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Featuring the DMCA-Free Rock of KCWM & Cold the Winter

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      • 1986 Squier Contemporary Series Stratocaster
      • 1992 Fender Telecaster
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      • 2009 PRS SC245 Ted McCarty
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      • 2022 Squier Classic Vibe Late ’60s Jazz Bass
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      • Guitars of the Past
        • 197x Session Les Paul Custom Copy
        • 2022 Squier Classic Vibe ’60s Stratocaster
        • 200X Squier ’51
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      • Amps of the Past
        • 1978 Fender Vibro Champ
        • Egnater Tweaker 15 Head and Cab
        • Fender Princeton Reverb
      • Pedals From the Past
        • Eventide H9 Max/Core
        • JHS Muffaletta
        • JHS Sweet Tea v3
        • Zvex Distortron
      • 2018 Fender P-Bass Special FSR
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  • A Revolving Door of Guitars Guitars
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  • Two New Songs for July 2023 DMCA-Free music
  • To Friends Who’ve Said Goodbye – New Upcoming Single DMCA-Free music
  • Creativity, Balance, and Burn Out DMCA-Free music
  • New DMCA-Free Rock Music Coming in May 2023 KCWM
  • A New Song for a New Album KCWM

Fender Princeton Reverb

The Little Brother
What About Vintage?
What I Mic It With
Would I Suggest it?
The Little Brother

The Fender clean tone is one of the classics. It makes complete sense that Fender would reissue new versions of the old amps, like the Princeton and Deluxe Reverbs. I chased that tone for a long time and found it in a Deluxe Reverb Reissue, sometimes abbreviated as a DRRI in online conversation.

When I bought my PRS Ted McCarty SC245, I tried it out on an Egnater Tweaker combo amp and decided that it’s Fender voicing was “close enough”. I stuck with that for almost a decade before buying another Fender.

This time, instead of a DRRI, I bought a Princeton Reverb, it’s 15w little brother. Normally, a Princeton Reverb have a 10″ speaker and a smaller cabinet to math. People have mixed opinion of the 10″, with some saying it sounds to boxy and small. When I stumbled upon the model you see above on Sweetwater’s site, I was immediately interested. That model came with a 12″ Eminence Cannabis Rex.

While 15 Watts isn’t all that much quieter than the 22 watts of the DRRI, but it has less “headroom”, which is to say the sound starts to dirty up sooner. At this point, we lived in a house and I could crank the amp when the family was away.

Did I mention that 15 watts is really loud?

What About Vintage?

Without hesitation, the short answer is “Yes, absolutely 100%!”

The long answer is that vintage amps are getting to be more and more expensive. They are currently priced out of the range I want to pay. Perhaps I will one day own one.

One of the biggest reasons is that modern amps, including the Fender reissues, are built with printed circuit boards, or PCBs. When something goes on a PCB, it can be an expensive repair. This makes them cheaper in the short run.

Vintage amps, and some higher end modern ones, are built “point to point” with each individual component being wired in line. When one component goes bad, you replace that component. Some might argue it’s cheaper in the long run.

A few years ago I became attached to the idea of owning a Les Paul or Fender guitar from my birth year. Within the year of that idea, I ended up buying a Fender Vibro Champ that a local amp tech confirmed, independently of knowing my desire, that it was indeed from that exact year.

The Vibro Champ has left my collection and, for the time being, satisfied that desire. Don’t get me wrong, if the right opportunity came around to own a 1978 Fender Telecaster or Les Paul, I’d probably try to make that happen. Same goes for the amp. While the reverb and tremolo of my Princeton Reverb are nice, there’s something special about the vintage versions.

It’s a matter of cost and I think that’s what will be the deciding factor. Unless thousands of people discover and start listening to a lot of KCWM music, the continuing rise in value of vintage amps and guitars will be the hurdle I have to overcome.

What I Mic It With

Sennheiser e906This has changed over time as I started recording music for release back in 2018. 

For Low-Fi, Nice Try’s Waiting Drove Us Mad EP I used a Sennheiser e609 to mic the Princeton Reverb on “Juilliard” and “Ghost”.

For Cold the Winter’s Skylines and the Horizon EP I used a Sennheiser e609 coupled with an MXL R144. I replaced the e609 with a Sennheiser e906 around Christmas of 2018. and used the e906 on a couple of tracks for that EP.

