Flamenco In Princeton 5.1.2010

Some pics from the show.

For the sound gear we use Carvin, 1644U Mixer, Carvin 1500wt Power Amp, DPA 4099G, Shure KSM 141 &SM57, Carvin Mics, American DJ Lights and On Stage Stands and Supports, The System that Carvin sent us was fantastic.

ibd Brush on Gel Resin & Nail Filler Powder

I recently found this new product at gutiarplayernails, however when I checked today they dont seem to offer it any more, so on Sallys they offer it for 2.99 and your have great nails for flamenco guitar playing in 5 second. They last about two weeks and I have found them to be supper easy and quick.

Holds its shape without running
Blends well with filler powders for maximum strength and flexibility
Great for quick, on-the-go nail repairs
Easy to use formula
Easy brush on formula. Its thick formula is perfect for wraps, silk repairs, and strengthening natural nails. It has a no-drip formula that fills gaps and uneven nail beds. It also eliminates air pockets. This non-yellowing IBD gel resin is a versatile product offering maximum strength and flexibility for all nail services.

Handmade Gutiar Foot Stool Black Walnut

I ordered one of these from Strings by Mail they have them new for 35.00

Mukava is a Armrest for Acoustic Guitars

Mukava is a armrest for acoustic guitars. Get a better sound and feel more comfortable and relax while playing your guitar.

Was able to find one on the other side of the pond, in Europe so I ordered one of these as well today. Will post more after I have tired it out.

Update looks very nice, very easy to install, comfortable as well.

A pic of the Mukava from a top view on the DeVoe.

Looking at the side from the rear view

The Mukava just in my hand.

The “Rasgueo-Rest”

Just ordered one of the last The “Rasgueo-Rest” that are available.  I am very glad that I was able to find one.  After my lesson with Titio Rubio today it was apparent that due to my long arms I would need either a larger guitar or some device that would put my arm back a few inches so I would be able to play with my finger tips striking the string near the rosette.   This looks like it will fit the DeVoe and may be the answer.  Will post more when I receive it and get to try it out

The “Rasgueo-Rest” (patent-pending), is an ergonomically designed, adjustable guitar arm rest that will help you to get the most out of your practice and performance time.

The clean lines and transparent design of this arm rest will not compete with, or detract from the beauty of your Guitar’s fine wood. The light-weight construction material is visually non-obtrusive and durable.

Extended Guitar playing hours can become uncomfortable, and cause possible physical damage to the players arm and posture. Your playing time will be more enjoyable, and can be extended using the comfortable support and rounded contour of the Rasgueo-Rest.

This presents an elegant solution to the discomfort that Guitar players often experience from resting their arm on the sharp top edge of the Acoustic Guitar.

The Rasgueo-Rest is light-weight, and will not make your Guitar top-heavy, or change the balance of the instrument. Total weight is only approximately 10 oz. . . If you keep your instrument on a stand, you can leave the support on indefinitely, with no damage to the wood finish. It is easy to remove.

The Rasgueo-Rest RV-9 protects the Guitar’s finish from wear and perspiration damage, besides saving you wear & tear on your arm!It does not touch any area of the sound board, and so your guitar tone is not effected. You may actually discover that the Guitar tone is clarified, because the sound board is no longer dampened with your arm. Your arm and clothing are kept away from the soundboard, promoting full sonic resonance and projection of sound.

For large and tall players, the Rasgueo-Rest provides the additional height-support needed to play in a comfortable posture.The total surface-support area of the guitar is in effect, expanded, so that you do not need to hunch over to find the right playing position. When you get comfortable, playing is just more productive and fun.Model RV-9: $75.00. This fixed height design gives you an arm rest with slight flex, approx 3 inches above your guitar’s top edge. Size: approximately 7″ x 4″ x 2.5 “. It is designed with a smooth ergonomic curve to cushion and support your fore-arm or upper arm, depending on your playing position and size

Spanish Cypress Guitar Neck won on eBay

Spanish Cypress Guitar Neck

The neck is slotted to 650 mm. The head stalk is made from beautiful Rosewood that is well seasoned, quarter-sawn wood.

