TONE WARRIOR

Vinyl Find: Joe Farrell Quartet [CTI 6003]

2014-05-28T16:58:00.001-04:00

Interesting album. I have to admit this is my first Farrell recording so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. I always grab CTI label vinyl AFTER reading the inside cover. Creed Taylor liked to add strings to a lot of the jazz and funk albums he produced around this time (1970) and to my ears that takes good music into an extremely dangerous place – i.e. “easy listening”.

This album though is excellent. No surprise really when you consider the quartet line up – Chick Corea, Jack Dejohnette, Dave Holland and John McLaughlin (on one track). The album contains a bit of everything – some cool grooves, some avant guard, some be-bop. Chick Corea shines throughout and McLaughlin is excellent on the opening cut “Follow Your Heart”. And with Farrell handling tenor and soprano saxes as well as flute and oboe there is some variety in sound from track to track which is an added bonus. Not the easiest to find, but recommended if you see a clean copy.

Recorded in 1970 by Rudy Van Gelder and wouldn’t you know it, my copy has “van gelder” in the deadwax.

Vinyl – NM
Sleeve VG+
Price: $2.50

Vinyl Find: Starcastle – First/Self Titled (EPIC PE33914)

2014-05-27T14:55:00.005-04:00

Being a progressive rock fan I had heard of Starcastle, but had never actually heard Starcastle. Saw this LP today and decided to roll the dice. The gamble paid off. What a surprisingly good record!

Everyone who mentions Starcastle also mentions Yes in the same sentence. And it’s true, they do sound VERY similar. Busy drumming in unusual time signatures – check. Growling Rickenbacker bass – check. 70s Moog keyboards – check. Jon Anderson soundalike – check.

But what Starcastle offer is a style of 70s prog rock that’s a little more mainstream (i.e. less self-indulgent) than Yes. It’s still technically impressive, but more approachable and that’s their real talent. Making complex songs catchy and interesting. It's almost like all the "too complicated" bits got shaved off, leaving you with the best part of the song. Regardless, this is an extremely impressive album (especially for a debut) and if you are into 70s prog rock (Yes, Genesis, Gentle Giant) and all the countless neo-prog bands (IQ, Spock’s Beard, Porcupine Tree) then this is definitely worth picking up.

The album was well recorded and the sound quality of the LP is very good – it lacks some low end, but as a result, the recording is very clear and all the instruments are well separated.

Vinyl – NM-

Sleeve – VG+

Price - $3.00

Vinyl Find: Coleman Hawkins Encounters Ben Webster [UMV2532]

2014-05-19T14:19:00.003-04:00

You can't really go wrong with two of the greatest tenor sax players of all time on the same LP. And you can't really go wrong with Japanese LP pressings.

I am a huge fan of Japanese vinyl and always pick them up when I see them at affordable prices. In the 70s and 80s, Japanese vinyl was 2-3 times the price of domestic vinyl and consequently those that could afford it looked after it (or were collectors that played the domestic version but kept the Japanese pressing to show off to friends!) While the bass can be a little shy on Japanese pressings, the clarity and especially minimal surface noise more than makes up for it.

This is a very nice 1981 Japanese pressing of the original 1957 LP. Bass is actually quite prominent on this one and the two saxes are super warm. Great piano from Oscar P . . . doing just enough. Also featuring Ray Brown on Bass, Herb Ellis on Guitar and Alvin Stoller on Drums. My copy does not have the OBI strip, but couldn't pass up a mint copy of this classic jazz album on Japanese vinyl.

Vinyl - Mint
Sleeve - Mint
Price - $5.00

Vinyl Find: The New Tony Williams Lifetime – Believe It [Columbia PC33836]

2014-05-09T17:08:00.001-04:00

Been looking for a clean copy of this on vinyl for a while and luckily found a near mint copy yesterday. One of my Top 10 jazz fusion albums for sure. In addition to great propulsive drumming from TW, you have Allan Holdsworth tearing up the fretboard. I know that Allan has redefined how you can play the guitar by incorporating mind boggling, out-of-this-world intervallic leaps into his playing, but I can relate to his more grounded, normal playing on this album much more. His tone is nice and crispy and the tasteful use of effects – mainly a phaser here and there – just adds more spice. For me, this album and his playing on the first U.K. album [with Wetton, Bozzio and Jobson] is my favorite Holdsy. Tony Newton holds down the low end with creative lines and Alan Pasqua’s electric piano fills float over the top of everything and hold it all together. Awesome stuff.

This is a very good pressing. The sound is nice and open, instruments very clear, with a nice low end. Dynamic range is good. “1G” is in the deadwax so I am assuming this is a first pressing. Did I mention this is prime Holdsworth?

1. Snake Oil

2. Fred

3. Proto-Cosmos

4. Red Alert

5. Wildlife

6. Mr. Spock

7. Celebration

LP - NM
Sleeve VG+
Price $2.50

Ortofon 2M Red with Rega Planar 2 - Cartridge Review

2014-05-09T11:48:00.002-04:00

I’ve owned a Rega Planar 2 for years (purchased new in 1989) and it's had an easy life. As I am spinning a lot more vinyl these days I decided to look at a few upgrades. One of the biggest you can make is changing the cartridge. Depending on your choice, you can completely change how your turntable sounds and performs.