For KCWM Volume One and Volume Two, I used the Sennheiser e906 and MXL R144.

The R144 was a great introduction into the world of ribbon mics, but I wanted to upgrade.

Royer R10Somewhere in the middle of Volume Three, I swapped out the MXL R144 for a Royer R10 and that’s where I currently stand, mic-wise.

The R10 is positioned on the left side of the Princeton’s speaker and the e906 is on the right, and both often serve as the primary focus of most guitar tracks I record. Both mics are run into a Cloudlifter CL-2 before the audio interface.

This pairing has stayed in place as I’ve recorded singles post Volume Three and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.

Would I Suggest it?

I have been thoroughly satisfied with the purchase of my Princeton Reverb. At the time, it didn’t break the bank, the tremolo and reverb on it are excellent, and it has been a consistent performer.

I’d definitely suggest it, though it would depend on the circumstances. 

• Do you play with a loud drummer? The 15w might not be enough to get clean tones at practice levels unless you’re plugging into a PA. 

• If you play with a drummer that doesn’t pound the crap out of their set, then it might work, especially elevated at ear level. 

• If you have a small bedroom studio, especially if you use a drum plugin like I do, it’s a great amp.

Regardless of the circumstances, you’re going to want to throw pedals at it. If you’re going for natural breakup, a drive pedal will goose a little more juice out of it. If you want to toss in a Marshall-in-a-box pedal, like my Zvex Double Rock, you could kind of have your cake and eat it too.

 

Ultimately, I used to say that if I had to choose one of my amps to keep, it would be the Princeton Reverb, but with the purchase of my Mesa Express 5:25, I’m not sure that’s the case anymore.As long as I stay recording in a dual-amp setup, it’s staying. Should the day come where I have to sell an amp, the decision will be made then.


In a world of noise, be sound.

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It has come time to part ways with one of the cool It has come time to part ways with one of the coolest Muff-based fuzzes I’ve ever played: the Blackout Effectors Musket, which is the right side of this pedal, the Twosome. 

You might question what a Muff fuzz is, and if you’re a non-guitarist/musician, I point you to Smashing Pumpkins’ album Siamese Dream, notably “Today” and “Cherub Rock”. 

Fuzzes have been used for a long time and the Electro Harmoniz Big Muff is one of the most well known. 

However, this allows me to bring other fuzz sounds into my bag of tricks and that makes me excited.
Gear that came and went in 2023: Pedal Edition (ma Gear that came and went in 2023: Pedal Edition (maybe pt. 1)

There might have been more. I’ll have to check an Imgur folder

• Jet Pedals Lion 
• Lovepedal Echo Plexi (traded toward Friedman PT-20 v2 head/cab
• Emerson Paramount (traded toward Friedman PT-20 v2 head/cab
• Line 6 HX Stomp + extension pedal (traded for Crate Palomino v16 and cash)
• TC Electronic Sub n Up (came in 2022)
• Boss DS-1
• Old Blood Noise Endeavors Float
• Kelley Katana Mini Boost
• Ibanez TS-9 Tubescreamer (traded for Katana Mini Boost)
• Barber Gain Changer (traded for Bearfoot FX Honeybee X)
• Jackson Audio Broken Arrow v1 (traded for Fulltone Fulldrive 2)
• Line 6 Helix LT

Gone but not pictured:
• JHS Buffered Splitter (traded for Tubescreamer)
• Fulltone Fulldrive 2 (traded for Emerson Les Paul Harness)

Bought and returned:

• Used Jackson Audio Asabi (defective)
• New Jackson Audio Asabi (gain was not useful)
•Jackson Audio Golden Boy mini

The Lion, Float, Paramount, and DS-1 were taken in as trade for the light blue tele in my recent guitar post 

I’ll probably think of a couple more I missed because I don’t still have the pictures of them, or never took pictures because I never posted them for sale. 

#guitar #guitarpedals #pedals
@bugdayband It’s glorious @bugdayband It’s glorious
@teresa.aldaco, ignore this post. I was going th @teresa.aldaco, ignore this post. 

I was going through my photos today and saw a number of guitars and pedals that I’ve sold/traded or bought in 2023. 

These are 10 of the guitars that came into and left my possession in 2023.

