I’m a huge advocate for supporting any kind of grassroots endeavour happening within the guitar industry - obviously the pedal side in particular. So it was a foregone conclusion really that I would attend the very first Alternative Guitar Show and lend it my support - held this time at the wonderful Fighting Cocks Bar / Pub / Live Gig Venue in Kingston.

I loved the venue - which was accesses behind the main bar / pub - and the whole vibe of the space really reminded me of my student years....

Where the Birmingham Show was a little sprawling and chaotic for me, I very much felt more at home at the Studio 9294 venue for this year’s London Synth and Pedal Expo. As Media Partner for the show, the second year in a row, I was of course in for the entirety of both the day, and actually in very early in particular on the Sunday.

I thoroughly enjoyed the two days -I love having the #90 Bar & Kitchen next door - for some very decent lunches - superb burger on the first day, and Sunday...

NOTE : FREE TO ATTEND!

Great news! - the London Synth & Pedal Expo is back for another year on 16th & 17th of March (tomorrow Saturday and Sunday!) - bigger and better than last year’s fantastic inaugural event. And in a larger and easier to access venue that I’m really very familiar with!

As before you are encouraged to bring an instrument along for trialling new products - please be careful how you handle your axes at the show - as last year’s event proved difficult to ...

Wow, The Guitar Show was certainly a rollercoaster of an event with the busiest crowd I’ve witnessed to-date. At times it was quite a struggle to make your way through the packed waves of attendees, which did though start to peter out just a little after 3 o’c. For me it was fast and furious from the start - and I found it a little awkward navigating around the hall - as the stand layout seemed to have all kinds of little nooks and crannies - which made some booths incredibly easy to overlook ...

NOTE : FREE TO ATTEND!

Great news! - the London Synth & Pedal Expo is back for another year on 16th & 17th of March - bigger and better than last year’s fantastic inaugural event. And in a larger and easier to access venue that I’m really very familiar with!

Good communications are the essence of quality customer service. And if you’re a pedal maker with pre-orders and waiting lists and such - then it really matters that you can properly keep customers informed on what progress is being made and if there may be any perceived delays or kinks in the process.

With preorders in particular those customers will have been informed of a likely ETA initially - which alas often slips due to matters outside the builder’s control. It’s important to ...

Avid readers will have noted that my Custom Hawk ToneBird 7 Jazz III Picks have already landed. In fact I’ve handed out a fair few to some lucky souls at the last 2 events I attended - Kempton Park, and the Witney Pedal Party 2. Pictured above is the actual first sample of my X-branded trucker cap - and I must say it looks very decent up close.

The above visual is a picture of the first sample hat - from when I first unboxed it - colours / textures highly accurate to real thing!

I’ve ...

So Doug Tolley’s / Chase Bliss’s 2nd Witney Pedal Party took place yesterday on Guy Fawkes / Bonfire day - in Witney’s Corn Street Fat Lil’s Venue.

I attended the inaugural event at Witney’s Truck Music Store back on July 1st, and I will surely be at the 3rd one too - around spring of next year!

Thanks to Doug Tolley for organising this all again - on this occasion we had 7 participating brands (in order of stand arrangement - clockwise) :

• Reeves Electro
• Blind Panic Devices
• Holy

I’ve really taken to the Kempton Park Reacourse venue for this show - with its superb viewing platform of a Panorama restaurant at the top of the building - in fact there are a few places you can seek refreshments. The whole things had / has an easy family vibe to it - where several exhibitors brought part of their family with them for the day - some the whole shebang, while others had their Dad or Brother in tow - just a really nice easy breezy atmosphere - and so easy to get to for those of ...