Monthly Archives: January 2019

Mods for Guitar, Amps, Pedals and Gear Part 2 of 2 (with Guest Host, Miles Harshman) Ep031



In part 2 of our discussion with Miles Harshman, Miles continues telling us about being a student at Berklee College of Music: his famous roommate, the ensembles available to students, etc.

Then we really dig into the details of modding guitars, amps, and pedals. Modding is a way to get new sounds out of the equipment that you already have by changing physical components of that equipment. Miles shares a wealth of information on how to change/improve your gear by changing out capacitors, rectifier tubes, pre-amp tubes, and power-amp tubes, speakers, etc. Did you know that changing out a rectifier tube in your amp can cause it to naturally break up sooner (for more natural overdrive at more reasonable volumes) or later (for more clean headroom).

Miles also helps to clear up the mystery revolving around biasing tube amps. Please keep in mind that any work involving the internal components of a tube amp can be very dangerous if you don’t know what you are doing, even if the amp is off and unplugged.

The more you learn about your equipment, the more you can get the most out of it. Even things as simple as knowing when your amp’s tubes are going bad can make a huge difference to your sound on stage or in the practice room.


Mods for Guitar, Amps, Pedals and Gear Part 1 of 2 (with Guest Host, Miles Harshman) Ep030



Who doesn’t love to talk about guitar tone?? Aside from the obvious fact that much of your tone comes from your fingers, it is also greatly affected by your beloved gear: your instruments, amps, effects pedals, etc. Lots of the gear that you purchase off the shelf can actually be improved or changed through mods / modifications to the internal circuitry – some of which you can do yourself. We bring in guitarist, amp technician, music teacher, and Berklee graduate, Miles Harshman, to give us the ins and outs of musical equipment.

In Part 1 of this conversation we dig into guitar tone, ranging from Jimi Hendrix to Stevie Ray Vaughan to Robin Trower. Miles talks about his love of different types of fuzz pedals, an effect that Joe rarely uses. While Joe uses several types of overdrive and natural small amp distortion, he commits to giving fuzz another try. Miles presents an overview of how tube amps work – their different gains stages, how the tubes break up, the feeling of a tube amp due to the sag/sponginess in the rectifier tube.

Miles tells us about his journey to becoming a gear technician, including building his first stratocaster in high school and his more recent telecaster with unusual switches.

We talk about clean guitar tones, and how hollow, semi-hollow, and chambered bodies affect the your sound.

Miles begins telling us about his experiences at Berklee College of Music, including the many ensemble choices, the enormous practice room amps, and the general atmosphere. Check out next week’s episode to discover who was Miles’ freshman year roommate!


Fingerstyle Guitar Part 2 of 2 (with Guest Host, Dustin Furlow) Ep029



In part 2 of Fingerstyle Guitar, Dustin gets into his process of arranging his compositions and how he goes about coming up with his melodies. The guys also discuss one of his original songs, “Elder Tree”, the role of an audience, how Dustin was approached by booking agents, the process of booking shows/tours, concertsinyourhome.org, Dustin’s connection to fingerstyle and his solo show, his practice routine and resources that he recommends.

 

dustinfurlow.com for more information

 

Fret Buzz The Podcast

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Fingerstyle Guitar Part 1 of 2 (with Guest Host, Dustin Furlow) Ep028



Joe and Aaron bring in guitarist and vocalist, Dustin Furlow, to discuss all things fingerstyle guitar. The guys talk about influential fingerstyle guitarists including Tommy Emmanuel, Stephen Bennett (harp guitar), Andy McKee, Tony McManus, Garreth Pearson, Don Ross, Mike Dawes, Adam Rafferty, Adrian Legg, Alexander Misko, and Matt Thomas. They look into approaches to choosing the right keys for solo fingerstyle guitar arrangements, as well as alternate tunings such as DADGAD and open D tuning. The guys dive seriously into the details of nail maintenance and acrylic gel nails for fingerpicking.

Dustin, with his wealth of experience playing and performing with high end acoustic guitars, explains the benefits and downsides of many types of guitars, especially as they relate to fingerstyle guitar playing. They look at the differences in sound and playability of Martin, Taylor, Gibson, Larrivee, and Beneteau guitars, as well as choosing the right pickups and pre-amps to get the best live amplified sound.

dustinfurlow.com for more information


Music School and Job Opportunities Part 2 of 2 (with Guest Host, Cole Holland) Ep027



In this episode of Fret Buzz The Podcast, we continue the conversation with Cole Holland about his musical work on a cruise line. Cole tells us his path once he exited Berklee School of Music and how he happened upon the opportunity to join the B.B. Kings All-Stars at sea. He also goes into his setup and what rehearsal looks like. Finally, the guys get into a bit of guitar theory and what a daily practice routine entails.

Cole Holland-
hollandazemusic.com