INTERVIEW WITH DOXY AMPS -DOXYWORLD.COM
Give me a little about yourself and Doxy amps
Doxy amps are meant to sound as close as possible to Brian May’s Deacy amp. The Deacy amp is a solid-state amp, using germanium transistors. John Deacon, Queen bass player, salvaged the audio amp section from an unknown old audio device (turntable, radio…), and put it in cabinet. Brian May tried it with his Red Special guitar and a treble booster, and was surprised by the tone he had with it. A smooth, compressed, softly saturated tone. This amp was rather quiet (less than 1W), but Brian May heavily used it over the years on every Queen album. Killer Queen, Bohemian Rhapsody, The Millionaire Waltz, Dreamer’s Ball, Bijou, A Winter’s Tale… all these songs and many more feature the Deacy. The Deacy is also known to be able to create orchestral harmonies, or to reproduce existing instruments (cellos, trumpets…).
I’ve been a Queen fan since 1977, and though not a very good guitar player, I wanted to be able to replicate these tones as well as possible. Having heard and played other Deacy-style amps, I was not fully satisfied with the result. So I decided to take the plunge and make one myself. That was how the very first Doxy amp was born.
What is you interest in amps ?
As I said earlier, my initial goal was to reproduce Queen and Brian May tone. But I also thought I could provide the results of my findings on this small amp to other Queen fans around the world. So I started building some for them, while doing some more R&D on the Doxy amps.
What makes Doxy amps different from others?
Over the years, there have been several attempts to replicate Brian May’s Deacy amp tone. Some of them were good, others were only roughly sounding like his original amp. The Doxy amps are very close in tone to the original Deacy amp. In 2010, a blind test was organized during a Red Special guitar meet-up. 7 Deacy-style amps were played to many Red Special owners. Among these amps was the real Deacy. In this shoot-out, the real Deacy made first, and the Black Doxy made second, in front of all the other Deacy-style amps.
The Doxy amps are different from the other Deacy-style amps, because it is available as a pedal, that you can plug into a Doxy cabinet. This makes it easier to bring it with you wherever you’re going. You can also choose to just buy the pedal and use a speaker to build yourself a cabinet to go with it, or alternatively buy a Doxy speaker and build yourself the wooden enclosure.
Some of the Doxy amps have extra features that you won’t find on the original Deacy or on most of the other Deacy-style amps : a tone setting, a preamp output (to use your Doxy with your usual amp… no need for a special cabinet anymore), a DI output (for direct recording in your computer)…
Who’s using Doxy amps ?
Doxy amps are mainly used by Queen and Brian May aficionados. They have to be used in conjunction with a treble booster. The use of a Red Special type guitar (the home-made guitar Brian May has been using since the very beginning of Queen) is of great help too to get “that” tone.
But even if you don’t own a Red Special guitar, you can achieve these sweet tones and layered guitar harmonies.
DoxyWorld has recently endorsed Ivan Mihaljevic, a croatian guitarist. His gear is not the usual Queen/Brian May type : no Red Special guitar, no treble booster (he uses an overdrive/booster pedal instead), but he gets a very sweet tone with his Doxy amplifier, in fact very close to the Deacy-type sounds. Check his videos on Youtube !
What setup would you advise with a Doxy amp ?
Using a Red Special guitar will give you that Queen/Brian May tone you may be looking for. But you can build your own tone using any other electric guitar type.
A Doxy amp has to be used with a treble booster. A germanium booster will give you a sweeter tone.
Can we use some FX pedals with a Doxy amp ?
Yes. As Brian May did with his own Deacy amp, you can place a phaser pedal between the treble booster and the Doxy amp. Same thing with a Wah pedal, which will give you trumpet, oboe tones, as heard on Queen « Good Company ». But you can experiment with some more pedal types !
Can we use a Doxy amp in a live situation ?
The original Deacy amp was never used live during the Queen days, but was more of a studio amp. Brian May scarcely used it live for his solo work, but miced it up on a few occasions. You can also do that with any Doxy amp, but some of the Doxy amps (the White Doxy, the Diamond Doxy and the Doxy Maxx FX) have a preamp output, allowing to feed your regular amp.
Why would I need a Deacy-style amp ?
A Deacy-style amp, like the Doxy, is a must-have for any Brian May fan, to achieve the tone we can hear on most of Queen and Brian May songs.
