The Legacy of Jordan Electronics

Okay, I’m just going to rip this bandaid right off: this article is not about the Space Jam Michael Jordan handheld electronic game from the ’90s. If that’s what you wanted (and I wouldn’t blame you if you did), then this ain’t the article for you. This article is going to dig into the very weird, nuclear-powered, slightly radioactive history of a company called Jordan Electronics, and a device they invented called the Boss Tone.

Jordan Electronics created some of the coolest effects units of the sixties and seventies, but before we start demoing the gear, I’ve got to talk about the story behind this company. It starts in the 1920s (a full six years before the first electric guitar is invented) and it’s B-A-N-A-N-A-S.

The History

The year is 1925, smack dab in the middle between World War 1 and World War 2. A physicist named Otto Glasser creates a device called the electrometer dosimeter with the help of radio parts manufacturer Jack Victoreen.

I know you’re all thinking, “The electrometer dosimeter? How did the world even function before that was invented?”

I hear you. This is a lot of technobabble, but it’s going to pay off. Basically, the electrometer dosimeter was created to measure x-ray radiation, since x-ray technology had just started to take off in the medical field. This guy, Jack, helped invent a device to track how much radiation you were exposed to at a time, so that doctors could measure it. Let me break it down:

Being exposed to radiation without protection is bad.
Tracking the amount of radiation you’re exposed to is good.

In 1928, Jack launched the Victoreen Instrument Company, which had nothing to do with musical instruments. Instead, they manufactured nuclear instruments and became known as the world's first nuclear company. No big deal. During World War II, they performed top-secret work for the first South Pacific atomic bomb tests.** Their gear was also used as props in tons of sci-fi films. If you are a fan of vintage sci-fi movies, chances are you have seen a Victoreen device being used in some completely ridiculous and out-of-context way.

**Although, if it was really top secret, would we be talking about it right now? I smell a rat, and not the kind that distorts guitar.

In the mid-’60s, Victoreen Instruments formed another company called Jordan Electronics. Originally, Jordan Electronics made medical equipment, but a young employee suggested that they explore the musical instrument market because the British Invasion had taken over the world and guitar was massive. At the time, it was hard to find affordable amps, so Jordan Electronics introduced this line of transistorized guitar amps that were really popular with bands like the Yardbirds, the Doors and the Mamas & the Papas.

Jordan Electronics shows a little black plastic box at the 1966 NAMM Show that you can plug directly into your guitar. It’s been done before in gear like the VOX 816, but this is the first time a guitar plug-in is a smash hit in the U.S.

Fuzz was still a new thing to most players. Pedals like the Mosrite Fuzzrite, the Maestro FZ-1 Fuzz-Tone, the Sola Sound Tone Bender and a few others were available, but nothing looked or sounded quite like the Boss Tone. The design of the Boss Tone is very well-thought-out, and it’s a testament to Jordan Electronics’ design abilities-- specifically the owner, George Cole, and the head engineer, Bob Garcia --that it did so well. Tons of companies copied this device (Dan Armstrong, Vox, Electro Harmonix, etc.) but the original Boss Tone is my favorite.

Boss Tone Distortion / Model 1000

There's five official versions of the Boss Tone/Model 1000, including the new reproduction. Nick and I jammed with all of them, and although there are a few differences between the versions, this simple two-transistor fuzz circuit sounds really cool across the board. Plus it's quirky. It picks up radio signals because the enclosure isn’t shielded, so you’re basically getting a free transistor radio, and the V3 unit squeals like a dying hog when you take your hands off the guitar strings, so you can enjoy that effect without actually having to kill a hog.

The Boss Tone was $29.99 when it first came out, which is the equivalent of about $240.00 today. Not a bad price in either decade, if you ask me.

Vico Vibe / Model 2000

The Model 2000 is called the Vico Vibe, which unfortunately I could not find an original unit for. However, I was able to snag one of the reissue reproductions by Mahoney, and it’s still a really quality piece of gear. He's doing great stuff with carrying on the history of this pedal line, and (the best news ever) you can get your own reproduction at www.jordanfuzz.com.

Basically, the Vico Vibe is a stinky trem circuit. It's a little sloppy, a little gooey, and a lot good.

Boss Boost / Model 3000

The next effect is the model 3000. It's called the Boss Boost. Now, most boosts have volume controls, but not this one. Just treble and bass controls, which makes it kind of like the Arbiter Treble Bass Face, or maybe a replacement for the Dallas Rangemaster. So, in today’s jam I cranked the controls all the way up and gave it some volume. I also turned the amp up past what I would normally do, and the result was pretty nice.

