Guitar Tech: Distortion

What started by accident has now become one of the most important and recognisable accents of the contemporary electric guitar sound. Ciarán Robinson explains what distortion is and how to use it.

Legend has it that the distorted guitar sound was born when an amp fell off the roof of a car. That amp belonged to Willie Kizart, guitarist for Ike Turner’s band, the Kings of Rhythm. When they got to the studio, they found that the speaker was damaged, and there was no time or money to replace it, so they had to stuff the crack in the cone with paper. The sound was something new and exciting, and the resulting recording, Rocket 88, reached Number One for Jackie Brenston And The Delta Cats in June 1951.

This feature first appeared in Music Tech Magazine issue 06
Filed under General Features, Guitar Tech

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