Some live shots from the '80s (step in for a laugh or two!)

[Digital Jams]

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My bass players Jackson was a custom shop deal.

And Ralph, I learned about the PQ-3 when I was still in Chicago. The other guitarist in my band went to see Rough Cutt and hung with Amir after the gig. Amir took a liking to him and said, "Dude, the whole key to that tone is the Furman PQ-3". We had no idea what a PQ-3 even was but I went out and bought one and hooked it up and we just started messing with it. Soon after we moved to LA and we saw them in Strypers rack, then Doug Aldrich's rack and just a couple of other guys.

Honestly, very few people in LA knew about them or used them, but every now and then you would see a gig and the guitarist would have that tone and you'd check for and see a Furman in there. I used to cover my rack at gigs because I swear I got asked all the time what I was using. We opened for Racer X once and I swear all of GIT was there and my rack was covered and I answered 100 times after the gig what kind of mod my Marshalls had in them. No mods I told them, bone stock, and they were.

Freaking cool story! I love reading the stuff you LA guys put up here.

 

[argonaut4]

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streetskating pioneer rocking the slopes of fullerton on my dope chris miller sled in '87

LOL! I had that very same deck. The pioneer of the up-turned noses. I could ollie over park benches with that thing. I had the same trucks, too. What were they called? Gullwing? Something like that.

 

[mentoneman]

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LOL! I had that very same deck. The pioneer of the up-turned noses. I could ollie over park benches with that thing. I had the same trucks, too. What were they called? Gullwing? Something like that.

miller owned. he surfed when he skated, so haole boy got mad props!

gullwings they were...they were actually heavier than independents, but they slid smoother when grinding, until they broke!

my streetskating days ended when i tried to bust a 180 over the staircase in front of the cal state fullerton bookstore, front foot slipped off and got turned under the front truck and wedged between the last stair and the flats, and i stomped the back foot down on the deck--what a mess.

me and my pal grapefruit ankle called it quits after that one.

 

[Chubtone]

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He also told me that he would not have told me about the PQ3 in the early days because it was a closely guarded secret

It really was a closely guarded secret for most of us. When I saw Rough Cutt out here, Amir and Chris had the fronts of their racks still on. The Furman was tricky though. Some guys would have no clue how to set it. I went to a rehearsal one time for a band called Damn Nation. My drummer was room mates with Dave Spitz so we went to check out their new band. It was Dave "the Beast" Spitz on bass from Black Sabbath and White Lion and Impellitteri, Chet Thompson from Hellion (former Rhoads student) on guitar and Stet Howland (WASP and Impelitteri) on drums. Chet had a Furman in his rack and just didn't have a clue how to set it. As a matter of fact, I don't even think he was plugged into the low level input. Hello? Why do you think it's not overdriving your amp? I was going to even tell him what was up until he threw his guitar over his shoulder and started doing this two handed tapping thing with the body of his guitar on his shoulder and the neck down in front of his torso with both hands tapping away like Liberace in a heavy metal band. That outrageous display of ultra goofyness helped me decide I would leave him tonally clueless.

Most guys who had them would kind of hide them, but if you were really curious you could watch when their crew would break down their stuff and catch a quick glimpse. That's what happened when we saw Doug the first time. It was all behind his stacks until the roadies took the cabinets off the stage before putting the cover on his rack. That's when my buddy and I looked at each other and said "A HA! I KNEW IT!". Doug had an old Roland Chorus Echo in their too. I think it was called the Roland 555 or something like that.