I’m a fan of this unit, but you’re the real Judge Judy and executioner here. What do you think?

Gig Wa-Wa Volume Pedal / Model 4000

Jordan Electronics had a ton of success, especially with the Boss Tone, so they decided, “Hey, let's put out some pedals that are in treadmill enclosures, like Wah pedals, but let's make them do some different things.” The first one they release is the model 4000, and it's called the Gig Wa-Wa volume pedal. I'm just going to shoot straight on this: it's not a great pedal. It's not even good, in my opinion, but I love it. That's a thing. You don't have to like a pedal to love it.

It sounds so terrible that I couldn’t even bring myself to jam with it in this week’s episode. Do yourself a favor: go buy a $40 Vox Wah pedal and play that instead, and just enjoy the Gig Wa-Wa volume pedal for the Island of Misfit Toys-esque invention that it is.

Vibrasonic Vibrato-Volume / Model 5000

After the Gig Wa-Wa, Jordan Electronics released the model 5000: the Vibrasonic vibrato-volume pedal. Straight out of the gate, I love the color green that they chose. Aesthetic matters, you guys.

Plus, this circuit is a true vibrato circuit. I haven't had time to open it up, but I think it's an amp circuit like the Fender Vibrato. Coincidentally, the Vibrasonic pairs beautifully with the Benson Spring Reverb head, which is exactly what we did in this episode’s jam. You’re welcome.

Creator Sustain and Volume Control / Model 6000

The last effect from the original line is the Model 6000 Creator Sustain and Volume Control, which I own in the original box. NBD.

Now, this pedal is important because it’s the first ever clone of a Big Muff. The Triangle Big Muff was originally released in ’69 and really hit the street around 1970, and the Creator Sustain and Volume Control came out in 1970, 1971. I’ll be the first to admit that the design is terrible. It’s volume is on a treadmill, which is utterly pointless, but this pedal still gets a standing ovation from me for being the first Big Muff Clone.

I like to picture the scene: someone brings the Triangle Big Muff into Jordan Electronics. George Cole takes the circuit, mods it a bit, and-- bob’s your uncle --we get the first Big Muff clone within a year of the original being released. That’s pedal history in a nutshell.

Great Boss Tone Clones

The Boss Tone distortion stayed in production until the early seventies. When Jordan finally dissolved, all these other models disappeared pretty quickly due to low sales numbers and they're getting really hard to find. Keep that in mind if you see one come up on the used market.

It's also worth noting that George Cole and engineer Bob Garcia went to work for Rickenbacker. George designed some really amazing amps, including the Polytone amps made famous in the jazz community. He was involved in a ton of other designs because he was a good friend of Leo Fender. Basically, there's a ton of epic designs and ideas connected to the Jordan Electronics legacy, so feel free to do your own research on their history. It’s good stuff.

If you don’t feel like snagging one of the top-notch Jordan Electronics reissues, there are some really good alternatives to the Boss Tone in production right now, which is great if you want that effect in a modern enclosure instead of a plug-in.

The Voodoo Lab Superfuzz is not a Univox Super-Fuzz, so it's kind of strange branding. It is a Boss Tone and it's one of the best.
Now, you’d think that the Electro-Harmonix Satisfaction fuzz would be a Maestro Fuzztone because that's the sound of Keith Richards’ “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction”. Nope. Another red herring. This list has more twists and turns than an Agatha Christie novel. Basically, Electro-Harmonix said, “Let's use a Boss Tone and remove the two diodes.” I don't know why. I don't think they know why. But it works.
Mahoney makes a Buzz Tone Distortion, which you can find at www.jordanfuzz.com.
And for a limited time only-- we literally only made about one hundred of these --you can grab an JHS Exclusive Buzz Tone, in a beautiful red enclosure. They're going to sell really fast, so nab one while you can.

For the conspiracy theorists in our audience, the original Boss Tone does have a pretty spooky story attached to it. Randy California-- the hugely influential guitar player for the ’60s band Spirit --was an avid Jordan Boss Tone user/promoter, so much so that legends say he always had a Boss Tone with him. In 1997, he drowned on a beach in Hawaii while saving his son from a rip current, and the story goes that he had a Boss Tone in his pocket at the time.

I like to think that the ancient Egyptians were right, and whatever you have with you when you die carries over into the afterlife. If that’s true, then Randy still has that Boss Tone with him so he can jam with expert distortion even beyond this mortal coil.

Yeah, that got dark. I’m not apologizing for it.