Al's Folk Music Blog

Butch Crouch 1939-2011

2011-10-30T10:06:00.000-07:00

It was a sad day for Santa Fe's music community when we heard the news about Butch Crouch. Butch was loved by all and will be sorely missed. A memorial gathering will be held at El Farol. We expect to have a date and time very soon and it will be posted here. Please check back for details and come help us celebrate Butch's life and music.

Here's a story I'd like to share with you folks. Back when the west was wild, I booked a banquet gig at the Legal Tender in Lamy, New Mexico. The night of the banquet I arrived at the Legal Tender and discovered that the gig was double-booked. (Double-booking is something that accidentally happens every once in a while, and every working musician dreads it.) Well, it turned out that the restaurant had booked me and the banquet folks had booked Butch. He arrived ten minutes after I did and immediately came up with a solution. "Let's take turns playing and split the money," he said.

That's the kind of man Butch was. He was a true blue friend, and he had a heart as big as all outdoors. He had many, many friends here and we will all miss him.

Butch was a talented artist and he was so much more that I'm at loss for words to describe him. So I'm going to defer to Kris Kristofferson here. The words of Kris' song The Pilgrim Chapter 39 describe Butch pretty well.

He's a poet, he's a picker
He's a prophet, he's a pusher
He's a pilgrim and a preacher and problem when he's stoned
He's a walking contradiction, partly truth and partly fiction
Taking every wrong direction on his lonely way back home...
And there's lots of wrong directions on that lonely road back home.

So long Butch. It's been good to know ya.

UPDATE: My favorite writer, Steve Terrell, has posted about Butch. Click HERE.

A Stranger Here - Ramblin' Jack Elliott in Concert in Santa Fe, NM

2010-05-01T12:42:00.000-07:00

This past Thursday, April 29th, two-time Grammy award winner Ramblin' Jack Elliott performed at Corazon in Santa Fe. This was the first stop on his 2009 spring tour. Jack is touring in support of his recent album, A Stranger Here, which won a Grammy Award in 2009 for the best traditional blues album.

Unfortunately, due to the very poor sound provided by the concert promoter, Jack was treated more like a stranger than like the distinguished artist that he is. Somehow the sound man managed to interrupt the show over and over again with howling feedback from the sound system. It was incredibly distracting to Jack and to his loyal fans and friends who filled the room.

It was literally impossible for Jack to play guitar and sing without the sound system distorting and howling. Jack handled the situation with grace. Instead of fighting the sound system he did a show featuring his considerable talent for storytelling. Jack's stories and verbal flights of fancy held the audience enthralled. Even under the worst conditions Jack is spellbinding. His spirit shines through!

Jack's improvised monologues are as brilliant and entertaining as anything ever penned by his friends Jack Kerouac and Lenny Bruce. The difference between him and other beat generation poets is that Jack creates his narrative prose and poetry live, on stage... and he doesn't write it down.

As I write this, Ramblin' Jack is continuing his 2009 spring tour. If he's performing anywhere near you I recommend you seize the opportunity to spend an evening with one of our greatest American national treasures–Ramblin' Jack Elliott.

And by the way, there are CD's and T-shirts available after the shows. This is a first for Ramblin' Jack. If I were in charge of awarding Grammy's for T-shirts, I'd give him a third Grammy Award for the coolest and most esoteric music T-shirt of 2010. I guess you can tell that I love my new Ramblin Jack Elliott T-shirt!

How the Beatles Rocked the Kremlin

2010-01-02T21:34:00.000-08:00

For those of you who missed this documentary on public television here it is as a streaming video. I hope it will inspire you as much as it has inspired me. (By the way, you can click the full-screen icon at the lower right edge of the video and then sit back and watch it sized to your computer display.)

Happy Holidays!

2009-12-19T18:12:00.000-08:00

Here is a classic Christmas cartoon from 1939. It's a different look at the theme of "peace on earth".

In a lighter vein, here are Leon Redbone and Dr. John with their rendition of 'Frosty the Snowman'. Lord Buckley must be here in spirit...

Wishing you all a happy holiday season and a great new year!

A Brief Personal Note: Dia de los Muertos 2009

2009-11-02T09:19:00.000-08:00

I went to the event in Albuquerque yesterday. It had special meaning this year because my father died a few days ago. He was 90.

The people at the celebration in Albuquerque were great. Especially the kids. They cheered me up a lot. Looking around at twilight it's easy to believe that the ghosts of the dead are here among us. I know my dad will always be with me in spirit.

With digital capture there is always a lot of "darkroom" work to do. I ran this photo through quickly so that I could show you something right away. Hope you enjoy it. (Click to see a larger picture.)

