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******************************************************************* * COWABUNGA * * THE GEAR FAQ * * Version 1.0 - 20/12/1997 * * Compiled by EDDIE HODAD from messages posted to Cowabunga * * joblin@wave.co.nz * *******************************************************************
INTRODUCTION - WHAT IS THIS? Once upon a time, there was a mailing list called Cowabunga. Its address was 'cowabunga@netapp.com'. It was a forum for the discussion of Surf Music in all its many forms. It had a great FAQ explaining all about what surf music was, and it was full of surf aficionados, ranging from fans, to musicians active in contemporary groups, to pioneers and legends of the genre. The discussions were lively, diverse and informative. BUT there was a problem. People kept asking the same questions over and over. Questions about their guitars and their amplifiers, the tools with which surf music is created. ENTER THE COWABUNGA GEAR FAQ. ABOUT THE LAYOUT: As I said, the same questions were asked over and over, and each time, they received detailed and helpful answers from the many experts on the list. To eliminate the need for newcomers to recover old ground, all that had to be done was to collect all the existing answers. That wasn't as easy as it sounds - it required scouring of email archives by those who saved their Cowabunga messages from way back. Then, there had to be a patsy to get emailed all these old posts and cobble them together. Well, its done now, and bugger me with a pitchfork if it doesn't include the last word on every surf gear problem you could think of. The FAQ is set out in the form of 'threads' - i.e. edited versions of actual discussions from Cowabunga. Each contribution is attributed to its original poster, where known. Also, the poster's band is given, if they're in one. This way, you can check out their music, and if they suck - ignore their advice! As for the topics covered - the contents of the posts shaped the layout of the FAQ - its an organic thing. THE FUTURE: Where's the bass? Drums? Stratocasters? If you want to see it here - you gotta post it to cowabunga first, or straight to me at joblin@wave.co.nz THANKS: The contributors to this FAQ are all the people who've posted gear advice to the Cowabunga list over the last 2-3 years. But certain names crop up enough times to earn special mention: IVAN STRATOCOSSACK of the SPACE COSSACKS Ivan scoured his Cowabunga archives and came up with huge chunks of priceless info that make up a sizeable fraction of the FAQ. The keystones of the FAQ, you could say. Good work, Ivan. MEL WALDORF of LOS MEL-TONES The Canadian Jazzmaster owner didnt send much info explicitly for the list - he didnt have to, he'd already written half of it! About every third post here is from Mel and they're all gems. Forza Mel. REV WILLIS The Rev from Salt Lake City has been on gear watch throughout the creation of this FAQ, hipping me to any gear info that turned up in the list. Cheers, Rev.
CONTENTS: There are three main Sections in version 1.0 of the FAQ: GUITARS When it comes to surf music, this generally means Fender Jazzmasters or Jaguars, but other models such as Stratocasters turn up from time to time. -Strings -Jaguar vs Jazzmaster, Vintage vs Reissue, Bridge Replacements. -Jaguar/Jazzmaster Tremolo -Jaguar/Jazzmaster Pickups AMPS The Workhorse amps of surf are the Fender Dual Showman, and the Fender Twin Reverb. Any vintage amp with 'Reverb' in its name is also fair game. -Tubes -Mods (Dual Showman) -Mods (Twin Reverb) REVERB Spring reverb is the sound of surf. The Fender external Reverb unit is the mainstay here, but other options exist, including the built-in verb on your amp, if you're lucky. -Feedback -Mods (Onboard) -Mods (Outboard) -Maintenance -Isolation The FAQ starts here: ***GUITARS*** 1. Strings GONE GASSER: This guy told me that if I put Super thick Dick Dale style strings on my guitar I'll warp the neck. Is this ture or is this guy one of them G.R.E.m.M.y agents trying to pass off bad info? MEL (LOS MEL-TONES): Dick Dale uses 14-60 gauge strings. I've used 13-56 without a problem on my Jazzmasters, though you do have to adjust the truss rod. As for big Jazz guitars, at least Gibsons have a shorter scale length, so the tension is not as severe, so they can take it too. Remember that many acoustic guitars are strung with 12-52 or 14-56 sets. If it's a cheap guitar, the truss rod or other hardware may not be up to the task, but on Fenders should be fine. However, don't just put heavy strings on for the sake of having heavy strings. The sound and certainly the play is different. Don't expect to do much bending on the first fret with 13-56 strings; however it is significantly easier with 12-52 strings while still having "big string" tone. JOE EMERY: dick uses super heavy strings--like 13s thru 60s. if you're playing anything other than a fender you're asking for trouble (some jazz players use really heavy string guages on hollowbodys as well). even if you're playing a strat or the like, you should take it to someone who really knows what they're doing and have it set up for this, or it will bend the neck. depending on what kind of guitar you're playing (strat for instance), you may have to do some setup on the bridge as well. if you were to try to put strings like that on a teisco, they'd probably yank the neck right off the body. also, you better start working on thickening up them calluses on your fingers... REV. WILLIS: As I recall from a previous thread, flat wound strings are the only politically correct string to use. But they seem hard to find and expensive. Any recommends on brands (12-52 or so is the guage I'm iterested in) and where to find good deals on them (even bulk if possible)? DALIBOR (BAMBI MOLESTERS): I have very good experience with GHS Brite Flats strings. You should try them. Very nice sound which is little brighter then usuall flatwounds. I ordered my set directly from GHS Company but they should be available almost everywhere. MIKE (SIR-FINKS): Try D'Addario Chromes. They're great. They come in the ever popular 12-52 package. 