Late 70s punk distortion tone? Fender amps?

RandallFlagg

I love the late 70s punk distortion tones, especially the Sex Pistols and also Steve Dior from the infamous Max's Kansas City club gigs that he played with Sid Vicious (Sid Sings)

In the pics below it looks like Steve Dior may be playing through a Fender Super Reverb? You can see a large Fender amp tilted back and mic'd up. Can't tell if it's blackface or silverface.

Steve Jones also used his Twin and a Super reverb on the '78 Winterland gig, really good drive tones, but not what I would expect from a Fender amp. Is this really how a Super sounds wound up loud?

Definitely a different overdrive characteristic than a Marshall.

What amps get this dry woody overdrive these days?

http://www.bombedoutpunk.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/bombed-out-punk-and-new-wave-peter-alan-lloyd-1970s-1980s-bands-liverpool-bands-1980s-maxs-kansas-city-new-york-sid-vicious-gigs-before-he-died-nancy-spungen-the-clash-sex-pistols-new-york-dolls-punk-9.jpg

https://songssmiths.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/mick-jones-sid-vicious-and-arthur-kane-at-max_s-kansas-city-photographed-by-stephanie-chernikowski-1978.jpg

impmann

I was told that Jonesy used an MXR Distortion+ into the front end of an early 70s (stolen) Silverface Twin (not the 135w Linear thing) turned up.

But basically, the ethic was combos (whatever could be begged, borrowed or stolen) turned up loud in the early days. Sadly the reuinion gigs featured Marshalls and the sound is nowhere near as abrasive, snarly or 'right'... it was almost "polished".

EricTheWeary

I was going to say a Distortion+, it's a very limited overdrive but what it does is sound like punk and it's what would have been what was around at the time (Jones also says he used an MXR flanger). Amp wise so much of that era would have been what was available and what was working. 

RandallFlagg

Steve Jone's Twin was a 70's master volume one with Gauss speakers fitted. He may have used a Distortion+ on some recordings, the 'Spunk' demos have some very distorted tones but live it looks very much like guitar straight to amp in a lot of pics.

That Super Reverb he used at Winterland may have been the master volume one that Fender were selling around 75-76? Perhaps the one Steve Dior is playing through is a master volume one as well.

thermionic

I've often wondered about this, what with Silverface Twins being known for clean headroom and the Pistols pre-dating the Boss OD-1 (and hence Tube Screamer) by a good few months. I do remember playing through a couple of borrowed Silverface Twins in the early 80s that had some sort of master volume.

koneguitarist

Pick up a HH VS musician amp or the IC100 cheaper than most pedals to buy yet gives you that great tone of the 70's.

artiebear

koneguitarist said:

Pick up a HH VS musician amp or the IC100 cheaper than most pedals to buy yet gives you that great tone of the 70's.

Certainly those HH amps were a regular sight on the punk / New Wave scene along with other relatively cheap and loud transistor amps. The rock crowd were more into Masrhall, Hi Watt, Orange , Laney etc  valve heads with at least one 4X12, Fenders ( mostly twins ) were the classic choice of the club band guys ( in the days when a working band could get 7 nights a week with a sunday afternoon spot thrown in. ( hard to imagine that now ). Usually a punk outfit with valve heads and cabs were either using some else gear, had a label advance or were using standard big hall hire company kit on tour. It brings back all sorts of memories ! 

Of course there were exceptions, but a lot of stuff now revered by players ( smaller Fenders , Vox AC30's etc ) weren't held in such high esteem until players worked out the difference between nice tone rather than bloody loud. 

gordiji

Guy from the dead kennedy's used a Fender head, showman i think. I was never a punk fan but liked his playing because he could.

xscaramanga

I always thought Steve Jones tone was a Marshall Plexi. Although according to Steve:

"It was all [recorded] on a Fender Twin as far as I remember. It was a special Twin that had Gauss speakers in there that made it very middy and not so trebly

impmann

jonnyscaramanga said:

I always thought Steve Jones tone was a Marshall Plexi. Although according to Steve:

"It was all [recorded] on a Fender Twin as far as I remember. It was a special Twin that had Gauss speakers in there that made it very middy and not so trebly

Nah... not Marshall til much later.

