Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Well, I just popped my copy of Impact Zone in the CD player and I must say I am thrilled with it.

It takes me back ... well let's just say about four decades or so.

One of my favourites is Message From Proton. I am not exactly sure of the message but I suspect it is being sent to
Duane Eddy.

As an aside, George, why is the Jazzmaster the "go to" guitar of so many surf artists?

Oh yes, The Creature makes me want to start my own television series.

admin wrote:
As an aside, George, why is the Jazzmaster the "go to" guitar of so many surf artists?

It ain't. The JAG is. Ask George...he just bought one, too.

(Oh, sorry, George!)

Interesting, Paul.

The Jaguar has the shorter scale and so perhaps more persussive and less sustain I guess. The Jazzmaster has the longer scale and more chime and tone to my ear. I am interested in why the JAG gets the nod for North of Malibu.

So I will hear a different tone in the next CD?

If you listen closely to our CD, Peter, you will hear the liquid percussive tone of my own Jag in the mix right behind George's ball$-out Strat or his Tikimaster. He likes the raw reverb sound like Dick Dale gets; I am nutz for the coastal Carl Wilson type of old-fashioned Jag sound. It's really kind of az-backwards for a band, to have the rhythm right in the mx, with as much treble and percussion as the lead guitar.

You'll note a distinct difference in the lead sound in two songs: Moon Dawg and Movin' and Groovin'. That's because I play lead on those two, so the Jag twang is right out front. (For those who asked--nobody--that's also me on dawg howls/anxious monkey barks and multitracked harmony "ooohs" on MD, too. It's sort of a tribute cut to my old surf vocal band, The Surfbards.)

George tells me that Jag pickups are identical to Strat pickups, electronically. Different case and those bear claws, make little difference in the sound. The BIG difference is 1 megohm volume pots, he sez.

The Jazzmaster has much, much hotter and fatter-sounding pickups than the Jag. Perhaps this sound was more popular, or it could be just that the short scale of the Jag bugged players. It's perfect for me.

Thanks for the detailed analysis, Paul.

I will listen to the Impact Zone differently from now on.

You may be missing the boat on some songs without that middle pickup, though.

I await your announcement that you have added a middle pickup to the Jag.

admin wrote:Thanks for the detailed analysis, Paul.

I will listen to the Impact Zone differently from now on.

You may be missing the boat on some songs without that middle pickup, though.

I await your announcement that you have added a middle pickup to the Jag.

On the JM and the Strat, I play mostly though the neck pickup alone. On Ventures like tunes I'll use the 2 or 4 setting... Yes, I'm waiting for delivery of a 1965 Jag and Paul is babysitting my Mosrite for now. As for the next cd (next fall)...all options tonal and otherwise are on the table...including keys..

admin wrote:
I await your announcement that you have added a middle pickup to the Jag.

I've got plenty of extra Jag pickups, but the wiring gives me nightmares...

I am still enjoying The Impact Zone and want to thank George for sending it along. I am not sure where you go from here for your next CD? All original recordings? Unplugged?

admin wrote:I am still enjoying The Impact Zone and want to thank George for sending it along. I am not sure where you go from here for your next CD? All original recordings? Unplugged?

Many thanks for the kind words Peter. I have 10-12 originals written, half of which have been introduced to the guys. Thing is, sometimes new tunes will work sometimes not so we play them for awhile and see. It's much more cost effective to record all original material as no reproduction rights need to be paid, but from a marketing standpoint a few known tunes dosen't hurt. Murmansk Beach will be on the next one as well as will our cover of Out Of Limits. We want to keep the trad-sound but will be adding keys (Paul) and some different tones (guitars..Ricks/Jag/Mosrite ??) grooves. We don't want to make the next one a clone of the last. Main thing is that it rocks!

admin wrote:I am still enjoying The Impact Zone and want to thank George for sending it along. I am not sure where you go from here for your next CD? All original recordings? Unplugged?

http://www.sendspace.com/file/j9sdqt

Non-original, but another trip down Memory Lane.

Paul and George: That, is a keeper!

Not to blow up your skirts or anything, but "Creature" is my favorite instrumental piece from last year. Most of its closest competition came from that same album.

I liked the 7:22 version of Creature live too (completely without lip synching- I swear.) I felt like the smart guy in the audience, since I knew all the lyrics to the songs.

Creature 2, 7:22

(From the Surf Bible, King George version)

admin wrote:I am still enjoying The Impact Zone and want to thank George for sending it along. I am not sure where you go from here for your next CD? All original recordings? Unplugged?

Well time to revive this thread as we're at the 1/2 point or better with the new cd.
Sound has evolved as would be expected given the two new members. On the last cd I played a Jazzmaster w/P-90's for most of the tracks as Paul W had the high end Jag tones dialed in. This time I played a Jag on most of the tracks a JM on a couple and a baritone guitar on one.
Amps changed also..while I stayed close to the curl with a Gomez El Sonido (brownface bassman) and reverb unit, Harry our other guitarist pulled out the stops with a Matchless Chieftian...and an outboard reverb....and some pedals .
We'll have somewhere between 12-15 songs on this one....the rough tracks are sounding good ..at least to my ears...more to come...
I still dearly miss my old compadres in the studio.. That said, Harry and I go back over 20 years so it's still family...