
Dave Hunter gets down to business with the tone generating clan of tubes: output tubes.
However many fancy gizmos the techs
devise to give us “warm, tube-like" guitar
sounds, real tonehounds know it's only happening
in one place: real tubes! If you want
to get it happening for you, though, you've
got to understand what's going on with different
tube types, and learn the various ways
the wide range of tubes available will affect
your sound. (Click here to read part one: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Preamp Tubes.)
In the last issue I discussed preamp tubes, along with a basic primer on how and why tubes do what they do. This trip under the hood we'll explore output tubes—the big bottles at the back of your amp that pump out the serious wattage. Although some people refer to them as "power" tubes, I feel "output" is far more fitting: for one thing, these tubes create your amp's output; for another, the term "power" might cause confusion with the third type of tube in an amp—a rectifier tube—which lives in what is correctly described as the power stage of the amplifier. In any case, you mainly just need to be aware that the output tubes are the "amplifier within your amp": while the preamp tubes ramp up the signal from the guitar, the output tubes are the babies that really make it loud.
Output tubes can be recognized as the biggest, or at least tallest, tubes in the back of your amp, although a tube rectifier (if your amp has one) can also be mistaken for one of several output tube types. Your clue here will be that there's usually only one rectifier, but at least two matching or similar output tubes in any amp, other than small single-ended "practice" amps such as a Fender Champ or a Gibson GA-5. Many, many types of output tubes were used in the glory days of thermionic devices, when they appeared not only in guitar amplifiers, but in radios, stereos, TVs, and many other applications. Today, only about half a dozen varieties of output tubes are regularly used by contemporary amp manufacturers, and just four of these are seen in any great numbers. The four most common output tube types are the 6L6GC, 6V6GT, EL34, and EL84. A handful of contemporary makers still offer amps with KT66 and 6550 tubes, and a few even manufacture unusual designs using more esoteric tube types, but you'll see one of those first four in a good ninety-nine percent of amps you encounter today.
Other than EL84s, which are the same diameter as preamp tubes (although taller) and use the same 9-pin socket, all of the most common output tube types use large 8-pin (octal) sockets. While they might appear interchangeable in terms of socket size, however, most have different circuit, voltage, and bias requirements, so they cannot simply be substituted one for the other in most amps. There are a few makers today producing amps that are specifically designed to let you swap between output tube varieties for "tube tasting," and models such as THD's UniValve and BiValve, and Victoria's Regal II and Two Stroke can take any of the common 8-pin types without needing rebiasing or other adjustment. For the most part, though, a maker will design an amp with a very specific tube type in mind, and will work very specifically to the performance and sonic characteristics of that tube. Let's take a little look at the signature tones and capabilities of some of these more common output tube types.
6L6GC
photos courtesy of thetubestore.com
Think "big Fender amp tone" and you're thinking 6L6 (also sometimes substituted for the interchangeable 5881, essentially a ruggedized 6L6). This is the big-amp output tube traditionally seen in American-made amplifiers, and it has a bold, solid voice with firm lows and prominent highs, which can be strident in loud, clean amps, or more silky and rounded in softer, "tweed" style amps. A pair of these will generate around forty to fifty watts in an efficient Class AB amp; a quartet (with two pairs working in teams on each side of the phase-inverted signal) can put out up to one hundred watts. In less efficient, but juicily toneful, cathode-biased designs (socalled "Class A" amps) like TopHat's Super Deluxe or Carr's Rambler, or a mid-fifties tweed Fender 5E5 Pro, a pair of 6L6s will put out around twenty-five to thirty watts. This is the tube of anything from the Fender tweed Bassman and blackface Twin and Super Reverbs, to early Marshall JTM45 heads and "Bluesbreaker" combos, to the Mesa/Boogie Mark Series and beyond.
