raucusbacchus

It has been a very long time since I bought a new guitar and the Shiflett has left me with no buyer's remorse. This is an incredible guitar. I'm running D'addario 10's and the tone is fantastic. Lots of mid-range & bottom end. The neck pickup gives brightens the tone where the bridge pickup provides a really warm, full tone. The guitar had a pro setup and the action could not be better. The whole neck is approachable with every note being clear and clean. Purchased used, this guitar came to me in great shape. A little tarnished on the pickup covers but otherwise in fantastic shape. I could not be more pleased with the look. I've had this tele on my wish list since 2015. The price kept me away as it books for well over the original MSRP. I found this one on Reverb and at a bargain price. Now with the guitar in hand, it feels as though I got it for a steel of a deal. It is a truly inspirational piece of gear. I love it!

The Custom Legend is a really nice guitar. Black with Mother of Pearl inlay, its a great looking guitar. The tone is great and of course, has that iconic Ovation sound, but The bowl is big. Light it may be but the awkward bulk means a strap is required even when seated. For that, it ding the rating. The Custom Legend holds tune & tone extremely well. We live in a dry, high desert and the neck on Ovations are rumored to bow towards convex if not cared for. I've had mine since 1992 with no problems. I really enjoy this guitar. ~m

I grew up playing this (my mother's) guitar and it's still my go-to for kicking around the house. It is an easy player. Good tone. Built to last. Spruce top. Mahogany back. Nothing fancy but sounds great. I love it. ~m

Superlative Clean channel with a robust, Crunch channel. The "Dual Tone" feature allows for blending of the two. The Power Control feature is really solid, with the option to go full power or dial it back to 45W, 15W, or as low as .5W! The response is as close to tube-esque as you'll ever find. Bonus feature is the optional Tune Capsule add on which I've yet to try. I LOVE this amp. Simply love it. ~m

Generally speaking Vox has not won me over with this little amp. On the plus side, it is an actual tube amp. Woohoo?! Is loud a plus when the tone is unnerving? Perhaps if you're aiming for obnoxious. If you want crunch, you've got it. There is no "edge of break-up". Clean tone is nearly impossible and if a bare bones, ragged sound is what you want, you get it. To be fair, I have had fun messing around with it. Leveraging a stereo reverb and a juxtaposed position across the room was interesting. The Vox does not include reverb. With this in mind, I've been tempted to snag a T&C Hall of Fame mini and tack it onto the amp. As an experiment, I recently ordered a speaker from Warehouse. I am hopeful for increased dynamics and at lease some semblance of clean tone, but won't be crushed if luscious tones don't materialize. Worst case, I'll learn something beyond what buying on a whim gets you.

I've been slowly working through all of the tone capsules and the Robben Ford (RF) is my hands down favorite. For a solid state amp, the Blues Cube amp offers an exceptionally clean sound that lends itself well to pedals. The mods that Tone Capsules provide are more than a gimmick. The RF sends the amp into a mid-range boosted zone that has a warmth that I really love. There is a bit of toothsome grit that isn't as clean as the stock amp, but its a subtle texture that I love. Boosted and over driven, it sounds awesome. In comparing Tone Capsules, the Eric Johnson (EJ) pushes into a near piercing high-key register and also has a grit that you cannot escape. The Ultimate Blues (UB) has a warmth & texture that I really enjoyed and a grit that was palatable without being oppressive. The RF offers a resultant tone has a richness that marries with my telecaster like no other. Generally, the Tone Capsules are a great way to modify the amp for a couple hundred bucks and the RF offers the tone I love most. ~m

The Holeyboard M3 Amptop pedal board is my 1st foray into getting my pedal act (I have a more colorful vocabulary but toning it down for the masses) together. With my setup, I was able to mount 3, standard size pedals and two micro pedals. The M3 works relatively well for a bare-bones, take it anywhere rig. UPSIDE: The form factor is nice and compact. The materials are quality and the color selection is appealing. The small footprint makes for easy handling and is the single best aspect of this board. DOWNSIDE: In setup, I ran into a fundamental flaw regarding power adaptors: standard, 90-degree power cable heads do not fit through the board holes. This holds true of both the Walrus Audio and Strymon power supplies. In function, I bumped into second, fundamental flaw: a power supply mounted under-board will not allow the board to sit flush atop an amp. Reason being, the amp handle gets in the way. As a result, adding a power supply will relegate this board to the floor. Not a huge deal, but the name is a potential misnomer. OVERALL: I am glad to have the M3 Amptop board. For me, it has provided a nice gateway into pedal organization and collects the basic pedals I want in an organized and compact format. ~m

I've been running with the Aetos LTD (2015) for over a year now and it is an excellent power supply. My only complaint is that it does not have the amperage to power some of the Strymon Pedals (Lex & el Capistan). This niggle has more to do with Strymon than Walrus. Regardless, I needed something more. As such, I've opted to add the Zuma in order to compensate and will continue to run the Aetos even still, as a supplemental power source. ~m

Super clean. Precision tuning & sensitive to touch intensity on the guitar.

