Cool amp story.

Crooner · July 3rd, 2009, 04:25 AM

Reading Tara's Dueling Duo-Jet thread reminded me of a very cool "brush with greatness" I had through an amp quite a few years ago.
I was recording a demo with my band at the time, the Ducktape Messiahs (I have to use that name again some day), and I was playing my old 1969 Duo-Jet through an amp that definitely qualifies for the "what in the name of all things holy was I thinking?" category - an Engel combo that was one of the first amplifiers to have user definable presets along with a floor pedal. I loved the concept, but try as I did, I could never really get that thing to sound good.
As fate would have it, during one take the amp basically blew up. A mild panic ensued as the band and the engineers and I tried to figure out the fastest way to get a decent amp in there when I suddenly noticed a small shape about the size of a combo amp covered in a thick blanket, tucked away in the corner of the room. I walked over and uncovered it to find a 1 x 12 HiWatt. When I asked if I could use it, the engineers, who were also the owners of the studio, didn't just say no, but acted as if I had just started juggling Faberge eggs. After a lot of ballyhoo they finally admitted why they were so reluctant to let anyone use it:
It seemed that one of the owners had visited the Hit Factory Studios in New York a few months prior and traded some gear for this particular amp. What made this amp so special? This was the amp that John Lennon used to record Double Fantasy and the tracks that would become Milk and Honey. My mind having been blown, there was absolutely no way they were going to keep me from plugging into this little treasure. After a lot of smooth talking they finally agreed to let me use the amp for the session.
It sounded great but the amazing part of the experience was that I actually got to play through this same amp that John Lennon had once plugged into.

I thought you guys might get a kick out of that.

Squeaker · July 3rd, 2009, 04:30 AM

Great story, Crooner - were you a bit in awe, or did it inspire you to play even better though?

Crooner · July 3rd, 2009, 04:43 AM

You nailed it, Squeaker. I was so in awe that it was pretty tough to concentrate on something as comparatively every-day as my playing. I mostly remember playing as many Beatles songs as I knew and hitting a ton of shimmering clean power chords. My band had to literally gang up on me to return to reality so we could finish the demo.

And yes, I offered them all sorts of money and trades but there was no way they were going to part with the amp.

araT · July 3rd, 2009, 05:14 AM

That's an INCREDIBLE experience & story Darin! I hope you treasure those recordings

are you gonna upload em for us?

Southern ILL · July 3rd, 2009, 08:16 AM

Very cool.....Love it.

dan P · July 3rd, 2009, 08:23 AM

Any Beatles story makes my day ! Thank you.....

Scott · July 3rd, 2009, 08:41 AM

So I guess these guys were sitting on this amp and it hadn't been plugged in since 1980? Treating it as some kinda "shrine" instead of a tool to create great music?

I hope you played the hell out of it!

fjr_wertheimber · July 3rd, 2009, 10:03 AM

Yeah, I'm with Scott. That's like having a perfectly working vintage Ferrari and keeping it in the garage with a car cover on it! A sin, I tell you, a sin!!

roadjunkie · July 3rd, 2009, 10:27 AM

Humm! The biggest honor they could ever pay to Mr. Lennon is play the holy bejesus out of that amp! Not treat it like a shrine.

Hot Rod Michelle · July 3rd, 2009, 11:08 AM

Hmmm, cool story. Maybe when I'm on in my years, I too will have some cool stories to tell.

Sarah93003 · July 3rd, 2009, 12:49 PM

I have a similar story. In the town where I work is a store that sells used and vintage gear. The owner is a friend of a woman who works for Eric Clapton. Mr. Claptop decided to donate the Martin 12 string acoustic he used on 461 Ocean Blvd. So, she took it to the store owner and asked him to auction the guitar for a charity. One day I walked into the store and was the only one in there. The owner looked at me grinning and said, "do you want to play Eric Clapton's Martin 12 string. I think I only knocked over 7 guitars and two amps as I ran to the front of the store and said, "uh huh!"

He took it out of the case and let me play it for a few minutes. Now, that was a very cool experinence. In addition to being a very beautiful Martin 12 string, it sort of had this mojo to it just knowing that Eric Clapton had played the very same guitar. If I had $30,000 I could have bought it on the spot.

Crooner · July 3rd, 2009, 12:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hot Rod Michelle

Hmmm, cool story. Maybe when I'm on in my years, I too will have some cool stories to tell.

I suddenly feel very old.

