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.

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?

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....

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.

I don't just buy guitar pedals

I'm pretty pop culture obsessed. I know it, and it's ok if that disqualifies me as a person of taste in your eyes.
But, I do lots of things that have very little to do with Music, TV or books, or what-have-you.
However, the purchases I want to talk about today are related to music.
First, I had misplaced my black hooded sweatshirt. I'm sure it's around somewhere, but I cannot function without a black hooded sweatshirt, so long story short, I went to K Mart to get a new one. While there I happened to notice a Faux leather jacket in a slim cut, vaguely Motorcycle style- exactly the sort of thing I've been looking for, so's I can look like Sir Bob Cornelius Rifo. It was only after I bought it ( for 12 bucks, pretty steep discount, there) that I saw it was part of Adam Levine's line of clothes for K Mart. It doesn't bother me that people might notice this. But, it wouldn't be the first time. I also bought a shirt that was part of Justin Timberlake's line for Target, and I've got a pair of glasses that supposedly Jason Schwartzman designed for Lookmatic. I don't think anyone will confuse me for some teen trying to cop their mojo. But I have noticed the trend of supposed Pop & Rock stars turned into barkers, a la Bill Hick's rant. I think it's a far cry from what guys like John Baizley of Baroness or Ryan Patterson of Coliseum do. They actually seem to be trying to express an aesthetic, not endorse a product, you know? So, that brings me to the  T shirts I got. I got Coliseum's "Decade" shirt for me, and got the Cat Skull T Shirt for my wife- because she likes Cats.
Maybe I'm a hypocrite for thinking it's different, but hey, there's also a pretty good chance that, at some point, I'll be wearing both the Adam Levine and the Ryan Patterson stuff at the same time. Also, both are heavily tattooed musicians, right? I'm also not so shallow as to think that Adam Levine is invalidated because teenage girls think he's sexy. I just think that it's far more likely that Adam Levine has a team of people, including someone who came up with a "co branding" idea to put Adam's name on merch to be sold at K Mart- and that his "design" experience was to say yes to designs that his  people told him fell in line with his image.
But, again, I don't really care. If I'm at a gig, and I wear this jacket, and some sneering 20 year old hipster looks cross eyed at me because he recognizes it as an "Adam Levine", I don't think I'll notice. I'll be too busy enjoying the gig. Hell, yes, it's important that I feel that I look good- but no, I don't really care if some people disagree with me on that count. On the other hand, I really hope that somebody asks me about the T shirt, because I'd love to turn people on to everything I like. And, I think the stuff Ryan does is Art- whether you're talking about visual or musical Art. So, yes, I'm excited by the T shirt, and I think I look pretty spiffy in the jacket, too...