So this post covers two things really. I’ve long suffered a backlash in branding - ever since Elon Musk rebranded Twitter to ’X’ and adopted a Symbol / Icon / Ident very similar looking to the then already long since existing Guitar Pedal ’X’ logo ident. A number of you really didn’t like my logo as a consequence - either because it looked too similar to the more domineering new Twitter / ’X’ one, or because you somewhat clashed with everything Elon Musk stands for!

A number of my loyal ...

As is usual for these events - I prepared a list of my likely targets to hit up during the day - which this time around happened to be my various already established friends and allies from the guitar show circuit. I did not spot any suitable new prospects on the show roster - nor when I actually did the rounds!

My list looked as follows :

• Audiostorm - Lydia-Sean
• Buzzing Bugs - Dan
• Flattley Guitar Pedals - Paul & Jan
• Funny Little Boxes - Andy
• Goliath FX - Matt
• Heavy Repping - John

So we were back in Bristol once more for the superb Wassup Nerds!? 2 Show - much expanded and in new BIMM Institute Venue in the Stokes Croft area of that city. Said area, is a little way out of the centre of the city, and consists mostly of take-away restaurants seemingly, a few pubs, and is heavily saturated with Vegan and Vegetarian options - so will likely suit the more fussy eaters!

Unusually for me, I hadn’t done any research on that area in advance - where for my lunch break - I ...

It was quite the deliberation - deciding which image should be the cover shot for this feature - on balance I think I made there right decision by picking the very first photo of the day - where Hello Sailor Effects certainly delivers that Technicolour Rainbow which looks so appealing. Moreover I snagged a one-off pedal from that stand - a few minutes before the show was officially opened - but more of that later!

Showrunner extraordinaire Phil Steere above (at the show entrance), AKA PedalPatch Head Honcho.

What a wonderful show!

Just as good as the inaugural one, in fact by several measures even better!

These shows are really like family reunions for me nowadays - I know most everybody on the pedal scene now and seemed to be mostly warmly welcomed into their company. I was up really early on the Saturday - in fact when I walked in at 08:15 only Boss and NRG Effects were close to having set ...

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 ...

So after much soul-searching, cogitation and divination! We’re finally on Patreon at last.

www.patreon.com/GuitarPedalX

So all of you who have voiced your support for GPX in the past - hopefully now is a good time to get involved!

I’ve had some fun with the Patreon visuals - in fact - I spent the whole of the Easter holidays getting the ThorpyFX Collaboration and Patreon Page sorted - also doing the various campaigns needed to support those activities. I’ve included a number of my ...

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...