tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44850634708153285742024-02-27T09:26:04.086+01:00Planet BotchGuitar and other musical instrument retrospectives, with a hint of tech.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger366125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4485063470815328574.post-14338792138322157592022-09-24T20:01:00.016+01:002022-10-16T09:25:02.856+01:00From Surf to Grunge: The Fender Jaguar's Life in Pop and Rock Culture
I'll warn you now, this is a long one. But if you're sick to the back teeth of those Jag history articles that cite Fender's most awkward six-string as being used by "Cobain, Marr, MBV and various assorted artists whose identities no one could be bothered to find", you've come to the right place. For this is where names will be named, trivia will be firehosed at full-strength, and the Fender Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4485063470815328574.post-4239376252193435942022-09-14T20:08:00.009+01:002022-09-19T09:12:46.311+01:00The Rise of the British Guitar Magazine
Are you ready for Planet Botch - the cult guitar mag?... No, neither am I, so this is only a mock-up cover, made with apologies to all who are now sick of seeing my '87 Rickenbacker 330. But wouldn't it be nice to return to the days when guitar content was served up by enthusiasts rather than bank managers?
If you've read a lot of this blog, you may know that the content not only attributes toUnknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4485063470815328574.post-2366861714422402062022-09-10T20:05:00.002+01:002022-09-20T17:52:20.367+01:00The Original Fender Jeff Beck Signature Stratocaster
The definitive 1991 production model of the Jeff Beck Signature Strat sitting pretty in Surf Green... Nice.
If ever an early 'nineties dream could end with the phrase "...and then I saw the price", the original Fender Jeff Beck Signature Strat would surely have been the prime subject.
If you don't recall the guitar pricing climate of the early 1990s, I can assure you that two hundred quid Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4485063470815328574.post-68780332633531077952022-09-09T18:48:00.001+01:002022-09-09T21:40:11.515+01:00The Ibanez PH10 Bi-Mode Phaser
Tracing back the history of music technology, you'll find a period in the second half of the 1970s when the phase-shifting effect entered its heyday. It may seem odd today, but at that point, even some of the major guitar amp models began shipping with phasing as their sole onboard modulation effect. That's how important the sound was at the time.
Phase-shifting was an evolutionary effect (Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4485063470815328574.post-15245079805794880382022-08-27T14:44:00.018+01:002023-09-20T08:02:54.933+01:00Flat Guitar Theory: Bustin' The "Wood Doesn't Matter" Myth
Vintage Strats look as good as they sound. But don't ask Victoria Druggs to pose with one unless you wish to hear an extended repertoire of Phoebe Buffay songs.
It's the musical equivalent of Flat Earth Theory, but the notion that an electric guitar's wood type has no effect on the tone, has exploded into a widely-accepted trope. The trope states that in an electric guitar, only the pickups andUnknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4485063470815328574.post-64202753056660043312022-08-20T11:36:00.004+01:002022-12-29T08:54:31.070+01:00The Fender Vibroverb Vintage '63 Guitar Amp Reissue
I wouldn't say I was glad to see the back of the 1980s, but the decade had a lot to apologise for. Gated snares, chorussed toms, washes of plate reverb, poodle hairstyles, four-stage gain...
Thankfully, the dawn of the 1990s brought with it a metaphorical ambulance, stacked with much-needed antidotes to the over-produced dirge of the previous decade. With a huge spike in interest surrounding Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4485063470815328574.post-53146343657643387162022-08-18T19:09:00.002+01:002022-08-30T07:59:56.656+01:00The Technique Trap: Why You Might Need a WORSE Guitar
In the land of Rick it's not black and sunburst - it's Jetglo and Fireglo. Everything about these beautifully-crafted, cellulose-finished Rickenbacker 330s is individual, but they do not tick the average player's ease-of-use box...
WHY DO HOT LEAD GUITARISTS STRUGGLE TO WRITE HITS?
There's never really been a scientific explanation as to why hot lead guitarists are less likely to be great Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4485063470815328574.post-40319443171286123772022-08-16T18:13:00.004+01:002022-09-20T18:00:03.425+01:00Guitar Addiction - is it a Thing?
Feast your eyes on the above picture. How long does it take your thoughts to wander into the territory of available funds? Less than seven seconds?... Does your partner have to physically restrain you every time the charity shop drops a Squier Affinity into the window display? Is your ownership ratio of guitars to amplifiers greater than ten to one? Could you have bought a family saloon with Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBirmingham, UK52.486242999999988 -1.89040124.176009163821142 -37.046651 80.79647683617884 33.265849tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4485063470815328574.post-70323959853927589752022-08-10T22:59:00.004+01:002022-08-11T18:38:55.208+01:00Which Was The Best Vintage Telecaster Wiring Circuit?
