The articles listed on this page are mostly about gear that I own and use, sometimes about gear I have owned and used, or have repaired and tested. They are carefully put together (well, most of the time) to provide useful information to the reader.
It often takes three or more days work to complete a single web page, since I do all the writing, photography and diagrams (as needed). This sometimes includes rebuilding circuit schematics, manuals and other bits from crappy scans (then it takes even longer).
I welcome additional information and/or comments on/about things I may have overlooked from readers. Praise is good too. I don't do product comparisons and I don't get sponsorship from ANYONE! So, my comments are for real and not adapted to suit a pet brand. Just so you know - enjoy!
The main sections on this page are:
GEAR 
Amps / Monitors / PA
130929 ACOUSTIC - 450 Lead / Bass Amplifier Head, Vintage Guitar Amp - Review and Description
The Acoustic 450 Lead / Bass Head was an integral part of my guitar rig for around
years. A true classic Solid State vintage amplifier that is still fully functional after
years.
140331 FENDER Princeton Chorus Guitar Amplifier Review and Description
The Fender Princeton Chorus Guitar Amplifier is a part of my current guitar rig. A versatile and well featured little all-rounder that can deliver a clean 40W RMS.
150520 Behringer Ultrabass BXL1800A 180W(?) Bass Guitar Amplifier
The Behringer Ultrabass BXL1800A is a budget, compact Bass Amplifier package which certainly has a respectable kick for its size and is more than adequate for rehearsals and smaller venues.
191012 Presonus Eris E5 Powered Monitor Speakers Review and Description
Presonus Eris E5 - Powered Near-Field Studio Monitors - compact, clear, studio quality at a great price.
191013 Vonyx (Skytec) SPJ-1000A Active 10 Inch Speaker Review and Description
Vonyx (was Skytec) SPJ-1000A Active 10 Inch Speaker - Lightweight, compact, balanced tone, affordable small venue PA.
Ceriatone Boutique Valve Amp - coming soon.
JBL EON-12 - coming soon.
Guitars
140407 ASPEN AD25 - 6 String Acoustic Guitar - Review and Description
A surprisingly rich tone for a small acoustic guitar. Good as a student's guitar or for travelling.
140118 MATON EM125C - 6 String Acoustic Guitar - Review and Description
A well made and great sounding Acoustic guitar that upholds the Maton tradition of superior guitar building craftsmanship.
140108 MATON Mastersound MS500 - 6 String Electric Guitar - Review and Description
A well crafted and versatile Electric Guitar that upholds the Maton tradition of superior build quality.
190722 YAMAHA FG-410-12A 12 String Acoustic - Review and Description
A well constructed and reliable twelve string acoustic guitar with a rich well rounded tone.
200420 Ibanez RG8, 8 String Electric Guitar - Review and Description
Solid and well constructed 8 string, more than just a beginner 8 string metal instrument.
200422 Yamaha G-228 Classical Guitar - Review and Description
Excellent build quality, sounds good, a nice to play entry level classical guitar.
200426 Jim Beam Devil's Cut Hollow Body 335 Style Guitar
A nightmare of crappy construction in need of holy intervention, absolution and/or redemption.
200812 La Patrie Concert CW QiT Classical Guitar (by Godin)
A superb playing, great sounding, hybrid/modern approach to classical guitar playing.
201106 La Patrie Presentation Classical Guitar (by Godin)
Coming in just behind the La Patrie Concert, another great classical guitar.
201222 Godin XtSA Multi-voice Electric Guitar
A truly awesome piece of modern guitar technology that also plays an sounds great.
221207 Godin Freeway Classic Electric Guitar
Straight up no bullshit, plays well and sounds great.
210105 Esteve Model 8 Classical Guitar
Dissapointing for a 'hand-made' Spanish instrument. Reviewed instrument may not be typical.
210426 Maton EM425C/12, 12 String Acoustic Guitar
Not as good as originally expected 'ex-factory', but all good after some neck tweaks.
211105 Fender DG-14SCE Natural 6 String Acoustic Guitar
Excellent quality acoustic instrument from Fender.
Synths, Keyboards, MIDI Controllers
140223 Casio WK-7500 - 76 Key, Keyboard / Workstation - Review and Description
A good value keyboard and MIDI sound source with many great aspects. Not really a Pro Level workstation though.
140223 ROLAND U220 - Sound / Synthesizer Module - Review and Description
A powerful MIDI sound / synthesizer module from the late 1980's. Currently used in conjunction with MIDI Guitar.
