I’m really enjoying this setup at the moment. Sometimes simplicity just works. I’ve got everything I really need here: tuner, an overdrive/boost and a delay. Plus a Wah pedal in front when the desire for such a thing hits.

Signal chain is Boss TU2 — Thorpyfx Peacemaker — TC Electronic Alter Ego Tape Delay. The Wah is a Dunlop CAE unit with switchable Fasel inductors and a built in boost if required.

All of that is mounted on a Pedaltrain Metro 20 with power coming from my original Voodoo Lab Pedal Power 2 which I wasn’t using.

The Thorpyfx Peacekeeper is a low gain overdrive with a 3 band eq. It is spectacularly good at boosting an already overdriven amp, without adding too much colour. I also love the sound of the Alter Ego Tape Delay, although I have had some problems with the foot switch working loose. I’ve done it up as tight as I can and it seems to be holding now. At the moment, my Strymon El Capistan Tape Echo, wont work on this board as the power supply doesn’t have an output that can provide enough milliamps. That will stay on my bigger board for the time being.

That “bigger” board is a Pedaltrain Jr, so it’s hardly massive, but I like this new simpler approach. I have so many pedals now that a cull seems likely. Recently, I have definitely fallen foul of the “acquisition of things” syndrome, particularly as far as pedals are concerned. I now have 5 drive pedals for example. And nobody needs 4 pedal tuners!!

I’m seeing so many players on Facebook groups, posting these enormous pedalboards with 3 Strymons, 4 boutique drives etc etc. However, I’m not convinced that many of them, actually have a clue on how to use all those pedals. Don’t get me wrong, there are some stellar players with massive boards (Steven Wilson, Guthrie Govan etc) who know exactly what they are doing with lots of effects, but I also feel that a lot of players are using effects to cover up some deficiencies. If that makes me sound like a snob, so be it, but some players seem to be searching all the time for a sound, rather than actually concentrating on writing a great song. Maybe thats indicative of all of us players, in that we are always searching for the latest/better sound. Each to their own, but certainly for me at the moment, less is more.

Hello!

It’s very busy in the land of guitargeek-dom at the moment. Demand for lessons is at a new high, so if you’re interested in booking a slot, please get in touch ASAP! I have a little bit of availability in the popular early evening slots, but also don’t forget I have availability in the daytime too. Email me with your day and time requirements, and I’ll see what I can do.

Sorry there hasn’t been any new video activity for a couple of weeks. I do have a couple of pedal demos in the pipeline, including one for the Thorpyfx Peacekeeper.

However, my main focus has been recording some new demos for my band The Nightwires. I always have lots of ideas on the go, so even though we only released “Life of Sound” last summer, Russell and I thought we’d start working on some new stuff. I think we plan on releasing them one song at a time, rather than doing another full album. Having said that, an EP release may see the light of day. Who knows. I’ll keep you all updated…

Everyone got an outing at last weekends rehearsal for The Nightwires. Well, all except Mr Jazzmaster, who was left at home, crying jazzy tears. Don’t worry my friend, you get to see all my lovely students during lessons! Anyway…

These 3 guitars cover all required bases to be honest. Still, it doesn’t stop me looking at shiny new things. The internet has a lot to answer for, in helping me spend my money.

Here is the ThorpyFX Peacekeeper low gain overdrive pedal. I’ve had to move on lots of stuff to get this one, but it was well worth it. Its being described as a “Klon Killer” but I think its much more flexible than that mythical pedal.

The 3 band eq is extremely powerful and the level of gain on tap is perfect for me. I’m using it as a boost for an already overdriven amplifier and there is loads of level available, to use it for this purpose. It’s gone straight onto my new “simple” board and it sounds particularly good with my Morgan amplifier. A video review will follow in a week or so…

Here is my latest video, featuring one of my newest acquisitions…

I recently decided to put together a new small pedalboard, initially to use with my Morgan Amplifier. The main reason being, that the Wampler Clarksdale Overdrive (which was not being used) sounds so great with the Morgan. The Tubescreamer based circuit, just complements the tone of the AC20 Deluxe so well.

However, I’m not man enough to play without any delay! So I bought a TC Electronic Alter Ego V2 from Andertons to stick on the board. That pedal seemed to be a great balance between sound quality and price. It is very good, although not as good as my Strymon El Capistan, but then not much is.

The Voodoo Lab power supply is also a spare one I wan’t using. The board is a Pedaltrain Metro 20, with the hard case.

Video number 2 of the day, this time with my Jazzmaster in Drop D tuning. I’d been listening to a lot of Philip Sayce before I did this one…

After I discovered that my Wampler Clarksdale Overdrive pedal, sounds so great into my Morgan Amplifier, I thought I’d do a couple of quick iPhone videos. Here is the first one, featuring my 2009 PRS DGT.

I had the pleasure of attending The Birmingham Guitar Show yesterday (with my Dad!)

We used to go to every show, every year, but fatigue set in a few years ago and we stopped going to them. Mainly because you see the same stands at every one, but also because the noise is quite unbearable at times. Having 50 people, playing 50 different things, AT THE SAME TIME, can be a little wearing!!

But we decided to give this one a go and we thoroughly enjoyed it. It was good to catch up with my friend and dealer Mark, from Guitars4you. He still has that Sea Foam Green PRS DGT Standard. I resisted! I also saw a barely used Fender Telecaster Reissue, the exact guitar I have been looking at on the internet, but it was £200 cheaper. I managed to resist that too. Somehow.

So, the consensus between us was that we enjoyed it and will go to another one this year. Hopefully when I have a bit more disposable income. I stood in awe at the PRS stand. I’ll leave the pictures here…

Here are some gratuitous gear shots, of my set up from The Nightwires gig in Derby, last Friday. I ended up having to take my Gibson J45 at the last minute, as out support act had to pull out, so we did a short acoustic set, before the main full band show. It all went swimmingly.

The Andy Timmons @ Pedal by JHS, sounded fabulous through my Victory Head. Definitely a keeper.