Understanding Capacitors: The Misunderstood, Underappreciated Capacitor

One of the least understood components for enhancing electric guitar tone is the capacitor. Even for players who know what they are, capacitors are usually an afterthought. In fact, they’re one of the first things on your guitar you should consider upgrading.

What are they? A capacitor is an electrical energy device used to store energy and it can be found near the wiring controls under the pickguard or the body cavity of a guitar. Normally, guitars only have one capacitor, and there main function is to distribute stored energy equally into the capacitor.

Because capacitors can differentiate between high- and low-frequency signals, they’re used as electronic filters—and that’s how they’re used in guitars, through tone controls.

Tone controls can eliminate higher frequencies, significantly affecting the sound by resulting in a more mellow tone.

Generally speaking, the bigger the capacitor the darker the tone, and the smaller the capacitor the brighter the tone. A capacitor’s value, or capacitance, can give you an idea of just how it will affect tone, from slightly warm all the way to dark. Here are some guidelines:

A Quick Reference for Capacitor Values

Capacitance (in UNITS)	Tonal quality
.01uF / .05uF	Bright, trebly
.047uF / .022uF	Beefy, good mid-range, minimal reduction in brightness
.1uF	Bassy, a hint of brightness

Choosing a capacitor depends on your tonal preferences and needs. It’s not necessarily easy for someone to answer for you. But when I’m asked, I usually recommend a .047uF capacitor. It’s versatile, with a wide range of tone from beefy to bright, and can be easily adjusted using the tone control.

The right capacitor can transform your tone, dramatically and instantly. Before buying a new guitar, consider the much more cost-effective move of changing your capacitor.

Sunday Blues Shot: Stan Webb

Stan Webb is a British blues frontman and lead guitarist of the blues band, Chicken Shack. Initially formed in 1965, the band was composed of Webb, Christine Perfect (who later married John McVie), drummer Dave Bidwell, and bassist Andy Sylvester (who would later play with the British blues ensemble, Savoy Brown). With his first version of the Chicken Shack formed, Webb and the band played Hamburg, Germany over the next two years as Webb and his bandmates perfected their playing style. Then in 1967, they signed with Blue Horizon record label along side the fledgling band Fleetwood Mac. Throughout the mid to late 1960's, Chicken Shack experienced decent fanfare when R&B was booming throughout England. The group covered many American blues standards and they composed many hits as well. Their biggest hit and most played track "I'd Rather Go Blind", which was originally recorded by Etta James, became a modern day blues classic.

Chicken Shack has evolved over the years but Webb is still the frontman and lead guitarist. Webb is a soulful player with a tremendous passion for the blues. Check out Webb in this clip. You'll likely become a fan. fhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-sf0L8Snvs&feature=related

Only 8 Days Remain to Win a set of Fervor Classic Stratocaster Pickups

I started making pickups for one simple reason: I was searching for great tone and was continually disappointed by what was available on the market.

After years of work, I think Fervor makes the best vintage pickups sold today. But I want to hear what you think.

Enter to win

That’s why I’m asking you to enter to win a set of Fervor Classic Stratocaster pickups. These low- to medium-output pups produce a strong but polished, velvety smooth tone. What’s the catch? If you’re the lucky winner, I’d like you to install the pickups and tell us what you think. That’s it.

Entering is easy. Just click on www.fervorpickups.com and enter your email address in the lower right hand corner. Once you do that you’re entered to win. We’ll announce the winner on December 2nd. Good luck!

Geoff Moore

President, Fervor

www.fervorpickups.com

Fervor J-bass Pickup

Here is a photo of our new vintage hand wound J-bass pickups. Made w/ Alnico 5 magnets, vintage grey bobbins, and 42 gauge wire for superior tone. The neck pickups is wound to 8k and the bridge is to 8.5k. Available in vintage grey or traditional black which includes covers, the Fervor J-bass pickups are Priced at $180 a set. Installation is simple and you will be jamming in no time.

Call us today at 1-772-600-7245 and order yourself a set. Don't waste your valuable time searching for pickups when you can just call Fervor. Visit us online at www.fervorpickups.com.

Fervor Pickups, "Tone you own."

Peter Frampton Talks Tone, Technique, and Tuning

Peter Frampton said that after he won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Album in 2007  he felt "validated." Many would find this comment an oddity considering Frampton's enormous success with his bands Herd and Humble Pie, and his gigantic hit album Frampton Comes Alive in 1976. However, years of side projects including the ill-fated film Sgt. peppers Lonely Hears Club Band, had taken him away from his talent as a serious guitarist and songwriter.

Hungry and energized with his Grammy win, Frampton chose to follow the album Fingerprints with the new hard-rocking Thank you Mr. Churchill, a very personal album full of amazing riffs, and some of his best guitar tones ever. "I wanted to reintroduce my singing on this album and do something completely different than Fingerprints, even though I did maintain a connection by including two instrumentals."

Frampton brings lots of beefy tones on the new album that produces a mixture of huge crunch and distortion sounds. "I got most of the sounds, especially the lead sounds, with one of two Marshall amps." Says Frampton; "I used a 70's Marshall that was modified by Jose Arredondo, the guy who modified Eddie Van Halen's amps, and a 1962 JTM-45." As if not having EVH's amp guy wasn't  enough, Frampton goes on to say, "I often just played straight through the amps, though sometimes I boosted the gain with either a Klon Centaur or Fulltone OCD pedals."

