Pedals and Effects: The World's Strangest Weirdest Guitar with Spencer Seim

If you're playing in a band that's as innovative and out there as Hella, you're going to need a guitar that's equally as crazy! Picking up where we left off last week with Spencer, we take a look at what might be the world's weirdest, strangest, guitar. Plenty of knobs, switches and even a built in egg shaker? Spencer takes us through his history with the instrument and more.
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[@hamblok0]

That's one of the most aesthetically pleasing guitars I've ever seen. Plus the beard burst is fucking hysterical.

[@chasmenear7130]

I experimented with multiple outputs at some juncture in the 80's, but never pondered the egg shaker feature! Awesome!

[@orcabrain]

This is the greatest weird guitar thing I’ve seen probably. You’ve truly outdone yourselves.

[@oldheartrecords6996]

Didn’t even get to hear the nut pick up.....

[@saftovooey4569]

that was the main thing I wanted to hear!

[@TheTylrBllmn]

I've heard that Zappa had similar things in his guitar and have always wanted to hear what sorts of wonky harmonies result... I hope to put a pickup around the 12th fret inside the neck of a guitar someday too...

[@VocasoGK]

That's literally a singlecut bass guitar with guitar strings. Awesome!

[@scareware]

I've been waiting for this video since 2005. Obsessed over the scott french website too. Thank you.

[@Akira1296]

What a great interview and rig breakdown of Spencer, thanks for this! You guys are my favorite pedal duo, and if you got Omar on the show having a noise-off with Nick you will have fulfilled a deep musical fantasy for me.

[@TheLocalZeroChannel]

Just looking at it, i didn't think it would actually be the weirdest guitar in the world, but it is kinda pretty damn weird.

[@aschen]

So that's what an Abasi Tele would look like

[@NeutralDepth]

I honestly thought it was an Abasi Tele

[@gooseabuse]

This was prophetic as Abasi Tele's are a thing now

[@patrickobdewllx9870]

I've always remembered seeing him play that guitar live and seeing what looked like some sort of faint design on the thing. It looked like little yellow or black lines. I couldn't make it out and definitely didn't think hair haha. That beard burst is genius! So stoked on this video!

[@user-ellievator]

I like the beardburst finish.

[@kazumaslave]

Absolutely loving these interview rig rundown videos guys; this guitar blew my mind.

[@analyticequals]

So many questions answered, but so many more questioned risen. Thank you pedals and effects, thank you Mr. Seim. And to Mr. French come back!!!

[@joshmiller166]

This is literally the craziest guitar. So weirdly innovative and yet the guy is fucking rocking the plywood franken-guitar. What a legend.

[@joshmiller166]

James Blair Yeah I just said that because of all of the small functions that were added aswell as the fact that it uses plywood, which most "pure" guitarists are against. Didn't want to spark controversy, I just thought it was cool.

[@TheEMOkid66613]

Vox Ultrasonic XII wins for me. Built in G tuner, distortion, delay, has a built in palm wah pedal, and it’s a twelves stein with a Tremelo arm.

[@ChrisJ318]

Holy fuck Spencer Seim out of fucking nowhere PS BRING HELLA BACK

[@watcherofthemundane]

This dude's pants are way too tight. That can't be comfortable. The guitar ain't the only thing hiding egg shakers

[@s3xyn0sfera2]

Baby's arm holding an apple

[@TheMidst]

This video is incredible! Thank you folks!!

[@fuzzywumble]

the hair alone makes it the weirdest guitar lmao pretty cool tho

[@rabokel]

Very creative build. I love it

[@laughorgomad]

They need to sell these! Pure genius construction

[@CaptainGalacticMusic]

I wanted to hear the nut pickup in action! I always play electric without an amp and I'm curious to hear what that dissonant effect would sound like amplified.

[@ZeugmaP]

What about the nut pickup ?!! Nonetheless, that was really fun

[@jasonstallworth]

Dudes, I felt like I was in the room hanging out with you guys! I do like being able to see where I’m at on the fretboard when it’s darker...it’s easy to get lost!

[@kevinkosmatka7923]

FUCK YES

[@SweetSpotGuitar]

I remember visiting Scott French's site a lot many years ago, and I remember this thing--esp. the "Beardburst." :) French is such a great builder. I LOVE his designs.

[@QuarrelsomeLocalOaf]

Now *_this_* is podracing!