Beauty of Wood to Guitar

Today is my birthday and a wonderful friend of mine out in CA sent me this guitar kit to build my own Flamenco Cypress Blanca Guitar. Little did Charlene know what she has gotten me into. I am amazed at what luthiers do with wood. My guitar luthier Lester DeVoe made the guitar in the below picture. It amazes me how you can take wood like in the first picture and in the hands of the right person you can create beautiful instruments like the Lester DeVoe makes. Well Im on a journey to see what I can do. I think it may work whether it sounds good and looks good well we will have to see. This is really a cool gift. Im excited about building my first guitar. I thinks guitars just look and sound beautiful.

This is the guitar kit from LMI

This is my Favorite guitar a Lester DeVoe 2008 Flamenco Negra made of Madagascar Rosewood.

Gitano Support for Guitar Update

Gitano Update

Update on the Gitano Support for guitar on the DeVoe. Felt to uncomfortable with suction cups on the DeVoe so I have removed them and polished the side of the guitar. I do like the position that the Support holds the guitar but on expensive guitars Im not comfortable with things that may leave marks etc. For me the DeVoe is the best guitar that I own and do not want to take any chances with it. I did use the King On Suction Cups material as well. Well the DeVoe is just Madagascar Rosewood now with no suction cups.
Thats Lester DeVoe, in his wonderful shop holding up my Flamenco Negra Madagascar Rosewood Guitar that he made for me. Its almost a year old.

Bag Amp Hope to try one in Aug or my trip out to CA

“BagAmp makes other small amps obsolete.”

We can’t make this point strongly enough. No other PA product on earth breaks as much new technology ground as BagAmp. We’ll give you the highlights and see if you agree.

Due to some finical issues I recently had to see my Bose L1 and Fishman Solo amp. I am really hoping that this may be able to replace them. For 700.00 it seems like a very good deal you can read more about them at http://www.bagamp.com/index.html Looks like they may finally be hear in Aug 2009.

Vicente Amigo Paseo do Gracia I can’t wait to listen to this. I hope my copy comes soon. Tomorrow its released in USA

Since he published his first album in 1991, Vicente Amigo has been considered one of the great minds of the flamenco guitar and his career has progressed continually until the release of the much awaited “Paseo de Gracia”, marking the creative summit for the Andalusian artist. “I felt like I was growing as a musician, finding new ways of expression”, says Vicente Amigo about “Paseo de Gracia”. “I have let my imagination fly and my hopes and my music with it, and what can be listened to is part of me “ Amor de nadie The tracks that opens “Paseo de Gracia” has a rumba-tango rhythm, with the vocals of Niña Pastori and the magnificent balance that the drummer Tino di Geraldo and the bassist Antonio Ramos has accustomed us to. Listen to an audio clip Autorretrato With the voice of Enrique Morente and the guitar of Vicente Amigo as backbone of a long, deep, serious and vertical track. It’snearly nine minutes of beautiful music, where the guitar shows its imagination and inventiveness in the instrumental development that are an original brand. “I have had the roots of Autorretrato for a while but I hadn’t developed them, they are a reflection of my experiences” says the guitar player. Listen to an audio clip Bolero del amigo This is a serene track, featuring Vicente Amigo discovering some details of himself on the electric guitar, very well orchestrated with violins and mandolins. “The bolero melody – well that’s how I call it anyway  – is very interesting. It develops very naturally but it isn’t easy to manage. You have to find the harmony, it’s like maths, you have to find the way to order the notes”, says the guitar player. “I picked up the electric guitar as an experiment, it’s a musician thing. I liked the experience, to be a chameleon in a territory that isn’t yours, with that Metheny or Benson thing”. Listen to an audio clip Azules y corinto Track dedicated to the bullfighter Manzanares junior. The vocals are by Rafael de Utrera and Nani Cortés and have a bulería vive with Vicente Amigo showing an exceptional sense of rhythm Listen to an audio clip Y será verdad With the collaboration of Enrique Morente, Alejandro Sanz(“Enrique said he is singing more flamenco than ever “, said the guitar player smiling) and Pedro Heredia on vocals. An exquisite, undulating and sinuous rumba in half time on which the drums by Tino di Geraldo give it a bright and southern pop sound, accompanied by the percussion of another great Paquito González, that also run through the whole album. Listen to an audio clip Luz de la sombra Another bulería with Vicente Amigo’s special perspective with the vocalists Miguel Ortega and José Parra to give character. An essential, naked and complex track, with a full on Vicente Amigo. Paseo de Gracia Track that gives its name to the album. Offers another great balance between high calibre flamenco and a poppy beat on an instrumental tango-rumba that’s all frills. A demonstration of how a simple melody can be developed and branch out to fantasy, seeming always new and original. Pan caliente This is the greatest thing on the album. Agile, dynamic and rumbeado, Vicente Amigo once again demonstrated his talent with the electric guitar Pat Metheny style, while the violin is Grappelliesque that gives it both a modern and old style flavour. La estrella And to finish off, Estrella Morente appears to take hold of this long tango that is incredibly elegant and delicate. “Estrella was going to do another track, but she didn’t like it. I showed her a few ideas and when Enrique Morente Heard these tangos he said immediately: this would be great for Estrella”, says Vicente Amigo. A final gem for a brilliant, open, and subtle album that’s going to be a huge hit.

