Three coats of spray on polyurethane down. Looking good, ready for final finishing.

I got some more work on the RG450 done today. The weather held out, although my can of white paint didn’t.

As of last night I had applied two coats of clear satin polyurethane to the neck. It was looking and feeling pretty good, so I figured I would do just one more, and then finish off the neck.

While things were going great with the neck, finishing the body wasn’t. I had applied 8 coats of colour to the body, and thought I had enough to allow me to sand out most imperfections, which I would have been happy with. I started on the wet-sanding and discovered very early on that I hadn’t.

The paint needs a lot more work before this is ready, but it should look good once done.

I ended up working my way through the colour in a number of places while trying to sand out runs, dimples and pimples of paint. I’m going to have to buy some more paint this week, which is a bit disappointing, as I had hoped to have this guitar finished this week.

Cleaning up any contaminants in the clear coat with some 0000 steel wool. This neck is going to feel slick!

After the third coat of clear on the neck had dried enough I got onto cleaning up the bits of dust and spots in the clear. I lightly used some 0000 steel wool to remove the contaminants and smooth out the finish.

The back of the neck came up beautifully after this, and looks and feels quite a bit like my RG20th. I’m sure after a bit of play this neck will feel just like home.

Making sure all residue from the masking tape is gone, and conditioning the fretboard.

I got onto cleaning up the fretboard, and removing any residue left over from the masking tape. Dunlop 02 Deep Conditioner is great for cleaning up, and restoring rosewood fretboards, and it made quick work of cleaning up this one.

The hardware that came with the RG450 was a Cosmo black finish. It has a tendency to go pretty ratty after a while if not looked after, and this batch of Cosmo chrome hardware was certainly looking pretty ratty!

Cosmo black locking nut and string retainer polished to a nice chrome finish, and some chrome machine heads from my spares draw installed.

I previously wrote a DIY on polishing up hardware to a nice chrome finish using metal polish, the Edge Pro bridge I used in this DIY was from the RG450. I got onto polishing up the locking nut parts, and the string retainer. They don’t look brand new, but they came up very nice.

I started on polishing up the Gotoh machine heads that came with the guitar, but they were going to take quite some time. I had a spare set of Gotoh look-a-likes that are actually fairly decent, so I decided to just use these for the time being.

And finally a full mock-up of the guitar. I think it's going to look great once done!

Once I got everything installed the neck really looked quite good. The locking nut and string retainer bar don’t perfect, but they will do quite nicely.

I decided to mock everything up to see if the final look would be as I had hoped. The paint on the body is looking pretty average, but it’s not noticeable in pictures at this zoom. I really hope that I get the paint looking a little better, because this guitar is going to look really nice with all the components I have selected for it.

I’ll be picking up some more paint this week, and hopefully getting the body looking a bit more acceptable.

Seven coats of paint on the body now, and a lot of sanding and polishing to get this looking any good.

I got a chance to continue on with the RG450 project today. During the week I managed to rough up the primer with some course grit wet and dry sand paper, and got a couple of coats of white paint onto the body.Today would be the day I would try to get as many coats of paint on the body as possible.

I’ve now sprayed seven coats of paint on the body, and I’m hoping that I’ll be able to sand out the imperfections without going through to the primer. There are many runs and pimples to sort out, but I’m hoping the one light coat of paint left in the spray can will be enough to cover any major issues if there are any.

The neck all taped up, ready for it's clear coat.

The Japanese Wizard II neck that came with this had been sanded and shaped to closely match the Wizard profile, so it was in need of a clear coat too. I had planned on using a wipe-on polyurethane oil due to its ease of use, and quick drying and hardening time. Unfortunately I couldn’t find any at my local hardware store, so I ended up buying a spray on polyurethane. This was going to take more time between coats, but I hope that two or three will be enough.

I got onto taping up the neck to protect the fretboard, fretboard binding, and headstock. With today holding plenty of stormy weather I hoped to somehow squeeze in two coats, so that I would have time to apply one more tomorrow if need be.

Two coats down, and it's now stinking up the laundry due to the massive storm that hit 2 minutes after I sprayed the second coat. Too windy and rainy to leave this outside to dry properly.

In-between the last few coats to the body I got the first coat on. Shortly afterwards a big thunderstorm hit my area, and I figured my painting would be over for the day. The weather cleared up just as the neck was ready for a second coat, so I decided to tempt fate and apply it. Of course 2 minutes after I finished an even bigger storm came over, and now the neck is resting in the laundry.