Searching for the Holy Grail

2009-10-18T22:07:00.000-07:00

After reading DR's recent post to the comments for a previous article I did some thinking. Here I am gearing up after a ten year hiatus. My life is somewhat balanced compared to the old days when I was playing the couch circuit. That means I've had a few bucks to spend on equipment instead of just barely enough for food and gas to get me to the next town. Although for some folks this lifestyle of mine might be uncomfortably close to the poverty line, for me it's been Fat City. (If you ever took refuge from the rain under a railroad bridge in the middle of the night then you'll forever be grateful for a warm dry place to sleep and a hot soapy shower in the morning. Everything else is extra!)

I have a buddy Ray Doyle from Dublin, Ireland who is a wonderful musician and an old and trusted friend. During the past year Ray has endured many long distance phone hours listening patiently to me telling him about my various trials and tribulations with recently acquired recording and stage gear. During this time Ray has released a great solo CD and a music video. That's on top of touring all over the world as the spotlight performer in Wylie Gustafson's band.

Every time we talk Ray asks me two things. "How much practice time are you putting in?" and "Have you written anything new?" If my conscience wore a cowboy hat and boots it would look like Ray Doyle. Something like this:

Well, I guess Ray has gotten through to me because this weekend I took a different approach to my musical chores. Instead of fiddling around with the latest gear trying for the perfect sound, I pulled out my trusty 1963 Gibson LG-1 (with it's 25 year old Sunrise pickup) and plugged in to my Fishman SoloAmp. Then I pulled out my recently neglected SM-57 for duty as a vocal mic and plugged that in to the other channel.

For two days I made myself play bar sets. I worked on arrangements. I transposed songs into different keys and much to my surprise found that I could hit those previously unreachable high notes. (Thank you Brett Manning! Those vocal exercises on your CD's really do work if you practice them assiduously.) I played very fast. I played very slow. I played till my fingers hurt and then kept on playing.

Now here I am on Sunday night thinking about what I've learned in the past two days. I can only speak for myself but I'm guessing that it's safe to say that most of us singer/songwriters who've been at it a while have all the equipment we need. Yet we continue to try everything new that hits the market. We are always thinking that if we upgrade our gear we will sound better and get more gigs and better gigs. At this point in time I find myself thinking that the best gear is the tried and true workhorse equipment that we already own. And the best way for us to upgrade is to push ourselves creatively.

Art doesn't happen when we stay secure within our comfort zone. When I push myself and take creative risks some very interesting things start to happen. An old folk song suddenly takes on different shades of meaning and becomes exciting all over again. Sometimes before you can play a song well you have to play it badly. When you make mistakes, just make sure that they are interesting mistakes. An interesting mistake can take you places you'll never find if you play it safe and stick to the cliches that you've already mastered.

I never meant for this blog to focus on gear. I've meant all along for it to be about music. It's important to have a few good tools and some extra guitar strings. It's even more important to have good material and to perform it the best you can. So today I'm thinking that it's time for me to eBay a few things and get back to the basics.

Before I call it a day here, I want to recommend an instruction DVD called Doc's Guitar. I just received my copy last week. It's a gem! If you're looking to "upgrade" this may be the answer. There is so much good stuff in this one set of guitar lessons that it will keep you busy for months... or even years.

Here's some vintage video footage showing Doc Watson at his fingerpickin' best to whet your appetite a little bit:

Well, that's about it for now. Keep on pickin' and grinnin' folks. Until next time...

Yer pal,
Al Acuff

DPA 4099 Guitar Microphone - Follow-up Review

2009-08-22T11:58:00.001-07:00

Like any microphone the performance of the DPA 4099 is somewhat dependent on the quality of the mic pre that it goes through. I recently acquired a John Hardy M-1 mic preamp and after recording with my 4099 through the John Hardy I found myself wondering if the mic was performing optimally. It sounded good but the sound wasn't as solid as I would have liked.

I decided to call DPA service at their US headquarters in Colorado. I spoke with Jed and he asked me to send my mic to him for evaluation. Wthin a day of receiving my mic Jed got back to me. It turned out that with some preamps my mic failed to power up completely. Two days later I received a brand new replacement for my 4099. Does it sound better? You bet it does! The defective mic I had before sounded pretty good but now the sound is all there. The bass has more weight to it. The output is higher so I need less gain from my preamp. The air and sparkle is there without any eq boost needed.

I've seen a few forum discussions where players are questioning whether the mic is worth the retail price of $600. When I consider the incredibly fast and thorough customer support I received, I have to say that it's worth every penny. When you are gigging accidents happen and gear sometimes needs service. In my experience customer service is one of the most important considerations when buying pro gear. DPA came through for me with flying colors.

A reader asked me whether there is any audible self-noise with my DPA 4099. I fingerpick with the pads of my fingers and my fingernails so it's safe to say that my playing volume is on the soft side of the volume range. With my Hardy M-1 which is extremely revealing there is no self-noise from the mic at all. Furthermore the sound quality rivals the best acoustic guitar recordings in my music collection. I wouldn't be surprised to see James Taylor or Paul Simon using a DPA 4099 on stage or even in the studio.