But it is also quite a unique tool, even you're not a Brian May style guitar player,You can build multiparts harmonies, create a guitar orchestra, mimic other instruments (violins, trumpets...), replace a synthesizer... the only limit is your imagination !
How can I record a Doxy amp ?
The Doxy amps can be recorded in several ways. You can simply mic a Doxy cabinet, and experiment with different mic placements, towels placed before your amp, etc., but you can also record it DI'd in your computer soundcard. Another way is to plug at the same time the speaker output into a Doxy cabinet and the DI output into your soundcard. This will allow you to interact with your amp, while recording DI.
Can you tell us more about the different Doxy products that are available ?
Right now, 5 different Doxy pedals are available.
The Vintage Doxy, the Black Doxy, the White Doxy and the Diamond Doxy will offer different output options (speaker output, Di output, preamp output), settings (tone setting), or overall tone (by using different types of transformers).
The Doxy Maxx FX is an effect pedal, to get a Deacy-like tone from your regular amp.
The Doxy tones will also greatly depend on the speaker you will use it with. For this reason, we selected the most suited speaker available and made a Doxy cabinet, that will also give you some more tone setting options. Alternatively, you can choose to have a Doxy speaker and build your own cab.
Where can we buy a Doxy amp ?
You can directly order from our website : www.doxyworld.com
A very quick Q&A with George Lynch
I would like to thank the great George Lynch for taking his time to do this interview !
Sean-First I want to say thanks for doing the interview!
Sean-What made you start playing guitar?
George- It was a form of punishment.
Sean- Who is your favorite guitar player of all time and why?
George- Harvey Beaglemeyer, He was Django Rhienharts neighbor
and taught him everything he knew.
Sean-What was your first guitar? And do you still have it?
George- St George. Nope.
Sean-What’s your playing style?
George-Happy accidents.
Sean-What gear do you use live now? (guitars, pedals, amps, etc)
George-Changes monthly. Sometimes daily, then I end up using what I used 25 years ago. Randall Lynch boxes.
Sean-Do you have a large collection of gear and if so what are your favorites and why?
George- Tons, way more than I need it's obscene. I'm going to give most of it away to the homeless.
Sean-If you could play on stage with anyone who would it be and why? (person doesn’t have to still be alive, pick anyone)
George-All dead guys. I’d, be the best looking guy up there
Sean- Thanks a lot for your time and would you ever do this again with my site?
George-No... Just kidding, of course!
*Interview by Sean Mainenti All rights reserved. No unauthorized posting or use of this interview is allowed in any way shape or form or duplication in any form without consent in writing from Sean Mainenti.*
..................................................................................................................................
A Q & A with Bryan Kehoe from Dunlop!
Sean- When did you get started with Dunlop? Was it a planned job? Did you want to work there or did it just happen? Were you using Dunlop before you worked there?
BK: I’VE BEEN USING DUNLOP PRODUCTS SINCE I STARTED PLAYING GUITAR. NYLON STD PICKS, LEAD TO JAZZ III, NEXT WAS TORTEX STD 1.14, AND I’VE BEEN USING TORTEX JAZZ PICKS FOR 15+ YEARS NOW. I GOT STARTED BY COLD CALLING THE COMPANY ALMOST 20 YEARS AGO TO MAKE A CUSTOM IMPRINT PICK. I SPOKE TO JIMMY AND INVITED HIM OUT TO A SHOW AND WE JUST HIT IT OFF. SINCE THEN I’VE WORKED WITH THE COMPANY AS A CONSULTANT OFF AND ON FOR YEARS. ONE DAY I GOT LAID OFF FROM MY LAST JOB AND JIMMY CALLED AND SAID “YOU COME WORK FOR ME” THAT WASN’T A DIFFICULT DECISION TO MAKE.
Sean- When was your first Dunlop product you started using?
BK: THERE’S A RUNNING JOKE I HAVE HERE. I YELL OUT “I’VE BEEN USING THESE PRODUCTS BEFORE YOU WERE BORN, HELL I’VE USED THESE PRODUCTS BEFORE DUNLOP OWNED THEM!” I’VE BEEN USING CRY BABY, MXR, AND DUNLOP PICKS SINCE THE LATE 70’S. OUCH! I’M OLD...
