It's been forever, I know. No one will see this. But, I still have bought stuff, and I'd like to point anyone who happens to read this in the direction of some real good stuff. So, while these aren't "reviews" per se, consider them endorsements:
SX Liquid . There are other configurations, but the link is the one I got. Quality maple neck, and a basswood body. Very well put together guitars. If you have been looking for a surf type guitar, and play loud, these are your go-to. Yes, over against many Fenders, even.
Douglas Gravity NT Again, many configurations, and the type pictured, that I got, is currently out of stock, but It's a fantastic alternative to a Fender Thinline. Heck, the right Reverend Billy Gibbons has one! Really, I got it because it's halfway between the kind of Thinline Mick Jones plays, and a Reverend semi hollow- it sounds and plays incredible, at least as good as any other guitar I own, at about one third the price!
Hotone Tape Eko I love the late seventies/early 80's Boss tape simulators- stuff like the legendary RS 20. This isn't quite that, but I can testify the build quality is amazing, and the sound covers the three biggest uses for an RS 20- that slightly modulated delay, backwards delay, and a short, clean delay. It's at least as good as most of the other simulations currently available for those sounds, and the footprint is as tiny as you can imagine. You could probably comfortably tape it to your instrument!
Hotone Trem I tried out a lot of Tremolo units. All I wanted was a good, choppy, hard Tremolo. This one does that, the best. There are better Tremolo units for nice, rounded fender style tremolo, and goofy tap tempo types- but if all you want is a square wave, hard Tremolo, there's none better.
Mooer Hustle Drive . I'm sure it was intended as a Fulltone OCD clone. It's not. The tonal range is much bigger. This is my "go to" for distortion. It can go from jangly overdrive to thick, meaty distortion. It's not so great for Fuzz tones, and modern Metal scooped distortion- but for any other distortion, you want this.
Mooer Reecho Quite simply, the gold standard for analog delay. You'll see it on tons of pro pedalboards. For analog delay sound, this is it.
Sears Structure clothes I am a middle aged Gen X dude. This line of clothes fits, looks clean, and is well built. That's about as good as it gets for me.
annd, the big One:
Toyota Yaris I got a 2012 from Car Max ( and if you have access to Car Max, I recommend them highly) but it's hard to go wrong with these- they're well built, efficient vehicles. It's a comfortable ride.
Tuesday, November 1, 2016
Monday, October 26, 2015
Punk and Rock and Cash and thoughts
So a thought occurred whilst watching Kylesa the other night ( for Photos, go here). I totally dig the sounds, but I have some reservations about how they're made. Custom guitars, Amps, and loads of effect pedals- enough to create a barrier.
Let's take Philip Cope's set up for most of the songs- A Legator eight string guitar (custom, but the closest would be the 1200 dollar model) going through 17 effect pedals ( ranging in price from 100 to 300 each. average it out to 180, per and you have 3060 dollars in pedals) into a Hovercraft custom amp- 1400 for the head, 800 for the cabinet. That's a total of somewhere around Six thousand to six and a half thousand dollars- and we haven't even gotten into his other guitars, theramin, keyboard, or other gadgets. I'm not trying to call him out, mind you. Those are pretty "average" prices for "pro gear". But, that's pretty daunting for a 16 year old kid. There were a couple of teenage boys at the front, clearly impressed, and judging from their air guitaring, itching to play, themselves. So, is music to be just a hobby for the idle rich? I think about Phillip himself. He started out playing sludge punk as a skater teen, himself. He clearly doesn't come from money. I know that most of his gear comes to him from the manufacturers, as a kind of product placement. These days, it's kind of the paycheck for being a professional musician- you get a few records out, you get an endorsement deal. I know it's a survival tactic for the bands- they certainly aren't making bank from club dates and CD sales.
But, that still brings me back to punk rock. How so much creativity came from the fact that the punks had no cash, but a fervent belief that they could do it, too. Take people like Pete Shelley, playing a broken guitar into the cheapest loud amp he could find. Custom? In a way, in that nobody else had that rig, but that was because nobody else wanted it. Take Andy Gill of the Gang of Four who created a whole new style of playing guitar based around the fact that he wanted to be Nile Rogers, but couldn't afford a tube amp with reverb, so he used a lousy, dry solid state amp. It's not the only way to get creative, but it is a certain way.
It's not even unique to Punk- Eddie Van Halen pieced his guitar together from scrap pieces at the Kramer factory, and despite false rumors of attenuators, just used a marshall head, and a MXR flange and phasor. Even with today's prices, that's about a thousand dollar rig.
So, I think about the gauntlet this lays down for a kid. Guitars aren't popular, any more. So, you have to employ tricks to make a guitar sound less like a guitar. That can get pricey. But, I think the solution is in abandoning the boutique, and going with the Chinese and Korean made "knock offs". So, that's why this essay ended up on this blog- I think that the tight budget will, as it always has, lead us to new, and more creative art.
Let's take Philip Cope's set up for most of the songs- A Legator eight string guitar (custom, but the closest would be the 1200 dollar model) going through 17 effect pedals ( ranging in price from 100 to 300 each. average it out to 180, per and you have 3060 dollars in pedals) into a Hovercraft custom amp- 1400 for the head, 800 for the cabinet. That's a total of somewhere around Six thousand to six and a half thousand dollars- and we haven't even gotten into his other guitars, theramin, keyboard, or other gadgets. I'm not trying to call him out, mind you. Those are pretty "average" prices for "pro gear". But, that's pretty daunting for a 16 year old kid. There were a couple of teenage boys at the front, clearly impressed, and judging from their air guitaring, itching to play, themselves. So, is music to be just a hobby for the idle rich? I think about Phillip himself. He started out playing sludge punk as a skater teen, himself. He clearly doesn't come from money. I know that most of his gear comes to him from the manufacturers, as a kind of product placement. These days, it's kind of the paycheck for being a professional musician- you get a few records out, you get an endorsement deal. I know it's a survival tactic for the bands- they certainly aren't making bank from club dates and CD sales.
But, that still brings me back to punk rock. How so much creativity came from the fact that the punks had no cash, but a fervent belief that they could do it, too. Take people like Pete Shelley, playing a broken guitar into the cheapest loud amp he could find. Custom? In a way, in that nobody else had that rig, but that was because nobody else wanted it. Take Andy Gill of the Gang of Four who created a whole new style of playing guitar based around the fact that he wanted to be Nile Rogers, but couldn't afford a tube amp with reverb, so he used a lousy, dry solid state amp. It's not the only way to get creative, but it is a certain way.
It's not even unique to Punk- Eddie Van Halen pieced his guitar together from scrap pieces at the Kramer factory, and despite false rumors of attenuators, just used a marshall head, and a MXR flange and phasor. Even with today's prices, that's about a thousand dollar rig.
So, I think about the gauntlet this lays down for a kid. Guitars aren't popular, any more. So, you have to employ tricks to make a guitar sound less like a guitar. That can get pricey. But, I think the solution is in abandoning the boutique, and going with the Chinese and Korean made "knock offs". So, that's why this essay ended up on this blog- I think that the tight budget will, as it always has, lead us to new, and more creative art.
Sunday, August 16, 2015
BBE 427
So, I've got stuff I've had forever, and some of that stuff is too old, too cool, and too precious to me to use very often. A great example is my MXR vintage Script Logo Distortion +. For most folks, it's worth about 200 bucks. For me- all the memories, all the time spent with it, makes it absolutely priceless. I'd rather sell my guitar than this pedal. So the irony is, that means I can't use it very often for fear of it deteriorating more than it already has. I've been on a quest to have something that sounds like it, but I don't need to fear hurting or losing. I've tried the boutique route and the cheap route, and found nothing. It's just a random, once inn a lifetime sound. So I got this pedal not really trying to replace it, but trying to find another thing that would become as unique. In that venture, it's a success. This doesn't sound like any other distortion pedal, and I dig the sound.
BBE is the electronics half of G&L guitars- makers of Leo Fender's more pure guitar designs-and Paul Gagon runs and helps design this stuff. So, if you don't know- Leo was the guy who invented the Telecaster, and the Stratocaster, amoungst other tthings, so, yeah I hold him in high regard. Paul was a legend in sound engineering for people like me. The sound of sunset strip Glam Metal? Yeah, more so than the musicians, he invented that. Then, he was the guy who came up with all that great pointy guitar stuff for Charvel/Jackson. If you want a gain-heavy but still musically ear pleasing distorted guitar sound, this guy should be your man.
So, seeing as the MXR was a favorite for Randy Rhoads, who is my hands-down favorite for that kind of sound, it makes sense to go back to the Paul Gagon well. The 427 is his "Muscle Car" take on the EHX Big Muff Pi. Now the Pi is much more the sound of the 70's, but, important to my purposes, a chief competitor to MXR's Distortion +. Given that Gagon is an 80's guy, I knew this wasn't going to sound like a Pi, really- I figured it would be voiced like a super thick, compressed fuzz pedal, and it kind of is, but really, it's not. Yes, the sweepable EQ compresses the signal in a strange way, and yes, it's a more fuzzy kind of distortion than, say, a Boss Heavy Metal pedal, and because of those two factors, it does remind me a bit of the MXR, but the harmonics come out less than the MXR, and where the MXR is more muddy and beefy, this just sounds stolid, and thick. So, yes, it'll fit the bill, but it's not a sound I think everyone can use. Put it about halfway between the EHX Tortion and the Wampler Plexidrive.
The QC on this thing is off the charts, however. The hammond style enclosure has a blue metal flake paintjob that seems tough enough that it could take a bullet, and a gut check shows a vero board hand wired so well, with poly caps and metal film resistors- it's built like an Army radio- I could easily see putting this in combat- literally. There is no stage abuse I can foresee that would harm this in any real way. OK- the knobs are plastic, so, if they literally took a bullet, they might crack, but the pedal would still function. I am certain. It comes with its own wall wort, so even if the battery choice is shaky, you'll make the gig.
So, yeah, happy with this one....
BBE is the electronics half of G&L guitars- makers of Leo Fender's more pure guitar designs-and Paul Gagon runs and helps design this stuff. So, if you don't know- Leo was the guy who invented the Telecaster, and the Stratocaster, amoungst other tthings, so, yeah I hold him in high regard. Paul was a legend in sound engineering for people like me. The sound of sunset strip Glam Metal? Yeah, more so than the musicians, he invented that. Then, he was the guy who came up with all that great pointy guitar stuff for Charvel/Jackson. If you want a gain-heavy but still musically ear pleasing distorted guitar sound, this guy should be your man.
So, seeing as the MXR was a favorite for Randy Rhoads, who is my hands-down favorite for that kind of sound, it makes sense to go back to the Paul Gagon well. The 427 is his "Muscle Car" take on the EHX Big Muff Pi. Now the Pi is much more the sound of the 70's, but, important to my purposes, a chief competitor to MXR's Distortion +. Given that Gagon is an 80's guy, I knew this wasn't going to sound like a Pi, really- I figured it would be voiced like a super thick, compressed fuzz pedal, and it kind of is, but really, it's not. Yes, the sweepable EQ compresses the signal in a strange way, and yes, it's a more fuzzy kind of distortion than, say, a Boss Heavy Metal pedal, and because of those two factors, it does remind me a bit of the MXR, but the harmonics come out less than the MXR, and where the MXR is more muddy and beefy, this just sounds stolid, and thick. So, yes, it'll fit the bill, but it's not a sound I think everyone can use. Put it about halfway between the EHX Tortion and the Wampler Plexidrive.
