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Just in Time For the Holidays

A while ago we collaborated with Seymour Duncan's user forum and raffled off a prize. We offered to do a complete set-up on a guitar—any guitar! Seymour threw in a pair of custom-wound pickups that would be tailored to the needs of the owner, and they were to be installed in our shop.
 

 

Then something special happened. The winner wanted to donate the prize to another forum member who was having some medical problems, and the love just starting pouring in. The consensus was so strong from fellow forumites that the deal was sealed, and arrangements were made.

The new recipient of the set-up prize sent us his 2000 Gibson 335. That's right, we specified that we'd set up any guitar and that meant any brand—we're guitar lovers here, and that extends to all kinds. We don't usually do repair work, but restoration is where we came from so it was a bit like old times.
 
 
 

To be honest, when the guitar arrived it sounded great and played pretty well. I might have just left it as it was. It was loaded with Tom Holmes humbuckers which we've used before and they're top shelf. We'd discussed some of the issues and drawbacks of the guitars current configuration and Seymour came up with a plan. The pickups, based on the SLU neck and the Antiquity bridge were voiced to add tightness to the overall sound, and the decision to use Seymour's "Triple Shot" switching system surrounds would add a whole new world of tones to the guitar. When they arrived we noticed that they'd been engraved: "Lovebucker".
 

 

Once we'd gotten the guitar apart, the first thing we did was have Dave go over the frets and take any grooving out. He re-crowned and polished the frets up nicely. That would take care of the slight buzzing that the owner had mentioned. After cleaning and oiling the fingerboard, Dave sent it over to the other end of the room to Todd.
 

 

The next step was for Todd to make a wiring loom that would fit into the guitar, and accommodate the Triple Shot switching. I gave him some pointers on how to do a 335, and suggested a teflon coated hookup coax with a braided shield covered in white insulation. It's a nice blend of old school and new tech. The bonus is twofold: it is a small diameter and very flexible which is good for a 335 and it is already insulated so we could do away with the messy shrink tubes that Gibson uses. The result would be very tidy and not as visible through the f-hole. We also put in a new switch.
 

 

The owner and I had discussed using oil filled caps, so I gave Todd some Angelas from my stash, with a value of .010 mfd. I figured that would add some nice honk if needed, seeing how the Triple Shots would give the option of twang. The Bridge pickup had alnico II magnets so I figured things would get interesting.
 

 

When Todd had things pretty well buttoned up, I did my final tweaking and found that the G string saddle needed to be turned around to get it to intonate properly. There are some disadvantages to the fret spacing on these guitars—I'd almost forgotten about how I re-calibrated our positions for modern strings, but all in all it intonated a lot better when we were done.
 

 

The results were quite apparent. The guitar fingered a bit better, and chords were more true up the neck. The tightness of the Lovebuckers was readily heard, making each note ring out in chords as opposed to being slurred. Pushing a Fender Tremolux a bit in the normal channel with the guitar's volume backed off slightly allowed single notes to sound round and full with a good bit of clarity that was missing before. When two or more notes were played, a nice bit of distortion could be coaxed to color the sound and give it edge. Popping the volume up on the guitar resulted in a nice lead tone without giving up to fluttery bottom. The pickups seemed to be doing exactly what Seymour had intended. 

The Triple Shot surrounds were an interesting addition. Each bezel has two small slider switches that control the coils on the pickups. I was able to put either pickup into parallel or split coil configurations independently. Being a single-coil fan, this made the guitar come alive for me. The neck humbucker was fat and round—great for single note passages when distorted, but in the parallel mode, the chime really made me smile. The middle position with both pickups on became almost frustrating as there were so many options, all of them good, that it was hard to pick a favorite. I guess in a live or recording context, you'd know right away. Playing through my first generation Matchless DC30 really showed off what this setup could do, and I didn't want to stop.

All too soon it was time to pack up the guitar and get it out in time for Christmas, but it definitely left me thinking about a new guitar design to build. That's why I like all guitars, they open up doors to new rooms—or in this case old rooms with a new twist. Thanks to the Duncan team and the users forum (a great bunch of guitar fans) what a great story.  To our winner—be well and enjoy, my friend!