Sean- When did you start playing guitar? What was your first guitar and what made you want to play?
BK: I STARTED PLAYING GUITAR IN HIGH SCHOOL TO PICK UP CHICKS! ANY OTHER ANSWER, WOULD BE A LIE!
Sean- Who is your favorite guitar player and why?
BK: THAT’S A TOUGH QUESTION. I CAN GIVE YOU ONE GUY. I LOVE A BUNCH OF GUITAR PLAYERS FOR A TON OF DIFFERENT REASONS. I LOVE JEFF BECK CAUSE ONE NOTE FROM HIM CAN MAKE ME CRY. I LOVE BUCKETHEAD, BECAUSE NOBODY SHOULD BE THAT GOOD. I LOVE DJANGO BECAUSE, HE DID ALL THAT CRAZY SHIT WITH JUST TWO FINGERS AND A NUB! I LOVE JIMMY BRYANT BECAUSE, HE PUTS A GIANT SHIT EATING GRIN ON MY FACE. I HAVE 1000 FAVORITE GUITARISTS.
Sean- You have met a lot of amazing players and legends who is your favorite and do you remain in contact with them?
BK: I HAVE MET A TON OF GUYS THAT I IDOLIZE. SOME ARE MY BEST FRIENDS, SOME I GET TO HANG WITH FROM TIME TO TIME, AND FRANKLY, SOME ARE JUST ASSHOLES! RECENTLY, I GOT TO HANG OUT WITH JUNIOR BROWN, MAN WHAT A GREAT PLAYER AND A COOL DUDE.
Sean- Do you have a collection of gear? If so, what do you have and name some favorites?
BK: I’VE AMASSED A BUNCH OF STUFF. NOTHING REALLY THAT YOU WOULD CALL HOLY GRAIL STUFF. I HAVE ABOUT 23 GUITARS, ABOUT AS MANY AMPS, AND SO MANY PEDALS I CAN’T EVEN TELL YOU. MY FAVORITE GUITAR IS A ‘92 G&L ASAT I BOUGHT BACK THEN. I, ALSO, HAVE A LATE 70’S STRAT I’VE HAD SINCE HIGH SCHOOL THAT’S VERY DEAR TO ME. I GOT A DR. Z MAZ 38 AMP THAT IS A REALLY NICE AMP I’VE PLAYED FOR A FEW YEARS NOW. I, ALSO, HAVE A 100 WATT HEAD WITH 6L6 TUBES THAT BRUCE ZINKY MADE OUT OF A RUSSIAN SUB RADIO THAT IS KILLER!
Sean- What is your favorite Dunlop product and why? (Crybaby, Mxr, Way Huge, Dunlop)
BK: I GO THROUGH FAVORITES LIKE MOST PEOPLE GO THROUGH SOCKS. SO I’LL HAVE TO SAY WHAT MY FAVORITES ARE, RIGHT NOW. CAUSE NEXT WEEK THEY MAY CHANGE, HA! SO, I’M LOVING THE NEW WAY HUGE RED LLAMA PEDAL. IT’S A KILLER OVERDRIVE, BUT WITH A FUZZ LIKE QUALITY. I LIKE TO TURN ALL THE KNOBS UP ALL THE WAY INTO A CLEANISH AMP THAT IS JUST STARTING TO BREAK UP. MAN IT SOUNDS LIKE THAT THING IS GONNA BLOW UP. FUN! ALSO, THE BASS COMP FROM MXR IS A VERY SUBTLE TOOL, BUT REALLY ADDS A NICE HIGH FIDELITY SOUND TO MY TONE. I CALL IT A DUMBLE- ATOR. AND LAST, BUT NOT LEAST DUNLOP STRINGS ARE MY FAVORITE. THEY HAVE A GREAT TONE AND FEEL THAT MADE A BIG DIFFERENCE WHEN I FIRST TRIED THEM. I GET PAID TO SAY THAT, BUT IT’S TRUE! I WAS BLOWN AWAY, I THOUGHT THAT STRINGS WERE STRINGS AND THAT IT DIDN’T MAKE A DIFFERENCE, BECAUSE ALL STRINGS WERE ONLY MADE BY TWO FACTORIES ANYWAY, I COULDN’T HAVE BEEN MORE WRONG. ALL DUNLOP STRINGS ARE MADE AT HQ IN BENICIA CA.
