To date, I have found very little interest in the way of online articles on the subject of the Man or Astroman? guitar setup. So after years of research & experimentation, I've finally decided to come forward with previously unreleased documentation containing the results of my 10 year quest for the Man or Astroman sound. This is my story.
I. The Guitar:
Then I considered Eastwood, a manufacturer of cool looking new guitars modeled after classic ones of the 50's & 60's. Their Mosrite copy, called "Sidejack DLX" ($450), did have P-90 pickups, basswood body & tremolo bar but....I just had this lingering bad feeling about buying a NEW guitar claiming to sound vintage when no guitar shop around here carrys them (for me to try out) and the impossibility of judging what it will actually sound like from online videos due to the fact that EVERY FREAKIN person seems compelled to play the EXACT SAME show-offy generic guitar-center blues riff on every single video no matter what the guitar is. (With the one exception being of course the intermitant attempt at "surf" where you might get a quick-picked downward scale slide followed by a 'walk don't run' mini riff BEFORE the bluesy brag fest begins). So I kept looking.
Prologue: At home I was pleasantly surprised. Gambling on the Silvertone paid off BIG TIME- when I hit that low string and heard the tangy gurgling of low-frequency reverb resonate from the cabinet of my 1971 Fender Twin; I knew I was on my way. So please, if you're looking for that genuine Man or astroman sound on a budget and come across a 1445, don't miss out!
Here is a summary of the Silvertone's similarities to the Mosrite Mark I that seems to be VERY important in any guitar when searching for that Man or Astroman sound:
a) BODY: must be extremely thin and made from quality material such as Maple, Basswood or Mahagony. (no "ash")
b) PICKUP: Will make or break your sound- they must be single coil, but extremely "hot". There are several P-90 models available for purchase for around $100 and CurtisNovak.com sells thier "JM-Mosrite" pickup ($120) which is wound to the 1963 Mosrite specs of 13.5k (ohms).
c) Neck: Longer than most, the Silvertone 1445 has a 25" scale length, the same as the Mosrite Mark I! (note: The Eastwood Sidejack is only 24 3/4".) Also, the Moserite & Silvertone 1445 both have a "zero" fret.
d) Fret Wires: Very thin so that the strings are sitting close to the fretboard. Several people I talked to complained that the Mosrite's thin fretwires wear out quickly, but there is obviously a design reason why this is done as the Silvertone is the same way.
e) Tuners: Old tuners really suck and I had a big problem with staying in tune. But none of the replacement kits I found matched the existing hole sizes. Foolishly in a hurry, I chose to take my cordless and just carefully drill out new holes in the headstock, myself. In the end, the holes were too big & not at a perfect 90 degree angle which, still works I guess but looks rediculous. I highly recommend just having this done by a pro at your local guitar shop instead.
II. Playing Techniques:
* Use light (bright) or even super light strings, I have had great success with Fender brand.
*When picking the guitar, never stray too far away from the pickup, especially when going nuts with the tremolo. The tremolo should be a Bigsby with a flat arm, the longer the better to allow for the easiest transition from playing to tremolo action. You know, for some reason alot of bands just barely touch the tremolo, and it's like at the end of a song. LAZZZYYYY!!!!! You gotta feel comfortable bending that sucker fast!
*When playing chords on the bottom 2nd, 3rd, & 4th strings, try playing only strings 2 & 4 instead. You can tell Star Crunch frequently does this like on Miracle of Genuine Pyrex and it's what I feel is a major part of the Man or Astroman sound.
*Detune to lower than normal key for added bass and depth
*Only use the pickup closest to the bridge, and make sure it is as close to the strings as possible without causing any buzzing.
*The amp will need to be adjusted for high treble, low bass with some gain boost needed. I set my reverb at about 3/4 but not all the way up as this seems to cause muddling of the sound when recorded with a mic.
III Amps/Pedals:
This website details a 1999 phone interview with Trace Reading about his guitar, amp & pedal setup. I am unashamed to have a printout of it posted in my studio like a centerfold pinup.