Several songs on the new album have a fat bluesy tone. "That's my Gibson 1960 Les Paul re-issue aged by Tom Murphy. I plugged straight into the JTM-45 and went for a Blues Breakers sound with an Eric Clapton sort of tone. I added a little more room ambience to get that 'everybody-playing-around one-microphone' old school blues sound."

Frampton's ability to extract tone is truly amazing and can be heard on the song "Restraint" which is a maniacal groove that uses altered tuning. With the first and sixth strings tuned down to D, Frampton is able to play normal fingerings while at the same time create an ominous tone. In addition, Frampton creates huge tones that captivate with just his Les Paul straight into his Marshall amp. "The only trick I used was that I would plug into the high-gain input [input 1] of the second channel which is the bassier one and then patch the other input from that channel of the high-gain input of the first or the more trebly channel. I'd just bring in a little of the brighter tone by turning that channel up to about one quarter, while adjusting the tone controls for the second channel. I believe that's the opposite of how most people did it."

Frampton is even more focused on his technique along with technical tricks. Frampton's deft talent to write huge riffs was significantly influenced by his former bandmate, Steve Marriott, of Humble Pie. "The riff! Steve taught me a lot about how to attack a note or a chord and also about how long to hold each note or chord an the space that you leave in between them." He continues by stating, "Steve was also a really good orchestrator of big guitar riffs. I would write big riffs too based on what he taught me, and then we would combine them into these enormous arrangements."

Another huge influence on Frampton is the great Django Reinhardt. "I think the way that Django used diminished runs, for example, is something that is visited on the current album as well as when I play live. Listening to Django all the time has influenced the way that I attack notes, which is a hugely important part of sound." Frampton concludes, "Django was an incredibly melodic player who could obviously play a string of notes from one end of the fretboard to the other in a half second, but also knock you out just by playing a single note across six chords changes. In other words, he didn't play fast all the time just because he could."

While most of us will never have the talent to play guitar like Frampton, we can learn from what he has to say. Whether it's plugging into a Marshall amp as Frampton explains above or using altered tunings, or perhaps, exploring the way you attack a riff, it's clear that even the best guitarists never stop experimenting. So take a page from a Frampton's playbook and then plug-in and experiment. Who knows, you may be very pleased with what you hear.

Bass of the Week: Fender Precision Bass

The Fender P-Bass is by far the most popular bass design in history and it's the first electric bass ever mass produced. Introduced in 1951, the P-Bass (which was in fact influenced by the Telecaster guitar) was made out of a slab of asymmetrical double cutaway ash body with a blond finish and a black fiber pickguard (clear coated with lacquer), a one piece maple 34" scale neck with a the serial number stamped on the bridge plate, and it was furnished with flat pole single coil pickups. Its most distinguishable feature, in my opinion, is its famous and impressive tuners.

Modern basses have evolved and have been received well. However, even to this very day, the P-Bass is still played by more bass players than any other bass including artists like Billy Sheehan, Duff McKagan, Duck Dunn, Mike Dirnt, Reggie Hamilton, Flea, Roger Waters, and Pete Wentz.

When Leo fender introduced the P-Bass he started something BIG! The P- Bass was and is still the top dog of the bass world.

Earl Slick: The Art of Vibrato

Earl Slick is one of my favorite guitar players of all time.  His career has paired him up with John Lennon on his final all new studio album Double Fantasy and David Bowie where he played on three Top 10 albums: David Live - 1974, Young Americans (1975) and Station To Station (1976), the latter featuring the smash mega-hits "Fame" and "Golden Years." "Earl is a legendary guitar star and a musician of great feeling, " says Bowie. " his playing is earthy, timeless and never less than stellar." Slick's impressive resume also found him virtually replacing Brian Setzer in the Stray Cats during the mid 80's. 

Now I normally write about pickups, but frequently I just like to share ways to get great tone. As luck has it, I recently obtained a video Slick made at a guitar clinic were he discusses vibrato. The topic of vibrato can be found all over the web, however, when a legendary guitarist like Slick sits down to lecture and demonstrate the precise way to get great vibrato it's much more appealing. I hope you find this video as interesting as I did. \m/!  http://bit.ly/9IlP23

Guitar of the Week: Gibson Explorer

As a young man I was always fascinated with the futuristic guitar designs coming out of Gibson Guitars. My initial love affair with these wild wooden creations was the Flying V. But soon after playing the "V" I realized it wasn't for me. Auspiciously, a nearby music store that I visited weekly had an Explorer in stock that I played and fell in love with. So I wanted to feature the Explorer this week and its history.

It all starts in 1958, when Gibson President Ted McCarty hired car designer Ray Dietrich to design a guitar that would have popular appeal. Under Mr. Dietrich, Gibson introduced the classic space age styled solid body electric guitar the Explorer. Mr. Dietrich’s design philosophy centered on taking the classic lines of 1950s car tailfins and melding his design idea with guitars. It was at this same time that other futuristic guitars like the Firebird and the Flying V were introduced.

Features of the Explorer are its Korina (African Limba wood) body with an elongated upper treble bout and lower bass bout and are outfitted with two humbucking P.A.F. pickups. The Explorer fretboard is rosewood or ebony (Classic White only), tune-o-matic bridge, stop tailpiece (some with a Bigsby Vibrato, a white pickguard and its famous scimtar-shaped (hockey stick) headstock. The Explorer came in a natural finish with the Gibson pearl logo.

In 1958 Gibson only produced forty Explorers. Dietrich's designs remain iconic to this day, however, Gibson found little success and the Explorer was unsuccessful. Unfortunately for Gibson, the Explorer's initial run and the model were discontinued in 1959.

