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A Brief Hobbyist Primer on Key Power Amp Tubes

Guitar Gear ResourcesIconic Gear
2024-GPX-9-Key-Amp-Power-Tubes-700.jpg

I’ve always been fascinated with component choices in audio device manufacture and their key formative role in shaping the specific character of a particular device - often through inherent flaws or inaccuracies in the technology of that period. Guitar effects owe much to the imprecise nature of amplification devices, and how they would naturally distort in interesting ways when you turned the level up beyond a particular point. Note that I’m by no means an expert on Tube technology, so there ...

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16 of the most notable 'Bread & Butter' Pedals!

Analog DelayAnalog.ManBehringerBig Muff Style FuzzBlues Breaker Style OverdriveBoostBoost and OverdriveBossCompressorDelayDistortionDriveDual-DriveEarthQuaker DevicesElectro-HarmonixFulltone EffectsFuzzFuzz Face Style FuzzFuzz-Drive and FuzzstortionGermanium FuzzGreer AmpsGuitar Pedal 101IbanezIconic GearJHS PedalsKeeley EngineeringKlone and Transparent OverdriveLooperMXROCD Style OverdriveOrigin EffectsOverdriveSilicon FuzzSuper-Fuzz StyleTC ElectronicThorpyFXTubescreamer Style OverdriveUtilityXotic EffectsZvex+-
2023-GPX-Bread-n-Butter-Pedals-700.jpg

I’m expecting this post to attract a lot of ’whataboutisms’ as many of my rundowns seem to do. While every single choice / selection here is well considered, pondered upon on and properly weighted up against pertinent criteria and then further rationalised, whittled and distilled down into a top 9 or 16 or 25 - as I always favour symmetrical grids.

 

If I find 18 or 19 suitable candidates - then only 16 can be featured on the grid etc. - you need to draw the line somewhere. And you can also ...

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Distinct, Memorable and Instantly Brand-Identifiable Compact Pedal Enclosures Part 2 - Trade Dress Edition

Alexander PedalsAnimals PedalBJFEBlackhawk AmplifiersColortone PedalsDeath By AudioDemedash EffectsDiamond PedalsEarthQuaker DevicesFlower PedalsGuitar Gear Improvements and PrototypesGuitar Gear ResourcesGuitar Pedal 101GuitarSystemsIconic GearJackson AudioJAM PedalsJHS PedalsMu-TronOrigin EffectsPettyjohn ElectronicsSitek Guitar ElectronicsSpaceman EffectsTanabeTru-Fi Guitar EffectsVFE PedalsWalrus AudioZander CircuitryZvex+-
2023-GPX-Compact-Pedal-Shapes-PT2-700.jpg

So this is the second of this series - where the first was more about the uniqueness of the enclosure shape - more structural really - covering the overall form factor. While this edition is more about ’Trade Dress’ or the Memorability of the Aesthetics - style of graphics, consistency of theme, and consistency of control topology - doing something in a consistently measurable way that makes that pedal instantly recognisable from afar as belonging to a certain single brand.

 

So this one is ...

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Another 25 Notable and Distinct Guitar Body Shapes - Part 3

Acoustic and Electro-AcousticsBossCaparison GuitarsDanelectroDuesenbergEastwood GuitarsEmerald GuitarsErnie Ball Music ManESP/LTDFirst Act GuitarsFramus and Warwick GuitarsGretschGuitar Gear Improvements and PrototypesGuitarsHartung GuitarsHeadless GuitarsIconic GearJacksonJennings GuitarsMada GuitarsMarconi LabNutter GuitarsOffset GuitarsRick TooneRolandScott Walker GuitarsStonehengeStrandbergUnique-Shaped Guitars+-
2023-GPX-Guitar-Body-Shape-PT3-700.jpg

Do please note that this is the 3rd roundup in the series - for those looking for more classic / vintage guitar designs - then the first part is the more pertinent for your preferences. Part 2 became a little more eclectic and avant-garde, while this Part 3 is an even mix of more classic / traditional designs and more modern and futuristic.

 

This part plays some fan service in covering some of the more popular omissions from the previous posts - while I don’t subscribe to the same view for ...

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9 of the Best Contemporary Locking Tuners

D'AddarioFenderGear MaintenanceGotohGraphTechGroverGuitar Gear Improvements and PrototypesGuitar Gear ResourcesGuitarsHipshotIconic GearPlanet WavesPRSSchallerSperzel+-
2023-GPX-9-Best-Locking-Tuners-700.jpg

So I’ve pretty much covered every aesthetic and mechanically functional part of the guitar - starting with the headstock, then tremolo-bridges, pickups, body-shapes and fret markers. I’n not sure guitar electronic harnesses is sufficiently an interesting enough topic - so this Locking Tuning Peg feature may well be the last category - while I’ve still got at least 2 guitar body shape features to go! If there are other parts of aspects of a guitar that you want me to feature here - do let me ...

