Micellaneous Information
Famous People Who Play(ed) Univox Guitars
- Kurt Cobain of Nirvana - sorry for the shameless self-plug there, also check out
Brian Haberman's Kurt Cobain Equipment Faq
for a description of his use of the guitars. And here is a pic of the Hi-flier used in the Heart Shaped Box Video
- Dexter-X of Man or Astroman? Space-age surf rock. And here's their
equipment faq.
- John Fernandes of The Olivia Tremor Control, plays a very nice looking
Univox Hiflyer Bass.
- Pat Smear (formerly of the Germs, Nirvana and the Foo fighters) plays a white Univox SG copy.
- Guitarist from the Eels plays a Univox Hi-flier.
- A white Univox Hi-flier was apparently shown briefly in R.E.M.'s video "Drive", being doused in water.
- Russell Simmons, drummer from "John Spencer Blues Explosion", has on occasion taken up a Hiflier and played
guitar on stage.
- The guitarist in the Baltimore band Lungfish has been playing a Hi-flier for quite a while.
- Eric Bachman of Archers of Loaf (Alias) used a black Eagle.
- Joe Caparo ex-Doleful Lions (Parasol), now of Vroom! , uses a white Eagle.
- The guitarist from SmashMouth plays a Sunburst Hi-flier with a white pickguard. Oops, I just found out he plays a real Moserite too.
- Scott Bondy of Verbena plays a white 6 string Hi-flier.
- Anne Marie Griffin, co-guitarist of band Verbena plays a gold Hi-Flier.
- The drummer from Santa Inferno occasionally plays one live and on tracks where he plays guitar. (Personal note: It seems to be a recurring theme here where drummers play Univoxs, why?)
- Jimmy Flemion of the Frogs plays a natural color phase 3 Hi-flier.
- Brandon Martin of the band Venus in Furs plays a black hi-flier with a white
pickguard
- The lead guitarist from the band Mooney Suzuki plays a white Hi-Flier.
- Albert King, the blues guitarist, used Univox amps at one time.
- Beck, Bogart and Appice used Univox amps as noted in this ad, also lists Led Zepplin, the Doors, Cactus and
Billy Preston as Univox users.
- Frankie Mimms of the band 'New York Mob" plays and restores Hi-Flier basses.
- Chris of Slack plays a black and a blue (now painted green with a white stripe) Hi-flier.
- The lead singer of Philly's Burning Brides plays a black phase 3 hi-flier with a white pickguard.
- Chris Squire, of Yes, while not a /Univox player, was kind enough to sign a Univox bass for a fan
- Jamie Miller of the L.A. band theSTART plays a black phase 3 Hi Flyer, a sunburst phase 3 Hi Flyer, a white phase 4 Hi Flyer and a Univox red 335 copy.
- Chris Sanderlin, bassist for the heavey metal band Laughing House, plays UB 250 & Stage 740 amps.
- Billy Corigan of The Smashing Pumpkins and Zwan, is shown here playing a Hi-flier with humbuckers.
- Earl Hooker - folk/blues guitarist played a black Univox LP copy.
- Adam Yaunch of the Beasie Boys used a Superfuzz for the distorted bass on "Gratitude".
- Dave Edmunds from Love Sculpture played live with a Univox Les Paul copy. He may have also been using Univox heads.
- Joey Lennon of the Punkles plays a Hi-Flier guitar.
- Simon Bergeron from Puff and the Pillpoppers (Montreal indie band) plays a Univox Strat Copy.
Any others? Let me know
- I have found a site about Boston-based bands in the 70's
which includes a rather amusing story of exactly how much it takes to wreck a Univox guitar.
- Apparently Univox LP copies are pretty durable too... Here are some pics
(1,
2,
3)
of one that survived 3 days underwater
with some discoloration of the wood and a crack forming but not much else.
- Another testament to the durability of Univox:
I was really surprised to see a site devoted to Univox. I was 14 years old and purchased my Les Paul copy
(Custom) from a pot-head friend in Tumwater, Washington. That was around 1979. I played it for a few months
and put it away. When my mom kicked me out of the house some 6 years later, I lived in my car (an old Ford)
and stashed the old thing in the trunk area. Then, somehow, it ended up in my dad's wood shop, where it stayed
for more than ten years. Meanwhile I moved to L.A. and got a record deal, never giving the thing a second thought,
until recently, wherein my g/f took a trip north (to Shelton) and found the thing stashed away-- having speant countless
freezing winters in an uninsulated shop, tossed back in a corner.
I just plugged it in: 20 year old strings, never been tuned, strings never having been changed, and
somehow, it's absolutely perfect and beautiful. I have yet to touch the tuning keys and I think I shall
never. Nor will I replace the e and b which have been missing for two decades. The age of the strings gives
my digital recordings a very warm feel. I just love it. These must be some pretty serious tuning keys to
withstand 20 years of Northwest weather. I've spent THOUSANDS of dollars on modern guitars that ALWAYS go
out of tune, when all had to do was raid the old wood shop.
Fantastic instrument, man. Really great!
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