When the market for vintage electric guitar replicas set light around the end of the 1970s, manufacturers of retro-spec Telecasters were faced with a serious dilemma.
For over a decade, Fender Telecasters had come with what's now regarded as the classic wiring circuit. A very simple range of options on the three-way selector switch...
Back position selects the bridge pickup.
Front position Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4485063470815328574.post-32583212267542953482021-06-02T19:47:00.003+01:002021-06-02T19:47:58.142+01:00Recalling the Fender Japan Floyd Rose “Hot Rod” Strat
Yes, it's whammy time, as an early 1990s monster of rock pops its three-tone sunburst above the parapet for a heavily overdriven trip down memory lane. If you don't remember the first Fender Japan Floyd Rose “Hot Rod” Stratocaster of the early 1990s, don't be too quick to blame the old grey matter - it was short-lived and easy to miss, and I'd forgotten about it myself until very recently.
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4485063470815328574.post-19122564960045341692021-05-09T20:52:00.003+01:002021-06-10T15:46:09.876+01:00The 1990s Fender Model Code System Explained
Showing the model code 10-0909, a Fender USA '62 Vintage Reissue Stratocaster inspection tag from March 2nd 1990.
How obsessive are you about guitar collecting? Do you insist on as-new instruments with their original tags? If so, one piece of maker's tag cross-referencing data you'll be used to noting is the universal Fender model code.
In this post I'm going to explore the classic 1990s modelUnknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4485063470815328574.post-16084250379588197532021-04-25T15:05:00.002+01:002022-08-11T18:41:31.658+01:00How Well Have 1980s Stratocasters Matured?
Well, we're here. This is it.
This is the distant future that the 1980s guitar magazines talked about. The point at which the guitars we were buying brand new back then, would have fully matured. In the thick of the Thatcher/Reagan era, everyone with a role in keeping guitar retail buoyant wanted us to believe that a vintage replica Strat - be it a Fender, a Squier, a Tokai or a Fernandes - Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4485063470815328574.post-77844787969877326862021-04-01T21:26:00.025+01:002022-08-09T17:54:15.368+01:00Candy Apple Red: A History of Fender's Queen of Custom Colours
Is there a warmer finish anywhere on Earth? Candy Apple Red in all its glory on a Stratocaster, complete with the 1960s fashion statement of a matching headstock.
Many a 1950s Stratocaster or Telecaster replica has glammed up a guitar store rack in the famous Candy Apple Red metallic finish - one of the best loved aesthetics for Fender-style guitars. But not a single one of those replicas - Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4485063470815328574.post-2168773282011184162021-03-11T20:12:00.007+01:002022-08-10T07:26:39.539+01:00Ending The Confusion of Fender Japan's Vintage Strat Reissue Model/Year Designations
I'm sure you recognise them. But do you call these partners in crime the '60s and '50s Stratocaster reissues, or the '62 and '57 Stratocaster reissues? And which reference is correct?
As a writer who's always lived in England, I've regularly cited designations specific to the UK guitar market, and I know that such references can be inaccurate with regard to markets in other countries. Most Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBirmingham, UK52.486242999999988 -1.89040124.176009163821142 -37.046651 80.79647683617884 33.265849tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4485063470815328574.post-15893855384636125102020-12-06T21:55:00.003+01:002022-08-09T17:57:25.845+01:00Yamaha SG 2000 - Japan's First Megastar Guitar
“Fabulously well made”... “Always a joy to play”... “A sound and sustain more like that from a Les Paul than almost any other Japanese maker's offering”... That's how seasoned guitar reviewer David Lawrenson summed up the Yamaha SG 2000 in its early 1980s heyday. He gave it a flawless rating score with a maximum five stars in all five categories of assessment. And he had one more show-stoppingUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBirmingham, UK52.486242999999988 -1.89040124.176009163821142 -37.046651 80.79647683617884 33.265849tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4485063470815328574.post-46269248299273867592020-11-21T20:46:00.031+01:002022-09-20T17:59:40.647+01:00The Story of the Vintage Reissue Guitar
Ohhhh yeahhhh! As Gibson themselves put it in 1970, the 1958-1960 sunburst Les Paul Standard design really was the “Daddy of 'em all”.
The vintage reissue. Ideally a faithful replica of an old guitar, with period features, and sometimes, long-abandoned attributes such as bakelite scratchplate, nitro-cellulose lacquer and braided cloth electrical wire insulation. Okay, so not all vintage Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBirmingham, UK52.486242999999988 -1.89040124.176009163821142 -37.046651 80.79647683617884 33.265849tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4485063470815328574.post-50993811439618554882020-11-05T16:54:00.009+01:002022-08-10T07:27:54.605+01:001996 Squier Deluxe Telecaster (Korea)
If ever you find yourself staring at a seemingly bog-standard Korean Squier Telecaster with a CN5 or CN6 serial number, you may not realise it, but what you probably have in front of you, is the Squier Deluxe model.