More Keb' 'n' Monaco

Couldn't resist showing this surprise inside the new Keb' Mo' CD. Now I've got to get back to work.

Greg V Talladega Video Clip

One of the driving forces behind the development of the Talladega was friendship with and admiration of Greg V. The original concept (which became the Talladega Pro) got sidelined as I took the project into different territory to suit Greg's playing style. Here, he demonstrates a fraction of what that guitar is capable of.

Greg and I have talked about doing some additional clips to demo the Tally, let's hope we can get to that soon. In the meantime, enjoy the atmospherics!

Hamer Monaco Graces Keb' Mo' CD Cover

Regular readers of this blog will recall Keb' Mo's visit to the workshop. He'd already been a convert to Hamer, having comissioned a pair of Monacos after his first taste of a Korina Newport.

 

Originally outfitted with Lollar P90s, Keb found the noise level a little too much for his taste so he upgraded the guitar with a set of hum-cancelling Duncans. It didn't take long for "Big Red" to become his main stage and recording guitar.

To our delight we discovered that Keb' has a new CD out featuring some live tracks as well as new studio material. We're certainly flattered to see "Big Red" on the album cover too!

 

Thanks buddy, we're proud to be a part of your team. 

Tone in the Ear of the Beholder

Tone could be one of the most misused words in the guitar lexicon. It's a word that gets thrown around to describe any number of attributes of a guitar's (or guitarist's) sound. "Oh, he's got great tone." I'm sure you've said it yourself, but did you really know what you were talking about? Is it the touch, the attack or the bloom? Is it the balance and relative amplitude of the different frequencies—or is it all of the above and more?

Even more frustrating can be the fact that not everyone hears things the same way. I think Robert Cray has a great sound, but you think he sounds thin and weak. Who is right? Well, that's easy, I'm right—but that's another story. One can only imagine the amount of energy required to archive and serve the number words of internet babble about Clapton's "Woman Tone" or Peter Green's out of phase sound on old Fleetwood Mac recordings. 

Here's a funny little thing that occurred as we were filming Jon Herington's video segments. Jon was demonstrating how the neck pickup sound on his Talladega Pro was so fat that he used the EQ on his Tube Screamer, not to add distortion, but to cut the bass and add clarity to the notes. As he played the "undesirable" sound of the guitar unmodified, I noted that a lot of players would like to get such a sound. "It doesn't work for me" was his reply, as he forged ahead with his explanation of how he changes it to fit into the Steely Dan format. Take a look:

One of the things you can take away from this is that even a great sound may not be appropriate in every setting. Of course, I'd take it one step further and say that any sound can be used in the right place. This probably comes from spending a lot of time in the studio, dissecting mixes and adding overdubs. You learn very quickly that there's not a lot of room for big sounds once the rest of the band is in the mix. If you listen to "Outside Woman Blues" you'll hear that it's primarily the hook—and the huge holes that the rhythm section leaves for Clapton's fat sound is why, in that case, it works.

Jon Herington/Steely Dan Stage: Episode Two

In our second installment of the Jon Herington videos, I ask Jon about the Fralin "Unbuckers" that we've used in his Talladega Pro. Jon complies with a nice demo of the coil split vs. humbucking mode while jamming some nice SD parts. Be sure to watch for new episodes here and on our fan page on facebook. 

Be sure to pause the jukebox music in the right hand column before starting the video.

Talladega Onstage With Steely Dan's Jon Herington

In the beginning of this year, Jon Herington visited The Designer's Workshop to nail down the specifications for his new Talladega Pro. We covered that visit on this blog and followed the build right through to delivery at the Steely Dan rehearsals in New York.

When the band played in our neighborhood, Jon returned the favor by inviting Jol down to the show. With the band's blessing, our camera followed Jol and Jon up onto the stage for an impromptu demo of Jon's gear and a few SD related guitar lessons. Here's a little bit of what we saw.

Don't forget to pause the "Jukebox" in the right-hand column before playing the video!

Thanks to Jon and the guys, and check back for some more episodes.

Beach Boys Promo Photo features Hamer Monaco

Readers of this page will be familiar with Scott Totten who is the Musical Director (MD) for The Beach Boys. Scott has been featured here before, and has been a tireless supporter of our work over the years. 