Insta-Fix Nail Repair Kit

This has been working very well for me. This was something that Jason McGuire showed me.
Insta-Fix
Nail Repair Kit

Repairs Splits, Cracks & Chips in Natural or Artificial Nails.
Just 2 Easy Steps!
Powerful nail glue and salon acrylic powder all in one!
Simply brush on glue and sprinkle with acrylic powder to instantly bond and reinforce fragile nails.
Nail repair in seconds…anytime, anywhere!

My Two Friends Blanca & Negra

I was thinking about the brighter crisper sound of the Blanca guitars yesterday. They are the flamenco guitars that are traditionally made with Spanish Cypress. I remembered that my buddy Charlene helped me get a 1965 Flamenco guitar that I found while on my Honeymoon in 2007 while passing through Santa Cruz CA. While the guitar is old and has a few cracks it just sounds magically warm. It’s a 1965 Miguel Company no. 70 Series Flamenco Guitar with friction pegs. I took it out yesterday and decided its time for it to get fixed and be back to life. I love the way this guitar sounds (its the one on the left in the picture)  and the fact it’s the same age as me is cool too. I wish I could get fixed up too or I’d settle for shedding  a few pounds. Well, hears a pic of the guitar next to the 2008 DeVoe hopefully in 2010 I will be getting a DeVoe Blanca.

Four Masters Speak on Learning the Flamenco Guitar

Four Masters Speak on Learning the Flamenco Guitar

Here are the observations of four guitarists dealing with what it takes to learn to play the flamenco guitar. by Paco Sevilla

RODRIGO ON LEARNING TO PLAY THE FLAMENCO GUITAR (From an interview by El Chileno; Jaleo, June 1981)

