tube amp bluez

so my b-52 is in the shop.  i took it to the fret mill in roanoke, va to get it retubed.  it's a small shop in the middle of downtown roanoke, meaning there's no parking to be found except for a parking garage about 2 blocks away.  needless to say it was a lot of fun huffing that 53lb. head down the street.  i had been emailing one of the shop's employees the week before about pricing and installation.  they seemed like a good deal.  the price was fair and the they responded quickly and politely.  my reception at the store has been...different.  the tubes weren't really a problem.  they had everything in stock and put them in fairly quickly (this is my first time changing tubes so i wanted to see how it was done).  putting the tubes in looks like a piece of cake, since there's no biasing necessary.  i'll definitely handle a switch on my own in the future.

the problem is the aforementioned reverb failure.  i figured i'd try and get that fixed as well.  there amp tech came into the store while the tubes were being putting in, and i told him about the problem, and how i figured it wasn't a tube related issue since the footswitch didn't light up.  he and the tube guy fiddled with it for about 5 min. before telling me that I'd have to leave the amp with them until they had time to open it up and take a look.  when i asked for an estimate on how long it might take, the amp tech said "not long".  so they wrote me up a ticket and i left ampless.  i called the next day, but wasn't able to get a hold of the amp tech or the tube guy.  the guy who picked up the phone said something about their amp tech being "a week behind" and that he wouldn't be in to work until the following monday (makes sense, your behind so you take a week off work!).  i told them to call me back as soon as possible to update me.  it's been 3 days and i've heard nothing, not even an email.  needless to say i'm pretty disappointed that what was supposed to be a simple fix is now a week (possibly two or three) long ordeal with practically no communication from the fret mill.

i don't want to turn this into a rant but i have been generally dissatisfied with the guitar shops in this area.  i refuse to go to rocket music in blacksburg after being treated like i was an idiot and overcharged for a simple setup job that took nearly two weeks to finish.  i'm getting a similar vibe from the fret mill.  with the exception of one employee who talked to me in a very friendly manner (although not addressing any of my problems), the people there hardly acknowledged me, much less provided any helpful information or advice.  i mentioned to the amp tech that i had found a broken line 6 flextone ii head in my neighbor's garbage and was wondering if he'd take a look.  he said he wouldn't, which i guess i can understand seeing as i have no idea what's wrong with it.  but still, an amp tech that refuses to work on amps?  i'm fully expecting this repair to take entirely too long and cost entirely too much, and i'm guessing it will be my first and last trip to the fret mill.

so i guess i'm wondering two things:  is anybody else in the area frustrated with the available services for their guitar/instrument needs?  is customer service at guitar shops just bad in general, or is it just me?  the second thing i'm wondering is: are tube amps worth the trouble these days?  i'm absolutely in love with my b-52.  i think it delivers great tone, despite a few hiccups which i have been able to live with.  yet i find myself more and more tempted to invest in a solid state head, just to avoid the hassle of repairs (even though solid state is no guarantee of that).  with my budget as low as it is, i feel like i should really be learning to do a lot of repair work on my own, but i'm not sure it's worth risking causing further damage.  if i were to get a solid state head, i'd likely get one of the following:

line 6 spider iv hd150 (2x75 watts)

  

ibanez tbx150h toneblaster xtreme (150 watts)

crate fw120h flexwave (120 watts)

any thoughts/recommendations?

rock on,
z

deftonez part 2

i'll follow-up on the deftones post with a review of their show!  it was pretty amazing.  they couldn't have played a more perfect setlist:

rocket skates
birthmark
engine no. 9
be quiet and drive (far away)
my own summer (shove it)
digital bath
knife party
korea
hexagram
minerva
bloody cape
you've seen the butcher
sextape
prince
diamond eyes
cherry waves
feiticeira
elite
change (in the house of flies)
passenger
encore: root, 7 words

knife party and korea were very unexpected treats, and greg puciato from dillinger escape plan accompanied chino on passenger.  perhaps my favorite moment of the show was chino incorporating katy perry's firework into 7 words, captured so wonderfully here at 2:40:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oy3ffXjXN8I






i don't know how chino's voice hasn't completely gone out the window after all these years.  the whole band did a terrific job and seemed to really be having fun.