Sean- The New Joe Bonamassa fuzz face is a new pedal from Dunlop , can you talk a bit about it and did you have any involvement in the design process?
Bk; Had little involvement on this project. I did a bunch of testing on the prototypes, some tuning of the voicing w/ R&D, and help facilitate the fancy video we shot.
Jeorge Tripps worked closely with Joe on the design of this wah, every step of the way. Those guys are good friends and Jeorge knows what Joe is looking for.
The key bullet points of this wah are:
• Halo inductor: this inductor is a vintage style inductor that acts almost like a guitar pick up. Unfortunately, there are a lot of microphonic issues with these. Our R&D team were able to overcome the limitations of this style of inductor and keep its classic voicing.
• True Bypass/ Non-True Bypass option: there’s an internal switch where you can choose between the two.
• Buffered out: as not to mess with Vintage Effects and Fuzzes .
• Kick ass look: copper top, gloss black bottom.
• Distinct tone: a throaty growl, a hoarse voicing, very smoky sounding, unlike any other wah in our line.
Sean- Now can you give me a little about the pedal just released at namm the Eric Johnson Fuzz Face?
Bk:
• 6 years in the making
• Based on his favorite silicon fuzzes from the late 60’s
• Hand matched, biased, and tuned BC183 transistors
• Custom Color picked by EJ
• Battery operation only (the way Eric likes it)
• The most gain out of all of our Fuzz Faces
• Custom repro ‘68-’69 knobs
Sean- Favorite places to eat lunch? Or just hang out?
BK: ANY BLUE COLLAR BAR.
Sean- Would you do this again some time?
BK: YEAH, BUT YOU’LL HAVE TO PAY ME......
*Interview by Sean Mainenti All rights reserved. No unauthorized posting or use of this interview is allowed in any way shape or form or duplication in any form without consent in writing from Sean Mainenti.*
...........................................................................................................................................................
Scott at BMF effects Q & A
Me-When did you start making effects?
Scott-I probably started seriously tinkering in late 2003 or early 2004.
Me- What made you start building effects?
Scott-Mainly just looking for "that sound", trying to get what I was hearing my head to come through my setup. That and my father getting tired of fixing my broken pedals, he was a pretty key factor in getting me going.
Me-When did you start the company?
Scott-The first production pedal was delivered to True Tone Music in Santa Monica, CA in September of 2005.
Me-How do you get the ideas on names for effects?
Scott- It all depends. The Liquid Sky chorus was named by a user submission contest on a forum. Some of the names are a play on words that reflect what the pedal does and others come from an idea for a color/font scheme. I knew what the Purple Nurple was going to look like before I knew what it was going to do.
Me-Do you endorse any pros?
Scott- Yes...Marc Ford, Jeff Massey (The Steepwater Band), Paul Jackson and Charlie Starr (Blackberry Smoke), Henry Kaiser, Miles Nielsen, Luke Cawthra (Phantom Limb), Keith Gibbs (Sasquatch), Andrew DeRoberts who is a great studio player in L.A. and I've just struck a deal with this 19 year kid out of Canada named Steve Costello who is just amazing. Mainly I go after people whose music I like or has influenced me.
Me-What's your favorite effect of all time?
Scott- Probably phase or chorus when used right but a good overdrive pedal is right up there.
Me- Which one of your effects do you like the best?
Scott- Probably the El Jefe overdrive because it originally started out as a project for me. I rarely get to play loud and needed a low to medium gain overdrive that didn't lose all the low end at bedroom volumes, so that's how that one came to be.
Me- Favorite artist of all time?
Scott- That's tough as I go through periods where I latch onto a certain artist and listen to them non-stop for weeks. Lately it's been Blackberry Smoke and the upcoming album Clava from The Steepwater Band. Marc Ford is right up there on the list, The Black Crowes, Miles Davis, Pink Floyd, Queen, A Perfect Circle, Gov't Mule...my tastes are all over the place.
Me- If your could be any effect what would you be and why?
Scott- A Fuzz Face, it's classic and versatile in the right hands.
Me- Would you do this again some time?
Scott- Absolutely.