Rodrigo, who unfortunately passed away abruptly at a young age in 1996, had some unique and helpful insights into one approach to learning flamenco. And he certainly had the qualifications. As a teenager in California, he was obsessed with learning to accompany the cante, using recordings of Melchor de Marchena and Manuel Morao as his models. When he went to Spain he was able to accompany anything thrown at him. He chose Ronda as his home base, which, in spite of that city being off the beaten path of flamenco, turned out to be a wise decision. As the only guitarist around, he was soon much in demand among the local singers, both amateur and professional. During a two-year period he devoted thousands of hours to accompanying singers in all-night parties, gypsy fiestas, small clubs, and peñas. He appeared in small town contests ofcante, where he would accompany up to fifteen singers in a single night. He spent an additional year in the Málaga area accompanying gypsy rumba singers in bars, or in the pubs of Torremolinos. He worked in a tablaoin Nerja with the dancer Caraestaca, and in the tablao once owned by La Repompa de Málaga. He lived in Algeciras, supported by the local peña, which had him accompany their singers every night. Then he worked in a tablao in La Linea. Finally, he began to appear in festivals, accompanying such popular figures as El Turronero and Curro Lucena. With Curro Lucena he cut a record for the Belter label. Only then did he return to the USA with his Spanish wife and begin to focus on solo playing. Here’s what he had to say about learning flamenco (although he refers to an era somewhat different from today, I think there is still some relevance for today’s aspiring flamencos): “It all depends on what you want to study. For singing, I can’t really comment on that. It is something that happens to our vocal cords when we are little. They develop in a certain way. There has to be a reason why only Andalusian people can sing flamenco. Germans, French, Italians, Americans can all sing opera in Italian, but the only people in the world who can sing flamenco are certain people from Andalucía. It might be a plumber, an ice-cream vendor, whoever—they’ll sing you a fandango that no one in the world can sing. It makes you wonder whether soleares might be more difficult than what Pavarotti sings! So for the singing I don’t know. There have been some Americans who have tried, but I think it is basically a language thing. “As far as dancing goes, the opportunities seem to be great. You can study in Madrid. If you get good enough, there are all kinds of foreign people working in tablaos. American or Japanese people who are learning how to dance have opportunities that are much better than what the best dancers in flamenco history had. Carmen Amaya—who taught her? As they say, she watched the waves rolling in at the beach. In those days people didn’t go in and study for two or three years with a maestro like you can do nowadays. They say El Farruco was dancing on the banks of the river when he was ten years old! Who the hell taught him? “Either you’ve got it or you don’t. If you’ve got it, you’ll get it, you will learn itcAnd if you really want to learn it, you will eventually find a way to get good at it. And you will suffer the way I did to get to work in atablao. You’ll do it for free and every day you will get better. And if you don’t give up, some day you will be a good dancer. It doesn’t work like some people say, eI’ll go to Spain for two months and I’ll get to be a good dancer.’ No, even the good people there have had to struggle to get a steady job and to keep it. The last time we were in Spain, just before coming home, dancers in the tablaos were being paid 400 pesetas [about $6], much less than they were being paid ten years ago—and those are the really good people who know how to dance! “As for the guitar, I think my advice is just like with the singing or dancing: If you want to learn to do flamenco the right way then plan on at least a good ten years of learning it little by little. That will give you plenty of time to learn it. After those ten years you’ll be playing flamenco. You’ll pick up some in the States, pick up some in Spain, at parties, get a job, and little by little it will all take form. But our mentality is to go buy a book and in six months you think you are doing it. No, it takes a good ten or fifteen years to get it all together, maybe even twenty years to put all the pieces together. If you live in Spain for a while, you’ll pick it up. A lesson here and there, practice, listen to recordings, and you’ll get it all together, you’ll learn it. There is no quick method. “Here is what I am going to do with my two sons if they want to play the guitar. Before they get into anything, I’ll have them learn to accompany old-style records. I’ll have them learn how to imitate Melchor de Marchena or Diego del Gastor and people like that, and teach them how to accompany La Fernanda. After that they can learn from El Camarón and get ready for whatever else might happen. But you shouldn’t begin with Camarón because you’ll have missed the whole thing. You have to start from day one, from the beginning of flamencocthat’s the only way you’ll learn how to play. You see, Paco de Lucía knows how. He can sit down andcI’m sure that one day he played tientos like Manolo de Badajoz with La Niña de los Peines. He didn’t sit down and start playing Paco de Lucía falsetas when he was five years old! You have to begin with the old style and learn the compás and then work your way up. Anybody who starts with Paco de Lucía, or the Habichuelas, or someone like that will have missed a lot, because all of these new styles of playing are throwing out a lot of it, are skipping a lot of the old compás. But they know it’s there because they knew how to play it when they were little. That’s why they are able to play and understand the new so well. “You go to Spain and you get off the plane and you are in Málaga and you walk into a bar with your guitar. You know, you could go into a bar—there are certain barrios where you can go in with your guitar and start playing if it’s not too late at night. You might get a couple of people to sing for you. And they’ll invite you over for dinner. Then you’ll get two more people to sing. That’s the way to start, that’s what I would do. I would go into a small bar in Sevilla or Málaga, pick up my guitar and start playing. I might get kicked out, or I might meet somebody who could sing and he’d take me over to his house where I’d meet another person, and another person, and then years later I might be a good flamenco player. I would have had a lot of jobs, and I would know how to accompany everything, and I would have lived in Spain as a Spaniard would, and I might even become a great flamenco player. That’s how to do it.

SABICAS ON LEARNING TO PLAY THE FLAMENCO GUITAR (From an interview by El Niño Chileno; Jaleo, April 1981)