With my Fishman SoloAmp and Martin OOO-18GE 1937 the DPA 4099 works beautifully. You just can't get this quality of sound from a guitar pickup or from a mic inside a guitar. The phase reverse switch on my SoloAmp eliminated a feedback loop with the top of the guitar and I could play without fear of the dreaded wolf tone. For me it's a big plus that I don't have to drill or modify my guitar in any way to use the DPA mic. And if I want to play my 1963 Gibson LG1 it only takes a minute to switch the mic over to that guitar.

For the singer/songwriter with a project studio the DPA 4099 Guitar microphone is no brainer. It's sound when paired with a good preamp is natural and uncolored with superb dynamics and plenty of detail. You would be hard pressed to find a better mic for recording your acoustic guitar. When you consider that you can carry it in your guitar case accessory compartment and use it for live gigs it certainly earns it's keep. For half the price of a used KM84 (if you can find one) you are getting a first rate recording mic and an excellent acoustic guitar pickup for use on-stage.

The Mystery of Microphone Preamps

2009-06-09T17:16:00.000-07:00

Those of you who have been reading here these past few months have no doubt observed that I've been testing and selecting equipment for a small DAW based project studio. The next and hopefully the final item on my shopping list is a first rate microphone preamp.

I've been doing some research on this subject and have found something that I want to share with you. There are a couple of excellent articles by John Hardy which provide an excellent introduction to the world of high quality dedicated microphone preamps.

You can access the articles from Mr. Hardy's informative links page and you can also go directly to the articles by clicking here on the titles (or right-click to download the PDF files):

1. Outboard Mic Pre-amps: What's the Deal?

2. Mic Pre-amp Evaluation Methodology

These articles cover the topic much better than I can so I won't even attempt it. I would just like to say a quick thanks to Sean at Mercenary Audio for suggesting the John Hardy M-1 Mic Pre-amp to me. It was while reading up on the M-1 that I came across these excellent articles.

Singing With Your Eyes Closed

2009-05-01T12:45:00.000-07:00

When I was growing up one of my musical hero's was Rick Nelson. Every week on Ozzie and Harriett he would appear with his band (including guitar legend James Burton) performing a song. Rick was the first person I ever saw sing with his eyes closed.

Recently, I viewed some Rick Nelson clips on Youtube.com and sure enough there he was singing with his closed. It doesn't look to me like he was doing it for effect. It looks like he was getting into the music and didn't want to get distracted. But who knows... maybe the bright TV studio lights hurt his eyes.

Anyway, that's where I learned to sing with my eyes closed. Another Rick Nelson fan who sang with his eyes closed was the late Townes Van Zandt. A fan once asked Townes why he sang with eyes closed and in true Townes-speak he answered, "If the audience would all close their eyes, then I wouldn't have to close mine."

Over the years I've found that when I close my eyes it allows me to get deeper into the song. Be warned though that this form of intense concentration is not without it's hazards. As an example I remember one night when I was singing in the bar at the Santa Fe Hilton. I had my eyes closed while singing Gentle on My Mind. Just as I was conjuring up an imaginary campfire scene by a desolate bit of railroad track I felt a hand on my shoulder. A very drunk bar patron had wandered up on stage. I snapped out of my reverie and looked him straight in the eye. He responded by asking for directions to the Albuquerque airport.

I wonder if Rick Nelson had to put up with stuff like that. Probably not. TV audiences were no doubt restricted from walking up on stage during a performance. I did meet Rick Nelson once at a party as Billy Al Bengston's Venice, California studio. He was a nice guy and seemed as glad as me to find another musician at among the stuffiness and pretension of the L.A. art crowd.

I'd like to think that if Rick had been on stage at the Hilton that night he would have done what I did... I gave the customer directions to the airport... then I closed my eyes, called up the image of my lost love, and sang the rest of the song... "I dip my cup of soup back from the gurgling, crackling cauldron in some train yard. My beard a roughening coal pile and a dirty hat pulled low across my face. Through cupped hands 'round a tin can I pretend to hold you to my breast and find. That you're waving from the back roads by the rivers of my memory ever smilin' ever gentle on my mind."

A hands-on review of the new DPA 4099 Clip Guitar miniature microphone

2009-03-01T22:22:00.000-08:00

Danish Pro Audio has released a new line of miniature performance microphones. DPA is a long established, well known company that makes some of the finest studio mics in the world. So when I read about the DPA 4099 Guitar Clip Microphone, I called them to request a review sample. After a short wait, it has arrived. I won't keep you in suspense. It's wonderful! So if you're wondering whether it lives up the the advertising, the answer is "YES!" If you buy it you won't be disappointed. If you'd like to learn more about this marvelous minaiture microphone... read on.

