This is a brief tribute to Matt and Tom at music store on Irving.
I spent an hour in that store today, testing guitars, asking questions. These two men didn’t mind at all.
Covid-19 may have given us bad habits. We think we can work remotely. We think we can learn guitars remotely. Maybe.
This is what I learned today.
The Fender Mustang Bass is Too Short For Me
It’s one thing to read that a bass scale is 30 inches. It’s entirely another thing to hold that bass in your hands and realize it’s like playing a guitar. For me, a 30 inch scale is too short.
And it means the Daisy Rock Retro-H-Bass that I chose not to buy was a good decision. Too darn short.
The Schechter Bass was My Favorite Bass
It was a very light semi-hollow but $500 bass. Reasonably light, made nice sounds with its Precision pickup.
But it had a HEAD DIVE. It was unbalanced due to the semi-hollow body so it’s head dove. I showed it to Matt and he agreed. Head dive.
But I will look at Schechter basses another day.
No More Fender G-Dec Infatuation
Matt and Tom even had a Fender G-Dec at the store. It looked so tiny, I lifted it and it felt tinny to me. Maybe it sounds great but I don’t care. This Fender is a tinny amp.
So I won’t continue my infatuation and search for the Fender G-Dec.
And now, a second visit to a used guitar store.
Guitar Players Get Girls; Bass Players Get Gigs
Words to live by. I don’t need to “get girls”. But I am interested down the road in “getting a gig”. We shall see.
Patrick was trying out a banjo when I struck up a conversation.
Patrick: What do you play?
Richard: Guitar and now bass.
And then he paused, smiled and said:
Guitar get the girls and bass players get gigs. – Patrick at the guitar store.
I smiled. I had read this before but never heard it straight up. If an almost 74 year old ever wants to perform with a group, it will be as a bassist.
More Advice from Patrick the Banjo Player
Richard: Why are learning bass scales so important?
Patrick’s answer didn’t quite make it through my brain.
But he did say, jam to anything. Jaco Pastorius would just find a key and jam to whatever was on the radio. Perhaps I can do something similar.
1.9.2025. An excellent bass amp to replace my slightly rattly Peavey Vypyr VIP-2. $50 cash. Wow.
Sometimes this bass amp is called the Musician’s Friend bass amp on the Internet.
This is My New/Old AXL B60 Bass Amp
This is the Facebook Marketplace Photo that got my attention. You can see the large 15 inch speaker and the 2 inch tweeter in the upper right hand corner.
The AXL B60 Bass Amp is a Mystery Amp on the Internet
There was no YouTube video of this amp in action. So I recorded my AXL B60 Facebook seller named Eugene as he jammed on his bass.
Eugene’s quite good. Here’s Eugene on AXL B60 Bass Amp. (Thanks Eugene for permission to “publish” your YouTube video.)
Neither are there any detailed write-ups on this amp for the Internet. You will find many AXL B60 Bass amp listings if you search via Yahoo for “AXL B60 bass amp” as shown below.
Finally, there is one longer write-up on the AXL B60 bass amp at of all names, Flea Market Music.
Prices seem to range from $50 (my purchase) to $179 currently.
So I hope this blog post will help someone researching this AXL amp.
First Impressions of my AXL Amp
It’s beautiful, isn’t it? Made in China in 2004. So it’s 20 years old. Not a mark on it. Frankly, it looked so good I didn’t examine it totally. Face of amp and sides looked good.
Thank goodness a previous owner put amp caster wheels on it. Like Eugene the Facebook seller said, “These wheels are larger than usual.” Thank goodness.
It’s both loud and warm at the same time. The owner said he was gigging with it with another instrument plugged into it. It held its own in louder venues.
I couldn’t help but smile as Eugene played his bass guitars on this amp.
Eugene’s quite good. Here’s Eugene on AXL B60 Bass Amp. (Thanks Eugene for permission to “publish” your YouTube video.)
Facebook Seller Declared One Known Defect
Eugene is an honest man.
The amp has a Line 1 pop when disconnecting. Workaround? Just use Line 2. I can live with that defect. Doesn’t seem big to me.
Surprise, the AXL B60 Bass Amp amp Guitar Nicely with a Zoom Pedal
I have learned that some bass amps can nicely amplify electric guitars. Not always but sometimes.
I amped my Glarry GTL Semi-Hollow to the AXL B60. It amped but it seemed muddy. Not unsurprising, bass amps are not meant to amp higher pitched guitars.
AXL B60 Works Great with my Zoom G1on Pedal
Just for fun, I ran my Glarry GTL through the Zoom G1on pedal.
Wow, it amped and worked wonderfully for this old guy with moderate hearing loss. Did AXL B60 amp my Zoom pedal perfectly? Maybe not.
But the Zoom G1on, Glarry STL, amped through the AXL B60 surely sounded nice. Lovely fun.
When do I use my AXL B60 Amp?
Normally I use it when nobody is at home but me.
I don’t play it too loud, just loud enough to have a little fun.
Do You Own and Use an AXL B60 Amp ?
Please leave a comment and tell me if you enjoy your amp. Maybe you could share it’s history and how you purchased it. Thanks.
Sold my AXL B60 for $50 on Facebook Marketplace
Today, August 23, 2025, I sold my AXL B60 for the same amount I purchased it for 8 months ago: $50.
The new owner wanted a bass amp for practice at home. He was a bit surprised at its larger size since he could use it for small gigs if needed.
He tested the AXL B60 and it performed wonderfully. Clean sounds, terrific, he bought it.
Today I drove 80 miles round trip in Chicago traffic to purchase a Line 6 Spider Jam 75 watt amp in a far south side suburb mobile home community.
Is the Line 6 Spider Jam Any Good?
That’s why some of you came to this website. You want reviews to persuade or dissuade you from buying a Spider Jam. There’s a huge debate about the Spider Jam. Either people love them or hate them.
When I researched my Spider Jam purchase, I found that on different review sites, all reviews were 8+ out of 10 (or 4.4+ out of 5) with hundreds of reviews. So I went for it and arranged to purchase a Spider Jam in the Chicagoland area. Here are the reviews for your reference.
After using this amp for about 4 hours, here are my initial thoughts on the Spider Jam sounds.
If you’re a beginner or advanced beginner, I think the “sounds” of the Spider Jam are fine. This is 2008 technology, not 2025 technology. Initially after my purchase, I had some “buyer’s remorse”. But the more I played the amp, the more I understood its features, the more I liked it and its sounds.
If you’re an intermediate guitarist of 2+ years, if it’s affordable, test the Spider Jam. If you don’t like it, go buy a $500+ amp instead. Don’t Worry, be Happy.
As an advanced beginner guitarist of 16 months, this is a good learning amp with jam tracks and drum tracks. The more I play my pentatonic scales to the Spider Jam song tracks, the more I enjoy it.
Disclaimer: I have moderate hearing loss and play with and without hearing aids. – Shoshin Guitarist
Super Quick Summary on the Spider Jam
This is a long post. So I wanted to do you a courtesy of summarizing my review and feelings on the Spider Jam.
Initial Impression.
The professional guitarist Facebook seller had TWO of these amps for sale. He demonstrated the Spider Jam and it sounded great.
At Home.
It’s stinky. Too bad this guy was a smoker.
Hurray. I can jam with it.
Yikes. This will be a learning curve in utilizing it.
