The BBE Sonic Stomp Sonic Maximizer "4th Gen"

The Maximizer! Not to be associated with the kind that involves trickery and deception to men. This one is a stomp box that makes a hell of a difference in tone. Like the manual quotes, "It's like removing a blanket over your amp". I first bought this pedal after reading many positive reviews over harmony central The BBE Sonic Stomp makes a crappy amp sound good and a good amp sound even better.



The Sonic Stomp has only two control knobs. "Lo Contour (Bass)" & "Presence (Treble)". I have always considered this pedal as THE MAGIC BOX. Some argue that an EQ pedal would be able to produce the same results but personally, It has that little bit of something that i can't really put my finger on about the Sonic Stomp. This pedal is a must have in my setup to boost my VOX AC15 Heritage to sound close to a modern Hi-Gain amp.

I had one of those "What the F**K" was i thinking!" moments where i blindly used a 110v 9v adapter that was provided together with the pedal to power up the Sonic Stomp and i'm living in a country with a voltage cap of 220v. The obvious happened and that incident left a void in my pedalboard. Big lesson learnt here on being conplacent. I had fried the IC chip and the pedal is now a paper weight on my desk. I thought i could go cold turkey and do without it but after months of not having it around, I felt that my pedalboard was really lacking a key ingredient so i had another one bought off ebay for half the price i paid for the first and this was the newer " 4th Generation" BBE Sonic Stomp Maximizer.

From Left: Old Version and the 4th Generation BBE Sonic Stomp

The 4G version sounds identical to the previous that i had owned. The main difference here for me is the change in it's cosmetics. It now spots new fonts and a new color. The new fonts somehow remind me of that 70's T.V show "I Dream Of Genie". The height of the housing is slightly higher compared to it's older counterpart. The Sonic Maximizer is also true bypass and runs on the regular 9v battery or dc power.

My final word on the BBE Sonic Stomp:

If you are using a vintage spec amp and looking for that little bit more versatility then the Sonic Stomp will really come in handy. It can also be used to boost the frequencies to bring out those solos and let that lead tone stand out in the band. Not only can this MAGIC BOX be used with guitars, it can be used with Bass, Keyboards and probably anything else which has a 3 3/4 inch jack that produces sound. It boosts the low and high frequencies very nicely and with a tinge of clarity to top things off.

I'll highly recommend this pedal to anyone looking for more "BOOMZ" in their setup.

Price & Availability:

I have seen the old version of this pedal at WoodWorkz some time back in the display window but it was only available for a very brief period of time. Swee Lee only has the rack mount version the last time i checked.

This pedal can be bought off Ebay at USD$69 excluding shipping.

Rate: 9/10

Xotic Effects BB Preamp USA

The pedal that is so famously associated with Andy Timmons. BB is also known to stand for "Blues Breaker" . It has a metal housing and is built quite well. Runs on 9v and is sized rather small in boutique fashion. I picked this one up pre owned. My first impressions of the BB preamp when i plugged it into my VOX AC15HW was the amount of creamy fatness it gives out with all knobs at the noon position and the gain at 9 o clock. The clean boost that the BB gives out is a warm sounding organic tone. Nothing digital about it since this is an analog pedal in all it's glory.

The BB has 4 knobs. Volume, Gain , Treble and Bass. When the gain knob is pushed up to 3 o clock, It produces saturation and the break ups are very nice and can produce tones that comes pretty close to Andy Timmons "Electric Gypsy". Another note about the BB is the dynamics that the BB is very capable of coaxing. There is no need to rool back the volume knob to get the tones into the clean categeory. Picking dynamics can greatly smoothen out the tone almost to a clean state.

Not only this pedal sounds good stand alone but when the BB is stacked, In this case i stacked the BB with a hardwire CM2 in classic mode, The tone becomes a fat saturated lead signal that is very harmonical in dynamics. This pedal stacks really well and is pretty quiet.