I’ve always used various Rega carts, including the Bias, with my Planar 2. But honestly, I was never that impressed by them. After researching online and talking to a few local audio experts, I decided to go for the Ortofon 2M Red at around $100. This is by no means an expensive cartridge, but I didn’t feel like the deck warranted spending much more at this point and I’ve been thinking about adding a second turntable to the stable anyway so wanted to save some funds for that if an opportunity came along.

Because I was about to give the turntable a much heavier workload than usual due to all my recent vinyl purchases, I decided to get it serviced by my local Rega dealer who could install the new cartridge at the same time so I can’t really comment on the installation process.

As far as sound goes, I have a lot of opinions. Compared to many vintage carts, the 2M Red sounds, not surprisingly, quite modern. It’s also a lot louder than many vintage carts and provides a nice balance between the detail of CDs and the warmth of vinyl. The 2M red is a very detailed and full sounding cart with a forward presentation. It’s somewhat aggressive sounding, not laid back and warm, so it’s great for upfront, pacey genres like rock, pop, and jazz fusion. It’s also decent for jazz as it can extract lots of detail, but perhaps a little shrill at the top end, like when Miles grabs his Harmon mute and wails away. It’s a rhythmic cart and much more dynamic than the Rega carts I used previously, which sound dull in comparison. The cart tracks well, but it really likes clean records. Any groove damage, dirt and dust is immediately picked up by the cart and communicated through the speakers so it’s not the most forgiving cart you can buy if you have a lot of old, worn LPs.

Overall, I am very happy with the 2M Red. It’s completely changed the sound of my Planar 2 and given it a lot more life (and a few more years). It’s pretty much killed my idea of trading it for another turntable. No cart does everything perfectly (at least at this price level), but for $100, the 2M Red offers some serious bang for the buck. If you are looking for a cart at this price point, it’s definitely worthy of serious consideration.

Vinyl Find: Gene Ammons - The Black Cat [Prestige 10006]

2014-05-07T14:16:00.000-04:00

Great retro sounding jazz LP from 1971. Jazz was suffering an identity crisis at the time this was recorded and more soul, funk and blues sounds and grooves started to get incorporated. This has all that and even some orchestral strings thrown in for good measure. Don't let the strings put you off - they work well on "Long Long Time" but are pretty sappy on "Something", which was a poor choice of tune to cover in the first place. Some really nice funky grooves on this LP though that get your foot tapping.

This is a really nice pressing on the green Prestige label. Recording is very clear and open - no surprise with Rudy Van Gelder manning the board. Great walking and grooving bass from Ron Carter with excellent comping from George Freeman on guitar and the underrated Harold Mabern on (primarily) electric piano. Great grooves and hi-hat work from Idris Muhammad, especially on "Jug Eyes". Big tone from Gene Ammons on tenor throughout.

LP - VG++
Sleeve VG
Price $5.

A very clean LP with minor surface noise which should be eliminated with a Spin Clean.

All compositions by Gene Ammons except as indicated

"The Black Cat" - 5:36
"Long Long Time" (Gary White) - 4:31
"Piece to Keep Away Evil Spirits" - 7:49
"Jug Eyes" - 8:10
"Something" (George Harrison) - 3:20
"Hi Ruth!" - 5:08

Recorded at Van Gelder Studio in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey on November 11, 1970

Today's Spin: Bob Marley & The Wailers - Babylon by Bus

2012-08-02T16:24:00.001-04:00

I'm not a huge Reggae fan, but I have always loved this album. Picked it up on vinyl when it came out almost 35 years ago and I still have my copy. I picked up the original CD release in the '90s which sounded muddy to me. Then I picked up the remastered version on which they seemed to have boosted the high hat to stratospheric i.e. painful levels. Played this yesterday and once again, the vinyl sounds killer. Huge soundstage and D E E P bass. I am running a Rega 2 through a Marantz 2245 and Klipsch KG4s + ADS 520s and the place was rocking . . . or should I say swaying. Anyway, it sounded great.

There are so many great tracks and grooves on this album, my favorites being Exodus, Concrete Jungle and War/No More Trouble.

A1	Positive Vibration	4:55
A2	Punky Reggae Party	5:38
A3	Exodus	7:26
B1	Stir It Up	5:11
B2	Rat Race	3:25
B3	Concrete Jungle	5:30
B4	Kinky Reggae	4:36
C1	Lively Up Yourself	6:10
C2	Rebel Music (3 O'Clock Road Block)	5:02
C3	War / No More Trouble	5:20
D1	Is This Love?	7:05
D2	Heathen	4:14
D3	Jamming	5:05

Today's Spin: Steve Morse Band - Stand Up

2012-07-31T22:06:00.000-04:00

Picked this up recently on vinyl and spinning it today. It's an excellent, well balanced album that wraps Morse's incredible guitar playing into more approachable compositions. This is actually my favorite Steve Morse solo record and it's extremely tasty and varied from start to finish. There are some excellent performances from guest stars including Peter Frampton and ex-Santana vocalist Alex Ligertwood on "Stand Up", Eric Johnson on "Distant Star" and Albert Lee on "Rockin' Guitars". I really like the vocal tracks and wish Morse had explored this vein a little more on his own with another "name" vocalist who could do his tunes justice. This is less of a guitarfest than his first album, but there are still some incendiary solos and plenty of wicked guitar tones throughout.