And you're right. In terms of appointments, it is pretty standard. But this was the guitar that turned round the Korean Squier's reputation, heralding a new era of uncompromising Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4485063470815328574.post-35109823770967257222020-10-30T21:01:00.015+01:002022-09-20T17:57:34.942+01:001987: A Landmark Year For Fender GuitarsTBX tone controls, Lace Sensors, bright yellow Strats, birth of Fender Korea, rebirth of Fender USA, death of Squier Japan, complete decimation of the Japanese Fender Contemporary range, and the budget wing's adoption of... Dare I even speak the word?... Plywood! The year was 1987, and it was a true landmark in Fender company history.
The gorgeous vintage reissue '62 Custom Telecaster was a Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4485063470815328574.post-86044187914065050892020-10-07T19:59:00.007+01:002022-08-09T18:13:19.937+01:00Gary Moore: Why He Dumped Heavy Metal For Blues
With huge success, in 1989 the long-time rock guitarist and singer Gary Moore made a dramatic decision to dump heavy metal and pitch head first into the genre of blues. The stark contrast in styles between his '89 metal album After The War, and his 1990 release Still Got The Blues, took many by surprise. But for well over a year before the release of Still Got The Blues, there had been signs Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4485063470815328574.post-48905339264658220802020-08-28T13:10:00.007+01:002022-08-09T18:14:37.552+01:0010 Reasons Why High Quality Audio Cassette Tapes Can Sound Muddy or Dull
In some cases, an audio cassette is expected to sound dull, muddy or woolly. Some tapes were manufactured to a very low budget, with an unsophisticated ferric-oxide formulation. And one of the consequences of skimping in such a manner would be a loss of treble response. But when you’re using a high or metal bias cassette, the expectation is that it’ll reproduce pretty good detail at the top Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4485063470815328574.post-66300835743779354132020-08-01T22:08:00.007+01:002022-09-20T17:57:08.306+01:00Plywood Fender Squier vs Top Line Vintage GibsonTHE CONTENDERS
A vintage Gibson ES-355. A lavish, high-spend product, made in 1972, and sitting at the top end of Gibson’s range of thinline semi-acoustics. Wearing the archetypal translucent cherry finish, the instrument is synonymous with some of the most famous and illustrious musicians in guitar history. The high quality hardware is gold-plated, and the pearloid-inlaid, bound ebony Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4485063470815328574.post-58333403876299744842020-07-30T17:04:00.008+01:002023-08-24T07:56:22.921+01:00The Seductress and The Clonewheel VXH - Free Tonewheel Organ VST Plugin Downloads
Planet Botch VST tonewheel/clonewheel emulators are a bit like buses. You wait eight years and then three come along at once. Yes, hot on the heels of an analogue K-type emulator, this is a double release. The post you’re reading finally sees both the promised flagship - The Seductress - and its supporting partner - The Clonewheel VXH - going public together.
THE SEDUCTRESS
The Seductress. Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4485063470815328574.post-80904259862343293452020-07-11T19:18:00.007+01:002022-08-10T07:28:47.255+01:00Mexican Fender / Squier Strats: The Mid 1990s Boom
The aesthetically-pleasing Fender Contemporary Stratocaster, introduced in 1994, sat at the epicentre of Mexico’s bid to capture the Japanese stronghold in the middle of the brand’s price range.
After a pretty grim start, Fender’s Mexican guitar production initially remained somewhat muted within the overall range on the UK market. In the early ‘90s, when the first Mexican Fender Strats arrived Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4485063470815328574.post-23741986031311703442020-07-08T20:33:00.011+01:002022-08-09T18:38:34.982+01:00Why PAID Software is More Likely Than Free Software to Treat You as “The Product”
A Photoshop installation CD, back at the dawn of the century when it was possible to own a copy, and the main distribution means was the high street retailer. Within a compatible environment, you can still install and use this today. No spying, no lab-ratting, no monthly fees.
For many years there’s been a notion that the way to avoid becoming “the product” when using software or online tech, isUnknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4485063470815328574.post-90457391098941560212020-06-22T18:02:00.004+01:002022-09-20T17:59:19.213+01:00Total Recall - The History of Total Accuracy Guitar Tuition
Even the promotional giveaway audio cassettes from Total Accuracy came with a high quality chrome tape formulation. This 1993 promo features jam backings that include Rock & Roll by Led Zeppelin, and is still sounding solid and zingy nearly three decades on.
So, what did you do if you wanted to learn rock guitar in the days before you could just hop onto YouTube and find a queue of enthusiastic Unknownnoreply@blogger.com