November 2014 Gear Spotlight Swiss Picks

November 2014 Gear Spotlight Swiss Picks

                                  Swiss Picks
This day in age accessories are almost as important as guitars and basses themselves. With advancements in straps, stands, picks, strings etc it gives the modern musician the chance to turn up the knob on there craft. It can be hard to know what is best for you and your style cause of the massive amount of materials and components for either upgrades or just trying that new product on the block. Pete Punckowski from Swiss Picks has one of the most original designs on the market today aimed right at the heart of what the standard guitar player needs making some of the most amazing and fully functional guitar picks on the market today. Pete has worked with some of the most innovative musicians out there with adding guitar legend Rusty Cooley and his line of picks to the Swiss Picks family. Here at RBJ we did up a talk on the picks last month and we loved them so wanted to bring Pete back to talk a bit more about what makes him tick and what makes Swiss Picks one of the best on the block!!

RBJ
This is a music/gear blog so lets talk about that for a second. What music really rocks your world and what was the band that really got you into music.

SP
This could be a long reply.. Haha!  Currently, I'm a schizophrenic listener! Any given day it's been the new Mastodon, Cynic, Baroness, Puscifer, Neurosis, Symphony X, OSI (Jim Matheos & Kevin Moore) & Fate's Warning 'Darkness In A Different Light' which is just.... Amazing! In the Rock realm,  Dave Meniketti, Michael Schenker, John Norum, John Sykes & I've re-discovered solo Glenn Hughes. (Always a Deep Purple fan)  In Jazz, it's John Zorn, 70's Funk/Fusion Miles Davis & CTI era Freddie Hubbard. I'm also into everything metal from early Exciter & Venom to Meshuggah & Dimmu Borgir.  But let's talk guitarists!!  An endless list, but my 'bow to' guys are Shawn Lane, Rusty Cooley, Buckethead, Ron Thal, Scott Mishoe, & the great Jason Becker!!  As far as what got me into music, it was Deep Purple's 'Burn' LP which was my official 'first' record. My Dad had great records which are still some of my favorites such as Billy Cobham's 'Spectrum' (Tommy Bolin), Jeff Beck's 'Wired' Robin Trower's 'Bridge Of Sighs' and all Gilmour era Pink Floyd. Then on my own, I discovered Kiss, AC/DC, Maiden, Priest, Sabbath, etc. As far as guitar, while Van Halen, Gary Moore & Randy Rhoads were on the pedestal in '83, when Yngwie's Rising Force came out in '84, the whole game changed! I think that Yngwie was the 3rd most influential electric guitarist after Hendrix & EVH, as he changed the way almost everyone played guitar at the time... but it was EVH & Yngwie that made me say, "I have to do this!"

 
RBJ
What is some of your favorite gear as a musician guitars, amps, effects?
 
SP
Another long one.. I'm a gear JUNKIE! At this point I've owned just about everything. Through my years I've worked in stores and owned my own shop, so I've seen it all.  As for guitars I use a variety of 80's era made gems, including a '79 Boogie Bodies EVH Black/Yellow (#3),  an '83 Checkerboard Bullseye graphic San Dimas Charvel, a 1980 USA Dean ML, an '83 Valley Arts Tele, a '91 Tom Anderson Pro Am (Purple Bowling Ball finish) & most recently, a 1991 PRS Limited Edition w/a Redwood Top.  I collect anything uncommon from the elite builders era, and always looking for older Anderson, B.C. Rich, Schecter, Valley Arts, Boogie Bodies, Mighty Mite & San Dimas Charvel/Jacksons!

As for amps, I have sworn my allegiance to Friedman Amplification!! There's nothing better for organic high gain than Dave Friedman's HBE (Hairy Brown Eye). Dave has unlocked Pandora's Box and ruined my ears for anything else. Seriously, the hype... is REAL!! Other than the Friedman's, I have a '73 Marshall Super Lead that I run through a 70's Marshall Cab w/25watt Blackbacks for cleans. Say Whhhaaaattt?  Really, the best clean I've ever heard. Add the brilliant Nunaber 'Stereo WET' reverb pedal (youtube this one) and it's old school SRV Cleans! Spanky with a Strat!!  Another honorable mention is a '96 Top Hat King Royale 35watt combo w/el84's and Greenbacks.. with the Nunaber Reverb as well. All the vintage VOX tones with none of the hassle.

Effects, too many vintage ones to list, but I dig the VOX V846 Wah(Italy) EH Big Muff V5, Boss OD-1, CE-2, DM-2 & MXR's scipt (70's) Dyna Comp & Phase 90.

Current effects are Analogman's DS1 mod, Fulltone's original '69, the RMC Wah Wah, and... I have a Boss SD-1 modded by Diecast Electronics! Firebreather!!

 

 
RBJ
When was the company made and where are you located at?

SP
I officially started this in 2011 in Los Angeles, CA. (I'm originally from N.Y. so please don't hold that L.A. thing against me) j/k.

 
RBJ
There has to be a story about Swiss Picks from the cheese design and mouse it is the most unique idea I have seen in the accessory field?
 