Two of the greatest guitarists Eric Clapton and Johnny Winter played the Explorer.

Ironically, the Explorer has had a rebirth among several guitar companies. Companies like ESP, Dean Guitars, Aria, Gaskell, Kramer and Peavey continue to make Explorer-esque guitars that have become very popular guitar among rock and metal players.

Defining Pickups

I want to share an article from Premier Guitar written by famed guitar luthier Jol Dantzig, that addresses the goals luthiers have when choosing pickups for their guitars. Here are a few excerpts that describe ways to obtain the right pickups.

“Choosing a pickup can be a daunting task, but if you know what to look for it’s a whole lot easier. I learned a valuable lesson while working with Don Gehman, a legendary and brilliant record producer.” Dantzig details his experience with Gehman that he refers to as “The Human Voice Lesson.”

“With everything in place, Don asked the vocalist, Tommy Shaw, to speak into each mic while we listened with eyes closed. As Tommy went from mic to mic, speaking, shouting, then finally singing, I had a hard time making up my mind. Don, on the other hand knew immediately what he was listening for. When I told him I couldn’t choose which one I liked best, he offered some sage advice. Don reminded me that I knew Tommy’s voice well enough to identify him on the phone with a single word, and that I should listen for the mic that made Tommy sound, well, like Tommy. “The object,” Don confided, “is to bring out the character in the voice that makes it sound like who the singer is.” This is the identical process I use today to determine which pickup to pair with a guitar.”

Once Dantzig finds the sound that he covets he then unites it by matching the composition of the guitar to the pickup. He goes on to say “An unamplified test confirmed my intuition—the guitar was airy and projected well. The bass was tight but not pronounced. The most apparent virtue was a nice upper mid that was well defined, smooth, and breathy. This, I decided, was the attribute to emphasize—it was the instrument’s true voice, and I didn’t want to bury it. I’d need a pickup that could support the low end without sacrificing the breathiness of the upper mids.”

Finally, Dantzig tests the guitar and pickups through several amplifiers, listening for the guitars true character. He continues stating “It’s always a good idea to use your main amp to set a comparative baseline, but I also like to audition with a slew of amps to get a better feel for what the pickup/guitar combination is capable of. If I can find a magic combination that just blows me away, it will be worth considering even if it is a specialized setup. In this case, the test amps ranged from small combos like my vintage Ampeg Jet, a Fender Pro Jr., and a tweed Fender Harvard, to a Mesa/Boogie Rectifier half-stack and a 1972 100-watt Marshall. Plus a lot of stuff in between, like my trusty red- panel Vox AC30 Twin and various Fenders.”

Dantzig concludes “My advice is to be open to the possibilities within any instrument—then celebrate it. Just like good friends, guitars come in all shapes and sizes, and every one has a different personality. Find a pickup that highlights the character of the guitar instead of trying to make it only what you can imagine. In the end, you’ll be surprised how liberating it is. And that’s a game worth playing.”

While most of us don’t have the time or the resources to test dozens of pickups, the steps outlined in the above excerpts extend an easy template for choosing your next set of pickups. Another recommendation is to listen to various sound clips from various pickup manufacturers. At Fervor we have made it easier to hear our pickups through sound clips. We know that purchasing pickups can be daunting and expensive, so we narrow the difficulty of choosing a pickup by offering vintage pickups that come as close to the originals as possible. We want to make it easy for you to select the right pickup.

Noted designer, builder, and player Jol Dantzig founded Hamer Guitars, the first boutique guitar brand, in 1973. Since then, he has worked or recorded with many of the most talented and famous names in music. Today, as the director of Dantzig Guitar Design he continues to help define the art of custom guitar.

Sunday Blues Shot: Albert Collins

Albert Collins was born in Leona, Texas, in 1932 the son of sharecroppers but later moved to the the black ghetto of Houston, TX. As a child he the learned to play piano as a youth and grew up listening to big-band music of Jimmie Lunceford, Count Basie, Louis Jordan, and Tommy Dorsey. His focus changed from the piano to the guitar after his organ was stolen. Fortunately, Collins learned to play guitar from his cousins Willow Young and Lightnin' Hopkins, both legendary bluesman.

His passion for the guitar grew as did his talent. In 1947 Collins began playing blues at local clubs with Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown.  Then in 1952, he formed his first band and spent two years as the headliner at several blues clubs in Houston. Throughout the 1940s and 1950s he continued to refine his style and absorb the blues sounds from Texas, Mississippi (Bentonia School) and Chicago. He regularly named John Lee Hooker and organist Jimmy McGriff, along with Hopkins, Guitar Slim and Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown as major influences on his playing.

Collins in well-known for his unique sound featuring minor tunings. His razor-sharp guitar style combined sustained notes and an "attack" finger style. He also frequently used a  capo on his guitar, particularly on the 5th, 7th, and 9th frets. He primarily favored an "open F-minor" tuning (low to high: F-C-F-Ab-C-F). In the booklet from the CD Ice Pickin, it was stated that Collins tuned to a "D minor D-A-D-F-A-D" Tuning. He played without picks using his thumb and first finger. Collins credited his unusual tuning to his cousin, Willow Young, who taught it to him the 

By the late 1950s Collins began using Fender Telecasters. He later chose a "maple-cap" 1966 Custom Fender Telecaster with a PAF humbucker in the neck position and a 100 watt 1970s RMS silverface  Fender Quad Reverb combo as his main equipment.

