Dallas Arbiter fuzzface

E-H Big Muff Pi has been in production for over 40 years.

Maestro Fuzz

Maestro Fuzz FZ-1/1A

Mosrite Fuzz-Rite

Vox Tonebender

Here are some links for further study:

 Schematic Heaven

Musique.com

DIY Stompboxes

Traditional capos use a metal bar with an elastic loop.

Today, there are several newer designs, and the clamping type capos can be used to keep one or more strings open.

Kyser Quick-Change Capo 6-String Blue

G7th 405 Performance Guitar Capo

Partial capos offer more possibilities, because you can select which strings to barre.

D’Andrea SpiderCapo

Capos are used to change the key and pitch of the open strings of a guitar without having to tune the strings with the tuning keys.

Placing a capo on the 5th fret of a guitar, makes an open E chord sound like an A chord, but with a slightly different voice.

Several types of folk music make frequent use of capos on stringed instruments. Country and rock music artists sometimes use capos in their performances.

Additional reading: The Capo, Now and Then.

Here is a guide to Canadian acoustic guitar manufacturers.

Beardsell Guitars
Allan Beardsell specializes in acoustic and electric 6 string guitars. He also custom builds mandolins, mando-cellos, half-size and tenor guitars, and 7 string guitars. He manufactures 15 - 18 guitars per year.

Beneteau Guitars
Located in St. Thomas, Ontario, Marc Beneteau has been making acoustic guitars since 1974. Beneteau is a boutique acoustic guitar maker with an excellent reputation.

T.D. Hibbs Guitars
T.D. Hibbs guitars is a relative newcomer to the custom acoustic guitar market. Hibbs guitars are custom made, and are less expensive than those of some other boutique makers.

John David Scott Guitars
John David Scott guitars are built by hand to exact specifications on Annacis Island, British Columbia.

Larrivee
Founded in Toronto, Jean Larrivee moved his company to British Columbia in the 1980’s, and today also has manufacturing facilities in Oxnard, California. Larrivee is one of the top acoustic guitar brands used by professsional guitarists today, and their models are sold in several countries.

Laskin
William Laskin has earned international fame, in part due to the startling graphic inlay work that is available on his acoustic guitars. Laskin Guitars offers steel string, classical, and Flamenco guitars.

Morgan Guitars
Located in North Vancouver, British Columbia, Morgan guitars are available throughout Canada and the US, as well as Europe and Asia.

Northwood Guitars
Canadian guitar maker Northwood is located in Sorrento, British Columbia and manufactures acoustic and electric guitars.

Norman Guitars
Norman guitars have been manufactured in Canada for over 35 years. Norman has a reputation for very affordable, good quality acoustic guitars.

Oskar Graf Guitars
Because of the detrimental effects of humidity, Oskar Graf only builds guitars between November and June, consistently producing about a dozen each year. His steel-stringed instruments now sell for about $4,500 CAD while his classical guitars fetch $5,500 CAD.

Proulx Guitars
Mario and Jenny Proulx live and work in Iroquois Falls, Ontario.

Rizsanyi Guitars
George Rizsanyi has become recognized world wide for the design and construction of his exquisite, hand-made, custom-built guitars. His guitars have been chosen by top performers in the United States and Canada.

Sawchyn Guitars
Located in Regina, Saskatchewan, Sawchyn guitars are available in Canada, the U.S. and the U.K.

Seagull Guitars
World famous Seagull guitars come from the folks at Godin and are available in several countries.

 
Simon & Patrick
Simon & Patrick are affordable acoustic guitars made by the folks at Godin.

Thompson Guitars
Since 1974, Canadian Luthier Ted Thompson has been building one of the best values in the handmade acoustic guitar market.

Threet Guitars
Judy Threet builds custom handmade acoustic guitars in Calgary, Alberta.

Webber Guitars
David Webber has spent the past ten years working as a guitar builder and has built nearly 700 acoustic instruments for my customers worldwide. They are available in Canada, the U.S., as well as the U.K. and Germany.

Thomas J. Wray Guitars
Wray acoustic guitars are hand made in British Columbia, Canada.

Known primarily for their electric bass guitars, Dingwall Guitars uses The Novax® Fanned-Fret System™. Dingwall Guitars is located in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

Based in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Freddy’s Frets creates custom electric guitars, as well as ‘Les Paul style’ electric guitars. Freddy Gabrsek has been building guitars for the pros since the 1980’s.

