Grand Funk Fuzz?

[RetroTones]

Does anyone have or know where to locate a schematic for the Messenger Guitar's built-in fuzz circuit?
You know the one heard all over the first three Grand Funk Railroad albums.
Mark Farner's original fuzz sound there was so good.
ThanxX!

[RetroTones]

Found out... A Heathkit TA-28 was built right into the guitar.

[jmusser]

So, I've learned yet another thing! As a teenager I was a big Grand Funk fan, and totally wore out the black, double, "Mark, Don & Mel" album.  I never thought Mark was much of a guitar player, but I thought as a group they were one of the most dynamic of all time. I also though Mark was a great Rock singer.

[WGTP]

Yeah, I wore that out too.  I had a debate with a friend over whether GFR was better than Mountain and I took GFR.  I still listen to Mountain and never listen to GFR.  I guess I was wrong.  Leslie West used cranked Marshals and a LPjr.  Had a magnificent tone.  Mark Farner sounded like a fuzz box thru those big West amps.  Live and Learn.   

[Marcos - Munky]

Found out... A Heathkit TA-28 was built right into the guitar.

Well, so this is the fuzz I need to build . I'm not a BIG GFR fan, but like some of their songs a lot (mainly the "E Pluribus Funk" and "We're An American Band" albums). Anybody knows which fuzz was used on "E Pluribus Funk"?

[Doug_H]

Not familiar with the TA-28 but I've been able to nail the "Sin's a Good Man's Brother" tone with Tim E.'s Tripple Fuzz with the gain at about 75%. With that circuit you have the added benefit of a nice overdrive at low gain and over the top swell/fuzz sounds with the gain maxed.

I'm a GF fan from long ago and agree with the comments so far. MF is one of the rock&roll vocalist greats AFAIC. The band was *tight* and very exciting. Not a guitar virtuoso but that wasn't the point, I don't think... On the early stuff Mark's tone was horrid...but...kind of in a good way...

EDIT: More on the Messenger guitar here if anyone's interested: http://www.guitarplayer.com/story.asp?storyCode=13931

And here: http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Guitar/product/Messenger/Unknown/10/1

[MartyMart]

Grand Funk Railroad ?  Jeez , you guy's are as old as me !! 

MM

[Paul Marossy]

Hmm... that Messenger guitar is an interesting thing. When I started reading about an aluminum guitar, I was thinking it would be something like an aluminum Strat. Not quite what I expected. Interesting concept, though.

[jmusser]

Hey Marty, the way I figure it, if those albums were good enough when they were brought here on the Mayflower, they're good enough for me! One thing that I really like the tone of on the Grand Funk albums, was the organ. It really had some rasp to it. What was it, and was it played through a fuzz? I never got to see Grand Funk live, so I'm guessing Mark played the organ. "Foot Stompin' Music" comes to mind.

[sta63bmx]

Nobody has even mentioned the red album?   Grand Funk is the best GFR album I've ever heard, but I only listened to the greatest hits stuff and then E Pluribus Funk and On Time.  "Got This Thing On The Move" was rockin, and "Inside Lookin' Out" was killer.  His singing on "High Falootin' Woman" was good, too.

He had the trashiest, crappiest tone ever, but somehow it all worked. lol

[brett]

Grand Funk... yeah.
My older brother had that album.  I probably only heard it two or three times, but I remember the feel of it so strong.  For some reason it has a feel like some of the big brother and the holding company stuff.  Same drugs maybe??
cheers

[David]

Hey Marty, the way I figure it, if those albums were good enough when they were brought here on the Mayflower, they're good enough for me! One thing that I really like the tone of on the Grand Funk albums, was the organ. It really had some rasp to it. What was it, and was it played through a fuzz? I never got to see Grand Funk live, so I'm guessing Mark played the organ. "Foot Stompin' Music" comes to mind.

Mark had 2 keyboards.  A Rhodes and an organ.  I think it was too small to be a B3.  I believe the organ went into a small Leslie.  I'm guessing he had the amp cranked on the Leslie and just overdrove the crap out of it.  I think those little Leslies (would that have been a 145?) only put out 40W.  Anyway, on "Mean Mistreater", he abuses the Leslie the same way with his Rhodes.