Blues Saraceno

On this early Yamaha ad Blues Saraceno is holding his signature Plaid guitar.

"A long time ago a young guitar prodigy named Blues Saraceno recorded some solo instrumental records. This budding virtuoso guitarist was developing his signature tone and hunting for an amp that would create the sound to set him apart. His search led to a custom built, one-of-a-kind amplifier made just for him – he called it “Dirty Boy”. Saraceno’s original Dirty Boy is the inspiration for Mojave Ampworks’ latest and most ambitious offering."

Blues Saraceno is seen with his signature model, the Samick TV Twenty, featuring his classic plaid design. This guitar shares design elements with the EVH Music Man series. The proof is a user-uploaded photo.

"I consider guitars to be much like eating utensils, Each one has a very specific purpose . I use different guitars for different applications. Humbuckers, Single coils, solid body, semi hollow body, acoustic, electric... They all sound so different and have their place in my arsenal of sounds.

I have been using the Ernie Ball/Music Man guitars for quite a while now. I tend to toggle between the original Gold Sparkle Albert Lee model that was made for me by Dudley Gimple out of the custom shop in San Louis Obispo and two stock models, The 20th anniversary silhouette and the 25th Anniversary. Both the 20th Anniversary and the 25th Anniversary have mahogany tone blocks (which comes stock) in them and for whatever reason it helps gives those guitars a little extra something. The 25th Anniversary is actually a chambered guitar so that helps give it a slightly different sound than your typical solid body. The Gold Sparkle Albert Lee features 2 Seymour Duncan humbuckers, A big 'ol 50's era maple neck with big frets and a 1/2 inch maple cap on the alder body. I had them add the maple cap to give the guitar a little more definition and help cut through the mix, especially on the distorted stuff. I realize the importance of the classic guitar tones (such as a Strat, Tele, Les Paul, 335 etc. ) but I also see the appeal of having something just a little different to help stand out from the crowd ..... for this reason, as well as their flawless craftsmanship and great tone, the Ernie Balls have been known to get a real workout."

"I have been using the Ernie Ball/Music Man guitars for quite a while now. I tend to toggle between the original Gold Sparkle Albert Lee model that was made for me by Dudley Gimple out of the custom shop in San Louis Obispo and two stock models, The 20th anniversary silhouette and the 25th Anniversary. Both the 20th Anniversary and the 25th Anniversary have mahogany tone blocks (which comes stock) in them and for whatever reason it helps gives those guitars a little extra something. The 25th Anniversary is actually a chambered guitar so that helps give it a slightly different sound than your typical solid body. The Gold Sparkle Albert Lee features 2 Seymour Duncan humbuckers, A big 'ol 50's era maple neck with big frets and a 1/2 inch maple cap on the alder body. I had them add the maple cap to give the guitar a little more definition and help cut through the mix, especially on the distorted stuff. I realize the importance of the classic guitar tones (such as a Strat, Tele, Les Paul, 335 etc. ) but I also see the appeal of having something just a little different to help stand out from the crowd ..... for this reason, as well as their flawless craftsmanship and great tone, the Ernie Balls have been known to get a real workout."

"As far as pickups I use Seymour Duncan. The pickups vary from guitar to guitar but usually consist of either Seth Lover, Custom Custom, or P.A.F style humbuckers. If I am using a guitar that has a tremolo then chances are that I will have my own model Trembucker (PA-TB3B) in it. The whole concept behind the PA-TB3B was to make up for what the guitar naturally loses when you route out the body and add a tremolo. Most guitars take on a thinner more anemic quality once they are routed out, so having a pickup that helps compensate for that is a huge benefit. In general, I tend to favor lower output pickups and let the amps and pedals do the work."

"As far as pickups I use Seymour Duncan. The pickups vary from guitar to guitar but usually consist of either Seth Lover, Custom Custom, or P.A.F style humbuckers. If I am using a guitar that has a tremolo then chances are that I will have my own model Trembucker (PA-TB3B) in it. The whole concept behind the PA-TB3B was to make up for what the guitar naturally loses when you route out the body and add a tremolo. Most guitars take on a thinner more anemic quality once they are routed out, so having a pickup that helps compensate for that is a huge benefit. In general, I tend to favor lower output pickups and let the amps and pedals do the work."

