|
| |
 |
|
Hello, my name is Ron Sykes. I am 46 years old and live in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma with my wife, seven cats, a dog and no children. My job is shop foreman at my in-laws neon shop. Our main interest is outfitting and servicing Sonic Drive-Ins. My wife and I are Christians and are members of victorychurch.tv in OKC, which is a very cool, growing, life-giving church. I play guitar in the worship band. I also can play keyboard, bass guitar and drums, but guitar is my first love. I'm pictured with my homemade copy of an EVH Ernie Ball Music Man and a homemade Brian May Red Special copy that is a VERY late Christmas present for my wife (I just finished it a few weeks ago). I didn't make the neck for either guitar. That is something |
| I don't have the skill or the tools for ...YET. I started playing guitar when I was 10 on an old beat up Harmony acoustic with heavy strings and action a mile high. My dad got me a Johnny Cash record which I wore out learning his songs. Eventhough I love to rock, Johnny is still cool in my world, God rest his soul. As you can tell by the picture and the soundbytes, Edward Van Halen has had a profound influence on my perception and playing of the electric guitar. When Van Halen debuted in 1978, I didn't care for Ed's playing. It was very extreme and over-the-top for what was considered mainstream at the time. I thought that either he was drinking WAY too much coffee, or that he was extremely starved for attention. It wasn't until I heard his solo on Michael Jackson's "Beat It" that I found myself hooked. I began to look at his playing as inventive, colorful, soulful and dynamic. After that, I bought some VH tapes and started wearing them out, trying to capture his style. I also started modifying a stratocaster copy I had at the time in an attempt to further nail his sound. In 1988 I began cutting out my own guitar bodies. I've made a LOT of mistakes since then and am STILL learning. My wife's guitar has been the closest thing to perfection I've ever done. The big reason for that is that instead of getting impatient on her project like I've done on every other body I've built, I stepped back instead of rushing in. AND, HERE'S THE BIGGIE, if I came to a step in the process I was unskilled at I PRACTICED ON A SCRAP PIECE OF WOOD FIRST instead of experimenting on the expensive wood. My Ernie Ball copy is a prime example of a rush job. I was so anxious to get it done and play it, that it has some structural problems and a yukky paintjob. The picture makes it look WAY better than it really is. But I have plans to redo this guitar in the near future. This one will be something I can be proud to show. A big part of the frustration for me over the years in trying to emulate EVH's sound has been the search for the right pickup. I used to think that either my playing ability sucked or that my guitars weren't set up right. I had a feeling though, that it was the pickup. I've tried many pickups since the mid 80's 'til now in my search for great, articulate, dynamic tone. I'm glad I took a chance on "Mr. Browney". I can gladly say that the search is over. The attack and dynamics of this pickup are unbelievable. It's almost like it has a built-in compression effect. Thank you, Joey Palmiery, for making my day for many days to come. Playing guitar is VERY therapeutic for me. Sometimes I play on my lunch break, or when I come home from work, and it's good to know a great guitar tone is there waiting if I need it. |
I have been playing in bands for 43 years. It is my full-time profession. Currently I am in a band called "Jake and the Cat" doing smooth jazz and R&B.
I started playing surf music in the early 60's and went to rock and roll and pop. I worked with the Grass Roots and the Turtles doing shows in Alaska where I grew up got started playing guitar. I then moved to the northwest and worked the club circuits on the west coast, playing blues, rock and country. Currently, I like the work of Larry Carlton and Robben Ford and gravitate towards those stylings. Over the years, I have gone through a 65 Gibson 330, 67 Gibson 335, 57 telecaster, 68 Les Paul, 68 Gibson SG, 71 stratocaster, Yamaha SG2000, |
|
 |
86 Paul Reed Smith and few others I cannot remember. Right now, I am totally thrilled with a custom chambered telecaster equipped with Genesis Humbuckers (Vintage and Blues). It is the most inspiring tone I have ever had from ANY guitar I have ever owned. The pickups are "magical". In fact, I ordered the same set and put on my Gibson ES 335 which greatly improved it's tone and responsiveness.
Thank you Joey for giving me the best tone of my life.
| Dean Forbes |
| Springfield, Oregon |
|
 |
|
All of the sample audio files came from various Genesis Pickup users. Special thanks to Amir and his friends for recording the sample files using the Genesis Blues Humbucker set. To listen, click the corresponding files below or to download, right click the link and play it on your computer. Genesis Blues 1 (2:22) and Genesis Blues 2 (2:22) soundfiles features the wide range of tone and playing styles that the pickups cover. Genesis Blues 3 (4:09) soundfile is an entire song recorded by a famous guitar player in Bosnia. I encourage everybody to listen to it. |
In order to best serve our customers, we are currently working on new sound files for all our pickups. Special thanks to Ronnie for the Mr. Browney sound clips. Below are sample audio files that you can download.
Here are helpful info about Ronnie's gear setup:
Fender American Strat - Genesis Mr. Browney Humbucker Pickup
Marshall Plexi 50 Watt
Marshall Echohead Delay Pedal
2x12 Cabinet Vintage 30's
If you want other players to listen to your Genesis Pickup recording through this website, you may contact us at info@genesissounds.com. Enjoy!
|
|
|
|