HH amps - well, its true that they were used by some bands but they tended to be the post punk stuff and they had their own sound, very different to the sound the OP speaks of above.

Reverend

impmann said:

jonnyscaramanga said:

I always thought Steve Jones tone was a Marshall Plexi. Although according to Steve:

"It was all [recorded] on a Fender Twin as far as I remember. It was a special Twin that had Gauss speakers in there that made it very middy and not so trebly

Nah... not Marshall til much later.

HH amps - well, its true that they were used by some bands but they tended to be the post punk stuff and they had their own sound, very different to the sound the OP speaks of above.

HH were also used by glam, blues and heavy metal bands. 

EricTheWeary

gordiji said:

Guy from the dead kennedy's used a Fender head, showman i think. I was never a punk fan but liked his playing because he could.

East Bay Ray. Awesome player. 

Stuckfast

Does anyone know what amps Robert Quine used with the Voidoids? Always loved his playing.

artiebear

impmann said:

I was told that Jonesy used an MXR Distortion+ into the front end of an early 70s (stolen) Silverface Twin (not the 135w Linear thing) turned up.

But basically, the ethic was combos (whatever could be begged, borrowed or stolen) turned up loud in the early days. Sadly the reuinion gigs featured Marshalls and the sound is nowhere near as abrasive, snarly or 'right'... it was almost "polished".

That reminds me that I've still got one of those mustard coloured distortion + pedals somewhere. It's been way over 30 years since I can remember using it, but from what I recall it would fit in with SJ's sound. I must go look for it .

ICBM

jonnyscaramanga said:

I always thought Steve Jones tone was a Marshall Plexi. Although according to Steve:

"It was all [recorded] on a Fender Twin as far as I remember. It was a special Twin that had Gauss speakers in there that made it very middy and not so trebly

The ones with Gauss speakers sound amazing - not just less trebly, but louder than the standard ones by quite a margin too. The disadvantage is that each speaker weighs as much as a neutron star, and the amp still only has just the normal top handle.

If the story that he nicked it is true, he's not someone I would want to argue with - anyone that can lift one and carry it away is pretty strong to say the least.

Stuckfast said:

Does anyone know what amps Robert Quine used with the Voidoids? Always loved his playing.

Not sure, but later he used a Peavey Bandit with an EV speaker fitted. The Bandit didn't come out until 1980, but it isn't impossible he used an earlier Peavey before that.

pintspiller

I think I heard one of Jones's speakers were bust in his Fender amp

artiebear

pintspiller said:

I think I heard one of Jones's speakers were bust in his Fender amp

Similar stories about Clapton's JTM45 and the Kinks ...out of adversity etc......?

EricTheWeary

artiebear said:

pintspiller said:

I think I heard one of Jones's speakers were bust in his Fender amp

Similar stories about Clapton's JTM45 and the Kinks ...out of adversity etc......?

Oddly enough I heard it about Rumble by Link Wray the other day as well. Don't know if they're all true or not or just a guitar urban myth. 

cruxiform

EricTheWeary said:

gordiji said:

Guy from the dead kennedy's used a Fender head, showman i think. I was never a punk fan but liked his playing because he could.

East Bay Ray. Awesome player. 

Absolutely. Used an Echoplex too.

pintspiller

EricTheWeary said:

artiebear said:

pintspiller said:

I think I heard one of Jones's speakers were bust in his Fender amp

Similar stories about Clapton's JTM45 and the Kinks ...out of adversity etc......?

Oddly enough I heard it about Rumble by Link Wray the other day as well. Don't know if they're all true or not or just a guitar urban myth. 

I never believe half of what I hear anyway. Most stuff musicians say is bollocks. Well, in my case anyway.

TTBZ

Nevermore The Bollocks is some of the best guitar tone recorded imo. I was surprised when I heard it was Fender as I'd never associated them with that sound at all.