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Alnico and Ceramic – It’s a great mix!

December 19, 2010 by Unco B

I love playing through a 2 X 12. I have an Avatar G212 Premier made of 3/4″, 13-ply baltic birch. It’s a bright cab, and has a big resonating chamber, which really gives a nice 3-D effect to my sound. I originally had it loaded with Celestion Blue and Gold speakers, and they sounded great, but I just felt the Blue didn’t have enough bottom end for my preferences. So I recently swapped the Blue out with a Jensen Jet Falcon. Yeah, that’s right. I now have one of the most expensive Celestion speakers and just about the most inexpensive Jensen speaker in my cab. And you know what? It totally works.

The one thing I like about ceramic speakers is that they have a nice, tight bottom end. The Falcon has a great bottom end that provides a real nice “oomph” to my sound. Alnico speakers – at least in my experience – are much more mid-rangy, with an emphasis on the upper-mids. The Gold has a fantastic, bright tone. It’s rich, and has a super-smooth breakup. So mixing the ballsy ceramic Falcon with the alnico Gold seemed like a good idea, as I postulated that I’d get a nice balanced sound.

I did the swap this afternoon, right before my church gig. I was a little nervous because my soldering skills are highly suspect. But I took my time, and the swap was done without incident. Then I went to test it out. The cleans were deep and lush, and the big space that the Avatar cab provides gave my tone real depth! Loved it.

Then I cranked my amp to hear the breakup. Yikes! It was pretty harsh and stiff, but I was kind of expecting that, considering I installed the Falcon right out of the box. It wasn’t too bad, but I could feel the stiffness.  But I was determined to bring it to my gig, so an hour later, I loaded it up in my car and away we went.

Luckily, the songs I chose for Mass were mostly clean, so I didn’t have to drive the speaker too hard, but I played it straight for three hours (two hours of rehearsal, then an hour for service), and by the end of the service, I could really feel the Falcon loosening up. Our last song was a rocker, and I cranked my amp. I was greeted by a fantastic, ballsy tone that had a real complex tone; exactly how I envisioned it! So now I’m a believer in mixing ceramic and alnico. It’s a great combination!

So what am I going to do with the Blue? I honestly haven’t made up my mind. That’s not a cheap speaker by any stretch of the imagination. But it is only 15 watts, so I can really only use it with a lower wattage amp. That’s maybe not a bad idea. I could use it with my ’58 Fender Champ, or as an extension cab for my VHT Special 6. We’ll see…

Posted in Guitars | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Gear Find: Pigtronix Aria – Overdrive? Distortion? Fuzz? No! It’s Disnortion!

December 17, 2010 by Unco B

I usually keep up on new stuff, but the Aria has been around for about a year now. Can’t believe I missed it! In any case, I just spoke with Dave Koltai of Pigtronix, and he said the Aria was the result of releasing a product with no marketing. I take it that Dave is one of those back-room geek dudes who come up with lots of amazing shit, then just put it out there. 🙂 Actually, after speaking with him, he’s a really cool guy, and it’s great to meet someone who has a passion for what they do, and that was clear that he has a passion for creating great pedals.

I’ve known about Pigtronix for quite awhile, but it wasn’t until I got the press release on the Keymaster and shared it, that I started looking in on Pigtronix’s product line. They’ve got an impressive array of pedals. The one that I’m really keeping an eye on is the Philosopher King pedal, which is a compressor/sustainer, grit, and envelope filter. Have to save my pennies up for that one, but it’s definitely something I’d like to add to my board. But more to the immediate, I also came across the Aria Disnortion pedal, and that’s what this post is about…

I love dirt pedals! I’ve got a bunch of ’em, and for some reason, I just can’t get enough of ’em (I know… I say that a lot, but it’s true). Each one that I have has a different character, and they rotate on my board with seeming regularity as I get the in the mood for different tones now and then. As of late, I’ve really been into more transparent overdrives and boost, as I love the natural sound of my amps when overdriven, and the Aria definitely seems to fit the bill.

