31 Oct 2025

October 2025 – Vintage Guitar Gear Collections Within A Collection: Part II – CRAVE Effects

by CRAVEGuitars | posted in: History, Introduction, Observations, Opinion | 0

HI Y’ALL GOOD FOLKS. HOW ARE YOU DOING OUT THERE? The CRAVEman bids you a warm welcome and hopes all is as well as it can be, wherever you are on our precious shared planet. It is kinda a rhetorical question intended to encourage one to consider, albeit very briefly, the importance of one’s own health and wellbeing. I am not expecting responses. Honest. Well, here we are, heading irretrievably towards winter in the northern hemisphere. Gracious greetings once again, it’s fab to have you along in the abstruse alliterative arena of CRAVE Vintage Guitar Gear. I thank you, sincerely, for your attendance – it is genuinely and humbly appreciated. I’m sure you probably have much better things to do than join me in my repetitively random rants and ramblings.

Just a short up‑front re‑statement in support of my on‑going cultural campaign to promote humanity’s desperate need to bring peace and harmony to our divided, embittered world. Amity is not only about stopping existing conflict but also about preventing future hostilities. True and lasting peace can only be achieved through unceasing efforts to stimulate genuine understanding, co‑operation and tolerance. Reconciliation and peaceful collaboration should be a collective imperative for everyone on our only world. War is ignorance. Peace is wisdom. Simple. Apologies but this is my only platform to disseminate that vital message.

“Authoritarian societies are inherently corrupt, and corrupt societies are inherently unstable” – William Gibson (1948‑)

Prelude

Last month’s article looked at ‘Vintage Guitar Gear Collections Within A Collection: Part I – CRAVE Guitars & CRAVE Basses’. This month, we have the sequel, based on CRAVE Effects, which delves into the weird, wonderful and occasionally wild dark side of vintage gear to explore what vintage effect pedals are, what they do and why they might be of interest. Vintage effects are a bit of a niche interest and can often be overlooked by the mainstream ‘collecterati’, so they are by default of interest to your humble host.

Upfront, I really love old analogue effect pedals. I’ve owned some of my favourite pedals since the late 1970s and they are still going strong. It is probably needless to say that modern digital effects provide pristine, crystal clear tones, low noise levels, consistent and reliable power supply, and feature seemingly limitless combinations of control. Call me old school but the excellent new models lack that grubby, grimy imperfectness that makes the oldies the goodies. Some manufacturers recognise this and, alongside their modern DSP (Digital Sound Processing) based ‘computers’, companies reissue and/or (try to) replicate the vintage classics. However, from my perspective, these modern effects can be considered ‘too good’ in comparison, lacking a bit of warmth, soul and charm. An analogy may be like comparing a clapped out old Citroën 2CV with a brand new Bentley Continental. I’d actually go for the cheaper and decidedly more eccentric Deux Chevaux.

As with last month, this article’s featured quotes bring a few carefully selected thoughts about human ‘perception’ to the proceedings. As usual, no AI was used in the writing of this article, just the tired and worn out brain cells of your mentally atrophied author. Apologies for intellectual standards falling short of real intelligence. I did, however, use AI image creation for The CRAVEman image towards the end of this article.

“It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see” – Henry David Thoreau (1817‑1862)

Previously… on Collections and Collections within a Collection

There is little point in reiterating the original idea on which this article is based. If you wish to view/review CRAVE Guitars articles on the compulsion of vintage gear collecting and guitar/bass collections within a collection, those blogs can be accessed by following the links below (each link opens a new browser tab).

May 2025 – The Compulsion to Collect Vintage Guitars
September 2025 – Vintage Guitar Gear Collections Within A Collection: Part I – CRAVE Guitars & CRAVE Basses

Last month, guitars and basses were grouped by other criteria for an alternative perspective. Sadly, there aren’t enough CRAVE Amps to justify a similar treatment, so there won’t be a Part III. However, effect pedals just cry out for a different method for appreciating their vintage charm, hence this article.

“If the doors of perception were cleansed, everything would appear to man as it is — infinite” – William Blake (1757‑1827)

Effect Brands

Since the 1990s and particularly since the beginning of the 21^st Century, there has been an explosion of interest in, as well as supply of and demand for, effect pedals. The massive proliferation in effect pedals (way too many to mention here) is effectively excluded from this article on vintage pedals, as CRAVE Guitars has an arbitrary cut‑off of 1989. All the effect pedals featured herein all come under the heading of CRAVE Effects.

For the purpose of this article, a good starting point is to define the effect brands featured on the CRAVE Guitars’ web site. The ‘big four’ and ‘the rest’ are:

Electro‑Harmonix (EHX)
MXR
BOSS
Ibanez
Other – Colorsound, Dallas Arbiter, DOD, Dunlop, Jen, Marshall, Pro Co, Sola Sound, VOX

On the CRAVE Guitars’ web site (as CRAVE Effects), effect pedals are organised according to the de facto ‘standard’ way of cataloguing vintage gear brand. Like other vintage guitar gear, effects are usually referred to by brand, model and date. This is how effects are grouped on the web site features and galleries. It is also how I tend to keep track of the pedals in which I’m interested. Therefore, I am assuming that this standard methodology of curatorship is a given and I won’t expand on this further.

As mentioned on the web site, not all these brands are American. CRAVE Effects is the only part of the ‘collection’ where I extend the boundaries to include brands from across the globe. The reason is that these pedals were integral to the cultural zeitgeist of, particularly, American and British music from the 1960s onward, possibly more so than instruments. While I am usually pedantic about such things, I am flexible in this regard. ‘They’ say there is always an exception to a rule. ‘They’ also say that rules are there to be broken. ‘They’ should really make ‘their’ mind(s) up.

There are some notable effect brands missing from the above list, for instance Binson, Digitech, Maestro, Maxon (who made effects for Ibanez), Morley, Musitronics, Roland (who make BOSS), ROSS, Shin‑Ei, Thomas Organ, etc. The simple reason is that this article is focusing on CRAVE Effects and the ‘collection’ doesn’t have any of these effect brands (yet). As with instruments, the scope has to be limited, if only for my sanity. The point will, nevertheless, hopefully be made anyway.

For clarity, there are no rack effects featured here, even though some were common during the period covered (for instance from Roland and MXR). Also, there are no digital multi‑effect units or software effects, as these tended to appear more recently than vintage pedals.

“Everything hinges on how you look at things” – Henry Miller (1891‑1980)

Effect Types

The standard methodology, as you may have gleaned from last month’s article, isn’t the only way to look at things. Even more than instruments, effects fall relatively easily into an alternative, convenient set of groupings. It is this that I’ll be using for the rest of this article. This might prove interesting because it isn’t easy to view this perspective on the web site.

There are plenty of resources on the hinterwebby thingummy that suggest a variety of different effect types. I analysed these and I don’t necessarily agree with any of them. In the end, I went with my own intuition and came up with the following broad categories, noting that some pedals fall across or between these groups (for instance, compression and EQ often feature a clean boost and hybrid effects such as octave/fuzz, wah/fuzz and wah/volume pedals are commonplace). There are also some effects that could be classified entirely within a different category, for instance compression, which doesn’t easily fall within any category.

Gain Effects (e.g. clean/treble boost, overdrive, distortion, fuzz)
Modulation Effects (e.g. phaser, flanger, chorus)
Time‑Based Effects (e.g. reverb, echo/delay)
Filter Effects (e.g. wah‑wah, envelope follower, ‘synth’, ring modulator, EQ, talk box)
Amplitude Effects (e.g. tremolo, volume, swell, compression, limiter, noise gate)
Pitch Effects (e.g. vibrato, octave, pitch shifter, harmonizer)
Speciality Pedals (e.g. tuner, channel switch, buffer, power supply, effect loops)

Breaking the above groups down, there are around 30 different sub‑types, which provide a seemingly obvious way of looking at effects differently, something that I have not previously done with CRAVE Effects.

You may well argue that pedals grouped under #7 above aren’t effects at all and you’d be right. However, they are more or less, integral to many musician’s pedalboards, so for this article, they are included as an additional category. There are also some effects often used by guitarists/bassists that don’t fall into any of the above categories, for instance drum machines and loopers.

CRAVE Effects currently doesn’t have some effect sub‑types, for instance analogue synth, ring modulator, tremolo, limiter, noise gate, pitch shifter, etc. That means that there are some gaps at the time of writing. My aspiration is for the collection to become more comprehensive over time.

Phew! That’s even before we get started for real. Fewer words from here on in, mainly images – ‘they’ (again) say an image speaks a thousand words, so that’s what I’m banking on. Enjoy the colourful world of diminutive floor‑based stomp boxes with the following 7 headlines and 15 mini‑collections, each with an introductory section explaining what the grouping means for the sounds we hear.

“One person’s craziness is another person’s reality” – Tim Burton (1958‑)

Mini Collections 1 – Gain Effects (16)

Gain effects work by boosting the signal to varying degrees in certain ways. At its simplest, a clean boost will simply amplify a signal, making it stronger (louder). Used carefully, it can be used to overload the input stage of subsequent effects or (valve) amplifiers, causing then to start ‘clipping’ the signal – effectively flattening off a normal sine wave signal. In itself, an average clean boost doesn’t clip a signal. Overdrives take the principle a bit further by intentionally overloading circuits to force them into ‘clipping’, intended to produce a warm saturated valve‑like sound. Distortion effects inherently create a definite ‘clipping’ as an integral part of their circuits and present these already distorted sounds to whatever follows them. A good distortion effect will retain the core signature of the signal it receives. Fuzz pedals take the effect to logical extremes by forcing a sine wave signal into a brutal square wave signal, creating a wall of heavily distorted sound that can, if pushed, even obscure the original signal altogether.

Boost Effect Pedals (2)

Left‑right: 1976 Electro‑Harmonix LPB‑2, 1980 MXR Micro Amp

Overdrive Effect Pedals (4)

Left‑right, top‑bottom: 1980 BOSS OD‑1 Over Drive, 1985 BOSS SD‑1 Super Over Drive, 1981 Ibanez TS‑808 Tube Screamer Overdrive Pro, 1981 Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer

Distortion Effect Pedals (7)

Left‑right, top‑bottom: 1975 MXR Distortion +, 1981 BOSS DS‑1 Distortion, 1985 BOSS HM‑2 Heavy Metal, 1983 Ibanez SD9 Sonic Distortion, 1984 Ibanez SM9 Super Metal, 1989 Marshall The Guv’nor, 1988 Pro Co RAT

Fuzz Effect Pedals (5)

Left‑right, top‑bottom: 1977 Electro‑Harmonix Big Muff Pi, 1978 Electro‑Harmonix Little Big Muff Pi, 1975 Colorsound Supa Tone Bender, 1969 Dallas Arbiter Fuzz Face, 1976 Sola Sound Tone‑Bender Fuzz

“What you see and hear depends a good deal on where you are standing; it also depends on what sort of person you are” – C.S. Lewis (1898‑1963)

Mini Collections 2 – Modulation Effects (21)

Modulation relies, in theory, on a time‑based effect but they produce a distinctive sound. First of all, they retain the original signal. A phase effect will copy a signal and put it through an analogue delay circuit called a bucket brigade device (BBD). A BBD will store the original signal and delay it very slightly. Then it does the same again to the delayed signal and so on. This creates a delayed signal that is out of phase and mixed with the original signal – hence phasing. Controls usually feature rate and depth (strength). Flange takes the concept and extends it, producing a second audio signal and mixing it with the original, causing a swooshing or ‘airplane engine’ sweep across frequencies. Chorus works by layering multiple copies of the original signal and slightly detuning and delaying them, thereby creating what was intended to sound like multiple instruments. Chorus is often used to thicken and deepen the overall sound.

Phaser Effect Pedals (10)

Left‑right, top‑bottom: 1980 Electro‑Harmonix Bad Stone, 1977 Electro‑Harmonix Small Stone, 1976 MXR Phase 45, 1977 MXR Phase 90, 1982 MXR Phase 100, 1979 BOSS PH‑1 Phaser, 1981 BOSS PH‑1r Phaser, 1978/79 Ibanez PT‑909 Phase Tone, 1981 Ibanez PT‑909 Phase Tone, 1982 Ibanez PT9 Phaser

Flanger Effect Pedals (5)

Left‑right, top‑bottom: 1977 Electro‑Harmonix Electric Mistress, 1982 MXR Micro Flanger, 1981 BOSS BF‑2 Flanger, 1981 Ibanez FL301‑DX Flanger, 1982 Ibanez FL9 Flanger

Chorus Effect Pedals (6)

Left‑right, top‑bottom: 1981 Electro‑Harmonix Small Clone, 1980 MXR Micro Chorus, 1982 MXR Stereo Chorus, 1980 BOSS CE‑2 Chorus, 1981 Ibanez CS‑505 Chorus, 1984 Ibanez CS9 Stereo Chorus

“We don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are” – Anaïs Nin (1903‑1977)

Mini Collections 3 – Time‑Based Effects (8)

Delay effects fall broadly into two general types. The subtler of the two is reverb. It works by delaying the original signal very slightly so that the resulting sound creates a feeling of space, as if sound waves were reflecting of surfaces and gradually decaying. Reverb recreates sound wave reflections reaching the listener at slightly different times, for example in a large open space, such as a church, cathedral, cave, hall or empty venue. Echo effects basically do what they say on the tin. It copies the original signal and replays it one or more times with a delay that is sufficient for the brain to process it as a separate sound wave from the original. Originally tape loops were used to record, play back and then erase the signal. Solid state analogue BBD circuits superseded tape but are limited in clarity and the time between repeats. However digital delays can create very long delays with crystal clean echoes. The ultimate extreme of delays is used as the basis for modern looping effects.

Reverb & Delay/Echo Effect Pedals (8)

Left‑right, top‑bottom: 1987 BOSS RV‑2 Digital Reverb, 1977 Electro‑Harmonix Deluxe Memory Man, 1978 MXR Analog Delay, 1986 BOSS DD‑2 Digital Delay, 1982 BOSS DM‑2 Delay, 1984 BOSS DM 3 Delay, 1982 Ibanez AD9 Analog Delay, 1980 DOD Analog Delay 680,

“Beauty is no quality in things themselves: It exists merely in the mind which contemplates them; and each mind perceives a different beauty” – David Hume (1711‑1776)

Mini Collections 4 – Filter Effects (10)

Filter effects effectively add or remove certain frequencies within a signal thereby changing the tone of the signal. They generally do not affect the volume or pitch of a signal, just the amount of bass, middle or treble. The simplest of these is the equivalent of a passive tone pot on a guitar or bass being used to shape the sound. Putting a tone pot in a treadle and operating it with the foot creates a filtered tone sweep (the crying wah‑wah effect) when the signal is changed continuously or, if kept in a fixed position, create a sound with an emphasis either on bass or treble characteristics of the original signal. An envelope filter, derived from analogue synthesiser technology attempts to recreate the wah‑wah type sound electronically without the need for the player to control the signal manually. EQ (short for equalisation) can be a straightforward ‘graphic equalizer’ with different controls for different parts of the signal, meaning that the sound spectrum can be shaped very accurately. EQ can also be parametric, where one control selects a certain frequency and a second control varies the tone around that frequency (often found in recording studio desks). Counter‑intuitively, low cut filters preserve high frequencies and vice versa (also slightly more sensibly called high and low pass filters).

