The Velvet Forum

Hey folks,

I've been listening to the Velvet Underground for years and have always been fascinated by the sounds you hear on their records. I think Cam Forrester is doing great work with his re-recording and clarifying of the earlier stuff on his channel but I've been inspired recently by Aaron Rash and his attempts at recreating Nirvana guitar tones. The big questions I'm trying to solve are some details about Lou's Country Gent at the height of its modifications (and potentially creating a chronology which could serve as reference for what form the guitar would've been in for certain sessions and whatnot), the ways the band achieved certain sounds on the 1969 self-titled record (That's the Story of My Life and I'm Set Free in particular), and the instruments that Lou, Doug and Sterling would've been using on Loaded.

If anyone has any interesting contributions I'd love to get the ball rolling with some conversation about anything regarding recording techniques or instrument tone, I don't intend to do anything that matches the effort and level of commitment shown by Cam Forrester and Aaron Rash since I'm a broke college student who records bands in my free time, but regardless even if this thread could serve as a reference point for others with the same fascination I'd be happy.

Thanks,
Deacon

Hi Deacon

there's at least one thread on this subject already, if you search for something like Sunn you'll find it/them/

I don't think there's any specific info on the modified Gretsch - what we do know is mostly based on the liner notes to the bootleg LP live '68 by Jamie Klmek.

Otherwise there was an old Japanese website that lists most of the stuff seen in photos

http://ww21.tiki.ne.jp/~wildside/gear.htm - it's gone now but you can see it on the wayback machine - for convenience the text is here but go back to https://web.archive.org/web/20070518084 ... tm#velvets for the links at the bottom

The Velvet Underground era
Lou Reed:

Kent No.532 Copa model
Japanese brand "Guyatone" export model
co-using with Sterling
used on the rehearsal scene appeared in Andy Warhol's movie Up-Tight, on EPI shows

Gretsch 1964 Country Gentleman
double cutaway body
later customized with Fender Stratocaster pickups (taken off from Sterling's Stratocaster) + preamp + speed controller + tremolo controller, stereo electronics

Gretsch 6136 White Falcon
double cutaway body
live at La Cave, late April, 1968

Gibson ES-335TD
since 3rd album

Gibson ES-345TD
stereo electronics
since 3rd album

Gibson ES-335-12
12-string
since 3rd album

Fender Electric XII
12-string solid body
since 3rd album

Epiphone Riviera
2x mini-humbucking pickup
with Bigsby vibrato
Max's Kansas City era

? acoustic guitar
flat-top, non-cutaway, natural finish


Fender Deluxe Amp
used on the rehearsal scene appeared in Andy Warhol's movie Up-Tight

Silvertone 2143 Amp

Vox AC100 The Super Beatle Amp
customized with mid-range booster
used on the 1st and 2nd albums

Acoustic amp
since 1969

Sunn amp
since 1970

Vox Tone Bender Fuzz


Sterling Morrison:

Gibson 1961 SG/Les Paul Standard
SG-style double cutaway body
with Sideway vibrato

Kent No.532 Copa model
Japanese brand "Guyatone" export model
co-using with Lou

Vox The Phantom VI

Gretsch 1963 Tennessean

Fender Stratocaster
maple neck

Gibson ES-335TD

Fender Electric XII
12-string solid body
since 3rd album


Silvertone 2143 Amp

Vox amp
used on the 1st and 2nd albums

Acoustic amp
since 1969

Sunn amp
since 1970


John Cale:


Fender Precision Bass
ash body, 3-color sunburst finish
maple neck, rosewood fingerboard
tortoise pickguard

Vox The Phantom IV Bass

Vox Westminster Bass Amp


Doug Yule:

Gibson EB-0 Bass
SG-style solid body

Gibson EB-2 Bass
ES-335-style semi-hollow body

Gibson ES-335TD (guitar)

Gibson SG (guitar, post-Lou VU era)

Gibson Les Paul (guitar, post-Lou VU era)


Acoustic amp
since 1969

Sunn amp
since 1970

Sources/Links:

