NOFX’s Fat Mike on Why Les Pauls & Marshalls Suck for Punk Rock
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- čas přidán 29. 06. 2024
- Plus, the iconic soundtrack that’s brightened even his darkest days since he was 8 years old.
Fat Mike's Hooked: • Fat Mike on RKL's "Blo...
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Steve Jones played a Les Paul that was formerly owned Sylvain Sylvain. He used a twin for an amp but I love the guitar sound on Never Mind the Bollocks. To me that is the gold standard punk rock tone.
His tone on EMI is amazing. Sounds like a muscle car.
And it's a classic rock sounding album.
Eric Melvin plays a Les Paul 😂
@@StratsRUs Perhaps to someone who wasn't alive when it came out.
Lol pretty sure Melvin used a les Paul throughout his whole career, he’s probably busting his balls with this lol
El Hefe has said in other interviews that he uses a Les Paul into a hot rodded Marshall when they record their records. Bad religion uses a Les Paul into a Marshall for their records. I get where Mike is coming from, but it's not an absolute truth. As he also says, just find a good tone and roll with it. There's no equipment specific to punk rock, and that's the beauty of it.
I understand what ur saying but its never punk to sound like a blues lawyer just saying bahaha. .
"Its punk rock man, you dont gotta know to play, you just gotta be a punk. Shit, we can do that."
I was just being a rude jack ass lol i litterly have a les Paul.. a strat.. and a jaguar lol.. and surprisingly yet not surprising when ur distortion or fuzz pedal is cranked and the amps turned to 11 and im high and drunk all 3 of those guitars sound the same when like fast strumming power cord and palm mute chugs... especially when pumping out 2 to 3 min songs that are 3 chords verse 3 chords chorus rise repeat end of tune hahhaa... to be honest im glad the only tone snob video about punk is made by mike.. a bassist who actually jumps in celebration if he successfully plays any song correctly live bahahaha... the fact that thats the guy whose gonna go on camera and say this is the punk guitar is awesome and amazing and prolly means that guitar has never even been used to record any nofx song really hahaha ive seen nofx alot and one thing im pretty sure of is theres never been anyone ever onstage playing a jazzmaster lmfao
@@lenbones7940 lol
El Hefe has also said he plays an SG on the record.
Mike Ness LP with P-90's through Fender Bassman= 🤘😤🤘
He’s taking the piss folks. Nofx (Melvin) has pretty much always used a Les Paul and a Marshall. Hefe does use a Jaguar live sometimes though.
I've used .60 nylon Dunlop picks for a very long time, and may change strings once a year or so. Play almost daily. Wash hands first, wipe down everything when done. 10-46 on a 90 Gibson LP Standard Heritage Cherry Burst with SD 59 and JB.
Fair winds and following seas to all.
What an absolute legend. Man, his pragmatism and love of music is infectious.
too bad he doesn't know what he is talking about
You dummy brent
@@csnide6702 Knows more than you - everything he says is factual, but you wouldn't know that.
@@refluxcatalyst7190 While I'm a Fender guy - I do happen to know that Les Pauls and Marshalls DO NOT SUCK- punk rock is NOT an exact science - if any genre was "close enough for who it's for " , it would be punk....
@@csnide6702 I didn't say they sucked. I said every point Mike made was not wrong. Tons of punk bands use LPs and Marshall amps. They don't sound like NOFX. I didn't say that equipment was somehow inferior or bad, just that every point Mike made is sound from the POV of their sound. The video title is made for clicks. Melvin uses an ESP LP and a Mesa amp live... And a jazzmaster thru a twin reverb in the studio. Not the same.
I appreciate the part about spending so much time on the guitar tone in the studio! So right!
An old Jr. with P90´s + Mesa Boogie Mark IV. That´s my killer combo
Un saludo al tío
nothing much to say except thank god nofx survived the information age.
?
@@liamgallagherrr I think he's getting at the fact that a lot of 90s punk bands (well, punk bands in general) became very out of touch after the boom of the internet for some reason.
