Stuff 4 sale - post-Christmas clean-out!

As always, I've been doing a better job of "accumulating" than "selling" during the past few months, so I've got a few guitars and other music-related items to unload. If you’re interested in anything below or need more details, shoot me an e-mail. You can also check out more pics of the gear for sale here. If there's not much interest during the next week or so, I'll start listing the guitars on e-bay.

• 4-space ATA rack SOLD
• Avatar 2x12 closed-back cabinet w/ Celestion Vintage 30’s SOLD
• Avatar 2x12 open-back cabinet w/ Celestion G12H-30’s SOLD
• G&L ASAT Special SOLD
• G&L Legacy Standard w/ EMG DG-20 pickups (Fullerton red, rosewood fretboard, EMG SA single coils + EXG/SPC active tone circuits + PI2 phase switch, case + paperwork) SOLD
• Gibson Explorer Pro - guitar of the week #13 (mahogany body, bound fretboard, 496/500 pickups, hardshell case) SOLD
• Gibson Firebird V Zebrawood - guitar of the week #12 (mahogany w/ Zebrawood wings, satin finish, mini-buckers, hardshell case) SOLD
• Gibson Les Paul Classic Antique Artist Series - guitar of the week #5 (chambered body, custom Tom Morgan finish, '57 pickups, hardshell case) SOLD
• Gibson Les Paul Standard Faded (satin finish, Burstbucker Pro pickups, hardshell case) SOLD
• Gibson SG Standard Silverburst - guitar of the week #3 (ebony fretboard, 490/498 pickups, hardshell case) SOLD
• Gracie acoustic guitar stand SOLD
• On-Stage Stands SMS-6000 adjustable studio monitor stands SOLD

--B

Finally! A guitar-oriented Christmas!

After several years of not getting any guitar-related gifts for Christmas, this year was the year (at least as far as Amazon.com is concerned)... I got several books I've had on my "wish list" for quite a while, including:

• Tab books: Guitar Tab White Pages (volume 1) and Guitar Hero
• Studio books: Basic Live Sound by Paul White, The Recording Guitarist by Jon Chappell, The Home Studio Guide to Microphones by Loren Alldrin, and Mixing and Mastering Audio Recordings and Becoming a Successful Producer Engineer by Bill Gibson
• Coffee table books: The PRS Guitar Book by Dave Burrluck - talk about GAS-inspiring!!

Looks like I'll have plenty of reading material to keep me busy for the next few months and probably enough new tablature to keep me occupied for the rest of the year!

--B

New guitar - G&L ASAT Special

Here's another semi-recent acquisition... not new, but new to me at least... It's a G&L ASAT Special with naturally finished swamp ash body, birdseye maple neck/fretboard, white pearloid pickguard, and black hardware. It's the 4th ASAT I've owned... a bit different than the ASAT Special with the alder body & rosewood fretboard I had a few months back, and also different than the ASAT Classic with the alder body & more traditional single coil pickups I've got now.



As with all the other G&L's I've owned, tone, playability, and attention to detail are all top-notch. The MFD soapbar pickups have a little more "hi-fi" sound compared to the more vintage MFD's on the ASAT Classic and are marginally hotter. Certainly still has that tele-style twang, though... whenever I plug it in, I start out playing rock riffs and inevitably end up playing blues, funk, and even some country riffs. Definitely a cool addition to the collection... I've been playing it quite a bit (second only to the Les Paul Standard Faded) lately and am planning on taking it as a "backup" guitar to the Necessary Distraction gig this Wednesday.

--B

A few additions to the ol' pedalboard...

Since I went "rackless" back in September, I've made a few more additions to the pedalboard. Not that it wasn't already overflowing with wholesome effects goodness, but now it literally is overflowing, since I can't fit all the pedals on the board anymore. Overall, I'm still content with the relative simplicity of the pedal-based effects... I'm spending a lot more time playing than programming & tweaking, which was the goal for sure.

ISP Technologies Decimator

After reading a bunch of reviews for different noise suppressors (Boss, Rocktron, MXR), I decided to try the Decimator based on its utter simplicity (one-knob operation) and generally rave reviews. It's the best noise gate I've had so far... It doesn't cut in or out abruptly, but rather, does a decent job of preserving the natural attack and sustain of the guitar. It's easy to adjust on the fly based on the amount of pickup hiss/hum/noise generated by any particular guitar. Extra points for having a cool shiny chrome finish and not requiring some proprietary power supply.

