So I'm gonna confess something first and foremost: I'm a tube snob. I love the glass. I love the dynamic push and pull you get from having valves in an amplifier. Valves/tubes/glass - bottles of tone... BUT - let's talk briefly about Solid State Amplifiers... They have their place. And in many cases - they can do things tubes just can't. Yep, I said it. There are some very … [Read more...]
Ace.
Ace. Yeah, normally we talk about gear. And there will be hints of that here because we, nor he, could do what we/he do/did without the stuff. But. Let’s talk Ace. The Les Paul and Marshall pounding dynamo who has left for space. His home. Jendell in the Klaatu solar system. He wasn’t the most technically brilliant, he wasn’t the cleanest and most articulate, he … [Read more...]
People Pay for That? “Relic’d”
We are talking about “Relic’d” gear. If you are new the game – “relic’ing” a piece of gear means to ‘beat it up’ intentionally. In the best possible way. Usually, the purpose is to make it look ‘old’. The preferred terms thrown around are ‘vintage’, “patina”, “well-played”, etc. Now, why on Earth would anyone pay MORE for an instrument that is not new looking? Because … [Read more...]
When Phil X Came to Town
Phil X. Theofilos Xenidis.BEAST. YouTube legend.Triumph, Bon Jovi, Hired Gun The dude seemed to be a well-kept secret for a couple of decades. Kicking around the California camps the Canadian born rocker did stints with Triumph and Randy Coven (Aldo Nova) before settling in to session work. Then came YouTube and Fretted Americana – a guitar shop in Calabasas, CA. During off the … [Read more...]
Boutique Amps – Oh Yes!
There are tried and true traditional amps: Marshall, Fender, Mesa Boogie, Peavey, Vox, Orange – etc. And we carry lots of those. We love them! You love them! But – there are smaller manufacturers out there that make very special amps for various applications. Usually, they are a cut above in construction, tone, reliability, etc. – because they are often made one at a time to … [Read more...]
