FRANCIS ROBERTS / KING GORM, OLD MAN WIZARD, YAGA-SHURA

Gear & Loathing is proud to present the brand-new Yaga-Shura track “The Sky Is Blue” for your listening pleasure. Be sure to buy it via Bandcamp if you can.

Francis Roberts: Bandcamp / King Gorm / Old Man Wizard / Yaga-Shura / Instagram / Twitter

1. In your last Gear & Loathing feature, we mostly focused on your Old Man Wizard gear but you’ve got more (and different) irons in the fire right now. Tell me about your new projects and what you’re working on. What’s inspiring you these days, musically?

Funny you mention that. I’m actually listening through my second mix of a new Old Man Wizard album while I answer these questions. As far as new stuff goes, I’m doing a lot of more cinematic music, mostly with synthesizers. I recently scored a couple of short films that will hopefully be out soon, and I’m releasing a lot of dark ambient/dungeon synth type stuff over at my Bandcamp page.

Aside from that, I have an album coming out for my sorta throwback Rainbow/Uriah Heep worship-type of project King Gorm at the end of July. Behind all of that I have a fairly experimental synth-pop/electronic project called Yaga-Shura that I’m periodically releasing stuff for. That’s the only project I’ve got right now where I’ll listen to stuff I made and think to myself, “How did I make that sound?” or “How did I make time to make that sound?” Lots of fine detail work and sequencing of hardware.

2. In your last Gear & Loathing feature, you showed us your silver High Spirit Strat. It’s been awhile since then: why/how has it remained your #1 after all this time? Is there a challenger perhaps?

No challenger really. On the new Old Man Wizard album, we did some takes with my other guitars but in the final edits I only ended up using takes where I played the High Spirit one. I play better on it and it sounds better. Same deal with the upcoming King Gorm album and the Yaga-Shura tracks that have guitar in them. I play a lot of guitars that feel like toys, even when they play and sound great. The guitars Connor from High Spirit builds feel more like high quality tools. I actually almost bought a second one so I could have a backup at gigs in case I changed a string, but I can’t really afford to (because of reasons that will become obvious in the next question).

3. I’m gonna need all the details on this synth rig. When/how/why did you get the Mellotron M4000D and the Model D? What are you uses for both? Favorite settings or sounds?

I’ve owned a ton of synths at this point and none of them ever sounded good enough. I probably spent the better part of a year trying to find a synth that could sound like a Model D without costing as much as a Model D, and, well, there aren’t any. I sold all of them within a year of buying them. Not even a Moog Voyager will do it (but those do come really close and are better at other things). I’ve tried the Behringer clones and they’ll sound pretty close if you have twice as much time to dial them in, but if you put them side by side with a Moog, they give you the feeling that you’re going to push them off the table before you get them to sound right. I also can’t get them to shine through a mix the same way. Maybe some other people can. If you’re reading this and you can, please buy me food with the money you saved! Anyway, the Model D ends up on almost every recording I make these days, and the sounds I’ve gotten from it have gotten me hired to do session work and film scores, and it’s actually well on its way to paying for itself, somehow.

The Mellotron is another story. I’ve known I needed a Mellotron for years, and went through a ton of Mellotron plugins and samples. They were great (and still are), and then I found out that this Swedish guy named Markus Resch bought the company and the original tapes and stuff and does a great job maintaining (and honoring) the legacy of the brand. [Check out his website here] He also makes digital sampling synths that use the Mellotron layout and samples the original sounds in a way that is pure magic. I emailed him and asked if he’d sell me one and he was super nice and told me about all the different models he has. I ended up getting his Micro version, loving it (it’s on a ton of my solo stuff, the first Yaga-Shura EP, and the King Gorm album). Then I found out that Markus’s M4000D model has the same type of keybed as an actual Mellotron, which has a sort of bizarre version of polyphonic aftertouch. It’s one of the most expressive instruments I’ve ever played, an absolute masterpiece. I decided to sell my Micro and shop around for an M4000D. I found a used one online and noticed the guy selling it was from San Diego. Small world. Anyway, I ended up giving him my Micro as part of the sale of his M4000D, and I think it made both of us feel a lot better about the transaction. You probably know him: Pall Jenkins from Three Mile Pilot and Black Heart Procession!

My go-to sounds on each instrument depends on the project. A Mellotron is basically an orchestra in a box, so you really have to think like an arranger when you use it. Obviously the famous sounds are the strings and flutes, but I find myself using the tubular bells, woodwinds, vibraphone, and celeste sounds quite a bit. I use the Moog for bass, leads, and sound effects. I usually create a sound specifically for each track I make. It feels a lot like you’re mixing as you go.

4. Have you ever wanted to get a more expansive (perhaps digital) synth that could combine both of those worlds? Or is there really nothing out that could accomplish that?

Well, the Mellotron technically is a digital sampling synth. If Markus wanted to make Mellotron sounds for me out of my favorite Moog patches, I’d probably use that for something, but I’m not rich or famous enough to bug him to do that. [laughs] I also regularly daydream about adding a Black Corporation Deckard’s Dream to my setup, since it’s one of the only great synths out there that could take advantage of the Mellotron keybed’s ability to send polyphonic aftertouch.

(A young Hans Zimmer standing next to his Moog Modular system)

5. If you were to upgrade, or move on from either the Mellotron or the Moog, what do you think you would get?

I’ve seriously considered buying a Synthesizers.com modular system, but every time I think about it, I realize that I would still want the Moog. If cost weren’t an issue, I’d get a Hans Zimmer-style wall of Moog Modular. I also really like the Moog One.

And this probably sounds crazy, but if I had a ton of money, I’d get two or three more Mellotrons. The little ones stack nicely on the big ones, and the tape ones work well as keyboard stands and are capable of a few fun things the digital ones can’t do.

6. Does it worry you to haul around and set these up for shows? I’d be riddled with anxiety. Why not use emulations live via a laptop or MIDI?

I have really great cases for everything, and the whole rig can essentially be one trip from the car. As far as theft, well, that happens sometimes. If it happens, it happens, and worrying about it will only make me unhappy and less likely to play well. I just sorta go for it. And as far as the laptop thing goes, nothing against laptops, I’ve heard people get great sound from them, but, well, I haven’t been able to. I’m sure I could spend some time figuring it out, but my stuff always works and always sounds right, and none of it can run out of batteries. I also think it looks pretty cool and intimidating up on stage!