SP
Thanks, Jon, I appreciate that! Yeah, it was a process. Like any other guitar player, I'm always looking for something better and through the process of punching holes in my picks for grips, I came across with the Swiss Cheese design. Bigger holes, smaller holes, etc. While it looked cool, it only functioned so-so. Break out the crazy glue and a bunch of plastic shards and I soon had make shift ridges and my fingers stuck together.. Haha. After about 70 to 80 prototypes which took a year or so, I experimented with different hole placement and design, and the final product was finally born. There's a reason that the holes are off-center. Using my guitar playing friends as Guinea pigs, I found the exact spot where our thumbs and index finger sit comfortably on the pick and then detailed the design around those certain points. As we took turns putting it into play, it was pretty mind blowing and I knew that I was on to something and had to pursue it. Of course, having a Cheese image pick led to anything to do with a Mouse, Mousetraps, etc. My guitar student Matt is a graphic artist by trade and actually nailed the mouse image on his second attempt! As soon as I saw it and knew it was right! It's like when you look at a company or band logo and it just looks PERFECT! Something clicks in our heads that says, "That's just awesome!" Though Matt scored with the mouse, I actually had to crate the lettered logo, using the hole pattern and side cuts. As a former desk artist, (when in school, I could cover an entire desk in metal band logos in 20 min... haha) I had it finished within' a few days. Wait 'till you guys see the new Sharp Cheddar shirt. I'll have it at NAMM this year. The mouse will be to Swiss Picks what Eddie is to Iron Maiden.

 
RBJ
Tell us about working with Rusty Cooley and how his signature picks come about?

SP
Let’s talk about Rusty Cooley first. I believe it was in the late 90’s when Rusty's debut CD came out, and I have to say that my friends and I were just FLOORED by this guy. Y’know, there’s a player that comes around every once in a blue moon that is a leap above everyone else, and Rusty is THAT guy. We’ve joked that he must be bionic. But what separates Rusty is his creativity in the speed realm. He does it his way, with techniques that though I can comprehend, I cannot recreate. Then he released the Outworld CD which further solidified his legend. I consider him to be a benchmark player in the idea that he’ll always be technically untouchable and 5 to 10 steps ahead of all of us. His new band/project, Day Of Reckoning is a brutal guitar assault that sets the bar even higher than before! Check out his music at www.RustyCooley.com

So,when I made the Sharp Cheddar’s, I sent some to Rusty and he loved ‘em and they quickly became his only pick. Y’know, hearing that from one of your favorite players was just mind blowing!! But, there was an issue. Rusty felt the Delrin was too warm for his signature 7 & 8 string Dean RC models… So, to the drawing board I went and came up with a Polycarbonate base, which is a harder, glass like material that really brightened up & clarified Rusty’s low end. He was stoked & the Rusty Cooley Edition was born! Now, working with Rusty has been a blast! He's as intense as his playing. Super sharp, energetic & always has ideas and possibilities to contribute. It's scary sometimes to meet or talk to people that you admire musically, because in the event that they're complete tools, it can ruin your image of then or turn you off to what they do... But Rusty ended up being one of the coolest cats on the planet when we started speaking which was a great relief to me & it's always a great time when we brain storm ideas.

RBJ
What separates Swiss Picks from the pack, There are so many styles of picks from metal, brass, wood, plastics etc. Tell us why Swiss Picks could possibly be the last pick they ever play?

SP
Ask Rusty... Ohhhh, SNAP! Haha!  Seriously,  as much as it's interesting to work with metals, woods & stone, you have to ask yourself, "What material really works best for a pick?" And like alot of you players out there, I've tried different things, but always returned to a plastics based material. Aside from the grip and feel, I make these out of the best Dupont materials here in the USA which are not only longer lasting in terms of wear, but sound much better than the average made commercial picks that most players are used to and accepting of. Another big issue I had was the ‘clicking’ sound of other picks on high gain settings. The Swiss Picks motto, “All of the speed, none of the click.” When it comes to the grip factor, I tried picks with sandpaper style scoring, which while they did grip, readjusting the pick during play was restrictive. So, with the raised edge design and these strategically placed holes, I can have all my needs met of feeling locked in with the plectrum while still having the freedom to not only adjust, but loosen up on my grip. This pick feels like a natural extension for me. It just glides perfect.

 
RBJ
Lets cut the cheese a second (Sorry about the pun) Lets do a quick break down of your product line and what separates the line so the reader can grasp a bit better what pick might be the one for them?

SP
The long awaited Sharp Cheddar series, which have a sharp tip are thicker than the original yellow ones. They come in 1.10 Thick, 1.50 Ex. Thick, 2.0 Slab and Jazz Mini size (1.30) . The material base is actually the same Delrin base. Where the material changed is with the Rusty Cooley Edition Sharp Cheddar Series, which is a Polycarbonate base. I have a great fan base for the originals, so they will always be a Swiss Picks staple and come in .55 Thin, .80 Regular, and 1.10 Thick. The Delrin is more of a pure warm tone, while the Polycarbonate has a brighter attack, which is what inspired the Rusty Cooley Edition. I have options to order assorted gauges in both Standard and Sharp Cheddar styles.

 
RBJ
On the website it says that Swiss Picks are made with the finest materials in the USA. So many companies this day in age are selling out to Korea or China why have you not sold out like so many?

