Ugly Guitar Truth: Marsall Code vs Boss Katana

Recently I was able to check out two of the most promising budget/modeling combo amps released in 2016. The BOSS Katana (100 watt combo) and the Marshall CODE (50 watt combo). Both of these amps have been backordered and hard to come by via the online stores practically ever since their respective releases. (The Marshall CODE, as of this writing, is still backordered) So when I was able to sit down and meet these amps in person, I was very excited. I had been cautiously excited about these two from the moment I saw there specs. I was eager to find out if they would exceed my expectations, or succumb to the fate of most other modeling combos. Let's find out.






The Marshall CODE

I was very surprised by the size of it. It was so tiny. I had to reassure myself that I was actually playing the 50 version and not the 25 watt 1x10. I was, and boy could I tell. It was loud! I had a fear that it would sound boxy, it didn't. The small frame is very misleading in the best way possible. The next thing I noticed was the controls. I should say, the lock there of. I've seen plenty of pictures and I knew the specs, but nothing really prepared me for the simplicity of the layout. I recalled using a Marshall AVT 150 head with it's 24 knobs. I absolutely loved this about the CODE. It is very easy to tweak all the things that matter and there isn't any messing around with menus unless you absolutely have to. Although, if you do want to fiddle with presets, you (kind of) have to download the app. These amps do suffer from what all modeling amps suffer from, endless menus. From just a little poking around I was lost and then greeted with ear-blistering feedback. I must have pushed the wrong button. There are 8 of them, and each one made me feel dumber than the last. But that's why Mashall made these amp Bluetooth ready. Now we have a pretty little app to navigate instead of fidgeting
with all those buttons.

So I was somewhat limited to the preset to my review, and I am aware that the "presets always suck", but then there's the Marshall CODE. The preset are actually pretty good. They also span a good range. They aren't just: Metal, Nu-Metal, Grind Core, Heavy Metal, Metal-Metal.. and so on. Everything from cleans to crunch, and yes, even metal where offered up and surprisingly believable. Understand I come from the dark ages where modeling amps just gave you a range of eww to yuck. You desperately tried to clean up to tone enough to keep it from becoming mushy and falling out of the mix. But this amp would have no problem with that. It has plenty of presence, and it holds its bottom end quite well. The single most impressive thing, to me anyway, is the freaking cab simulator. I might as well hang up my gear review career (bahaha career... anyways) because I never saw the day I'd actually like a cab sim, but this one works. It's not just different colored blanket over the speaker. I don't know what wizard they have at Marshall casting these spells, but these thing made this tiny little amp sound like it came from my Marshall 1960 cab. Huge caveat: the amp most diffidently has an optimal listen position. Please don't think that you can fill a room with this amp like  you could with a 4x12, but listening from the right spot, you absolute get the feeling that you are playing through more than one speaker. Guys, I kid you not, after I played this amp I didn't know who I was any more. I had a full existential crisis. It got weird. Things that I believed were falling down all around me. Who was I? Why was I there? And then I remembered that I was guitarist and I was here to rock! On to the Katana

The BOSS Katana

Still a little shaken from playing the Marshall CODE I started on the BOSS Katana. For a hundred watts, this amp is on the small side. It would win in a bar fight against the Marshall 50 watt CODE, but it'd be beat up pretty good. (assuming the Mashall 100 watt 2x12 CODE doesn't show up... that guy... ptsh) The Katana rocks a 12" speaker and cute little kickstand. Even on the .5 watt mode this amp was plenty loud for the room. However, I didn't want to listen to an amp whisper at me, so I turned it up to the 50 watt setting and adjusted everything to my liking. Including the power mode selector, the Katana had a dozen knobs. My heart sank. I loved being presented with the Marshall's simple-six, but BOSS was smart and organized them in way that even made sense to me. In addition, I found the BOSS, predictably, more flexible (by hand) than the Marshall. changing things like effects on the fly were much simpler with the BOSS. However, the real magic in the amp is in the flexibility and maneuverability of the Tone Studio editor. It's basically like unlocking the cheat codes to a video game. There is so much more if you really want to crack into it.

