Boss Tone Guitar Effect Distortion Module

Boss Tone Begins

1966 was a very good year for the guitar players that were looking for something different. Jordan electronics, a subsidiary of Victoreen, a company built on their line of geiger counters, was formed to make instrument amplifiers and guitar effects. Victoreen’s motto was “The Worlds First Nuclear Company” Boss Tone was their biggest success in the guitar effect area. They had already made a line of solid state amps that were referred to by most reviewers only as LOUD! 

Spirit In The Sky

by Norman Greenbaum used the "Boss Tone" guitar effect.

Boss Tone
Victoreen Geiger Counter
Victoreen X-Ray
Jordan SS amp 2-12 model

Alhambra First Then off to Pasadena

The first model has the Alhambra, California address on the back.  Early in their production the company moved to Pasadena and that address was stamped on the back through the end of manufacture, approx. 1970. It was a simple design using 2 transistors. One as a voltage gate and the other as a buffer. Only a fraction of the size of the other distortion effects on the market and priced to sell at $29.95. No consideration was made for the popular guitar, Fender Stratocaster, as it plugged directly into the 1/4″ guitar jack and Fender had a recessed output. It have no shielding, so many times they were the source for a local radio station bleeding through an amp. What they did better than the others was manufacture true colorful distortion. When properly adjusted, there was nothing on the market that came close. Fat, smooth overdrive that was attached to the guitar so it was easily accessible to the player. Boss Tone became a must have for pedal steel players. Shot Jackson and Buddy Emmons licensed a version called Sho-Bud Boss Tone. Look carefully at your favorite Nashville type pedal steel player’s rig and you will most likely see one plugged into the output jack!

Sho-Bud Boss tone
Sho-Bud Boss Tone 1
Sho-Bud Boss Tone Bottom w/sticker
Boss Tone Circuit Board

Spiritual Boss Tone

Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys uses a Boss Tone. Randy California of Spirit wouldn’t leave home without his. It’s rumored it was in his pocket when he drowned. You can hear it in the first 4 Spriit  albums. Many have been converted to a floor pedal and have shielding added. It seems the Stratocaster players don’t want to be left out!  The first version had a green circuit board, used a transistor made by Motorolla and has a more aggressive fuzz than the subsequent model with a brown circuit board. All versions are awesome but the green board version is highly sought after. 

 

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Gibson Thick Body SG Fact or Myth?

Different Versions

According to the 1959 price guide and my copy of the 1960 Gibson catalog, the model of guitar commonly referred to as Les Paul Special, was actually the first SG. The double cutaway instrument was the same thickness as the Les Paul standard but with a non carved top. They are flat on the top and bottom. I have seen examples from as early as 1958. Single coil P-90 pickups were installed and they are mostly found in limed finish and cherry red. Gibson is known for it’s lack of dedication to consistency, so I expect there could be some examples of other colors out there. There were a few states of these fine Gibson thick body SG guitars.

1959 Gibson Price List

1959-Pricelist

1960 Gibson Catalog showing the thick body SGs

1960 Gibson Catalog SG

1960 Gibson catalog showing thick body SGs

1960 Gibson Catalog

First Version

Thick body Gibson SG Version 1The first Gibson thick body SG had a large neck profile, body-neck joint at the end of the finger board and the selector switch above the volume and tone knobs. The neck pickup was about 1/4″ from the end of the body and the bridge pickup was also close to the angled stop tailpiece bar type bridge. The intonation was only adjustable on each end of the bridge. This worked surprisingly well however and the solid connection between the bridge and body make them sing. All I have picked up so far had pretty hot pickups. 

 

Second Version

Thick body Gibson SG Version 2The second version had a little thinner neck. The pickup selector was moved to the area that became the standard for subsequent models. It was now in front of the volume controls adjacent to the pick guard. All I have seen of this version have a serial number that begins with 9, then a space followed by the rest of the digits. The neck joins the body the same way as the first version with the bridge pickup still very close to the end of the body. Both of these first versions had a high percentage of failure. There was simply not enough wood left in that area. Many have had repairs. 

 

Third Version

Thick body Gibson SG Version 3The next version of the Gibson thick body SG seems to have happened around 1960. The neck was moved into the body and joins at the 22nd fret. They had similar spacing for the neck pickup, about 1/4″ from the end of the fret board. This neck profile is my personal favorite. Thin and wide. Serial numbers were ink stamped like the earlier models with a 0, a space, then the rest of the numbers. 

 

Fourth Version

Thick body Gibson SG Version 4

Version 4 was exactly like the previous one except the neck pickup was moved a little further, approximately 1″ from the fret board. They used that spacing through the production of Gibson thick body SGs. 

5th and final Gibson Thick Body SG

Thick body Gibson sg version 5The last change to the Gibson thick body SG before extinction was moving the stop tailpiece anchors in line with each other and using a compensated bridge. All I have seen of those had pressure stamped serial numbers and were made 1961 on. The latest one I have seen was 1963. 

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Gibson SG Guitars

Buddyblackattack

According to my copy of the 1960 Gibson catalog, the model of guitar commonly referred to as Les Paul Special, was actually the first SG. The double cutaway instrument was the same thickness as the Les Paul standard but with a non carved top. They are flat on the top and bottom. I have seen examples from as early as 1958. Single coil P-90 pickups were installed and they are mostly found in limed finish and cherry red. Gibson is known for it’s lack of dedication to consistency, so I expect there could be some examples of other colors out there. There were a few states of these fine Gibson thick body SG guitars.