Hopefully two coats will be enough for the neck, but if need be I’ll hit it up tomorrow morning, weather pending. I’ll also try to get started on wet-sanding the body, and with any luck I won’t need any more paint. I’m not worrying about a clear coat at the moment, but we’ll see how it goes.

Joe Naylor's awesome new Railhammer pickups.

First up are a set of new Railhammer Chisel humbuckers. Created by the noted Joe Naylor (of Reverend Guitars, Armor Gold Cables and more), the Railhammer pickups are a new concept in humbucker design, with thin rails over the bass strings, and fat pole pieces for the treble strings.

The idea behind this is that the rails sense a narrow section of the bass strings, reducing smearing and muddiness. The oversized pole pieces sense a wide section of the treble strings, increasing thickness and sustain. All of these gives a rich clarity, while still providing a thick organic tone.

These are loaded up in my TOM equipped PRS/LP style basswood bodied kit guitar, and I’m looking forward to really open up the amp with these.

Fantastic DiMarzio swag. New Mark Morton signature Dominions on the left, and the classic Super Distortion on the right.

Next up is a package that arrived yesterday from DiMarzio. I received a brand spankin’ new set of signature Mark Morton Dominion pickups, and the classic Super Distortion.

The Super Distortion has found its home in my RFR RG550, and the Dominions will be going in my RG450 project, which will hopefully be all painted up and put back together in the next couple of weeks.

Sweet handwound Ormsby Guitars Hot Rock.

And the last one is actually something I received late last year. Ormsby Guitars sent me two of their hand wound humbuckers, the Nunchucker Humbucker (which I reviewed back in November), and the Hot Rock.

I installed the Hot Rock last week into my alder-bodied Ibanez style custom. So far it’s proved to be a pretty awesome pickup. At my last band practice I noticed that the Hot Rock had awesome clarity, just like the Nunchucker, but even more power.

I’ve been having some fun playing with this pickup, and you can expect a review soon.

In addition to this, there may be another new pickup from another manufacturer coming soon. I won’t reveal it just yet, as I still don’t have confirmation on it, but as soon as I do you will know.

Now to find the time to test these out. It’s going to fun here at the LonePhantom.com headquarters!

The body from the 2003 MIJ Ibanez RG470, modified with a Jem style monkey grip and output jack route.

A while back I had a Japanese made 2003 Ibanez RG450 with Edge Pro donated to me by a good friend of mine from Jemsite. It was in quite rough condition when he bought it as a project guitar. He cut a Jem style monkey grip, and rerouted the output jack to also be a Jem style one. It was just about ready paint when he passed it on to me. The Japanese Wizard II neck was re-profiled to a Wizard spec too.

So I finally got around to starting work on it this weekend. I had polished the previously ratty looking Edge Pro quite some time ago, but that was all until now.

I’m not expecting my paint work to be perfect, but it will be good enough for me to use as my test bed for pickups, and as a backup stage guitar. I’m also thinking about trying to build an in-guitar boost circuit for it.

The first thing I had to do was fill the old output jack mounting screw mounting holes. I used some building filler for this. It didn’t quite end up filling flush with the body, but I’ll see what happens over the course of painting the body. Once I did that I taped off the pickups and electronics cavities, and neck joint

Scuffed up and cavties and neck joint tapped off.

Next was scuffing up the body, ready for primer. I got a course grit sanding block for the task, and passed over the body a few times to rough it up.

Sprayed with a fine mist of water and cleaned off with a microfibre cloth.

Next up is to clean up the dust left on the body from sanding it. I got a microfibre cloth for the job. Microfibre cloths do a good job picking up dust, and to help with this I sprayed a fine mist of water on the body and wiped over it with the cloth.

Drying off in anticipation for the first coat of primer.

I then hung the guitar up to dry off before painting it.

First coat of primer on.

After all this I was finally able to get started on priming the body. I’ve covered it with four coats, and a few runs to take care of.

After four coats of primer it's ready to be sanded.

I’m going to let this dry for a day or two, and then I’ll get onto sanding it. Hopefully I won’t work my way through the primer. I used the can up doing these coats, and I don’t really want to have to buy another can just to touch it up.

Hopefully this all turns out good!

Using an EVH D-Tuna on a floating Floyd Rose type tremolo does not work unless you can block the bridge to dive-only.

A floating Floyd Rose type tremolo has a whole range of fantastic uses, but a few issues too. If you break a string your bridge goes out of whack, and guitar horribly out of tune. You can’t just tune to drop-D or equivalent either.