2nd Session.
Display is hard to read it, unless you’re standing up.
Using head phones, pre-set volume can hurt your hearing if you aren’t careful. The volume is not modulated. It varies from setting to setting.
Still not sure on creating my own tone.
Hurray. Jamming with it using the pentatonic scale is a pure joy.
3rd Day.
Hurray, learned how to use Drums feature.
Not so Hurray, this is an amp first designed in 2008 so much of the pre-sets are from the 80’s, 90’s, and the early 00’s. But get used to it.
4th Day. – I AM STARTING TO LIKE MY SPIDER JAM.
This has taken a while. You can’t quite appreciate the Spider Jam until you start exploring its menus.
Getting Better…
…at touring my available pre-sets.
Learned How To,
Create my own sound and Save it (thanks to the manual).
Learned how to turn Guitar Gate/Boost to “ON”…
…this means my guitar is louder during “jams” and cuts through the noise better.
Appreciate that the Jam licks have such good sounds…
…that I’ll just go into them, not use a jam, but use the sound.
Cajun Blues would be an example.
When was the Line 6 Spider Jam Manufactured?
Production run: 2008 to 12/1/2022. Designed with the help of a Reinhold Bogner.
My Celestion speaker has a date stamp of 10/22/2012. So it was assembled on or after that date. Can’t find a way to decipher the Line 6 serial number.
This AI Overview shown below from Google Chrome is very useful.
Initial Impression on the Spider Jam
Clean as a whistle.
Dave the Facebook seller played his guitar with the Spider Jam. If a musician as good as Dave L. owns two of these amps and a whole house of music gear, I think the Line 6 Spider Jam is good enough for me.
100+ Jam Tracks. Delightful. This is a skill I want to develop for 2025.
350 pre-sets. Again, wow.
Loud as heck at half volume. The Celestion 12 and 2 inch tweeter make a lot of noise.
User manual. Great, glad it comes with the purchase.
Jump drive with seller’s own 1200 backing tracks. He once was a DJ and Karaoke guy before Covid 19 tore apart his business (my guess).
Visit Harbor Freight to Purchase a Padded Dolly
The seller was going to screw caster/wheels onto the amp. He decided not to do so.
He advised I buy a dolly at Harbor Freight in his suburb. Good idea. Purchased a 12X22 dolly right away for about $30. 2 or 3 inches off the ground. Great idea.
Initial Impressions of Spider Jam at Home
Bummer. The guy was a smoker. I can smell it, but not too badly.
Bummer. The Seller forgot to include the power cord.
I called him but he didn’t apologize.
He said I should use my spares. I politely said good-bye on the phone.
Learning. It will take a while to learn the Spider Jam.
But I found the pre-sets.
Then I found the jams.
Hopefully I will learn more with the user manual.
Dolly. The amp is hopefully safe from the century floods in Chicago that seem to come every 10 years or so. All my equipment is 2 inches or higher off the ground.
Headphones. Be careful with the pre-sets. They vary in loudness so do NOT put the headphones on your ears. Just put them near your ears and turn volume low to high so you don’t damage your hearing.
Jamming. Hurray. I played a few jam sessions and used my knowledge of scales to jam.
Tone from Scratch? This amp isn’t really designed to easily make a tone from scratch. But it can be done, supposedly. It’s a learning tool more than a pure modeling amp. But I can still take a Spider Jam pre-set, alter it to meet my needs, and save the setting. I hope.
1200 backing tracks. The seller included 1200 backing tracks on a jump drive. He is a guitarist and he was a DJ/Karaoke entrepreneur. I checked his jump drive and the MP3 files are all there. Lots of backing tracks minus guitar leads and vocals. I think I will use them for my Moises app work.
Second Day with my Line 6 Spider Jam
More observations on my Spider Jam.
Spider Jam Negatives
Cigarette stink.
The seller said this was a “smokin’ hot deal”.
I can smell the amp every time I sit in front of it.
Yes, he smoked a lot of cigarettes and it stinks a bit. I will need to clean it up and “charcoal” it a bit to reduce its smell.
The User Manual isn’t terribly useful.
Not that helpful, so far.
Display hard to see.
Sitting on my chair, I thought the display had gone blank. Silly me, I need to look at it directly from above. But with my old eyes, I do need to look at it closely to see the display contents.
Not intuitive.
I am learning the Spider Jam and the Fender B-Dec at the same time. It’s not easy.
But I will master it.
Stop/Start Button.
I kept pressing the Stop/Start Button on the front panel and nothing worked. Odd.
Then I pressed the Stop/Start Button on the left edge and it worked. That’s a bit odd but now I understand it.
How to set pre-gain and post-gain?
Still haven’t found the answer.
By contract, my Peavey Vypyr VIP-1 is easy with its controls compared to the Spider Jam.
Learning the Spider Jam
Stop/Start Button.
It didn’t work again and again.
Finally I pressed the left edge of it and it worked fine. Design flaw?
EMI (electro magnetic interference) with the amp.
I turned off my 6 overhead fluorescent/dimmed lights and the amp sounds were improved.
Again, turn off your fluorescent lights.
Jam Songs I can’t hear my guitar.
I turned up my Master Volume.
Most important, turn Channel Volume up to hear your guitar with its own voice during a pre-recorded jam. Still not perfect.
Create your own sound. I can create it but haven’t learned how to save it yet. This setting was a nice sound with my 1980’s Harmony H80T electric start style guitar.
Twang amp, Green.
Bass at noon.
Mid and Treble at 2 PM.
Fun and Positives with the Spider Jam
090 Jam, “Unexcited”.
Using my pentatonic skills for jamming this was a lot of fun.
Headphone jack is on the face of the amp.
I don’t have to search the backside of the amp for the jack.
On my 2nd Test, I Still Like my Spider Jam Amp
It’s the jam tracks. It’s the jam tracks. Yes, I still like it.
And it does have a big sound with a 12″ speaker and 2″ tweeter. The related Line 6 Spider III 75 Watt amp does NOT have the tweeter or the jam tracks.
Third Day with my Line 6 Spider Jam
Seriously, I have had quicker “dates” than learning this Line 6 Spider Jam amp. But I persist in learning it.
Let’s Start with the Positives
Fun Jams with pentatonic scales
089 Cajun Blues
100 Outlaw Country Club
I learned how to use the Drum feature. Fun.
I don’t have to search the backside of the amp for the jack.
A Few Line 6 Spider Jam Negatives on my 3rd Day of Usage
A Dated Amp with Dated James and Tones.
But that’s OK. This Spider Jam was made between 2008 and 2022. Manufacture date unknown.
The amp seems to focus on the 80’s, 90’s, and 00’s for its tones and artists.
Hearing Damage with HeadPhones.
I mentioned this before, now again. The volume on the presets is very uneven. Never ever move from pre-set to preset without having a lower volume. I wonder, are my ears still ringing from a sonic blast on headphones yesterday with the Line 6 Spider Jam.
BE CAREFUL.
START/STOP Button. It sure seems finnicky. Especially when I try to start a song. Do I just press it firmly? Is that the key. The button does seem finnicky or inconsistent.
Trouble Playing with a Jam.
Master Volume controls overall sound.
Channel Volume controls guitar sound.
But today my Jet JS300 didn’t seem to work. Then I plugged in the Glarry, it worked. Then I plugged the Jet JS300, finally it worked.
