The Gear Corner

Clayton Custom

Custom Imprinted Guitar Picks by Clayton Inc.

Joe uses the pearl as well as the black 1.20 guage custom picks, printed with the "classic" logo. Tough enough to last all night, with just the right amount of warmth and articulation.

Rimrock Effects Vintage Spec Mythical Overdrive

A pedal I had a hand in, now an integral part of my rig

I gigged a mid 90's very expensive gold pedal for a LONG time... and as prices rose and rose, I spent a lot of time wanting a replacement for it. I was worried about gigging my expensive and potentially irreplaceable pedal and wanted a suitable replacement that I could feel good about gigging. I was worried about someone dumping a drink on my pedal board, or bad club wiring frying something, or someone stealing it or... well, any number of things really, but you get the idea.

I wanted a pedal I could gig and leave my expensive unit at home. In that search I had amassed an embarrassingly large box full of pedals trying to find the same sound of my gold unit and every one of them I bought disappointed me and ended up in the box of shame - until I got my Mythical Overdrive.

Now many companies build similar pedals, and many of them are close but miss the mark on something subtle - and it may be something subtle that only shows itself at high volume or played a certain way. Some are wildly different and don't sound right at all. I liked what I heard from the mythical overdrive a lot. As I continued to play with it, I felt like there was an opportunity to capture a few more nuances that had previously been out of my grasp - things that even my gold unit didn't quite reach. Being such an expensive pedal, I wouldn't dare try to mod or change my original, but if I could contact the owner of Rimrock Effects directly and see if it was possible to make some changes to my MO pedal it might be amazing. On a whim I messaged Ken [owner of Rimrock Effects] about making some alterations to the circuit to try to achieve some very specific goals.

We talked for a long time and he [much to my amazement] agreed to give it a shot. We talked for a long time and then specifically worked over several prototypes to chase down some "wish list" items that became the "vintage Spec" [well, Ken did the work and I tested, listened, complained, wrung my hands, tested some more, and requested things, ha ha ha!]. The final result is to my ears the perfect gigging pedal. In fact, I prefer the MO to my actual gold pedal units - the final result chased down everything I could have wanted in this type of pedal in every way. So now all my expensive units sit in storage, and I gig and record my MO's exclusively.

What we finally settled on became known as the "vintage Spec", which were different than the standard specs he used. It is worth noting that the Standard specs included changes made to the circuit by Ken to better supported the dual diode design of the MO. The changes in the 'vintage spec' were things I requested from Ken to better replicate the tone of my particular gold pedal, eliminate the items I didn't need [like the extra didoes, switch, etc etc] and "fix" some wish list items I had discovered in years of playing my old pedal at high volume on all kinds of amps in all kinds of genres and in many different spots on pedal boards [many of which could only be heard under the exact right circumstances, but when I heard them they drove me batty].

The Vintage Spec Mythical Overdrive is a crucial part of my tone and guitar rig. I couldn't live without it, and I think you'll like it too. Try one for yourself - you won't be disappointed! Click below to get more info and buy one yourself!

Rimrock Effects VS MO

DCW Pedals JC Drive

dual drive pedal

We are proud and pleased to present the DCW Pedals JC Drive. Finished in gold with my logo, each one hand built one at a time by a musician right here in the USA!

A variation of one of DCW's "Marsha" series pedals, this pedal is designed to let you get that classic British kerrang, sure to become a wonderful addition to your pedalboard and a main stay in your drive section. The JC Drive offers an extremely versatile layout - EQ, level and gain - and 3 additional levels of gain to your tone. Each side acts independent of the other, so on top of your base tone, you can add side 1, side 2, or both sides together.

Side one is a lower gain, natural break up, perfect for that light grit or slightly breaking up tone - great for blues pop, country or whatever else you can think of where "a little hair" on your tone is what the doctor ordered. Side 2 is a higher gain, mid focused gain, perfect for all your rock tones. Use it for a lead tone, a heavier Rythm, or you can combine the two for endless sustain! Use side 1 as a boost to drive side 2 harder, or to act like separate channels of your amp! The possibilities are limited only by your imagination!

The pedal is built entirely in the USA and by hand - no PCB here, just old-fashioned perf board, hand wired point to point, with everything glued down in place so nothing can possibly rattle, move or come loose. The Hammond cases are painted, and silk screened with graphics, covered in clear coat and heat hardened to prevent chipping - all "in house" at DCW pedals. Thanks to the extremely versatile EQ on each side, this pedal can run into any amp, clean or a dirty amp - just adjust the EQ to fit! Built to last a lifetime, these are available by order at dcw pedals. Come hear it at any show, and then contact them to get yours ordered!

DCW Pedals

Zebo Leathers Guitar Straps

Handmade American Leather gutar straps

It's a pleasure and a privilege to be able to wear and use Zebo Leathers guitar straps. Zebo has a long and rich history in the music world, including supplying leather to legendary musicians on some of the largest stages. Now overseen by Kim Hoover, the extraordinary journey continues - custom cut and hand shaped, with historic appointments all to accommodate the player. There simply isn't a finer strap available at any price.

If you'd like to own a piece of the saga, head on over to Zebo's Facebook;

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064149427536&mibextid=LQQJ4d

You'll be glad you did.

Guitar Mods

digging into the "little stuff" that isn't so little

Any well-seasoned musician will tell you that gear that slows you down will prevent from getting to that right note at the right time. Most musicians are always chasing "better" as the enemy of "good enough" for their tone as well. I'm absolutely no different.

To improve sound quality as well as ease of play, there are several mods I make to every stage instrument.

A hand cut bone nut - it takes a true artisan to do this and do it correctly. Not only must the proper bone blank be selected for hardness, but the slots for the string to pass through have to be cut to the exact right depth to make the relief of the neck, the gauge of the string, and the height of the action. Many folks aren't aware - even those that claim to know a lot about guitar repair - that the slots should even be angled slightly for 3x3 style headstocks. They should be angled both to make a less severe angle as the string passes through to the tuning machine, but also angled in their recess to sympathize to the headstock angle.

Stainless Steel Frets - Not only are stainless steel frets much slicker making them easier to bend on and easier to slide across, but they are also much, much harder. This means the frets last virtually forever. With my frequent playing schedule, I can normally get regular nickel frets leveled every 3 months, and before a year has gone by, they need a full replacement. When it comes times to replace frets, I always chose stainless, and I have never worn out a pair of stainless frets. Some people claim to hear a difference in the tone - I do not hear any difference in tone when plugged in. Also during the process the finger board itself is leveled true to the bridge and true to radius, and polished to a flat, even surface, remove any of the "grit" a player might feel from the board itself. Same plugged-in tone, never re-fret the instrument again, faster, easier playing - it seems an obvious choice to me.

Electronics - All my humbucker guitars are wired 50's style, with cloth push-back wire, 525k CTS pots, a Switchcraft output jack and pickup selector. I like a 15Pu cap on the neck and a 22Pu cap on the bridge.

If you live in the Cincinnati/Dayton Ohio area and need some of this work done to yours, message me through the "contact" page and I will give you the contact info for Mark Kaiser, who mods all my guitars. Highly recommended!

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