Overdrive -- the amp or the pedal?!?

It's a legitimate question. And it seems to have come up in discussion with other colleagues lately. We spend our whole careers as guitarists thinking about this, and hopefully making the right choice. Just like any other time a question is posed about guitar playing, most of the answers you get online (forums/message boards) tend to be about the gear itself, rather than the playing (the important part), so for the sake of this writing, we will assume the readers can all actually play with something resembling proficiency. Here are the questions you must ask yourself:

1. Is this a “professional” endeavor? – It's simple really...are you getting paid to make these guitar sounds? If you are, then the choice is not up to you, it's up to whoever is signing the check, or the musical director, the artist, contractor, etc. If these people are “trusting” your professional expertise and leaving it up to you, then there are further considerations...
2. Are you reproducing a recording? If you are, then one quick google search will tell you the gear used on that recording. That should give you a good place to start
3. Is it YOUR gig? Self explanatory: do whatever you want.
4. Are you part of a creative process, like the writing of original music, or a collaboration? If so, you need to have a few tools handy, a few different pedals, maybe a couple different amp & gtr choices, and combinations of them, and see which one works for the collaborative effort through simple trial-n-error and experimentation.
5. Are you using other analog/digital FX along with the overdrive? Because those effects will behave differently depending on what else you're using.

Modeling:

It's 2013, we have to make a living, and things like direct-to-console digital modeling rigs, no amplifiers (or wedges) on stage, and shields around drummers are a reality. I've learned not to take it personally, it really has nothing to do with the actual musicians. It's another simple case of what's happened in the recent past, like the last 20 years or so. As usual, technological advancements are leaving musicians in the dust, and we need to race to keep up. The rise of digital recording platforms, digital FOH/monitor consoles, concerts/productions being run digitally within software, etc. have all proliferated the need for guitarists to familiarize themselves with digital modeling technology (by companies like Line 6, Vox tonelab, Boss, Zoom, etc...) and to try and squeeze good sound out of it. Most of us at the professional level are not in love with these modeling sounds. Digital reproductions of timeless amp, effects, cabinets, mics, etc are getting closer all the time, but we all agree that they still don't sound entirely like the real thing. However, it's a professional language we must learn in fluency if we are to remain competetive in making our living. In short, they don't sound good. We use them because we have to, and because they're paying us.

So...in the event that we DO NOT have to use a modeler, how do we make the choice between amplifier distortion and pedal distortion?

Unfortunately it's not simple. We have a LOT of choices. There are more high-end, wonderfully handcrafted, and amazing sounding overdrive pedals then there have ever been. This gets back to what I always say about trying to find information online about new products, many times the guys writing the reviews are not the guys who can actually PLAY, so tread carefully. I personally like to consult my fellow pros first.

The same is true for amplifiers...there are more than there have ever been. If we ARE using an amp, more often than not, if it's OUR amp, it's a tube amp. Unfortunately (or fortunately) for companies still manufacturing vacuum tube technologies, guitarists are the only ones keeping them in business anymore. Glass tubes are not the most reliable of technology, but nothing else sounds that good.

You don't always “get what you pay for” with these things either. I know many guys who try and “buy” their way into being talented, and it never works. Spending 3 times what I do on an amp or a pedal does not make you a better player. Spending three times the amount of practice time actually does. And it shouldn't matter WHAT you're making music with, if you call yourself a musician, it should always sound like music, even if the equipment sucks.

MY Choice:

It's my personal belief that Leo Fender, followed immediately by Jim Marshall, followed then by Randall Smith, were all on to something. We all already know this, but what they did for us was gave us amps that sound nicely distorted when they're turned up, and that distortion, or overdrive, comes from a combination of both the (smaller) preamp tubes and the (larger) power amp tubes working together to produce those rich harmonics and overtones that give us our rock distortion sound. So, with that in mind, I like to use an amp first, if it's my choice.