7. I know you’ve been pretty focused on your synth-based music lately, why do you think that is? Is it more challenging to write/create than in a typical band format, or easier?

I really haven’t been more focused on it; I’ve just been recording it. I guess enough people told me that it sounded nice when I was “just messing around,” so I started hitting the record button before I messed around, and then I started putting it up on Bandcamp. People haven’t stopped being nice to me about it so I’ll keep sharing it. It’s also way easier than writing for a band, because I can stop whenever I want or add as much as I want without having to wonder whether or not it’ll work live. I think I have something like five hours of synth music up on Bandcamp now, so I think people will understand if I leave out a song or two. [laughs]

8. I see that Strymon Deco hiding next to the Moog. What are you using it for and what does it add to your overall sound?

I just got that, so it’s not on any recordings yet. It’s completely incredible. I bought it because the demos reminded me of the J37 plugin from Waves, which I use on almost everything lately. The Deco did not disappoint me, and I’m hoping to add some of the fake tape magic to my live shows soon (probably really soon, I’m hoping to do another livestream set maybe next month). Finding out that there’s a pedal that does a decent job at the tape saturation and tape speed tricks thing was a dream come true, and Strymon did a great job with it.

9. I’ve never seen the Correct Sound Eclipse pedal, or the SoloDallas Storm: gimme a rundown on what each of them do and how you’re using them?

I use the Correct Sound as a preamp for bass, mostly, but I used it on guitar for the two Yaga-Shura tracks that have electric guitar. It’s supposed to make your amp sound like a Sunn Concert Lead, which is one of my favorite solid state amps. I borrowed one (the Sunn) from my friend Lewis a few years ago for the bass guitar parts in “Blame It All On Sorcery,” and then at some point I saw the Correct Sound on Reverb. It doesn’t sound exactly like the Sunn but I love it and I really love what it does to DI bass.

SoloDallas is known for creating their Schaffer replica, which is a gain stage circuit used famously by like, everyone important in the late ’70s to the present. The Storm is sort of their entry-level version of it, and it sounds great (only slightly worse than the real deal, for something like a 10th of the cost). I found out about them when my friend started working for them. They’re based in San Diego! Anyway, people are starting to catch on to the fact that somebody is actually making a clone of this important piece of gear nerd history. If you don’t believe me, take a look at their artist roster. It’s kinda intimidating.

10. I’ve never used Reaper and don’t know much about it. How does it stand up to other DAWs? Do you find it to be limited at all? Do you mix with Reaper, or have your music mixed and mastered elsewhere by someone else?

I switched from Pro Tools to Reaper because I hate paying for software updates and subscriptions. Every time I find myself wishing it would do something that Pro Tools did, I find out that it actually does. There are very few things it can’t do, and it’s become my favorite DAW by far. I’ve never felt limited by it. I mix with Reaper, I try to avoid mastering because I’m not great at it (but when I have to, I also do it in Reaper). I track in Reaper, I even do a lot of simple video editing with it. It’s incredibly easy to customize it to fit your workflow, and it plays nice with all the hardware I use. I even know some people who use it live in their laptop rigs.

11. Give me your review of the Behringer VC340! Haven’t heard much about those and I’m already intrigued by a vocoder synth that actually works well. You finding it useful?

Don’t buy it unless you know exactly what it does. I cannot stress this enough: It does nothing else. It’s really good at being a vocoder/string machine but it literally does nothing else. Anyway, I love it. I don’t use it a ton, but I was getting sick of trying to get the sound I wanted with software, and I’m not about to pay $5,000 for a Moog Vocoder (as much as I really really want to be able to afford to do that). I’m using it pretty sparsely on the new Old Man Wizard album, and it’s on one of the Yaga-Shura tracks so far. I’m planning to do a few Yaga-Shura tracks with a Daft Punk-style lead vocal, so that’ll probably be the first time you hear it front and center in any of my tracks. [Listen to it featured on the track below]

12. What’s the lunchbox preamp-lookin’ thing on your desk next to the Behringer? Compressor? Preamp?

Oh that’s the preamp for my Chameleon Labs TS-2 microphone. It’s a really incredible large diaphragm condenser for the price. I usually just use it for lead vocals but sometimes I’ll mic a bass cab or an acoustic guitar with it.

13. That Valco amp is somethin’ else. I’ve seen you perform with different amps before though. Didn’t you use an old Marshall at some point? What has drawn you to the Valco?

I still have that Marshall (it’s a copy of a JTM45, so not Marshall brand but all new old stock parts and really high build quality) but I’ve never recorded with it. It’s really just too loud for anything but shows. The Valco is my recording amp because it does “loud” amp sounds at a much lower volume. I used to borrow my friend’s Supro for that sound but this one is even quieter so it’s easier to record with. All those old ’60s amps sound great when my friends Connor and Chris tell me what tubes to put in them.

14. If you could buy any piece of gear right now (money was no issue), what would you get and why?

Probably a Moog IIIP with a few of the sequencer compliments, a couple of Space Echos or Echorecs, a good Rhodes electric piano, and I’d also probably replace my entire recording setup with a no-computer setup. I think I’d still mix digitally on a computer, but I tend to get better results tracking when I don’t have that “that’s an easy edit in a DAW” bug whispering in my ear.

15. I don’t see many gongs on Gear & Loathing, might be the first actually. Is a gong the secret ingredient to your music?

This also belongs to my friend Connor. It goes on a lot of my stuff. You can’t really put it anywhere, but it’s one of those things that can’t be replaced by anything. If you need a gong, you’ve gotta use a gong.

DEAN PRIMICIAS / BE MINE PHANTOM VALENTINE

Be Mine Phantom Valentine: Facebook / Twitter / SoundCloud

1. Take me through your rig: What do you primarily play during shows? Do you bring all this stuff out or pair it down?

Yes, all the gear is set up for shows — well, except for the baby grand. My brother’s first go-to instrument when he was younger was the piano and he played a lot of classical music like Beethoven and Chopin. Its great for making arrangements. You can create bass, rhythm, and lead and to think that composers created whole symphonies on this. Although its an amazing instrument, it doesn’t make it out to the shows.

2. Talk to me about your synths! Why do you have those two in particular? Which do you find yourself gravitating toward playing more?