@@theexperience2037 a lot of them just need fuckin social media managers, or to take some workshops on promo. a lot of them either can't be assed, or don't think it's important. Fat Mike's been on the internet way before the info age, not to mention he's always had a smarter grasp of the business and all of it's aspects in general.
I was the thumbs up #69
@@allyemeraart I disagree mate. I think punk can't flourish in this tech age. It gains momentum then falls again, stagnates n just stays at the same place. Rinse, repeat. I personally used to enjoy seeing posters n flyers for gigs n albums when I was a teen. Word of mouth has got such a great aspect. Instead of people all finding out about something at once, it's great when things are just spread naturally, from group to group, person to person. When something spreads n gains momentum without the help of the net, its a cool thing. That personal, appreciative aspect has been lost in the digital age. 15 years ago u wanted to find something out you'd go out n ask around. Now, all u gotta do is whip ya phone out. Technologys made stuff convenient, but it's all so easy it's lost the fun aspect, personal discoveries n all that. Just my opinion tho✌️
WOW! this may be the first and one and only Video of Fat Mike not mentioning that he is into BDSM! So I did it for him!
Hahaha. I agree. I am a big fan of his. But him mentioning this. Is like me talking my shoe obsession. No one care. Lol!!!
🤣🤣🤣
But have you seen what shirt he's wearing?
@@sndr666 hehe, no, I didnt. Well, he cannot not do it 😉
I love Fat Mike and Nofx. Can't wait to see them for the 20th time at Punk in Drublic festival in July!!
Get Dead is gonna be rockin it there too
Don't agree with everything he says, but he's right about tone. Some people get so nuts about EQs and pickups and all these minute differences that even nerdy guitar players can barely distinguish.
I've seen so many bands live that have 1000s of dollars worth of gear play and their guitar tone sounds muddy and boring. Then i've seen dudes play on 200 dollar stock guitars with a solid state 212 combo and a 25 dollars distortion pedal that blew them out of the water lol
Personally for me pickups are very important, they all feel/sound different when you play the instrument therefore takes the inspiration to different directions.
@@randomguitarnote8887 pickups are probably the only thing that makes a massive difference with electric guitars directly. Amp and cab are important obviously but for the guitar itself I doubt anything is as important as the pick-ups. I have SG pickups in my Les Paul, it sounds to me like an SG. I stuck humbuckers in my cheap shitty knock-off Gibson, it sounds like a guitar with humbuckers now.
Different pickups make a very noticeable difference in tone. You're obviously just as deaf as he is.
Pick-ups really do make a difference... switched to Seymour Duncan mayham sh-6 distortion on my cheap squier mustang... it sounds so much more aggressive now and pintch harmonics sound so much better
Please god get a rig rundown for these guys
I agree with him on not changing strings . Especially on basses
I always pictured Fat Mike like a real clown but when he talks about what really matters to him (musically speaking) you can definitely tell he's very serious about it. He believes in every words that he says.
Dumb comment
@heyitspete6472I love NOFX. I respect and love Fat Mike’s songs. He is a clown. 100%.
How did they find the ONLY picture of Pat Smear not looking like he’s having the time of his life?
Hah yeah true, dude is always grinning
It was jarring
Sad Smear
I dunno, a LP through a Marshal is about as standard for punk as anything I can think of. That said, you can use allot of bastardized aug/diminished chords, major 7ths, and the major to minor 3rd transition is probably more comon in punk than anywhere else. Single coils and some restraint with the gain knob deffinatly does help prevent it all from just sounding like power chords.
by punk mike means mostly pop punk
@J D I dissagree, if its a one guitar outfit and you want a big live sound its still one of the better options. Try to imagine Good Riddance running a Strat through Twin Reverb.
I'd just refine it to Marshall's aren't great for punk rock since I play ska core on an lp jr through a fender and that sounds awesome
I’m sure he’s being tongue-in-cheek. So many bands on Fat used LPs as their main guitars, especially Lagwagon and NUFAN.
@@punkgrl325 F2F, Mad Caddies, Good Riddance, AFI, 10 Ft Pole, LTJ, DBS... too. Its way harder to name a punk band thats not rocking at least one LP, if its not running into a Marshall its running into a Messa which is even more noise.
