HANK’S SOUND

In reply to your request in issue 455, I thought I would offer my journey to getting The Shadows sound. I have for a number of years taught H.B.M. style guitar, and have had to find suitable equipment to enable them to get the sound. I now own what I consider to be the best affordable amps for the job for my students: Peavey Classic 30 and Tweed Fender Blues Junior. Both can pretty well replicate the sound of the AC30/4 and the Top Boost version.

For the echo, I’m lucky enough to own a number of Korelec Atlantis 1 Guitar Echo machines. These were produced in Belgium during the late 90s/early 2000s by a man by the name of Hugo Huysentruit. Sadly, he no longer makes these, but they can occasionally come up on the auction sites. An excellent budget echo for the home player is the Marshall Echohead, for which I have produced some settings for my students. Anyone wishing to play in the style of Hank could be well on the way with just a Squier Classic Vibe Strat, a Blues Junior and the Echohead, without breaking the bank. Geoff Strachan, via email

There’s certainly no shortage of Hank fans who take an exacting approach to capturing his famous tone, but it’s surprising what can be achieved with tools that most of us have to hand. Often practicality has to temper our desire for exacting replication of famous tone. The main thing is to make sure that wonderful music is still enjoyed by live audiences, and taught to newcomer guitarists.