 

[MrDan666]

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It really was a closely guarded secret for most of us. When I saw Rough Cutt out here, Amir and Chris had the fronts of their racks still on. The Furman was tricky though. Some guys would have no clue how to set it. I went to a rehearsal one time for a band called Damn Nation. My drummer was room mates with Dave Spitz so we went to check out their new band. It was Dave "the Beast" Spitz on bass from Black Sabbath and White Lion and Impellitteri, Chet Thompson from Hellion (former Rhoads student) on guitar and Stet Howland (WASP and Impelitteri) on drums. Chet had a Furman in his rack and just didn't have a clue how to set it. As a matter of fact, I don't even think he was plugged into the low level input. Hello? Why do you think it's not overdriving your amp? I was going to even tell him what was up until he threw his guitar over his shoulder and started doing this two handed tapping thing with the body of his guitar on his shoulder and the neck down in front of his torso with both hands tapping away like Liberace in a heavy metal band. That outrageous display of ultra goofyness helped me decide I would leave him tonally clueless.

Most guys who had them would kind of hide them, but if you were really curious you could watch when their crew would break down their stuff and catch a quick glimpse. That's what happened when we saw Doug the first time. It was all behind his stacks until the roadies took the cabinets off the stage before putting the cover on his rack. That's when my buddy and I looked at each other and said "A HA! I KNEW IT!". Doug had an old Roland Chorus Echo in their too. I think it was called the Roland 555 or something like that.

This is why i love Rig-talk. Because we have guys here like you who lived this scene and know all the secret shit that not everyone knows!!

 

[Gainfreak]

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It really was a closely guarded secret for most of us. When I saw Rough Cutt out here, Amir and Chris had the fronts of their racks still on. The Furman was tricky though. Some guys would have no clue how to set it. I went to a rehearsal one time for a band called Damn Nation. My drummer was room mates with Dave Spitz so we went to check out their new band. It was Dave "the Beast" Spitz on bass from Black Sabbath and White Lion and Impellitteri, Chet Thompson from Hellion (former Rhoads student) on guitar and Stet Howland (WASP and Impelitteri) on drums. Chet had a Furman in his rack and just didn't have a clue how to set it. As a matter of fact, I don't even think he was plugged into the low level input. Hello? Why do you think it's not overdriving your amp? I was going to even tell him what was up until he threw his guitar over his shoulder and started doing this two handed tapping thing with the body of his guitar on his shoulder and the neck down in front of his torso with both hands tapping away like Liberace in a heavy metal band. That outrageous display of ultra goofyness helped me decide I would leave him tonally clueless.

Most guys who had them would kind of hide them, but if you were really curious you could watch when their crew would break down their stuff and catch a quick glimpse. That's what happened when we saw Doug the first time. It was all behind his stacks until the roadies took the cabinets off the stage before putting the cover on his rack. That's when my buddy and I looked at each other and said "A HA! I KNEW IT!". Doug had an old Roland Chorus Echo in their too. I think it was called the Roland 555 or something like that.

Curt,



great story and...............

You are preaching to the choir brother. Even though Michael Sweet let the cat out of the bag about the PQ3, he said nothing about how they hooked it up!! I had to freaking figure it out for myself!! At first I put it through the loop and said...well thats not it. Then I tried it though the loop boosting freequncies and said that's not it. Then I used it in the loop switching to low input and that was different but....yup Not it! Then one day at work It hit me... I said Mother F%^cker, I wonder if they were slamming the front end with the thing... I ran home after work and tried it. Nope... thats wasn't it because i used the high i/p. I switched to the low i/p and BINGO!!! I had it... Then I was like geeeeeezz... I need a hush!!

 

[Digital Jams]

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This is why i love Rig-talk. Because we have guys here like you who lived this scene and know all the secret shit that not everyone knows!!

Curt is one cool cat and even busted my balls to go chase Vai down when he walked by at NAMM but I saved face and held my ground

I have learned a crap load from him with his shoot-out clip threads

 

[Chubtone]

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Curt is one cool cat and even busted my balls to go chase Vai down when he walked by at NAMM but I saved face and held my ground

I have learned a crap load from him with his shoot-out clip threads

Yeah, I told you to go chase Vai, of course. It was your first Namm show and your hero just walked by what 10' away? You stood your ground for longer than I would have for a hero of mine. You would have seen a real star struck dork had Ronni Le Tekro walked by. I probably would have tackled that goofy Norwegian and started making out with him.