The greatest strength of this amp is the Amp Type selector. There are only four modes (excluding the acoustic mode) but every one of them is usable. In fact, actually rather stellar. Each one sounds natural and clear. Unlike other amps that just heap mud on top of your tone as you travel gainy to gainier amp settings (looking at you line6). BOSS has done a very smart job of making each type distinct and nuanced. The Lead setting isn't Crunch but louder, The Brown setting isn't lead but... brown-er? Anyways, each setting is lovely. You can hear the years of experience in this amp. The Clean and Crunch setting borrow form Roland's Blues Cube, and the Brown setting is the little brother of the WAZA Craft amps. Not having any experience with the included software, I can't speak to its usability, however it looks like you have the flexibility to nail a huge range of tones. These are lovely little amps that seriously rocks. However, they do lack the mobile app interface. Something I, until recently, assumed they had (woops). Besides that huge, glaring misstep, this amp is a homerun. I was much more excited than I had any right to be for this amplifier, and I was not disappointed.

But this was a verses review...

Conclusion

I'd almost have to pro/con this one out. Marshall absolutely killed everything. BOSS put together something that was everything I didn't know I wanted. Marshall has a deeper set of parameters. The BOSS does everything very well, and has some features that the Marshall doesn't (line in/out). That is kind of unheard of in amp in this range. I think BOSS thought that people are still going to want to run effects into their amp and having that option helps a ton. That way you don't run all your outboard effect through that digital modification. That's smart. Marshall is basically a do it all box that could possible have software updates making it virtually limitless... kind of scary... in a good way.

So I played these amps back to back. I had no idea which was better when I was done. I didn't know which one I'd choose when I started writing this (full disclosure: I was leaning BOSS). But after having to write about the Marshall and really process all that information again, it is really close. Real talk, it would depend on the situation and your preference. For me? I'm going with the Marshall.

Why?

• Super Flexible
• Amazing Amp Sims
• App integration w/Bluetooth
• 5-At-Once Effects

p.s.


I know this thing is super long and thank you for reading this far, but let me know if you guys like the whole "verses" thing or if you like your review to be more standalone. The situation kinda presented its self in a head to head way, so that's what I wrote. Anywho... Thanks!

Ugly Truth: Boss TU-3W Waza Tuner

Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawn...

This whole post could be a rant about how boring tuner reviews are, but I'll try to stay on point here. Boss has put out a new series of tuners. The chief among these is the Waza Tuner. If you aren't familiar with Boss and/or their Waza line, just know that Waza means you're going to pay more. As with the other Waza pedals, you really aren't getting a whole lot more for your money. Basically, Waza pedals give you two things: final quality control in Japan and a switch that lets you select from stock or mod. In this case, the mod is true bypass. That's it. You can turn your TU-3 to true bypass. That and they painted it black, so watch out, this pedal had an attitude...

And Then you Have The All New TU-3S (see the pattern here).



It's almost as small as it is not-exciting. I don't know about you, but one of the important features of the Boss pedal tuners was the fact they could mute your signal. This let you tune silently, and doubled as a panic button for when you rig has a ghost and starts to make all sorts of horrible noise. But don't worry, this tuner did away with all that functionality. And it can be yours for only the exact price of the actual pedal (the one with all the features still intact). I wish I was kidding. It is rather smaller, but not any slimmer. Last time I checked, the width of the pedal had more effect on pedal board real estate. I guess someone thought this was a good idea...




A Clip On Tuner

All kidding aside, this one is actually pretty solid. I've gone through the list with clip-on tuners. Some are better than others, but most are just barely passable. Boss have a pretty great track record when it come to tuners, so when they put their name on one, that carries some weight. This one comes in at less than $20, so it is still affordable and I wont cry to much when I eventually lose it.

Going Old-School



The last new tuner from Boss is the TU-30. Its a little more old school, and it gear toward more than guitarist. It come with a metronome and loads of extra features. If you want to read the full list of the features visit Boss. This one is probably the least excite of the four. However it does remind me of the days when I first learned the guitar and when I used a Korg tuner. That thing never stayed put and made tuning a bit of a hassle. I also lost probable a hundred dollars worth of then before switching to floor based models. I'm sure that the tuning and metronome feature are solid and that these would make great classroom and practice aids.




Conclusion:




sooooooo boring........

