The Passions or The Clashions?

[IkarisOne]

Lead guitarist Mick Jones' arsenal includes a '58 Les Paul Sunburst, '60 Les Paul Junior and white twentieth Anniversary Model (Les Paul, of course), and a Gibson Semi-Acoustic. On stage he utilizes a brace of MXR gadgets, including the 100 Phaser, Flanger, Analog Delay, Noisegate. They're all run through a Roland Chorus Echo and on into a Mesa Boogie 1x15 100 Watt Combo (with speakers disconnected). And finally into two Marshall 4x12 Cabinets

[Kory]

Lead guitarist Mick Jones' arsenal includes a '58 Les Paul Sunburst, '60 Les Paul Junior and white twentieth Anniversary Model (Les Paul, of course), and a Gibson Semi-Acoustic. On stage he utilizes a brace of MXR gadgets, including the 100 Phaser, Flanger, Analog Delay, Noisegate. They're all run through a Roland Chorus Echo and on into a Mesa Boogie 1x15 100 Watt Combo (with speakers disconnected). And finally into two Marshall 4x12 Cabinets

What is the benefit of disconnecting the Mesa Boogie speaker, just to make use of the amp through the Marshall speakers instead? It seems like he could have just found a Boogie head somewhere instead of using a combo.

[IkarisOne]

Lead guitarist Mick Jones' arsenal includes a '58 Les Paul Sunburst, '60 Les Paul Junior and white twentieth Anniversary Model (Les Paul, of course), and a Gibson Semi-Acoustic. On stage he utilizes a brace of MXR gadgets, including the 100 Phaser, Flanger, Analog Delay, Noisegate. They're all run through a Roland Chorus Echo and on into a Mesa Boogie 1x15 100 Watt Combo (with speakers disconnected). And finally into two Marshall 4x12 Cabinets

What is the benefit of disconnecting the Mesa Boogie speaker, just to make use of the amp through the Marshall speakers instead? It seems like he could have just found a Boogie head somewhere instead of using a combo.

Did they make heads at the time? I'm not sure. I know they were pricey as hell back then. I think disconnecting the internals was about ensuring the maximum output to the stacks. Meaning x amount of power will be needed to power the internals that would otherwise be diverted to the Marshalls. I think Pearlman turned Mick on to the MB so that might have been his advice.

[IkarisOne]

Lead guitarist Mick Jones' arsenal includes a '58 Les Paul Sunburst, '60 Les Paul Junior and white twentieth Anniversary Model (Les Paul, of course), and a Gibson Semi-Acoustic. On stage he utilizes a brace of MXR gadgets, including the 100 Phaser, Flanger, Analog Delay, Noisegate. They're all run through a Roland Chorus Echo and on into a Mesa Boogie 1x15 100 Watt Combo (with speakers disconnected). And finally into two Marshall 4x12 Cabinets

What is the benefit of disconnecting the Mesa Boogie speaker, just to make use of the amp through the Marshall speakers instead? It seems like he could have just found a Boogie head somewhere instead of using a combo.

From what I gather Mesa didn't start making heads until 1989.

https://reverb.com/news/a-brief-history ... amplifiers

[Kory]

Lead guitarist Mick Jones' arsenal includes a '58 Les Paul Sunburst, '60 Les Paul Junior and white twentieth Anniversary Model (Les Paul, of course), and a Gibson Semi-Acoustic. On stage he utilizes a brace of MXR gadgets, including the 100 Phaser, Flanger, Analog Delay, Noisegate. They're all run through a Roland Chorus Echo and on into a Mesa Boogie 1x15 100 Watt Combo (with speakers disconnected). And finally into two Marshall 4x12 Cabinets

What is the benefit of disconnecting the Mesa Boogie speaker, just to make use of the amp through the Marshall speakers instead? It seems like he could have just found a Boogie head somewhere instead of using a combo.

Did they make heads at the time? I'm not sure. I know they were pricey as hell back then. I think disconnecting the internals was about ensuring the maximum output to the stacks. Meaning x amount of power will be needed to power the internals that would otherwise be diverted to the Marshalls. I think Pearlman turned Mick on to the MB so that might have been his advice.

It looks like they were making heads at the time, but they don't seem to be as plentiful/popular, based on a cursory Google search. Interesting info.

[IkarisOne]

I have a Gallien Kruger 250ML that I used to hook up to a Fender 2x12. I don't remember exactly but I believed hooking up to a cab bypassed the internals, which weren't terrific sounding. But the amp itself is 100w so it really smoked. I actually used to hook it up to a Marshall 4x12 at a rehearsal studio this band I played briefly with had. I was using an SGX preamp/FX unit and I swear to God it sounded exactly like Mick did for the WNEW show.

