Spring Record Round-Up
June is here and it’s my favorite time of the year. Summer is on the horizon and the air is brimming with fresh pollen and a resurgence of newfound energy. As I make my way up to Alaska for the summer I will be bringing these wonderful albums along with me for the ride. A lot of these releases tend to veer more towards the ambient and instrumental realms as that is where my head has been at lately. However, there are some “rock ” offerings for those who need to blow some steam. If you still use Spotify I…
read moreA Japanese Luthiers Half Century Anniversary at the Gorham Brothers
Come join me on a field trip to Syracuse, New York in search of a Yairi… I have a deep connection to a city that lies adjacent to my home. It happens to be the last stop on the rust belt, known to many as the “salt city”. It’s home to the Great New York State Fair, and is the final resting place for the legendary guitarist Elizabeth Cotten. My hometown of Auburn is just shy of a forty minutes drive west of the fairgrounds and I spent my youth watching Bret Hart wrestle at the War Memorial, to countless…
read moreMy Battery Powered Mobile Recording Studioe
So for those of you that have been following along with me you have most likely noticed by now that I am living full time in a campervan while traveling the country. What does that mean for my guitar gear and recording situation you asked? Well, I sold a lot of things and the remainder of what’s still in my collections is either locked away in storage or at a friends studio being used to make records (as intended). However, I have packed enough with me to keep my ADHD riddled brain occupied and in a constant state of creative…
read moreA Day Off In Portland With Randall Taylor of Amulets
In September 2022 I was on tour with Nine Inch Nails with three days off in a row in Portland, Oregon. I had spent my first day under my usual spells of sleeping in late, followed by an afternoon stroll to get some freshly roasted coffee. I have been fortunate enough to visit the rose city on countless occasions over the years, but this was the most time that I had been alotted to explore it’s offerings while on tour. As much as I am always in search of new experiences, I also enjoy revisiting familiar scenes from my past.…
read moreA Beginners Guide To Pedalboards Pt. 2 : Those Boards Don’t Work, Unless You Have Power!
The power section is the heart of any electronic device, and without that pulse, you can’t accomplish anything. No power means you’re missing out on all the fun of having one of these toenail smashers – which is to make some noise, impress your friends, make new friends, and at the very least, have an adequate replacement for lost nail clippers. There are countless options for power supplies, and they all have their features, advantages, and disadvantages. If you find yourself building your own from scratch or revamping an existing board for the sixth time, it’s safe to assume that…
read moreBest “Guitar Music” of 2021
Strong arguments have been made over the landscape of modern day popular music that the guitar went extinct during the last epoch. However, if there has been one prevailing notion during uncertain times it’s that art and music can serve as medicine for the mind, body and soul, and for me that was “Guitar Music” specifically. I rested heavily on instrumental and ambient music to ease the circulating madness around me and buried inside. As some were lost in the depths of tiktok, I was walking around with headphones listening to anything that wielded the powers of escape, all while…
read moreA Beginners Guide To Pedalboards Pt. 1: Choosing Your Pedals
My first pedals were a DOD Grunge overdrive and a Dunlop Cry Baby. I was drawn to the aesthetic of those early DOD pedals because they told me exactly what I was getting myself into. The sound wasn’t great, and my Hendrix-inspired wah-wah did not mix well with the attitude of Kurt Cobain trapped inside of a purple and black box with the settings of “loud, butt, face” and “grunge” maxed out. Now that I am reflecting on that time, I like to see myself as a young avant-garde noise artist playing one-person shows in my parents’ basement, but truth…
read moreFive Ways to Get to Know Your Multimeter
(Originally published on the Earthquaker Devices blog.) A digital multimeter is one of the most useful tools for anyone working on electronic instruments. They are used all across repair shops, on the road, and can always be reliable in dire situations. This is a must-have tool for anyone getting into electronics or at the very least curious about how their instrument works and want to know more about how to troubleshoot problems on their own. Best of all they’re not expensive either; this one that I am using on these examples costs less than $20 and you can find it…
read moreA Basic Understanding & Guide to a Guitar Setup
Originally published on the Earthquaker Devices blog on June 1, 2020. You’re stuck at home with more time on your hands than you know what to do with, so you decide to pick up a guitar that you haven’t played in a while. You loved playing it over the years, but it’s lost its luster. Though it may seem like things are changing every day, your opinion of that guitar shouldn’t have to change as well. That lackluster feeling probably just means that it needs to be brought back into alignment. Your guitar should inspire you to keep playing every…
read morePedalboard Build: Jesse Tobias
Back in April of 2019 I started working with Jesse Tobias (guitar player for Morrissey). In preparations for an upcoming tour he wanted to update his current board as it was a mess of mismatched power cables, gross old velcro, and busted pedals. I was eagerd to get my hands on this and get his situation up to what I consider to be normal. I had just over a week to get this ready in time for an upcoming tour with Morrissey. So with the help of my colleague and mentor Erik Bailey (@unfirommusicla) I was able to get it…
read more
Crossed Wires 