My name is Alan Acuff and I'm a singer/songwriter living in Santa Fe, New Mexico. I started blogging after my friends David Gray, Ira Ingber, and Ray Doyle persuaded me to take my first steps into the world of digital audio recording. In the past I have worked as a guitar tech, folksinger, and broadcast music producer. Now, after running a small photography business for the last ten years, I find myself getting back into music in a serious way. Sometimes absence really does make the heart grow fonder.

Music is a craft and like any craftsman I've been stocking my tool chest with the best tools I can get my hands on. The DPA 4099 Clip Guitar Microphone is the most recent addition. My buddy Utah Phillips taught me that folksingers travel light. So I'm extremely selective about the tools I carry with me.

About twenty-five years ago I worked for a while as an assistant to a guitar tech in Venice, California. At the time my boss was experimenting with various approaches to amplifying acoustic guitars. That's where my education about acoustic guitar amplification began. After trying some of his best in-guitar microphone set-ups, I concluded that the on-board guitar mics that were available at that time didn't sound very good and weren't practical. They were overly bright and they were prone to feedback at low volumes. So for my own gigs I chose a Sunrise Pickup in combination with a Demeter Tube Direct preamp.

For about 20 years I made a meager living performing as a folksinger in the southwest and California, and my Sunrise/Demeter system proved itself to be reliable and the sound quality was also pretty good. It sounded more than a little like an acoustic guitar and that seemed to be the best you could expect from an acoustic guitar pickup.

At various times I tried out newer systems. Some of them, like the Fishman pickups, were also good but none of these pickups really reproduced the entire rich and complex sound of high quality acoustic guitars. Don't get me wrong... they were darn good, but they all fell short if you compared them to a good microphone. The best way to record or amplify an acoustic guitar is with a microphone in front of the guitar. Unfortunately high quality studio mics just aren't practical on stage. They are delicate, highly susceptible to feedback and if you don't sit perfectly still the sound will be inconsistent.

Let's digress briefly and examine the problem of acoustic guitar amplification from a mechanical viewpoint. What we think of as the sound of an acoustic guitar is actually a combination of sounds that come from several places on the guitar. The main part of the sound radiates from the top of the guitar. The air inside the body of the guitar adds bottom which emanates from the sound hole. The strings themselves provide fundamental tones and harmonic overtones that make the sound shimmer and sparkle. You can compare a guitar to a 3-way speaker–the sound hole is like a woofer, the top of the guitar is like a midrange driver, and the strings are like a tweeter.

On-board acoustic guitar pickups, also called transducers, used by professional musicians fall into three basic categories:

1.Soundhole pickups sense the string vibrations magnetically. They sound similar to the pickups on a good archtop jazz guitar and are very resistant to feedback.

2. Piezoelectric pickups, which include the popular under-saddle pickups, sense the physical vibration of the strings through the saddle, bridge, or top of your guitar. They sound bright and have a bit of sparkle. These are the most popular acoustic guitar pickups because they are invisible and don't block the soundhole. They are less resistant to feedback than the soundhole pickups but they still provide good volume before feedback.

3. Miniature microphones inside the guitar reproduce the sound of the strings and top as they sound listening from inside the guitar. The dominant sound is that of the air mass. It's a bassy sound and these mics feedback at relatively low volumes. They are usually used blended with one of the first two types of pickup. This reduces feedback and inproves the sound of the pickup by blending in some of the acoustic sound of the guitar.

As you can see, the only pickup that senses the strings, the top of the guitar, and the air mass inside the guitar is a good microphone aimed at the guitar. The DPA 4099 is just such a microphone. For a high quality microphone it is surprisingly resistant to feedback. What makes it practical is this feedback resistance combined with the clever mounting system that allows you to position the mike in your guitar's sweet spot.

A couple of years ago I found the guitar of my dreams at Martin guitar expert Fred Walecki's legendary Westwood Music in Los Angeles. It's a Martin OOO-18 that is the biggest sounding concert-size guitar I've ever heard. It's a fingerpicker's dream come true. For the past year I've been recording it with various microphones in my home studio. This has been quite a challenge because after decades of performing live I find it awkward to track my guitar and vocals separately. It doesn't feel natural to me because I balance the sounds while I play and sing. It's difficult to find a sensitive instrument mic that provides good isolation and still gives you good sound. Some rather expensive, high quality studio microphones have proved impractical for me simply because they pick up too much of my vocals. So when I read about the new DPA acoustic guitar mic, I jumped at the chance to try one out.

When I began performing in clubs in Austin, Texas I used to bill myself as "the world's least known folksinger" So when I called DPA it was no shock that they didn't know of me. Nonetheless, the DPA folks were quite gracious. After we talked it over they kindly agreed to provide a sample microphone for review.

When the mic arrived I was immediately impressed with the elegant and functional hard shell carrying case that contains the microphone, cable, XLR adapter, and mounting hardware. Also included is a soft padded gig bag that will fit nicely in your guitar case. Overall, the packaging is well conceived. It's both elegant and sturdy.