[@urbanwikstrom9246]

That is totally insane! I love it. Thanks!

[@domokornmusic]

Peter Taylor at Chellee Guitars does some weird cool things in his work. Did a whole guitar wired with fiber optic lights, looked like stars all throughout the top. Best guitars I've ever gotten to play.

[@brakgeluid]

15:23 I immediately thought of 'Songs for Swinging Larvae' from 'Renaldo and the Loaf'

[@matthewdobsson3883]

I’ve watched this too many times. Its incredible.

[@sp5658]

We need a new Hella album

[@lymntria]

👀

[@sleepingchildhood5640]

Fuck aye

[@allanmarkersdagreyt9731]

I know hella + death grips = greatest thing ever

[@gonzavalverde]

looks like a regular fodera bass

[@SeanPierceJohnson]

Fucking Hella man! I remember seeing this guitar in person at a Hella gig at the Echo in like 2005 or 2006. Always LOVED this guitar. So much more in it than I originally expected. So cool to see!

[@VincentSebastianMusic]

I'd love to hear the individual strings sent to their own distorted amps. You would get some crazy sounding chords.

[@KarlKarsnark]

Love that little Ampeg stack.

[@charizardoystersauce]

Oh wow so awesome thanks y’all! This video is sick, we need to see a Tera Melos/Hella collab soon! That being said check out the new Tera Melos Documentary Trailer!

[@AndyvanderRaadt1]

I would have loved to hear this mic'd/panned stereo. Wild.

[@danieloux]

I need one of those asap!

[@plume...]

Two of my favourite guitarists having a chat! I remember seeing Tera Melos live in Cardiff years ago, I was wearing a Tera Melos "ZOO" shirt when I thanked Nick after the gig for an amazing performance (They had finished playing and immediately run down to the merch stands to sell shirts!!), and he said "Thanks man... Ooh, that's an expensive shirt to get imported dude!". Only cost me 25 quid but still :) Love you Nick, please come to Cardiff again, and bring Tricot as your support :)

[@philz_corsia]

spencer seim, nick reinhart and juan alderete in one room. thats the craziest thing the internet has brought us

[@abrahamtalamantesramirez2032]

Speechless

[@statixxxmetal1243]

This video is really good...sweets sounds.

[@Emi_Alvarez]

Can we take a second to admire how good Spencer's bear is trimed?

[@onesyphorus]

14:56 that sounds a lot like the sway in the morning door closing sound effect

[@syken3572]

This absolutely rules big time

[@DoomedMoviethon]

Can we get a special episode of Pedals and Effects, maybe a two-parter, with Nick's favorite guitars and Juan's favorite basses?

[@droleheart]

What is the song from Church Gone Wild that Nick mention it on 20:17?

[@mariog.m.6577]

es interesante, como que le quisieron dar la forma de los bajos fodera, es muy extraña esa guitarra

[@heylookitsn0ah]

what was he playing at 17:26 ? that 4 seconds sounded rad!

[@jornvandenberg7715]

Where can I find one of those indiviual sting-bridges? I need this.

[@mggtmthr]

at 18:58 you can see the track names for Trash Generator by Tera Melos on the white board.

[@daniels1293]

my dadhas one of those bently series 10 super strats with the crackle finish from the 80's those series 10's were decent guitars

[@misterbuckethead]

i really want a guitar with a contact mic + egg shaker now

[@Grayham4]

My friend did the same fiber optic thing on his first bass

[@spynae]

Damn, Spencer's packing some serious heat

[@enkiea8322]

Jesus, lol

[@WalrusDoom]

Yeah man noticed that too

[@Iggytommy]

what does that mean?

[@Iggytommy]

:o

[@just.some.dud3]

I takes that kind of confidence to rock a hat like that lol

[@401ja]

the individual string outputs remind me of 1970s Bartolini Hi-A hexaphonic pickups

[@javiceres]

It must be a terrific sonic experience in the room

[@josephmartelmusic]

We need a demo with each amp miced!!!

[@z1reticuli]

This is how you approach the prepared guitar idea in a right way!

[@flatfingertuning727]

At least when using humbuckers, it's possible to split the bass and treble strings by using soft steel bars to selectively "mute" strings on a pickup. My guitars mute the top four strings on the bridge humbucker, and are then wired to allow the balance between the bass-string humbucker and the everything-else pickups.