The QC on this thing is off the charts, however. The hammond style enclosure has a blue metal flake paintjob that seems tough enough that it could take a bullet, and a gut check shows a vero board hand wired so well, with poly caps and metal film resistors- it's built like an Army radio- I could easily see putting this in combat- literally. There is no stage abuse I can foresee that would harm this in any real way. OK- the knobs are plastic, so, if they literally took a bullet, they might crack, but the pedal would still function. I am certain. It comes with its own wall wort, so even if the battery choice is shaky, you'll make the gig.
So, yeah, happy with this one....
A bad decision- MoVall Choral Mermaid
I buy a lot of crap on Ebay. Because of this purchase, I'm starting to curb that. Here's what happened:
I found this MoVall chorus pedal on Ebay, being sold as "new" by some dude named Kai, going by the handle "Bucks Saver" at a pretty good price. So I snapped it up. It took nearly a month to reach me from China, and I tried it out. First pass- it didn't exactly work. So I debated, and tried to contact, with no response from either Kai or MoVall. So, figuring ( correctly) that the warranty meant nothing, anyway, I had a look see. The problem was obvious- the main potentiometer was broken. Quick fix- and popped in a new one. It worked for exactly 1 hour, before it went completely dead. So, I opened things up again- there were two pcbs in there ( circuit boards, if you don't know) the one that I had attached the new potentiometer on was fine, but the other was cracked, disrupting the circuit. The pedal was shoddy junk. Sorry, there's really no two ways about it. See, I did consider all the possibilities- for example- let's say that Kai was a worker at MoVall who snuck out the pedals that didn't pass QC, and sold them on the sly on Ebay. OK, that explains the bad pot, but the cracked board? Nope, that should only happen if you're using bad materials in the first place. Let's say that the mere act of opening the enclosure did it. Again, that wouldn't crack the pcb on any of my other pedals. No, the only way this happens is if the board was bad. So, armed with this, I put everything back exactly the way it was when I bought it, and tried contacting the seller. He told me to check the battery. Please follow the link. See a place for a battery? Nope. So I told him that ( so much for the theory that he worked for the builder) and he said- check inside. This would, as I already knew, void the warranty. So, as a back up I contacted MoVall. In the meantime, Kai finally gets back to me, and says "Mail it to me, standard"- I check, and that would cost me more than the pedal would cost direct from MoVall. So I close out the return process at Ebay- who gives me no way to leave feedback, now. Then, I hear from MoVall- a week after I emailed them. They say that they can't respond they're on holiday. That was a month ago. No follow up at all.
So, here's what I've learned:
1. MoVall makes some crap products.
2. Don't buy from China on Ebay, if there's a chance you'll want to return the item.
3. Don't expect the small, independent company to have any better customer service than the big guys ( I actually already knew that)
and
4. Don't trust Ebay ( more on that in a future post)
Live and learn. Oh, and the MoVall came recommended from not one but two highly regarded Youtube reviewers. I'm not saying they're liars, or anything, just that even the best can be dead wrong-especially when they also sell the stuff they review. I've talked to both, and they're nice enough guys, but that's no assurance of being correct. One of 'em, and I'm purposefully not naming them because I want you to be critical of all reviewers , I know from multiple, multiple examples really doesn't know what he is talking about with questions of electronics quality. So, not to toot my own horn, or try to self-advertise but I'd trust my opinion, even if it's just a gut reaction, over this guy any day of the week when it comes to QC. He definitely has me in terms of getting a good sound on a guitar- his aesthetics are far, far more universal than my own- so it's still useful to me to watch his reviews, but I have to back them up, elsewhere, every time. There's a lesson for anyone reading.
I found this MoVall chorus pedal on Ebay, being sold as "new" by some dude named Kai, going by the handle "Bucks Saver" at a pretty good price. So I snapped it up. It took nearly a month to reach me from China, and I tried it out. First pass- it didn't exactly work. So I debated, and tried to contact, with no response from either Kai or MoVall. So, figuring ( correctly) that the warranty meant nothing, anyway, I had a look see. The problem was obvious- the main potentiometer was broken. Quick fix- and popped in a new one. It worked for exactly 1 hour, before it went completely dead. So, I opened things up again- there were two pcbs in there ( circuit boards, if you don't know) the one that I had attached the new potentiometer on was fine, but the other was cracked, disrupting the circuit. The pedal was shoddy junk. Sorry, there's really no two ways about it. See, I did consider all the possibilities- for example- let's say that Kai was a worker at MoVall who snuck out the pedals that didn't pass QC, and sold them on the sly on Ebay. OK, that explains the bad pot, but the cracked board? Nope, that should only happen if you're using bad materials in the first place. Let's say that the mere act of opening the enclosure did it. Again, that wouldn't crack the pcb on any of my other pedals. No, the only way this happens is if the board was bad. So, armed with this, I put everything back exactly the way it was when I bought it, and tried contacting the seller. He told me to check the battery. Please follow the link. See a place for a battery? Nope. So I told him that ( so much for the theory that he worked for the builder) and he said- check inside. This would, as I already knew, void the warranty. So, as a back up I contacted MoVall. In the meantime, Kai finally gets back to me, and says "Mail it to me, standard"- I check, and that would cost me more than the pedal would cost direct from MoVall. So I close out the return process at Ebay- who gives me no way to leave feedback, now. Then, I hear from MoVall- a week after I emailed them. They say that they can't respond they're on holiday. That was a month ago. No follow up at all.
So, here's what I've learned:
1. MoVall makes some crap products.
2. Don't buy from China on Ebay, if there's a chance you'll want to return the item.
3. Don't expect the small, independent company to have any better customer service than the big guys ( I actually already knew that)
and
4. Don't trust Ebay ( more on that in a future post)
Live and learn. Oh, and the MoVall came recommended from not one but two highly regarded Youtube reviewers. I'm not saying they're liars, or anything, just that even the best can be dead wrong-especially when they also sell the stuff they review. I've talked to both, and they're nice enough guys, but that's no assurance of being correct. One of 'em, and I'm purposefully not naming them because I want you to be critical of all reviewers , I know from multiple, multiple examples really doesn't know what he is talking about with questions of electronics quality. So, not to toot my own horn, or try to self-advertise but I'd trust my opinion, even if it's just a gut reaction, over this guy any day of the week when it comes to QC. He definitely has me in terms of getting a good sound on a guitar- his aesthetics are far, far more universal than my own- so it's still useful to me to watch his reviews, but I have to back them up, elsewhere, every time. There's a lesson for anyone reading.
Reviving
So, I abandoned Blogger- and to a lesser degree blogging in general- a few months back. However, I knew I'd want to post more, so I left everything in place. I have a few things to talk about, and, if I still feel like it I will be putting up a few more things. Just know that there are no rules- I post what I want, when I want, in the way I want. But, I do have a lot of newer things. Some of it I like, some I loathe. I'll talk about it.
Tuesday, March 10, 2015
Boss OS-2
Ok, this is not a new purchase, but it is an important one. I bought it back in the mid 1990's, very deliberately, and haven't regretted it. This pedal is still very much available, and very easily obtained. So I'm talking about it to draw your attention to some thoughts, and only some of them are directly about guitar.
See, when I bought this pedal, it was partially a reaction- in 1995, when I bought it, there were several trends going on, so I'm talking about those trends, to give you context-
First, and much more popularly, there was the "Metal head" trend- guitar players were influenced by grunge in their clothing choices, but Metallica, and Pantera in their gear choices- Solid State amps, driven by a"rectified" gain stage ( not that you asked, but "rectified" gain is a kind of "supersaturation" for volume, and as such should be considered as an "alternative" to traditional gain- like fuzz and distortion pedals). But, second, there was a more subtle trend, started by people like Eric Johnson, and Bill Finnegan.- The whole notion of transparency - the idea was to keep the signal "transparent"- that effects should be shunned, in a way- although Finnegan made his name on an effect pedal- the famous "Klon Centaur" which supposedly kept all the characteristics of your playing- pick attack, finger vibrato, bends, etc, etc- intact, whilst providing an overdriven supersaturation of that signal. Can you see what both have in common? Whether the metal attack, or the Klon approach, the idea in either event was clarity, and some idealized version of "tone". I saw it then, and I still see it as the 'emperor's new clothes". To me, the whole point of any gear beyond an acoustic guitar is to give you what you don't have- to change the sound you would naturally make. I don't have the kind of megalomania I think it would take to believe that the sounds my hands make upon striking pieces of metal with some sort of resonator would be greater than the physics of it. I need tricks to get around the physics of it.
So, in 1995, I already had my MXR Distortion +, and a Stratocaster, feeding a Sovtek MiG 50 head, and a Fender 3x12 bass cabinet- that gave me a pretty massive very grunge-y sound. I bought the Boss OS-2 to give me a sound I was shooting for, post- grunge- one that involved more clarity but that was no less artificial- I was shooting for the sound that would come around in 1999-2001, with the garage rock stuff- sounds that everybody from The Strokes to The Hives would exploit- a dirty, trebley, biting sound, heavily indebted to the Velvet Underground, Flat Duo Jets, and Roky Erikson. I'm I'm talking about this old pedal now is to point out how purchases you make can become part of trends, even when they are reaction to trends- I'm saying that you cannot purchase rebellion, only make a choice. I thought, in 1995, I was rebelling against all trends, but instead I was simply investing, as were thousands of others, in what would be the next trend.
But, lest you think I am puffing myself up, here- choosing the OS-2 reveals an insecurity, as well. See, had I really wanted to pursue my vision, I would've bought a new Amp, possibly a new guitar. (Unrelated, but pertinent: I did buy a new guitar in 1996, and got rid of that Strat, and by switching to the Epiphone, that I still have, upped my playing game, tremendously. I fried out the Amp, and got rid of the cab) See, I just bought the pedal because it was less than 100 bucks, and that's about what my level of commitment was. I "knew" that my "playing in a band" days were numbered. Now, I was probably right, given that I couldn't find a group of guys I wanted to be in a band, and never have, twenty years later, and given that my days jobs have all paid me hundreds of times more than bands ever did, and I'm far more emotionally stable not being in a band- but still- that "knowing"- that's an insecurity revealed by the purchase. I think that kind of thinking keeps Boss in business- they make lots of mid-priced pedals that approximate what much more expensive gear does, in devices that will never break. It's the same sort of thinking that keeps bar bands going- you can't see Springsteen in Youngstown Ohio on a Saturday night? Ok, but you can see The Robbie Jay band, and they will deliver a rootsy rock sound, reliably, for less money. It's for fans, but not fanatics, you know?
So, does that count as point against the Boss OS-2, or a point against me". Here's my thought, and it's why I made this post- regardless of why I made the purchase, and what delusions/insecurities/ mistaken beliefs went into it- I still have it, 20 years later. Some days I get sick of it, and other days I discover new sounds from it, but I still have it, and it's still the same little object, right? Sometimes, it takes a while for something to manifest in a purchase- and the truth in this little box is that it provides a variety of distorted sounds for the guitar- some are fizzy, and brittle, and some are scratchy and wooly- but that's all it is. It's not good or bad, it's not trendy nor nostalgic. It simply is what it is. Everything else is my psychology. That's what you can take away, here. It doesn't matter if we're talking guitar pedals, or lipstick. The objects are just what they are, and the rest is just us.
