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Yes, Mosrites are not super clean sounding guitars, and the Ventures
played through some weird Japanese amps on these recordings (Live in
Japan/Beloved Invaders). I have a stack of picture sleeve 45's from
Japan, and many of the cover photos were shot on that tour. One of
the amps looks like a Showman, but it isn't. Sometimes they tilted
the amps back, and you can see that the Showman-alike didn't have
tilt back legs. They used cinder blocks to prop it up! Anyhow, I'm
sure these amps contributed to the dirty tone.
If you haven't seen "Beloved Invaders", you better get with it. It's
absolutely essentual! Get it now, get it here ON DVD!!!
(bottom of the page):
~Mike
--- In , "Bob Cannistraro"
<cannistraro@e...> wrote:
> I think this is what happens when you take a Mosrite and plug it
into
> a Showman and turn it up. The Ventures had been using Jazzmasters
> and the Mosrites have much hotter pickups, which by the way, can't
be
> lowered like Jazzmaster pickups, the Mosrites having just
individual
> pole pieces. I certainly don't think they used any effects,
except a
> fuzz tone stomp box occasionally. All photos I have seen show
them
> plugging straight in.
>
> I had a Mosrite Ventures model in the 60's and the pickups were
> very "overwound" without much "sparkle" and lots of output.
>
> I am obviously a huge fan of The Ventures since I named my band
after
> them (The Beloved Invaders) - but if you want to get some
inspiration
> for a DRIVING band, just listen to Mel ROCKING AWAY back there
and
> you can't miss Don Wilson's rhythm guitar - which is an integral
part
> of The Ventures sound, and it's on every cut if you pick it out.
>
> If you listen to records made in the 60's many of them sound kind
of
> wimpy (check out "Fresh Cream, for example)compared to today's
angry
> stuff - The Ventures were rarely, if ever, angry like Link Wray.
But
> they rock, in a VERY WHITE kind of way. Which really is the
essence
> of surf music, isn't it?
>
> As far as a video, the only one I know of is "The Beloved
Invaders"
> which has a huge amount of lame Japanese dialog and "plot" with
some
> real "speed metal" Ventures tunes interspersed. If you do a
google
> on "The Beloved Invaders" you might find it, as well as finding my
> band.
>
> If you want to listen to practically every Ventures album ever
made,
> including an interesting live recording from 1962, check out
>
> www.freddie.spb.ru
>
> you will also find virtually every Chet Atkins record ever made
and
> can find the version of "Walk, Don't Run" that inspired the
Ventures.
>
> ....plus The Shadows, but that's a whole 'nother subject...
>
> I recently saw Nokie play live with The Ventures (Mel passed away
a
> few years ago but his son does a great job) and he is a great
player
> and still a big inpsiration to a lot of players today, in a "Chet
> Atkins" kind of way. And Don Wilson is 70 and still plays the
same
> rhythm guitar style he did 40 years ago.
>
> Phil Dirt will say the Ventures aren't Surf and I won't argue.
But
> they certainly inspired much of the first wave.
