2012 February

An Assembly of Amplifiers

February 15, 2012 By Rich Leave a Comment

New and Improved!

These fine little portable practice amps now have the option of a 9v wall-adapter. I have wired in a 2.1mm power jack and have a shipment of adapters due to arrive any time.

They still have the 9V battery clip for those camping trips and downtown busking excursions, but can be switched to wall-power when in a “homier” environment.

Prices vary (usually $65 to $100)

A 9V adapter with a 2.1mm positive-center plug is available as well. My stock varies, but most electronics stores will have these.

Filed Under: For Sale

4 String Maple Guitar – SOLD

February 15, 2012 By Rich Leave a Comment

This minimalist guitar has a sweet tone and decent volume. A fully-fretted maple neck gives you an octave and a half worth of frets (such a deal!). A piezo pickup allows for amplification and its neck-through-body design makes this a backpackers dream. There’s just enough height in the action for slide playing as well.

Filed Under: Sold

3 String “Tea Box” Slide Guitar – SOLD

February 15, 2012 By Rich Leave a Comment

This was the only guitar to make it back alive from the pre-christmas feeding frenzy that was the Owl Designer Fair. It is truly a survivor. Over 20 of its companions were taken prisoner, to be played in basements, at BBQ’s, and put on display like display-things…

This fine little instrument weighs in at around 10 lbs! A zombie-clubbing axe with a walnut neck, oak fingerboard and various bits and bobs of metal including the one-of-a-kind aluminum truss & ring bridge (guaranteed to transfer AT LEAST 45% of the string vibrations to the body. But what the hell, it’s an electric!).

It was purchased this past weekend to be shipped overseas on a clandestine mission to some undisclosed nordic country, to woo fair-haired Scandinavian blues-lovers.

Filed Under: Sold

3 String Whiskey Box Dulcimer

February 15, 2012 By Rich Leave a Comment

I found this old Alberta Springs “Oldtime Canadian Sipping Whiskey” box at a thrift store. It was well worn: a bit rough around the edges. I also had in my possession a fine old bottle opener with the stamped lettering of “T.S.F.M. Caswell’s Saskatoon” which seems to be a clothing retailer (possibly defunct) in that fine city. They were a perfect fit. A bit foothills, a bit prairie, a bit provincial, but all business.

I originally made this one a 2-string thing, but added an extra string and it made a hufge difference in sound and playability. It’s fretted up like a dulcimer. It has a little bit of purpleheart wood for a bridge and an old square nail from my turn-on-the-century house for a nut. The neck is oak, rife with tool marks and treated with my home-brewed oxidized iron dip, finished with a couple of coats of oil.

This is a great conversation piece, and when the conversation goes flat you can play some old-timey mountain tunes on this prairie-born instrument.

Filed Under: For Sale, Sold

New guitars! Yay!

February 15, 2012 By Rich Leave a Comment

Here are some photos of the projects I’ve been working on since Christmas. If any of you were at the February Fox Fair you may have seen these on my table. I will follow up with posts and a description of each one in the “For Sale” category on the right.