| Author |
Topic: What made the Fender PSG sound so unique? |
GaryHoetker
From:
Bakersfield, CA, USA
|
Posted 18 Jul 2011 8:10 am |
|
| This might be a post for another site on the Forum. Anyway, I've always been captivated by the Fender PSG. Would appreciate any thoughts or comments. Thanks. |
|
|
 |
Mickey Lawson
From:
Cleveland, Tennessee, USA
|
Posted 18 Jul 2011 8:46 am fender champ
|
|
| Also, what made the Fender Champ sound so unique that it can't be duplicated today. I once had a yellow/blonde one, wish I had kept it. |
|
|
|
Larry Miller
From:
Dothan AL,USA
|
Posted 18 Jul 2011 8:54 am
|
|
| just guessing...maybe the cables, and wooden pedalboard had a little something to do with it. |
|
|
|
David Mason
From:
Cambridge, MD, USA
|
Posted 18 Jul 2011 5:53 pm
|
|
Leo Fender had three main priorities for manufacturing:
1) The guitars could be made out of cheap and plentiful materials, including commercial-grade wood;
2) They could be made on existing machinery, with as little expensive tooling as possible;
3) They could be made by unskilled and semi-skilled low-wage employees, no hoity-toity "luthiers" need apply.
As much as possible, parts were made out of stamped steel and common bar stock, to avoid the cost of special machining (and machinists  ). He used the blade-type pickup selector switch on the Telecaster because he had gotten an irresistible deal on a whole boxcar full of them, but then he got worried he might get stuck with them. And then, we just got used to the way Fenders (& Gibsons etc.) sounded, so that became the "right" way to sound.
There's a lot of accidents and unexpected consequences in history; if it hadn't been for surf music and Annette Funicello movies, spooling right over into Monterey Pop, San Francisco & LSD, that whole "California thing" might have dwindled and died - we'd all be playing Framuses And Hofners and speculating about how Wilheim, Fritz and Heinrich could ever had been so prescient. Heck, the only reason Hollywood became "HOLLYWOOD" was because there were beaches, forests, mountains, and a desert all within a days drive (at 1930's speed) and not much rain, so producers could gin up "western" movies, Tarzan "jungle" epics, and "South Seas" pirate flicks, yet still sleep in their own bed every night. Lotta randomization at play out there.  |
|
|
|
Dave Mudgett
From:
Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee
|
Posted 19 Jul 2011 6:03 am
|
|
I think the pickups have a lot to do with that classic stereotypical "Fender sound". Of course, physical construction matters also, but there are guys on the forum who have gotten in the ballpark of that sound by simply using a tapped-coil pickup with a low-winding tap that measured around 8-9K Ohm resistance on their Carters, Sho Buds, and so on. I had a ca. 1973 rack-and-barrel model 6139 Sho Bud that came stock with a tapped-coil pickup like this, and the low-winding tap really was in the ballpark. Probably should not have traded that one away.
I'm not saying that this is the only issue, but I think it's important.
PS - you might get more response to this if you email a moderator to move this thread to "Pedal Steel". |
|
|
|
Clyde Mattocks
From:
Kinston, North Carolina, USA
|
Posted 19 Jul 2011 8:50 am
|
|
Just another guess, the combination of the lower resistance pickups combined with a much higher mass of wood than used in more modern steels. Even the non pedal Stringmasters and Customs had those attributes.
_________________
LeGrande II, Nash. 112, Fender Twin Tone Master, Session 400, Harlow Dobro, R.Q.Jones Dobro |
|
|
|
J Fletcher
From:
London,Ont,Canada
|
Posted 21 Jul 2011 11:59 am
|
|
I think the people at Fender were shooting for a certain sound, and proto-typed until they got it, or very close to it. Probably some input from steel players whose opinions they valued.
That seems to be the way Fender operated back in the '50's. |
|
|
|
chris ivey
From:
california (deceased)
|
Posted 21 Jul 2011 5:23 pm
|
|
i think they just tried stuff and it worked. i think the telecaster was a huge piece of luck that turned out perfect. same with the original emmons' to a certain extent.
look at the thousands of newer guitar attempts by so many companies...with all the history, technology and experience.... that still haven't really created any new unique tones that make their mark like those older milestones. |
|
|
|
Bill Moran
From:
Virginia, USA
|
Posted 21 Jul 2011 6:10 pm
|
|
| David Mason wrote: |
Leo Fender had three main priorities for manufacturing:
1) The guitars could be made out of cheap and plentiful materials, including commercial-grade wood;
2) They could be made on existing machinery, with as little expensive tooling as possible;
3) They could be made by unskilled and semi-skilled low-wage employees, no hoity-toity "luthiers" need apply.
As much as possible, parts were made out of stamped steel and common bar stock, to avoid the cost of special machining (and machinists ). He used the blade-type pickup selector switch on the Telecaster because he had gotten an irresistible deal on a whole boxcar full of them, but then he got worried he might get stuck with them. And then, we just got used to the way Fenders (& Gibsons etc.) sounded, so that became the "right" way to sound.
|
So why has no one improved on it ? Every guitar maker has tried !
_________________
Bill |
|
|
|