Although he was largely unknown of until late in his career, he is considered one the best blues players of his era, while earning the nickname "Iceman" for his scorching solos and mind blowing riffs. He has influenced many artists and did collaborations with Ronnie Wood, Jimmy Page, Robert Cray, Keith Richards, Jeff Beck, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Gary Moore, B.B. King and Eric Clapton. Collins was credited by the late guitarist Jimi Hendrix with being one of his primary influences.

Sunday Blues Shot

Peter Green (born Peter Allen Greenbaum) was born in London in 1946 and is a British blues-rock guitarist who is best known as the founder of Fleetwood Mac. Green was a major figure in the second wave of the British blues movement. Green inspired the great B.B. King to say,"Peter has the sweetest tone I have ever heard and he was the only one who gave me the cold sweats."

Green's playing style consisted of string bending and vibrato ballads that mesmerized listeners and catapulted him to legendary status. Green is credited for his very "melodic and soulful phrases" and his use of "shuffle grooves" which are often dark and bluesy.

He was best known for playing a 1959 Gibson Les Paul that was often referred to as his "magic guitar." His unique tone came from his humbucker neck pickup which was reversed and rewired, a change he made in 1967. While he was with Fleetwood Mac he used and Orange amplifier without any effects. In the 1990's Green began to play his 1960 Fender Stratocaster again after thirty years of not playing it, but is now his guitar of choice and which he can be seen performing with today.

Guitarist such as Gary Moore, Joe Perry, and Andy Powell have cited Green as their major influence.

Fervor Introduces Bass Pickups

After several months of extensive testing, we are proud to announce our new Fervor Classic P-Bass Pickups. Made of 42 gauge wire, alnico 5 magnets, vulcanized bobbins, and cloth wire leads, our Classic bass pickups replicate a true 1960's P-Bass sound. Whether it's country, rock, or metal, our bass pickups have a certain growl and plenty of mid-range power, as well as low-end punch that will cut through any mix. When asked to try the Classics, professional bassist Mike Jones commented " I have played a P-Bass for years and the Fervor Classics are exactly what I would want and expect in a P-Bass Pickup."

As we do with all our pickups, our Bass pickups are handwound and meticulously crafted, which makes Fervor the clear choice when it's time for replacement pickups. Pickups can be purchased individually for $65 each or as a set for $120 (does not include shipping) and are available in either a black or white cover.

To get your own set of Fervor Bass Pickups, email us at gmoore@fervorpickups.com. Please leave your name, telephone number, and we will contact you once we receive your request.

** Professional bassist Mike Jones is the former co-founder, songwriter and bass player of Red Radio Flyer, an alt-country band from New York City that made a splash in 2000 with the release of their critically acclaimed full-length CD Gettin' Somewhere on MotherWest Records.  Gettin' Somewhere featured the radio hit "Please Don't Ask Me to Explain" and the critics fav "The Story of Angel'.  A graduate of Berklee College of Music in Boston, Mike had a long career working as a songwriter, studio musician, sideman and member of a number of NYC indie bands.  In recent years, Mike has co-written songs and wrote scores for a number of award winning, independent animated short films and has recently formed a jazz trio with friends in Wilton, Connecticut. Mike is also the co-founder of Triplestop, a marketing firm in the New York metro area with offices in Connecticut and Sarasota, Florida.  Fervor is affiliated with Mike and his partner, Joe Polidoro, both creators of our website and whom we have hired for their marketing experience.

Guitar of the Week

1961 Gibson SG Les Paul Standard 

In 1961 Gibson introduced the world to the highly successful SG Les Paul Standard model. The SG was made of a scalloped mahogany body with double pointed cutaways and it was equipped with two P.A.F. humbucker pickups. In addition to it's superior design, the SG had a beautiful cherry red finish, a three layer black beveled small pickguard, pearloid trapezoid fingerboard inlays, crown peghead inlay, and nickel plated parts. Several models were introduced with the "Maestro", "Lyre Vibrola" and Bigsby vibrato (tremolo arm) tailpeices throughout the 1960's.

Considered by many guitar aficionados as the single best designed guitar ever built because of its narrow body and long and sleek neck, the SG captured the interest of many great guitarists such as Eric Clapton, Tommy Iommi, Angus Young and Derek Trucks.

The SG was discontinued is 1970 but later replaced in 1971 by the SG Deluxe.

 

Guitar of the Week

1954 Fender Stratocaster

First introduced in March of 1954, the Fender Stratocaster may well be the most popular and copied guitar design ever. Designed with a classic double cutaway body and a very crude sunburst finish, the Stratocaster was made of ash and came with three single coil pickups, a jack angled into the top, a tremolo standard (but available without a tremolo on special order), three knobs (volume, tone, tone), and gold plated parts optional till 1967. It's beautifully crafted neck is made of maple and has black dot position markers and the truss rod is marked with a walnut "skunk stripe" down the back of the neck. Initially the volume and tone pots came in 100k ohms but changed to 250k ohms in late June of 1954; it should be noted that this important upgrade is one of the many important technical features that create it's rich, creamy,  legendary tone.

Their are a number of great guitarists who play the Stratocaster such as Jimmy Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Robert Cray, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Buddy Holly, and the list continues.

Guitar of the Week

  Gibson Flying V Electric Solidbody


I can still vividly remember the first time I saw a Flying V at a nearby music store in my hometown of Hudson, New Hampshire. It was love at first sight. My affinity for it was not for its playability but for the visual pleasure it conveyed to me. It was cool, hardcore, and my favorite artists like Jimmy Hendrix, Albert King, Kirk Hammett, Kim Simmonds, and Rick Nielsen all played the "V" at some point in their careers.

