Category: Series

All of the recurring features – #CoffeeAndKlon, First Impressions, #LongTermReview, New Arrivals – all in one place.

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#CoffeeAndKlon 37: Why So Much Gear?

#CoffeeAndKlon is my (irregular!) Sunday morning magazine series, where I talk about whatever’s on my mind right now. There’s always coffee, and there’s normally chat about the Klon and its many competitors.

This week, I want to address a question (and associated sentiment) that crops up in comments from time to time: why do I try so much gear?

You’ll want to make yourself a drink first; this is going to be a longer post, as there’s a lot to unpack.

Continue reading “#CoffeeAndKlon 37: Why So Much Gear?”
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(Belated) New Arrivals: December 2023 & January 2024

Yeah, I’m a little late with this. I’ve had a rough start to the year, and I’ll leave it at that.

Despite not blogging for months, I have been playing guitar … and enjoying a couple of new pedals that arrived over the festive season. Together, I’ve found them to be especially inspiring, and they’ve become my preferred signal chain for my Silver Sky.

Read on to learn about them.

Continue reading “(Belated) New Arrivals: December 2023 & January 2024”
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#TweedTone: Can I Dial In A Better Speaker Emulation For My Tweed Deluxe Amp?

I’m lucky enough to own a physical Tweed Deluxe amp. I also think that a Tweed Deluxe amp rig for home use has become so expensive in 2023, it’s difficult to justify. So I’ve started looking at alternatives, to see how they compare to the real thing.

Last time out, I sat down and built a preset for my Axe-FX 3 that gets pretty close to the speaker emulation in the UAFX Woodrow amp+cab sim pedal. My real Tweed Deluxe amp sounded really good through that.

Today, I want to continue tweaking the preset, to see if I can get my real amp sounding even better.

Continue reading “#TweedTone: Can I Dial In A Better Speaker Emulation For My Tweed Deluxe Amp?”
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#TweedTone: Can The Axe-FX 3 Reproduce The Speaker Emulation Of The UAFX Woodrow?

I’m lucky enough to own a physical Tweed Deluxe amp. I also think that a Tweed Deluxe amp rig for home use has become so expensive in 2023, it’s difficult to justify. So I’ve started looking at alternatives, to see how they compare to the real thing.

This time around, I’ve got a different kind of question that I want to explore. Can I recreate the UAFX Woodrow’s speaker emulation in my Axe-FX 3, using only the stock cabs?

And why would I want to?

Continue reading “#TweedTone: Can The Axe-FX 3 Reproduce The Speaker Emulation Of The UAFX Woodrow?”
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Studio Diary #39: Why I Use DAW Plugins For Delay And Reverb On My #TweedTone Comparisons

‘Studio Diary’ is an occasional series where I talk about building a home recording setup for hobbyists and enthusiasts like us. I share my personal experiences, and the thinking behind some of the decisions that I’ve made along the way.

This time around, I want to answer a question that nobody has asked me. Why am I using DAW plugins for delay and reverb, instead of my Axe-FX 3?

Read on if you’re interested in my thinking behind this decision. And if you’re not interested, no worries 🙂

Continue reading “Studio Diary #39: Why I Use DAW Plugins For Delay And Reverb On My #TweedTone Comparisons”
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#TweedTone: How Does The Wampler Tweed ’57 Pedal Compare To A Real Tweed Deluxe Amp?

I’m lucky enough to own a physical Tweed Deluxe amp. I also think that a Tweed Deluxe amp rig for home use has become so expensive in 2023, it’s difficult to justify. So I’ve started looking at alternatives, to see how they compare to the real thing.

Today, I’m looking at Wampler’s classic Tweed ’57 overdrive pedal.

Continue reading “#TweedTone: How Does The Wampler Tweed ’57 Pedal Compare To A Real Tweed Deluxe Amp?”