# Gordie Johnson



## Tightbutloose (Apr 20, 2008)

Anyone else here a fan of Gordie Johnson (Big Sugar)?

Personally, the guitar tones on 500lbs and the Dear MF ep are the epitome of tone. That is my benchmark and what I strive to achieve with my gear.

I was fortunate to see Big Sugar during the 500lbs years, when they were sponsored by Hugo Boss and played more traditional blues-rock. Very, very nice (and loud as heck). His black beauty LP played through vintage Marshalls was simply superb.

A Canadian well deserving of the title "Guitar Hero" :rockon:

:bow:


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## dwagar (Mar 6, 2006)

:smilie_flagge17:

yep, I'm a fan too.


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## Jampy (Mar 27, 2008)

Huge Fan !!

Gordie

Big Sugar

Grady

Had the pleasure of meeting them in Barrie, many years ago. Great and humble guy.
:food-smiley-004:


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## Red Foreman (Apr 3, 2008)

Seen them live twice both times they kicked ass.


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## washburned (Oct 13, 2006)

*Whadidyasay?*

Seeing Grady live in F'ton two years ago is one of the highlights of my concert going music playing life...spent the whole 90 minute set two rows back from the stage right in front of Gordie's double Ampegs! Cat can play!


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

I like his tones on CD but I wouldn't want to be in the same room as his live rig again without SERIOUS hearing protection.

He's just way too loud for the rooms he plays. 


I was behind the FOH desk at one of Big Sugar's shows and his guitar strip was off all night.


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## Ripper (Jul 1, 2006)

The band I was in 2 years ago opened for Grady. It was great. I'm a big fan of his.


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## Tarl (Feb 4, 2006)

Milkman said:


> I like his tones on CD but I wouldn't want to be in the same room as his live rig again without SERIOUS hearing protection.
> 
> He's just way too loud for the rooms he plays.
> 
> ...


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## ampaholic (Sep 19, 2006)

Grady just played at a 125 seat bar here in Fredericton last week. I missed it but all reports is that it was amazing. Got a bunch of local players up to jam too which is pretty cool. Gordie is a fan of East Coast music and always turns out for our ECMA weekend hanging with Joel Plaskett, Chris Colepaugh, etc.


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## suttree (Aug 17, 2007)

Tarl said:


> Milkman said:
> 
> 
> > I like his tones on CD but I wouldn't want to be in the same room as his live rig again without SERIOUS hearing protection.
> ...


i don't think he'd hear you if you yelled it in his face.

i saw him once, at the horseshoe in toronto ages ago... that is not a big venue, and he had 4 marshall full stacks wide ****ing open. i heard one note, and left immediately. i went to the drugstore down the street, bought earplugs and went back. now, i've seen some hella loud concerts (NIN, judas priest, motorhead), but that was beyond reason. he sure can play though. great tone, too. 

i wouldn't enjoy mixing him at ALL..... although i'd have to imagine after all these years, he'd finally understand that there's just not going to be any way to effectively deliver him vocal monitoring...


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

suttree said:


> i don't think he'd hear you if you yelled it in his face.
> 
> i saw him once, at the horseshoe in toronto ages ago... that is not a big venue, and he had 4 marshall full stacks wide ****ing open. i heard one note, and left immediately. i went to the drugstore down the street, bought earplugs and went back. now, i've seen some hella loud concerts (NIN, judas priest, motorhead), but that was beyond reason. he sure can play though. great tone, too.
> 
> i wouldn't enjoy mixing him at ALL..... although i'd have to imagine after all these years, he'd finally understand that there's just not going to be any way to effectively deliver him vocal monitoring...


One of two things may have happened recently. He MAY have realized that you can get a better sound by using smaller amps OR he's so deaf by now that he can't hear no matter WHAT amps he uses.

Great player for sure though.


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## Hamstrung (Sep 21, 2007)

Milkman said:


> One of two things may have happened recently. He MAY have realized that you can get a better sound by using smaller amps OR he's so deaf by now that he can't hear no matter WHAT amps he uses.
> 
> Great player for sure though.


 
According to the Grady website he uses Traynors exclusively now. I wonder what model he uses? I always loved his tone. I sounds like the amp itself is gonna dance off the stage!


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## Tightbutloose (Apr 20, 2008)

suttree said:


> ... i wouldn't enjoy mixing him at ALL..... although i'd have to imagine after all these years, he'd finally understand that there's just not going to be any way to effectively deliver him vocal monitoring...


