A walkthrough of Steve Kimock's amazing gear room

[ASATKat]

This is amazing gear, to die for gear. And valuable info on his guitar's tunings.

So much here that he can't get into any one instrument too deep. But example's are abundant.

Just amazing,


This is the album that he refers to, just kickback and listen to Steve playing this gear. Such a fine player. And I love Leslie's singing. This is 57 minutes well spent.

 

[ndcaster]

This is amazing gear, to die for gear. And valuable info on his guitar's tunings.

So much here that he can't get into any one instrument too deep. But example's are abundant.

Just amazing,


This is the album that he refers to, just kickback and listen to Steve playing this gear. Such a fine player. And I love Leslie's singing.

whoa

never heard of this guy, checking him out, this is 2013?

 

[StrangerNY]

I knew Kimock when he played with the Goodman Brothers in Philly and we shared the same management. Haven't seen him in years, though.

- D

 

[ASATKat]

whoa

never heard of this guy, checking him out, this is 2013?

Steve is pretty complementary on this and even though he has three tracks of different guitars going most the time it doesn't sound cluttered, very active but not cluttered.

If you went and saw him you might see him where he is the only soloist for the whole night and it's great. But in this clip he's sharing Alice In Wonderland with other soloists, a little bit, he gives them a little lol.

Here is Kimock a couple years ago killing it on Alice In Wonderland. In the beginning he is playing in his great friend Freddie Roulette style of lap steel,, almost note for note Freddie. And then he solos in his own way till comes back to the melody where keys take over till Steve gets his guitar, and the rest of the tune he just burns on the guitar. And tone for days,

Enjoy,,,

 

[ndcaster]

Here is Kimock a couple years ago killing it on Alice In Wonderland. In the beginning he is playing in his great friend Freddie Roulette style of lap steel,, almost note for note Freddie. And then he solos in his own way till comes back to the melody where keys take over till Steve gets his guitar, and the rest of the tune he just burns on the guitar. And tone for days,

I never got into the Dead, but I could get into this

 

[ASATKat]

Whoa indeed, nice choice NDCaster,

That's Alphonso Johnson on bass and the great Rodney Jones on drums no less, Alphonso goes back to my discovery of Larry Coryell and those early fusion guys.

 

[ndcaster]

they lift off at 6:00



beautiful, I love how Kimock's guitar can sound like an electric piano

the rhythm section is a dream

 

[ASATKat]

I never got into the Dead, but I could get into this

That's the weird thing about Steve, his association with the Dead, but he has yet held the guitar seat in the recent Dead tours over the years. And most his music is downright funky, not Dead like.

And Steve's history is legendary. He was the "ears" behind Santana's famous "man this thing boogies" comment when playing the Mesa Mk1, thus ushering in the Boogie amps. Yep, that's Steve's ears in that amp.

Steve was also good friends with Bill Krinard, Steve again was the ears behind the original Two Rock amps. And I would see them "tuning the amp" in a room at Zone Music as I wandered around the store, and the store would have flea mats where Krinard would be selling his early amps, and Frankenstein design one of a kinders. What a great music store back in the '80s and 90s.

That is some cool history.

 

[ndcaster]

That's the weird thing about Steve, his association with the Dead, but he has yet held the guitar seat in the recent Dead tours over the years. And most his music is downright funky, not Dead like.

And Steve's history is legendary. He was the "ears" behind Santana's famous "man this thing boogies" comment when playing the Mesa Mk1, thus ushering in the Boogie amps. Yep, that's Steve's ears in that amp.

Steve was also good friends with Bill Krinard, Steve again was the ears behind the original Two Rock amps. And I would see them "tuning the amp" in a room at Zone Music as I wandered around the store, and the store would have flea mats where Krinard would be selling his early amps, and Frankenstein design one of a kinders. What a great music store back in the '80s and 90s.

That is some cool history.

sure is, and I'm amazed how he gets these weirdly wonderful specific tones out of his different guitars

that bass player in the last clip is unbelievably locked in with the drummer

 

[ASATKat]

they lift off at 6:00



beautiful, I love how Kimock's guitar can sound like an electric piano

the rhythm section is a dream

That is one if the best version of It's Up To You I've heard, brilliant.

 

[6stringcowboy]

Some early-ish Zero (no Martin Fierro)

 

[ASATKat]

He said he uses 14s for the 1st string on his white lipstick Strat, and he bends like crazy. Plus he puts "cello" vibrato on it.

 

[klasaine]

And Steve's history is legendary. He was the "ears" behind Santana's famous "man this thing boogies" comment when playing the Mesa Mk1, thus ushering in the Boogie amps. Yep, that's Steve's ears in that amp.

Santana being introduced to Randall Smith and what was to become the Mk.1 was before Kimocks involvement or even introduction to Smith and eventually Mesa Boogie.

Santana remarked about the prototype Princeton that RS had fashioned using a modified dual-6L6 circuit (based on a 4×10 Fender Bassman) and with a JBL D-120 12″ speaker. He also repurposed 1/2 the reverb driver as an extra gain stage. Here's a picture of an early Vibro Champ version ...

The name Boogie (and eventually a logo) was added after the famous Santana exclamation, "$h1t man, this little thing really boogies".

 

[ASATKat]

Santana being introduced to Randal Smith and what was to become the Mk.1 was before Kimocks involvement or even introduction to Smith and eventually Mesa Boogie.