i ended up enjoying dillinger escape plan a lot more than i was expecting to as well.  while i'm not crazy about their music on cd, ipod, blah whatever, it translates well in a live setting.  i don't think i've ever seen so much energy on stage before.  they're absolutely insane!  their lead guitarist, ben weinman is a madman.  he constantly swung his guitar all over the place, including a full 360 over his shoulder somehow.  at one point he monkey barred over the crowd on the track lighting, and he also crowd surfed while playing.  the singer, greg jumped into the crowd during one song for some moshing.  this ended up being good for me since i was in the middle of the crowd about 50 feet from the stage.  the place went nuts when he jumped in, so in the confusion i followed him back to the front of the stage where i got a front row seat for the deftones.

the venue, the sonar, in baltimore was interesting.  all standing, kind of looked like the first floor of a parking garage.  pretty standard $5 beer/$3 water.  the show sold out, so the place was packed.  never before have i been so immersed in human sweat or come so close to passing out from being crushed, dehydrated, and sharing a small amount of air with hundreds of other people (though meshuggah came close).  i was completely soaked and exhausted at the end of the show.  i spent $30 on a deftones t-shirt just so i'd have something else to wear on the ride back.  the drive their and back was a nightmare.  didn't make it home to blacksburg until 5:30 am the next morning.  probably the last time i solo an overnight show.  i don't like going to concerts alone, but in this case i don't think i would have been able to get so close to the stage with another person(s).  the crowd was very friendly and well-behaved (aside from getting kicked in the head by a few crowd surfers), so i didn't feel too alone.  the security there was awesome; very relaxed and helpful.

as far as gear goes, i saw stephen use his esp 7-string with the pictures of the company's employees all over it, the black 8-string, the green 6-string, the pink, black, and white camo 6-string, the black tele, and the white tele.  he may have used others, but his guitar switches were so fast it was hard to keep up.  he had his effects bank selector and volume pedals at the front of the stage and his effects pedals behind him.  he was plugged into the PA so his amp wasn't on stage.  chino used his red sg and a black orange cabinet (didn't see the amp head).  sergio had two tall black orange cabs (didn't see any amp either), and one pedal board that he kept towards the rear of the stage with his mic.  i thinked he switched back and forth between two fender basses.  i got a picture of jeff tuttle's (dillinger) pedal board as they were packing it up.  it's huge!

it was a very fun and memorable show with a very satisfying performance from one of my favorite bands.




rock on,
z
 

deftonez!

today i get to see one of my favorite bands live for the first time: the deftones!
in honor of the momentous occasion i'm dedicating this post to stephen carpenter's rig.

private gear tour

rig rundown

the rig run down is the most recent.  the picture above is his setup from 1999.  i love that bob bradshaw pedal board!  i'm not crazy about stepehen's guitars given my experience with my esp h-7; although i'm sure his are infinitely superior.  he sure has enough of them!  i've loved his wall of distortion approach on the last few deftones records, but his cleans have become more frequent and interesting.  hopefully meshuggah won't drop their tuning any lower than it was on obZen, because it looks like stephen will follow suit.  he's definitely not a technical guitarist by any means, but his sound and music are perfect for the deftones.  his tone is pretty recognizable (heavy) as well.  it's hard to pick one but i think my favorite album of their's is their self-titled released in 2003.  that was about the time i really got in to them (minerva, hexagram) and it's probably the album stephen is most prominent on.  hope to hear a few of those tunes tonight, but i'm digging the new album (diamond eyes).  if you notice in the background of the vids, there's a green matamp and cab over by the drums.  that's chino's (vocals, guitar) amp i believe; i think i'd actually prefer it over that monstrous marshall rig.  anyways i'll be sure to mention anything interesting i see in his rig tonight that hasn't been mentioned yet.

rock on,
z

guitaristz

so today i'll talk about a few guitarists i really admire in terms of style and sound.  i hate to rate things, especially when it comes to music since it's so wide open, so the order in which i present these guys means nothing.

1.  adam jones (tool)

i was big into tool when i first started playing guitar, so i consider adam jones one of my early instructors.  alternate tunings and weird rhythms are probably a strange place to start, but i managed pretty well i think.  i love tool's ability to stay so tight even without very concrete song structures.  i've always dug adam's tight snappy distortion.  his riffs are pretty simple for the most part, but man are they effective (stinkfist anyone?).  my penchant for reverb-like delay, pick scrapes, and generally creepy sounds can mostly be attributed to him.  i saw tool in 2007 for the 10,000 days tour and was blown away.  his talk-box solo in jambi was incredible.