6V6GT
photos courtesy of thetubestore.com
Think small-tweed amp and you're hearing the 6V6GT. Smaller American-made amps of the nineteen-fifties, sixties and seventies most often carried 6V6 tubes, which are known for their juicy, well-rounded tone and smooth, rich distortion, which occasionally exhibits an element of grittiness that is not necessarily unappealing. They produce about half the output of their big brother, the 6L6, and are therefore more easily driven into distortion. The 6V6 was used in many Fender designs—the Champ, Princeton, and Deluxe lines among them— some great vintage Gibson amps like the GA-40 Les Paul Amp of the nineteen-fifties and early sixties, and countless others. From the late eighties to late nineties no reliable current-manufacture 6V6s were available, so few manufactures designed new amps around this tube. This is the course of events that led to the virtually unthinkable release of smaller Fender amps that used EL84s, such as the Blues Junior (the early-sixties Tremolux, which briefly carried EL84s, being something of an anomaly). The release of a rugged and reliable 6V6 first from Electro-Harmonix, then from other contemporary makers, has led to a renewed popularity for this tube, and it proliferates again in the twenty-watt-and-under range.
EL34
photos courtesy of thetubestore.com
Take your aural imagination across the pond, conjure up that big, British crunch tone, and your mind's ear is hearing the EL34. The classic Marshall tube, the EL34 was the big boy of British amplification from the late nineteen-sixties onward. It can be driven at higher voltages to produce a little more output than the 6L6GC, and it sounds somewhat different, too: characterized by a fat and juicy but softer low end, sizzling highs, and a midrange that exhibits a classic crispy-crunchy tone when driven into distortion. This is the tube of post-1967 Marshalls like the JMP50 "plexi" and "metal" panel amps, the JCM800, and the majority of modern models. It also appears in the classic Hiwatt models, and plenty of modern amps seeking a big Brit-rock sound. Many contemporary American makers, such as Rivera and VHT, have also used EL34s for high-gain amp designs, and plenty of boutique makers also employ this output tube.
EL84
Sometimes described as "a baby EL34" because it is another classic British output tube, the EL84 really has a tone all its own. This tall, narrow, 9-pin output tube is best known for its appearance in classic Vox amps such as the AC15 and AC30, and is most often used in "Class A" circuits, which seek to achieve a sweeter, more harmonically saturated sound at the expense of a little output efficiency. The EL84 can still exhibit a pretty firm, chunky low end in the right amp, but is most known for its chimey, sparkling highs and a midrange that is crunchy and aggressive when pushed. A pair in a cathode-biased output stage (a la Vox) will put out around fifteen to eighteen watts, and a quartet double that. These tubes also appear in many modern amps that emulate the "Class A tone," including models from Matchless, TopHat, Dr Z and others.
KT66
Rarely seen for many years other than in vintage amps that carried them (notably early-sixties Marshall JTM45s, following their brief use of 5881/6L6s originally), the KT66 (pictured at right) is a direct substitute for the 6L6, but really has a character all its own. This tube of European origin is a little bolder, firmer, and fatter than its American cousin, and can put out a little more volume. A few good recent reissues of this tube type have led some amp makers to design around it again, and Dr Z's Route 66 is one example of a popular boutique amp that takes advantage of the KT66's potential.
6550
Marshall amps exported to the USA from around the mid-seventies to the mideighties were modified to use 6550 output tubes instead of the EL34s they were originally designed for, apparently for reasons of availability and reliability. The change altered their character somewhat, as the 6550 doesn't sound especially like an EL34, but more like a bigger, louder 6L6 (in approximate terms). That's not to say it's a bad thing, just different. Many other makers have designed amps around this lesser-seen output tube, such as Alessandro and ENGL. The 6550 is perhaps more commonly seen as an output tube in big bass amps, and was used for a time in Ampeg's SVT, and currently appears in models by Traynor and others.