So what's the big deal about this new miniature guitar microphone? Haven't other companies made clip-on guitar mics? Well... yes and no... This microphone is truly something new. As far as I know, the DPA 4099 is unique among miniature instrument mics because it is actually a miniature shotgun mic. As far as I know, no other miniature intrument mic is based on shotgun microphone technology. Kudos to the engineering and design folks who conceived and developed this novel microphone. It does the job!

If you've ever seen a movie crew at work, you've probably seen them using shotgun microphones to record the dialogue. A shotgun mic is extremely directional. The new DPA mic is a very very small shotgun mic. It comes attached to a flexible lightweight boom arm which attaches to a light, stable mounting bracket the gently holds it in place on your acoustic guitar. The slender microphone cable terminates in a belt clip which includes a high pass filter and XLR cable adapter. The microphone come with an adapter ring that replaces the belt clip on the adapter so that you can plug it directly into the XLR input on a preamp or mixer.

Various other adapters are also available. The 4099 Clip Guitar microphone is compatible with any type of audio connection you can think of. It should also be noted that with the different clips and mounting brackets available the 4099 can be mounted on trumpet, saxophone, violin, mandolin, dobro, banjo, etc. The DPA 4099 mics sold for use with trumpet and saxophone are modified to be a bit less sensitive than the guitar and violin mics so that they can handle the high sound pressure levels of brass instruments.

No doubt you're thinking, "Enough already... what does the mic sound like?" Well, what does your guitar sound like? That's what the microphone sounds like. It's that accurate. No joke! It really is!

I first tried the mic at home in my studio with my Martin OOO-18 and Fishman SoloAmp. It sounded awesome! I was able to play at club and coffee house volumes with the Soloamp at behind me, and to the left just an arm's length away. Incredible but true! The sound was without a doubt the best acoustic guitar sound I've ever obtained from a club-sized sound system. You could easily play a room of 150-200 people with this set-up.

While a mic selling at a street price of about $600 is priced within reach of musicians working small venues it's clearly designed to meet the needs of professional musicians who play on larger stages. So I called a friend of mine who runs a concert venue here in Santa Fe. He's a bit shy of personal publicity so I agreed not to mention his name... I'll call him Bob. I asked Bob if he would be interested in trying out the mic on stage at his club. By the way, Bob is also a world class acoustic jazz guitarist. How could he resist?

Bob, like me, was at first skeptical as to whether the DPA mic would be able to provide sufficient volume before feedback. On his stage with the mains and monitors playing at concert volume it was no problem getting a loud and clear guitar sound. It sounded like an accurate, natural reproduction of Bob's little Yamaha classical guitar.

Next, we compared the DPA mic with the onboard pickup system in Bob's guitar. Bob likes the Yamaha pickup system because he can make his guitar sound bigger and fuller than it sounds unamplified. He preferred his built-in pickup in some respects. On the other hand, I felt that the DPA mic gave us a more accurate and natural sound. We both thought the DPA mic sounded darn good.

This experiment showed me that the DPA mic is not going to sound fabulous unless you use it with a fabulous guitar. If you use it with a lesser guitar... one that say... sounds thin and bright, then that is what you're going to hear through your speakers. If you have a weak sounding guitar that plays well and you want to make it sound big and lush, you'll have to look elsewhere. If you have a great sounding guitar and you want to amplify it just the way it sounds, this is the best solution I've found. The sound is natural and big at the same time.

Next, Bob pulled out a couple of very expensive Neumann studio microphones for comparison. We went back and forth between the three mics while listening and comparing. The Neumann mics sounded good but they are large, heavy mics and you can't clip mount them on your guitar. In my opinion, the DPA 4099 was the most natural and uncolored sounding mic of the three mics. I preferred it's pristine sound to the more colored sound of the Neumanns.

If you're a singer/songwriter interested in making guitar based recordings, there's a bonus for you if you buy this mic. Not only can you gig with it, but you can also record with it. I tried using the DPA 4099 mic with my Demeter tube microphone preamp and Apple's Logic Studio audio production software. Oh my God! Without any EQ at all I got a full, rich guitar sound.

For the first time, I had a mic which allowed me to sing and play while recording a guitar track with almost no vocal bleeding into it. No other mic that I've tried recording with has provided such natural sound combined with such excellent off-axis noise rejection. If you play guitar and have a home studio this mic is a no-brainer. Just buy it! When you consider that you are getting a great acoustic instrument mic for your studio plus a pickup that you can use in most live venues, it's a great value for the money. Here's a test recording I made with the DPA mic on the acoustic guitar. It's an old-time cowboy song called Diamond Joe.

(If this player doesn't work in your browser then you can right-click on Diamond Joe, download the mp3 file, and play it in iTunes or another mp3 player.)

For what it's worth, I like to mount the mic on the upper front bout so that it points at the strings at the end of the fingerboard. I angle it so that it picks up some of the sound from the sound hole and from the top of the instrument. This way you get the complete acoustic guitar sound. No pickup I've used does this as well.