Another Saskatoon electric guitar builder is Fury Guitars. Glenn McDougall has been building electric guitars and basses since the mid 1960’s. Fury manufactures several models of electric guitars and basses, which use Maple as their primary tonewood.

Godin Guitars is one the largest and most successful Canadian guitar manufacturers. Located in Quebec with assembly facilties in Connecticut Godin electric guitars and basses are available several countries.

Another long time Canadian manufacturer of electric guitars is Lado Guitars. Located in Lindsay, Ontario, Lado produces their own lines of electric guitars and basses, as well as custom and made-to-order electric guitars and basses.

Famous Canadian guitar manufacturer Larrivee has started building their own ‘Les Paul style’ electric guitars. Founded in Toronto, Jean Larrivee moved his company to British Columbia in the 1980’s, and today also has manufacturing facilities in Oxnard, California. Larrivee’s reputation for quality means that players will want to check out their new electric guitar offerings.

Located in the province of Nova Scotia, Legend Custom Guitars was established in 1988. Beautiful and afforable, Legend Custom Electric guitars and basses are based on popular Fender and Gibson electric guitar models.

Ontario based Potvin Guitars offers custom handmade solid body electic guitars, and also takes custom orders.

Richmond Guitars Canada is a new compnay, from the folks at Godin. Richmond Guitars has a couple of unique new designs, and uses the highly rated Lace Alumitone pickups.

Sparrow Guitars is based in Vancouver, BC. They import solid and hollow electric guitar bodies from China, and assemble their electric guitars with quality components in Canada. Sparrow offers cool electric guitars at great prices.

Willow Guitars is a Brantford, Ontario based mom and pop business specializing in beautifully carved custom electic guitars.

Zachary Guitars makes custom guitars. Zachary Guitars is a company run by Canadian rocker Alex Csiky.

E.W.S. (Engineering Work Store) is known in their native Japan for guitar repairs and pedal modifications. San Fernando, California based Prosound Communications owns E.W.S., as well as Xotic pedals. The FD-1 Fuzzy Drive is E.W.S.’  first OEM pedal.

The FD-1 comes in a basic white cardboard box with some black stenciling.  Inside the box is the FD-1 pedal, a wad of tissue paper, and a warranty card. 

I paid $169.00 CAD for the E.W.S. FD-1, which was less than the local price of a Fulltone ‘70 Fuzz, and much less than the local price of a Keeley Fuzz.

The FD-1 comes with a one year non-transferrable warranty.  There is no registration card and E.W.S.’ website does not currently provide for online registration.

The E.W.S. FD-1 is housed in a clear coated brushed aluminum case.  It is a small form factor type case, the size of a Keeley, or MXR Phase 90 pedal. The case markings include some black graphics and white lettering.  The controls are labeled Vol; Gain; Tone and there is a red LED to indicate On/Off status.

The serial number is handwritten on the bottom of the pedal and then covered with a clear sticker. Mine has a bubble under it and I hope it doesn’t fall off at some point and expose the handwritten serial number. The serial number is also handwritten on the outside of the cardboard box the FD-1 comes in, which is something I haven’t seen before.

Looking inside the FD-1, a battery is already provided and installed. Fuzz pedals, including the FD-1, typically have long battery life, so shipping the FD-1 with a battery is a good choice.  There is no battery compartment per se, you have to remove the four screws on the bottom of the pedal and remove the bottom plate to change the battery.  The power jack uses a positive ring tip adapter, so Boss compatible power supplies will *not* power this pedal.

The wiring inside the FD-1 is very tidy and I was pleased to see the jacks and stomp switch are not soldered directly onto the circuit board.  The double-pull double-throw stomp switch is wired for true bypass when switched off.

Many current production fuzz pedals feature discreet germanium or silicon transistors.  E.W.S. proudly uses two operational amplifiers on two chips for reliable, stable operation of the FD-1’s electronic circuit.

I tested the FD-1 with both solid state (Vox) and hybrid (Little Lanilei) amplifiers. In general, I recommend you turn down the gain on your amp to get the most out of the FD-1 Fuzzy Drive.

