What guitar did you start out on?
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The guitar icon shares what went into making his chart-topping blues album and what gear fans can expect to see at the S.E.R.P.E.N.T. Blues Festival tour.
The session ace’s signature model offers a wide range of tones at the flip of a switch … or five.
Hello and welcome back to Mod Garage. Not long ago, I came home late from a band rehearsal, still overly excited about the new songs we played. I got myself a coffee (I know, it's a crazy procedure to calm down) and turned on the TV. I ended up with an old Bonanza episode from the ’60s, the mother of all Western TV series. Hearing the theme after a long time instantly reminded me of the great Al Caiola, who is the prolific session guitarist who plays on the song. With him in mind, I looked up the ’60s Epiphone “Al Caiola” model and decided I want to talk about the Epiphone/Gibson Tone Expressor system that was used in this guitar.
The Epiphone Al Caiola model was built in the Gibson Kalamazoo factory and was similar to an Epiphone Sheraton, with a longer 25 1/2" scale. It was built from late 1963 until 1969 and was available with different pickups like Gibson mini-humbuckers and P-90s. The guitar would be renamed the Al Caiola Custom to make way for the Al Caiola Standard that was introduced in 1966, but both models had the Tone Expressor system.
The guitar has a Telecaster-like wiring configuration: two pickups, master volume and master tone, 2-way pickup-selector switch. Since the circuit only has a 2-way switch instead of a 3-way switch, you can’t play both the neck and bridge pickup at the same time. (Maybe Al Caiola didn’t like a middle-position sound; who knows?) There are also five additional mini-slider switches labeled 1—5 which make up the Tone Expressor system.
“With the individual slider switches of the Tone Expressor system, you can combine all five switching positions in any way you like, so you have countless possible combinations.”
Having a look under the hood reveals the Gibson Varitone system used on the ES models. My first thought was this was new wine in old bottles, but after having a deeper look, there are differences between the standard Gibson Varitone and the Tone Expressor system. The Gibson Varitone uses a 1.5 H inductor, while the Tone Expressor system has a 15 H inductor on board. The Varitone is a rotary switch, so you can only dial in one of the switching positions, no combinations. With the individual slider switches of the Tone Expressor system, you can combine all five switching positions in any way you like, so you have countless possible combinations. Electronically, the Tone Expressor is a switchable band-rejection filter; mids are attenuated and the result is a crisp, more twangy tone.
In this first of two parts about this very special circuit, I want to describe the switching positions of the Tone Expressor system. First, here are the individual parts:
• 500k audio master volume and master tone pot with a 0.02 μF tone cap. This configuration will work with mini-humbuckers as well as P-90 pickups.
• 2-way pickup-selector slider switch. Having the possibility to engage both pickups together (no matter if in parallel or in series) would enhance this wiring noticeably.
• 15 H inductor (choke). The inductor in this circuit creates a series of notch filters together with the caps of the individual switches, so the circuit doesn’t remove all signal above a certain frequency, but only a certain amount above and below that frequency. There is a lot of debate about using an inductor or not, and if so, what type.
Personally, I think adding an inductor is not the best choice. The design may have worked at the time, but today, most of us are looking for different sounds. While the Varitone has its fans, it was never very popular because it can suck tone, and a lot of people say that it doesn’t have a major effect anyway.
If you want to use an inductor and find a matching one, these have center-tapped primaries and secondaries. Use the entire primary or the entire secondary, and ignore center taps for the Varitone wiring. I had the chance to measure several original inductors (labeled TF-90-1C), and they all showed something between 12 H and 17 H; keeping their tolerances in mind, you can use any inductor in this ballpark.
• 10 M resistors. There is a 10 M resistor connected to the circuit in series to each of the five caps. These “pull-down” resistors prevent loud popping noises when using one of the switches—standard when switching capacitance like on the Varitone system.