• 2016 Fender Chris Shiflett Telecaster Deluxe
• 2019 Gibson Les Paul Tribute DC
• 2021 Squier 40th Anniversary Jazzmaster, Vintage Edition
• Partscaster Tele
• 2021 Sterling Avis AX3FM
• 2022 Gibson Les Paul Traditional Pro V Satin
• 2007 Epiphone “1966”  G-400 SG
• LTD M-1000 with HetSet EMG (can’t remember the year)
• 1970s Session Les Paul Custom Copy
• 1997 Squier Affinity Strat (this year was one of the first years of the Affinity models)

I also sold or traded:

2022 Squier Classic Vibe ‘60s Strat
2018 Fender P-Bass Deluxe FSR
2012 Gibson Les Paul Traditional 

There might be one or two more I’m forgetting about. I also have a few that are waiting to be listed for sale too. 

It’s been a bit crazy, and 2024 is off to a start of its own. 

#guitar
Out getting into some Christmas Mischief and neede Out getting into some Christmas Mischief and needed some background music. It’s a good choice of good music. 

Finding new music from half the country (or world) away, or even right next door, is one of the best things about the internet and social media. Without it, I’d have never found bands like @bugdayband, No More Kings, @zwetschconnor, @clinically.sane.band, the musicians I’ve met and talked to, or people wouldn’t have found my music. 

Seek out new music. Don’t stay stuck in your music habits for too long like I too often do. I do love me some ‘90s rock, but I needed to move beyond what gets played on Lithium. 

Finding that new song that gives you chills with a lyric, when the distortion kicks in, a transition between section, or opening chord is never a disappointing feeling. 

It’s not 2024 yet, but we don’t have to wait to make a resolution to find and embrace new music by artists we might never have found if it weren’t for our friends, or an algorithm, saying “hey, check this out”.
Well, no surprise that I’m my #1 listened to ban Well, no surprise that I’m my #1 listened to band. Olivia Rodrigo and Taylor Swift are due to my kid, but @bugdayband ranking up there with Pearl Jam is good stuff. You should check them out. 

#spotifywrapped #kcwmmusic #rock
Grayson, aka Buddy aka Buh aka Bubs, is our sole r Grayson, aka Buddy aka Buh aka Bubs, is our sole remaining cat after all three of our senior cats succumbed to complications of their age. 

He’s a good companion and has become extra clingy since Mike’s passing in September. He sleeps with us at night and responds to “Want to get some food and go to sleep?”

He really is the best buh. 

#grayson #graycatsofinstagram #cats #catsofinstagram #graycats
Five or six years ago, I bought a Gibson Les Paul Five or six years ago, I bought a Gibson Les Paul Classic in green oceanburst. After a setup from @bigjohnsguitars it played how I’ve always wanted a Les Paul to play. 

After the honeymoon phase was over, and after recording some tracks, I wasn’t happy with the sound. It was very dark and muddy. John helped me install some new pickups, but the problem persisted. 

I eventually met and talked to the guy who runs @wtonesupply and we talked pickups. I dropped my Les Paul off and he got to work winding me some of his pickups. 

We made the trip out to Allen (which is why we ate at Portillos) to pick it up last night and I finally got a good chance to put some time into playing it. 

Problem solved. 

Our original plan deviated a bit once he had the guitar  but the choices he made has proven to be the remedy it needed. Plus, the covers he used look slick! 

With a trade finding a new home for the guitar that displaced this one as my go-to Les Paul, it’s nice to have this back in its rightful place. I can’t wait to record a song or two with it real soon. 

Finding good folks that do even better work has been something I’m very thankful for. Those individuals and the many conversations I’ve had and work they’ve done for me is something I hope every musician can experience.
It’s a @bugdayband kind of day. You should make It’s a @bugdayband kind of day. You should make it a Bug Day kind of day too. Because #guitar #altrock is good for the soul.
Remixing the first 7 songs from Volumes One and Tw Remixing the first 7 songs from Volumes One and Two is coming along. 

Some songs sound better after the first attempt, some require a tweak or two, and others require whole new parts be recorded. 

I still need to re-record “Octivation”, “Lost It All In Factory”, and “Let’s Get Behind Them” for different reasons. 