I picked up a mint original pressing on Elecktra for $4.99 and it's definitely worth it. Sounds better than the CD IMO with very crisp and clear production on most songs. A couple of the tunes seem more compressed than the others so I am guessing they were recorded at another [lower budget] studio.

Stand Up (1985)
1. Book Of Dreams
2. English Rancher
3. Rockin' Guitars
4. Distant Star
5. Pick Your Poison
6. Stand Up
7. Travels Of Marco Polo
8. Golden Quest
9. Unity Gain

Dean Tonic D - A Perfect Slide Guitar

2012-07-27T21:46:00.003-04:00

I have become more serious about slide lately. Sure, you can play slide in standard tuning with regular gauge strings - for me those are 9s or 10s - but the aficionados will tell you, “Boy, that ain’t real slide”. For that I think you need to explore alternate tunings, like open D or open G, which gets tiresome if you have to retune your regular guitar. You also need to move to heavier gauge strings for a thicker tone and more sustain as well as raise the action so your bottleneck is not clanging on the frets. Bottom line: if you’re serious about slide, you need a dedicated slide guitar that’s set up properly.

I spent about a year looking for one and finally settled on the Dean Tonic D. I really wanted a Teisco with the gold foil pickups and watched them sell on eBay for $200, then $300 and often over $400. As a value conscious player, I was not going to pay that price for what is, frankly, a poorly constructed guitar made up of marginal quality materials. Then I started looking at the Korean Danelectros. I had a chance to play one at Guitar Center, and although it sounded pretty decent, it didn’t feel right to me. It was well constructed, but the quality of the parts seemed cheap.

About a month ago I finally pulled the trigger. Not on the Dean Tonic D, but a Godin LG90. This is a beautiful guitar with a violin finish mahogany body, mahogany neck, rosewood fretboard and Seymour Duncan P90s. A mahogany body, P90s and slide go together like PB&J, milk and cookies and all those other classic combos. So what does this have to do with the Dean Tonic D? I did play slide on the Godin and it sounded great. And I played all kinds of other things on it as well which made it hard to put down. The guitar is so good that I decided I did not want to dedicate it full time to slide so the search continued.

Then a couple of days ago I wandered into my local Music-Go-Round and saw a Korean Danelectro and a Korean Dean Tonic D hanging on the wall. I spent about an hour playing them both and picked the Dean. Head-to-head, here’s why the Dean gets the nod:

Looks: I really like the look of the Dean - it’s definitely retro [art deco maybe?] with a nod to the weird Teiscos and Mosrites of the late ‘60s with the slanted bridge, even though it has a basic Strat/SG shape. The yellow is unusual as is the bi-level top: the area that contains the controls is half an inch lower than the rest of the top. It also has a cut rim around the edge of the entire guitar. All in all a cheesy, retro, but cool looking axe that was more appealing to me than the Danelectro.

Quality: Both the Dean and Danelectro are made in Korea - quite possibly at the same factory. But the Dean just seems to be of a higher quality. It has Grover tuners which is a big plus, nice diamond inlays on the thin neck, which are well done, and a good quality Tune-o-matic bridge. The body is fairly light - not sure what wood, but at this price point probably basswood. Machine heads are arranged so the strings remain straight after crossing the nut, helping tuning stability. The fretwork on the neck is excellent with no sharp edges. All around, a well-conceived and executed instrument. The Dano has a hollow laminate body, which is a concern when setting the guitar up as a full time slide guitar with heavy strings. I can see the bridge or top lifting at some point. The bridge is metal, but the saddle is wood, so while that may have worked for Jimmy Page, I wanted something that I could intonate correctly.

Sound: Both guitars sound good, but as the Dean has a five-way switch, you get more tones from the two hot rails pickups [stacked single coils]. It's quite clever what they've done with the five-way switching as you get HB neck, tapped neck, tapped neck + bridge, tapped bridge, and HB bridge. Plugged in, that’s basically a Les Paul with humbuckers in positions 1 and 5 and a single coil Telecaster in positions 2, 3, and 4. With such hot pickups you can get some excellent rude and nasty distorted slide tones from positions 1 and 5, which was a prerequisite for me. But switch to positions 2, 3 or 4 and you get a more refined, cleaner sound. The only thing I am not 100% happy with is that the guitar is a little noisy and buzzy. The previous owner applied some shielding paint, but not to the entire electronics bay so I will complete that job and see if that helps. Upgrading the wiring and the 5-way switch may also help. The Dano sounded good as well, but I liked the extra tonal variety that the Dean offered.

I ended up paying $149 for the Dean and that’s an incredible value for an instrument of this quality. After a lengthy search I found a great sounding, great playing slide guitar that’s unique in looks and not on everyone’s shoulder as Dean only produced this particular model for two years in the early 2000s. This will always be a novelty guitar for me dedicated to slide, but for that limited role, it’s an ideal choice that’s considerably cheaper and better made than most of the Teiscos selling for hundreds more on eBay.

Today's Spin: Thin Lizzy - Johnny the Fox

2012-07-05T17:22:00.000-04:00

Picked this album up on vinyl the other day and man, what a great album it is. I had this on LP back in the day and stupidly traded it away. As I am getting back into vinyl again I had to pick this up as it was only a few dollars and in great shape.