I would recommend the BB preamp if your looking for a warm clean boost and more. unlike the AC and RC booster, The BB preamp has got more versatility in terms of having more gain. The BB is definately not a one trick pony. There are variations for the BB as well, There is the BB preamp Andy Timmons signature, The BB Preamp MB Custom Shop ( MB stands for MID BOOST ) And the BB preamp plus.

Probably one of the better TS type pedals around.

The BB preamp retails brand new in stores around the SGD$300-$330 range.

Street value wise is around SGD$180 - $240

This pedal is definately staying in my rig!

Rating: 9/10

Line 6 M13 Stompbox Modeler

Line 6 released the m13 some time back after having much success on their line of amp and pedal modeling gear comes this monster of modeled stompboxes. The M13!

The Build

Just as always, line 6 has built yet another tank like structure and weighs in at quite a bit. 3.7+kg of meat to lug around to shows and practice sessions. Its hard black metal chassis ensures that the M13 is well protected. The M13 also has those signature stomp switches in chrome that can be found on the pod x3 live. stomp on the switches and the led lights come on. this time round, there are different colored led lights and not the usual orange led lights. The colors vary depending on the patch that is selected. the colors include green, red,purple and blue. The M13 looks killer in low lighting conditions and will make playing in the dark rather enjoyable with the multi colored led lights.

What’s inside

The M13 comes with 19 delay models, 23 Modulation effects, 17 Distortion effects, 12 compression and EQ effects, 26 Filters and 12 different reverbs. Models from the famous line 6 stompboxes from the likes of the DL4, DM4, FM4, MM4,Verbzilla and Echo pro. It also has a tap tempo function and a short 28 second looper.

Tone

I have to say after much fiddling with the M13, I especially love the modulation and time based effects. It makes life that much easier without having too many stompboxes on my board. One of the down sides of this unit is the dirt models. I found that the dirt section of the models can be better. There’s that hint of digitalness and sterileness that I’m not really fond of. Besides that, the tones from the rest of the models can really come in handy and are pretty decent.

The Signal Chain

For someone like myself who loves the sound of individual stompboxes, The M13 offers the ability to have this pedal used as a hybrid with your favorite stompboxes. In setup mode, the placement of the effects loop can be modified. For instance, I will be able to slot in a fuzz pedal right after the on board time based effects or even place an external EQ pedal after the on board dirt effects on the M13. Easily customizable so your signal chain will be in the right order. The M13 is also true bypass so there is no "Tone Suck" happening in your signal chain with the M13 in it.

Update v2.01

A recent update has added some new models into the M13. Do take note that the MIDI to USB cable used to update the M13 is NOT INCLUDED in the purchase. One will have to purchase this separately in order to do updates on the M13. With the new 2.01 update, 2 of my favorites are the Smart Harmony and Glider. The Smart Harmony is a harmonizer effect. This effect has been left out of its previous models and updates but finally Line 6 has added the inclusion of a harmonizer effect that was highly requested since the pod seriesof multi efx was launched. Got 80’s metal harmonized solos? Now you can! The next is the glider effect. This glider effect is modeled after a whammy pedal. When used with an external expression pedal, Changing pitches are a breeze. Get ready for some “Rage Against The Machine” action!

Summary

Line 6 has built a good piece once again. Of course there are some flaws that can be improved in this unit but the people at Line 6 were listening to what the people wanted and they delivered a more than satisfactory piece. If you are looking for a one stop multi efx board that’s easy to understand and work around. This unit serves very well in terms of simplicity, tone & value for money but be warned if you are looking for a Multi efx pedal to serve your booteek needs. If that's the case, look elsewhere.