140310 ROLAND Sound Library SN-U110 and SN-MV30-S1 Series PCM Cards
Suitable for the Roland U-110, U-20 and U-220.
CASIO WK-7500 & WK-7600 Articles
12/11/00 An Experience with the CASIO WK-7500
This is your classic caveat emptor (or buyer beware) story that relates some of my first experiences with the CASIO WK-7500 Workstation Keyboard.
12/12/00 Capabilities of the CASIO WK-7500 (and WK-7600) Workstation Keyboard
A follow-up article that provides some very specific information about what the CASIO WK-7500 Keyboard Workstation can and more importantly can't do. Useful if you are considering this device.
13/07/29 Specification Comparison CASIO WK-7600 and WK-7500 Workstation Keyboards
Another follow-up article that directly compares the specifications of the Casio WK-7600 to the now superceded WK-7500. The changes really are mostly cosmetic.
Yamaha Genos (a real workstation) coming soon ...
Guitar, Bass & Keyboard Effects / Pedals / Consoles / Controllers
131215 ZOOM GFX-707 - Guitar Multi-Effects Pedal Review and Description
The Zoom GFX-707 was my first Guitar Multi-Effects pedal and is still an occasional part of my guitar rig.
150501 ZOOM 707 II - Guitar Multi-Effects Pedal Review and Description
The Zoom 707 II was my second Guitar Multi-Effects pedal.
160410 ZOOM BFX-708 - Bass Guitar Multi-Effects Pedal Review and Description
The Zoom BFX-708 is a plug and play Bass Guitar Multi-Effects pedal.
151016 ZOOM G9.2tt - Guitar Multi-Effects Console Review and Description
The Zoom G9.2tt is a truly awesome Guitar Multi-Effects Console and primary component of my rig.
200508 Behringer RV600 Reverb Machine Review and Description
A good value, budget, reverb modeling stomp pedal with lots of useful options for ambience effects.
200508 Behringer EM600 Echo Machine - Review and Description
An excellent value, low budget, echo/delay stomp pedal, having a good set of delay options.
Recording Gear, Accessories and General Stuff
170429 Xvive U2 Guitar Wireless System Review and Description
The Xvive U2 Guitar Wireless System works exceptionally well, in fact good enough for use in recording.
160605 AM 403 - Passive Dual DI (Direct Inject) Box Review and Description
The AM 403 is simple, sturdy and efficient It will handle most Direct Inject tasks well for a fraction of the price of brand name units.
160727 Amplifier Dummy Load for use with a Direct Inject (DI) Box
Simple effective solution for taking an amplifier output straight into a DI Box.
160803 Tube / Valve Replacement for the ZOOM G9.2tt Guitar Effects Console
A Simple 'How To' Guide for sourcing and replacing the 12AX7 tubes in a ZOOM G9.2tt.
200507 Behringer Eurorack Pro RX1602 Rackmount Mixer
A compact, simple and effective 1 RU, 19" rack mount solution, for mixing 8 stereo Line Level signals.
200507 Behringer FBQ1502HD Ultragraph Pro
A useful, affordable, stereo, 19" rack mount, 15 band, 2/3 octave per band Graphic EQ.
Tascam DP24 coming eventually - when I get off my butt ... yeah, I know ;-)
Gear You Really Don't Want !!!
170429 Caline CP-24 10 Band Graphic EQ - Review and Description
If you really need a Graphic EQ, stay away from the Caline CP-24.
MUSIC RECORDING
130219 Recording Acoustic Guitar Strategies Part 1
A How-To article on Recording options for Acoustic/Electric instruments.
130226 Hardware vs Software DAWs for Off-The-Grid Recording Solutions
A comparison table look at some of the pros and cons of Hardware verses Software Digital Audio Workstations, specifically with a view to Home Studio Recording Off-The-Grid.
130305 Basic Gear for Setting Up a Home Recording Studio - Part 1
Focusing on Digital Audio Workstation options.
130307 Making your own MIDI Guitar Synthesizer - Part 1
How to turn your guitar into a synthesizer without going broke.
HISTORY
A Quick Note: You might be wondering why I've bothered to review what are often essentially vintage guitars, amps and effects. The reasons are simple. I know this equipment very well and in many cases there is next to no meaningful info about this gear elsewhere. So these pages fill a void for those who may be looking to purchase (or even sell) these items. Some pages have already proven to be both popular and extremely useful to many people - job done!
130224 My Home Studio Recording History
An interesting look at how technologies have changed.
Last Updated: Wizard - 191016
