Gearbuds

Feeling fresh, folks. This week your newly coiffed buds have themselves a freewheeling grab bag of an episode that is better listened to than described; example content: a vintage Martin is simply the hillbilly Stradivarius.

Main topics this week also include Hank and Dave’s haircuts, getting overexcited about the LR Baggs Para Acoustic DI, diving deep into video synthesis via the Sleepy Circuits Hypno (a magical Eurorack and standalone visual device), the value of learning an entirely foreign discipline, and gear rental services like Pedal Genie.

Also discussed: ASMR (aka forehead feeling), DODfather updates, Apple Airtags, What Drives Us by Dave Grohl, Focusrite acquiring Sequential Circuits, the 60th Anniversary of the Gibson SG, Ableton packs, viking funerals vs. modern musician funerals, Spotify patenting really some invasive technology, RHCP selling out (lol), and stupidly expensive fader covers.

Wear your pirate earrings like Morgan Freeman.

It’s finally here!

This week the buds welcome Daniel Orkin and Michael Lux to the show, better known as the writers and directors of smash hit documentary The Pedal Movie. Made in collaboration with many beautiful people at Reverb and countless important figures in the music world, the film is a love letter to the pedal community and tracks the history of effects and their direct influence on music and culture, serving both the expert and non-expert alike.

The guys talk us through their musical backgrounds, the genesis and evolution of the project, the nuts and bolts of creating a feature documentary, the undeniable complications of the pandemic, and take us behind the scenes with stories and insights left on the cutting room floor.

The Pedal Movie is available now on iTunes, Google Play, and Vudu, and was scored 10/10 germanium transistors by esteemed documentary critic Dave.

April showers, May grey, June gloom - call it what you will; it’s all sunshine and rainbows this week as we welcome our newest bud to the show, Andrew Pelletier.

Together we trace Andrew’s path and evolution as an artist and singer, from being born into a musical family in Chicago, approaching the drums academically (and via Wilco’s Glenn Kotche), writing for his band Minor Characters as well as his more recent solo project Fur Trader, working with Shirk Studios and Spill Sounds, the importance of creating a visual element to accompany audio, and what it means to be patient and to make deliberate choices with our energy.

Also discussed: The Pedal Movie’s pending release, Gibson Repair and Restoration Shop, ponchos, Steve Albini, The Nuge being a butthole, Johnny Thunders and The New York Dolls, Hiwatt’s festive 420 amp, and rocking The Sandlot look.

Why is the UK so into ham?

It’s true - Gearbuds are Pro Cat. When Hank’s senior gal Sofie decided to hop on the mic, they had to let her do her thing.

In this special duocast your buds don’t actually talk cats at all but they do talk gear - specifically hunting down Gibsons with skinny nuts, light vs. heavy guitars, and visualizing with P90s.

Also covered: search tips and slutting for hot keys, ruining our chances at having The Stones on the show, Kirk Hammett selling guitars, Zappa, The Pedal Movie dropping everywhere April 30th, the band Live (for some reason), the dawn of Charvel and Jackson, video games (specifically Tetris Effect with Hydelic’s soundtrack), and the new Kemper Kabinet.

Throwing Copper is a concept album?

It takes a lot to go Uphill in Chicago, but this week’s guest has it all figured out.

This episode the Gearbuds welcome our newest buddy Kevin Tabisz to the squad, a Chicago-based musician, studio-owner at Uphill Recording Services, and all around good dude. We get into his history, becoming a true gear nerd, acquiring celebrity owned vintage Gibsons, growing up with The Fireside as your dad, hanging up on Steve Albini phonecalls, carrying a Neotek console into an attic, and even some positive lockdown takeaways.

Also discussed: Phoebe Bridgers turning bad into good, Metro Chicago selling an NFT, updated Craigslist drama, Talkbox talk, getting to work with Sonarworks and Earthworks (thanks Stinger), Izzy Stradlin, and trolling for strange.

Play the drums (not the cymbals) and **** open hi-hats.

