Category: The Hermit’s Cave

“The Hermit’s Cave” is my little home recording studio. This is a general catch-all tag for anything about me and my gear.

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#TweedTone: Comparing Fractal Audio’s Deluxe Tweed Model With A Physical 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 in 2023 has become so expensive, it’s difficult to justify. So I’ve started looking at alternatives, to see how they compare to the real thing.

I’ve previously looked at UAD’s Fender 55 Tweed Deluxe plugin (which did well). How will Fractal Audio’s Deluxe Tweed model in my Axe-FX 3 compare?

Continue reading “#TweedTone: Comparing Fractal Audio’s Deluxe Tweed Model With A Physical Tweed Deluxe Amp”
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#TweedTone: Comparing Universal Audio’s Fender 55 With A Real Fender 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 in 2023 has become so expensive, it’s difficult to justify. So I’ve started looking at alternatives, to see how they compare to the real thing.

First up is the Fender 55 Tweed Deluxe plugin from Universal Audio.

Continue reading “#TweedTone: Comparing Universal Audio’s Fender 55 With A Real Fender Tweed Deluxe Amp”
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#TweedTone: You’ve Got To Be A Huge Fan Of Tweed Tone To Get A Real Fender Tweed Deluxe Amp In 2023

Regular readers will know that I’m quite the fan of “tweed tone”: the sound of classic amps from the fifties. So much so that, back in 2021, I went out and bought Fender’s modern reissue of the holy grail of tweed amps: the 5e3 Tweed Deluxe.

I’m glad that I got mine when I did, because I’m not sure that I could afford – or justify – buying the same amp in late 2023.

Read on if you’re interested in my thoughts and experiences on this topic.

Continue reading “#TweedTone: You’ve Got To Be A Huge Fan Of Tweed Tone To Get A Real Fender Tweed Deluxe Amp In 2023”
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First Impressions: Tone City King of Blues Dual Overdrive Pedal

This photo shows the Tone City King of Blues overdrive pedal on my pedalboard, next to my Analogman King of Tone overdrive pedal.

It’s impossible to talk about the King of Blues without comparing it to the Analogman King of Tone – because that’s the question everyone wants to know. Is it a King of Tone clone, or (at the very least) a passible substitute?

No, it isn’t. The King of Blues is its own thing. And I really dig it. Read on for the full details, including audio demos to demonstrate why.

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New Arrivals: May 2023

This month, I had – and took – the opportunity to add a couple of increasingly-rare tweed tone pedals to my collection. In both cases, I’m very glad that I did.

I also tried out a new (to me) pedal brand for the first time: NUX. I grabbed a couple of their pedals. Both were excellent in their own way.

Finally, I picked up another clone-in-a-box from my favourite pedal clone maker, websmurfer. It’s always a delight for me to try one of their designs.

Read on for all the details.

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