eddyrox
Active member
Hey Josh, I'll bite...it's been a LOOONG time since I've spoken to Mark, and I do wish him well (and always have).
I first met Mark back in 1997, when he was working in Huntington Beach at a place called "A&V Music". Griff Hamlin was the in-house teacher at the time, and before and after my lessons I'd hang with Cameron. He was making mods in the back of the music store literally in a shed out back, and playing that beat up Randall 412 with the mahogany body, super strat he had from high school.
He did one of the first VH mods on my 1981 2204 and put in a tube-based EFX loop as well (all pre-goop) mind you. Tone-wise it was Bruce Bouliett (Scream) and Akira Takasaki (Lighting Strikes/Hurricane Eyes), which were tones I really dug back then.
Later on, I had him do a Jose mod, EFX loop, on a 1959RI (PTP) with all of the volume boost and resonance knobs on back. I also a 2203RI with the Aldrich Ocean mod.
So as of 2003/4, I think I had 3 Cameron heads modded, and was seeing and talking to Mark regularly. I read in this thread about Steve going over to Mark's storage unit (aka: his house at the time) and seeing how Mark was living. I felt the same. I also experienced the same "come over/it's not quite complete" several times, only in my case it was OC to LA, so add an hour to the commute one way.
At around 2005(?) when Mark had established a relationship with Tone Merchants, and his name was becoming associated with a great mod (and rightfully so), I had lent him $$$, and he left one of his original JMP2203's (KT66's I believe) with me. I had that for about a year before I was repaid - but it was in "kind" (e.g. I had Mark mod out another head
).
I would lose touch with Mark eventually, as many of you have. However I did witness the emergence of the "Cameron Amp" brand at NAMM 2009(?) and was there when Meniketti was demo'ing the CCV and CCM. IMHO, the tone of those amps were/are different from my 1997 and early 2000 period mods (not better or worse).
I continue to wish Mark all the best...and there was a story of us catching the Atomic Punks in Fullerton right around the time Brian Young replaced Bart Walsh (Btw Brian was playing a MB Triaxis preamp at this show, not sure what pwr amp he had..but the tone was fucking amazing!)
It saddens me as to what has transpired over the years since I was close to Mark. I wish him and everyone involved in his work/business all the best.
mike.
I first met Mark back in 1997, when he was working in Huntington Beach at a place called "A&V Music". Griff Hamlin was the in-house teacher at the time, and before and after my lessons I'd hang with Cameron. He was making mods in the back of the music store literally in a shed out back, and playing that beat up Randall 412 with the mahogany body, super strat he had from high school.
He did one of the first VH mods on my 1981 2204 and put in a tube-based EFX loop as well (all pre-goop) mind you. Tone-wise it was Bruce Bouliett (Scream) and Akira Takasaki (Lighting Strikes/Hurricane Eyes), which were tones I really dug back then.
Later on, I had him do a Jose mod, EFX loop, on a 1959RI (PTP) with all of the volume boost and resonance knobs on back. I also a 2203RI with the Aldrich Ocean mod.
So as of 2003/4, I think I had 3 Cameron heads modded, and was seeing and talking to Mark regularly. I read in this thread about Steve going over to Mark's storage unit (aka: his house at the time) and seeing how Mark was living. I felt the same. I also experienced the same "come over/it's not quite complete" several times, only in my case it was OC to LA, so add an hour to the commute one way.
At around 2005(?) when Mark had established a relationship with Tone Merchants, and his name was becoming associated with a great mod (and rightfully so), I had lent him $$$, and he left one of his original JMP2203's (KT66's I believe) with me. I had that for about a year before I was repaid - but it was in "kind" (e.g. I had Mark mod out another head
).I would lose touch with Mark eventually, as many of you have. However I did witness the emergence of the "Cameron Amp" brand at NAMM 2009(?) and was there when Meniketti was demo'ing the CCV and CCM. IMHO, the tone of those amps were/are different from my 1997 and early 2000 period mods (not better or worse).
I continue to wish Mark all the best...and there was a story of us catching the Atomic Punks in Fullerton right around the time Brian Young replaced Bart Walsh (Btw Brian was playing a MB Triaxis preamp at this show, not sure what pwr amp he had..but the tone was fucking amazing!)
It saddens me as to what has transpired over the years since I was close to Mark. I wish him and everyone involved in his work/business all the best.
mike.
).
yeah it's been awhile - and your post on Mark Cameron kinda made me sad as well. But I'm very happy he's trying to improve his situation - or at least that's how I was reading it... 
They just work for me!!!