While each of these output tube types has its own characteristic tone, different makes of tubes of the same type can sound quite different, too. Take six different pairs of 6L6GCs from different manufacturers, for example, some old and some new, and each will sound just a little different in your amp (sometimes a lot different). Tube connoisseurs rave about NOS tubes (new old stock), meaning tubes that were manufactured in the USA or Europe many years ago, but have never been used—and certainly these can represent the pinnacle of output tube quality, provided you can find a good, tested pair that is genuinely NOS and not just used, pulled from an old hi-fi, and polished up a little. You'll hear tubeheads go all gooey over black-plate RCA 6L6s, Mullard EL84s, Brimar 6V6GTs, GEC KT66s and many other types that carry the great brand names of old, and certainly there's a lot to be said for them. Any pair you can find in genuinely good condition, tested, and guaranteed will also be very expensive these days. Grab some if you can (and certainly if you find some going cheap from an old supplier who is selling out; but also be aware of fakes and forgeries being sold online these days as NOS—there are plenty of them around). But there are also many, many excellent current-manufacture tubes today that are very good—with better quality and better selection than was available even ten years ago—and these exhibit different sonic characteristics too. Read about their respective pros and cons online (there isn't room to go into full detail here), or try a few different pairs of the types that seem like they'll suit you, and see how they change the sound of your amp. When you locate a pair that's just right, you can always keep the others for back up.
As discussed briefly in Part 1, distortion occurs in all stages of a tube amp, but the resultant overdrive tones sound a little different depending on which type of distortion is generated where. Preamp tube distortion, as much fun as it can be, will sound a little more fizzy and gritty, while output tube distortion will sound comparatively thick, rich, and dynamic (in broad terms). Old-school tone freaks tend to enjoy the distortion tones generated at the output stage, which is why you see many such players going for vintage—or vintage-styled—amps with simple circuits, no master volume (or one that's bypassable), and a minimum of bells and whistles such as channel switching and added gain stages. Such amps aim to drive the output tubes more than the preamp tubes, and to generate that creamy, harmonically saturated overdrive tone when cranked up. This love of output-tube distortion is also what's leading a lot of players, touring pros included, to use smaller amps on stage. Few players really need a big double-stack to be heard on stage these days, and it's harder to push such amps into overdrive without incurring the wrath of the soundman and blowing your band mates off the stage. Use a smaller fifteen to thirty watt combo or mini-stack, however, and you can hit the sweet spot and still (hopefully) dodge the tinnitus until well into late-middle age.
Be aware that many types of amps also need to be rebiased when output tubes are changed. This is something you can do yourself with the help of a kit (several types are available), or have done for you by a qualified tech for a nominal charge. An amp's bias is like a car's idle speed: it needs to be set correctly for the amp to operate efficiently, and an incorrect bias setting will also seriously impede your tone. Confusingly enough, "fixed bias" amps are the ones that generally have adjustable bias levels that need to be checked and reset when you change tubes. Cathode-biased amps, on the other hand, which are often billed as "Class A amps," have a bias level that is set at the factory with a fixed resistor. With these, you just pop in a good, matched pair of new tubes and away you go.
It's also worth knowing that any new set of output tubes, whether NOS or new manufacture, will need some playing-in time. They won't sound their best until you have put a few hours on them, and maybe as many as forty or eighty hours of playing time to get them into the tone zone. Not unlike a vintage bottle of wine, output tubes need to "breathe" a little before they will be at their peak. Similarly, once you uncork that prized NOS pair that has rested on the shelf for three decades and start playing them, they won't last forever. Hopefully the tonal payoff will live up to the anticipation. Test, taste, sample, enjoy—there's gold in them thar tubes!
[Updated 9/1/21]
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See and hear Taylor’s Legacy Collection guitars played by his successor, Andy Powers.
Last year, Taylor Guitars capped its 50th Anniversary by introducing a new guitar collection celebrating the contributions of co-founders Bob Taylor and Kurt Listug to the guitar world. The Legacy Collection revives five of Bob Taylor’s classic acoustic models, curated by the legendary luthier and innovator himself. “To imagine that we’re doing guitars that harken to our past, our present and our future all at the same time,” Bob says, “I really like that.”
In developing the collection, Bob preserved the essence of his originals while integrating performance and playability upgrades introduced during his tenure as designer-in-chief. “It’s an up-to-date version of what those guitars would be,” Bob explains, “but with the same sound.”
Visually, these guitars feel classic—clean, understated and unmistakably Taylor. While Bob’s original aesthetic preferences are showcased in his Legacy models, the nod to the past runs deeper than trade dress.
