Here is a piece of history, predating MIDI for multiple ffects control. Pictured from top of photo to bottom: Echoplex tape, Magic Dingus Box and cable, Echoplex, MXR EQ. The Magic Dingus Box also controlled the speeds of the rotating horn in a Leslie speaker cabinet (not pictured). When not in use, the Magic Dingus Box is stored in this specially built box that houses what you see here. The box is vented, and has a small plaque on the front engraved "D W GATTON".I found this Dingus Box (along with its twin) laying in a cardboard box, covered with old newspapers and old dust. What a piece of history the Dingus Box is! For those of you who are unaware, Danny used these home-made inventions during the 1970s in the Redneck Jazz Explosion era.
Designed by Danny and his dad, Danny Sr.
One of Danny's favorite amps, a late '50's (1956 I think) Fender Twin. This amp has a pair of 12" SRO speakers and is super-heavy...and LOUD. Despite its cosmetic appearance, this amp was in perfect working order.
Danny and his father designed and built the original box (pictured further up in this page) to control a variety of effects and amplifiers, all with the push of a button, the rotation of a knob, or the flick of a switch. Actually, Danny utilized all of these features at once to get even more settings. If you've ever wondered what those metal plates on Danny's working guitars (behind the tailpieces) were for, here's your answer. The Dingus Box attached to the plate on the guitar. The Dingus Box was designed to control various effects such as delay, reverb, and echo. It also controlled two Leslie speaker cabinets. The cable that connected out of the box to the effects was a large flex-duct enclosure housing all the wires necessary for the Box to work. Danny mainly stopped using the Boxes when critics started confusing his talent with these Boxes. Critics claimed that Danny was all about effects, and he wasn't so great without these Boxes. What a bunch of morons. Danny sure settled that issue. The boxes pictured here are updated versions of the original Magic Dingus Boxes.