A 2 channel amp with master volume(s), if I can, and if it's all MY gear, I use a THREE channel amp. I need three levels of overdrive to really express myself the way I want to:

1. A very chimey, high-headroom clean sound that doesn't break up too easily … unless I really slam it with my hands or hit it with a pedal
2. A nice early-Marshall low- to mid-gain “grunt” sound for blues and what I call “non-invasive” overdrive playing
3. A high gain, sustaining, singing lead sound

Being a professional guitar player puts me in the position of having to check my artistic preferences at the door, and does not afford me the luxury of playing the music I actually LIKE for a living. My job is to (at least minimally) enjoy every style, and play convincingly in each one. However, by origin, and in my heart and soul, I am a ROCK GUITAR PLAYER. I always will be, and I will never downplay my allegiance to rock music first. So, I tend to gravitate towards those kinds of amp and pedal choices.

Finding an amp that has both a usable clean sound AND a usable rock sound is a tall order, but again, there are many choices of both two- and three-channel amps out there. I am pretty loyal to Mesa Boogie, and I have 4 choices of amps from them, all with at least two channels. My favorite one (from the famed Mark series) has three. I also enjoy some other amps like Fryette, Bogner, Fuchs, etc... when get the chance to play them.

We can't fly our amps anymore, and we probably never will be able to ever again, so on tour, I RARELY get a two-channel amp, and if I do, one of the channels is usually unusable, so a couple of good distortion boxes are necessary. I like to have a tube-screamer type, and a Rat or Boss DS1 type. They don't quite sound like an overdriven amp, but they're good enough.

There is one kind of distortion I never use an amp for, because it's technically impossible to, and that's fuzz. I also keep two fuzz pedals on my #1 board, which is (mostly) analog. A fuzz-face type pedal, and an octavia-type pedal. My idolatry of Hendrix makes me unable to rid my rig of these two sounds. When used musically, they're extremely effective, even for ballads and r&b. I'd also like to thank the Queens of the Stone Age guitar players for being largely responsible for the repopularization of fuzz pedals in recent years. In any event, I have two or three amp channels, and those two pedals on the floor, used only with cleaner amp sounds, and those are all the flavors that I need for any gig I do.

The only two things in my main rig that ARE digital are delay and reverb, and those go in the effects loop of whatever tube amp I have chosen for the job. Hopefully the loop is active (perhaps even buffered with a tube), and has level controls for both send and return.

In a modeling rig you'll have all these choices and a million other ones too, but choose carefully. When we start cranking up the gain and turning on too many FX we run the risk of losing a lot of fundamental musicality. The number one priority for making gear choices for us guitar players is being MUSICAL.

We live in a glorious time for guitar gear, and the amount of choices we have is remarkable. Unfortunately, stores are not much help, especially the big ones. Make sure there's a decent return policy involved, because we are not really gonna know how good anything is until we take it to a musical situation with other musicians. And rest easy that if it's new enough, in good condition, and at least semi-desirable, it's easy to lay off an amp or a pedal on ebay, or to one of our friends who also plays.

I'm going to close this piece with something I just found today in a book, and it is from a very wonderful guitarist named Marc Ducret:

“Very few instruments share the particular characteristic of being, like the electric guitar, divided into totally separate parts: the body of the guitar and the amplifier. From this comes a slight schizophrenia. The body, which we hold against ourselves, which we touch and slap, with which we dance, is connected by a cord (umbilical) to a head [amplifier] which determines the quality of sound produced. This causes a complete disconnection between the work on the instrument and it's real sound--a strange situation for a musician, something a trumpet player could never understand, for example. The task of the guitarist perhaps consists of reuniting these two elements and finally making the 'head' sound like the 'body.'”

The case for Android, unlocked, and pre-paid wireless

The Case for Android, unlocked, and pre-paid wireless

The smartphone/tablet OS debate is always a hot one. Competition is fierce, and people are very passionate about what they're loyal to. I am one of these people. It's Android-or-Death for me. I am not a stupid man, I like facts, and developing strong opinions through due diligence and research, so although Android obviously doesn't need me to defend it, with nearly 80% of the market share as of Q2 2013, I'm gonna make my case for it, and look at a couple other things.