And yet, IMO the best NOFX records definitely have a metal edge to them.
yes the guitars sound like megadeth, something in the LA water
Very true especially old nofx
stickin in my eye
LOL Eric uses Les Pauls pretty much exclusively heheh
super cool insider knowledge to find out they use a jazz master in the studio. Melvin plays a paul live, that must be a comfort preference? Really cool none the less
Thanks for the video. I have a Player strat with a hot rails and I'm thinking of going to this, but they are expensive.
I love P90’s for punk tones. A little brittle, a lot of bite, and always cut the mix.
Hell yeah, everyone either plays on standard strat style singles, or humbuckers (and filtertrons in the case of gretch players) and dont seem to realize that a lot of the early punk sound came from LP and SG juniors that had only a single bridge p-90. I still use humbuckers to track palm mutes though, when its a lot of muted chords, better tighter low end makes mixing easier
Jazzmaster pickups are not really p90's so it's said
There’s a Hell of a LO T of Les Paul/Marshall on Fat Wreck albums 😂
Idk why he said that cuz el hefe tracks with a Les Paul
I play various Ibanez RGs through an Egnater Tweaker 15 and an Orange Micro Dark, as well as a Boss IR-2 Amp & Cabinet simulator pedal, but i also don't only play punk rock, I like metal, hardcore, industrial, electronic, etc.
A real great musician can make any gear work for their needs.
@Jay M It’s not even really about that though. It’s the competence of knowing what you’re trying to produce, and being able to work with what you have.
1:58 before war on errorism, the sound was more the saturated high distortion sound. that jazzmaster tone definitely defines the nofx sound for everything from war on errorism on forward, though. reluctant to call it a humbucker sound since hefe was always rocking a tele with single coils but it was definitely a more saturated distortion sound before.
Love NOFX so much. Santa Fe NM, 1989, Rockin TP. I was a 17year-old and feeling anxious. My friends and I all turned up early and I had a chance to help unload NOFX and move stuff onto the stage. I don't think I knew NOFX's music yet. If I did it was from cruizing around with my friend and music mentor Sharon who I miss heaps. I think my whole band was there. We were terrible, but I wish we'd kept at it. RIP Bradlysan. I'm damn sure it was S&M Airlines tour but NOFX was opening for a great Scottish band. Anyway, Eric Melvin was so nice to me. I helped him move some gear off the stage and into the van between bands. He asked if the pit was fun and I said I was too scared to get into it. I'd got kinda beat up at Social Distortion a bit before that. Maybe it was the Circle Jerks. Maybe ALL. Not sure. So long ago. Twas nothing personal, just unpleasant. Anyway, Eric said get in there and he'd look after me. He appreciated the help and he totally fucking did look after me. Arm around my shoulder at first and kept close the whole set. He smelled so bad! I had so much fun and I NEVER miss a pit ever since then, even today at 50+ and living Downunder. He's a gem. NOFX are FUN and they made an indelible mark on my life. BTW, as I watch this I am restoring/hot rod'n a 1989 Peavy Rage amp. Just got it free and it was living under a house down the street for decades along with '72 Strat copy that's up next for refurbishment. As teen I had a big Peavy bass amp but my bandmate Brad had wee Rage. We always meant to adorn them with blue plastic fur...and this amp is now on it's way. Still works and sounds great...well sounds great for what it is. Perhaps not as good as my big Twin. But I'll rock it and so will my kiddo, who's a pretty good guitar player for a tween.
Es un ídolo. Crecí escuchando bandas como nofx, the offspring y punk rock Californiano. Saludos desde Córdoba Argentina ☺️👍👌
Awesome Pat Smear story! He's so lovable he can do w/e he wants.
Pat Smear is a 💩 pusher
Great video!
Overdriven Fender tube amp, Boss SD-1 and a P-90.🔥
Thinking about putting either a filtertron style TV Jones pickup or a P90 on the bridge for my Jazzmaster 🤔
This was actually a cool video and Mike seemed just normal. Not trying to goof, but gave good answers.
