Tom Scholz and his stripped '68 Les Paul

Triburst · Jan 7, 2014

With other doo-dads....

Doc Sausage · Jan 7, 2014

A modern day Lester. Intersting clambake about his legal and personal spats with the other members. Even not-so-vague refernces to him being indirectly involved in Brad Delp's demise. Three sides to every story though - his, theirs and the truth.

nevizzzy · Jan 7, 2014

Looks like something out of Star Wars:frank:

Bob Womack · Jan 7, 2014

Fun article!!! Has he modded #1 again? For years it was a DiMarzio at the bridge and a P-90 at the neck and that's what the Sig model reproduces. #2 was destroyed by a luthier who left it out overnight in low temperatures in the '70s. #3 had the dual DiMarzios. Hmmm... Might he have a #4 to match #3? It looks like #1 is on a stand behind him in pic #2 and the spacing suggests it still has the P-90.

Also, anyone notice the console? That's an Auditronics 501 from the mid '70s - the same console he bought with the money for the first album. They had clean preamps but their EQs were carefully tuned to fixed frequencies that were different from everyone elses' and were perfect for - practically nothing.

They had a "boxy" control, a "cardboardy" control, a "nasal" control, a "harsh" control, and a "crashy" control. The EQ and summing stages also featured extremely low headroom so even small amounts of boost would push them into distortion. In the interviews for the second album Tom complained of having to buy stacks and stacks of outboard EQ to get the sounds he needed. At a studio where I worked we had a 501 in our "D" room (Neves in A,B,&C) and I learned exactly why he needed those outboard EQs. You can see UREI and Rockman EQs over the partchbay and to the right of the console. Still and all, I loved the color scheme on the front panel of the 501! They liked RED. I bet he's modded the heck out of his to modernize. The were easy to hack.

I spent a bunch of hours working with the 501 just to see what Tom's experience would have been like. If I remember right, another interesting twist with the original console was that what looked like a linear fader was actually a fader knob riding in a dual-helical vane that converted the linear motion to rotary motion and turned a rotary pot! Woot!

It looks like he still works on the 3M/Stephens 24 track from the second album as well. Amazing! What a Fun trip down memory lane!

Tom was one of the reasons I went into recording engineering.

Bob

JJ Blair · Jan 9, 2014

Bob, I thought he did the first album on a 3M M56 16 trk?

Kris Ford · Jan 9, 2014

Poor Tom..he's one of those who think's the '68s are made from leftover '50's parts...

lpnv59 · Jan 9, 2014

I think their 1st album was done on a Scully. We had the same manager back then. I vividly recall him telling us he had Sholtz personal recording deck was a Scully.

sgtJoe · Jan 9, 2014

Kris Ford said:
Poor Tom..he's one of those who think's the '68s are made from leftover '50's parts...

I've owned 10 different 68 LP's, and several from 69-71. I'd theorize that the earliest models that were reintroduced in '68 (I would not use the term re-issue for 68 LP's) were constructed using 50's (or left over) methodology/techniques/forms and jigs, etc., hence the one piece bodies and necks, narrow 50's style headstocks and two piece tops, albeit wide binging in the cutaway. They most likely built them in '68 like they built them in the late 50's, but before they redesigned (and ruined) them in '70. But not necessarily with wood that was actually cut and shaped in the late 50's or in 60 or 61. Just my 2 cents.

Bob Womack · Jan 9, 2014

The first album multitrack masters were built on a Scully, I think a 12 track and then transferred to a 24 track for overdubs. The entire suite of drum tracks had to be re-drummed (some whisper they were done by Steve Gadd) and they needed open tracks for that and piano overdubs done at another studio. Producer John Boylan talks about bringing in a truck at Tom's home and doing the transfers. I've read Tom talking about doing the transfers in LA before mixing. I don't know which is true.

I seem to remember that he took part of either the recording advance or the first proceeds and bought his own 24 track. I've seen pics of his 16 track and 24 track side-by-side. I misspoke about the brand - I saw the 3M transport in those pictures and thought Stevens, even though the meters didn't look right. Thanks for the brain jog.

