AAS (amp aquisition syndrome)

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I’ve tried out a bunch of (mostly) vintage amps over the past two weeks.  So far:

  • Jesse’s vintage Newcomb/Western Electric 30W tube amp a
  • Jesse’s Airline 5W, probably 50’s or 60’s vintage.

I spent a bunch of time (5 hours straight) on youtube listening to Led Zep I and demos of the Valco Supro and the Gibson Skylark, and realized I needed more experience, so I went to Rock And Roll Vintage and with Rich’s help added the following to the list:

  • A 50’s Montomery Ward 10W.
  • Valco Supro, 5W.
  • Tweed Fender Deluxe, 50’s, approx 20W.
  • Orange Tiny Terror 7W/15W, modern.

The 20W 50’s Fender Deluxe sounded *amazing*, but with a price tag over 2K. The modern Tiny Terror sounded pretty awesome too, Farsheed reports preferring it to the Fender.  Rich recommends the Vox Night Train over the TT, in the modern variable wattage amp head category.  I’ve been doing some reading — the NT is  Class A/B, while the TT is pure class A.  Some ambiguation naturally exists on the web around whether or not one can hear the difference.  Today’s mission:  try both NT and TT head-to-head at Chicago Music Exchange.

Overall goal:  is there one?

Hm.  Well, there is a goal pattern.

Things I’m keeping in mind:

  • cost control
  • simplicity of user controls
  • reliability/build quality
  • flexibility/versatility (good tone at varying volume)
  • singing sustain for days
  • warmth, harmonic shine.  it’s gotta make the electric cello sound *good*.

 

 

Building a pedal board

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I already own all the required transformers, including a line6 one that outputs 2000ma for the dl4, so I decided to build a board, rather than buy one.  Mostly because store bought boards seem to all include an inadequate pedal board power transformer. ( None of the pedal board transformers I’ve looked at provide 2000ma, recommended for the dl4).   The problem is that all the transformers are bulky, so ideally they won’t be on top of the pedal board.  I’d like to put them to the rear, as with my current design they won’t fit underneath either.   The outlets on power strips unfortunately typically aren’t transformer-spaced, so I bought this weird octopus one from mendards for 8 bucks, but it looks like it’s too bulky as well.  I think this power strip *might* allow me to get 4 transformers on the back side of the board, which is my current plan.  I’m going to go check out more power strip options at micro center in an hour.   I have a lot of requirements: vertical outlets,  sub-24-inches, transformer spacing.   I’m using wide velcro,  and the tacks aren’t working so I’ll switch them out for staples, since the staples also take up less valuable velcro space.

“Cello Scale Sequence” finished in time for new year!

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I had it bound on heavy cardstock at FedEx.  (apparently not kinkos at all anymore.  how confusing)

It looks pretty good 🙂

Available for all my cello students!  Here is title page and ‘notes’.

one of the best parts of a great film, basquiat

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btkjRw0sGeY&feature=player_embedded

Hey Benny, my mom told me this story – or was it a dream?

 

There was this little Prince, with a magic crown and this evil warlock kidnapped him, locked him in this cell in a huge tower and took away his voice. There was a window with bars and the prince kept smashing his head against the bars hoping that someone would hear the sound and find him.

 

The crown made the most beautiful sound that anyone had ever heard. You could hear it ringing for miles. It was so beautiful that people wanted to grab the air.

 

They never found the prince. He never got out of the room, but the sound he made filled everything up with beauty.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

….daft punk vid

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completed a key step on thursday:  finally discarded the session file  (all my hard work gone :/)  and converted all the raw video files to a codec that (supposedly) works better with final cut.  so finishing this project up should be a quick process, at this point.  after the codec conversion, i shouldn’t have to wait for video files to render all the time!  i’ll finish up in the next week or two, before the end of the month.

scale book

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i’ve been guinea-pigging this cello scale book i’ve been working on with a couple students, and i think i can finish it up in time for the new school year!  i’ll get it spiral-bound at kinkos.  it’s going to be about 10 pages long.  i think it will be called “The Well-Sequenced Cello:  an intelligible approach to basic cello scales and finger patterns. ”   each page of scales has a couple written notes to accompany it.   that’s it!

 

 

 

 

for students of anything, who are thinking of GiVING Up :-/

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reblogged from emily wrights awesome cello blog. 

you’ll know.

 

 

 

If you (or your child)  are considering giving up on playing an instrument, here’s a little checklist to see if it’s the right thing to do.

The Quitting Checklist:

1. Have you tried private lessons?

Individual attention helps, but it’s no magic pill. A student has to do at least some of what is prescribed to benefit from lessons. Sometimes it is actually the lesson experience that leads (generally younger) students to quit. When you just hate something, the last thing you need is accountability for excellence at it.

 

2. Have you been at it more than 6 months?

After the sexy initial phase of playing an instrument has passed, the practice has either become part of the culture of your life or it remains a chore. Careful, now: this is something of a Catch-22. If you haven’t gotten into a rhythm of playing almost every day, you haven’t seen the beauty of progress over time. You absolutely have to muscle yourself into this kind of pattern, but once you’ve seen how intensive work on the F scale a few weeks ago leads to a successful run through of a B-flat riddled section today, it gets easier to sit down and slog away.

 

3. Have you taken a break?

If you’ve done 1 and 2, then do this. Take your instrument and give it to someone for a week. Have it out of the house. Tell them not to let you have it until a full week has passed. If you have even a small desire to get it back before the week has elapsed, then you just needed a break to reevaluate your approach. Come back meaner, steadier, stronger.

If on the other hand, you feel like a burden has been lifted, pack it in an don’t look back. Donate it. Stick it in the attic for grandkids. Chuck it on Craigslist or take it to your luthier. The point of all of this is to have an enjoyable and productive life, so go forth and find what gives you joy.

If on the other, other hand that last statement gives you a pang of something you can’t quite get a handle on, get back to work. It’s something we all go through. The journey of an artist. You’ll know what’s right for you.

 

Happy quitter drawing by the incomparable Natalie Dee.

 

micropoggie + rumors of sonic mayhem

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i picked up a micro pog from gc the other day.  i got a deal and got it for like 190 after tax.   it looks like it was built in ny by electro-harmonix, so that sort of justifies the price tag.   it’s a simple pedal, and it sounds pretty sick through the cello.  the decay is really interesting, especially through the overdriven tube amp.   i think it has a threshold setting where low level signals aren’t processed, so the decay is incredibly dry, almost clipped.  it’s awesome.

there are rumors of a new ensemble featuring former members of Black Tie Elephant.    Zirafa and RockTheCello.   I have to figure out a way to permanently affix my fishman transducer pickup to the autoharp though.   get ready for sonic mayhem.