So Here I begin anew… 

Let’s begin with something simple, shall we? How about gear? 

I’ve been on a bit of a “binge” lately — playing music for a living (at least somewhat) has its perqs. I’ve been playing with mostly the same set of pedals for years now, only switching out the occasional overdrive or fuzz unit. 

Over the past few weeks, though, I’ve bought four new pedals (which is a lot for me). Not to get all metaphysical or anything, but I wonder if it’s somewhat related to needing some inspiration, seeking it through technology. Positioning myself for the next musical/artistic “season” that is coming.

So here’s what I bought:

• I started with the Fulltone Supa-Trem. I love Fulltone pedals; they’re made well, are “specialized” and simple to operate. I was having some problems with the trem I was using (through my Modulation Modeler), and when I read that T-Bone Burnett used the Supa-Trem almost exclusively, I was sold. Got it on Ebay.

• Then I moved to the BBE Mindbender. I don’t use chorus or flanging, but I am addicted to pitch vibrato, and this was the only viable option available. Set this thing up to “wiggle”, then add some delay, and you get some nice modulations and swirls that are more organic and earthy-sounding. 

• I got curious one night on E-bay, and started looking at Xotic Pedals. I thought the AC Booster might be a cool option for overdrive sounds. Guess what: It is. I’ve only had the pedal for 2 days, but it is a nice boost/OD pedal that sounds really natural, while still having EQ options. I got this for a really good price off of eBay.

• Lastly, I am waiting on the arrival of a Voodoo Labs Microvibe. I’ve been a sucker for vibe sounds for a while. There’s definitely a psychedelic rocker inside of me still, and the swirling of a Univibe just sounds so “chunky”. Again, I had my Modulation Modeler set up for a Univibe sound, but it just wasn’t that convincing. I’d owned one of these pedals in the past, and I know that they are reliable and good quality. Got a really good price. 

I think mostly these are to help me go into the future. I’m coming off of a LONG season of basically needing flexibility from my rig. Now I think I have the blessing of being able to be more choosy and particular about the music I play, so I’m assembling tools that reflect that. 

Alright, well, we are now officially in a relationship. I promise not to be so geeky in the future. Or rather, I will remain geeky, but hopefully my geekiness will touch more people in more ways… Cuz touching people is fun (when it’s not creepy).