Keeping It Simple > Ditto Looper

I traded in my old looper recently for a new Ditto from TC Electronics who have taken a minimalist approach to looper design – just a single switch and a level knob!

My old looper (Digitech) had so many features and functions that it killed the mood each time I thought about using it.  And it had a non standard power supply L.

I’ve now plumbed the Ditto into the pedal board, its really easy to use, quality is great (24 bit uncompressed), 5 minute loop time, and most importantly it’s given me renewed impetus to pick up the guitar and jam, rather than spending time fiddling with controls.

Here is a quick demo from TC electronics.

Whilst on the subject of great looper jam examples, here is a couple of my current favourites (not using a Ditto).  Enjoy!

 

Smokin' Princeton Reverb

So I completed the wiring on the Princeton clone today, having spent many hours over the past few weeks fault finding and testing the power supply circuits.

I would love to report some smokin' amp tone straight off the bat... unfortunately all I got was some actual smoke :-) from an overheating power supply resistor which probably indicates a short somewhere.

So, back fault finding again.  Pics of the completed (if not yet working) amp .....

 

a little push..

Put another couple of hours into the Princeton build today having had other priorities over the last couple of weeks.  The internals are coming on slowly, and I completed the output valve wiring

I am using NOS GE 6V6G tubes

Also a couple of cosmetic enhancements.  I managed to find a UK supplier of Fender brown barrel knobs which I feel will look better with the brown tolex than the blackface skirted knobs.

and fitted a nice chunky leather handle

Lake Placid Blue - snog, marry or avoid?

I recently had the opportunity to demo the one of the latest American Vintage Telecasters and was really attracted to the striking Lake Placid Blue ’64 model.  On the face of it a great guitar that sounds fantastic – and so it should be at the price.  I couldn’t help feeling though that overall quality was not what I had expected (e.g. noticeable gap down one side of the neck and socket) and I was suspicious of some of the marketing blurb – ‘flash coat nitro’??

I left the shop convinced that I could easily build a higher quality guitar for half the price…. ‘Made in England’.

I favour lightly ‘aged’ guitars so I set about sourcing a nitro finished body in Lake Placid Blue and after a conversation with Paul at Retro169, I had a nice looking body delivered 5 weeks later.

Next the choice of neck – Historic early 60’s model – which I set about aging myself, and to give the guitar a twist I decided on a tortoishell pickguard rather than the obvious white.

Sometimes I build a guitar around a set of pickups or vibe that I am trying to create.  I have not worked with blue before and don’t want the guitar to look like Frankenstein, so this time am pausing to consider the relative parts and how well they visually integrate before sourcing appropriate hardware.

I would love your feedback…..

 note - the rosewood board will darken once oiled...

Princeton Cabinet - Alligator Skin

Awesome Alligator Tolex Cabinet just arrived for the Princeton.

Video Clips now Uploaded

Recording This Week

I'll be recording some HD demos of the guitar collection this week - watch this space..