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Some boutique stompbox builders pursue endless refinements of classic pedal designs, developing ever-more-suave iterations of the Tube Screamer and Ross Compressor. And some just want to blow shit up. Guess which category Portland, Oregon’s Devi Ever falls into? Hint: Her extensive line of guitar and bass pedals includes such anarchy boxes as the Little Shit, […] 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 […] 
“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 […] 
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 […] 
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 mighty Morley Rotating Sound Wah Two indisputable facts about Leslie rotating speaker cabinets: They sound awesome, and they’re approximately the size and weight of Rhode Island. Since the ’60s manufacturers have attempted to mimic the spinning-speaker effect in a more modest package. And one of the best mimics is the second exhibit […] 
These funky homemade pedals represent all the leading octave-fuzz circuits. I had no idea I had so many octave fuzz pedals! I had no idea they sounded so different! And after spending way too much time auditioning and recording them, I have no idea when I’m ever going to be able to stand […] 
Would this be anything less than awesome? I think not. As I gloated last week, Jane Wiedlin gave me her Hello Kitty Stratocaster — the most bitchin’ $99 guitar ever conceived! I finally had a chance to destroy/customize it yesterday, in what will no doubt be the first of many desecrations/enhancements. I’d ordered […] 
Hey man — what happened to your amps? No question about it: Amps are awesome, and guitarists will be plugging into them for a long time to come. But as threatened in this post from last week, I’ve been experimenting with direct- recorded guitar sounds. I’m not talking amp simulators, but the sound […] 
Simply beautiful! (Luthier: A. Meyer) Oh, man — this is the most fun I’ve ever had on this blog (provided you define “fun” as “laughing hard enough to snort coffee through your nose”). It sucked trying to pick a contest winner! I received over 150 guitar images, and I loved every single one […] |
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