[Sabicas was asked to elaborate on his statement that in order to be a good soloist you must first accompany dancers for twenty years and singers for another twenty. Many top guitarists have supported the essence of this assertion, from Juan Habichuela and Paco de Lucía to Tomatito and Vicente Amigo. Here is how Sabicas explained it.] “The flamenco guitar, as I said on one of my records, represents three careers in one. The way it used to be, the guitarist never rehearsed with the dancer. If she told him, for example, to play epor alegrías,’ he could do it with his back to her if they each knew what needed to be done. Nowadays, dancing is very different. Now they tell you, here you do a falseta, here you end, and so on. That makes it different. So, your first career is playing in a cuadro flamenco for twenty years, for everyone who dances—naturally, without rehearsing! Singing may be even more difficult. You have to emeasure’ the singer’s voice, to determine at what speed he sings. There are some who sing slowly, and if you play too fast he will drown—and vice versa. You have to play exactly the way each person sings; this is very difficult. And then, of course, [when you play solo] you must play correctly, epor derecho” as we say. Each one of these phases takes twenty years. Now, there are some who take less than sixty years and think they can do it in thirty or fifteen. And there are those who play well for thecante but not for the baile, or well for the baile but not for the cante. There are those who are corto [have a small repertoire] or largo [have a larger repertoire]. To be complete and well rounded, however, is very difficult. To know all there is to know in the flamenco guitar is very difficult indeed. “You must go to Spain. That is where it is, and you must immerse yourself in it. Otherwise, you may have good fingers, good technique, but to play the true flamenco, in compás, you must go to Spain. There is no other way. For anything that has to do with flamenco you must go to Spain and get into a good cuadro for two, three, four, or five years. In that way you can become a good artist and have the knowledge you need. Otherwise it is very hard, and I do not think you can ever make your mark. “There are some muchachos who play very well, but as I said, without the ambiente it is very difficult. Without ambiente you cannot do flamenco. A guitarist by himself, playing only what he wants, may have the fingers and the talent, but alone he cannot do it. He needs the ambiente, the palmas, the singing and dancing. Every single day. That helps very much. Nevertheless, one must admire their dedication because it is really admirable. There are some who go to Spain. They want to work, even for free. The same for the Japanese. They go to Spain and they get into a cuadro flamenco. They want no money. They just want to learn. That is really admirable. [You must practice]cas much as possible. The more the better. Nowadays, the way things are in the world, one does not have enough time. Normally, though, two hours in the morning and two hours in the evening should be enough, but no less than that. And you must do everything. You cannot do just one thing, because you will improve on that but the rest will suffer. You should do fifteen minutes of picado, tremolo fifteen minutes, arpeggios another fifteen minutes, thumb work another fifteen minutes. After one hour, then you should go over whatever you think you need. But never practice one thing more than others unless you have fallen behind on that. If everything is equally good, then fifteen minutes to half an hour of each should be sufficient. “There are some guitarists who have constant fingernail problems. They break them often, and not necessarily from playing too much. I just do not know why. Maybe it is the way they strum or tap. There are others who use their fingernails too much while playing. That is not good technique, because they do not play with seguridad or strength. The fingernail should be as short as possible, almost at the level of the flesh, maybe just slightly longer. That is enough. You will have more security and perhaps your nails will not break as often.”

PRACTICE AND PICADOS

(Miguel Ángel Cortés is from Granada (born 1972) and the younger brother of well-known guitarist Paco Cortés; he has won awards in competition, has been accompanist for Mariquilla, Manolete, El Güito, and Carmen Linares, and he has an album, Patriarca; he was interviewed for the Spring 1997 issue of The Journal of Flamenco by Giovanni Ricciulli) When I am on tour I don’t have time to study because of contacts with people, rehearsals, and the changes of routine. But if I am in Granada and I have to study seriously, say for a contest, I can spend a couple of months practicing for eight to ten hours each day. Under normal conditions I only study two or three hours in the morning and three or four hours in the afternoon. Then I go outside for a stroll. Many guitarists strive to improve their picados by forcing their hand flat along the guitar top because they have seen Paco do it. It becomes somewhat of an obsession. When I was younger it caused me many problems, too, trying to force myself into that position. Fortunately, the advice of maestros such as Sabicas made me realize that if it isn’t the natural way of holding the hand, then copying Paco is a foolish thing to do. I keep my fingers straight. My brother does, too. In fact, many guitarists keep their fingers straight and achieve speed. Take Marote. Aren’t his picados fast and powerful? Yet he kept his fingers straight because he felt natural that way. My best advice is that the picados must be done without arrastrar [dragging the fingers from string to string]. You must alternate fingers when you switch strings. Otherwise scales will turn out messy and irregular.