Ugly Truth About The New Keeley Compressor

Keeley has been impressing us since they first started modding BOSS pedals. They were on the cutting edge of the big 'mod' boom. Then they developed a line of original offerings that continues to innovate and expand. Keeley have been able to offer effects that compete with any other pedal for top spot. Their new compressor is likely to be no less impressive. It already has a few things going for it. So let take a closer look.

It's Tiny

Yes, it is another tiny pedal in a 1590A enclosure. Although I do not like skinny, tiny pedal like these, the Keeley compressors have been high regarded as some of the best. Little is known about the particulars of this pedal (it's not even on the Keeley website yet) it resembles the C2 Signature compressor. That particular model is out of production and resembles the ROSS/|Dyna, two-knob style Compressors. So this pedal seems to take a little inspiration from the C2 and adds a Mix knob, which I Find to my liking.

Too Many Compressors

Keeley is no stranger to the compression game. Their four knob compressor was probably the most sought after compressor for a period of time. It's features and fidelity filled a gap in the market that took some of the largest effects manufactures by surprise and introduced guitar players to compressor that made little or no compromises with their tone. This pedal does have some parallels with another pedal in the Keeley line-up, or rather a part of a pedal. The Steak and Eggs pedal by both Keeley and JHS has been praise three ways to Sunday. Notably, the tiny compressor and the compression side of the Steak and Eggs share the same features: Level, Sustain, and Blend. Is this Keeley capitalizing on the success of their joint venture with JHS?

These Pedals Are Too Familar

Take this pedal and put an unfamiliar logo on it. Does it still seem desirable? These tiny pedals have been flooding in from China. My local music store has adopted a line of these tiny guys. They sell for about $40. Put this pedal next to a Chinese pedal and tell me if it's worth two and a half time the price. Maybe it is, but maybe it's not. You could argue that Keeley holds it's value and is a better investment and that dealing with an American company will offer you better customer service. You would be right on all accounts. But when looking at the direct utility of the pedals themselves, it might become difficult to justify the price. (even though the first time I saw the asking price of one of these I thought it was a steal for a Keeley Compressor)

Conclusion

I'm not going to pretend that I don't like this pedal. It's probably the most excited I've been about a compressor, perhaps ever. It's not often that compressor get a lot of hype. They are used as tools, like EQs and boosts. There just isn't the colorful language given to these pedal as there is to overdrive and distortions. But, this pedal has all the makings of a great option if you are looking for a Compressor. It is small, so if you run your Comp 'always on' then you don't have to worry about turning it off and on and how uncomfortable that can feel. The price makes it no more expensive than many others that offer similar (or even fewer) controls. It maybe different or flashy, but it may just be the best option for compression to come out in the last few years.

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Ugly Truth: Jet City JCA2212C Combo

I've been preoccupied, lately, on the idea of adding to be amp collection. But what to add to it. I was browsing recently, and noticed this combo on a decent sale. Which raised the question, is it worth it? I wanted to try it out. So, at my earliest convince, I gave a fair amount of time to the combo in question. I've been please with the Jet City Buffered Line Driver. It, in my opinion, is a match made in heaven for a Vox AC15. But what about the amps? They are designed by Soldano. I've never played a Soldano. But they sure are proud of their amps. So, Jet City makes amps at a fifth of the cost. And now someone has marked them down even more. Time to investigate. And investigate. I did...

They're Small

They are a 1X12. It is the same as a Fender Blues Jr. are Vox AC15, But it is smaller than either one of them. A compact cab is nothing to complain about, but with a closed back and straight forward cab, at any other angle than directly in front, it sounds small too. Not to say that it isn't loud. It's plenty loud. But it does come off as small. There is plenty of flexibility in the EQ section. The Low, Mid, and High controls give you more than enough room to play. The Mids are expressive and useful. The Highs pinpoint just the right frequencies to offset any muddiness. and the Lows are powerful without being too muddy. But all this relies on you point of reference. Off to the side and this cab losses a lot of it's appeal.

