Preservation Sound – Page 18 – information and ideas about audio history

Kustom & Kasino in the 70s: Part II

Post author By chris
Post date 02/06/2014
3 Comments on Kustom & Kasino in the 70s: Part II

Today at PS dot com: a few images of the ‘later’ Kustom amps, as well as a forgotten entry by sister-company Kasino. Above: the 1972 Kustom Hustler, Charger, Sidewinder, Commander, and Challenger amps. I think someone had a thing for muscle cars back in the day,,, ironic, considering that dude later went into business making police radar detectors. Oh wait: you don’t know the crazy story of Kustom founder Bud Ross? You might want to check out our earlier article about Kustom at this link… including our exclusive high-res download of the complete 1972 Kustom Katalog.

Above: this advert uses the non-literal communication method known as SIMILE to suggest that ‘Kustom amps are as precision-made as surgical instruments.’ There is also a parallel structure that relates a musician’s ‘picking’ of a guitar-string to a surgeon’s ‘picking’ of a cyst/tumor/etc. Aii yi yi.

Above: a Kasino PA system from 1972. Kasino products were apparently the same circuitry as Kustom, but repackaged to as to allow different local dealers to carry the same products without competing directly. Much like Gibson/Epiphone in the 1960s.

Above: the third generation of Kustom amps circa 1977. The big selling point here seems to be… a wide-Q notch filter. Yawn.

Tags guitar amps, Kustom

Uncategorized

1972: Rogers (via Phil Upchurch) tells drummers what’s up

Post author By chris
Post date 02/05/2014
1 Comment on 1972: Rogers (via Phil Upchurch) tells drummers what’s up

I came across this odd bit from 1972… Phil Upchurch was one of the most lauded studio guitarists of the 60s and 70s; at one point he was the house guitarist for the Chess label (Muddy Waters, The Dells, Howling Wolf, etc). He also has some great lines on Bonnie Koloc’s 70’s folk rock LPs. Check out the multiple solos (with a CRAZY quadraphonic mix) around the 3:25 mark here:

A versatile player, certainly. Anyhow, check out this interesting promo campaign from Rogers Drums:

I love this idea. I would equally welcome “advice for guitarists (by a great drummer).”

Why do certain guitarists make great drummers?

Players: have you learned more from those who play your instrument, or other instruments?

Does anyone have the ‘Phil Upchurch Percussion Fact Sheet”?

Synthesizers

1977: The Selmer Lyricon Synth Flute

Post author By chris
Post date 01/30/2014
1 Comment on 1977: The Selmer Lyricon Synth Flute

Lyricon

We’ve covered the Lyricon earlier on PS dot com (click here), but this thing is just too wacky and awesome to ignore. Any wind-controller users out there? DS and i were at a fkkn crazy studio-liquidation sale this weekend and some dude walked out with one of those Akai wind controllers for $10… seems like a good deal. Mkkn fusion-flute y’all!!!! Herbie Mann electro!

Tags ampeg, lyricon, selmer

Music Accessories

1978: I have found the secret origin of Walter White

Post author By chris
Post date 01/29/2014
1 Comment on 1978: I have found the secret origin of Walter White

Above: this is an actual advert that was published in a nationally-distributed magazine in 1978. In it we see a character who is clearly a science teacher. He is presenting a novel way to make DIY meth. SOUND FAMILIAR ANYONE?

“Head Monthly” was published in the 1970s, and perhaps even later. Very little information exists regarding this publication. It is similar in many ways to “HIGH TIMES,” which originated in 1974 and continues to be in operation today. “Head” is a bit more hardcore, though; while “High Times” is primarily devoted to cannabis and mushrooms, “Head” is concerned as well with cocaine, heroin, and yes even meth.

If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you might correctly assume that I spend a lot of time combing thru the chattels of the dead/damned looking for ancient audio and music-related paper to absorb, scan, and bring to the online world. Well, if you spend enough time looking for music-stuff, you’re gonna find drug stuff, and so it was not surprising when I recently chanced upon a large collection of 1970’s doper mags.

But what was surprising was the content and tone of some of these publications. Magazines that I had never before heard of or seen, with titles like FLASH and RUSH (these are coke mags) and MARIJUANA MONTHLY (seems to be an attempt at a ‘classier’ reefer mag). With the coming widespread legalization of marijuana in America, the ‘Outlaw Pot Mag’ seems like a quaint anachronism. FLASH and RUSH are still pretty fkkn edgy though. Expect the occasional post from these weird old artifacts in the coming years.

Tags Music Accessories

Guitar Equipment

Travis Bean: 70’s Guitar Icons

Post author By chris
Post date 01/28/2014
No Comments on Travis Bean: 70’s Guitar Icons

There are not a lot of 70’s guitars that have attained classic status. 1970’s Gibsons and Fenders have a checkered reputation, and while a select few 70’s Ibanez and Yamaha models are highly valued, most Japanese electric guitars of the decade are fairly poor in quality compared to what we would come to see in the 1980s.