Now with respect to transparency, let’s face it, nothing is transparent. Everything you put on your board will change your tone. But what I tend to look for – especially in dirt pedals – is that they don’t take anything away, ESPECIALLY dynamics and and note separation. Some pedals I’ve tried in the past sound pretty decent and have lots of dynamics, but at high gain levels, lose clarity and note separation. While I’m not a speed demon on the fretboard by any stretch of the imagination, I do have more of a legato style of playing where I play several notes in one complete phrase which I’ll end with a bend or sustain, depending upon what I’m playing. So note separation is VERY important to me. There’s nothing worse than playing a well thought out phrase, only to lose it in a mush. From what I’ve heard from the demonstrations by Peter Thorn and Andy at Pro Guitar Shops, even at high gain settings, the pedal retains note separation. That’s a huge plus!

Another plus of this pedal that I can see is the 3-band active EQ that provide 12dB of cut or boost to really shape your tone. The gain knob will give you clean boost to fuzz, which makes this an incredibly versatile dirt pedal. This ain’t no one-trick-pony; that’s fo sho!

Then add to all that this pedal retails for a street price of $149, OMG! I have to get this pedal! 🙂

For more information on the Pigtronix Aria Disnortion (no, it’s not a typo), visit the Pigtronix Aria product page!

In any case, for your viewing/listening enjoyment, check out these demo videos!

Peter Thorn

Andy @ ProGuitarShops.com

Posted in distortion, GAS, gear, gear find, guitar effects, guitar gear, guitar pedals, overdrive | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

New Gear: Pigtronix Keymaster

December 14, 2010 by Unco B

I’m not too sure how to actually describe this “pedal.” It’s a dual looper, but could be used as a switch box, or a DI box. You could use it to direct your signal to two different effects loops and with the crossfade knob, mix in just the right amount of signal from each loop. As an impedance matching DI box, you can use it to go directly into a board or DAW. Or you could keep things very simple and use the box to go from one guitar to two amps, or two guitars to one amp. The possibilities for using this box are immense! Very interesting.

Here’s a copy of the press release I got from Pigtronix:

—

Pigtronix introduces the Keymaster – Impedance Matching Effects DI

Pigtronix Keymaster is an impedance matching, effects mixing direct box that allows musicians to do more with the gear they already own. Without loss of tone, the Keymaster routes any sound source (XLR mic, line level or instruments) into effects via two, true-bypass loops and then optimizes the mixed effects signal for your instrument amplifier, mixing console or DAW.

The Keymaster’s unique and intuitive arrangement provides musicians of all types with an elegant solution for routing their sound through effects in a creative fashion and then out into any device without losing signal integrity. The two loops can be switched between series and parallel, with a CROSSFADE function for on-board or expression pedal controlled blending of different effects. Input and Output boost controls add up to 10db of gain both before and after the loops.

The Keymaster lets musicians easily blend their instrument’s natural tone with a floor processor or even cell phone and laptop computer based effects using a standard expression pedal. Vocalists and horn players can use the Keymaster to control their effects mix from the stage. Guitar players can now mix pedals like a DJ does two turntables.

Already in use by some of the world’s top producers and FOH mix engineer’s, the Keymaster elegantly answers the unmet needs of musicians at every level, opening up endless realms of possibility for combining the effects you already own.

“I use the Keymaster to run the Piano mic through my Leslie Cabinet, drum mics into spring reverb and to get vocals into guitar amps. This pedal kills. You need it, I can’t live without it.”
Hector Castillo – Producer / Engineer for David Bowie, Bjork, Roger Waters, Brazilian Girls

—

I get lots of press releases, and there are just a few that I’ll forward to my readers. The gear simply has to be interesting enough for me to publish. This is definitely something I could put to use in the studio – or even on stage. It’s definitely worth a look! In any case, check out this video describing the pedal:

Posted in Guitars | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

Would you buy it if it has a questionable ancestry?