The controls on the FD-1 have a smooth solid feel, are easy to understand, and have substantial electronic range.  The ‘Vol’ control allows the user to adjust the volume level when the FD-1 is turned on.  I find that it works very transparently, adjusting the ’Vol’ does not affect the fuzz or drive of the pedal, just the volume level. Adjusting the Gain control increases the amount of fuzz distortion.  At twelve o’ clock, the Gain control adds a some bite to your electric guitar’s sound.  At the 3 o’ clock position, the FD-1 delivers juicy, warm overdriven fuzz sounds to your lead breaks.

The Tone control affects tone and drive.  At twelve o’ clock you can feel the detent position for this control. At the 2 o’ clock position, the FD-1 has strong drive and sustain.  I was able to get some Jimi Hendrix’ style amplifier feedback when both Tone and Gain were turned up to 2 o’ clock. I found that leaving the Tone control at 11 o’ clock position and the Gain position at 2 o’ clock brought a nice warm, cutting fuzz to my classic rock solos. I was able to get a great ZZ Top ‘Pearl Necklace’ guitar solo sound, and a terrific vintage fuzz sound playing the Yardbirds’ Heart Full of Soul. At lower settings, the FD-1 added a nice cutting drive to all of my guitar playing.

The E.W.S. FD-1 Fuzzy Drive does not sound exactly like a vintage fuzz, but at the higher settings it does produce nice warbly oscillations that feel so good.  I have played vintage fuzz pedals and sure they produce fuzz, but not more volume.  Combining drive and fuzz in a pedal is a pretty useful idea!

After a bit of experimentation and the right guitar volume the FD-1 has a sensitive response to picking attack.  Digging in produces strong fuzzy drive sounds, while a lighter touch produces more subtle drive and fuzz.  Sweet!

In a live setting, the E.W.S. FD-1 Fuzzy Drive cuts through the mix nicely, although some of the higher Gain settings can get washed out without some added volume.

I use this pedal for lead solos, although you could certainly have an FD-1 on all the time just to help you stand out a bit more.

Pros:

• Rich fuzz and drive tones
• Useable sounds that cut through the mix
• Long battery life
• Small footprint

Cons:

• Not Boss PSA-120 compatible
• No manual
• No registration
• Risk: new manufacturer, new product

Overall:
This is a well made, cool sounding compact pedal that cuts through the mix and has long battery life.  Check out this pedal!

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A review by Premier Guitar can be viewed here.

You can read more about fuzz pedals and fuzz pedal history here.

In 1938, legendary jazz guitarist George Van Eps commissioned Epi Stathopoulo, president of the Epiphone guitar company, to build a seven string jazz guitar using a modified Epiphone Deluxe.

The seven string guitar expands the harmonic and melodic possiblities of jazz guitars, including the ability to play scales spanning 3 octaves.

Other famous jazz guitarists have played 7 string guitars including Bucky Pizzarelli and Howard Alden.

The first solid body 7 string electric guitars appeared in the 1980’s.

At the January 1988 NAMM Show, the Maestro Alex Gregory signature 7 string Fender Stratocaster was disclosed to the public. This guitar added a high A string, rather than a low string to make the 7 string guitar. Issues with the manufacturing of the exceptionally thin high A strings led to production problems and very few Alex Gregory 7 string guitars were actually produced.

In 1989 Hamer Guitars signed a deal for the same guitar. This was offered at the NAMM Show in January 1990 ($2,500), along with a new Ibanez version ($1,399.95).

In 1998, Schecter signed on to produce the 7 String Maestro Alex Gregory Signature Model guitar based on the original specs. By 2000 the rights to the Alex Gregory 7 string were back with Fender.

Steve Vai began touring with Whitesnake with a 7 string prototype he codesigned with Ibanez, and used that guitar on the 1990 landmark instrumental rock album, “Passion and Warfare.”

Today’s 7 string guitars use an added low string, usually tuned to either A or B. Seven string guitar players tend to be either jazz guitarists, like Howard Alden, or metal band guitarists such as Stephen Carpenter and Christian Olde Wolbers.

1. Dunlop Tortex Standard


Dunlop introduced the their Tortex picks several years ago, and they are the current top seller.

2. Dunlop Nylon Standard


The Dunlop Nylon Standard is a nice grippy pick that lasts forever.

3. Fender 351 Premium Celluloid


The 351 shape is a Fender icon.

4. Musician’s Friend Standard


A house brand, sold by the dozen.

5. Dunlop Gator Grip Standard



Another nice pick from Dunlop.

6. Dunlop Tortex Pitch Black Standard


I haven’t tried the Tortex Black Standard yet - any comments folks?

