nickgrooves's Reviews
67 reviews Back to nickgrooves's Equipboard
2154
Plays and sounds like the real thing, but only weighs ~48 lbs.
When I met Booker T. Jones, he said "I want one of those!" His only reason for not buying one was because you couldn't split the chorus effect on the upper/lower manuals ...until they came out with this model (the 'c' in XK-3c stands for 'chorus'). Anyway, if his endorsement doesn't convince you, take my word for it ... LOL. The Leslie simulator sounds really great. Lots of times I'm at a gig and someone asks "where's your Leslie cab?" to which I point to my board and watch their eyes grow in disbelief. Other features of this organ are the ability to completely and totally customize the tones AND circuit path including switching the order of the tubes. For real.
2154
The most reliable mic, sounds good in every room.
I won the Shure "Give It Voice" contest for the Southeast US region, and received a customized Beta 58A. Been using it ever since. After a thousand or so gigs, I can honestly say it sounds great in every room. Never had a moment where I thought "hmm, wasn't crazy about my voice tone tonight."
41013
these work surprisingly well close on the top head of a rack tom... if your drummer uses 2 rack toms try this on the high one with a beta 57 on the mid tom, the presence lift on the 58 will help separate the stick attack on the 2 drums, especially if your drummer likes to tune his racks to close pitches
2154
Wow, that's a great idea. I'll have to try it! Thanks man :)
2154
Canon is the best, and the video functionality on this model is excellent.
Been a Canon fan for over ten years. Shot many music video scenes on this model. Also shot an entire series of lesson videos on it. Great functionality, great quality. Worth every penny.
2154
Not my favorite, but definitely works.
I've heard people say it looks attractive, but I disagree. I've also heard folks say it works really well, but I have found my strings to be out of tune more often than with other capos. I would like to think it has nothing to do with user error, since I have been successful with other capos ... not saying this one doesn't work but you gotta check your tuning every time you use it without fail. Also, not a bad thing, but I feel the spring is a little harder to squeeze than some other brands.
2154
In my opinion, the most attractive capo. Sort of requires two hands though.
Works really well, looks gorgeous as capos come, but I can never put it on with one hand without dropping it. Sort of a two-hand approach for me. Thus, only 4 stars.
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2154
It works. It's a simple tool, with a simple design, but it works well.
Comfortable grip, and the spring resistance seems to be just the right balance between "uncomfortable to squeeze" and "my strings are out of tune."
2154
Before smartphone apps and snark and polytune, this was king.
The first tuner I ever bought. Purchased because it has a mic in addition to the line input (and I play horns in addition to electric guitar and bass). Worked extremely well, without fail, for many years. Anyway, it's ancient technology now and I couldn't even tell you where it is resting, but hopefully R.I.P.
17211
Had to do a double-take, this this has a mic out?
Let me just dig through all my dad's old junk and find this thing again.
2154
Narcist, do another take. I said it has a mic. Mic input. "mic in addition to the line input." No it does not have a mic output. I believe it does have a line out, though. Pretty sure it does. I'd have to dig mine out of my old junk to be sure.
2154
Best slide ever, feels like glass but is unbreakable.
The most amazing slide you will ever hold, with a special blend of acrylic that cling to your finger as it warms up. Used by Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top). I play the "Husky" which is 1/4" thick wall and 3/4" diameter. I actually sanded down the inside a bit, to make it taper, because I like the taper feel. That's another advantage of this material ... you can shape it easily if needed. Glass and brass don't do that. Here is the product page: http://v-picks.com/product/v-slide-husky/
2154
Easily transfer vinyl to digital via USB, also just a great player.
I've had mine for a few years, not a single issue. The USB connection is nice if you need to transfer your vinyl collection to digital (if you are like me, and only DJ with a digital setup). At the office, it functions as a simple player. I have a really nice amp and 5.1 speaker system, so maybe it's hard for me to judge, but the audio quality sounds great - and I'm using the needle from the factory right out of the box.
2154
Awsome speaker, good cabinet wood.