December 9, 2010 by Unco B

Before I go into the specific company in question, my thought is if it plays and sounds great, and more importantly, it moves me enough to want it, then I’d probably let its questionable ancestry go and just buy the item.

Prestige Heritage Elite - Lite Sunburst

I did just that with my Prestige Guitars Heritage Elite. I bought my Heritage Elite, which is a fantastic guitar, actually before I knew of the controversy – so too late for me. These guitars are Les Paul-style guitars that the company say are cut and shaped in Korea, then accessorized in Vancouver, BC, Canada. Prestige also provides the woods. All that sounds well and good as Gibson does this with the Epiphone line, and PRS does it with its SE line.

But here’s where the controversy starts. These guitars are EXACTLY like this: http://www.unsung.co.kr/html/products/ulp523.html, which is a made by Un-Sung Musical Instrument Company, and this one: http://translate.google.com/translate?js=n&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&layout=2&eotf=1&sl=ru&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fjetguitars.ru%2Fshow_9104259 by Jet Guitars in Russia. The latter two share the same model number so the Jet is obviously a re-label of the Un-Sung. Plus, the Samick company in Korea makes something that is eerily similar to the Heritage Standard.

All that said, Prestige says they use two different manufacturers in Korea – the same foundries that produce Epiphones and another popular brand, and that Un-Sung makes copies of these, which are actually constructed in China.

Who knows what to believe? I do know that the tops of the Prestige guitars are full caps, not laminates (you can see the sandwich layers from the pot cavity). My Elite sounds and plays great, and though I don’t use it nearly as much as I used to as I now have real a Les Paul and a ’59 replica, it still gets play time because the Duncan ’59 and JB pickups sound absolutely sweet!

So, knowing what I know now, however uncorroborated, would I still have bought the guitar? Yes. I would have bought the guitar because all things being equal, this is just a great guitar, and you can still get them for a GREAT price on EBay from “acemate,” who sells lots of gear from Canadian manufacturers.

Mind you, it doesn’t have the sound of a Les Paul, but it does have a sound all its own, and that sound is actually quite aggressive. If I had to do it all over again, I’d probably buy the Heritage Standard, as the Elite is a bit too pretty, and I’m always concerned of getting it dinged up.

Would I recommend it? Absolutely. If you’re looking for a LP-style guitar but don’t want to pay the price, and don’t want an Epiphone, Prestige Guitars are a great lower-cost alternative!

For more information, go to the Prestige Guitars website!

Posted in Guitars | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments »

Aracom Is So Much More Than An Attenuator Builder!

December 9, 2010 by Unco B

My good buddy Jeff Aragaki of Aracom Amps (http://www.aracom-amps.com) is in a bit of a quandry. His attenuators have been incredibly successful and very well-received by both amateur and pro guitarists. He actually built the attenuator in the hopes that it would raise awareness of his wonderful amps, of which I own three with a fourth on the way. Unfortunately, it sort of backfired because his attenuators are so great that they’ve completely overshadowed his amps. That’s too bad, because they’re great amps, and they’re all I gig and record with.

So to try to raise more awareness of his products, Jeff compiled a few videos that feature moi, Clint Morrison – who’s a pro player out of Austin, TX – and Doug Doppler. Check ’em out. Clint’s and my videos feature both the PRX-150 Pro or DAG, and Aracom amps.

Yours Truly:

Clint Morrison:

Doug Doppler:

For more information on Aracom Amps products, go to the Aracom website!

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Don’t Knock the Praise and Worship Players

December 8, 2010 by Unco B

I don’t hide from the fact that I play in a worship band. In fact, that has been one of my primary musical outlets for most of my life, and the Mass (I’m Catholic) has been a source of inspiration as I’ve written many songs over the years for worship. For those who are in a worship music group, they “get” that inspiration. It’s not about performance, and it’s not just about the praise. To me, it’s about creating a connection with the congregation, and inviting them to join us on the journey that is the service.