[@thomasburkhard2784]

Wow, just wow

[@jonnda]

If you think this is weird, check out the axes made by Teisco and the Italian accordion brands in the 60s.

[@Tidalbridge]

Nick, check out Rick Toon's guitars. they are like spaceships.

[@MosheAlvarez]

This is a design based on a contrabass (6 string) by Anthony Jackson

[@NikkoWhitworth]

If Scott French isn't doing custom builds much anymore (sez his website), who am I gonna get to build me an instrument with one of those nut pickups? I've been wanting to try this ever since checking out the double bassist Mark Dresser. Check him out if you wanna see some who has taken the amplification of both sides of the string to the next level!

[@pipn9090]

i’m sure a luthier could install one for ya

[@401ja]

My guess is it's an under-saddle acoustic guitar pickup cut down and fit under the nut. The wire would then have to run through the neck and into the electronics cavity. This is probably done alongside the fiber optics in a channel underneath the fingerboard parallel to the truss rod.

[@danielbell4007]

There are other companies that put a piezo under the nut. I’m drawing a blank at the moment, but it’s an option that’s out there.

[@lucaszembrzuski]

I actually like the shape of this guitar alot, maybe a different color, and pickups ;)

[@jamminshaman5935]

PedalsAndEffects what was the name of the guitar factory you toured in Germany? Can't find "wurwood guitars" or w/e on google. Thnx!

[@m.f.3347]

Warwick

[@benjaminsantiagosstuff]

is the other guy the dude from tera melos?

[@Chig__Bungus]

Benjamin Santiago's Stuff yes

[@drippinglass]

Is that the muller shirt guy? He needs a lipa fuzz.

[@RisikoAO]

Crazy. I love it.

[@tuckerwooten4744]

i need it. all of it.

[@joefagot218]

18:35

[@TheLambLive]

All into a DAW, pan them across the stereo field, AMP sim on each one, power chord.

[@buibuibuiestudio5561]

NICE!

[@sammadden5540]

Finally!

[@peyotepete6532]

I thought it was a lap steel at first glance. Very cool though and very unique

[@anthonygillen1621]

I love the copy of the benavente neck pocket

[@RadityoPramAdi]

You can replace that breakout box with Sound Sculpture 8F, tons of weird signal routing capability....

[@RadityoPramAdi]

oh, wrong title.... world's COOOLEST Guitar!!!!

[@vvvvaaaacccc]

HELL YEAH! bring back spencer!

[@lewisbirkett4428]

that is beautiful

[@millerperrigo7678]

MUSEUM OF JURASSIC TECHNOLOGY!!!! I've been going there for 20 years. Way to put the "muse" in museum.

[@djtourtellotte]

I know it’s been 4 years but you didn’t play the nut pickup - do over???

[@marike1100]

The upper horn (for lack of a better word) is copied from lots of bass guitar manufacturers like Mattison, Ibanez Cerro SR, et al.

[@CAKmusic]

Fuck yeah Hella baby yeah

[@Iggytommy]

love the egg shaker!

[@aidancocchiara9092]

anyone knows what song that is at 20:39

[@poopyjoe7883]

anybody know the song at 20:39 ?

[@Pthaloblue2]

15:23 those sound like cartoon sound effects

[@jakko123rock]

Legends

[@Goth108]

Man, what kept you from doing this properly showing the entire sound impression, with stereo miking and everything?

[@dlsNi]

dude i've got no idea how to play guitar but i want one

[@chaosharmony]

I always wanted a nut pickup!! Siiiiiiick

[@raammaharsh3029]

It's f**** AMAZING!!!!

[@nickchappelGOE]

I...I want it so badly

[@citrusavenue13]

no homo, but spencer is packing that heat at 4:10

[@tonytaurus3676]

Showing off that egg shaker.

[@nuclearhunter99]

make an album together

[@drippinglass]

Where’s your muller shirt? Oh... when you gonna demo that lipa fuzz?

[@porotchy]

Ir looks like my first time using the pen tool on Adobe Illustrator to draw a guitar body.

[@uriahfiiya]

RELEASE THE PORTALS SOUNDBOARD SET!

[@uriahfiiya]

SCREAMING INTO THE VOID

[@conky7819]

uriahfiiya YES FUCKING PLEASE

[@CAKmusic]

Yes yes and yes

[@sammadden5540]

Someone start the petition

[@eriziasbasses]

Scott French is a freakin great builder!!

[@PushedBox]

Damn it’s ingenious