By way of introduction, I have been a total music junkie, working musican, freelance music journalist, author, public relations, marketing and advertising guy for over three decades. I play in two bands, The Kootz (drums), and The Burgundy Watch (guitar), and currently do most of my writing for Premier Guitar, Blue Suede News and Not So Modern Drummer magazines, and have also written for Modern Drummer, Classic Drummer, Vintage Guitar, Blues Revue, Blues Access, and many others. I also authored the book, Great Rock Drummers Of The Sixties, which is now in its second pressing from Hal Leonard Publishing.
In the Premier Guitar online archives (www.premierguitar.com), you'll find interview pieces I have done over the last two years with Leslie West, Roger McGuinn, Nils Lofgren, Joe Perry, Rick Nielsen, Bob Wootten, Brad Paisley and Pete Townshend of The Who. Also check out pieces I did last year on Chinese counterfeit guitars, the search for the original Gibson Moderne, and most recently, the Guitar Shops of the Big Apple. Premier Guitar is a gear-oriented pub for guitar players seeking "the relentless pursuit of tone," as we say.
As I was lacking a viable vehicle for compact disc and musical gear reviews and live concert review, my kids said, "Dad, start a Blog." Great idea!
So, here we go. I will be updating and adding reviews as I go along, giving you objective, unbiased reviews of cool new music, guitar and drum equipment of all types, and a live concert review now and then as time allows. Hopefully, you'll find the reviews informative and useful.
First up will be a review of three cool guitar stompboxes from Hip Kitty Products of Nashville, Tennessee. Look for them in several days. My thanks to Neal from Hip Kitty for sending them to me.
See you soon. Meanwhile, stop in and say hello.
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Hip Kitty Pedals: Glaze, Oxblood, Cream Distortion Hip Kitty Pedals: Glaze, Oxblood, Cream Distortion
ReplyDeleteI have been interested in Hip Kitty pedals for quite a while now, and couldn’t wait to get my hands on a few. Handmade in Nashville, Tennessee, Hip Kitty pedals are ROHS compliant and unique, in that every single one is slightly different, given their cool paint jobs and graphics. Let’s start with the Glaze.
The Glaze is “a unique boost/overdrive design created for warmth and clarity to each note or chord played.” In other words, the pedal adds a sonic coating to upper register notes, and gives clarity and focus to bass register notes.
Using a humbucker-equipped Burny SG Standard and my trusty Fender Hot Rod Deluxe set to a clean setting with the volume on first-set club level of 3, I engaged the Glaze, with the Gain and volume controls set at 10:00 to start. At this level, the Glaze offered a very nice clean volume boost with added treble response and bass clarity, just as expected. As I increased both controls, and finally dimed out the Gain, there was power enough going on to push the front end of the amp harder and create a slightly dirty tone, which could certainly be useful.
The Glaze performed beautifully. High end notes and chords were warm and clear, and bass response was similarly clear-no mushy stuff. The Glaze is a keeper, and it went on my pedal board, just in time for the gig. I love the olive green sparkle finish and grey, red and black lightning bolt graphics. The online purchase price from HK is $155.00.
The Oxblood distortion was built to emulate the sound of the classic Vox AC-15 amp, “with plenty of gain available,” according to Neal Logdahl, president of Hip Kitty products.
“Think small British tube amp with an extra gain stage…the Oxblood’s distortion goes beyond what those Class ‘A’ amplifiers offer, yet retains the ‘jangle.’”
The Oxblood features true bypass switching, like all their products.
I checked a few online reviews of the Oxblood. Neal had mentioned it was a “love/hate” pedal, and he was right, but most users commented favorably. One wag said something like, “When I turned on the Oxblood, I was in Swinging London in 1967.” He also called it a “Vox in a box.” In essence, what the Oxblood does is turn your amp into an AC-15 on steroids.
This time, I used an odd-parts Frankenstrat. The Oxblood has three knobs-Drive, Tone and Volume. With the HRD once again set to a squeaky clean setting, I ran down some single note runs and chords. The Oxblood is a no-nonsense distortion machine that is nasty in the best sense of the word. This is not a pretty-sounding pedal by any means, and while it’s warm, it retains a good amount of high end chime and jangle, as I was told it would. When I plugged in my Les Paul, the Oxblood came into its own, with full bore break-up.
I can see why Neal said the Oxblood was controversial. Fans of the vintage Vox sound will probably love it; others won’t, but it could be right for your needs. Online price is $170.00.
My first impression of the Cream Distortion was unfavorable. Thinking I may have been a bit hasty, I decided to persevere. Sometimes, you have to work with pedals a bit to feel them out.
This time, I used my Telecaster plugged into the HRD, with controls still set as earlier. When I clicked on the Cream and ran down some blues riffs and chords, it suddenly became clear that I had grossly misjudged this pedal. The Tele screamed, yet still retained its characteristic spank. Working the Drive and Volume controls gave me a wide range of usable sounds. Nothing much happened between 10:00 and around 12:00 noon with the Drive knob, but from there on, I was in overdrive city. The Cream Distortion is simply an outstanding “tight” O/D box. It also performed well with the Strat, my Gretsch Silver Jet, and the SG. The Cream Distortion sells for $155 direct.
Hip Kitty can be reached at 615-579-2195, or via email at customerservice@hipkittypedals.com.