2. Jaguar vs Jazzmaster, Vintage vs Reissue, Bridge Replacements... MEL (LOS MEL-TONES): The Jaguar has narrow, deep pickups similar, though not identical to those on the strat. The Jazzmaster has wide, shallow pickups. Both guitars have the rhythm/lead circuits. The Jaguar has chrome control plates, and the Jazzmaster has all mounted straight on the pickguard. The switching on the Jag lead circuit is done with on/off switches for the two pickups, and also includes a tone switch, whereas the Jazzmaster uses a three way toggle. Finally, the Jaguar has a 24" scale length, and the Jazzmaster has a 25.5" scale length. Also, the Jazzmaster is cooler. EVAN FOSTER (BOSS MARTIANS): I'd like to thank Mel for plugging in the correct tech info on the Jag/Jazz. But I can tell you for sure that some Jags happen to play so well that they almost play themselves - these guitars are only as good as you treat them. I don't think that Jazzmasters are cooler in any way but they both are good sounding Fender guitars without a doubt. I've a '63 white L-series Jag (I REALLY THINK THE "RE-ISSUES" BLOW) missing the bridge piece mute that has consistently sounded great, held tune, and delivered the goods BETTER than any other guitar that I've used with the Martians. Here's a suggestion - PUT A MUSTANG BRIDGE in place of your Jag's bridge and your TONE WILL REALLY IMPROVE - the multi-groove saddles that ship with the Jag REALLY BLOW - the Mustang saddles were among the most genius that Fender released (I got hip to this schtick from Johnny Bartlett like three or four years ago and I've been consistently pleased with the results). And like, I almost forgot - go get some flats (11's, 12's, 13's - your call) and you're all set, like. I've been digging the 11's on my jaguar lately - oh yeah, if you can't abide by a wound .22 g-string, grab a plain steel .20 or .22 and you'll dig it just as much. Have your neck set up for the extra tension tho if you're gonna go to the 12's or 13's. MEL (PHANTOM SURFERS): Actually, you just need the Mustang saddles, not the whole bridge. This alteration is a must. JOHNNY DEADMAN (DEAD MAN'S CURVE): owner of a jazz reissue here - really love this guitar even if it's a little, er, japanese, but I've been told the gibson tune-o-matic bridge drops right in. The jazz bridge sucks, but I've never beem brave enuf to try this....has anyone else? BTW the longer scale length on the jazz compared to the jag results in a more janglesome tone, according to anti-humbucker hero j mascis (dino jr - all bow down please to greatness). EDDIE HODAD (HOLLOW GRINDERS): Do the Gibson mod! I don't think you want a tune-o-matic, though, cause that's a bridge and tailpiece in one unit (isnt it?) - you just need a standard Les Paul bridge of the sort that uses a separate tailpiece. I got a Gotoh bridge for about $US12 and it is fine. The reason its an improvement is because the saddles on the original bridge slip down on their set-screws with heavy string gauges - the Gibson bridge HAS NO saddle height adjustment - so, end of problem! (Mustang bridges have set screws, and therefore the same problem with heavy strings). The bridge does fit right in but beware - Gotoh's bridges came in two types, the difference being in the thickness of the poles that go into the guitar. I erred on the side of caution and got thin, but I think thick would have been a bit closer. As it is, I wrapped my posts in foam rubber to stop any untoward pivoting, and its been fine. Also, I had to deepen the grooves on the low E and A saddles very slightly (with a triangular file, as Los Mel describes below) to stop my 12 gauge flats from popping out, but now they're rock solid. I have to thank Mike from Agent Orange for hipping me to this one. Its an extremely cheap, painless and reversible mod. Try it! MEL (LOS MEL-TONES): A few more thoughts on Jags and Jazzmasters: > white L-series Jag (I REALLY THINK THE "RE-ISSUES" BLOW) Um, I've got a '66 fiesta red Jazzmaster and a '90's seafoam green Jazzmaster. They are both fine instruments. The main playing difference I have noticed involves the pickups. The old pickups have a full warm sound, and the new ones sound more like strat pickups (if you look, they are narrow and deep in a wide bobbin) While I prefer the sound of the older guitar, I do use the new one plenty, especially now that I've painted it a cool color. Also, the new trem spring seems to bottom out with 013 gauge strings, so I have to use 012s on the re-ish. Maybe after 30 years of work hardening, it will be as smooth as the old one. > Here's a suggestion - PUT A MUSTANG BRIDGE in place of your Jag's bridge > and your TONE WILL REALLY IMPROVE - the mulit-groove saddles that ship with > the Jag REALLY BLOW - the Mustang saddles were among the most genius that Another alternative to this is to use a tremolo tension bar as similar to that used on bigsbys for semi-solid and solid guitars. I cut a length of chromed brass pipe and use the middle set of trem plate screws to press it down on the strings. Increases the string angle over the bridge, and now the strings stay put. It's a removable fix, and probably cheaper than buying a new set of saddles. I've run this system for years now with no problems. Interestingly, the neck pocket on the re-ish isn't as deep as on the old guitar, so the bridge is higher off the body. This gives plenty of string angle, and on tension bar is necessary. As for the rest of the new v. old equiptment, old is great if you can afford it or find it, but the new stuff works quite well. I run a 63 brownface Showman and a re-ish Reverb tank. It's a mighty fine sound! COLIN (THE INTERCEPTORS): I guess someone out there will be able to solve our rhythm guitarists problem with his jazzmaster. It seems his low E-sting pops out of its groove into the next one down making the thing sound awful! I can remember that there is a simple cure but can't remember the details so any help will be greatfully recieved. RIP THRILLBY (THE PENETRATORS): Put a Mustang bridge on it. I believe Mel or Evan can give you the blow-by-blow on this modification. MEL (LOS MEL-TOMES); Colin, The easiest thing to do is to deepen the preferred notch on the e-string saddle. I've done this for both of my Jazzmasters. Use a triangular file, and run it across the notch four or five times. Doesn't take much. Also, there's a unit called a "Whizzo Buzz Stop" made stateside that increases the string angle across the Jazzmaster/Jaguar bridge. It's a non-permanent type of modification, and costs about $40US. Personally, I've never tried one of these things, but implemented something similar on one of my Jazzmasters, and the concept works very well. Or, as has been suggested, you can get a set of mustang saddles. Haven't tried this either. SPANKY TWANGLER (THE PENETRATORS): As a temporary fix I have changed the angle of the bridge things [he means saddles - Ed] to almost 45 degrees which works as a temporary fix. I find that both my E strings tend to slip out at least 2-3 times a show if I play it that long. I think I'll try that file thing. 