Creative Edge Music

The Orange OR100 All-Tube Amplifier from NAMM 2013 Tube guitar playing is something that's been really exciting to me recently (as opposed to solid state).  Therefore, this past weekend I made sure to stop by the Orange Amps booth for ten minutes to talk about new tube-based products.  One of the ones that caught my eye as a guitarist (I am always keeping my eye out for my own, personal next amp head and cab!) was the Orange OR100 .  From the demos I heard, it was a pretty cutting sound that I liked and retained a good solid low end like most Orange amps tend to do. Moreover, I have recently become a big fan of the 12AX7 --> EL34 combination, because there's so much good interaction between the preamp and power sections of amps utilizing this combo of vacuum tubes.  Right now I'm playing a Vox NT50 with essentially the same setup as this amp, except it's only 50 watts so I can crank the thing hard on a regular basis and saturate my EL34's to the brim,...

Darkglass Electronics B3K Bass Distortion Pedal Here we have a combination of two very impressive things: Uriah Duffy (bassist from White Snake) and the Darkglass Electronics B3K Bass Distortion Pedal.  Perhaps the only thing cooler than that B3K is the Darkglass Electronics B7K Bass Preamp / DI Pedal.  But it's little brother might actually take the cake in my opinion -- the B3K provides really awesome harmonics and enhanced feel while staying super, super clean. Anyone who has ever used a distortion or overdrive pedal knows it's a double edged sword.  Sure, you get awesome tone while you play, but as soon as you stop there's all kinds of noise.  Not the case with the B3K.  Take a look at the video below of Uriah doing the AB comparison (switching the pedal on and off). What you will notice is that there is no extra noise, nor any other common drawbacks such as tone suck, loss of low bass frequencies, etc.  It enhances the entire frequency sp...

The entrance to NAMM 2013 at the Anaheim Convention Center. This past weekend at NAMM 2013 was incredible to say the least.  Even though it was my first NAMM appearance, I felt very much at home and I am already counting down the days until next year. Vendors, artists, and media alike were very friendly and welcoming.  Booths were filled with gear, information, demonstrations, and famous rock stars. New products were unveiled, press kits were easily to obtain, and I was even provided with samples of certain products to review. Me with Jimmy Degrasso in the DW drum booth at NAMM 2013 Needless to say, it was an honor and a privilege to attend this year as a press guy.  Everyone was in good spirits and I managed to absorb a ton of knowledge (and press/media kits).  However, NAMM is the type of place that makes you realize just how much you don’t know, and how much more research one must undertake to get a full handle on everything.  I was there for two ...