johnny_mclaughlin's Reviews
11 reviews Back to johnny_mclaughlin's Equipboard
First guitar
I had a Black Hondo Strat, with white pickguard as my very first electric guitar, about 25 yrs ago. It was pretty standard. 3 single coils. Nothing unique or noteworthy that i can remember. As can be imagined i thought it was the most magnificent instrument ever built at the time! Lol. I had wanted a a strat and that color too so i was very pleased with it. It actually wasn't anything special though i realize now. It was VERY difficult to play, by any standards. And the sound was dull and nothing else. I didn't know any of that until i recieved my 2nd guitar, a squire strat. When i first played the squire i was blown away by the difference.
Great Cable and Affordable!
Ive only had my Donner 18' premium instrument cable for about a week, but im already very pleased with it. Its adequate or beyond in every way i need that piece of equipment to be. Great sound quality, rugged construction, and it seems less prone to easily getting tangled quickly like some other cables in that length category often do. And its a fantastic bargain at its price. Also the color options, while not many, are nice esthetic choices.
Great value, solid stratocaster
Many years ago I purchased a dark/pine green "affinity" strat by squire. I picked it up in a hurry and without much thought at all before hand, as i needed an instrument quickly for a performance and didn't want or have much of a budget to use at the time. I can honestly say the subtle but tasteful green it was painted was surely the biggest factor i considered, as i remember thinking it would look awesome if i swapped a black pickgaurd onto it. (I never did) So with that said, my expectations having been beyond low in the first place were blown completely outta the atmosphere by this little rock machine! It played at, above, and way beyond its price range for me. It was easy to play, set up very well, (far better than any other budget guitar i can ever remember) and sounded really great. I played it absolutely cranked, with less experience tweaking out a good sound, and in less than optimal sound control circumstances. [Specifically: i blasted it in a medium/large auditorium, as my amp and monitor, in a rock trio, through a yamaha solid state 210 jazz amp.] And i could not have asked for more! It did an amazing job! So if you are in need of a good sounding, easy playing, nice looking strat on like zero budget, i cant recommend a better axe than that!
Simple Functional Octave
The Joker by Lovepedal has absolutely no labeling on any of its controls. Im sure alot of people would not be amused and find this to be a complete hindrance... I think its fun an imaginative. Its not a hard thing to learn and operate four knobs with or without labels. And it sets the joker aside from any other effect i can ever remember seeing.
Ideal 412 cabinet for this set
The cabinet that came with the reissue of the Sunn Model T half stack, was a durable, very sharp looking (my opinion) 412 closed back cabinet. While in not certain i believe it was loaded with celestions, as thats what Fender was putting in its better amps at the time. Either way, they had a great sound, wonderful clarity, and handled any level of gain with a professional quality. And this particular head-cabinet combination, was VERY loud! (That doesn't seem to really do it justice! There was VOLUME! Hands down the loudest setup ive ever owned {And then some!}Beyond loud enough for any application! And to hammer it home, no Achilles heal on this one, to my experience. It was huge,and heavy. But 412s are. Overall, perfect Cabinet, really only falls short of the big names like Mesa an Orange.
A unique spin on a classic
From what i remember of this instrument, 2 positive points come to mind. 1. It was creatice & unique.(even for a company with a product range as wide as Epi) 2. It was fun. Its not one of the Epiphone guitars that suprises us with its wildly high quality in its (very competitive) price range. It plays as youd expect or maybe just south of that, considering when you pick this axe up and put it on, it feels a bit too much like a "toy". Which is actually sorta what it is... But, toy are FUN! And the Slasher is just that! Its fun to play! And it comes with onboard effects! And they're aweful! Its fun! A O.D./destortion that sounds like your grandparents radio, and another onboard effect that must have been less than memorable, (on the guitar i owned anyway) because i dont remember it at all! But that sorta "miss or miss" quality is why a person would buy an instrument like this. Do not look to make this your main guitar, but if you wanna experiment on a budget, or your shooting a video with a dangerous theme at unsafe locations, you could not find a better axe. Its also one of those instruments that can stor up strange but fun inspiration. I had fun with mine, thats for sure!
A world of difference
I run 2 of these in the preamp slot of my blackstar ht20. I replaced the "Ruby" 12ax7's which came stock with the head. Had i not heard the difference myself i would NEVER have belived it! Its a different amp... a much more expressive machine! More volume, better distortion, more dynamics in the clean channel, and an overall tonal superiority. Even the reverb, (which is digital, not tube) seems to be altered in a very positive way. I highly recommend these tubes in the preamp spot of any small/mid wattage tube amp!
Great instrument cable
This kirlin primium cable is a really great piece of equipment for any guitar or bass player to have in their collection. It performs wonderfully with a clean reliable signal. Seems quite durable. It has a unique appearance as well, and a cool but not overly loud color. Also ive found the "straight to right angle" feature can be VERY convenient, applying to amp/instrument/effects pedal applications.
Stylish 2" strap by Levy's fun vintage vibe
This Polyester 2" Levy's guitar/bass strap is easily my favorite strap i can ever remember owning. As with most strap designs it all becomes a matter of personal taste, but i really find this one very appealing. Ive also found (in my opinion) its complimentary to a suprisingly wide variety of guitar models, styles, and finishes.
Nice playing and sounding acoustic
The Applause Summit series is a nice bright and full sounding acoustic. The neck is adequate for a guitar of its price range, giving it a very usable but slightly less comfortable playability than the higher priced models. Also it has the characteristic "ovation" rounded back, that is more often criticized than praised. But all things considered the Summit measures up as one of the more durable, attractive, and functional acoustic guitar in its class.
Fun small bodied electric guitar
Very easy to play, a pleasant unique sound. And a surprisingly great bolt on neck.