A Modern Vari-Tone Alternative…

Looks like a pot — but it's not!

In the comments on my post on the Mongrel Strat with the Obsessive-Compulsive Tone Control, reader Dave mentioned a related product: The Stellartone ToneStyler. I ordered one and popped in into my dual-humbucker Hamer 20th Anniversary guitar (which still boasts [...]

Credit Where It’s Due — Please!

No credit

Move along — there's nothing to see here.

Ordinarily I wouldn’t publicize “causes” on this site, but this one has special relevance for musicians and music fans.

My pal Count, a producer/mixer who’s done work for Radiohead, DJ Shadow, New Order, the Stones, No Doubt, and many other artists, is launching [...]

The Bass VI Boss

Dang — I wish I had a white turtleneck and a Mosrite electric resophonic!

After some of the long-running contests around here, it was nice having a quickie for a change. San Diego-based steel guitarist Doug Meyer was the first of several readers to correctly identify the four iconic Bass VI [...]

In Search of Ancient Strings

"We love candlelight, long walks on the beach, and really expensive old-school strings."

PLUS: New Contest! Name the Classic 6-String Bass Riffs and Win a Seymour Duncan Pickup Booster Pedal!

"We both love candlelight, long walks on the beach, and really expensive old-school strings."

NOTE: The contest is at the bottom of this post. You can skip ahead if you don’t care about rare [...]

Onboard Distortion Without a Battery?

Low-Voltage Chunk from Diode Distortion!

Low-Voltage Chunk from Diode Distortion!

Did you know you can add a simple circuit to your guitar or bass that produces onboard distortion — without using a battery?

The idea is pretty simple — you attach a pair of diodes to the guitar’s output via a pot or switch. With the [...]

About Those Expensive Picks . . .

IMG_0875

Have you ever been curious about those high-priced picks, especially those ultra-hard ones made from organic materials? I was. I once bought an $25 mammoth ivory pick and enjoyed the way it sounded — for an hour, till I lost it.

But when I saw the box of spiffy-looking John [...]

Introducing the Secret Room

top secret kity

UPDATE: Wow! I’m overwhelmed by the initial response. Hundreds of cool tips! Please bear with me as I process them and send out the access info. I could automate the process, but I want this to be more than just a bunch of random posts, and I want to [...]

The Bass That Shouldn’t Be

WTF?

Don’t you love when someone revisits a weird idea from the past — and makes it even weirder?

I got a new bass last week, right before I left for the NAMM show. I finally had a chance to try it out yesterday. I think I’m in love. View the incriminating [...]

NAMM-O-Rama!

Amazing things you see at NAMM, #1,287: The right hand of Bootsy Collins.

Amazing things at NAMM, #1,287: Bootsy Collins's right hand.

Just got back from a couple of days at the 2012 NAMM convention in Anaheim. And I’m glad to be writing about it rather than talking about it, because I have no voice left from screaming over several days of unbelievably loud [...]

We Have a Mutant Winner!

Apparently NOT a turkey: The Dave Wetherby's Eye-Catching Colorcaster

Not a turkey: Dave Wetherby's eye-catching Colorcaster

The contestants were formidable. The competition was fierce. But by the time yesterday’s deadline arrived, one mutant stood triumphant — so triumphant that we are spared the interminable silliness responsibility of a run-off round.

And the winner is Dave Wetherby’s kaleidoscopic Colorcaster. Congrats to [...]