*Interview by Sean Mainenti All rights reserved. No unauthorized posting or use of this interview is allowed in any way shape or form or duplication in any form without consent in writing from Sean Mainenti.*
Give me a little about yourself and Doxy amps
Doxy amps are meant to sound as close as possible to Brian May’s Deacy amp. The Deacy amp is a solid-state amp, using germanium transistors. John Deacon, Queen bass player, salvaged the audio amp section from an unknown old audio device (turntable, radio…), and put it in cabinet. Brian May tried it with his Red Special guitar and a treble booster, and was surprised by the tone he had with it. A smooth, compressed, softly saturated tone. This amp was rather quiet (less than 1W), but Brian May heavily used it over the years on every Queen album. Killer Queen, Bohemian Rhapsody, The Millionaire Waltz, Dreamer’s Ball, Bijou, A Winter’s Tale… all these songs and many more feature the Deacy. The Deacy is also known to be able to create orchestral harmonies, or to reproduce existing instruments (cellos, trumpets…).
I’ve been a Queen fan since 1977, and though not a very good guitar player, I wanted to be able to replicate these tones as well as possible. Having heard and played other Deacy-style amps, I was not fully satisfied with the result. So I decided to take the plunge and make one myself. That was how the very first Doxy amp was born.
What is you interest in amps ?
As I said earlier, my initial goal was to reproduce Queen and Brian May tone. But I also thought I could provide the results of my findings on this small amp to other Queen fans around the world. So I started building some for them, while doing some more R&D on the Doxy amps.
What makes Doxy amps different from others?
Over the years, there have been several attempts to replicate Brian May’s Deacy amp tone. Some of them were good, others were only roughly sounding like his original amp. The Doxy amps are very close in tone to the original Deacy amp. In 2010, a blind test was organized during a Red Special guitar meet-up. 7 Deacy-style amps were played to many Red Special owners. Among these amps was the real Deacy. In this shoot-out, the real Deacy made first, and the Black Doxy made second, in front of all the other Deacy-style amps.
The Doxy amps are different from the other Deacy-style amps, because it is available as a pedal, that you can plug into a Doxy cabinet. This makes it easier to bring it with you wherever you’re going. You can also choose to just buy the pedal and use a speaker to build yourself a cabinet to go with it, or alternatively buy a Doxy speaker and build yourself the wooden enclosure.
Some of the Doxy amps have extra features that you won’t find on the original Deacy or on most of the other Deacy-style amps : a tone setting, a preamp output (to use your Doxy with your usual amp… no need for a special cabinet anymore), a DI output (for direct recording in your computer)…
Who’s using Doxy amps ?
Doxy amps are mainly used by Queen and Brian May aficionados. They have to be used in conjunction with a treble booster. The use of a Red Special type guitar (the home-made guitar Brian May has been using since the very beginning of Queen) is of great help too to get “that” tone.
But even if you don’t own a Red Special guitar, you can achieve these sweet tones and layered guitar harmonies.
DoxyWorld has recently endorsed Ivan Mihaljevic, a croatian guitarist. His gear is not the usual Queen/Brian May type : no Red Special guitar, no treble booster (he uses an overdrive/booster pedal instead), but he gets a very sweet tone with his Doxy amplifier, in fact very close to the Deacy-type sounds. Check his videos on Youtube !
What setup would you advise with a Doxy amp ?
Using a Red Special guitar will give you that Queen/Brian May tone you may be looking for. But you can build your own tone using any other electric guitar type.
A Doxy amp has to be used with a treble booster. A germanium booster will give you a sweeter tone.
Can we use some FX pedals with a Doxy amp ?
Yes. As Brian May did with his own Deacy amp, you can place a phaser pedal between the treble booster and the Doxy amp. Same thing with a Wah pedal, which will give you trumpet, oboe tones, as heard on Queen « Good Company ». But you can experiment with some more pedal types !
Can we use a Doxy amp in a live situation ?
The original Deacy amp was never used live during the Queen days, but was more of a studio amp. Brian May scarcely used it live for his solo work, but miced it up on a few occasions. You can also do that with any Doxy amp, but some of the Doxy amps (the White Doxy, the Diamond Doxy and the Doxy Maxx FX) have a preamp output, allowing to feed your regular amp.
Why would I need a Deacy-style amp ?
A Deacy-style amp, like the Doxy, is a must-have for any Brian May fan, to achieve the tone we can hear on most of Queen and Brian May songs.