When I saw him c.1994, he wasn't using any vocal monitoring. I remember him saying that if Clapton and Hendrix got by without monitors, he could manage as well.

I agreed about Clapton, however I think Jimi could have benefitted from some vocal monitoring from time to time


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## suttree (Aug 17, 2007)

Tightbutloose said:


> When I saw him c.1994, he wasn't using any vocal monitoring. I remember him saying that if Clapton and Hendrix got by without monitors, he could manage as well.


he wouldn't be able to. at those volumes, it'd be an exercise in frustration, it's got nothing to do with clapton or hendrix, lol... although jimi was pretty damned loud, but that was usually outdoors.. i'd guess he was a lot quieter indoors, or he'd have been fired from his backup gigs in the early days.


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## LowWatt (Jun 27, 2007)

suttree said:


> now, i've seen some hella loud concerts (NIN, judas priest, motorhead), but that was beyond reason.


Wait...louder than Motorhead?!?!?!?!?!


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## fraser (Feb 24, 2007)

ive seen big sugar about a dozen times over the years. right up front, the sound just cuts through you, making all your internals dance. makes all the women dance too. first time i stood right up front and watched them do 'im a ram' it was an incredible rush.
i always took the volume to be a big part of the bands sound. 
i really loved the first big sugar record though. three peices, very jazzy feel.


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## suttree (Aug 17, 2007)

LowWatt said:


> Wait...louder than Motorhead?!?!?!?!?!


yes. actually, judas priest were louder than motorhead, too... but 4x100w marshall 8x12s in a 2-300 capacity room? that was simply too much.


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## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)

According to the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, the plutonium rock band Disaster Area is generally held to be not only the loudest rock band in the Galaxy,but in fact the loudest noise of any kind at all

But here on Earth, The power metal band Manowar is one claimant of the title of "loudest band in the world", citing a measurement of 129.5 decibels in 1994 in Hanover. But the Guinness Book doesn't recognize it because they no longer record that record - they do not want to encourage ear damage.

The Who were the last band listed as the record holder, at 126 decibels, measured at a distance of 32 metres from the speakers at a concert at Charlton Athletic Football Ground on 1976-05-31.

The British punk band Gallows allegedly broke Manowar's previous record for loudest band in the world, claiming to have achieved 132.5 decibels, however, this record was claimed in an isolated studio environment as opposed to live.

And I need to find something more productive to do with my time.


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## suttree (Aug 17, 2007)

Robert1950 said:


> According to the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, the plutonium rock band Disaster Area is generally held to be not only the loudest rock band in the Galaxy,but in fact the loudest noise of any kind at all


 yah but they're disqualified, because the lead singer is taking a year off dead for tax reasons. 

actually, weren't the who and judas priest having that battle in the first place? judas priest were LOUD, let me tell you..... as i recall they caused a 20 block brown out in toronto the concert i saw them at (defenders of the faith tour, i as a kid, lol... my ears rang for a week) but the loudest thing i've ever heard was that marshall stack line. it had to be over 130dB, i could literally feel the hairs on my arms moving with the guitar. don't forget that it's a lot tougher to be loud in an arena than in a small club... i've sat through some very loud concerts, but that one? i couldn't be in the same room without earplugs.


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## twoonie2 (Jan 19, 2008)

*Gordie*

Saw Big Sugar at Lee's Palace about a year or so before they disbanded... 

I agree with everyone else on the volume thing.. if you go see Gordie make sure you got some ear plugs.. 

I'm also a big fan of his new band Grady

http://shadygrady.net/


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## elindso (Aug 29, 2006)

I saw the Blue Cheer at a small venue in montreal a couple of years ago.

With ear plugs it was at the pain threshold.

I went to check the guitarists rig to see what distortion pedals he had.

a flanger and a tuner. His onstage Marshalls were on full volume.

Belive it or not Weather Report were one of the loudest acts I've ever seen.

There was no need for it Jaco was so fargin loud I guess Wayne and Joe wanted to keep up.

I've seen The Who, Led Zed, Vanilla Fudge, Mountain, Rolling Stones, and others that were no where near the (shear) volume of the above.


