Recent content by Fretless

Why sit inside when you can play guitar outside? The Mooer GE-100 multi-effect is a basic but feature-packed little device. Hell - it even runs on batteries! It holds a complete range of effects and things like a tuner, looper, drums and even practice scales and guitar lessons. Just had a...

Fun with pedals: The pocket-money prices of these gives me the chance to explore tones and effects in a painless way. There are loads of shootouts and reviews on YouTube which give an idea of what is good (or not) and bargain-hunting on Ali becomes a game! From L-R: Unnamed Analog Chorus...

Today's post brought in a couple of pedals from AliExpress, the most intriguing being a Chinese copy of the legendary Klon Centaur overdrive. Behringer have also produced a version of this and were sued by the designer for breach of copyright. Genuine examples of the Centaur fetch thousands on...

Here's a vid of someone installing similar pickups to mine. Phrilam are also marketed under the name Fleor and are clones of Seymour Duncan designs. I'm very happy with the sonic upgrade but mainly chuffed that it worked as a first attempt.

These are low-cost Phrilam pickups (€16 the pair). I was more interested in just doing the mod than in slamming in something expensive. I thought these would suit the quality of the headless Volgoa. I'm very much in a budget-level mode, just seeing what is possible for the minimum outlay - very...

The guitar-doctor is IN !!! Just performed my first major surgery, swapping the ceramic humbuckers out for a set of Alnico 5's. Quite an achievement with my failing eyesight and I'm pretty pleased that I managed it. Haven't wielded a soldering iron for about 10 years but the simple switches...

Bill Vencil does a shoot out here between the TC Aeon, Joyo JGE-01 and E-Bow. It feels to me like these devices all have their own idiosyncrasies and it is a matter of getting to know how best to use them. I just had another blast with the Movall and this time it was much smoother and more...

If the accepted term for Chinese audio gear is 'Chi-Fi' then what does one call Chinese effects pedals? 'Chedals', pethaps? I know that the term 'Chibson' is used on a certain line of fake guitars! Anyhow, my first Chedal from a serious splurge on AliExpress is in - except it ain't a pedal at...

I have spent the last week or two immersing myself in the world of effects pedals. What they do, how they react to each other in the signal chain etc. etc. . This has increased my awareness about the sort of sounds I'm hoping and trying for and given me a lot of new insights. I've stood on the...

Fun Stuff Part 4: Put a new pickguard on the HB Cabronita. Another 'Bundle' bargain from Ali (honestly, you can find anything on there). Lovely 'Brown Tortoise' colour that looks very elegant. A nickname for this model is the 'Smuggler's Guitar' as there is a cavity behind the plate that is...

Fun Stuff Part 3: Now we're into 'Clone of a clone' territory as this Irin pedal is a direct copy of the Joyo British Sound (which itself was a copy of another one). All I can say is that this is an absolute blast! Imagine a Marshall stack churning out the biggest, baddest noise there is -...

Fun Stuff Part 2: Rowin Flanger: lovely little pedal from the respected Rowin brand. This does the big 'Jet Engine ' effect.

Fun Stuff Part 1: In the Delay dept we have: Left: the M-Vave Mini Universe. A reverb pedal with a variety of settings that add angelic choruses or vast shimmering clouds (amongst others) to the signal. Bizarre and amazing. Centre: the M-Vave Elemental. Digital delay with several settings...

Got a nice little 3-guitar rack for peanuts from AliExpress and a number of dirt-cheap pedals that I've been having loads of fun with. Will post a rundown on the new additions very soon. I'm getting to grips with the stuff I have assembled and am finding it to be an adventure. Now learning...

£159 at Thomann UK https://www.thomann.co.uk/harley_benton_te_90flt_vw_deluxe_series.htm