A few solutions have come out to resolve this problem, including the Tremol-no, and the HipShot Tremsetter, etc. I’ve personally used the Tremol-no on a few of my guitars, and it’s a great contraption once you have it all set up properly. You don’t have to do any permanent surgery to your guitar either.

I like playing in drop-D from time to time, and have an EVH D-Tuna installed on a couple of axes.

The issue I had recently was one of my pin type Tremol-nos breaking. The pin that attaches to a hole in the sustain block broke. I could probably get a replacement part for the Tremol-no, but I thought I’d try something different.

I was thinking of some designs for an adjustable tremolo stopper, and then realised there was a common household piece of gear that was a lot cheaper than a Tremol-no. Sure it would require a little permanent surgery, but that didn’t bother me. I’m sure a lot of you won’t be either. I wanted to go from floating to dive-only so I could use my D-Tuna, and this little contraption would enable me to do this.

So what could possibly do this, and how could it cost less $5.00?

The cheap, under $5.00 tremolo stopper solution.

Let me present you with the humble barrel-bolt door lock. Commonly found on toilet and bathroom doors, this little 38mm model is a perfect fit for a tremolo spring cavity. Now how do we install it?

Step 1:
We only need the main barrel-bot, as we are not locking doors! Put the bolt in the locked position (as though you are locking a door. Hold it in your tremolo spring cavity with the bolt against the sustain block, making sure you are not pushing the block at all.

Step 2:
Get a hand drill with a 2-3mm drill bit and drill a slight indent to mark your first screw. Then get one of the screws that came with the barrel-bolt and screw it in with the appropriate Phillips head screw driver.

Step 3:
Make sure the barrel bolt is parallel with the edge of the tremolo spring cavity and make another slight indent in the screw hole diagonally across from the first one you screwed in. Then screw the next screw in with your screw driver.

Step 4:
Repeat the same process for the last two screw holes. Hand-tighten all four screws to make sure your new tremolo blocker is nice and secure in the tremolo spring cavity. Now marvel at your awesome new cheap as chips tremolo stopper!

Locked into the dive-only position.

With the barrel-bolt engaged in the longest position your tremolo is set to dive-only, and with it engaged in the shortest position your tremolo is full floating.

Locked into the floating position.

Obviously it might be a bit of a squeeze with three springs installed, but for two it is perfect. If this DIY project interests you get some heavy duty springs if you can’t balance the tremolo with two of your stock ones. I recommend the Floyd Upgrades noiseless heavy duty springs, that way you can get rid of the horrible spring reverberations that happen with tremolo equipped guitars.

So there we have it. A fantastic little adjustable tremolo stopper at the fraction of the price of the established ones on the market. I hope you find this little DIY a handy one, and if you do please share it.

Update
I had some queries and concerns as to whether the barrel-bolt rattled when playing. This understandably would be annoying if it did.

I’m happy to report that at the very least, the barrel-bolt I used does not rattle in any way that interferes with the tone of my guitar.

Marshall 50th Anniversary 1Watt Series

The range of Marshall 50th Anniversary 1Watt series heads. Image courtesy of I Heart Guitar.

As you’d probably know if you’ve been reading my blog for a while, I’m a big fan of low wattage valve amp designs. I play a Blackstar HT-5 head on stage with my band, and it’s tone is absolutely awesome. So of course when Marshall announced the range of 50th Anniversary ampsI was definitely excited.

Five amplifier models in total, in both head and combo formats, will be released over the course of the year, one model representing each decade Marshall has been in the game. Each model is designed to look just like the amplifiers it represents, with period correct Marshall logos and finishings. This kicks off with the Marshall JTM1, representing the legendary amplifier that brought the Marshall name to the arena in the 1960s. The JMP1 kicks off in March, representing the 1970. In June, my personal favourite of the troupe, the JCM1 will be released, representing the 1980s. I am really hoping that somehow I can afford one of these. I’d better start saving!

Things start getting a little more state of the art and feature packed from here. The 1990s will be represented by the DSL1, based of the still in production JCM200 series DSL amps. And last but not least, the JVM1 will round it off for the 2000s. Both of these models will be loaded with two channels and effects loops, whereas the others will be in line with their ancestors and be single channel, with no effects loops.

Orange Signature #4Jim Root Terror Head

The latest in the Orange stable of Terror amps.

On the topic of hot little low wattage amps, here comes the latest from Orange, the company who kick started the low wattage amp craze. The Signature #4 Jim Root Terror Head is in the same format of the original Tiny Terror, and based off the high gain channel of the amp that Jim Root of Slipknot/Stone Sour uses in the studio and on stage, the Orange Rockerverb 100.