Still a bit confusing.
Things to Learn on my Spider Jam
I have mastered how to play songs/drums so I can jam along.
Now I need to learn how to easily recall a pre-set.
Still need to learn how to Save one of my pre-sets.
New Idea. Can I plug my bass amp the Fender B-Dec 30 into the Line 6 Spider Jam so I can use a Fender engine with theoretically better speakers?
The Facebook seller who sold me the Spider Jam gave me 1200 backing tracks in MP3 format. I need to utilize those jam tracks in my practice.
Desperate for a Blues Tone I plugged into my Fender B-Dec 30
Guess what, it plays decent guitar in this bass amp. But after all, I am moderately deaf 🙁
People do Seem to have a Love/Hate Relationship for the Spider Jam Sounds
I need to get over what others “think” about an amp they don’t own. I can already see its great “learning” potential for me as a 2nd year guitarist.
Fourth Day with my Line 6 Spider Jam: Making Friends with my Spider Jam
I may need to do a cheat sheet by the amp to remember its usage. I am also learning a Fender B-Dec 30 amp at the same time so it’s a bit like learning French and Spanish at the same time: confusing.
Before I Begin, Take Note of these Smaller Day 4 Discoveries
Use the Gain dial.
Yes, it can give you distortion.
But for me, it gave me greater volume that I liked.
Jam “Song” Guitar Settings are perhaps better than all the fancy pre-sets
Learned how to turn Guitar Gate/Boost to “ON”…
…this means my guitar is louder during “jams” and cuts through the jam better.
Perhaps I should experiment with the gain dial to increase guitar volume when jamming to a Song.
Three Big Things I Improved or Learned on the Spider Jam Today
Improved – I Became Better on Selecting a Pre-set
There are 3 types of pre-sets.
Styles (my favorite)
Artists
User (this is your area to save your sounds).
I believe there are 30.
Learned – How to Create and Save Your Own Setting to the User Pre-Sets
I created a Blues sound with 75% gain and saved it with the name RK_Blues.
Learned – Noise Gate “On” – How to make your Guitar Louder during Songs (jamming) and Make Your Guitar Heard over the Accompaniment
Problem: When pressing the Song button to select and play a song or jam, I couldn’t hear my guitar well enough. Too quiet even with Channel Volume turned up.
Solution: Turning the Noise Gate “On” was the Solution. I hope the setting stays on when I power the Spider Jam up the next time.
Possible Solution: Maybe I should turn the Gain dial “up” or to the right.
5th Day Messing Around with my Spider Jam
Performed Amp Re-set on my Spider Jam
I found instructions, and got lucky.
Turn on the Spider Jam, press the Settings/Tone button for 5-8 seconds.
Observe the display indicating that it is doing a Reset.
Check the User Presets to see if they have eliminated your one and only pre-set.
It worked. This took a bit of software/firmware courage. Hoping that a 13 year old amp would respond to a re-set was a throw of the dice. Luckily it worked. Otherwise I would have been very sad if firmware in amp had changed, badly.
Selecting a Song Will Change your Guitar Tone
Hope so.
This documentation claims it works that way. I’m not so sure. I will need to test it.
But if the Spider Jam changes amp settings for guitar for each Song setting, then could I save that amp sound into my User presets? That would be nice.
7th Day Messing Around with my Spider Jam
Maybe it’s the 7th day of using the Spider Jam. I don’t use it every day. Generally I use it every other day.
Saving a Guitar Tone from a “Song” to User Settings on Spider Jam
Yes, it can be done.
Note: I know of no way to edit a Song guitar tone into the Spider Jam so that this Song guitar tone is permanently altered. This means you cannot change firmware guitar tones.
But, you can definitely take a Song guitar tone that you like, and Save it as a User Setting.
Choose a Song. I chose “Psychedelic”.
Press the right arrow key to LOAD the guitar tone.
This loads the guitar tone for “Psychedelic”.
If you do NOT press the right arrow key to load the guitar tone, you are playing some other guitar tone that you previously had used.
Edit or do NOT Edit the guitar tone to your liking.
Press Save button. I pressed Save and the display displayed a User Setting name.
Re-name the User Setting. This will mean using the dial to select alphanumeric characters. Experiment, you will figure it out.
RK Psyched, that’s what I called the guitar tone.
Press Down Arrow to Save. VERY IMPORTANT.
I failed to do this the first time.
Second time pressing down arrow key (4 way selector on top of amp) did Save the guitar tone.
Hurray, Pentatonic Jamming to Spider Jam Songs
Last night was amazing. I am currently learning pentatonic scales and I tried jamming to the Spider Jam Songs.
Wow, this is why I bought a 13 year old learning amp, the Spider Jam, so I could jam to it.
Play a Spider Jam Song and jam with your pentatonic scales. The song even has a small indicator on the left telling you what key to use. Wonderful.
Note: Perhaps the Positive Grid amps have practice tracks I could use. But I don’t own one. Maybe one day I will get a Positive Grid Mini. But for now, I am learning to play guitar better with the Line 6 Spider Jam.
Never, Ever, Keep Headphones Completely on Your Ears when Changing Spider Jam Guitar Tones
The volume is erratic. Quiet for one guitar tone, horribly loud for the next.
If you are spinning through the Guitar Tone settings you may hurt your hearing for a night, maybe longer. BE CAREFUL.
10th Day Using a G1on Zoom Pedal with my Spider Jam – Hurray
I will admit, I still am not in love with Spider Jam guitar tones. Maybe it’s the interface, maybe it’s me. The tones seem heavily biased towards loud “metal”.
But today I took my Zoom G1on pedal (a cheapie but a goodie) and plugged it into my guitar and then the Spider Jam.
I was instantly happier with the sounds I was producing through the Zoom pedal into the Spider Jam.
I still love the Spider Jam “Songs” for pentatonic jamming, but for just choosing a sound, the Zoom G1on gave me lots of clean sound options. I like cleans a whole lot more than metal. – Shoshin Guitarist
Interesting, the user Line6Tony has been writing about the Spider Jam for 14 years. I am guessing that Line6Tony is a Line6 employee, maybe.
I find the two Excel spreadsheets and two PDFs to be a little confusing after using the Spider Jam for only 1 week. But I believe it will make sense as time moves forward.
Later, a Demo of the Line 6 Spider Jam of “Cajun Blues” with Pentatonic Scales
This is why I like the Spider Jam as a learning amp. And my readers, “learning” amps seem hard to find in the marketplace.
One day I will record something for you. Just not today.
Thanks for Visiting Shoshin Guitarist and my Line 6 Spider Jam Review
Thanks again.
I will add more to this post as I learn more about the Spider Jam.
This is mine. I have been practicing bass for about 4 months. I have practiced guitar for 16 months. I alternate between bass practice or guitar practice. Sometimes I practice both in the same day.
My practice sessions are a minimum of 45 minutes.
I play a 2008 Deltatone bass and normally I use my Fender B-Dec 30 30 watt amp. When no one’s at home, I sometimes use my AXL B60 60 watt bass amp.
My Bass Training Outline
Mine is typed. Even if you think you have memorized your routine, you have not?
Finger Warmup stretches.
Fender Play App module on how to hold neck with your left hand.
Thumb placement especially.
Fretboard finger stretches.
