J Mascis – Several Shades of Why

This guitar can be seen at many times during the video for Is it Done from his 2011 solo album Several Shades of Why.

Used on Several Shades of Why, with a custom unit being used on I Bet on Sky and live in 2012, as stated in this August 24, 2011 interview with Kit Rae.

KR: What are you using on the new record, Several Shades of Why? Which is one of my favorite albums, by the way. Seems like I’m listening to that every day now. Really good sounds, great songs (KR - I had to really restrain the fanboy in me from asking J to please do more of this acoustic work. I love this album).

JM: Oh, thanks. I was using a Tonebender copy that Jim Roth from Built to Spill built on that record. On the acoustics, mostly that seemed to sound cool. I don’t know which version he copied. A Mark II or something (KR - I asked Jim and he said it was based on a Mark I Tonebender. The actual pedal is pictured below. Jim is the guitarist for Built to Spill, made many of his bands pedals himself, and has toured with J in the past. Jim frequents some of the DIY pedal forums as Jerms, and is praised for his accurate pedal builds).

http://www.kitrae.net/music/Images_Secret_Music_Page/Jerms%20Tonebender%20sm.jpg] / [http://www.kitrae.net/music/Images_Secret_Music_Page/Jerms%20Tonebender%20Guts%20sm.jpg]

Tonebender MK I clone made for J by Jim Roth, a.k.a. Jerms. Featured on J's Several Shades of Why album. Jim has also made a custom Tonebender MK1/Treble Booster combo for J that was featured on Dinosaur jr's I Bet on Sky album and tour in 2012 (Photos © Jim Roth)

KR: Yeah, it sounds kind of Tonebenderish. I knew I was hearing fuzz, but it's interesting that it's all done with an acoustic. There are only a few songs that I hear the electric guitar, like What Happened, Can I, and a couple of the others, but those fuzz sounds just perfectly suit the songs.

JM: Yeah, it was still an acoustic, it was just that we added the fuzz. Yeah, for electric, whatever I have gotten lately I’ll try. Different combinations. For some reason the Big Muff never seems…I never think of it for recording these days I guess (KR - A Ram's Head Big Muff was seen among J's floor pedals for the recording of Farm, but the last time I know for sure J used a Big Muff in the studio was for the J Mascis + the Fog album *More Light, in 2000. J used his Ram's Head Big Muff with a late 50s Telecaster into a tweed 310 Bandmaster.)*

KR: Too over the top to go with the acoustics?

JM: No, actually it never seems extreme enough for any kind of fuzz that I’m thinking about in the studio, but live it’s still my sound.