I do have a suggestion for the folks at DPA. Both Bob and I found that with our concert sized guitars the mounting bracket extends a bit far behind the guitar. If you're not careful you can poke yourself in the chest with it. You're not going to hurt yourself but you do run the risk of dislodging the microphone. You could cut off the extra length but then you may want to use your mic someday on a larger dreadnought or jumbo size guitar. In that case you would need the extra length. The ideal solution would be for DPA to provide an additional shorter extension wand for the clamping mechanism for use with small bodied instruments.

On the plus side, DPA has devised a lightweight and sturdy mounting system. You don't have to modify your guitar in anyway and using it doesn't alter the sound of your instrument. The mounting clamp can be set to apply just the necessary amount of pressure to hold the mic steady. You run no risk of damaging the finish on your fine guitar. If you have more than one guitar, you can easily use the same mic for all of them. Compared with installing a pickup in each guitar it's a practical solution to amplifying several acoustic guitars.

For those of you who need to play at football stadium volume (my words), DPA recommends using their microphone along with your on-board guitar pickup. This way you can blend the mic with your pickup to get higher volume while still getting a goodly amount of the natural acoustic sound of your guitar. For this purpose DPA offers an optional 2-in-1 guitar cable that will carry your mic signal and your pickup signal so that you don't have to run multiple chords.

Also worthy of mention is the mysterious white rubber disc that comes in the case along with your 4099 microphone. To find it's intended use I had to read the manual where I discovered that it's a tiny wrench used for tightening the connection between the microphone cable and the XLR adapter (or the modular adapter of your choice). Although you can finger-tighten the connector this shows you the kind of people that you're dealing with–the thoughtful folks at DPA in Denmark have gone out of their way to include this elegant, functional tool for your convenience.

For more information you can visit the DPA website at www.dpamicrophones.com. Their 4099 Clip Guitar microphone is available from several reputable internet audio dealers and it is also available directly from DPA here in the U.S.

Al Acuff Biography

2009-02-27T16:30:00.000-08:00

For those of you who noticed that the door was open and wandered in... You may be wondering, "who the heck is this guy?"

For you folks here's a link to the story of my checkered past. Perhaps you'll discover the secret of my success... or failure... it kinda depends on which way you look at it....

New DPA 4099-Guitar microphone review coming soon

2009-02-06T11:22:00.000-08:00

Danish Pro Audio (formerly B&K) has kindly provided me with a sample of their new miniature 4099-Guitar microphone for evaluation and review. This microphone is one of four microphones included in their new series of performance microphones designed to be used live on stage. The other mics in the series are designed for sax, violin, and trumpet. There is a variety of accessories available which may be used to adapt these mics to various other instruments.

For twenty years I played acoustic guitar professionally in bars, cafes, hotels, resorts, etc. I have owned various guitar pickup systems in various guitars. While I have found that certain pickups such as Sunrise and Fishman pickups are practical and sound good, none of them have sounded like a real acoustic guitar sounds to me when I'm playing it at home or in the studio.

Over the years there have been many attempts to install on board microphones in acoustic guitars. At best these systems require sophisticated outboard gear and a good sound-man. At worst they are unusable due to low threshold of feedback and poor sound quality.

Like many of you, I've been doing some computer based digital recording here at home. Since my room is not acoustically perfect and since I sing and play guitar at the same time I've been finding it difficult to get the sounds I want. So I'm very excited at the idea of this mic doing double duty and serving as an acoustic guitar mic for my song demo recordings. I already know I'm not the first person to come up with this idea so I'm pretty sure it's going to be a productive experiment. And if I can get something approaching a true acoustic guitar sound on stage without a big hassle, I'm going to start playing out again. If you're an acoustic guitar player your heart is starting to race... we're talking about the Holy Grail here folks!

DPA is a company whose instument mics set the standard for recording acoustic instruments in the studio. A buddy of mine at National Public Radio speaks of DPA's piano mic with reverence approaching awe. So I'm really looking forward to putting this new acoustic guitar mic through it's paces. If anyone can slay dragons and bring home the Grail it's the folks at DPA. I'm predicting that my upcoming review will contain some good news for acoustic musicians. Now it's time for me to quit yapping and go plug the mic in... to be continued...

PS. In the meantime, check out the great Microphone University feature at the DPA website. There's a lot of useful information. It's well organized, clearly presented, and it's free!

Fishman Solo Amp review on Fishman home page

2008-11-28T13:21:00.000-08:00

Hi folks. I'm proud to announce that my SoloAmp review has caught the attention of the folks at Fishman Transducers and you can find it reprinted on their website by clicking the link that appears on their home page. What an honor to have my photo appear right next to Jerry Douglas who is one of the best dobro players in the world!

For those of you that aren't sure whether to take the plunge, I can honestly say that I love my SoloAmp. A recent Google search revealed that I'm only one of many happy SoloAmp owners. I think it's a great product that fills a need, and I'm glad to see that so many others agree.