The album highlights are the opening track "Johnny" with Brian Downey's fantastic drum rolls and triplets. The other outstanding cuts are the hit single [in the U.K.] "Don't believe a word" and of course, the title track "Johnny the Fox Meets Jimmy the Weed". Once again, Downey shines on this track with a fantastic groove on top of which are layered some superb funky wacca wacca wah guitars from Scott Gorham and Brian Robertson. I have always loved the version on "Live & Dangerous", but I think this studio version may be even better.

Phil Lynott gets mellow and introspective on some of the tunes, most notably "Borderline", "Sweet Marie" and "Fool's Gold". Regardless, all the tracks move along nicely and the album has a solid cohesive feel and good '70s production. I am sure there is a story to this album - perhaps, heaven forbid, even a concept - but I have never been able to work it out.

I picked up the first U.S. pressing on Mercury and it sounds excellent.

The Aristocrats - Guthrie Govan, Bryan Beller, Marco Minnemann

2011-08-25T21:32:00.002-04:00

I loved Guthrie Govan's CD "Erotic Cakes" so being a guitar player, I cannot wait to hear the new CD he plays on with bassist Bryan Beller and German super drummer Marco Minnemann. You can get a taste of what this power trio is all about with a free mp3 download - the humorous and rudely titled "Sweaty Knockers" - available from:

http://the-aristocrats-band.com/news/free-download-of-sweaty-knockers/

You can also preview the album at online jazz-fusion superstore Abstract Logix

http://www.abstractlogix.com/xcart/product.php?productid=25271 .

Vintage Stereo: ADS L520 Speakers

2011-06-20T15:19:00.002-04:00

I visit vintage stereo forums quite a bit and I am always reading how people pick up mint condition gear for $10 or $20. But whenever I stop by the local thrift store or a garage sale there's never anything worth buying. I lucked out yesterday though.

There I was, driving into town on an errand and I happened to pass a garage sale in the neighborhood. On a whim I pulled over and had a look. Over in the back corner behind the old mugs, book, mirrors, and horrible artwork I saw a stack of stereo equipment. They had four B&O separates, all of which had seen better days, but underneath this stack sat two ADS L520 speakers in great condition [except for the sticky residue on the veneer]. I thought these might be worth picking up, but wasn't sure so I came home and did some Internet research.

The consensus seems to be that these are very nice two-way bookshelf speakers, so I decided to go back and see how much they were selling for. Because it was late in the day I figured I would be getting a good deal, but when the seller said $20 for the pair I paid without hesitation. That's a great deal as these regularly go for around $100 on eBay plus $50 shipping. Other than the sticky residue on the veneer these are in great shape - drivers all intact, no scratches or dings, and no rips in screens. Score!

When I got them home I went to work with Pledge furniture polish and managed to get off all of the black sticky residue. No idea what that was other than basement detritus. Now they really shine and look great. At 22 inches high these are pretty large and heavy speakers so calling them "bookshelf" is probably a stretch. I'll definitely need to invest in some speaker stands in the near future.

Sound wise, I am very impressed - and for only $20 they represent exceptional value. These are indeed nice two-way speakers with tight, controlled bass, great midrange and a sweet treble that is crisp and clear. They are a good example of the classic New England sound - neutral, relaxed and with good detail and sharp imaging. Due to the limitations of their size and design, bass is not as deep as I personally like but that really is a minor gripe. I'll definitely be adding these to my vintage speaker rotation.

Return to Forever IV - Free Download

2011-06-18T18:27:00.001-04:00

If you're like me, the "can't miss" tour this summer is the fourth incarnation of '70s Jazz-fusion outfit Return to Forever. This fourth iteration spices things up considerably with the addition of Australian axemeister Frank Gambale [Chick Corea's go to guitarist in the Elecktric Band] and French electric violinist Jean-Luc Ponty. It's a stellar line up and I think Ponty will add a unique texture to the band.

So how does this new line up sound? You can find out by downloading a live track from the RTF web site at:

http://return2forever.com/reviews/

It's a killer version of "Senor Mouse". And it's an MP3 at 320kbps so the quality is excellent.

Listen Up: Wishbone Ash - Live Dates II [Japanese limited edition CD]

2011-05-21T19:42:00.007-04:00

After a 25-year wait, one of my all-time favorite albums is finally out on CD. Of course the record company (MCA) wouldn’t make the obvious decision and release it where the band’s largest fan base resides: the U.S or the U.K.   That would be far too logical. Instead, U.S. fans like me have to buy an expensive import from Europe or Japan. I ended up purchasing the Japanese limited edition SHM mini LP sleeve version from Amazon that cost an arm and a leg [over $50].

I first bought this album on vinyl in 1980 – luckily for me it was the limited edition which contained a second bonus LP of live cuts. But for some reason this classic live album of ‘70s twin guitar heroics never made it to CD. Who knows why? I thought maybe it was some legal issue or the original master tapes were lost or damaged. All I know is generations of Wishbone Ash CDs and remasters and reissues came and went while “Live Dates II” stayed on the shelf. Until now.

The Japanese release comes in a mini paper sleeve so it looks just like the original LP set, only smaller. The first Wishbone Ash live album “Live Dates” sounded like it was recorded in a bucket or under water to my ears, but “Live Dates II” made up for that with its crystal clear sound. The Japanese reissue is no disappointment and sounds fantastic. The original engineer cleverly panned the two guitarists left (Andy Powell) and right (Laurie Wisefield) so you can easily follow who’s doing what.