"As far as pickups I use Seymour Duncan. The pickups vary from guitar to guitar but usually consist of either Seth Lover, Custom Custom, or P.A.F style humbuckers. If I am using a guitar that has a tremolo then chances are that I will have my own model Trembucker (PA-TB3B) in it. The whole concept behind the PA-TB3B was to make up for what the guitar naturally loses when you route out the body and add a tremolo. Most guitars take on a thinner more anemic quality once they are routed out, so having a pickup that helps compensate for that is a huge benefit. In general, I tend to favor lower output pickups and let the amps and pedals do the work."

A custom plaid unit was made for Saraceno, who later sold it to Dweezil Zappa. Zappa listed it for sale on Techno Empire in 2016, only to be listed for sale on Reverb.com twice more, first in 2016 and then in 2018. The unit's history is summarized in its March 2, 2016 Techno Empire Certificate of Authenticity

This document and signature below of Dweezil Zappa certifies that the item, SOBBAT GV-1 Glow-Vibe / Monkey Dance System "Blues Special" Guitar Effects Pedal, was indeed owned and used by Dweezil as part of his personal guitar rig.

Dweezil bought the pedal from the guitarist Blues Saraceno, who had the pedal custom made with his signature plaid pattern (thus the "Blues Special" label). Dweezil used the pedal while on tour with Steve Vai. Vai noticed the pedal with some admiration and purchased one of his own.

"My constant search for true amp greatness has led me to Mojave amplification. I was originally approached by Mojave Amplification to do some sound clips for their line of amplifiers, After having a chance to play four different models of their product line (Plexi 45, Coyote, Scorpion and Sidewinder.... each one stellar in it's own right), I came to the conclusion that they were the best sounding modern amps that I had heard! What started as a work for hire turned into an endorsement situation based solely on the merit of their product. I really feel that the Mojave product stands out from the pack. I found it refreshing to finally play on a non-master volume amp that gave me that shade of "old school" classic tone with just the right amount of that newer "edge" that you need in order for it to compete with what is going on in music today. After getting familiar with the Mojave product line, I settled on the "Sidewinder" model as my personal first choice. It's a 4xEL 84 power section, around 30 watts.... I tend to favor the sound of cranked up power section over the typical fizzy pre amp sound that a lot of players go for, so the Sidewinder suited my requirements perfectly. Another added bonus was that the Mojave responded well to having fuzz/fizz and boost pedals driving its front end. Recording the Mojave amplifiers was a pleasure. I have posted the mp3's on my Gear page so that you can give them a listen for yourself."

"I consider guitars to be much like eating utensils, Each one has a very specific purpose . I use different guitars for different applications. Humbuckers, Single coils, solid body, semi hollow body, acoustic, electric... They all sound so different and have their place in my arsenal of sounds.

I have been using the Ernie Ball/Music Man guitars for quite a while now. I tend to toggle between the original Gold Sparkle Albert Lee model that was made for me by Dudley Gimple out of the custom shop in San Louis Obispo and two stock models, The 20th anniversary silhouette and the 25th Anniversary. Both the 20th Anniversary and the 25th Anniversary have mahogany tone blocks (which comes stock) in them and for whatever reason it helps gives those guitars a little extra something. The 25th Anniversary is actually a chambered guitar so that helps give it a slightly different sound than your typical solid body. The Gold Sparkle Albert Lee features 2 Seymour Duncan humbuckers, A big 'ol 50's era maple neck with big frets and a 1/2 inch maple cap on the alder body. I had them add the maple cap to give the guitar a little more definition and help cut through the mix, especially on the distorted stuff. I realize the importance of the classic guitar tones (such as a Strat, Tele, Les Paul, 335 etc. ) but I also see the appeal of having something just a little different to help stand out from the crowd ..... for this reason, as well as their flawless craftsmanship and great tone, the Ernie Balls have been known to get a real workout."