First introduced in 1958, the Flying V had a Korina (African Limba wood) body with a natural finish, two P.A.F. humbucker pickups, with strings anchored through the body (V-shaped plate guides the strings), with a white or black pickguard, triangular peghead with a rounded top, and finished with gold plated parts. It's reported that only two batches of forty instruments (80 total) were made in 1958.

Unfortunately, in 1963 the Flying V was discontinued, but was later re-introduced in a different form in 1966. Then in 1981 to 1984 the 1958 model was reissued as the Heritage (I first saw it in 1982). The success of the "V" still continues today as guitarists worldwide are attracted to it's many qualities.

Guitar of the Week

 

Fender Esquire

Introduced in June of 1950 (but available earlier} as Fender's first electric solid-body, the Esquire was equipped with one or two pickups (one pickup was introduced first), a black pine body, a white pickguard, and steel bridge saddles. The Esquire had the standard "Telecaster" body shape (1.5" thick) that initially came with a laminated finish but later changed to butterscotch blond on a solid ash body and a black pickguard. Soon after its introduction, Fender decided to add two pickups and it became more commonly known as the "Double Esquire." 

It's reported that sixty 1950 Esquires were shipped. The Esquire only lasted in it's original form until the Broadcaster replaced it in October of 1950. However, the Esquire was re-introduced in January of 1951 as a one pickup version of the Broadcaster, with a truss rod and brass bridge saddles.

The Esquire is one of the most influential guitars ever introduced. It's tone is out of this world!

Les Paul TV Model Electric Solidbody

 

The "TV" model is essentially a Les Paul Junior with a yellowish/beige translucent finish. This model was created because on a black and white TV screen, the Les Paul Junior model in sunburst looked very dark and difficult to see. The lightness of the TV finish made the guitar stand out on the screen. This model follows the same basic specs as the Les Paul Junior model with only the color and peghead designation is different. The TV model was sold with a single P-90 pickup to give  it's small body a robust tone. The first year or so of production, the Les Paul TV model was 3/4 scale and used a maple body. By 1955 the model changed to full scale but still retained the maple body. By 1956 the body was mahogany and full scale. The late 1955 full scale mahogany version is the most desirable as the sound is much fuller with a long scale and mahogany body.

How to Choose a Guitar Pick

The more tools in your kit as a guitar player, the more options you have. And one of the most misunderstood and under-appreciated tools is… the pick (aka “plectrum”).

As you know if you’ve ever stood in a guitar store checkout line, picks come in a staggering number of sizes, shapes, and thicknesses, and in many different materials. Maybe you thought this was just marketing—like the different varieties of Arizona Ice Tea.

But these qualities can make a huge difference in tonal character. In this respect, picks are a little like wine glasses. Just as some glass shapes are best suited for certain wine varieties than others, some picks are better for producing a certain tone. Including the tone you’re looking for.   

Part of it is physics: The mass of the pick determines the energy and force of your attack.

Heavier picks produce a meatier tone, and tend to be used by artists who want an explosive sound.

Thinner picks, which are usually more flexible, result in a softer sound. I prefer thinner picks when I’m plucking. Easier to move. More flexible picks are often preferred by rhythm players.

Firm picks can produce a bright, biting sound (try it with humbuckers flipped to the neck pickups). Think Pete Townshend.

Shapes make a difference, too. Triangular picks dig into the string, for a rich, thick sound.

Round-edged picks provide warmer tone that can reduce output. To borrow an old tagline from Ovation, the sound is rounder.

And then there are materials. Genuine tortoiseshell combines overall stiffness with pliability near the tip, making it a favorite among many players. Picks made from this material haven’t been in production since the 1970s, but you can still find these old picks if you look around.

Nylon is often used by country players. It has more flexibility than other materials, and sounds particularly good on acoustics

Let your choice of pick(s) be determined by the kind of music you play, your style of playing, your attack—and, in the end, what sounds good to your ear.

With all these options, though, how do you choose? Unlike most equipment we buy, picks are relatively cheap. Next time you’re at the music store, spend $10 or $20 and get as many varieties of picks as you can. Buy different shapes, sizes, and materials.

Then take them home and play them until you find a few that work well with your style. It’s by far the cheapest way to experiment with your sound.

You may not abandon your favorite picks, but then again you may surprise yourself. Johnny Marr once said that when he started playing a Tele, entirely new avenues of creativity opened up to him—just because of the way the guitar sounded and played in his hands.

Changing your equipment—even your picks—can change your world, sometimes for the better.

How I (Sort of) Crashed Super Bowl XLIV

Nope, I didn’t get into the Orange Bowl for the game. But our pickups made it to the Saints’ post-game party. Here’s the story.

I got a call that day from Fervor endorser Andrew Autin, who’d just arrived in Miami. Andrew plays lead guitar for MoJEAUX, the band hired to play what would turn out to be the Saints’ victory party.

The switch on one of his custom Hembrys was cutting out and the bridge pickup wouldn’t play. It was a big deal to Andrew—he’d just installed a pair of Fervor Hot humbuckers, whose punchy tone he really likes. (I’m convinced there’s a metalhead somewhere in Andrew’s past.)

What could I do? Miami’s an hour-and-a-half drive from our factory, so I told him I’d be right down. We met in the Miami Marriot lobby. “Wow. You guys make house calls,” Andrew said when he saw me. I set up my operating room right there: two chairs, my soldering iron, and a worried-looking concierge in the background.