GUITAR TECHNIQUE TODAY

(from: “Honored Traditions: Progressive Directions,” an interview with Pedro Cortés, hijo, by Greg Case in The Journal of Flamenco Artistry, Fall 1996) “Technically, the flamenco guitar is probably the most complex in the world today. In flamenco it used to be that even mediocre guitarists could play [professionally]. Today, if you are mediocre you really cannot play. Today, to be able to play and survive you can’t just do a couple of rasgueados here and a couple of alzapúas there and get away with it. You just can’t. Today you must have the technique to play and there is nothing you can do to get around it. “Some people who take flamenco as a hobby don’t realize how sophisticated it has become. To play well takes time and dedication. You can learn, but it takes dedication. It’s not sitting home for a half an hour practicing a rasgueado or a simple paso de bulerías or sevillanas for a dance class. Anything really advanced requires a lot more and it won’t happen without practice. If you want to play flamenco you can do it, but you have to dedicate the time and work hard at it. If you can understand something easily and play it fairly easily, that’s really cool and you accept it because you can do it. But if you are dealing with Paco de Lucía’s complex, intricate technical harmonies, then you won’t like them as much if you can’t play them in two seconds. You’ll have to spend precious hours really listening and learning them, and if you don’t understand them you won’t be able to play them and you are not going to like them. You’ve got to work! And that goes for all of us. Chuscales gets up at eight in the morning, picks up the guitar and starts practicing. And if I don’t pick up the guitar for two days, I won’t be able to play like I want to. No way! With experience you can invent ways of getting around without practicing, but your chops won’t be there. You simply have to dedicate the time. “Today’s flamenco guitar generation takes for granted that practicing ten or fifteen hours a day is required just to be able to play. The next generation will probably lay down a minimum standard of technique like Paco de Lucia’s. When today’s kids become young men, playing with Paco’s technique and knowledge of harmony will probably be nothing unusualcFlamenco has become a very highly sophisticated art form, whether you want to admit it or not. I’m not saying it is necessarily evolving for the better. It may even be evolving for the worse. But for better or worse it has gone from a tiny little space where it was performed for a few to where it is presented on the most renowned and prestigious stages in the world.”

Fishman Solo Amp

When I was visting with Jason McGuire and working on writing a song. He was showing me how he composes, at the end of our time he showed me his Fishman Solo Amp, he showed it to me with his set up as well as just my Shure KSM 141 mic and gutiar and it sounded great. I think it was much better than the Bose L1. Hope to get one of these in the near future.
Portable and Powerful
Designed for the singer/songwriter, SoloAmp provides exceptional sound quality and coverage in a wide variety of venues. 220Watts of clean, lightweight power drives a line array of six custom high-excursion speakers and a soft dome tweeter. This unique combination delivers incredibly full sound, ultra-wide dispersion, and deeper sonic penetration than the common speaker cabinet. Better yet, the enhanced bass response of the custom-designed speakers means there’s no need for a subwoofer!

It’s a P.A., and an Amp.
With SoloAmp, the performer and audience hear exactly the same sound, meaning there’s no need for separate wedge monitors or a combo amp backline. And because SoloAmp is voiced for the singer/songwriter, acoustic instruments and vocals are projected with superb depth and clarity.

The Ultimate in Portability
SoloAmp weighs only 25lbs*, ships complete with a padded bag equipped with wheels, and includes a rugged speaker stand. Set up takes less than a minute, with only one trip to the car! And full-digital universal power means SoloAmp is ready to travel anywhere in the world.

Features Performing Musicians Demand
Fishman didn’t make SoloAmp this portable by scaling back on features or tone. In fact, they’ve included all of the award-winning elements of the Loudbox family, and added a unique Monitor feature designed to revolutionize an acoustic duo’s ability to hear each other on stage. SoloAmp is also equipped with two mic/instrument channels featuring high-quality preamps, each with 3-band EQ, phantom power, built-in reverb, effects loop, and feedback-fighting notch filter and phase controls.

Specs
Compact Line Array = Ultra wide horizontal dispersion & deeper sound penetration
Two Mic/Instrument Channels
– High-quality preamps
– 3-band EQ
– Phantom Power
– Independent Reverb level
– Effect Loop
– Feedback-fighting Phase and Notch filters
Drivers
– Six 4′ mid-woofers, patented dual gap, high excursion design, neodymium magnets (200W)
– One 1′ neodymium soft dome tweeter with level control (20W)
Auxiliary Stereo Input with Level control
Four Digital Reverb effects with master level
Balanced XLR D.I. outputs for both channels and main mix
Unique Monitor I/O for improved on-stage ensemble monitoring
Mute with remote footswitch input
Tuner Output
Ships with Stand and padded Carry Bag (w/ wheels)
Dimensions: 41.5′ H x 5.6′ W x 6.6′ D
*Weight: 25 lbs without Stand, 35lbs with Bag and Stand

Kremona Bulgaria Ltd. Professional Piezo Pick-Up for Classical Guitar

I was in Palo Alto and visited the Gryphon String Instruments http://www.gryphon.us 650-493-2131 and picked up a Kremona Professional Piezo Pick Up for Classical Guitar. I played it through my Native Instruments on my Mac and ran it into Logic Pro 8 and it sounded pretty good. Will test it with some amps this week. I may have found a live solution. The guys at Gryphon said this is something new and not really on the market yet. What is great is that it installs in minutes no cutting on the guitar and is in no way permeant. Great for all of us who do not want to drill or cut our guitars.