Boss AC-3 acoustic simulator

Dave picked up one of these to use for acoustic guitar parts in Necessary Distraction tunes, and I've been pretty impressed. The new AC-3's have a few improvements vs. the old AC-2's... the acoustic tones are a bit more realistic, there are dedicated outputs for guitar amps and PA systems, and there's built in reverb. I've given up on electric guitars with built in piezos (they just don't sound that great and it ties me to one or two piezo-equipped guitars for every gig); I tried using a Gracie stand with a real acoustic but it only succeeded in doubling the amount of gear to be hauled out for a gig (and despite how sturdy the Gracie's are, I still felt like there was a pretty high risk of knocking my acoustic off the stand mid-performance). So the AC-3 is the best compromise... I can use any guitar in the arsenal, don't need to haul out a ton of additional acoustic guitar gear, yet can still get a reasonably realistic (enough to fool 90% of the folks listening) acoustic tone at the stomp of a foot.

Ernie Ball Jr. 250k volume pedal

Pretty basic... it makes it quieter, it makes it louder, it's built like a tank, and it takes up (slightly) less pedalboard space than the original EB volume pedal. But I'm using the EB in a non-conventional way... the Randall RM50B has a 1/4" jack for a "boost" that works with a latching footswitch; a lesser known fact is that it also works with some volume pedals for a variable solo boost. So instead of using the EB in front of the amp (varying the level of preamp distortion), I'm using it to vary the overall output level of the power section, which will be useful for soloing during both rock and jazz gigs.

Sennheiser ew172 wireless

Ok, technically it's not a pedal, but it's still part of my pedalboard since that's the source of the signal path. My Nady wireless recently gave up the ghost (not the first cheap wireless I've owned that's randomly stopped working), so I decided to invest in something a touch more "pro". So far I've just used it around the house and been happy with the reception and tone quality (much better dynamics!) compared to the Nady--it will probably be the only accessory I'll take to this week's Necessary Distraction gig, just so I can roam out into the audience to see how we sound with the "minimal sound reinforcement".

With all the new additions, here's the new signal flow...

Sennheiser ew172 --> Axess BS2 --> Peterson StroboStomp --> Fulltone Clyde Deluxe --> Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive --> Carl Martin compressor --> Boss AC-3 --> ISP Decimator --> Ernie Ball volume pedal --> Damage Control Glass Nexus --> amp input

I doubt there'll be any more additions now, but I do need to pick up a bit more velcro to get everything officially mounted. Then I'll snap a picture or two of the finalized pedalboard for posterity's sake.

--B

New guitar - Gibson Les Paul Standard Faded

Ok, technically it's not "new" since I bought it used and it's been around the house for at least 2 months, but it just goes to show that I'm a bit behind on my blog posting... I've had a recent fascination with Gibsons, particularly their "guitar of the week" models, but this is the first Gibson I've picked up in quite a while that's not a "guitar of the week"...



That's a Gibson Les Paul Standard Faded with a 50's neck profile, tobacco burst finish, and Burstbucker Pro pickups. It's similar to the non-faded Standards with the exception of the missing pickup covers and (obvious) satin finish. I'm always a bit nervous about dinging or wearing down the finish on satin guitars, but it's usually worth it in terms of tone... this is the richest sounding Les Paul I've ever played, resonates like nothing else, and is also relatively light (for a Les Paul, at least). And it gets extra points for looking old (like a 50's Les Paul that's been kept under the bed for 50 years) even if it's a 2007 model. Only downside (so far) is that the back of the neck seems to get gunked up rather quickly, so it needs to be cleaned/polished more frequently than my other guitars.

But nonetheless, I've probably spent more time playing this than everything else combined over the past few weeks... been using it for band practices, demo recording, and will most likely take it to this Wednesday's gig. All in all, it's one of the best values in the Gibson lineup these days, particularly if you're in the market for a real Les Paul at a non-inflated price.

--B

Branching out in 2008...

Having spent this year (and many prior years) thoroughly focused on guitar (amassing a versatile collection, finalizing my amp & effects rigs, getting everything into tip-top shape from a maintenance standpoint), I've been thinking about branching out musically a bit in 2008. I've long talked about learning some more traditional instruments. So starting in January, I'm going to start learning the mandolin, and when I get basically proficient with that, I'm going to start learning the banjo. I already picked up a couple of chord charts and basic instruction books for each. If I can handle both of those, I may branch out to violin or lap steel. By the end of 2008, my goal is to be a one-man bluegrass band. Seriously, I don't know if I'll ever play any of 'em in a band, but it will be cool to be able to incorporate them into recording projects as they fit.

Which brings up a personal rant topic... why the f#$% couldn't all the original musical instrument designers agree on a common tuning scheme for string instruments? Guitar's tuned EADGBE, violin and mandolin are tuned GDAE, banjo typically GDGBD, dobro & lap steel are in all sorts of open keys. It's bad enough to have to learn new technique for every instrument, but when all the scale & chord fingerings change, it's a nightmare. Makes me want to cheat and tune everything like a guitar, just so I could learn faster. :)

--B

Egnater B'MAN module - SWEET!