NoFx was one of those bands that I always found myself saying.... clearly these dudes are good, but it's such a unique sound an approach they take to their version of punk.
dude the whole video is a goof. every single word.
@@jackalneck You watched a different video maybe??
Yea I think he was just sober studio Mike here lol
Whole thing is a goof. Melvin plays a Les Paul.😂
That was enjoyable and informative.
Mike knows stuff.
Fat Mike I was in a punk band named DA.M.M. I had a Les Paul A The Paul. I liked it but had a Randall head with a Jag 4x12 slant cab.(Rand speakers. on a 4X12 STRAIGHT WITH cELEST8ANS (mARSHAL USES. wE JUST PLAYED KEG PARTIES BUT IT WAS FUN.
its such a good point, les paul with a marshall ive always hated aswell ...
Great message for everybody
I love Pat Smear so much. My fav is him wearing gloves in the rope video.
I 👍 like it I've been into punk rock since the 80s you guys rock
Best punk guitar is a Gibson SG. For tone, it goes anywhere from big and chunky to buzzy. When you need clean tones, you can make it sound super bright. This is good for any type of music, but what makes it a great punk guitar is the fact that the body style is super light weight. You gotta have fun on stage playing punk rock, and jumping around and stuff is super important. Les Pauls sound great, but you'll get back problems thrashing around with one of those. Greg Hetson, Pete Koller, early Mike Ness - all SG players.
And while technically not "punk", but a huge influence on punk rock, let us not forget the ultimate Gibson SG player of all time, Angus Young!
He doesn’t think about money when talks about music. He thinks about money when he talks about fender.
He's making this all up on the spot to troll.
Yeah. Steve Jones, Billie Joe Armstrong, and Johnny Ramone would prove Fat Mike wrong.
He's a punk. He doesn't care 😂
@@bgvo4373Eric Melvin uses a Les Paul. Obviously, he's trolling.😂
@@JohnnyParrotJoelive he uses an esp les Paul copy live but they use different in studio
I dunno he seems pretty genuine to me. Maybe the first answer is a goof but the rest seems pretty on point.
He's right about "it should be fun." Good advice.
I was backstage with Millencolin and got some picks. Very thin picks, seems to be the way for punkrock for sure!
I play a Les Paul through a Fender style 6L6 and it’s amazing for cleans and alternative/indie..but 100% does punk well with a distortion pedal on it. I had the Marshall Stack and sold it later. But yeah a Les Paul and a JCM Marshall you don’t need any pedal. You can cover a lot of ground with just the guitar and amp. Fenders you need a few pedals, but can be a bit more diverse than just punk or metal. The JazzMaster is pretty much the go to,. Shoegaze/Indie rock guitar now. With a Marshal JCM800/900, you can turn the distortion up on the amp and hide behind shoddy playing and hammer bar chords. Lots of players did it in the 90s, I was there and one of them lol.
Love this Dudes outlook
This is awesome. Words of wisdom and one of the few times I’ve heard fat mike be serious-ish.⚡️⚡️⚡️🤘
Doesn't Melvin play live with a les paul type with a .88 pick and Hefe with a telecaster with a 1.0 pick ? Also, Hefe said somewhere that they use les paul in studio to record. He plays live with the telecaster because thats what he is used to.
Yep. This is just a classic FM troll job.
Lol that’s the only thing I’ve seen him play
They use fenders a lot in the studio and sometimes the guitar part will be played by Mike. Their live set up is not what they use in the studio with the exception being which ever pick gauge they prefer.
@@darrenedwarddolhanty6814 Yet in this very video Fat Mike says "just make it sound like when you play it live" so, yeah.
Yeah, Melvin's les paul looking guitar is an ESP.
I know i had to switch from les paul to SG because of back pains. You want a light guitar when your jumping around
2-3 pounds really make a difference to you?
Never mind the bollocks was recorded with a Gibson Les Paul custom
Awesome! I loved this.
Johnny Ramone used Marshalls. Enough said.
I actually agree with you on tone… you should know your tone and be able to dial it in immediately on any rig…
Eh, not every rig gives you every tone.
This has to be the absolute dumbest thing I've read in a while. Please don't ever play music live.
