ZZ
TOP and those weird, strange microphones
When it comes to customizing, ZZ TOP's still the king. Talk about cars, guitars
and anything else surrounding the bandmates and it'll come up, "custom"
with the band on tour for
the 'XXX' show. These are not just microphones that got picked up off a shelf
from the sound company. These are microphones with reproductive qualities up
to a year 2000 standard. What makes these particular pieces interesting is that
they just happen to be celebrating a 30 year old birthday! "How can this be???"...
let's just ask "ZZ".
Sound man extraordinar, Mr.
Toby Francis, (yes, that's guitar-specialist Elwood's big brother) calls each
of these gems, a Wolf in Wolf's clothing. Beginning their entry into the sound
field for hi fidelity voice reproduction some 3 decades ago, this mic served
well for general use on stage and was popular as a musical instrument microphone
in recording studios. Several similar versions exist from the production years
but over time, the model was slowly replaced with newer, different entries that
enjoyed upgrades to the diaphragm and response curve improvements to the original
style speaker elements. Although the '664' model endured the years with robust
popularity, even being used as a hammer (!) for demonstration of it's amazing
sturdiness, gradually, the mighty 664 sank slowly and disappeared from the catalog.
But the plot thickens....!
Enter ZZ TOP's custom bass-tech, Mr Billy Hale...and enter he did...into a small,
out of the way, pawn shop with a hidden corner, glass showcase holding a few
throw-away cameras, a run of trashed game-boy carts, a bunch of nondescript
electronic accessories to who-knows what...but...lurking against
Story covered by Edward Cranberry
Web and Wire, Inc.
Webmaster's Note: reproduced
with permission from Web and Wire Media General Photographed on location by
Holly Smith-Clarkson, London. All rights reserved. No part of this article reproducible
without written permission from the author and publisher.
Copyright 2000, January
We've been asked to show a
close-up of the unusual microphones seen
the backside sliding door were...not
one...but... two, suspiciously identifiable microphones with that famous and
familiar '664' profile. Yes, these were indeed the vintage rarities waiting
for that moment of rescue from the bottom rack of oblivion! A quick body-slam
to the sales agent negotiated a 'take'em and run' purchase and up to the ZZ
stage they went.
Well..almost that quick. The performance of these prime pieces did seem to lack
a certain, special 'something' that the band, bottom-line, demands (!)....so....a
rapid transfer sent 'em to the the pack-n-ship joint and that sent 'em flying...back
to the home headquarters of the sound house giant, ElectroVoice, where a team
of startled experts unpacked the box of this ratty-tatty pair of old workhorses.
It was the stungun effect on first arrival when it was announced that it was
ZZ TOP's property and the order specified a complete refurbish job for these
rusted relics... but when the head service tech entered the picture and
saw the bit of history laying before him....he jumped at the chance to steer
'em back to stardom.
And that's where the old-meets-new piece of this '664' puzzle unlocks. State-of-the-art
innards and brand new mechanical workings were experimented with 'til and then
installed, reaching a new, raging sound. Factory fresh upscaling with truly
awesome tone. Now, when lights go down and the ZZ show begins, the spotlight
reveals these not-often-seen, but now, often heard, flashy pieces of handy hardware.
They're back and big! They still look like hell but they're sounding swell.
Just come on out to the show and know that the vintage vibe is alive and well.
Now where did we see that other pawn-shop 'pair'...?!?!?!?