Primarily start at 5th fret and do 5, 6, 7, and 8 with your fingers.
Bridge the frets, don’t cheat with finger placement.
Four Song Warm-Up (as a beginner I have favorites).
“For What it’s Worth” by Buffalo Springfield.
“Every Breath you Take” by The Police.
“Jambalaya” by Hank Williams.
“This Must Be The Place” by the Talking Heads.
OTSFM (Old Town School of Folk Music) Bass I Exercises
or Fender Play App, depending on whether or not I am taking classes.
During Practice I Take Notes
Notes for today, February 14, 2025 (Valentine’s Day).
Purchase a suede strap for the bass. I need to hold the neck of bass up high for better finger reach.
Suede straps don’t slip on your neck and shoulders. That will keep the bass neck high as I need it.
Mentor. I wish I had a bass mentor that I could ping with questions?
Perhaps Eugene?
Perhaps Randy the bassist?
“This Must Be The Place” by the Talking Heads (Fender Play App).
Great fast tempo.
It forces me to reaffirm good thumb technique as I fret chords on the neck.
Pivot the Pinkie.
Playing fingers 1, 2, and 3 is relatively easy. I hold the neck high and my finger shapes are more angular with my fretting hand.
Pivot the “towards the fretboard” to bring it closer and easier to position for pinky notes.
OTSFM Page 5.
This is a handout forcing you to practice finger combinations like 1,2,3,4 or 0,2,4,1 and much more.
Use Metronome app for pacing.
Use Metronome.
For page OTSFM page 5 for Bass I, it’s an excellent pacing tool for both rhythm and fretting hand accuracy.
If one person leaves a comment on this blog post, I will consider myself a “happy” guy 🙂
I Played/Imitated Elvis Presley when I was 5 Years Old in 1956
On October 28, 1956, Elvis was on the Ed Sullivan Show on TV and Elvis performed “Hound Dog”. Boomers, do you remember it? “You ain’t nothin’ but a hound dog…”
Someone handed me a guitar in 1956 and I strummed it badly singing part of the song. That was a happy moment, but then it stopped…
…and my parents took me to music school for accordion (yikes). I wonder what happened to that guitar.
At the age of 72, I Bought a used Harmony H80T at a Yard Sale
You better believe that made me happy.
Buying Guitars Won’t Make You Happy; Playing Guitars Makes You Happy
Just to be clear, buying a guitar doesn’t make you happy. It’s playing that guitar that makes you happy, or in many cases, “happier”.
Many Reasons Guitars can Make You Happy
Here’s a fast and easy list from me on why guitars make me happy. This is my list, please leave a comment.
Pretty. Even an ugly little guitar has its charm.
Voice. Every guitar in good playing condition has its own voice. If you enjoy sounds, guitars can make you happy.
Music. After 14 months and over 1000 hours of practice and playing guitar, I can now play many songs decently. Actually, I was playing tiny melodies after 1 month and slightly bigger songs with chords after 3 months. Progress.
New People. If you are serious about guitars, play them outside your home, you will definitely meet new people. Playing guitar is a “ticket” to meeting different people from all walks of life. Fun.
Or go to a coffee house and talk to the pianist or the guitar player. Meet a new person, perhaps they will become a friend.
Two Guitars. And yes, two guitars might be even more fun than one guitar. But you need to play them. Just not at the same time 🙂
Meditative. 90 minutes passes pretty quickly when you are playing guitar.
Children and/or Grandchildren. If you’re lucky, your grandkids may sing along with you as you play guitar.
And if you are very lucky, your kids or grandkids will remember their grandpa playing guitar and singing with them. Hope so.
Mental and Physical Exercise. Learning something new every day that is both mental and physical certainly will keep your mind active.
AI on the Internet has Many Reasons Guitars can make you Happy
I do enjoy AI or Artificial Intelligence from Internet searches. Here is the AI search from “can guitars make me happy” shown below.
Richard Takes the Guitar Happiness Checklist Test
Stress Relief and Mood Boost.
I don’t normally feel depressed. But I will admit that I feel happier after strumming “Johnny B. Good” at 168 BPM or beats per minute. Fun.
Dopamine Release.
Yes, I think I do get a dopamine rush after playing one of my guitars seriously for an hour or so.
Improved Cognitive Function.
Maybe. I am 73 years old so I’ll be happy with any good cognitive functioning.
Social Connection.
I need to return to the Americana Jam at the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago, IL USA. Great people, great place.
When I meet a new person I ask them if they play guitar. The chances are easily 1 out of 3 they play a guitar or an instrument. Or maybe, they talk about their brother who plays an instrument.
Making social connections through guitar stories is one of my new hobbies. Yes, it’s fun.
Enhanced Creativity and Self-Expression.
My self-confidence is pretty good normally. I have led an interesting life that has brought me to today.
Yes, playing/learning guitar gives me a sense of accomplishment. I just wish I could improve my fishing as significantly as I have improved my guitar playing.
Emotional Outlet.
Maybe 🙂
Increased Self-Esteem.
I don’t think I needed a self-esteem boost. But it’s always nice to “get better” at something every day. It is an Agile way of life.
Reduced Blood Pressure.
Gosh, that would be nice. Hope so.
Why Don’t You Take the Guitar Happiness Checklist
Print it out and go over the checklist.
“Remember, owning a guitar isn’t enough. You need to play the guitar at least 20 minutes a day to feel happier.” – The Shoshin Guitarist
Playing a Guitar is the 2nd Thing I do Each Morning
I grab my guitar and practice a few techniques every morning around 7 AM. Nothing long, just 5 to 10 minutes.
My wife complains about it a little bit. But secretly I think she accepts it and I do hear her humming in the house during the day.
Here’s my good morning guitar. It’s a Hohner HW200. It’s nickname is either Florida (it came from Florida) or Sawbuck (it cost $10).
Put Playing Guitars into Your Schedule – It will Make You Happier
I do admit that I am retired. My kids are grown up and I don’t work a regular job anymore. I play guitar, take longer Chicago walks, and try to be a good husband, father, grandfather, and friend. So I may have more time than you do. But you still have time for guitar. Just work it into your schedule.
Say Good Morning to Your Guitar
Yes, as mentioned above, I wake up playing guitar. It’s better than coffee. Just 10 minutes is all I play, then I get some coffee.
Morning with Guitar
My morning routine might be with guitar. I study guitar online with Justin Guitar and sometimes with Fender Play App. I practice strumming every day and focus on playing simple sheet music songs.
Afternoon with Guitar or Bass
This is another time slot for me. I am learning bass guitar solely from the Fender Play App. So far it’s suited me just fine.
Yes, practicing bass out loud or through headphones is fun. I find bass guitar to be almost meditative. So yes, it’s a happy thing.
Evening with Guitar or Bass
Yes, when everyone goes to bed, I noodle around on a guitar or bass. I also do some blogging on this website at the end of the day.
Will 20 Minutes of Guitar Playing Make me Happier?
I would say 20 minutes of guitar playing is a bare minimum for “being happier”. But 20 minutes is a whole lot better than NOT playing guitar at all.
I think 45 minutes of focused practice or play is better for just “happiness”. Improving your guitar playing does make me happier.
Now, if you want to become good at guitar or bass, than you are talking hours of practice every day. I think of of my guitar heroes said this in one of his videos.
