...unlike his previous owner!

I thought this was pretty neat: I just received a friend request on the Space Cossacks' MySpace site from an Indiana blues guitarist Mike Milligan. Here is what he wrote: "Ivan, I bought your Vibrasonic in 2002. Since then it's been on 3 CDs (sold at all Best Buys), and on stage with Robert Cray, Tower of Power, Kenny Wayne Shepherd and BB King. Nothing's changed but the tubes. Still going strong! Hope you are well! Happy new year! Keep in touch! Mike"

This is the Vibrasonic Custom that I bought in '97 and that I used to record both Space Cossacks albums. I guess it turned out to be a pretty good amp!

(In case you're interested in checking out Mike Milligan's profile:
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewProfile&friendID=69911829
The music on that website is not endorsed by or affiliated to the Space Cossacks or anyone related to the Space Cossacks in any way, shape or form. )

Ivan
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that's great! not steal your thread, but I once sold a blinde 1x15 (not fender) cab to the ex-guitarist of Urban Dance Squad. (tres manos aka Rene v Barneveldt). few months later UDS did a comeback gig at one of netherlands biggest festivals with over 50k people and my cab appeared on stage - broadcasted on national TV. man was I pissed I didnt ask more money

Rules to live by #314:
"When in Italy, if the menu says something's grilled, don't assume it is."

https://www.facebook.com/The-Malbehavers-286429584796173/

WoodyJ
Interesting post, Ivan! I didn't know you used a Vibrasonic Custom on Interstelar Stomp and Tsar Wars, IMO two of the greatest surf albums of any "wave" ever recorded.

Thanks, Woddy! (What, the Madeira isn't in there? )

I actually used the VC plus a Vox AC30. I always record with a Fender and an AC30.

Especially interesting to me because I still have my VC, one of the great but unsung Fender Amps that work well for surf. As you know it was designed for country steel guitar players and the reverb works on both channels, unlike most Fender amps.

It's a great amp, no doubt. I think that Dan Ware of the Nebulas used to have one, sold it, and has been kicking himself every since. He thinks it's one of the best Fenders he's ever heard.

(Though I thought the reverb was really weak - at least it was on mine. And the trem wasn't much better.)

In the mid-90's the VC seemed like the closest thing available to a "Showman combo".

No question about it. I wonder how the Twin Reverb Custom 15 compares to it? They seem like very similar amps.

Now if I could only replicate your "Red Sunrise" tone....

Well, Woody, you first have to play a Strat!!

Cool story, Wannes! Definitely not hijacked. Anybody else have stories of their gear going on to bigger things?

Ivan
Lords of Atlantis on Facebook
The Madeira Official Website
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IvanP

Now if I could only replicate your "Red Sunrise" tone....

Well, Woody, you first have to play a Strat!!

Actually, Ivan, I have four Strats, and I'm using my favorite one on a couple of tracks on the upcoming Mariners CD...unlike our pal Eddie K, I like Strats! Also playing through an AC30 on 2 or 3 of the tracks and, believe it or not, there is a (gasp!) Esquire on a couple.

Thanks, Woody! (What, the Madeira isn't in there?

Oops, I forgot to mention that I am a huge Madeira fan as well. The only CD I am missing is Carpe Noctem. However, the Cossacks had a _much _cuter bass player!! So we can blame Catherine for my oversight...

Jack Booth
(aka WoodyJ)

The Mariners (1964-68, 1996-2005), 2025
The Hula Hounds (1996-2000)
The X-Rays (1997-2004)
The Surge! (2004, 2011-2012)
Various non-surf bands that actually made money (1978-1990)

Cool story Ivan! Mine is just the opposite: I used for years, a 4-12 slant Marshall cabinet that I got from Barry Bailey who played lead guitar with the Atlanta Rhythm Section. It was one that he had used both in the studio and on the road.

Of course in typical Eddie Katcher fashion, I stripped it (it looked awful anyway), repaired the woodwork and had my bud up at OAP audio shoot it with black SW Polane-T. I replaced the grill with black, reinstalled the four original Clestion Green Backs, and plopped it in an Anvil case. It was probably the best guitar cabinet I've ever had. Most of the time it was powered by a Twin Reverb Chassis in a Katcher built matching cabinet. I did also carry a Blackface Bassman amp as a spare.

Reliable info has it that Barry came up with all those great ARS hooks and leads on the fly.........

ed

Traditional........speak softly and play through a big blonde amp. Did I mention that I still like big blonde amps?

I have a reverse fame amp story. If this amp would have stayed with its original band it might have toured the world. I was in a punk band in Dayton, Ohio in the late 70s - early 80s called The Rulers. We gigged with Toxic Reasons and became friends. When Joel, their original guitarist, enlisted in the Army he asked me if I wanted to buy his amp. It was a Music Man 410 Sixty-Five. It had built-in distortion and it always sounded great for Punk so I bought it. Then the Toxics decided to do some recording before Joel left so he borrowed the amp. They recorded their fantastic Ghost Town EP with the amp. Bruce, who had played bass, switched to lead when Joel left and I would let him borrow the amp for gigs. Bruce eventually bought his own amp and Toxic Reasons went on to become one of the top Punk bands in the world. I still have the Music Man but I rarely fire it up - it doesn't Surf very well. When The Rulers called it quits I started doing some songwriting and home recording with Bob Pollard and John Dodson using the Music Man. Over the course of the next year we wrote some good stuff IMO and made a lot of No-Fi cassette recordings but it never went anywhere and Bob went on to form Guided By Voices. It was a great amp for that era and I had a lot of fun playing it.

...my Mandola was borrowed by a friend, went on prime time Saturday night national TV, won a national contest and then went back to my house where it sleeps very peacefully...(I've waited 15 years to tell this story)(sigh)

ps congratulations Ivan and others

Tim O
oestmann guitar

tunes

clips

eddiekatcher
I believe the Atlantics recorded and played live with Vox amps as well.

Sort of. From '62 until early-to-mid '64 they always used a brownface Fender Bandmaster for lead guitar and a piggyback Vox AC30 (not top boost) for rhythm guitar only, since the Vox didn't sound very good, according to them. Since both Jim Skiathitis and Theo Penglis played lead on different songs, they would just switch amps when switching leads. In '64 (probably early) they got a good-sounding AC30 Top Boost, at which point that became the lead guitar amp. All the later singles (post-"War-of-the-Worlds") were recorded with the new Vox, and you can definitely hear its rich midrange on songs like "Giant" and "Goldfinger". I forget which amp they used during this time for rhythm guitar - I think it was the Bandmaster. Anyway, the lead guitar parts on all the classic songs, "Bombora", "The Crusher", "War of the Worlds", were recorded through a Fender Bandmaster.

Ivan
Lords of Atlantis on Facebook
The Madeira Official Website
The Madeira on Facebook
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