A few minutes later, the Hembry was ready to play. Andrew’s not only a superb guitarist, he’s also a gentleman; he immediately invited my wife and I to dinner with the band. It was a great chance to get to know these guys face-to-face. I’ll say this about every one of the New Orleanians I met in Miami, which was maybe 80% Saints fans on that electric night: they’ve gotta be the kindest people I’ve ever met.

After dinner the band invited us back up to their room to jam. I’d brought a fiesta red Strat which I’d built for myself and a Fender Blues Junior amp. The Fervor ‘50s Strat pickups on this guitar give it a nice warm, bluesy, little-bit-bassy tone. Pretty soon, Andrew got his hands on it, then MoJEAUX’s keyboard player Blake Sticker. Neither one wanted to put it down.

What could I do?

Now Andrew had three guitars to play for the Saints, each with Fervor pickups: his Hembry, another Hembry with Fervor Special Editions, and my fiesta red Strat.

We never made it to the party or the game (Andrew tried!), so you’ll have to make do with this videoclip:

Go to www.myspace.com/mojeauxband  to see the party videos.

But it was awesome to have been there with MoJEAUX. Meanwhile, I’m still waiting to hear how Kim Kardashian likes Fervor pickups…

1961 Gibson Johnny Smith

 

In 1961 Gibson introduced to the world the Johny Smith archtop. Mr. Smith, who is considered the Les Paul of the archtop guitar, was known as a superior musician and a revolutionary designer, who took inspiration from the past and the future and expanded guitar innovation. He begun his training with Epiphone and then with Guild in the early 50's, however, with his career at a turning point, Smith finally ended up with Gibson were he would create one of the most sought after archtops of the modern times. The Johnny Smith debuted the first floating humbucking pickup ever made. In addition, Smith brought back the classic X-brace top that was used by Gibson on the 1930's, which increased the sustain and warmth while producing a throaty tone.

The Johnny Smith was made of hand carved solid spruce on the top and back, highly figured flame maple sides and neck, X-braced top, multiple bound top, back, with a peghead, 7-ply body bonding, and ebony fingerboard. Most significant to the Smith model was the 1 floating mini-humbucking pickups. Other features included the quintuple-bound tortoise pickguard, adjustable ebony bridge, L-5 engraved style tailpiece with the model name on center insert, 5 piece split diamond peghead inlay, and gold plated parts. The Smith came in either sunburst or natural finish.

 

The result of is an instrument unique in playability, tonal response, and design aesthetics. 

 

Please leave a comment an tell us what you think of the Gibson Johnny Smith archtop.

The sweet sound of our Special Edition pickups...

Our Special Edition Strat pickups now have sound clips. Click on the link below to listen to what everyone's talking about.
 
http://www.fervorpickups.com/Fervor_Special_Edition_p/fmu-sse.htm

Funny Friday

 Piano Don't Get Chicks!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IjBPLYcVZo

Name that Guitar Legend: The Blues

The latest in a series of quizzes from Fervor Pickups. Take the quiz and when you're done come back to Fervor Pickups Flog at http://fervorpickups.blogspot.com/2010/02/answers-to-great-blues-guitarists.html to find out how these guitar legends get their tones.  [Spoiler Alert!: Don't read the post below if you truly want to challenge yourself.]

http://apps.facebook.com/ilike/quizzes/take/142107

How Do They Get That Tone: Blues Legends

Tone junkies often wonder how great blues players get their tone. Many of us have tried to duplicate our favorite guitarist but never seem to nail it. Here are some very notable guitarists that I get questions about all the time. Now it's time for you take this information and start achieving the tone you want play.


Stevie Ray Vaughan is considered one of the greatest guitarists that ever lived. This legendary artist is known for his massive tone. Vaughan created his tone with his favorite guitar called "Number One," which was a 1959 Fender Stratocaster with a left-handed vibrato tailpiece, rosewood fingerboard, and stock pickups. Vaughan's main pedals were a Vox Wah-wah pedal and an Ibanez Tube Screamer. And one of his favorite amps was a Fender Bassman.  The combination of a great Fender guitar and left-handed vibrato, a vintage Fender Bassman, and heavier strings are what makes his amazing tone.


Robert Johnson is a blues legend known for his Mississippi Delta blues. A lot has been written about this talented artist, but not much is known about how he got his tone. It's reported that Johnson’s haunting recordings were the result of him recording into the corner of a wall, which helped him capture the sound and emotion with which he played with. Johnson played an early 1930's Kalamazoo acoustic guitar. He was famous for playing a variety of styles - from raw country slide guitar to jazz and pop licks - and well known as a flamboyant performer. Some of Johnson’s biggest fans are such greats as Eric Clapton and Keith Richards.



Joe Bonamassa is a terrific young guitarist who can play the blues with the best of them. Bonamassa’s tone comes from his Custom Shop ’59 Les Pauls with classic PAF humbuckers and a combination of Marshall amplifiers. His tone is accentuated with a ton of effects such as a Vox Wah-Wah pedal, a Fuzz-Face, a Gas Pedal clean boost, and a Tube Screamer. The result is Bonamassa’s famous tone, which is very aggressive and one of brilliance.


Duane Allman is best known as one of the most influential guitar players of all time. His tone came from a combination of ’59 Gibson Les Pauls and a Cherry SG that he played through a 50-watt head, atop a matching 4x12 cabinet. He spent years hunting and experimenting, both live and in the studio to capture his warm buttery tone. In order for Allman to create his tone, legend has it that he’d only use run-down batteries to power his pedal, believing the low voltage yielded a warmer tone.