“If you want to get good at guitar, put in the hours.” – Dave Simpson.
True Guitar Happiness is Found Jamming on Guitar with a Few Friends
Yes, you can go to a coffeehouse magazine store and listen to a guitarist play the blues and that’s fun.
But “happier guitar playing” comes from jamming with a friend.
I am grateful my buddy Tom G. comes over to play his harmonica while I play guitar. He’s very good, me, I’m an advanced beginner guitarist. But it’s a “happy time”.
But if you want guitar playing to make you happy, get out of your house. Go jamming somewhere. Socialize, play guitar. It’s a good thing.
I think it’s true: Playing Guitar Can Make You “Happier”
Guitar will NOT make you a “Happy Person”. But I can pretty much guarantee that playing guitar, bass, ukelele, musical instruments and hanging out with other musicians will improve your state of mind. Yes, guitars can make you HAPPIER.
In an imperfect world, I would say playing guitar with a smile on your face can make you happier. Try it.
My wife and I attended together at 11 AM. I pulled out a sheet of paper with a pencil and took notes over coffee. My wife found a magazine to read (wonderful lady).
First, I have played guitar for for the past 14 months, easily 2 hours every day. That would be 2 hours X 30 days X 14 months of practice. That’s 840 hours of guitar and bass practice/playing. Trust me, it’s closer to 1000 hours.
Second, I am moderately deaf. Yes, I use hearing aides. But hearing still isn’t precise so I focus on using my eyes a lot when observing guitarists.
My Notes and Questions on Watching the fine Blues man: Tom Holland
Thanks for your music Tom. I sat in the front row with my wife. I asked some initial questions. After a while I thought it best to let you play without me bothering you too much.
What’s Tom Holland Using for his Performance Today
Guitar: Hollow Gibson Gretsch (I hope that is correct)
Amp: Tom said it was a Quilter solid state amp.
Didn’t see it very well.
Apparently it’s made in Costa Mesa, California (love U.S. made stuff).
Microphone: Shure 58
Microphone Stand: Unknown
Capo: Sometimes.
Pedals: 5 Unknown pedals.
But I can see them on the floor arranged on a board? I guess that’s a pedalboard???
Other Observations on Tom’s Playing
Tom is left handed.
Tom’s hand size? My wife said my hands were of similar size, perhaps bigger.
Yes, I have hand envy when I watch guitarist.
So if Tom can play with average size hands, I can play too. That gives me hope as a guitarist.
Tom’s guitar is about 2 1/2 inches thick, and hollow.
Tom plays his guitar normally at a 45 degree angle.
I on the other hand, try to play my guitars more at a 90 degree angle. But Tom’s the pro, I am not.
Tom plays mid to high on the neck, rarely low towards neck (cowboy chords).
In 45+ minutes of watching Tom play, I never once saw him adjust his pedals or tap them.
Tom plays and sings from memory. Non-guitarists take that for granted. But only guitarists like Tom Holland know how many times they have played and have sung the same song again and again.
As Tom demonstrated: You don’t need to play fast to play well. (No doubt, he can play fast when he wants to do so.)
Today’s Biggest Learning from Watching Tom Holland Play the Blues
For a small venue in a small coffee shop environment, Tom’s voice and guitar were crystal clear and great sounding.
With just the Shure 58 amp pointed at his mouth, the Quilter amp (type unknown) picked up his voice from the microphone and the amp from the floor. One microphone did it all.
I need to learn how to amp my voice and guitar using a Shure 58 microphone. My cheaper amps may not match Tom’s excellent Quilter amp in quality. But I need to learn the voice+guitar through the Shure 58 technique.
Watching Tom Play Led to These Questions and “To Do’s”
How do I use a Shure 58 microphone to amp my voice and guitar?
Then perhaps I can record with my Shure MV5 and Android simultaneously.
I need to acquire a Shure 58 microphone and good stand.
Why does Tom strum and pick in different areas. I am sure he had a reason.
Tom Holland, Thanks for Playing and Answering a Few Questions
You can learn a lot just from watching a guitarist play.
Watch his fretting hand,
Watch his rhythm hand.
How does he hold the guitar?
Where does he strum with his rhythm hand?
Where does he play up and down the guitar neck? High, middle, low? Is there a tendency?
Yes, it’s worth the price. As a beginner bass player and an advanced beginner guitarist, it’s worth my money.
So in my first year of playing guitar I have spent approximately $2000 on guitars, amps, accessories, and lessons. (Please don’t tell my wife, she already knows.) I came to realize that my Fender Play App subscription is my absolute best purchase. Great price, lots of fun.
I purchased the Fender Play App as a leap year special for $29. That was February 29, 2024. I had wanted to test it and purchase it previously but the $149 per year annual subscription slowed me down. See below as of 12.7.2024.
My Fender Play App subscription was $29 per Year on a Leap Year Sale in 2024
It was a great bargain: Fender Play App for Guitar and a little bit of Bass. That’s what I initially thought. But the Fender Play App had a lot more content than I thought it had originally.
“Please read to the end of this blog post for the best news about my Fender Play App subscription.”
Fender Play App is for Acoustic, Electric, Bass and Ukelele
So I can use it for my acoustic, electric, and bass practice. Yep, I am thinking about a Ukulele to complete my collection.
I purchased the Fender Play App for Guitar lessons while I was simultaneously using Justin Guitar online training for guitar.
It was hard for me bouncing back and forth between Justin Guitar and Fender Play.
But then I decided to buy a bass guitar and also learn to play bass with my Fender Play App. Good decision, great decision.
Pros and Cons of the Fender Play App
Pros:
Lessons for 4 instruments.
Different instructors for each instrument.
I find this very useful as a beginner.
I watch how they use their hands differently when playing (bass plucking for example).
This keeps the learning fresh.
10% discount on future Fender product purchases (wow).
It even has links to personal lessons at affordable prices.
If you start with a “sale price” subscription as I did, you will be renewed at that same price.
In my case that was a “sale price” of $29 per year that renews automatically each year, for just $29.
Cons: A few, but they are worth the effort.
Mobile Phone Interface: Relatively simple.
But I must admit it took me a month of usage to realize that Fender could teach me 4 instruments.
Personal Computer Interface: You will need to experiment with the Fender Play App a bit on mobile phone or personal computer to fully understand all the good stuff it provides. Like any good app or software, some diligence and experimentation goes a long way to learning and benefitting from the app.
Today I discovered articles and personal lessons. I just keep on digging to find useful Fender Play App functionality.
Let’s Take a Deep Look at both the Diversity and Depth of Fender Play App Lessons
As a new subscriber you can choose to focus on one of four instruments. See below. Please know that you could study one, two, three, or all four instruments at the same time. But focusing on one path is better. Initially I began as an Electric Guitar player.
Then I decided to switch from Guitar focus to Bass focus.
Since I was a beginner bass student this is the journey ahead for Bass Rock, shown below.
So how many Bass courses could I study or play on the Fender App?
Bass has Rock or Funk as a choice; I chose Rock.
Bass, Rock, has 6 Levels.
Bass, Rock, Level 2 has 21 Courses.
Each Course has on average 5 things (low estimate to practice or play
Here’s the math on the extent of Bass courses the Fender Play App contains.
2 Bass Paths “times”
Maybe 6 Levels “times”
21 courses “times”
5 exercises “equal”
1260 possible songs and exercises for electric bass guitar students.