Blues Saraceno tests the Ernie Ball Music Man Reflex Guitar.

BLUES SARACENO DEMOS THE DIRTY BOY PEDALS " BUZZY BOY "

BLUES SARACENO DEMOS THE DIRTY BOY PEDALS " FUZZY BOY "

“I’ve had my GAV19T for about three months,” Blues reports, “and I believe I was one of the company’s first customers. I’ve been really impressed with this amp. It has a wonderful ability to take stomp boxes. My father builds Dirty Boy Pedals, which I use, and they work extremely well with this amp. Over the years, I’ve encountered numerous amps that easily get overwhelmed and lose their character when using pedals, but not this one. Further, the GAV19T—like numerous other Chandler products—excels at delivering the vintage qualities many musicians look for in a way that blends beautifully with the contemporary requirements of today’s production.”

“This amp excels in the midrange—reminiscent of that early British honky, squawky sound, but with a really full spectrum,” Blues continued. “This amp delivers a big full sound when recorded. Equally important, the amp mates well with a variety of guitars. I can blend the GAV19T with my Humbuckers, with a single coil pickup, and with anything in-between. With this amp, I can always find the sweet spot, and that’s what makes it such a terrific studio tool.”

The Chandler GAV19T guitar amplifier incorporates its overdrive and tone circuitry directly within the power section. This design enables the amplifier to be highly overdriven while still maintaining the amplifier’s classic tone—a trait that Blues really appreciates. “Many guitarists prefer a warmer, richer sound and, to get that, it always comes down to the amp’s power section,” Blues explained. “With the GAV19T, you can drive it right to the sweet spot without it overloading the speakers or the recording mics. Chandler’s design of the power section allows you to really open this amp up.”

With the Chandler GAV19T guitar amp, Tone can be selected as either Normal or Intense. This is achieved by a slight imbalance in the matching of GAV19T’s push-pull power section. Here, too, Blues was very complimentary of Chandler Limited’s design. “I like the amp in its Normal setting,” he says. “This setting provides me a lot of flexibility with my pedals and, ultimately, provides the richest sound that really works well with my style of music.”

For anyone involved with musical electronics, quality customer and technical support services are essential. Here, too, Blues rates Chandler Limited a first-class operation. “I’ve been very impressed with the company’s support services,” he says. “They’re very responsive—I always get through to someone knowledgeable who is ready to assist. And because they’re a boutique operation, they can respond and implement changes far more rapidly than most companies. I’ve been very impressed.”

Before turning his attention back to his various projects, Blues offered these parting thoughts, “The Chandler GAV19T guitar amp fills a very specific spot in my sonic palette. If this amp was ever stolen, I’d immediately replace it with another one. It’s that important to me. When it comes to great sound, the proof is in the results. I suggest visiting my website (www.bluessaraceno.com) or going to the Chandler website and listening to a clip I did using the amp. I believe that says it all!”

Blues Saraceno tests the Ernie Ball Music Man 25k VP JR Pedal

BLUES SARACENO DEMOS THE DIRTY BOY PEDALS " GERMANIUM BOY "

BLUES SARACENO DEMOS THE DIRTY BOY PEDALS "TONE BULLY "

BLUES SARACENO DEMOS THE DIRTY BOY PEDALS "OCTO '59 "

BLUES SARACENO DEMOS THE DIRTY BOY PEDALS " BALL BUSTER "

BLUES SARACENO DEMOS THE DIRTY BOY PEDALS " CANNIBAL BOY "

BLUES SARACENO DEMOS THE DIRTY BOY PEDALS "AFRO FUZZ"

In this video Blues' father talks about, and Blues plays through the DIRTY BOY PEDALS "STONE BOY"

BLUES SARACENO DEMOS THE DIRTY BOY PEDALS "BLACK SHEEP"

Blues Saraceno tries out a Music Man Armada.