So-called “Android Inferiority”:

• Widgets: the ability to get things we need on our phone's home screen without opening an app. Apple doesn't do this. Getting things done with widgets uses less horsepower, and it's a shitload faster
• Changeable keyboards: Apple's cockblocked here too. We all have different types of fingers, typing styles, grammar, and languages. It's nice to have the choices and custom fits for our hands
• Screen size: Admittedly, we don't want something TOO big in our pocket, but things like the Nexus 4 and HTC One are hard to beat when it comes to big, wonderful displays in 1080p.
• Google: 'Nuff said, seamless integration of all the features they offer in their suite.
• App integration: iOS used to offer this, and their users miss it sorely. It simply means the ability for one app to call another and integrate with it intelligently. For example: you can set Dropbox to open PDF files in QuickOffice, Kindle, or another PDF reader, not just the dropbox app.
• Cheaper apps, and more apps

Inferior? Not remotely. Different? Yes. Better? 80% of us worldwide think so. And what is definitely is, is cheaper.

My “socio-political case” for Android:

I am a (mostly) proud American, and a libertarian one. I am not a member of the Libertarian Party, nor any other political party, but I do believe in our freedoms and rights that are guaranteed in writing. I am also a contributing member of the Open Source Software Movement, and a longtime Linux-user. To me, have software and operating systems being open, altrustic, and available to anyone to tweak, modify, customize, and improve is a productive way of maintaining a libertarian lifestyle. It's representative of the cause for freedom and democracy. The Apple Jail Cell doesn't feel that way to me. And yes, I have owned enough Apple devices to be able to make the decision diligently.

I don't think it's very “American” of Apple to hold their cards so close, and to maintain almost Nazi-Germany-levels of control over hardware and software. But, they charge a premium for what they offer, and people pay it. I'm happy they are a successful company in a free market, but everyone's got causes they believe in, and one of my missions in life on a daily business is to try and take business away from Apple. Some I know have called in a “vendetta”. Well, it's not exactly changing my facebook profile pic to an equal sign, but it is in fact a cause I hit the streets for every day, and I do see the results. And once again, I'm grateful that I have the right to pursue this as an American.

My device:

This is not a “device” discussion, only one of “platform”, but everyone likes to know something about the wizz-bang phone that I have. It's the Google Nexus 4. It's simply the device that I chose, for three reasons:

1. It's unlocked, and not tied to any carrier...but we'll get to that in a minute
2. It's a pure Android experience, with updates coming in faster than any other device, and as an Android developer who writes a tiny bit of code, I can see how I'm helping my OSM cause and community more quickly with this particular device
3. It's got a huge and wonderful HD screen, horsepower to spare, and no matter how much I load it up with, it still runs like a barnburner

The case for unlocked:

Apples “inmates” are no doubt familiar with the contract they're asked to sign every two years, it's God-awful inflated premium price, and it's conditions that rival most marriages I witness. There is no need, on our “quest for freedom” to subscribe to ANY of this. Here's a little more info:

Most of America operates on CDMA networks (Verizon, Sprint, the other big boys), so that's what most people use. But most of the rest of the world's carriers are GSM. The two networks that are GSM in the United States are T-Mobile and AT&T. You can argue about the service and coverage of each network if you like, and I will attest that Verizon's coverage nationwide has proven to be the best in recent years, having been an AT&T, Verizon, and also Sprint customer before. I owned an iPhone for over 2 years on AT&T. What a corrupt relationship THOSE two companies had...but you can look into that on your own.

Anyway, when your device is unlocked, you have a SIM card slot. And you can interchange your SIM cards. So, if you travel internationally, like people in my business do, you ALWAYS have the option of taking your own device with you, buying a prepaid SIM in the country/region you visit from one of their HUGE varieties of GSM carriers, and having normal phone service just like you would in the US. You don't have to buy another phone, or sign another contract. With a little due diligence and homework, the sailing is smooth.

Lastly, having an unlocked phone allows you to go prepaid, and that's the best economic decision you can make if you call yourself a financially-responsible smartphone user. So now, we'll get to that...

The case for Pre-Paid Wireless service:

People worldwide are jumping from the big CDMA carriers like passengers on the sinking Titanic and going to prepaid. Why? For the same reasons 80% of them buy Android...same or better features, a shitload less bread. Post-paid 2-year-contracts with the big boys are the most irresponsible thing you can do with your money. If you've already gone unlocked, you have a bunch of the “MVNO's” to choose from.