See, when I bought this pedal, it was partially a reaction- in 1995, when I bought it, there were several trends going on, so I'm talking about those trends, to give you context-
First, and much more popularly, there was the "Metal head" trend- guitar players were influenced by grunge in their clothing choices, but Metallica, and Pantera in their gear choices- Solid State amps, driven by a"rectified" gain stage ( not that you asked, but "rectified" gain is a kind of "supersaturation" for volume, and as such should be considered as an "alternative" to traditional gain- like fuzz and distortion pedals). But, second, there was a more subtle trend, started by people like Eric Johnson, and Bill Finnegan.- The whole notion of transparency - the idea was to keep the signal "transparent"- that effects should be shunned, in a way- although Finnegan made his name on an effect pedal- the famous "Klon Centaur" which supposedly kept all the characteristics of your playing- pick attack, finger vibrato, bends, etc, etc- intact, whilst providing an overdriven supersaturation of that signal. Can you see what both have in common? Whether the metal attack, or the Klon approach, the idea in either event was clarity, and some idealized version of "tone". I saw it then, and I still see it as the 'emperor's new clothes". To me, the whole point of any gear beyond an acoustic guitar is to give you what you don't have- to change the sound you would naturally make. I don't have the kind of megalomania I think it would take to believe that the sounds my hands make upon striking pieces of metal with some sort of resonator would be greater than the physics of it. I need tricks to get around the physics of it.
So, in 1995, I already had my MXR Distortion +, and a Stratocaster, feeding a Sovtek MiG 50 head, and a Fender 3x12 bass cabinet- that gave me a pretty massive very grunge-y sound. I bought the Boss OS-2 to give me a sound I was shooting for, post- grunge- one that involved more clarity but that was no less artificial- I was shooting for the sound that would come around in 1999-2001, with the garage rock stuff- sounds that everybody from The Strokes to The Hives would exploit- a dirty, trebley, biting sound, heavily indebted to the Velvet Underground, Flat Duo Jets, and Roky Erikson. I'm I'm talking about this old pedal now is to point out how purchases you make can become part of trends, even when they are reaction to trends- I'm saying that you cannot purchase rebellion, only make a choice. I thought, in 1995, I was rebelling against all trends, but instead I was simply investing, as were thousands of others, in what would be the next trend.
But, lest you think I am puffing myself up, here- choosing the OS-2 reveals an insecurity, as well. See, had I really wanted to pursue my vision, I would've bought a new Amp, possibly a new guitar. (Unrelated, but pertinent: I did buy a new guitar in 1996, and got rid of that Strat, and by switching to the Epiphone, that I still have, upped my playing game, tremendously. I fried out the Amp, and got rid of the cab) See, I just bought the pedal because it was less than 100 bucks, and that's about what my level of commitment was. I "knew" that my "playing in a band" days were numbered. Now, I was probably right, given that I couldn't find a group of guys I wanted to be in a band, and never have, twenty years later, and given that my days jobs have all paid me hundreds of times more than bands ever did, and I'm far more emotionally stable not being in a band- but still- that "knowing"- that's an insecurity revealed by the purchase. I think that kind of thinking keeps Boss in business- they make lots of mid-priced pedals that approximate what much more expensive gear does, in devices that will never break. It's the same sort of thinking that keeps bar bands going- you can't see Springsteen in Youngstown Ohio on a Saturday night? Ok, but you can see The Robbie Jay band, and they will deliver a rootsy rock sound, reliably, for less money. It's for fans, but not fanatics, you know?
So, does that count as point against the Boss OS-2, or a point against me". Here's my thought, and it's why I made this post- regardless of why I made the purchase, and what delusions/insecurities/ mistaken beliefs went into it- I still have it, 20 years later. Some days I get sick of it, and other days I discover new sounds from it, but I still have it, and it's still the same little object, right? Sometimes, it takes a while for something to manifest in a purchase- and the truth in this little box is that it provides a variety of distorted sounds for the guitar- some are fizzy, and brittle, and some are scratchy and wooly- but that's all it is. It's not good or bad, it's not trendy nor nostalgic. It simply is what it is. Everything else is my psychology. That's what you can take away, here. It doesn't matter if we're talking guitar pedals, or lipstick. The objects are just what they are, and the rest is just us.
Tuesday, January 6, 2015
They're just Jeans, Buddy
I realize I'm no fashion plate, hipster, or dandy. However, I generally look acceptable, and get compliments from time to time. So, I don't think a little fashion advice is completely unwarranted. Specifically, young men pay way the hell too much money for jeans. Now, my primary advice is "They're just jeans, buddy"- meaning that if you take too much stock in what brand, dye or cut they are, you're investing more energy in them than they will produce in positive ways for you.
That having said- I do think that Selvedge, dark dye premium jeans look masculine and spiffy. Usually, they look best in a classic photograph of some heroic young man from the late 1950's through the mid 1960's. I think it's spectacularly ridiculous for me to try to look like one of those heroes. But, the lesson is there- go for a classic cut and fit, and treat them like trousers more than pants, and you'll look like you're wearing nice jeans.
There are quite a few "classic" jean makers out there. I've tried several, and, really, the best are the older brands- Levi, Lee, Wrangler, or the particular brand I'm getting around to- Sears' Roebuck jeans. They'll price right below Levi, but above most Wranglers, and about the same as Lee. However, if you get them in the slim cut, dark dye, and a bit too long, they look pretty much identical to the 200 dollar selvedge denim at the hipster store. As a matter of fact, people have asked me about mine, thinking they were imported Japanese denim. Nope- fourteen dollar denim on sale at Sears.
That's the sweet spot, you see? They're just jeans. Mass market, bought from the OG big Box store.
...And yet, that's what these guys in the 200 dollar hipster jeans are trying to evoke, right? Something that your grandfather would've bought from the Sears catalog? Worth considering, right?
That having said- I do think that Selvedge, dark dye premium jeans look masculine and spiffy. Usually, they look best in a classic photograph of some heroic young man from the late 1950's through the mid 1960's. I think it's spectacularly ridiculous for me to try to look like one of those heroes. But, the lesson is there- go for a classic cut and fit, and treat them like trousers more than pants, and you'll look like you're wearing nice jeans.
There are quite a few "classic" jean makers out there. I've tried several, and, really, the best are the older brands- Levi, Lee, Wrangler, or the particular brand I'm getting around to- Sears' Roebuck jeans. They'll price right below Levi, but above most Wranglers, and about the same as Lee. However, if you get them in the slim cut, dark dye, and a bit too long, they look pretty much identical to the 200 dollar selvedge denim at the hipster store. As a matter of fact, people have asked me about mine, thinking they were imported Japanese denim. Nope- fourteen dollar denim on sale at Sears.
That's the sweet spot, you see? They're just jeans. Mass market, bought from the OG big Box store.
...And yet, that's what these guys in the 200 dollar hipster jeans are trying to evoke, right? Something that your grandfather would've bought from the Sears catalog? Worth considering, right?
Monday, December 29, 2014
Holiday Post #3- Modtone Aqua Chorus
Ok, so I love the Buzz Boy. I was eager to try out their other pedals. I'm going to cut out any suspense and say this is nowhere near as good. Oh, it's still a decent chorus- but that's all it is. It's voiced similarly to, and functions like a Boss CE-2. So, considering you can easily purchase it for much less than the CE-2, and it definitely looks cooler than the CE-2- so it's worth what it costs, and if you're looking for a perfunctory Chorus, here you go. I, however, am looking for magic. I was raised on Dave Fielding and his Roland RE-301, and Geordie Walker and his Bell ADT - both of which are basically high end delay units, but both of which had chorusing features. They say that tone is in the fingers, and yes, there's a lot of truth to that. But, closer to the truth is the notion that sound is created by humans finding a perfect tool for their purpose. So, I'm still looking for my magic tool. I partially have it- I have a Danelectro Fab Chorus that has the perfect amount of depth and sweep. It just has a volume boost and horrible form factor. I'm working on perfecting it- but, in the meantime, I'll try out anything. Between the Modtone and the Donner, I've got decent Chorus tones. Again, if that is what you seek, I would seek no further. So, call it a three out of five.
Sunday, December 28, 2014
2nd of the Holiday posts- The Little Bear R.Attack
You know that debate about Chinese pedals, clones and counterfeiting? This is pretty much the whole shebang in one pedal.
I mean, first there's the name of the "company"- Little Bear. This is a pretty transparent reference to Small Bear Electronics, a reputable company that sells components for making your own pedals. I bought all the parts, except the enclosures, for my homebrewed distortion pedals from them. The actual name for the company is unknown, and efforts have been made to make it appear to be a single individual, hand making these. If that were true, the guy drives himself like a sweatshop worker- he's always got 25-30 offerings on Ebay, Amazon, and Aliexpress. I have a feeling it's a front for a company that doesn't want trouble for obvious copyright infringement. Based upon components, I think it may be Motorola. Then, there's the pedal, itself. It's a Proco Rat- toggling between the "You Dirty Rat" "Turbo Rat" and "Vintage Rat" modes means this is a clone of the Mooer clone of the Rat- with a key difference- it looks like a Turbo Rat, and it has a Motorola LM308 chip- the exact chip used by Proco in the late 1980's and early 1990's. So, this is a no-bones-about-it clone.
On top of that, I tried to buy one on Ebay for quite awhile and was thwarted by last second bids- literally within the last 10 seconds a bid would come in that brought the price to just above the "buy it now" price on a parallel auction. This would, again, indicate to me that there's something dishonest going on.
But, I had indicated my interest, and the person who bought it for me is a much more masterful wizard at the Electronic Auctions, so I suspect that this was purchased for less than thirty bucks.
So, before I talk about the pedal, itself, there's a discussion to be continued, here. So far, I have sided pretty heavily with the Chinese, and the Cloners. The continuation would be if a blatant rip off of an already mid-priced device would change how I felt, in any way. Truthfully- it doesn't, but it does strike me as something different. Now, if I'm wrong, and this really is one dude in China, making and selling clones of various pieces of gear to satisfy his creative urges- then all this is moot. The majority of the evidence points more towards piracy and counterfeit. I don't think that's what Joyo, Donner, Biyang, Mooer, or Modtone is about. I think they're more about the same thing as every other company on the market- make money by building a better "mousetrap". The difference is that this is building somebody else's mousetrap, behind their back to sell in place of their mousetrap.
So, will I give my pedal up? Nope. It was a gift, and quite frankly, it's better at being a Rat pedal than most Rats out there. About the only thing a Rat can do, that this won't is that highly compressed nasal sound that Mike Campbell got on his back in the 1980's. I'm really good without that, thanks!
So, what should I do? I've decided to just be dead honest about it- It's a Rat clone- both words.
I cannot find fault with the build quality. This sucker really is a flat out tank, probably better than most Boss pedals. The powder coat is even applied better than most automotive parts. The LED's which are key for the optical clipping on the Turbo Rat setting ( my favorite setting- it's like a Rat on Mid frequency steroids) are hearty and strong.The battery compartment is snug and sturdy- heck the dials are firm, and metal. I will put this thing up against ANY pedal out there in terms of build. To get the hype out of the way- yes, like almost every pedal out there, it's point-to-point hand wired, and hand soldered. The difference is the shielding on the leads is thicker than most, and the solder points are finer. Truthfully, this is better work than I've seen on most electronics. If the "Little Bear" folks got it together to do their own designs, they'd be sought after, easily.
How does it sound? Well, depending upon the mode, I have everything from Jeff Beck to Johnny Greenwood. It's a hard clipping distortion with some fuzz characteristics. Which means- you've got more articulation than, say, a Fuzz face, or Tone Bender, but still not so much clarity and piano tone as a modern distortion pedal. Like my Buzz Boy, the MXR Distortion +, or a Metal Muff, it's in that strange place between fuzz and distortion. Which means I can't get enough of that sound. But, in all modes, Violin tone is easily reachable, and full bore molten crunch is a no brainer. The only curveball is that, like a good rat- there's no "tone" control, per se- instead there is a Filter dial, which filters out brightness by shaving off treble frequencies- in a stacking fashion- so, when you have the filter all the way down- no frequencies are filtered out. As you dial up the filter, you are cutting frequency after frequency off, starting at the highest , and working your way down, until, at full filter, you've just got the lowest end mids, and bass frequencies left. I prefer just to filter out the very top, so I've rarely got the filter up past the third position.