Pros:

• Value For Money

• Great Modulation and Time Based Effects

• Sturdy And Solid Housing

• Ability to Customize Signal Chain

• Multi Colored LED for Easy Recognition of Banks

• 2 Inputs for 2 x Expression Pedals to Run Simultaneously

• True Bypass

• Tap Tempo

Cons:

• Midi to USB Cable Not Included And Would Need to Buy Separately if The Unit Needs a Firmware Update

• Dirt Section of The Effects Are Not Too Great

• Weighs in at 3.7kgs

• Does Not Have Incorporation via MIDI With POD Farm or Gearbox Software

• Lacks a Standalone Switch For The Guitar Tuner

• Extended Looper Time Would have Been Great

Retails: SGD$728 and available at City Music

Street Value: SGD$500-$600

Rating: 7.5/10

The David Gilmour Fender Black Strat Project

I spent a few good weeks setting this strat up. Most of the time was spend waiting for parts to arrive. Most of the parts that I wanted to be fitted into this project could not be found locally. Or maybe I did not look hard enough. The parts needed for this project were:

• Warmoth 1 Ply 11 Hole All Black Pickguard

• Fender Custom Shop Custom 69’s

• Seymour Duncan Pro Shop Custom Staggered SSL-5

• Orange Caps

• Fender S1 Aged White Knobs

• White Single Ply Backplate Cover

• Stewmac Adhesive Copper Shielding Tape

The cavities had to be copper shielded. These Custom Shop 69’s are true single coils and not reverse wound hence this step is absolutely necessary to minimize the noise level.

I had the original SCN noiseless swapped out and have the new pups put into this order:

Neck: Fender CustomShop Custom 69’s

Middle: Fender Custom Shop Custom 69’s

Bridge: Seymour Duncan Pro Shop CustomStaggered SSL-5

Rewired the new pups in with an orange cap. I maintained the original S1 Switch for extra tonal options under the hood. I have to admit that it's not a neat and tidy wiring job. I have the long leads uncut due to "resale" reasons that i might have in the future.

Swapped out the original pickguard with an all black single ply Warmoth pickguard and changed the knobs and back plate cover to an aged white set. I also made sure I did some fret leveling / crowning and dressing with my set of fretting tools from Stewmac.

And BOOMZ!

Not an exact in detail replica of the famous Gilmour Black Strat but it’s close enough for me. I wanted to keep some of the key modern features in this Strat. I have always preferred the 2 point synchronizing bridge and the locking tuners. It’s not a Gilmour Black Strat but more of a Black Strat with Gilmour’s influence made for me.

And here is the final result...

Before

After

More Detailed Pictures Can Be Found In the " Guitar Porn Gallery "

Installing Pickups Into a Hollow Bodied Guitar

There are comes a time when a guitar player wants to change what's under the hood. A pickup swap is a very common task for guitarist who are out on a tone quest. The normal pickup swap task is quite a normal feat when it comes to solid bodied guitar like strats, les pauls, super strats and tele's. All you need is some soldering know how and it's pretty much do-able.

Swapping out pups from a hollow bodied guitar with no back plate or pickguard can be a pretty nasty feat. The only acces you will have to work with will be the F - holes and the pickup cavity. I picked up a set of un-potted Seymour Duncan Seth Lovers and had it installed into my Gretsch G5122DC. The tough issue here is not the soldering and wiring but more on how the pups, pots and switches have to be coaxed back into place with very limited access.

Here are some key tools that i used.

1. Soldering Iron

2. Soldering lead

3. Musking tape

4. Marker pen

5. Rubber tubes

I'll skip the soldering part. Google "soldering" for more info. The secret weapon here is the rubber tubes. These tubes are used for fish tank air pumps and they are cheap. About $1 per meter from your neighbourhood aquarium store. I used 4 meters of it to have the job done. These tubes will help you pull those pots and switches into place.

Firstly, strip the guitar of any hardware that may be in the way of the job. mark out your bridge position with musking tape so you wont have to re-intonate your guitar from scratch when you are done.

The entire wiring has to be pulled out of the guitar. Do this carefully and make sure that you do not scratch your guitar in the process. always put a piece of cloth on the guitar to protect it if you are working on the guitar surface.