We’re getting close buddies - this week Hank and Dave have themselves a little group gear therapy as we start preparing for the music world to reopen.

This week is about harnessing probability and the power of randomness in creation, taking a thoughtful approach to sorting through your recording ideas, and the super sexy ideas behind getting your songwriting organized via Trello. Let’s be honest; Hank also talks about himself and Mark and their new project Dr01dsmith for a while.

Also discussed: Moog’s new synth packs, The Pedal Movie release date, Mike Maimone’s new movie, Scores’ new video, Metallica blues coffee, Squier stuff, and the brilliance of Billie Eilish.

Junkyard warriors, unite.

Ditto Looper. If you’re anything like Henry, you just read those two words in this week’s guest Tore Mogensen’s distinctive timbre.

Tore currently makes dope gear for Universal Audio, spent over 15 years doing the same at TC Electronic, and rips the ugliest Jackson Kellys possible in his death thrash ensemble World War 5. We talk growing up in Denmark (including his first 3 celebrity-owned pedals), taking the reins of the guitar re-revolution at TC via gear you’re probably using right now, and most recently the development of the no-compromise Universal Audio Starlight, Astra, and Golden pedals. You’re going to want to listen to this one, trust.

Also discussed: massive thank yous for the newest addition to The DODfather Collection, parting out a vintage Fender, celebrating Carol Kaye’s birthday, recording bass like Macca, and the Rectangle app for OS X.

Trust the knobs.

We really did it buddies, we became centurnarians. Centurions? Centaurs?

Either way, we celebrate cranking out 100 of these em effers the only way we know how: by reminiscing about a bunch of gear and music shiz including the (over)complicated nature of being a collector, normies paying attention to our growing bubble of expensive gear nerdery, and the DODfather collection continuing to grow by an FX35 Octoplus and floral wallpaper-covered Orange 2x12”.

Also discussed: more than you care to know about ferrite beads, Steve Vai being superhuman, Sonus Guitar Chairs, the Line6 G10 Wireless recall, Google’s Music Makers and Machines, Frank Zappa, and the new Gibson Custom Shop Murphy Lab.

Stimmy burning a hole in our gear pockets.

If you don’t know him by name, you definitely know him by gear; this week your Buds are joined by Henry Brown, proprietor of The Bonfires Vintage (by far the coolest shop on Reverb) and Sleepers Mountain Studio in Portland.

The Gentleman Junker, our buddy Hank is knowledgable, congenial, hilarious, and handsome to boot. In a wide-ranging and laugh-filled gearscussion we talk about Henry running the market on Olson fuzzes and Trident desks, being a gear optimist, carving in your name so that you’ll never sell it, drool-worthy guitars, and recognizing the opportunity in songwriting. There’s even an attempted gear intervention with Host Henry… why aren’t you listening yet?

Also discussed: Fender Custom Shop Prestige Collection, the DODfather Collection, Kings of Leon making millions on NFTs, Reverb still being the best game in town, and AC/DC’s clean guitars.

You need to have at least four or five carts before you even think about getting a horse.

Pop some popcorn and strap in buddies - this week’s duocast digs deep into two disparate topics: re-finding inspiration in pedals, and the complicated world of NFTs (non-fungible tokens), cryptocurrency, and current applications in the art world. Bro.

In this tale of two stories, your Buds kick off with lots of pedal geeking and all sorts of new Daredevil Pedals and old DOD pedals providing Hank with much-needed inspirash. Then, if you’re brave enough, settle in for extremely dense technology geeking as we explore the implications and applications of blockchain in today’s musical environs. IT’S GONNA BE A PARTY Y’ALL.

Also discussed: the new Vertex Boost MK II, Fender Custom Shop Master Builders going for a surf, Dave Mustaine, buying the same CD twice in 2021, sending full resolution photo and video from your phone, Dave’s favorite bassist Bill Wyman, and how Amazon is now that kid from your high school who had a CD burner before everyone else.

Keep it simple, never be noticed, and you’ll always have a job.