John Lee Hooker is a giant of the blues and the father of the boogie. Hooker introduced the world to the persistent, chugging rhythm of boogie music, a form of country blues he learned back home in Mississippi. He is renowned for the gruff voice and his intense guitar playing. Hooker recorded with a Gibson ES model and he enjoyed great success playing the coffeehouse circuit of the late fifties and early Sixties. Hooker is a prominent figure in the blues and his tone is legendary.


Johnny Winter is known as the elder statesman of the blues. He was heavily influenced by such blues greats as Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, and Blind Lemon Johnson. He is famous for playing a ’60s Gibson Firebird cranked through several different Fender amps, such as a Bassman, Twin Reverb, and Super reverbs as well as a various combination of Marshall and Ampegs. Winter’s stinging tone – which he attributes to “everything on all the way, and all treble and no bass,” makes his style one of a kind.


Freddie King is a giant of the blues world. Best known for his 1960 instrumentals, switching easily between styles, King created his tone by lowering volumes and adding a little compression to ‘squash’ the dynamics and give maximum sustain for the vibrato moments. His guitar of choice was a semi-hollow body Gibson ES-335 with classic PAF humbuckers. Much of his work has been covered by greats like Mick Taylor, Peter Green, and Eric Clapton.


Albert King is truly one of the "Three Kings" of the Blues guitar; He was a master of the single-string solo and could bend strings to produce a particularly tormented blues sound that set his style apart from his contemporaries. The likes of Stevie ray Vaughan to jimmy Hendrix adored king who was a major influence on them. King’s massive tone was totally unique which made him one the greatest blues players ever.



T-Bone Walker pioneered the electric guitar sound that helped create the blues and thus influenced all popular music that followed. He played one of the first electric guitars in the mid-‘30s, recording with it in 1939. His “T-Bone Blues,” recorded as a member of Les Hite’s Cotton Club Orchestra, and “Stormy Monday” both became blues classics, demonstrating his jazz-based blues style. His single-string solos influenced blues players like B.B. King and such rockers as Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughan.


Otis Rush is one of the greatest guitarists to ever grace the planet. He is a master of unpredictable runs packed with difficult bends, which create an air of the unknown. Rush originally played a Gibson ES-335 early in his career, but later switched to a Fender Stratocaster. He is the one guitar slinger alive today who can say he influenced Clapton, Beck, Hendrix, Santana, and a handful more of greats – that’s Otis Rush.

Guitar of the Week

Fender Telecaster Thinline

In late 1968, Fender introduced the Telecaster Thinline. Much like Gibson's 335, the Thinline has a solid center with hollow "wings" and a single "F" hole. Apparently Fender’s supply of lightweight ash was drying up so Fender looked for ways to use readily available, but heavier grades of ash for the Telecaster. Their solution was to hollow out portions of the body to reduce weight. The body was routed from the back on each side of pickup assembly creating hollow "wings". A thin back panel was then glued on the back. A new style pearloid pickguard was used too. When it was introduced in late 1968, the Telecaster Thinline was offered with either a natural finished ash or mahogany body. In 1969, a three tone sunburst finish was also offered as an option. Also in 1969 the maple cap fingerboard gave way to a one piece maple neck with the back "skunk stripe". Finally in late-1971, the Telecaster Thinline was outfitted with a pair of Fender’s new humbucking pickups and it remained unchanged in the Fender line until it was discontinued in 1980. 

Gibson ES-225 Thinline Fully Hollow Electric Archtop

Much like a slightly fancier 1960's ES-125TC with a different tailpiece, the ES-225 Thinbody had a single pointed cutaway, fully hollow body, and it was equipped with 1 or 2 P-90 pickups with black covers. Other features included a trapeze bridge/tailpiece combo with strings looping over bridge, laminated beveled-edge pickguard, single bound top, back and rosewood fingerboard, pearl dot fingerboard inlays, pearl logo, sunburst or natural finish. The one pickup model is not very desirable because of the placement of the single pickup; it's neither in the neck or bridge position, but in between the two positions.  

The ES-225 was available between 1955 to 1959.

Personally, I think it's an amazing guitar with a great look. 

Tip of the Week: Bring dull guitar strings back to life (when in a jam)

You've just come up with a great idea for a song and you want to record it before the inspiration is gone. Unfortunately, the strings on your guitar need to be changed and you don't have an strings with you. So what do you do now?

A simple way to restore much of the brightness of your guitar's strings is by boiling them. Yes, boil them, put them in a pot of water and bring to a boil. A few minutes is all it takes, pour out the water and let the strings cool down and place them on a dry towel. After an hour, you can put them back on your guitar and hit the record button. This is not recommended for nylon strings.

Guitar of the Week: 1962 National/Val-Pro 88 Vintage Map Electric

The Val-Pro 88 was first introduced in 1962 and uniquely designed to mimic the shape of the U.S.A.  Built of res-o-glas (fiberglass) body, asymmetrical peghead, longer on the treble side, came with two standard pickups. The Val-Pro 88 featured a chrome vibrato tailpiece, 6 knobs and a 3-way slotted switch on the treble side, 1/4 circle fingerboard inlays, and a beautiful raven black finish. Unfortunately, the Val-Pro 88 had a brief existence and it was discontinued in 1965.