• 100k resistor. Together with the caps on the switches, the single 100k series resistor creates a frequency selective voltage divider, which is essential to create a proper frequency notch. The value is well-chosen so there is no need to replace it.
On the Varitone rotary switch, position No. 1 is the bypass mode. The Al Caiola, with its slider switches, naturally doesn’t need an extra switch for this. When no switch is engaged, the Tone Expressor system is in bypass mode. In general, we can say that the bigger the cap, the thinner the tone, and vice versa. Or in other words: The bigger the cap, the more the humbucker tone is tidied up towards a more twangy and single-coil-like tone.
An up-close look at the controls for the Tone Expressor system.
Photo courtesy of Guitar Point (guitarpoint.de)
Here is what each switching position does:
• Switch No. 1 with 1000 pF cap corresponds to position two of the Varitone rotary switch and has a very subtle effect. It’s an unmistakably PAF-style humbucker tone, but with the bass frequencies tidied up a little. This setting can help cut through a mix and will prevent a boomy, woolly tone when playing full-tilt.
• Switch No. 2 with 3000 pF cap corresponds to position three of the Varitone rotary switch and is my favorite setting. Still a PAF-style humbucker tone, but tighter and with more transparency. This tone never gets too boomy and rides on the edge of the P-90 territory.
• Switch No. 3 with 0.01 μF cap corresponds to position four of the Varitone rotary switch. This reminds me of a typical P-90 tone with a tight bass and clarity in the high frequencies—very cool for some break-up blues playing.
• Switch No. 4 with 0.03 μF cap corresponds to position five of the Varitone rotary switch and is a very twangy and single-coil like setting that sounds like a Stratocaster—very useful and versatile.
• Switch No. 5 with 0.22 μF cap corresponds to position six of the Varitone rotary switch and is the most twangy setting. It reminds me a lot of a good Telecaster, especially with the bridge pickup.
Next month, we will look into different ways to set up and mod this circuit, so stay tuned!
Until then ... keep on modding!
Slinky playability, snappy sounds, and elegant, comfortable proportions distinguish an affordable 0-bodied flattop.
Satisfying, slinky playability. Nice string-to-string balance. Beautiful, comfortable proportions.
Cocobolo-patterned HPL back looks plasticky.
$699
Martin 0-X2E
martinguitar.com
Embracing the idea of an acoustic flattop made with anything other than wood can, understandably, be tricky stuff. There’s a lot of precedent for excellent-sounding acoustics built with alternative materials, though. Carbon-fiber flattops can sound amazing and I’ve been hooked by the sound and playability of Ovation and Adamas instruments many times.
High-pressure laminate, which is paper and resin pressed and covered by the image of wood grain, is another widely used alternative material. It certainly doesn’t sound glamorous. But as a construction material, it’s consistent and enables guitar companies to build more affordable instruments. It also minimizes the cost to the Earth’s forests—particularly where exotic hardwoods are concerned.
On the Mexico-made $699 Martin 0-X2E, the HPL back-and-sides are newly styled to look like cocobolo. But the big news is that the 0-X2E body uses a solid spruce top in place of the HPL tops on previous 0-X models. I can’t say I’ve been over the moon for most HPL- guitars I’ve played. But most of those have been dreadnoughts and didn’t have wood tops. Spending time with the 0-X2E made me a lot more enthusiastic about HPL as a back and sides material. It also made me wonder if a small-bodied guitar like a Martin 0 is better suited for the material. It sounded lively and felt fast, fun, and comfortable
Hybrid Evolution
The 0-X2E’s satin spruce top makes the guitar sound much cooler, but it also looks organic, understated, and pretty. That’s a good thing because the HPL representation of cocobolo looks pretty plasticky up close. Real cocobolo backs can be aesthetically polarizing, even in their most expensive incarnations. But the complexity, depth, and contrast of the real thing is rendered very two-dimensional here.