A notable standout is the Travis Bean. Regularly trading in the $3000 -$5000 range, these guitars have enjoyed a very strong reputation since their introduction. Travis Beans feature an aluminum neck and high-quality construction.

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Any Travis Bean players or collectors out there?

Click here for previous Travis Bean TB1000 coverage on PS dot com

Also here

More 70’s aluminum-neck guitar-geekery

Tags Travis Bean

Guitar Equipment

Maestro FX units of 1972

Today at PS dot com: just a quick look at some of the state-of-the-art in guitar/keyboard FX of 1972, courtesy the Maestro division of Chicago Musical Instruments, also parent to the Gibson brand of instruments. Maestro made a lot wackier stuff than even the above-depicted Rover (a mini-leslie-on-a-stick) – Rhythm and Sound, anyone? – and we’ll get to it all eventually. There’s only so much past I can write about, people…

Above: This does not appear to be a legitimate doctor. At best, he will likely ‘goose’ you whilst you are subdued via anesthesia. I don’t really understand why a sleazy physician makes a good metaphor for a compression pedal.

Above: SuperFuzz. It’s like a smug cop. Ok…

Above: the Maestro Ring Modulator. This is a rare one, I believe. Do you get the feeling that this advert tells NOTHING about what this thing actually sounds like, other than it makes ‘unheard of sounds?’ This is likely because ring mod is really very hard to describe in words, and its effects really can be incredibly varied. It actually synthesizes new pitches by outputting the sum and difference (in hertz) of your monophonic performance input and some second signal – in this case, likely an internal ‘carrier’ oscillator whose pitch is determined by the panel fader there. I love ring mod. It’s great that a few companies (Moog, EH) are making ring mod pedals again. A truly wild sound with a ton of applications for modern music.

Above: The Echoplex line of 1972. The EM-1, ES-2, and EP-3. Better than hanging out in a trash can. Kinda need one of these.

Above: The Bass Brassmaster. Tuba/trombone/bass sax players end up homeless/hobos/vagrants as a result. Great, thanks.

Tags guitar effects, maestro, tape echo

Synthesizers

Moog Break! (’72 – ’77)

Today: some Moog-bits circa the mid seventies. Above: the Polymoog. And below: one of my fav recently-unearthed period-tracks featuring a Polymoog.

Above: The Sonic Six of 1973. Sure I know ELP, but Paintings? The Mike Quatro Jam Band? Anyone?

Above: The same bros. Now with MiniMoog.

The Micromoog of ’77. Not a ton of control options on this lil’ guy, but they are still affordable at around $700usd. I should probably pick one of these up before they become as unaffordable as the most of the other vintage Moog models…

1972: Keith Emerson and the MiniMoog.

For our exclusive download of vintage German (!!!) MiniMoog and SonicSix catalogs, click here…

Curious to see the first-ever Moog advert? Check this previous article.

Tags micromoog, minimoog, moog, polymoog, sonicsix

Recording Studio History

Joe Osborn, studio bass great, 1972

Post author By chris
Post date 01/23/2014
1 Comment on Joe Osborn, studio bass great, 1972

Joe Osborn stands alongside Carol Kaye, Herbie Flowers, and James Jamerson as one of the all-time great session bassists. As his wiki entry indicates, “Many producers and arrangers chose to spotlight his contributions by mixing the bass line more prominently than had been customary, and incorporating brief bass solos into their arrangements.”

Click the link to download a great short article on Osborn from DB mag, 1972. Author is one David Perry: JoeOsborn_Downbeat_1972

Connecticut Audio History Synthesizers

EML Synths of the 70s part II

Post author By chris
Post date 01/22/2014
2 Comments on EML Synths of the 70s part II

I came across a few more EML (Electronic Music Laboratories) bits that I will share with you. I’ve written a little about EML before, as they were based in Connecticut and lets face it, I am never getting out of this state. Anyhow, click here for our first EML article, and click here for coverage of the 1976 EML SynthKey, which was likely the first synth with aftertouch.

I’ve yet to be contacted by anyone who worked at EML in the 70s. Folks, if yr out there, drop a line… the world needs to know…

The EML model 101 synth

The EML Model 100 synth

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Bonus 70’s CT synth-times: The 1976 Synare PS by Star Systems of Stafford Springs CT. Looks pretty righteous… anyone?

Tags electronic music laboratories, eml, synare

Synthesizers

ARP synths of the mid 70s part III

Post author By chris
Post date 01/21/2014
1 Comment on ARP synths of the mid 70s part III

How are y’all doing on this snowy day… listening to some mid-seventies Tangerine Dream LPs and flippin thru a giant pile of old DOWNBEAT mags that I picked up at an estate sale this past wknd along with an enormous radio. Here’s a few ARP bits+bobs that caught my eye. Anyone have the above-depicted demo record?