SP
Oh, don't think they haven't dangled that carrot in front of my face. I could've had worldwide distribution if I would've moved production to China and played 'The Game", which encompassed cheap materials, cheaper molds, and in the end, an inferior product. Everything in our world today revolves around money... and it's horrible. I'd rather do this by word of mouth and have users of this product for ALL of the right reasons. Corporations have pretty much destroyed every piece of cool guitar gear that they've gotten their hands on by cutting corners, foreign manufacture, poor materials & in the end, just looking to line their pockets with your cash in the end... And then there's the continued loss of American jobs, which I could go on forever about. I'd rather quit before that happens here. My picks are made by one of the best rated plastic manufacturers here in Gardena, CA and that's where it's staying. :)


                                                                    
RBJ
Where do you see Swiss Picks going in the future say five or ten years from now any new products on the horizon you can talk about?

SP
For next year, I'm looking at the properties of Tortoise and where I can take those tones and improve upon them. Other than that, just to keep working with the best guitarists in music and make the best products that I can. This has to be a labor of love and has to be something that I use and am proud to have my name on. Having guys like Rusty Cooley & recently Scott Mishoe using my pick is all the reward I need... and in five or ten years, I'll still be here.. Keeping it real.

 
RBJ
Where can people buy your products? online? Shops? website?

SP
Swiss Picks is now website direct at www.swisspicks.com

 
RBJ
Any last words to the people reading this?
 
SP
A big thanks to you Jon all that have supported not only my picks, but the music scene and the artists that have enriched our lives. Without these people creating what they do, our lives would be empty, and when you can, please support the artists that you enjoy directly so that they can continue to do what they do. 




 


                                        The Original Swiss Pick





 


                                         Sharp Cheddar







 


                                       Sharp Cheddar Jazz Mini







 


                    Rusty Cooley Sharp Cheddar







 


                                        Rusty Cooley Jazz Mini








 
I have been playing the Swiss Picks Pete sent me for over about 6 weeks or so now and I can totally testify that they are really something special. I have always had problems with picks turning in my hand over time and the only way I could come over it was using a drop of glue or a product to help keep them in place. Using the Swiss Picks has made me a better guitar player and actually helped me with control and speed. I am not saying that these picks are going to make everyone happy but they are more then worth checking out and making up your own mind. Swiss Picks not only have a great catch with the cheese but I can honestly say they are the cheese the whole cheese and nothing but the cheese!!!!!!!! 


You can find Swiss Picks at www.swisspicks.com 
www.facebook.com/SwissPicks 

We did a talk about Swiss Picks in October that you can read here Reviews By Jon Swiss Pick Link

Creative Tunings Spider Capo

Creative Tunings Spider capo
By Kris Martens

The spider capo is a full/partial capo that is really cool. Unlike a normal capo that barres all the strings across a single fret the spider features six individual fingers so you can choose which string(s) you want to  capo.
 
Each finger slides across a bar which allows you to get proper string spacing/intonation. You just screw it on the neck at the fret you want.  Be careful not to screw it on too tight or you could damage the guitar neck/binding. Then move the fingers over the strings and adjust for the spacing.The whole process took a couple of minutes.  After that you just turn the rounded part onto the string and you're good to go.  For those that play live just set the spacing before the gig and you could attach it in seconds when you need it.
 
One main advantage with the spider is the ability to play on both sides of the capo. Say you capo the fifth fret of the low E string. You can play all the other strings normally. Only the low E string is affected.
 
I use it with a standard tuned 7 string (BEADGBE). Sometimes I would prefer a low C instead of B.  No problem. It puts hundreds of tunings at your fingertips. I find it let's me get really creative and play music that is not possible otherwise.
 
The Spider capo is available in normal ( for acoustic/electric 6 string $29.99), mini (for ukulele banjo/mandolin $32.99) and XXL (for 7 and 8 string guitar, bass $39.99). If you want to expand your creativity or use multiple tunings the spider capo will do the job for sure.

Hughes & Kettner Grandmeister 36 Guitar Head

Hughes & Kettner Grandmeister 36 review
By Kris Martens

Hughes & Kettner have a big hit with the tubemeister series of lunchbox heads. The grandmeister 36 is the flagship of the line. This amp has more features than any amp I have seen to date. It does almost everything you could want from an amp. And it looks killer on stage with its blue glowing front panel.

Features

4 channels (clean, crunch, lead and ultra)
Built in fx (chorus, flanger, phaser and tremolo. Delay and digital reverb)
Midi compatible
Power soak changes wattage from 36 down to 1 watt
Built in Red Box speaker simulator
Controllable fx loop
Noise gate
Speaker mute for silent recording.
Gain boost to add more gain to any channel.
128 preset slots to store your own sounds with a midi footswitch.
iPad tweakability with compatible midi interface.
TSC tube safety control


This amp covers a lot of bases. The clean channel is pretty versatile. Running at full wattage you have a ton of headroom. Adding some chorus and delay makes the tone come alive. I absolutely love the clean channel on this amp.

The crunch channel is pretty smooth and sounds similar to a Marshall plexi. Adding the boost allows for a tight classic rock/early metal tone.

The lead channel is amazing. Very tight and focused. Tons of gain available.  Liquid highs match well with the insane low end. Turning up the mids adds some punch to the sound. I love this channel and spend most of my time using it.

The ultra channel is for gain junkies. It is tight and focused like the lead channel but not as punchy. Using the lead channel for rhythm tones and the ultra for lead works great. I find the amount of gain on the ultra channel absolutely frightening.

