Gearbuds

Happy February, ya groundhogs. Get any new gear yet in 2023? 

This week Hank and Dave stir the gear pot, digging deep into a list of controversial hot takes; plenty of hot spice coming your way.

Also discussed: Fender cheeseboards, Roland drone speakers, tube pickups from Ruokangas, a rare one-off Gretsch White Falcon, Musician’s Friend’s “used” policy, Nu-Tekt updates, JHS Kemper tomfoolery, Heritage v Gibson, Tom Verlaine and Juliette Gilbert, No More Tours for Ozzy, Epi JoBo price increases, Demon-FX going hard on clones, and Scott Walker.

This is the peak of boring shit to look at.

We threw some beefy strings on Dave’s Lester! Hank’s old band got back together! A third exclamation to complete the series!

This week your buds dig into the the gear, the trials, and the tribulations that come from reuniting with an old band. They also realize, hey, it’s nice to have a specific cause behind building out a rig.

Also discussed: 1961 Gibson Les Paul SG Custom, Gear Jail, the meaning of Ampeg, Incubus bass, GIGANTAR, Fender Custom Shop, Blackstar Amped 2, Orange Rockerverb Neo, Korg Nu-Tekt pedals, Poly Effects Josh Smith Flat V, a boost with 9 foot switches, Gearbuds signature dual pedal, and two new Epiphone basses.

Send feet pics.

How’s everyone hanging in there? Here’s hoping 2023 is off to a banging start.

For those following, this week we finalize Dave’s 69 Fender Jazz Bass saga! Not only that, during an Extra Beefy Symphony the buds land themselves in an accidental new segment - Gear Jail.

Also discussed: Hank’s 7 Lesters, Greenies hitting the ‘verb, Metallica Flying M from Highland Guitars, 6 figure Big Muff, Spring NAMM in Anaheim, Universal Audio updates, Moog demos, matrimonial Explorers, 42 Gear Island, Phil Spector, Fender Gold Foils, Keeley Parallax shoegaze pedal, Seymour Duncan Billy Gibbons signatures, and Audient EVO SP8 preamps.

Dave’s a sucker for lollipops.

Who’s hungry for some seasoned beef? Maybe a meatball? Gather ‘round, Gearbuddies, this one is spicy.

For the main topics this week, Hank gets into some personal gear news with vintage VT40 repairs and the Bogner Harlow earning a (semi)permanent place of pride on his pedalboard. The dudes also take a quick trip to Scandinavia to talk about Karl “Slim” Burgudd, perhaps the coolest dude you’ve never heard of, and the Swede Patch 2000, perhaps the original guitar synth.

Also discussed: AI powered drum machine plugin Emergent Drums from Audialab, Ibanez Pentatone pedal, scam songs, Reverb local pickups and balls, vintage Gibson EB-0, RIP Jeff Beck, cringe alert, the secret Southern Rock wang stick, and Weird: The Weird Al Yankovic Story.

Suckin’ on brass all day.

Do you mod your instruments?

This week your favorite Gearbuds complete the decade-plus tone transformation of Hank’s Gibson SG with the final piece of the puzzle, a Graphtech bridge. Spoiler: even seasoned Gearboomers make extremely stupid (and easily fixable) mistakes.

Also discussed: a rare vintage Gibson EB-6, controversy with Blackstar and BluGuitar, the Boaz Guitar Kickstarter saga, Rock Camp, vintage Jazz Bass (Jazz Bazz) updates, Way Huge Attack Vector pedal, and the Audio Sprockets Tone Dexter II.

Heavy and Loud.

Happy New Gear! From all (both) of us here in Gearbudsland, we wish you and yours all possible good tidings in the Gear of Our Board 2023.

This week we have two main topics: a follow-up signature deep dive, and the exciting developments in Dave’s vintage Fender Jazz Bass saga!

Also discussed: Gearbuds Reverb shop, Marc Bolan Les Paul, G3 with Robert Fripp, Brian May knighthood, Joe’s Boardamassa, If These Walls Could Sing, Legendary Tones Mr. Scary Mod, Mono case updates, Old Blood Noise reverse, Origin Effects EQ, and Darkglazz fuzz.

Hug your pets.

Happiest of holidays to all of our gearbuddies far and wide - whatever you celebrate, we hope that it’s been warm, loving, and filled with your favorite gear.

This week is a special episode for several reasons: the end of 2022, Hank isn’t sick anymore, we do up a Dave’s Doc Duo style for Gil Mantera’s Party Dream, and Dave and Hank got some new gear - Dave’s Gretsch Gin Rickey acoustic gitbox and Hank’s Bogner Harlow V2 pedal.

Also discussed: Axxent Master Station, Kirk Hammett running the signature game, sparkle bodies, Pawn Stars, Acorn Amps doorbell, free Native Instruments synth, Reverb Year in Gear, MXR Double Down Jack White pedal, Coppersound Pedals Telegraph V2, Rainger FX Break Box, and vertical pedalboards.

It’s cold outside, it’s warm in gear.

First it was Dave, now it’s Hank - we’re doing another remote recording because Hank got the shit. Closing out the year in quar, right where we began.

Dave stepped it up in two ways this week - both by doing a lot more talking, as well as surprising Hank with a WILD vintage purchase.

Also discussed: PTD Vintage Holiday Party, a clean vintage Hiwatt, Gibson and Lifton, signature Casio John Mayer watches, major 920D wiring harness controversey, and An American Dream: The Jacksons.

Jethro Tull were the Lizzo of their day.

Hi friends - who’s ready for a rambling beefer?

This week Dave and Hank got some new pedals and built some new rigs, dusted off some cobwebs on some old tunes, and even created hate rigs for each other!

Also discussed: PTD Vintage, Mojotone partnering with Fender, Dumbles, Peavey tiger guitars, Bob Dylan apologies, Fender Fedoras, Hello Kitty Strats, Chaos Audio in space, and Rumble.

Jazz Bass on a hat.

It’s December, buddies - can you believe 2022 is almost over?

This week we have some meaty topics to chew on - what makes a Dave’s Doc? Why did Dave get a Snark and Hank a wah? Why fuzz first?

Also discussed: standard tuning, Spotify Wrapped, Peter Green’s Matamp, Tone Junkie Kemper profiles, prewar Martins, Orange generosity, Dio, MXR Dunlop Custom Audio Electronics MC404 Wah, the Ampeg VT40, and SSL’s new 12 interface.

Pop up drum tents.