Jimi Hendrix' Gear and Mods at West Coast Organ and Amp

[peter25]

Oh that would be nice Dave. This topic is getting better by the day. So much to pick up on.
About the fuzz mods. Are these the schematics you mean that xplorer made with you?
Dave I read you used 2N525 tansistors cause they were more stable. Are there any other transistors that were being used by you? And what was the difference in how they sounded?

[daveweyer]

The schematics Xplorer posted were some experiments with a unit he was building.
The West Coast Organ and Amp mods will be somewhat different. I often used 2N525 because they sound a little more like silicon transistors, but I also liked the 2N527, which is preferred by some players.
The wide variations between transistors in those early years made units hard to match, but the 525 was pretty consistent.
I've been looking for the old prototypes from West Coast Organ and Amp, which will probably be buried in junk and very dirty, but if they are salvageable I will try to fire them up, replace the pots, and see what they do. Maybe I'll even send them to some player who wants to try them out on some Jimi material, and let everybody hear if the sound comes close to a particular performance.

[Xplorer]

sure !!

[bill bokey]

Great ! Just as as I need to build a fuzz !

[yladrd61]

[quote="C J H"]Next test, the Fuzz, completed.

Ive had the Fuzz-circuit from a JEN doublesound fuzz/wha laying around for ages (.. preferred tha wha on its own with some mods).
Been planning to put the fuzz to use for some time so why not now?

Wow !! I also have a Jen Double Sound Fuzz Wah , I haven't gotten around to getting it to work yet, the housing is beat to hell but it looks like all if the circuits are all original

[daveweyer]

If you can, post your schematic and a clip of what it sounds like through your rig.

[daveweyer]

We'll have another look at Jimi's 1966 Guild Quantum amp and the subject of re-amping a bit later. I wrote Gary Rowles to ask him about re-amping, and I'll post his reply as well. You remember Gary don't you? He was Jimi's backup guitar player when he was using Love as his rhythm section, contributing artist on Easy Rider, and co-guitar player on the 20 min Hendrix jam of April 1970, which the Hendrix estate now owns.
Gary is still an avid fan of re-amping.

[C J H]

Alright, cliptime, sort of..

No soldering today so have not tried moving the end of C3 to the other side of R5 yet but will shortly!

These are VERY rough; recorded with my iPhone (therefor on low volume); playing is sloppy but secondary in this case anyway. I just set the fuzz to the setting i wanted to "showcase" and then played the first thing that came to mind. I think I did capture the main nuances of the pedal but these are still temporary clips. Will get hold of some mics during the holidays and upload better ones, and work on my chops until then..

Clip 1: Fuzz on 4, Bias on 10. Guitar volume rolled back a little, pedal on throughout.
https://soundcloud.com/pippo1448/fuzz-4-bias-10
With bias up this far i like the pedal best for those rolled off, edgy clean sounds.

Clip 2: Fuzz on 4, Bias on almost 0 (turns from 10 to 0 during first chord). Guitar volume mostly on full, different strokes and pickups, pedal on throughout.
https://soundcloud.com/pippo1448/fuzz-4-bias-0
Here it starts to get thick and with alot of harmonics, I really like this setting wheter it sounds Jimi or not.

Clip 3: Just a tad more Fuzz, Bias still on almost 0. Guitar volume and pickupposition varies, pedal on throughout. With the Mojo Vibe.
https://soundcloud.com/pippo1448/f5-b0-vibe
.. Yeah, trying to find the key to red house in the end..

Clip 4: Same as above without Vibe but some wah here and there.
https://soundcloud.com/pippo1448/fuzz-5 ... -red-house

Clip 4: Fuzz on 8!, Bias still on almost 0. Guitar volume and pickupposition varies, pedal on throughout.
https://soundcloud.com/pippo1448/fuzz-8 ... urple-haze


Settings on the amp was P-10, B-2, M and T - both around 8, V1 - 7, PPIMV down low unfortnuately.
Again just a temporary teaser on the Fuzz´s (and a class B 6550 Marshall) qualities and not meant to be focused on playing, but if you feel like flaming, go ahead. Mics on the way..


Until then,
Have a good one!

