Guitar
Hey gang, I haven't forgot about you! I've just been extremely busy with both family and musical responsibilities. There are some cool posts coming up though: the Zinky Smoky Amp demo is almost ready; it's written and recorded (prepare to be amazed at how good this "toy" sounds), so I just have to shoot some video, edit the video and mix the audio whilst watching a three-year-old and it'll be done! Seriously though, it should be published soon.
The Smoky demo also features a new aquisition: a 2x5 Electro Harmonix Freedom Brothers battery powered amp, in this case, with the amp disconnected, wired up as a speaker cabinet. It's missing parts and presumably non-functional, but I also received a seemingly complete twin amp, and the two only cost me twenty bucks. Hell, if neither amp can be brought back to life, I still have two or three fuzz pedals worth of components that can be parted out, and the 2x5 CTS speakers make a boss'n'juicy home recording cabinet in a reassuringly sturdy hardwood box. These amps are rare as hen's teeth; try Googling this topic- I'll bet you this obscure blog will be in the top five suggestions! If anyone can tell me anything about these things it would be most appreciated.
And whilst we're speaking about obscurities, has anyone any light to shed on Cutler guitars? I met an old-timer rodeo cowboy who has one the other day when I was up in cattle country doing a gig. I immediately guessed it was a Matsumoko built instrument that had been significantly modified, and a quick google confirmed I was right. It's a long tenon Les Paul copy that's had a Bigsby mounted, and some input jack mods done by a BC Country Music Hall of Fame lifer and pragmatist, Gary Cooper (not that Gary Cooper). I wish I'd had my camera, 'cause it's such a groovy guitar with a lit-from-the-inside sunburst finish, and it's previous owner is such a cool player. I sat in with his band Saturday afternoon, before my gig, and had a wonderful time weaving pretty lines together with him. Stole a few that day, let me tell you.
That trip was in support of Nigel Mack, the first artist who was foolish enough to take me out on the road for more than a weekend. We have some truly killer musicians in this temporary and local version of his usually Chicago-based band, and we had a great weekend. The wonderful rhythm section of Cameron Hood on bass and Loren Etkin on drums, as well as Nigel's canny contemporary approach to the blues, allowed me to really tweak the harmony in my solos in a way I'd never quite done before; definitely a treat for me! Most bandleaders yell at me for that sort of exploratory indulgence...
This week I'll be doing an arts centre concert and a one nighter out of town with Nigel. Evidently we have a very serious jazz drummer for our out-of-towner, so I'll let you know how that gig goes.
More immediately, Sandybone returns from his extended camping journey to the "End of the Line" jam session at the Princeton Pub (regular readers yawn...now), and I am looking forward to playing with him for two reasons: a) he's my buddy, and we make really good music when we work together in any capacity, and b) I'm way too lazy to run the whole shebang on my ownsome with grace comparable to that of our combined efforts.
In other blog-related news, I have hooked up with a local pedal builder who is also a father dealing with life in the family/music/work continuum, and is off to study electronics and follow his dream of building pedals for a living http://theboneshaker.
All the best.
- Ephemera And Updates
Garnet Stencil head. 4x10 open-back cabinet comes this week! Lookout Vancouver! Hello everybody. Once again I have let a significant period of time go by without posting anything new. I know how much this makes me crazy when I'm...
- Weekend Update
There's been a few interesting developments in the world of D this last week, the first being a corporate gig I was hired to do in a swanky hotel downtown. Basically we had to provide audio wallpaper for a gang of municipal employees...
- Conversations
Many of my best conversations are with Sandybone. He knows how to tell a story. Whilst camping with a bunch of friends this weekend, (roasted a pig! Good fun!) I came up with what I think is a pretty apt description of being an accompanist....
- Prinny, Six Years In- Update!
Just a little post to remind those readers in the Vancouver area that Sandybone and I are celebrating our sixth year anniversary of hosting the End of the Line Jam at the Princeton Pub (1901 Powell St.), on Tuesday, June 19th! Who'da'...
