New Gearmanndude Pedal coming soon

Hello Friends and Neighbors!

Well...after months of experimentation, I have come up with my latest creation to add to the Gearmanndude product line...it's called THE LOTHAR.

It is a combination of an Overdrive pedal and a Fuzzbox. Great for leads, if you crank all three knobs, but if you dial down the gain, and leave the tone and volume cranked, it has a killer, yet annoying overdrive quality to it to boost and push your amplifier.

Should be ready for purchase in a couple of weeks...I'm very excited about it. Been trying, and trying to come up with something to put my name on lately, and it's just now reared it's ugly head.

Stay tuned!

ROCK ON!

GMD

KLON vs Klone Fancy Lad video clip

Greetings gear-hounds! I shot a clip last week of my Klon versus a DIY clone of the Klon, and it was remarkably close, as far as similarities...in fact, I'd say they're pretty much the same, IMHO. The pedal was named the FANCY LAD, by the builder, (top-cool name!!) and is a one off, custom build, from what I can gather.

As much as I wish it were me that built it, it was not I. There is a site out there, where you can get layouts and schematics for all the killer boutique boxes of love, and build them yourself, and that's where I believe the Fancy Lad pedal came from. So...if you're handy with a soldering iron and tiny components, you can build one too! I'm thinking of building one, just for fun, and to put on another board...but will have to put that plan on the back burner, as I'm swamped in LUTHER-LAND right now...

ROCK ON!

GMD

LUTHER on the Grand Ole Opry

Well, the Luther Drive made it's debut on The Grand Ole Opry a few weeks back. Greg Foresman, guitarist for Martina McBride, has added one to his board. He also just ordered two more...one as a gift, and one as a backup. Very groovy! I named the Luther after Johnny Cash's guitarist Luther Perkins....so it's nice that another Luther got to grace the Opry stage this Century.

ROCK ON!

GMD

Highlights from the Dallas Guitar Show 2009

Made a visit to the Dallas Guitar Show to geek out on gear, and found plenty to get excited about.  I spent some cash at the TONE FACTOR booth...check them out...they've got all the cool-ass boutique stuff in stock and are great people and great players...buy from them!  Also, I spent some time in the Visual Sound booth and a bunch of time in the Pedal Train booth...I'm gonna move into the Pedaltrain boards immediately...I love the design, and they're just real people making cool stuff.

My favorite visit, was to the BYOC build your own clone booth.  Check out http://www.buildyourownclone.com  .  They have kits for you to build actual clones of your favorite pedals.  I've been building their kits for a couple years now, but it was overwhelming to sit and talk with the owner, and really tweak and geek on all the circuits.  I was able to pull a few secret mods outta him too, after a couple of beers in the hotel lounge...look for upcoming Gearmanndude pedals...he gave me some great ideas.  Please visit his site, and leave some money behind...it's a wonderfull addiction.

Other favorites:  The SOULDIER Strap booth...they make the OWL strap that I love and covet, as well as a ton of other vintage style ACE straps.  They use actual ACE material from the 60's and seatbelts for the backing....very cool.  I also dug the Bursts' at Tom Whitrock's booth...he's the dude from The Les Paul Forum....

What else?  Well...I bought a wonderful pair of previously loved Lizard Skin cowboy boots, and some sweet pearl snappy shirts...only in Texas my friends.

ROCK ON!

GMD

Fender 75 amp

Came across this amp in a shop, and had to get it.  It's a single 15" combo, Rivera era Fender 75 amp from around 1980.  It totally rules!  Two channels, the last of the point to point, handwired Fender rigs, and the lead channel can get the juiciest, Marshall JCM800 style overdrive/distortion tone, yet through a 15 inch speaker...kinda unique tone, and I love it...for now...we'll see how long it lasts!  My cat seems to dig it...whenever I crank it up, he comes down outta the control room (upstairs) and lays back on the couch...even when it's cranked...he's 17 years old, damn near deaf, and was birthed by George Harrison while he was visiting a girlfriend in NYC, 17 years ago...touched by a Beatle!  I wonder what he would fetch on eBay?  He still acts like a kitten, and seems to have the energy and spunk of...well....Paul McCartney...wait a minute...wasn't I just talking about the Fender amplifier?

ROCK ON!

GMD

Latest Loves

Well...I got a Throbak Overdrive Boost recently, which is pretty bitchin!  Lots of potential...trying to find the right board (3 boards rigged up) to put it on...think its actually gonna replace the 69 pedal.  Other boxes I'm diggin right now....Big Tone Music Brewery Six of Swords, SubDecay Blackstar Distortion, Mad Professor Fire Red Distortion...I think I'm on a serious pinch harmonix adventure right now....squeeeeeeeeeeeal!!!!

ROCK!

GMD

KLON Centaur

So...I finally got my Klon, after a long wait, which turned out to be worth it!  I am still just getting to know it...it's got a very different feel to it than anything else I've tried...and I've tried quite a few!  It reacts differently to everything you do.  From your guitar's volume, to your amps volume, the Klon has to be dialed in for each application.  Very, very cool box...don't know why I waited so long to order one...

ROCK ON!

GMD

Jaguar Amplification amps

Came across these guys by dumb luck.  So many of the boutique builds are priced too high for most "PLAYERS", which is what always drew me to the Dr Z amps...perfect builds, at affordable prices, for boutique/hand-wired/masterbuilt amps.  The Jaguar amps are the only thing I've found so far, that live in that same realm. 