Hot Rod Michelle · July 3rd, 2009, 01:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crooner

I suddenly feel very old.

I'm just teasing you Crooner. Don't take it to hart or take any offence.

coolbus18 · July 3rd, 2009, 02:18 PM

Isn't life just amazing?

Crooner · July 3rd, 2009, 03:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hot Rod Michelle

I'm just teasing you Crooner. Don't take it to hart or take any offence.

No worries AT ALL, Michelle! It was funny!
You only tease the ones you love, right? Bring it!

Hot Rod Michelle · July 3rd, 2009, 03:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crooner

No worries AT ALL, Michelle! It was funny!
You only tease the ones you love, right? Bring it!

Yes, that's right, only the ones I luv.

Renegade · July 3rd, 2009, 04:29 PM

+ 1 on what was said by Scott and Roadjunkie.

Very cool story.

Jeff O · July 3rd, 2009, 09:27 PM

Yeah, and I got the amp (a Princeton Reverb - yeah, that's the ticket) that Jimmy Page recorded Gallows Pole with. Got it as a wedding present - when I married Morgan Fairchild.

We honeymooned in Disneyworld in Cinderella's Castle.

The closed the entire park for us, and I rode Space Mountain 59 times in a row.

Naked.

Covered in baby oil.

I'd slip right out of the restraints in the first car at the top of the first hill, and fall back into the last car as it climbed the second hill.

They filmed it for THAT"S INCREDIBLE.

(Are you mature enough to remember that one, Michelle Michelle?)

Synchro · July 3rd, 2009, 09:40 PM

I once played the Hagstrom that had been usde to record the lead of Green Eyed Lady.

I don't doubt Crooner's story, the amp has to be somewhere and a recording studio is as good of a place as any I can think of.

Crooner · July 3rd, 2009, 10:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scott

So I guess these guys were sitting on this amp and it hadn't been plugged in since 1980? Treating it as some kinda "shrine" instead of a tool to create great music?

I hope you played the hell out of it!

Quote:

Originally Posted by fjr_wertheimber

Yeah, I'm with Scott. That's like having a perfectly working vintage Ferrari and keeping it in the garage with a car cover on it! A sin, I tell you, a sin!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by roadjunkie

Humm! The biggest honor they could ever pay to Mr. Lennon is play the holy bejesus out of that amp! Not treat it like a shrine.

I couldn't agree more. If I owned that amp I would play the cr@p out of it.

yettoblaster · July 4th, 2009, 12:49 AM

We watched "Across The Universe" tonight on DVD.
Very cool Beatles music informed by a story set in the sixties.
Really neat.
When a friend returns from LA in a future visit we're gonna have to reprise our versions of some Beatles songs.

You don't suppose I could borrow...

Scott · July 4th, 2009, 09:05 AM

Kinda off topic, but George Gruhn has Buddy Holly's old Magnatone amp for sale currently. Link to Gruhn's front page. Click on Holly's amp for details.

Only $175,000 and it's yours!

Don't know what to think about that...

roadjunkie · July 4th, 2009, 12:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scott

Kinda off topic, but George Gruhn has Buddy Holly's old Magnatone amp for sale currently. Link to Gruhn's front page. Click on Holly's amp for details.

Only $175,000 and it's yours!

Don't know what to think about that...

I was looking that over then read the note Buddy's sister wrote that Emmylou Harris bought it as a birthday present. Unless there was a death in the family I'd be upset with someone if a gift I gave as a present was being sold for that much money. That comes off as exploiting a friendship to me. I've given plenty of gear away in my life but I do have one requirement when I do that. Someday pass it on to someone who needs it!

Now I did sell my 98 Tophat Club Royale with the understanding that if he sold it I would get first crack but the problem is I forgot who I sold it to! This getting old and feeble BS makes me feel like I'm catching up with jukebox faster then I want to! I know when I sold it I offered it to the two previous owners first as I promised that I would.

Scott · July 4th, 2009, 12:24 PM

She bought that amp as a gift for Paul Kennerley, a very talented and well-known songwriter in Nashville. They were kinda tight at one time(I don't know how tight and I won't gossip about that), and I suspect that when Kennerley took the amp to Gruhn's it was probably with Emmylou's blessing(again, speculation on my part).

roadjunkie · July 4th, 2009, 12:32 PM

Well there's a Magnatone 4x12 for sale on the GDP now for 599! It's ratty looking but more my speed so says my wallet.