If you are a fan of ‘70s rock then this really is an essential CD [even though it was released in 1980]. There are so many highlights:

•    The great instrumental break in the opening track “Doctor” at the 3 minute mark
•    Andy Powell's soulful, lyrical solos on “Living Proof”
•    The 9+ minute instrumental called “F.U.B.B.” – a creeping, brooding tune that builds up steam for 6 and half glorious minutes before the two guitarists cut loose.
•    The 10 minute “Way of the World” with its superb closing section
•    Powell's soaring, emotion-drenched solo on “Persephone”

While the two guitar players get the spotlight, Martin Turner (bass, vocals) and Steve Upton (drums) provide a great foundation. While no great singer, I really like Turner's vocal style and on this Japanese reissue, his bass is super clear which highlights his melodic lines.

If I have one criticism of this double album, it’s that the second disc runs out of steam and ends rather quietly. There were many other great tunes the band was playing at the time like the zippy instrumental “Outward Bound”, “You See Red”, “Lifeline” and the traditional encore “Bad Weather Blues” and those should have been included. In fact, we don’t get the 2+ minutes of cheering crowd and obligatory encore on “Live Dates II” and I think that’s a mistake because the album doesn’t quite recreate the concert experience like so many of the better ‘70s live albums.

Even so, this still stands as a classic live album and the one-two punch of “F.U.B.B.” and “Way of the World” – originally side 2 of the first LP – represents one of the greatest “sides” in ‘70s guitar history. At over $50, this is a very expensive collector’s item, but it’s worth every penny.

Track listing

Disc One
1 Doctor
2 Living Proof
3 Runaway
4 Helpless
5 F.U.B.B.
6 The Way of The World

Disc Two

1 Lorelei
2 Persephone
3 You Rescue Me
4 Time Was
5 Goodbye Baby Hello Friend
6 No Easy Road

Vintage Stereo: Harman Kardon 430 Receiver

2011-05-14T20:28:00.004-04:00

I’ve just added another vintage receiver to the collection – this time it’s a 1976-77 Harman Kardon 430. I really like the look of this receiver with its timeless, simple and elegant design. The challenge with these receivers, now that they are 35+ years old, is finding one in good condition because that large strip of plastic across the front is easily scratched.

I’ve been wanting one of these Harman Kardon x30 receivers for a while [ideally the 730] and I saw a 430 come up for sale locally on Craigslist for $150. I thought that was too expensive and not surprisingly, no one bought it at that price and the seller relisted it a couple of weeks later at $100. I offered $75 and we settled on $85 once I saw it. It is in excellent condition with just a minor ding on the left front bezel and the tiniest scratch on the glass. All lights work and inside it is super clean so I knew this was a good unit.

After a DeoxIT to cure the scratchy controls I fired it up through my Klipsch KG4 speakers. The guys on the Klipsch Forum are all crazy for the x30 Harman Kardon receivers and their tube-like sound, especially some of the low wattage units and I must say, it sounds excellent driving the KG4s.

The first thing I noticed is how loud this receiver is. While it is only 25 watts per channel, it sounds much louder than that and I barely get the volume control past 10 o’clock. This characteristic is probably due to the receiver’s unique “dual mono” design, which leverages two transformers and two fairly large capacitors per channel.

To my ears, this really makes a difference in sound quality compared to other ‘70s silver faced receivers. In addition to more volume you get great clarity and detail. With the dual power supplies the receiver does not need to break a sweat to deliver sweet sounds. Treble is crisp and clean and bass is deep and controlled. However, the thing that really got my attention was how fast and rhythmic this receiver is. Many of my other vintage receivers sound plodding in comparison. Very impressive. It sounds great through headphones and the phono stage is also very good, although not quite up to the standards of my Marantz 2245.

This is definitely a keeper and is what buying vintage stereo is all about – fantastic build quality, great looks and superb sound, all for under $100.

HK430 Stereo Receiver (25 watts x 2)

FIRST MANUFACTURED: 1976
LAST MANUFACTURED: 1977
SPECIFICATIONS: Tuner Section
Capture Ratio : 2.5dB
Image Rejection : 60dB
Spurious Response Rejection : 50dB
Alternate Channel Selectivity : 60dB
Total Harmonic Distortion : MONO - 0.6%STEREO - 0.7%
Amplifier Section
Power Output : 25 watts RMS/ch, both driven into 8 ohms 20Hz - 20kHz,w/Power Bandwidth : 10Hz - 40kHZ at Frequency Response : 20Hz - 20kHz +/-0.5dB4Hz - 140kHz, -3dB
Rise Time : SQUARE WAVE - Square Wave Tilt : Total Harmonic Distortion : Intermodulation Distortion : Hum and Noise : Better than 65dB below rated output
Damping Factor : 40

Pedalboards of the Stars: Scott Henderson

2011-05-14T09:32:00.000-04:00

Scott Henderson is one of my favorite players and he has always had a killer tone in my opinion – especially live and with the awesome Tribal Tech. And some of his tastiest tones I've heard were on some live recordings of his stint with the Zawinul Syndicate in the late 80s.

Here’s a look at a fairly recent board from the Henderson, Jeff Berlin and Dennis Chambers tour [still waiting for East Coast dates guys!]