3. Jaguar / Jazzmaster Tremolo PRECOMPILED BY IVAN STRATOCOSSACK (SPACE COSSACKS): RANGER BOB: > 2) I've been enjoying the hell out of my new Jazzmaster. There's just one > problem with it: the tremolo arm. First, the damn thing swings all over > the place - how do people keep it in place (tape seems to be the preferred > method)? Does anybody know a good, effective way? --> If you are willing to do some work with a screwdriver, you can remedy the loose arm as follows: 1. Remove the strings & drop out the bridge and trem arm. 2. Remove the 6 screws that hold the trem assembly to the guitar. 3. Lift out the tremolo assembly. Note the socket that the arm inserts into. The end of the socket is split into "fingers." This is known as a collet. Simply take a pair of padded jaw pliers and lightly close the fingers of the collet together a bit. Reinsert the arm and check the tension. Adjust as needed. 4. Reassemble in reverse order. > Second, the arm hits > the bottom of the tremolo cavity after dropping less than half a step in > pitch - it's terribly annoying. Short of cutting off the end of the arm, > is there anything to be done to have a wider downward range (I'm not > talking about dive-bombing here, but a full-step would be nice)? Had the same problem with our Surf Guitar model, which used the Jag/Jazz vibrato. We did a funny routing to help, but still wasn't that far. There are three answers for this: 1. The aforementioned cutting of the arm. 2. Deepening the routing on the body. This is dangerous, as you can easily bore through the body and out the other side. 3. Adding a collar to the arm so it doesn't go in to the trem collet as deep. This can be done a number of ways. Possibly the most elegant is a small metal ring that has a set-screw in it to keep the arm from moving down. You can actually find these in model airplane (Remote control) stores used to hold on the little tires on a plane's axles. Electronics shops sometimes have them for locating shafts and such. Or you could trash an old plastic knob that has a brass bushing inside it ($.99 at Radio Shack) MATT (DIRK DOOM & THE OVERDRIVE ORCHESTRA): Regarding your Jazzmaster trem question on Cowabunga: You may find that you can get a little more dip out of it by loosening the adjustment screw. You won't be able to pull up so much anymore, though, and it may become very sensitive. MEL (LOS MEL-TONES): Remove the tailpiece. Loosen the nut that holds the arm on. Take out the arm and wrap with Teflon tape. Put it back in the nut, but don't push it all the way in. This should solve both problems. MEL AGAIN: I've got a re-ish Jazzmaster, and here's what I've come up with as far as the tremolo is concerned. First off, forget using 013 gauge strings. The tremolo spring can't handle them. You get about 1" of travel, then the springs bottom out. I've got mine strung with ribbon wound 012s. As for the arm, I cut 1/4" off the bottom, and it helped a lot. As for keeping the arm stiff, I believe RangerBob already described the inner tremolo sleeve (collet?). However, if you use a standard "straight" 1/4 cord, as opposed to a 90 degree 1/4, for input, the trem arm will rest on that. This is how I've got mine set up. You can scoop up the arm when you need it, and it's plenty out of the way otherwise. If you go with this technique, I suggest using a cord with a rubber sleeve end - it eliminates the noise of the arm hitting the cord when you let go of it. For length of travel, Jazzmaster trems give you more than a half step, but only a full step on the low strings. For more accuracy, you can knife edge the fulcrum. I've done this on my new Jazzmaster, the old one doesn't require it. DALIBOR PAVICIC (BAMBI MOLESTERS): I've had a similar problem and found out the following info on Fender page: "The crimp-sleeve which holds the tremolo arm into the assembly, may have become slightly spread as a result of heavy bending. To repair it, you must first remove the tremolo assembly from the body. The crimp-sleeve that holds the tremolo arm will need to be pressed back together. This can be done by simply gripping the sleeve with a pair of pliers and applying pressure to the sleeve until it bends slightly inward. (You must be careful not to completely collapse the sleeve). When you re-insert the tremolo arm, you should find that it is stationary when pushed firmly into the socket. Pressing the arm all the way in until it clicks into place, should allow the arm to swing freely. If you are not comfortable with either diagnosing or repairing this problem with the spread crimp-sleeve, please bring your guitar to your nearest Authorized Fender Service Center and let an experienced guitar tech take care of it for you." Your downward range is limited due to a fact that the crimp sleeve is spread so the end of the arm hits the bottom of tremolo cavity. Beside the above method you will have to set up a range with the set up screw which is positioned on the tremolo plate. 4. Jaguar / Jazzmaster Pickups SPANKY TWANGLER (THE PENETRATORS): I recently replaced the pickups in my '64 reissue with the Seymore Duncan Vintage series which I would highly recomend to everyone who has not already done this. It has saved me from smashing the damn thing into the drum riser out of frustration in the tone. The new pickups have a really wide spectrum of tones which is good but I still need to tweek it from being too damn trebley, even on the neck pick up. or what ever you call it. MIKE (SIR-FINKS): Well, with nary more than a little faith in good ole' American ingenuity and a couple of "you'll probably like them"s ...I took the plunge and dropped in a set of "Vintage for Jaguar" Seymour Duncan replacements into my '64 Jaguar. And.....yes! Yes! Now it sounds like it should (or pretty close). Now I can stop using JUST the top pickup.....whew. Worth the hundred odd clams, IMO....... ROD (THE SLACKMATES): I've got a '62 jazzmaster and the original pick-ups are really weak. I was told by the Duncan crew that the magnets loose their their life over time and so does the sound of the pick-ups. The bridge pickup was much weaker than the rhythm pick-up. I bought some new Fender ones and they sound too full if you know what I mean. They also have a lot more output than I need. I need opinions on the Duncan replacements and how you guys think they compare to the originals if the originals are in good condition. JOHNNY DEADMAN (DEAD MAN's CURVE): Warning: guitar nerd/geek post So, based on the discussion on this list I went out today and bought one of the Seymour Duncan pickups for my reissue Jazz and wired it in (twice - did it out of phase the first time!) and it sure as hell makes a BIG difference. The pickup cost me 55 British pounds, which I thought was pretty cheap and money well spent. I too have come close to murdering that guitar for its weedy tone - especially in my former band Earcandy where I resorted to, among other things, EQ, compression and a RAT pedal to try and coax some tone out of it, plus a noise gate