Santana remarked about the prototype Princeton that RS had fashioned using a modified dual-6L6 circuit (based on a 4×10 Fender Bassman) and with a JBL D-120 12″ speaker. He also repurposed 1/2 the reverb driver as an extra gain stage. Here's a picture of an early Vibro Champ version ...
View attachment 611842
The name and eventually logo was added after the famous Santana exclamation, "man this little thing really boogies".

That's not what I've heard from many sources, except it was a prototype and not a Mk1 so I got that wrong, but that prototype became the Mk1.. I bought a Mk1 partly based on the history of the amp. I've even talked to Kimock many times, mostly about his Coltrane taken to the next level, and he freely shares on tgp. But the prototype topic came up once in a while. I also hired Steve and Julian Lage to do a clinic at a high school where I was a tutor in the jazz band. Julian barely said a word, Steve just took over lol. Julian was able to bring it down to earth a little because Steve is very much up in the clouds. The high school kids were just glazed over and it showed in their eyes. I did manage to record them playing an up blues at the end

 

[suave eddie]

Some early-ish Zero (no Martin Fierro)

This is how I was introduced to Kimock. I was living in Sonoma County where he lived at the time. I went to a local Zero show only because it featured John Cipollina, who I was a huge follower of. I had never heard of Steve Kimock at the time. Unfortunately Cipollina was getting pretty sick by then and I was surprised that his role in the band was overshadowed by Kimock's playing and I was blown away immediately by his sound. Been listening to him ever since.

 

[ASATKat]

Here is an interview with Steve about back in the Randall Smith/Kimock period,
https://glidemagazine.com/54987/ht-interview-steve-kimock-resident-expert/

 

[klasaine]

Yes, I've read that interview.
I'm pretty sure that the famous Santana quote is about a prototype that predates SKs involvement, which, as SK mentions, wasn't until the mid 70s.

Carlos' "$h1t man, this thing really boogies" was referencing the modded, late 60s Princeton or possibly a Vibro Champ (I believe for Barry Melton of Country Joe and the Fish) as early as 1969 but definitely no later than 1972 when the first Mk.1 debuted. *At least this is how Randall Smith recalls it.

Randall's story ... (link removed)
Scroll down just a tad less than 1/2 way. Paragraph seven.

*Also interesting to note is that the first official Mesa/Boogie Mk.1 (1972) in the Santana family was owned by his brother Jorge.

 

[suave eddie]

This is how I was introduced to Kimock. I was living in Sonoma County where he lived at the time. I went to a local Zero show only because it featured John Cipollina, who I was a huge follower of. I had never heard of Steve Kimock at the time. Unfortunately Cipollina was getting pretty sick by then and I was surprised that his role in the band was overshadowed by Kimock's playing and I was blown away immediately by his sound. Been listening to him ever since.

If you can get a hold of the second Zero CD, Here Goes Nothin', listen the recording of Little Wing. Steve gives a lesson on soloing melodically. It's cool that it doesn't have the Hendrix intro and it utilizes Clapton's riff between verses.

 

[boneyguy]

whoa

never heard of this guy, checking him out, this is 2013?

I'd say Carrot Top should just stick with the guitar and give up comedy immediately!!

 

[ASATKat]

Yes, I've read that interview. I'm just pretty sure that the famous Santana quote is about a prototype pre SKs involvement in the mid 70s. Carlos was referencing a modded Princeton or Vibro Champ as early as 1967 but no later than 1970.
Also interesting to note is that the first official Mesa/Boogie Mk.1 (1972) in the Santana family was owned by his brother Jorge.

Well, I very well could be wrong, I stand corrected.

Steve has been a great influence on the kind of tone I strive to get with my Kat 50, it doesn't nail Kimock it just gives me a nice hint, a pleasant warm clean tone without the planky Princeton or even the Blues Jr's brittle high end. (I made up the word planky).

The best thing is the Kat gets me in a sonic ballpark where the tone inspires me to play in a mild pretty Kimock/SRV/FORD sort of way. It's all about how all this can help me sound better, to find my way, my own path. It has a lot to do with fantasy. I would imagine most high end modeler owners live in this sonic digital world of fantasy. Heck, the title of the thread points to the fantasy inspiration, tongue in cheek.

So in my small little private world I do gear comparisons based on recordings I hear. I have to rely on these Dumble recordings because I've never sat with one. In fact Kimock is the only person I know that owns one and I'm just a fly on the wall when it comes to Steve's world.

I would not like to sit with Kimock so he could explain the amp to me because I would quickly become glassy eyed. I couldn't keep up. I was at a show and he was still setting up, he took a break to smoke a cig and motioned for me to come along. So we stood in front of the club and he starts talking about these rhythms, he was tapping on his chest, it was some advanced African High life thing, but It was all over my head and I just stood there almost frozen as a fan in amazement than an equal that could just jive so easily. He was checking me out for my pro musician level, and I "failed" and we just remained more like outer circle friends, but friends non the less.

After I didn't rise to the level of Kimock's pro seeking, he turned to me before we went back inside, he says looking me in the eyes "keep in touch", and then he said this "it's all about community". I felt he walked away thinking "Cliff's a good guy". That calmed my fanboy self down to think that Steve had invited me into his community,,,, of which I already knew some of his tribe since we both lived in Sonoma County, the west county of Sonoma County, where all the redwood loving SF hippies went in the 70s and remained to form one of the largest communities of productive positive hippies that became property and business owners, and already they're now in their 70s,,, way too fast.