They're Light

Moving the combo around was a breeze. In fact, I moved it about without even trying. Most other units take a little heft to get it to move from here to there, but not this combo. Quite a contrast to my Vox. Lighter than a Peavey Classic 15, this amp would be a ideal small gig/working man's rig. That is if it wasn't for the features. It is light on feature as well. I love the break up and gain on the amp. The Saturated tunes make this combo a delight. But as I fiddled, I couldn't find a clean tone. Hot pickups will send this unit into break up even at the lightest of settings. Single coils will clean it up to a degree, but you need to back off of either to get something close to 'clean'. You could try a different type of tube, but you'd be backing off the overall volume still, and this is a low wattage amp to begin with.

They are a little confusing

If you take a look at the selection of amps from Jet City, you are bound to be confused. There is a JCA Combo, Head and another option that has different features all together. I don't really know what to make of this expect that they are a little confused. I like they include effects loops, but the fact that there is not a master volume, or something that controls the gain enough to clean up the signal. But they seem like a one trick pony. I like the trick. But it is like a dirt pedal. It have a sound, it can be a good sound, but it only has the one. You could defend it by saying that you don't need a dirt box to send it into overdrive, although I'd like to option to engage when I like as opposed to 'on all the time' as it is now. Oh well. maybe if the price drops to a certain point it will be worth having a fun little amp like this.

Conclusion.

This amp is very fun to play, It has a few limitation... ok, I lot of limitations. This is not your 'Jack of all trades' kind of amp. But I don't think that it wants to be. It knows what it wants to do, and it does it. It gets nasty. It gets loud. You can have a lot of fun with this amp. But when it is all said and done, you'll still want your clean amp and your pedal board. I like Jet City, and I like the sounds this amp makes, but it doesn't make sense to add this amp to your collection unless you already have your fill on clean little combos. If you are looking for something out of the ordinary or different than your bandmates, then this amp might fill the bill. If you are looking for something of a more 'all around' nature then you should look elsewhere.

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Ugly Truth: Fulltone Catalyst

Lately I noticed that a couple of the Fulltone pedals have been marked down to a reasonable price. $80 for a Fulltone pedal used to be unheard of. The Catalyst and Fat Boost have both been marked to a discount price. I don't keep tabs on Fulltone, so I don't know when this happened, but everything looks like it has been recently. Used prices are still floating around previous levels. I was reading about the Catalyst on some forums and found where someone was over the moon to find one used for $99. I had a little experiences with the pedal a few years ago. I was playing some sessions with a group of guys, and used some borrowed gear. I dug the pedal then, but it was traded/sold. I haven't thought much about the pedal since, but when I saw that it was so affordable I decided to visit it again.

It's Flexible

You read the description on the Fulltone website and it makes this pedal sound like it can do anything. Boost, Overdrive, Distortion, and Fuzz. There are tons of pedal that want to do "everything" but few actually do more than one thing very well. Once you start to play with this pedal, you notice that it achieves several sounds. You might not like all of them, but there is probably a few you might. I ran this into my Vox AC15. It wasn't magic right away. I am a pretty big fan of the Vox on its own, but I did like the Catalyst as a Boost/light OD. It thickened up the sound and acted like a nice EQ. It sounded nice with Chords, but I think this pedal is more flexible than articulate.

It's Underwhelming. 

For a pedal that debuted well over $100, it kinda under-preform. This pedals actually acts better when the front of the pedal is hit pretty hard. I put a Klone in front of this pedal and it really opened up. This pedal seems to have plenty of head room, which is odd for a dirt box. So I'm guessing that it's a holdover from it being capable of a clean boost. However the boost isn't very "clean". It colors the tone in a very noticeable way. I liked it with my Vox. But I found that heavier gain setting were better with my American voiced amp.

I Like It

But I don't love it. It comes up a little short of awesome. My biggest complaint is that is not articulate enough. Chords sound thick and rich, but the single note runs don't translate well. Also, picking patterns get muddy. That's my biggest complaint, but you don't buy a fuzz to be clean and clear. But you think that your fuzz could be a boost, or work as and overdrive... So maybe Fulltone didn't really hit it out of the park with this one.

Conclusion

Fulltone may be clearing out the Catalyst and Fat Boost. They aren't the most popular pedals. They haven't been updated. Mine still say V1 on the PCB. This pedal is a little confused, but it still has a some good sounds. Its flexibility and versatility are what set this pedal apart. Would it be better if you had single pedals that did fantastic jobs of each one of the things that this pedal can do? Of course. However, this pedal is enough to do several different functions, and it has a voice that is unique. If you considered picking one of these up, then it may be time to grab one.