as with all that gain it buzzed, whistled and hummed like a team of barbers on steroids. Anyhow, haven't had a chance to crank it up yet but clean and at moderate volume it's just 'there' in a way it wasn't before. I thought about doing this before but could never find the pickups - I think the one I got today was the last in London and the distributors are now out of stock - so maybe word is getting round. Anyhows, I was talking to the guitar repair guy at Andy's (probably London's most famous guitar shop) and we got to talking about the jap fenders and their weedy tone. He pointed out that the most cost effective way to THAT sound - be it tele, strat, jazz or jag - is to buy one of the well made fender clones - squier or whatever - chuck out the pick ups and put in Seymour Duncan vintage ones. It rang true - some of those cheapo copies are nice to play, but, agh, the sound! Anyhow, I guess there are guitar techies out there who have comments on all this and I'd be interested to hear them. Anyhow (2), it raises this question. Why the HELL do the people at Fender allow their company's name to be dragged down by the quality of their jap guitars, and in particular the pickups? I guess product differentiation (from the 'real' US thing) might be one argument, but that falls over completely in the case of the Jazz reissues as I don't think there ARE US versions of these, are there? I don't get it. Any Cowabungans friendly with Fender care to enlighten me? Another point, this time about the Seymour Duncans. They come in Bridge and Neck flavours. The main difference is that one is wound differently from the other so that in the middle position you get a humbucking effect, which you need on a Jazzmaster, by God! But their impedances are also slightly different. Anyhow, on the box it claims that the pickups are identical to the original Fender ones with their famous "mellow" sound (ho ho). Are both these statements true? Did the original Fender Jazzmasters have different pickups in bridge and neck positions? It seems unlikely... MEL (LOS MEL-TONES): Warning: long guitar nerd/geek reply > Anyhow (2), it raises this question. Why the HELL do the people at Fender > allow their company's name to be dragged down by the quality of their jap > guitars, and in particular the pickups? I guess product differentiation > (from the 'real' US thing) might be one argument, but that falls over > completely in the case of the Jazz reissues as I don't think there ARE US > versions of these, are there? I don't get it. Any Cowabungans friendly > with Fender care to enlighten me? The tonal qualities of the Fender japan instruments are for the most part OK. The red herring is the Jazzmaster. You see, the old Jazzmaster used a pickup that was wide and shallow, unlike all other Fenders (except some steels) which used varieties of narrow and deep pickups. Unfortunately, as a cost cutting method, the present Jazzmaster pickups are made like all the others - narrow and deep. Look at the pickup you pulled out vs the Seymour Duncan, and notice how different the windings look. Well, the Duncan looks just like old Jazzmaster pickups. I know, I've got a re-ish Jazzmaster with two '64 units and a Duncan in the middle (long story) And the look carries over into the sound. Basically, I think Fender figures that if you know enough to want better pickups, you'll get them. And remember that some buy these guitars and put super-distorto humbuckers in them (I shudder at the thought) If you play a reish Jazzmaster and a reish Jaguar together, they are tonally indistinguishable, because of the pickups. Note that the reissue Jaguar pickups are much more similar to old ones than is the case for Jazzmasters. As for the off brand copies of Strats and Teles, they've been around since at least the seventies as direct copies (instead of the earlier "inspired by" types) and Fender Japan was started when Fender USA went into a partnership with one of the companies making copies. Unless you really want the Fender decal on the headstock, you've got plenty of copies to choose from, some better and some worse than the japanese Fenders. This is not the case with the Jazzmasters and Jaguars. I have personally discussed this with a marketing rep from Fender Sales whose argument boiled down this: Me: "The new Jazzmasters don't sound like old ones, and it's the pickups." Fender rep: "People Say they sound just like the oldies!" Me: "Well, they don't. And the pickups are responsible." Fender rep: "People Say they sound just like the oldies!" And so it went. A lesser tone difference new v. old comes from the body wood. The new guitars are basswood and the old ones are alder. The alder bodies sound warmer. It's a subtle but noticable distinction. > Another point, this time about the Seymour Duncans. They come in Bridge > and Neck flavours. The main difference is that one is wound differently > from the other so that in the middle position you get a humbucking > effect, which you need on a Jazzmaster, by God! But their impedances are > also slightly different. Anyhow, on the box it claims that the pickups > are identical to the original Fender ones with their famous "mellow" > sound (ho ho). Are both these statements true? Did the original Fender > Jazzmasters have different pickups in bridge and neck positions? It seems > unlikely... The original Jazzmasters did use different lead and rhythm pickups, at least according to Forrest White (plant manager 1954-1967). I've never tried ohm testing the ones I have to confirm this. As for the Seymour Duncan "humbucking" middle position, it is humbucking, but thankfully doesn't sound like a humbucker. It's just got less white noise. PEKKA (THE HYPNOMEN): Howdy folks, It seems I can't afford a decent vintage JAzzmaster for awhile, so I thought I should make most of my re issue japanese wonder. Since replacement pick ups are quite expensive here I would like to hear some comments on them. What kind of experiences do you 'bungans have about replacing japanese made Jazzmaster pick ups with Seymour Duncans or other brands ( are there other brands worth trying)? Is there a huge difference to be expected? I don't want to spend my money just like that. Otherwise I'm really happy with my reissue Jazzmaster. Somehow I just have the feeling that the pick up department needs something. But what? Any comments MEL (LOS MEL-TONES): The Seymour Duncan Jazzmaster replacement pickups are much more like the original type jazzmaster pickups than those used in the reissue guitars. If you swap them in, you can expect a wider frequency response, and more output. Keep in mind, the re-issue pickups are basically Stratocaster pickups in a wider case. If you're after the sound of the old Jazzmasters