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that distortion technique
Posted to Utterances
by foolish_Paeter on 2004-04-03 14:18:00
was pioneered by Link Wray, who stabbed pencils into his speakers. Legend says he had been blowing up amps trying to get distortion and sustain. See, back in the 50s, people kept their amps around 4. If you were Really rock 'n roll, you went up to 6. If you went above 6, it got distorted and you were supposed to avoid that back then. So Link turned his up to 10. Thing was, those old amps couldn't handle that. So finally he just gets mad at his latest one and stabs a pencil into it. BAM, there's the sound he needed
(dammit now I wish I could find my CD of 1950s & early 60s instrumental rock songs)
Bo Diddley also used the knife-slash technique
My guess is that you have to be very careful about it, make a small cut
that distortion technique
Posted to Utterances
by foolish_Paeter on 2004-04-03 14:18:00
was pioneered by Link Wray, who stabbed pencils into his speakers. Legend says he had been blowing up amps trying to get distortion and sustain. See, back in the 50s, people kept their amps around 4. If you were Really rock 'n roll, you went up to 6. If you went above 6, it got distorted and you were supposed to avoid that back then. So Link turned his up to 10. Thing was, those old amps couldn't handle that. So finally he just gets mad at his latest one and stabs a pencil into it. BAM, there's the sound he needed
(dammit now I wish I could find my CD of 1950s & early 60s instrumental rock songs)
Bo Diddley also used the knife-slash technique
My guess is that you have to be very careful about it, make a small cut