Then I would have realized he hasn't recorded a cool guitar solo in 20 years even though he has done about 12 albums in that time. Then I would have started yelling at him to get his act together.

 

[Chubtone]

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Curt,



great story and...............

You are preaching to the choir brother. Even though Michael Sweet let the cat out of the bag about the PQ3, he said nothing about how they hooked it up!! I had to freaking figure it out for myself!! At first I put it through the loop and said...well thats not it. Then I tried it though the loop boosting freequncies and said that's not it. Then I used it in the loop switching to low input and that was different but....yup Not it! Then one day at work It hit me... I said Mother F%^cker, I wonder if they were slamming the front end with the thing... I ran home after work and tried it. Nope... thats wasn't it because i used the high i/p. I switched to the low i/p and BINGO!!! I had it... Then I was like geeeeeezz... I need a hush!!

Yeah Ralph, it was way easier for us. Our amps didn't have effects loops. There was only one place to put the Furman. Then there was an immediate need for a Rocktron Hush!

 

[Digital Jams]

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Yeah, I told you to go chase Vai, of course. It was your first Namm show and your hero just walked by what 10' away? You stood your ground for longer than I would have for a hero of mine. You would have seen a real star struck dork had Ronni Le Tekro walked by. I probably would have tackled that goofy Norwegian and started making out with him.

Then I would have realized he hasn't recorded a cool guitar solo in 20 years even though he has done about 12 albums in that time. Then I would have started yelling at him to get his act together.

Man the abuse I would have gotten from Kage and Mentoneman would have been epic and there were too many cameras around...I would have signed my internet death warrent if I chased Vai down

That's ok, I sprung for two EVO passes for the wife and I when he comes to CT in October

 

[Gainfreak]

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Yeah, I told you to go chase Vai, of course. It was your first Namm show and your hero just walked by what 10' away? You stood your ground for longer than I would have for a hero of mine. You would have seen a real star struck dork had Ronni Le Tekro walked by. I probably would have tackled that goofy Norwegian and started making out with him.

Then I would have realized he hasn't recorded a cool guitar solo in 20 years even though he has done about 12 albums in that time. Then I would have started yelling at him to get his act together.

Methinks the reason why Ronnie hasn't done anything cool in the last 20 years is because he is to busy smoking the herb and it's made him lazy

 

[mentoneman]

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Man the abuse I would have gotten from Kage and Mentoneman would have been epic and there were too many cameras around...I would have signed my internet death warrent if I chased Vai down

That's ok, I sprung for two EVO passes for the wife and I when he comes to CT in October

dude you would have gone urban cowboy on vai like travolta on the mechanical bull until every intercostal muscle was torn and every chest hair was worn bald, yah crazy NAMM :newbie:

funny you should mention letekro curt-
the first time i went to your store i bought a little 2x12 homemade cab loaded with a greenback and a V30, and to demo it you plugged in and played some letekro riffs through a modded marshall and one of your old warmoth strats...

and then the next time i went there i bought a tc phaser pedal while waiting for my drummer friend gary carter to show up at his rehearsal studio, which was behind your store about a block or two away.

 

[Chubtone]

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funny you should mention letekro curt-
the first time i went to your store i bought a little 2x12 homemade cab loaded with a greenback and a V30, and to demo it you plugged in and played some letekro riffs through a modded marshall and one of your old warmoth strats...

and then the next time i went there i bought a tc phaser pedal while waiting for my drummer friend gary carter to show up at his rehearsal studio, which was behind your store about a block or two away.

That's what sold you on the cab, huh? Some Le Tekro riffs butchered by me? I wish I had a chance to "meet" you at Namm Pat. I know we already met in my store but I don't remember it. There's just been too many people I've butchered TNT riffs for.