From his earliest builds, Bob favored slim-profile necks because he found them easier to play. That preference set a design precedent that established Taylor’s reputation for smooth-playing, comfortable necks. Legacy models feature slim mahogany necks built with Taylor's patented New Technology (NT) design. “My first neck was a bolted-on neck but not an NT neck,” Bob says. “These are NT necks because it’s a better neck.” Introduced in 1999, the NT neck allowed for unprecedented micro-adjustability while offering a consistent, hand-friendly Taylor playing experience.
What makes this collection unique within the Taylor line is Bob’s use of his X-bracing architecture, favoring his time-tested internal voicing framework over more recent Taylor bracing innovations to evoke a distinctive tone profile. Since Andy Powers—Taylor’s current Chief Guitar Designer, President and CEO—debuted his patented V-Class bracing in 2018, V-Class has become a staple in Taylor’s premium-performance guitars. Still, Bob’s X-bracing pattern produces a richly textured sound with pleasing volume, balance and clarity that long defined the Taylor voice. All Legacy models feature LR Baggs VTC Element electronics, which Bob says “harkens back to those days.”
The team at Taylor thought the best way to demonstrate the sound of the Legacy guitars was to ask Andy Powers, Bob’s successor, to play them. A world-class luthier and musician, Andy has spent the past 14 years leading Taylor’s guitar innovation. In addition to V-Class bracing, his contributions include the Grand Pacific body style, the ultra-refined Builder’s Edition Collection, and most recently, the stunning Gold Label Collection.
Below you’ll find a series of videos that feature Powers playing each Legacy model along with information about the guitars.
Legacy 800 Series Models
First launched in 1975, the 800 Series was Taylor’s first official guitar series. Today, it remains home to some of the brand’s most acclaimed instruments, including the flagship 814ce, Builder’s Edition 814ce and new Gold Label 814e.
The Legacy 800 Series features the 810e Dreadnought and two Jumbos: the 6-string 815e and 12-string 855e. Each model serves up a refined version of the Dreadnought and Jumbo body shapes Bob inherited from Sam Radding—the original owner of the American Dream music shop where Bob and Kurt first met. “I was making my guitars in the molds that Sam had made at American Dream,” Bob recalls. “There was a Jumbo and a Dreadnought. That’s all we had.”
All three Legacy 800 Series guitars feature one of Bob’s favorite tonewood combos. Solid Indian rosewood back and sides are paired with a Sitka spruce top, yielding warm lows, clear trebles and a scooped midrange.
Aesthetic appointments include a three-ring abalone rosette, mother-of-pearl Large Diamond inlays, white binding around the body and fretboard, and Bob’s “straight-ear” peghead design. Both Jumbo models also showcase a mustache-style ebony bridge—a nod to Bob’s early Jumbo builds.
Legacy 810e
The 810 Dreadnought holds a special place in Bob Taylor’s heart. “My first 810, the one I made for myself, was a thrilling guitar for me to make,” he says. “It’s the one and only guitar I played. It didn’t matter how many guitars we made at Taylor, that’s the one I took out and played.” The Legacy 810e brings back that bold, room-filling Dreadnought voice along with the easy playability expected from a Taylor.
Taylor Guitars | Legacy 810e | Playthrough Demo
Legacy 855e
Taylor’s first 12-strings found an audience in 1970s Los Angeles. “I was making guitars that would find their way to McCabe’s in Santa Monica and Westwood Music,” Bob says, “and these guitars were easy to play. Twelve-strings were a popular sound in that music. It was a modern country/folk/rock music genre that was accepting our guitars because they were easy to play. They also liked the sound of them because our guitars were easier to record.” The Legacy 855e, with its resonant Jumbo body, slim neck and gorgeous octave sparkle, carries that tradition forward.
Taylor Guitars | Legacy 855e | Playthrough Demo
Legacy 815e
The Legacy 815e revives Taylor’s original Jumbo 6-string, delivering a big, lush sound with beautifully blooming overtones.
Legacy Grand Auditoriums
In the early 1990s, Bob Taylor heard a consistent refrain from dealers: “Not everybody wants a dreadnought guitar anymore.” Players were asking for something with comparable volume but different proportions—something more comfortable, yet still powerful. This feedback inspired Bob to design a new body style with more elegant curves, more accommodating proportions and a balanced tonal response. The result was the Grand Auditorium, which Taylor introduced in 1994 to celebrate its 20th anniversary.
