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I’ve installed TriplePlay on the homemade strat. For the last few months I’ve been working with Fishman on the documentation for TriplePlay, their long-awaited wireless MIDI guitar system, which will finally ship this quarter. I had a blast demoing TriplePlay at MacWorld a few weeks ago, and I’m looking forward to doing so […] A homely clone cowers in the shadow of a ramshackle original. Okay, here’s an old weirdo I’ve been meaning to write about for ages. The Systech Harmonic Energizer is an ultra-rare filter/distortion effect from the ’70s that takes the fuzz-wah formula in some interesting directions. Its signature is edgy, ultra-resonant filter sounds. You’re […] 
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 […] 
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 […] 
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 […] 
You can probably get cool tones from any old crap with a tube in it, such as this ’60s PA amp. There were lots of interesting replies to last week’s post on small amps. Thanks for all the tips about some of today’s best tiny terrors! The discussion reminded me of a cool […] 
Plastic guitars are not a new idea! In comments to a recent post on 3D-printed guitars, we were discussing the pros, cons, and general aesthetics of instruments molded from plastic. But this isn’t exactly a new idea. Back in the 1950s, luthier Mario Maccaferri conceived a line of plastic guitars and ukuleles. (This […] 
Overdrive from Heaven? Or hype from Hell? Has any stompbox ever been as steeped in myth and legend as the Klon Centaur? Doubt it. Original Centaurs are extremely collectible, currently fetching around $1,500 on EBay. But for every player who drools over the prospect of obtaining this rare creature, there’s another who’s foaming […] 
A unique pickup in a “unique” guitar. I’ve never owned a Burns guitar, and I have only one with Burns pickups: a funky mid-’60s Baldwin Virginian I scored for $100 some 20 years ago. It’s a cheap plywood piece of crap — but it’s my piece of crap, and I’m quite attached to […] |
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