In fact, micing an amp is such a pain that for all but one track on the Beady Dine album I used the RP50. If you are gonna mic your Fender Twin though, I recommend the Shure SM57 or a pencil shaped condenser mic layed out right ontop of the amp and hanging over the speaker grill upside down (pointed towards the floor).
In Conclusion, there is still much more to discover about the man or astroman guitar sound. I'd ask that anyone with further information on the topic please post a comment. There are still unanswered questions about the specific recording, mixing & mastering processes of each album and I will update this blog with further research findings.
The things you listed will give you a good start, but really aren't going to get you all the way there. The Eastwood guitar comes dang close, but the Hallmark 60 Custom is the absolute closest you will get to a Mosrite without forking over your life savings. What you have to know is that Mosrites do not have P90 pickups. The Mosrite pickups are wound much heavier than standard P90s.
ReplyDeleteStarcrunch also uses two Fender Vibrolux amps, rather than the Fender twin that Trace used. Trace and Starcrunch had VERY different tones when compared.
The RP Unit is also a good start for a beginer trying to get that tone. The key is to not plug it into the input on your amp, but rather to plug it into the 'effect in/return' on your amp and then use the RP as your preamp.
Also, a Rat pedal is essential, but an Ibanez TS9 is a great alternative for the understated crunch. Set the overdrive at zero and you will be there.
Any number of delay pedals on the market will do the trick these days including the Aquapus, Memory Man, Roland Space Echo etc.
Lastly, you need a good reverb. For the surf genre, there is no better pedal on the market at the moment than the Boss Fender FR-1. It emulates the external Fender Tanks very well and cost a very small amount.
KBK Records, you rock- thru the tallest wave, & into outer space! I’ve not had the privillege of traveling out of state to see Man or Astroman play live and must therefore rely soley on a hand-full of online videos, photos & articles for research material. So your response is greatly appreciated.
ReplyDeleteYour mentioning of the “Hallmark 60 Custom” was a grim discovery in light of the fact that one recent Ebay bid ended at a mere $760, (wow!) and up until now I’ve never even heard of it! But no regrets, as I persist in giving due credit to the Silvertone 1445 for being a remarkable instrument that not only closely matches the tonality of the Mosrite Mark I, but also adds a unique dimension of sound all its own.
As for the pickups, the reason I mentioned the "JM-Mosrite" is because I read that they are “wound to the 1963 Mosrite specs of 13.5k (ohms)." Though I have no idea what kind’ve magnet is used (ceramic?) or what gauge the wire is (43?) so I can’t say weather this copy will match the materials found in the Mosrite pickup. But now strangely, though everything else there seems way overpriced, the EdRoman.com website is selling Mark I pickups for only $175. Go Figure.
Now, on to something of extreme importance to myself as a Fender Twin owner in regards to your statement about Star Crunch’s use of Fender Vibrolux amps; first of all, I found an Ebay item, called the “Fender Custom Vibrolux Reverb Supreme Kit by Fromel” which claims to be a MOD that…
“Changes all of the crucial components in the signal path and restores the glory of the Vibrolux Reverb. The mods remove the buzz and hiss that these amps are notorious for, and also restores the shimmering clean headroom of the original design. The weak reverb is made fuller with longer decay and lush tone, while the tremolo gains a warm pulse with plenty of presence and no harshness. At high volumes, the tube saturation and bluesy distortion is unbelievably articulate and warm, while the club volume clean tones are dynamic and crisp. All of the caps are replaced with high quality audio grade caps that are specially chosen for great tone, reliability, and accurate fit in your Custom Vibrolux Reverb.”
So now of course I’m wondering if it’s possible to install this kit successfully in a Fender Twin, which I’ve always felt had ‘weak’ reverb anyway. For $79.95 it might be worth a try. So what do you think? Also thanks for mentioning the BOSS FR-1 reverb pedal; I found some reasonably priced FDR-1’s available online. (The ‘deluxe’ version, oooohhhh) so maybe that’ll be my backup plan.
