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BBE SOULVIBE Rotary Speaker Effect

The rotary speaker effect was made popular in the late 60’s by Jimi Hendrix.  Of course everything he touched became popular as everyone wanted to be like him.  The rotary speaker simulator or “vibe” is no exception.  The modulated sound that ranges from a slow sweep to a fast warble is typical of the vibe sound and adds depth to a guitars overall tone.  The BBE Soul Vibe is one of the better offerings in that category.

Appearance
The pedal has a beautiful, bright yellow glossy finish with a cool funkster kicking back in a chair sipping a glass of wine and chilling out in a retro leisure suit, platform shoes and wicked afro.  But that’s where the retro ends.  The chrome knobs are knurled in case you have to make a quick change on stage and the indicator light is a blue LED that pulsates in time with the speed of the rotary effect.

Construction
This pedal is made to be played.  The metal housing makes it nice and durable for onstage use.  Any guitar player knows that when things get groovin’ on stage, stompboxes really earn their name.  The on-off switch is a typical high profile effects box switch and the metal construction means it will have a long service life.  The input and output jacks are on the sides and marked in big letters in a contrasting color the to main paint color.  The battery compartment (9 volt) is on the bottom and has a plastic cover that is secured with a tab that can be opened with your fingers.  The AC adapter plug is on the front and this pedal comes with an AC adapter.

Operation
There is no great mystery here.  Operation is very simple.  The two knobs control speed of the rotary effect and intensity of the effect and the blue indicator light lets you visually know the speed of the effect.

The SOUL VIBE is a modulation effect similar to a flanger or phase shifter without the spacey sound.  It gives you a deep growling sound when played through an amp that is distorting and has a very Leslie like organ effect when played clean.  The SOUL VIBE makes your leads come alive without the heavy effect sound of a phaser or flanger.  The effect sounds best by itself but if you want to use it with other effects, I would use it at the end of the chain because it is modulating the signal and will tend to overdrive any effect it is fed into.

Blurp
This pedal is a 10 out of 10 in every category but it is not for everyone.  Modulation effects can be very cool if used in moderation but they can be tiring if you overdo it.  With the list price of $189.00 and an advertised price of $129.99, it  may seem steep but the metal construction makes it a good, long term value and if you consider the included AC adapter, you are paying about $115 for the pedal.

For more information check them out at their website BBE SOUL VIBE or you can purchase them at BoutiqueMusic.com.

SJS98CE Sierra Tahoe Series

Not all high end guitars have a high end price tag.  The Tahoe Series is a real surprise and for about one third of the price of one of the big name jumbos it is truly a bargain.

Appearance
The SJS98CE is a true solid top jumbo acoustic electric that comes in both Natural and Black gloss finishes and has a nice wooden inlay around the sound hole.  The back and sides are flamed maple and the back is arched.  The tuners are custom made comfort grip that have a very unique look.

Playability
The first thing I noticed when I picked up this guitar was the shape and feel of the neck.  I have small hands and this guitar was very comfortable to play.  The body is slightly larger than the body of a Gibson J185 and is easy to play in the seated position.

Sound
If you like the deep, rich sound of a jumbo, this guitar will not disappoint.  The large body and arched back give the Sierra Tahoe an exquisite tone that is almost identical to the Gibson sound.  To my ear the bass was a little more robust than the Gibson and the overall sound output was louder.  The Barcus Berry Realm III electronics are the perfect addition.  The 1/4″ jack / XLR output and the built in tuner make it clear that this guitar was designed for playing live.

Accessories
The Sierra Hardshell Case is a well made, durable case that will protect your investment for years to come.  The heavy duty latches and the beautiful brown extra push interior are the signs of a well made case.  There is also a gig bag available but if you are going to be gigging with this guitar I would recommend the Hardshell Case for the protection it offers.

Blurp
I give the Sierra Tahoe Series Jumbo Acoustic electric guitar a 10 out of 10 for the instrument and a 10 out of 10 for the case choices.  It is a well made instrument of the highest quality with the sound of a high end acoustic and the price tag to fit your budget.

For more information check them out at Sierra Guitars or you can purchase them at BoutiqueMusic.com.

Danelectro Free Speech Talk Box

There is nothing that a guitar player enjoys more than a floor full of effects. There is such a wide variety of effects to choose from and if you are looking to set yourself apart from all of the others you’ve got to get a talk box.

Appearance
This pedal is typical of the Danelectro line; well made, durable and excellent sound. From the cool retro finish to the high quality Dan-O-Tube, this pedal is made to last. It has a switch to activate the effect, a volume and a growl(distortion) control. There is also the output hole to attach the Dan-O-Tube and an input to attach the inline mics.

Construction
The Free Speech Talk Box has a metal housing and a large, low profile metal switch to turn the effect on and off. I like the low profile switches as your foot can activate the effect even if it is slightly off axis. It is easier to miss the taller switches on some pedals and that can affect your performance if a particular phrase depends on an effect. The Dan-O-Tube is a very thick, flexible plastic tube with a clip for mounting to a mic stand and a pair of mics to send the sound back to the pedal.

Operation
The great thing about this pedal is that it will even work on a small combo amp. That’s right, a small combo amp. This is an inline pedal as opposed to the original design talk box that required the user to place the talk box between the output of a guitar head and the speakers. This talk box takes the signal at the input of the pedal, routes it out to the Dan-O-Tube and uses a pair of minature mics to send the signal back to the pedal and out to the amplifier.

