Gary Quackenbush's gear?

[Enaitz]

Good morning.

I'm an spanish amateur guitar player in love with Gary Quackenbush's sound. I've been trying to find a fuzz pedal which sounds as close as possible to his SRC recordings (I specially like the glorious riff on Interval) but most modern fuzz pedals doesn't sound even close to him.

After trying a lot, I think that he may used a Gibson Maestro fuzz, a Fuzzrite or maybe one of the very first MK1 Tonebenders (both discontinued years ago) but the closest I've been able to get is with Bigfoot FX Spaghetti Western Fuzz (a modern homemade pedal), which does the trick very well for me.

Even when I'm not thinking on replacing the Spaghetti Western Fuzz, I would really love to know about the gear used on that early years, guitars, pedals, amplifiers etc. and how it has evolved with the years, just for historical purposes (I know his sound is on his hands, not on his gear).

I'm unsure about if Mr Quackenbush could be available for direct asking, but we could even know something about it by looking to an old photography of his pedalboard or, if someone from the US is lucky enough to see him live, by taking a direct photography of his actual pedalboard.

Does anybody know?

[KFox01]

Dear Enaitz,

I play with Gary Quackenbush and am one of two bass players he uses in his Detroit All Star Band. There is only one pedal that Gary uses, and it is a pedal that boosts the signal from his guitar to the amplifier. That's it, no fuzz, no distortion, what you hear is all Gary Quackenbush. Now I am not an equipment expert of any sort but on the original recordings he used nothing but a Vox Super Beetle head directly into the recording board. The Vox head had some sort of modification done by removing a feed back limiter the amp had. That's it, no fuzz, or distortion pedals of any kind. Over the years Gary has used many different amps and I've seen him sit in on many other people's equipment and he always sounds the same. He is currently using a Dean Markley 60 watt amp with a 12 inch speaker and an additional 12" in a second cabinet and he gets the exact same sound he got on the original recordings.

Gary does visit this site or you can write to him at:

1617 1/2 Ives Road
Tecumseh, MI 49286

Hope that helps.

Kim Fox

[Enaitz]

Many thanks for your answer.

I find it incredible for a guitar player to achieve that superb tone without pedals of any kind, that screaming riffs were absolutely amazing, what a great amplifier that Vox Super Beetle must have been, but I'm sure that even with that modification that made it sound as the best fuzz I've ever heard, noone could make it sound as Gary did.

If you have the chance, please thank Gary for that wonderful riff in Interval, he may like to know that it's been played almost daily in Spain at a volume that one of these days is gonna blow up the entire building! You are a lucky man been able to play with such a legend!

[KFox01]

Dear Enaitz,

Yes, I am a lucky man and extremely blessed to be able to play with a legend like Gary Quackenbush and to be able to call him a friend. I also had the rare privledge of playing with the late/great Al Wilmot for many years as well.

Gary will be pleased you are enjoying his talent and we'll keep the amazing screaming riffs coming hard and heavy here in Detroit!!!

Kim Fox

[GQ S R C]

Well,Thanx again for your Interest-1st S R C LP-1955 Les Paul Custom,Humbucking pickups installed by Gibson in Kalamazoo MI.1962-US Super Beatle Amp-Solid State-I used the built-in MRB setting #2 [MRB = Mid Range Boost] . On "Exile" & Beck's Bolero,I used the amp's built -in Fuzz- All recorded direct from the amp into the recording console. Currently I use a Seymour Duncan Pickup Booster Pedal into a Dean Markley Solid State amp w. a 12"Celestion Rocket 50 spkr. & Another spkr,in an extension cabinet,same size & model-these spkrs are superb,& very inexpensive,as they are Chinese Imports ! I play an Epiphone Les Paul Standard,made in Korea,purchased for $300.,late '90's.My Sound is Better than ever-All Newer Gear's Made to Rock ! No Mods needed ! ROK ON ! GQ/SRC See Pic from Last Show

[JeffinMO]

I have always admired the QC tone. Thanks for the information. Simple set-up yielding high-class results.

[Tonto1967]

Gary had a super Beatle amp. That alone is very cool. But he some how had it modified to change the sound. When he hit the mid range boost pedal it was like it was struck by lighting. I think that is how he got some of his great effects. Till this very day I have never heard such clarity he got from that super Beatle. A GQ sound like no other !