@@whatwedointheshadows3349Exactly, if you're used to playing a stat with a fuzzbox through a fender amp and someone gives you a marshall, a Gibson and an overdrive, there's no way you can possibly get close to what you're used to.
2:45 Stickin in my eye ;) First note :-)
Les Paul/Marshall guy here. When I read the title I got a little upset. Then he made total sense. Go figure. 🎸
Same here, was all set to be defensive but he was on point...
@@davidscherer9623 yep
nofx has such a signature style. put on any nofx song and once the guitars start, you know. That's all fat mike. I love that
Fat Mike plays the bass though
@@IamY00t That is a good observation. Fat mike also is the sole songwriter in NOFX, and writes the guitar parts too.
@@IamY00t so do I but I write guitar parts for my band too. Danzig wrote all the misfits songs and samhain.
They sound like every other talentless pop-punk band with more arrogance than skill.
@@IamY00t I thought this too, but after I saw their patreon on recording a new record, he actually plays a lot of the rythm guitars
Love it dude 😎
I do a lot of lead harmonics on my Gibson, Les Paul, and I prefer playing it on a Boss Katana MK2 over a Marshall. That’s just the sound I like more. Marshall tubes are great though.
Valid points. I think one's hands have more impact on a signature sound then the actual equipment used.
Stop using drugs. If tone was in the hands then an individual would sound the same regardless of what guitar, pedals, amp, mic, etc they were using. Tone comes 100% from the gear. TECHNIQUE comes from the hands.
@@officialmetalwill My brother in law is a really really good lead guitarist, and he can play any rig with high gain distortion, if its thru the same amp or one pretty similar, and sound like him playing, much of tone is in your amp and picking dynamics, unless your a mediocre player like me. I have to chase the tone i want because i cant just coax it out of any guitar like he can.
"It's supposed to be fun. When things stop getting fun, you're going in the wrong direction."
Very cool to hear Mike’s 3rd favorite album is Hedwig. I played on it! Made my day!
Congrats. That's a rad record to be a part of. Killer collection of songs. One of my faves as well.
That was awesome!
Everyone knows if you really want to play with aggressive hard and fast picking the Jazzmaster/Jaguar bridge is what you want. It’s best if you’ve got the ridged saddles where the strings move around while you’re playing.
Good insights all the way around.
Nice to see a shout out to Hedwig and the Angry Inch!
What song they play at the end ?
Just geeking with Fat Mike...
i here just for the rearend ache comments 🤣🤣
I don’t know about the Marshall but the les Paul .James Williamson,Johnny Thunders, sylvain sylvain, Steve Jones, Mick Jones, cheetah chrome and many other people used them les Paul’s to great affect on legendary punk records
He’s trolling. NOFX doesn’t use offset guitars.
Brilliant!
An amazing legend!
I used a Greg Bennett mb1 when I still played music
He says use .60 picks, but I caught Hefe's pick at a show a looong time ago and it was a 1.0 tortex (blue) with a custom logo.
Definitely agree with tone chasing. I’m guilty as anyone. Agree with fun for sure. But the jcm900 was like, THE sound of punk in the 90s so…not really sure on that take. Not to mention just roll back the guitar volume a hair for more complex voicings.
One of the underrated song writers of the last 30 years . Every album they make is full of catchy awesome songs and they never seem like they're trying very hard. Love it.
Love that he has a LP hanging up behind him 🤣🤣🤣
😂
It's Melvin esp
@@abriamortega6265 a single cut, mahogany body, maple top with 2 humbuckers… yeah it’s still a LP
I use an Aria Pro 2 Flying V through a Marshall JCM800.
I get what’s he’s trying to say here. Take it with a grain of salt. Most of the early Fat Wreck bands used a Les Paul through a Marshall for their tone. Not a Marshall fan myself but a 800 will get you just about any kind of punk tone regardless of guitar.
lol Even Eric Melvin of NOFX uses a Les Paul.