To make the famous talk box sound (Peter Frampton, Joe Walsh, Richie Sambora) just place the tube in your mouth and shape your mouth around the Dan-O-Tube to control the sound coming out of the tube. The sound will be picked up by the minature mics and routed back to the pedal. Its that simple! You can also use this through a PA system by running the Dan-O-Tube next to a vocal mic. The minature mics on the Dan-O-Tube are removeable.

Blurp
This pedal is definitely a 10 out of 10 in every category. From it’s ease of use to it’s ultra cool sounds, the Danelectro Free Speech Talk Box will give you a wide variety of sounds that are only limited by your imagination. With a list price of $129.00 and an advertised price of $93.75 this pedal costs about one third of the original talk box.

For more information check them out at their website Danelectro Free Speech Talk Box or you can purchase them at BoutiqueMusic.com.

Sabine Zoid Tuners

An important piece of any musicians setup is a tuner. No matter how talented you are, no one will notice if you are out of tune.

Appearance
The tuner is a small black plastic box that fits in the palm of your hand. It has a strong spring loaded clip that attaches to the headstock of your guitar, bass or other stringed instrument with rubber pads to protect the finish. There is also a version of the tuner for Band and Orchestra instruments. The LCD screen changes from red when you are out of tune to green when you are in tune making it very easy to tune in a noisy environment.

Construction
The case is a very durable plastic made to withstand the abuses of a performing musician. The tuner screen can be rotated on the clip to adjust the viewing angle making it easy to see no matter what type of instrument it is attached too. There are three small buttons on the front of the screen for power, calibration and tuning mode. The tuner weighs 1.3 ounces

Operation
This tuner is easy to use. Just clip it on to your instrument and press and hold the I/O (power) button for two seconds and the unit turns on. It is now in Mic mode. It picks up sounds through the mic in the front of the screen. Hold the I/O button for two more seconds and toggles to Clip mode. This means the unit tunes from vibrations picked up through the clip. This is how it tunes in a noisy environment.

The Cal button allows you to change the tuning frequency from a standard 440Hz. The available range is 433Hz to 477Hz. The Flat button on the String version allows you to tune down up to four half steps and the Transpose button on the Band/Orchestra version displays notes for keys of C, Bb, Eb, and F.

Blurp
I give the Sabine Zoid Tuners a 10 out of 10 in every category. A tuner is a necessity and a high quality tuner will give you a more accurate tuning. With a list price of $39.95 and an advertised price of $29.96 the features and ease of use make his tuner a great value.

For more information check them out at their website Sabine Zoid Tuners or you can purchase them at BoutiqueMusic.com.

If you are in the market for a high quality instrument cable with the coolest vibe around, get yourself a Bullet Cable. Your ears will thank you.

Appearance
The instrument cables are available in a very cool vintage style curly cable as well as a straight cable with the coolest molded ends in the industry. The curly cables come in Black, White and Red and the straight cables offer ends for every taste including pistols, grenades, skulls, dice, crosses and a syringe.

Construction
For those of you who understand the engineering behind cables, you will appreciate the superior manufacturing methods employed in the making of these cables. This is only the beginning. The cable that they use is selected for its superior sound quality and durability. The packaging is designed to maintain the integrity of the cable being careful not to violate the minimum bend radius of the cable. If you look at how most commercial cables are packaged, the only consideration is for how many can be put on a shelf. The cheaper cables are twisted into those little figure 8 shaped knots the serve only to damage the cable before you even get it home to use it.

Sound
If the sound of your instrument is important to you then you need the Bullet Cables. Their cable, engineered for wide 20Hz – 40kHz ± 0.5dB frequency response is quad balanced for the lowest noise and fuller sound. You will notice the diference.

Blurp
I give the Bullet Cables a definite 10 out of 10 in every category. Cables are a big part of the investment in your instrument and by getting the best cables you can, you will improve reliability along with your sound.

For more information check them out at their website Bullet Cables or you can purchase them at BoutiqueMusic.com.

If you are looking for a high quality solid top ukulele, look no further. The people at Mainland Ukuleles deliver a first class uke at a bargain price.

Appearance
The ukuleles are available in Solid Mahogany or Solid Red Cedar with a gloss or matte finish. The other options available are the color of the tuning machines, either chrome silver or gold, and the tuner buttons, available in Ebony or Mother of Pearl.

Playability
The ukuleles are delivered ready to play. Mainland sets up each ukulele before it leaves the factory. The necks and related components (bridge and nut) are adjusted so that none of the frets buzz. The tuners are guitar style tuners with a gear ratio of 14:1 for accurate tuning. This is an improvement over the more traditional friction tuners that turn at a ratio of 1:1.

Sound
This is where the Mainland ukes really shine. The solid wood gives them their beautiful tone. The harder mahogany sounded a little brighter to me than the softer red cedar and the larger tenor sized ukes have more volume than the soprano and concert sizes.

Accessories
Mainland offers the coolest hardshell cases in the industry. The Faux Alligator is a visually stunning case that will have everyone anticipating the instrument inside and the plush interior gives the instrument a soft place for storage. The Tweed style cases are very attractive and very well built as well but they have one slight flaw. The soprano case will not fit a ukulele with sealed gear tuners. It is not quite wide enough at the headstock to accomodate the guitar style tuners.

Blurp
I give the Mainland Ukuleles are a definite 10 out of 10 for the instrument and a 9 out of 10 for the accessories because of the tweed case size issue. However, this is not an issue for me because I prefer the Faux Alligator case anyway.

For more information check them out at Mainland Ukuleles or you can purchase them at BoutiqueMusic.com.

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