This little terror is a single channel amp, capable of high gain tones suitable for rock and metal, and features a three band eq, volume, and gain controls, and a valve driven effects loop. Like the others in the Terror series, it can be switched between 15 and 7 watts.

This one is bound to be a hot item this year.

Ibanez 25th Anniversary models

Ibanez is celebrating 25 years since the launch of two of it’s iconic guitar models, the RG series, and S series guitars. To commemorate this Ibanez have released a bevvy of awesome neon coloured guitars. Click on the images to learn more.

These aren’t the only 25th anniversary models coming out. Ibanez will be releasing a few more over the course of 2012.

Dimarzio Mark Morton signature Dominion pickups

Mark Morton's new signature DiMarzios, the Dominion.

Lamb of God’s Mark Morton has a new pair of DiMarzio signature pickups, named after his signature Jackson Dominion guitar. I’m not a huge fan of Lamb of God, but these pickups themselves look like a fantastic design.

The Dominion Bridge is a moderately high output pickup that utilises a ceramic magnet, and provides a warm, but not muddy tone, with enhanced mids, and fast response.

The Dominion Neck is a medium output pickup that is designed to be perfectly balanced with the Dominion Bridge, and have good amount of presence for definition and focus. It should be particularly nice for cleans too.

I’m looking forward to checking these pickups out, they look like a fantastic design, and I’m sure they’ll be a very popular addition to the DiMarzio line.

MXR Custom Badass Modified O.D.

The next release from MXR's Custom Badass line, the Modified O.D.

I’ve become a big fan of MXR pedals over the past few years, and have a couple of their pedals on my pedal board. The MXR Custom Badass Modified O.D. is definitely something I’d love to add to it.

It’s based off a classic overdrive circuit, and loaded with some cool modern modifications, making it far more versatile.

The demos that Jim Dunlop released late last year sounded absolutely fantastic, and really showed how versatile and handy it is for so many styles of music. I’m sure this will be as popular as their first off the Custom Badass line, the ’78 Distortion.

There was a heap more awesome stuff that came out of NAMM this year, and I might list a few more of my favourites soon.

JamUp Pro is a fantastic, easy to use app.

In conjunction with the JamUp Plug I reviewed last month, Positive Grid have provided me a copy of their premiere guitar amp and effects modeling iOS app, JamUp Pro.

JamUp Pro is one of the newest guitar apps to appear in the iTunes app store, and it has really taken off with a bang. With 6 multi-stage amp models and 14 studio grade effects available from the launch date, and more to come according to Positive Grid, it is great value at $19.99.

Positive Grid have used what they call “MESH Modelling Engine” to create the most realistic amplifier and effect models available on iOS devices. the Pro release includes 6 hybrid amp models and 14 studio grade effects pedals/processors. You can use up to seven amp/effects combinations simultaneously.

The Pro list of amplifiers and effects are based on the following:

• Fender® Bassman®
• Fender® Twin Reverb®
• VOX® AC30 Top Boost
• Marshall® JCM800 2203 100-Watt Head
• Marshall® 1959 100-Watt Super Lead Head
• Mesa/Boogie® Dual Rectifier® Head

Easy to use drag and drop interface, and up to seven amp/effect combos can be used simultaneously.

• Dunlop Fuzz Face
• Ibanez Tube Screamer
• Boss OD-2 Turbo Overdrive
• Boss CE-1 Chorus Ensemble
• Custom Flanger
• Mad Professor Mellow Yellow Tremolo
• MXR Phase 100
• Maestro Echoplex EP-2 Tape Delay
• Boss DD-7 Digital Delay
• Boss RV-5 Digital Reverb
• Fender Spring Reverb Unit
• MXR M-102 Dyna Comp Compressor
• Boss NF-1 Noise Gate
• Custom 4-band EQ

I used the JamUp Plug that I reviewed earlier to test out JamUp Pro.

On loading up JamUp Pro you are greeted by the “AMP/FX” screen, with the chosen amplifier in prime view at the bottom half of the screen. Above that you can see the amp/effects chain, with the effects to the left of the amplifier simulating being in front of the amplifier, and the ones on right being in the effects loop.

Working with the amps and effects is simple and intuitive, and basically touching and dragging does everything you want. Touch the gain knob on the amp, and turn it with your finger and it reacts just like a real one would. Want to edit on of the effects? Just touch it in the chain at the top of the screen. Turn it off by touching the indicator light, and adjust the knobs just you did on the amplifier. You can easily change the position of the effect by dragging it to your desired location.