I'm not saying you should go out and get one- but, I am saying I'm glad I've got mine.
I mean, first there's the name of the "company"- Little Bear. This is a pretty transparent reference to Small Bear Electronics, a reputable company that sells components for making your own pedals. I bought all the parts, except the enclosures, for my homebrewed distortion pedals from them. The actual name for the company is unknown, and efforts have been made to make it appear to be a single individual, hand making these. If that were true, the guy drives himself like a sweatshop worker- he's always got 25-30 offerings on Ebay, Amazon, and Aliexpress. I have a feeling it's a front for a company that doesn't want trouble for obvious copyright infringement. Based upon components, I think it may be Motorola. Then, there's the pedal, itself. It's a Proco Rat- toggling between the "You Dirty Rat" "Turbo Rat" and "Vintage Rat" modes means this is a clone of the Mooer clone of the Rat- with a key difference- it looks like a Turbo Rat, and it has a Motorola LM308 chip- the exact chip used by Proco in the late 1980's and early 1990's. So, this is a no-bones-about-it clone.
On top of that, I tried to buy one on Ebay for quite awhile and was thwarted by last second bids- literally within the last 10 seconds a bid would come in that brought the price to just above the "buy it now" price on a parallel auction. This would, again, indicate to me that there's something dishonest going on.
But, I had indicated my interest, and the person who bought it for me is a much more masterful wizard at the Electronic Auctions, so I suspect that this was purchased for less than thirty bucks.
So, before I talk about the pedal, itself, there's a discussion to be continued, here. So far, I have sided pretty heavily with the Chinese, and the Cloners. The continuation would be if a blatant rip off of an already mid-priced device would change how I felt, in any way. Truthfully- it doesn't, but it does strike me as something different. Now, if I'm wrong, and this really is one dude in China, making and selling clones of various pieces of gear to satisfy his creative urges- then all this is moot. The majority of the evidence points more towards piracy and counterfeit. I don't think that's what Joyo, Donner, Biyang, Mooer, or Modtone is about. I think they're more about the same thing as every other company on the market- make money by building a better "mousetrap". The difference is that this is building somebody else's mousetrap, behind their back to sell in place of their mousetrap.
So, will I give my pedal up? Nope. It was a gift, and quite frankly, it's better at being a Rat pedal than most Rats out there. About the only thing a Rat can do, that this won't is that highly compressed nasal sound that Mike Campbell got on his back in the 1980's. I'm really good without that, thanks!
So, what should I do? I've decided to just be dead honest about it- It's a Rat clone- both words.
I cannot find fault with the build quality. This sucker really is a flat out tank, probably better than most Boss pedals. The powder coat is even applied better than most automotive parts. The LED's which are key for the optical clipping on the Turbo Rat setting ( my favorite setting- it's like a Rat on Mid frequency steroids) are hearty and strong.The battery compartment is snug and sturdy- heck the dials are firm, and metal. I will put this thing up against ANY pedal out there in terms of build. To get the hype out of the way- yes, like almost every pedal out there, it's point-to-point hand wired, and hand soldered. The difference is the shielding on the leads is thicker than most, and the solder points are finer. Truthfully, this is better work than I've seen on most electronics. If the "Little Bear" folks got it together to do their own designs, they'd be sought after, easily.
How does it sound? Well, depending upon the mode, I have everything from Jeff Beck to Johnny Greenwood. It's a hard clipping distortion with some fuzz characteristics. Which means- you've got more articulation than, say, a Fuzz face, or Tone Bender, but still not so much clarity and piano tone as a modern distortion pedal. Like my Buzz Boy, the MXR Distortion +, or a Metal Muff, it's in that strange place between fuzz and distortion. Which means I can't get enough of that sound. But, in all modes, Violin tone is easily reachable, and full bore molten crunch is a no brainer. The only curveball is that, like a good rat- there's no "tone" control, per se- instead there is a Filter dial, which filters out brightness by shaving off treble frequencies- in a stacking fashion- so, when you have the filter all the way down- no frequencies are filtered out. As you dial up the filter, you are cutting frequency after frequency off, starting at the highest , and working your way down, until, at full filter, you've just got the lowest end mids, and bass frequencies left. I prefer just to filter out the very top, so I've rarely got the filter up past the third position.
I'm not saying you should go out and get one- but, I am saying I'm glad I've got mine.
First of the Holiday posts- two Donner Pedals
So, my family knows what I do, and sometimes, they even support it. They got me stuff for Christmas. Good stuff, mind you. But, it does give me a quandary- can I be respectful to my friends and family, and still give a fair assessment of the stuff? That's why I'm starting out easy-
my son bought a Donner Jet Convolution and a Donner Harmony Tri Chorus.
Now, I have already gone on record for how much I like their Yellow Fallout delay pedal. The Jet Convolution is, essentially to flanger pedals as the Yellow Fallout is to delay pedals. You've got your Mooer/Eno/TWA/ TC Electronics mini-pedal form- which is awesome, and possibly my favorite form factor for effect pedals. At about 32 bucks, it's definitely on the low end of the price spectrum, so the sacrifice you make is that two of the dials are plastic, and... that's about it. I'd put this up with Boss, EHX, Ibanez and MXR in terms of build quality. The small form factor eliminates some areas of error- primarily, the power source must be via an external DC adaptor. But, that's not what makes this an equivalent to one of my favorites- it's the range of sounds. I've had a vintage Ross Flanger for 25 years, that I modified quite extensively, and this little pedal reminds me of what that Ross sounded like. There is a subtle, and slight delay on the effect to simulate a "stereo" sound, the sweep and range deep and full, and the noise is minimal. It does everything a vintage analog effect does, but, because it's digital, it's far more reliable and convenient than any analog pedal ever will be. Basically, I can get first album Chameleons on it, no problem.
The Harmony pedal, on the other hand... Well, let's get the negatives out of the way-
- Build quality is nowhere near up to snuff. The footswitch is weak, the knobs are loose, and the selector switch is nearly unusably tiny.
- For all the switches and dials, there are few effects that are both musical and forceful.
- Several of the dials have no purpose at all.
- In one of the settings, the volume cut is enough to make it nearly a kill switch.
Significant problems, yes, but, even this has two really good uses- when coupled with a volume boosting distortion pedal- I can dial up some "Geordie" tones. As in- that watery "Eighties/ Come As You Are" tone and "The Beautiful Dead/ Black Moon" heavy Gothic tone. Those are some useful sounds to have in the arsenal. Unfortunately, there are cheaper, and more direct routes to that sound. So, while I appreciate the gift, this will be a back up pedal for me.
my son bought a Donner Jet Convolution and a Donner Harmony Tri Chorus.
Now, I have already gone on record for how much I like their Yellow Fallout delay pedal. The Jet Convolution is, essentially to flanger pedals as the Yellow Fallout is to delay pedals. You've got your Mooer/Eno/TWA/ TC Electronics mini-pedal form- which is awesome, and possibly my favorite form factor for effect pedals. At about 32 bucks, it's definitely on the low end of the price spectrum, so the sacrifice you make is that two of the dials are plastic, and... that's about it. I'd put this up with Boss, EHX, Ibanez and MXR in terms of build quality. The small form factor eliminates some areas of error- primarily, the power source must be via an external DC adaptor. But, that's not what makes this an equivalent to one of my favorites- it's the range of sounds. I've had a vintage Ross Flanger for 25 years, that I modified quite extensively, and this little pedal reminds me of what that Ross sounded like. There is a subtle, and slight delay on the effect to simulate a "stereo" sound, the sweep and range deep and full, and the noise is minimal. It does everything a vintage analog effect does, but, because it's digital, it's far more reliable and convenient than any analog pedal ever will be. Basically, I can get first album Chameleons on it, no problem.
The Harmony pedal, on the other hand... Well, let's get the negatives out of the way-
- Build quality is nowhere near up to snuff. The footswitch is weak, the knobs are loose, and the selector switch is nearly unusably tiny.
- For all the switches and dials, there are few effects that are both musical and forceful.
- Several of the dials have no purpose at all.
- In one of the settings, the volume cut is enough to make it nearly a kill switch.
Significant problems, yes, but, even this has two really good uses- when coupled with a volume boosting distortion pedal- I can dial up some "Geordie" tones. As in- that watery "Eighties/ Come As You Are" tone and "The Beautiful Dead/ Black Moon" heavy Gothic tone. Those are some useful sounds to have in the arsenal. Unfortunately, there are cheaper, and more direct routes to that sound. So, while I appreciate the gift, this will be a back up pedal for me.
Thursday, November 27, 2014
ModTone Buzz Boy
I've tried. I actively tried to find a "boutique" hand-crafted, American- made Fuzz Pedal that truly meets the need. Here's what I've found-
1. Most boutique pedals are made for a one use gimmick. Yes, I said gimmick. Devi Ever, Dwarfcraft, Earthquaker Devices, etc- a lot of the hip names? I could find one setting on any given pedal that was cool, but it was only good for a certain application. For example- I tried out the Earthquaker Devices " Tone Reaper"- I could get a great upper mid boosted, treble rolled off sound, Like a trumpet, and it was great for if I wanted to do a fanfare, trumpet type single note line. Which even blue moon or so, I want to do. Similarly, The Devi Ever Soda Meiser? Smashing Pumpkins tone. Done. That's it. I never want that. You get the idea.
2. Hand Crafted is a great bit of marketing, but this isn't Whittling, nor framing. Electronics actually are better made by machine- except for the soldering, and here's the deal with that- absolutely every pedal, most amplifiers, most radios, basically everything but video games, phones, and Mp3 players, is hand soldered already. In that respect, there is no difference between your Klon and a clone.There is no artistry in putting together a PCB- only in selecting components, and quite frankly, the mass-made stuff quite often- but not always- has better components.
3. American made- I'm no longer certain that's a virtue. We're incarcerating at Chinese and Russian rates. We're top three, for pollution. Our social net is terrible, our politics are corrupt, most of our businesses are criminal- I'm struggling to find a reason, here. I've heard the "jobs" argument, but show me the booming boutique instrument, effect pedal, or "craft" item maker that employs more than 5 people. There are things to buy American, and good reasons to buy food locally ( transportation is a big one) but I really cannot think of a truly good reason to think that buying a Klon Centaur is necessarily a better thing than buying an Electro Harmonix Soul Food.
Now, certainly there are exceptions- most notably Matt, with Noisemaker Effects, is a good human being, who is bringing well made products into the marketplace, and isn't trying to rip you off. Likewise, PureSalem guitars are trying to bring something heartfelt into the marketplace- even if I can't say they're truly "American Made". But, as a rule, I think a lot of this is trying to conflate the really good indie business model- like Jon Wye with simple snobbishness, trying to justify the rip off of paying 20 times or more of the material costs ( seriously, the components to make a muff style Fuzz will set you back less than 10 dollars. Buying a Fuzz pedal for over 200 dollars is like a Government Contractor Pork Barrel scam ).
So, enter Modtone. I've been digging the way a lot of their stuff looks ( just look at this pedal. Look at it!) and I've been thinking that the design seems like a good middle ground between Boss and Electro Harmonix, and MXR/Dunlop. You've got the solid footswich and small footprint of MXR, with the pretty graphics and warmth of EHX, with the super-solid construction of Roland/Boss.
But, 100 bucks for a Chinese pedal, seems a bit much, to me, when Joyo and Donner, etc can do just about as good, for half or less.