Apparently, the band has just produced a new promotional slick, and Scott has managed to get his little darlin' Monaco III into the shot. Way to go Scott!

If you get a chance to see the band, don't pass up the opportunity because the musicianship is first rate. Thanks again to one of our friends in the trenches.

Night Falcon Bass with Jack Blades

Last Saturday we visited Jack Blades at a Night Ranger show and checked up on the Night Falcon bass in its natural habitat—rocking the stage. Here's a little taste of what we saw.

DuoTone on stage with Tom Dumont and Jol Dantzig

Hybrid guitars have been in the spotlight lately, with so many new versions from builders large and small. The simple truth is that our DuoTone, a workable electric-acoustic hybrid, has been available to serious performers since 1991. As usual, we were so ahead of the curve that most folks don't even realize we were there long ago. The DuoTone has been featured in the performances of Tommy Shaw, Dweezil Zappa, Ty Tabor, Chris Cornell, Jeff Tweedy, Stone Gossard, Elvis Costello, Freedy Johnston and dozens more.

In this episode, No Doubt guitarist Tom Dumont shows me how he's applied the discreet stereo outputs to the No Doubt stage show on this year's big tour.

Jol Dantzig On Stage with Tom Dumont of No Doubt

Scott is working hard to edit the video so you all can get a look at Tom's gear and see him demo some guitars on stage with our own Guitar Guru Jol Dantzig. In the meantime...

And this:

Mike Chapman Visits Workshop

As much as we enjoy the solitude of our rural location, it's always great to have visitors make the trek into the woods to see us. This Friday, legendary producer Mike Chapman did just that. If you're not familiar with Mike's CV, I'll just direct you to his Wiki page for an astounding (and also incomplete) account of his acomplishments up 'til now. This was all the more fun for me because I've been a fan of his production and songwriting since the early 1970s when I was a confirmed Brit Music maniac. Over the years, we both worked with many of the same artists: Blondie, The Sweet, Lita Ford and The Knack. If you doubt the seriousness of his guitar playing, just listen to a collection of the songs he's penned or played on. His stamp is all over pop music spanning the decades. He's currently working on over a dozen projects simultaneously!

Here's Mike and Dave in the Workshop going over exactly where Mike would have his name on the headstock. Just as his reputation for precision and detail in the studio would suggest, Mike has very specific requirements and ideas about how his instruments should be too.

Here we are in the "The Vault" looking at the billets of figured maple. By the looks of that solid gold Rolex on his wrist, I think Mr. Chapman knows quality and timeless style when he holds it. We're looking forward to crafting a guitar in collaboration with him.

Surf's Up in Newport and Monaco: Scott Totten Checks in from the Beach (Boys)

Today brought a nice email and some photos from my old friend Scott Totten. Scott is a mega-talented journeyman guitarist and is currently the musical director for The Beach Boys. Yep, for real. Can't you just hear his Newport 12 string on "Help Me Rhonda"? 

Or maybe the jangly tones of his Monaco III on "Surfin' USA''  all while singing five-part harmonies (without auto-tune)!

Here's what Scott had to say:

Hey Jol, The top on my Newport 12 string is about the most beautiful I've ever seen.  It plays every bit as easy as a 6-string! The Monaco III is an incredibly versatile guitar, there are so many tones it can get.  And plays so smoothly, I actually use heavier gauge strings and it still feels great.  All that PLUS a great Bigsby! 

Scott

This is all pretty cool stuff for those of us in the shop who grew up on that surf stuff. 

But Scott isn't just about surf music; he's a true guitarist's guitarist. He paid his dues playing every night on Broadway for shows like Rent and Les Miserables. One of the first times I got to hang out with Scott, he was in the touring band for Tommy  and he got to play some of the best power chord songs ever written, under the direction of Pete Townshend himself! 

Here we are with fellow Tommy band member and Hamer player, Rick Molina in the orchestra pit in San Francisco in the mid 1990s. So if you want to know every chord in every Beatles, Beach Boys or Who song, Scott's your guy. Thanks for checking in Scott.