Guitar of the Week

1962 Fender Jaguar

Introduced in mid 1962, this short scale (24") guitar was (at the time) considered a high-end instrument. Actually, it was considered Fender's top-of-the-line model until 1967 when Hendrix changed everything, with his usage of the Stratocaster. Because of the shorter scale length, Jaguar values today are lower compared to other full scale models. The Jaguar’s pickups are more powerful and better shielded, which eliminated some of the hum problems associated with the Jazzmaster. The shorter (24 inch) scale was favored by some guitarists at that time, especially the surf music players. However, the slide switches on the Jaguar and Jazzmaster are not easy to use while playing. They also make a lot of noise when switching settings.

Answers to how great guitar legends from Django to Benson get there tone.

People often wonder how great guitar legends get their tone. Many of us have tried to duplicate our favorite guitarist but never seem to nail it. Here are some very noteable guitarists that I get questions about all the time. Perhaps this information will get you closer to the tone you want to attain.

George Benson is considered a guitarist’s guitarist. This great artist is famous for playing his single cutaway, smaller sized hollow-body with a thicker top (reducing feedback), which is equipped with floating pickups. In addition, Benson uses a dense, very hard ebony bridge that produces a pure, bright jazz tone with increased presence.

John Scofield is considered to be a modern American jazz icon. His fearless ability to perform bop, fusion, rock, funk and blues is truly amazing. Scofield plays a hollow body guitar fitted with humbuckers from Japan. His pickups are under wound (less winds), which produces a warm tone that is perfect for him to play many genres.

Trey Anastasio is the huge presence behind the band Phish. Trey’s tone is anchored by his custom Languedoc guitar, which resembles a Fender Starcaster and built by his own guitar tech. His pickup of choice is a humbucker plugged into a Fender Deluxe Reverb amp, with a ton of modifications. Trey also incorporates a Ross Compressor coupled with his Ibanez TS-4 tube screamer. The result: a guitar tone many wish to emulate but just find it hard to do so.

Robert Cray is known for his superb blues technique.  Cray uses Fender pickups that are a bit hotter than a standard strat that is plugged into his 1964 silver Fender Stratocaster. Cray’s main amp is now a Matchless Clubman 35, while he also uses a Fender Super Reverb and a Fender Vibro King. Cray also uses thick 11 gauge strings. The combination of a great Fender hard tail body, hotter pickups, and heavier strings are what makes his famous sound.

B.B. King is one of a kind in the guitar world. His unique tone comes from his Gibson – Lucille – fitted with Gibson humbuckers. Another aspect to King’s guitar style is his vibrato and the way he mixes phrases and sprinkles in weird and amazing bends. In addition, his amp is set low so his reverb is at 2 and the treble cranked up at 8. His tone is classic and very simple.

Django Reinhardt is one of the first prominent European jazz musicians and Django remains one of the most renowned jazz guitarists today. The guitars used by Django, the Selmer Maccaferri, are the first commercially available guitars with a cutaway. The Selmer guitar used by Mr. Reinhardt was equipped with an aluminum-reinforced neck. Many luthiers consider them to among the finest guitars ever made. Thus, the Django tone was born.

George Thorogood’s good time, growling badass slide tone, and rowdy stage antics has made his music a signature among the American rock scene. Thorogood’s tone comes from a fully hollow body Gibson ES-125 fitted with P-90’s and plugged into a Fender Dual Showman. Thorogood is also known for using a Mesa Boogie on occasion.

Prince is the one of the most under-rated guitar players in the world. Princes’ unique tone comes from his famous Hohner Telecaster attached to a boatload of pedals. His synthesizer sound, which came before guitar synthesizers existed, is produced through an octaver, hooked up to two flangers and sent through an amp. The result is Princes’ famous tone, which is a wavy, never decaying tone that crackles as he bends every note.

Now that you know the guitar, pickups and amp used by  several  guitar legends, go out and try your hand at mastering the tone you wish to emulate.

Guitar of the Week

1961 Epiphone Casino

This is a very early, first year Casino, which is essentially an ES-330. The Casino became very popular because the Beatles used it. The Casino sports a fully hollow thin body that came in sunburst or royal tan finish. Other features included a trapeze tailpiece (optional Bigsby), 24 ¾” scale, 16 frets clear of the body, single bound fingerboard, tortoise pickguard and a metal peg head Epiphone logo.

The Casino came equipped with either one (1) P-90 in the middle position or with two P-90 pickups. Most pickups, as the one attached indicate that the pickups were dog-ear P-90’s.

Note: all later 1961 and beyond Casinos used a white multi-layer pickguard and a pearl "Epiphone" peghead logo.

Adjusting Pickup Height

Adjusting Pickup Height:
 
Pickups set to high can cause a number of inexplicable issues. Follow these instructions to avoid future headaches. First, depress all of the strings at the last fret. Using 6" ruler, measure the distance from the bottom of the 1st and 6th strings to top of the pole-piece. Adjust the distance with the two outside pickup mounting screws. The distance should be greatest at the 6th string - neck pickup position, and closest at the 1st string - bridge pickup position. The distance will vary according to the amount of magnetic pull of the pickup.

Guitars are a 'living and breathing' instrument, so it stands to reason that you will be making these adjustments as needed. Remember, a properly set up guitar will not only have a positive effect on your playing technique, but from now on, when you walk into a recording session, the engineer will know that he or she, is dealing with a pro - and when you take the stage, your guitar will respond as it should.

The Right Way to Tune Your Guitar

A guitar string will grab the tuning post better if you tune up to pitch rather than tuning down. For example, if you're tuning your E-string, and your tuner is reading D#, continue tuning up to E. If the tuner reads F, you should tune the guitar down to approximately D# and tune up to E from there. By tuning up to pitch, you ensure that the string is being held firmly by the tuning peg and won't slip, resulting in more stable tuning.