Japanese Guitar Magazine Jan 1994 issue
Jonathan Richman interview appeared in VU book up-tight: The Velvet Underground Story
Lou Reed video: Lou Reed - A Rock And Roll Heart (1998)
The Velvet Underground video: Curious... The Velvet Underground In Europe (1994)
The Velvet Underground Web Page
A Tribute To Sterling Morrison
Doug Yule interview (Part 1)
Antique Vintage Guitars collector info (details for vintage guitars)

two pics of the Gretsch, both at the Boston Tea Party, 1967

I've read about Lou's "repeater" so many times, but I can't figure out where/when it was used, either studio or live recordings. Thoughts?
(I assume Train Round the Bend is a tremolo, not the repeater?)

the 'repeater' was a choppy tremolo that Vox introduced in '66 - called the Repeat Percussion - it was one of the effects that Lou had built into the Gretsch, along with a Vox Distortion Booster - you can hear it on the Gymnasium Sister Ray.

https://youtu.be/B5PZPhDfiLY

Thanks - I assume you mean the choppy bits around 13:00 ?

can't remember where it is, but it's in there somewhere...

Hey all

Few comments

The BTP pictures are from May 1968
Lou and Sterling started using the Gibsons 6 & 12 strings during the Spring/Summer 1968
Cale used during that period Hagstrom 8 Strings and Fender Coronado 4 strings bass guitars as well

The Acoustic Amps were used in August 1968 mixed with the Vox. By September all with Acoustic

Thanks for the kind words Deacon.

Some more detail/distinctions I'd like to add to previous replies:

Warhol purchased the group their initial Vox AC100 ('Super Beatle') and Vox Foundation bass amplifier stacks as part of their management contract in December 1965, which they can be seen using in the film 'A Symphony Of Sound'; shot in January 1966.

In addition to the film, several publicised promotional shots of the band were taken by Warhol/Morrissey/Finkelstein etc. showing them with Vox equipment, and they were subsequently able to negotiate an endorsement deal with Vox USA after visiting the Thomas Organ [Vox] factory in Sepulveda, Los Angeles, in May 1966 during their EPI stay.
This deal meant the band were outfitted with all the latest models for free; those being at least two V1141 stacks (the solid-state trapezoidal replacement to the earlier valve/rectangular AC100 stack), a Westminster bass stack, and a Sovereign bass stack used for the Continental organ (also part of the deal), which Cale later replaced with a Rheem Mark VII organ, which had more bass notes and other control functions (which he used for the recording of Sister Ray).
Sterling also received Vox Phantom and Teardrop model guitars, and John got two different coloured Phantom basses. These were also complimented by the latest effects pedals, which the band continued to use even after moving on to Acoustic amps, until (according to Morrison) they were stolen at an airport shortly before the recording of the third album.

Lou famously stuck with his Gretsch guitar, but had it excessively modified with electronics as discussed in comments above; much to the dismay of his former guitar tech - Dan Armstrong - who refused to speak to him for "about a month" (according to Lou's own account) after finding out what had been done to the quality guitar that he'd previously rewired for Lou.

The majority of the Vox equipment can be seen in these photos from 1966 and 1967 respectively:

https://www.whitelight-whiteheat.com/wp ... sa-Law.jpg

https://credo.library.umass.edu/images/ ... 03-001.jpg

Hello Cam

Thanks a lot your post. Great information as always!
Just a quick one. "Shymphony of Sound" has always been dated incorrectly as January 1966. Date coming probably from Stephen Koch´s fantastic 1973 book on Warhol Films, as he dated the film as Jan 1966.

In the past I used to argue that the January date had to be wrong just looking at the outfit the NY Policemen are wearing, impossible to wear short sleeves shirts January in New York!

Only recently I weas able to get into a more accurate date for the film. If you go to the film at about 1h 00m 30s you can see someone (sorry I do not identify him) showing Reed something on the East Village Other newspaper which last page has a full page ad for the Paradox restaurant. I have only been able to find this ad in the Jun15-July 1, 1966 issue. So film has to be dated after June 15 , 1966