Wah‑Wah Effect Pedals (3)

Left‑right, top‑bottom: 1977 Colorsound Supa Wah‑Swell, 1980s Dunlop Original Cry Baby GCB‑95, 1980 Jen Cry Baby Super

Envelope Follower Effect Pedals (5)

Left‑right, top‑bottom: 1976 Electro‑Harmonix Doctor Q Envelope Follower, 1980 Electro‑Harmonix Zipper Envelope Follower, 1978 MXR Envelope Filter, 1985 BOSS TW‑1 T Wah, 1981 Ibanez AF 201 Auto Filter

EQ Effect Pedals (2)

Left‑right: 1981 MXR Six Band Graphic Equalizer, 1981 Ibanez GE‑601 Graphic Equalizer

“Though we see the same world, we see it through different eyes” – Virginia Woolf (1882‑1941)

Mini Collections 5 – Amplitude Effects (7)

Put simply, amplitude effects change the volume of a signal. They generally do not affect the tone or pitch of signals. Amplitude and frequency affects are often confused, for instance, tremolo (affects the volume) and vibrato (affects the pitch). They are fundamentally very different things. At its simplest, a swell pedal puts a volume control in a treadle that can be foot operated, giving the same result as a volume control on a guitar or bass. A swell effect is actually very hard to replicate electronically. Tremolo provides a ‘throbbing’ or ‘pulsing’ sound by increasing and reducing volume in a predetermined cycle and was the first on‑board effects in vintage valve amps. Compression generally falls into this bracket and works by boosting low level signals and cutting (or limiting) high level signals thereby ‘compressing’ the dynamics of a signal that can vary from slight to significant. Compression can be used to smooth, warm, thicken and sustain a signal, often very useful for guitar signals that are usually dynamic with sharp attack, rapid decay and short sustain. Noise gates work in the opposite way, by eliminating low level signals including extraneous noise.

Volume & Swell Effect Pedals (3)

Left‑right, top‑bottom: 1970s Colorsound Swell, 1960s VOX Volume/Expression, 1979 BOSS SG‑1 Slow Gear

Compression Effect Pedals (4)

Left‑right, top‑bottom: 1980 MXR Dyna Comp, 1980 BOSS CS‑1 Compression Sustainer, 1981 Ibanez CP‑835 Compressor II, 1982 Ibanez CP9 Compressor/Limiter

“There is no fixed physical reality, no single perception of the world, just numerous ways of interpreting world views” – Deepak Chopra (1946‑)

Mini Collections 6 – Pitch Effects (3)

Pitch effects do what they say, they affect the pitch of a signal without changing the tone, tempo or volume. Pitch effects can be used on their own, such as a simple octave generator which mixes the original signal with a tone that may be one or more octaves up or down. A harmonizer is more complex in being able to shift the pitch by degrees, e.g. thirds, or fifths up or down, creating a harmony that depends on the key of a piece of music. Some of the simpler pitch effects are often combined with other effects, particularly octave and fuzz being a popular option thanks to one James Marshall Hendrix. The MXR Blue Box below is an example of a combined fuzz/octave effect pedal.

Octave Effect Pedals (3)

Left‑right, top‑bottom: 1976 Electro‑Harmonix Octave Multiplexer, 1975 MXR Blue Box, 1985 BOSS OC‑2 Octave

“Most of the mistakes in thinking are inadequacies of perception rather than mistakes of logic” – Edward de Bono (1933‑2021)

Mini Collections 7 – Speciality Pedals (2)

As mentioned above, speciality pedals may or may not affect the overall sound effect at all but can be vital for guitarists or bassists as an integral part of a pedalboard.

Channel Switch Pedals (2)

Left‑right: 1970s Electro‑Harmonix Switch Blade Channel Selector, 1986 BOSS PSM‑5 Power Supply & Master Switch

“It is a narrow mind which cannot look at a subject from various points of view” – George Eliot (1819‑1880)

Yet Another Alternative Perspective

As always, there are different ways of looking at ‘collections within a collection’. To be exhaustive would be gruelling and extraordinarily dull, so I will use just one example, grouping by model series, rather than effect.

During the early days of Ibanez pedals, they released a series of effect pedals commonly known as the Ibanez ‘0’ series pedals – with the ‘0’ being the middle number of the model designation (puzzlingly except for the CP‑835 Compressor II). The most famous of the Ibanez ‘0’ Series pedals was the iconic TS‑808 Tube Screamer Overdrive Pro. The ‘0’ series pedals were distinguished by the unique square footswitch.

In reality, the ‘0’ series did not last long and was really a transitional model. It was replaced by the completely restyled Ibanez ‘9’ series pedals, with the ‘9’ being the last number of the model designation. For instance, the TS‑808 became the TS9. The most obvious design change is that the ‘9’ series pedals replaced the square footswitch with a more traditional large (BOSS‑style) treadle‑operated footswitch.

These two ‘mini collections’ clearly show the evolution of effect pedals during a short and very prolific period for stomp boxes. While there are many other permutations, this comparison makes the point quite clearly that other approaches can be taken. Say no more.

“Perception and reality are two different things” – Tom Cruise (1962‑)

The CRAVEman’s Pedalboard

Many people get confused about the general sequence in which effects should be placed in the signal chain. ‘The conventional wisdom’ (NB. Commonplace beliefs that are generally accepted to be true without critical questioning – a term often credited to Canadian/American economist John Kenneth Galbraith in ‘The Affluent Society’ (1958), even though it might originally date back to c.1838) suggests the following sequence:

Instrument –> filter effects –> amplitude effects –> gain effects –> modulation effects –> time‑based effects –> amp.

This sequence is only a guide, not a diktat. Many guitarists change it up to create a different type of soundscape that suits them. No surprise, I prefer a different effect pedal order that I developed over several years playing in a band. Even so, it still doesn’t mean that it’s fixed in perpetuity. What I learned was, ‘do your own thing’ to suit you and create your own signature sound.

“Often when you think you’re at the end of something, you’re at the beginning of something else” – Fred Rogers (1928‑2003)

The CRAVEman’s favourite effect pedals, regardless of brand, represent a back‑to‑basics approach and may provoke a debate based on opinion. For me, in order of favourites, it was/is #1 echo, #2 fuzz, #3 flangers, #4 envelope followers. The CRAVEman’s least favourite effect pedals #1 phasers (too common), #2 chorus (ditto), #3 overdrive (others do it better), #4 pitch shifters (inconsistent tracking). May I be cast into the abyss of Tartarus in the underworld to suffer eternal torment, such is the extent of my judgemental wickedness! However, I stand by my heresy and shall not repent.

Unlike many contemporary musicians, my preferred pedal line‑up is very simplistic. I do play around with it but I keep coming back to a core that suit my playing style and musical leanings. They are all classics in their own right and are all very analogue. The creative possibilities with this set can be quite ‘out there’. It also has the advantage that pedals from the same manufacturer are also more likely to work together than a mix‑and‑match approach. Are there better examples of each effect from other brands? Undoubtedly, but not for me. Here’s my go‑to line up…

Electro‑Harmonix Big Muff Pi
Electro Harmonix Bad Stone
Electro‑Harmonix Electric Mistress
Electro‑Harmonix Zipper Envelope Follower
Electro‑Harmonix Deluxe Memory Man

I also use a combined wah/volume pedal but no specific model. You notice I have a soft spot for EHX effect pedals. There is no particular reason, it’s just that they sound and behave the way I like. Admittedly, they were also the first serious pedals I used, alongside Dallas Arbiter/Colorsound/Sola Sound pedals. Others come close, for instance the MXR 100 phaser, as well as the MXR and DOD analogue delays. There are plenty of newer exceptional effect units (e.g. Line6) but this article is about vintage pedals, so that’s where I’m focused. While undoubtedly excellent, most Japanese pedals (e.g. BOSS/Ibanez) just don’t do it for me, which is a bit weird.

“All our knowledge is the offspring of our perceptions” – Leonardo da Vinci (1452‑1519)

Final Thoughts on Effect Collections within a Collection

I hope you enjoyed the colourful selection of CRAVE Effects’ stomp boxes viewed from a slightly different perspective. In one sense, they all look alike, while on closer inspection, they are all very different aesthetically. Although ‘new’ acquisitions are currently in abeyance, I have become besotted with vintage effect pedals, for better or worse. Vintage effect pedals represent quite a convoluted playground, fostering much confusion, misunderstanding, debate and conjecture.

I have finally given up the fight and I now concede that I am a small‑scale, limited ‘collector’ of vintage guitar gear. I think that this and the previous articles tend to cement this unfortunate conclusion. Yup, I have become something I have tried hard to avoid becoming. Darn it! I refuse, as far as I am able, to go full ‘collecterati’ though.

Even though a single effect pedal doesn’t take up much space, collectively, they do. The CRAVEcap (the constraint of space and funds) currently in place means that any ‘new’ acquisitions to CRAVE Effects may be a while off yet. It may come as a surprise that some rare effects can cost more than vintage guitars, basses or amps, including several pedals featured herein and on the web site.

“Before you become too entranced with gorgeous gadgets and mesmerizing video displays, let me remind you that information is not knowledge, knowledge is not wisdom, and wisdom is not foresight. Each grows out of the other, and we need them all” – Arthur C. Clarke (1917‑2008)

One thing, though, does ‘bother’ me about the whole world of vintage effect pedals. One of the fundamental principles of vintage guitar tone is to keep the signal chain as short and as direct as possible. Vintage gear enthusiasts will often spend (many) thousands of pounds/dollars on expensive vintage guitars, basses and amps because of their undeniably unique and attractive tonal characteristics.

Then what do we go and do? Those same enthusiasts buy a cheap little box crammed full of transistors, resistors, capacitors, pots, ICs, switches, circuit boards and wiring, and then we put them directly in the signal path. A few older effects may be passive, while most others are battery driven (usually one or two 9V 6LR61/MN1604/PP3 blocks), which has proved to be an unreliable power source dependent on charge levels. The alternative is to use AC power transformed into DC, often with variable voltages and currents as well as polarities. In addition cable attenuation is also a problem – lots of pedals use lots of interconnects. Pedal circuit boards, components and cables usually comprise budget items originally ordered in bulk quantities for mere cents/pennies per unit. Older circuits were often also hand assembled using whatever was lying around and often constructed with variable soldering quality. All things considered, consistency and quality control certainly weren’t manufacturing strong points in the 1960s and 1970s.

Open up some older pedals and one can be amazed at the crude nature of the assembly. Open some of the newer pedals and there are massive amounts of components, often with multiple IC (Integrated Circuit) chips suddenly placed directly into the signal chain, seemingly intent on corrupting it. When analysed, many electronic circuits are inherently ‘noisy’, often with unintended audio effects, which we can hear. There can be profound issues with mixing and matching ‘true bypass’ effects with buffered effects, as well as issues combining analogue with digital effects. A complex pedalboard can also be very sensitive to the order in which effects are used. Many modern amps have an effect send/return loop between pre and power stages, rather than the traditional method of effects feeding directly into the pre‑amp’s input stage.

Bottom line, there has really been nothing fundamentally new in the last 65 years of effect pedal development since the early days of innovation. Many modern pedals are copies of classic pedals or just variations of tried and tested themes. The old ways of specialist analogue pedals have been superseded by an overwhelming multiplicity of layered digital complexity. However, the principal aims and core characteristics have remained largely unchanged.

“Perception is a mirror not a fact. And what I look on is my state of mind, reflected outward” – Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803‑1882)

Nowadays, inline effects and amps are not always needed and guitarists rely on DI (Direct Input) into studio/stage digital audio processors, weirdly set to mimic vintage analogue gear. Then we also add in wireless signal transmission. All of these factors can affect the tone of the rest of the signal chain, often very significantly. Problems are frequent and often hard to identify and eradicate.

Yet, we continue to adore and admire these miniature miracles of electronic bits and pieces for destroying the very things we so desire from the rest of our vintage equipment. Go figure! This dilemma completely blows my mind when I stop and try to rationalise it objectively. Am I alone in contemplating this peculiar incongruity or is it a widespread understanding? I have absolutely no idea; the whole gamut of convolutions is not straightforward to resolve.

When I rejuvenated my guitar playing in the 1990s, I tried a multi‑effect unit but found I was spending more time working out how to use the seemingly unlimited and not very intuitive controls, rather than to focus on what mattered, playing guitar. The multi‑effect was soon ditched and I reverted back to a mix‑and‑match approach of separate pedals. This soon changed again, by replacing new effect pedals with vintage ones and the rest, as ‘they’ say, is history.

Believe it or not, digital effects started appearing in the early 1980s, supplementing rather than superseding analogue ones. Some of these early vintage digital stomp boxes are included here (I’m not prejudiced!). Digital processing started appearing, mainly in delay/echo pedals and reverb effects (reverb can’t easily be replicated using analogue circuits).

Another question. Are some effect reputations worthwhile? In my opinion, sometimes but not always. Some highly regarded pedals are good but overrated, often hyped by artist association, rather than by their inherent characteristics. Others can really surprise because they ‘fit’ with a particular situation. Some will swear that a script logo MXR Phase 90 sounds better than a block logo one, even when the internals are identical and the change is purely cosmetic. Some models will sound different from pedal to pedal, even if the circuit design is the same. Some circuits behave differently from pedal to pedal, for instance anything with an environmentally sensitive germanium resistor. Some seemingly identical pedals used different components from one to the next due to component availability and/or price at the time. Some commentators will also swear that component ‘a’ sounds great while component ‘b’ sounds like total garbage, while to the average user, the differences are so slight as to make no audible difference, especially in a band setting. Does it really matter or does snobbery fit the bill (again)?

What I’m really trying to say is, go with your ears and instincts, rather than brand name, effect specification and hype. The best way to sound unique is not to go with the flow but to do your own thing. Be creative and experiment not only with the pedals you use but also in the order they are used. It is way more fun creating the unique way you want to sound, rather than trying to sound like someone else. Inspiration can be found in these marvellous and magical miniscule machines (Ed: alliteration still alive and well then).

The effects featured here aren’t the only effects owned by CRAVE Guitars/Effects. I have a number of newer (i.e. non‑vintage) pedals, as well as a number of studio rack effects. Hunting down vintage effects, though, has become my main focus. The non‑vintage effects are excluded from this article.

“People only see what they are prepared to see” – Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803‑1882)

Some vintage effect pedals are ubiquitous and can be picked up for very little money. Others however can cost astronomically silly amounts. This may be because they are highly regarded and much in demand, for instance, early Dallas/Colorsound/Sola Sound Tone Benders, Dallas Arbiter Fuzz Faces, and Ibanez Tube Screamers. Others are just very hard to come by, especially in good condition (remember these things are used on the floor and tend to get a lot of physical abuse). Some others are pricey because they were niche products only produced either for a short time or in very small numbers (or both), for instance the BOSS Slow Gear featured.

One of the reasons I got into vintage pedals in the first place was during a period of austerity lasting many years. During that time, I couldn’t afford or accommodate guitars, basses and amps but effects were relatively cheap and didn’t take up much space. Thus, they became a serious part of the CRAVE Guitars/Basses/Effects/Amps family. The fascination with these little bits of gear heritage suffer from the same GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome) that affects most guitarists. This means that ‘collecting’ vintage effect pedals can be seriously addictive – be warned!

Will traditional single‑effect pedals be replaced by modern digital modelling ones? Probably, but not just yet. Studio DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) software has already gone a long way down that path in many home and pro studios and there is plenty of scope for further improvement. In fact, one might wonder where AI will take effect pedals and digital plug ins in the future. For many, the AI‑influenced future will look very bright. Me? I’m defo old skool. Personally, I think the archaic noisy, temperamental, analogue effects have a certain allure and charm that no end of digital meddling will ever be able to replace (a bit like our enduring love for real valve amps and vinyl records).

As of 2025, the effect industry is largely alive and well and still thriving (within the overall operating environment of a declining music industry), especially in the rarefied realms of boutique pedals. It seems that guitarists and bassists can’t get enough of these tone mangling monstrosities. Love ‘em. When it comes to the crunch, these are serious toys with which a creative musician can extract great fun and satisfaction in our own inventive sound pits. Enjoy.

“Our senses enable us to perceive only a minute portion of the outside world” – Nikola Tesla (1856‑1943)

A Seasonal Message From The CRAVEman

This section has nothing to do with vintage guitars. However, it does take a brief look at a different aspect of western society’s cultural heritage. Apologies.

At the end of October each year, we tend to celebrate Halloween on the 31^st of the month. The traditional roots of Halloween go back some 2,000 years ago (or more) with Irish and Scottish Celtic harvest festivals signifying the beginning of the dark half of the year and the onset of winter.

Celebrations around this time of the year and the origins of Halloween as a mystical event derive from the festival of Samhain (NB. translated as ‘summer’s end’ from Old Irish), with its roots in pagan custom for honouring dead ancestors. It was believed that the veil between the living and the dead of the Otherworld was at its weakest, allowing spirits to manifest and roam in the world of the living. Believers would set bonfires to ward off evil spirits and wear masks to avoid being recognised by ghosts.