2.  david gilmour (pink floyd)

  i'm nuts about pink floyd.  i got hooked in high school and haven't gotten tired of them yet.  david gilmour has the coolest and most mysterious guitar tone in my opinion.  a lot of information about his effects over the years is available online, and his rigs are pretty mesmerizing.  i'm not much of a fender fan, but i wont lie, i'll own a black strat before i'm dead.  i also think gilmour has such a bizarre and unique style.  he can be very subtle and atmospheric of course, but the dude can really shred.  i've tried to adopt a lot of his dynamics (although i've never really tried learning any floyd songs).  in my opinion the guy's every bit the legend he deserves to be.  great voice too!

3. page hamilton (helmet)

 i feel like everyone should know who helmet is, but i'm always amazed how few do.  another dropped tuning hero of mind, page is one of the heaviest and grittiest players i can think of.  his tone has tightened up over the years, but i love the jet engine meets vacuum cleaner distortion on strap it on.  i really appreciate helmet's bare bones rock your face off which page has been perfecting for decades.  i hope he never feels to old to rock out, because he's still got it (looove their last album 'seeing eye dog').  i love his chaotic solos and improvisations.  he's also a wonderful jazz player.  the beat up pink esp (pictured) is awesome as well.

4. steve austin (today is the day)

steve austin scares me.  today is the day is perhaps the most genuinely evil sounding band i've ever heard.  and that's why i love them.  between his bone chilling screaches and flesh rending riffs, it'd be easy to conclude that this guy is truly insane.  seems pretty normal in the few interviews of seen of him though.  his playing style is very unique and complex, and his tone is either something you absolutely love, or can't stand hearing at all.  violent is the best word i can think of to describe it.  he's a very competent producer as well (seems a couple disagree, but whatever, different strokes).

5.  mike einziger (incubus)

i blame mike einziger for getting me addicted to guitar pedals and signal paths.  if you've ever listened to incubus, you'll know that their 'guitar' parts often sound like a different instrument entirely (pardon me, nice to know you).  i really love his early use of heavy phaser and delay.  he's stripped down his sound considerably over the years, but still sounds great.  his solo in sick sad little world is a personal favorite of mine.  incubus puts on a great live show.

6.  scott kelly & steve von till (neurosis/blood and time/harvestman/tribes of neurot)

even if you don't like heavy music, i recommend taking a ride with neurosis at some point in your life.  absolutely one of my favorite bands, thanks largely to scott kelly and steve von till.  no crazy solos and not much in the way of effects either.  sparse, sabbath like riffs and cryptic clean passages,  make up the grand majority of neurosis' haunting music.  through silver in blood is the heaviest album ever, in my opinion.  they also play great acoustically in their respective solo projects.  i have to credit dave edwardson (bass) for having one of the most devastating growls ever (the breakdown of locust star is just insane).  i don't know if i channel any neurosis in my playing (yet), but i feel they are essential to anyone interested in honest music.  i'm dying to see them live.

7.  billy howerdel (a perfect circle/ashes divide)

a perfect circle's mer de noms is the first album that really woke me up to the power of music.  i listened to it towards the end of high school while hiking through zion canyon in utah, and could hardly comprehend what was happening to my brain.  billy howerdel's music is just beautiful.  he has a very spacey and ethereal tone and a great singing voice as well.  i love how he mixes up his live solos without overdoing it, and his red and black les paul is extremely sexy.  i finally get to see apc for the first time live this summer after about 8 years of idolizing their music.  i can't wait!

it appears i'm out of room >.<  i'd also like to cite tom morello (rage against the machine/the nightwatchman), wata (boris), justin broadrick (godflesh/jesu/head of david/napalm death), and kurt ballou (converge), and matt pike (high on fire/sleep) as some of my many guitar heroes as well.

off to play a show with C21!

pedalz!

probably my favorite part of guitar gear geekiness - signal path!!!  i love pedals.  you can probably blame pink floyd and incubus for my early obsession with effects.  while i do believe that simplicity is often the way to go, i love the creativity factor that effects can unleash on a band's sound.  it's also another reason i like watching gear tours and studying famous players' setups.  some pedals truly are legendary and instantly recognizable, and the lengths that some guitarists go in considering their signal path can be quite mind-boggling.

my effects set-up is quite simple.  my pedal chain is as follows:

1.  line 6 x2 xds95 digital wireless instrument system - decided to go wireless (funny when you think about just how many wires are still involved!) when C21 started playing live.  i like being able to walk around the stage and up to the crowd without tripping over myself.  this line 6 unit is worth every penny (and it's pretty affordable).  it's extremely easy to operate; just pick a channel/frequency and make sure it's different from the other players in your band.  as you can see in the picture the receiver unit (xdr1) is very compact and discreet; no antennas to worry about  it can run off dc or battery power.  the transmitter unit (xdt1) is equally convenient (extremely lightweight) and runs off of a 9-volt battery.  the clip that comes on the xdt1 is pretty worthless, but it doesn't matter to me since i just tape it to my guitar strap.  can probably get a good 6 hours of playing out of a new battery (i usually only go wireless live, so it's not a wallet-breaker).  i've tested it's range pretty thoroughly, and as long as there aren't any significant obstructions in its path, the x2 will transmit fine up to around 100 ft.  i can't notice any real reduction in sound quality compared to wired playing.  line 6 really struck gold with this thing.  everyone in C21 has one, and it's definitely the best option for a lower priced wireless system.
2.  boss tu-3 chromatic tuner - what can i say?  it's a good tuner, suits me fine.  i use it as a mute button for my rig as well.  i would consider replacing it with a korg pitchblack tuner, if i suddenly had cash to burn.  but really i like the boss just fine.  pretty much every piece of signal path advice i've ever heard or read says to put the tuner up front or on its own.
3.  morley vai2 steve vai bad horsie 2 contour wah - my first wah was a dunlop crybaby, but i get a terrible feedback screech in the closed position.  i picked up the morley because i wanted an optical wah. it only stays active while you're moving the pedal (maybe about a half second delay turning off), so you don't have to stomp it like most wahs.  its a big sucker; as you can see in the picture it hogs quite a bit of my board space.  as far as sound goes, the sweep is probably too thin for players used to the crybaby sound.  i bought for convenience of use over sound, since i didn't really use wah much in the first place.  nowadays i'm using it a whole lot more.  i don't generally use the contour and level adjustments.  the default setting is about where i want to be in terms of range and volume.  occasionally the sensor will get stuck on, in which case i have to open it up and place some electrical take over some of the light path.  really need to wd40 this thing as well, because it's super squeaky.  i'd like a more organic sounding wah eventually, but i haven't found another optical wah that i'd be interested in yet.
4.  mxr phase 100 - i bought this phaser because i'd read about the famous and widely used phase 90 pedal and figured it's big brother was a safe bet.  i was right.  like most mxr pedals, it looks awesome (especially the orange), it's solid as rock, and very easy to use.  i usually keep the speed set around 10-11 o'clock and the intensity in the far right position.  i don't use it much in original stuff (yet), but it's essential for playing certain covers (especially incubus).  i use to play mudshovel by staind at C21 shows.  i have a boss ph-3 phase shifter as well, and it's a neat pedal.  but i prefer the simplicity of the phase 100 and it's more organic and "in the mix" sound for my live rig.
5. mxr blue box - in my pedal explorations, i noticed that a lot of guitarists had the infamous blue box on board but never really used it.  it's quite a novelty with its adorable baby blue casing and it's absolutely insane sound.  it's a combination of an octaver and a fuzz distortion, and with the blend pushed full tilt (like i have it) it sounds wicked; kinda like a cliff burton-esque bass effect.  i figured i might use it for melvins stuff.  i only use it in two songs at the moment (but hey i use it): the quiet verse sections of altermind (C21) and the verses in bulls on parade (second band).  i keep the output set pretty low for a subtle, background fuzz lead.  very cool pedal, if extremely impractical.
6. boss dd-6 digital delay - this is the pedal i use the most.  it's pretty essential to my sound.  it's got a bunch of neat features (twiddling the knobs on this thing can lead to some crazy sound experiments).  you can even set your own delay tempo by tapping your foot (i imagine that's pretty much impossible to do on the fly). again to keep things simple, i pretty much keep everything set to midnight on the 800 millisecond mode.  aside from serving as my delay effect, i use it as a sort of reverb/volume booster on my distorted leads (since the reverb went out on my amp).  take a listen to the derailing choo choo train solo in "takedown" (C21) if you want an idea of its sound.  if i have the money, i'd like to try an mxr carbon copy or an electro harmonix memory man in its place (analog/true bypass for the win!), but for now i love this pedal.
7. boss ns-2 noise suppressor - first off, i'd like to say i love boss pedals.  they are well-built, attractive looking, and the effects are impressive despite being all digital.  that being said, you'd think a noise suppressor would be pretty self explanatory.  i've been frequently frustrated by this thing, because it seems to have a mind of its own as far as when it kicks in.  i bought it for the same reason any player that uses a significant number of effects buys one; i wanted to kill some of the hiss that comes from dozens of cable connections and power sources.  i also tend to get a lot of unwanted feedback since i usually stand pretty close to my amp at practice and in cramped live settings.  when i stomp this pedal i don't really notice any noice reduction, although it will sometimes take care of my feedback problem which is why i keep it around.  i'm not convinced there isn't something wrong with it, but i've read a lot of mixed success stories when it comes to noise reduction pedals.  i probably should see about replacing it, but i haven't done a lot of research into alternative options.