This is a cool tool. It's just too bad it has left me with no doubt that I need to practice with a metronome. Personal failings aside, this is fun stomp box. Inspiring and even motivational. Proof will be determined by how fast my timing improves.

To qualify this review, the Decimator II his is my first foray into using a noise gate. From the outset, I was actually aiming to buy the MXR SmartGate. When it came down to it, I was talked into getting the Decimator II. "It's a little more, but worth it." said the salesman. Regardless, I am very impressed. This addition has killed this hiss and I love it. This difference is positively stark. It's like magic. Doubly so given that with a single knob, you can hear when the hiss is gone. It really has provided a simple, no fuss solution. I am running with a light touch on a Fulltone PlimSoul for distortion, but really haven't pushed this much. I lean into clean for sound so we'll see how things progress as I get deeper into distortion. For now, I'm very pleased. With regard to price, the difference when compared to the competition was negligible in my book. A little more yes, but nominal. Even still, you have to wonder how much the chrome finish has to do with the dollars vs the technology & circuit. The box looks bad ass & shiny, but still... is it the chrome that makes it so good? All-in-all, I am so happy with this addition that I can't see a future playing without it. Regardless, I will keep the MXR on my wishlist to try on the off chance that upping the distortion level introduces any tone suck or clipped sustain at the extremes with the noise gate. Until then, with the Decimator II, I'm ready to rock! ~m

The CE-3 is straight forward and super simple. I keep it tamped down as a subtle means to filling out and softening the harmonics especially when strumming the Ovation. I do not enjoy the chorus it in conjunction with the FL-9 flanger. Personal taste. ~m

The Sonic Port is one of the most intriguing iOS peripherals I've found. Also one of the most expensive. I love that the sonic port packs the features of th FX100 into such a tight package. The sound quality is good but you will need quality, isolating headphones. This thing is a great solution for apartment dwellers. I use mine at the office when I need a little break but don't want to enrage the office mates. Personally, I'm not a big fan of headphones when playing so the Sonic Port has its limit of tolerance for me. If I had to use this day-in, day-out, I'd go claustrophobic nutters, but for short sessions it does the job quite well. ~m

Honestly, I don't know WTF I'm doing when it comes to recording, but I do know that given all the software that comes with this button laden box, the installs are insane. Be warned, Pro Tools is incompatible with Windows 10. Save yourself some time & anguish. Otherwise, the 2i4 works. ~m

The DR259 is a solid, well-designed piece of gear. My mic is heavy and it's staying put in this rig. The stand is little larger than I anticipated which; in my world, is perfectly fine for mic-ing up an amp, but a bit large for my puny desk. ~m

Working with the Yeti Pro, a shock mount is a must given how sensitive the mic is. The Radius II is a perfect match. The "Blackout" option provides a clean sharp look. The assembly is solid and sturdy. Setup is intuitive and the setup get's the job done, no muss, no fuss, no doubt.

I purchased this Pop filter with my Blue Yeti Pro. Aesthetically, it has a very clean, modern form and fits well with the Yeti. Looks aside, the "C-clamp" style method of attachment it is fairly universal. I do like how adjustable the flexible arm on this filter is. I do not like the armature's threaded attachment which looses grip with every adjustment. Its futzy. The threaded attachment on the armature requires frequent tightening and feels like it could easily be stripped if torqued aggressively. Loc-tite or a lock-washer may cure this problem, but this is fundamentally a design flaw and/or a materials quality issue that could have been addressed pre-manufacture. With an MSRP of $69, its a bit pricey. ~m

I've ordered mine, but gratification... suspended. I'll just be listening to Kirk Fletcher in the meantime. ~m

A special edition cable from Rattlesnake: white weave on grey PVC with Neutrik plugs. Rattlesnake cables are all-custom, low-impedance, made to order. Topnotch audio quality complemented by great looks and fantastic durability.

In searching for the highest-quality, 20' cable, my research lead me to Rattlesnake custom cables. Ultimately, the best cable I have ever owned. The options are intriguing; the quality sold me. The materials that go into the cables are serious quality. Beyond the metallurgy & insulation properties, the snakehead option was a key selling point for its thoughtful design. I have to say, the mesh coating is super durable and looks really cool. The company provides great support. In placing my order, Hank (the owner) was super helpful. Developed by a musician for musicians. Best of all, 20' of silent cable that's tough as nails.