If you want to change the amplifier or effect you are using just double tap it and the selection screen will come up. Tap the amp/effect you wish to use, and then tap the back arrow. It’s as simple as that.

Tonally, JamUp Pro is very impressive. Whilst it will never replace the real counterparts that JamUp Pro emulates, the tones are excellent. The great thing is that the emulated amps respond in a very dynamic way. Play softly when playing through one of the Marshall type models, and there will be less grit. Roll your volume knob down, and the distorted tones will clean up nicely. You will notice the same tonal change from switching pickups that you will from a real amplifier.

The effects are all fantastic too. The ones based off famous effects do a great job of emulating their real life partners, and make playing through JamUp Pro a blast. Being able to easily switch their positions in the chain makes experimenting very easy, and a lot of fun.

Saving your favourite combinations is easy, with sixteen preset slots to save to.

Once you have found some combinations you like you can save them in one of sixteen spots in the “PRESET” screen. Double tap on one of the preset positions, and you will be greeted with a menu giving you options to overwrite and rename, etc. Four presets show on the screen at a time, and a simple swipe gesture left or right will move through each bank of four.

Being a fan of amps with dirt, my favourite amp models were the Plexiglas (Marshall® 1959 100-Watt Super Lead Head), the 800 Lead (Marshall® JCM800 2203 100-Watt Head), and the Treadplate (Mesa/Boogie® Dual Rectifier® Head). I loved combining these amp models with the Tube Driver (Ibanez Tube Screamer), Tape Echo (Maestro Echoplex EP-2 Tape Delay), the Custom Flanger, and Phase (MXR Phase 100).

Now with just the excellent amp and effect models JamUp Pro would be worth the price of admission, but it’s not all there is to offer.

JamUp Pro has a great jamming too - perfect for working on songs or exercises.

JamUp Pro has an awesome iTunes jamming function in the “JAM” screen. Load up the song you wish to jam along to, and start playing your guitar. This is all well and good, but there is a lot more functionality than that.

Not only can you adjust the volume of the song, but you can adjust the pitch to suit the tuning your guitar is in, and also slow down or speed u if you are trying to work on more complicated parts. This is an incredibly powerful practice tool for anyone, whether you are jamming songs, or working on practice exercises. It’s all just as easy to use as the amp and effect screens, touch what you want to adjust and turn the knobs with your finger.

Got some new song ideas you want to put down? Use the handy sampler built right into JamUp Pro.

What if you are wanting to put down some new ideas, and need to record multiple parts? JamUp Pro has got you covered. Tap on the “SAMPLER” and you will find a simple to use multi-track recording screen. You can record a part, dub new parts over the top, and play them all back.

You can independently adjust the volume of the loops you are playing back, and the parts you are currently playing. They can also be saved on your iPhone/iPad for later use.

There's a handy tuner in here to, make sure you are in tune!

And last but not least JamUp Pro has a handy tuner built right in. Make sure you are tuned up before playing!

Positive Grid have recently released a new batch of amplifier and effect models as well, which you can purchase in app. I hope to test them out soon.

Overall, the Positive Grid JamUp Pro app is an excellent app for guitar player of all levels. The combination of excellent amp and effects models, and handy tools like the iTunes jammer and phrase sampler makes this a very powerful practice tool. If you’ve got an iOS device, and a compatible instrument interface you owe it to yourself to try this right away. If you are unsure there is a lite version of JamUp that you can always try out. It contains less amps and effects, but will give you a taste of the excellent tones that JamUp Pro is capable of providing.

The JamUp Plug is a great little iOS interface at a great price.

Nowadays there are a range of instrument interfaces available for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch. With so many available, and a wide range of prices and connectivity it can be hard to work out which one is best for you. Most connect through the headphone jack of your iOS device, and they all provide an audio connection for your guitar or bass with varying degrees of success.

One of the latest players in the iOS instrument interface is Positive Grid, with their JamUp Plug. Like many of the other interface manufacturers Positive Grid have their own iOS app to use with the JamUp Plug – JamUp Lite and JamUp Pro. I’ll be reviewing JamUp Pro soon.

The JamUp Plug is one of the most keenly priced of all the iOS instrument interfaces. At 19.99USD. At around $10 less than the next batch of comparable rival products it looks to already have an edge over the competition, but if the JamUp Plug doesn’t provide a decent enough audio quality its value price doesn’t really matter.