That changed- from Youtube clips, and pictures, The Buzz Boy was bar none my favorite pedal of their stuff- and it got dropped. Now, it was showing up on clearance and discount sites. So, for 30 bucks, I got one.Let me just say- HELL TO THE YES!!!!- this is a great fuzz pedal, exactly the opposite from my complaints regarding the boutique stuff- I'm able to dial up everything from sustain boosted overdrive to buzzing, crunchy kill-fuzz- and it fits! I never hear a musically displeasing tone, I can use it for a variety of styles from stoner to garage, to noise, and it works. I think that's because it's not a pure Fuzz tone- more like a Distortion/ Fuzz hybrid. Furthermore, it plays extremely well with other pedals- so, I can add a mid-cut in a separate overdrive, and I get Metal-style distortion, or I can add reverb with a slight treble boost, and get garage madness, no problem.
So, while "Change my life" might be a little strong, here- it's definitely crystallized a thought for me- screw 99.9% of that trendy boutique bull- I'm sticking with the stuff I like, and I think the stuff getting downvoted is better- I think the Chinese stuff, like Joyo, Donner, Hotone, Mooer and Moen is innovative in the form factor, and competitive in the sound category. I think the mass market stuff- Boss, Digitech, and MXR kicks the butt of finicky, unreliable stuff like Dwarfcraft and Catalinbread. I think a lot of people are falling for hype, and I'm done with it. Look, there are some boutique folks making quality stuff- you'll note I've not bad-mouthed Wampler, or Z Vex, or TC Electronics, but the price point on that stuff is still pretty high, and quite frankly, I'm not going to spend 250 bucks to get inches further towards some sound I like, when 50 bucks gets me most of the miles- I don't think there's enough utility in that. I mean, for example- My Biyang baby Boom tri-reverb doesn't sound 100% as good as the TC Electronics Hall Of Fame. But, I'd put it at 90%. So, is it worth the extra 100+ dollars? I don't think so. I could( and did) run the Biyang with another reverb, and I hit that 100% mark, and still spent less. Or, the big example- my Joyo Ultimate Overdrive might not be able to hit that dark, clear overdrive sound that the Fulltone OCD does- but it gets so close that a minor goose on the Amp's EQ gets me the rest of the way- and it cost about one quarter as much. But, I will put my Donner Yellow Fall delays up against any delay on the market, and I bet none of them will get that voice that they have- an analog, low-mid boost that sounds like a well-used tape echo, with a patina of wear- I actually prefer their sound to just about any delay ( the only exception is a vintage early 80's Memory Man) - and how can you argue that the design is great?
Likewise, the Modtone Buzz Boy. I think it looks better than anything Earthquaker has made, and it's more ear-pleasing than anything Devi Ever has made, and it's more usable than any fuzz pedal- save for the Z Vex fuzz pedals- and here's something novel- if it ever breaks- I probably could find a one-to-one replacement. Think about that, the next time you're tweaking your Tym's stompbox.
1. Most boutique pedals are made for a one use gimmick. Yes, I said gimmick. Devi Ever, Dwarfcraft, Earthquaker Devices, etc- a lot of the hip names? I could find one setting on any given pedal that was cool, but it was only good for a certain application. For example- I tried out the Earthquaker Devices " Tone Reaper"- I could get a great upper mid boosted, treble rolled off sound, Like a trumpet, and it was great for if I wanted to do a fanfare, trumpet type single note line. Which even blue moon or so, I want to do. Similarly, The Devi Ever Soda Meiser? Smashing Pumpkins tone. Done. That's it. I never want that. You get the idea.
2. Hand Crafted is a great bit of marketing, but this isn't Whittling, nor framing. Electronics actually are better made by machine- except for the soldering, and here's the deal with that- absolutely every pedal, most amplifiers, most radios, basically everything but video games, phones, and Mp3 players, is hand soldered already. In that respect, there is no difference between your Klon and a clone.There is no artistry in putting together a PCB- only in selecting components, and quite frankly, the mass-made stuff quite often- but not always- has better components.
3. American made- I'm no longer certain that's a virtue. We're incarcerating at Chinese and Russian rates. We're top three, for pollution. Our social net is terrible, our politics are corrupt, most of our businesses are criminal- I'm struggling to find a reason, here. I've heard the "jobs" argument, but show me the booming boutique instrument, effect pedal, or "craft" item maker that employs more than 5 people. There are things to buy American, and good reasons to buy food locally ( transportation is a big one) but I really cannot think of a truly good reason to think that buying a Klon Centaur is necessarily a better thing than buying an Electro Harmonix Soul Food.
Now, certainly there are exceptions- most notably Matt, with Noisemaker Effects, is a good human being, who is bringing well made products into the marketplace, and isn't trying to rip you off. Likewise, PureSalem guitars are trying to bring something heartfelt into the marketplace- even if I can't say they're truly "American Made". But, as a rule, I think a lot of this is trying to conflate the really good indie business model- like Jon Wye with simple snobbishness, trying to justify the rip off of paying 20 times or more of the material costs ( seriously, the components to make a muff style Fuzz will set you back less than 10 dollars. Buying a Fuzz pedal for over 200 dollars is like a Government Contractor Pork Barrel scam ).
So, enter Modtone. I've been digging the way a lot of their stuff looks ( just look at this pedal. Look at it!) and I've been thinking that the design seems like a good middle ground between Boss and Electro Harmonix, and MXR/Dunlop. You've got the solid footswich and small footprint of MXR, with the pretty graphics and warmth of EHX, with the super-solid construction of Roland/Boss.
But, 100 bucks for a Chinese pedal, seems a bit much, to me, when Joyo and Donner, etc can do just about as good, for half or less.
That changed- from Youtube clips, and pictures, The Buzz Boy was bar none my favorite pedal of their stuff- and it got dropped. Now, it was showing up on clearance and discount sites. So, for 30 bucks, I got one.Let me just say- HELL TO THE YES!!!!- this is a great fuzz pedal, exactly the opposite from my complaints regarding the boutique stuff- I'm able to dial up everything from sustain boosted overdrive to buzzing, crunchy kill-fuzz- and it fits! I never hear a musically displeasing tone, I can use it for a variety of styles from stoner to garage, to noise, and it works. I think that's because it's not a pure Fuzz tone- more like a Distortion/ Fuzz hybrid. Furthermore, it plays extremely well with other pedals- so, I can add a mid-cut in a separate overdrive, and I get Metal-style distortion, or I can add reverb with a slight treble boost, and get garage madness, no problem.
So, while "Change my life" might be a little strong, here- it's definitely crystallized a thought for me- screw 99.9% of that trendy boutique bull- I'm sticking with the stuff I like, and I think the stuff getting downvoted is better- I think the Chinese stuff, like Joyo, Donner, Hotone, Mooer and Moen is innovative in the form factor, and competitive in the sound category. I think the mass market stuff- Boss, Digitech, and MXR kicks the butt of finicky, unreliable stuff like Dwarfcraft and Catalinbread. I think a lot of people are falling for hype, and I'm done with it. Look, there are some boutique folks making quality stuff- you'll note I've not bad-mouthed Wampler, or Z Vex, or TC Electronics, but the price point on that stuff is still pretty high, and quite frankly, I'm not going to spend 250 bucks to get inches further towards some sound I like, when 50 bucks gets me most of the miles- I don't think there's enough utility in that. I mean, for example- My Biyang baby Boom tri-reverb doesn't sound 100% as good as the TC Electronics Hall Of Fame. But, I'd put it at 90%. So, is it worth the extra 100+ dollars? I don't think so. I could( and did) run the Biyang with another reverb, and I hit that 100% mark, and still spent less. Or, the big example- my Joyo Ultimate Overdrive might not be able to hit that dark, clear overdrive sound that the Fulltone OCD does- but it gets so close that a minor goose on the Amp's EQ gets me the rest of the way- and it cost about one quarter as much. But, I will put my Donner Yellow Fall delays up against any delay on the market, and I bet none of them will get that voice that they have- an analog, low-mid boost that sounds like a well-used tape echo, with a patina of wear- I actually prefer their sound to just about any delay ( the only exception is a vintage early 80's Memory Man) - and how can you argue that the design is great?
Likewise, the Modtone Buzz Boy. I think it looks better than anything Earthquaker has made, and it's more ear-pleasing than anything Devi Ever has made, and it's more usable than any fuzz pedal- save for the Z Vex fuzz pedals- and here's something novel- if it ever breaks- I probably could find a one-to-one replacement. Think about that, the next time you're tweaking your Tym's stompbox.
Saturday, November 8, 2014
Breaking a promise, but hear me out.
So, I bought more guitar gear. It's still this year, so, yes, that violates my promise to ease up and buy no more gear, this year.
BUT- I bought a guitar that went to my wife. Then, I bought a guitar that kinda matches, for me.
Both of them are First Act. Now, I wouldn't say they're top quality. Not even close. However, my wife's is a prototype one-off from the custom shop, and it shows- much higher quality cut of wood for the neck- a really good chunk of maple, with a decent rosewood fingerboard. The frets need a little dressing, and I've done that for her. The tuners are comparable with a decent Squire- meaning they're workmanlike, but not horrible. I'll replace those for her, but it's not crucial. I can't tell the body wood, but it feels pretty lightweight , so I'm guessing poplar or basswood. The single pick up is actually pretty sweet, and sounds more like a Fender humbucker than a midrange heavy Gibson. The Tone and volume controls are good, solid speed dials. The hardtail bridge is decent, along the lines of a Korean Strat copy, as opposed to Chinese. The paint job is fairly thick, with a couple of flaws, and the pickguard, though purely ornamental is pretty chintzy. Adding all that up- I'd say I feel good about giving this lavender beasty to my wife as a first guitar.
So, I went out and bought a First Act ME1980 to go with it. It's a righty, so, yes, mods must happen to make it playable. But, again, the neck is really good, the hardware is a downgrade from my wife's, and so must be replaced, I was expecting to replace the pick up, but it's got a nifty zing- I've not heard a hot humbucker voiced in this range before- it's got tons of upper mids- like a Japanese Hot Humbucker- put through a treble booster. The pickguard is so terrible that I removed it immediately- it's a piece of plastic that feels like packaging, not part of the instrument. I can see from the screwholes this is a very cheap light wood for the body, but heavier than my wife's so I suspect it's a plywood body. So, call it a Korean made Danelectro take on a Melody Maker, and you're not far off . It will be changed, mark my words. So, here's a Pic of my wife's and a link to mine. Yes, that's a Toys R US link. Deal with it.Oh, and I spent less than 100 bucks for both.
BUT- I bought a guitar that went to my wife. Then, I bought a guitar that kinda matches, for me.
Both of them are First Act. Now, I wouldn't say they're top quality. Not even close. However, my wife's is a prototype one-off from the custom shop, and it shows- much higher quality cut of wood for the neck- a really good chunk of maple, with a decent rosewood fingerboard. The frets need a little dressing, and I've done that for her. The tuners are comparable with a decent Squire- meaning they're workmanlike, but not horrible. I'll replace those for her, but it's not crucial. I can't tell the body wood, but it feels pretty lightweight , so I'm guessing poplar or basswood. The single pick up is actually pretty sweet, and sounds more like a Fender humbucker than a midrange heavy Gibson. The Tone and volume controls are good, solid speed dials. The hardtail bridge is decent, along the lines of a Korean Strat copy, as opposed to Chinese. The paint job is fairly thick, with a couple of flaws, and the pickguard, though purely ornamental is pretty chintzy. Adding all that up- I'd say I feel good about giving this lavender beasty to my wife as a first guitar.