Other cool features include an adjustable noise gate and red box cabinet emulation. The TSC tells you if your tubes are functioning properly and even pinpoints trouble tubes. The power soak is a built in attenuator that can go from full power (36 watts) down to 1 watt for playing late at night. Since the power soak setting is stored for each setting you could have your clean tone at full power for headroom, rhythm tone at half power to get more power tube saturation and your lead tone at 5 watts for max saturation.

A free iPad app gives you hands on control to save, load and tweak your sounds. You do need an iPad approved midi interface to use it though. This is a great feature for guitarists who play a wide variety of styles and need an easy way to organize tones.

This blue glowing tube beast is awesome looking, awesome sounding and has a feature set that blows most amps away. It isn't cheap ($1299) but it is loud enough to handle most gigs. Canadian thrash band Annihilator used the grandmeister to play huge festivals this summer. Check it out!

Carvin V3m Guitar Head

Carvin V3m Guitar Head

This day in age there is so many different styles of guitar amps. From the pocket amps, small combo's, digital, modeling, hybrid, solid-state, tube, half stacks etc. Musicians have been really turning away from the 100 watt amp to smaller ''Lunch Box'' or micro amps. The smaller wattage amps allow the tube lover to get that warm buttery distortion or even high end gain at lower volumes for making the jam room, studio or even smaller stage a more pleasurable experience. Carvin is usually known for there custom guitars and basses but have been a secret for some of the biggest names in the business from tons of bands from the 80's with the XB100 line to a new generation with the V3 line. Today we are going to talk about the off shoot of the V3 line to the micro version the V3m guitar head.

Features

Channels:3
Power 50w/22w/7/ selectable
Impedance: 4/8/16 ohms selectable
Tubes: 4EL84, 4 12ax7
Lush reverb
Speaker Outputs: 2
Line Out (Cabinet voiced)
Effects Loop (Series)
Master Boost Control
Optional Footswitch: FS44L or FS22
Blue or Red Backlit LEDs (Selectable)
120 or 240 VAC 50-60 Hz (switch)
Dimensions: 15''Wide x 8.5'' Deep x 7'' High
Weight 19lbs
Made in San Diego California


Sound

Carvin really took what makes the original V3 line and pushed it further with the V3m. The amp might be small but you will not get anything small about the sound. Channel 3 is the clean channel on the amp with bright lush cleans that when dialed in right have a acoustic appeal to it. The cleans can also give you amazing ballad style and handles well if you are a musician that likes to add distortion pedals or choose to get your distortion from pedal boards. Channel 1 & 2 are the same but can be set up totally different. This really is the jack of all trades amps from the bright ballad style cleans to blues, classic rock, prog, rock, hard rock and even can push to make the metal players happy. With the three way toggle that goes from bright to soak on the clean channel and intense to thick on channel one and two it really allows you to dial in the sound that you are searching for. This is a well worthy tone machine for anything you want to do in or out of the studio.


My Opinion

Carvin has really put tons of time into the thinking of this amp from the small size that can be put into a rack with the optional rack mount for the musician on the go to the desk of the home studio. It is rare to find a 50 watt head for under 20lbs with this much under its hood. Three full functional channels that almost sound like three totally different amps when dialed in the right way. The amp loves effects and with the cabinet voice outs it makes using it in the studio a breeze. The master boost control really helps out the musician on stage that needs to get his leads on but does not want to have to get a volume pedal. The most awesome part is the optional pedal you can get from Carvin allows you to control the channels, reverb, boost all of it. I have had 12 lunch box or micro heads in my studio and none of them hold a candle to what this amp can do from the amazing amount of options and tonal variety. The part that is really impressive is this amp usually goes for under 600 bucks and is made in the USA!!!!! I can honestly say I use this amp in the studio, jam room and stage along with its older brother the original V3 (We will be talking about that monster amp soon also).


Contact: www.facebook.com/carvinguitarsofficial
http://www.carvinguitars.com

FU-Tone Upgrades

FU-Tone Upgrades

This day in age guitars have evolved into directions that even astound me. From the classics like Les Pauls to the Telecaster and Stratocaster to V's and customs that push the limits unheard of  from even just 20 years ago. The import market use to be the bottom of the barrel and custom guitars was something that only the rich or the biggest rock stars could afford. The import market today has reached new levels and custom guitars are something now anyone can afford if they reach hard enough. Most guitars from most makers are usually quality made but they can lack in some areas from tremolos lacking a bit of tone and sustain springs that slip and are noisy. A company called FU-Tone took the reigns to make great tone available to everyone at a price that anyone can afford. I have used and even compared there products to some cheaper versions of others and seen how it all stacks up. Today we shall talk about the world of FU-Tone and what they can do to give you rock star tone!!!!!!!! 



 
I am first going to talk about my Carvin V220 Classic Reissue V Guitar. 

This guitar is everything I ever wanted from alder body and a flame maple neck thru construction. It is loaded with locking tuners original Floyd Rose tremolo coil tapping and even a maple top on it for good measure. A ebony fretboard and gorgeous abalone block inlays round out this beast. I wrote up a talk about this beast of a guitar that you can read here. Click here for read Carvin V Review for Gear Talk By Jon.


I wanted to take this great guitar and make it legendary gear it up to what would be one of the best stage and studio guitars in my rig for a very long time. I turned to FU-Tone where Adam over there helped me with a Tone Block, Heavy Duty Springs, Brass Claw and a Brass Trem Stopper. These items all helped me take this guitar to a level of amazing proportions. Lets take a moment and break down each part I installed into this guitar.


