Blog
Feb 14, 2011
Sep 7, 2010
Nolatone Ampworks
After the flood, I was able to team up with Paul Sanders over at Nolatone to get me the amp that I’ve been looking for. The amp I ended up with is the Nolatone CL-15. This thing is killer. Great voxy tones! My favorite breakup of any amp I’ve heard to date.
Paul was kind enough to make mine the first 2x12 version (15w alnico 25w greenback type). He also added a bright switch to the amp soon after. It’s got all the chime you could want out of an amp.
You have got to check out their amps. The new Black Tooth amp is pretty killer too!
Sep 7, 2010
May 11, 2010
So many of you know by now that my brother’s house was hit with a really terrible flood last week. We ended up saving a few things. We still, however, lost a great deal of gear. This includes all of my guitar gear except for my Gibson SG and my Gretsch Sparkle Jet.
I have been overwhelmed with everyone’s generosity through all of this. Three of my best friends pulled together to get me a couple Eventide pedals replaced and a new double Mono case for my guitars. (Juan, Bobby and Matt: I will repay you in high-fives)
Nolatone, Keeley, George L, SKB, Maxon, Ernie Ball, MusicomLab, Pro Stage Gear, Electro Harmonix, Eventide, Guitar Center and Sweetwater have all been truly amazing to work with and have replaced many lost items. Many friends from Murdock Baptist Church and FB Punta Gorda have given so much to us through this. This is truly incredible! I will forever be grateful!
I don’t think that Keith, Erin and myself will ever fully recover from all of the loss but we are so thankful for great friends and family who have come through for us.
My guitar rig will look similar to what it did before just with a few adjustments. The biggest being a new amp. I’m working with Paul at Nolatone on getting a new british style amplifier. I’ll let you know when it comes in.
Apr 25, 2010
Amp switch
After I sold the Bad Cat Hot Cat 30, I picked up a british era Vox AC30TB/6. I love it. Great Vox tone at about half the price of the Divided by 13 I had before. I think this sounds better too.
opinions….
Apr 25, 2010
My current board set up. I’m pretty happy with it. However, I am planning on a few changes in the next couple weeks.
Here is a list of the pedals in order of signal chain
Ernie Ball VP Jr.
Boss TU-2 Tuner
Zvex Mastotron
Keeley 4 knob compressor
Eventide Pitchfactor (w/ expression pedal)
Maxon OD820 Overdrive
Zeek Drive
Keeley modded ProCo Rat
Eventide Modfactor
Eventide Timefactor
Electro Harmonix Holy Grail
Diamond Boost EQ
All of the pedals (except mastotron & diamond boost) are routed through the MusicomLab EFX MKII true bypass midi pedal programmer. All three Eventide pedals are midi synced with the MKII. The timefactor and modfactor are both run with one external tap by loopmaster. I am also currently using the Voodoo Lab Pedal Power II. Enjoy.
Jan 30, 2010
Jan 30, 2010
Your Amp Sucks
This article is great. Very simple, yet so true. Great advise for anyone searching for great tone. (Thanks Chris!)
Jan 24, 2010
Amps Amps Amps
This past year has been a relentless search for the perfect amp. I now know…there is no such thing. You will never be able to find one guitar amp that will “do it all”.
This has been my experience lately. I’ve gone through the following amps since June.
1. Orange Ad30H (single channel) and matching 2x12 cab w/ vintage 30’s
2. 65 Amps Monterey
3. Divided by 13 RSA 31 Head and matching 2x12 cab w/ alnico blue’s
4. 1999 Vox AC30 /6TB British Made w/ Greenbacks
5. 2002 Bad Cat Hot Cat 30 and matching 2x12 cab w/ Bad Cat modified Vintage 30’s
Let me just say that I think the “Vox” sound is the best there is. Chimey cleans and the best crunch out there. However, Vox has taken a serious turn for the worst. The new CC series is pretty terrible. Even with the alnico blues, it’s not much better. I will say that these amps are pretty consistent and it’s probably your best bet for backline. I don’t really ask for anything else when I need something on the road. You never know what you’ll get when you ask for a Bad Cat or something. But you always know you can get a Chinese-made AC30. I think I’ll just get another 90’s British era AC30.
Here is a letter I think I’ll send to Vox:
Dear Vox,
Your Custom Classic series of amps sucks. I know you are trying with this whole Heritage Handwired thing, but you had a good thing going in the 60’s and even in the 90’s-early 2000’s.
Please bring hope back to all of the Vox lovers out there so we don’t have to keep searching for something else.
Signed,
Sad and sincerely let down