- Welcome To Inspireformation
Hello musicians and music lovers. My name is Double D and it is my pleasure to welcome you to my little piece of the interweb. I have been a working musician for a couple of decades, performing and recording with scads of artists in...
Guitar
Ephemera and Updates
Hey gang, I haven't forgot about you! I've just been extremely busy with both family and musical responsibilities. There are some cool posts coming up though: the Zinky Smoky Amp demo is almost ready; it's written and recorded (prepare to be amazed at how good this "toy" sounds), so I just have to shoot some video, edit the video and mix the audio whilst watching a three-year-old and it'll be done! Seriously though, it should be published soon.
 |
| EHX Freedom Brothers battery powered amp |
And whilst we're speaking about obscurities, has anyone any light to shed on Cutler guitars? I met an old-timer rodeo cowboy who has one the other day when I was up in cattle country doing a gig. I immediately guessed it was a Matsumoko built instrument that had been significantly modified, and a quick google confirmed I was right. It's a long tenon Les Paul copy that's had a Bigsby mounted, and some input jack mods done by a BC Country Music Hall of Fame lifer and pragmatist, Gary Cooper (not that Gary Cooper). I wish I'd had my camera, 'cause it's such a groovy guitar with a lit-from-the-inside sunburst finish, and it's previous owner is such a cool player. I sat in with his band Saturday afternoon, before my gig, and had a wonderful time weaving pretty lines together with him. Stole a few that day, let me tell you. That trip was in support of Nigel Mack, the first artist who was foolish enough to take me out on the road for more than a weekend. We have some truly killer musicians in this temporary and local version of his usually Chicago-based band, and we had a great weekend. The wonderful rhythm section of Cameron Hood on bass and Loren Etkin on drums, as well as Nigel's canny contemporary approach to the blues, allowed me to really tweak the harmony in my solos in a way I'd never quite done before; definitely a treat for me! Most bandleaders yell at me for that sort of exploratory indulgence...
This week I'll be doing an arts centre concert and a one nighter out of town with Nigel. Evidently we have a very serious jazz drummer for our out-of-towner, so I'll let you know how that gig goes.
 |
| Nigel Mack sliding on his sweet vintage Les Paul Jr. |
More immediately, Sandybone returns from his extended camping journey to the "End of the Line" jam session at the Princeton Pub (regular readers yawn...now), and I am looking forward to playing with him for two reasons: a) he's my buddy, and we make really good music when we work together in any capacity, and b) I'm way too lazy to run the whole shebang on my ownsome with grace comparable to that of our combined efforts.
In other blog-related news, I have hooked up with a local pedal builder who is also a father dealing with life in the family/music/work continuum, and is off to study electronics and follow his dream of building pedals for a living http://theboneshaker.
All the best.
- Ephemera And Updates
Garnet Stencil head. 4x10 open-back cabinet comes this week! Lookout Vancouver! Hello everybody. Once again I have let a significant period of time go by without posting anything new. I know how much this makes me crazy when I'm...
- Weekend Update
There's been a few interesting developments in the world of D this last week, the first being a corporate gig I was hired to do in a swanky hotel downtown. Basically we had to provide audio wallpaper for a gang of municipal employees...
- Conversations
Many of my best conversations are with Sandybone. He knows how to tell a story. Whilst camping with a bunch of friends this weekend, (roasted a pig! Good fun!) I came up with what I think is a pretty apt description of being an accompanist....
- Prinny, Six Years In- Update!
Just a little post to remind those readers in the Vancouver area that Sandybone and I are celebrating our sixth year anniversary of hosting the End of the Line Jam at the Princeton Pub (1901 Powell St.), on Tuesday, June 19th! Who'da'...
- Welcome To Inspireformation
Hello musicians and music lovers. My name is Double D and it is my pleasure to welcome you to my little piece of the interweb. I have been a working musician for a couple of decades, performing and recording with scads of artists in...