37mm Brass Tone Block to replace the light pot metal one. This adds volume and mass what equals tone and resonance and sustain. Tear down time is a bit cause you have to loosen or replace the strings and tear the tremolo all the way down and intonate it when done. It is more then worth the time and FU-Tone has great videos to help out along the way.

Brass Trem Stopper helps block your tremolo so it is very stable what helps if you have a heavy hand and if you plan on using a D-Tuna. It also equals back to the mass equals tone. I used a small drill bit and drilled two small wholes and then screwed it in. It took about ten min total including the setting of the tremolo.

Heavy Duty Noiseless Springs that live up to there name in every way shape and form. They are the best springs I have seen and or used on any guitar and really give you that extra grip on the trem to make sure you are in tune 100% of the time.

Brass Spring Claw helps in two ways from the original pot metal one that comes standard on tremolos. They are stronger and go back to the mass equals tone and will help the entire tone and sustain output on your guitar. It took only a few minutes to install and then solder the wire.

When I had all of this installed on the V it is mind blowing what it did for this guitar. It took a great guitar and made it even better. I gained a extremely mind blowing amount of sustain and tone the guitar performed better then I could dream. If you have a mid level or entry level guitar it is a cheap way to step it up into new tonal territories to keep you on a budget and still get rock star tone. You do not need to be a luthier or have years of tool experience to be able to install this stuff between FU-Tone and Youtube there are tons of videos to help walk anyone step to step.


The next question I had was what makes FU-Tone different? There are blocks on Ebay that are a bit cheaper......Trem blocks that are about half the price........Why would I want to pay a few dollars more right????? It is about saving money???? 
 
The next quick test I wanted to run was what separates  FU-Tone and why did I want to back this company when I can find cheaper parts in other places. I went to one of the more favorite places for musicians to buy parts or upgrades for there guitars the mighty Ebay. I purchased a 37mm brass block and a brass trem stopper for almost half the price just to compare for myself. I notice the block was very bland looking has a very dirty look to it that would not buff out. I weighed them both also and the Ebay block was actually lighter and a bit smaller also. The trem stopper was not machined it was basically a small piece of flat bar that was bent with a threaded whole in it. I noticed a ton of difference in the tone and sustain it almost sounded muffled after having the FU-Tone upgrades installed on the guitar. I am sure it was better then stock but not much better and it was not worth the money I spent. Sometimes you cannot be fooled by smoke and mirrors and cheaper parts made with lower quality brass and components. 
When it comes to your tone your sound and your style I personally recommend FU-Tone!!!!

It is also important to let everyone know that I am in no way or shape endorsed with FU-Tone. I am writing about this company cause I believe that they offer the best parts and upgrades for the quality for the money on the market today!!!!!!

Next month we shall take another look at FU-Tone and look at what it did for my VG Guitars V that I call my Phoenix Guitar.

Pigtronix - Fat Drive

Pigtronix Fat Drive

The effect pedal has become almost as big of part of a musician as the guitar itself. With such a huge ton of Reverbs, Delays, Flangers, Overdrives, Distortions and Wah's it really is hard to know what is best for your style and budget. Digital effects have been taking the world by storm and have been getting more crisp and more of a analog sound to them but many artists are very much loyal to analog effects. Many musicians use a vast array of effects to spruce up there sound and tone while some just need a pedal to add a bit of sparkle. There really is no wrong thing to do when it comes to your tone and trying new things can always unlock new sounds.

Pigtronix is second generation of American boutique pedal makers. They have jumped to the front of the pack in many ways with using high end components and designs gigging and studio musicians drool after. I have tried out and used a few different Pigtronix pedals over the past few years and had nothing but great success. Today we are going to talk about the Pigtronix Fat Drive.


Features

100% Analog wide range overdrive
Multi-Stage Tube Emulated Clipping
Passive LPF Tone Control
True Bypass Switching
Voltage 9-18v DC
Current Draw 38ma @ 9v 120ma @18v

Layout

Volume Knob
Gain Knob
Tone Knob
Hi/Lo Gain Switch  


Sound

The Pigtronix Fat Drive has only a few knobs but loaded with a massive tone. Using the 9 volt battery feature a musician can take a bit of time and dial in gritty blues and southern rock to a brilliant classic rock with a full bold sound. When plugged in using a 18 volt power cable the pedal takes on another whole brilliance, It is almost like a whole new pedal in its own rights. Taking a bit of time I can get a nice rounded southern rock all the way up to a bold hard rock and even metal tone. The Fat Drive really can satisfy the Ibanez Tube Screamer fans supplying the same crispness and tight end guitar players worship. It is very hard to really put into words to explain how versatile this pedal is but using what I can I will say Bold, Brilliant, Heavy, Bluesy, Gritty, Tasteful and Full. I would recomend using a noise suppressor with it like all overdrives/distortion pedals when cranked all the way up cause of unwanted feedback etc. This pedal is a lot quieter with the unwanted sounds then most of this style of pedals I have used.




