Aspirations and ideas – thoughts about what I’d like to do with music and guitar playing.

Podcast: Download (Duration: 24:48 — 17.1MB)

Tags: guitar, Ken Turetzky, music, NaPodPoMo, podcast
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I added some wheels to my new Line 6 Spider IV guitar amplifier. Now, it’ll be much easier to move the amp around. I ordered the casters (wheels) from Amazon, as our local hardware store didn’t have any in the correct size. I used some loose screws from my hardware tackle box to affix the casters to the bottom of the amplifier housing. Overall, it was pretty easy.

The amplifier on its side, with the new wheels resting on top.

I had to eventually turn the amplifier over completely, in order to get the wheels attached.

Fast forward to the last wheel.

A short video of the amp being moved about on its new wheels.

(A few more photos can be seen here.)

Tags: Flickr, guitar, Line 6
Posted in photo, video | 7 Comments »

Last night, while I was playing World of Warcraft, I wanted something to listen to other than the game’s built-in music. I was pretty much caught up on podcasts, and just wasn’t all that interested in anything else in my iTunes music library. I clicked over to the Radio tab in iTunes, opened the Hard Rock/Metal directory and clicked on Big R Radio 80′s Metal FM. I’ve been a fan of this type of music since I was a kid. I don’t hear ir that often these days, so it was nice to get a refresher course via this Internet stream. I was able to identify pretty much every artist straight away. A couple dozen songs went by before 80′s Metal FM stumped me (was never much of a Kingdome Come fan, anyway). It’s likely that, if a band’s video aired on “Headbangers Ball” between 1988 and 1993, I owned that band’s album(s). While listening to 80′s Metal FM last night, three tracks really jumped out at me.

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Tags: Dokken, guitar, music, White Lion, Whitesnake, YouTube
Posted in text, video | 3 Comments »

This bit of audio was recorded while I was out for a walk last Monday afternoon. It contains a monologue about my feelings on “creators vs consumers.” I also give some thoughts on trying to achieve balance in life.

Plus, ServPro vans.

Podcast: Download (Duration: 21:42 — 12.5MB)

Tags: guitar, life, money, music, podcast, work
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it’s a Sunday audio blog. Here’s a picture of Jen’s new Mac Mini:

Here’s a picture of my new Telecaster:

Here’s a picture of my new (non-working) guitar amp:

Don’t forget to check out GeminiDragon.

Podcast: Download (Duration: 11:41 — 6.7MB)

Tags: All Things Azeroth, Apple Computer, Fender, Flickr, GeminiDragon, guitar, life, Line 6, Mac Mini, money, podcast
Posted in audio, photo | 6 Comments »

Awhile back, I wrote about some of the problems I was having with my Line 6 Variax guitar. I concluded, at the time, that I was going to stick with the Variax, even though I wasn’t completely happy with it. And indeed, I gave it a good try. I spent quite a few hours experimenting with the guitar’s different settings, while connecting it directly to the special Variax port on my Line 6 PODxt Live effects processor. I made some good progress. I had set up a nice clean tone using the Variax Model-T (Telecaster) setting, and a cool distortion tone using the Lester (Les Paul) setting, along with some amp modeling and effects supplied by the PODxt Live. And then, out of nowhere, the guitar started giving me real problems.

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Tags: Fender, guitar, Line 6, Variax
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It’s been kinda rough over the last few days. I seem to have come down again with some kind of sickness. I’m beginning to wonder if there might be something in the environment of the new studio setting that’s affecting me. I tend to doubt that, though. If I were experiencing an allergic reaction, Jen probably wouldn’t be able to spend any time in this room at all. And while she’s been a bit sick herself, she doesn’t believe her illness is directly attributable to allergies. And she’d know. Regardless, I’m going to try and do some cleaning around here over the next week to see if that helps. This room hasn’t been cleaned since the Big Room Move, and it could use it.

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Tags: guitar, health, life, music
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My mom always said it’s best to wait and get what you want. Even if buying something else sooner would make you feel better today. And I’m keeping that advice in mind right now. Back in 2007, on somewhat of a whim, I purchased a Line 6 Variax 300 electric guitar. I ordered the guitar from a mail-order vendor, as there are no Variax dealers in my area. Normally, I wouldn’t acquire a guitar in this fashion. But I was intrigued by the Variax’s guitar-modeling electronics, and I really wanted to try one out. Overall, I liked the guitar. I was impressed by the electronics. But over time, I grew tired of playing the instrument. I just wasn’t really happy with the playability of the neck and fretboard. They reminded me of cheap guitars that I played years ago. (Which makes sense, as the 300 was meant to be the entry-level Variax.) I tried replacing the Variax neck with a Telecaster neck but it didn’t really work. And by the time I came to accept that reality, I had already sold the Telecaster body from whence the neck was taken. (It should be noted that I really liked that Telecaster. It was kinda dumb, what I did. But, that’s what guitar-induced mania does to a man. At least, that’s what I tell myself to cope with that dumb decision.) I eventually sold the neck as well, as I had no real reason to keep it. I went back to playing the Variax 300 in its stock form. But still, I was never really happy with it.

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Tags: guitar, Line 6, Variax, YouTube
Posted in text, video | 6 Comments »

I thought this video was pretty cool:

So I made a video response:

In my video, I talk about guitars I own and guitars I used to own. You may even catch a few pictures in there of me with hair. Download the mp4 version for better quality than the YouTube embed. I’m working on these video compression settings to try and make improvements. Still have a lot to learn in that area.

Podcast: Download (40.2MB)

Tags: Barrington, Fender, guitar, Ibanez, Line 6, music, podcast, The Sidebars, Variax, YouTube
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This audio post was inspired by this post I made to Twitter. Or, more specifically, it’s based on the small discussion that came about in response to my post. Am I misunderstanding the definition of a power chord when it comes to guitar playing? Or do these young whippersnappers not have the proper appreciation for a full-bodied chord?

Podcast: Download (Duration: 6:40 — 4.6MB)

Tags: guitar, Ken Turetzky, music, podcast, Twitter
Posted in audio, text | 2 Comments »