just like your shoulder?” (making a “bad oyster” face and laughing). those old Dual Professionals in their time…

TQR: Well, we all kinda want him to play one again, ‘Lil’ Red’ & Dual Professional They were introduced which is reason enough for him not to. Eric seems in 1948, and I believe to be quite the contrarian… that Don Randall may have had some- That well could be. Even Slash … my two buddies from the thing to do with … Jimmy Vaughan even played one during his decision to build an early career, and there may be lingering memories of the amp that could hold weightiness of our favorite tone grinder. But the code has two speakers instead been cracked, and with a judicious approach to the modifica- of one. They didn’t tions, you can lift the load but still deliver the tone. know what to call it, and Leo looked over TQR: So what you’re saying is that many of our favorite his shoulder and saw players may have put the Led Paul down ‘cause it a box of metal name- was too damn heavy. plates that they used for their double neck That was one reason. Credit should be given to those that fol- steel, which was low form. Fashion may change, but this is an instance where called the Dual form must remain, even in the face of changing fashion. Professional. They reminded Leo that TQR: You’ve certainly stuck to your guns, Rev… the name was used for a Hawaiian guitar, and Leo said, “Yeah, but we have a You gotta have the tone, brother. few extra boxes of these names plates, so let’s just call it the Dual Professional, too (laughs). So, for the first run, they had TQR: Tell us about your fascination with the old tweed a double neck steel and the amp with the same name, and I Fender Dual Professionals. believe it was 1951 when they changed the name to the Super. Yes… by the way – the hemp Tone Tubby TQR: And you’ve been collecting them over the years … speakers were sent over to the studio last Yeah. They were only 18W-20W, and they varied somewhat. week. We had a couple Although the circuit boards were the same, the values of the of Dual Showman components and transformers could change from week to cabs, and you know that week. Thanks to the ingenuity of Leo and his staff, they were amp went through an evo- able to create a cabinet and an amp that was louder, and it lutionary renaissance, but fortunately, we had a couple of the sounded bigger than Dallas. The Dual Professional was one old, smaller 2x12 cabinets with the maroon grill cloth. Now, I of the interesting turning points in amplifier history. They’re didn’t realize that they make a “darker” and a “brighter” rare, and like guitars, each one has a peculiar personality, but -continued-

TONEQUEST REPORT V3. N12. October 2002 7 effects

techniques again), and the Victoria Reverberato is the shit, but it isn’t cheap either. Enter the Electro-Harmonix Holy Grail digital reverb very so often (not often enough), someone creates a tool unit. Buy one now. E that inspires us with its extraordinary ability to do what it was intended to do so well that it seems destined to become We first spotted the Holy an archetype among inferior pretenders. These small yet sig- Grail tucked inside Peter nificant discoveries are the bounty that awaits all who bravely Stroud’s effects rack. embark on the Quest for Tone (that would be you). As we Anytime you can find a continue to doggedly dog the tone, take comfort in knowing monster player who has that we will only bring home the good stuff. Bring it on been doubly blessed with home… dog ears and he happens to play in a band that affords him the luxury of using anything made by man, it pays to pay Yeah, Jimmy... Bring it on home. The last time we saw Led attention. We did. The Holy Grail packs some big time, Zep was in 1969 at the Indiana State Fairgrounds Coliseum believable spring reverb tone in a small and inexpensive (‘Hoosier’ for a cavernous brick barn with a dirt floor). package. We’ve been running the Holy Grail with our 1970 had an Echoplex and a violin bow with him on Park 75 50W head, and does it ever sound great! The springy that unforgettable 3 hour gigjam, but the reverb was supplied bounce is righteous, and the noise is tolerable. Yes, the Holy by dual Marshall Super Leads and 24 celestial Celestions in Grail is a little noisy. You won ’t care. Features are simple – the house. For two hours plus five encores, Page’s dual quar- three settings on a small slider switch – ‘Spring,’ ‘Hall,’ (gen- tets of red hot Mullard EL34’s unleashed a withering barrage uine Fairgrounds bounce), and a wobbly weebly ‘Flerb.’ Like of high-decibel Celtic code-talk upon our wilting innocence. cheap tequila, the ‘Flerb’ sound is available, and the intended The band might as well have been playing Madison Square effect is intense, but we’re not sure it’s all that good for you. Garden instead of Naptown’s horse palace that night (thank No matter. The Grail has one big knob to control the depth of you, boys). The crushing midrange snarl from Page’s Les your reverb vibe, and that’s it. Power is supplied by a 9 Paul relentlessly smashed against the Coliseum’s glazed brick volt/500 mA jack (power supply included), and you get a nice walls, screaming highs blew north in a wailing, reverberating little wooden box, all for the paltry sum of $99. The earliest vortex of luuuuuuuuvvvvvv, whilst the lows thundered down units made were not true bypass, but they are now. The Holy upon the horseshit and dirt floor of the Fairgrounds with such Grail is conveniently available from Analog Man, and since hideous force that our hearts felt as if they would be stopped digital effects aren’t usually his thing (there is no Digital by the gut wrenching smack of Bonzo’s kick drum and John Man), we asked him why he’s chosen to walk on the wild Paul Jones’ bass pounding in our chests. Now, that was some side by carrying the Holy Grail: ass-kickin’ reverb.

