"Highway Star"

[stephen sawall]

cremona
thanks for checking it out.

i'll tell you, the live version, off of made in Japan, has got to be one of the most brutal live performances i've ever heard.
there's a wealth of vibe and riffage to mine from those old DP albums, but especially from MIJ

it's like a sonic mugging.

blackmore, was playing thru at least 2 full stacks of 200 watt marshalls.....
just pure volume.

it's brutal.

in an old school way....

"What did you do to change your Marshalls?"

"I had an extra output stage built on. I have no bass at all on the amp. There’re an extra two valves [tubes] built into the output stage so there’s more output. It’s boosted to about 250 or 300 watts. I use the old 200- watt amps, which you can’t get anymore because they don’t make them.

Do you use 200-watt heads?

Yeah, which are boosted. They’re the loudest amplifier in the world on their own. I’m not saying I play the loudest – it depends on how many you use. But one on its own is the loudest. I don’t like to use a lot of cabinets, I think just two cabinets is enough; otherwise the sound is all around you. l like to keep away from the sound, and that’s why onstage I play to the left of it and point it the other way. Then I can get a perspective of what’s going on; otherwise all you can hear is yourself. And you tend to get feedback and overtones you don’t want.

Do you blow them very often onstage?

Yeah, all the time lately. I don’t know why. It’s the output transformer that blows up. It’s like a finely tuned car, you can’t expect it not to break down. I really push it.

I’ve always played every amp I’ve ever had full up, because rock and roll is supposed to be played loud. Also keeping the amp up is how you get your sustain. I turn down on the guitar for dynamics. I’ve also got my amps boosted. I know Jim Marshall personally, and he boosted them for me. It’s pushing out about 500 watts. I guess that’s maybe 1,000 watts in American ratings, but it’s all distortion. The people at Marshall said it’s the loudest amp they’d ever heard. I had an extra stage built onto it, and a couple more valves. That’s why every two weeks things just tend to disintegrate. The speakers really get pushed out. I usually go trough two, sometimes more, every two weeks. I only use one of my stacks. The other’s just a spare in case I blow the other up.

Learning to play with a big amplifier is a different thing altogether. It’s trying to control an elephant."

http://www.woodytone.com/2009/04/20/ritchie-blackmores-tone-and-more-part-1/

Well .... this shows how little he understood amps at this time. What complete nonsense.
"Made in Japan" is one of the all time great albums.

 

[gonzo]

yea, i think blackmore had 'ideas' but no theory.

LOL


but it's great fun reading where his head was coming from.....


and his tone, on MIJ, is one of the all time best rock and roll tones

it's amazing what sheer volume and kt-88's and a strat can do.
in the right hands.

 

[cremona]

Hi gonzo thanks for the write up :wink:

I ones played a jcm 900 at full crank, that scared the hell out of me, mr blackmore must have some balls .

I would have loved to back and had been at one of those deep purple concerts

All the best

 

[Old BF Shred]

Oh! I've been there! Obviously not knowing it was formerly "The Bacch" Am I mistaken or has the bacchanal been in a few locations? I remember playing there once and vaguely recall being told it was the new location, but in those days I was usually in a particular state of mind that is not inducive to remembering much...so I couldn't tell. Just remembering it being larger than some other place that I had played...if that makes any sense. I do remember it having a pretty rockin' PA for the time.

The only place I know of that the "Bacchanal" was located was in Kearny Mesa on Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
When they moved downtown, it became 4th and B.

 

[gonzo]

cremona:

jcm 900 at full crank

yep, that'd do it!
LOL

 

[Big Harry]

This is brilliant cover , I like playing and singing ,congratulations well done .
It's not so easy to do Highway Star on the right way as that might looks like .

As for the comment regarding young crew , I am sorry if is that so .
My Son is 15 , playig guitar for one and half year already .
Of course , Metalica , John Petrucci and lots of others modern metal shreder guitarist are his favourites .
But , it is much easier for him to learn how to play modern guitarist than Ritchie .

Now he got his first High School band , and one of their favourute cover is (surprise for Dady ) Highway Star .
Funny enough ,those kids are tryingh to cover live version from Japan , but on the much ,much more "modern" way .

There is a hope for young crew !

 

[gonzo]

alright big harry!

i thought this thread was long dead!!
LOL

it was never my intention to improvise or 'play out' on this one, i just wanted to see how tight i could play it like the original, with the exception of the changes i made on the solo.

it's really easy, i mean REALLY easy, to play this song in any other style....
the chords are just dirt simple, the rhythm is dirt simple...

the hard part, to me, is trying to cop ritchie's laid back style, all while driving it at the same time.
it's as if he's being really restrained, and the way he does it, it makes the energy build.

most young players i hear, do not understand this concept.

i think it comes with time and experience.

thanks for listening!

 

[Big Harry]

alright big harry!

the hard part, to me, is trying to cop ritchie's laid back style, all while driving it at the same time.
it's as if he's being really restrained, and the way he does it, it makes the energy build.

most young players i hear, do not understand this concept.

!

Hey !
That is exactly what is this all about , if you know what I mean , and I know that you know !
Luckily , this is what my Son intend to find out right now (untill is still very young) : why is so much easier to learn to play (almost ) any of today's shredder guitarist than Ritchie or Hendrix or you name it ...???
Lay back , this is the right term ,thanks for that !

Keep Rockin'