Epiphone By Gibson

The Korean Connection

In 1985 Gibson commissioned Korea based Samick Guitar builders to begin making a few models under the Epiphone trademark, moving their manufacture from Matsumoku Japan. The most popular of them was the Sheraton II. A run of about 50 were made with the first version of lettering on the headstocks. These were premium quality instruments but the logos were a bit unrefined. Buddy Black has been searching the world for these rarest of the Sheratons and as of this writing has found and purchased 2. Buddy says, “I would have loved to have been in the Gibson board room when the Samick representatives walked in with the first ones. Not sure if there was laughter involved, but I expect they left with urgency to make a more acceptable model!!” There were at least 2 more subsequent states of headstock lettering that were increasingly better refined. All of the Korean made Sheratons are examples of superior fit and finish. They play like a dream with very low action. The frets are smooth as silk, binding is nearly perfect and the paint is as well masked and applied as anything Gibson ever did. They mirrored the upscale combination of mother of pearl and abalone position markers used in the 50’s and 60’s models. 5 layer binding around the neck and headstock and 6 layer around the top. Those were accented by a thin layer of black between the binding and the body color. As in the better Gibson models, they have binding nibs at the fret ends. They even bound the f-holes! About 1989 Samick changed the headstock logo to only Epiphone, with Gibson etched into the truss rod covers. The gold plating is as sturdy as Gibson. All said, they are some FINE guitars.

Epiphone First State

Epiphone First State

Epiphone First State

Epiphone Second State

Epiphone Final State

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More Epiphone History

Epiphone Sheraton – Wikipedia
Under the ownership of Epaminondas (“Epi”) Stathopoulo, Epiphone was a leading manufacturer of hollow-body and archtop guitars. Epi Stathopoulos died in 1943. Control of the company went to his brothers, Orphie and Frixo. In 1951, a four-month-long strike forced a relocation of Epiphone from New York to Philadelphia. The company was bought out by their main rival, Gibson in 1957. In 1958, Gibson began to expand upon its Epiphone line of semi-hollow guitars. They reworked Epiphone’s old Century archtop into a thinline electric fitted with a single P-90. This was followed by the introduction of a twin-pickup, double-cut thinline semi-hollowbody, the Sheraton. The original Gibson-made Epiphone Sheratons were up until 1970, when production moved to Japan, and major design changes began to occur.
Gibson used the same body for the Sheraton as it was using for its new ES-335, ES-345, and ES-355 models. It featured the same double rounded horns, and had similarly placed electronics. The Sheraton was fitted with a set glued-in neck, in accordance with Gibson’s standard practice. Distinguishing characteristics of the Sheraton included its multiple body binding (like that of its top of the line Gibson cousin, the ES-355); its Frequensator tail piece; and its headstock and fretboard inlays. Unlike any of the semi-hollowbodies in the Gibson line, the Sheraton’s headstock featured Epiphone’s traditional fancy vine (or “tree of life”) inlay on its headstock, while its fretboard featured a block and triangle (or “V”) inlay of mother-of-pearl and abalone, as well as binding on the fretboard’s surface, inset slightly from the outer edges.
 

 

Rare White Epiphone

Natural First State Epiphone

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1958 Epiphone Sheraton introduction specs:

 Thin body, double cutaway, semi-hollow with solid maple block down center; 2 Epiphone “New York” (single coil) pickups; 2 volume and 2 tone controls with white ‘carousel’ knobs, and a pickup selector switch; tune-o-matic bridge with no retainer wire; gold plated metal parts; Frequensator tailpiece or Bigsby vibrato; bound tortoise-shell pickguard; Epiphone ‘E’ tuners; multiple bound top and back; single bound rosewood fingerboard; abalone/pearl block “V” fingerboard inlays, neck joins body at 19th fret, 5-piece neck (from remaining Epiphone-built inventory) has a “V” chunky back shape; tree of life pearl peghead design; sunburst or natural finish. 1961 Sheraton specs: Parts begin to change to Gibson-made parts. The pickups are changed from the New York single coils to mini-humbuckers, knobs become gold gibson bonnet knobs, tuners become Grovers. Serial number now pressed into the back of the peghead between the D and G tuners, in addition to being on the blue Epiphone label in the bass “f” hole. The new Epiphone “Trem-o-tone” adjustable vibrato tailpiece is introduced. 1962 Sheraton specs: Production changes from NY-made Epi necks to Gibson-made mahogany necks. Cherry red finish introduced (this will remain the rarest Sheraton finish throughout Gibson’s production period of the 1960s). “Epiphone” script inlay on headstock becomes more streamlined in appearance. 1963 Sheraton specs: Peghead shape becomes more elongated. Binding on fretboard moves to outer edges (no longer inset). 1965 Sheraton specs: Sunburst finish becomes more two-tone (tobacco to amber). Late 60’s to 1970: Neck width narrows to 1 9/16″, as on many Gibson-made guitars of the era.
 
Sheraton production totals (data from 1961 to 1970 only): Cherry – 53 Cherry w/vibrato – 20 Natural – 59 Natural w/vibrato – 49 Sunburst – 243 Sunburst w/vibrato – 197

In Conclusion 

In 1970, production ceased in U.S., and began in Japan. Mini-humbucking pickups were discontinued on the Sheraton, changing to standard full-sized humbuckers; serial numbering system changes. Body and headstock shapes began to evolve, as they will continue to do throughout the 1980s and into the 2000s, as production also shifted from Japan to Korea. Korean build manufactured up until at least 2012 however serial numbers changed to an all number type after 2008. To tell if it’s Korean built, it will have the following prefix: I=Saein, S=Samick, U=Unsung, and R or P=Peerless and if all number type serial number will be identified (Unsung for example) as ’21’ as the 5th & 6th numbers.
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