My Opinion

Pigtronix has really hit a home run with this pedal taking all the great parts of many great pedals over the years and stuffing them into a small analog stomp box that will thrill even the most picky of players. From just needing a bit of boost or needing tube sounding saturation this pedal is one of the greatest I have ever used. I am one of them players that love to play everything from blues to brutal styles of music and this pedal has me covered on all fronts. Stomping this to make distortion a bit more robust or taking your clean channel and adding a bit of spice is easily no problem with this pedal. I have run this pedal with many other style of pedals and it blends very well what can sometimes be a issue. The price is also appealing cause pedals that usually cannot do half of what this one does usually can cost twice the price.


Contact
www.facebook.com/pages/Pigtronix/113556637539
http://www.pigtronix.com/

                                                                            

Carvin Bromberg B25 Bass

Carvin Bromberg B25 Bass



Carvin has been a household name for 60 plus years now going back almost four generations of family owned and operated making some of the finest guitars, basses, amps, pro audio on the market today. Carvin and Brian Bromberg set out on a musical journey a while back making his signature line of basses from four and five string with a unlimited amount of options. I am known for being more of a metal player so looking into a jazz bass was a little bit out of the ordinary but being such a fan of Bromberg and his style I had to take the leap on the five string version. I set it up a bit more as a metal bass on the options for me personally but the sky is the limit when it comes to all Carvin basses. Lets take a look what this bass is all about!!!!

 
Standard Features

Construction - Neck Through
Scale Length - 34''
Body - Alder (Optional Flame and Quilt Top)
Neck - Maple
Fretboard - Ebony 14'' Radius
Inlays - 12th Fret Abalone Bromberg Inlay
Neck Width 1.75'' Wide @ Nut, 3.0'' Wide @ 24th fret
Hardware - Chrome
Bridge - Hipshot A-Style Wish .75 String Spacing & String Through
Tuners - Carvin Premium Tuners 20:1 Ratio
Frets - 24 Medium Jumbo
Pickups RJ2 Radius Top Alnico Single Coils
Electronics - 18v Active, Volume, Pickup Blend Stacked Concentric Mid Frequency and Sweep, High Impedance Circuitry With Active Volume Pot 



Sound

The sound on this bass with the massive controls is extreme and brilliant with options to be able to dial in any and every sound under the rainbow. I love the sustain this bass has it is beyond anything out there. Brian and Carvin really has really done this bass the right way. The controls take a bit to get use to cause it is not set up like so many with a single volume and tone but once you get them figured out everything from that old school fender to the new school active is within your reach. I was lucky enough to run this bass into two of Carvin's own amps the combo b10 and the bx500 half stack to get a feel on both fronts. The first thing I noticed is running the EQ on the amps was all but not needed I 12 o clocked them on both amps and the tone was still bright and warm with brilliant sounds. The most important thing to remember is your bass will differ tons from mine cause you will be building your own bass. (My personal bass is even different then the standard features but we will get into that in a second). 



My Opinion

Carvin sets out to set them apart from the rest not just on amazing prices but by options that you will not find on any street corner. They want when you get a guitar or bass with your hard earned money that it will be more then just a one trick pony and you can use it for many styles and genres on many fronts from the stage to the studio. The Bromberg bass is not just a good looking bass with a very almost flame flowing luster but is the most balanced bass I have ever used. I can just set the bass on my knee and it stays there so playing without a strap is easy for them long nights in the studio or late night jam sessions. The neck is a bit thick for a five string but the neck is very smooth and easy to play. The radiused pickups from the standard single coil to the optional humbuckers are amazing and well thought out. They allow all the strings to ring through and be well balanced with no drop out like some basses with flat pickups can do. I would recommend this bass to them that play all genres if you take the time and have it built with the options you desire.


My Personal B25 (These are the different options I have on mine then the standard features)

Radius Humbuckers
Mother Of Pearl Diamond Inlays
Deep Flame Maple Top 
Moss Green Paint
Upgraded Nut
Dunlop Straplocks
These allowed me to enjoy a jazz style bass but be decked out as more of a rock and metal bass.

                       Video of Brian Bromberg Talking about his signature Carvin Bass!!!

Ritchie Blackmore Stratocaster

Ritchie Blackmore Stratocaster
By Kris Martens

Up for review today is the fender Ritchie Blackmore Strat. This guitar is made in Mexico and is one of the better strats that I have played recently.

Features

Artist series
Alder body
21 fret Maple neck with scalloped rosewood fretboard
7.25" radius
3 bolt neck plate with tilt control
70's headstock
Bullet truss rod
70's style fender branded tuning machines
Seymour duncan quarter pound flat pickups with dummy in the middle
3 way pickup  selecter
1 volume, 2 tone pots
Gig bag included


When I first noticed this model on the fender website I knew this was a guitar that I would have to try out. I'm a huge Rainbow fan and this model is based on the guitar that Ritchie used with that band. The high end MiM strats are great guitars and I've played several that have really impressed me. This one is no different. Great bang for the buck!

This guitar looks really awesome. It's black pickups, knobs and switch tip contrast great with the Olympic white body and 3 ply white pickguard. The chrome hardware is sweet and the CBS headstock is downright menacing.


The pickup configuration might put strat "purists" off but I love it. Having a three way pickup selector negates the famous 2 and 4 positions that country and blues  players love  but this guitar is meant to rock. There is a dummy pickup in the middle position for cosmetic purposes. It basically functions like a les Paul. Position 1 is the bridge, 2 is bridge and neck and 3 is the neck. The middle position is really cool because you can't get that tone without modifying a normal strat. Switching from the neck to bridge is smoother as well due to the switch only covering  one tone between them instead of three different tones. Most people wouldn't notice this though.