Picked up a new (er, new to me) amp module a few weeks ago... an old-school (single-channel) Egnater B'MAN. I've never played a real Bassman, never owned the Randall Tweed module when I had my MTS rig a couple of years ago, so I really didn't know what to expect. But I was in need of a second clean module... the T/D has been great, but I was getting tired of constantly switching it between the M4 and RM50.

I thought (hoped) the B'MAN would make a great compliment to the T/D, and it certainly has... while the Twin is more of a "crisp, dry" clean (not sterile, but almost), the B'MAN is a bit warmer, fatter, & grittier--it's amazing for single-note lead work. I've been using it in the RM50, paired with both the SL2 and COD modules. At this point, I expect the B'MAN will become a standard module for both rock and jazz gigs. Highly recommended! Makes me wonder what the second channel in the dual-channel B'MAN is like...

Too bad I was asleep at the wheel a couple weeks ago... I just missed out on picking up a used single-channel Egnater JTM module (which is one module that isn't available in the dual-channel format).

Now I just need to hunt me down some creme Egnater-style knobs so the B'MAN will match the rest of the modules I've got. :)

--B

Upcoming Necessary Distraction gig - 12/26 - Hamilton, OH

Next Wednesday (12/26) Necessary Distraction will be playing our inaugural gig at Music Cafe, which is held at the Fitton Center in Hamilton, OH. We will most likely be taking the stage between 8:30 and 9:00 and will play a half-hour set of original tunes. For more details on the venue, check out the Music Cafe website at: http://www.musiccafe.ws/

Although it's always subject to last minute change, I'll probably be going with a scaled down rig for this show... the Randall RM50B combo amp (loaded with Egnater B'MAN and COD modules) no effects. From a guitar standpoint I'll take the Gibson Les Paul Standard Faded and probably bring the G&L ASAT Special as a backup.

I'm looking forward to this one... haven't played a good rock gig in over a year (have been more focused on songwriting & recording), so I'm looking forward to taking the stage, if only for a short set.

--B

Yea... got the new home theater together...

Slowly but surely, over the past couple of weeks all the components for the new home theater were delivered, wired up, configured, etc. The icing on the cake was Thursday, when Time Warner showed up to install HD cable service and the HD DVR.

As always, pictures are in order...

Before:


After:


Quite a difference, eh? Last night we took advantage of the new setup, watching Next Great American Band followed by several episodes of CSI:Miami in HD. Very cool!

Great thing is that the new entertainment center takes up slightly less space than the old one and has been considerably easier to configure (HDMI is the greatest thing since sliced bread) and operate. Plus, by "recycling" the components from the old entertainment center to other rooms, we've now got a better setup in our bedroom (27" TV + DVD + VCR), another setup in the guest room (19" TV + DVD + VCR + receiver + tape deck), a streaming media server in the den, and fewer stereo components collecting dust in the basement. A real win-win-win-win situation.

--B

Double the speakers, double the fun...

Over the past couple of weeks, I've managed to double (well, technically triple, but only until I sell some surplus gear) the number of speakers in my guitar rig... came across a couple deals that were both way too good to pass up. Check it out...



Around the end of October I found a new Rocktron Vendetta 4x12 cab for $400. The cabs were discontinued when the Vendetta 100-watt heads were discontinued. It's a well-built, likely-Egnater-designed cab that's loaded with Celestion Vintage 30's. Once I got it home, though, I realized that it didn't stack well with my Avatar 2x12's... the Avatar's were too deep to sit securely on top of the Rocktron, but not so deep so that the Rocktron could sit securely on either of them. So I started looking for another 2x12 cab (I have a stereo power amp, so I need two cabs, right?) that would either be small enough to sit on top of the Rocktron or large enough to sit under the Rocktron.

This Wednesday I stopped by Guitar Center and Sam Ash on my lunch break to check out used 2x12 cabs--didn't see anything that caught my eye. But right when I was about to leave Sam Ash, I saw a Randall 4x12 XL cab for $400--seemed too good to be true! I popped the back to make sure it had the right speakers (Vintage 30's) in it, and had it in the back of the FJ ASAP. The sales rep made a comment when he rang it up that they probably had the wrong price marked on it, but gave it to me for the marked price anyway (yea!).

So now I've got two 4x12's loaded with Vintage 30's, plus a couple 2x12's up for sale. Downside is that both cabs are angled--they won't stack, but I probably shouldn't be stacking 90+ lb. cabs at my age anyway. :p I briefly debated swapping out the V30's in one cab for a little more variety (e.g., G12T-75's, CL80's, G12H-30's, etc.), but they sound pretty d@#$ good as is.

--B