 

[MrDan666]

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Curt is one cool cat and even busted my balls to go chase Vai down when he walked by at NAMM but I saved face and held my ground

I have learned a crap load from him with his shoot-out clip threads

Haha

Those shootout clip threads rocked, they are always extremely helpful!!

 

[Chubtone]

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Haha

Those shootout clip threads rocked, they are always extremely helpful!!

Thanks Dan! I like doing them to knock a little sense into myself now and then. I start getting too focused on the tiny little minutiae of getting cool tones and I'll realize I haven't recorded any real music in the last month because I've been messing with pickups or boost pedals or mic placement. I do these little "shoot-out" clips to kind of show myself that almost any of the options I record would work good enough in a mix. It is called Gainfreak-Chubtone syndrome and the symptoms are great fear of pushing the RECORD button and an even greater fear of letting other people hear what you recorded.

 

[Gainfreak]

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Thanks Dan! I like doing them to knock a little sense into myself now and then. I start getting too focused on the tiny little minutiae of getting cool tones and I'll realize I haven't recorded any real music in the last month because I've been messing with pickups or boost pedals or mic placement. I do these little "shoot-out" clips to kind of show myself that almost any of the options I record would work good enough in a mix. It is called Gainfreak-Chubtone syndrome and the symptoms are great fear of pushing the RECORD button and an even greater fear of letting other people hear what you recorded.

Dude, Im glad that I am in such good company with my Syndrome because you hit the nail on the head!! Red light fever has killed me throughout the years...Bigtime.

 

[MrDan666]

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Thanks Dan! I like doing them to knock a little sense into myself now and then. I start getting too focused on the tiny little minutiae of getting cool tones and I'll realize I haven't recorded any real music in the last month because I've been messing with pickups or boost pedals or mic placement. I do these little "shoot-out" clips to kind of show myself that almost any of the options I record would work good enough in a mix. It is called Gainfreak-Chubtone syndrome and the symptoms are great fear of pushing the RECORD button and an even greater fear of letting other people hear what you recorded.

Call that Gainfreak-Chubtone-MrDan666 syndrome LOL! I have that problem bigtime, i seem to freeze up and lose my ideas when i hit the record button.

I do need to just chill out, play and record though.. rather than sit here for hours switching preamp tubes, or pickups, or boost pedals etc. I end up wasting entire days when i had told myself i would try and lay down some material

 

[Gainfreak]

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Call that Gainfreak-Chubtone-MrDan666 syndrome LOL! I have that problem bigtime, i seem to freeze up and lose my ideas when i hit the record button.

I do need to just chill out, play and record though.. rather than sit here for hours switching preamp tubes, or pickups, or boost pedals etc. I end up wasting entire days when i had told myself i would try and lay down some material

Well your young enough to break it now!! Don't follow in our footsteps!!

 

[MrDan666]

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Well your young enough to break it now!! Don't follow in our footsteps!!

Im sure il get over it, i just need to kick myself up the arse a bit more!

Il be honest with one thing though, i am braindead when it comes to using recording gear and software here at home... Im naturally a lazy bastard so i end up trying stuff a couple of times and if it doesnt work, i give up and go jam!

I have a little Tascam USB Interface that would be cool to record clips on, but i have no idea how to get any of that shit working! I have one of those Line6 Toneports that i might try hook up tomorow, i think they're meant to be pretty self explanatory and easy to use. That way i can start recording clips each day, and actually get somewhere with it!!

 

[Chubtone]

I don't freeze up when I hit the Record button or lose my ideas. I can normally get my part done and be pretty happy with it and feel that I nailed it as well as I can nail it. But then, I'll start thinking that the whole thing isn't good enough. I have an entire 6 song instrumental EP recorded that I keep putting off mixing and mastering. That's what so impresses me with what Bob Savage did when he recorded that whole album and then had the BALLS to release it. I need to finish mine.