I've been able to spend some time with the WEM Dominator MK III over the past month or so. It's phenomenal.

After identifying a microphonic preamp tube, it's running so quietly that I haven't done the caps yet. I fixed the treble boost switch and now I keep it engaged all the time. There wasn't a usable 110v tap on the PT so I'm using a step up. It came without knobs but I found some NOS winged knobs with the brushed aluminum insert online for cheap and you'd never guess they weren't original.

18 watts, 3 ECC83, 2 EL84. Old Mullards in the power section and in the channel 1 preamp. 12", 20 watt Celestion. The speaker and electrolytic caps date to 1976. Everything is original except for the tubes in the PI and channel 2 preamp positions. Playing through this amp is a true pleasure. The sweet spot for me is between 5 and 6. Very overdriven at 10. I had a friend over a few weeks ago who is the best guitar player I know, worked in shops for ages, and has played pretty much everything under the sun. I lured him down to the basement, put a Mustang in his hands and turned on the WEM. I could have listened to him all day. He just kept hitting a chord, letting it ring forever and looking at me with an "are you kidding me?" expression on his face.

It does everything I could want a British amp from the 60s or 70s to do; thin, brittle early Kinks stuff, snarly overdriven stuff, muscular Townshend stuff. A lot can be dialed in with the minimal controls, no pedals needed. The 18 watt output is perfect for getting grit and breakup at practical volumes. It's still plenty loud though, the open back cabinet is oversized (approx. 23"x23"x10") and can hold its own with a drummer. As someone who has been obsessed with tube amps since junior high, I could pare down to this and my Deluxe Reverb and pretty much have every base covered.

INDe Kalamazoo Series aluminum drumset


Damn do I love these drums! This kit is 13/16/18/24 and I added a few of the "TimbaToms" on it to mix things up and I couldn't be happier. Incredibly loud/present/lively drums. Josh (the INDe guy) has some really wonderful ideas as it relates to drums and hardware (focus on keeping things lightweight, increasing resonance, etc.) and I am fully on board. I'd used a few of his mounts and hardware pieces of the years and what he's got going on now is fuckin' HAPPENING. I bought these second-hand (not direct) and they got damaged in shipping. Josh was super rad and said he could fix him and did a wonderful job doing so.

I recently picked up an INDe "oxidized bronze" snare from him 6.5x14 that just showed up yesterday, but already seems incredibly promising. Likely will shift a few pieces around to grab one of his wood kits.

Can't recommend enough!

four_oclocker_2.2 wrote: Thu Jan 05, 2023 3:56 pm INDe Kalamazoo Series aluminum drumset

Nice! It's unlikely I'd ever be able to get a whole kit but the aluminum snares run about what new Acrolites cost and with vastly superior hardware are a no brainer.

Just got Guild Starfire IV and I really love it. Plays and sounds great. wanted one for a really long time. thumbs up

penningtron wrote: Thu Jan 05, 2023 4:30 pm

four_oclocker_2.2 wrote: Thu Jan 05, 2023 3:56 pm INDe Kalamazoo Series aluminum drumset

Nice! It's unlikely I'd ever be able to get a whole kit but the aluminum snares run about what new Acrolites cost and with vastly superior hardware are a no brainer.

AND with more size options! Dude's doing the damn THING.

Kniferide wrote: Thu Jan 05, 2023 6:52 pm Just got Guild Starfire IV and I really love it. Plays and sounds great. wanted one for a really long time. thumbs up

Nice, what year?

FM Yard Barf has an older one (70s?) that is fantastic in every way, only guitar anymore where I think damn I really would like one of those someday

PEPPER! wrote: Sat Jan 07, 2023 3:07 pm

Kniferide wrote: Thu Jan 05, 2023 6:52 pm Just got Guild Starfire IV and I really love it. Plays and sounds great. wanted one for a really long time. thumbs up

Nice, what year?

FM Yard Barf has an older one (70s?) that is fantastic in every way, only guitar anymore where I think damn I really would like one of those someday

It's a 2014ish I think. Korean, but feels really well made. I can't afford a vintage one and I got this one pretty cheap cause it's been sitting in a Music Store for unsold for almost a decade and the guy wanted it gone. Plays pretty much the same as any of the vintage ones I've dabbled with, but probably doesn't have as much blooze mojo in the tone woods, but I really like it. It looks comically enormous when Heather plays it which is great.

I have a 1970s Guild that has basically been dragged to hell and back, but it’s still a wonderful guitar. I agree the more recent models I’ve played have that Starfire thing. Like a 335 without the baggage. Except somebody cut a hole in mine. It’s my Trigger, if you will

Kniferide wrote: Sat Jan 07, 2023 3:29 pm It's a 2014ish I think. Korean, but feels really well made. I can't afford a vintage one and I got this one pretty cheap cause it's been sitting in a Music Store for unsold for almost a decade and the guy wanted it gone. Plays pretty much the same as any of the vintage ones I've dabbled with, but probably doesn't have as much blooze mojo in the tone woods, but I really like it. It looks comically enormous when Heather plays it which is great.

Ah you all can supply your own mojo. It's good to know the newer ones are well made! Or maybe that's bad as it will be harder to talk myself out of one

llllllllllllllllllll wrote: I have a 1970s Guild that has basically been dragged to hell and back, but it’s still a wonderful guitar. I agree the more recent models I’ve played have that Starfire thing. Like a 335 without the baggage. Except somebody cut a hole in mine. It’s my Trigger, if you will

Your 335 comment was exactly my reaction to Mike's. He has a number of amazing classic guitars he's gotten for a song because of a headstock repair or refin, the Starfire might have be one of those

How quick to feedback are those things when distorted/overdriven?