Next in my long list of questions about your response, is the curious statement about Star Crunch using not one, but TWO vibrolux amplifiers. How and why? Perhaps for a stereo effect of sorts? Why not just stereo mic one amp? Or maybe there’s some setup where each pickup gets routed to a different amp? THAT would be an interesting audio experiment!
Finally in regards to the Pro-co Rat pedal: I mistakenly never imagined it could be an “essential” part of the Man or Astroman sound as the Guitar Geek article on Trace Reading indicated it was used only to
‘RENDER THE SIGNAL INCOMPREHENSIBLE TO THE HUMAN EAR UNLESS CONTROLLED CORRECTLY BY THE OPERATOR. A USEFUL DEVICE FOR COMBATING THE SILENCE OF SPACE”
Which my mind interpreted as basically a device used only for strange noise effects rather than normal play. Though I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been at Guitar Center and stared at that thing behind the glass display case and just wondered…..
In closing, a brief statement about my intentions. 10+ years ago I wrote a representative from Touch N Go about obtaining the rights to use Man or Astroman songs in my short film. He responded that they'd broken up though he'd try to get the message thru to the band anyway. Realizing it was hopeless, I all but gave up until someone convinced me to try making (and composing) my own music based on the Astroman sound. It seemed impossible, but through dedicated persistence I've inched my way towards mastering the most amazing sound I've ever heard. And although I realize & gladly accept that it will never be an exact replica, I am more than happy with my own version of the Man or Astroman sound in the same way Starcrunch mentioned being proud when someone said MOAM was a "poor man's Shadowy men on a Shadowy Planet".
ReplyDeleteThe reason for the two amps is most likely because the vibrolux is not a very high wattage amp. I am sure he runs them in stereo.
ReplyDeleteDon't mistake the Fender FRV-1 Pedal(which is what you want) with a FDR-1 pedal. They are completely different beasts. The FDR-1 is a Fender Deluxe Reverb Amp modeler. The FRV-1 is a pedal that emulates a classic Fender Outboard reverb tank...
As far as Mosrite Spec'ed pickups go, Hallmark sells theirs and they are pretty close. However, M-3 Guitars has a an even more close recreation, and many people I know are putting these in their actual Mosrites these days. Their price isn't bad. Plus, they have different versions to fit models other than Mosrites Style.
You will notice that Starcrunch is mostly playing a Hallmark Custom 60 these days.
ReplyDeleteKBK as always, a riveting dialogue! So I made a mistake when I wrote that you can purchase a Mark 1 pickup from EdRoman.com---I found this disclaimer that says in order to buy any part from them whatsoever, you must be able to PROVE that you own an actual Mosrite. Sure, you can get the pickups on Ebay but they're like twice as much.
ReplyDeleteI checked out the M3-California site, and was impressed with the price of the pickups, as well as the fact that it's a family business with members that actually worked at the Mosrite factory during the 60's when the Ventures guitars were being made.
M3 says their goal in producing the RH-100 pickup (price of $89.95!) is to replicate the overall aspects of the 1964/65 Mosrite at 11.5k Ohms, 43-guage wire around a maple bobbin.
As for the Hallmark 60 custom guitar, I saw one that sold on Ebay for $760, though there doesn't seem to be any up for sale right now. I'll be checking though. The Hallmark website has new custom 60's for $999, but then again for that price you could also choose the "wing-bat" guitar- did you see that thing?! There's a YouTube video that samples it's playability and it's pretty sweet though the guy does mention that the neck is wider and the strings sit higher on the fretboard than a Mosrite so I'm not sure how much overall effect that would have on the man-or-astroman sound.
I also checked on the difference between the BOSS FRV-1 and the FRD-1 reverb pedals, and the difference is huge as the FRV-1 alone is meant to simulate that vintage $1000 fender reverb unit. And how cool is it that this line of pedals were made in cooperation with Fender. Now if only Mosrite would do the same thing and work with another manufacturer to come up with an affordable guitar for under $1000!
