Tag: iphoneography

Fun with Flags

So I’ve kept a little Union Jack on top of my guitar amplifier at home for years and years. The reason is, I hoped that magically it would help me sound like The Who. Strangely it never worked.

Now it could have a new meaning, but only under one certain condition. I could sit it on top of my new Vox amp because Vox is a British company…. well, they are Japanese now, I think, but Vox amps, along with Marshall amps, are often referred to as British Sounding amps… because they were designed and (used to be) made in the UK.

Conversely, Fender amps are often referred to as American sounding amps because Fender is based in the US. They are also based in Mexico and Japan, and I believe the Bassbreaker series is actually made in Mexico.

Whatever, Vox is UK, Fender is US. If only I had a little American flag, I could put the proper flag on each amp.

Oh wait!

Two Music Projects

So many music projects!

50/90 started yesterday. I haven’t done a lot, but I have worked on it. I started a file with a couple of bass riffs yesterday, then first thing this morning I started another one, and then during one of my back-resting-lawn-mowing breaks I stared a third. Nothing special, and nothing really there to work with yet, but tiny progress has been made.

As for the re-recording project. There is one song that isn’t exactly re-recorded. When I added it to the project last year I took the original GarageBand file from the 2014 50/90 and just started redoing some of the tracks. The two MIDI instruments, the drums and bass, were actually still the same as the original recording. Today changed the drummer. I still need to re-record the bass. I also just put lead guitar onto that song and one other.

The cool thing about these two takes are that I am back to using two amplifiers. The 15 watt Fender Bassbreaker and the 15 watt Vox AC15 are both working together now. This was literally the reason I wanted to buy the AC15. It sounded pretty good to me.

Unfortunately, playing these lead parts set off whatever it is that is wrong with my left hand. Arthritis? Something like that. It hurt a lot and I had to take a break. When I came back I felt like it had slowed me down a little. Usually when that happens I just stomp on the wah and start strumming a lot. Rock and Roll, eh?