RC Booster – this has apparently been modified to the “Scott Henderson Signature Model” specs
Maxon Sonic Distortion SD9
Fulltone Octafuzz
Zvex – Fuzz Factory
Arion Stereo Chorus SCH-1 [with true bypass mod]
Tech 21 Midi Mouse
Vox Wah
Boss volume pedal

Pedalboards of the Stars: Robben Ford

2011-05-05T08:23:00.005-04:00

Robben Ford is one of my favorite guitar players and a tone monster. Here's a look at a recent pedalboard [from December 2010]. In the past he has just used volume, wah and the Zendrive, but his board seems to be expanding. It now includes:

Ernie Ball volume pedal
Vox Wah [may be modified]
Korg Pitchblack tuner
Hermida Audio Zendrive overdrive
Arion Chorus SCH-1 [with true bypass mod] - same as Landau and Henderson have used
Line 6 DL4 Delay
G-Lab Reverb
Buffer [to maintain signal strength]

Of course, it really helps your tone when you plug this into a $35,000 Dumble amp although Robben sometimes uses Fender Blackface amps with great results.

With so many of my favorite players using the Arion Chorus I may have have to pick one up - again - and re-evaluate my decision to sell the one I had. That's been replaced with the Analogman Chorus, but I am wondering now if I made a mistake. Although at the time it didn't knock me out as a chorus pedal - but most people use it just for the rotating Leslie simulation. That aspect of the pedal was really nice and certainly a cheaper option than the DLS RotoSim that's on my shopping list.

The other pedal Robben has that interests me is the Zendrive. I could not be happier with my Timmy, but I see the Zendrive on a lot of boards and that says something about its quality.

RAZL: Rotonova - Intergalactic dirty guitar grooves for earthling weirdos

2011-05-03T18:59:00.009-04:00

I've really been enjoying the debut album [released in 2008] by Spanish guitarist Razl called "Rotonova."

Razl has a couple of things going for him that set him apart from the crowd. First, he does not use a pick so solos are finger picked and chords often plucked, which gives him a different approach than most players. Second, I really like his guitar sound and pedal choices. He plays mostly with a clean tone and spices it up with rotating Leslie simulations and tremolo to great effect. Even though he reminds me a little of John Scofield and Oz Noy [and some of the tracks echo the jazz-funk of the Brecker Brothers minus the horns], he definitely has his own voice which is refreshing in this day and age of "me-too" players. The bass player and drummer lay down some frantic funky grooves on "Rotonova", which provide the perfect backdrop for Razl to build some very tasteful solos.

A foundation for Razl's sounds and approach is the H&K Rotosphere. I have been wanting a DLS RotoSim for months to get a similar rotating Leslie simulation. And hearing "Rotonova" has really got me thinking about picking one up. Here's a look at Razl's pedalboard:

Hughes & Kettner Rotosphere
Line 6 FM4 (Filter) & DL4 (Delay)
Moogerfooger Ring Modulator
Voodoo Lab Tremolo
Z Vex Distortron
DOD FX17 Wah
Boss TU 2 Tuner
Voodoo Lab Pedal Power 2 plus
Carl Martin Big John Power Supply

The 2008 CD "Rotonova" is highly recommended if you like funky jazz/fusion. The good news is he has just released a new CD called "Microscopic" which has been added to my shopping list without hesitation.

More info at www.razlplanet.com and CDs at www.abstractlogix.com as well as www.cdbaby.com.

Product Review: MXR Custom Badass '78 Distortion

2011-05-03T11:18:00.009-04:00

Does the world really need another distortion pedal? According to MXR, the answer is definitely "Yes!"

The company recently introduced the horribly named Custom Badass '78 Distortion. When I think of 1978 [a little hard to remember, I admit] I think of the distorted tones I was listening to on vinyl at the time: Van Halen "I", Aerosmith "Live Bootleg", Ted Nugent "Double Live Gonzo", AC/DC "Powerage", and The Who "Who Are You". Could this little red box recapture those tones from yesteryear?

The pedal has controls for Output, Tone, and Distortion [gain] plus an extra circuit that you can engage using the Crunch button which is basically a midrange boost that moves the tonality a little closer to a classic Tube Screamer. Build quality looks to be very good.

So how does it sound? Overall, I'd say it is a decent sounding pedal that is somewhat similar to a MXR Distortion+ on steroids or the Boss DS-1, but with more tonal options and higher fidelity. My favorite settings are with the Distortion control below 2 o'clock and with the Crunch circuit engaged. The pedal has a lot of gain on tap and it sounds very full and rich at most settings. In fact, it reminds me a lot of the Danelectro Cool Cat Fuzz in that respect, but to my ears it only makes a passing attempt at capturing the tones I listened to back in '78. IMO those tones were thinner and less compressed than what the Custom Badass '78 Distortion is serving up - although the Crunch circuit does help it sound less dark.

The distortion pedal landscape is full of some really nice choices so MXR is going into a very, very crowded marketplace. However, this is a quality unit at a very competitive price point of only $80. That's a good bang for the buck and with their marketing muscle and mainstream distribution through Guitar Center and Musicians' Friend, they may well ship a lot of units.