Update 4.4.11 I have had some issues with the pick up input jack and the overall tone has diminished. I am no longer using this pickup due to unreliability. I have talked with a few others that have found the same thing to happen over a relatively short time. For me personally I have decided that I will have two ways of thinking when playing out live. One will be my real good guitars the DeVoe’s with a mic like the DPA 4099 G or Shure KSM 141, and then for small outdoor events, bars, cafes places with kids I will use a Cordoba F7 with the DTar pickup and mic. For small events I will run things into the Roland BA 330 and for large events up to 1500 people I will use the Carvin Sound System.

Professional Piezo Pick-up for Classical Guitar!!! This is the best way to play and enjoy your Classical or Flamenco guitar throughout amplifier. You don’t have to make any wholes or anything to you guitar. 1. Just loosen the strings and slide the pick-up through the strings loops on the tight bar. 2. Tighten strings and retune. 3. Plug in to amplifier’s high impendence input. 4. Enjoy! check them out at

Waves GTR Solo free for a year

DeVoe, Pensa Guitar Stand, Guitar Chair

Well, this is the dream set up for me a Lester DeVoe Flamenco Negra Madagascar Rosewood Sides and Back and a Cedar Top, Original Classical Guitar Chair at 21in, Lance Ltchfield Guitar Support, and a Stand from Rudy’s Music Pensa in NYC. When I play out I use the DPA 4099 Guitar Mic and a Bose L1.

MI Audio Tube Zone

· Top of the range, most flexible MI Audio Overdrive Pedal.
· 4 clipping stages for tube amp-like response and tone
· Works comfortably as a low or high gain device.
· A total of 6 external controls, and one internal control for the ultimate flexibility:
o Gain control with unique taper to provide excellent control over overdrive.
o High/Low balancing control tone control
o Volume Control with output up to 15Vpp with correct power supply!
o Dedicated midrange control
o Character control for adding ‘momentum’ to guitar notes, or keeping things tight
o Brightness control for controlling top end content, and to help match the Tube Zone to different amps.
o Internal presence control to further help dial in the Tube Zone’s tone.
· Single ended class A output.
· Ultra-bright blue LED.
· 3PDT Footswitch with true bypass
· 9V Battery or DC power supply with up to 25V headroom.
· Striking chrome plated case and knobs

My Christmas Present from Kathy & Charlene

Thanks for this great guitar chair

Just picked up some Schematics for older Fender amps.

Just picked up some schematics for some older Fender amps. Hope me a my father can build a few of these.

Some Little Treats

Some nice treats. Lester DeVoe sent me two Damp It’s they help keep the guitar from cracking or drying out. Stings for my guitar The Ibanez Artcore. And a small tool kit to trim strings and take care of the guitars.

End Of Time

Used the Edirol R-09 and was playing the Fender Strat into the Line 6 Pod XT Pro into the Bose Tone Match and L1 Speaker System, the other sounds are from the Korg Triton Rack in the Bose Systme
end-of-time1

Line 6 Pod XT Pro

Picked up a Line 6 Pod XT Pro with all three tone packs for the studo and live playing with the Bose L1 sound System.  Since the introduction of the original POD® in 1998, Line 6 has been a staple in professional recording studios worldwide.  POD® XT Pro embraces that award-winning heritage to give you ultimate tone for guitar.  You get amp models fueled by the latest generation modeling technology for uncompromised detail, along with over 60 stompbox and studio effects, 24 cab models, 4 mic models, 128 user/factory presets, and much, much more.

The award-winning PODXT Pro has become an industry standard for one reason: Your guitar parts will sound better than ever.