Some more crucial info (I've been trying to get close to Starcrunchs sound for more than 10 years and I'm almost there...well, actually I think I am):
ReplyDeleteGUITARS:
Mostly the white Mosrite and today the tricolor Hallmark. I've also seen a Dano Longhorn and a Gretsch and some other cheap guitars to crash them on stage.
AMP:
As stated above "Fender Vibrolux" or "Fender Deluxe Reverb". I don't think the uses both amps at the same time. He uses amp 1 for the regular tuning and amp 2 for dropped D tuning (that's why he always uses at least 2 guitars as well).
PEDALS:
- MXR Micro Amp - very important to get more grit out of the amp.
- MXR Carbon Copy (set to slap delay)
- MXR Tremolo
Electro-Harmonix Micro Synth - it's on his board, but I've never noticed that he actually uses it.
- Ernie Ball VP Jr. Volume Pedal - in my opinion it's on his board because his tuner has no silent tuning and the VP has a tuner out jack.
Sitori Sonics Tapeworm - nice delay with some weird sci-fi/modulation sound...there are a few youtube video. Check them out.
TC Helicon Pedal - this one is only for the voice effects (not the guitar).
STRINGS:
Your suggestion to use light strings is (sorry) completely wrong. Starcrunch uses .012 and heavier, as ALL surf players do. You won't get a good surf sound out of .008 strings. Try using .011 or more.
That's pretty much it. He sometimes uses a ProCo Rat distortion pedal, but most of the grit is coming from the cranked up amp in combination with the boost pedal (Micro Amp). The 'silencer kit' won't be necessary for your Twin. The Vibrolux is a static humming monster. Oh and btw, if you want to get a REALLY cheap Mosrite rip off, try the Aria Diamond DM-380. Put in some M 3 Pickups and off you go for ~400.00$.
I hope this helps a bit and please forgive my bad english...I'm from germany. ;-)
One last thing: Check out the Sitori Sonics Website for Man or Astroman Effect Pedals, designed by MOAM! I bought all of them, though you won't get Starcrunchs sound with those pedals. But there's a nice guitar fuzz and the delay is even better than the Carbon Copy imho. Victor Vector used this one as well.
Cheers!
"Anonymous" from Germany, many thanks for your comments! I've never read any of this information anywhere before, and am curious to find out if these are your observations from an actual live show or what? I've never had that privellege so I find the possibility of an actual close-encounter visual sighting utterly fascinating!
DeleteAbout the strings- a shocking revelation! You know I've personally found lighter = "brighter" than the heavier gauge which to me sounds more dull and muted. Which might be OK for that classic surf jaguar/fender dick dale sound where the strings are sitting like 2 inches off of the fretboard, but for that twang I feel is remniscent of Man or Astroman specifically using a Mosrite style guitar where strings are a fraction of a millimeter away from the fretboard, my experimentation has lead to better results with lighter strings. HOWEVER:
Since you mentioned it, I did further research and found something disturbing, which was an article about how lighter strings (.8, .10) are super-easy to bend and therefore present the danger of accidental bending during normal play. The result: intermitantly sounding out of tune- something that's been happening to me quite often!! It's weird, I'll tune and then play but it still sounds out of tune. Then I'll check the tuning again and it seems fine. I go thru this vicious cycle constantly, but dismissing it as a possible issue with the neck of my 'vintage' guitar. However now I can see that it's probably just my bending those super light strings, crrrazy!! So I'll be upgrading to your lightest recommendation of .11 to see what happens! Thanks!
One last thing, about the Aria Diamond DM-380 recommendation: The negative- there's no zero fret, no bigsby vibrato and the body is super thick, unlike the Mosrite Mark 1. On the plus side, it does have a 25 12" scale length.