The bottom line: This is a pedal worth checking out based on it's tonal flexibility, build quality and attractive price. But if you really wanted '78 tones I would grab a Distortion+ or any of the vintage pedals from that era.

Vintage Stereo - Marantz 2245 Receiver

2011-04-29T09:18:00.001-04:00

Here’s another vintage receiver I picked up recently – a classic Marantz 2245 from the early ‘70s in the WC-22 wood case. It’s in excellent condition overall with a very clean face plate and perfect glass. There is a small chip at the back left corner of the case and some black marks on the knobs, but considering this is over 35 years old these are just minor [character building!] imperfections.

Even though I got the Marantz 2245 receiver for a good price, I knew I would have to put more money into it. The speaker relay was failing resulting in some very loud pops through the speakers and with a receiver this old, capacitors would need replacing. I took it to my vintage stereo repair expert and he gave it a thorough restoration including new power switch, new speaker relay, new caps, and tuner alignment. He believes this to be a low mileage receiver as it has all the original lights still working and was very clean on the inside. Someone had attempted some amateurish repairs, but he corrected those and a low level hum in the right channel. That’s the thing with vintage stereo equipment, you never know what you are getting into . . . and it’s usually bad and expensive.

So how does this old Marantz 2245 receiver sound? The short answer is superb. I am driving some ‘80s Klipsch KG4 speakers which are probably not the best match because they are not very restrained, but it still sounds great. Deep bass, yet super clear and crisp highs. I am hearing things, especially in the lower register, that I have not heard before. Geddy Lee’s bass on “YYZ” has a growl and clarity I have not heard before, for example. The addition of a “mid” control is a nice touch that gives the Marantz a little more control than other receiver brands. It has a big soundstage, great separation and a wonderfully warm presentation, especially when playing LPs. The tuner is strong and sensitive and pulls in stations with ease. It’s much less muddy and warmer than my Pioneer SX-780 although that unit needs recapping as well so it’s not really a fair sonic comparison.

All in all the Marantz 2245 delivers fantastic sound quality that you would have to spend upwards of $1,000 to beat buying new gear today. And no new piece of equipment is going to give you that vintage look and beautiful blue Marantz glow. At 45 real watts per channel it’s not super powerful, but for normal listening that is more than adequate. So two thumbs way up for the Marantz 2245 receiver. It’s my first Marantz and probably not my last.

My Current Pedal Board

2011-04-17T09:56:00.008-04:00

If I’m writing a blog on guitar effects pedals, I should really show my own pedal board. I’d like to add a Voodoo Lab Pedal Power 2 unit to power everything, but otherwise I am really happy with my current line up, which I have had for about 6 months now:

In The FX Loop

Analogman Chorus – Very versatile chorus pedal that covers all the bases. Thick and lush or light and airy with a passable rotating Leslie simulation. $150 used from The Gear Page. ($250 new).
Voodoo Lab Tremolo – Perfect reproduction of Fender amp trems from the ‘60s. $80 on eBay. ($129 new).

In Front of the Amp

Area 51 Wah – Italian Drop in Kit retrofitted into an old Dunlop Wah casing. Killer boutique wah. $199 new.
Tone Factor/Mojo Hand Analogue Filter – Auto wah/envelope filter that’s ideal for funk. $85 from The Gear Page ($150 new)
Barber Tone Press – One of the best compressors you can buy and useful for increasing sustain on single coils. $95 from The Gear Page. ($150 new)
Electro-Harmonix Small Stone Phaser [with Analogman Mods] – Version 2 from 1977 in great shape. One of the definitive phasers from the ‘70s. $80 on eBay + $100 of mods.
KR Products Mega Vibe – As used by Frank Marino and Steve Stevens. Probably the best recreation of a Hendrix vibe; I don’t think these are being made any more. $295 new.
Paul Cochrane’s Timmy – One of the most transparent overdrive pedals made, great for mild, tube-like distortion. Hand made and a long waiting list for these. $160 on The Gear Page. ($129 new but 3-6 months waiting list)
Mojo Hand Huckleberry Fuzz – Very versatile fuzz/distortion box. $55 on eBay. ($150 new)
MXR Carbon Copy Analog Delay – Recent reissue that sounds great with plenty of tonal options from short slap back to spacey echo to self-oscillation madness.

All pedals are connected using a Bill Lawrence Wilde Cable Kit.

Book Review: Bruford - The Autobiography

2011-04-13T12:57:00.009-04:00

This is quite unlike any music autobiography I have ever read. There's no tales of drug binges, wild orgies with groupies, car wrecks, or any of the usual excess we have come to expect from "famous" musicians - take a bow Motley Crue. Considering how long Bruford spent with Yes and King Crimson, there's also very little detail about those seminal bands.

What we do get though, is a large serving of disdain for the "music business" and a very intellectual analysis of making music, musicians and the audience. There are passing references to Chris Squire, Robert Fripp and others but that's not what this book is all about.

Perhaps the strongest feature of his autobiography is the research that crops up on every few pages. Bruford references many published analyses on music and creativity which I found very interesting. And that fits in with the style of the book because it is a very analytical and intellectual read. Obviously none of the stupid drummer jokes apply to Bruford.

However, what makes this book different is also its downfall in my opinion. An autobiography is supposed to be personal, and this book doesn't deliver on that level. I would have liked to know more about how some of those classic albums ["Fragile", "Close to the Edge", "Red", "Discipline" etc.] were conceived, rehearsed and recorded. I want to know about other musicians he's played with and loved or hated and why [there are a few references, but not many]. As he's now retired, let's hope that is covered in book #2.