The bridge pickup is a reverse wound/reverse polarity Seymour Duncan Quarter Pound Flat SSL-4 single coil.


The neck pickup is a normal wound SSL-4.

These pickups have twice the output of a normal single coil. They are perfect for playing rock and old school metal. They are a bit noisy so I find a noise gate to be mandatory.

This guitar absolutely crushes when played through my jcm800. It handles clean and high gain like a champ.

The scalloped fretboard is awesome. It's kind of strange at first but I got used to it in a few minutes. You get more control for string bending and vibrato.

Overall this guitar is a keeper. Everything is top notch from the fretwork to the scallop job. I'm really impressed!

October 2014 Spotlight Gear Maker - Chili Custom Guitars

                       October Spotlight Gear Maker
                   Chili Custom Guitars

When the electric guitar was invented little did they know that it would ignite the passions in millions of people from all over the world to express themselves. From southern swing and blues to country and jazz and metal the guitar has kept reinventing itself over and over again. This day in age there are guitars from so many companies from the cheapest woods and kits from places like China and Indonesia to some of the classiest most appealing guitars for any budget with the most exotic woods and setup..
A luthier from Austria is at the front of making guitars from any style or setup from your dreams to a reality. I met Horst from Chili Custom Guitars some time ago and was drawn in with his passion for not just making guitars but music and people to give his customers the best guitar for there dollar. Horst has a eye for wood and does things the old fashion way of a hand shake and to talk to each customer one on one to make sure that they get the most out of there Chili Experience.



                                                    Horst From Chili Custom Guitars

Horst and I had a nice talk all about his company
 
RBJ
When did you start making guitars and why?

CCG
I started making guitars in 2008. I repaired Guitars for over 30 
Years and was never thinking about to make Guitars. In 2008 a Friend 
of mine came into my Joinery and asked me to help him to make a 
Guitar. I said to him this is not possible its to hard to make no 
Chance. At the next day I started to make Guitars. The Local players 
said this is great stuff and they are good as well known Brands. So I 
decided to make guitars near my joinery and started to sell them.

 RBJ
 Chili Custom Guitars is a great name how did the name come about?

CCG
 I was looking for a Brand name for my Guitars and it must be all 
over the world the same name in every language. Nothing what i am 
thinking about made me really happy. Some Day I got a Mail from Thomas 
Eder from the well known Austrian Band Die Seer. He want to try out my 
Guitars and they where playing in Salzburg and i had to come with my 
Guitars to the Sound check. I got there with some of my Guitars and he 
liked them. So he orderd a Single Cut Model and I asked him about 
Inlays. He said When its possible to put some Chili's in the Body this 
would be nice. And i thought to myself That's it Chili Custom Guitars.

RBJ
 Do you have product lines or is all guitars custom?

CCG
Most of my Guitars are Custom made to the players preferences and wishes.
I worked out a Product Line Seed of Chili where i keep the price low 
and make it affordable for everybody.

RBJ
On the average what is the turn around time from order to delivery?

CCG
From Order to delivery is around 4 to 8 weeks depends on what the 
customer want. The Seed by Chili can be delivered in 3 - 4 weeks

                                                     Chili Custom Guitars made by Horst

RBJ
I have seen a new style of guitars called ''Seed of Chili'' tell me about them guitars?

CCG
The Seed by Chili is a low cost series what i sell for USD 999,-. 
There is a Tele a  Strat and my new Chilibird to get. They are all 
made out of good Materials. The difference to my Custom Models what all 
are made really by Hand is that the Seed Body's and Necks are CNC made. 
The customers can choose colors and Pick ups. In the next few weeks I 
will make a Flyer about them for sure.

RBJ
I have noticed some of your guitars have some amazing paint work (Eagles etc) who
does the painting on them guitars?

CCG
The Paintwork on some of my Custom guitars are made by my Sister 
Brigitta Gigler she is a painting artist. If anybody want some 
paintings on his Chili Guitar my sister can Paint all what you want. 
They will be all painted by Hand and not with a airbrush.

                                                            Brigitta Gigler painted Guitar


RBJ
Chili is out of Austria will you ship guitars anywhere in the world?

CCG
I ship my guitars all over the world. I use now only Fedex they are 
for me the best. They are not cheap but they ship the Guitars very safe.

RBJ
You recently have been working with the Freiburg Blues Festival how did that come about?

CCG
The relationship with the Freiburg Blues Festival comes from Tino 
Gonzales, one of the greatest Blues players and Chili Custom Guitars 
player. He is also honored member of the Freiburg Blues Association. 
Tino asked me to be a Sponsor for the Blues Festival. So i don't give them money I decided 
to give them a Guitar to make a lottery. This brings the Festival more 
money and more attention to my Company.

RBJ
Do you have any Chili Custom Guitars here in the united states in stores for sale and if so where so
anyone reading this can check them out?

CCG
Flying V Leather in Concord CA has some of my Guitars and is 
selling them also I am in touch with Greg Golden Bizarre Guitars in 
Reno NV and I will get soon a dealer on the East coast too.

RBJ
Why Guitars? Why not baseball bats or toothpicks? What drives you to keep making some of the
most beautiful and functional guitars I have ever seen or played?