you will be very pleased with the Duncan pickups. Comparing my 66 Jazzmaster to my re-issue with Duncans, the sonic qualities are essentially identical. I found the pickups to be well worth the cost. DAVE WOOD: As to replacement pickups, allow me to recommend Joe Barden pickups, made in Vienna, Virginia, USA (Washington DC area). They specialize in custom vintage replacement pickups and are highly favored by a number of rockabilly and blues guitarists I respect highly, including Bill Kirchen (the lead guitar on Commander Cody's "Hot Rod Lincoln"), Jimmy Thackery (a great blues guitarist in the SRV mold), and the late Danny Gatton, who assisted in the design and testing. However, I have never (knowingly) heard them used for surf. Joe Bardens are a drop-in replacement for both the slimline pickups Fender uses and the humbucking style that Gibson uses. I have seen them on Telecasters, Stratocasters, and even on Thackery's vintage Flying V. They are expensive but they have a huge tone and they're LOUD. They are also used by Al Anderson (NRBQ), Lou Reed, Rob Wasserman, Keith Richards and Ron Wood (Rolling Stones), Robert Cray, Clint Black, David Hidalgo (Los Lobos), Jim Messina, Harvey Mandel, Elliot Easton, Arlen Roth, Mick Taylor, John Abercrombie, Joan Jett, Steve Miller, Zion Guitars, Sadowsky Guitars, Trussart Guitars, Klein Custom Guitars, and the Fender Custom Shop. For more info, try the web page for Fred's Music Shop, Shillington, Pennsylvania, USA, at http://www.fredsmusic.com/barden.html. The phone number is 610-796-2527. [Note: Dave's advice is sound re the high quality of Barden pickups, but its no good to Pekka because Barden don't make Jazzmaster or Jaguar pickups ...yet - Ed] SPANKY TWANGLER (THE PENETRATORS): Greetings, I've got a '64 reissue Jazzmaster that used to piss me off so bad I was ready to smash it into the equally useless monitors on the front of the stage. However, I restrained myself. This spring, I dropped some Seymore Duncan vintage pickups in there and it has made a world of difference. They are SJM-1 Vintage pickups to be specific. The box says they are designed to duplicate the original 1957 Jazzmaster pickup so I don't know if these are the same as other folks use, but they sound pretty good to my ears. I know for definite that Danny Amis of Los Straitjackets fame has some Seymore Duncans in his Jazzmaster and a few other people on this list. But like I said, I'm not for sure that they are the very same as I have. IVAN STRATOCOSSACK I, too, have replaced the pickups in my reissue Jazzmaster. It really threw me for a loop when I first changed them - the new pickups were sooo fat and full of low end it was almost overwhelming. But they truly have the big tone. Sometimes too big... They will make your Super Reverbs start crunching very fast, Pekka! The other thing I noticed is that they seem to have more output than the original pickups in the reissues. When I switch between the Strat and the Jazzmaster live, I always have to turn down the volume and bass slightly, or it's too much. Still, I'm glad I changed the pickups. Put a set of 12-gauge flatwounds on it, switch it to the neck pickup, turn the reverb up to about 7, play through a Fender with a 15" speaker, and... - can you say Astronauts? I think Seymour Duncan did a great job. ***Amplifiers*** 1. Tubes (Valves, Vacuum Tubes, whatever) [WARNING: This tube section is more anal than the lifers' wing of a San Francisco men's prison] UNKNOWN: What's the difference between 5881 and 6L6GC tubes? I know they were both used in Showmans and they're still commonly found on amps of all kinds. On my Fender amps they're even labeled as interchangeable. DEKE (UNTAMED YOUTH): In the old days, they were essentially the same tube. Fender (I think) always labeled their tube charts with 6L6GC, but used both 5881's and 6L6's out of the factory. Anyway, you don't need to know that. What you DO need to know (and this is important), is that if you are buying new tubes, DO NOT BUY the Sovtek 6L6GC tube!!! Sovtek makes a wonderful 5881 tube (with a small fragile base) that runs around 10 bucks a tube but Sovtek ALSO makes a 6L6GC tube that runs about 4 bucks a tube (this one has a large base) but SOUNDS LIKE CRAP!!! Avoid these like the plague! My other advice is that buying Groove Tubes or any other "designer tube" is stupid when the ten dollar Sovtek 5881 sounds and performs SO good. Don't let Groove Tubes' Aspen Pittman buy more 10,000 dollar Neumann microphones off YOUR hard earned dough when all that guy does is buy NOS tubes and rub off the logo, match them and put the Groove Tube logo on it! It's a scam! TIM: TIM: I can only agree with Deke on the 6L6/5881/Groove Tubes subject. But I thought I'd throw in my two cents, as a broadcast engineer of many years, who loves tubes. Electrically, 6L6 and 5881 tubes are identical. That's why you can interchange them. However, mechanically...well... let me quote from the RCA tube guide of 1966.. "The 5881 is the electrical equivalent to types 6L6 and 6L6G except that the plate and screen dissipation ratings have been increased approximately 20%. It embodies a complete mechanical redesign which results in greater resistance to shock and vibration. The use of treated grids and anode greatly increases it's overload capacities and addition of a low loss barrier type base will provide obvious advantages in certain amplifiers" Now, I've got a good friend/coworker, who plays professionally every weekend. He's either playing a Strat or a Gretsch through an old Twin Reverb. He buys the cheep Sovtek 6L6's from my shop, and absolutely loves the sound. The Sovtek 6L6's have a tad less output, give lots more harmonic distortion, and get driven to some distortion earlier. So, yes, this could be defined to "sound like crap" as Deke said, but it can depend somewhat on what you're striving for, and how loud you need to play. Personally, I go for the 5881's, because I appreciate the increased durability. I agree, Groove Tubes and all the others simply take off the shelf tubes, remove the original logos, stick on their own, and match 'em. I've got the gear to match tubes, and do it all the time. So do many amp techs. However, if you really feel the need to buy matched pairs or quads, and you're gonna have a tech do it, you may find that paying the high premium for the tubes like GT's, comes out about the same as having the store tech do it for you. However, there are a few tube sellers (such as myself) who charge an extra 2 bucks a tube to match 'em, when you buy 'em in the first place, and I know there are others that do the same. Note that if you've been playing through the same tubes for a year, on a regular basis, retubing will make an immediate and noticeable