Prewired replacement electronics provide access to many popular wiring mods, minus the soldering. Larry Santellan of Santellan Sounds, maker of the Elec-Trix tone modules, sent me some samples to check out. These pre-wired circuits offer quick access to some of the “greatest hits” of alternate wiring, with an emphasis on Strats and Teles. […] 
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 […] 
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 […] 
Well, I’m not sure it’s fair to call it a “museum” when there’s only one exhibit so far. But it’s a really, really good one… I bought this Maestro Rhythm ’N Sound for Guitar for a pittance back in the ’90s. It’s a primitive multi-effect unit from 1968, with a cool octave-down bass tone, auto-wah, […] This clip from the short-lived British sketch-com Snuff Box made me think about great guitar teachers — and not-so-great ones. I was lucky — I had some truly memorable teachers, starting with my mom, who taught me her coffeehouse folk. When she decided I needed a more advanced instructor, she recruited Larry, a friend’s […] 
Anyone here ever owned a synth guitar? Not a Keytar, but a guitar fitted with a hexaphonic pickup that transmits MIDI data to external devices? And if so, do you readily admit it? The synth guitar has had one of the most checkered histories outside of, well, checkers. Since the ’70s, many brilliant minds […] 
Does music groove more when all the effects are in sync? What’s better: synchronizing your modulation and delay effects strictly to tempo? Or “freewheeling” it, and letting the effects wobble and drift a bit? I eagerly embraced tap-tempo stompboxes when they appeared — how liberating to re-clock your effects without stooping over and […] 
I got out of the studio for a few days…WAY out. Welcome to Metropolis, Nevada, population zero. Do you ever find it beneficial to put down the damn guitar and get out of the house? Usually, my answer is “no” — I like hanging out in the studio, and am immensely grateful that […] 
Are drummers smarter than guitar players? I’m not a huge fan of drummer jokes. I know plenty of smart drummers, and it seems to me that we should accord them every bit as much respect as if they played an actual musical instrument. Still, I bridle at the notion that they are more […] 
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 […] |
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