Good Grief - Ironically and otherwise.

As promised, I picked up the JHS "Angry Charlie" last night.

First, a quick rundown of the transaction.

The seller and I agreed to meet at his jam hall, not far from where I used to live.  I showed up slightly early, texted as instructed, and he came down to "let me in".

I assumed that the transaction would take place outside.  It did not.  He wanted me to come up to the jam hall.  Being a poorly lit semi-industrial building, I wasn't too keen on following him up to an even more poorly lit section up a rickety set of stairs.  Would this be the place I finally have a really bad Kijiji experience?

Thankfully not.  The giveaway was the strong scent of patchouli coming from his jacket.  While not exactly a sure thing, this guy was more likely a flower child than a serial killer.

A few twist and turns and I'm led to a well lit room covered in Bob Marley posters (naturally), a drum kit in one corner, a wall of amps along the opposite wall, a bass rig near the drums, and a mixing board/laptop setup near the door.

A cool jam room indeed.

Better still was the gear on display.

The amps: A Marshall JCM 800 head, on top of a Marshall Plexi, both on top of a 1960A cab.  A Fender Bassman 4x10 reissue. An Orange Tiny Terror.  Various unidentifiable 1x12 and 2x12 cabs.

The guitars: A knockoff Strat, a Gibson Les Paul Zakk Wylde Signature, a Gibson Les Paul Standard with those Seymour Duncan Phat Cat P90s.

Most impressive was probably this guys pedal board though.  Everything was wired through a slick switching system, and there sat the JHS.   More than a few impressive pedals surrounded it, including a couple of Klon clones and an Wampler Pinnacle.

He demonstrated it for me (poorly if your'e asking), I paid him and parted ways.

How on earth does a guy with this kind of gear play so damn poorly?



Once home, I A/B'd the Angry Charlie through the DSL1C's clean channel against the same amp's lead channel.  A better comparison would certainly be the JHS into a clean Fender, but I don't have one of those (yet).

Here are my impressions - This is awfully close to the real deal Marshall sound, although I'd still take the DSL lead channel at low volumes.  Having said that, I'm more keen than ever to pick up a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe or Deville and get back into pedals.  This thing is a monster, and cleans up with a roll back of the volume nicely.

Housekeeping

I posted the Les Paul Studio again, just to see what's out there.  So far the offers have been soft - $600 is the most I've had, plus a few trade offers that aren't going to happen (Schecter Synister Gates and a MIM 72 Thinline Telecaster).

I'm pretty resigned to keeping the Les Paul I think.  I'm sure I'll miss it once I have this pedal going through a 4x10 Fender.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Squier Jaguar Review - What do you mean, modified?

Image
Quick Update:  Restringing the Stratocaster with the System III requires the patience of a saint.  I'm not going to go through the many stages of anger, frustration, denial, acceptance, and final victory, but suffice to say there might have been a bit of crying.  Squier Vintage Modified Jaguar I bought this guitar on a whim.  Over some holiday gathering, I went to a music store with my brother.  This caught my eye, and the price was right (Less than $300 out the door).  Sure it had issues right off the bat, but it was soooo cool. Let's get something out of the way - I have no idea why this is part of the "Vintage Modified" series and not the "Classic Vibe" series. You see, the Vintage Modified series is supposed to be a collection of classic designs with a few modern popular updates. This definitely isn't that. WTF is modified here? As Lee Anderton rightly pointed out (see video below), this is pretty much a spot on recreation of the or...
Read more

Pacifica 112 vs. Squier Standard Stratocaster

Image
My recent Squier Standard Stratocaster has me thinking about entry level guitars, and specifically the first new electric guitar I purchased, a Yamaha Pacifica 112.  They're great guitars if you ask me, but for obvious reasons don't get the exposure a "real Stratocaster" does (as real  as a Squier can be I suppose). A comparison of the two may be apt. A Squier Stratocaster lists for $289.99 on L&M , while a new Yamaha Pacifica 112J will set you back $239.99 plus tax.  I seem to recall that the Yamaha and a hard case ran me just over $400, so we're about exactly where we were 20 years ago in terms of price.  Weird. Don't expect a comprehensive review of either guitar - that really isn't the point.  I want to talk about a few differences that indicate where your money is going and hope you can figure the rest out yourself. Yamaha Pacifica 112 / Squier Standard Stratocaster The Yamaha was my second electric, purchased sometime around 1995.  Th...
Read more

2013 Squier 51 Review

Image
My first electric guitar was an MIK Squier Stratocaster, with a rosewood fretboard, in an aged Olymipic White with a black guard and white plastic.  I traded that guitar towards a Yamaha Pacifica, thinking that I was taking a big leap forward. Aside: I wasn't, but that doesn't mean the Pacifica was a mistake.  It was, and still is, a solid beginner guitar.  Don't believe me?  Check out Rob Chapman's latest video here .  When I finally purchased a USA Fender though, it was a Telecaster.  I'm not sure if it was Pete Anderson, Jimmy Page at MSG, or a combination, but I wanted a Tele, not a Strat. Years later, it was because of the Squier that when I had the opportunity to buy my Eric Johnson Stratocaster in White Blonde, I jumped.  The first thing I did was put a black pickguard on it. When I came across a "like new" Squier 51 in Vintage Blond, a Frankenstein of a Stratocaster, Telecaster, and early Fender bass, I knew it was time for a n...
Read more

Korean Epiphone Les Paul Deluxe (1998)

Image
Guitars, like all instruments I imagine, are sentimental.  Spend any extended period of time with a particular guitar and you'll find yourself rationalizing it as one might another person.  "Flaws" transform into lovable idiosyncrasies that define what makes the guitar unique to your experience.  Basically, you learn to love it. Sometimes.   Other times the damn thing just wont stay in tune, and that fact haunts you for 20 years. Behold, the 1998 Epiphone Les Paul Deluxe. This particular guitar was given to me by a friend who had spent the better part of a decade ignoring it. When I received it, the frets were green, the pickups were touching the strings, and the body was covered in what might be generously described as DNA. Also, there was a Tool Sticker. I wish I had taken pictures of the cleanup process, which took place over the course of a week.  Bridge hardware was removed, the entire guitar was cleaned, the fret board oiled...
Read more