In Christianity, All Hallows’ Eve (from where we get the word, ‘Halloween’) on 31 October is the holy day before All Hallows’ Day (All Saints’ Day) and All Souls’ Day on 1 and 2 November respectively (NB. The noun ‘hallow’ means a saint or holy person and the verb means to honour as holy). The relative timing of such festivities led to a blending of pagan, Roman and Christian traditions over the centuries.

In Mexico, ‘el dia de los muertos’ (literally, the day of the dead) festival coincides with the end of October/beginning of November every year, when families gather to remember and pay respect to those that have died. This suggests that paranormal revelries at this time of year have become widespread across many countries.

Incidentally, the film, ‘Halloween’ (1978) is one of the author’s favourite cinematic masterpieces, directed by the legendary John Carpenter and starring Jamie Lee Curtis. A great horror film for a Halloween party/film night. Great soundtrack too.

It therefore seems appropriate to conclude this seasonal message with a fittingly festive “Happy Halloween” from your favourite Stone Age guitarist and founder of CRAVE Guitars, The CRAVEman. Rock On!

“There are misfortunes in life that no one will accept; people would rather believe in the supernatural and the impossible” – Alexander Dumas (1802‑1870)

CRAVE Guitars’ ‘Album of the Month’

In keeping with the theme of this month’s article, I thought I’d delve into one of the landmark American bands that went to extreme lengths to introduce inventive soundscapes to their music. The band in question made extensive use of heavily modified guitars, alternative tunings and abused effect pedals to produce oodles of off‑the‑wall clamour. The band I’m talking about is Sonic Youth from New York who went out of their way to sound like no other band around at the time. They formed in 1980 and, sadly, after over 30 years, they disbanded in 2011. During those three decades, the main three audio terrorists of the band were Thurston Moore, Lee Ranaldo (both on guitar) and Kim Gordon (on bass). They had a string of highly regarded studio albums including ‘Evol’ (1986), ‘Sister’ (1987), ‘Daydream Nation’ (1988), ‘Goo’ (1990), ‘Dirty’ (1992) and ‘Washing Machine’ (1995). However, my choice is not one of these but it is a personal favourite…

Sonic Youth – Sonic Nurse (2004): Sonic Nurse was Sonic Youth’s 13^th studio album released in June 2004 on Geffen Records, comprising 10 tracks over an hour’s running time. The cover was designed by renowned American conceptual artist Richard Prince (1949‑). Despite being a lot less well known that their peak period albums, Sonic Nurse is close to where the band would eventually end up. This album was the middle one of a later career resurgance including, ‘Murray Street’ (2002) and ‘Rather Ripped’ (2006). Track one (6:33) is clearly influenced, fittingly so, by acclaimed American‑Canadian author, William Gibson’s cyberpunk novel, ‘Pattern Recognition’ (2003).

Basically, any of the albums mentioned here can provide a great insight into what the band could do and fans will all have their own favourite. It just so happens that Sonic Nurse is mine. Even their very early albums (not mentioned here) have a great deal going for them. Naturally, there are inconsistencies but, over their career, those lesser albums were also better than most others in the experimental alternative noise rock genre. Turn up the volume and listen to the aural mayhem on show at your peril.

Alas, Sonic Youth fell apart in October 2011 following the separation of Moore and Gordon, after 27 years of marriage. The band’s influence and legacy has been profound in modern rock music and they deserve to be admired and respected for ploughing their own unique furrow throughout their career, rather than capitulating to studio mundanity for the sake of commercial success. Despite the hopes of many loyal fans, the band has, to‑date, not reunited and its status is officially ‘in hiatus’.

BELIEVE IN MUSIC!

“We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses” – Abraham Lincoln (1809‑1865)

Tailpiece

As usual, I’m at a loss for what to do next month but I’m sure I’ll think of something. It is getting harder to come up with different material, so I hope you’ll bear with me. Once the quality starts dropping off, I’ll have to call it a day but I don’t think the time has come just yet. You may think otherwise, of course! I don’t want to outstay my welcome. That’s it. No more in the way of dreary diatribe for this month. The holidays are a‑comin’. Yay!

Truth, peace, love, and guitar music be with you always. The CRAVEman, signing off for now. Until next time…

CRAVE Guitars’ ‘Quote of the Month’: “Always have great first thoughts, then you’ll never need to have second thoughts”

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29 Jun 2020

June 2020 – Whazzup at CRAVE Guitars

by CRAVEGuitars | posted in: Introduction, Observations, Opinion | 0

Prelude

WELCOME BACK ONCE again guitar fans and hello to any new visitors. We are now half way through an extraordinary 2020 and the world is still turned upside down in so many concerning ways. While there may be glimmers of light at the end of the tunnel for COVID‑19, there is still a long way to go and there will be profound ramifications that it will leave in its sizeable wake. At the end of last year, we had no inclination as to what was about to befall, yet here we are now. Perhaps us hooman beans really aren’t as clever as we seem to think we are (shock, horror – hold the front page!). It seems that we also still have some way to go before all people are deemed equal and can live their lives freely, responsibly and peacefully. The first half of 2020 has passed by very quickly and, frankly, good riddance to it. I don’t like wishing life away but it has been 6 months that I’m sure we could all have done without, everything being on‑hold.

Well, here we are and no more historical facts, quotes or predictions on which to ponder this month. I said at the very end of the last article that I would get back to pontificating about ‘cool & rare American vintage electric’ guitars and, at last, I can deliver on that promise/threat (delete as applicable).

There are 3 themes on which I’d like to embark this month. Firstly, I mentioned in my December 2019 article that I had bought some gear (big surprise… not) during last year but I didn’t go any further than to list what they were, without any indication as to the whys and wherefores behind the spending spree. Secondly, after 18 months, most of the 42 repatriated guitars have now been properly assessed and worked through as far as I am able. So far, I haven’t given any real sense about what I found and what I learnt from the exercise. Thirdly, there have been a number of purchases during the first half of 2020 and in due course I can reveal what those are and how they relate both to the existing ‘collection’ and to the ‘wanted’ list from that same December 2019 end‑of‑year/look‑forward roundup.

I think that there is more than enough material to occupy one article, so without further ado, let us begin at the beginning. Sitting comfortably? Good. Then, we’ll begin…

2019 CRAVE Guitars’ Purchases

An Introduction to the 2019 CRAVE Guitars

2019 was certainly an interesting year. Due to circumstances, I started out not anticipating much in the way of guitar purchases. The relatively modest vintage guitar ‘wanted’ list from December 2018 included a Danelectro of some sort, a Fender Starcaster and a Gibson Melody Maker. These had all featured on the target list for more than one year, so it seemed a fairly realistic expectation. What actually happened was a bit more fruitful than I foresaw and I think it deserves some rationale to indicate why they weren’t random purchases. In fact, 2019 resulted in nine new additions to the CRAVE Guitars family, spanning five decades (1940s‑1980s with at least one from each). I couldn’t really afford the outlay but, although it meant sacrifices in other areas, it has probably been worth a bit of hardship. I hope you find this array of short stories moderately interesting.

1982 Fender Bullet H2

This is what happened when esteemed Fender designer John Page was tasked with creating a low cost student model to carry the ‘Made in U.S.A.’ decal and replace the outgoing Mustang and Musicmaster? The result was the Fender Bullet. I’d already acquired a 1981 Fender Bullet which was essentially a Telecaster‑on‑a‑budget model. Several aspects of the first iteration intrigued me and I set about looking for a second generation model, with the more Stratocaster‑like body outline. Initially, I was looking for a ‘standard’ one with twin single coil pickups and the integrated bent steel pick guard and bridge assembly, just like the ‘Tele’ Bullet. Instead, I found a cool Fender Bullet H2 in great all‑original condition in very smart red and white with a maple neck. This version has a more robust standard integrated hardtail bridge/tailpiece with through‑body stringing. The H2 features what at first glance appear to be standard twin ‘humbuckers’. However, looks can be deceiving. The pickups aren’t actually traditional humbuckers – they are actually 4 single coil pickups arranged as two pairs in humbucking configuration. In addition to a normal 3‑way pickup selector switch, the H2 has two additional buttons that ‘split’ the humbucking pickup pairs to give a wide range of tonal options including genuine single coil sounds (unlike most tapped or split humbuckers). When it arrived, one of the 4 pickups wasn’t working and it had to be sent to a pickup expert to fix. Thankfully, it was a weak connection between the coil and pickup lead, so easily sorted. Like the earlier Bullet, the H2 has a very nice standard Telecaster neck. The diverse sounds available from this guitar are nothing short of remarkable and it makes me wonder why this particular unique configuration hasn’t been widely used since. The early USA‑made Bullets were misunderstood and tend to attract a lot of unfair criticism from purists. As a result, like the Fender Leads of the time, they weren’t manufactured for long. Judging it on its own terms, this is really not the cheap Stratocaster imitation it may seem at first glance. I realised that the Fender Bullet H2s are both cool and quite rare, so fit the CRAVE criteria. I never envisaged that it would be so fascinating and collectable while still being affordable. This Bullet H2 came with its original (if battered and stickered) Original Hard Shell Case (OHSC).

1975 Fender Starcaster

The Fender Starcaster (and, no, that isn’t a spelling error) has been a long‑standing ‘wanted’ guitar, ever since I got a 1960s Coronado. There is very little similarity between the two models but as there are very few semi‑acoustic electrics in the brand’s history, I was once again curious. Unusually, I bought this one from a retailer, so I probably paid more than I normally would have considered but it was worth it. Where the Coronado is fully hollow, the Starcaster has a solid centre block running under the pickups and the massive hardtail bridge/tailpiece assembly. Surprisingly, the Starcaster has through‑body stringing like a Telecaster. While the Coronado has DeArmond single coil pickups, the Starcaster uses the sublime Seth Lover ‘wide range’ humbuckers as used on several Telecaster variants from the 1970s. While both the Coronado and the Starcaster use bolt on maple necks, they are, again, very different and the latter is unique to the model with a maple fingerboard. Both the Coronado and Starcaster were reissued by Fender in 2013 although neither are a patch on the originals. The vintage Starcasters are instantly recognisable because of the distinctive bridge assembly and the 5 controls (2 volume, 2 tone plus master volume). When going over the guitar on arrival, I found it was a rare very early 1975 (pre‑production?) model. It has been well used but is still in remarkably good condition with the sort of genuine patina that only age can bestow. The tobacco sunburst and sunburst flame maple is just gorgeous. It is also a fantastic guitar to play with a great neck and I really like the (in‑vogue) offset body shape. Even better, it doesn’t play or sound like any other Fender, ever made. The Starcaster didn’t prove popular on its original release and wasn’t produced for long before being quietly discontinued in 1982. I can understand why it didn’t sell in large numbers but that misses the point about its exclusive charms. Make no mistake, the Starcaster is a high quality instrument just waiting to be rediscovered. This beauty is not to be confused with cheapo far‑eastern Strat imitations from the 2000s that unfortunately carried the ‘Starcaster by Fender’ moniker. The case, while vintage, is not an original Fender Starcaster case. Obtaining a Fender Starcaster was a long‑standing aspiration achieved, which can now be removed from the ‘wanted’ list. These babies are now becoming extortionately expensive on the vintage market, as the ‘collectorati’ are now cottoning onto them. Seems I got this one just about in time‑ish.

1979 Fender Stratocaster Anniversary

I already have a 1977 Stratocaster hardtail and I was kinda looking around for one from the early 1970s with a vibrato before they become unaffordable (rapidly heading that way now). Along the way, I became distracted by the 1979 Anniversary Stratocaster. I missed out on a couple before I finally attained one (once again at a higher price than I intended, unfortunately). The Anniversary is distinctive in that it was Fender’s first foray into limited edition commemorative models, celebrating 25 years since the original Stratocaster’s introduction in 1954. I was attracted by the classic look of silver, black and maple fingerboard. Whether one can regard a massive 10,000 examples as a ‘limited edition’ is debatable. It also comes with a very unsubtle ‘Anniversary’ logo emblazoned on the bass horn plus a much more understated 25^th anniversary neck plate which carries its serial/issue number. This one comes with its original certificate of authenticity and most (but not quite all) of its case candy, as well as its ABS OHSC, all of which is nice to have. Like all Anniversary models, this one is heavy at 10lbs (4.6kgs) but I can live with that because of the part this model plays in electric guitar heritage. It looks cool, sounds great and plays very nicely, although the action is a little high. Fundamentally, though, it is essentially a standard Stratocaster with a few aesthetic embellishments. This guitar is in excellent, almost mint condition, which suggests that it was kept as a memento rather than an instrument to be played, which in my view is sacrilege. These aren’t especially rare instruments and many purists would say they aren’t cool. Well, I’m going to stand my ground and say that I like it, which is why it now has a safe home here at CRAVE Guitars.

1983 Fender Stratocaster Elite

This is the first of a pair of Fender Elites that I bought in 2019 (and the second Stratocaster!), both of which I think are quite desirable. As background, the Elite series was only produced in 1982 and 1983 before it was withdrawn shortly before CBS sold Fender in 1984. It is the innovative electronics that really set the Elites apart. The signal chain starts with 3 ‘noiseless’ single coil pickups including an additional dummy coil to reduce hum. These pickups are distinguishable by the Fender logo covers with no visible pole pieces. Instead of a 5‑way pickup selector switch, there are 3 on/off buttons, 1 for each pickup, giving 8 permutations in all (including all ‘off’). This arrangement provides easy access to more sounds than the standard Stratocaster of the time. The switching is unusual but also very intuitive (far better than Fender’s current S‑1 switching). The signal then passes through an on‑board active pre‑amp powered by a 9V battery. The controls are different too and not just the nice soft‑touch logo knobs. There is the usual single master volume complemented by two master tone controls, comprising Fender’s propriety MDX (MiD‑range eXpander) boost and TBX (Treble/Bass eXpander) circuit. The Strat’s iconic jack plate is also absent, with the output moved to the body edge. The bridge assembly is also unique, here it is a top‑loading hardtail Fender Freeflyte bridge. In use, it plays just like a Strat, although it is a touch on the heavy side. The sounds though are, as you might expect, quite different from a normal Stratocaster. Before the purists clamour with cries of sacrilegious iconoclasm, the electronics went on, albeit modified, to be used in both the Eric Clapton and Buddy Guy signature guitars, so the Elite wasn’t an abortive experiment. This example looks particularly cool in creamy Olympic White with a lovely rosewood fingerboard. This Elite is in lovely all‑original excellent condition and comes with its ABS OHSC. Like many 1970s and 1980s Fenders, these are now becoming more desirable on the vintage market. These original Elites are not to be confused with the similarly named but otherwise standard Elite series instruments issued by Fender between 2016 and 2019.

1983 Fender Telecaster Elite

More?! OK then. Onto the second in the pair of Fender Elites. This one is a 1983 Telecaster Elite in lovely translucent Sienna Burst with a gorgeous rosewood fingerboard. Like the Stratocaster Elite, it is a fascinating variant on the classic design. The electronics here comprise dual‑coil noise‑cancelling Alnico 2 pickups routed through an on‑board active 9V preamp with 2 volume controls allied to the same MDX (mid‑range) and TBX (high‑range) tone controls as found on the Stratocaster Elite. Like its sister model, it has the unique top‑loading hardtail Fender Freeflyte bridge. The body has cool single binding on the top edge, similar to the original Custom Telecaster from the 1960s. For some inexplicable reason, the designers at Fender felt that a Telecaster would look good with a Les Paul‑like scratchplate. They were wrong, it doesn’t. Fortunately, the scratchplate was provided in the case, rather than being attached and even then, it could be stuck on with double‑sided tape. Personally, I prefer it without the scratchplate, revealing the woodgrain through the finish. Like the Stratocaster, the Telecaster is a touch on the heavy side but I can forgive that because of its unique position within the Fender canon. This little beauty is in near mint condition and includes its OHSC. The Elite is far from your average Telecaster and, on my unending quest for something cool and rare, it has found a good home here at CRAVE Guitars. Both Elite models (and there was also a Precision bass in the range as well) are harder to come across than standard models, so the prices tend to reflect their relative scarcity. The Elites are unequivocally ‘curio’ guitars from the last dying days of Fender’s notorious CBS era, so they tend to be frowned upon by purists, which makes them all the more appealing to the maverick side of my enduring addiction to the quirky and idiosyncratic guitars from a generally unloved period of guitar history.