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GMF Bullseye Pedals

GMF amps is a little company that mostly produces an acoustic DI. This DI has been featured by Guitar Player magazine, but for most of the guitarist community, they are an unknown. A visit to their webpage will only bring you information about the DI and a small line of effects that are now in development. In fact, this company relies on Kickstarter campaigns the fund the production of its effects. This actually makes a lot of sense and seems to limit the cost of the units. In stead of taking a gamble on mass production, or charging a mint for small batch pedals, GMF will know exactly how many unit they need to sell. This could change the way small effect developers create and distribute their products.

A Closer Look

Lets start with the Distortion.

GMF Touts "Proprietary circuits" for each of their designs. This is somewhat of a good sign considering how many cases of effect companies cloning each others circuits (I'm looking at you, EHX) However, there is something that look a little suspicious. Maybe it's the model name "DS-1" that has has been everyone's first distortion pedal ever (the Boss DS-1). I'm not say that it is a DS-1 clone... MXR has that down, but that could have called it anything else and it would be better.

There is a Chorus

 So this is the Bullseye Chorus. Organic and lush, this chorus is a reminder of more classic effects. The pedal is warm, like a CE-2 with the added benefit of a level knob. Fans of the old school will probably appreciate this pedal for it's subtle qualities. However, dramatic 'warble' sounds are possible with this unit as well. This really is an expressive unit. GMF's description states that you can use this unit with a varity of instruments, and I believe that claim.

And a Delay

The DL-1 is a simple analog delay that seems to fit in with the rest of the lot. Warm, analog repeats are present. The delay time might be limited, but super long delays are for the digital units. If you are looking for a warm, vintage sounding delay, then this might be a option for you.

The Reverb

Those looking for the Fender verb in a can may see themselves picking up one of these units. The Two knobs make this pedal very simple, however limited. The unit emulate a spring reverb, and calls to mind the spacious sounds made by a clean Fender amp. There isn't much you can do to improve on that.

Conclusion

These pedals may not be game changing in them selves, but the space saving design (they are about the size of two 'micro' pedals side by side, and top-oriented jacks make them pedal board savvy. The option to power them with a 9-volt or a power adapter is nice to see in small pedals. These pedals are what the big effect companies try to be, relevant.

Ugly Truth: YouTube Gear Reviews

I'll be the first one to admit. I love watching You Tube reviews of gear. Sometimes I don't even know I want gear until I see/hear it online. In the age of information, we have more information than we can ever consume in a lifetime. So When looking up guitar gear, we have our choice of avenue of consuming information. The Tried and true written reviews on retail websites and forums leave us a little wanting for more. You Tube offers a wide verity of reviews and reviewer. Some are great quality and some... aren't, but there are many to choose from and I've even picked a few that are my favorites.

It's Very Difficult To Compare Gear

Some of the very first videos of gear that I ever watch were shootouts between stock and modded pedals. I was a big pedal modder and really wanted to hear the results before committing to the mod. That's how I found gearmanndude. I still like to watch his videos, because he is entertaining and he sounds just like Jack Black. Even in side by side shootouts it was very difficult to distinguish differences in pedals. Some mods are subtle, but some change the pedal drastically. Even when complete changing the clipping stage, pedal sounded almost alike. Replicating the test at home had very different results.

Some Try To Make Money Off You

Some of the best known reviewer on You Tube want to make money off you. Most of them try to sell directly to you. Reverb.com, Anderton's, and any builder are really just trying to put product in front of your face. Others make revenue off of views. If you noticed that some channels run ads before there videos and other don't, that's because the ads make money for You Tube and to a lesser extent, the channel. I'm not against ads. (just look around my site) It helps those people keep doing what it is they are doing and create a better product. Just remember, these people aren't just so board that they make videos for you.

The Audio Quality 

Many people have comment on the compression of You Tube videos. There really isn't any way around it. HD video and audio would eat bandwidth and probably destroy You Tube's free format. When you watch these videos, you notice that the reviewers often use very high quality recording gear. Shnobel often uses a large condenser and SM57 type mic to record his nice amps. These are studio quality micing options. Chances are you aren't doing that on your live rig. So, when you are struggling to hear the difference between the $50 pedals and a $250 pedal on You Tube, just remember There is no replacement for live sound.