After reading this, I felt I got a better understanding of what it's like to be a musician that remains true to themselves despite the industry they are in. I feel I know what Bruford thinks about a lot of topics, but I don't feel I really know what makes Bruford tick or some of the experiences he has had that have shaped him as a person. He comes across as rather cold and removed from everything, like he was a distant observer of events rather than actually being in among the drama.

The other thing that rubs me the wrong way is that he has had an incredible 40-year career in the music business - yet there are a lot of sour grapes and a lack of appreciation of how lucky he has been. I would be on cloud nine if I could jam with Tony Levin or travel the world doing what I loved.

Overall, it's an interesting, intellectual read, but I would not be beating down the door to buy it at full price unless you are already a huge Bruford, Yes, or King Crimson fan.

Listen Up: Third World Electric - Kilimanjaro Secret Brew [2009]

2011-04-12T14:24:00.010-04:00

Here's a great disc worth tracking down. I like '70s Weather Report a lot, but being a guitar player, I always wished they had a guitarist. This CD gives you an idea what that would have sounded like: F A N T A S T I C !

This disc is very much in the Weather Report & Zawinul Syndicate [with Scott Henderson] camp - it's a tasty gumbo of '70s jazz-fusion and ethnic/world music. Of course it doesn't hurt that the band features some seriously good players - The Flower Kings' Roine Stolt, Jonas Reingold and [ex-FK drummer] Zoltan Csorsz along with drum monster Dave Weckl on three tracks. Scott Kinsey [Tribal Tech keyboardist] put out an album called "Kinesthetics" in 2006 in a similar style, but I find "Kilimanjaro Secret Brew" much more exciting and interesting.

Each track offers jazzy grooves and African soundscapes that give the players plenty of space to solo over. However, unlike the super indulgent '70s, everything is kept very controlled and concise. And that's the big attraction of this disc: everything is just right. The rhythm section is excellent on every track [wonderfully nimble fretted and fretless bass playing by Reingold], the synth textures are perfectly '70s, and Roine Stolt provides some nice guitar textures, including some wah pedal, to add some crunch. The icing on the cake is the recording itself: crystal clear and very dynamic, unlike the super compressed CDs that are typically produced these days.

I have really been enjoying this hard to find CD lately and highly recommend it. It's a travesty that such a great album has no major label support and limited distribution [it's on the bass players' label Reingold Records]. But I won't beat that dead horse any more.

Available from Abstract Logix, Audiophile Imports and other online sources.

1 Waterfront Migration
2 Ode To Joe
3 Capetown Traffic
4 Downbeat Dakar
5 The Lava Juggler
6 Kilimanjaro Secret Brew
7 Tincan Robots
8 Children Of The Future

Jonas Reingold (fender & warmoth basses)
Dave Weckl (drums)
Zoltan Csorsz (drums)
Karl Martin Almqvist (tenor & soprano saxophones)
Roine Stolt (guitars & keyboards)
Ayi Solomon (congas & percussion)
Lalle Larsson (piano, rhodes & synth)

Movie Review: I Need That Record [The Death (or Possible Survival)] of the Independent Record Store

2011-04-09T10:05:00.004-04:00

I watched this documentary recently (streamed from Netflix) and I found it quite interesting and enjoyable. I don't think it completely answers the subtitle though: The Death (or Possible Survival) of the Independent Record Store. There's a lot about the death, but not much about the survival.

Through interviews with independent store owners (many of them going out of business) and independent artists/labels, the movie charts the decline and splintering apart of the music business. It examines the "pay for play" trend, the consolidation of radio stations leading to narrow playlists, the gouging of consumers with $18.98 CD pricing, the impact of MTV, the rise and fall of Napster, and how the Internet has turned the music industry upside down. Much of this we already know, but the documentary does a good job of providing context and supporting statistics for these developments.

It's a fairly short documentary and well worth watching for those of us interested in music.

Listen Up: Frank Marino @ Showcase Live, Foxboro, MA 11/04/10

2011-03-29T19:21:00.008-04:00

Today I've been spinning a fantastic audience recording of this legendary, but underrated guitarist. I've been buying Marino/Mahogany Rush albums since 1977 and have a few unofficial live recordings and this is by far the best audience capture in circulation among bootleg collectors. Frank may have found the Lord in the last few years, but he's also rediscovered his immense chops. Hendrix was always a huge influence and if that wasn't obvious he drives the point home by playing a 20+ minute version of "Voodoo Chile" along with extended versions of "Red House", "Are you experienced" and the rarely played "Axis: Bold as Love". While I like Hendrix a lot, I would have preferred that he played some more of his own material. But these are minor complaints because overall this is a killer show.

CD 1
01. Voodoo Chile - Somethings comin' our way
02. Red House
03. He's Calling
04. Dragonfly
05. Are You Experienced

CD 2
01. Axis Bold As Love
02. Poppy - She's Not There - Crossroads
03. Strange Universe

CD 3
01. Stories of a hero
02. Rock and roll hall of fame
03. Drum Solo
04. Guitar Solo-Electric Reflections of War - World Anthem
05. Try For Freedom - Amazing grace