I have been a fan of Korg synths. They are pretty affordable and you get a lot of bang for your buck. They are also small enough to fit in tight places. We are mostly guitar-driven so the idea of having a small synth that can do the trick is appealing. The Microkorg does create a wide variety of sounds and I could see how it gets usage by a lot of popular bands like The Killers and Yeah Yeah Yeahs. You can get pretty big sounds out of this little box with black and white keys and create and store patches easily. Plus, there are some cool presets already. I wouldn’t recommend it if you are going for a good electric piano or piano sound, but we have songs like “Instant Radio” and “Broken Love,” where Wes [BMPV’s other guitarist] plays these really cool wicked organ sounds for parts at a time. The MS-20 Mini is quite different to the Microkorg. It’s a monophonic all-analog synth. I like listening to some of the music that came out of the ‘80s new wave era, where analog synths were widely used. I think the MS-20 Mini does a pretty good job at creating those sounds and can get pretty deep bass. It does seem like there is a resurgence of analog synthesizers and some companies have been reviving old and creating new analog gear. Out of the two synths, I would prefer the Microkorg because you can get a wide variety of sounds and they can be a lotta fun.

3. Which model Vox is that? And is that a Johnny Marr Jaguar? What do you like most about it? Did anything inspire you to pick those up?

This particular model is the Vox AC30 TB which I believe stands for top boost. I’m not sure if they make these anymore but these have the Blue Celestions, which make a nice warm tone with a healthy mid-range. I have owned Fender tube amps which I really like a lot, you can’t really go wrong with some of the Fender classics or reissues. Wes plays out of a Fender Twin Reverb and it sounds great for recording and live. I just found for me that the AC30 was warmer and could capture some of the lower ranges a little better. Yes, the Jaguar is the Johnny Marr signature model. I spent a lot of time at the guitar shop playing around with different guitars. I found that this guitar felt good and was a good match. It is versatile and, for me, had a creative feel to it which is important when writing music. It has two single-coil pickups but a setting where you can combine them to have a humbucker effect. It also has some boost and treble switches on it, which is really nice. Johnny Marr is one of the pioneers and arguably one of those musicians who started “indie-rock.” I listen to a lot of The Smiths. It was pretty much the album “The Queen is Dead” which made me say, “I have got to learn how to play the guitar.” He created some great music throughout the decades and I’ve kept up with a lot of his music. So in that case, it was hard not to pass up on a guitar that was designed by Johnny Marr.

4. Very impressive pedalboard! I’ve got an old big box Memory Man too and I’ll never sell it. Do you notice a big difference between the tone/feel of the Boss delay and the DMM? Do you prefer one to the other?

Nice, I agree with you — not for sale. It could be one of those that you regret later. The Memory Man and DD7 are both delay pedals that can do similar things but have their differences. The Memory Man has a warmer and organic sound. The Boss DD7 has a brighter sound to it and seems to respond quicker. I like to use them both but regularly use the Memory Man and then use the DD7 for certain effects for parts of songs for the effects. It can create some psychedelic sounds with the reverse delay too. Although I feel that they combine well together and if I had to choose one, I would probably go with the Memory Man.

5. If there was one piece of gear you could buy yourself (and money was no issue), what would you get?

Rickenbacker 330, black and white.

6. What does Be Mine Phantom Valentine got going on right now?

We are currently creating new music that we are really excited about! And just started shooting some videos. They should go up soon on our sites. We also finished enough songs to look into recording our music, so definitely stay tuned!

FRANCIS ROBERTS / OLD MAN WIZARD

Old Man Wizard: Facebook / Instagram / Twitter / Bandcamp

Ed. note: Ahead of Old Man Wizard’s two-week West Coast tour to promote their upcoming new 7″ single “Innocent Hands” (out digitally on Aug. 25 / check out the b-side “The Blind Prince” below), the band’s guitarist/vocalist, Francis Roberts, was awesome enough to share some of his fairly unique studio (and live) equipment with Gear and Loathing in San Diego. Enjoy. ~ Dustin

1. The Wizcaster! My friend Connor (@highspiritguitars on Instagram) built this for me as a gift when he was launching his custom guitar brand. I think it was the first guitar he made for somebody other than himself. I think the design is based on an Epiphone Wilshire, but the neck feels more like a Fender. Really simple electronics, two P-90s. Really tough to beat.

2. My High Spirit Strat! I helped Connor build a few of his Strat-style guitars, and took one home with me. This is basically exactly like a Strat, but the neck is nearly the width of a classical guitar. Featuring my wallpaper.

3. The original Old Man Wizard live guitar/bass! These both ended up on the recordings [listen/download the band’s debut album here]. The bass is on both, I think that guitar is only on “Innocent Hands” (I know because took a video of myself recording with it on the LEEM amp). The guitar is a SonicF Z-7. It’s a one-of-a-kind thing that was built by a Seattle-based artist in 2009. He made a bunch of weird things (see for yourself). I tried a bunch of his guitars, and this was the one that was magical to me. It plays and sounds great, but the killswitch broke. I should get that fixed.

4. Pedals and effects! I never use my live setup to record, and I never use a pedalboard. I do my own guitar tracking, and I go on binges of testing sounds and come back later to choose which takes to keep. I don’t actually know which pedals made it on to the record; I just chose the tracks that I thought sounded best. The only effects I know for a fact ended up on the record are the Univox Super Fuzz, a homemade Rangemaster, and the Echoplex in the photo. The guitar amps were all mic’d up with an SM57, nothing fancy in that realm.

Here’s the live pedalboard. I’m experimenting with a SoloDallas storm pedal as part of my main live rig. It sounds huge but it only plays well with certain amps, so it’ll depend on the amp I bring along. I plan to bring my Ginormouse electronics delay/clean boost for leads (this was a custom build by a guy named Lewis Davis here in San Diego, and he makes really cool stuff. Worth checking out. He also built a rad phase shift that I use in my other band). I have a Catalinbread Belle Epoch “tape delay” that I pretty much always leave running these days. It seriously sounds almost as good as an Echoplex, but it’s better for live because it requires no maintenance and is nearly indestructible. And then I guess the last piece worth mentioning is the TC Helicon Mic Mechanic. It’s a killer inexpensive delay/reverb with XLR jacks for microphones, and it’s the best thing ever for vocals when you play a small venue that doesn’t have delay or reverb on the soundboard. The first time I used it at a show, I was asked if we had started using backing tracks. Sounds awesome, highly recommended.

