I paid a visit this week to my friend, Mike Pierra who owns Analogman, renowned for their boutique style pedal processors for the connoisseur. The company is located in Bethel, Connecticut and ships all over the world. Mike wanted to show me the newest version of the King of Tone overdrive pedal. I've been endorsing the original KOT model for a few years now.
Mike had something else in mind and asked me to bring along my legendary 1952 Fender Telecaster because its 'sister' was going to make an appearance, courtesy of acclaimed player and owner of said guitar, Jim Weider. Mine was reportedly owned by Roy Buchanon. Both Telecasters have years of expert touch ingrained in their DNA. I jumped at the chance, because I'd become aquainted with Jim's style of playing more recently, through YouTube, and wanted to meet him, sensing a kindred spirit .....and .....you just don't see two 1952 Telecasters in the same room very often. 1952, being the first year of manufacture for this lump of wood with a guitar neck on it, makes it sought after by collectors but more importantly, there's something mystical about the way an old instrument like this, plays and sounds. Other electric guitars have this mojo; the '54 and '63 Stratocasters, the'59 Les Paul, '59 Gretsch 6120 and the '58 /'59 and yes, '67 Gibson Flying V.
Well, let me tell you it was fascinating (if you are a guitar anorak). Both instruments were remarkably similar. The necks were almost identical with maple fingerboards and very similar profiles. Jims worn, translucent white guitar weighed about the same as mine, but it's back pick-up had more highs and more volume. By raising the pick-up (on my guitar) closer to the strings, we got the volume issue sorted (Roy Buchanon had once advised Jim on this). But, on taking the switch plate off my instrument, it was seen that, for years, I've been using it installed with the incorrect value volume and tone pots! By no means a bad sounding guitar, and featuring a great sounding bridge pick-up, it seems that the installation of two vintage brass stemmed 250K pots, will restore the missing highs and no doubt give it the actual tone we are seeking. That's now in process.
Other than that, I was very inspired to learn some extra facts and to know that with a few simple changes I could get one of my favorite guitars to perform even better. If you want hear how a vintage 1952 Tele sounds in the hands of a master, at the same time being played through through a King of Tone pedal, check out Jim's video here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkzYWV8HJTw An example of how my instrument sounds, pre modification, can be heard during the first guitar solo in the slower section of the Illuminations song No Joke. (As I said, this is for anoraks!)
Later, over lunch in a fine Italian restaurant, Jim clued me in on some of his recent activities; tours with his instrumental 3 piece band, in Switzerland and Italy as well as guitar work-shops and the occasional gig in Levon Helm's band ( As a Woodstock, New York native, Jim Weider was a 15 year member of THE Band). We exchanged CDs and said our goodbyes, with the hope that we can, at a point in the future, play some shows together.
Thank you Mike Pierra, who is himself, THE King of Tone!
~ A.P.