[frenchie]

We'll have another look at Jimi's 1966 Guild Quantum amp and the subject of re-amping a bit later. I wrote Gary Rowles to ask him about re-amping, and I'll post his reply as well. You remember Gary don't you? He was Jimi's backup guitar player when he was using Love as his rhythm section, contributing artist on Easy Rider, and co-guitar player on the 20 min Hendrix jam of April 1970, which the Hendrix estate now owns.
Gary is still an avid fan of re-amping.

this might reveal to be quite an interesting subject ! quite controversial too
get your fireproof suits gents

[daveweyer]

CJH,
Loved the clips. Great job, no matter how you did them.
Must say, I'm looking forward to the new batch.

[bill bokey]

Cool clips C H J

Could you record some with no FX as well ?

[Xplorer]

some cool hendrix accents on the clip 1 , wow. what amp did you use ?

[Xplorer]

Alright, cliptime, sort of..

No soldering today so have not tried moving the end of C3 to the other side of R5 yet but will shortly!

These are VERY rough; recorded with my iPhone (therefor on low volume); playing is sloppy but secondary in this case anyway. I just set the fuzz to the setting i wanted to "showcase" and then played the first thing that came to mind. I think I did capture the main nuances of the pedal but these are still temporary clips. Will get hold of some mics during the holidays and upload better ones, and work on my chops until then..

Clip 1: Fuzz on 4, Bias on 10. Guitar volume rolled back a little, pedal on throughout.
https://soundcloud.com/pippo1448/fuzz-4-bias-10
With bias up this far i like the pedal best for those rolled off, edgy clean sounds.

Clip 2: Fuzz on 4, Bias on almost 0 (turns from 10 to 0 during first chord). Guitar volume mostly on full, different strokes and pickups, pedal on throughout.
https://soundcloud.com/pippo1448/fuzz-4-bias-0
Here it starts to get thick and with alot of harmonics, I really like this setting wheter it sounds Jimi or not.

Clip 3: Just a tad more Fuzz, Bias still on almost 0. Guitar volume and pickupposition varies, pedal on throughout. With the Mojo Vibe.
https://soundcloud.com/pippo1448/f5-b0-vibe
.. Yeah, trying to find the key to red house in the end..

Clip 4: Same as above without Vibe but some wah here and there.
https://soundcloud.com/pippo1448/fuzz-5 ... -red-house

Clip 4: Fuzz on 8!, Bias still on almost 0. Guitar volume and pickupposition varies, pedal on throughout.
https://soundcloud.com/pippo1448/fuzz-8 ... urple-haze


Settings on the amp was P-10, B-2, M and T - both around 8, V1 - 7, PPIMV down low unfortnuately.
Again just a temporary teaser on the Fuzz´s (and a class B 6550 Marshall) qualities and not meant to be focused on playing, but if you feel like flaming, go ahead. Mics on the way..


Until then,
Have a good one!

hi ! i listened again to your clip 1 , and i'd love to hear this same setup heard at 0:29 , on little wing, maybe ? that would be fantastic. you're very close, very well.

[C J H]

Thank you for all the kind words guys!

Xplorer, its my single rectifier "blackflag" superbass build (w 6550´s) and the part your liking (0:29 and on) is the middle pick-up. Ill give litlle wing a try when the recording gear is up and running. The cab is my late 60´s B cab with 2 old G12H-30w and 2 G12T-75W. Settings were roughly P-10 B-2 M-7 T-5/& V-7

Been collecting parts for another strat for a while (just missing a body at this time) but temporally put the pickups for this project, CS69s, in my old trusty 62ri today. More shimmer, more clarity and more punch, amazing pick-up. I´m on christmas-leave from uni now so should have plenty of time to play guitar and experiment. Tomorrow Im gonna try moving c3´s leg as per Daves recomendation on the fuzz.

Happy holidays

[Xplorer]

cool ! i Wonder if the single rectifier has a big role or not in the sound of this amp, or if it was mainly the OT and the EL34 that changed the sound, compared to a 45/100. ?
i Wonder a bit if i'll end up with quite the same result as you did.

before, i imagined i'd mod this second 45/100 coming, to make a black flag at some point. well now .... maybe !
but for now it'll be a 45/100 with a transformer Dave recommended for the output, the dynaco A431S , and the 6550, 2k2 ..
and maybe later i'll put Dave's mod into a superlead and re transform this 45/100 into a blackflag.

anyway, here is Dave's work bench ! lot of Tools !! he he.
working on a Mu follower power amp if i'm correct.

http://imgur.com/a/6ARv4