difference in your sound. Even changing those pre amp tubes will make quite a difference. BTW, if you ever want to experiment, put in a set of the old METAL 6L6's. These do sound AWFUL, but you can experiment and get lots of weird tones. MEL (LOS MEL-TONES): As originally designed, the 5881 was a military version of the 6L6, comparable to the 6L6GB. The 6L6GC was a later "improved" version of the tube. Today, Sovtek manufactures tubes with the "5881" moniker that are not 5881s in the traditional sense. They are more like improved 6L6GC tubes. The ones to get are the Sovtek 5881WXT. I use these in my Showman, they handle the power and sound quite nice. I haven't tried the Svetlanas, but they do get good reviews. Don't waste $ on Groove Tubes. RANGER BOB: The 5881 was developed by Tung-Sol as a military version of the original 6L6. It has a higher plate voltage rating and higher dissipation than the 6L6 then available. Next came the 6L6B and finally the C model The GC is simply a 6L6C with a glass envelope, rather than the metal can of the military tubes. The 6L6GC surpassed the specs of both the 6L6 and the 5881. You can run (and many folks do) a 5881 in a 6L6 amp, no problem. They MAY work in a 6L6GC tube amp, but if the GC amp is at the upper range of plate voltages, the 5881 will have a very short life. Fender started using 5881s (SOVTEK) in their amps because they could get them cheaply in large quantities new, rather than scrounging NOS bins. My recommendation for all Fender fans, or owners of any tube gear that takes the 6L6 series is the Svetlana 6L6GC, which is a hell of a tube. It will also work in amps designed for 6L6 and 5881s, and will simply be underworked (someone please correct me if I am wrong) BOB DALLEY: I have had a matched set of Sovtek 5881 in my 64 Blackface Single Showman for over two years and they still give me a strong power surf tone. They work for me. I bought them from Dan Torres. RANGER BOB: Good to know that your 5881s work well in your amp. The Russian Sovtek/New Sensor tubes are pretty good. As a rule Sino (Chinese) tubes suck, because they don't heat the cathodes before they pull a vacuum on them, plus China has a terrible human rights record and is building a huge army to take over the world. (1 million men anywhere in the world in a single boat/sea lift) The SOVTEK 5881 is not really a 5881 or a 6L6 derivative at all. It is electrically similar, however and can drop in to a 6L6GC without too many problems. I'm sorry for the confusion, I should have pointed it out. A NOS 5881 (Phillips, Tung-Sol, etc.) is a different matter, because it is somewhat better than a 6L6 but not as good as a 6L6B (rare, out of production, or at least obsolete I think, since the '50's) or the 6L6GC series. Won't even go into 7581's... Another military version. I guess when discussing 5881s it should be stated which one. Fender obviously thinks they're good enough. My money is still on Svetlana, they are well made, not too expensive, and sound great. I haven't read any BAD reviews of them. I'm using their EL-34s in a small project I am making now, and really love their 6550s and their GOD of power tubes, the SV571 (125 watts plate dissipation). I guess what it all boils down to is using what works for you! UNKNOWN: Just wanted to clear up something here: The 5881 is a military/industrial version of the 6L6GB. It is also known as a 6L6WGB. "W" is also used to signify a ruggedized version for industrial or military purposes. The military/Industrial version of the 6L6GC is the 7581. As I understand, "G" is used to signify glass case on these tubes, such as 6L6GA, 6L6GB, 6L6GC. The "A", "B", and "C" are revision levels. Original 6L6's (no suffix) had metal cases. These were not military versions and they could not handle as much power as any of the later revisions. I know of no 6L6GA's or later revisions that had a metal case. I have never heard of a 6L6C sold by the American tube companies, they were always 6L6GC's. Groove Tubes sells their low-end Chinese 6L6's as the 6L6C. In this case "C" generally used to signify Chinese manufacture and not revision level. Tube Gurus on the net generally regard most Chinese tubes as junk, using them only as a last resort. I hear the Svetlana 6L6GC prototypes are great tubes! Also, I hear there will be a 6V6GT in about a year (for Deluxe Reverb fans). Actually, 5881's are kind of overworked in Blackface (some Brownface) and later Fenders. If I recall right, max design operating voltage for the Sovtek 5881 is 360V. They can take the abuse of higher voltages well, which allows use in Fender amps. The REAL 5881's have a design max of 400V, meaning if you run them in a Fender, you probably running them over spec, depending on your amp. 6L6GC's were made to handle the higher voltages (410 to 475 volts) of the later Fenders. A note about Dan Torres: If you hang out in alt.guitar.amps, occasionally there will be a article regarding him. The tube gurus there generally frown on his work and some have said they have had to undo his mods in the line of their jobs. REV. WILLIS: I called New Sensor (Sovtek distributor) direct at [US] 800-633-5477 about retubing a Fender Twin. Andy was quite helpful, but informed me of a $100 minimum order (I had calculated $75 worth of tubes). While he agreed the 5881WXT was a great replacement for the 6L6, he recommended a Philips 7581 (mil spec 6L6) at $20 ea! Said it really provides top sound for a Twin. Also, they stock Philips 12AT7s for replacements at a mere $4.90 ea. And he agreed the 12AX7WXT+ would be great for the preamp section. MIKE: Is it absolutely necessary to have tubes biased when installed? Particularly if it is a *matched* set? JOHN C: As long as the new tubes' plates don't glow cherry red, then my opinion is no. Your sound quality may be affected though, especially if you are changing brands. FYI I once changed tubes during a practice session without checking the bias, and I didn't notice them glowing red hot until it the sound cut out (sounded great for a minute or two, though!). My amp was OK, but that set of tubes never sounded right after that. BOOMER: Absolutely??? Well, do you get your tires balanced when you buy new ones? Unless the matched pair is the same grade numbers as the pair you're replacing you'll be sacrificing the life of the tubes, maybe greatly!! As far as tone....well.... EVERYTHING effects tone, maybe better, maybe worse. I mean does your sandwich taste better with the mayo on the top piece of bread or the bottom one??Get em re-biased! 