Attention John Wetton fans...

vegas532 · #1 12-21-2007, 11:28 AM

I've had my head so far up the derriere of Tony Levin for so long that I'm just discovering Wetton era Crim. Do any of you know what the fuzz and wah of choice was for him,because it's quite a tone!
http://http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-V6OZdvygo

Marcury · #2 12-21-2007, 11:46 AM

Can't help on the gear, but love that version of Crimson. In many ways my favorite Crimso, though I don't really compare Wetton and Levin, as the two bands are so different as are their styles and approaches. But Wetton has had much more influence on my playing, largely though because that band is the one that was around when I started getting serious about playing.

Mr. BooBoo · #3 12-21-2007, 01:12 PM

Wetton used Hi-Watt guitar amps didn't he? I believe that is how he got such a mean tone. Pretty sure the wah is just a guitar wah. They didn't have the crazy "bass technology" back then that we have now. He used a 60s P bass

Yea agreed, You can't compare the KC eras they are too vastly different. I like to think of the more recent KC line up as a "supergroup"

Levin Rules
Gunn Rules
Wetton Rules

The guy who played on Islands....meh.....

Prahainspring · #4 12-21-2007, 03:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr. BooBoo

Wetton used Hi-Watt guitar amps didn't he?

Yup. That into a cerwin-vega loaded cab. If you buy The Great Deceiver Box set, Fripp often complains that Wetton is louder then everything... including the PAs. The dude had volume.

He's using some Italian made Fuzz-wah. I don't know if he specifically mentioned what brand.

Swimming Bird · #5 12-21-2007, 04:08 PM

I'm a little iffy on Trey. A bit of a cornball for my taste.

Does anybody else here a lot of Wetton in Claypool's style?

Sorry I can't really help with gear. Is it possible he's just overdriving his Hi-Watt for the fuzz bit..? Also, I don't see him moving his foot -- just what's going on in that video?

RickenBoogie · #6 12-21-2007, 04:12 PM

[quote=Mr. BooBoo;5058873

The guy who played on Islands....meh.....[/QUOTE]

Wasn't that Greg Lake?

gweimer · #7 12-21-2007, 04:16 PM

I've read before that Wetton used a Big Muff, but I could be wrong. It was all 12" cabs for him. I got to see him with King Crimson in '73. Amazing show, especially since Bruford's kit took up half the stage. I found out later that it wasn't his kit. It was actually Jamie Muir's, and when Muir left, Bruford got the job of covering both bases.

Boz Burrell played on Islands.

And Trey Gunn fit the band perfectly. The Power To Believe is probably their best album - I didn't miss Levin/Bruford at all. And after seeing that line-up live, I was sold. They were amazing. I even watched them train-wreck and re-right it without a whole lot of effort.

vegas532 · #8 12-21-2007, 04:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Swimming Bird

I'm a little iffy on Trey. A bit of a cornball for my taste.

Does anybody else here a lot of Wetton in Claypool's style?

Sorry I can't really help with gear. Is it possible he's just overdriving his Hi-Watt for the fuzz bit..? Also, I don't see him moving his foot -- just what's going on in that video?

At approximately 4:20 he goes into a lovely fuzz/wah groove.

bradjonesbass · #9 12-21-2007, 04:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RickenBoogie

Wasn't that Greg Lake?

I think you're right... I love Greg Lake.

Mr. BooBoo · #10 12-21-2007, 06:05 PM

Trey is great! His solo work and work with KC and Quodia is unbelievable!

Power to believe is cool, but Construktion of Light is a personal favorite of mine with Mr. Gunn.
The way that Tony and Trey work together on Thrakk is way cool too.
Adrian Belew, Robert Fripp, Tony Levin, Trey Gunn and Pat now that is a supergroup!

I remember somewhere, it saying fripp had to teach the guy how to play bass on islands.

This kind of puts me in the mood to listen to my King Crimson LPs

Swift713 · #11 12-21-2007, 07:57 PM

I've gotten a Wettonesque tone with an EH 2ube pre with the channels run in series. I think Starless and Bible Black was the album that really made me a true believer. Tony and Trey are both amazing as well. They never cease to inspire.

Prahainspring · #12 12-21-2007, 07:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Prahainspring

He's using some Italian made Fuzz-wah. I don't know if he specifically mentioned what brand.

I just thumbed through the Great Deceiver booklet and Fripp says it's a Foxx Fuzz/wah.

gweimer · #13 12-21-2007, 08:34 PM

Quote:

I remember somewhere, it saying fripp had to teach the guy how to play bass on islands.

I think Boz was a roadie. I've heard the same story, but he has to have had some musical knowledge in him. He came up to speed awfully quick.

Swimming Bird · #14 12-21-2007, 09:57 PM

Hmm... I had heard that Boz auditioned for singer and got it. Then when they looked for a bassist and didn't find one Fripp just taught him how to play.

Speaking of Boz, Bad Company is a guilty pleasure of mine. Didn't he die pretty recently?

vegas532 · #15 12-21-2007, 11:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Prahainspring

I just thumbed through the Great Deceiver booklet and Fripp says it's a Foxx Fuzz/wah.

...and I happen to have one. Methinks it's time to break out the old Foxx, it's been awhile.

Marcury · #16 12-21-2007, 11:51 PM

Boz, was hired as a singer to replace Gordon Haskell who sang and played bass on Lizards. Rick Kemp who later became Steeleye Span's bassist was playing bass in that lineup, but he quit and Fripp decided to teach Boz to play bass instead of auditioning and hiring another bass player.

He died last year.