Once the insides are out, un-solder the old pups and solder the new ones in. Make sure you test to make sure that the pups, pots and switches are all working. You can do this by plugging your into into your amp and use a screwdriver to tap on the pups and go through all the pots and switches. If everything is good, use a musking tape to label the pots (e.g neck, bridge , tone1, tone 2).

Now comes the tedious task. Pull the tubes through the pot holes on the guitar and pull it out through the bridge cavity. Cut out the access tube and label it according to the pot hole. Do this for rest of the cavities and your guitar wil look like frankenstein on the operating table. Like this!

Now you can start pulling the pots and switches into place. Attach all the pots to the tubes with the right labels. Make sure you put in the washers for the pots before attaching the tubes. it should look something like this.

Once all the switches and pots have been attached, slowly and very carefully pull the other end of the tube and guide the pots and switches into the guitar through the bridge cavity. The pots should pop into place once they hit the end. Once all the pots and switches are in place, lock them down by screwing the washers and nuts back on. Remember to have your grounding cable in place and soldered if necessary. My grounding cable is attached to my bigsby bar so i had to pull it through with a wire.

Now, all is left is to assemble all the knobs, switches and pups into place. This should not be too difficult. Always remember what goes where, Draw out a diagram of your wiring if you need to. Last thing you need is having to yank out everything because you missed out something or have a pot in the wrong position.

And here it is! the final product! It just saved me some major pups swap money to be paid to a guitar tech. With that money i just saved, I could buy myself something nice. Maybe a new stomp box! Pup swapping on a hollow bodied guitar is NO minor task. It's really not about how you know your wiring or your soldering skills. You really need patience to get this kinda job right.

Total cost to have the pickups swapped minus the cost of the pups and the existing tools i already own ...

$4

Lucky Winner of A Bon Jovi Autographed Squier Strat

Here's a buddy of mine who went out to buy a copy of the new Bon Jovi Album "Circles" and won himself a Fender Squier Affinity Strat autographed by the band. Lucky chap! Courtesy of Universal Music.

Unboxing The Strat! The Band's Autographs On It

Richie Sambora's Autograph

But why a Squier? Universal Music Got No Budget?

Fender Yngwie J Malmsteen Artist Signature Stratocaster

This just in!

A Yngwie J Malmsteen Artist American Fender Stratocaster!

I hesitated much in picking this piece up. I had fears of the famous scalloped fret board that is so famously associated with YJM. But i took the dive and brought this baby home. I had a pretty hard time with the YJM initially but after a good setup and some hours of bonding with her, She does have her set of plus points. I personally loved the voicing on her. The stock Dimarzio produce a very clean and transparent tone. Low output in some senses but thats not a bad thing.

The fretboard is scalloped deeper for this newer model. There is a need to put up a slight fight when playing on the fretboard which i find it rather appealing. Bends and virbrato's are really easy on the scallops. Hence it is easy to re-create that heavy vibrato that Yngwie is so famous for in his style of playing. This guitar will definately make you a better player. You have to hit the notes spot on. There's little room for error but the results are very rewarding.

This is not a bad guitar. Not bad at all.

It's just too bad that i don't shread like YJM and this guitar will not see any justice in my hands.

The retail price of this guitar is at approximately SGD$4,280! Gosh...... With that kind of a price tag, You will need to be a real YJM fan to appreciate this piece of work.

More detailed pictures can be found in " Guitar Porn Gallery "

Wanted Man!! Thief Caught On Camera at SV Guitars!!

WANTED MAN

This Moron apparently shoplifted at SV Guitars at peninsula on the 26th of November 2009. The stolen guitar is a Swing Prism in white finish valued at appoximately SGD$1k.

Poor Mike, letting someone pull a fast one on him and get away like this.