1947 Gibson ES-150

Thus, we move onto the ‘Big G’. The author sadly hit one of those dreaded ‘big birthdays’ in 2019 and without much else to celebrate, I figured that I would mark my passing years with something self‑indulgent. I had been keeping my eyes peeled for a vintage Gibson ES‑150 for several years and watching as the prices escalated to, frankly, silly levels. I couldn’t afford one of the carved top pre‑war models with the Charlie Christian pickup, so I was looking around for a newer model, which would be cheaper. For those that may not know, the Gibson ES‑150 was introduced in 1936 and is acknowledged as the first commercially successful electric Spanish guitar. I eventually found a lovely 1947 ES‑150 from the first year of post‑war production and sporting a single P90 pickup. This one was way, way more expensive than I could normally justify so, because of my impending mortality, I was tempted to go for it. In fact, it is the most I’ve ever spent on a single instrument to‑date. This ES‑150 was residing in Italy, so I imported it before Brexit shuts down all opportunities to access vintage fare from our European colleagues. Owning a really old hollow body non‑cutaway jazz guitar is new territory for me, so it was with some trepidation and excitement that I was delving into this particular art form. The guitar itself is in fine all‑original condition with just surface crazing to the lovely sunburst nitrocellulose finish. There is no serial number or Factory Order Number (FON) which, along with the features, dates it to 1947. Playing it is a different experience altogether, as it needs heavy semi‑flat wound strings to get the laminated top vibrating. Then there is the limited upper fret access to contend with, so it takes some time to acclimatise to the technique. Being deep‑bodied and fully hollow, this one actually works quite well as an acoustic jazz guitar too. As you may know, I really like single pickup guitars, so there is less to get in the way of pure P90 tone. The ES‑150 is currently a bit of an outlier within the CRAVE Guitars family. One thing is for sure, it isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Definitely not the ideal guitar of choice for metal heads though.

1965 Gibson Melody Maker

This 1965 Melody Maker was a bit of a gap filling exercise. Between 1959 and 1971, Gibson released four versions of their ‘student’ guitar, the Melody Maker. The first was a single cutaway Les Paul shape (1959‑1961), the second was a unique and really cute double cutaway model (1961‑1965), the third iteration was a somewhat crude and short‑lived double cutaway model (1965‑1966) and the final generation was SG‑shaped (1967‑1971). This is one of the rather ‘ugly duckling’ models from 1965 (weirdly often called the ‘type 2’, even though it’s the third body shape), which completes the set. The Melody Maker comprises a slab mahogany body with double cutaways, a set mahogany neck with the typical narrow headstock, one single coil pickup, and comes in a reserved cherry nitrocellulose finish. Unsurprisingly, this model has never been reissued by Gibson, although there has been a Joan Jett signature guitar. The Melody Maker name has re‑appeared a number of times since the 1960s. This example is not in pristine shape but is all‑original and it comes with its OHSC. At least this one hasn’t been butchered over the years unlike many. I was shocked that a recent guitar magazine article (which I won’t name but they really should know better) was recommending that the vintage Melody Maker body should be routed and the pickup replaced with a P90 or humbucker! Unbelievable and indefensible! I think that the narrow single coil pickups give the Melody Maker a distinct tone, which is very underrated by purists. Melody Makers are unique in the Gibson history books and unmolested examples deserve much more credit in my view. They are made from the same materials in the same Kalamazoo factory by the same people as other highly prized models and should be regarded (and treated) as worthy vintage instruments in their own right. They are very light and resonant, making them really easy to pick up and play. Compared to many Gibsons from the 1960s, Melody Makers are still relatively affordable on the vintage market and represent a good starting point for people interested in collecting vintage guitars from a major American brand. Personally, I have to admit that I am not a huge fan of this pointy body shape but now that I own one, it is growing on me.

1989 PRS Classic Electric

Having dipped my toes into the world of Paul Reed Smith (PRS) guitars with an elegant 1988 PRS Standard, I was looking around for other early hand‑finished guitars that were made in PRS’s original facility in Annapolis, Maryland. These early, so‑called ‘pre‑factory’ models are becoming increasingly collectable, especially as they are now beginning to get to vintage age (and price!). The early PRS Customs are becoming incredibly expensive, so my eyes settled on an early PRS model that was initially called the Classic Electric when introduced in 1989. The model was swiftly renamed as the CE after a legal dispute with Peavey over the original name. NB. The CE is not to be confused with the far Eastern PRS SE (‘Student Edition’) guitars. I also had my sights set on the early solid Electric Blue metallic finish, which I think is stunningly beautiful. This example is a very early Classic Electric, being only the 473^rd guitar off the production line, distinguished by its 24‑fret, bolt‑on maple neck and the plain headstock carrying the block ‘PRS Electric’ logo (soon to change to the familiar modern ‘Paul Reed Smith’ signature script logo). There are quite a few marks including one significant ding to the body and the finish on the back of the neck has worn down. The wear indicates that it has been well played, which is often a sign of a soundly put together instrument. OK, it doesn’t have the flashy flame or quilted maple cap, faux binding, bird inlays or set neck but it is still a very creditable guitar that plays very well and sounds great. The CE is one of those under‑the‑radar PRSs that the collectors tend to overlook, although genuine owners praise them very highly. PRS finally got around to re‑releasing the bolt‑on CE model in 2016 but the new ones really aren’t the same as these early ‘handmade’ examples. Despite the wear and tear, it is all‑original and comes with its OHSC but no case candy. You can’t have everything. A vintage PRS Custom to add to the Standard and Classic Electric sadly has to remain on the wish list for the time being.

1959 Silvertone 1304

I had a bit of a mad spell towards the end of the year when I was buying several guitars for the sake of it. I was looking for a vintage Danelectro and came across this funky little 1959 Silvertone 1304 with its single cutaway and dowdy brown finish. It is very similar to the Danelectro U1 (differentiated by pickup position and headstock logo), which is no surprise seeing that Danelectro manufactured Silvertone guitars for the Sears & Roebuck retail and mail order company at the time. The 1304 is actually a pretty rare model being only available in Sears & Roebuck’s ‘Wish Book’ Christmas catalogue and related advertising of 1958, 1959 and 1960. The neck and familiar ‘coke bottle’ headstock is also rare, being finished in natural, rather than colour matched to the body, apparently due to supply shortages at the time. It also has the circular electrics cover on the back and the squared off neck joint that confirms its age and lineage. The ever present Lipstick pickup and body‑edge tape will be familiar to Danelectro fans. It also feels, plays and sounds just like you’d expect a vintage Danelectro from the 1950s, i.e. great. This was the last of the Danelectro single cutaway body shapes before they moved to double cutaways in the 1960s. The single pickup and simple controls let you focus on playing and getting the most out of a very cool and groovy (and lightweight due to semi acoustic construction) instrument. It is a lot of fun to pick up and play and hard to put down. The action is a little high but that resistance actually forces one to play differently compared to a more ‘refined’ guitar. Like others in this résumé, it is in fine all‑original condition, although it sadly doesn’t come with an original 1950s case. These cool Silvertone and comparable Danelectro guitars are still amazingly affordable for vintage guitars from the so‑called ‘golden era’, perhaps because they were (generally) made in large numbers and sold to a largely undiscriminating ‘student’ audience at the time.

2019 CRAVE Amps? What Amps?

Right, that’s the 2019 guitars covered, so what else was new? Well CRAVE Amplifiers didn’t achieve anything at all in 2019 – no new additions and no losses. Nada. As it turned out, I was quite happy running two relatively similar modest little units as daily go‑to amplification during the year, a 1978 Fender Champ and a 1978 Fender Vibro Champ both in ‘silverface’ livery. Don’t underestimate these diminutive 5W Class A valve amps, they are really great for what they are. I acknowledge that I’m not a vintage amp specialist, so they are not hugely abundant here at CRAVE Guitars. Owning vintage valve amps demands space, time and effort as well as oodles of filthy lucre, so I’m not in a huge rush to buy up large numbers of vintage amps.

An Introduction to the 2019 CRAVE Effects

CRAVE Effects did a little better during 2019, although there were only five new pedals to join the clan. Having said that, two of those were outstanding examples of the type. As with amps, because I am not a vintage effect expert, I’m sticking to a few well‑known global brands from the 1960s to 1980s, rather than go too far into the realms of the unique, idiosyncratic and unusual.

1987 BOSS RV-2 Digital Reverb

It may seem heretical to many but this is the first vintage digital effect to join the CRAVE club. This Japanese BOSS RV‑2 was sought out principally because there are few vintage compact analogue reverb pedals out there. Yes there are the bulky (and expensive) vintage valve reverb tanks from the likes of Fender but I wanted something small and convenient to add an extra special dimension to the aforementioned Fender Champs, neither of which have on‑board reverb. So, a digital reverb was the way to go with this rather plain looking but flexible 1987 BOSS RV‑2. It provides a range of reverbs and it sounds quite natural without too many sibilant digital artefacts, although not quite the soft and cuddly warm tones of traditional analogue reverbs. Still, it does its job very well and it is from the right era (pre‑1990s), which is why it’s here. Interestingly, the high current draw of the digital circuitry in the RV‑2 means that it cannot be powered by batteries and requires a BOSS PSA power supply in order to do its ‘0’ and ‘1’ digi‑thing.

1969 Dallas Arbiter Fuzz Face

This is the first of two iconic classic pedals acquired in 2019. The humble but fabled English Dallas Arbiter Fuzz Face rose to stardom mainly because of none other than Jimi Hendrix. This isn’t one of the earliest Fuzz Faces that used germanium transistors but one of the first to use silicon transistors, this one dating from c.1969. It is amazing what a few cheap electronic components can end up being turned into. Truth be told, I didn’t actually intend to get this pedal. It came along via an eBay auction and I decided to take a punt and put on a (relatively) low bid and… what happened? No‑one came along at the last minute to beat me and I ended up getting it. Yikes! Yes, it was hideously expensive but not as bad as it could have been. Therefore, while it was not exactly a bargain, I suppose it was still a reasonable price for what it is. Fortunately, it delivers its fuzzy glory in all the right ways, so that’s OK then. It is in excellent all‑original condition and in perfect working order, so my initial reticence was soon overcome. It actually looks pretty cool in red too. By today’s standards, its circular form factor does take up a disproportionate amount of pedalboard real estate but, c’mon, it is a vintage fuzz pedal – what’s not to like? The original Fuzz Face was definitely a batteries only zone back in the 1960s and neither is there an LED status light to indicate when it’s on. Great though it undoubtedly is, this is clearly not one of those pedals you’d want to gig with down the local pub, that’s for sure.

1982 Ibanez PT9 Phaser

At totally the other end of the value scale from the Fuzz Face, we have a fairly widely available and averagely collectable 1982 Ibanez PT9 Phaser. CRAVE Effects has somehow accumulated more phasers than any other kind over the years and that’s probably because the late 1970s and early 1980s experienced a surfeit of these simple analogue modulation effects. Let’s be honest, your average phaser really isn’t the most exciting of guitar effects compared to what else is out there, especially in these days of ubiquitous boutique eccentricities. The PT9 is pretty utilitarian and sounds OK, but not necessarily exceptional, which is probably to damn it with faint praise. I’m guessing that Ibanez chose to change their colour scheme from the previous blue/white PT‑909 Phase Tone to the orange/black PT9 in order to compete on looks with the all‑dominating and very orange MXR Phase 90 of the time. I had been on the track of a PT9 to fill a gap in the collection for a while, so the gap was duly filled. Original PT9s are still relatively affordable phasers and they are, perhaps, a good entry point for neophytes to get into vintage effects before getting into more exclusive and expensive fare. Time to move on… Next!

1981 Ibanez TS-808 Tube Screamer Overdrive Pro

… and here is the second iconic classic pedal procured in 2019. The otherwise ordinary green Ibanez TS-808 Tube Screamer Overdrive Pro rose to hallowed status via another guitarist association, this time with the inimitable Stevie Ray Vaughan. Like the Fuzz Face, the original vintage TS‑808s are now inordinately expensive on the vintage effect market, with prices increasing all the time. This was one of those times when I felt a ‘now or never’ moment and bagged a reasonably good one dating from 1981 at just below average price. At this point, I’m going to proclaim ‘emperor’s new clothes’ and say that, while it is undoubtedly a very competent pedal, does it really deserve the unchallenged accolades above all the other competent overdrive pedals out there? Just why we guitarists spend thousands of pounds/dollars on vintage instruments and vintage valve amps and then rely on some dirt cheap solid state components to make them sound ‘better’ is beyond me. To some extent, the same goes for the Fuzz Face but at least that is a down ‘n’ dirty fuzz pedal! I understand all the well‑rehearsed arguments about compensating mid‑boost and clean low gain drive into the front end of an already cooking valve amp. Perhaps I’m missing something else obvious but I really don’t think so. I also know that it goes against the grain to defer from perceived wisdom and to test the TS‑808’s seemingly unassailable reputation. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not knocking the Tube Screamer and what it does. I just believe it is somewhat overrated for the crazy market prices being asked. Anyhow, one of the green meanies is here now and is part of the growing ranks alongside other Ibanez ‘0’ and ‘9’ series pedals. At least I no longer have to keep scanning the market endlessly for a good one at a reasonable price.

1980 MXR Micro Amp

… and right back to the other end of the value scale again with a humble 1980 MXR Micro Amp. Essentially, all a boost pedal does is to increase the signal level hitting the front end of a (valve) pre‑amp, therefore not only adding a bit of volume, but also hopefully some natural compression and a bit of smooth distortion without affecting the underlying tone. Once again, there is something of a question mark about relying on a few cheap bits of electronics to make vintage gear ‘sing’. Having said that, the Micro Amp does its job perfectly well and it can be a really useful tool in the right circumstances. However, let us be clear that it is not exactly the most exhilarating or far out stomp box out there. As an idle observation, it is funny how things come round again given long enough. Outboard pre‑amp pedals are now a ‘big thing’ in the 2020s, albeit a bit more complex than this little MXR. There are many modern‑day compact pedal pre‑amps out there, including the Hudson Electronics Broadcast, Catalinbread Epoch Pre and Fredric Effects 150 Preamp. At least the unassuming little white MXR Micro Amp doesn’t take up much pedalboard space and is oh‑so simple in operation with only a single ‘Gain’ control. Like most un‑modified MXR pedals back in 1980, the Micro Amp only eats batteries for breakfast and doesn’t come with either an LED status light or DC input.

Help Needed

Vintage guitars, effects and amps need attention from time to time to keep them working at their best. While I can undertake basic maintenance, set ups and general TLC, I know that my skills are finite. I am looking for a guitar tech or luthier who can, from time to time, take on a vintage guitar and do some sympathetic remedial work, whether it involves fretwork, electrics, repairs or whatever. I’m also looking for someone who can do occasional work on effects and amps, which is basically electronics, switches, leads, soldering, etc. With over 60 vintage guitars, more than 50 vintage effects and 6 vintage amps, I need some expert help every so often. If there is someone out there with the requisite skillset for any or all of the above, and who is local to SE Cornwall in the UK, I would be interested in making a connection. Anyone interested? Please contact me at the e-mail address at the bottom of every page on the website.

Tailpiece

Actually, I think this is a good place to pause, so I’ll stop there for now. Nine guitars and five effect pedals is enough for one month.

At this point, I must stress that I did not buy any of these items as a pecuniary investment – anyone familiar with CRAVE Guitars will know that is not my motivation. However, given that savings accounts in the UK are currently offering just 0.01% interest rate, I would prefer to be broke and have great vintage guitars, amps and effects to play with and look at. The last recession that began in 2008 apparently saw 30% wiped off the value of vintage guitars, albeit temporarily. To me, it’s still a no brainer, when funds become available, eBay here I come for some vintage gear hunting. The other thing I would add is that all of the new additions are consistent with CRAVE Guitars larger strategic grand plan to conserve ‘Cool & Rare American Vintage Electric’ guitars, amps and effects as important musical and cultural heritage. Oh, and it’s also an unhealthy obsessive addiction as well but I guess you’ve sussed that out already.