Thanks to its musical versatility and easy playability, Bob’s Grand Auditorium attracted a wide variety of players. “We came into our own with our Grand Auditorium,” he says. “People were describing it as ‘all around.’ It’s a good strummer and good for fingerstyle, but it’s not totally geared toward strumming or totally geared toward fingerstyle.” Also referred to as the “Swiss-Army Knife” of guitars or the “Goldilocks” guitar, the GA quickly became a favorite among guitarists across playing styles, musical genres and different playing applications including recording and live performance. “That guitar made studio work successful,” Bob says. It gained a wider fanbase with the debut of the “ce” version, which introduced a Venetian cutaway and onboard electronics. “That became one of our hallmarks,” says Bob. “If you want to plug in your guitar, buy a Taylor.”
Today, the Grand Auditorium is Taylor’s best-selling body shape.
The Legacy Collection features two cedar-top Grand Auditoriums inspired by past favorites: the mahogany/cedar 514ce and rosewood/cedar 714ce. Both models incorporate Bob’s original X-bracing pattern for a tonal character reminiscent of their 1990s and 2000s counterparts. Shared aesthetic details include a green abalone three-ring rosette, ebony bridge pins with green abalone dots, a faux-tortoiseshell pickguard and Taylor gold tuning machines.
Taylor Guitars | Legacy 815e | Playthrough Demo
Legacy 514ce
The Legacy 514ce features solid mahogany back and sides paired with a Western Red cedar top, yielding a punchy midrange and dry, woody sonic personality that pairs beautifully with cedar’s soft-touch sensitivity and warmth. It’s a standout choice for fingerstyle players and light strummers who crave nuance and depth. Distinct visual details include faux-tortoise body and fretboard binding, black-and-white top trim, and mother-of-pearl small diamond fretboard inlays.
Taylor Guitars | Legacy 514ce | Playthrough Demo
Legacy 714ce
The Legacy 714ce also features a cedar top, this time matched with solid Indian rosewood back and sides. The result is a richly textured sound with deep lows, clear trebles and a warm, mellow response. Inspiring as it is, this specific wood pairing isn’t currently offered in any other standard Taylor model. Additional aesthetic details include green abalone dot fretboard inlays, black body and fretboard binding, and black-and-white “pinstripe” body purfling.
While the Legacy Collection spotlights Taylor’s past, newer models from the Gold Label, Builder’s Edition and Somos Collections show the company’s legacy is always evolving. Explore the Legacy Collection at taylorguitars.com or visit your local authorized Taylor dealer.
Taylor Guitars | Legacy 714ce | Playthrough Demo
The Billy Idol guitarist rides his Knaggs into Nashville.
There’s nothing subtle about Billy Idol, so it tracks that there’d be nothing subtle about the guitars used onstage by his longtime guitarist, Steve Stevens. Famous for his guitar work with Idol and the Grammy-winning symphony of sustain “Top Gun Anthem,” Stevens brought a brigade of eye-popping signature electrics and some choice other jewels out on the road with Idol this spring.
The tour touched down at Bridgestone Arena in downtown Nashville in May, and while Stevens was jetting into town, PG’s John Bohlinger met up with tech and guitar builder Frank Falbo to learn the ins and outs of Stevens’ rig.
Brought to you by D’Addario
Cherry Pie
This cherryburst is one of a score of single-cut Knaggs Steve Stevens signature models in Stevens’ arsenal. He plays with heavier Tortex picks and uses Ernie Ball strings, usually .010–.048s.
More, More, More (Sustain)
This Knaggs Steve Stevens Severn XF, complete with a Sustainiac pickup system, was designed to mimic the look of one of his old guitars, and the stage lights make this finish go insane. It comes out for three to four songs in any given set, including “Rebel Yell.”
Songs from the Sparkle Lounge
This Knaggs Steve Stevens, finished in silver sparkle, is outfitted with a killswitch, push-pull control knobs, and Fishman Fluence pickups. Falbo was on the R&D team that helped design the Fluences.
