How an accident revolutionized guitar sound
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How an accident revolutionized guitar sound
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Re: How an accident revolutionized guitar sound
#2Not the first distortion, but the first distortion using transistors. Didn't revolutionize guitar sound, but did give guitarists something to step on rather than a switch to flip.
Re: How an accident revolutionized guitar sound
#3> The distorted sound of rock ’n’ roll guitar aggression was born in Nashville, in 1960.
That's not the way I heard it. Snoddy might have introduced the Fuzz-Tone in the 60s, but the distorted guitar sound began with Link Wray poking holes in his amplifier's speaker on "Rumble", in 1958.
Not to minimize the Fuzz-Tone's impact, by any means. Just setting the record straight. ;)
Re: How an accident revolutionized guitar sound
#4> Snoddy explains what happened by invoking tech-talk about tube amplifiers and insufficient wiring. But whatever happened inside that console...
He came at me with the mumbo jumbo!
Here's the song, for anybody curious: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCbIAmy6X0M
Re: How an accident revolutionized guitar sound
#5> Snoddy explains what happened by invoking tech-talk about tube amplifiers and insufficient wiring. But whatever happened inside that console... He came at me with the mumbo jumbo! Here's the song, for anybody curious: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCbIAmy6X0M
better quality: http://grooveshark.com/s/Don+t+Worry/450UFD?src=5
Re: How an accident revolutionized guitar sound
#6> The distorted sound of rock ’n’ roll guitar aggression was born in Nashville, in 1960. That's not the way I heard it. Snoddy might have introduced the Fuzz-Tone in the 60s, but the distorted guitar sound began with Link Wray poking holes in his amplifier's speaker on "Rumble", in 1958. Not to minimize the Fuzz-Tone's impact, by any means. Just setting the record straight. ;) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rumble_(in…
Agreed, I've read that as well.
Re: How an accident revolutionized guitar sound
#7It would really be borderline impossible to try to pinpoint the origins of the distorted electric guitar sound.
Well before 1960, most amplifiers would begin to distort at higher gain levels. And even if you only want to count "deliberate" distortion, there's the famous example of Link Wray poking holes in his amp's speakers in '58.
This is an interesting story, but it's kind of overstating the significance. Or maybe just oversimplifying the history.
Re: How an accident revolutionized guitar sound
#8I think that its a case where a lot of people had the same idea at around the same time. As recording technology advanced in the 1950s, people realized there was some creativity to be found there.
Many people attribute backwards recording to the Beatles and George Martin, but it had been done nearly a decade earlier (on purpose even) by André Popp http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andr%C3%A9_Popp with delirium in Hi-fi. Im sure this is not even the first instance.
Certainly there is significance here with the invention of the fuzz tone, and it definitely inspired a new wave of guitar effects, and most likely effects pedals. I think it demonstrates how the electric guitar is one of the most versatile instruments ever made and has a wider sonic palette than most any other thing out there when you account for playing styles, effects, and expression. Either way this was a great read, and I love to nerd out to audio, production and recording.
Re: How an accident revolutionized guitar sound
#9> The distorted sound of rock ’n’ roll guitar aggression was born in Nashville, in 1960. That's not the way I heard it. Snoddy might have introduced the Fuzz-Tone in the 60s, but the distorted guitar sound began with Link Wray poking holes in his amplifier's speaker on "Rumble", in 1958. Not to minimize the Fuzz-Tone's impact, by any means. Just setting the record straight. ;) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rumble_(in…
Although all of the comments here have been valid and interesting, I'm gonna poke this reply thread with a Youtube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAqTrbuxCRI
James Cotton - Cotton Crop Blues, on Sun Records. Recorded 1954, with a guitar solo harder/heavier than most records up until the late 60s (with a few exceptions like Dick Dale). And it features distorted power chords. Pretty much the first really heavy track out there, I figure. It's my go-to point to show people the origins of heavy, distorted guitar music.
I also like to show them some Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys, as he had a lot of electrified instruments (electric guitar, electric mandolin, pedal steel) and was a big influence on Chuck Berry and Elvis. Plus I love Bob Wills.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Origins_of_rock_and_roll does a pretty good job of covering the important records that led up to the explosion of rock music in the 60s. Not sure about how it is beyond that.
Pretty glad a musical topic came up here on HN, though. I'm more passionate about music history than I am about computer science (though there are no career prospects there, so CS it is).
Re: How an accident revolutionized guitar sound
#10> The distorted sound of rock ’n’ roll guitar aggression was born in Nashville, in 1960. That's not the way I heard it. Snoddy might have introduced the Fuzz-Tone in the 60s, but the distorted guitar sound began with Link Wray poking holes in his amplifier's speaker on "Rumble", in 1958. Not to minimize the Fuzz-Tone's impact, by any means. Just setting the record straight. ;) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rumble_(in…
A torn speaker was responsible for the rocking sound in Rocket 88, recorded in 1951.