Well, in some booklet or somewhere in an interview Starcrunch stated that he always plays the thickest strings he can get. I play a Mosrite Mark V and it feels good with .011s
ReplyDeleteI've been a MOAM fan since their first record. Really dig their stuff! Call me a MOAM fanboy if you like. I saw them play live (even grabbed a pic) and I have a couple of pictures of Starcrunch's pedalboard. I can upload them if you want to. I've gathered TONS of info about MOAM. I could also provide tabs to almost every song.
Regarding the Aria: You are right about the zero fret, though I don't think it's disturbing at all.
I totally dislike Bigsby style Vibratos. There are Vibramute rip offs called Vibramate - the ones Hallmark uses iirc. A little fill and drill should do the trick.
The body is thicker indeed, but hey - it's not a Mosrite.
I've watched so many MOAM shows on the internet or TV - still got some footage on VHS cassettes.
I have all the pedals mentioned in my first post (except for the tape worm), a Fender Vibrolux a Fender Reverb unit and a Mosrite.
But to be honest, this can only point you into the direction. The rest is playing style. We both wouldn't sound like Starcrunch, even when playing on his equipment.
So damn glad I found someone with the same passion out there!
Cheers!
Hmmm..."anonymous". Soon I'll expect you to reveal your true identity to be that of an actual Astroman, wouldn't THAT be interesting. You certainly seem to have quite a bit of inside information, including top secret never before seen photos of Star Crunch's pedal board which....I dare say YES I'd love to see- then print & frame in a wall size photo for everyday reference! Thanks for the offer, can't wait to see those photos and would like to also request some information on where I can check out your music!
ReplyDeleteThe Bigsby-like tremolos on my guitars makes a bunch of noise when you go nuts with em', and you hear this annoying clickety-clacking/popping sound. I checked out vibraMATE but it's a Bigsby style tremolo that looks nothing like a vibraMUTE- so I'm confused. I really like the idea of getting a Hallmark Custom 60, but still can't shake these thoughts that I better do it right and save for a Mosrite.
Last week, I decided I had enough mystery and called Ed Roman, the only North American dealer of Mosrites, to get a definitive answer to a burning question..... I spoke with a rep who I so graciously asked, exactly WHAT about Mosrites justifies the pricetag of $2500 to $4000, I mean what's in there that costs so much to make? The gentleman, who's name I cannot recall, stuttered for a moment while thinking of an answer then finally made his move and mentioned that they were partially hand-made by Dana Moseley herself. Though he was barely able to recall her name.
Yes, well then....I was afraid to admit that I may actually be willing to pay for that. I mean have you ever noticed the sheer number of Mosrite copies made since the 1960's? WHY?! What is the big freakin' deal? And why does Star Crunch choose them...amongst so many other affordable options. It's like if Harmony is 'all that', then why even bother with expensive Mosrites?
Indeed I have come to accept that with Mosrite there must be some mystical force, some undiscovered principle of physics at work beneath layers of cosmic material masked by common earth wood and electronics. Are we SURE the Moseley family originated from earth? Or an advanced race of super beings who skillfully master the propagation of sound waves like mere toys? What else could explain the authentic Mosrite sound which despite attempts to copy, cannot seem to be fully reproduced! I told my wife, I'm gonna make a long term goal to save for the Mark 1, for years if necessary. Then one day, I'm going down there to Las Vegas where I would like Dana Moseley herself to hand over my shiny re-issue, which I'll then write in my will to have buried with me when I die. The end.
Meanwhile, I'm left to deal with the inconsistency of my Fender Twin vs. Vibrolux. And of course, OF COURSE the Vibrolux just HAS to be like five time more than the fender twin, of course. Why would I expect anything different at this point. If you tabulate the total cost of all this, it's probably somewhere between $10,000 to $12,000 just to get the star crunch sound, not to mention any attempt at accurate rythym, bass and drums. So um yeah, I think for now I'll just pay off my student loans instead and live vicariously through others like yourself (though few and far between) while maintaining my best efforts on a budget. I greatly appreciate your pedal setup information, as that gives me something at least somewhat affordable to do until a time, if any, my Mosrite fantasy comes true.