Other guitars backstage include a red sparkle Knaggs with PAFs, a Godin LGXT with piezo saddles and Seymour Duncan pickups that sends three signals (synth, electric, and piezo), a pair of piezo- and MIDI-equipped Godin nylon-string guitars, a dazzling Gibson Les Paul with stock Gibson pickups, a Suhr T-style electric, and a Ciari Ascender for travel and dressing-room rehearsal.
Tube Heart, Digital Brains
Stevens runs through a pair of Friedman heads—a B100 and Steve Stevens SS100, plus a third backup—with each panned hard to either the left or right. Both signals run through a Neve 8803 rack EQ into two RedSeven Amplification Amp Central Evo loadboxes, and through their impulse response programs to front of house. A Neural Quad Cortex is on hand as a backup and for fly dates.
Steve Stevens’ Pedalboard
Stevens’ pedal playground is masterminded by an RJM Mastermind GT, which lives on its own board alongside a Fractal FM3 MK II. He orchestrates most of the changes himself, but Falbo is ready to flip switches backstage in case Stevens is away from his board for a key moment.
The centre hub, built on a Tone Merchants board, carries a TC Electronic PolyTune2 Noir, Xotic Effects Super Sweet Booster, Vox wah, Ernie Ball volume pedal, Mission Engineering expression pedal, DigiTech Whammy Ricochet, Suhr Discovery, JHS Muffuletta, DigiTech Drop, ISP DECI-MATE, Walrus Voyager, Suhr Koji Comp, Zvex Super Ringtone, DryBell Vibe Machine, and Ammoon EX EQ7. An Ebtech Hum Eliminator, two Strymon Ojais, and a Strymon Zuma keep the wheels greased.
The board to the right carries a Boss RV-500, Fender Smolder Acoustic OD, Lehle Dual Expression, Boss GM-800, Empress Bass Compressor, Grace Design ALiX preamp, Fishman Aura, and a Peterson tuner. Utility boxes include an Ernie Ball Volt and a Radial J48.
Rick Derringer plays the Coliseum in New Haven, Connecticut, in 1973—the year of “Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo.”
The guitarist and high-profile producer, whose career began with the ’60s garage-rock band the McCoys and included a historic run with Johnny and Edgar Winter, and, more recently, Ringo Starr, leaves behind a deep catalog.
Prolific American guitarist and producer Rick Derringer passed away on Monday, May 26, in Ormond Beach, Florida, at the age of 77. In the 1970s, with Edgar and Johnny Winter, and as a hit-making solo artist, he was a flamboyant stage presence whose biting tone and fluent classic-rock soloing made him a guitar-culture icon. An official cause of death has not been announced, but he suffered from heart ailments and had recently undergone a triple bypass.
Derringer, born Richard Dean Zehringer on August 5, 1947, was raised in Ohio and, before he was 10 years old, received his first electric guitar. He and his brother Randy began playing music together. By high school, he had his own band: Rick Z Combo, then Rick and the Raiders, before finally settling on the McCoys.
It was in his late teens, as singer and guitarist of the McCoys, that Derringer cut his first and perhaps most enduring hit, a cover of Wes Farrell and Bert Berns’ “Hang on Sloopy.” In fact, the band you hear on the McCoys’ iconic release is the Strangeloves; Derringer’s vocals and guitar were recorded and added, and the song was released by the McCoys. This became the definitive rendition of the song, which today remains an unofficial anthem for the state of Ohio, finding airtime at Ohio State Buckeyes, Cleveland Guardians, Cleveland Browns, and Cleveland Cavaliers games.
“It’s heavy rock ’n’ roll boogie and hyper, bluesy riffing also gained it a spot in the popular video game Guitar Hero II, where Derringer’s music was introduced to a new, young generation of aspiring guitarists.”