My Estimate: Over 1000 Lessons or Songs for Studying Bass on the Fender Play App
And this isn’t dry stuff you are learning. It’s being taught by a staff of Fender Play people with videos. You can hear their voice and see how they hold/play their bass guitars.
My ball park estimate is that the Fender Play App has 1000 songs/lessons for each of their four instruments. So for acoustic, electric guitar, bass, and ukelele I believe there are a solid 4000 songs/lessons for the customer. Quite frankly, I think the real number is 4000+ lessons.
If Customer Relations at Fender give me the exact number, I’d be glad to place it on this blog.
Fender Believes each Lifetime Guitarist Spends $10,000 on Guitars, Amps, and other Hardware
If Fender can capture your allegiance as a Fender Play App customer, they believe you will be more apt to buy a Fender instrument. Period. This is big money at stake.
Visit www.Guitar.com to learn more (author Cillian Breathnach, October 28, 2019).
“The goal, in either case, is to grow the number of lifetime players – and in turn, the guitar industry: “Someone who commits to the instrument for life has a lifetime value of $10,000. They buy five to seven guitars over their lifetime, multiple amps, multiple accessories. They drive the hardware side of the business.” – Guitar.com
This Advice would make the Fender Play App Better
Student Feedback Feature on Lessons
Student Feedback feature on lessons: I haven’t found it yet.
If Fender were to provide that feature on mobile lessons or PC based lessons, music students could ask questions like the following?
I am a beginner, how do I toughen my fingertips? They hurt.
I am a beginner bass player, should I learn to pluck first or pick with a pleckard first?
I have a question on this specific lesson. Can anyone help me?
Fender Play App Forum
A Fender Play App forum would also be useful for a sense of community. I don’t see one.
But adding a Student Feedback button or Student Forum would be expensive to maintain. But AI or artificial intelligence is advancing to a point where Fender could provide human support and than transition to AI enabled support.
AI Driven Emails to Fender Play App Customers
My final suggestion is for Fender staff to “ping” or email Fender Play App students. I know that Fender measures my “playing streaks”. “Congratulations, you have increased your streak by another day…” As a retired computer guy, I know that somewhere Fender has my activity data in the Fender Play App. So here’s what Fender could do:
We see you haven’t used Fender Play App in a while. Any questions? Can we help you keep going with the Fender Play App?
We see you have used the Fender Play App for 100 days in a row. Wow. Can we offer you 20% on your next Fender equipment purchase if you purchase this week? Glad to help.
These are just my ideas for better customer retention in the Fender Play App.
“As Fender knows, happy Fender Play App customers will stick around and be more apt to buy Fender guitars, basses, amps, and more.”
Your Fender Play App will renew at 81% off the Current Rate: $29
I emailed ConsumerRelations@Fender.com asking about any upcoming sale prices on the Fender Play App. I told them I was an existing customer from the February 29, 2024 “Leap Year” Special price of $29 per year.
Fender Consumer Relations sent me a reply in less than 24 hours. Dazzling response time, thank you.
“Hello Richard, Your subscription is already set to renew at your current 81% off rate. Your account is all set and no further action is needed. Enjoy your lessons nad have a great day!” – Consumer Relations at Fender
Incredible. My $29 annual subscription from February 29, 2024, will renew automatically at the same rate.
“The Fender Play App Renewal Policy is incredible. For me, it’s the best Guitar/Bass training app where I pay for a subscription.”
Amazing: I Pay 8 cents a Day for my Fender Play App
Wow, talk about a holiday present from Fender.
My annual Fender Play subscription cost is $29. My monthly cost is $2.41 and my daily cost is, wait for it, 8 cents per day. WOW.
The great, quick people at Fender emailed this message to me in response to my Fender Play App subscription questions:
“Yes, your price will never change unless you cancel.” – ConsumerRelations@Fender.com
Yes, I Absolutely Recommend the Fender Play App for usability, depth, variety, and fun. And if you get the Fender Play App at a good sale price, it seems like it will renew at the same good sales price. Hurray.
Hurray – My Fender Play App Renewed this March 2025 for $28.50
Fender support desk was accurate.
My Fender Play App renewed at 19% of the normal $149.99 annual subscription. My Fender Play App renewed at $28.50.
It was my indefinite “leap year special” from February 29, 2024. Hurray. One more year of excellent learning from this great guitar app.
Yes, I am the Shoshin Guitarist. That means I am a guitarist (advanced beginner currently) who approaches guitar learning with a “beginner’s mind”. Shoshin is a Japanese word.
Yes, the Shoshin Guitarist absolutely recommends the Fender Play App for both beginners and advanced beginners. Keep on playing and learning, and subscribe to the Fender Play App (I receive nothing from Fender for this high praise and recommendation.)
If you can’t buy it now, at lest keep a file on it. Maybe you will buy it later, maybe you won’t.
Here are two questions that I hope will slow down your GAS or Guitar Acquisition Syndrome.
Will this Guitar, Bass, or Amp make you a Better Player?
Ultimately, the hard question is this: Will this guitar, bass, or amp that you want to buy help you improve your musical skills?
Or, if money is no object and space is no object, buy whatever shiny object you want, whenever you want it. – Shoshin Guitarist
Will this Guitar be Easy to Re-sell ?
If you can’t even find any Internet articles on your unusual guitar, bass, or amp, do you really think it will be easy to re-sell? – Shoshin Guitarist
If you are purchasing a very good Les Paul guitar, you can easily re-sell it. If you’re making an impulse buy from an elderly woman (actually my age) of a California (actually they misspelled it as Califorria) model bass guitar made by the Chinese firm Eleca in 20024, it won’t be easy to re-sell the item.
Try to avoid purchasing little known guitars, basses, and amps on the Internet that have no reviews.
Learn from the Guitars, Basses, and Amps that you Do NOT Purchase
Learning from what I didn’t purchase. I learn about guitars and amps by researching them, how quickly they sell, and their value.
This process also “slows down” my GAS or Gear Acquisition Syndrome. Cheaper blogging about a guitar, bass, or amp then purchasing one 🙂
Beautiful Harmony Stella with Case for $60
Missed it. I was 2nd in line.
I found it on Facebook Marketplace Chicago. It was beautiful, had its own case, original owner. I hesitated for perhaps 1 hour.
Then I texted on the Harmony Stella. I was second in line. I was too late.
$100 Harmony H802 in Indiana
May 29, 2024: It was just too far to drive 100 miles round trip for a beautiful Harmony guitar. No thanks. Nice guy.
I discussed the purchase in the back garden with my wife. Thankfully, no argument. I decided it wasn’t worth the 100 miles round trip.
Ironically, he raised his price to $150.
They do come up for sale in Chicago for around $100. But I already have my beautiful Harmony H80T strat copy black/white model. I don’t need another.
Georgia’s $100 Beautiful Canvass Guitar on Facebook Marketplace
I was too slow, too indecisive.
$110 Roland Cube 80GX in South Dakota, USA
I love my Roland Cube 40GX.
Still waiting for the Roland Cube 80GX listing to slip away from Craigslist. Owner wants to sell local and probably won’t ship to Chicago.
Finally, it slipped away and disappeared from South Dakota’s Craigslist. Thank goodness.