At the top of this article I mentioned that there are three themes to work through and I’ve only covered one of them. I am conscious that the ‘History of Modern Music…’ series resulted in lengthy articles and this is, compared to them, quite short. I’m also a bit fatigued by the demands of lengthy researching and writing exercises. Thus, I’ll leave the rest for future article(s). I reckon that it is best to keep these reflective articles relatively consumable. Besides, there really is no rush, is there? Are we going anywhere, anytime soon? No, I thought not.

Believe me, there is still plenty of stuff to be getting on with here at CRAVE Guitars, so I guess I’ll be getting on with stuff then. Who knows what the world will be like in the coming months. Despite the continuing stresses and challenges of COVID‑19 et al, I hope that you’ll return here in due course for your prescribed diet of diversionary diatribes. Stay home, stay safe and stay (in)sane. Remember this simple but important mantra while civilisation unravels around us, Peace, Love & Guitar Music. Until next time…

CRAVE Guitars’ ‘Quote of the Month’: “I can see where this is going because I’ve been where it went.”

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30 Jan 2019

January 2019 – Old and New In at CRAVE Guitars

by CRAVEGuitars | posted in: Event, News, Observations, Opinion | 0

Intro

Well, here we are at the beginning of 2019. Wonders will never cease. We made it to the start of a new year in the history of the universe, as measured by mankind. For what it’s worth, it feels just like the universe did a human month ago but, heh, what do I know what’s been happening in the infinity of existence we call home since I last put finger to keyboard in the quest for guitar nirvana?

At the beginning of a new year, I would normally pontificate over a ‘state of the village’ observation covering what’s going on out there in guitar land. Not this year, at least not yet. I will mention that, Gibson now has a new President and CEO in James ‘JC’ Curleigh and the company was at winter NAMM in January 2019, so that’s a positive start. Here in the UK, Brexit is about to throw the country into further turmoil and mayhem that can do absolutely no good for the British music industry which is already very fragile after more than a decade of recessionary pressures. What a pathetic mess. Anyhoo… to preserve my vulnerable sanity I’m not going to expound on that any further and it’s time to get down to this month’s business‑as‑usual…

I mentioned in my end‑of‑year roundup in December 2018 that there had been a few acquisitions during the year. I also commented that the CRAVE Guitars web site hadn’t been updated for ages and things were mightily out‑of‑date. Therefore, this month, it seems time to start putting things right. Before I start, I would normally add links to the relevant web site features for the ‘new in’ gear. However, this article has been prepared ahead of publishing the features, so there is currently nothing to link to. Ggrrr. As soon as the features are in place (heck, I took the photos and wrote the narratives months ago, so no excuses!), I’ll add the links in here where they should be.

The Guitars (listed in order of acquisition)

1988 PRS Standard – First to arrive, way back in February 2018 was a stunning 1988 PRS Standard. I had been mulling over the idea of trying to get hold of an early PRS without breaking (into) the bank. I had actually been looking at a fetching early PRS CE in metallic Electric Blue when this pretty baby came to find me, purely by chance. She was local too, so no hassles over importation, couriers and all the risks that go with it.

While many punters might go for the flashy PRS Custom with figured maple cap and fancy bird fretboard inlays, I was really taken with the lovely grain of the all‑mahogany body and the understated but very attractive moon neck inlays. More importantly, it was relatively affordable compared to its more flamboyant relative (the Custom). OK, so it doesn’t have the collector‑requisites of an original case or the case candy but that made owning one achievable. More importantly, it is a very good guitar indeed with 24‑fret Brazilian rosewood fingerboard (pre‑CITES regulations and before PRS voluntarily stopped using it other than on their top‑end models). Everything that is significant, i.e. the guitar itself, is just as it should be and she plays and sounds terrific. She is also in remarkably good condition too, having been used but very well looked after. Result!

PRS guitars was founded by luthier and musician Paul Reed Smith in 1985 and this is one of the early guitars delivered from the original factory in Maryland and before PRS introduced CNC manufacturing. It may not be one of the pre‑company hand‑made instruments but they are very scarce and scarily expensive. While 1988 is modern for CRAVE Guitars, it was still early days for the fledgling PRS. I am very happy with this lovely piece of guitar history, now aging very gracefully at a mere 31 years old.

1988 PRS Standard

1978 Fender Musicmaster – Second to arrive in August 2018 was a cute little 1978 Fender Musicmaster. While this may not be everyone’s first choice as a vintage collectable, it appeared on my radar while looking for a different Fender offset (see below). The reason that this one appealed was simply that the CRAVE Guitars’ family already has Musicmasters from 1959 and 1965, so it was about adding a late example from a different decade.

By the late 1970s, the Musicmaster, like many other budget ‘Made in U.S.A.’ Fenders, was really pared down to its basics. However, it is still a very cool guitar and compares favourably to, although different from, the same model from previous decades. Presented in simple black and white, it represents a degree of purity of purpose that other, more familiar, ‘classics’ don’t exude. The covered single coil neck pickup is the same as the other ‘student’ models and has that funky sound that is characteristic of the ‘baby’ Fender lines. Good guitars from the late 1970s and early 1980s are still relatively affordable but I predict that won’t be the case for long.

All in all, I think she deserves her pride of place in the CRAVE Guitars’ clan and is a great guitar to pick up and play without having to think too much about the controls, meaning one can focus on playing. Regular readers will know that I have a thing for simple, single pickup guitars and also underrated, underdog guitars, so this modest 1978 Musicmaster scores on several fronts.

1978 Fender Musicmaster

1989 Gibson Les Paul Standard – August 2018 was a busy (-ish) time for buying. Third to arrive was a very pleasing wine red 1989 Gibson Les Paul Standard. It may seem strange to go for such a relatively ‘modern’ guitar at just 30 years old this year and right at the upper end of CRAVE Guitars’ criteria for age (pre‑1990). So what was the story here? Well… there are three reasons. The first is that one of the first ‘proper’ guitars I played was a 1970s wine red Les Paul Custom and I’ve wanted one in that gorgeous colour ever since, taking me c.40 years to achieve! The second was pure serendipity, it came up on eBay as an auction and I set a limit simply because guitars like this rarely come up for auction these days. I didn’t think that I’d win it but, lo and behold, although it reached my limit, I won and for a reasonable price too. Another result! I think that the seller was disappointed but that’s the way the cookie crumbles. The third reason is a little more intriguing. The dual humbucking pickups in this guitar are the original short‑lived Bill Lawrence‑designed HB‑L and HB‑R ‘circuit board’ pickups, which Gibson used only in 1988 and 1989. Some may criticise them but to me that is a reason to see what the fuss was about and to try them out for myself.

She certainly isn’t in museum condition but that doesn’t matter to me. I prefer a guitar to be used for its intended purpose, which inevitably means a few signs of being played. She hasn’t been abused, so no big deal, especially given that it wasn’t the most expensive Les Paul out there and certainly cheaper than a new one. A bonus is that she is very light for a Les Paul, which is refreshing. As for those pickups, well, the design is largely cosmetic. Although this guitar is not wired for it, the pickups have 4 conductors so in theory the coils could be split for added tones. To be honest, as she is, she doesn’t sound hugely different to most 1970s humbucker‑equipped Les Pauls. However, what is surprising is that I found that she plays in a different way to other Les Pauls. For some strange reason, it is one to play in a much more relaxed and laid back style. Perhaps it’s the pickups, perhaps not but, to me, it is a guitar to chill out with, rather than to thrash. All in all, it’s a great value‑for‑money guitar that’s only going to get better with age.

1989 Gibson Les Paul Standard

1971 Fender Bronco – Last but not least to arrive, also in August 2018, is a natty little bright red 1971 Fender Bronco. The Bronco was the last of the offset ‘student’ models introduced by Fender in the 1960s. As such, it is often disregarded compared to the Mustangs, Duo‑Sonics and Musicmasters. However, that fact alone makes it of interest to me. OK, so it only has a single pickup but, unlike the Musicmaster, it is located near the bridge, giving it more bite and a distinctive gnarly tone of its own. Like the Mustang, it has a vibrato bridge but unlike its older brother, it is a unique system not used on any other Fender. In my view, the Bronco deserves objective re‑appraisal within its historical context.

The backstory with this one is that it spent some time in Russia before being imported into the UK by the previous owner. That may account for the crazing in the finish that gives it a vintage mojo that suits it down to the ground. She needs a little TLC to get her back up to optimum playability including some careful work on the electrics. One feature that doesn’t affect the sound one iota is the cool use of black and silver control knobs that only appeared between 1967 and 1971. Overall, it’s not a bad little guitar for a 48‑year old. The Fender Bronco was to some extent popularised by Alex Turner of indie band Arctic Moneys, which has tended to attract the attention of collectors and push up vintage prices accordingly. It also tends to distract from the fundamentals of what is a very good, simple guitar.

1971 Fender Bronco

So, 2018 saw the acquisition of two budget Fenders from the 1970s and a Gibson and a PRS from the late 1980s. This outcome was dictated not only by a limited budget but also by space and personal circumstances during the year. In order to get the most out of them, the two Fenders really need some sensitive conservation. Despite the fact that they may not be to everyone’s taste or even qualify for what vintage snobs might consider to be ‘collectable’, I don’t care. I cannot help but express my admiration for all four of them, each in their own way. Apologies for mixing metaphors but I’ve always been one to buck a trend and swim against the tide. On reflection, it wasn’t a bad outcome at all for what was otherwise a demure year.

The Amp

The CRAVE Amps family has seen only one humble ‘new’ arrival during 2018. It may only be modest but it is as welcome as any other adoption.

1978 Fender Champ – you may ask why go for a 1970s ‘silverface’ Champ, especially when there is already a Vibro Champ from the same era in the family? The answer is partly one of keeping things as simple as possible (spot the trend here?) and, once again, opportunity. One came up on eBay and, completely unable to resist temptation, it just had to be mine! Even better, it’s a UK model wired for 240V mains. After not being used for a couple of months, it’s crackling a bit, so it may be in need of a service.

I rate these dinky little Class A valve amps and believe they deserve a much stronger reputation than the unwarranted perception of a beginner’s ‘toy’ amp, when compared to Fender’s bigger ‘classic’ amps. They are light, take up hardly any room and are fine for practice, it breaks up into distortion beautifully and works well as a good platform for effect pedals, particularly in a practice or studio environment. All‑in‑all, a solid little vintage valve amp. What’s not to like?

The Champ is clearly part of the Fender family both sonically and visually, just more compact and, in my view, cuter in all respects. Its simplicity doesn’t mean that it should be overlooked. For information, despite what the purists may assert, the ‘silverface’ Champ retains the electronic design of its predecessors and only the aesthetics changed. The point is that, where it really matters, this is a worthy little amp with quality fundamentals that are now beginning to be appreciated and much emulated by modern high‑end boutique amp builders. That Leo Fender bloke certainly knew what he was doing, even if he was running Music Man when this particular Champ was born in Fullerton, CA.

1978 Fender Champ

The Effect Pedals

Also ‘new in’ at CRAVE Effects in 2018 were a number of vintage (and, as it turns out, not so vintage) analogue effect pedals. I’ve tended to go for the popular brands to which I was exposed as a teenager, so the focus is very much on two American brands – Electro‑Harmonix and MXR Innovations – and two Japanese brands – BOSS and Ibanez. The era of interest is essentially but not exclusively from the mid‑1970s to the mid‑1980s.

Given the choice, the ‘Made in U.S.A.’ effects have always been my favourites, especially the whacky Electro‑Harmonix stomp boxes. This doesn’t mean that I’m not open to other brands, e.g. Maestro, Dod, etc. They are just the ones which I have more knowledge about and experience of using. There are so many options out there, one has to have some sort of rationale to limit the obsession.

The advantage of effects is that they are often relatively cheap to acquire and they don’t take up much room. To keep things brief, I will summarise by brand in alphabetical order.

Boss

1979 BOSS PH-1 Phaser – I already have a green PH-1 but it is ‘player’ grade, so there was an element of upgrading involved here. The incumbent worked fine but it wasn’t in totally original condition, so a slightly better and older one was found. I’ve previously written about the PH-1 and this was essentially a direct replacement, so I won’t repeat that here. Expect the old one to appear on eBay UK at some point.

1979 BOSS PH-1 Phaser

1980 BOSS CE-2 Chorus – The sky blue CE‑2 is a highly regarded ‘classic’ pedal by those in the know and it was a notable gap in the ‘collection’, so a nice one was procured. For once, I followed the trend and found a desirable ‘long dash’, silver screw, black ‘Made in Japan’ label version. Needless to say, it lives up to its envious reputation with a lovely analogue warmth and is simplicity itself to use. It is one of those that cost more than it is worth but, in this case, it was just about justifiable.

1980 BOSS CE-2 Chorus

1986 BOSS PSM-5 Power Supply & Master Switch – The red PSM‑5 is a bit of an oddity in that it isn’t an effect at all. It actually serves two functional purposes for other effects. The first is as a PSA power supply for a number of pedals. This isn’t much use to me, as most of the BOSS pedals are the earlier ones requiring an ACA supply (which actually provide up to 12V, rather than 9V). The second is as a simple effect loop, which can be of use in a basic multi‑pedal setup. It was also a cheap impulse purchase in a weak moment, so here it is.

1986 BOSS PSM-5 Power Supply and Master Switch

Electro-Harmonix

1998 Electro Harmonix Small Stone Phase Shifter – Now this is an anomaly. For one thing, it isn’t strictly vintage and it is outside CRAVE Guitars’ usual age criteria, i.e. up to but not beyond 1989. Electro‑Harmonix failed in c.1984 and part of its revival was to set up operations in Russia in 1990. The main two pedals made in the former USSR were the Small Stone phaser and the Big Muff fuzz (see below). They were based on the original American circuit boards but were constructed in a very different way. The rationale for these pedals piqued my curiosity enough to track them down. Operationally, the Small Stone is very similar to its American predecessor and it sounds as you might expect. The main draw, though, is the distinctly OTT soviet military aesthetic in sinister black and red finish. I thought it was cool enough to live alongside its vintage counterparts.

1998 Electro-Harmonix Small Stone (Russian)

1999 Electro-Harmonix Big Muff ϖ – This is the other non‑vintage pedal from the resurrected Russian incarnation of Electro‑Harmonix. This one isn’t one of the early tank‑like khaki versions, mainly because the soviet manufacturer used proprietary parts that can be a devil to maintain. EHX learnt from this and released the smaller black and yellow version which used more standard components. Crucially, this Big Muff is aurally very different from its American forebears, much more polite and with a different tone altogether. Some say that is modelled more on the Bass Muff, which may explain its tamer timbre. As such, it remains a curiosity in the EHX canon so, as with its eastern bloc comrade above, the black Russian Big Muff gets a look in.

1999 Electro-Harmonix Big Muff π (Russian)

1980 Electro-Harmonix Zipper Envelope Follower – Now we are talking the genuine article. Back in the day when I was playing psychedelic/space rock guitar, I used a Zipper alongside the Electro‑Harmonix Memory Man (echo) and Electric Mistress (flanger). While I have other envelope followers in the ‘collection’, there is nothing before or since quite like the ‘Made in NYC’ Zipper for creating touch sensitive filter sweeps. A vintage Zipper just had to (re‑)join the family and I am glad to say that it is as fantastic as I remember. Far out, man.

1980 Electro-Harmonix Zipper Envelope Follower

Ibanez

1982 Ibanez AD9 Analog Delay – here is another replacement pedal. The existing one works fine but has an unpredictable tendency to lose repeats, which can be irritating. Whether there is a fault I don’t know but I had to find out. The ‘new’ one is much better and works as anticipated. I can now appreciate why the AD9 has become a desirable classic analogue delay on the vintage market. I still prefer my EHX Memory Man but this one almost gives it a run for its money. I’m glad to have it along for the ride. I see the outgoing AD9 as a ‘player’ grade example that may well appear on eBay in due course for someone not so fussy to play with.