Bob

Kris Ford · Jan 10, 2014

sgtJoe said:
I've owned 10 different 68 LP's, and several from 69-71. I'd theorize that the earliest models that were reintroduced in '68 (I would not use the term re-issue for 68 LP's) were constructed using 50's (or left over) methodology/techniques/forms and jigs, etc., hence the one piece bodies and necks, narrow 50's style headstocks and two piece tops, albeit wide binging in the cutaway. They most likely built them in '68 like they built them in the late 50's, but before they redesigned (and ruined) them in '70. But not necessarily with wood that was actually cut and shaped in the late 50's or in 60 or 61. Just my 2 cents.

I can dig that..I work in manufacturing, I know have parts from 8 years ago..especially stuff that's been discontinued...but I'm not inferring that would've been the case for Gibson..but with you 100% on the jigs/methodry part.

The Real MC · Jan 10, 2014

Kris Ford said:
Poor Tom..he's one of those who think's the '68s are made from leftover '50's parts...

Tom's a revisionist. I have a 1985 Musician magazine that documented his very acrimonious fight with CBS records and his former bandmates and Tom he did everything to discredit his their contributions to the first two albums (save for Brad RIP). Even played down Barry Goudreau - Tom claimed that he played the guitar leads not Barry, except for Long Time. I'm not convinced because the lead guitars on every album since Third Stage lacked the fire and vitality of the first two with Barry. Tom may be a perfectionist but he is also a control freak and seems a little overzealous to revise history so that all the glory goes to Sholtz. Seen this type too many times.

sgtJoe · Jan 10, 2014

The Real MC said:
Tom's a revisionist. I have a 1985 Musician magazine that documented his very acrimonious fight with CBS records and his former bandmates and Tom he did everything to discredit his their contributions to the first two albums (save for Brad RIP). Even played down Barry Goudreau - Tom claimed that he played the guitar leads not Barry, except for Long Time. I'm not convinced because the lead guitars on every album since Third Stage lacked the fire and vitality of the first two with Barry. Tom may be a perfectionist but he is also a control freak and seems a little overzealous to revise history so that all the glory goes to Sholtz. Seen this type too many times.

I would agree. In an early interview he said he was primarily a keyboard/organ player and picked up guitar only because there were no guitar players that played the way he liked or whose playing and abilities appealed to him.

Texas Blues · Jan 10, 2014

All I know is I wore out 2 Rockman's back in the early 80's.

The input and headphone jacks finally gave up the ghost after I played the livin' shit out of them.

What a sound!

Tom might be a control freak.

But then aren't all musicians control freaks?

sgtJoe · Jan 10, 2014

Texas Blues said:
All I know is I wore out 2 Rockman's back in the early 80's.

The input and headphone jacks finally gave up the ghost after I played the livin' shit out of them.

What a sound!

Tom might be a control freak.

But then aren't all musicians control freaks?

Yep, I'm on my third Rockman, wish there was somewhere to get them repaired, got two that gave up the ghost. We're all obsessive controlling types, aren't we.

Humbuck · Jan 10, 2014

I was a Rockman guy too...fantastic sound considering the time. It kept me playing constantly because of the cool tone. I still got one that works too!

Cogswell · Jan 10, 2014

I've had so many Rockmans that I can't remember a number.

Raw Materials · Jan 12, 2014

The ROCKMAN Rules!!!:yah

Pat Boyack · Jan 12, 2014

I hated (still do) the Rockman sound. I had a friend who loaned me one even back in the mid 80's. While I can see it as a milestone the chorus and distortion just didn't do it for me.

riefil · Jan 13, 2014

sgtJoe said:
Yep, I'm on my third Rockman, wish there was somewhere to get them repaired, got two that gave up the ghost. We're all obsessive controlling types, aren't we.

I looked into having mine repaired (I think its just a loose solder joint somewhere around the input jack) a few years ago. I think it was through Dunlop. If I remember correctly, they bought the rights to Rockman products. I think it was fairly pricey to fix. They sent me an RO# and everything, but I felt it just wasn't worth it. Worth it to look into though.

Here's a link to the shop dunlop site http://shop.jimdunlop.com/ecommerce/CatalogSubCategoryDisplay.aspx?CID=100
No spam intended, not affiliated...yada yada yada

Phil

Black58 · Jan 17, 2014

Rockman? :hmm

Tom Scholz and his stripped '68 Les Paul

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