US Vox Super Beatles actually used in song?

[That Cal Webway]

The California ss ones.

What somewhat known studio recordings were they used in??


(I can just think of Eric Braun of Iron Butterfly and his modified one by Jose A., who worked for vox USA,
and later of course became an amp tech and modded some of that EVH's Marshall's).

 

[Pcs264]

Well, we never recorded, but the best band I was ever in (in the early 70's) used two of these - one for lead guitar & one for bass. They sounded great for both, looked fabulous, and were a PITA to schlep around. Our lead player played an ES-335 with one of the original Big Muff Pi units into the Vox; no other effects. Never a bit of trouble with either amp.

One clue as to whether someone is just using them as great visual props vs actually using the amp is this: If you're really using that amp for gigs, you turn the head around so the back is facing front. The amp is a bit tall, and there are a lot of controls (many of them useful). It's pretty ergonomic with the head facing backwards, not so much with it facing forwards. Really good memories of those things.

 

[teleman1]

Was the tube Super Beatle used for any recording?

 

[That Cal Webway]

Was the tube Super Beatle used for any recording?

Gd question,
Esp if the Beatles used the early UK tube version in the studio...
Pretty sure they used some hybrid tube/ss Voxes in recording.

And not sure they used them in their last tours in 1966.

(SF peeps-- Candlestick park??)

 

[That Cal Webway]

Bump before sleepy time!

 

[milocj]

I know that some early (and possibly later) Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers songs used them. I saw an interview years ago where he or Mike Campbell said that the first thing they did when their album hit big was to go out and buy a couple of the Super Beatles each.

 

[David Barnett]

Was the tube Super Beatle used for any recording?

There wasn't a tube Super Beatle.

There was an AC100 though, and those were used on plenty of recordings.

 

[Dacious]

The Beatles did use Vox solid state amps on some songs like 'Getting Better'. I think the lead of Taxman too.

I have a pic in a book somewhere of a line of them in the studio, there's a Royal Guardsman and several others. The ones with the funky top-front mounted panels with massive knobs.

 

[Mutato]

Not directly answering the question, but a great info page on Sgt Pepper's recording sessions, which is after their touring days.
Huge list of many Vox amps. Tube and Solid State, plus Fenders.

The Amplifiers Used On Sargent Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.

Sargent Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band This year marks the 50th anniversary of The Beatles Sargent Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band LP...

uniqueguitar.blogspot.com

 

[Jakeboy]

Mike Campbell did indeed go on record stating they used SuperBeatles on some records and TP said he used them live. Neither said what songs though.

 

[That Cal Webway]

Hmmm...

I appreciate the responses,
hopefully more on actual studio recordings and songs that might be somewhat well-known with ss Super Beatles.

 

[David Barnett]

Hmmm...

I appreciate the responses,
hopefully more on actual studio recordings and songs that might be somewhat well-known with ss Super Beatles.

I don't know any specific examples, but I'd look for garage band and 1-hit wonder songs from 1966 and 1967.

 

[That Cal Webway]

I don't know any specific examples, but I'd look for garage band and 1-hit wonder songs from 1966 and 1967.

Gd point. Ty.

 

[Deaf Eddie]

IF I had to GUESS, just using the ol' Mk I ears, I'd say "Psychotic Reaction" by The Count Five...
But I have no evidence to corroborate this opinion.

 

[schmee]

I can't think of a more piercing, sterile shrill sounding amp then the SS Super Beatle I tried back in the day. No idea which version it was.

 

[Deaf Eddie]

I had a Super Beatle loaded with Altec 417s - it was a BEAST. Of course, everybody's ears are different. I used the speakers in other amps long after the head was gone. Now I wish I had the head back... just for fun! There's nothing like the sound of that MRB circuit.

 

[Dacious]

Hmmm...

I appreciate the responses,
hopefully more on actual studio recordings and songs that might be somewhat well-known with ss Super Beatles.

The issue is, they'd record multiple takes with different guitars and amps and pick what worked best. Paul ran most of those sessions - it's doubtful he'd remember.

This track at 1.20 you can hear what I'm pretty sure is a SS Vox US amp distortion - maybe MRB - from that era.

 

[That Cal Webway]

Alright you US garage band, one hit wonders afficinado's,

Super Beatles on records?

 

[archtop_fjk]

The issue is, they'd record multiple takes with different guitars and amps and pick what worked best. Paul ran most of those sessions - it's doubtful he'd remember.

This track at 1.20 you can hear what I'm pretty sure is a SS Vox US amp distortion - maybe MRB - from that era.

That's probably a UK Vox Conquerer amplifier. The Conquerer (along with it's cousins the Supreme and Defiant) was the all-transistor evolution of the hybrid UL 7 Series amps designed by Dick Denny at UK Vox. In addition to a solid state power amp, it had on-board effects including distortion, reverb, tremolo, and MRB. In the photo below (from the Magic Mystery Tour film), George and John are using Conquerers while Paul is using an older 7 series hybrid (7120 or 4120), as seen on the left.

Listen to George's solo in "Fixing a Hole". That's George's strat into a Vox Conquerer on the Brilliant channel with MRB.

More about these amps here:
https://voxsupreme.org.uk/

The VOX Showroom - Vox Conqueror Amplifier