A Review of the Fishman SoloAmp

2008-10-27T08:32:00.000-07:00

When I told my buddy Richard Malcolm about the new Fishman SoloAmp he asked, "How are you going to get any exercise if you don't haul a lot of heavy equipment up and down stairs?"

To give Richard his due... if you're a working musician and the only exercise you get is hauling sound equipment then the new Fishman SoloAmp isn't for you. The SoloAmp is an all-in-one sound system designed for the gigging singer-songwriter. It weighs about 25 pounds complete and comes in a padded gig bag with wheels on one end. You can load in and set up for a gig in about 5 minutes without breaking a sweat.

The Solo Amp utilizes linear array technology to pack a lot of sound into a compact package measuring about 6" x 6" x 40". The speaker array consists of six specially designed 4" drivers and a single soft dome tweeter. This sits on a single collapsible stand that is included. The downloadable manual tells you to place the SoloAmp behind you and to one side. The front of the SoloAmp features a two channel mixer. If you are a singer-guitarist you'll play into one channel and sing into the other. The mixer includes, digital reverb, phantom power, phase reverse switches, and notch filters for feedback control. The rear of the SoloAmp provides an output for a guitar tuner and a monitor output which can be used as a send to another SoloAmp in case you are working as a duo with another musician also using a SoloAmp. There are also effects sends and returns for each channel in case you want to use external effects.

I'll admit that I was skeptical when I ordered my SoloAmp. I had read a couple of positive user reviews on the internet and had talked at length with Fishman's Customer Service Manager Frank Padellaro. I've also had experience with Fishman products in the past and have found them to be of professional quality. Nonetheless it just doesn't seem possible that something so compact and portable could really put out enough sound to fill a room.

The first place I set up my SoloAmp was in my photography studio. I set up the amp according to the instructions and started playing and singing. In a few minutes there was a big smile on my face as I called up my musician neighbor Frank Farentino to come over and give me a reality check. In short, the SoloAmp works as advertised. It reproduces the full range of guitar and vocals and distributes the sound evenly throughout the room. When Frank arrived I put him in the performer's seat so I could move around the room and listen from various locations. The sound level was constant throughout the room and there were no hot spots or dead spots. At first the sound was a little bright for my taste but it was easily tamed with the tweeter control on the back of the amp. Now that I've put in a couple weeks of playing time I find the sound of the amp has opened up and smoothed out a bit--not unusual with brand new speakers.

Any working musician knows that the real test of gear is how it performs under real world conditions at an actual gig. So I scheduled an afternoon concert at the PD Bean Coffeehouse here in Santa Fe. I've performed there before and thought it would be a good test for the SoloAmp. When I arrived and set up the SoloAmp Dan, the owner, asked if I wanted him to turn off the refrigerators. Apparently he was concerned that the compact SoloAmp wouldn't be heard over the ambient noise generated by his kitchen appliances. I told him to leave everything as it usually is.

When I sat down and started to play and sing Dan's eyebrows went up and he smiled. I asked if he could hear me OK and he said that it might be a little louder than necessary. I turned the volume knob down to about 8:30 (7:00 is off completely). Customers around the room all indicated that they could hear fine and that the sound was good.

One of the customers present that afternoon was Michael Kott, a virtuoso cellist. Michael is classically trained but his musical taste spans several galaxies. Michael offered to sit in on viola so I gave up my vocal channel and plugged his viola in. For about an hour we jammed out on various modal patterns and folk melodies. We could hear each other perfectly well and according to other folks present the sound quality and the music were both to their liking. It's obvious that the SoloAmp delivers what the folks at Fishman promise and that it has plenty of power and headroom to spare for small and medium sized rooms. That includes most all of the hotels and bars here in Santa Fe.

Next came the ultimate test of any sound system--breaking down and loading out quickly. At closing time Dan announced that he need to get out fast so that he could pick up his tax forms and get them to the Post Office before they closed. In a few minutes I had the SoloAmp and stand in the gig bag. Michael grabbed my guitar and mic stand which left me with one hand free to unlock the back of my trusty Subaru. If you've ever worked bars or cafes you know how it is at the end of the night when the staff are ready to go home. If they have to wait while you pack up and load out they will remember it forever. With the SoloAmp it's never going to be a problem. Oh how I wish this marvel of a sound system had been available back in the days when I was gigging five nights a week and working those tiring doubles on weekends!

I love my SoloAmp. It makes gigging so painless that I'm going to start playing out more often. The folks at Fishman understand that it's all about music... not gear. The gear should make things easier for the musician.The SoloAmp does just that. They've hit a home run this time.

The Fishman SoloAmp is available from most major music retailers at a street price of around $1,000.00 U.S. You can get more info about the SoloAmp and other Fishman products at their website at www.fishman.com.