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## Cadence (Nov 20, 2007)

Even as a 'just for my own amusement' musician, I'm fond of my ears so at every (rock) concert since the first few I went to as a teen, I've worn ear plugs. You know, once I got over that, "I'm way too cool to preserve my hearing" stage. :wink:

I saw Big Sugar once when they were on their final tour and I'm glad I had them. Who was it that said you could feel the hairs on your arms, move? Yup, although I was no more than maybe 5 rows back from the stage. Damn good show too (it was Oktoberfest and the duet with polka king Walter Ostenak at the end was priceless).

Cadence


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## Lemmy Hangslong (May 11, 2006)

Definetly a fan of Gord's.
His tone is magnifique!

He is loud alright... louder than he has to be in my opinion but then again thats his vibe... his zone.

Either way I'll never forget the clinic i went to... it was LOUD but tonally blissful.

Craig


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## a Pack of Wolves (Sep 5, 2007)

i'd seen big sugar 4 times back in the day

one of the loudest shows i can remember,maybe somewhere near or louder than metallica (that's neither here nor there i know)

but gord's tone is always killer

i haven't seen him in grady yet

i don't know why he doesn't use the big sugar name anymore
it sounds more money than grady does

respect


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## Stevo (Apr 3, 2008)

Tarl said:


> Milkman said:
> 
> 
> > I like his tones on CD but I wouldn't want to be in the same room as his live rig again without SERIOUS hearing protection.
> ...


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## Takeoff (Mar 11, 2008)

Hey everyone,

First post here.

One thing about Gordie that really caught my attention was his pseudo-wah technique. He was playing his SG with the neck tone control rolled off and the bridge tone control up. He'd repeatedly flip the toggle switch between the three positions to go from really muddy in the neck, through the middle position, into really bright sounds in the bridge, and then back . Really creative way to get new sounds out of a guitar.


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## CocoTone (Jan 22, 2006)

Takeoff said:


> Hey everyone,
> 
> First post here.
> 
> One thing about Gordie that really caught my attention was his pseudo-wah technique. He was playing his SG with the neck tone control rolled off and the bridge tone control up. He'd repeatedly flip the toggle switch between the three positions to go from really muddy in the neck, through the middle position, into really bright sounds in the bridge, and then back . Really creative way to get new sounds out of a guitar.


That trick is as old as the electric guitar!!:zzz: Another over-rated player.

CT.


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## Tightbutloose (Apr 20, 2008)

*500 Pounds of Tone*

So I was in Capsule music today, which has a superb selection of amps and guitars, and got to chatting with one of the employees who was also a big Gordie fan.
Apparently this Capsule employee has been collaborating with many of the individuals that worked with Gordie on the 500 Pounds LP, and we got onto the topic of his recorded tone on 500 Pounds including how he got that massive guitar sound.
For years I had been convinced it was a P90 Black Beauty into a JTM-45 cranked through some pre-rola celestions.
You know what? Supposedly it was all done with his late 60s 335 into an *AMPEG JET*!!
No wonder I've been striking out in trying to get close to that tone.
Just thought y'all might find that interesting.



> another over-rated player


Cocotone, I'm pretty sure a guitarist has got to be _rated _before they can become _over-rated_. Gordie never makes any official "hero" lists that I've read...
:sport-smiley-002:


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## CocoTone (Jan 22, 2006)

Tightbutloose said:


> So I was in Capsule music today, which has a superb selection of amps and guitars, and got to chatting with one of the employees who was also a big Gordie fan.
> Apparently this Capsule employee has been collaborating with many of the individuals that worked with Gordie on the 500 Pounds LP, and we got onto the topic of his recorded tone on 500 Pounds including how he got that massive guitar sound.
> For years I had been convinced it was a P90 Black Beauty into a JTM-45 cranked through some pre-rola celestions.
> You know what? Supposedly it was all done with his late 60s 335 into an *AMPEG JET*!!
> ...


True dat.:wave:

CT.


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## thechamp96 (Jan 16, 2008)

Anyone know of a good site for Big Sugar tabs? Ultimate Guitar is normally my go to site for all of my tabs, but there selection isn't the greatest for some Canadian bands.


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## washburned (Oct 13, 2006)

[email protected] said:


> Anyone know of a good site for Big Sugar tabs? Ultimate Guitar is normally my go to site for all of my tabs, but there selection isn't the greatest for some Canadian bands.


I don't know if Gordie ever plays a song the same way twice!


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