2a. Mods (Dual Showman): RIP THRILLBY (THE PENETRATORS): Hey gearheads, I'm picking up my Dual Showman in a few days, a blackface/black tolex/silver cloth '66 or '67 or '68 -- not sure exactly what year yet, but definitely one without the coveted Presence knob. Talked with Pete Curry about it, and he suggested having it custom wired to make one of the pots actually the Presence circuit. I know a guy I trust to do it, but does anyone have any experience with this/suggestions? DEKE (UNTAMED YOUTH): LEAVE IT ALONE! A properly running blackface Showman is a thing of rugged beauty.... MEL (LOS MEL-TONES): I SECOND THE MOTION!!! You have to understand that the differences between a brown and a black Fender amp are significant. You can't just add a presence knob and expect it to sound like a brownface Showman. While a silverface amp may be modified to blackface era specifications, the circuit revision between brown and black was larger, involving different tube layout and usage, particularly were the vibrato is concerned, and associated circuitry changes. BOOMER: Well, get sure on the year before you go modifying anything. If the amp has a black face and says "Fender Electric Co" under the pilot light, it's pre CBS ( which say "Fender Musical Instruments") and is worth a LOT more in the collector market. The mod is easy to do ( e-mail me directly for instructions) but I suggest mounting the control pot in the back in place of the extention speaker jack. The hole is already drilled and the amp could be restored easly. By the way, the amp HAS the presence circuit (a tone control for the power amp only as opposed to a tone control in the pre-amp) already wired in and set to 6! 2b. Mods (Twin Reverb): REV WILLIS: I've been reading a lot of stuff on amps from Dan Torres. He recommends replacing the Twin 10K midrange pots with 25K value pots (use CTS or good quality parts) to broaden the midrange sound (this mod is easy to do). Also, he has a cheap reverb parts kit to expand the effective frequency range of the reverb. I believe Los Mel has done this mod and likes it. Finally, Torres has some recommendations for simple Bright Switch mods that could tweak the frequency range a bit. All worth trying, I feel, assuming you are handy with a soldering iron. Contact Dan Torres at: www.wwsites.com/ca/torres007 or email amps007@aol.com. The good thing about having a non classic Twin is the ability to tweak it without losing its value (blowing it up is another thing!). MEL (LOS MEL-TONES): It's true I tried the reverb mod (expands frequncy range - sublte but nice) on my Bandmaster Reverb. However, I have no intention of doing thing to my Twin Reverb, because the amp sounds *great* as it is! For the Mel-tones, Stan-o uses the Twin Reverb with his Strat Plus. The tight, linear tone of the amp really brings the belltone out of this guitar. Heck, this amp even makes my Jazzmasters sound like Strats! The amp's sweet jangle is a nice balance to my Dual Showman's throaty growl. You can really widen the tone of a Twin by putting an outboard Reverb in front of it. Keeping it all internal to the combo, you can broaden the reverb sound by using a 3 spring tank (vs the two spring standard) - it's easy to do and completely reversible. Another thought, though this gets more complicated, is running a Twin Reverb as a head into a closed back 15" bottom. This adds mucho bottom end. ***Reverberation***
1. Feedback, etc. SKANKIN' KAHUNA: Hey Everyone!, The reverb on my Peavey Artist 240 keeps feeding back, this has also effected the Twangler of the Penetrators. JEFF EDWARDS: Same thing with my Peavey Backstage. Same hardware? [ed note - we'll forgive these people their Peavey ownership for now] PEKKA LAINE (THE HYPNOMEN): I've had this similar problem -feedback connected with reverb-with vintage Fender Combos such as Deluxe and Super. I have solved this problem by simply flipping the spring tank around in its container bag. Pick it out, flip it upside down and put it back in. Sounds totally stupid,I know,but it worked for me. Since I'm totally ignorant about technical matters, I always look for shortcuts and easy solutions and this is definitely one. MIGUEL (LOS NACHOS): Wow, I did this just the other day to my fender twin......absolutely mystified by the growling sound the amp was making I took the reverb tray out to investigate. When I played it with the reverb outside and upside down everything seemed fine - so I put it back upside down. Anyone know why this works and damage that could be done by using an 'upside down' reverb? MEL (LOS MEL-TONES): As far as I can tell, there's a 50/50 chance that the reverb pan in a Fender is up or down. I had the howling problem with my Twin Reverb, and flipping the pan didn't help. I wound up isolating the pan from the vinyl pouch with foam, and isolating the pouch from the cabinet with more foam. This solved the problem. Also you have to be careful about high end frequencies. On some stages I've found it necessary to roll back the tone on my outboard reverb to avoid howl. 2a. Modifications (onboard): REV. WILLIS: Has anybody done a mod on their Fender Twin reverb units such as the Torres mod? He claims it extends the frequency range of the reverb. Does this increase feedback howl? MEL (LOS MEL-TONES): Yes I did this mod (part of it) on a mid 70s Bandmaster Reverb. This particular amp had a decent reverb, and after the mod certainly sounded more lush. The mod has two parts, a general circuit change and an additional reverb tone pot. I did the general circuit change, but not the reverb tone pot. Bright is fine by me. The main mod involves changing the values of some resistors and caps on the circuit board, which appear to change which frequencies go to the reverb circuit. The end result is a deeper reverb sound, with a bit more splash than stock, but nothing earthshattering. It's actually similar in end result to using a three spring pan vs. the stock two spring unit. I had never done any work on an amp circuit board prior to this, and the whole process took maybe 45min. Was it worth it? Well, for the particular amp, it seems to make a modest difference. Would I do it again? Well, I've got a Twin Reverb which I have no plans to modify; it's got a great verb as it is. MARK (THE SANDBLASTERS): I had my clean channel turned into a reverb eq stage internally on my '65 Pro Reverb and '66 Deluxe Reverb amps. You get dwell and lots more splash without an outboard rig and it's cheap. I saw the mod in Vintage Guitar by Gerald Weber. I'll admit it's not an outboard sound, but somewhere in between that and the standard Fender reverb on 10. I'm interested in the 3 spring idea now!! I also use a bit of 40-50 ms analog Ibanez AD-9 slap echo all the time to fatten my strat since we're a trio. It makes the reverb have presence. MARK AGAIN: Here's a way to get a great reverb sound out of a 60's Fender Pro Reverb or Twin Reverb combo amp CHEAP without spending $400 on one of those outboard units. It cost me $60. There's an internal mod described by Gerald Weber of Kendrick in Vintage Guitar mag a few months ago that simply turns your extra dry channel into a reverb EQ gain section by looping your reverb signal thru that channel. Now you have bass, treble and dwell controls plus your reverb control from the wet channel. This triples the amount of reverb brightness and gives your sound more depth and dynamics w/lots of that regen/wet sound. It got me real close to the sound I personally wanted, THEN last week I replaced my two spring internal reverb pan with an Accutronics 3 springer and ...holy geez daddy-o it's super cool and more wet than I need! I spent $40 on the pan and $20 for the internal wiring mod which is easily reversable for you purists... BOOMER: If you're looking to boost the high frequencies through your reverb's spring tank, here's a little trick I learned back in the 70's. The standard spring tank has springs that are made up of two smaller springs. In order to minimize the boinks from bouncing on stage, one of the pair is wound right-handed and one left-handed. That way any bouncing in one spring will be counteracted by the other.....Anyway....there is a marked loss of high frequencies traveling down the springs caused by the little coupling link in the middle. Carefully crimp this little baby tight and apply a tiny, I mean tiny drop of epoxy on the head of the pin. Too much will dampin the spring. Other cute tricks include replacing the spring pair with a single spring. It will increase the highs but will greatly reduce the mechanical shock isolation. For even more fun! you can mess with little pieces of rubberbands ....sticking them in the spring windings ... wow too much fun! Better yet, don't worry about it and just play some good music!!! 2b. Modifications (Outboard): MEL (LOS MEL-TONES): Hi, Mel here. I've got a re-ish reverb tank. I really love it. I've done a few modifications to it to "vintage" the sound. First, replace the 6V6 driver with a 6K6 tube. Second, switch out the Fender tubes for NOS tubes. While I don't hear much difference with NOS tubes in my amp, in the 'verb it seems to make a big difference. It's a smoother output. Third, replace capacitor C10 (marked on the board) with a 390pfd silvered mica cap. This was recommended by guitar player magazine in their review. It mellows out the reverb, making it richer and deeper. Fourth, I recently changed in input tube from a 12AX7 to a 12AT7. This is nice when playing loud, the treble is less likely to cut your head off. The unit is really nice out of the box, and the above mods are fairly subtle. It is a wonderful drip tank, only now, the treble is more controllable, and the depth is richer. NOS is new old stock. There are many sources for NOS tubes. The first to check would be a local electronics supply store. Generally, they still have tubes from USA/Germany/Japan. Look them up in the yellow pages, and ask. If that fails, many guitar boutiques advertising in Vintage Guitar magazine sell NOS tubes. I haven't had to go this route yet, though generally you can get tubes for the verb at relatively reasonable rates. As tubes in a Reverb Unit seem to last years, assuming you don't kick the shit out of it, the extra cost is fairly well worth it. As for the capacitor change, it was pretty simple, if you've had any experience with electronics before. Prior to making that switch, I had built some guitar volume/tone circuits, but that's it. You need a low wattage soldering iron, and a steady hand. The cap to change in on the secondary board that mounts the control knobs. It's under the Mix, or maybe the Tone control, I forget. However, it is labeled "C10" Take the backboard off the tank, locate the cap, and then decide for yourself if you want to do it. The whole operation took me maybe twenty minutes. There's not much more to it. But feel free to ask more questions. Well, I hope that helps. For myself, I'm very glad I made these modifications, as I can put more reverb on without the overbearing top end. AGENT HONG: Many of you told me to put in the 12AX7's and a 6k6 [he's talking about the tubes in his reissue 63 Fender outboard reverb - ed] however at the moment I could only get the 12AX7's. So I put that in but the unit sounds best so far with the original 12AT7. When I have in the new 12AX7 with the 6V6(factory tube), the unit almost distorts. I have a 6K6 on order at the shop, and my main question is, Do I need the 6K6 for the 12AX7 to sound better? Also the tech told me that the third tube was the same as an 12AX7. It says something else, should it say 12AX7's ?? BRENT: The 6K6 should correct your distortion problem, and 6K6's are the best bargain out there price-wise of any NOS tubes. You can get them for like $10-15, since they're not in high demand because the reverb unit is about the only thing that takes 6K6's. 3. Maintenance IVAN STRATOCOSSACK (THE SPACE COSSACKS): I plugged my reverb in today after using it last night at a practice, and noticed there was nothing. No signal was passing through. After investigating it a bit, I determined the fault was in one of the tank speaker [RCA - ed] cords (connecting the brain with the tank). It appears that somehow the cord ended up behind the locking plate, which when locked pushed the wire against the tank with great force, and broke it. So, I have a defective speaker cord on my hands. Beware of this kinda thing, ye reverb users! I just went to Radio Shack to get a replacement, but all they had was a 12' cord - I need a 12"! So, my question is: does anybody know where I could quickly acquire a replacement cord? It's a 12" speaker cord with jacks on both ends (red plastic jacks for you sticklers). I could order it from Fender but that's going to take weeks! Is there some kind of a shop that stocks it that I could call and have it shipped right away? ROBB: Go back to rad-did-ee-o shack buy some wire and the ends.... build it yourself... as quick and cheap fix.... to use while the one you order from Fender is on it's way. 4. Isolation MEL (LOS MEL-TONES): There was a thread a while back about isolating reverb units from stage vibration. I suspect that's why Dick Dale had his reverb unit on the ground in front of the stage at last year's Santa Monica Pier gig. I always wondered why he left it in a somewhat precarious security area, but now things are clearer. But the reverb isolation award has to go to Pete Curry of the Halibuts. At the Glendale gig last week, I noted his Fender reverb unit suspended from a metal frame with bungie cords! To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: cowabunga-unsubscribe@egroups.com
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