Guitar Articles

 
 Nov 10, 2021
Ah the downtrodden Boss CH-1.  It was a exciting pre-show purchase for me a 20 something circa winter 2003.  Having grown up on a healthy dose of lush chorus from Nirvana to The Police, I was looking to recreate those tones.  I'm sure my heart was set on a Electro Harmonix Small Clone or Poly Chorus, but the lowly Guitar Center at the time only had the Boss.  It did the job, but as time went on (17 years now), as I read the bashing of it ........
 
Replacing a Digitech Whammy Knob and Rotary Selector  
Aug 18, 2021
So..... you knocked the knob off your Digitech Whammy?  When I did, I thought it would be a cheap fix with a some sort of simple potentiometer.  While the fix itself was easy, it was not super cheap.  All and all it set me back at least $20 just for a little knob I probably kicked off during a show........
 
Dec 17, 2019
So with the prospects of once again being a supporting guitarist for Don Matsuo this July, I found myself pondering the volume pedal mod I did years ago where I physically stopped the minimum volume the pedal had to control the gain on my amp.  I don't know what to expect with this gig, despite this being my second go around.  Would I need a gain control, or a volume pedal?.......

Best Volume Pedal Mods and Hacks

Dec 17, 2019
I know, volume pedals.  Boring right?  I used to only use them with lap steel or volume swells when I was younger.  And most my volume swells could have been done with the volume control on my guitar.  So I never pulled the pedal out much for a long period of time.  I think a lot of people are the same way,  That was until I started playing more dynamic music.......

 

The Treble Booster, Secret Weapon of the 70's. Now in Standard Power

Jan 7, 2019
Happy new year and rotation around the nuclear fusion reactor everyone.   Let's talk treble boosters.  For years I didn't understand them and just passed them off as an oddity of the past.  Most of us guitarist don't need more treble.  In fact some guys I've heard are ear piercing.  I used to think you'd get the same thing from and EQ pedal.  I couldn't have been more wrong.  What I found was using a treble booster helped cut through a band mix and they're great for solos.  It does this by cutting some of the bass frequencies that get covered up by the bass guitar.....
https://aaronlumguitar.blogspot.com/2019/01/the-treble-booster-secret-weapon-of-70s.html

Ring Modulator


 Nov 1, 2018
The second pedal I did with Lum art was a ring modulator, again a modified Tim Escobedo circuit.  I always wanted a ring mod, but never got around to buying one.  Especially with the DOD Gonkulator prices skyrocketing.  So this was a must try.  It's not the most versatile ring mod in the world, but it will give you a bunch of crazy sounds.  I added a few extra controls to make it more usable for me.  First I replaced the original......

Homemade Lap Steel


Apr 25, 2017
About ten years ago, I played a show with my old cheap lap steel an hour south from Portland, in Salem, Oregon.  After finishing the show, packing up and hitting the road back home, my car's lights started to dim.  Next thing I know the engine stops and I'm coasting off the highway up an off-ramp just outside of Portland.  Dead alternator...

  

Cheap Truss Rod Swap!


Aug 27, 2016
So by no means am I a luthier.  I don't recommend this procedure for every guitar.  I had a cheap bass that was unplayable and ready to be turned into firewood.  If you have a guitar that's not worth the cost of fixing, this could be an option, only if you're willing to part with the guitar if something goes wrong.etc...

  Jun 19, 2016
There are lots of options when you realize you want to start playing with two amps live.  The tone you can dial in with two differently voiced amps and cabinets can be very full and amazing.  You may never go back to playing a single amp again.  Although lunging around two heads and cabs to every show is not for everyone.  Let's look at some options on connecting your stereo rig.  etc...

  Make Your Strings Bend Easier!

  Feb 21, 2016
Have you ever had a guitar which seems like your fighting or wrestling with while playing? The strings are hard to bend and maybe you even play it with a heavier hand than other guitars. Most guitars take some adjustment to get them to your own personal tastes; string height, neck relief, etc...


  Aug 19, 2015
If you're like me, you've been through a few rigs or you've at least re-designed it more than a few times.  I big part of music I love, is the use of dynamics.  Soft to loud, loud to soft.  It's a big part of the emotional part of music. I often have done what many people do in modern times  ...


Jan 26, 2015
For the years I've been around heavy music and the metal scene back in Portland, one thing rules above all.  Heavy riff-age.  Down tuning has become more and more common in the heavy music.  Hell, Drop D is the basically the common vernacular of metal music.   ...

New DIY Pedals
 Jan 5, 2015
What a busy vacation.  I spent a good part of it finishing some pedals I've been experimenting with over the last few months.  All three of these are simple designs by the DIY guru, Tim Escobedo. ...
Zvex Fuzz Factory / Fuzz Probe Settings
Friday, August 15, 2014
 

The Cheap Route to Amplifying your Acoustic Instrument
Mar 29, 2014
However, I don't have the heart to drill a new hole into my vintage acoustic guitars. Strap-Pin-Jack-Plugs are a easy and great way to have a jack without defacing your guitar with a new hole. You will need to remove the strap ...
Jun 23, 2013
A cheap guitar company named Rogue was putting out a reasonably priced sitar, but it was still money for something I could only use sparingly at times and it still wasn't a real sitar. I thought there had to be an easier cheaper ...
Jul 12, 2012
I recently bought this late 70's Yamaha 12 string acoustic for about $70, which was a steal. I think the shop I bought it at didn't realize the quality of the guitar because it did look as if it had been neglected for years and the ...

Danelectro Chicken Salad Mod
How to turn a cheap Vibrato pedal into a Uni-Vibe (rotary speaker simulator)
DOD FX90 Analog Delay
A review of a cheap Analog Delay. 








Russian Big Muff PI Mods
A few mods for different gain flavors, bypass switching, and upgrades. 

The Sitar-Caster
Sep 29, 2010
So I wanted an electric guitar sitar, but didn't have a ton of money to buy one, and I didn't want to hack apart a usable guitar. I did however have a lot of wood laying around. So with a little filing and adjustments, I made my own ...
Sep 14, 2010
It was only a matter of time before I grew some sort of sick fetish towards pushing a guitar not normally accustomed to heavy music, into something people eventually gave me weird looks for. The thing about these guitars is ...


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