that's it; pretty simple!  i'm only really trigger happy with the delay.  occasionally i'll throw in some wah and phaser for fun.  and the blue box looks cool...
i used to use the effects loop on my amp, but found that it killed the volume on some of the pedals (especially the blue box!) and really diminished my guitar tone.  so now i plug the guitar straight into the board and go from the board straight into the low input on my amp.  sounds good to me!  i also have a boss ac-3 acoustic simulator pedal.  i like my clean channel just fine, and haven't really found a place where an acoustic sound is needed.  i will say it does do a pretty good job making your electric sound acoustic.  i particularly like the "jumbo" setting.  i have noticed that if i play aggressively with it on, i'll get some distorted speaker pop type noises.  not sure if i'll use it in the future.  i also have an mxr evh 117 flanger, which i don't particularly like.  i don't seem to need a flanger sound at this point in time, and the evh requires a separate 18v power supply.  i had it on the board for a while before i got the morley wah, and i only used the built-in evh setting.  it produced a lot of excess noise and the volume level tended to fluctuate pretty dramatically in the effects loop.  don't think i'll be using it anytime soon if anyone is interested in buying it. 

i use an axis pedal board with a built in power distribution system, and power cables for 6 pedals.  it's got a felt-like top that i velcro the pedals too (they stick on their pretty tight), i even stuck my amp's footswitch on it.  i use two one-stop adapters to power the board and wireless unit, and hosa 6 inch jumper cables between the pedals.  between the board and amp (and from amp head to speaker cab) i use what i think are called fender "vintage" (?) cables that have a durable stitched covering and last a good while.  i also use a monster standard 100 instrument cable from my guitar to the board.

whew, that's all i can think of in terms of my signal path.

rock on,
z

ampz!

this post should be pretty short and sweet.  i'm just going to run through my amps, and the list is pretty short.

johnson reptone 15 (green)
-15 watts rms
-overdrive switch with gain control
-6.5" speaker

you can see this amp in the first picture from my first post with the archer and the ibanez.  it's just a little practice amp that came along with the archer for christmas.  it's done its job pretty well over the years, and it's taken a beating along the way.  i still have it, and it works for the most part.  the clean channel cuts out sometimes and i have to jiggle the gain switch to get it back.  the sound is pretty much what you'd expect from a practice amp.  it's just nice to have around when i don't feel like carrying my 50 lb. crate or my b-52 stack.

crate gt212 (black)
-120 watts
-solid state
-three channel
-reverb
-2 custom 12" speakers
-3-position footswitch: gain, rhythm, reverb

got this combo amp used at alpha music in virginia beach.  obviously i wasn't satisfied with my little practice amp for long, and i wanted something with power.  a guy at the store demonstrated it for me, and it seemed like exactly what i was looking for (price included).  it weighs a ton for its size, but that didn't stop me from dragging it to college.  it's a great amp at low volumes, but it can be very loud.  i used for the first couple of months in down aero (first band), but i really had to crank it to get over the drums.  the sound gets really muddy and the whole thing seems like it's going to shake itself apart.  talk about feedback too!  again it didn't take long to realize i'd need something better suited for (loud) band playing.  it's still a great amp at low volumes.  i keep it in my room for practice.  i play a lot of songs with both clean and distorted parts, so the three channels and the footswitch are a big plus.  the reverb channel is pretty decent as well.  i will say, my general impression is that crate may have been a little crazy trying to put 120 watts into a combo amp.  the thing is just really unstable if you crank it.  it's sound is very digital as well, which may be enough to turn some players off.  the amp itself is solid as a rock and has let me down so far, but the footswitch jacks have really started to fall apart.  i had to have the reverb switch resoldered.  at the moment, i'm using it to amplify my acoustic/electric (hopefully) for some small gigs with my second band.  that reminds me..i didn't include my acoustic guitar in the guitar pages..i'll do that.