So, I went out and bought a First Act ME1980 to go with it. It's a righty, so, yes, mods must happen to make it playable. But, again, the neck is really good, the hardware is a downgrade from my wife's, and so must be replaced, I was expecting to replace the pick up, but it's got a nifty zing- I've not heard a hot humbucker voiced in this range before- it's got tons of upper mids- like a Japanese Hot Humbucker- put through a treble booster. The pickguard is so terrible that I removed it immediately- it's a piece of plastic that feels like packaging, not part of the instrument. I can see from the screwholes this is a very cheap light wood for the body, but heavier than my wife's so I suspect it's a plywood body. So, call it a Korean made Danelectro take on a Melody Maker, and you're not far off . It will be changed, mark my words. So, here's a Pic of my wife's and a link to mine. Yes, that's a Toys R US link. Deal with it.Oh, and I spent less than 100 bucks for both.
Sunday, October 26, 2014
The Problem of Leisure
I have a question rolling around in my head. Even if we're "poor" most of us, in America have something that we spend money pursuing, even though it serves little practical purpose. For some, it's a sport, for others it's collecting something, and for me, it's guitar-related stuff. I know, from my own hobby, that it really isn't about "thwarted dreams". I could play guitar in a band, if I wanted to, probably within the day. I always know musicians, and I know how to get gigs, and I even know how to make it marginally successful. But, I really don't want that. I'm sure it's the same for, hmmm, as an example, my brother-in-law who, later in life discovered Motorcycles. I'm sure he could either develop a couple of exhibition bikes to show around, or could take up racing, or otherwise turn it into a business. I have a friend who loves rugby. He's a big burly type, who is unafraid of pain, and has the discipline that I'm sure he could turn semi-pro ( professional rugby in this country doesn't really happen- but, now that I think about it, he might be good enough that he could emigrate to say, Greece, and play professional- but I'm too ignorant of the leagues to know how realistic that is) but he doesn't. I'm fairly confident that there are those with thwarted dreams, but I think for most of us, it's just a hobby. So, with that being the case, a question arises: How much is too much? I don't really have an answer, but I'm trying to work that out.
Let me clarify: I cannot justify buying a vintage left handed Jazzmaster guitar, and a full sized Orange Amp, because I'll never use it professionally- that equipment belongs to, and should be owned by a professional musician, and it would be an obscene extravagance for me to spend 10 to 20 thousand dollars on a hobby, when I have people who need me. But, with the extreme out of the picture, how about this- would an 800 dollar guitar, and a thousand dollar amp be too much? How about five hundred, each? Where's the line? Likewise with time: I know that playing 6 hours a day is ridiculous, and would leave little time for other needs, but is it too much to spend say, 2 hours a day? At what point does the time investment become absurd?
Again, I haven't fully answered this for myself, and I think the answer is necessarily a bit "fluid". For example, now that I have no children living in my house, yes, it's ok to spend a little more time playing esoteric scales on the guitars I already own, and yes, it's ok to buy an extra guitar or three, because I have the space and money, but if that conflicts with my wife and her writing hobby, that would cease to be ok. So, I'm not looking for a hard and fast answer. I'm looking for an outlook, or a philosophy.
This is a blog about spending money, or not spending money, so I figure this is as good a place as any to work this issue out. Granted, very, very few people are reading this, but I'm open to input.
There will be more about this. Hey, maybe it'll become my own little sub- hobby: a "how to" on having a hobby....
Sunday, September 14, 2014
Sansa Clip Zip
I don't feel the need to be in the cultural thick of it where my devices are concerned. I've got an LG smartphone, but wouldn't mind a Samsung. I just don't feel the need, just yet. Likewise, I still have an Ipod Nano, but never use it, mostly because it's difficult to "jailbreak" it from Apple's truly wretched Itunes software. Instead, for the past few years I've been using a SanDisk Sansa Clip +. I still think it's the apex of Mp3 player technology. It'll play any format- so I'm not really stuck with FLACC or Mp3, has a drag-and-drop loading system that's easier than typing this sentence, and has expandable memory- so I can load up to 32 gigs worth of audio onto it. On top of that, you've got radio, and a recording device built in. I would strongly suggest it over against using your phone, or Apple's dreadful software. So, after several years of continuous use ( generally about 3 hours a day) the headphone jack has gone a bit wonky, and it's mono. Fair enough,and I'll still use it to listen to books, radio and podcasts, but for music, I got a Clip Zip for 25 bucks. It's roughly the same deal, and the only real changes are: A. The sound is a bit more bass-heavy B. It's got a full colour screen C. it's got a "sport" setting that I can only guess is either a pedometer or stopwatch function and D. It feels a little more lightweight and flimsy. Because I'm just using it for music, I'm leaving it with the standard 4 Gigs of memory. That's more than enough for the 250 song playlist that I keep. More than 250, and the chances that I hear some album cut that I don't like goes up exponentially. At 250, I have enough variety and selection that I rarely feel "burned out" on a song.
So, while you're struggling to get the new U2 lp off your playlist, or cannot upload that groovy Polish death metal record in .OGG format to your playlist- I'll be out for a jog, listening happily. See? No need to join the personal tech rat race.
Thursday, August 28, 2014
The Biyang RV- 10 ( Baby Boom Tri Reverb)
You musicians can claim to be original all they want- the truth is, they're fashion victims as much as the next guy ( or girl) . You've got your Stevie Ray Vaughan followers, buying stratocasters, winding the bridge pick up hot, stringing the guitar with telephone cables, and playing through a Tube Screamer ( or better yet, a boutique Tube Screamer clone) into an under 10 watt tube amp. You've got your Noise Rock nerds playing Aluminum guitars into Traynor Amps, set on "crackle". You've got your Shoegazers, and 1990's indie Rockers playing Jaguars and Mustangs, with a big Muff and a fender Amp, with the reverb all the way up, and so on.
My fashion set, as a guitar player is closest to the Youth Pastor at a Church "Praise" band- I go for stuff that's inexpensive, yet can approximate the Tone Lawyers. ( The Tone Lawyers are the guys buying "investment grade" guitars and Amps- all very tasteful, but not necessarily "gig ready" )
In my fashion circles, then, there was a big wave of dudes who totally lost their minds on the Biyang Tri Reverb. It's not quite a clone of the TC Electronics "Hall of Fame" reverb pedal- it's a different design in most of the key factors- but the reason for its popularity is that it can approximate some of the HOF's best tones. I'll admit- the trendiness is what hooked my attention, but I got it for this reason- while I've got a great sounding Spring reverb on an Amp, and my Digiverb can handle the shoegazer special effects- this Biyang is the shortest and simplest route to a shimmery "Post punk' reverb- you know that "big" guitar sound from about 1985, that went from The Edge to Geordie to Simple Minds, to heck I think Culture Club even had it a bit. I set the switch to "Hall", the "A/B" to "A" and keep the "Blend" and "Time" dials somewhere between 11 and 2 o'clock, and I'm on it. No real tweaking required, and I've got that big wet reverb. Combined with the Digiverb, and I'll give the Catherine Wheel a run for their shoelaces. Combined with my Fender Amp, and the JAMC have competition, but on its own, I've got everything from Dan Ash to Geordie to Reg Smithies. That's a lot of my tastes, right there. So, yes, I'll follow fashion, if I look good in it....
My fashion set, as a guitar player is closest to the Youth Pastor at a Church "Praise" band- I go for stuff that's inexpensive, yet can approximate the Tone Lawyers. ( The Tone Lawyers are the guys buying "investment grade" guitars and Amps- all very tasteful, but not necessarily "gig ready" )
In my fashion circles, then, there was a big wave of dudes who totally lost their minds on the Biyang Tri Reverb. It's not quite a clone of the TC Electronics "Hall of Fame" reverb pedal- it's a different design in most of the key factors- but the reason for its popularity is that it can approximate some of the HOF's best tones. I'll admit- the trendiness is what hooked my attention, but I got it for this reason- while I've got a great sounding Spring reverb on an Amp, and my Digiverb can handle the shoegazer special effects- this Biyang is the shortest and simplest route to a shimmery "Post punk' reverb- you know that "big" guitar sound from about 1985, that went from The Edge to Geordie to Simple Minds, to heck I think Culture Club even had it a bit. I set the switch to "Hall", the "A/B" to "A" and keep the "Blend" and "Time" dials somewhere between 11 and 2 o'clock, and I'm on it. No real tweaking required, and I've got that big wet reverb. Combined with the Digiverb, and I'll give the Catherine Wheel a run for their shoelaces. Combined with my Fender Amp, and the JAMC have competition, but on its own, I've got everything from Dan Ash to Geordie to Reg Smithies. That's a lot of my tastes, right there. So, yes, I'll follow fashion, if I look good in it....
Sunday, August 10, 2014
Two more Guitar Pedals
I'm no snob. I don't need a brand name, but what I do need and want is utility. I want stuff that meets my expectations. So, if I bargain hunt, I don't want to compromise. I happen to know that several things I like have a large amount of "inflation" on the price ( nicest way of saying they're gouging) . For example, I know that stomp boxes aren't expensive to make. Assuming the boutique guys are paying what I'm paying, and I know I'm over-paying, The average distortion pedal is about 20 bucks in parts. So, let's be generous, and pay them 50 bucks an hour in building the thing- which is about how long it took me- then, 70 bucks really is the most, reasonably, they should charge. Go Here and find a seventy dollar dirtbox. There's about 10% of their total. So, is it bargain hunting to expect a lower cost? I don't think so.
I've got friends who basically believe in magic, and I don't blame them. I understand. If you put an Earthquaker Devices pedal up against a similar Boss product, of course it destroys the Boss. But, rather than think of Boss as substandard, it makes most folks think of Earthquaker as superior. I have been pretty relentless, and while Earthquaker are probably the best of the high dollar "Boutique" guys, they are overcharging- in some instances less than what they could, so bravo to them for that, but still, it's a little bit of magical thinking to say that , for example, the Monarch overdrive is five times the pedal of the Joyo Ultimate Overdrive. I think the Joyo stuff is a little "underpriced" in the Wal Mart sense of the word ( How Wal Mart gets such low prices is by bullying overseas manufacturers, who generally comply by screwing their workers) but that in no way negates how much Earthquaker ( and others, who are far, far worse) are over-pricing. I'm willing to bet they could shave off 30% of their price and still make a profit, just fine- and while they'd still be too rich for my blood, I wouldn't think of it as quite such a game.
But, the problem of leaving the brand name behind is that you are on your own. See, it's a hype machine- the magazines and blogs, and so on are all built in- you'll find reviews and demo videos aplenty for the hyped brands, but apart from Joyo, who caught fire on a couple of pedals, there are precious little resources out towards informing folks of all the manufacturers.
So, I bought this Nady Tremolo on Ebay for a ridiculously low price, and had no information going in. Zero. It turns out that it sounds about as good as a Boss ( meaning on the lower end of mediocre. Not terrible, but nothing special) and is as ugly as a Danelectro ( meaning hideous beyond words. It looks like one of those "Hang loose" feet, in orange, and is huge) . It's worth what I paid, but I wouldn't suggest paying a realistic price for it ( generally it sells for about the same as the Boss- so, then, just get the freakin' Boss).
Even though it cost me a bit more- the Hotone Octa is another matter altogether. This is what I'd call a bargain. Generally, you can pick one up for 70 bucks- and it does virtually everything I would do with the 215 dollar EHX Micro POG. No, it doesn't sound quite as natural on the Octave up- but it's a matter of taste not genuine quality- The Hotone has more warble, the Micro POG has more distortion. So, you have to ask what you're looking to do- I'm looking to double up a few melodic lines- basically play some dyads that sound more like harmonies- Which is what the Micro POG is usually used for, as I hear it. So long as I keep it to whole notes, not more than a bar of sustain, the warble doesn't really come into play. In every other way, the Octa just trounces the Micro POG- first off, this is the smallest pedal I own- it's even smaller than my EBow. That's a feature, to me. It way too small for a battery, but seriously, if it's not a dying battery thing for a fuzz pedal, is there any reason for a battery? I can tell you a big reason against Batteries- throwing toxic heavy metals away every few months. As I was saying, sonically, it's as good as the Electro Harmonix, but that's in standard mode- in the "dirty" mode, which is not polyphonic ( able to handle chords) it keeps up with virtually all the analog "sub-Octave" stuff out there- from the DOD Octoplus, to- get this- the MXR Blue Box- It doesn't have its own fuzz, but I swear it does the single note blend thing as good as the MXR- and when I add my own Fuzz, I've got a Stoner/Sludge monster. In the polyphonic mode, adding a dark overdrive, like the Joyo Ultimate Overdrive produces that "organ tone' beautifully.