The MVNOs (Mobile Virtual Network Operators) are generic “white-label” network operators that buy time in bulk from the big carriers. Because of this, they're allowed to offer wireless coverage at a SEVERELY discounted price. Every major network, whether CDMA or GSM, has prepaid generic MVNO alternatives. Here is a list, and under what networks they operate. Feel free to take your existing device from your existing carrier (whether iPile/android/windows phone or blackberry), and jump ship to one of these. Or you can buy a new device when you come over. The SAME devices are available, including flagship android devices like the Galaxy, the HTC One, and the Nexus 4. Contact me for help if you like. I'm happy to take business away from the big boys.

Also, with an unlocked phone, you can switch carriers every month (as long as whenever you do, you're prepared to put up with a couple hours of number porting time), and try out all the networks, there are even a couple of MVNOs that offer service over multiple networks.

Now for the REALLY IMPORTANT STUFF....

SIMPLE ECONOMICS:

We ALL need to save money, don't we? Prepaid wireless is one of the fastest and quickets ways to do it. If you're on a 2-year post-paid contract with the big boys, you're just pissing money away. I am using my Nexus 4 on an MVNO called Solavei, which operates on T-Mobile's network. Not everywhere, but certainly in my little corner of Vegas and elsewhere I've toured in the past months of using it, after conducting speed tests with other users, their HSPA+ rivals 4G LTE in every way, and sometimes it's even faster. I may be just a lucky SOB, but in my house it's nearly as fast as my DOCSIS 3 broadband internet connection.

So, Solavei gives me unlimited talking, texting, and 4g data (with no throttling that I can see after six months, although I've never quite made it to 5 GB), for $48 a month. That's just RIDICULOUS-cheap.

I went to a verizon store in recent days, just for fun, and watched some turkey-neck douchebag in a BMW walk in to purchase an iPhone 5. He was NOT eligible for an upgrade. But like his Beamer, he probably just needed a new status symbol. So, he paid the $649 price for the phone. My Nexus 4 (16GB) was pre-ordered for $299 straight from Google. His bill, after I researched it, after all taxes and surcharges too, came to nearly $140 a month, and he had a new 2-year contract he was locked into. I went out to my car, pushed play on the new record from The Winery Dogs again, and did the math.

Turkey-Neck DoucheBag will spend over $2000 more than I will over the span of the next two years his contract is in place. Plus, he's jailed by the contract itself. Now, savings will vary, but that's just a staggering number. Can you afford to lose two grand?? I can't, so I won't spend it.

Happy 50th Anniversary, Equal Pay Act!

Today is the 50^th anniversary of the Equal Pay Act. So, of course, as per usual, the major media/entertainment outlets are pummeling us with women and their vagina monologues about equality. Well ladies, once again, you've inspired a REAL MAN to share his thoughts. Here goes:

Women are currently outnumbering men by 40% in graduating from college. 1 in 4 women earns more than her husband does. We have women CEOs, business owners, political officials, judges, we've had two in a row as Secretary of State, and we could have a woman president in 2016. That's progress. You should be proud.

However, when you start the day today by complaining that you only earn $0.77 for ever $1.00 I do, when theoretically doing the same exact job I do, that's where the buck stops (so to speak). In the same breath you ask for an additional day off per month to deal with menstruating, and you also expect in the next breath to have your job waiting patiently for you after you take a year off for maternity leave. THAT, girls, is not equality, that's special privileges and special treatment. When you ask for these things, you are PROVING to men that you are not willing to work as hard as we are for the same money, so if you're getting less, it's because you deserve it.

It's no different than expecting to be wined and dined and put on a pedestal just for the privilege of entering into your vagina. You can't have it all, girls. You've already got all the progress I mentioned before, you can have a brilliant career with the high-profile position of influence and good pay, the corner office, etc...but as soon as you leave work, you need to be “taken care of” by men. Again, that's unfair, and it does not promote the equality you are squawking about so much today.

Some of us are real men. We are not the Gyno-Crats you have elected to office, or the suitor who is afraid he won't get to have sex with you, with one hand on his dick and the other on his wallet, we are not the pussy hipsters who will subsidize your $30,000 IVF treatment with our tax dollars. We are REAL MEN, and real men treat women like equals and PEERS when you deserve it, when you earn it, and when we get treated with the proper reciprocity. This goes for both professional and personal circumstances.