I was so impressed with the 6 footer that I bought a 12 footer. Pricey but worth it. ~m

This strap suits my posture perfectly. The Suede's soft surface also prevents slippage. This is my favorite strap. ~m

I've purchased Levy's in the past. This was an alternative when the Levy's was not available. I've found them to be very much the same. It has me questioning if they aren't from the same source. The color selection is broad. White Leather was my choice. Nice, supple and very comfortable. I've also purchased the purple in the same style. Overall, pleased with the price, style and comfort of Henry Heller. ~m

I purchased a white Capri Henry Heller 1st. Happy with the comfort level, and liking the purple aesthetic, I opted for a second Heller. Very comfortable. Soft, supple leather. ~m

I was drawn to the Cooperstand Pro G for its compact footprint, elegant design and material quality. It's a bit pricey when compared to other guitar stands, but the ease of setup and stowing coupled with the fact that this wooden stand is sturdy yet unobtrusive make the cost justifiable. The Pro G works veritably well with both electric and acoustics; however, if you've got an odd-shaped or bulky beauty on your hands like my big-bowled Ovation, it's a dicey proposition. The stand does hold my Custom Legend, but just barely. That precarious pose will test your nerves, so for that, I recommend finding an alternative cradle for your baby. Overall, this rig is excellent. I'm very pleased and definitely impressed at the ingenuity and effective form-meets-function in design. ~m

The Cooperstand stands are versatile and stable. The Ecco-G provided a light weight version in plastic. Nothing wow in the looks department but simple & clean. I do appreciate the low profile. The form factor is streamlined and the engineers is sound when folding for storage. The stand is very stable though you do need to make sure you seat the guitar properly in part due to the terraced structure that is mean to support both electric and acoustic guitars. This is a plus side of the terracing is a great, stabilizing feature; however, for electrics this can mean a need to pay attention when seating the guitar; otherwise, the guitar can lean back at enough of an angle that the headstock could potentially knock anything behind the stand. All said and done, I liked the Pro-G enough to have gone for an Ecco-G for use in high traffic, office space. Black plastic is fine here where wood and look was not as important. Overall, the stand works well in a nice and compact form. It's cheap enough, I'm not going to cry if someone snags the Ecco-G as long as they leave the guitar behind. ~m

The V-Moda Crossfades are not only the best wireless headphones I've ever had, they are THE best headphones I've ever had. Hands down. I listened to my 3 all-time favorite albums. Albums I know inside and out. I was suitably impressed. You can lose yourself in these headphones with albums like these: 1) Al diMeola: Kiss My Axe. The album spills over with rich, electrified jazz with intricate, ever-changing rhythms & subtle ambient cues spread through out. Sound: Clear and Bright. 2) Roger Waters: Amused to Death. A Concept Album that is on par with the Wall, yet exceeds it with musicianship. The nuances are all their even at low-volume listening. 3) Frank Marino: Juggernaut: Guitar God Rock and Roll that covers so many genres its hard to count. Acoustics are rich and warm. Shredding is blazing and clear. Doom anthems are deep & bass laden. The Crossfade's are incredible and the music is superb. The audio quality is truly exceptional! The form factor is really something. Italian design. Metal and Leather. The look is a reflection of the quality in these headphones and it runs through and through. Beyond music, the audio quality is excellent with a full, well rounded bass. The headphones are a little heavy in the hand, but so comfortable on the head that weight is no problem. The ear cups are fully enclosed and very comfortable. I wear glasses and they still fit nice and snug, but not so snug as to pinch the temples into my meaty head. The ear coverage is excellent at blocking external noise as well. I work in a small space with 2 office mates and a boisterous crew in near proximity and I lose their talky noises and chatter even with no music. They come with a nice sturdy audio cable but with our without, the audio quality holds its own. Wifi is super easy to use. I bounce back and forth between my PC and iPhone during the day and it is seamless. I use the headphones in conference calls as well and they beat the pants off the room pc speakers. Now to qualify what the "Best Ever" really means. I've had many quality headphones in the past. Most recently, to include Sennheiser to Sony Studio Pro. Where those were good, they weren't great. The V-Moda product is exceptional. ~m

I bought this for fun and a bit of nostalgia in the office having worked on a Hannah Montana game in the past. At a purchase price of $50 it, it cost 3-times that much to get it setup! Ouch!!! Lesson learned. The action was super high, the nut needed to be replaced and the neck was warped which required some fret work at the higher register once straightened. The materials are cheap as you'd expect. It still doesn't hold a tune, but its playable now. We get a kick out of it. Its fun to plink on casually as its 3/4 scale and certainly gives the team something to chat about laugh about my poor purchase choices. ~m