One last thing, your comment about playing style is profound and leads to a moral dilemma where I ask at what point do I become satisfied with my own sound and relinquish any further Astro research? That's a tough one because although I'm happy with my current Silvertone 1445 + RP50 pedal sound, there's always room for improvement- therefore it's my sincere hope that this blog serves to shed light on the mystery origins of the man or astroman sound for all those who wish to perform their own experimentation. The way I feel about it, if every single band in existence sounded just like Man or Astroman, that'd be just fine with me.
Delete...hell o man, I just found your blog.
ReplyDeleteAbout 12 years ago I played in a trash surf band called Reverberockets. We had a low fi punch in the head sound, not similar to MOAM but in the same path.
Now Im in other type of music, very unique inspired in the avant garde of the XX and the modern architecture + electricity + noise+ tonal/atonal music + abstract lyrics about why the society is what s we got now.
So I still have that lo fi sound but richer.
-A month ago I saw MOAM live, also I saw them in 1999 or so but with Trace Reading instead of Starcrunch.
He was using the White Mosrite and he smashed couple of times on the floor!
Nothing special on the pedal board.
A gal was playing the rhy guitar; a Hallmark.
No secrets in the lo fi sound, you just crank all up to 11 so the overdrive come in. That and a boost pedal to increase the bite.
-He play the Mosrite because of the Ventures but he played Gretsch too, check Some songs like KING OF THE MONSTERS to hear the sound, a more roaring with middle tones, that the Gretsch sound but still low fi.
-The Vibrolux are the same that the Twins; I mean, is like the small brother; what s the gain? that you can crank up and the fucker break the tone unlike the twin that IS the CLEAN amplifier tone, SO you cannot break it...that s the thing.
-If you use a small tube amp plug you guitar to a deluxe memory man you can really have a distorted sound very similar that you want;
---to the other guy, Im interested if you have couple of TABS from MADE FROM TECHNETIUM
thanks
www.customshapes.blogspot.com
Back in 2001 my band recorded at Zero Return (MOAM's now defunct studio) with their engineer Jim Marrer. As far as recording goes, the early MOAM stuff was recorded basically 'live' straight to two tracks on an MCI 4 track 1/2" (or maybe it was a Studer), the other two tracks were used for the sound samples. I can't tell you what mic's were used on what, but I can tell you that among the studio's mic collection was: Neuman U87's, RCA 77dx ribbon mic, sure sm 57's, AKG d12, Oktava 319's. These are all classic recording mics and most of them don't come cheap, but are indispensible for the sound on those records, especially the Neuman. As for outboard gear the studio had Altec compressors, an Orban spring reverb unit ( which you can hear dripping heavily on "Reverb 2000"), and a large EMT plate reverb. Also keep in mind that these records were recorded Purely analog on tape. Jim's micing method for the guitar was basically an SM57 on each speaker placed dead center to the cone, about 4-6 inches away.
ReplyDeleteAs for the guitar tone, The early MOAM albums were recorded I believe with either a Jazzmaster, or a Gretsch Tennesean, the Mosrite made it's appearance around the Intravenous Television Continuum album. You can clearly hear the difference in the guitar tone. I have an original Mosrite Ventures model, and I can tell you that the only copy that comes close is the Hallmark, I've played several Mosrite inspired guitars over the years, and all fall short. Mosrite's have a very unique feel and sound which is tough to replicate.
You can get a Japanese made Kurokumo Mosrite 'Excellent' model for around $1500 http://www.kurokumo.jp/kurokumo_sr.htm
If you're patient and dilligent, you can find a real original Mosrite for under $2000. Here's a 1968 model for $1800:
http://www.tommysguitarshop.com/2128.Mosrite-Ventures
Here's a Japanese reissue for around the same price:
http://www.gbase.com/powered/geardetails.aspx?dealer=45c9c7fe-27d8-4359-b509-393c19e5856a&item=2822038
You can also find japanese made Mosrite avengers from the '70's for $1000 or less. (If you're interested, I know of one for that price)
Effects: definitely a Rat pedal and a Memory man.