5. Frederick II: This is actually a Gibson Flying V from the early 2000s. I painted over the pickguard and Gibson logo years ago, and added a Bigsby vibrato tailpiece. The pickups are stock, but I’m planning to rout out some space to replace one of them with a P90 soon. That’s the Old Man Wizard sigil thing burned into the body. I used a soldering iron to do that.

Update: And here’s the V with a P90 in it, getting set up and ready for tour. I’ll probably still take the Wizcaster or the Z7 with me just in case it doesn’t feel right after a few nights.

6. What do you got against Fender and Gibson?

I don’t like sporting logos of brands who aren’t giving me anything! [laughs]

7. The recording amps! I used the LEEM one on “Innocent Hands” as an overlay. It sounds really bad, so if you turn it up all the way, it sounds even worse, which was exactly what I wanted for the black-metal inspired parts in the song. The other amp is my Valco. I used that on every other guitar track on both of these recordings. All the knobs were actually turned up to 10 the whole time.

8. That’s the back of my little Valco amp with the snakes painted on top.

9. The keyboards! We don’t have a keyboard player for shows (and we don’t run backing tracks), but I’m a huge fan of layering keyboards on parts of songs to get a little bit of extra energy in a studio recording. From the top left, that’s a ‘70s ARP Quartet, a modern reissue ARP Odyssey (the small version), and they’re sitting on top of a chopped Hammond M-3, which is sitting on top of a two-speed Leslie cabinet.

If you’re in one of the cities listed below (or know someone in these cities), be sure to catch Old Man Wizard when they come through. “Innocent Hands” will be out digitally on Aug. 25th — before then, pick up the limited 7″ from them at these shows.

Aug. 11: Tijuana, BC – Mi Pueblito
Aug. 13: San Francisco, CA – Hemlock
Aug. 15: San Jose, CA – The Caravan
Aug. 18: Seattle, WA – The Victory Lounge
Aug. 19: Anacortes, WA – Kenelly Keys
Aug. 20: Tacoma, WA – The Valley
Aug. 22: Los Angeles, CA – The Lexington
Aug. 23: San Diego, CA – Soda Bar

JOZETTE VINEYARD / THE OXEN

The Oxen: Facebook / Instagram / Soundcloud

1. Take me through your rig: That Danelectro is so rad — is that new or old? Does it go out of tune a lot? I had one once and could never get the dang thing to stay in tune! How have you settled on the gear you’re currently using?

John [Vineyard, husband and bandmate in The Oxen] got me the Danelectro for Christmas. I have an Epiphone Les Paul, but I have back problems and it is so heavy. The G string on the Danelectro does go out of tune more than I would like, but I am going to have it looked at. I think a new nut might fix the issue.

2. I dig the pedalboard: Take me to school on that Visual Sounds Jekyll and Hyde. I’ve never played one but you’re like the third musician I’ve seen recently that is playing one. What do you like about it?

I like that I can get 3 different overdrive/distortion sounds out of the Jekyll and Hyde depending on whether you have one or both switches pressed, and it’s really solid. John used that pedal and the Big Muff for years, but he gave them to me so he would have an excuse to buy new pedals for himself.

3. I know absolutely nothing about that Ampeg amp! What is it? Where’d you get it? How old is it? What does it sound like?

I didn’t really know much about it either when I got it at Mark’s Guitar Exchange in Point Loma about 12 years ago. It’s a 1968 Ampeg Gemini II. It was $500, which was as much as I could afford, and it turned out to be a great deal. It’s loud and has a great built-in reverb and tremolo.

4. Talk to me about that microphone! What on God’s green earth is that? Do you use it in the studio or live, or what?

That is a Placid Audio Copperphone. When John lived in Dallas, his friend Mark Pirro (bass player for Tripping Daisy and The Polyphonic Spree) was starting the company and sleeping on John’s couch while looking for a new place to live. He gave John that microphone as a “thank you” for his hospitality, and it’s one of the first Copperphones ever made. Mark has gone on to grow his company and has created a whole line of unique, hand-built microphones that have been used by everybody from Snoop Dogg to Rush. The Copperphone sounds like a telephone (or some say an AM radio), and we have used it live some. We use it all the time when recording – especially on vocals and guitars.

5. If money was no object — what’s the one piece of equipment you’d get next and why?

If money AND space were no object, I would love to have a grand piano. We live in a small apartment, so maybe I would just get an Orange amp instead.

6. What’s next for The Oxen?

We are doing a lot of DIY recording in our rehearsal space right now, and it’s turning out pretty good. We would love to finish up a full-length and release it early next year, but in the meantime, we are working on a split 7” with our friends, The Gift Machine. We are sending it out to get mastered and pressed in the next week, so hopefully it will be available in a few months. We took a break from shows because we had to find a new bass player, but we found a great one named Kevin Shumway! We just booked a couple of shows: Aug. 5 at The Stag and Lion in Carlsbad, Aug. 16 at the Belly Up with Creature Canyon, and at Soda Bar on Aug. 20 opening for Warbly Jets and the Schizophonics.

VINCENT GABUZZI / THE ANODYNES

The Anodynes: Facebook / Instagram / Twitter

1. Take us through your rig: Do you have a main guitar or use both equally? Do you use this stuff in the studio too?

I play a Fender American Deluxe Tele and a souped-up Fender Starcaster with P-rails. I can’t say one is my main guitar because I love them both and they are two completely different beauties. However, on the most recent batch of songs I’ve been writing, I tend to use my Starcaster. I love the full, warm tone I get out of its semi-hollow body and the P-rails are so versatile; the tones are endless. Both the neck and bridge pickups have a 3-way toggle switch, which in position 1 activates a single coil rail, position 3 activates the P-90, and position 2 activates both — creating a humbucker-style pickup. Then things get real crazy when you combine the neck and bridge pickups, I wasn’t kidding…endless!