TQR: Given your deep experience with practically every Until now, you’ve had few good options if you wished to add cool production pedal known to man, what prompt- the ambiance of reverb to your sound. You could buy an old ed you to start selling the Holy Grail? Fender reverb box, buy a new Fender reverb We always try to offer any quality pedal that fills a void, and box, or throw down big the Holy Grail certainly does that. There is really no way to money for a Victoria build an analog reverb without using a traditional reverb tank Reverberato. Or maybe (a few have tried this in pedals with poor results to date), so you have an old TC as far as pedals are concerned, digital reverb has no real com- Electronics reverb petition. EH basically found a good chip (digital delay that stashed away... Most of can do all the processing with very little additional circuitry). the the Asian digiverbs It’s the Crystal Semiconductor reverb chip (CS4811), and it have fairly well sucked, isn’t very expensive. They built it up with just a few features the old Fenders are and it seems to do the job OK, except for a bit of noise at dreamy enough, but higher settings. If they have the (usually blue) switch with 9 expensive, the new lugs and wires are used in all 3 rows, it’s true bypass. The Fenders are not the earlier models used a black switch with 6 lugs. T same as the old ones Q (modern manufacturing www.Analogman.com

TONEQUEST REPORT V3. N12. October 2002 19 www.tonequest.com

coming in the FutureFuture Issues T oneQuest Report TM Editor/Publisher David Wilson Associate Publisher Liz Medley INTERVIEWS: Jim Weider Graphic Design Rick Johnson Joe Glaser EDITORIAL BOARD Analogman John Harrison Doug Roccaforte Stephen Bruton A Brown Soun Roccaforte Amplifiers Tom Anderson Tom Anderson GuitarWorks Johnny Hiland Paul Rivera Rivera Amplifiers FEATUREARTICLES: The Gibson Custom Shop Mark Baier Gregg Hopkins Victoria Amplifiers Vintage Amp Restoration Roger Sadowsky Guitars Ltd. The Blackstone Overdrive Jeff Bakos Phil Jones Bakos AmpWorks Gruhn Guitars Tommy Shannon Blackbox Effects Double Trouble Joe Barden K&M Analog Designs Joe Barden Pickups Todd Sharp Chris Kinman Nashville Amp Service AMPLIFIERS: Savage Dick Boak Kinman AVn Pickups CF Martin &Co. Tim Shaw Bogner Mark Karan Fender Musical Instruments Corp. Don Butler Bob Weir & Ratdog The Toneman Chris Siegmund Maven Peal Zeeta Ernest King Siegmund Guitars and Amplifiers Steve Carr Gibson Custom Shop Carr Amplifiers John Sprung Mike Kropotkin American PICKUPS: TV Jones Mitch Colby KCANOS Tubes KORG/Marshall/VOXUSA Peter Stroud Duncan – Seth Lovers Winn Krozak The Sheryl Crow Band Ben Cole Paul Reed Smith Guitars GHSStrings Randy Volin Tom Holmes Revisited Sonny Landreth Rockindaddy’s Guitars Larry Fishman More From Lollar Land Fishman Transducers Albert Lee Donnie Wade Buzz Feiten Andy Marshall THD Electronics Laurence Wexer ‘ Bill Finnegan Laurence Wexer Limited GUITARS: 58 Reissue Les Paul Klon Centaur Ren é Martinez Fine Fretted Instruments The Guitar Whiz Baker Ritchie Fliegler Lord Valve Fender Musical Instruments Corp. Greg Martin NBS Electronics Warrior Lindy Fralin Buddy Whittington ’ Terry McInturff John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers TQR s 2002 Acoustic Picks Billy F. Gibbons Terry McInturff Guitars ZZTop Don Young James Pennebaker National Reso-phonic Guitars Joe Glaser Nashville,TN Glaser Instruments Zachary Vex Scott Petersen Z Vex Effects Harmonic Design Pickups

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