Yea he’s just taking a piss. He’s usually sarcastic and a bit smug. Just take a look at all the punk bands of all time and do a Les Paul and Marshall count. The stats will speak for themselves. Just watch Brian baker rig rundown. Bad religion is apparently mikes favorite bands and they use a lot of Les Paul’s and Marshall’s. I think a plexi with a boost will give you a sick tone that can work for most types of rock n roll. It’s all about the set up. jazz masters are cool but i personally associate them more with indie than punk.
@@slashtrio Fat Mike is the ultimate troll. haha
@@TheDeadStretch Melvin plays an ESP
@@doyourbest999 It's still a Les Paul.
Let's see....after digesting everything NOFX for 30 years I can say his top 3 albums are; 1. Rocky Horror 2. Suffer 3. Hedwig. It just so happens that I also loved these things long before I knew Mike did!
I like solid-state Crates for punk, personally. =3
Thats it, I'm getting a jazzmaster
Best advice I've heard in awhile, and I'm a true believer "I play what I want to fucking play, not what I think someone else wants to hear". Bands or musicians that don't "make it" generally are not being honest about what they write and play. Music first and foremost must be honest. Way to go Fat Mike. Timeless advice. Fuck yeah!
Yeah, my DSL40 disagrees.
I pop my Boss Turbo Overdrive in the front and it's a killer tone for punk.
Mick Jones (The Clash) sure sounded great with his Les Pauls.
Is Rocky Horror your fav because of these lyrics? They smacked me in the face, personally. You were 8.
"So Dad I can forgive you, but I’ll never forget
Months I wouldn’t see you
And when I did
You’d be out with your friends all night
Alone and only nine
I watched The Outer Limits
Was scared out of my mind"
fucking lol of all the lines in all of the songs to choose as an intro to this video they chose that one *chef's kiss*
Absolutely 💯 Legend
I am 35 qn I intend on starting a legit punk band. This helps a lot.
I knew jazz basses were good. Fenders are obvious, but other brands are not. Thanks!
Roll back on the LP's volume pot. Relatively simple. Also, downstroking that fast carries much further.
Love my tele. Love my lp. He is right about one thing. You can spend a lifetime chasing tone. Not worth the headache. Tone live and tone in studio are very different. ;)
My guitarist uses Marshall's and less Paul I use a fender p bass with emgs into an 80s trace elliot stack
Sort of unusual for pubk
Hell yeah, I think a Les Paul jr is an amazing punk guitar but I totally agree about jazzmasters. I feel like they just sound so good and are so fun to play!!
I get the feeling that when he says "Les Paul's", he's referring to dual humbucker models.
Agreed, LP jr is one of my favorite guitars for punk, that single bridge p90 can cut like a motherfucker! Also agree about Jazzmasters, one of my favorite guitar models overall.
@@casharys.carter8228 “can cut like a mother fucker” is the exact phrase I often use to describe that pickup’s tone! Haha
"Jazz" master not punk pretender
@@Me-ne5uuamateurs like Punks love shitty guitars that don't stay in tune.
Why would anyone "gate keep" what kinda equipment you should play. Play whatever you have, cuz what you have is already your best shit.
I have both and he is correct
Great musician
I had a set of strings last ten years, blew my mind when I finally changed em
in good way ? or i can stay with my old strings ..? it s take too much tame to change em'
@@fredericthom8113 nah in a bad way probably.. definitely leave m on there.
How is that possible? Did you only play them once every 6 months? Mine break within a few months at the absolute most
@@andocobo nah I played the shit out of em, and I hit em hard too, I used the luthier knot which kept em pretty stable tuning wise and there was very little rust or grime build up even after ten years, lol they did sound like shit compared to a new pack, yeah back in the day I’d snap strings while restringing, I go with Earnie balls
@@fredericthom8113 depends on your preference, but new strings tend to sound brighter and more defined, whereas old strings are warmer and rounder sounding.
Rocky Horror Picture show was a big influence on the Beatles apparently.
Perfect desert album tattoo
Every NOFX song I've ever listened to you sounds like a Marshall and a Les Paul
They once played a live show with Melvin playing his ESP les Paul thing into a mesa head and cab😂 very metal
Johnny Thunders also stepped in.
This is epic!