Now, I got it on Ebay for 50 bucks, postage paid. Getting it for that might be challenging, but still possible. So- consider that. I could spend 150 and get the Earthquaker Devices Organizer, I could spend 215 , and get the EHX Micro POG- and each would give me slightly different options to arrive at the same place this 50 dollars got me. That's bargain hunting, to me. It wouldn't be if it didn't get me there, any more than if it cost more.
I've got friends who basically believe in magic, and I don't blame them. I understand. If you put an Earthquaker Devices pedal up against a similar Boss product, of course it destroys the Boss. But, rather than think of Boss as substandard, it makes most folks think of Earthquaker as superior. I have been pretty relentless, and while Earthquaker are probably the best of the high dollar "Boutique" guys, they are overcharging- in some instances less than what they could, so bravo to them for that, but still, it's a little bit of magical thinking to say that , for example, the Monarch overdrive is five times the pedal of the Joyo Ultimate Overdrive. I think the Joyo stuff is a little "underpriced" in the Wal Mart sense of the word ( How Wal Mart gets such low prices is by bullying overseas manufacturers, who generally comply by screwing their workers) but that in no way negates how much Earthquaker ( and others, who are far, far worse) are over-pricing. I'm willing to bet they could shave off 30% of their price and still make a profit, just fine- and while they'd still be too rich for my blood, I wouldn't think of it as quite such a game.
But, the problem of leaving the brand name behind is that you are on your own. See, it's a hype machine- the magazines and blogs, and so on are all built in- you'll find reviews and demo videos aplenty for the hyped brands, but apart from Joyo, who caught fire on a couple of pedals, there are precious little resources out towards informing folks of all the manufacturers.
So, I bought this Nady Tremolo on Ebay for a ridiculously low price, and had no information going in. Zero. It turns out that it sounds about as good as a Boss ( meaning on the lower end of mediocre. Not terrible, but nothing special) and is as ugly as a Danelectro ( meaning hideous beyond words. It looks like one of those "Hang loose" feet, in orange, and is huge) . It's worth what I paid, but I wouldn't suggest paying a realistic price for it ( generally it sells for about the same as the Boss- so, then, just get the freakin' Boss).
Even though it cost me a bit more- the Hotone Octa is another matter altogether. This is what I'd call a bargain. Generally, you can pick one up for 70 bucks- and it does virtually everything I would do with the 215 dollar EHX Micro POG. No, it doesn't sound quite as natural on the Octave up- but it's a matter of taste not genuine quality- The Hotone has more warble, the Micro POG has more distortion. So, you have to ask what you're looking to do- I'm looking to double up a few melodic lines- basically play some dyads that sound more like harmonies- Which is what the Micro POG is usually used for, as I hear it. So long as I keep it to whole notes, not more than a bar of sustain, the warble doesn't really come into play. In every other way, the Octa just trounces the Micro POG- first off, this is the smallest pedal I own- it's even smaller than my EBow. That's a feature, to me. It way too small for a battery, but seriously, if it's not a dying battery thing for a fuzz pedal, is there any reason for a battery? I can tell you a big reason against Batteries- throwing toxic heavy metals away every few months. As I was saying, sonically, it's as good as the Electro Harmonix, but that's in standard mode- in the "dirty" mode, which is not polyphonic ( able to handle chords) it keeps up with virtually all the analog "sub-Octave" stuff out there- from the DOD Octoplus, to- get this- the MXR Blue Box- It doesn't have its own fuzz, but I swear it does the single note blend thing as good as the MXR- and when I add my own Fuzz, I've got a Stoner/Sludge monster. In the polyphonic mode, adding a dark overdrive, like the Joyo Ultimate Overdrive produces that "organ tone' beautifully.
Now, I got it on Ebay for 50 bucks, postage paid. Getting it for that might be challenging, but still possible. So- consider that. I could spend 150 and get the Earthquaker Devices Organizer, I could spend 215 , and get the EHX Micro POG- and each would give me slightly different options to arrive at the same place this 50 dollars got me. That's bargain hunting, to me. It wouldn't be if it didn't get me there, any more than if it cost more.
Saturday, July 19, 2014
Zenni Optical
So, I now own 4 pair of glasses from Zenni Optical.
They have the distinction of being the cheapest glasses I will buy. I could go cheaper, but I refuse to go that cheap. See, for the most part, there are very few actual manufacturers of glasses. Oh, sure, they'll slap different labels on different types, but they're pretty much all made in the same place. So, it complicates things- I know that my Lookmatics are still made by Luxottica, but my Mezzmers as well as the Zennis are made by Asisn upstarts. I honestly cannot tell which one, but I suspect Mezzmer is with Wenzhou, or another really large Chinese firm like Optibiz, whereas Zenni is more obscure- but still likely Chinese. I suspect that the manufacturing process is more "mass" and definitely less labor, and eco friendly than either Lookmatic or Mezzmer, but at least they're not all the way down there with some of the Indonesians- and that's why they are about as cheap as I will go. It's worth noting- and it's absolutely best to know, not guess, where the stuff you own was made, but in this world, and especially when it comes to monopolies, you have to make compromises.
Anyway- so I owned a pair of reading glasses from them, from last year's deal- they had a four for the price of three deal, so I bought three pair for my son, and one pair for me. This year's deal was three for two, so I got three, and my son got three. Here's my Three: "Blue Steel" "Retro Metal" ( AKA "Cory Doctorow") and "Hipster Clown" - Zenni doesn't bother to name their styles, so I've done it for them.
So, what do I think? Well, Blue Steel is very much what you'd expect- super cheap, but not as cheaply made as what you'd think- like most Chinese products. They create the most gnawing guilt- I'm pretty sure they were made by sweatshop labor, because the price vs. quality vs. flaws just fits that profile too well. Retro Metal is actually very comparable to a low-to middle end Luxottica product. I'd put them on par with Oakley. Not bad. Hipster Clown actually is garnering me compliments, and I'm not so self assured that I can completely ignore that. They're still very cheaply made, and that's obvious ( I'd put it at Wal Mart type quality- aka "at least I didn't get it at a swap meet" ), but they evidently look good to other people, and they're the first pair of glasses since my Lookmatic Clubmaster-inspired "Austins" that get remarks of "Hey where did you get those? I want a pair!" So, I'll take it. So, all in all, I'd call it a win. Oh, and total price for my order was about US 160.00- which is what I'd pay for one pair of Lookmatics, with all the bells and whistles that I like ( which still beats the pants off of the 300 to 400 I'll pay, using my insurance, at a brick-and-mortar. Without Insurance, I'd pay more like 500 to 600) so, again, not bad.
Basically, Warby Parker still rules hell, for having the least amount of guilt, coupled with a decent price
(unfortunately they can't quite hit my distance prescription so I just have a reading pair). Mezzmer is a very close second, and Lookmatic might be third, but they win over both for style points. But Zenni still is slightly on the "good guy" end of the spectrum. If they start doing the moral equivalent to "carbon offests" I'll eliminate one of my other choices.
They have the distinction of being the cheapest glasses I will buy. I could go cheaper, but I refuse to go that cheap. See, for the most part, there are very few actual manufacturers of glasses. Oh, sure, they'll slap different labels on different types, but they're pretty much all made in the same place. So, it complicates things- I know that my Lookmatics are still made by Luxottica, but my Mezzmers as well as the Zennis are made by Asisn upstarts. I honestly cannot tell which one, but I suspect Mezzmer is with Wenzhou, or another really large Chinese firm like Optibiz, whereas Zenni is more obscure- but still likely Chinese. I suspect that the manufacturing process is more "mass" and definitely less labor, and eco friendly than either Lookmatic or Mezzmer, but at least they're not all the way down there with some of the Indonesians- and that's why they are about as cheap as I will go. It's worth noting- and it's absolutely best to know, not guess, where the stuff you own was made, but in this world, and especially when it comes to monopolies, you have to make compromises.
Anyway- so I owned a pair of reading glasses from them, from last year's deal- they had a four for the price of three deal, so I bought three pair for my son, and one pair for me. This year's deal was three for two, so I got three, and my son got three. Here's my Three: "Blue Steel" "Retro Metal" ( AKA "Cory Doctorow") and "Hipster Clown" - Zenni doesn't bother to name their styles, so I've done it for them.
So, what do I think? Well, Blue Steel is very much what you'd expect- super cheap, but not as cheaply made as what you'd think- like most Chinese products. They create the most gnawing guilt- I'm pretty sure they were made by sweatshop labor, because the price vs. quality vs. flaws just fits that profile too well. Retro Metal is actually very comparable to a low-to middle end Luxottica product. I'd put them on par with Oakley. Not bad. Hipster Clown actually is garnering me compliments, and I'm not so self assured that I can completely ignore that. They're still very cheaply made, and that's obvious ( I'd put it at Wal Mart type quality- aka "at least I didn't get it at a swap meet" ), but they evidently look good to other people, and they're the first pair of glasses since my Lookmatic Clubmaster-inspired "Austins" that get remarks of "Hey where did you get those? I want a pair!" So, I'll take it. So, all in all, I'd call it a win. Oh, and total price for my order was about US 160.00- which is what I'd pay for one pair of Lookmatics, with all the bells and whistles that I like ( which still beats the pants off of the 300 to 400 I'll pay, using my insurance, at a brick-and-mortar. Without Insurance, I'd pay more like 500 to 600) so, again, not bad.
Basically, Warby Parker still rules hell, for having the least amount of guilt, coupled with a decent price
(unfortunately they can't quite hit my distance prescription so I just have a reading pair). Mezzmer is a very close second, and Lookmatic might be third, but they win over both for style points. But Zenni still is slightly on the "good guy" end of the spectrum. If they start doing the moral equivalent to "carbon offests" I'll eliminate one of my other choices.
Why I like Junk
I don't like "junk". I don't like the conceptualization of objects as "junk". I think of that as wasteful, and petty, and disrespectful to other people.
But, let me back up a bit. While this same argument can be used about anything from cookware to shoes, I've encountered it the most with leisure purchases. Cars, Guitars, Grills, and TVs. I can certainly see how there are objects that harm the user- Aluminum cookware, lead paint, and the like. Call that "junk" if you want. However, usually, what is meant is " that object is not up to my fine standards, and you should be like me". I object to that. Take cars, for example- I literally ( and yes, I mean absolutely and exactly) drive cars until the wheels fall off, the engines explode, or the vehicle simply cannot be repaired. So, for most of my life, I drive what others would have called "junk"- some rust, some wear, maybe not the most classic of designs, you get the idea. I feel that's a responsibility. The amount of resources that go into a car, from insane labor practices to toxic materials, to the destruction of fossil fuels, means that, to me, it's irresponsible to be the cause of additional cars being manufactured. If you have a car, it's your responsibility to wring every little bit of use out of it as possible.