In the 1970s, Derringer and the McCoys began a fruitful and long-lasting relationship with brothers Edgar and Johnny Winter, first as part of Johnny Winter’s Johnny Winter And group, and then Edgar Winter’s White Trash and Edgar Winter Group. Off the back of those collaborations, Derringer launched his debut solo LP, All American Boy, in 1973. It carried another of his signature songs, the rollicking, groovy-as-hell “Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo,” which had by then already been released twice on records by both Johnny and Edgar Winter. Derringer’s take reached No. 23 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart and saturated FM radio. Its heavy rock ’n’ roll boogie and hyper, bluesy riffing also gained it a spot in the popular video game Guitar Hero II, where Derringer’s music was introduced to a new, young generation of aspiring guitarists.
Through the 1970s and ’80s, Derringer continued his streak of collaborations with artists like Steely Dan, Todd Rundgren, Meat Loaf, Cyndi Lauper, Barbra Streisand, and more. Most notable, perhaps, was his work with “Weird Al” Yankovic. He produced six albums for the song satirist, which included Yankovic’s Grammy-winning hits “Eat It” (1984) and “Fat” (1988). By then, Derringer had already racked up a string of formidable production credits: his own All American Boy, Edgar Winter’s Shock Treatment and They Only Come Out at Night, Live Johnny Winter And, plus Johnny Winter’s Saints & Sinners, among others.
Derringer also played guitar on Bonnie Tyler’s perennial karaoke-night staple “Total Eclipse of the Heart,” and in 1985, Derringer struck gold again with “Real American,” Hulk Hogan’s theme song from the WWE soundtrack record, The Wrestling Album. With its striking title and pumped-up lyrics (“I am a real American/Fight for the rights of every man!”), the song went on to find popularity with politicians of all stripes, from Barack Obama to Hillary Clinton to Donald Trump.
The latter found favor with Rick Derringer, who appeared multiple times on Alex Jones’ far-right, conspiracy-theory-based website Infowars in conversation with Roger Stone to express support for Trump, beginning in 2016. Derringer revamped the lyrics of “Real American” for a rerelease in 2017, which he promoted with an appearance on Infowars.
Derringer continued playing with high-profile musicians through the 2000s, including Ringo Starr, Peter Frampton, Yes’ Jon Anderson, Joe Bonamassa, and the Winter brothers. Throughout his life, Derringer mostly used humbucking-outfitted guitars for his big tone, including Gibson Explorers, SGs, ES-335s, and Les Pauls, as well as B.C. Rich Mockingbirds and a signature model Warrior guitar.Cort Guitars announces a new multi-scale, seven string guitar in the KX507 series – the KX507MS Pale Moon. The addition to the beloved series shows Cort’s efforts to continue elevating their position in the marketplace. The guitar is now available online and in local retail stores.
The double cut, mahogany body is topped with a pale moon ebony to help support the strong mid-range and low response needed on a multi scale seven string. A 5-piece maple and purple heart bolt on neck supports a 25.5” – 27” scale, macassar ebony fingerboard with a neutral fret at the 8th position for improved playability. 24 jumbo, stainless-steel frets offer maximum range with teardrop inlays and side dots for easy navigation. Measuring 2.059” (52.3mm) at the nut, this guitar is built for performance and comfort. And with the two-way adjustable truss rod and spoke nut, this guitar delivers ultimate stability in any tuning in any environment. Performance is further enhanced with a D shape neck and 16” radius.
At the core of the KX507MS Pale Moon is the Fishman® Fluence Modern humbucker set. With a ceramic magnet in the bridge, and an alnico magnet in the neck, these pickups deliver all the musicality of traditional pickups but have three unique voices. Voice 1 is a modern active, high output. Voice 2 delivers crisp, clean tones. And Voice 3 is a single coil with glassy, clear performance. To unleash the potential of these pickups, Cort uses a simple single volume, single tone, each as a push/pull control and three-way selector switch. The volume push/pull put selects between Voice 1 and Voice 2 while the tone push/pull pot selects between humbucker and single coil mode.
Finally, to provide exact intonation and tuning stability, the KX507MS is loaded with seven individual string bridges and Cort’s very own locking tuners. The bridges allow for thru body string installation to maximize sustain and vibration transfer at each string saddle. All guitars are shipped from the factory with D’Addario EXL110-7 strings.
For more information, please visit www.CortGuitars.com
MAP: $949.99 USD