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:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.