1982 Ibanez AD9 Analog Delay

1981 Ibanez AF-201 Auto Filter – My quest to find a creditable challenger to the EHX Zipper led to me track down the rare and collectable ‘0’ series AF-201. It is truly an intriguing little beast with a lot more controllability over the analogue filter’s parameters. Lots of sliders and switches but no rotary knobs at all. Therein lies its weakness for me. Finding just the right combination of controls can take a bit of exploration and it can be hard to recall a particular setting. What it does, it does well and it is a fascinating pedal to experiment with. The AF‑201 takes a different approach to other envelope filters.

1981 Ibanez AF 201 Auto Filter

1981 Ibanez GE-601 Graphic Equalizer – To be honest, I have never been a fan of graphic equalizers either in hi‑fi or guitars – very 1970s. However, I admit that the ability to tweak EQ can be useful in certain circumstances. After acquiring the MXR version also in 2018 (see below), I thought I would try the Ibanez ‘0’ series equivalent. They both do the same job and the Ibanez has the major advantage of a foot switch, so instant tonal variation can be applied, which also means that it doesn’t have to be ‘always on’. The downside for me is that it doesn’t have the boost/cut range of the MXR and therefore doesn’t work so well as a creative tool. I guess you pays your money and takes your choice depending on what you want to use it for.

1981 Ibanez GE-601 Graphic Equalizer

1983 Ibanez SD9 Sonic Distortion – Anyone with a solid grounding in guitar lore will be aware of the ‘holy grail’ of overdrive pedals for many, the venerable Ibanez TS‑808 Tube Screamer Pro. Well, the snot green SD9 takes the basic template and pumps it up with a shed load of steroids. A subtle pedal this is not. The ‘9’ series superseded the ‘0’ series, so it is both visually and tonally a very different animal compared to the ‘classic’ Tube Screamer. If you want more ‘meat on the bone’ without the OTT fuzziness of, say, an EHX Big Muff, the SD9 may fit the bill.

1983 Ibanez SD9 Sonic Distortion

MXR

1975 MXR Blue Box – here is another ‘upgrade’ pedal. The existing 1977 ‘script’ logo Blue Box was a bit of a bitsa. Again, it worked (if you can call what it does as working!) but it wasn’t exactly a pretty example, with a changed footswitch and baseplate. I paid well over book for the new one from a London dealer on the grounds that it was all‑original and, as is always the risk buying on the hinterwebby thing, this one arrived, also with a changed footswitch. Argh! A clear case of caveat emptor (buyer beware) if ever there was one. Other than that, it is original and in better condition. The Blue Box is a weird device combining a fuzz and an octave generator, and it sounds just as crazy as the other one – if you want manic aural chaos, this is a pedal to seek out. The outgoing one is likely to make an appearance on eBay at some point.

1975 MXR Blue Box

1976 MXR Phase 45 – The original ‘script’ logo MXR Phase 90 has become deservedly legendary over the decades. The ‘collection’ already has a vintage 1977 ‘block’ logo Phase 90, so this all‑original ‘script’ logo Phase 45 was seen as a complementary purchase. It is subtler and smoother than its big brother and, to my ears just as flattering. If you want soft swooshes, the Phase 45 is perfect and, like the Phase 90, is simplicity itself to use, just one control knob to grapple with.

1976 MXR Phase 45

1980 MXR Six Band Graphic Equalizer – I was generally scouting around for other offbeat pedals when I came across this diminutive little pedal. At the time, I didn’t have a graphic equalizer and was content to use guitar and amp controls. Then I got to thinking about what it might be able to do and the rest, as they say, is history. I took the plunge in a susceptible moment and here is the little blue SBGE (for short). It is always on, so no footswitch, which may be a limiting factor for many. However, when the cut/boost sliders are pushed to extremes (i.e. other than for basic EQ adjustment), the tonal abilities are quite fascinating. I now think of the pedal not as a glorified active tone control but as a creative utensil to transform an ordinary guitar’s limited tonal range into something else altogether. A little blue miracle worker.

1980 MXR Six Band Graphic Equalizer

Other

1970s Colorsound Swell (volume pedal) – I’m not quite sure of the age of this swell pedal without dismantling it, so for now it is just ‘1970s’. It works fine, is in very good condition and does just what it says on the tin. Volume pedals are nothing particularly exciting but they can add an extra bit of flexibility to proceedings. To be upfront, I got this one as it works better than the VOX (see below).

1970s Colorsound Swell

1960s VOX Volume/Expression – here’s another pedal that I bought on a whim, fancying a bit of the old violin‑type swell that a volume pedal could provide and I didn’t have one lying around. This one came up and, while being ergonomically modified (they originally were designed for use with VOX keyboards and came with a captive output lead), it seemed an interesting purchase. Some of these early 1960s effects are now becoming quite rare and collectable, so I couldn’t let it pass. The issue with this one is an overly scratchy potentiometer and I’m now in that dilemma of whether to replace it with a modern reliable pot or leave it for someone to decide at some point in the future. I’m still mulling that predicament over.

1960s VOX Volume

So… have any of these purchases made a great deal of difference and have they changed my opinion about vintage effects? Not really. In my view, the American pedals are just so much better suited to what I’m looking for than their Japanese and European counterparts. This is a very subjective value judgement and it should not be seen as America = good, elsewhere = bad. The far eastern pedals are very good. It’s just the way things have panned out for me personally.

The CRAVE Effects’ ‘collection’ is now much broader (although not by brand) and I have learned a lot from the experience. Sadly for the bank account, I feel the topic as a whole needs further investigation. The guitars remain the primary focus but these old analogue pedals certainly play their part in the grand scheme. Modern effect units have become, generally, far too complicated for my poor brain to comprehend, so I’ll stick with the pure and simple. No real surprise there.

There is no ‘magic’ to old/vintage gear and it won’t transform anyone into the next Van Halen. Modern tech is wonderful and that’s where the future of mainstream music production lies. The magic stems from the musician and the equipment is simply there to shape the tone that the musician hears and wants to communicate with the listener. My fascination in the ‘old school’ technology is on one hand personal preference and on the other to act as a steward of these gems the future.

Guitar Repatriation News

OK, so that’s the ‘new in’ at CRAVE Guitars from 2018. The really BIG news is actually of major significance to the enterprise and could come under a strange heading of ‘old in’ in 2019.

Now… here’s the thing… I may not have explained a particular episode from the past, so it is time to put things in context. Due to life changing events back in 2010, the majority of CRAVE’s guitars had to go into enforced exile in 2011 for as long as it would take to get things back in order. Some of them have been kept in less than ideal (but thankfully safe) storage for nearly eight years. Others have been stored on a more temporary basis having been swapped in and out over the years.

At this point, I have to give a very special shout out to my close friend Pete who looked after them for me and without his compassion (and loft space), who knows what would have happened to them. I am immensely grateful to him for doing it and putting up with me over the years. I never expected it to take as long as it has but that, I guess, is how life goes.

The major change since last month’s article is that on 21^st January 2019, a total of 42 guitars – 40 of them vintage, ranging from 1961 to 1989 – were reunited with me and the other guitars that were already here. While it is a massive relief to have them all in the same place again, their arrival presents two specific challenges that now must be addressed during 2019.

Repatriation Guitar Cases

The first is to work through the guitars, evaluate their condition and assess what remedial work needs to be done. I am certain that some major TLC will be required to get them all back into good playing order. At best, this will mean a general setup, cleaning and pampering, checking electrics and all the variables associated with corrosion, restringing them all, and playing them back to health. Guitars should be played to keep them in tip top condition, so that is one particular task that I’m looking forward to.

As Cheap Trick guitarist Rick Nielsen said, “Guitars are meant to be played, and they’re happiest when they’re making music”. The improvement in the Melody Maker after a few days of being used was proof positive.

Note: I hate re‑stringing guitars at the best of times but this will be a mammoth trial of endurance, a test of patience and a pitting of my strength of will against bits of wire. I am convinced that guitar strings are a risk to health and potentially downright lethal!

I was encouraged by the first guitar out of its case, my cute 1964 Gibson Melody Maker. The strings were rusty and she wouldn’t get/stay in tune, a few frets choke out (easily sorted) and the volume pot is scratchy (I can’t recall if it was like that before). The finish looks a bit dull and the metalwork a bit tarnished but nothing serious. After 3‑4 days, the benefits of being played were immense; it feels like it is coming back to life and sustains beautifully. The electrics need sorting out but it looks promising and not too bad for a 55‑year old. If the other 41 are no worse, I will be utterly amazed and truly delighted. As ‘they’ say, expect the worst and hope for the best. Fingers crossed.

The second challenge, I actually alluded to back in December 2017 in my end‑of‑year roundup. The ‘new’ house has a dark, damp, grotty cellar that I was hoping to make into a suitable home for the guitars during 2018. Unfortunately, this did not happen, as other priorities had to be undertaken first, e.g. a new roof! Converting the cellar into a usable space means ‘tanking’ it to keep the space and the rest of the structure dry, as well as some means of controlling temperature, humidity, ventilation and security.

As with all good intentions, this major project was meant to be completed prior to the guitars’ repatriation. However, as most of these things go in my life, it has happened the wrong way round. It may, though, spur me onto getting the ‘guitar room’ appropriately reconditioned in 2019, resources permitting of course. I should mention that this is not some luxurious mansion with an extensive basement area, it is very small, built into a cliff, with no natural light or ventilation and, unless one is naturally vertically challenged there is no headroom, as it is only about 5 feet (1.5 metres) high, and that is before any work is done on it. Also, access to it is far from easy to put right and will never be ideal. Nevertheless, it is better than nothing and, once it is finished, it should provide safe and secure accommodation for the instruments, amps and effects. In the meantime, I’m sleeping amongst a few piles of dusty guitar cases. Still, as a self‑confessed guitar nut, there are worse things I can think of.

CRAVE Guitars – Cellar

You never know, having a wider choice of vintage guitars to play may even improve my musicianship, as they are inspiring to pick up and use – God knows, my playing needs to improve and not just to do justice to these fine instruments!

There are other benefits of reuniting the ‘collection’, other than getting to play them. I should be able to take new photographs (and perhaps even videos?!) to populate the web site. New images can accompany the revised narrative that has already been partially prepared. There may also be an opportunity to liven up social media output as, frankly, I’m bored of posting the same old pictures from a decade ago.

I have long wanted to share my passion with others who may have a similar persuasion and it would be good to feature some or all of them in some sort of publication. If anyone is interested, give me a while to spruce them up and let me know. I think they are ‘cool & rare’ and just may be of interest to a wider audience.

I am hopeful that, despite the many setbacks that have led to where things are today, this may just be the turning point in the evolution of CRAVE (Cool & Rare American Vintage Electric) Guitars that I’ve been waiting for and a launch pad to better things. One day, maybe.

Outro

I think that has caught up with most developments taking place at CRAVE Guitars over the last year. While the ‘Potted History of the Guitar’ series was a great thing to do, it’s also good to get back to the personal ethos underpinning CRAVE Guitars. The prematurely trailed follow up to the ‘Potted History’ series is having to be put back, as I haven’t yet done the background research to get started. The reintegration work associated with the no‑longer‑exiled guitars will also take up considerable time and effort in coming weeks and months, so who knows what will appear here next month. Why not come back at the end of February and find out?

The invigorating prospect of having so many great vintage instruments to hand will hopefully act as a catalyst for change and progress. I’m still not tempted to set up CRAVE Guitars as a business; I just don’t have the ‘killer instinct’ to trade and, anyway, the sentimental connection has become strong. So, it looks like the not‑for‑profit mission to conserve this particular aspect of popular music heritage will continue, at least for the foreseeable future. Whatever transpires, the venture will certainly keep me busy for a while and that has to be seen as a positive.

Just in case you didn’t know this already, vintage guitars are AWESOME!

Now… where on Earth do I start with the ‘old in’? I think it might just be a case of, ‘eenie meenie miney mo…’ and see what happens. Until next time…

CRAVE Guitars ‘Quote of the Month’: “I would rather fail at being great than succeed at being mediocre”

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27 Dec 2017

December 2017 – That Time for Guitar Lists and Stuff

by CRAVEGuitars | posted in: Observations, Opinion | 0

So, yet another infernal year draws to a close. Why infernal? Well, I was never going to like 2017 on principle, as 2,017 is a prime number. My dislike of prime numbers is one of my weird traits – I have no idea why – at least I’m not primonumerophobic, i.e. fearful of the darned things. At least the next prime year is 2027, which is a whole decade away yet. Fun Trivia: while many people fear the prime number 13 (triskaidekaphobia), many primonumerophobes fear the number 2, it being the only even prime number.

Anyhoo… I digress, as is my wont. In tried and tested (and predictable) fashion, it is time to reflect on the year now departing from platform 2017, re-assess the way things are now, as well as to look forward to new opportunities in the year ahead. One cannot change the past but one may be able to influence both the here and now as well as the future, so it’s a time to take a deep breath, muster up one’s energy and be both positive and forward thinking.

2017 in retrospect

Well, 2017 was certainly a year of major change, that’s for sure, with events during 2017 definitely impacting on CRAVE Guitars.

At the equivalent point last year, the relocation was looming and structural works were underway to make the ‘new’ (90‑year old) place safe, if not fully habitable. The move has now taken place but that is just the start. The structure still needs considerable work before even the basic works can be described as complete. At the time of writing, it is even now only barely habitable with little in the way of what many people expect of basic ‘home’ comforts. Carpets? Nah. Curtains? Nah. Heck, we’ve only just got heating and hot water after 7 months. Getting trustworthy, cost-effective workmen is proving aggravatingly difficult.

However, something about the ‘old’ life had to change and along with that realisation came major risks. After weighing up the cons and the even bigger cons, we embarked on the new venture with our eyes wide open. The two main drivers for change comprised basic economics and quality of life due to family health issues, so it had to be done, as the alternatives were simply unsustainable. So here we are in the south west of the UK.

As a direct result of the relocation, the major part of the vintage guitar ‘collection’ is currently in temporary storage until I can create safe and secure accommodation for them in the new location. This is why I haven’t been able to update all the photos on the web site. I am very, very concerned about the far from ideal environmental conditions at both the old and new places, so there is no easy answer. However, beggars can’t be choosers and, as ‘they’ say, needs must. The precious (to me) guitars will just have to endure their enforced incarceration for a while longer. I can only hope and pray that they aren’t unduly compromised by the interlude. Until they can be retrieved and re-homed, I just won’t know for sure what condition they are in. They are a couple of hundred miles away and I now have to be at this end, so all I can do is hope for the best. At least I have a few modest vintage guitars available here to pluck in the meantime, whenever I get a few rare moments to spare.

Also back in December 2016, I declared my hand and stated an ambition to secure two specific vintage instruments during 2017 – a 1970s Fender Starcaster and a 1950s Gibson ES-150. How did that turn out? Regrettably, I have to report that I failed dismally on both counts. In context, it really doesn’t matter a jot. I possibly could have achieved what I set out to do but circumstances and timing didn’t align to make it possible. Now, in the absence of sufficient lucre, I need to reassess and reprioritise my aspirations.

At the start of 2017, I was about to embark on a culling of the (guitar) herd to strengthen the focus on vintage gear. As a consequence of the clear out, I had the rare opportunity to reinvest some of the proceeds in a small number of ‘cheap’ and unusual vintage guitars (see below). I prefer the term ‘cool and rare’ but let’s be honest, there have been some peculiar budget vintage axes that have crossed my path this year. I wanted to use the funds to invest in maybe 1 or 2 great guitars, as mentioned above, but ‘best laid plans’ and all that.

The year hasn’t been without many other significant difficulties, particularly around significantly deteriorating family health. I’m afraid that’s the way our cookies tend to crumble. Don’t expect details; this article is supposed to be about guitars and music!

Still, stepping back and looking at the bigger picture, at least there remains a way forward on a few fronts, albeit experiencing very slow and frustrating progress.

CRAVE Guitars acquisitions in 2017…

On a more positive note, there has been more instruments than I expected to be inducted into the CRAVE Guitars family over these past 12 months. I had anticipated that 2017 was going to be quite a barren year guitar-wise, especially with everything else going on.