Conclusion

I know that You Tube videos are not going to be the best way for my to experience a pedal. There will never be a replacement for hands-on playing. The feel and response are something that do not translate into ones and zeros. Having said that, I still enjoy watching Chappers and the Captain mock about while playing interesting pieces of "kit". And so, if you are enjoy watching the videos, then continue to do so. If you put much weight into watch you hear, then maybe I've said enough to make you think twice.

The Ugly Truth About The Ibanez RGKP6 Kaoss Electric Guitar

If you were alive and going to small shows ten years ago, you might have noticed that once in a while there would be a band with a strange little device that made even stranger sounds. Most people would just shrug and thing that was odd. A gear-nut, such as my self, would then go online and find out what made that sound. The device is a Kaoss pad. It is made by Korg and get gained a lot of traction in Screamo/Metal scene (as well as others). Now they can be heard in much of todays pop music and EDM. This device has tons of filters and sounds built in and can be manipulated with a track pad. This makes it extremely intuitive, with as many variants as there are swipes of the finger. In the right hands, they can become a very expressive tool. It was only time that someone stuck one of these things on to a guitar. Thanks Oba... I mean, Ibanez.




The Guitar Makes Me Sad




These guitars are in the RG series, which means they are the second to last rung of the Ibanez ladder. They aren't anything to look at. They have one single coil sized humbucker in the bridge position. As far as traditional controls, it have a single volume knob. If this was all it has, I'd call it a California style set up, but it has a build it headphone amp. That's neat, but the controls are in a very awkward spot (at the back of the body) and includes some fizzy distortion built in. The body of the guitar is nothing to look at. It's listed as "Mahogany" but I have my doubts. The finish look like a thin coat of paint on top of bare wood. I like minimal aesthetics as much as the next guy, but this just looks cheap. Maybe some cost cutting due to fact that they are plugging a $150 effect into the body of the guitar.




The Whole Thing Says Gimmick




Don't get me wrong, I love innovation and weird sounds, but this is a little suspect. I don't know if this is an attempt to sell guitar to synth guys or sell synths to guitar guys. In reality most people who seriously want a Kaoss pad have the full sized Kaoss III. Guitar player have an abundance of choices when it comes to making weird sounds that don't involve buying a completely new guitar (that looks and probably feels like a cheap starter guitar). The Kaoss mini is a very interesting piece of gear on its own. It has a huge library of sounds, drum machine, built-in microphone, and real-time touch pad control. The question we have to ask out selves is, "Does a neat device warrant the purchase of a sub-par guitar?




I Kinda Want One




I'm not going to lie. At first thought I dismissed this thing faster than Fez after he has already said "good day.". But then I saw something. A video, that I almost dismissed just like the guitar. It was Rob Champman of You Tube fame, and they were review a Ibanez guitar. This is not something I'd normal watch. I'm not interested in Ibanez guitars. Not that they're all bed, but they aren't my cup of tea. The video description guaranteed that I'd want one if I watched the video till the end. Sure enough, I enjoy the video so much that I too want one. It seems more like an expensive toy than anything else. Something that guitarist break out when friends are over and they want to muck about. Think about when the last time a piece of gear made you laugh. That why this guitar exists.

The Ugly Truth About The Guitar Magazine That You Read

Disclaimer: Most of what I say is speculation. I'm sure that in some cases I am wrong, but I believe that more often than not this is the case.

If you are like me, I really like to read about the gear that might be coming out, or something that I haven't heard of. I love learning about a new maker because they might have new or different ideas about something that I care about (music). I am always scanning the guitar magazine sites and following numerous bloggers and writers on Twitter. I do this to keep up with what is happening in the world of music gear. I also visit the bigger retailers websites to see what they've posted lately. If you are like me though, there was a time before all this media and we actually had to pick up a physical magazine to learn about what was coming down the pike. There was no NAMM show videos 5 minutes after it opens. There were articles and reviews about the gear that you could only dream about. Over the years some things started to become apparent to me about these "reviews".