7. Fender Tortoiseshell 351 Standard


This 351 Fender pick uses a Tortoiseshell-like material, rather than celluloid.

8. Snarling Dogs Brain Picks


A nice grippy pick in a cool tin box.

9. Dunlop Nylon Jazz III


Jazzers are often very proficient guitarists, who prefer a thick, heavy pick.

10. Dunlop 421P Ultex


New and improved, the Dunlop 421P Ultex is now more contured. I suppose this is to reduce cracking and breakage.

Lenny Breau (Jazz)

I saw Lenny Breau at The Hovel in Edmonton, Alberta in 1973. Word on the street was that he was in Edmonton to stay with a friend while he kicked his heroin habit. Yes, Lenny Breau was an outstanding jazz electric guitar player.

Lenny Breau was found dead in his L.A. swimming pool on August 12, 1984. He had been strangled and his death has never been solved.

Liona Boyd (Classical)

Liona spent several years touring and performing in Europe, while she lived in Southern France. Today, she is retired and living in her native Canada.

Randy Bachman (The Guess Who, Bachman Turner Overdrive) is one of Canada’s most famous musicians.

David Wilcox is a solo act that has been rocking Canada for decades. His work includes several top 40 hits in Canada.

Alex Lifeson founded Rush in the summer of 1968. He and his fellow bandmates were made Officers of the Order of Canada in 1996.

The Jeff Healy Band was featured in the 1989 Patrick Swayze movie Roadhouse. Jeff Healy died of cancer in March 2008 at the age of 41.

The Pat Travers Band’s first album was released in 1976, and they are still touring and recording today.

Domenic Troiano played guitar for Ronnie Hawkins, James Gang, The Guess Who and Bush, among others.

Colin James was born on August 17, 1964 and he has been playing his rockin’ Blues music around the world for years.

Neil Young is finally going to be recognized by the Grammy Awards.

The Toronto-born 63-year-old, who has never won a Grammy, will be honoured as the 2010 MusiCares Person of the Year with a gala dinner and a concert just prior to next year’s Grammys.

Early Les Paul Juniors had the wraparound bridge located too close to the pickup cavity. Eventually, the bridge posts could lean in toward the pickup cavity. In early 1956, the bridge posts were lengthened and the pickup repositioned, to correct this problem.

In the 1950’s, you could special order a 3/4 size Les Paul Junior. However, the bodies of the 3/4 size models were usually made of maple, rather than mahogany.

In mid 1958, the Les Paul Junior body shape was changed to a double cutaway body. However, single cutaway Juniors were manufactured as late as 1959. In most cases, the double cut body style also received a slightly larger, tortoise pickguard.

By early 1959 the edges of the body on the Les Paul Junior became slightly more rounded.

1961 was the beginning of the “SG Junior” style. By 1964 it was offically named the SG Junior, rather than the Les Paul Junior. 1963 was the end of the Les Paul Junior at that time.

In 1986 the Les Paul Junior was reintroduced. These feature a single cut body style, now with a Tune-O-Matic bridge with stoptail. Production of this version continued until 1992.

In 1998 Les Paul Junior production started again. This version is still in current production. This model has a satin finish, nickel compensated bridge, and a fatter 50’s style neck.

The Gibson Custom Shop offers Les Paul Juniors in its Historic and VOS series. The Custom Shop models are more expensive and are very similar in features to the 1950’s models.

In 2006, Gibson introduced the Billie Joe Armstrong Les Paul Junior. This model has a thinner, 1960’s neck, and an H-90 pickup. The H-90 is a stacked P-90 pickup with two P-90 pickups inside it. It is often advertised as a hum cancelling pickup, which is not the case. The H-90 is a louder pickup with it’s own unique sound. The Gibson Billie Joe Armstrong Les Paul Junior is available in sunburst, black, or white and comes with a unique case.

Gibson also marketed a Les Paul Junior as part of the 2007 Guitar of the Week series, the Nashville Les Paul Junior.

One of the most influential players of the Les Paul Junior was Johnny Thunders (New York Dolls, Heatbreakers, Oddballs).

While the Gibson Les Paul Junior was initally conceived as an afforable budget electric guitar, its unique sound and simple design have made it a modern classic.

When Sting agreed to have his musical brain scanned, he and a neuroscientist, embarked on journey of discovery.

Check out this television special called The Musical Brain