In the past, I’ve come across some visitors here and people on forums who scoff at worship players, with some going so far as saying, “Why don’t you play a REAL gig?” What idiots like that don’t realize is that playing in a worship setting is actually one of the hardest gigs to play, because you can’t just go out and rip it up like you would in a club. You’re constrained by the service, and this means that you have to be able to play different styles of music, from rock to even classical, and if you have a group like mine that consists of entirely volunteers that have day job (I’m the only paid worship leader, but I also have a regular job), then you have to also deal with changing instrumentation and arrangements from week to week.

Then on top of all that, volume is always an issue in a church building. So you also have to take that into account. As I play mostly vintage-style amps, they have to be cranked to get some grit, so I’ve had to resort to all sorts of solutions from drive and distortion pedals to attenuators to introduce some dirt into songs.

The stuff I’ve mentioned above are just mechanics, but there’s another side of doing a worship gig that’s even more important than all that, and that is you can’t suck. To me, nothing takes away from a service more than music played poorly. The higher the quality of the presentation, the more connected the assembly becomes, and that means that the worship experience is that much more meaningful to the people. We, as worship musicians, have to always keep in mind that we are there as facilitators of the worship experience, and thus we have to have a command over that for which we are responsible: our music.

Lots of people over the years have tried to join our group – singers and musicians alike – and only a few have stuck with it. Those who don’t – especially experienced gigging musicians – almost invariably say that playing in a worship service is A LOT harder than they thought it would be because there’s just so much to think about. So for you worship players out there, take heart in what you provide because you’re playing in a venue that is incredibly difficult to play in. For the opinionated and ignorant who say us worship musicians aren’t doing a “real” gig, I challenge you to try it yourself. I doubt you’d be able to stick with it.

Posted in Guitars | Tagged , , , | 10 Comments »

Hype, hype, and more hype!

December 8, 2010 by Unco B

The worst thing about hype, especially when it comes to guitar gear is that we all fall prey to it. I was thinking about all the hype and myths that surround guitar gear today, and doing a search on “guitar gear hype” yielded this interesting article that talks about marketing hype and how musicians are so tired of marketing hype that most don’t believe ANY of it, even if it’s true. I used to get all “gassed” up with all the hype, but I’m a lot more reasonable now. So when a manufacturer makes claims about something, I’ve become accustomed to ignoring the claims, though I admit that I do my best to prove or disprove claims if the gear in question seems interesting enough.

But it’s not just the manufacturers, it’s also players that push a lot of hype around, and I’ve got a few hype topics that especially annoy me:

  • “Class A amps are better than Class AB”
    This statement is less prevalent now than when I first heard this a few years ago, but it still irks me when I hear it. Class A doesn’t refer to the quality of an amp, but to the type of circuit. I remember hearing that from a dude at GC when I was looking at a used VOX AC30 (and btw, the ACxx amps are really NOT Class A). I thought he was bs-ing me at the time, so I just politely nodded my head, blew him off. Luckily there’s the Internet, and I also know a great amp guy who explained the operating classes to me.
  • “It sounds like a Dumble”
    No it doesn’t. A Dumble sounds like a Dumble, and I know what at least one Dumble sounds like. Dumble tailors each amp to the player, so while as a group the amps may sound similar, they each have an individual character. It’s hard to tell – especially on the forums – who has actually heard and played one, but I’m willing to bet most people’s experience is through sound clips. I remember reading on the forums that this dude claimed he could make his Dr. Z Maz 18 sound like a Dumble (I think because it has a master volume). What a crock of shit! Unfortunately, that dude has thousands of posts and people actually believe him.But despite that, the Dumble is one case where the hype about Dumble amps is something I tend to believe, having heard and played through a Dumble. What annoys me are the comparisons with other amps or players making claims that their amps sound like a Dumble.
  • Cable break-in
    I’ve spoken to electrical engineers, and even the article I mentioned above mentioned this hype item, and all agree that cable break-in is a fantasy. Personally, I’ve never bought into it. Who knows? Maybe my ears are not good enough to tell, but I just get decent cables that are durable and have a reasonably low capacitance. I use Monster cables – but not the super-expensive ones. They work great and they have a lifetime warranty.
  • Transparency
    Lots of builders and players alike bandy this term about quite liberally. The fact of the matter is that anything you add to your chain will affect your tone; some more than others. The most pure tone you’ll get is your guitar plugged straight into your amp. After that, you’ll change your tone. Consider this: If you like to run effects (I usually have at least nine pedals on a board), not only do you have to deal with signal running through the pedals themselves, you have all that cable that ties them together. I think the best you can hope for is retention of your dynamics. Or if you’re like The Edge, the sum total of your effects is your tone.