I’ve learned a lot between the beginning of this whole process and now, and you can hear the difference in the originals vs. the remix. 

Want access to listen to the remixes? DM me and let’s talk about it. I’d love to talk about the process and hear your feedback.
During the 9/13 @pearljam show, we were treated to During the 9/13 @pearljam show, we were treated to Eddie Vedder dressed up as a mirrorball and a story behind the jacket and helmet for “Wishlist”. I recorded very little during the show, but him spinning around was too good to pass up. I tried to catch it on the big screen but only caught a moment of it.
I worked out two separate trades on Sunday that in I worked out two separate trades on Sunday that involved a #strat as part of the deal. Funny thing is that the #stratocaster is not my favorite type of guitar to play, but both were interesting. This doubled the number of strats I have.

1) The red #Fender is made up of parts from Fender guitars, but I do not believe that any parts are from the same guitar. 

• The body is refinished matte red with some roadworn-ish type relicing, which is just gold underneath...maybe the original color?

• Fender Vintage Noiseless pickups with a Clapton mid-boost mod. It sounds really good. 

• Neck is from a 2013 MIM Floyd Rose Fender. It's a really nice, comfortable neck. 

• Thick solid steel block. It has excellent sustain

If I keep this one, it will get some Fender Locking Tuners

2) The black one is a #Squier Affinity Strat, but it's not a normal Affinity. It's a 1997 model, the first year they offered the Affinity line and it's a full-sized, hardwood (likely Alder) body with a 22-fret rosewood neck. It's a pretty nice neck, especially for a Squier. 

It's hefty for a strat too...it's not light like so many of the Squier Affinity line. Having that full-sized body adds some weight. 

The pickups leave a bit to be desired, which is par for the course with the Affinity line, but this guitar would make a great modding platform for someone interested in doing so. 

Heck, if that red one hadn't come through and I didn't already have two other nice strats (both Squiers, interestingly), I'd likely look to make some modifications.

----

In the end, I will take time to consider whether I like the red partscaster or my Squier Classic Vibe '60s strat more. Whichever one wins gets the Vintage Noiseless. Clapton mod, and stainless steel block (as long as it fits the Squier). 

I have some decisions to make.
New upgrade for KCWM music purposes. Next recordin New upgrade for KCWM music purposes. Next recordings will feature this 2004 Dr. Z Maz 18 Jr. 

#NAD #newampday #drz #maz18 #guitar #guitaramps
Back in '95, my grandmother bought my first real e Back in '95, my grandmother bought my first real electric guitar from a pawn shop in the small town I grew up in. I think we paid $85 for it with a hard case. 

I played that guitar a lot, its pictured with me in the Jazz Band photo from my junior year (covered in a ton of stickers...so classy), and I recorded songs with it. 

When the electronics started to die, I wasn't as knowledgeable in what could be repaired and I junked it. I sold the parts and moved on. It wasn't until years later that I realized what I'd given up and I've often priced them, but never pulled the trigger. 

Yesterday (7/19/23), this popped up on Facebook Marketplace from a local shop. At first, I thought it was interesting and didn't intend on buying it, but after giving it some thought, I went and did just that. 

This was a bit of a nostalgic purchase. If I named my guitars, this one would be called Dot or Syb (short for Sybil), after my grandmother.

This Squier Contemporary Strat (27-6800) was made from '84 - '87 in Japan. From the info I've gathered online, it's a 24.75" scale instead of the normal 25.5" Fender Scale. The pickups each have an on/off switch so you can turn all three on at the same time, and the humbucker has an on/off/coil-tap switch. The tuners are Fender-branded Gotoh. 

It has some definite wear and tear, but I don't care. 

You'll definitely be hearing this on some upcoming songs, as I intend for it to split time with the tele I use for lead parts, as I did with the modified Squier '51 it's replacing did. 

Anyone in the DFW area looking for a cool modified Squier '51? 

#guitar #fender #squier #stratocaster #strat #fenderjapan #mij #ssh #rock #kcwmmusic #dmcafreemusic #dmcafreerock #nostalgia
I need to clean up my desk a bit more but I just r I need to clean up my desk a bit more but I just replaced my two 1440p monitors with this 34” ultra wide. I’m able to see every track on the mixer of Studio One 5 and so much of Superior Drummer 3. It’s so awesome.
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