Gallien-Krueger 400 RBIII – $100
Heck yeah I want it. But so did 50+ other people on Facebook.
I offered $110 but it was sold within 24 hours.
I want a U.S. designed and U.S. made Gallien-Krueger bass amp. This is the one that got away.
$109 – Ampeg BA110 Bass Amp – Guitar Center
You can find a lot of used equipment on Guitar Center’s website. If it’s used and faraway, they will charge you to ship it.
I am searching for a bass amp with a 10″ speaker or larger for my new bass hobby.
Guitar Center on Chicago’s south side on Cicero Avenue listed a used Ampeg BA110 in good condition, no picture.
It disappeared in just 2 days. Someone found it quickly.
That just proves to me that Ampeg BA amps are still popular. My search continues. But Ampeg BA amps appear regularly in Chicago. Perhaps its best if I try one first at a Guitar Center.
11.26.2024 – Resisted the Urge to Purchase a Cort CR100 on Facebook – $100
It was tempting. I have been looking for an Cort or Samick electric guitar. Seller wanted $100 for an almost brand new Cort CR100 and cheaper Marshall amp. Great price if I was a beginner. I am an advanced beginner trying to become an intermediate guitarist.
Glad I didn’t purchase it. Great price, nice reviews. But I think it unwise to make my wife sad over a marginal student guitar just before Thanksgiving. Glad I passed.
Now that I know more about the Cort CR series, I would consider a Cort CR200 or above with set neck and better pickups. The Cort CR100 is a bolt on neck with cheaper pickups.
But still, they look like nice LP copies.
1.13.2025 – I Don’t Need a Hohner HW03 with Spruce Top
I have chased this guitar for perhaps a year. And this evening I found it for $45 locally in Chicago, IL USA. I do like Hohner guitars and this is a 3/4 or 7/8 Hohner with a spruce top.
But I bought a bass amp last week and my wife was kind enough not to scream at me. Here are some reasons for me NOT to purchase the Hohner HW03:
I own a Hohner HW200 and a Japanese Hohner. They are very similar.
This Hohner won’t make me a “better guitar player”. Some equipment might make me better. But this Hohner isn’t essential.
My kind wife doesn’t need another guitar in the house.
Honestly, I am setting my goals for different, better guitars. I have my eye on a headless bass guitar or some lesser telecaster.
2.15.2025 – I Don’t Need a Fender G-Dec 30, Yet
This caught my eye on Chicago’s Facebook Marketplace. G-Dec 30 AND the foot pedal for it. It was a bargain. But I passed on it.
I really want the v3 version. And, I am trying to sell an amp or two so that I can upgrade to this amp.
Seeing a guitar, a bass, or an amp in person is the best way to buy something. Testing it would be even better.
I found a Fender G-Dec at my local used guitar store. I picked it up and thought, it’s tinny. I didn’t even try it.
Maybe the Fender G-Dec sounds great, I will try it one day just to find out. For now, the G-Dec isn’t on my mind, all the time.
Hurray, I found the v3 30 in great shape from a Texas Goodwill. $25 plus shipping. Nobody bid on it. It was a steal 🙂
3.30.2025 – A Daisy Rock Retro-H-Bass Guitar Won’t Cure my Aching Elbow
So my excuse in almost buying the beautiful blue Daisy Rock guitar was that it was light and would make it easier playing bass guitar. I recently hurt my right elbow slipping on ice with my HEAVY Deltatone bass guitar. So I thought what I needed was a lighter guitar. I am sure this guitar is 7-8 pounds. Great weight.
Pretty bass, isn’t she?
I am sure this bass would have been well set-up by a Facebook Marketplace seller who has serviced 3 of my guitars. Almost bought it, here are reasons why I didn’t buy it.
Painful Elbow? A lighter bass won’t help my aching right elbow. Each of my guitars hurt after I play for 30 minutes. What I really need, and will get, is physical therapy for my right elbow. Trust me, it has to hurt a lot for me to get physical therapy.
Few Internet Reviews? Very few reviews on this guitar. When I sell it, if there are few reviews, who will buy it from me.
Great bass? Early Daisy Rock bass and guitars were made by Schechter. I have read they do good work. But I want to hold out for a very, very good bass.
Humbucker pickups vs Precision Jazz? My 2008 Deltatone bass has a PJ configuration and I like it. The Daisy Rock had a double humbucker pickup. Not convinced that would sound so good.
Resale value? I don’t think I would get $185 dollars back in value from a 2005 bass guitar made in Indonesia. I’d probably lose $85 in re-sale.
So I passed on the good looking blue Daisy Rock Retro-H-Bass.
4.9.2025, ESP LTD B-55 FM 5 String Bass
Yes, I did purchase it’s brother the ESP LTD B-50 bass in April, 2025. It’s a well balanced bass that I use every day.
So than I started GAS’ing. How about it’s big brother, the LTD B-55. I found this one on the Internet.
I don’t need it, yet. First, let’s learn how to play 4 string bass. But maybe a 5 string bass in the medium future. But this LTD B-55 sure is pretty, isn’t it?
6.15.2025, Dean Tonic S
This guitar appeared on Chicago Facebook Marketplace: a Dean Sonic S.
The seller originally wanted $200 for the guitar and a Vox amp. So would that make it a $125 guitar? Then apparently she learned sellers are asking $250+ for this guitar on Reverb.
So now the Facebook seller is asking $250 for this guitar. No thanks, too rich for my blood.
But this little known Dean guitar made in Korea makes beautiful music. Here’s the one and only demo on a Dean Tonic S guitar on the Internet. Frets99 demos a Dean Tonic S on Youtube.
I offered the seller my Dean MLX in trade for her Dean Tonic S (it’s called a Martini) guitar. Facebook seller said “no”.
7.19.2025 – Mitchel TD100, a Short Scale Guitar
I discovered one for $30 and 40 miles from my home where I used to fish. It disappeared in one day.
Then I started looking for these darn guitars that came in blue or orange. I told myself it was for my almost 5 year old grandson and his Opa (me). Here’s one in central Illinois for $75.
The Mitchel TD100 sounds beautiful. Visit miniguitarsociety on YouTube to see a demo. The admin collects mini-guitars and makes them sing nicely.
But for me, the short scale nature of the Mitchel TD100 was too scary. I had a short scale Epiphone that sounded great but needed to be re-tuned every 10 minutes.
So I have moved on from the Mitchel TD100. If one of these short scale beauties appears in Chicagoland at a good price, I might be interested.
8.10.2025 – Harmony 01010 for $60
This really was a bargain. I have wanted a Harmony 01010 for months.
On OfferUp, the picture looked great. And, it included a guitar stand. Price reduced from $80 to $60. So that suggested a motivated seller.
The Harmony 01010 was a bit far from my home, maybe 20 miles. And I fought the urge to buy another “OK guitar” that did not have a spruce top. I want a spruce top acoustic that sounds great.
Finally, I decided that buying another guitar wasn’t worth a near argument with my wonderful wife. Our wives and partners can only tolerate so many guitars.
Just simple stuff today. A few things I learned about my Deltatone Bass from 2007 and my 2013 Peavey Vypyer VIP-1 amp.
Moderately Deaf Bass Player Advice on Rattling Amp
Take out your hearing aids.
My Peavey Vyper VIP-1 and VIP-2 were both rattling on some low notes. Not a whole lot, just enough to make me unhappy.