There were some interesting acquisitions that were intentionally offbeat and not at all what one might have predicted 365 days ago. This unorthodox approach is now kinda becoming CRAVE Guitars’ raison d’être. As it turned out, there were no ‘classic’ models at all, probably because – to be honest – they would have represented ‘more of the same’. If you have followed these monthly articles, you’ll have picked up the conscious rationale for venturing off the beaten track. I must admit that, on reflection, even I have been surprised by the way things have panned out, which was actually a nice surprise. 2017 purchases included…

Guitars (7):

1981 Fender Bullet [→ click here to read the feature]
1981 Fender Lead I [→ click here to read the feature]
1978 Fender Mustang [→ click here to read the feature]
1977 Gibson L6-S Deluxe [→ click here to read the feature]
1981 Gibson Sonex-180 Deluxe [→ click here to read the feature]
1983 Gibson USA Map [→ click here to read the feature]
1974 Ovation Breadwinner 1251 [→ click here to read the feature]

Given that seven non-vintage guitars left the fold during 2017, there was a net increase of… zero guitars overall. It also represents more than double the number of vintage guitars purchased in 2016 (only 3).

Amps(1):

1979 Fender Musicmaster Bass [→ click here to read the feature]

That is an overall net reduction of one (non-vintage) amp on this time last year.

Effects (6):

1981 BOSS PH-1r Phaser [→ click here to read the feature]
1985 BOSS TW-1 T Wah [→ click here to read the feature]
1976 Electro-Harmonix Octave Multiplexer [→ click here to read the feature]
1981 Ibanez CS-505 Chorus [→ click here to read the feature]
1979 Ibanez PT-909 Phase Tone [→ click here to read the feature]
1978 MXR Envelope Filter [→ click here to read the feature]

This represents an overall reduction of seven effects in the year. Just 6 purchases in 2017 compares to 17 vintage effects bought in 2016. Admittedly, I was on a mission last year and limited funds meant that expenditure tended towards effects rather than guitars.

All in all, I think that is not bad going under circumstances.

Guitarists that departed us in 2017 (9):

As is inevitable, all things come to pass and this year, like every other before it, has seen the demise of some truly inspirational musicians. At this time of year it is customary to take a few moments to contemplate those guitarists that we have lost in 2017 and recall what musical treasures they have left us. Their talents will be sorely missed and it is sad to think that there will be no more distinctive music from these guys (no gals). Rest in Peace ineffable rock dudes and forever rock the big gig in the sky. Sad losses include:

Deke Leonard (Man) on 31^st January, aged 72
Larry Coryell on 19^th February, aged 73
Chuck Berry on 18^th March, aged 90
Allan Holdsworth on 15^th April, aged 70
Gregg Allman (The Allman Brothers Band) on 27^th May, aged 69
Glen Campbell on 8^th August, aged 81
Walter Becker (Steely Dan) on 3^rd September, aged 67
Tom Petty on 2^nd October, aged 66
Malcolm Young (AC/DC) on 18^th November, aged 64

New recorded music in 2017 (18):

One of the things I learnt from the late, great British DJ John Peel is to appreciate fresh new music as well as the respected classics. I had expected that access to new releases would have been a bit limited in 2017 but it seems to have been roughly on a par with previous years. There seems to have been a wealth of good music released this year from both established and new artists covering a broad range of genres. 2017 new music album purchases include (in artist alphabetical order):

!!! – Shake the Shudder
Bonobo – Migration
Cats In Space – Scarecrow
The Correspondents – Foolishman
Dub Pistols – Crazy Diamonds
Eric Gales – Middle Of The Road
Hurray For The Riff Raff – The Navigator
The Jesus And Mary Chain – Damage And Joy
Kasabian – For Crying Out Loud
King Creature – Volume One
LCD Soundsystem – American Dream
London Grammar – Truth Is A Beautiful Thing
Imelda May – Life Love Flesh Blood
Prophets Of Rage – Prophets Of Rage
Royal Blood – How Did We Get So Dark?
The War On Drugs – A Deeper Understanding
The xx – I See You
Neil Young – Hitchhiker

I don’t think that I have a single ‘album of the year’ from this modest but diverse bunch, as my tastes change with mood. One wonders if any of these releases will be considered timeless classics in years to come.

Live Music in 2017 (2)

As you may know, I am also a big fan of live music of all kinds from street entertainers through pub gigs and concerts of all types and sizes, right up to minor and major festivals featuring a broad range of interesting musical experiences. One great thing about live music is that there is always something new and surprising to discover. I am also regularly amazed at the quality of musicianship exhibited across the board, including by artists that one may never hear of again. The talent out there is phenomenal and sadly puts my playing abilities to shame.

Due to constraints imposed by family health, live music attendance has had to be very limited in 2017 with just one major concert (Black Sabbath’s amazing ‘The End’ tour in January) and one boutique festival (Looe Music Festival in September/October, punching well above its weight). Now we are located in the south west of the UK, getting to major music venues is proving more challenging than in previous years.

Social Media

There were a couple of minor achievements during 2017. CRAVE Guitars more than doubled the number of followers it has on Twitter, now standing at over 2,700. The number of followers also now consistently exceeds the number followed, another small landmark. A heck of a lot of hard work went into cultivating this social media audience. Although it earns diddley-squat at precisely £0, it is, I hope, an investment in the brand, at least in terms of time and diligence. Along the way, I have learnt quite a lot, so there is a modicum of knowledge gain. It’s a shame that other social media platforms have proved less successful, so the proportion of effort has to be targeted at Twitter.

2018 in Prospect

Looking forward, it looks like 2018 is going to be a really, really tough year. The family health situation that partly precipitated the move is likely to be life changing and VERY challenging during the year ahead. It is all very sad and the inevitable outcome is beyond my (or anyone else’s) ability to change.

At least there is not another relocation to manage on top of increasing caring duties. It also looks like the renovation works are likely to take most of the year and all my patience, as well as resources. Of course, it isn’t possible to predict what will actually happen and experience suggests that the unexpected is likely to do its best to derail any reasonable plans. It is therefore best to approach the next 12 months with trepidation and no fixed expectations.

As a result of the uncertainties, the operating status of CRAVE Guitars’ is resolutely in ‘ticking over’ mode and I suspect that it is likely to stay that way for the foreseeable future. I intend to maintain a modicum of incremental improvement and will endeavour to keep foundation‑building in the background while I can. The hope is that the venture should be ready to fly, given half a chance.

So… being a bit more specific, what music gear tops CRAVE Guitars’ affordable vintage ‘most wanted’ list for 2018? I have relinquished any hope of acquiring last year’s ambition for a Fender Starcaster and/or Gibson ES-150. This coming year, I will have to set my sights at an altogether different level and go for something on a more realistic budget. I am casting the net a bit wider and shallower this time. If I can get just one guitar, one amp and one effect from the following list this coming year, I’ll be content:

Guitars:

1960s Danelectro (no specific model)
1970s Fender Bronco
1960s Gibson Melody Maker (type 3)
1970s Guild (perhaps a S-100 or S-300D)
1970s Peavey T-60

Amps:

1970s ‘silverface’ Princeton (with or without reverb)
1970s ‘silverface’ Fender Champ

Effect pedals:

1980s BOSS CE-2 Chorus
1970s Electro Harmonix Zipper (envelope follower)
1980s Ibanez PT9 Phaser
1970s MXR Micro Chorus

In order to achieve even 2018’s moderate ambition (just 3 items over 12 months), a lot of penny pinching is still likely to be required. I also don’t have much leeway to ‘trade up’ existing models. For instance, I wouldn’t mind some selective substitution, i.e. replacing a couple of later-year instruments with examples from earlier years, or to swap out a couple of current guitars for ones that are in better condition or are more original. The intention is really not to grow the ‘collection’ but to consolidate and improve it. All this needs funding of course. I also have to keep options open for those unforeseen, unmissable opportunities that might arise from time to time during the year, i.e. when the dreaded irresistible temptation strikes! We’ll just have to wait and see what transpires.

Hopefully, despite constant building setbacks on the residence, I want to try and create a safe home for the majority of the guitar ‘collection’. Currently, while this is top of my personal priorities, it isn’t top priority overall (grrr, argh). The necessity for very basic habitability and adaptation must come first. Finances are either completely used up or committed and now that I’m a full‑time carer, there is no other income on which I can rely, so I really hope there are no (further) unforeseen expensive catastrophes to contend with.

Frustratingly, I actually have the physical space earmarked for on-site guitar storage. Unfortunately, in its present‑day state, it is far from suitable. The space currently comprises a small, dark, dank and musty cellar suitable only for severely vertically challenged troglodytes and the occasional adventurous spelunker. Basically, the cellar is mostly underground (built into a solid rock cliff face) and is pretty much as it was when the house was built 90 years ago (single‑skinned concrete block walls with no damp‑proofing), so it needs some pretty extensive work(!).

The first step is for the walls and floor to be ‘tanked’ and drained to reduce rampant damp. Once dry, insulation, heating and ventilation are needed to keep the relative humidity and temperature within acceptable parameters for storing vintage musical instruments. Due to the adverse environment conditions, it may also require active de‑humidification. In addition, there needs to be suitable interior access to the cellar so all the guitars can be swapped around regularly but this has implications for the rest of the ground floor. The list goes on and on… lighting and power are essential to provide basic utility. Finally, reasonable security is required to keep pesky scoundrels and ne’er‑do‑wells out. I’m not too bothered about prettying it up to make it presentable; it is far more important that it is functional and fit‑for‑purpose. That’s all!!!!!

Considering the current condition of the cellar and what needs to be done to make it usable, this is one heck of a project to take on, especially on a shoestring budget with everything else that needs doing. The trouble is that the works can’t really be broken down into smaller, more manageable chunks – it currently looks like an all‑or‑nothing exercise. If the project could be phased over a longer period, it would certainly help, although it would extend the current storage compromise – it is something worth exploring though. Despite the obstacles, it is an exciting proposition and something I would really like to take on if I can. If nothing else, it would be a welcome distraction from some of the other difficulties.

Even then, because of the adaptations required, it will never be ideal, particularly the limited accessibility and very low headroom. I can only work with what I’ve got. For instance, it isn’t possible to excavate into solid rock and underpin the existing (poor) structure. Financially, it won’t be an investment. If I am going to be making a long‑term success of CRAVE Guitars, it has to be able to work under one roof. It is essentially the only feasible option I have and there is no ‘Plan B’. If I can’t do it, I will have to think again about the viability of CRAVE Guitars and/or its location. If I can embark on this ‘exciting’ venture, I will try to log progress through these regular articles. Wish me luck.

If I can liberate all the stored guitars from their enforced confinement, I am pretty sure that I will need to find a local luthier/guitar tech to work through any conservation work that needs to be done to get/keep them in as good a condition as can be expected after their prolonged period of internment. Most of the remedial work is likely to comprise setups and tweaks but I suspect that a few guitars may require some expert intervention. For instance, a couple could have potential truss rod issues, which may or may not turn out to be complicated, and there are probably also some electrical issues that need investigating (scratchy pots, intermittent switches, dodgy sockets, etc.). There may also be some finish or corrosion problems.

I have to be honest here – I am not one of those tinkerer types; I hate changing guitar strings, let alone anything more involved. I am wise enough to understand that I should leave anything complex to the specialists, especially if it involves a soldering iron! I am pretty certain that, by attempting to do any serious guitar work myself, I would probably make any problems worse. Where vintage guitars are concerned, a cautious approach makes a lot of common sense – leave it to the experts every time.

Changing the subject matter a little bit. Strange as it may seem after 40 years of playing, I would actually like to take some guitar lessons. I am not sure that tuition could do much to improve my technical or theoretical skills (see previous articles) but it might be able to inspire me to make better noises than I do now. It might also motivate me to play with others again and maybe, just maybe, encourage me to play live with a band again. I’m not committing to anything and it looks unlikely that 2018 will be the year that it happens. I’m running out of years though, so perhaps I’d better get a move on if I’m to achieve that particular bucket list item. Even if learning is purely a recreational exercise, my playing could definitely do with significant improvement. Like many musical types, I suffer crippling self‑doubt, so I’d hope that my confidence would benefit greatly as well. If I don’t enjoy the fruits of such hard work, it isn’t worth doing, so I’m a bit dubious. Acquiring skill is as much in the mind as it is in the physical dexterity. The trouble is that I’m very much a loner in my old age and I’m not sure I could collaborate easily with others. I would, however, also like to record some of my guitar music, if only for personal gratification and, perhaps, posterity.

At this particular juncture, it really isn’t possible, or advisable, to look any further forward or to speculate more strategically about what may happen either more generally or to CRAVE Guitars. So, it is probably best to let 2018 play out as it sees fit. I must trust that good things will happen and let fate take its course. They say you make your own luck, so I will try my hardest to influence good fortune. Let’s face it, despite my best endeavours, luck hasn’t been on my side for many years but I persevere and try to do the right thing to the best of my abilities and hope that things will work out alright in the end.

What else is in store for 2018? Well that depends on many other things. If possible, I would like to improve the CRAVE Guitars web site and enhance the social media content on platforms other than Twitter, Google+ and LinkedIn. I would also like to spend a little more time researching and writing seriously about my obsession with guitars and contemporary music. However, being brutally realistic, 2018 will simply be just keeping things going on the back burner. I would dearly like to say that it will be a year of exciting new developments but I think I’d be raising expectations beyond what I’ll physically be able to deliver.

In terms of recorded music, I have to admit that I am a Luddite as far as streaming and download services are concerned. I like to go into retail stores and purchase a tangible product that I can take home and appreciate visually as well as aurally. My tastes are not stuck in any particular period and I am a big fan of both old and new music alike. Who knows what new recorded music will be released in 2018 but I look forward to finding out.

I also don’t think that there is much likelihood of attending many live music events in 2018. However, all other things being equal one of my all‑time favourite bands is playing live in 2018 and tickets are already booked. Indie rock legends Robert Smith and The Cure are celebrating their 40^th anniversary by playing London Hyde Park BST concert in July. I also hope to repeat Looe Music Festival in September if I can.

A message of hope for 2018 and the future

Fundamentally, I don’t like to plan things out in great detail for two principal reasons: a) things never seem to work out for me and I would only get downcast when things don’t go as intended and, b) no-one really knows what is going to happen and prescribing a set of immutable circumstances in advance inhibits the potential for the sort of spontaneous opportunity that may make life really worth living (one can hope!).

One thing experience has taught me is that life is too short to get hung up on trivial things and maintaining a positive mental attitude is the only way to deal with life’s harsh realities. Perhaps it is the juddering realisation of one’s mortality that hangs over us all (but some more than others) like the proverbial sword of Damocles that makes me so philosophical. One cannot afford to be laid back about life otherwise precious time will be squandered in the pursuit of idle mundanity. So, I will take one day at a time, aim to do the best one can in every situation, make the most of every moment, and see what transpires. If I can be more profound and fundamental, I shall attempt to do so. I hope that I’ll still be here waffling on interminably this time next year (December 2018).

I am not a religious person. However, the Buddhist philosophy tends to resonate with my own outlook on life, so I will share the following quotes ascribed to Buddha. I reflect on these (and other) words of wisdom from time to time in an attempt to find internal solace, particularly during difficult times. Perhaps, through sharing, they may make a difference for others too:

“The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, nor to worry about the future, but to live the present moment wisely and earnestly.”

“Have compassion for all beings, rich and poor alike; each has their suffering. Some suffer too much, others too little.”

“I do not believe in a fate that falls on men however they act; but I do believe in a fate that falls on them unless they act.”

“To be idle is a short road to death and to be diligent is a way of life; foolish people are idle, wise people are diligent.”

“Better than a thousand hollow words, is one word that brings peace.”