But it is also quite a unique tool, even you're not a Brian May style guitar player,You can build multiparts harmonies, create a guitar orchestra, mimic other instruments (violins, trumpets...), replace a synthesizer... the only limit is your imagination !
How can I record a Doxy amp ?
The Doxy amps can be recorded in several ways. You can simply mic a Doxy cabinet, and experiment with different mic placements, towels placed before your amp, etc., but you can also record it DI'd in your computer soundcard. Another way is to plug at the same time the speaker output into a Doxy cabinet and the DI output into your soundcard. This will allow you to interact with your amp, while recording DI.
Can you tell us more about the different Doxy products that are available ?
Right now, 5 different Doxy pedals are available.
The Vintage Doxy, the Black Doxy, the White Doxy and the Diamond Doxy will offer different output options (speaker output, Di output, preamp output), settings (tone setting), or overall tone (by using different types of transformers).
The Doxy Maxx FX is an effect pedal, to get a Deacy-like tone from your regular amp.
The Doxy tones will also greatly depend on the speaker you will use it with. For this reason, we selected the most suited speaker available and made a Doxy cabinet, that will also give you some more tone setting options. Alternatively, you can choose to have a Doxy speaker and build your own cab.
Where can we buy a Doxy amp ?
You can directly order from our website : www.doxyworld.com
A very quick Q&A with George Lynch
I would like to thank the great George Lynch for taking his time to do this interview !
Sean-First I want to say thanks for doing the interview!
Sean-What made you start playing guitar?
George- It was a form of punishment.
Sean- Who is your favorite guitar player of all time and why?
George- Harvey Beaglemeyer, He was Django Rhienharts neighbor
and taught him everything he knew.
Sean-What was your first guitar? And do you still have it?
George- St George. Nope.
Sean-What’s your playing style?
George-Happy accidents.
Sean-What gear do you use live now? (guitars, pedals, amps, etc)
George-Changes monthly. Sometimes daily, then I end up using what I used 25 years ago. Randall Lynch boxes.
Sean-Do you have a large collection of gear and if so what are your favorites and why?
George- Tons, way more than I need it's obscene. I'm going to give most of it away to the homeless.
Sean-If you could play on stage with anyone who would it be and why? (person doesn’t have to still be alive, pick anyone)
George-All dead guys. I’d, be the best looking guy up there
Sean- Thanks a lot for your time and would you ever do this again with my site?
George-No... Just kidding, of course!
*Interview by Sean Mainenti All rights reserved. No unauthorized posting or use of this interview is allowed in any way shape or form or duplication in any form without consent in writing from Sean Mainenti.*
..................................................................................................................................
A Q & A with Bryan Kehoe from Dunlop!
Sean- When did you get started with Dunlop? Was it a planned job? Did you want to work there or did it just happen? Were you using Dunlop before you worked there?
BK: I’VE BEEN USING DUNLOP PRODUCTS SINCE I STARTED PLAYING GUITAR. NYLON STD PICKS, LEAD TO JAZZ III, NEXT WAS TORTEX STD 1.14, AND I’VE BEEN USING TORTEX JAZZ PICKS FOR 15+ YEARS NOW. I GOT STARTED BY COLD CALLING THE COMPANY ALMOST 20 YEARS AGO TO MAKE A CUSTOM IMPRINT PICK. I SPOKE TO JIMMY AND INVITED HIM OUT TO A SHOW AND WE JUST HIT IT OFF. SINCE THEN I’VE WORKED WITH THE COMPANY AS A CONSULTANT OFF AND ON FOR YEARS. ONE DAY I GOT LAID OFF FROM MY LAST JOB AND JIMMY CALLED AND SAID “YOU COME WORK FOR ME” THAT WASN’T A DIFFICULT DECISION TO MAKE.
Sean- When was your first Dunlop product you started using?
BK: THERE’S A RUNNING JOKE I HAVE HERE. I YELL OUT “I’VE BEEN USING THESE PRODUCTS BEFORE YOU WERE BORN, HELL I’VE USED THESE PRODUCTS BEFORE DUNLOP OWNED THEM!” I’VE BEEN USING CRY BABY, MXR, AND DUNLOP PICKS SINCE THE LATE 70’S. OUCH! I’M OLD...
Sean- When did you start playing guitar? What was your first guitar and what made you want to play?