I recently got a Jaguar Junior, 17 watt, 1x12 combo from them, which retails for $2500, but has a street price of $1750, and really love it.  I've had some similar Bad Cat rigs in the past, but they were double the price.  Nothing against Mark Samson...I've spent alot of money on Matchless and Bad Cat amps, and have never regretted it...I actually miss my Clubman heads I used to use...might have to go back to them someday...but I'm getting off my point!

The Jaguar amps are fantastic, and for the money, you're getting that rich, hand-wired, superb quality for less than a new Bogner, Matchless, Badcat, etc.  They have the same attractive looks of those as well, and are just a nice, tight build.

The Jag Jr has a pentode/triode switch, which throws it to about 8 watts, which is great for my youtube demos.  But honestly, once opened up, volume-wise, it really takes off and has a killer clarity to it, even when running it with alot of gain.

TWO ROCK HAND-SIGNS UP FROM GEARMANNDUDE!

Luther Dickinson gets a LUTHER!

Hooked up with Luther Dickinson at the Black Crowes show in Nashvegas at the Ryman recently, and told him about the Luther Drive....not named for him, but for the Johnny Cash song, 'Luther Played the Boogie', but I told him I'd send him one if he wanted.  He emailed me a week later with his hotel info for the Crowes Christmas shows in California, and I sent him both a LUTHER DRIVE, and a TIME BOMB BOOST.  He digs em' both, and has the TBB in his North Mississippi Allstars arsenal, and the LUTHER DRIVE in his Crowes toys.  I couldn't have a better player out there using my stuff.  Luther is the real deal...and a super cool cat to boot.  ROCK ON!  GMD

Still diggin' the SQUAWK

Best thing to happen to me!  The Squawk totally rocked live for me!!!  Big boost for solos, and had that Tone Bender thing happening too...I'm not being paid to say this...but...GET ONE!!  You'll dump a pile of OD, Fuzz, and Boost pedals because of it.  Completely rules my world...today, that is!  GMD

Boost Pedal experiments

so....tonight, I was re-learning tunes for a band that I'm a for-hire-sideman in, which is a great position to occupy...but that's another story....anyhoo...I was tweaking my pedalboard...a severe disease when you have TOO MANY to choose from...and was just not finding the right LOUD pedal for solos and crazy boosts of my signal.  

The board consists of, from right to left, guitar to amp, a Barber LTD SR, a Catalinbread Super Chili Picoso, Fulltone 69 pedal, Fulltone Supa Trem, Guyatone MD3 Delay, and a Fender Pedal Tuner...all powered with a Trex Fuel Tank Jr, going into my Dr Z MAZ 18 2x10 combo.

The pedal I was having trouble with was the 69...it's my freakout pedal for this particular group.  Unfortunately, it's just not giving me the boost I need.  Naturally, I'd use one of my Time Bomb Boost pedals, but they're constantly sold-out, and I don't keep one to myself yet...YET...before they started selling so well, I used it in place of the Catalinbread Boost...but now, I'd rather sell all available pedals to get them out there in the world, than to save one for myself.  Anyhoo...back to the 69 pedal.  It just kept disappearing in the mix, to my ear.  So...I started trying different pedals...I tried the Exotic Effects RC Booster, The TIM, the Timmy, the Plum Crazy Effects FUZZY LADY, Fulltone OCD, Octafuzz, and Fulldrive, Barber Trifecta Fuzz, and finally went for my Analogman Beano Boost, which would have been the ONE..but I broke the input jack by forcing a cable into it...so...instead of doing the quick fix, I went back to the shelves, and pulled out my Plum Crazy SQUAWK BOX...it completely SLAYED all that I had previously tried on this board.  It got the velcro, and a solid position on the board.  If you get a chance to check one out...DO IT.  I'm glad and sad that I broke my Beano Boost, but will do the fix-a-roo and have her back in action in no time...just didn't want to fool with heating up the soldering iron tonight...my tech comes to pick up my gear in the morning, and I wanted to have it all ready to rock tonight.

Granted...all the pedals I tried to use for this particular situation, are FABULOUS pedals, and I do use them for other scenarios...I think it's time I put aside both a Luther Drive, and a Time Bomb Boost for myself...but honestly, everytime I get an order, I just ship what's ready to go, which constantly leaves me without a toy of my own!

Just thought I'd share the experience...

ROCK ON!

GMD

Added LINKS of my favorite places to linger

I've added some links ( it will grow! ) of some of the places I hang out when I'm supposed to be working, reading, or...working!  They're WAAAAAYYYYYY at the bottom of the page...please check em' all out at your convenience...which better be RIGHT NOW!

ROCK ON!

GMD

all 4 OCD Fulltone pedals

So...I finally got all 4 versions of the coveted OCD, and posted a clip...very cool to hear all the different versions....check it out when ya have time.  ROCK!  GMD

Freshman Post

Thanks to the gearhounds thus far for checking out my little page here.  I'm busy building pedals right now, (a good thing!) and am ensconced in my iTunes...this evenings addictions are the first Chris Robinson solo record, and Muddy Waters 'Hard Again'...both records are helping to keep my soldering iron hot...I'm about 11 beers into a 12 pack, and should probably unplug the iron...don't worry...I test each pedal before setting the screws!  Anyhoo...just wanted to post something on the page, to let ya know I'm here....ROCK ON, ROCKERS!!!

GMD