nikfarr

I started using these because I read that the Edge plays with them, holding them backwards to strike the string with the dimpled part of the pick. He says it gives the notes that distinctive *ching* sound you'll hear on U2 records, versus a smooth pick, which produces more of a *ping*. He's right. Try it and you'll hear it immediately. It's kind of fascinating how different the articulation of picked notes is when using a Herdim this way. With that said, beyond that, it's as good a plectrum as I can imagine. It's hard but still has some give/flexibility; the smooth side is nice for clean chord strumming; and when holding the dimpled side as it was meant to do, the texture serves as a grip to help prevent one from accidentally dropping the pick while playing. I mean, it's a guitar pick; it's pretty hard to screw up. So, nice job, Herdim. I guess.

The Vox AC-30C2 (the "C" stands for "Custom") was released in early 2010 to replace the previous AC-30CC (or "Custom Classic") line. For those who are unfamiliar with the venerable AC-30 amplifier, this combo has been in production since the early 1960s and has appeared on countless stages worldwide, and on many of the most popular rock and pop recordings of all time. The secret to the Vox AC-30's magic seems to lie in its versatility: it is capable of producing beautiful, chiming clean tones at high volumes, yet it can also dish out some fairly nasty overdrive sounds when it's cranked. And more importantly, it can hit every sweet spot in between these two extremes. Bear in mind that these amps are no longer manufactured in the UK. Korg acquired Vox in 1992, and in 2005, they moved production to China. Subsequently, some players insist that the quality of products has diminished. And indeed, with the release of the AC-30C2, some changes were made to the company's flagship amp that offended purists, but it's worth noting that many of these alterations are considered by other players to be improvements. As the former owner of an AC-30TB/6 that was manufactured in the UK (which I unfortunately had to part with several years ago for financial reasons), my personal opinion is that the AC-30C2 represents a step forward in some ways, and a step back in others. When I first plugged into the amplifier at my local music store, I was immediately struck by the build of the amp. It's every bit as heavy as I remember my old AC-30 being, but the three plastic handles on the modern model feel thicker and sturdier, making transportation at least a little easier and less worrisome. Also, although the cab is apparently made of MDF (particle board, basically), the whole thing seems well-constructed and very solid. The amplifier retains its older siblings' classy looks... [Read More](http://hubpages.com/hub/The-Prudent-Guitar-Vox-AC-30C2-Combo-Amplifier-Review)

When I utilized the Trademark 60 in solo practice and writing sessions, I found it incredibly inspirational. While it doesn't have the attenuator-type of technology found in, say, Vox's hybrid amplifiers--meaning that like a true tube amp, the Trademark 60 sounds better the louder you push it--even at low volumes, I had no trouble finding tones and sounds I really liked, making it a lot of fun to play through. Recording was a fairly easy proposition, too, as the amp sounds great either miked up (I suggest pointing your microphone directly at the center of the cone, though, because the thick basket-weave grill cover does absorb a certain amount of sound that typically passes right through cloth covers) or when connected directly to a recording source via the SamsAmp's XLR output. In fact, when comparing two tracks played with the same amp side-by-side--one miked up, one sent through the SansAmp output--it was a little difficult to tell which was which. In the end, the miked track had a little more "air" to it, giving it a tiny bit more of a realistic feeling, but this is unlikely to be something an average listener would notice. In a live context, Tech 21's creation becomes a little more of a complicated proposition. While the amp sounds fantastic on its own, and is more than capable of keeping pace with a full band (I had several scenarios where I had to turn it lower than expected so as not to deafen a drummer), when playing on the same stage as another guitarist who has a tube amplifier things can get trickier. It's then that the solid state thinness of the tones become a little more noticeable, and while you can compensate somewhat via the EQ knobs, it still lacks that fundamental punch that comes with real tubes. With that said, this amp has some pretty cool tones that are uniquely its own, and it makes one wish after awhile that instead of going the modeling route, Tech 21 had pursued the creation of an analog-circuit solid state amp with a singular character... [Read More](http://thepublicimage.hubpages.com/hub/The-Frugal-Guitar-Tech-21-NYC-Trademark-60-Amplifier-Review)