Vintage Pedal question; Robbo Content

[JeffB]

Somehow I think Christian will be able to answer me first

Who has heard of a "colorsound" brand wah pedal? Are they still made? where were they made? Can ya still find them?

Brian Robertson is the only person who I know of that used one...I've never SEEN one..all I know is , I think he had the best sounding wah I've ever heard compared to people playing similar instruments/amps. It's throaty and warm and extremely vocal without too wide of a sweep (i.e. doesnt get muddy or super harsh/thin like a Vox/Morely etc).

Who's got the scoop?

[The Golden Boy]

Re: Vintage Pedal question; Robbo Content

Colorsound was big "back in the day." They made bunches of pedals. Wahs, fuzzes. I'm not sure, but I think they had something to do with Foxx.

[JeffB]

Re: Vintage Pedal question; Robbo Content

Thanks TGB

Bumpity for others...

[The Golden Boy]

Re: Vintage Pedal question; Robbo Content


I guess the 2 knob version of this is what Jimmy Page used for the first year or two of Zeppelin.

[JeffB]

Re: Vintage Pedal question; Robbo Content

Ahh..think I remember seeing one of those before TGB (Btw, linky in your PM no worky)

Bumpity for the morning crew

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Vintage Pedal question; Robbo Content

Colorsound was/is an English company that did very, very cool (imo) FX boxes...Fuzz's, overdrives, boosters, Ring mods, wah's, etc... The Colorsound Wahs do have a very different sound from any other wah I have ever tried/heard, and I have been on the hunt for a long time for a very specific one but I think that pretty soon Im gonna throw in the towel and just get one no matter which model it is. Colorsound wne under in the 70's but came back in the 90's and as far as I know has since gon under again...if you look around on Ebay you can find lots of differens Coulrsound boxes for pretty fair prices...a very cool late 60's Black and Chrom Colorsound Wah just ended lastnight (I was watching it) for $76.00 plus shipping! There were a few of the Wah's that had a built in fuzz tone...the fuzz tone is not like a tone bender but does have a cool vibe but the wah circut in the Fuz/Wah's was a bit different. Kim from Soundgarden used a Colorsound Wah in the later years of Soundgarden (think Pretty Noose) and Billy Gibbons uses one as well. The 90's reissues are JUST AS GOOD as the 60's and 70's and often times sell for a little more than the originals due to them being in better physical condition. I have heard roumers that Coulrsound has NOT gone out of bus but that they have simply cut way down on production...that said Im not 100% sure what the deal is with them as of today. Either way, I have seen colorsound Wah's sell from $55 up to about $170 or so but you should be able to snag one on Ebay pretty easily from around $100.

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Vintage Pedal question; Robbo Content

This one says VOX but it is a Colorsound wah...pretty rare too!

http://cgi.ebay.com/Vox-Wah-pedal-70s-vintage-Colorsound_W0QQitemZ7354169273QQcategoryZ22669QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

That is the only one I see on Ebay right now but if you really want one just kee looking back and you'll see them...they pop up all the time.

[JeffB]

Re: Vintage Pedal question; Robbo Content

Bless you my Son

You always come through Bro

Glad I'm not just "hearing things" as regards to the Wah.....Everytime I put on some Lizzy, I'm floored by the tone.

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Vintage Pedal question; Robbo Content

glad I could help!

[Simon_F]

Re: Vintage Pedal question; Robbo Content

I believe Colorsound pedals were developed by Lou Macari, who was one of the leading lights of the Denmark Street / Tin Pan Alley music shop scene in London in the sixties. When I started playing in the 70s, Colorsound pedals were the obvious choice in the UK because every music shop stocked them and they were cheaper than American imports. The guitarist in my first band (when we were 14/15) had a Tonebender. I had a Colorsound Phaser and I STILL have a Colorsound Supa Wah I bought new in about 1976. It cost £25 ($45). I don't use it these days - I suspect it needs adjusting. It has a wide sweep, but goes from OOOOO to AAAAAA too abruptly - there's no sweet spot. I'm reluctant to mod it as it is all original, except for a hole my friend drilled at one time so we could use it with an external power supply instead of a battery. If anyone knows what the fix for the sweep issue is I'd be grateful for any advice.

I am a big Robbo fan and I suspect the wah tone he achieves is more about his technique than about any particular wah. I have a "tuition" video he made in the 90s ("Still In Love With Blues") where he discusses and demonstrates key aspects of his playing. It includes a section on the wah pedal. The interviewer (Stuart Bull) mentions that "today we're using a Vox wah pedal", but they don't discuss the relative merits of different wahs at all. Robbo shows off his wah technique and it sounds just as good to me as his classic Lizzy stuff.

Robbo rocks!

[PUCKBOY99]

Re: Vintage Pedal question; Robbo Content

I am a big Robbo fan....... Robbo rocks!

Really??????

[JeffB]

Re: Vintage Pedal question; Robbo Content

I am a big Robbo fan and I suspect the wah tone he achieves is more about his technique than about any particular wah. I have a "tuition" video he made in the 90s ("Still In Love With Blues") where he discusses and demonstrates key aspects of his playing. It includes a section on the wah pedal. The interviewer (Stuart Bull) mentions that "today we're using a Vox wah pedal", but they don't discuss the relative merits of different wahs at all. Robbo shows off his wah technique and it sounds just as good to me as his classic Lizzy stuff.

Robbo rocks!

VERY True Simon! Brian's got a great style, and I'm a firm believer in hands (and in this case 'feet", too) make up alot of the tone....I just have never heard anyone...even the REALLY good wah players who HAD really good wahs(schenker for one), have that "sweet" of a wah tone.

Hey BTW, Did Brian beat the $hit out of the interviewer at the end of the video?

[Simon_F]

Re: Vintage Pedal question; Robbo Content

Hey BTW, Did Brian beat the $hit out of the interviewer at the end of the video?

No. They are drinking beer in the last section, but it all ends amicably.



Well, maybe after the cameras stopped rolling.......

[JeffB]

Re: Vintage Pedal question; Robbo Content

No. They are drinking beer in the last section, but it all ends amicably.

Well, maybe after the cameras stopped rolling.......

Did he have a cast on his arm in part two?

Thanks for the info...and I must say it's damn nice to chat with someone who understands the genius guitar player that is Brian Robertson!

Was listening to the Peel session of Killer Without a Cause, along with a few tracks off Jailbreak last night...

BTW..ever heard Norum's covers of KWAC, Opium Trail, Wild One, and other Lizzy stuff? Does a damn good job...

[Simon_F]

Re: Vintage Pedal question; Robbo Content

Was listening to the Peel session of Killer Without a Cause, along with a few tracks off Jailbreak last night...

That Peel Sessions CD is superb!

BTW..ever heard Norum's covers of KWAC, Opium Trail, Wild One, and other Lizzy stuff? Does a damn good job...

Don't think I've ever heard those.

My latest Lizzy acquisition is a bootleg DVD of the 1975 Dublin Stadium gig (from an Irish TV show). It's when they were touring the Fighting album. Excellent stuff, though not the greatest quality picture so I'm on the lookout for a better copy.

Getting back to Colorsound, their Phaser was a strange beast - it looked like a wah pedal. The position of the treddle set the speed. The Supa Wah I have is wider than their standard wah, but apart from that I've no idea what makes it "Supa".