Another aspect is with Guitars. I have belonged to various online forums for guitar players, and it never fails- some "newbie" will asking about starting, and out come the people to tell them what they should buy. Every single time, the end result suggestions are an over-expenditure. They'll tell them to buy a 500 dollar guitar, a 500 dollar amplifier, and more. And why? Because you don't want to buy "junk". Bastards! Well, I'm telling you it's a flat out lie. My first guitar cost less than a hundred bucks, and I had to learn how to make my first amplifier- but had I purchased one, I would've been happy with an equally cheap amplifier. I still keep a check on my purchases. I'll never be spending more than a paycheck on any piece of musical equipment. You know why? Because I'm not playing to impress 20 people out of the 500 hundred who paid to see me. That's what that extra money goes to, seriously. You know what the difference between an Epiphone and a Gibson is? Pure vanity! They're both made with questionable labor, and parts, with questionable quality control- so don't go telling me about Korea, China, or Tennessee, because I've actually been to both Gibson and Epiphone manufacturing centers. You know why "boutique" manufacturers charge so much? To make you think it's worth it. I know this because they'll say it. And the people who buy into the claptrap- who are the majority, easily, - they'll bully people who disagree. ( So, to get along, I won't exactly "disagree" with them- I'll just fail to agree)
I don't own a manufactured grill- I make them when I need them. So, there's no bragging rights to a campfire. It's a matter of skill versus status, in my mind. If you're skillful enough , the convenience of the machine isn't needed. If I know how to gauge heat and mass and the transfer of caloric energy to transform my raw food into the cooked state I want, I don't need the controls and gauges. It's about mastery versus success. Success is, by and large, in the eye of a beholder- if other people say you are a success, then, you are. However, if you've mastered something, you have made it do what you want.
Finally, I don't have some TV as big as a coffin, that costs as much as a bathroom remodel. I have a 32" Samsung that cost less than 400 bucks. Some would call it junk- it's not smart, 3D, or anything beyond. It's not even up to 1080, like my computer. You know why? Because I get to define it- not the manufacturer. I say it's a visual speaker for a visual HiFi system- more like a Stereo system than a radio, get it? It's there to simply translate the electronic content I'm feeding it, not to interpret it. I like that. I like my objects to do exactly what I tell them to do- and no more.
So, no, I don't like the designation of quality to be in someone else's hands and mind. I don't like "junk" anymore than I like "Fine" or "top quality" ( or "organic" or "gourmet" or "professional" or any other marketing term that people have given themselves over, in an effort to appeal to their insufficient self esteem, and overinflated vanity). No matter what- even if it's buying stuff- I believe in living in my own world. I'm a materialist in the most exacting sense of the word- I believe the physical world is a much better judge than your conception of my perception. So, no I don't like "junk"- I like my stuff.
But, let me back up a bit. While this same argument can be used about anything from cookware to shoes, I've encountered it the most with leisure purchases. Cars, Guitars, Grills, and TVs. I can certainly see how there are objects that harm the user- Aluminum cookware, lead paint, and the like. Call that "junk" if you want. However, usually, what is meant is " that object is not up to my fine standards, and you should be like me". I object to that. Take cars, for example- I literally ( and yes, I mean absolutely and exactly) drive cars until the wheels fall off, the engines explode, or the vehicle simply cannot be repaired. So, for most of my life, I drive what others would have called "junk"- some rust, some wear, maybe not the most classic of designs, you get the idea. I feel that's a responsibility. The amount of resources that go into a car, from insane labor practices to toxic materials, to the destruction of fossil fuels, means that, to me, it's irresponsible to be the cause of additional cars being manufactured. If you have a car, it's your responsibility to wring every little bit of use out of it as possible.
Another aspect is with Guitars. I have belonged to various online forums for guitar players, and it never fails- some "newbie" will asking about starting, and out come the people to tell them what they should buy. Every single time, the end result suggestions are an over-expenditure. They'll tell them to buy a 500 dollar guitar, a 500 dollar amplifier, and more. And why? Because you don't want to buy "junk". Bastards! Well, I'm telling you it's a flat out lie. My first guitar cost less than a hundred bucks, and I had to learn how to make my first amplifier- but had I purchased one, I would've been happy with an equally cheap amplifier. I still keep a check on my purchases. I'll never be spending more than a paycheck on any piece of musical equipment. You know why? Because I'm not playing to impress 20 people out of the 500 hundred who paid to see me. That's what that extra money goes to, seriously. You know what the difference between an Epiphone and a Gibson is? Pure vanity! They're both made with questionable labor, and parts, with questionable quality control- so don't go telling me about Korea, China, or Tennessee, because I've actually been to both Gibson and Epiphone manufacturing centers. You know why "boutique" manufacturers charge so much? To make you think it's worth it. I know this because they'll say it. And the people who buy into the claptrap- who are the majority, easily, - they'll bully people who disagree. ( So, to get along, I won't exactly "disagree" with them- I'll just fail to agree)
I don't own a manufactured grill- I make them when I need them. So, there's no bragging rights to a campfire. It's a matter of skill versus status, in my mind. If you're skillful enough , the convenience of the machine isn't needed. If I know how to gauge heat and mass and the transfer of caloric energy to transform my raw food into the cooked state I want, I don't need the controls and gauges. It's about mastery versus success. Success is, by and large, in the eye of a beholder- if other people say you are a success, then, you are. However, if you've mastered something, you have made it do what you want.
Finally, I don't have some TV as big as a coffin, that costs as much as a bathroom remodel. I have a 32" Samsung that cost less than 400 bucks. Some would call it junk- it's not smart, 3D, or anything beyond. It's not even up to 1080, like my computer. You know why? Because I get to define it- not the manufacturer. I say it's a visual speaker for a visual HiFi system- more like a Stereo system than a radio, get it? It's there to simply translate the electronic content I'm feeding it, not to interpret it. I like that. I like my objects to do exactly what I tell them to do- and no more.
So, no, I don't like the designation of quality to be in someone else's hands and mind. I don't like "junk" anymore than I like "Fine" or "top quality" ( or "organic" or "gourmet" or "professional" or any other marketing term that people have given themselves over, in an effort to appeal to their insufficient self esteem, and overinflated vanity). No matter what- even if it's buying stuff- I believe in living in my own world. I'm a materialist in the most exacting sense of the word- I believe the physical world is a much better judge than your conception of my perception. So, no I don't like "junk"- I like my stuff.
Saturday, June 28, 2014
An Anti- purchase
I buy what I want. Basic rule of American Capitalism, right? I guess it can be interesting to talk about what I don't buy, as well, right? For example- I've bought two guitars since starting this blog, right? Why didn't I buy some other guitars?
Right, well, I didn't buy a Gibson because while the cost is high, the quality control is about as varied as the cheapest guitars- so why spend the extra? Two grand expenditures seem like a heck of a gamble. Likewise, Fender guitars are more consistent than Gibson, but they're very little better than their much cheaper Squier range- so I would consider a Squier, well before a Fender- however, at the same price point, there are literally dozens of other brands that achieve the same thing as a Squier, so there's no real reason to go with Squier as opposed to Agile, SX, Douglas, Stagg, Jay Turser etc, etc.
Of course, I could try to find some hand built custom thing, but it's hard to justify paying the same price as a used car, when I could get very near to the same place at the price of a nice night out.
Likewise, there's a lot of "cork sniffery" with buying effect pedals. I believe the "cork sniffer" tag got applied to guys who, much like a buyer of fine wine, spent enormous amounts of cash to buy something with probably less actual use than a much cheaper variation. You don't drink a 6000 dollar bottle of wine, you might sniff the cork. Well, likewise with effects pedals- I've seen, very recently, bids higher than what I paid for my effects pedals on some Devi Ever aborted attempts- I mean three figures for an effect pedal that all it has going for it is that Devi Ever might possibly have touched it. Seriously! They're even clearly labelled as "non functioning". I've also seen high dollar bids on the box or instruction manual for an effect pedal- so, why didn't I buy a Devi Ever, or Earthquaker Devices, or Fultone pedal? Because I'm not interested in sniffing the cork, nor in spending quadruple the amount to get to the same place.
My basic point is that I don't buy stuff without thought, and careful analysis. So, why I'm not some kind of label groupie, or connoisseur should be obvious. Less obvious is why I don't have a bunch of the cheapest chinese made knockoffs- and the answer to that is simple - most of that stuff won't get me to where I want to go. Example- the Danelectro 600MS delay pedal I got just does not suit my purposes. The decay rate is too short, the depth is too extreme, it just doesn't sound right. So, I've got two of the Donner Yellow Fall echo pedals, and that gets exactly where I want. Costs more, but it was the most direct route to the sound I was after ( somewhere between Geordie and Surf Music)
The same thing goes for other purchases- jeans, Cars, Houses, you name it- I don't buy what I don't want, so one of the keys to this project is getting a clearer idea of what I want- and honing in on exactly that. Whether you do it in a blog, or with your friends, or just in your head- I'd suggest that everybody do that.
Right, well, I didn't buy a Gibson because while the cost is high, the quality control is about as varied as the cheapest guitars- so why spend the extra? Two grand expenditures seem like a heck of a gamble. Likewise, Fender guitars are more consistent than Gibson, but they're very little better than their much cheaper Squier range- so I would consider a Squier, well before a Fender- however, at the same price point, there are literally dozens of other brands that achieve the same thing as a Squier, so there's no real reason to go with Squier as opposed to Agile, SX, Douglas, Stagg, Jay Turser etc, etc.
Of course, I could try to find some hand built custom thing, but it's hard to justify paying the same price as a used car, when I could get very near to the same place at the price of a nice night out.
Likewise, there's a lot of "cork sniffery" with buying effect pedals. I believe the "cork sniffer" tag got applied to guys who, much like a buyer of fine wine, spent enormous amounts of cash to buy something with probably less actual use than a much cheaper variation. You don't drink a 6000 dollar bottle of wine, you might sniff the cork. Well, likewise with effects pedals- I've seen, very recently, bids higher than what I paid for my effects pedals on some Devi Ever aborted attempts- I mean three figures for an effect pedal that all it has going for it is that Devi Ever might possibly have touched it. Seriously! They're even clearly labelled as "non functioning". I've also seen high dollar bids on the box or instruction manual for an effect pedal- so, why didn't I buy a Devi Ever, or Earthquaker Devices, or Fultone pedal? Because I'm not interested in sniffing the cork, nor in spending quadruple the amount to get to the same place.
My basic point is that I don't buy stuff without thought, and careful analysis. So, why I'm not some kind of label groupie, or connoisseur should be obvious. Less obvious is why I don't have a bunch of the cheapest chinese made knockoffs- and the answer to that is simple - most of that stuff won't get me to where I want to go. Example- the Danelectro 600MS delay pedal I got just does not suit my purposes. The decay rate is too short, the depth is too extreme, it just doesn't sound right. So, I've got two of the Donner Yellow Fall echo pedals, and that gets exactly where I want. Costs more, but it was the most direct route to the sound I was after ( somewhere between Geordie and Surf Music)
The same thing goes for other purchases- jeans, Cars, Houses, you name it- I don't buy what I don't want, so one of the keys to this project is getting a clearer idea of what I want- and honing in on exactly that. Whether you do it in a blog, or with your friends, or just in your head- I'd suggest that everybody do that.
Monday, June 16, 2014
A Quick Follow Up
My PureSalem now has a name! I have been emailing with Rick Sell, who not only confirmed that it is, in fact, a PureSalem protoype, and that the body is a solid piece of mahogany, attached to a solid Mahogany Neck- that he likes my name for the model- so, it's now officially a "Louie". I know, naming guitars is just a childish thing, but this is at a slightly different level. You can say it's yet more childish, but considering the names for his other guitars : Brave Ulysses, Tom Cat, and Sad Fester, I think it's a vote of confidence that he agrees with the name "Louie De Palma"- the guitar is short, dark, angry and has no tone control.
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