Anyway, if you know this Moron in the pictures below, Please contact Mike at info@svguitars.com or give him a buzz at +65-63686586

Your help will be greatly appreciated.

This guy has got some nerves! Who would have thought anyone would shoplift a guitar out of a retail shop and just walk out with a guitar in his hands in broad daylight.

if anyone is going to pull such a stunt, why not pick a high calibre guitar?! Why choose a Swing Prism?! There's a couple of shops in the same building that holds some pretty high end guitars that are housed in similiar fashion like SV guitars.

Got to hand it to Mr Moron for his balls of steel but what goes around comes around. In my opinion, a Swing Prism just ain't worth the effort.

Getting Picky!! V-Picks!!

All my years from playing the guitar, there has always been one important element. The guitar pick. A lot of players do not realise this. The guitar picks plays a very big part in tone. All my years of playing the guitar has seen me change a wide variety of different picks. From nylon to metal picks. I have almost tried them all. They were all mostly the same. The only difference was that the thinner picks produced a thin and crisp tone that was ideal for rhythm play. The thicker picks had better control over dynamics and picking but there's a certain drop in tone clarity when compared to thinner picks.

Through the years, I have tried pick after pick after pick. From the classic nylon's to the signature Ibanez Steve Vai picks. Even a Gardenia bread tag was used before as I could not get myself a pick when money and music shops were scarce in the early days of a teenager.

I ended up using a Jim Dunlop Big Stubby. I found that these picks provided a little bit of everything for me.

When I choose a pick, these are some of the important factors that I look into..

1. Tone
2. Size
3. Thickness
4. Material
5. Comfort
6. Non Slip

Recently, I was introduced to V-Picks. My guitar dealer had me try one when I purchased a guitar from him. He handed me a rather big transparent triangular pick. It felt really thick and uncomfortable but the tone was crystal clear. I did not think too much about that pick as comfort is a must for me. I later found out that V-Picks made different sizes for their picks so I called my dealer and bought a few medium / small sized V-Picks and gave them a go.

These picks are really something. It really brings out the tone of your guitar and playing. Be it electric or acoustic. The tones just project out like no other.

The build of the pick is pretty good as well. The edges are sharp but it has a rounded top end which makes picking faster and smoother. The pick just slides easily off the strings. Pinch harmonics and sweeps have never been easier.

Grip wise, there's no special groove to enhance friction to get a better grip but I have not lost my grip on the V-Picks yet. Maybe it's the three sides it possesses that let's you move to a different side if the pick is slowly sliding away from you. It's like three picks built into one.

Give these picks an A/B comparison if you happen to cross paths. They are rather pricey compared to a regular pick. Maybe 4 - 5 times more compared to a Jim Dunlop Big Stubby but it's worth the money. It enhances tone and playability. The Ruby Medium Pointed V-Pick will be my choice of pick for a long time to come.

VOX Heritage Collection AC15HTVH Head & V112HTV Cab

New baby just joined the family!

It's a VOX Heritage Collection AC15HTVH Head & V112HTV Cab

Killer looks!

Killer tone!

She just simply takes my breath away .....

Heritage AC15HTVH Head and V112HTV Cab

Specifications:

Power Output :15 Watts RMS into 8 or 16 ohm loudspeaker load selectable via rear panel switch.

Valve Complement: 1 x EF86, 3 x ECC83/12AX7, 2 x EL84, 1 x EZ81 (rectifier)

Loudspeaker: VOX/Celestion Alnico Blue 12?loudspeaker 16 ohm

Dimensions:

Head Height: 22.5cm, Width 53cm, Depth 26.5cm

Cabinet Height 53.5cm, Width 53cm, Depth 26.5cm

Weight Head: 14.3 kgs / 31.52 lbs

Weight Cabinet: 14.4 kgs / 31.74 lbs

I'm not going to waste my time reviewing this amp. I'm going to spend more time playing with her.

More detailed pictures can be found in "Guitar Porn Gallery"