BK: I STARTED PLAYING GUITAR IN HIGH SCHOOL TO PICK UP CHICKS! ANY OTHER ANSWER, WOULD BE A LIE!
Sean- Who is your favorite guitar player and why?
BK: THAT’S A TOUGH QUESTION. I CAN GIVE YOU ONE GUY. I LOVE A BUNCH OF GUITAR PLAYERS FOR A TON OF DIFFERENT REASONS. I LOVE JEFF BECK CAUSE ONE NOTE FROM HIM CAN MAKE ME CRY. I LOVE BUCKETHEAD, BECAUSE NOBODY SHOULD BE THAT GOOD. I LOVE DJANGO BECAUSE, HE DID ALL THAT CRAZY SHIT WITH JUST TWO FINGERS AND A NUB! I LOVE JIMMY BRYANT BECAUSE, HE PUTS A GIANT SHIT EATING GRIN ON MY FACE. I HAVE 1000 FAVORITE GUITARISTS.
Sean- You have met a lot of amazing players and legends who is your favorite and do you remain in contact with them?
BK: I HAVE MET A TON OF GUYS THAT I IDOLIZE. SOME ARE MY BEST FRIENDS, SOME I GET TO HANG WITH FROM TIME TO TIME, AND FRANKLY, SOME ARE JUST ASSHOLES! RECENTLY, I GOT TO HANG OUT WITH JUNIOR BROWN, MAN WHAT A GREAT PLAYER AND A COOL DUDE.
Sean- Do you have a collection of gear? If so, what do you have and name some favorites?
BK: I’VE AMASSED A BUNCH OF STUFF. NOTHING REALLY THAT YOU WOULD CALL HOLY GRAIL STUFF. I HAVE ABOUT 23 GUITARS, ABOUT AS MANY AMPS, AND SO MANY PEDALS I CAN’T EVEN TELL YOU. MY FAVORITE GUITAR IS A ‘92 G&L ASAT I BOUGHT BACK THEN. I, ALSO, HAVE A LATE 70’S STRAT I’VE HAD SINCE HIGH SCHOOL THAT’S VERY DEAR TO ME. I GOT A DR. Z MAZ 38 AMP THAT IS A REALLY NICE AMP I’VE PLAYED FOR A FEW YEARS NOW. I, ALSO, HAVE A 100 WATT HEAD WITH 6L6 TUBES THAT BRUCE ZINKY MADE OUT OF A RUSSIAN SUB RADIO THAT IS KILLER!
Sean- What is your favorite Dunlop product and why? (Crybaby, Mxr, Way Huge, Dunlop)
BK: I GO THROUGH FAVORITES LIKE MOST PEOPLE GO THROUGH SOCKS. SO I’LL HAVE TO SAY WHAT MY FAVORITES ARE, RIGHT NOW. CAUSE NEXT WEEK THEY MAY CHANGE, HA! SO, I’M LOVING THE NEW WAY HUGE RED LLAMA PEDAL. IT’S A KILLER OVERDRIVE, BUT WITH A FUZZ LIKE QUALITY. I LIKE TO TURN ALL THE KNOBS UP ALL THE WAY INTO A CLEANISH AMP THAT IS JUST STARTING TO BREAK UP. MAN IT SOUNDS LIKE THAT THING IS GONNA BLOW UP. FUN! ALSO, THE BASS COMP FROM MXR IS A VERY SUBTLE TOOL, BUT REALLY ADDS A NICE HIGH FIDELITY SOUND TO MY TONE. I CALL IT A DUMBLE- ATOR. AND LAST, BUT NOT LEAST DUNLOP STRINGS ARE MY FAVORITE. THEY HAVE A GREAT TONE AND FEEL THAT MADE A BIG DIFFERENCE WHEN I FIRST TRIED THEM. I GET PAID TO SAY THAT, BUT IT’S TRUE! I WAS BLOWN AWAY, I THOUGHT THAT STRINGS WERE STRINGS AND THAT IT DIDN’T MAKE A DIFFERENCE, BECAUSE ALL STRINGS WERE ONLY MADE BY TWO FACTORIES ANYWAY, I COULDN’T HAVE BEEN MORE WRONG. ALL DUNLOP STRINGS ARE MADE AT HQ IN BENICIA CA.
Sean- The New Joe Bonamassa fuzz face is a new pedal from Dunlop , can you talk a bit about it and did you have any involvement in the design process?
