(Eric I split your post into a new topic)

From what I recall reading on Ansigod's MoAM? site (anyone here remember that.. ? ), in the early days Star Crunch used a Gretch Tennesean and a Jazzmaster. He later switched to the Mosrite.

I don't remember what amp he had and I've never found a good photo. I seem to recall it being a silver face Vibrolux or Vibroverb.

For pedals, I do remember Ansigod saying he used a Pro Co Rat for those few distorted songs they had (Nitrus Burnout, etc).

Please chime in if you saw the Star Crunch era Astro-Men...

Site dude - S3 Agent #202
Need help with the site? SG101 FAQ - Send me a private message - Email me

"It starts... when it begins" -- Ralf Kilauea

Aha! Jackpot...I found that July 1996 Guitar Player clipping that Ivan mailed me (thanks Ivan! :worship:).

Amongst all the joking, he does reveal something about his gear, but not his guitars. He is pictured in the photo with his white Mosrite.

Star Crunch
The amplifier is a silverface Fender Vibrolux Reverb....Occasionally I'll use an Electro-Harmonix Memory Man echo to simulate space-planetary differences, and I recently acquired a Space Echo. But usually I prefer a straight sound. My guitar sound would be like the Apollo space program, and once you start putting all these wacked-out effects on it, it becomes more like the Space Shuttle, which is too sterile and has no grit.

As to his guitar being a Tennesean or non-Tennesean, that is only my memory from Ansigod's page.

Site dude - S3 Agent #202
Need help with the site? SG101 FAQ - Send me a private message - Email me

"It starts... when it begins" -- Ralf Kilauea

The Wayback Machine may have an archived version of his website. I'll go search through my old computer and see if I can find Ansigod's old URL. Probably won't get to that until tomorrow though.

Site dude - S3 Agent #202
Need help with the site? SG101 FAQ - Send me a private message - Email me

"It starts... when it begins" -- Ralf Kilauea

I didn't play guitar when they were touring so I never really paid a heck of a lot of attention to their equipment or playing...other than the blur of his hand during the double picking frenzy! So i never recalled the jazzmaster. I did remember the matching danelectros however. If anyone could point me in the direction of a pic w/the jazzmaster or jag that would be great!
Anyone know what gear the clones used. If, in fact, they used true astro-equipment or their "cloned" (own) gear. I never saw that tour, maybe cuz i was underage or they didn't swing through town. I emailed the clone that posted the jumpsuit on ebay but never heard back. Anyone see this tour?

Surf in Seattle?

Starcrunch was on the live album. I prefer the old lineup. There is just a lot more material with the old lineup.

Brian
IMHO, MoAM? got all weird after Star Crunch left.

Didn't he play on Made From Techneithum (sp)? If so, then they were already getting weird, and that album's far and away their weakest.

Still, some of their late stuff is amazing--"Interstellar Harddrive," "Engines of Difference," "Theme From Eeviac," & especially "Man Made of CO2."

-Warren

That was excessively violent and completely unnecessary. I loved it.

I actually got into Made from Technetium, and prefer it to what came after. Of course, I would have liked them to explore the Experiment Zero territory a little bit longer before going off in a new direction....

There are a few good songs on Spectrum and Eeviac, but yeah...too trippy and too noisy overall..

Site dude - S3 Agent #202
Need help with the site? SG101 FAQ - Send me a private message - Email me

"It starts... when it begins" -- Ralf Kilauea

Even though it's a collection of rarities,b sides of 45's,tracks from comps,
extra tracks from the LP's ( instead of extra track on the cd, weird huh??)
I love the "What Remains Inside a Black Hole" aussie import. Plays
really well, like it was an album. I believe Estruss re-mastered and released it and it sounded way cleaner, and had a few different tracks.
I think it was called Beyond the Black Hole. But I always go back to the
aussie import with the thicker sound.

I have about 20 or so 45's need to make a list of what I have and compare to the old website to see what I'm missing.
Saw them twice, and the clone project once.
Killer stage show, wish they would put out a dvd.

Jeff(bigtikidude)

Jeff(bigtikidude)

Last edited: Mar 15, 2007 13:34:32

I saw Man or Astro-Man? perform live many times between '93 and about '97, and I pretty much recall the the blue Mosrite being Star Crunch's main guitar through the whole period.

For some reason I was almost always standing closer to the righthand side of the stage, which is where Star Crunch usually stood, but he had this odd habit of turning to face the center of the stage so that what I usually saw was just the back of the guitar's neck. This was kinda frustrating since I could never see his finger positions as he played.

I did once, though, get a great spot on the left side of the room when they played at The Point in Atlanta, and for once was able to watch Star in full glorious action on the Mosrite. I'd love to say it was the highlight of all the times I saw them, but no, it was an odd and uncharacteristic night.

This was when they used to load up Little Debbie treats in a batting machine called "Snack-zooka" and fire them at the audience, but during sound check (more like "target practice") one of the treats had gone ker-splat on the soundboard, and the club's tech had freaked out and made them put the thing back in the van. They were already pissed off from having been broken down for half a day at the Mr. Waffle in Gaffney (across from the giant Peach water-tower familiar to all drivers on I-85 through the Carolinas), and this was the last straw.

Actually, the last straw was that The Subsonics were supposed to have shared the bill with them, but at the last minute the club-owner had substituted a band that the Asto-Men didn't like, a novelty thrash act called Super X-13. Consequently, all the Astros were in the most awful mood, shouting insults and throwing things at the audience. Somebody in the crowd (presumably members of Super X-13) started dumping stuff on the musicians -- chalk powder or baking flour or something -- making a huge mess onstage. The performance was chaotic and sloppy.

I think I still have some pictures I shot that night. I'll try to find 'em.

GREGORY NICOLL, Southern Surf Syndicate Agent # 44

Sadly, I have no idea at all what's become of Star Crunch.

I do have a vial of his DNA reserved for cloning purposes, though.

(BTW, I am dead serious about the latter. The Astros sold sets of their DNA at the merch table during their "Clones" tour. Weirdest souvenir I ever bought at a show.)

GREGORY NICOLL, Southern Surf Syndicate Agent # 44