Size Matters

Before I started this blog, I had another blog called Death101 Records. It started as the site for the record label I started to promote my old band, and then I morphed it into a blog and comic strip. Since I was a young child I had always wanted to be a cartoonist and after discovering webcomics, I thought I would give it a shot. I enjoying drawing, but I am very slow at it. I started realizing that I had other topics I wanted to cover, but I could not draw fast enough to get them out. So in September 2010, I made the jump to my current URL and format. That being said, I still have a story line that I wanted to tell, so I enlisted the help of my friend Chris, who is a great artist.

Chris is a graphic artist by trade and has done a lot of projects over the years including a children’s book about cancer that he did with his wife. He also designed my site logos. I gave Chris all the scripts I had written and he went to work. Today’s strip, “Size Matters”, is our first installment in the final story of Death101 Records. It all started when I got a mini amp for Christmas on year. I became obsessed with them and started collecting them. One day I thought, “wouldn’t it be funny if someone tried to play a show with a bunch of these chained together?”. That thought led to this comic strip and the YouTube video below. I shot the video below over a year ago, so you can see how long this idea has been kicked around.

So how did I set this all up? Well My friend Sue at Avalon Beat gave me a signal splitter/combiner box that Boss made years ago when she was cleaning out her studio. It sat for probably 10-15 years with only one use in the time I owned it. It worked well for this application. The Amps I used are as follows: Vox AC1, Danelectro Hodad, Marshall MS-2, and an Orange Micro Crush. All have their own unique application and sounds as you will see in the video. And don’t worry…I do have some full size amplifiers too.

Zoom H2n

Happy Cyber Monday! I know I am not the first person to offer a holiday gift guide, but I plan on approaching it from a slightly different angle. For starters, ask your self a few questions about the guitarist on your Christmas list. Are they in an active band? What Kind of music do they like to play? Do you ever listen to them and think “That is just noise!”? Are they more traditional? Would you consider them “Artistic”?

Answering these questions will point you on the right track to finding the perfect gift for the guitarist on your list. To help the decision making along a little more I have a few suggestions based on the questions above.

Capturing Ideas -

If the guitarist on your list is in an active band, almost anything from strings and picks

Zoom Q3 HD

to a new guitar strap would be a great gift. But let’s look at this from a different point of view. To be a successful band you need to have great songs and a rabid fan base, so how about a way to record your ideas? Two suggestions come to mind for this. The Zoom H2n audio recorder and The Zoom Q3HD Video recorder.

When you have a band, the best way to improve and write more material is to record yourself. The Zoom H2n is around $199 at most retailers is an updated version the Zoom H2. It is easy to use and has great mics. I use mine to capture ideas on my acoustic or electric guitar. What I have learned to do is talk through what I am doing and how I am playing it so when I listen back, I can reproduce what I recorded. Another way I use the H2 is to record face to face interviews for my podcast. Since the Zoom has multiple mics, you can set it to record from both the front and back mics at the same time and set the reorder between the people who are talking. Once you have your recording you can easily transfer it to your computer (Mac or PC) via USB.

The Zoom Q3HD has the same great audio recording that the H2n offers PLUS it adds HD Video. Street price is normally $299. The bonus to this unit is that you can shut off the video and use it just as an audio recorder. I used one recently to record some video at a guitar show. You can see the videos on my YouTube Channel.

Creative Ideas -

A new piece of gear can sometimes stimulate the creative process for a musician, even

Spider Capo

a small one. A couple years ago I discovered a few special capos that let you get more than the standard capo. One that I really Enjoyed is the Spider Capo. The Spider Capo retails for around $30, which is pricey for most capos, but not for this one. What the Spider lets you do is Capo individual strings in any combination. Think of it as being able to re-tune your guitar on the fly. Add in some open tunings and the possibilities are endless.

Another capo that I found unique was Bob Kilgore’s Harmonic Capo. What this capo does is play a constant harmonic at the 12th fret. Musically it adds a great ambiance to what you are playing. At $34.95, it is again more than a regular capo, but for what it does musically it is worth adding to the capo collection.

Make Some Noise -

If you have a musician on your list that makes music that sounds more like “noise” to

Boss Feedbacker/Booster

you than music, then a new effects pedal would make a great gift. Boss recently introduced a new pedal that will let you add feedback to your sound at any time called the Feedbacker/Booster (FB-2). I am really happy to see this pedal come to market. The last pedal like this was the DF-2, Super Distortion Feedbacker back in the 80′s. I am on a quest to find one, and the FB-2 just might delay that quest.

For some serious noise and tones that no one will be able to duplicate look to Death By Audio. Death by audio came to my attention through a Guitar World article a few years ago. These pedals are custom made and very unique. Take some time to explore the site and listen to the demos to find that perfect pedal. These pedals are at the top of my wish list.

The Every Day Gift -

My last gift idea is a twist on something that guitarists use every day, the guitar pick. Why not do something unique and get the guitarist on your list their own custom guitar picks from Clayton Custom. A buddy of mine at work ordered custom picks to announce the birth of his son, which I though was a pretty cool idea. You can do everything from simple text to custom graphics.

Happy Holiday Shopping!

After I did my post about the AC1 the other night, I got to thinking….. Why not do a video and demo the things I was talking about. So today my friend Chris and I shot and edited a short video talking about the Vox Ac1. We shot all the video using my smart phone and then edited it iMovie. It was fun to do, but a whole lot of work. We shot some footage for another video that I am hoping to debut by April this year. It goes along with a story line I have been working on in my comic strip. Hopefully in the future I will plan out my posts a little better and get all the “parts” out at the same time. I hope you enjoy the video and find it informational.

Front view of the AC1 Rhythm Vox

For a few years now I have been collecting “mini” guitar amplifiers. I like them not for their sound, but for their looks. Companies like Fender and Marshall have been making miniature replicas of their amplifiers for years and while they look good, most of them don’t sound very good. Recently the Vox amplifier company tried their hand at making a mini amp. I received one of the new mini amps as a gift for Christmas and thought I would share my thoughts.

Like most mini amps the Vox AC1 is only a 1 watt amplifier. Most of the 1 watt amps

Top view of the AC1 Rhythm Vox

I have heard sound shrill and abrasive, and while the AC1 does not sound like an AC30 with a 2×12 cabinet, it does sound really good. The Vox AC1 is larger than most mini amplifiers, so the controls are easy to use. The sound is what impressed me the most. Because they equip their amp with a gain control and not just an “overdrive” switch, you have the ability to dial in some nice guitar tones. I was able to get a subtle AC/DC sort of crunch as well as a nice heavy sounding distortion worthy of some metal riffing.

While the sound of this tiny amplifier is impressive, what really sets it apart from the rest is the built-in rhythm patterns… 66 of them to be exact. Vox really intended for this amplifier to be a valuable practice tool. Not only did they include 66 different rhythm patterns for practicing, they also included the ability to change the tempo of each pattern as well as including a separate volume control. While the rhythms do not sound like real drummer with a real drum kit, they do the job and are fun to play along with.

The street price on the Vox AC1 is $59.99 and you can find it on Amazon.com or if you are local to the Pittsburgh area you can find it at Pittsburgh Guitars. At $59.99, the AC1 is a little more expensive than most mini amplifiers, but the sound and features you get are well worth the price. This is the perfect amp to take with you anywhere you want to be able to practice out loud, but where portability is a must.