b-52 at-100 (black w/silver hardware)
-100 watts
-all tube with tri-mode rectifier
-3 channels/3-band eq
-low resonance and reverb
-effects loop with level controls
-line out with level control
-selectable 4/8/16 ohms external speaker jacks
-4-position footswitch: channel, gain, reverb, and effects loop
-ground lift switch

cabinets:
2 b-52 AT412 (A/B)
-480W 4x12 mono/stereo
-4 120W 12" speakers

i bought my b-52 head used on ebay shortly after i had started with down aero.  i purchased one of the cabs as a floor model from the guitar center in virginia beach, but i can't seem to remember how or when i got the second.  i shopped around quite a bit trying to find a head that i could afford that would still sound great.  this amp has been great for me.  it uses the same design principles as a mesa boogie triple rectifier, but i'd say it has more of a vintage, classic rock sound.  the head alone is 53 lbs.  so it's a beast to have to lug around.  it's probably long overdue for a tube replacement, which i hope to get done this summer.  it sounds great on most days, the leads really come through clear in a band (even in c21 where i'm one of two guitarists).  getting a good crunch from the distortion isn't difficult, but again it doesn't have a super hot gain to it that most metal players would prefer.  the reverb channel gave out a good while back (also something i hope to get fixed this summer).  i use a delay pedal in some of my solos to get a reverb-like effect.  i used the effects loop most of the time i've had the amp, but some of the pedals i use would lose all of their volume no matter where in the chain i put them.  right now i run my entire signal path strait into the input and it works fine.  it's tough to get the right feedback out of it, but i blame my guitars more than the amp.  overall, i love the sound of this amp.  for the price, i don't think it gets much better.  but i wouldn't recommend it to metal players who would probably want something hotter.  the cabs are fantastic.  i don't think i'll ever need to buy any others.  they're heavy, but that's because they are superbly constructed.  i've heard stories about people dropping them down a flight of stairs and they barely get scratched and still work perfectly.  so if you're in the market for a new cab, i'd highly recommend the at-412.  i'm sure i'll fall in love with this amp all over again when i get some new tubes and fix the reverb.  it definitely does its job and more, and will do find until i make it big and switch to orange amps (*wink*wink).  it certainly makes me look like a pro, especially with the full stack towering behind me!

that's it for my amps.  catch ya later!

rock on,
z

Guitarz (continued)

currently giving my students an exam...muahaha i feel so evil.  i'm just going to pick up where i left off with the guitars

ibanez rg2ex2 (black) "stella"
-bound basswood body
-3-piece wizard ii maple neck
-rosewood fretboard
-dbe-h1 (designed by emg h1) pickups (neck and bridge)
-fixed bridge
-24 jumbo frets
-1 master, 1 tone control
-3-way pickup switch
-made in Indonesia

another ebay purchase that i bought with the money i made selling the seven string.  i wanted to have two guitars so i could have a backup and an alternate tuning guitar, so i figured i might as well get another copy of what i already had (i know, lame now that i look back on it).  i guess i just thought it'd be neat to have one white and one black...*yawn*.  anyways it did sound a little different than the white rg, with more of a round, bassy tone in the neck pickup.  it also tended to stay in tune a little better.  i played it live once, during my first live performance with down aero (my first live performance ever).  the picture is from that show at the outdoor amphitheater at virginia tech in front of about 30 friends.  i ended up selling it in 2010 to a friend in the virginia tech kendo club.

ibanez s470 (flare orange flat) "mio"
-mahogany body
-3-piece maple wizard ii neck
-rosewood fingerboard
-neck pickup: powersound 1/mid pickup: powersound single/bridge pickup: powersound 2
-zr bridge
-22 jumbo frets
-1 master, 1 tone control
-5-way pickup selector
-made in korea

my first step up from beginner guitars (aside from the h207 perhaps).  purchased on ebay in the spring of 2009 i believe.  saw some action in my early live performances.  the bright orange was definitely a crowd pleaser.  unfortunately it was my first tremolo bridge/locking tuners experience, which meant i wrestled with it quite a bit trying to change tunings.  i've never been a big tremolo user either.  still a great guitar, very warm fuzzy distortion sound and crisp cleans.  sold it last tuesday to make up for the damage from its replacement.  unfortunately i just don't have the space or money to be a guitar collector yet :(



