Peter Hodgson
REVIEW: MXR Custom Comp
One of MXR’s early successes was the Dyna Comp compressor. This legendary little red box was particularly integral to the tone of David Gilmour of Pink Floyd, and it also found favour with country players who dug the way its rounded tone smoothed over some of the sharp edges of their Telecaster tones (which could be especially emphasised by slapback delay). And it has a permanent place on my pedalboard.
Gig cliches that must die!
The ‘We Might As Well Start Now’ Start
Nothing rocks more than being drawn into a set from the very beginning by a well-conceived opening. Whether it’s some kind of well-done intro tape (like Metallica using ‘The Ecstasy Of Gold’); an atmospheric, moodily-lit stage beginning to swell with sound; or a curtain drop to a harsh white light as the band leaps into a high-energy punkfest, the way you begin your gig has to make an impact. So why do so many bands at the club level think it’s okay to walk out onto the stage, start to tune their instruments and maybe mess around with their pedals a bit until the singer says ‘Um, we might as well start now… uh… okay. 1… 2… 3… oh wait, what’s our first song? Oh yeah. 1… 2… 3… 4…”? It doesn’t matter if you’re just playing at the local watering hole or if you’re filling Madison Square Garden. Establish a definite beginning to your set.
The Pagey Project Phase 2 and postscript
I know things have been really Les Paully around here lately (don’t worry: despite how much fun I’m having with this amazing Les Paul, I’m still addicted to my Ibanii, my Taylor, my Buddy Blaze 7-string and my Fender ’62 Strat reissue), but here’s something else you might dig, regardless of which two-humbucker axe you may sling: Joe Gore’s Pagey Project.
Here’s part 1, in which Gore wires up his Les Paul with the wildly flexible Jimmy Page setup.
Here’s part 2, in which things get way crazy with Triple Shot mounting rings and a germanium overdrive.
And here’s the postscript, wherein we learn what happens next!
RIP Donald ‘Duck’ Dunn
Legendary bass player Donald ‘Duck’ Dunn has died aged 70 while on tour in Japan. Initial reports indicate that Dunn died in his sleep. Dunn was legendary for his work with Booker T. & The MGs and the Blues Brothers Band.
Hi! I'm Peter Hodgson. I write for Gibson.com, Australian Guitar, Australian Musician, Mixdown Magazine (including my instructional column, 'Unleash Your Inner Rock God,' which has been running since 2007), guitarworld.com, Tone Deaf, Beat (including their weekly hard rock/metal column Crunch) and The Brag. And I'm Assistant Social Coordinator with Seymour Duncan.
I've been playing guitar since I was 8 years old, and I've been writing for magazines since I was 18. I've also worked as a guitar teacher (up to 50 students a week), a setup tech, a newspaper editor, and I've also dabbled in radio a little bit. I live in Melbourne, Australia, and my hobbies include drinking way too much coffee, and eating way too much Mexican food.
You can check out my guitar playing at Reverbnation or on YouTube, and feel free to email me at iheartguitarblog@gmail.com