Now, getting in to pedals…as a kid, I grew up listening to a lot of Incubus, The Mars Volta, RHCP, Deftones and Rx Bandits, so I’ve always been intrigued by psychedelic sounds. I’ve been using delay, flanger, and modulation pedals since I was a kid and they just always seemed to feel right. As I have grown older, I’ve really gotten into the classics — Hendrix, Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, etc. which has influenced me to use more wah, fuzz and other classic effects. But I also do appreciate something as simple as overdrive for the fact that it’s so pure, there’s no technicality with it and there is nothing to hide behind. Nothing like a hot overdrive pushing your guitar through the roof! What draws me to effects is the emotions and colors each one brings when I play and feel them. Yes, I used every pedal on my board throughout the making of The Anodynes EP, with the exception of my Xotic EP booster. Alright I gotta leave it at that because I could go on forever…

2. I used to play a Twin but stopped ’cause it was so loud and so heavy to haul around — what are your thoughts on it?

I really dig the way my guitars/pedals work with the Twin Reverb, especially my Tele, it’s such a classic combo and I think that’s what keeps it in my lineup. Using multiple effects can really mud up your tone, but the clean/punchy Twin seems to keep clarity despite multiple effects. However, Twin Reverbs are super heavy and loud as you mentioned, so I’ve been contemplating down-sizing to a Deluxe. Though they are still very loud, I like that they tend to break up at a quieter volume. I’m also considering something with a dirty channel — only time will tell.

3. The Starcaster is a little-known Fender gem — how did you come to pick that up and what do you like about it that other guitars don’t offer?

I was in Walmart, uhh, I mean Guitar Center and there she was, staring straight at me. I walked up, picked her up and introduced myself. She felt good and looked even better. I was drawn to her offset body and bitchin’ headstock. I was in the market for a new babe, so I pulled the trigger. What she had to offer that stood out to me was the affordable price, good feel, and the unique offset semi-hollow body.

4. I’ve always wanted an EHX Electric Mistress — sell me on it.

The Electric Mistress is a rad pedal that offers classic flange as well as chorus. It’s also got some trickery: When you pull back the rate knob below noon, you can control the rate yourself twisting the knob or you can stop where you want in the middle of a tasty swirl and play in that frequency…as featured in my main tone on “Pretty Little Baby.”

5. What do The Anodynes got coming up?

We have our FIRST show this Thursday, June 15th at The Merrow in Hillcrest and we are all super pumped to play for anyone and everyone. Come watch me tap dance on my pedalboard and let Queen Be win you over with her unique style and soulful voice. Also, we just released our first music video on our Facebook and YouTube — it’s a cover of a tune by Valerie June called “Workin’ Woman Blues” with our own hot sauce. Our good friend, and fellow musician/captain/sheriff Blake Dean of Mrs. Henry, shot and edited the video. He really did a great job and we couldn’t be happier with the way it turned out, thanks Blake! For now, you can listen to The Anodynes EP on Spotify/Soundcloud/iTunes. Follow us on our Facebook/Instagram for other updates on new music and upcoming shows.

WALTER AYLLON / GRIZZLY BUSINESS

Grizzly Business: Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Bandcamp / SoundCloud

1. Lovin’ the Tele – tell me all about it.

I use to play shows with a Epiphone Sheraton, but as beautiful as she is, she was just too powerful for my sissy style rhythm guitar playing. I found this Thinline Deluxe Tele on craigslist and fell in love with it. Because it’s like a semi-semi-hollow body (if that’s a thing), it has some of the usual Tele twang but not too much with solid mids, which is perfect for me. Coincidentally, I bought it off of Joe from Burning of Rome who had me meet him at a coffee shop in Golden Hill. He told me he never even took her out of his home which led me to accuse him of using it as his bathroom guitar which he denied. It was honestly an honor to buy from such a distinguished guitarist. Sometimes when I hit certain chords I can almost still smell the subtle scent of Febreze 😉

2. Tell me what “I am Beyoncé always!” means to you and why it’s scrawled on your pedalboard.

Well, it’s my favorite Michael Scott quote that can fit in that space. In a way, you can say it represents my inner diva perfectly. I’m also known around the band as like the awful boss so I guess that’s encompassed in there as well. The beauty of my pedalboard is that I made it out of a little chalkboard and I can write anything in there at any time. Right now, I have our setlist for our Soda Bar show this Saturday but I can also draw unicorns on there as well.

3. Talk to me about your pedals – rockin’ the Joyo/Donner options, I see. What drew you to them over other pedals? Would you get higher priced options if you could or nah?

I am very new to the pedal party. When I was 13, I bought a compression sustainer which I thought was going to let me wail long notes like John Frusciante in “Emit Remmus.” That obviously didn’t happen as I now know a compression sustainer is the worst first pedal for a young guitarist. I started buying these within the last year and am beyond stoked. I did a lot of homework watching tons of YouTube videos of different brands and ultimately concluded that these were cheaper and sounded just as good. No amount of fancy pedals could or will ever make me sound like decent guitar player so why break the bank, you know?

4. What amp are you using and why?

These days I use Brian’s (our bass player) Fender Blues Deluxe. All I know about it is that it’s tubed and I’m supposed to put it on standby before and after using it lol. I’ve been so plug-and-play all my life that it’s embarrassing how little I really know about equipment but at the same time I feel it’s kept things simple which I think there’s beauty in.

5. If you had unlimited money, what is the first piece of gear you would buy?

I would quit the band and buy the most expensive grand piano I can find. Preferably previously owned by Beethoven and used as his bathroom piano. I can only really play the Jurassic Park and Forrest Gump theme songs but I’m sure they would sound great on such a fine piece of musical equipment. Maybe a massive harp too, who knows.

6. You guys got a new record coming out (Spanish Old-Fashioned)– how does it measure up against your last? What’s your favorite song on it and why?

My ultimate goal is to convert Grizzly Business into a Dr. Dog cover band. I think on this record we made a couple of baby steps towards that. There are a lot of backup vocals and layers upon layers of pianos and different noises. Brian was pretty new to the band when we made our first EP and you can tell he really made this one more of his own with some amazing bass lines. Matt left the studio with his usual angst of wanting to redo his drums which is always silly as they’re always great. I did my best to be as silly and sarcastic as I can with the lyrics. My favorite song on there would have to be “Fake British Accent.” It’s just a song about all the things you hate about the person you love wrapped in an almost ’50s-like happy prom song bundle. The best line I think I’ll ever come up with is in it which is “when ‘enough’s’ just a line you drew up to refine.” Pretty stupid, I know, but it’s the best I can muster.

7. What’s next for you guys after your CD release at Soda Bar on Saturday, Jan. 7?

After our release, we are jumping on planes and going on tour through Europe with a couple shows in New York as well! We are beyond stoked and are very much counting the days. We’ll probably get eaten alive and lose all our fingers and toes to frostbite but it’ll be great and hopefully we don’t give San Diego too bad of a musical name out there.