Bk; Had little involvement on this project. I did a bunch of testing on the prototypes, some tuning of the voicing w/ R&D, and help facilitate the fancy video we shot.
Jeorge Tripps worked closely with Joe on the design of this wah, every step of the way. Those guys are good friends and Jeorge knows what Joe is looking for.
The key bullet points of this wah are:
• Halo inductor: this inductor is a vintage style inductor that acts almost like a guitar pick up. Unfortunately, there are a lot of microphonic issues with these. Our R&D team were able to overcome the limitations of this style of inductor and keep its classic voicing.
• True Bypass/ Non-True Bypass option: there’s an internal switch where you can choose between the two.
• Buffered out: as not to mess with Vintage Effects and Fuzzes .
• Kick ass look: copper top, gloss black bottom.
• Distinct tone: a throaty growl, a hoarse voicing, very smoky sounding, unlike any other wah in our line.
Sean- Now can you give me a little about the pedal just released at namm the Eric Johnson Fuzz Face?
Bk:
• 6 years in the making
• Based on his favorite silicon fuzzes from the late 60’s
• Hand matched, biased, and tuned BC183 transistors
• Custom Color picked by EJ
• Battery operation only (the way Eric likes it)
• The most gain out of all of our Fuzz Faces
• Custom repro ‘68-’69 knobs
Sean- Favorite places to eat lunch? Or just hang out?
BK: ANY BLUE COLLAR BAR.
Sean- Would you do this again some time?
BK: YEAH, BUT YOU’LL HAVE TO PAY ME......
*Interview by Sean Mainenti All rights reserved. No unauthorized posting or use of this interview is allowed in any way shape or form or duplication in any form without consent in writing from Sean Mainenti.*
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Scott at BMF effects Q & A
Me-When did you start making effects?
Scott-I probably started seriously tinkering in late 2003 or early 2004.
Me- What made you start building effects?
Scott-Mainly just looking for "that sound", trying to get what I was hearing my head to come through my setup. That and my father getting tired of fixing my broken pedals, he was a pretty key factor in getting me going.
Me-When did you start the company?
Scott-The first production pedal was delivered to True Tone Music in Santa Monica, CA in September of 2005.
Me-How do you get the ideas on names for effects?
Scott- It all depends. The Liquid Sky chorus was named by a user submission contest on a forum. Some of the names are a play on words that reflect what the pedal does and others come from an idea for a color/font scheme. I knew what the Purple Nurple was going to look like before I knew what it was going to do.
Me-Do you endorse any pros?
Scott- Yes...Marc Ford, Jeff Massey (The Steepwater Band), Paul Jackson and Charlie Starr (Blackberry Smoke), Henry Kaiser, Miles Nielsen, Luke Cawthra (Phantom Limb), Keith Gibbs (Sasquatch), Andrew DeRoberts who is a great studio player in L.A. and I've just struck a deal with this 19 year kid out of Canada named Steve Costello who is just amazing. Mainly I go after people whose music I like or has influenced me.
Me-What's your favorite effect of all time?
Scott- Probably phase or chorus when used right but a good overdrive pedal is right up there.
Me- Which one of your effects do you like the best?
Scott- Probably the El Jefe overdrive because it originally started out as a project for me. I rarely get to play loud and needed a low to medium gain overdrive that didn't lose all the low end at bedroom volumes, so that's how that one came to be.
Me- Favorite artist of all time?
Scott- That's tough as I go through periods where I latch onto a certain artist and listen to them non-stop for weeks. Lately it's been Blackberry Smoke and the upcoming album Clava from The Steepwater Band. Marc Ford is right up there on the list, The Black Crowes, Miles Davis, Pink Floyd, Queen, A Perfect Circle, Gov't Mule...my tastes are all over the place.
Me- If your could be any effect what would you be and why?
Scott- A Fuzz Face, it's classic and versatile in the right hands.
Me- Would you do this again some time?
Scott- Absolutely.
*Interview by Sean Mainenti All rights reserved. No unauthorized posting or use of this interview is allowed in any way shape or form or duplication in any form without consent in writing from Sean Mainenti.*
*Interviews by Sean Mainenti All rights reserved. No unauthorized posting or use of this interview is allowed in any way shape or form or duplication in any form without consent in writing from Sean Mainenti.*
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