What kind of gear did the Sonics use?

[Jamie]

And any other good band for that matter. I know good bands are usually less about gear and more about songs, but I'm fascinated by this stuff. So give me all the details. Strings, picks, cords. pickups, mics. It's all fascinating.

I'm such a pitiful nerd that I've actually written info when I come across it. Such as:

Link Wray on "Rumble" - '53 Les Paul > Premier 71 30 watt amp

Dave Davies on "You Really Got Me" - Harmony Meteor > Elpico 1x10 amp > Vox AC30

[Rockin Rod Strychnine]

I thought they sounded more like their 72 reunion show at the Paramount then they did their records, but that's OK because even in 72, they didn't sound contemporary, in fact they sounded more like what retro bands would sound like in the late 70s and early to mid 80s, even early 90s. I'm really just glad that they didn't feel the need to update like the Wailers and the Kingsmen have.

[Erik 4-A]

You can never really go back to where you came from Rod! You gotta keep moving forward. I think that is why the Sonics resisted reuniting for such a long time (that and some personal BS between them all) Still they are a heckuva band nonetheless.

Rockin Rod Strychnine said:

I thought they sounded more like their 72 reunion show at the Paramount then they did their records, but that's OK because even in 72, they didn't sound contemporary, in fact they sounded more like what retro bands would sound like in the late 70s and early to mid 80s, even early 90s. I'm really just glad that they didn't feel the need to update like the Wailers and the Kingsmen have.

[dying slowly]

what fuzz did larry use?

 

[phil hope]

ace thread!

[the VANES]

I heard Link poked holes in his speakers with a pencil to get that airy distort...however the mood strikes, you just gotta listen.

enz

PS stop using effects and just hear the room.  Or destroy your equipment.  

[Steve Worrall]

I took some pics at The Sonics show at Ray Davies Meltdown - sorry can't really make out the equipment but I thought you Sonics fans might like to check them out here http://retroman65.blogspot.com/2011/06/sonics-live-ray-davies-meltd...

Steve

[dying slowly]

i do this to if ireally like some ones sound ill spend hours on the interweb finding out what they used ,particulaly with amps and pedals (particulaly fuzz)

[dying slowly]

i reckon for the you really got me tone ,rather than damage an expensive vintage amp or try to find an old harmony on ebay ,get a hollow body and send it through an old fuzz pedal (your couce really) and then into an old style amp like an ac30 ,then decrease the bass and raise the treble.

[Erik 4-A]

You DON'T Need to go Vintage to get certain sounds. You Can do a lot with Modern Gear to make it sound old without beating it up. You can buy a Power Soak to load your speakers so you don't have to run the amp at full tilt. You don't have to slash and/or poke holes in your speakers either, you can make Buzz Speakers with a Plastic Garbage bage stretched over the front of the speaker to buzz when the speaker makes noises. There are many good (and affordable) pedals out there too.Invent your own sounds. Try to innovate off of what you hear from the Sonics sound, but not ape them.

 

I have seen there Backline and know their soundman. It is all Modern Gear. I could ask about what Larry uses on his guitar, but probably won't get more than a generic answer back. It is really the musician NOT the Gear.

[Erik 4-A]

The ANSWER IS (from the Sonics Live Sound Operator)-

 

Hi Erik-

You asked the right guy because I built the pedal board that Larry is currently using.
It all starts with the amp because Larry's sound is based on being able to switch back and forth between ultra clean and distortion.
The preferred amps these days are:

(1)  Fender "The Twin"  with a master volume

or

(2) a Fender red knob Twin (also has a master volume)

Larry even used a Mesa Boogie Triple Rectifier head + a Marshall 4x12 recently because the backline company didn't have the right kind of Twin.

If we have the correct amp then the only pedals needed are a tuner, compressor/sustain, a DDL and a volume pedal. If we don't have the right amp, things get more complicated. Then we add a clean boost pedal, a tube screamer and an A/B box so that we can run two amps- one clean, one dirty.

[Jon]

Listening to their tracks I hear some guitar thrown in there. I'm pretty sure they use one of those.

[Mardy Pune]

Okay everyone, I'm going to close this discussion. Sorry, it's a cool topic, but can we please post these sorts of discussions in the Bands & Musicians group from on. Honestly I'd like to be able to move this over there but we can't do that at present.