And yes Heavy strings are a must ( although Mosrite's can't really handle much past 11's because of their ultra thin neck.
Hope this helps you in your quest.
Starcrunch is playing a Hallmark 60 Custom in the latest tour. I saw them twice in Chicago last week and there are also a handful of photos on their Facebook page from the past year showing Brian wilth the same white Hallmark, the one with the circuit board pickguard.
ReplyDeleteHey, interesting blog you got here. I just thought I'd join the conversation, as fellow MOAM enthusiasts are rare indeed! I too discovered MOAM about 10 years ago, and have loved their unique sound ever since. I have not seen them live yet, but I hope to soon.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I play surf music of sorts, and decided to base my surf rig around Star Crunch's rig. I have a 1960's Mosrite clone made by Firstman (Japan), and it is thought to be the earliest known copy of the Mosrite Ventures model (it was made before Firstman began using the Avenger label). I got it for $1000, and it is a dead on copy. These old Japanese Mosrites are a great option if you're on a budget like me. I also recently got a 1974 Silverface Vibrolux Reverb. It has a great sound at cleaner settings, but I will have to do some tweaks to get enough headroom for my tastes. With the Mosrite, the VR starts getting dirty after 3 on the volume knob, which isn't all that loud. This makes me wonder what speakers and/or other modifications Star Crunch has on his amp. Surely he mics it at shows, but I can't imagine him playing with the amp at such a low volume. I will be tweaking mine either way, as I'm not trying to cop his sound entirely, I just thought it would be a good starting point for me to get that type of sound. I may also get lower output pickups put in my Mosrite for a cleaner twangier sound (heresy, I know). Also, as far as pedals go, I prefer the Boss DM-2 for slap back delay and a Fulltone Full Drive 2 for a boost, and I also use the EHX POG extensively. I have the Boss FRV-1 too, and it is great for that spring sound (I prefer the amp's verb though!). I have wanted all this stuff for years, and bit the bullet eventually after repeatedly settling for less. I had a Univox Hi-Flyer in the past, and currently have an Eastwood Sidejack Deluxe. The Sidejack is awesome, but it really doesn't sound like a Mosrite in any way (it has P-90's). I may try a Hallmark Custom 60 one day though....
Anyway, that's enough out of me. Thanks for everybody's info and comments on MOAM, it's great to see others interested in this awesome band. FWIW, check out the Mosrite Forum if you haven't already, you can learn a lot about these great guitars there!
Thanks to everyone who posted on this blog, I can't possibly describe how much I appreciate it. This will be my last response, as I have recently been given the mind-blowing privilege to speak directly to Brian Causey, a.k.a. "Star Crunch" two nights in a row after the 6/14 and 6/15 Man or Astroman shows in Chicago where I was able to ask as many questions as I wanted. He was a super nice guy and patiently listened and seemed to actually enjoy talking about guitars. Though I will soon be writing a full blog about these encounters, I will say for right now that with the exception of his first and I think ONLY actual Mosrite mark 1 that he bought on a fluke from some guy at a music store for $1000, he has been playing ALL Hallmark Custom 60's AND gave me word that he's been talking to Bob Shade about making an actual Man or Astroman Custom 60!!!!!! Could you imagine?
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
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ReplyDeleteNot a huge Astroman fan, but a huge guitar effects fan. In Anti-matterman I feel quite confident that a Boss ring modulator is used. In fact, a boss ring modulator with a boss slicer seem - to my ears - to be two quite necessary effects also. Great insight into the guitars!! Love stuff like this
ReplyDeleteif you're looking more for early 1992-1995 Star Crunch sound use a Gretsch Tennesean or a Fender Jazzmaster
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