CCG
Baseball bats and Toothpicks don't sound so good. The reason to 
make guitars is to make my Customers the best guitar they can get for 
themselves. I figured out my own Chili intonation system what the 
Guitars make to be in tune on every fret. This is a big reason that 
many players use my Guitars for the Studio.

                                        My personal Chili Custom Guitar I call my Tigerbaby

Horst is one of the nicest down to earth people you will ever meet that has come up with his own touch and process to make some of the most beautiful guitars I have ever seen. I own a Chili that I call my Tigerbaby ( I have done a review of this guitar in the Gear Talk Section). If you decide that a Chili or a Seed Of Chili is for you then you can be sure you are getting the highest grade materials and hand crafted process that are available on the market today. I have owned many guitars in my life but only a very few are the ones I would never part with and my Chili is one that will be part of my rig for a lifetime!!!

Contact
Chili Custom Guitars Facebook Page

I did a talk about my personal Chili Custom Guitar
http://geartalkbyjon.blogspot.com/2014/10/chili-custom-guitars.html

Ibanez Project

Project Guitar Ibanez Rg370DX

Guitars are no different then your car or truck they need a bit of maintenance. When a friend brought me his Ibanez guitar to have some life breathed into it there was a ton of things that needed to be done. When looking at the guitar the bridge pickup was all way way down. The fretboard was really dirty and dry. the bridge was all the way down and dirty. The action was really high on the guitar and it had a ton of scratches.

This write up will be what I did to take this guitar from where it was at and then get it up and running almost like new!!

The products and items I used to bring this bad boy back to life!!!

Strings

I used a set up Ernie Ball Cobalt Slinky's (These are roughly 9.99 a set) I know there are cheaper strings out there but I really wanted to dress this guitar up the best I can.




Cleaner













 Dunlop 65 cleaner is the best on the block and not very costly about 6.50 for a bottle that will last a very long time.



Fingerboard Conditioner













Dunlop's fingerboard conditioner is great stuff and only roughly 3.99 a bottle what will last a long time. (Check before you use on maple fretboards)



Finger ease














Finger ease is great for strings they lubricate the strings to keep rust off and coats the strings. I also use it in between conditions on the fretboard. This product is awesome also to use on the back of the neck to slick it up to take any drag out (Do not use on satin finish). Roughly 3.75 a bottle.


Dr Gooze Axe Wax











This is the best stuff in the world for small and light scratches and also waxes the body and leaves a nice shine. This is roughly 12 bucks.


String Winder













I will admit it I am lazy and this saves time only runs about 2 bucks.


Soft Cloth Rags











I usually buy these down at the local Napa and get a dozen for a few bucks. They are super soft and works great for guitars!


Trem Stopper

 This model of trem stopper be purchased for about 12 bucks. There are some bigger and more bold ones you can buy for more money but for the average trem this one works just fine for the musician on a budget.

You will also need the normal guitar tools from allen wrenches and screwdriver and needle nose pliers.
I first tore the guitar down to basically the body including taking the strings off and removing the tremolo.


 The first thing I put the trem stopper in the guitar

I then next cleaned the fretboard and conditioned it using the Dunlop cleaner and conditioner. I also check the nut cause gunk and dirt can build up in the nut what can cause some problems. I have a high tech way of cleaning the nut and a old luthier technique. I use a old toothbrush LOL yep I know really high tech huh BUT it works very well for cleaning the nut and even parts of the guitar like the bridge or small places. (Do not use toothbrush on body of guitar).

Since I have everything taken off the guitar I cleaned up the guitar and used the Dr Gooze Axe Wax on the guitar to make it pretty but also to remove most all the light scratches. ( I know there is a chance of getting a few prints on the guitar later on but will buff of really easy). I also like to run a bit of oil on the two contact points of the trem bolts where the trem will fit in the cavity of the guitar.













I put the tremolo back into the guitar after a through cleaning and adjusting. Adding the trem stopper will make it where the small plate that holds the springs in place cannot be used. In
25 years I have never had a spring come out of my trem so no worries. It is important to also get your trem set at the right height. I went to factory specs on this but your trem will be at the height you prefer for your guitar. After I am done I loosen the two screws going thru the claw plate one full turn. (You will see why in a second) Also the fine adjust screws should be right in the middle so minor tuning will be a breeze.













Time to put on the strings and make sure you stretch them really well I just use my hands but some people invest into a string stretcher.













I then tighten up my strings to snug a bit. Then I am ready to tune the guitar I always tune the guitar a step low so if I want to have the guitar in a standard E then I will tune the guitar to D. When I am done with this I turn the guitar over and them screws we already pre loosened now it is time for them to do there job. I use a screw driver and then tune the guitar screwing in them screws till I get to E standard (It takes a few min to do this but once you are there you will be right on the money). Then I put on the locking nuts and the back over the trem cavity.













I adjust the pickups to where they should be and then we are ready to remind the neighbors why they hate us so very much!!! It is really simple to do most of the maintenance on your guitar that even them that do not have much skill with a screwdriver can usually take care of things like this.

It is kinda hard to explain some of this so if you have any questions about your guitar or if you need help with your favorite axe feel free to contact us. We will do our very best to help out and even set up a skype session if possible to help even further. It is important to try to keep your strings clean to get the full life out of them. It is important to keep an eye on your fretboard and not let it get to dry also.