I grew up in a house full of guitars, as my father was forever building electric guitars on the families kitchen table. I spent my teenage years trying to tame a 100 watt Marshall JCM 800 and matching 4 x 12 cab in a bedroom, only just large enough for a bed. I’d bought it not REALLY understanding exactly how loud 100 watts is. At this young age I started to experiment with recording and MIDI and cut my teeth on Pro 24 and Notator on an Atari synced to a Foster R8 with an MTC-1.
Playing in bands and working in recording studios for many years, I learned to mix, record and eventually worked as a sound engineer. I also worked for many of the UKs large pro audio retailers, where I helped to set up DAWs in everything from local studios, music technology colleges all the way through to world famous recording facilities like Air Studios and The Strongroom. As I couldn’t help myself, I even owned my own recording studio in London for a while. There I learnt a lot about recording guitars, dealing with bands and getting quality results anyhow.
Over the years I have acquired a very sizeable guitar collection, which includes many guitars that I have built myself. I’m a total hoarder of effect pedals and valve amps and I’m a certified guitar geek. So there are not many that I have not owned at least once. Whether Parker Fly guitars or Klon Centaur pedals, I’ve had them all. Now running the annual Analogue To Digital music show in the UK, plus the Vintage Guitar Fair, I get to be busy throughout the year and also get to rub shoulders with many other guitar lovers, luthiers, manufacturers and pro players.
My tastes in music includes everything from Dinosaur Jr to Squarepusher.
Write him: jef (at) gearnews (com)
ThorpyFX has just announced the new Camoflange analogue flanger effect pedal. Designed by Adrian Thorpe and Dan Coggins of Lovetone fame, this analogue flanger looks pretty darn sweet.
The Tetanuscaster is a guitar made from used nails pulled from old pallets. Yes, you might well need your shots refreshed before you pick out riffs on this one. Cracking build video!
The Orange Crush Acoustic 30 packs plenty of features into its compact form factor. Two channels, effects and battery power option will make this an attractive one for buskers.
The Old Blood Noise Endeavors Minim is the successor to the Rêver, combining a reverse effect, a reverb and a modulated delay in one device for a spherical, textural multi-effect.
Has Mesa Boogie missed the mark with its new CabClone IR and CabClone IR Plus cabinet simulation pedals? The quality looks to be there, but are these boxes missing a trick in terms of flexibility?
Godin reissues its Radiator 20 years after its release in 1999 and giving it a thorough overhaul along the way. If the price is right, this could be one to watch for 2019 and beyond.
Joe Bonamassa has just announced a new Epiphone Ltd Ed 1960 Les Paul Standard 'Norm Burst' signature model, to add to his already huge list of signature instruments.
HOT
Boutique pedal companies around the world have released a series of blacked out limited edition models, following on from the huge social media campaign earlier this week. This is so cool.
The new Carvin MACH100 crams a 100-Watt stereo amp into a pocket-sized pedal. Is this the perfect backup for gigging guitarists nervous that their old tube amp might pack up during a live show?
The JHS Color Box Version 2 preamp pedal looks like it could be a great solution for studio work. Neve 1073-based and sporting a new EQ section, this version could prove an enticing proposition.
HOT
Have you been on Instagram today? Then you may have seen the huge #BLACKEDXOUT campaign involving lots of boutique guitar companies. But what does it all mean?
Thomann has great deal on the all tube 20 watt Marshall Origin 20H amp head and 20C Combo. This feature packed amp has all those classic British amp tones and is now at a bargain price
ESP has just previewed the first wave of new LTD models lineup for next year. Billed as Phase 1, these stunning new guitars should all be at Winter NAMM 2020.
The new Joyo Preamp House pedal manages to cram in nine amp models including classics from Fender, Vox and Marshall, plus more modern models like ENGL, Mesa and Friedman too.
HOT
Fender reissues an oddball 60s classic, the Swinger, for the Japanese market. If you're into retro guitars, you're gonna love this one! But it might prove hard to buy outside Japan...
The new Dean USA Kerry King V Limited Edition boasts EMG and Sustainiac pickups and a Kahler KFK bridge. With only 50 guitars being made, you'd better be quick. And rich.
Wampler has just announced a brand new, all-digital Multi-Modulation pedal called Terraform. Until now, the Strymon Mobius has been king of the modulation pedals - can Terraform take the crown?
What happened when YouTuber Guitar MAX buried his Les Paul in the desert? What do you mean, who cares? Oh come on, admit it, you're just a little bit curious. We certainly were.
Quite a lot, it turns out! With a Tele-inspired body shape, the Fusion-T range includes a tasty HH Roasted FNT model, with boutique-ish styling and high-quality hardware at a frankly awesome price.
HOT
Fender Japan tweets about two fetching new Silent Siren signature models, the first announced since the company said it was aiming to increase its marketing exposure with female artists.
Seymour Duncan's new Diamondhead is an '80s-flavoured multistage distortion pedal with a flexible 3-band EQ and added boost section. This baby could be perfect for 80s hard rock - among other things.
This reissued Harmony 8418 amp is constructed using the original blueprints form the 1950s and its hand-wired, all-tube design should have plenty of lush tones - all accessed with a single volume pot!
The new Magnetic Effects Electrochop optical tremolo pedal has a total of ten waveforms and can do subtle vintage tremolo to more modern, harder ones as well.
The new ECCOS pedal is described by Keeley as a "neo-vintage" delay and looper. Eh? That's a flangy, tape-style delay to you and me. Plenty of features and lots of retro vibe on tap here.
