Yeah - the vintage rat is great... we play with noise a lot in my band (the Hydes), and on some songs I end up getting on the floor and playing with the knobs live, in conjunction with my Whammy - with my reverb cranked all the way up, i get some fantastic whale song feedback...

We're a 3 piece with 2 guitarists and a drummer (no bass), so I have to keep as much low end as possible in my tone. I keep the filter knob turned down all the way, and keep my guitar in the neck position with the tone knob set from 3-8. I play with a 80's Fender HM that I through some EMG 81's in (metal!).. which are really loud pickups... when I turn the distortion knob up all the way on the Rat I instantly get some great feedback to play with.

It's a fantastic pedal - very versatile. It's got a great Blues tone as well with the distortion and the filter set about 1/2 way up.

On the classic/vintage Rat pedal you have 3 knobs "Distortion" "Filter" and "Volume" If you turn the Distortion up and roll the Filter down (plus also play with the tone knobs on your guitar too) you can get some amazing tones out of a Rat pedal. You can control the amout of feedback/saturation by a couple of factors. Knowing what kind of pick-ups you have in your guitar (single coil or humbuckers) and the pick-up selection position. In the forward (neck) position you will get a richer bassier tone, and in the back (bridge) position you will get brighter tone. If you roll your tone knob back to compensate for the freqeuncies that might cause squeal on your guitar, you can control the sound of the pedal. Every guitar/pedal combination has it's own characteristics, so you need to play around with what works for you and "dial things in" to your own tastes.

BTW I have an 80s original version (which has been beaten up a bit, but still sounds good) and an 90's Vintage version of the Rat and I like the sound of both of them. Each has their own specific sound and combinations with certain guitars I use.

I hope this helps.

Oh yeah - and a proCo Vintage Rat that I got in the 90's... It's like a feedback machine.

Black Cat OD-FUZZ... It's the Black Cat silicon fuzzface and the Over Drive 1 in the same pedal.. switches and gain knobs for both... it makes a lot of noise...

Just wondering who else out there uses Twitter... I kinda like it. It's sorta like a mini-blog that can also work like a kind of chat interface. You only "follow" (or receive updates from) people you know or like or otherwise want to follow, so it's not like you have to follow everyone's updates (because many of them are really geeky and boring). Plus, the updates are short (140 characters or less). And if you get a few friends to sign up and use it, it can be kinda fun. It's taken a while, but it's really growing on me, despite the fact that most people I know aren't using it (yet).

It's also very useful when you're out and about because you can quickly check it from your phone to see what everyone's up to. For example, I know someone who was doing this last year at SXSW and they were able to find out where all the cool after-parties were instantaneously (while they were out trolling around town), just by getting the Twitter updates sent as text messages directly to their mobile phone or instant messenger (although I haven't done this yet myself).

I have two accounts, one for myself, and one for GaragePunk.com.

http://twitter.com/kopper

http://twitter.com/garagepunk

My record label:

http://twitter.com/TIRCrecords

Noise Annoys:

http://twitter.com/Noise_Annoys

Every garage band in the 60's did Haunted House and we all knew it because it was the B=side of Louie Louie by the Kingsmen. Can anybody think of similar obscurities that were played for that reasons? Or are there any B-sides that you love and want to spread the word on?

Try Speed City Records in London Ontario Canada. Mike Todd will do his best to help you out . He has a website up.

does anyone remember the Skull Duggery Label in the early to mid-nineties? they released some of their own records, but mostly stuff from other labels. i wish i had bought all the mummies 45s and donnas 45s at the time. impossible to get now.

Shit, I forgot all about them. They always had a healthy dose of punk rock on hand.

I totally agree...I love that song..and the band...been listening to them since I was a wee lad...I heard Stiv Bators say in an interview...live at CBGB's DVD....that he loves PR and the Raiders...thought that was very cool..and kinda a un-punk thing to say back then.

Hey Thanx a lot! Great video!

Agreed, getting things down first and sorting it all out later is definately best. Sometime you can get some good bits and pieces that connect up with other bits and pieces. Try not to over connect parts though.

Good stuff will last, and crap will be well... Crap! (you just have to know good Crap from the forgetable stuff)

Good Luck!

Yep, thats rythym & booze, he, he, : )

The best advice I can give to any creative regarding process is simply don't edit yourself while creating... Edit later. I set up my mic and guitar and hit record and just start playing / singing whatever... mumble lyrics, sing things that don't make any sense... after a couple hours of this, I go back and listen to what I recored... and pick out the good stuff... one nonsense line maybe the inspiration for a good song.

Brian

"Bellllllchhhhhh! & Buuuurrrrp!" is what you would be doing after a crate of that (very good) beer! (Hee-Hee)

At least in 24 Hour Party people the guitars were supplied by Hooky from Joy Division/New Order, so you knew they were accurate. I agree that the second half of the film was not as good at the first half, but it wasn't unwatchable. It was just a pandering, self-serving ego fest to Tony Wilson (and if you listen to his audio comentary even he admits to that). Oh well, its better than Ollie Stone's Door's movie.

I liked control alot actually. In fact, the only part I did not like was when Ian is playing "Love Will Tear Us Apart" on an Eastwood Phantom copy instead of a genuine Vox Phantom like in the video. Especially since Eastwood did not start making guitars until 2001, twenty years after this movie takes place.

24 hour party people was great for the first half. The second half was awful. Entirely unwatchable. I turned it off. I've never seen a movie go downhill like that.

Thats a killer video, cool song too. heres another one I really like that blends old horror footage in. This was directed by Caleb Emerson director of Die You Zombie Bastards, a sweet troma movie if you haven't seen it. Rock around the Tombstone by the Demon Seeds.

That means so much coming for you.

good luck, asshole.

...or at least write about them. I got a lay off notice from my job. Kinda of expected it cuz business has been waaay down for a few months now. The writing was on the wall when they went and cleaned house at another office a couple weeks back. It was just a matter of time. Now, I'll be getting unemployment benefits and the better half has a good job so we won't be having complete financial hardships but the belt is gonna have to be tightened. Taking the kids to movie, out to eat etc will be seeing a serious reduction and my vices, records and beer, will be the most seriously effected til a new job comes along. In this area that seems to be a rare bird. Wish me luck (or if ya have any leads in SE Michigan ya can pass them along too) The Smashin' Transistors blog is getting some good traffic these days and I would like to continue that. Generous hearts will be appreciated. Can't guarantee glowing reviews for everything (I'm getting grumpier and pickier in my days) but it seems to be good exposure none the less. This layoff does not effect the Goodnight Loving record coming out (Yeah, I know, I know...there have been some serious delays surrounding it'll be out very soon) cuz it was already budgeted in before the news came down. Oh, Beer trades will be welcomed. If not beer for beer-how about records for beer. A handful of Bancroft titles are still available...Let's strike a deal maybe. Contact info is at the blog or you can reach me here. Yeah, It's Saturday night and I'm bored. Disregard this schmooze and carry on if nothing else.

So - I've heard a lot about the PodSafe Music Network from podcasters I listen too and I was wondering if anyone out there has found it to be a useful tool for getting yr music in played?

B

Better late than never I say.

Always been a Clash fan but it took me like three years to understand what the lads were saying. Can't wait to see this.

Yes it is a great site, very good job, love the writing, had some good comments ourselves about your review keep it up!