Wheels and handles are nice but the best feature is the front grill (which is easily removable, attached by Velcro). So if you need to swap the speaker out for any reason, you can. But I wouldn't bother. Great speaker. Pushes air really well, sounds great at all sorts of gigs big and small.
2154
Bought for my flying V, never looked back.
These sound great on my flying V guitar, which is actually a cheap Harmony that I painted and modded with DiMarzio humbuckers. That thing wails, and these strings add some nice beef to the power chords. Definitely recommended for all sub-genres of Rock.
2154
You'll use it more often than you think.
I have a Shure Beta 58, which is my default microphone. But I have found myself pulling one of these out of the bag many times. I've never actually used it with a Helicon product, even though I own two of their pedals. So I can't speak about the switch function. All I know is the mic itself actually sounds great. And it's not just my voice, either. The female vocalist in my band also enjoys it. For dynamic mics, this is a good one.
2154
Excellent clean, classic Fender tube tone.
If you like the sound of Fender tube amps, this is your combo. Most of the festivals I have played have these or the Twin Reverb in their backline. It's a staple. Way louder than you will EVER need ... I have played huge rooms like the Hard Rock Casino in Biloxi and the volume did not raise above "4." The dirty channels aren't my thing - I use pedals for that - but the crisp chimey clean channel is awesome. Also, I had mine modded by my luthier at Holland Guitars; he put in a lag switch among other things. If you have the means, or the knowledge, there are some great mods for this amp circuit.
2154
Everything you need for a demanding gig.
I love my mic mechanic. It can make cheap speaker systems sound better. It can help inexperienced FOH engineers. But mostly it has just the right amount of pitch correction for you to successfully pull off that modern vocal track that would otherwise be unsingable.
2154
Easy to use, inspires new ideas, built like a tank, great software!
Anyone who thumbs their noses at these products is an extinct dinosaur. The megaphone presets (of which there are many), distorted vocals, reverb and delay effects are worth the cost. Then add the voice doubling, octaves up and/or down, and other harmony effects. Most of you [singers] have doubled a vocal track in the studio. Now you can get that sound on stage. Highly recommend this product to any singer who isn't singing Opera. One of my favorite settings is the Rockabilly slap-back!
2154
Analog, awesome but very specific tool. Extremely high quality. Unique!
This effect is featured on the song "Tower Pound," on the Nick and The Grooves album Adapter [2013]. My pedal is actually a prototype (see "Gear Porn" tab) but is extremely well crafted, and the sounds are very cool. It has very wide parameters and functionality, from crazy fuzz gain to telephone sounds to ring modulater-type FX and sonic carrier waves. Check out some demo vids on YouTube. It's not for everybody but I'm happy and will never sell it.
2154
If it were a tube amp, it would get five stars. No flaws that I can see.
Plenty of volume, and some really good tones. The on-board reverb and delay effects are fun for practicing. The gain tones aren't bad, either. Bought one for my lessons studio and have no complaints thus far. Students love it. The USB connectivity is nice, both for direct recording (demo tracks would be my recommendation) and software updates. I'm a tube lover and a tube player exclusively. If this had tubes, I would gladly give it 5 stars.
2154
Pinch harmonics anyone?
Sometimes when I know I'm going to be doing an excessive amount of pinch harmonics, I'll grab one of these Jazz picks. Works great every time because there's plenty of cutaway for thumb action (the "pinch").
2154
The thickest pick you'll ever need. Never slips or drops.
I like to play with thick picks, most of the time. I find myself gravitating towards the blue, but sometimes I'm just in the mood to go purple. If you need to play heavy, or loud, or with high energy, consider going purple. Tortex picks are great right out of the package with that powdery coating. This "new car smell" wears away pretty quickly, but they still feel great in your hands. I never drop my picks and it's not because I ain't klutzy.
2154
This pedal has gotten me gigs, and gets used nearly every time I play my pedalboard. Five stars.
What more can I say? Classic digital delay. Crisp, clear, and more features then you'll ever need. Nearly every guitarist uses delay these days, but the most noteworthy is probably "the Edge" from U2. I've played plenty of gigs where I needed that sound, and was able to deliver thanks to my DD-5 and a tap tempo switch (with an analog delay in series).