penningtron wrote: Sun Mar 02, 2025 7:24 am Unless you make lots of looped trip hop music, stomp box distortion on drums usually sounds stupid..

I've had some ok results if I use the stomp box on an aux send that is returned to a channel for Eq and phase flipping and adding to taste as opposed to just shoving everything into a big muff. A lot of fuzz flip polarity so if you are going to blend with clean you might gotta flip it. I use a red llama clone with a mxr bass compressor on mono drum mic a little. Does the flaming lips thing at worst and the trashy Motown thing at best. Fun to do. Sans amp is a good kick distortion or on a sub kick mic. I had an old cassettes deck that doesn't work that has a 3 way switch for noise reduction that just acted as a cool color switch when slammed that was best for all of it but I got rid of it on a fit of tidyness.

MoreSpaceEcho wrote: Sun Mar 02, 2025 10:34 am If you're going for the Tchad Blake thing, you want the OG Sansamp with the dipswitches, but I agree with FM Penningtron, just do this stuff with plugins now, way easier.

Back in the late 90s I had the non-OG Sansamp and it was ok, it distorted stuff, but it wasn't any magic thing. I think the dipswitches on the OG are where the fun is, so if you were gonna do this.....do that.

While we're talking Tchad, this Level Loc plugin just came out:

https://korneffaudio.com/product/shure-level-loc/

I haven't tried it but it was getting raves over at gearspace. I had to give up on that place because I got tired of having arguments with astoundingly out of touch arrogant boomers, but that plugin is probably fun.

Like the guy said, "Muddy Waters Invented Electricity..."

As for not being a fan of the guy's work, what does he have to do?

Pull a rabbit out of a hat?

Kniferide wrote: Mon Mar 03, 2025 3:17 am

penningtron wrote: Sun Mar 02, 2025 7:24 am Unless you make lots of looped trip hop music, stomp box distortion on drums usually sounds stupid..

I've had some ok results if I use the stomp box on an aux send that is returned to a channel for Eq and phase flipping and adding to taste as opposed to just shoving everything into a big muff.

Yeah, I have a trashy Klanghelm setting that I use for non-close drum mics, but it's usually only blended in about 12-15%. The end result is so subtle I'm sure a colorful EQ could probably get there too.

Not a question, more of a comment:

Back in the 90s, boy, did I think an late 70s/early 80s silverburst Les Paul Custom was so coooool.

Now? I see a modern one, I think, "ewww."

Anyone have any experience with the pre-AOR Laney Pro-Tubes (no aor, no pull-boosts)?
Are they as good as the AORs, missing gain stage notwithstanding?

andyman wrote: Mon Mar 10, 2025 5:20 pm Anyone have any experience with the pre-AOR Laney Pro-Tubes (no aor, no pull-boosts)?
Are they as good as the AORs, missing gain stage notwithstanding?

No experience, BUT awhile ago a friend gave me a AOR50 Series II to give a once-over and sell for him and I was shocked by how well built it was. From that standpoint it looked every bit as good as a 70's Marshall. So thumbs-up for robust-ness.

At what point do you give up on a project guitar? Some of you may remember the Hippie Sandwich I bought from my bandmate. Had an aluminum pickguard cut for it, got it all put together. The playability is great—the tech who installed the pups and did the initial setup did a great job and it’s got the best action of anything in my rack at the moment. Alas, I haven’t bonded with it as much as I would have hoped. The pickups have been a particular point that I keep talking myself into and out of trying new ones out, but the real thing that I should have realized would be an issue is the narrow nut. It’s somewhere around the 40mm range and makes things like playing leads and riffs harder than it should. The cheapo Tele I bought last year that I shoved an ASAT Classic pickup into was more instantly a hit for me.

At this point it’s well-put together, plays great, electronics seem to be in good working order. It may be time to leave well enough alone, admit I haven’t bonded with it and send it on its way.

defendyachtrock wrote: Wed Mar 12, 2025 11:50 pm At what point do you give up on a project guitar?

This might be a little "Marie Kondo" of me, but if it no longer "sparks joy", it's time to let it go!

I've been forcing myself to think about how instruments should be played and not just acquired. Unless something has some really intense sentimental value to me (like, a gift from family member, whatever), anything can be for sale at any time. Selling a guitar and then remembering you had it and don't miss it at all is a pretty rad feeling, would recommend!

Yeah. The only downside with a project guitar is you often can't get enough $$ out of them to make selling worthwhile. If you have room for it maybe it could be an alt tuning guitar down the line, or maybe gift it to someone or donate it to an organization. But who knows.. maybe it's exactly what someone is looking for and willing to pay a decent price for.