SmallAxeMusic.com Blog

Performance anxiety at home? You might need a low-watt tube amp.

Posted by Andrew Backover on

Performance anxiety at home? You might need a low-watt tube amp.

Are you suffering from performance anxiety at home? Can't crank the volume without your spouse/partner, child or neighbor (or dog) getting on your case? Can't overdrive your tubes at lower volumes? Well, you are not alone. And there might be a simple solution to your problem that doesn't require a doctor or cost a lot of money. You might just need a low-watt tube amp. Seriously, when playing at home, even a 15-watt tube amp can be too loud for the domestic surrounds. Over the past decade or so, however, a slew of amp manufacturers have flooded the market with...

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Meet Lenny Miller: The New Generation of Guitar Gear Lovers

Posted by Andrew Backover on

Meet Lenny Miller: The New Generation of Guitar Gear Lovers

One of the cool things about Facebook is that it helps me stay in touch with friends from many phases of life. One such friend from high school, Eric Miller, reached out to me after he saw the launch of SmallAxeMusic.com. He wanted to introduce me to his bright and talented son, Lenny, 18, who happens to be a budding guitar player and gear lover. I'm all about meeting like-minded guitar fanatics, so I was excited to connect with Lenny (and reconnect with his dad) to learn about his guitar gear journey. ...Lenny Miller: brains, looks, axe. Solid combo... One...

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Remembering your first guitar, amp and pedal

Posted by Andrew Backover on

Remembering your first guitar, amp and pedal

After 20 years or so of trying out different guitars, pedals and amps, I am grateful for how much I have been able to see and learn. I have a long way to go on the continuing education front but it’s fun to look back at the beginning of this odyssey to see where I started. My first adult guitar was an acoustic Yamaha FG450SA. I think it cost me $250 brand new back in 1992, in Falls Church, Va., when I was a fledgling reporter covering high school sports for $40 a game. It sounded bright and clear then,...

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“Once in a while you get shown the light, in the strangest of places if you look at it right.”

Posted by Andrew Backover on

“Once in a while you get shown the light, in the strangest of places if you look at it right.”

That happens to be one of my favorite lyrics from one of my favorite songs, “Scarlet Begonias,” by the Grateful Dead. I can’t explain why I love the Grateful Dead. I just connected with their music. My older brother introduced me to the Dead, giving me an early ‘80s bootleg that I listened to over and over during a long bus ride from Philly to Quebec for our eighth-grade French class trip. My brother introduced me to a lot of cool music – Pink Floyd, The Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin. Naturally, given the songs in rotation on our turntable...

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Trapped on a deserted island: What's your guitar, amp and pedal?

Posted by Andrew Backover on

Trapped on a deserted island: What's your guitar, amp and pedal?

Let's play the "you're trapped on a deserted island, and you can only bring X, Y and Z with you" game. You can only take one guitar, one amp and one pedal. The only stipulation is that said gear must be in your collection today. What's your lineup? While you are thinking about it, here's mine. GUITAR ...1995 Gibson Les Paul Studio at left.....or 1997 Fender USA Roadhouse Strat at right. I defaulted to thinking I would want my 1995 Les Paul Studio with me. It was my first "higher-end" guitar, and I love its meaty tone. It might be...

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