think i accidently recreated the 'spirit in the sky' greenbaum tone

[Skreddy]

I think we should make something and send it to Norman just to repay him for all the times his fuzz tone gave us a topic on these forums over the years.

[gez]

Now that would be good Karma!

[Skreddy]

I'd personally start with a Maestro Fuzztone circuit and work from there, playing with biasing and tuning it by ear.  Shouldn't be much of a radical departure from the basic circuit.

[doug deeper]

heres my attempt:
midfielectronics.com/fuzz.mp3

[caress]

heres my attempt:
midfielectronics.com/fuzz.mp3

i like that little bit right at the very end!  waahhrr   

[fixr1984]

IIRC there was an 80s version by Doctor & medics or something that sounded like a rhodes through a fuzz box.
I did not hear the original version in many years but it seemed like unbiased FF. Got to hear it again.

mac

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4N_cFKUBec

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFTN1AscGw8&feature=related

[RedHouse]

I can't seem to find it right now, but Norman did an interview where he said the same thing about the fuzz (being built by a friend) and further said it was actually built into the Telecaster.

One can see what looks like two knobs and switch on the lower portion of the scratch plate in the video.

I wonder what ever happened to the friend ? he never really say's, nor calls the friend by name.

I wonder if the video is from the 70's?.

I wonder if it's a real Tele?, it looks like it had double binding (front and back) and a sunburst'esque paint job.

...I think we should make something and send it to Norman just to repay him for...

Which is a cool idea, and another very cool idea might be a great once-and-for-all forum community project, to finally come up with a blatty-Sprit in the Sky-fuzz that actually nails the sound, an open ended project (well until the circuit is verified anyway) thing that goes on until solved, once and for all recreating that Spirit In The Sky tone. Now theres a challenge 'eh? we have no schematics, no physical sample of the unit, no pics, nothing but the recording and Normans word on his effects chain to go by.

Sound like a community thing that folks might like to do?

[8mileshigh]

I think it's a great idea.  I think starting with the Ge Fuzzrite will get us in the ballpark.  The bias is key. 

I have Ge transistors to donate to the project.

Chris

[gez]

If his friend made it for him, it could be a project from a magazine.  Anyone know the 'usual suspects' from that time?

I'd chip in a few dollars towards the 'Build Norm a Replacement Fuzz Fund'.

[joegagan]

cool.

[soulsonic]

I'd heard a rumor once that it was two Jordan Bosstones run at once. Though that's probably not what it was, maybe people had tried that and gotten a real similar sound, so that's how it became the story that it was what he actually used? Since I heard that, I've wanted to build a dual cascaded Bosstone thing just to see if it sounds close because it is a really cool tone.

[gez]

From here:

http://www.the-fuze.com/norman_greenbaum.html

AC:  Now with "Spirit In The Sky", how did that original riff come about? The legend goes that you used a Fender Telecaster modified with a built in fuzz box and Fender tube amp with lots of echo and reverb to record the song. Some of our readers want to know if you also did some creative things with the toggle switch to get that "chord going through space sound."  Do you still have that guitar? It would be considered a true collector's piece now. What guitarists did you listen to back in the day and who do you listen to now? Who were the early giants that influenced your playing style?

NG: My heavy industrial fuzz box riff was developed over a period of time, as I experimented along the way, finally, at last, getting it down. I did not slit thespeakers as many have thought over the years. As for the sound, you are correct regarding the Telecaster, a Fender tube amp and echo. The fuzz box was custom built right into the guitar by a friend of mine[bold my edit]. Just a small box with an on/off switch. I don't remember the model number of the Telecaster. I finger picked the riff and I did use lots of reverb. There really weren't any other gizmos used. You know to this day, I am still bound by an agreement with my producer/publisher (Erik Jacobsen) not to reveal any of the technical info of the song.  Sorry about that. Unfortunately, my guitar got lost along the way of many moves - a shame really. "

I think that any stompbox would have to have the option of a momentary 'mute' switch (stompable).

[gez]

I think that any stompbox would have to have the option of a momentary 'mute' switch (stompable).

Hmmm, perhaps not:

"Unfortunately I have retired from performing, as I have medical issues with my legs, broken at different times, from different accidents."

[David]

I think that any stompbox would have to have the option of a momentary 'mute' switch (stompable).

Hmmm, perhaps not:

"Unfortunately I have retired from performing, as I have medical issues with my legs, broken at different times, from different accidents."

Not so fast...

Who says you have to stomp the switch?  Why couldn't it be some kind of momentary-contact pushbutton somehow mounted to the guitar?

[Skreddy]

How 'bout designing the whole fuzz device, including bypass and momentary-mute switch, with a strap clip (like a Rockman) for easy access to the picking hand?