News

This is for Pete's Sake

Huge news!

http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/for-petes-sake/id484747690

An acoustic guitar compilation album is just now coming hot off the (digital) presses and soon-to-be physical presses with all of the proceeds being sent through Paypal to Pete Huttlinger and family to help with immense medical costs associated with Pete's congenital heart defect.

For those not in the know, Pete Huttlinger is one of the best-known and well-loved in the fingerstyle acoustic guitar community and has been troubled by heart issues throughout his life. The fingerstyle acoustic guitar community sometimes strikes me as a friendly village among city-sized genres, so it was not entirely surprising that as Pete's condition was worsening in the past year conspiritorial gears began moving in turn to effectuate real-life help for Pete.

Some help is materializing in the form of this album. It has been diligently and promptly put together by organizer and artist Trashton Porter. A little name dropping in regards to the roster:
Don Alder (opening up with "For Pete's Sake" which is not coincidental in its name)
Jack Pearson
Muriel Anderson
Michael Chapdelaine
Phil Keaggy
...and a heck of a lot more, including GuitarPlayer mag contest champion Mark Kroos and Yours Truly, totaling in 18 tracks!  
And this is only volume 1. Volume 2 is already well under way.
There is a lot of exiting buzz going on right now about where the compilation project is headed and how it is going to get publicized. More updates to come.

Let's remember to be keeping Pete and family in our prayers.  More info at these links:

The compilation website
petehuttlinger.com

"Things are looking up."
-Keegan

Asterope Cable: A Review

A few weeks ago at the Namm show I was able to visit my amigos at the Asterope booth and got the opportunity to pick up my first Asterope cable there. I compared the Asterope with the average cable that I'd been previously using as my main lead. An account of my experience follows:

At first glance, the cable has a distinct look. The cabling itself is a deep, finely textured purple (you can also choose the more conservative black if you wish, but purple compliments my skin tone…)  capped by sizable asymmetrically-colored connectors. The plating on the tips is as gold as King Tut's sarcophagus. This stands out in opposition to the other gold-plated connectors in my possession, which have a somewhat whiter, chromey look to them.

I plugged into a Fishman Loudbox 100 with an Ovation Balladeer. The Fishman is usually not my first choice, but today was the amp’s day to sound good. After tugging down the mids on the onboard electronics, the Balladeer’s pickup sounded as if it had been made to suit the amp. The Fishman has the advantage over my current gigging setup in that it doesn't require a speaker cable to connect an amp and cabinet, which may have tainted the perspective a bit.

One of the first things that I noticed is the way that the cable responds to my touch. The impression was that of a closer connection with the sound that comes out the amp. As I let my right hand work the strings, it felt like the sound was always right there waiting at the edge of the speaker cone, ready to go at a moment’s notice. Pick style indicated this nicely as well. Single-note lines sounded smooth, punchy and articulate. Through the other cable, they were more prone to display elements sounding artificial or muddy.

Playing through a piezo pickup, ear-needling transients are a much-dreaded part of life, but the Asterope, perhaps through having a more full and balanced frequency response, seemed to contribute a less fatiguing tone (despite being slightly louder than the other cable). I was able to alter my dynamics from 0 to 100 and remain smooth-sounding, striking the strings aggressively with my nails without wincing at the grating clicks and pops that pickups love to dish out. In this respect, the other cable didn’t sound terrible, but generally exhibited nuances that were more midrangey and harsh.  

My overall impression is that the cable has something that can’t be mimicked by fooling with the EQ or raising the volume of the amp. When people describe a cable as sounding brighter or having more low end, it can give the impression that perhaps the difference is no further than a tiny nudge on the treble setting on your amp. The difference here is that it sounds both brighter and smoother. Both rounder as well as more articulate. Such terms don’t have to be contradictory. They are an indicator of something that is unequivocally superior.

-Keegan

Congrats to David Browne-Murray!

The verdict is in for the Lee Ritenour Six String Theory Acoustic semifinals contest.

Major congratulations to David Browne-Murray for being chosen to go on to the final six where he will compete for an all-expense-paid trip to Japan for a guitar clinic as well as a host of other prizes including endorsements, gear, etc! Check out the vid that originally got him into the semifinals:

David Browne-Murray - Jäger Jake

As well as the vids for the other semifinalists:

Colin McGee - Ocean

Mark Kroos - Smoke & Mirrors

David Waldenmaier - Mirage

Martin Jonsson - (Instrumental)

Aaron Lowenberger - The Lost Man's Jig

Patrick Woods - Storm Watch

Yours Truly - Machine Planet

These videos were lifted from the "2011 Yamaha 6 String Theory Guitar Competition" Youtube playlist (compiled by GuitarMusicForYou) which contains the other twenty-eight semifinalist videos.

Leaping Tamaryokucha Leaves!