Grizzly Business tour dates:

1/7: Soda Bar (CD release with Inspired and the Sleep, and Spero)

1/12: Friends and Lovers (Brooklyn, NY)

1/13: The Delancey (Manhattan, NY)

1/17: The Windmill (Brixton, England)

1/18: The Bedford (Balham, England)

1/19: The Dog and Whistle Pub (Hertford, England)

1/21: Brussels Pub Crawl (Brussels, Belgium)

1/23: TBD (Berlin, Germany)

1/25: CC Muziekcafe (Amsterdam, Netherlands)

1/26: Le Truskel (Paris, France)

1/28: The Good Ship (London, England)

THE GORGEOUS BOYSCOUTS

The Gorgeous Boyscouts: Facebook / Twitter / Bandcamp / Website

1. First, give me a run down on what everyone plays?

Nick Schwarz – Vocals, Lead/Rhythm Guitar
Mike Lomangino – Bass, Vocals
Brandon Albu – Drums, Guitar, Programming

2. When did you guys start playing together? And how did you decide on the name?

The band name came about during a camping trip, our friend kept calling our camping group, The Gorgeous Boyscouts. It always gets a laugh any time someone hears it for the first time — so we stuck with it.

We started at the end of 2015 but after a few months, the original bassist quit and we took a few months hiatus. Mike joined the band in June 2016 and we’ve been going strong ever since. We’ve been having a ton of fun hanging out, practicing, and playing shows!

3. Who’s using the Line 6 amp, and for what?

The Line 6 is used for the acoustic guitar which all three of us will play depending on the song. It is a very new piece of equipment and just saw its first live show (at The Merrow show on Dec. 13th).

The amp is described as the amp for the modern guitarist and we agree. It comes with a ton of built-in effects that can be controlled by the pedal board or a smartphone app and is extremely customizable. You can experiment with a built-in looping station and large array of drums tracks making it easy to jam out by yourself and great for writing new material. Haven’t messed with the wireless feature, but good to have options. It also has XLR output. Been impressed with the overall sound and flexibility.

4. I once had a Fender Twin Reverb but it didn’t have a master volume so I could rarely use it. Looks like you guys are using a vintage one from the ’70s – how did you come to acquire that, and what are your thoughts on its tone?

Nick plays his Strat through the Twin Reverb. He believes it is either from 1970 or ’71. Nick bought it off an old bandmate (Will from Mariel – they still play around town and you recently just did a piece on their guitarist, Opie). The tone is great. Super clean and very full – classic Fender tube amp sound. It handles the distortion effects amazingly well and the best part is it can get loud. Real loud.

5. Talk to me about the TC Electronic voice pedals. Do they work well live?

This is tricky. The autotune pedal can be real finicky – but sounds great when it is dialed in. Nick will use it for about 50% of our tunes – just when we’re aiming for a specific sound. Sometimes, the autotune just won’t work right and it sounds better to sing with it off. Not sure if it’s due to the key the song is played in or another factor. It took a few months of experimenting with the pedals on and off and effects being changed to really utilize them properly.

The other vocal pedal is for tone, shape, compression and “de-ess”ing and is always on. Helps add some fullness to the vocals. And really helps with the overall sound.

There are also gains on both pedals so Nick can adjust the vocal volume from the pedal board. You can also change the vocal pitch lower and higher which helps add some variety to the songs. We play a few different styles so it’s a good fit.

6. If money was no object, what’s the one “holy grail” piece of gear you’d buy?

Brandon: I do not have a ‘holy grail’ item for myself but I would really like to get Nick new effect pedals and patch cables 😉

Nick: I would love a Gibson Les Paul or an SG. Brandon’s right — I could really use some new patch cables but the constant buzzing and cutting out really spices things up.

Mike: An Avella-Coppolo. They sound amazing and support the local craft.

7. Give me a link to a song that you have online that you feel is best representative of your sound?

It’s hard to pick one song that is best representative of our sound because we all write material and bring a lot of styles and influences to the table. The collaboration forces us out of our individual comfort zones. The end result makes for a very diverse live set that is fun to play and hopefully keeps the audience interested. This is a straight-forward rock tune called “Chrees.” It is one of the first songs we started playing together.

8. What do you guys have coming up?

We have a string of shows throughout December and January, including our album release show on December 19th at Soda Bar. Upcoming shows, social media links, and our brand new EP (which can be downloaded for free) can all be found on our website, www.gorgeousboyscouts.com. We are currently working on a bunch of new songs and are doing some more recording; expecting to release our first full-length album within a year.

OPIE TRAN / MARIEL

Mariel: Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / SoundCloud / Bandcamp / Website

1. You’ve got quite the collection — which guitar do you play the most and why?

Up until a few years ago I only had a couple guitars. It wasn’t until last summer during recording guitar tracks for my other band did I catch GAS (guitar acquisition syndrome) haha. I’d say the guitar that honestly has been played the most is my acoustic guitar I got from Vietnam back in 2007. When I was a preschool teacher, I played it every day for the kids. I got tired of CDs skipping so I figured I’d just make my own versions of all the popular kid songs while making up my own along the way. It’s also been on random camping trips and is just always within an arm’s distance away when I feel like strumming some chords or writing new riffs.

Out of the electrics, I say the Squier J. Mascis Jazzmaster gets played the most. I originally got it to replace a P90 guitar that I was using with my other band but realized the tone and vibe fit Mariel much better. I also really like the fatter neck and Tune-o-matic bridge, being so used to Gibson-type guitars I felt right at home. I put locking tuners on it so string changing takes seconds and the balance of the body feels very comfortable. Its also a pretty inexpensive guitar so I don’t stress about too much about taking to gigs and beating the crap out of it.

2. Is that the Ibanez DL7 on your pedalboard? Why do you use that and the Boss GigaDelay on the same board? Is one better than the other?

Yes it is! It was the first “effects” pedal I ever bought. I only ever use it for a slapback-type of delay and the occasional oscillation. The DD20 is my main delay used for medium to longer delay sounds. I wouldn’t say one is better than the other they just serve different purposes. I suppose the DD20 is more versatile but it also takes more brain power to use and the DE7 is less distracting with its simplicity. The main reason I got the DD20 is for the tap tempo function and LED screen (I have a terrible memory and need visual reminders). If I had to choose between the two, I’d pick the Boss just because it’s a tank and I tend to be rough on my gear. I have both because I’m lazy and don’t want to switch between banks on the DD20 and also I’m super sentimental and I get attached to my gear. Joking aside, stacking delays can make simple riffs sound gigantic and lead to super interesting sounds. I usually play super simple guitar parts and sometimes use delay as its own instrument similar to the Edge from U2. At one point, I had three delays but I realized it was overkill for what I was doing and that I should just get good at using two instead.