Jon Herington Checks in From Steely Dan Tour

Since the last post about Jon Herington's Talladega Pro we've been on pins and needles. Despite the large number of tours and studio dates we've made instruments for, it's always hard to wait for the news. Jon is a great musician whose opinion we value highly; I think this quote from the Steely Dan website says it all:

"SD's New Guitar Guy" — arguably one of the most coveted slots in the annals of popular music. And also, potentially, one of the most intimidating; few musical roles receive the same amount of examination, discussion, and debate as does this one. But Jon is handling it all with "perfection and grace"

It's rainy and cold here in New Hartford today, but this email from Jon lit up our shop like the mid-summer sun.

Hi Jol,

The Talladega is awesome! I'm using it a lot, and not just to give it some playing time and to check it out, but because it feels so good to play and because it sounds so good. I can't believe how perfectly you guys nailed the neck specs - it's the most comfortable Fender scale guitar I've ever played. I'm using a great amp which is kind to all the guitars I've plugged into it, but I believe I can hear the quality of the chambers in the guitar - a little airy kind of openness to the tone which I really like. With the single coils, it will do the Fender Tele thing but with extra elegance; less "cheap" grit, maybe, but more beauty, which, depending on the context, I like going for. It's a big tone, though, basically, which again, seems to be a combination of the longer scale, the good wood, the chambering , and the great workmanship. We've been in some noisy spaces, electrically, and I notice the unbalanced Unbuckers tend to buzz a bit more than "normal" humbuckers, even in double coil mode, but I do like the availability of the single coil tones, and I'm using them at times. My hope is the wiring of the theaters will be better than these studios. All in all I'm loving playing the guitar, and I've been reaching for it first most of the time.

We'll stay in touch about it. I hope all's well with you.

Jon

Wow! Thanks Jon. The thrill of making a guitarist's day hasn't diminished over the years. High fives all around the shop were had, and another chapter in the Hamer book begins as Jon embarks on the SD tour. We'll be sure to check in with him as the Tally gets some road miles on it.

Steely Dan Tour Announced: Jon Herington Talladega Gets Buttoned up in Time for Rehearsals

Last time we checked in, Jon Herington's Talladega Pro was in the spray booth. Gary had applied a nice Ic'd-T burst (Yo) over an Oxblood back and then topped it with a clear coat dosed with a flattening agent. It was Jon's idea to give the guitar a patina that didn't scream "new" and I think that we did a pretty good job. Gary tried a couple different mix ratios until I felt we had just the right amount of gloss. It's funny—I had just posted a story about how hard we work to get super-gloss finishes, and here we are dulling one down!

The nice thing is that as it gets used it will polish up a bit is some areas to give it a real lived-in look without resorting to distressing or relicing.

Backing up a little, let's talk about the electronics. Jon had a working test-bed guitar fitted with different pickups at different times. His final preference was a pair of Fralin Unbuckers.

These pickups are unequal length tapped, which allows a single coil mode to be used that isn't just half of a humbucker. The tapped (or split) mode delivers a nice clean, snappy and articulate single coil-like tone that is ultimately usable. It was Jon's desire to wire the tone controls as switches so we installed push-pull tone pots to provide the single coil positions. 

The tone pots are first in line, then wired to the switch. The output from the three-way is fed to a master volume, leaving the fourth pot as a "dummy" in case we do something different later. I think this was a good move, as there's enough going on with al the coil switching that a master volume will vastly simplify things onstage.

I got quite a bit of time on Jon's guitar, and I have to say it was a very versatile setup. The Unbuckers in split mode did a good job of mimicking some Tele and Strat tones, especially in the middle position. The longer scale length (25.5") could really be made to cluck and twang. The bridge humbucker sound was fat enough for Bluesbreaker leads or classic Free tones with a welcome extra bit of "tap" on top of the note. Surprisingly, the neck pickup with the tone rolled back offered up some really sweet Joe Pass type jazz sounds. Overall, I thought that this guitar was a good balance of punch, girth and articulation—perfect for the wide span of material that Jon will be called to cover onstage.

And speaking of stages, Jon is heading into rehearsals with Steely Dan, so Todd got the whole thing buttoned up and out the door in order to be there on time. No matter how many times we do this, it's always like seeing your child walk out for their first recital, except the stage is a lot bigger!