What does all this have to do with vintage guitars, you may well ask? Well, if I can get everything else turning out positively, it may increase the likelihood that CRAVE Guitars could prove to become a success. It is, at least, something on which I can focus. Call me crazy but I remain determined to make something of CRAVE Guitars sooner or later, preferably sooner. It may not become a reality in 2018, but, as long as I can keep things moving forward in the right direction, however slowly, it may just happen… eventually. The following quotes are others that seem appropriate…

“If you can’t fly, then run. If you can’t run, then walk. If you can’t walk, then crawl. But whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward” – Martin Luther King Jr (1929-1968)

“Great things are not accomplished by those who yield to trends and fads and popular opinion” – Jack Kerouac (1922-1969)

I don’t have any great words of comfort, grace or insight to impart either in retrospect or prospect, other than the obligatory monthly CRAVE quote (see below). Praying for world peace, an end to suffering and justice for all seems trite, given the current poor state of world affairs. So, perhaps, a simple personal message of “I hope that 2018 will be good for you” to all guitar aficionados out there will suffice.

That’s it for now. The holiday season should be a time to sit back and plink one’s plank(s), so I’m off to pick up a geetar (or two). Play on. Until next time (and next year)…

CRAVE Guitars ‘Quote of the Month’: “Inspiration is everywhere around. Think deeply about what you experience every day and then act on what matters to change some things for the better.”

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29 Jun 2017

June 2017 – At Last… New in at CRAVE Guitars

by CRAVEGuitars | posted in: News, Observations, Opinion | 0

Finally, the much-heralded and eagerly(!)-awaited relocation (see March 2017 article → click to read) has taken place and the work really starts on making the new crib habitable first, and then liveable in. This has to be completed before CRAVE Guitars can be properly resurrected, so it is still some way off before ‘normality’ returns.

More importantly within this context, CRAVE Guitars’ ‘collection’ of vintage instruments is in temporary storage until I can create safe, secure and environmentally appropriate musical equipment space. Providing them all with a home will take both time and significant funds. In the meantime, the availability of vintage instruments, effects and amps to hand is limited, as only 4 made the initial expedition. Eek!

The recent thinning out of the guitar herd means that CRAVE Guitars is now substantially smaller (by about 15%) than before the move. In addition, a load of studio gear, modern amps and a plethora of modern, far eastern effects pedals, have now found new homes.

The advantage of marginal rationalisation is that CRAVE Guitars’ operating model has become better focused. For instance, after the cull, the only instruments and amps remaining are American-made, of which only two that are newer than 1989 (mainly for reference comparisons). In comparison, vintage effects are a bit more diverse. While the most modern was in 1988, the pedals come from America, Japan and Europe. Stomp boxes are, and always have been, a justifiable exception to the ‘made in USA’ rule simply because they are so integrated into our musical culture.

Another advantage of the pre-relocation clear out is that it released some limited funds for reinvestment. A modest injection of cash enabled the acquisition of a few interesting vintage bits and pieces, including:

Guitars:

1977 Gibson L6-S Deluxe → click to see feature
1974 Ovation Breadwinner 1251 → click to see feature

Amp:

1979 Fender Musicmaster Bass → click to see feature

Effect Pedals:

1981 BOSS PH-1r Phaser → click to see feature
1985 BOSS TW-1 T Wah → click to see feature
1976 Electro-Harmonix Octave Multiplexer → click to see feature
1981 Ibanez CS-505 Chorus → click to see feature
1979 Ibanez PT-909 Phase Tone → click to see feature
1978 MXR Envelope Filter → click to see feature

1976 Electro-Harmonix Octave Multiplexer

Features and galleries on all these items can be found on the web site, so I won’t repeat the content here. Both of the ‘new’ guitars, the amp and two of the pedals were made in the USA, with the remainder of the effects coming from Japan. I think that they are all great additions to the CRAVE Guitars fold.

While keeping the core spotlight on Gibson and Fender guitars, the diversification into other brands is intended to broaden interest and appeal, recognising that there is more to musical heritage than the mainstream. Economics also plays a part, with vintage values rapidly increasing for the big brand’s desirable models. There are some fascinating cool and rare vintage instruments to explore.

It seems opportune to make no apology for the emphasis on 1970s and 1980s gear. Primarily, it was during these decades when my youthful obsession with music and, specifically, guitars began and probably peaked. Those new or second-hand guitars of that period are now becoming sought-after collectables, so I have a soft spot for them.

There are plenty of well-moneyed collectors scavenging 1950’s and 1960’s vintage pieces, hiking up the prices to ridiculous levels (again) while at the same time vociferously criticising some very credible 1970’s equipment in the process. The result is that many of us ordinary, enthusiastic mortals are increasingly becoming excluded (again) from instruments made in the ‘golden years’ by greedy investors and speculators.

I agree that there was some poor quality manufacturing from large conglomerates in the 1970s and 1980s, often caused by commercial pressures, manufacturing techniques and essential cost-cutting. However, progress needed to be made, especially in the face of far eastern competition. We shouldn’t forget that, during and the 1970s in particular, a swathe of innovation and experimentation took place that enabled the brands to sustain and rejuvenate. These strategic business factors are often overlooked or downplayed. The thing about innovation is that only some of it becomes successful, whenever it takes place. Let’s be honest, there has been plenty of dire output at other times too. We do need to take care that we don’t fall into the trap that old is automatically good. So… my point is that the situation isn’t clear cut and, with careful selection, there is some really fine stuff out there, whatever the period.

Furthermore, and being a tad heretical, if it wasn’t for those major corporations rescuing and then keeping the failing brands going through lean years, they might have been lost to us altogether. Had they totally disappeared, we wouldn’t have the modern classics being made now by companies that care about the heritage. It is too easy to jump on the bandwagon and criticise the ‘70s and ‘80s without a thought for the practical. Wait a few years, see what happens and you decide whether my appraisal has some merit. It will be interesting to see what the long-term effect will be as a result of the exemplary output produced by the ‘boutique boom’ of the current decade.

Picking and choosing can lead to some fine vintage instruments being acquired at reasonable prices, if only because the avaricious vultures haven’t looked to make a big profit from them yet. Inevitably, it will happen and then, almost overnight, what these ‘experts’ call uncool now will suddenly become cool in order for them to make a buck. In the meantime, CRAVE Guitars is hopefully redressing the balance a bit and bringing some common sense to the debate. It is for these reasons that CRAVE Guitars is actively celebrating these guitars, amps and effects and stewarding as much as I can for future generations to enjoy.

Right… rant over (for now), so time to change the subject. While the ramifications of the relocation are working through, I am trying to keep CRAVE Guitars’ going as best as I can.

The CRAVE Guitars web site has been spruced-up. While on the surface, it doesn’t look very different, about a quarter of the site has been updated in one way or another. There is so much that I want to do with it. Hopefully, the opportunity will arise to improve it over coming months.

I am trying to sustain CRAVE Guitars social media output, as it is one area where one can’t take one’s eye off the ball. The platform is notoriously fickle and inactivity leads to being forgotten very quickly. During June 2017, CRAVE Guitars surpassed 2,000 Twitter followers (@CRAVE_Guitars). It took 2½ years of ceaseless hard work and over 11,000 Tweets to get there. I doubt that there is any tangible value other than global exposure for the brand (it is more a reputation than a business). One can only hope the investment in time and effort will be worth it in the end.

Since the last article, Glastonbury Festival 2017 has come and gone. For the second year running, attendance wasn’t possible for family health reasons. It was very frustrating being relegated to an armchair/TV viewer. Nevertheless, this year’s festival which, even though I wasn’t there, got substantial CRAVE Guitars social media coverage. I have to say that the absence of the traditional festival quagmire was galling – mud-free Glastos are a rare thing and it would have been nice to experience a dry one. Even worse, there is no Glastonbury Festival in 2018, as it’s a fallow year to allow the dairy farm to recover. Furthermore, it isn’t clear whether the next one in 2019 will be held at Worthy Farm, Pilton, Somerset, UK. The farm is its spiritual, historical and, to me, only home. I hope that this year does not turn out be the last ever ‘real’ Glasto. If it moves away, it risks becoming just another bland event amongst a plethora of other generic music gatherings. I watch with interest and a touch of trepidation.

To compensate (a little) for missing Glastonbury, I’m looking forward to the local Looe music festival taking place at the end of September, almost on the doorstep. The Jesus And Mary Chain, Lulu and Happy Mondays are headlining. Interesting variety for a small regional event held towards the end of the festival season.

Note to self: Time to unpack and get back into plinking my planks. Until next time…

CRAVE Guitars’ ‘Quote of the Month’: “Stop the fussin’ and fightin’, we all should be uniting, no more blood should be spilled, if our destiny is to be fulfilled”

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28 May 2016

May 2016 – New Stuff At CRAVE Guitars

by CRAVEGuitars | posted in: News | 0

It’s been a few months now since I covered any new CRAVE Guitars’ acquisitions and it suddenly occurred to me that quite a bit has happened since Christmas 2015. So, I’ve put arrogant, pretentious rhetoric on hold in order to get back to the core of what CRAVE Guitars is all about.

In March 2016, I mentioned that I am on a new mission, money permitting, to accumulate a range of classic vintage guitar effect pedals. Progress to-date has largely fallen into 3 categories:

Purchasing a range of cool vintage effect pedals
Recovering a number of older effects from storage that I bought new in the 1970s
Getting out a horde of modern effects, some of which will probably have to go over coming weeks/months to fund further vintage purchases

Only some of the ‘new’ vintage pedals have made it to the web site at the time of writing – I am in the fortunate position of having a backlog of features and galleries to update, so keep an eye open to see newly published material. There is too much to cover in this article, so take a peek at the ‘Amps & Effects’ features pages (click here to see feature menu page…). These particular pedals have been selected because they were the tools of the trade in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, so represent familiar territory for me.

In summary, cool vintage stomp boxes that are ‘new in’ since March 2016 include:

1981 BOSS DS-1 Distortion
1985 BOSS OC-2 Octave
1976 Electro-Harmonix Doctor Q (envelope follower)
1982 Ibanez AD9 Analog Delay
1984 Ibanez CS9 Stereo Chorus
1981 Ibanez FL301-DX Flanger
1982 Ibanez FL9 Flanger
1981 Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer (overdrive)
1980 Jen Cry Baby Super (wah)
1977 MXR Blue Box (octave/fuzz)
1975 MXR Distortion +
1977 MXR Phase 90

My personal collection of cool vintage Electro-Harmonix effect pedals includes:

1977 Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Pi (fuzz)
1977 Electro-Harmonix Deluxe Memory Man (echo)
1977 Electro-Harmonix Electric Mistress (flanger)
1976 Electro-Harmonix LPB-2 (clean boost)
1977 Electro-Harmonix Small Stone (phase)

Now, if you know about or even have a passing interest in vintage effect pedals, that’s quite an impressive little haul for starters, albeit from the mainstream brands. Like all CRAVE Guitars items, they will be used (but not, I hasten to add, all at the same time!).

That’s not all folks… Despite my declared ‘temporary change of direction’ I haven’t completely been able to resist the temptation to purchase more vintage guitars. There have been 2 new purchases that are complete polar opposites in almost every respect. Both are great instruments; they are just very, very different from each other. Both guitars have features written on them, so I won’t repeat the detail here, other than to say that they are fabulous additions to the CRAVE Guitars stable. Go take a deeper look:

1962 Gretsch 6120 Double Cutaway Chet Atkins Hollowbody (click here to see feature…)
1981 Gibson RD Artist (click here to see feature…)

The time is coming for a bit of rationalisation at CRAVE. If anyone out there is interested in purchasing any ‘modern’ (i.e. post-1990) guitars, amps and/or effects pedals, let me know and I’ll send a list. I’m not a dealer, so I’m not sure about how much they are worth, so I might just let eBay auctions determine the market value (time permitting). They deserve more use than they’re getting now.

While the stomp box mission is in full swing, I am also mildly interested in getting hold of another vintage valve amp. I’m thinking of one of the smaller ‘student’ models from Fender (black or silver face), probably from the late 1960s up to the mid‑1970s – perhaps an all-original Champ, Vibro Champ or a Princeton in good used condition (and UK 240V).

Guitar-wise, I am also browsing the Internet for some cost-effective vintage guitars to fill gaps, for instance a 1970s Fender Bronco, a 1960s Danelectro and a 3^rd generation Melody Maker from the mid-1960s (these are the ‘ugly duckling’ ones with the amateur-looking pointy cutaways, i.e. not the pretty 2^nd generation or the SG-like 4^th generation ones). I am more pernickety about guitars and these have to be in good-to-excellent original condition (i.e. no refinishes, major modifications or breakages).

I simply can’t afford ambitious ‘retail’ vintage prices for guitars, amps and effects, but we may be able to find common ground around realistic values. What may come my way will be shared on the site.

That’s more than enough for now. Stay cool. Until next time…

CRAVE Guitars ‘Music Quote of the Month’: “Music is not necessarily the only road to true enlightenment. According to many musicians that’s also what sex and drugs are for.”

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27 Mar 2016

March 2016 – A Temporary Change Of Direction

by CRAVEGuitars | posted in: News, Opinion | 0

A couple of months (and posts) ago, I mused on the other key elements of a guitarist’s arsenal, amplifiers and effects. While often regarded as 2nd class citizens of the vintage signal chain, they are, however, both essential items as well as intensely personal in terms of shaping musicians’ individual sound signatures. Being fortunate enough to have a number of Cool & Rare Vintage Electric Guitars, it made some sense to explore these other gems that contributed to modern music as we know it.

The first step was to ditch modern transistor amps and acquire a solid, reliable (but small) vintage amp. The early ’70s Music Man 210 ‘sixty five’ (click here to see the amp feature…) designed by Leo Fender was the first of these, and what a great addition this was.

Then, because of a recent change in personal circumstances, I took a strategic decision to stop looking at the pricier (for me) end of the market and start re-exploring the landscape of vintage effect pedals. I have a number of original ’70s Electro-Harmonix (EHX) American stomp boxes, although these are (sadly) in storage at the moment. I also have a range of modern BOSS and Line 6 pedals which, when I started thinking about it, just didn’t get me excited. Don’t get me wrong, they are great pieces of electronics. However, they didn’t inspire my playing in the way I thought they should. So… unless there isn’t a vintage equivalent, I think that they are now going to have to go the same way as modern amps. My first dalliance with vintage effects has resulted in a number of interesting little effect pedals. I have to say that this may be dangerous territory and I might be opening another Pandora’s Box of addiction for me.

The first area to explore was the sonic continuum from compression to add clean sustain at one end to absurdly dirty fuzz at the other extreme. As far as effect pedals are concerned, the top Japanese brands like BOSS and Ibanez deserve as much respect as their American counterparts like EHX and MXR. I therefore make little distinction, as long as they are both vintage and classic (and good!). Recent additions include (in order from serenely subtle, through sensuously sublime, to seriously psychotic):

1980 MXR Dyna Comp Compressor
1980 BOSS CS-1 Compression Sustainer
1980 BOSS OD-1 Over Drive
1988 Pro Co Rat Distortion
1978 Electro-Harmonix Little Big Muff π (fuzz)

I won’t repeat myself here, other than to say these diminutive boxes provide an infinite range of tonal possibilities (Click here to see features on all these classic pedals…). This is just the start. Over the next few months, I will try to add to the above and also, hopefully, retrieve my original EHX pedals. I have also started looking at the other families of effects, the time delay-based warbles of phasers, choruses, flangers and echoes, as well as other oddball sound manglers such as envelope followers, ring modulators and pitch shifters. When I started looking, I couldn’t believe the prices of some vintage pedals, original Ibanez TS808 Tube Screamers for instance or Roland Space Echoes (OK, the latter is strictly not a pedal but you know what I mean). Even battered and beaten examples can go for eye-watering sums. I am just (re-)learning all about this stuff, so it will take a time to get re-acquainted with the nuances.

By the way, I haven’t completely resisted the temptation of vintage guitars. I have been ‘naughty’ and continued to dabble in my 6-string obsession with some diverse acquisitions. I hope to be reprising these in another ‘What’s New at CRAVE Gutiars’ post soon. Generally speaking though, guitars will have to take a back seat for a while, so I may go on about ‘Amplifiers and Effects’ for a while yet. Until next time…

CRAVE Guitars ‘Music Quote of the Month’: “Music doesn’t provide answers to life’s complications but it does provide solace for the soul when the questions are asked.”

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