PODXT Pro Features:

• 42 Legendary and Classic Amp Models*
• 24 Cab & 4 Mic models*
• 60 Stompbox and Studio Effects*
• 128 Channel Memories*
• Stereo XLR and 1/4-inch analog outs
• AES/EBU, S/PDIF, and USB Digital I/O
• Programmable Effects Loop
• Routing Options
• Deep Editing
• Built-in Chromatic Tuner
• Full MIDI SupportWith the effects built into POD®XT Pro, you have seemingly unlimited ways to customize your sound.  There are 60 models in all that cover everything from vintage stompboxes, modern rack-mounted studio gear, old school tape delays and more.  And with the flexible routing options, you can run up to 6 of these models simultaneously.  It’s time to blow away even the most jaded guitarists and producers.  And let’s face it, they’re all jaded.Last but not least, you also get a built-in chromatic tuner that offers precision tuning at the touch of a button. The tuner features Audio Mute and Bypass options with an adjustable tuning reference and hands-free operation when used with the FBV™ series foot controllers.   

Boo on Bose and UPS

Man this had been one of the worst shipping experiences I have ever had.  Bose says they shipped UPS says they never got it.  All in all everything but the speakers have made it to me but the system with out the speakers is no good.  They keep saying it will be hear but its not as of 9:40 even thought Bose paid an extra 100.00 to have it shipped and delivered by 9:30 guaranteed.   I think all this guarantee is bs.  Shame on Bose and UPS you can’t pick up orders, ship on time, you lost packages and dont deliver on time.  YOU take our monty but dont deliver on your promises.

Gitano guitar support (on the DeVoe)

Put the Gitano on the DeVoe and so far I like it. I don’t have to use a foot stool and both feet stay level as well as my back. = longer playing and feeling better.

Well I have had this on the guitar for a few weeks and today when I took it off there were two rings from where the suction cups were. Did not dent or pull off finish but I was not able to get rid of the marks on the gitar. Kind of what happens with wood when you put a cool glass on it and it leaves rings by where the glass was.

Stage Line Wooden Guitar Stand

Picked up this stand from Sam Ash for 19.00

sE Electronics GM 10

The sE Electronics GM 10 came today and I just tested it with the DeVoe and it sounds great. It really was brand new in the box unopened. I picked it up for 130.00 on eBay. I’ve been looking at these for about a year and a hafe. They go new for 450.00-500.00. Very happy with the mic and will use it with the Bose system.

 

 

 

The GM10 incorporates the world’s smallest gold sputtered mylar capsule at 17.1mm, along with a proprietary shock mount assembly built into the capsule head. A universal clamping system enables the user to fix the mic in place (on any flat backed acoustic guitar) so the condenser capsule is perfectly placed top record take after take from exactly the same position.

The clamping mechanism and shock mount ensure that there is zero mechanical noise transferred through the guitar body. This allows the user to capture a perfect recording every time, while still being able to move around freely, which encourages the performer to give their best on a take.

The Guitar Mic really does transform recorded performances of acoustic guitar, and the way you work in the studio.

Premier Guitar “We nicknamed this mic “the voice of God.” Omnipresent is not an overstatement. It’s a huge sound, bold, rich and deep with fantastic representation of detail and a shimmering yet substantial high end. It gets mounted to the guitar with a clever arm and shock mount, which incorporates the XLR connector. It takes a little time to get it on at first, and then it takes some getting used to as it restricts movement just a bit. But this mic is always in the sweet spot when you’re on stage or recording, and it sounds phenomenal either way. 

Audio Media “The sound of this small fixed cardiod mic is fantastic, in comparison with a conventional large diaphragm mic; it was quickly noticeable how well it captured the high frequencies and its off-axis response really gives a very natural sound with plenty of harmonics from the guitar. I really have to take my hat off to SE Electronics for the approach it seems to have with its hand-built mics. The GM10’s ergonomic design and clever thinking will certainly will make life much easier for recording high quality acoustic guitars with a minimum of fuss.

Back Axe Update

The Back Axe worked really good going thrugh the airport. I am using it when traveling with the DeVoe and the in Calton Tour Case (Extra Heavy Duty) then a Colorado Case Cover for the Calton case. The Back Axe wraps around the cover and clips giving me two shoulder straps, and a handle. I also have access to my normal case handele.
Update 10.7.08 This is a great idea for carring around your case. With the waight of a Calton case this was really nice to use as I was in and out of airports. It makes travling with the guitar much easyier. I had the Colorado case cover the Calton case and the straps over the case. Also easy to carry on the plane and put in the overhead compartment. Worked very well and will use this when I travel. Thanks Back Axe.