1. They Are Not Critical.

These reviews are great for letting you know what is out there. However, they do not give you the full story, and in many cases, they don't even tell you how the thing sounds. They might discuss features and design, but leave out how they sound. To be fair, saying that a pedal sounds good or bad is nearly worthless. Reviews are for the most part subjective. There are those how hate certain pedals and others that love the same pedal. How can this be? Because good sound is subjective (for the most part). When reading a review in a magazine you might find that it reads like a dressed up version of the user manual rather than a guitar player talking about a pedal he liked or didn't like.

2. It's Really Hard To Be Objective

So I really like to write about all this stuff that I write about. I spend a fair amount of time doing it, and, other than watching my metrics, I get very little benefit. (Yes I monetize but seriously, I get excited when I make a penny a day.) I did, however, write a post about a certain maker of effects and was able to talk my way into getting a couple pedals to give a hands-on review. It was really exciting. But as I wrote the reviews I almost felt pressured to be more favorable to the makers because they had been nice enough to send my something for free. I'm sure that getting free stuff probably doesn't effect professional writers as much, but if you are writing for a publication that depends on advertising dollars to stay afloat and you are tasked to write about their stuff, there might be other pressures to write a nice shiny review.

3. They Are Dying  

As you might have noticed, it is becoming harder to find guitar magazine as your local news stands. Most smaller displays completely ignore guitar magazines, and larger stands will only have the most major names. Bass players and Drummers are pretty much out of luck unless they go to larger book stores. That means you almost have to have a subscription to keep up with your favorite zine. That, or have the internet. Most physical magazines have everything online plus additional media like video, podcast, and sound clips. Plus the sites operate at a fraction of the cost of a physical magazine. Ask any player under the age of 30 what magazine they are subscribed to and all you'll get is a dirty look. I don't think that our favorite magazines are going to disappear completely, but their physical forms are going the way of the buffalo.

Ugly Review: Ventura V28 (Les Paul)

In every guitar players life their are times when one grows restless. The familiar sounds and feels become too familiar and we long for a new experience. I kissed my wife and family goodbye as I prepared to begin a journey for the next conquest. I might encounter various perils on the trek to claim the prize awaiting me, so I gathered my courage and ventured forth to discover my next glorious acquisition. And so, I went to the music store.

I had a budget (small) and a few thing on my list (everything), so i began inspecting every instrument I deemed worthy (affordable). Cutting to the chase, I almost walk out of the store in defeat until I noticed a Les Paul. I didn't pay much mind because I don't really like to play LP's, but I decide to take a closer look when I notice the headstock. "Ventura". I ran into exactly one other guitar like this. It was a 1/2 size student guitar that I student brought to lessons. It was, far and away, the best "student" guitar I've seen. On top of that, it was also budget friendly. The V28 ran for just under a hundred dollars. I was skeptical, then I played it.

It felt like a Les Paul, that is to say, heavy. Everything seemed right about it. The weigh, balance, color, shape were all classic Les Paul. But I don't like Les Paul's. I plugged it in and strummed a few chords. It sounded very generic "PAF-humbucker-y". The thing that surprised me was the fret board. Most budget guitar get a raw deal especially when it comes to rosewood fretboards. But this one head and shoulders above the Epiphone SG that I've owned for years. 

Now for the ugly. The sounds and the feel of the guitar was well above the hundred dollar they were asking for this guitar. However, everything wasn't so impressive. The metal parts were the biggest let downs. Nearly every metal bit had a sharp/unrefined edge. The tuners is were I noticed it the most, but the saddles and stop-tail had edges that felt like they should have been hit with a sander before chromed. The finish is passable with visible wood joints through the finish on the back and some imperfections with the binding. There was a mar in the top where the hardware from the pickguard hit. Some of the areas around hardware was left rough. The frets end were left a little ruff, but none actually stuck out. The nut was cut and left raw. Intonation was difficult to adjust on some strings (due to the rough machining process all the other metal pieces I suppose) Most of this can be chalked up to being nit-picky.

I did end up purchasing it. I am not a big name brand kind of guy. The guitar played well, it was very affordable, and I wanted something different. It was a home run as far as I was concerned. There are some thing I'd like to change, but as it sits, it's a great playing guitar for a reasonable price.