[IkarisOne]

I should add that if you're looking to replicate it, the secret ingredient to that nuclear dinosaur Mick Jones Clash sound is the flanger. You want a nice wet delay but it's flange that gives the distortion its mass. Especially on the lead work- Mick's lead work live is just absolutely drenched in flange and not chorus the way people assume. Chorus tends to mitigate that overdrive sound-- Andy Summers never seemed to figure that out.

[Kory]

I should add that if you're looking to replicate it, the secret ingredient to that nuclear dinosaur Mick Jones Clash sound is the flanger. You want a nice wet delay but it's flange that gives the distortion its mass. Especially on the lead work- Mick's lead work live is just absolutely drenched in flange and not chorus the way people assume. Chorus tends to mitigate that overdrive sound-- Andy Summers never seemed to figure that out.

It would have to be shallow though, right? Mick doesn't have that whooshing sound that we associate with heavy flange.

[Kory]

Lead guitarist Mick Jones' arsenal includes a '58 Les Paul Sunburst, '60 Les Paul Junior and white twentieth Anniversary Model (Les Paul, of course), and a Gibson Semi-Acoustic. On stage he utilizes a brace of MXR gadgets, including the 100 Phaser, Flanger, Analog Delay, Noisegate. They're all run through a Roland Chorus Echo and on into a Mesa Boogie 1x15 100 Watt Combo (with speakers disconnected). And finally into two Marshall 4x12 Cabinets

What is the benefit of disconnecting the Mesa Boogie speaker, just to make use of the amp through the Marshall speakers instead? It seems like he could have just found a Boogie head somewhere instead of using a combo.

From what I gather Mesa didn't start making heads until 1989.

https://reverb.com/news/a-brief-history ... amplifiers

If you do a Google search for it, and change the year as you go, you can see some older ones: https://www.google.com/search?client=fi ... nnju76W5_4

[IkarisOne]

Lead guitarist Mick Jones' arsenal includes a '58 Les Paul Sunburst, '60 Les Paul Junior and white twentieth Anniversary Model (Les Paul, of course), and a Gibson Semi-Acoustic. On stage he utilizes a brace of MXR gadgets, including the 100 Phaser, Flanger, Analog Delay, Noisegate. They're all run through a Roland Chorus Echo and on into a Mesa Boogie 1x15 100 Watt Combo (with speakers disconnected). And finally into two Marshall 4x12 Cabinets

What is the benefit of disconnecting the Mesa Boogie speaker, just to make use of the amp through the Marshall speakers instead? It seems like he could have just found a Boogie head somewhere instead of using a combo.

From what I gather Mesa didn't start making heads until 1989.

https://reverb.com/news/a-brief-history ... amplifiers

If you do a Google search for it, and change the year as you go, you can see some older ones: https://www.google.com/search?client=fi ... nnju76W5_4

So it looks like the first head was released 1979? Maybe Mick was already comfortable with his setup by the time they came to his attention.

[IkarisOne]

I should add that if you're looking to replicate it, the secret ingredient to that nuclear dinosaur Mick Jones Clash sound is the flanger. You want a nice wet delay but it's flange that gives the distortion its mass. Especially on the lead work- Mick's lead work live is just absolutely drenched in flange and not chorus the way people assume. Chorus tends to mitigate that overdrive sound-- Andy Summers never seemed to figure that out.

It would have to be shallow though, right? Mick doesn't have that whooshing sound that we associate with heavy flange.

Definitely. You want it just deep enough to beef up your signal but not so much that it feels like a whirlpool.

[Kory]

I should add that if you're looking to replicate it, the secret ingredient to that nuclear dinosaur Mick Jones Clash sound is the flanger. You want a nice wet delay but it's flange that gives the distortion its mass. Especially on the lead work- Mick's lead work live is just absolutely drenched in flange and not chorus the way people assume. Chorus tends to mitigate that overdrive sound-- Andy Summers never seemed to figure that out.

It would have to be shallow though, right? Mick doesn't have that whooshing sound that we associate with heavy flange.

Definitely. You want it just deep enough to beef up your signal but not so much that it feels like a whirlpool.

THAT'S IT I'm getting a flanger.

[Marky Dread]

Mick uses a flanger on the fade out of "Cheat" on the first album.

...yes it was Roadent as he was a roadie. Jumped ship and joined up with the Pistols.

[Marky Dread]

Mick uses a flanger on the fade out of "Cheat" on the first album.

...yes it was Roadent as he was a roadie. Jumped ship and joined up with the Pistols.

The Passions single is great.

[IkarisOne]

Mick uses a flanger on the fade out of "Cheat" on the first album.

...yes it was Roadent as he was a roadie. Jumped ship and joined up with the Pistols.

I believe that's outboard flange because pretty much everything is affected by it. What a great, unheralded cut.