Hallmark - Elliott Magic!

[rballister]

Kind of interesting comparing the sound of those PUs to Nokie's Mosrite on the same tune in "Beloved Invaders" Last tune in this section of the movie on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=nok ... NIFXFJWMCQ
Maybe its me, but the PUs sound more like Fenders than Mosrites. (I suppose the volume Nokie was playing at might have something to do with it but the tone still seems different)

[jtr654]

I think it might have more to do with the JBL speaker that Nokie played through and his settings.

[Veenture]

I think it might have more to do with the JBL speaker that Nokie played through and his settings.

exactly, Fender amps...but I can still hear that familiar overdriven Mosrite sound coming from those hot pickups...mind you, I must give you that when the PU selecter switch is on for the bridge pup, it can sound somewhat like a Strat

[LOSTVENTURE]

Innocent inquiry here. What with Mr. Elliot, Hallmark, and several Japanese builders all creating copies of the early Mosrite pick-ups, I have to wonder what the difference is between them. Personally, I can get all of the tones on the video with my stock Custom 60.
I don't mean to insult anybody here, but I do have almost 50 years of experience listening to the Ventures, and I know their (particularly Nokie's) tones intimately. Don't get me wrong, that guitar/pick-up combination on the video is awesome and Mr. Elliot obviously builds a great pick-up.
Don

[Veenture]

Just this Wednesday I played a handful of Ventures tunes at a little reunion we had of our (disbanded) band "Back In Time". Usually the main course is Shadows and Spotnicks' stuff (lots of echo) and all Fenders come into action.

Now, for the Ventures lead parts I gracefully put aside my Fender '57 re-issue Strat and let my Hallmark 60 Custom take over. Man, was I pleased with the sounds coming from those Shade stock pickups; so close to that "Mosrite-Ventures Mania" of the mid-sixties -I was really stoked. I also lugged my Fender Custom Vibrolux Reverb amp along since I'm quite particular about my set-up.

Our bass player did his best to familiarise himself with the Ventures bass lines and was really getting into it man and insisted on doing repeats; he especially liked "Journey To The Stars". That "Mosrite-Nokie" sound was really getting to the boys. Yesterday I received an e-mail from the drummer for more of the same, more often…

The secret is tweaking the volume knobs on both guitar and amp just right; no Fuzzrite effect necessary!

Long live Mosrite
Long live Hallmark
Long live The Ventures

[rog43win]

Veenture.......I don't want you to divulge any secrets here, but you mentioned setting the volume on the guitar and amp just right, to get the "Nokie--Venture" sound........may I ask just how do you set those volume controls ? I don't have a custom 60...yet....but am interested in what you do to get the sound.........thanks...........

Roger

[jtr654]

As before I think that the setting on your amp and the type of speaker in the amp and how much clean headroom it has more to do with his sound .Tubes and how the amp is voiced is also a factor. As far as the Guitar goes both volume and tone controls seem to be on 10.

[Veenture]

Veenture.......I don't want you to divulge any secrets here, but you mentioned setting the volume on the guitar and amp just right, to get the "Nokie--Venture" sound........may I ask just how do you set those volume controls ? I don't have a custom 60...yet....but am interested in what you do to get the sound.........thanks...........

Roger

No secrets here
MY H60C was plugged into a Yamaha Magicstomp box (a friend has programmed a score of Shadows Echo "User patches" into it for me) which in turn was plugged into the first input of the "NORMAL" channel of my (tube) amp. Amp Volume somewhere between 3 and 4 (the amp does not start to break up at that setting) and the amp's bass control knob set between 1 and 2 and the Treble at 5 or 6. (Amp stock speakers are two 10" Jensen P-10R's).
I cannot remember the setting on my guitar's volume but it wasn't open all the way. Toggle switch for the bridge pickup. You have to find the sound that you want a little bit by the 'trial and error' method I guess. With the Hallmark pups going full blast, you'll get over the top distortion…
You can't try this out in your bedroom...well OK, you can ...but only if all of your neighbours are stone-deaf already

If you're thinking about the Yamaha Magicstomp box, they're out of production but I bought mine off ebay last year and you can still find them there regularly. Hope this helps.

[LOSTVENTURE]

OK, before this thread gets back on track I have to mention that the stock pick-ups on the Hallmark seem a lot more sensitive to picking dynamics than the Mosrites ever were. Could be the potting, I don't know. It just seems that how I attack the strings, type of picks I use, all changes the tone so much more than the rest of my guitars (mostly Fender othrer than the Baja). I am not meaning to generalize Mosrite pick-ups. I have heard that Semie was always experimenting with things like number of windings and such. This is just my personnal experience based on only five Mosrites that I have had access to over the last 50 years.
Now, back to your original thread.
Don

[LOSTVENTURE]

Alright, I have monitored this thread for over a month now and nobody has mentioned the problem with the video at the start. The guy appears to be picking part of the lead behind the bridge. There are actually only six notes back there and you need to have one heck of an amplifier to hear them. I got a treasured opportunity to meet Mr. Edwards back in 1966 and all that I could think to ask him was how he did that high-pitched lead. He showed me, on my Mustang, that you pick the strings about 1/2" inch in front of the bridge. Try it sometime. By the way this all took place in Nashville at a telethon where I also tried to crush Chet Atkin's fingers in a door. I didn't realize who was following me at the time. Fortunately Chet was a lot stronger, and taller than he looked on TV. Now, how that guy pulled off the video is for him to explain.
Sorry, I just had to unload here.
Don