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Distinct, Memorable and Instantly Brand-Identifiable Compact Pedal Enclosures

AmptweakerAnasoundsAudiostormBeetronics FXBixonicBossCarl MartinChase Bliss AudioDanelectroDigiTechExpandora PedalsFjord FuzzFoxrox ElectronicsGuitar Gear Improvements and PrototypesGuitar Gear ResourcesGuitar Pedal 101GuyatoneHardWire EffectsIbanezIconic GearJ RockettJRADKing Tone EffectsLine 6TC ElectronicThorpyFXVemuram+-
2023-GPX-Compact-Pedal-Shapes-700.jpg

This episode is a little more esoteric and preferential than most - and involves identifying the most notable and easily recognisable ’Pedal Shapes and Formats’ essentially. Of course there is some subjective preference here - while I will try to explain objectively how I came to this exact 25 pedal selection - some of these are very obvious - others are slightly more idiosyncratic choices - while there are obviously some brands that are particularly good at coming up with memorable enclosure ...

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Another 25 Distinct and Notable Guitar Body Shapes

Brian May GuitarsCharles Fisher GuitarsDavid Flores Loredo GuitarsDavid Rusan GuitarsDean GuitarsEero Aarnio GuitarsFenderGibsonGöran Malmberg GuitarsGretschGuitar AccessoriesGuitar Gear Improvements and PrototypesGuitar Gear ResourcesGuitarsIconic GearJerry Auerswald GuitarsLospennato GuitarsParker GuitarsRickenbackerStone Wolf GuitarsTeuffel GuitarsVox Guitars+-
2023-GPX-Guitar-Body-Shape-Index-PT2-700.jpg

So this time around I’m including a number of the ones you said I left out of the last rundown - not all of those mind you as I’m looking to do 4 of these most likely. The first episode of these was more the classics obviously - and here we’re starting to move a little more left-field in places.

 

Significant to this selection are avant-garde designers Leonardo Lospennato and Ulrich Teuffel - both with 3 entries apiece. I will keep sprinkling in the more mainstay ones that you’re keen on - ...

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9 Notable and Distinct Variable Fret Markers

Fret MarkersGuitar AccessoriesGuitar Gear ResourcesGuitarsIconic Gear+-
2023-GPX-Iconic-Fret-Markers-700.jpg

OK - so a few things right off the bat - this listing is not for those who like simple and identical fret markers on all frets - Dots, Blocks, Trapezoids, Fins, Chevrons, Moons, Crosses and the like - this is where there is a flowing pattern or sequence - and where the key frets are properly marked out - but every marker is different and distinct.

 

Probably PRS is the most famous brand for this - and the PRS Birds are pretty much Classic and Ubiquitous in their own way - whether Solid, ...

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16 of the Most Iconic Electric Guitar Amps

Amp HeadAmpsBlues Breaker Style OverdriveBrown Sound DistortionCombo AmpDumbleDumble Style OverdriveFenderHiwattHoopla PedalsIconic GearMarshallMarshall Style DistortionMESA/BoogieMetal DistortionOrange AmplificationOverdrivePeaveyPreAmpRolandSoldanoSolid State AmpTrainWreck AmpsTube AmpTube OverdriveTweed Style OverdriveVox AmplifcationVox Style Distortion+-
2023-GPX-16-Iocnic-Amps-700.jpg

So in my recent ’Guitar Elements’ series it’s finally come to Amps now - where I list out what I believe are the most historically significant and therefore Iconic amps. A lot of you are still conflating Iconic with Vintage, and discounting some of the more recent models - while Iconic does not necessarily infer a long term history and provenance - just that said item or element is a major marker or step forward in the evolution of that device - whatever it may be.

 

I’m not the first to do ...

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Electric Guitar String Theory A-Z

Cleartone StringsCurt ManganD'AddarioDR StringsDunlop StringsElixirErnie BallFenderGalli StringsGHS StringsGibsonGodin GuitarsGuitar AccessoriesGuitar Gear Improvements and PrototypesGuitar Gear ResourcesGuitarsIconic GearJim DunlopJohn PearseLa Bella StringsLegacy StringsMartin Darco StringsOptima StringsPaul Reed SmithPicato Musician StringsPRSPyramid StringsRotoSoundSavarez StringsSIT StringsStringjoyStringsThomastik-InfeldWilly's Mexican Lottery+-
2023-GPX-Stringology-V2-700.jpg

I last did this exercise back in February of 2018 - where the core of the article was solid - while I only focused on 9 of the more popular brands. This time around I up the ante to 25 key electric guitar string brands - so there really should be something for everyone here!

 

Most 6 string electric guitars are supplied with standard 10 gauge (10-46) strings usually OEM’d for the guitar manufacturer by one of the main manufacturers or overseas subsidiaries. Some guitars are down-tuned by ...

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