3. What’s the nondescript blue Digitech/DOD pedal?

Whoa you’re like a pedal detective! It’s a Digitech Bad Monkey, I’ve had that thing forever and it was the second “effects” pedal I’ve ever bought. I feel like there’s way better OD pedals out there but again, I’m super attached to my gear and it just works in my rig. One day, my bandmate and I got bored and started spray painting pedals so thats why it’s blue. I always have this dumb fantasy of some gear nerd trying to figure out my rig and starting a thread about it somewhere on the internet. Silly, I know. (Not necessarily! – Ed.)

4. Have you gone through a lot of different guitars and pedals to get to this point, or are you still searching for stuff?

Overall, I think I’ve been pretty good about getting to where I am with my gear. I tend to really research gear and make sure I really like whatever I’m getting. Considering how long I’ve been playing, I think the amount of gear I’ve gotten rid of is pretty low compared to how much stuff I have now. Pedal-wise I’m pretty satisfied, maybe one day I’ll replace that Bad Monkey with something else. If anything, I’d like to streamline my live rig and bring out my other toys for just recording. As far as guitars, I can’t see me wanting to stop collecting! I’d like to add an SG and Mustang to the quiver hopefully in the next year or so.

5. What song of Mariel’s is the best representation of your gear?

“We Lost the Fight.” We’re actually going to be recording soon so the best I have is from when we played at The Merrow a while back.

6. If money was no object, what’s the one ‘holy grail’ piece of gear you would buy?

A Gibson Les Paul Custom; it’s the guitar I saw so many of my heroes playing growing up and I still get aroused every time I see one!

7. What’s coming up next for the band?

We’re playing at The Merrow on 12/15 [INFO]. We’re also going to be working on new material, recordings and hopefully some touring.

MATT RESOVICH / JOHN MEEKS, THE ALBUM LEAF & ROLL FILM

John Meeks: Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / YouTube / BandCamp / Website / SoundCloud
The Album Leaf: Facebook / Twitter / Instagram
Roll Film (Matt’s solo project): Facebook / Bandcamp / YouTube

1. Tell me about the stuff in your photos: How does it all work together? What’s routed through what? What is each thing used for? Especially tell me about those nondescript pedals! What do those do!?!

Probably easiest to start at the amp. It’s a Musicman Sixty-Five; a little 2×10 that looks like a ‘baby Fender Twin’. I need this because the two channels allow me to run my chain to either clean or effect channel plus the spring reverb really does the Teisco justice.

On the pedalboard, I have a Boss A/B switch for each of these amp channels. The effect line switches between channel 1 of my mixer and the guitar/violin line which has a Boss tuner and a modified Linear Power Booster pedal I built. It has a switch to engage a passive tone pot based on the Big Muff tone pot and is just there to make the violin a little louder and deeper. The clean line switches between channel 2 of my mixer and the lapsteel line which has a modified Deluxe BazzFuss pedal for making the lapsteel growl. Between this A/B switch and the amp is a loaner Ditto looper just because and my favorite pedal PT the Fool. It’s a really fun delay pedal I made using the PT2399 delay chip. It’s an easy circuit to experiment with but what is fun about mine is the speed(rate) and repeat(feedback) can be ramped up together or separately using two separate momentary switches. It’s stupid fun.

Up top in the box/workstation I built just for the Meeks band, the lapsteel lives with plastic toys all arranged so I can play it and port it. It’s an old Gibson BR6; not a glamour model but a sweet sounding slide guitar. I chose C6 tuning and just stuck with it for years now. It’s on The Album Leaf’s “Tied Knots”.

Everything else in the box goes though a little mixer I made just for this rig. It’s a 4-channel, 2-bus, mono line mixer which is only cool because I can switch between sending to the clean or effect chains. Changing your mind is cool. Channels one and two are from DS8 Drumsynths 1 and 2. They are drumsynth clones built from kits by Synthrotek, one of which I sort of play by ear and the other I set to a drum tone to be triggered by our drummer Tom. I built 2 triggers for him but as of now there is one drum hit in the set. Channel three is essentially a spare currently occupied by a Korg Kaossilator which hasn’t got much use yet. Channel four is my Casio chain. Its a Casio VL5 keyboard though a Korg Monotron through a Korg MiniKP through a Nose volume knob. I know the VL1 is the standard little white toy keyboard but I love the VL5. It’s ‘polyphonic’ but gets really messy when you play chords which could be a drag or, in my case, a thrill. Only thing better would be to actively filter that sound so that’s why it goes through both Monotron and MiniKP. Sometimes I use the Monotron or the MiniKP to generate sounds and because of differing output levels I use the Nose volume knob at the end to compensate for songs which contain more than one level.

There’s also an old 36-key Hohner Melodica for reedy spookiness. At the end of the violin/guitar chain is either an inexpensive Chinese violin with a Barcus-Berry 3100 clamp-on pickup or my Teisco.

2. Your setup is one of the strangest and coolest I’ve seen in recent memory, and incorporates a lot of cool gadgets: What’s your favorite piece of gear and why? What do you use most? What do you wish you could use more?

This is one of the harder questions actually. Being a multi-instrumentalist, it is hard to pick favorites when you could just have more options. In a way, my favorite instrument is the one I’m playing at the moment and then it’s the next one. In this rig, I guess it would be my delay pedal PT the Fool because I made something that works and is fun to mess with. My most used gear has to be the violin because I use it in so many different projects but on this latest Meeks record I use a lot of lapsteel. Frankly, I wish I could play all of them more. Any time I get to play live or record with a new piece of gear, it vindicates my purchasing or building it. I’ve been using samplers more recently and really hope to get more into that.

3. Are there any musicians that you particularly admire gear/tone/style-wise?

I guess picking one of anything is hard for me. But since its a question of gear, tone and style, I’d have to say Jaga Jazzist. They have the most evolved sound, naturally combining old and new styles and instrumentation.

4. What song of John’s do you think your sound/style comes through the best?

I totally don’t know but I’ll say “Night Sea Waltz.” In it, I jump back and forth from Teisco to Casio to Monotron, which gives a good idea of my role in the band.