The “select hardwood” neck, bridge, and fretboard look a lot like sapele on our review guitar, but could also be utile or cedar, depending on what Martin has on hand in quantity at the time of manufacture. Like the spruce top, they lend a businesslike but pretty simplicity to the already lovely proportions of the 0-sized body. The guitar is conventionally braced on the back (should the use of HPL leave anyone wondering), uses scalloped X braces on the top, and save for the first and second frets, which could stand a little more shaping at the edges, fit and finish are very nice.Get with the Compact Act
While this may not be a universal sentiment, it would be hard to find a flattop body profile more comfortable than a Martin 0. It’s easy to imagine players that primarily play electric gravitating to the 0-X2E’s diminutive dimensions. But it’s also the kind of guitar that makes most playing—and fingerstyle in particular—a lot less fatiguing. Spending long hours working on technique or songwriting is a lot more effortless and inviting. The 0-X2E is a nice player, too, and would qualify as such in a higher price category. Fingerstylists will also enjoy the wider string spacing afforded by the 1 3/4" nut width.
“It’s easy to imagine players that primarily play electric gravitating to its diminutive dimensions.”
Sonically speaking, the 0-X2E is heavy on the midrange, and there are some bright overtones that verge on strident when you strum hard. That said, the guitar never sounds like it’s swimming in a mud of sloppy overtones. String-to-string volume is pretty even and it makes the guitar feel balanced, dynamic in terms of quiet-to-loud range, and detailed at the bass and treble side of the spectrum. And while the 0-X2E is not what the average player would call rich with bass, the 6th string has ample resonance, which underscores the guitar’s surprising and pleasing sustain. That encourages more spacious phrasing (if you’re into that sort of thing) and makes the 0-X2E a cool vehicle for lower alternate tunings.
The Verdict
Martin’s 0-sized, X-series guitars have, to date, each cost around 500 bucks. Is the spruce top, hardwood neck, fretboard, and bridge worth the extra $200? In a purely sonic sense, I would say yes. The 0-X2E has real character and is a pleasure to play. Plus, you get a pretty nice electronics package in the form of the Martin E1, a system that includes a tone control and a very convenient and clever tuner with a readout mounted inconspicuously just inside the soundhole, with an easy-to-read display that faces up toward the player.
There are a number of small guitar alternatives in the affordable sphere. Many of these are “mini” guitars of one kind or another, or inexpensive parlors. There aren’t a lot of inexpensive 0-bodied guitars out there in the strictest sense, though, and even solid-wood versions made in Asia often push past the $1K mark. It’s hard to match the elegant proportions and tone magic that happens in a Martin 0-body, and the 0-X2E serves up a fair bit of that. Whether you’re willing to pay almost 700 bucks for an 0-bodied instrument with a back that looks less-than-authentically wood-like will be a very personal aesthetic decision. But if you let your ears be the guide, the snappy, super-playable, and ultra-comfortable 0-X2E may well surprise.
The new Gibson ES Supreme offers AAA-grade figured maple tops, Super Split Block inlays, push/pull volume controls, and Burstbucker pickups.
The newest addition to the Gibson Supreme Collection, the ES Supreme, follows the release of the Les Paul and SG Supreme guitars earlier this year. This new ES model builds on the legendary versatility of the ES-335 and adds features that take it to new heights with its AAA-grade figured maple tops, Super Split Block mother-of-pearl neck inlays, push/pull volume controls for coil tapping, and more.
The Gibson Supreme Collection (L-R) Les Paul, ES, and SG.
Designed for smooth playability, the mahogany neck has a Rounded C profile and compound radius ebony fretboard, while the Burstbucker Rhythm Pro and Burstbucker Lead Pro pickups enhance sonic versatility. Available in two pickup models in three colors, as well as two exclusive finishes–including one equipped with three pickups–with their stunning looks and undeniable sonic appeal, these new ES models reign supreme. A hardshell guitar case is also included.
For more information, please visit gibson.com.