So how does one get past the hype? Simple: Play it for yourself. Granted, there are some things that you just can’t try out at a shop – especially boutique gear – but most boutique gear builders have a return policy, so if it happens that you don’t like it, you can always return it.

Posted in Guitars | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments »

It’s FREEZE-ing!!! The New Electro-Harmonix FREEZE Pedal

December 5, 2010 by Unco B

When I first heard about this pedal, which EH calls a “sound retainer,” I have to admit, I was rather incredulous. I asked, “What the hell would I use THAT for?” But after seeing a demonstration of it, I seeing some real possibilities; especially for my solo acoustic gigs. But rather than bore you with a bunch of features, take a look at this video:

That dude is a great guitar player! Don’t know who he is, but I do know he’s from Mexico as that demo comes from guitargear.com.mx. No affiliation to this site, but it’s a cool name just the same! And of course, at least for me, I have to appreciate his choice of guitar. 🙂 Nice Tea Burst Les Paul!

In any case, that demo sparked off an idea in me for when I play my solo acoustic gigs. I could strum a chord, then play a short lead over it. But I can also see how it could actually be used to introduce a whole new way of approaching music. It’s wild! I’m seeing all sorts of possibilities now with this pedal, once I saw a demo. And at under $120, it’s not expensive at all.

For more information, check out the EH FREEZE site!

Posted in Guitars | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments »

On the Aracom PRX150-Pro Attenuator

November 27, 2010 by Unco B

Yeah, I mention it a lot, but I thought I talk about it once again, because it truly has had a HUGE impact on how I approach amps. To me, there’s simply no attenuator on the market that can touch the quality of its sound; well, it doesn’t produce sound of course, but it lets all your tone come through, but more importantly, no matter where you set it, you will always have your dynamics. In any case, I recorded a couple of videos this afternoon, talking about this wonderful device by Aracom Amplifiers.

Part I: Discussion

Part II: Demo

BTW, recorded these clips with an Alesis VideoTrack. Nice little unit. Not sure how long I’ll actually use it because I actually do want a better picture. But for now, it’s great to have an all-in-one solution to get some video out!

For more information on this great attenuator, go to the Aracom PRX150 product page!

Posted in Guitars | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

Gear Test: Alesis VideoTrack Handheld Video Camera

November 26, 2010 by Unco B

People have asked me to do more videos, especially after I did the Doppler on the Dumble series. But the problem with doing video reviews is that I needed to set up a separate sound source to replace the video’s sound track, as it’s not all that good. So I’ve been looking at alternatives that had decent built-in sound, and a really inexpensive alternative I found was the Alesis VideoTrack. Mind you, I wouldn’t buy this one at full price. I got it for $80 today at Guitar Center during their Black Friday sale.

On the positive, it had great audio quality, which I’d expect from an audio company like Alesis. On the negative, the video quality is poor. But for gear reviews, it’s more important to have great sound than great video. That said, this will work for the time being until I get the Zoom Q3HD which has great audio and HD video. But it’s also almost four times what I paid for the Alesis, so I probably won’t be getting one anytime soon.

In any case, I did a test video. Check it out:

Not bad. Not bad at all. The sound quality is amazingly good, so I think we have a winner here!

Posted in Guitars | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 15 Comments »

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