5. How would you explain the difference between what you do with John vs. what you do in The Album Leaf or what you’ve done in Blackheart Procession and Little White Teeth? Do you apply a unique approach to each musical outlet, or do these instruments work well in your other projects too?

In some ways the approach is the same for all these projects. I listen. I rarely, if ever, start any songs so my role is sort of like a catalyst. If I’m listening to a work in progress, it’s a bit like a chemical reaction that needs help to finish. So I specialize in counter-melodies, harmonies and atmospherics. If I’m good, I’ll help the song go in a good direction. The big difference is in the various projects themselves. I’m reacting to them so what I bring to each project might be very different. Most projects, I’ve mainly tried to stretch the sonic possibilities of the violin which is a lot of fun. As far as instrumentation, I currently use the largest amount of toys for the Meeks band mainly because he’s been experimenting with different genres and I have a lot of random instruments.

6. What was your first piece of musical gear, and do you still have it? What are your thoughts on it? If you could go back in time knowing what you know now, what would be your first purchase and why?

The first instrument that was technically mine was my first violin and I still have it although I use it rarely. It’s a 1902 Curatoli which is actually a German boutique instrument but is old and fragile and rarely gets used except for getting that really classical violin sound. My first purchase was a Gretsch Silver Anniversary guitar and a Kustom black tuck-and-roll naugahyde amp. Beautiful sounding on their own, they were just a feedback monster in a loud rock situation. I left the Gretsch with my brother years ago and I still have the amp. If I had a time machine I probably wouldn’t go gear shopping.

7. Tell me about that Teisco: Where’d you get it? Does it stay in tune well or no? What sets it apart?

So it’s a Teisco Del Rey Tulip guitar; like an E-200 (2-pickups) with a flowery body design and I scored it back in my eBaying days for like $78. Pretty cheap way to try out a guitar with a whammy bar and it has a really distinct surf-rock sound. It is in pretty good shape for a cheap eBay score and doesn’t drift out of tune very often but the whammy isn’t exactly a precision piece of equipment, doesn’t recenter consistently and has started squeaking. But stab it though a spring reverb and you can almost smell the ocean.

8. What have you got coming up?

Coming up is the record release show for the new John Meeks album On a Sea Darkly July 30th at the Soda Bar. It’s the second recording I’ve made for the band and we’re all excited to put it out there. [INFO] Then on August 26th, the new Album Leaf record drops followed by support tours. I’m very excited about this new record and can’t wait to hear people’s reactions. And I recently finished recording an album for local visual artist Perry Vasquez so I’m also curious how his music is going to be received. Exciting times.

DAVID ROBLES / MADLY

Madly: Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

1. Tell me about your current rig: Right now I am using a Fender Deluxe, with a 12″ speaker, for my main amp. I experimented with bigger amps but quickly realized that a smaller amp works better for creating feedback. This small amp plus my pedalboard creates the “Madly” guitar sound. My favorite thing to do is twist the knobs on my Line 6 pedals while feed-backing. It never comes out quite the same and it’s a chance for me to have fun improvising during the solo sections of our songs. I try to come up with new sounds with every performance. I use three Line 6 pedals…the DL4 Delay Modeler (Green), the MM4 Modulation Modeler (Blue) and the FM4 Filter Modeler (Purple). I’ve had them forever and they have never let me down.

The latest additions to my pedalboard, thanks to my girlfriend, are the Soul Food and the Octavix. I use the Soul Food as a lead boost and use the Octavix when I need a little extra juice. That thing has a mini-toggle that switches it from 9V to 24V = fuzz pedal on steroids!! And last but not least, the Micro Synthesizer which I use on two songs(“Dead Ends” and “Through You”). I’m a huge fan of retro keyboard sounds, so this pedal was a must for me. I’m sure I’ll be using it a lot more in the future.

2. What is your favorite piece of gear? That would be the Black Fender Strat that was left with me by a good friend over 15 years ago. She said that she would pick it up whenever she felt inspired to start playing again. Unfortunately, she passed away a few years ago and never picked it up. She always insisted that I play it but I always held back…until recently. I now play it in her honor. It has become my favorite piece of gear for obvious reasons. It has three Kent Armstrong pickups, so it plays and sounds great! Thanks Fiona, R.I.P.

3. What’s the worst or weirdest piece of gear you’ve ever bought? That would be my Z-Vex Fuzz Factory pedal. I used it for a while a few years back but it was just too over the top, even for me! It’s almost impossible to control. The overtones that it creates are just INSANE! I’m sure that I’ll come back to it eventually. I’m just not ready for it right now.

4. What’s the one “holy grail” piece of equipment you’d buy if money was no object? I would definitely try to purchase Jimi Hendrix’s white Fender Strat that was used for Woodstock. No matter how many times I watch that performance, it blows me away every time! I also love watching the Rainbow Bridge performance. He played the white Strat for that one too. He’s so in tune with his guitar that it seems to be part of his body. Physical poetry at its finest. Year after year, he continues to be my biggest source of inspiration. I doubt that I’ll ever get the chance to own his Strat but it sure is fun to dream!

5. What do you have coming up? We just got done mixing and mastering our upcoming, 8-song album. We just need to finish up the artwork and then plan on pressing some vinyl. I’m sure we’ll have a record release party once it’s ready. As for shows, we have three coming up in the next few months.

• March 17th at Casbah with Systems Officer and The Slashes [info]

• April 22nd at Pour House with Shake Before Us and Dani Bell & The Tarantist.

• May 21st at In-Ko-Pah 3 with Three Mile Pilot, Audacity, The Blank Tapes, Shady Francos, Red Tank!, The Rosalyns, The Downs Family, Some Kind of Lizard, The Gloomies, Sunset intermezzo by the Montalban Quintet, Effects and lighting by Operation Mindblow [info]

	Naomi on DAVID ROBLES / MADLY
	Tyreese Nelson on LETY BEERS / THE SCHIZOPH…
	JOZETTE VINEYARD / T… on DAVE MATTHIES / THE GIFT …
	THE GORGEOUS BOYSCOU… on OPIE TRAN / MARIEL
	THE GORGEOUS BOYSCOU… on RC KRUEGER / MARIEL

Gear and Loathing in San Diego

A San Diego-based blog about music gear and the musicians who use it.

GEAR AND LOATHING