In my recent post, I repaired the power switch on my Yamaha THR10 practice amp after it took a spill from the back of my car. Now, it’s time to deal with the road rash. These black scuff marks on the front panel are the last evidence of its run-in with the pavement. More
I’ve written before about the circuit challenges on the Epiphone Riviera P-93 – treble loss when turning down the volume, no way to use treble bleed caps, and the awkward always-on middle pickup. More
The Yamaha THR10 is a fun little practice amp which sounds surprisingly good (and loud!) for its size. It weighs just a few pounds and can run on batteries, so it’s easy to toss in the car for a travel amp. Unfortunately, it is just as easily tossed out of the car, as I learned when my THR10 stage-dived from the car onto the pavement. Ouch! It survived mostly unscathed, except for the power switch. It still works, sort of… but it’s bent and hard to use. I’ve procrastinated on this because it’s not a trivial repair, but am finally getting around to it.More
My OnStage Cup Holder has been attached to my mic stand for a few years, and has been host to all types of tasty-drink containers. Beer bottles, Solo cups, plastic water bottles- you name it. This is critical equipment! So, I was devastated after a recent gig to find it busted in two.More
Ok, repair may be too strong a word. Maybe exploration and experimentation would be more accurate. At a recent rehearsal, channel 2 on our Mackie DL32R mixer cut out. Hey, that’s my mic! More
Sometimes at rehearsal with my band, we’ll play with a click to focus on rhythm. We use an old BOSS DR-770 drum machine set to a simple accented rimshot pattern. This certainly works better than running a metronome app on the phone. All good, until the DR-770 battery dies…More
I’ve just returned from a family vacation to Australia. As usual I brought my trusty travel guitar- the Traveler EG-1. And as usual, I was pulled aside at every airport security checkpoint to have the guitar tested for explosives. Every time, without fail! Now I finally know why…
Before I put my old Takamine acoustic up for sale, I want to give it a little TLC. This guitar has its fair share of battle scars. There are a few larger dings which I’m not going to attempt to repair. But it has tons of little scratches that I should be able to do something about.More
I bought my very first guitar for $200 in 1985, at Spitzer’s Music in Concord. At the time, I thought of myself as a keyboard player and was pretty clueless about guitar. But I loved the sound of guitar, and really wanted to be a part of that world. The salesman at Spitzer recommended this used 1978 Takamine F-375S, and I just took his word for it.More
I purchased my Sony MDR-7509HD headphones in 2007. I love these cans- they’re comfortable and they sound great. However, the ear cups and headband are a bit lacking in quality and longevity. The thin filmy material is nice and soft when new, but eventually deteriorates. I have a couple pairs of Sony MDR-V6‘s and the same thing happens with those.More
