I don’t think solid state amps deserve the bad rap they get. Here’s why
Contrarian Guitarist: I Actually Like Solid State Amps
NAMM 2019 Gear Announcements That Excite Me, Pt 1
Hotone Ampero While this was apparently announced last year at Shanghai Music China 2018, it is being announced in the US. It's being touted as a budget competitor to Line 6's Helix series. At an approximate price point of $300 (I can't find much pricing info so far..), It has 24 bit processing, dual processors,... Continue Reading →
Gear Review: DOD Gunslinger MOSFET Distortion
In this gear review, I'll go over the DOD Gunslinger MOSFET Distortion pedal. This pedal has actually become my main live tone. In 2018, for some reason a whole bunch of them were around at a $30 blow out price when they're normally $99, so I jumped on it. They can still be found around... Continue Reading →
Tone Tip: Low To No Volume Practice
As I've gotten older, it seems like my guitar playing needs to be quieter and quieter. As a teenager, I'm surprised my parents even tolerated the volumes I would play at all the time. When my wife and I moved into our first house, we had very close neighbors. So that was the first detriment... Continue Reading →
A Guitarist’s New Years Resolution
We get it. Every time the earth rotates the sun again, people start with the "New Year New Me" or "Out With The Old and In With The New" mantras that make your social media newsfeed intolerable. I'm about to insert that same level of cringe to my blog feed, why not? So what am... Continue Reading →
What To Look For In A Budget Guitar
Sure, I have some nice, expensive guitars. They play great and they sound great with minimal effort. But there is just something fun about the hunt for a dirt cheap guitar. Whether it's at a pawn shop, a yard sale, a flea market, in a dumpster, or sold by a creepy guy on Craigslist, there... Continue Reading →
Partscaster Of The Week: Squier/Peavey ‘51
As talked about in a previous post where I lay out the background to my love of partscasters, here is a rundown of one of my more recent partscasters. It's a combination of a Squier '51 body and an early 90's Peavey Predator neck. As with many of my partscasters, there really wasn't a master... Continue Reading →
Gig Survival: Always Have A Backup!
Murphy’s Law: Anything that can go wrong will go wrong. Nowhere is this truer than in the world of a gigging musician. Those strings that you’ve been twangin’ on for months? They’ll choose to snap bending that first note during your sweet solo. That seemingly indestructible amp you’ve been cranking since the 80s? A fuse... Continue Reading →
Chuck’s Guitar Geekery 