I easily spent 16 hours on my two Peavey Vyper VIPs bracing their cabinets with lumber and sticking adhesives underneath parts of the cabinet. And still, my Deltatone Bass rattled on a few low notes.
My solution? I took out my hearing aids. I don’t hear the minor rattles anymore. It’s an imperfect world with imperfect solutions.
Plucking with a Twang on my 3rd or Middle Finger
Pluck-twang. Pluck-twang.
I tried plucking differently with different hand positions. The twanging continued.
Trim your Nails on Your Third Finger
Guess what? That solved the problem.
The bass no longer twangs when I pluck with my middle finger. That’s all it took: trimming my middle fingernail, a lot.
Getting a Bright Tone from my California (Eleca) Electric Bass
I really should sell this first electric bass ever. It has a stripped truss rod that can’t be easily fixed. But secretly, I enjoy it.
Experiment with your Tone Knobs on Your Bass
Wow. I fiddled with the tone know on the California Bass (Eleca, made in China in 2004) and all of a sudden, the bass wrang out some very clear tones. Sounds like a jazz bass perhaps.
…perhaps you learned something today to improve on your bass playing or enjoyment of it.
I am in my 13th month of playing guitar and now bass and I enjoy it. I am Shoshin in my attitude.
Shoshin in Japanese means “beginner’s mind”. I approach guitar and bass playing with a new perspective every day welcoming anything I can learn to play bass better.
Chris came over to finish tiling our kitchen. I asked: “Did you buy your daughter a guitar for high school?”
He said: “No, but I have two guitars for you in my garage.”
Twenty minutes later Chris walks up my front steps with two guitars: a black Dean MLX and a blue bass guitar (Deltatone). He hands me the two guitars.
Chris said: “They’re yours.”
So that’s how I became the owner of two very dusty, dirty guitars. We will talk about the Deltatone bass another day.
My 2009 Dean MLX Guitar
It’s serial number is O09022040.
I interpret this guitar’s serial number as being manufactured February, 20, 2009 in China.
So it’s 15 years and lived part of those days in a dusty garage.
The Condition of the Free Dean MLX
It was dirty and was missing the high E string. More importantly, the guitar input jack was missing and wires were dangling out of the guitar.
In the photograph, the Dean MLX looks decent. Trust me, it was filthy. I believe I took this photo after cleaning it.
In the bottom right hand corner of it you will find a black hole where there should be a guitar input.
What’s Great about the Dirty Dean MLX?
Smooth neck. I thought the neck was nice and wondered how it would feel playing it. Felt good in my hand.
Comfortable neck radius. I think the Dean MLX has a 12 inch radius, just my guess. It feels great in my left palm. I have average size hands and the “reach” of my fingers on the Dean MLX was good.
Good resonance. I could almost play the beat up Dean acoustically because of its good resonance.
I purchased a Pure Tone guitar output jack in hopes that I could repair the guitar myself. When I realized I needed to learn soldering wires to insert the guitar output jack I wisely gave up on that idea. Here’s the Pure Tone guitar output jack found on Amazon.
After a short while, I decided this guitar needed a professional setup. Not an amateur setup by me.
I took the guitar to Paul G. who is a local guitar technician in his spare time. He doesn’t call himself a luthier but he certainly does good work.
My Guitar Tech’s Review of the Dean MLX
My guitar tech (not a luthier, but darn good) first reaction to the Dean MLX.
Love the neck.
Dean MLX Repairs and Setup
This is what Paul the guitar tech did on my guitar.
Installed PureTone output for my guitar.
Found a new tip for my bridge switch.
Setup
Cleaned and oiled the neck.
New strings.
Intonated the guitar.
Adjusted pickup heights (don’t know why; sure it was for a good reason).
Without Playing, How does my 2009 Dean MLX feel in my Hands?
This may look similar to the “before” and dirty at the start of this blog post. But this picture shows a well-cared for Dean MLX.
Smooth neck. The neck is as smooth as ever.
Neck fits my hand. The neck fits perfectly in my average size hands. Very comfortable.
Resonant. I could play this guitar late at night acoustically and it would still sound OK.
First Time Playing my Free Dean MLX Guitar
Wow.
I have spent the past month (August-September, 2024) getting this 2009 guitar in good shape. And yet, I have never heard it play. Today is the day.
I have listened to several videos of it being demonstrated and the best one was here. This is the Dean channel (his name is Dean) doing a Dean ML X Review. Go to his section marked Clean. He makes the guitar sound wonderful from that point onward.
I know this is a double humbucker guitar so it may have similarity to a Les Paul. We shall see. It sounds better than my Epiphone Les Paul Special II.
Grover Tuners on my Dean MLX
They are incredibly smooth. The smoothest, easiest moving tuners I have ever had. I hope they lock and hold. Time will tell on that assessment.
Pure Tone Guitar Jack is Tight in a Good Way
I had to learn that my Pure Tone jack has two snaps. You push your guitar cord into the jack. You need to push harder so it clicks a second time. Then you’re ready to go.
Dean MLX Neck as Smooth as Ever
It’s neck was smooth when it was a dusty, neglected guitar. The neck is smoother than ever and the fret board is polished.
The Dean MLX Fret Spacing Allows me to do Power Chords Easier than Usual
Is it a smaller fretboard by a little bit? All I know is that I can more easily shape power cords. That’s a good thing.
Dean MLX Played with a Peavey Vypyr VIP-1 Amp
Even though I own a Fender Mustang LT25 (almost new) and an Orange Crush 12, I am using my 11 year old Peavey amp more and more.
I began my Dean MLX first playing with the Peavey Vypyr VIP-1 set to Buddha amp with bypass of effects.
Red. – Harsh, but metallic. If I loved metal music I would love it.
Green. – Very rich. I HAVE NEVER HEARD THIS SOUND BEFORE ON ANY GUITAR FROM ANY OF MY AMPS. WOW.
My Cream lick or riff sounds so good it actually sounds like Cream, for a few moments (at least in my imagination).
Orange. – Rough, but not harsh. It’s a little edgy but deep. I prefer it.
Three Dials on the Dean MLX – Confused
I am a bit confused on their purpose. But I will figure out the 3 dials later.
Yikes, is my Dean MLX better sounding than my Epiphone Les Paul Special II ?
I tested both guitars with my “blues” settings on my Peavey Vypyr VIP-1 on British amp, Bypass, and orange color for crunch.
So far, the Dean MLX sounds significantly better than my Epiphone Les Paul Special II. Am I imagining it? Time will tell.
Dean Zelinsky’s Dean MLX Guitar History
Dean Zelinsky is the creator of the Dean ML and the Dean MLX guitar. The Dean MLX or at least the ML part of it is named after a friend of Mr. Zelinsky who passed away at an early age from cancer. It’s really a tribute from Dean Zelinsky to a childhood friend. Dean Zelinsky designed/manufactured the Dean ML when he was 20 years old in 1977. Impressive.
Here’s Wikipedia:
Dean Zelinsky created the ML in 1977, striving for improved sustain and tone. Higher string angles and string length, due to the size of the headstock, contribute to the overall resonance. Dean has made the ML available to other manufacturers[which?] by licensing arrangement.
The ML was named posthumously for the initials of Zelinsky’s friend Matthew Lynn, who had died of cancer.[1]
