Who Dares Predict Our Fretboard Future?

“We are all interested in the future, for that is where you and I are going to spend the rest of our lives.” — Criswell, Plan 9 from Outer Space

UPDATE: Wow, I can’t believe all the cool stuff folks have been posting to comments. I find myself feeling quite inspired about the […]

Thankful

Analog Schmanalog

Ever notice how most analog vs. digital battles discussions boil down to two basic questions?

1. Can digital sound as good as analog? 2. What are the practical benefits of digital?

They’re good questions, but they tend to overshadow another important (and probably more interesting) topic: What are the musical benefits of digital?

Everyone loves […]

Psych-Out Special: The Kay Effector!

Lookit what Double D found….

Oh man — did you guys see what local hero Double D posted over in the Forum under Onboard Effects: Foolish, or Merely Ill-Advised?

First, he got his hands on a Kay Effector — a psychotronic Korean axe with built-in effects. Then he got it working. Then he […]

The Great Epiphone Swindle

You don’t have to spend $6,706 to sound like a punk. And don’t ask what the six cents are for!

My pal Linda B. is a killer rock and roll drummer who also plays a pretty mean guitar. She’s decided to form an all-female Sex Pistols cover band, with her assuming the duties […]

The Class A vs. Class A/B Slugfest!

Which kick more ass? Class A or Class AB?

The recent experience making a DIY Class A Champ reignites for me the eternal debate between the merits of Class A and Class A/B amps. (I link once more to Dave Hunter’s excellent short article on the topic, since he explains the distinction so […]

Review: Tube Depot Tweed Champ Kit

When you make DIY stompboxes powered by 9-volt batteries, your biggest fear is a solder burn (or dropping your drill on your iPad, but that’s another story). DIY amps are different: AC voltage can kill you, so a klutz like me approaches amp builds with caution.

Which brings me to one of the great things […]

Hey, Gates: Do You Know Your Dots?

“Yes, but can you read bass clef too?”

My incoherent headline is inspired by one of my favorite music quotes, from the 1947 film The Song of the Thin Man: Detective William Powell is pursuing a clue based on a classical music theme, and suspicion falls on a hipster jazz musician. Powell asks […]