Hip Kitty Pedals: Glaze, Oxblood, Cream Distortion Hip Kitty Pedals: Glaze, Oxblood, Cream Distortion
ReplyDeleteBy Bob Cianci
I have been interested in Hip Kitty pedals for quite a while now, and couldn’t wait to get my hands on a few. Handmade in Nashville, Tennessee, Hip Kitty pedals are ROHS compliant and unique, in that every single one is slightly different, given their cool paint jobs and graphics. Let’s start with the Glaze.
The Glaze is “a unique boost/overdrive design created for warmth and clarity to each note or chord played.” In other words, the pedal adds a sonic coating to upper register notes, and gives clarity and focus to bass register notes.
Using a humbucker-equipped Burny SG Standard and my trusty Fender Hot Rod Deluxe set to a clean setting with the volume on first-set club level of 3, I engaged the Glaze, with the Gain and volume controls set at 10:00 to start. At this level, the Glaze offered a very nice clean volume boost with added treble response and bass clarity, just as expected. As I increased both controls, and finally dimed out the Gain, there was power enough going on to push the front end of the amp harder and create a slightly dirty tone, which could certainly be useful.
The Glaze performed beautifully. High end notes and chords were warm and clear, and bass response was similarly clear-no mushy stuff. The Glaze is a keeper, and it went on my pedal board, just in time for the gig. I love the olive green sparkle finish and grey, red and black lightning bolt graphics. The online purchase price from HK is $155.00.
The Oxblood distortion was built to emulate the sound of the classic Vox AC-15 amp, “with plenty of gain available,” according to Neal Logdahl, president of Hip Kitty products.
“Think small British tube amp with an extra gain stage…the Oxblood’s distortion goes beyond what those Class ‘A’ amplifiers offer, yet retains the ‘jangle.’”
The Oxblood features true bypass switching, like all their products.
I checked a few online reviews of the Oxblood. Neal had mentioned it was a “love/hate” pedal, and he was right, but most users commented favorably. One wag said something like, “When I turned on the Oxblood, I was in Swinging London in 1967.” He also called it a “Vox in a box.” In essence, what the Oxblood does is turn your amp into an AC-15 on steroids.
This time, I used an odd-parts Frankenstrat. The Oxblood has three knobs-Drive, Tone and Volume. With the HRD once again set to a squeaky clean setting, I ran down some single note runs and chords. The Oxblood is a no-nonsense distortion machine that is nasty in the best sense of the word. This is not a pretty-sounding pedal by any means, and while it’s warm, it retains a good amount of high end chime and jangle, as I was told it would. When I plugged in my Les Paul, the Oxblood came into its own, with full bore break-up.
I can see why Neal said the Oxblood was controversial. Fans of the vintage Vox sound will probably love it; others won’t, but it could be right for your needs. Online price is $170.00.
My first impression of the Cream Distortion was unfavorable. Thinking I may have been a bit hasty, I decided to persevere. Sometimes, you have to work with pedals a bit to feel them out.
This time, I used my Telecaster plugged into the HRD, with controls still set as earlier. When I clicked on the Cream and ran down some blues riffs and chords, it suddenly became clear that I had grossly misjudged this pedal. The Tele screamed, yet still retained its characteristic spank. Working the Drive and Volume controls gave me a wide range of usable sounds. Nothing much happened between 10:00 and around 12:00 noon with the Drive knob, but from there on, I was in overdrive city. The Cream Distortion is simply an outstanding “tight” O/D box. It also performed well with the Strat, my Gretsch Silver Jet, and the SG. The Cream Distortion sells for $155 direct.
Hip Kitty can be reached at 615-579-2195, or via email at customerservice@hipkittypedals.com.
One time too many! Anyway, let's discuss!
ReplyDeleteCD Review: Vanilla Fudge, Box Of Fudge, Rhino Handmade Records
ReplyDeleteI have been waiting for this 4-disc complilation. The Vanilla Fudge bridged the gap between heavy metal and psychedelia from the time they first appeared in 1967, until the group split up in late 1969. In that short period of time, they released five albums of dramatic, symphonically and R&B-tinged rock music that influenced Led Zeppelin, Yes and Deep Purple, to name a few. The bandmembers were all passionate, emotional players, who excelled both vocally and instrumentally. Truth is, the Fudge, although originally inspired by The Rascals and Leslie West's band, The Vagrants, sounded like no one else.
Box Of Fudge contains a beautifully remastered version of the band's first album, including the hit, "You Keep Me Hangin' On," as well as selected album tracks from their catalog, fifteen unreleased cuts, never-before-heard studio jams, and live recordings from the Fudge's New Year's Eve concert at Bill Graham's Fillmore West. These live cuts show what a dynamic and accomplished band The Fudge were...and still are. They reformed in the '80's, recorded one unremarkable LP, and have gotten together periodically with most, if not all, members present. Indeed, the Fudge will tour next year with all four original members; organist Mark Stein, guitarist Vinnie Martell, bassist Tim Bogert, and drummer Carmine Appice. Billed as their farewell tour, we'll have see about that. You know how farewell rock tours go, right? I think The Eagles have been on their third or fourth "farewell tour" as we speak.
In any event, if you liked The Fudge in the late 60's, you'll want this Rhino box set. If you're new to the band's music, this is a great place to start. You'll have to buy Box Of Fudge directly from Rhino, as it is not avalable anywhere else, and it's not cheap at $79.98, but it's a killer release, and belongs in the collection of anyone into 60's rock.
Hey Bob it appears you are trying to post in the comments section. Send me your email and I can help you out. vicky_bell@rocketmail.com
ReplyDelete