I’ve taken some time off of recording and mixing, and I started a new job this week. Consequently, I have my head back in the in-progress auxilliary to-do list of my life, where each item has a price tag on it. Top items in random order:

  1. My Jackson guitar. I took this apart last year. My plan is to route out the tremolo cavity and seal it up with alder blocks and install a hard-tail bridge. I found instructions here. Then I’m converting it to Strat-style SSS pickup pattern (It’s currently routed for HSS.) I’m not sure how I want to do this. I figure I have two options. The first is to route out the humbucker cavity and plug that with an alder block, then re-route it for a single. The other option would be to use a Telecaster-style bridge, which would hide the hole. Basically I just want a single coil guitar, I don’t care about the cosmetics of it and I want the experience of working on it. My own router is going to be a $100+ investment so I may try to find someone who has one.
  2. Effects! I’m recording this record with stock delay and reverb from my amp, along with my Big Muff, and occasionally an old DOD distortion hooked up to a feedback box. I’m on the lookout for new things to throw into the signal chain, and also to add to my keyboards, which I have all hooked up to feedback loops and circuit bent stuff. So I’m budgeting for a few things–these to start off:
    • Electro-Harmonix Memory Man with Hazarai – a delay pedal with 30 second looping, sound-on-sound and tap tempo, built in chorus effect pitch shifting and backward echo. It’s crazy. It was off my list because it’s a little expensive, ($215) but then I saw the video.
    • Electro-Harmonix Holy Stain – Distortion/drive with pitch shift, tremolo and reverb. This would be great for keyboards and it’s only $100.
    • DigiTech Whammy – That crazy solo Jack White does at the end of the Icky Thump song, that’s the Whammy pedal. You control pitch bends up to two octaves with a rocker pedal. I suppose you could also use it to “tune” an instrument to a song.

    I’m looking into multiple delay pedals, since it’s the effect I use the most and it would be nice to have one permanently hooked up to the keyboards.

  3. A slab of Mahogany – I made plans to build a guitar–a one-piece mahogany body with a Fender Jazzmaster-style body and pickguard, a Strat-type recessed jackplate, two SG-type humbuckers, tune-o-matic bridge, 25 1/2″ scale Fender style Warmoth neck. Transparent blue finish with a tortoise pickguard and gold hardware. The next step is buying tools. My plans may change once I get wood planed because I fear there are some internal cracks in the wood.