I guess this'll make you laugh even more then, because I disagree
. Some of us heard and discussed the Shads' version of
Happy Birthday recently, and the majority of us agreed that it was the one of the best Shads sounds on record. Change the echo unit and the sound would not have the same appeal - the Meazzi breathes extra life into Hank's sound. The EF86 circuit simply gives it the "edgy" compression that we know and love.
Ernie, David and any others who have had experience with Meazzis and found them unsatisfying have undoubtedly used stock machines and have likely been too scared to alter them. The problem is that these tape units do not have quite the same circuitry and head settings as Hank's original units. So, you may say it defaces and devalues the unit, but to get the right sound, Meazzis - such as the ones Phil and I own -
have to be altered before they sound anywhere near right for Shads music. Robbo, there was a vast change in Colin's sound when he started using the Meazzi. Listen to the Rapiers'
Shadoogie from 2005 with the Long Tom and then again to their 2008 version. I hear a marked improvement.
Why do the sounds from Gary and the TVS team sound so good? Because their unit incorporates the Meazzi circuitry into the guitar signal.
I know I've found the sound that satisfies my ultra-critical ear, and I won't be changing my Meazzi for anything in the world. Apart from another good Meazzi.
Still,
à chacun son goût.
J