As soon as I received the JamUp Plug there was one thing I really liked about it – the packaging. So many electronic devices come in the standard clear plastic packages with a bit of thin cardboard between it with the labelling and instructions, etc. The JamUp Plug comes in a nice box-like package, with some great imaging for the plug and application on the cardboard, and the plug nestled nicely in some firm foam. This looks a lot more up-market than the standard blister pack plastic.

The JamUp Plug is a little white plastic box that’s a little thicker than an iPhone, and almostwide as the shortest edges of the phone. What’s nice about the JamUp Plug is that unlike a lot of the other interfaces on the market it has the jack built into the interface box rather than on a short cord. This means that the JamUp Plug isn’t hanging on by a lead, and it also works well to prop up an iPhone, working kind of like a kick stand on a bike. I don’t think it was done for this express purpose, but it is handy.The ¼” instrument input, and 1/8” headphone/audio output share one side of the interface, and are easy to access. The only potential issue with the build of the JamUp Plug is that the plastic casing feels a little less robust than some may like, but unless you step on it the JamUp Plug should hold up fine. At the end of the day most probably aren’t going to be using their iOS device on stage as a guitar amp/pedals, etc so it doesn’t really need to be strong enough to hold up to the rigours of playing on stage.

What people are going to be most concerned about when picking an instrument interface is the sound quality. Fortunately the JamUp Plug provides great quality audio considering its price.

Some instrument interfaces on the market have a bit of trouble with feedback when using guitars loaded with active pickups, but the JamUp Plug wasn’t one of them. It was happy with either passive or active options.

Audio through the JamUp Plug was nice and clear, providing a great signal through the apps I tested it through. I did notice an occasional momentary buzzing noise, but nothing major. It may have been caused by interference by some other nearby electrical equipment. It’s not  really an issue as it’s barely noticeable when playing, and considering the price, a small trade-off.

Overall the JamUp Plug is a great bang for buck iOS instrument interface. It provides a great clear signal regardless of pickup type, and the minor buzzing noise issues are not really much to worry about when you consider how much the JamUp Plug is compared to the competition. This will make a great stocking stuffer for any iOS device toting guitar player this Christmas.

Help a brother out.

I have really enjoyed running my blog over the past year or so. It’s reinvigorated my love of writing, and guitar playing. I love getting feedback from my readers too. Many  have found my reviews helpful, and people have really been digging my DIY posts. I’ve been lucky enough to have a few companies, distributors and shops help me out with providing gear to review as well. I’m a pretty poor musician with a mortgage, family, and the associated costs that come with these things. I don’t get to spend too much on gear, so all of these businesses who have helped me out, I hope my reviews have helped you out too.

My wife and I recently had our second child. It’s been a fantastic experience on a personal level, but along with a number of costs regarding house repairs we have found ourselves in a far tighter position financially than we expected we would be in. This of course means that I have even less money (read nearly zero) to spend on musical gear, and bits and pieces for DIY projects.

I can canvas gear companies, distributors, and my local music stores to borrow gear to review to some extent, but I have a number of DIY projects I’d like to post about on my site, and no money to purchase parts for this.

What I am leading to with this post is a request to help a brother out. If you have enjoyed reading my site, found it helpful, learned something new, etc I’d love it if you could spare a few $$$ to donate to me. I understand many are finding it tough financially these days, but even if every visitor could spare $1.00 I would be eternally grateful. I would be able to continue working on DIY projects, and posting (hopefully) interesting content for you all.

You can donate money via the PayPal donate button below, or using the donate button on the side of every page.

I’m also looking at advertising to the site in an effort to raise some money, so please don’t be put off by the sight of some ads. I will endeavor to make them as relevant as possible to guitar and music. If any music instrument and gear companies would like to help out I’ll offer reasonable advertising rates too. Money and guitar gear will be accepted!

I want to keep this site alive with great regular updates, and I hope you can all can help me with this. Any donations is greatly appreciated.

Thankyou!

Win a JamUp Plug and JAmpUp Pro iOS app!

I’ve been testing out the JamUp Plug and JamUp Pro iOS app recently. I’ve found the Plug to be an awesome instrument interface, and JamUp Pro has some great sounding amp and effects modelling. Reviews for both of these will be appearing very soon.

Positive Grid are having a great Christmas giveaway where one lucky winner per week for the next four weeks can win not only the JamUp Plug, but the JamUp Pro app too!

This is a great little combo for those of you with an iOS device, so get over to the giveaway page, sign up and good luck!