Steve Vai has decided to release some songs from his “back catalog” (as in songs that never made it on a record at the time) through his VaiTunes Initiative. Fans of the master, rejoice!
Steve Vai in the Netherlands in 2004 - Pic Konrad Lubej
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Boss DS1 Match: Stock vs Keeley vs Analogman
The Boss DS-1 is one of the oldest distortion boxes on the market. Released in 1978, it is revered by some and loathed by others. Being a distortion, it offers more gain and more “hair” than a traditional overdrive pedal. Is it often used with a clean amp but it can be used to boost [...]
How to use Modulation Effects Part 1: the Phaser
There is a lot of effects that fall under the “modulation” category on the ground that they send your tone swirling or oscillating. In this series of posts, I will try to unravel the mysteries of effects such as phaser, flanger, chorus, leslie/univibe, vibrato or tremolo. These effects, if used well, can spice up your [...]
Timeless classics: the Big Muff
Question: what do David Gilmour (Pink Floyd), Billy Corgan (Smashing Pumpkins) and Jack White (the White Stripes, The Raconteurs) have in common? Answer: they are all avid users of the Electro-Harmonix Big Muff pedal and a lot of their recordings would not have been the same without the raunchy, dirty, gritty, fat tone of “the [...]
Timeless Classics: The Ibanez Tube Screamer
I thought it was about time to write my take on the most famous overdrive pedal ever: the Ibanez Tube Screamer. This little green machine and its clones are ubiquitous because they do two things extremely well: Used against a clean amp, a Tube Screamer will go from a bluesy to classic rock tone that [...]
The Proco RAT 2 (or how to make your strat or tele sound fat) – Updated
I would like to introduce this “Timeless Classics” series about effects with a pedal that I discovered quite recently (about two years ago) after trying and owning a lot of distortion/overdrive pedals: The Proco Rat-2. The Rat 2 is the granddaughter of the RAT, released at the end of the 70s and whose 1985 reissue [...]
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