Orange Dual Terror Power Tube Swap (maybe a little bit on the VLOG side ...

HERE Y'ALL GO! It's a new video. Kind of bloggy, little ranty, and just a walk through.



This is my first attempt at a more 'complex' video (that could be a little stretch).



ENJOY! a blog on this video will be up in a few days with some more ranting and info.

Trashed's Shop is OPEN!!! Come on in and Check it out!

2017-01-11 - Sometimes Ya Gotta' Pay to Play

Dear Tone Brothers.

I have something to tell you of utmost importance. Some things in life aren't cheap. Good tone ISN'T.

I am not slandering those with a small budget, but if you stick with it, you will pay.

Those solid-state (also know as transistor amps) are not going to make you sound like your rock 'god'. I don't care how good you are if you are playing on a Marshall M10 watt combo, you won't exactly sound like a professional. WATCH THIS STATEMENT: You may PLAY like a professional, but it isn't going to SOUND professional (as in studio, or gig, etc.). Don't get me wrong, paying like a professional is definitely an achievement and something to be proud of, but so is good tone.

(Trashed kicks the dust off of his boots and continues)

Are tube amps the end-all for tone? No. 

Personally they are for me (I have 19 quality tube amps), and I love the suckers.

Do you need tubes to sound like a 'professional'? No. 

If you are on the way up, an amp is the core of your tone. $400 used gets you a great combo in the right market. I am referencing a Peavey 6505+ combo, Marshall DSL40c combo, Fender Hot Rod Deluxe combo, etc., but there are tons. That $400 will be WELL spent.

Lets talk about guitars. Your $100 Squier Strat, is a viable instrument with a little work. Your $100 Epiphone LP Special (IMO) is trash-can bound in time. It depends on what guitar to a degree, but at that price the quality is generally pretty low across the board.

So Trashed - WHY do you want to spend a little more on a guitar? 

There are a bunch of reasons. Typically mid-level instruments stay in tune better, are of higher quality regarding fit and finish, the fretwork is notably better, the hardware is a little better. They will just feel better in your hands, if you are transitioning form a cheap guitar, and you play a mid level guitar, you will feel the difference right away. It isn't something I can really describe, its just a vibe.

I am going to stick to the sub $400 used budget. Ibanez RG's (without tremolos), Epiphone Les Paul Standard, Fender Mexican Strat. They will all play well with a little set-up, and sound much better. If you are obsessive, you may want to get a new nut fit for it, maybe a fret-level and crown. However for me? I haven't done that on any cheap guitars.

Is $800 a lot to invest in a past time/hobby? To me, not a whole lot. I can probably think of a dozen more hobbies where you invest more in mid level equipment. Also for most of my readers, they are beyond the entry phase to be researching.

Pay to Play.

CHEERS BROTHERS, 

TRASHED.

*I have a bunch of disclaimers here. The guitars and amps I referenced are just really common guitars and amps that you can find anywhere. In most of those cases they can be found cheaper. I posted those for a broad audience, a basic 'metal' rig, a 'rock' rig, and more of a 'clean' amp for other things. However, they are ALL gig-worthy.

2017-01-09 Locking Tuners

QUESTIONS:

1. They sound handy, don't they?
2. Your guitar stays way better in tune than standard tuners, right?
3. You don't need a locking nut for Floyd Roses do you?
4. They are less likely to fail aren't they?
5. They are far superior, aren't they?

ANSWERS:
1. To some (who haven't experienced the bastards).
2. Not really. Maybe a *little* bit if at all. FYI guitar tuners are NOT the root of most causes.
3. Hmmmm... Sounds great,but unfortunately, NOPE.
4. No difference.
5. That is an opinion, and NOT MINE.

So now we have debunked some bullshit lets go on, Trashed is ready to rant.

To frame the experience with locking tuners, i have had Sperzels, Grover, Fender, and whatever came on a Charvel I had. That pretty much covers the turf. They don't stay in tune better, in fact my Sperzel's broke in a few weeks, the clamp that goes in the middle of the tuner got stuck in there and I could not even get the string out. I like Grover more than the other brands, and they are the most tolerable. Gotoh makes the best IMO, but I don't have a lot of experience with them on locking tuners, so I will keep my mouth shut. The Charvel ones flat out failed (sent the guitar back and didn't want another, so I bought something else).

Ok, Trashed, "So if they are sooooo bad, why do the make them anyway?

My smart-ass response: "Kia still makes cars, don't they?"

OK, lets be serious, people buy them.

Now for a disclaimer, some people do prefer them, this is MY OPINION.

WHAT IS GOOD ABOUT LOCKING TUNERS?

They make it faster to change your strings. Seriously. that is plus, a lot more wrapping and maybe a little less stretching needing to be done... but, is it worth it? Not for me. I have never had reliability issues with any traditional tuners, my preference is Gotoh or Schaller, and following those, Grover.

Glad that is over.

Be sure to add some hate-spam to my wonderful blog,

Trashed