epiphone firebird studio (worn cherry) "hotaru (firefly)"
-mahogany body
-mahogany neck
-rosewood fingerboard
-pickups (neck & bridge): alnico classic humbuckers
-fixed bridge
-24 frets (?)
-2 volume, 2 tone controls
-3-way pickup selector
-made in korea

i caught the firebird fever during the summer of 2010, rather suddenly.  spent the first paycheck from my summer job ordering it new online.  i tend to gamble with my guitar purchases since there aren't really any places around here to test drive them.  i was hoping not to be disappointed since i'd never played epiphone, and it wasn't a gibson; and i certainly wasn't.  this is a great playing guitar with a rich, full sound.  it's big and heavy, but it's well worth its weight.  the construction is surprisingly high quality for an import.  the steinberger tuners and string lock system are a piece of cake (i think i can string this thing in under 10 minutes).  slapped an "engineered by firefly" sticker below the bridge to commemorate one of my favorite shows.  this has been my main guitar for shows with my band C21 (myspace.com/compliant2one).  i hope to keep her around for some time.

epiphone thunderbird iv (vintage sunbirst) "unnamed as of yet"
-alder body
-maple neck
-rosewood fingerboard
-pickups (neck & bridge): humbuckers
-fixed bridge
-24 frets (?)
-2 volume, 1 tone control
-made in korea

so i actually caught the firebird fever from the thunderbird.  i wanted a bass to play around with (i've always wanted to try playing bass in a band) and this is really the only bass guitar that i'm really attracted to.  i bought this used on ebay.  it's awesome.  the neck is surprisingly compact, which i like, and it's got a nice plunky sound (if you want it to) that really stands out in the mix.  very heavy though, i've pulled the top nut out once already.  you definitely need a good padded strap for extended standing playing.  this saw a couple of shows with C21 while we were looking for a bass player.  the bass player we eventually settled on has used it a few times as well.  still haven't come up with a name for her.  suggestions?

ibanez sz720fm (transparent gray) "unnamed as of yet"
-mahogany body with flamed maple top
-3-piece mahogany neck
-bound rosewood fingerboard
-neck pickup: duncan/ibanez/bridge pickup: duncan/ibanez
-gibraltar iii bridge
-22 medium/large frets
-2 volume, 1 tone control
-3-way pickup selector
-made in korea

well, wow.  what can i say.  i've been wanting one of these guitars since i picked up my first ibanez.  for me, it's the coolest looking guitar ever.  a little bit of prs elegance with all the attitude of an ibanez.  i bought this with my tax return the day osama took one to the head (no connection).  i'm still stunned by how beautiful it is.  it's got some weight to it despite its small size.  it's also got the shortest neck i've ever played.  but it feels great.  i'm really hope to get my shredding down on this guitar.  i haven't been able to plug it up to my stack to hear it full blast (i'm dying to!), but it sounds great on my crappy little practice amp!  it's a safe bet that i will keep this guitar for life.  the quality makes it feel like its worth $1000.  i'll be sure to give an update on its sound when i fire it up.  also looking for name suggestions.

that's it for my guitars.  my laptop battery is about to die, so that's all for now.

rock on,
z

posted (5.9.11)

it's absolutely criminal that i forgot to mention my only acoustic!

ibanez aef30 (transparent blue sunburst high gloss finish) "unnamed as of yet"
-quilted maple body
-mahogany neck
-rosewood bridge and fretboard
-ibanez gold die-cast tuners
-pickup: fishman sonicore
-ibanez sst shape shifter preamp with onboard tuner
-ivorex ii nut and saddle with advantage bridge pins
-balanced 1/4" and xlr outputs

another christmas present (2009?).  beautiful guitar with a very rich sound.  it's very easy to play, which is good for me since i learned almost exclusively on electric (the first guitar i ever played however, was my mom's taylor acoustic).  i'm really trying to improve my acoustic playing, and it's been going well with this guitar.  it's acoustic/electric and plays great through my crate combo amp.  the tuner works fine (i haven't had to replace the battery yet).  the eq is cool to have, but i generally leave everything centered and adjust my amp.  i have yet to play it live, but that will hopefully happen very soon with band number two.  i love this guitar and have no desire to replace it at this point in time.  still haven't named her yet :/