Coming soon to a star system near you! Last week I dared all incautious chumps you to prognosticate about our guitaristic future. I knew the resulting comments thread would be fun, but I didn’t expect it to be that fun! And also oddly uplifting. Future predictions just seem to skew in an optimistic […] 
This effect order ALWAYS works great! Weird, isn’t it? You can explain the rules of thumb for ordering your guitar effects in about ten seconds, but you can still get stumped after years of experimentation. You probably know the conventional effect-order advice, which goes something like this (in order of appearance): Distortion effects […] 
“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 […] 
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 […] 
I’ve got a Tweed Champ kit, and I’m not afraid to use it. Or at least not VERY afraid. Why do they make amps so damn loud? It’s not just a cranky question from a guitarist who’s drawing depressingly close to the “Get off my lawn!” years. I ask sincerely: Why? Big amps […] 
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 […] 
The Atom guitar body was created on a 3D printer. During the Maker Faire a few months back, I wrote about the new wave of absurdly inexpensive 3D printers, and fantasized a bit about a not-too-distant time when many of us will be printing our own guitar parts at home. Create Digital Music […] 
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 […] |
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