Review: Telefunken USA's New ELA M 80 Dynamic Microphone

2008-10-20T09:36:00.000-07:00

During the past twenty years I've tried most of the popular stage vocal mics including offerings from Shure, Beyer, AKG, and Neumann. In every case I found myself giving up the "better" mic and returning to my old standby the Shure SM57 with the optional windscreen. When you're singing in bars, hotels, and cafes the Shure mic gets you through the four set nights. It's presence peak cuts through the ambient noise and lets you get across without singing yourself hoarse. However, it's a compromise. The low end is soft and you don't get the clarity and detail that you hear on good recordings made with large diaphragm condenser mics.

Recently I was reading at mic guru Klaus Heyne's microphone forum and I noticed an ad for the new ELA M 80 stage microphone from Telefunken USA. Despite my loyalty to the venerable SM57 I'm always interested in trying something new. The ELA M 80 is advertised as a dynamic mic which features the clarity and mid-range resolution of a high quality condenser microphone. So I contacted the good folks at Telefunken USA and a week later I received my review sample of the M 80.

I won't keep you in suspense... the M 80 is a wonderful mic. It's new and it's unique in my experience. It has a lovely clear, sweet midrange which has a bit of that 3D quality that one finds in only the very best microphones. The proximity effect is toned down compared to my SM57, but the bass extends lower and is solid and tight. It handles my bass-baritone low notes just fine. It's pickup pattern is a tight cardioid pattern which eliminates feedback without introducing the nasty off axis coloration that I've experienced with super-cardioid mics. As you go off axis with the M 80 the sound stays consistent until you reach the null point. Achieving this kind of performance is a delicate balancing act and the folks at Telefunken deserve kudos for their success.

I thought it would be interesting to get some other opinions on the ELA M 80 so I took it down to my local music store on a Saturday afternoon and let a couple of local musicians try it out through the store's PA. For comparison we used a Shure Beta 58. We auditioned the Beta 58 first and I could tell by their attitudes that the guys didn't expect to be impressed by the newcomer. When we plugged the M 80 and demoed it you could see eyebrows going up and eyes bugging out. The M 80 was the favorite. It wasn't even close.

Now let's look at the build quality of the M 80. In short, it's built like the proverbial tank. It's solid, weighty and feels like it will take anything you can dish out. This is obviously a mic that is designed to withstand the rigors of the road. Judging by the advertising, Telefunken USA is targeting this mic at young rock bands who want a mic that cuts through in a dense mix and is as sturdy and roadworthy as the classic mics. The mic comes standard with a silver grill and there is an optional package available which includes a black grill which some folks will prefer for video use. Personally, I like the silver grill. Also worth noting is that the body of the mic has a rubber coating which ensures that it won't slip out of your hands. If you've ever dropped a mic, you'll appreciate this feature. The M 80 looks like it could probably survive a drop, but chances are that you won't put it through that test.

How did the designers achieve this level of performance in a dynamic mic? First they designed a capsule which features a low mass diaphragm. Then they had transformer maven Oliver Archut design a custom output transformer. The result is a mic which gives you a generous helping of high resolution sound without the harshness and artificial presence of most of the condenser mics designed for stage use. In fact, I found that the M 80 sounds great with minimal eq. Fitting it into a mix couldn't be easier.

It's not a perfect world and live sound always involves compromises. My only criticism of the M 80 is that it exhibits a slight sensitivity to handling noise. Since I play guitar and sing with my mic on a stand that's not an issue for me, but if you are a singer who hand holds your mic you may have to use a little care to avoid unwanted noise. It's a small trade-off when you consider the mic's sensitivity and tone. My only other criticism of the mic is the packaging. The M 80 comes in a colorful red and yellow tube picturing a firecracker (scroll down to my previous post to see this in a photo). I understand that this mic is targeted at rock and rollers. The packaging is aimed at that group. I'm a middle aged folkie singer-songwriter. So my taste in packaging and graphics is a bit more traditional. In the photo above I put the M80 next to an old Telefunken vacuum tube box. The packaging for the ELA M 80 has a bit of the retro flavor of the original Telefunken graphics. Let me just say that this mic is not only for rockers. It's a great all around mic.

The M 80 retails for $239. While that's considerably more than the SM57 and SM58 it's about half the price of a Beyer M88. Considering it's quality, the M 80 is an excellent value. I feel that no one should buy a mic based on a review or recommendation. The only reason to buy a mic is because you have tried it yourself and you love it. That said, I bought the review sample and it's now my vocal mic of choice for live performance. I expect it will also be put to use in my project studio. You can use this mic anywhere you would use an SM58 or SM57 and where you want clarity and well defined bass. That includes guitar amps and snare drums. The ELA M 80 can be purchased directly from Telefunken USA or from one of their dealers.

Preview of Upcoming Reviews

2008-10-05T11:46:00.000-07:00

Just a quick post to let folks know what to expect in the next week or two. I've just received a review sample of the recently released Telefunken M80 dynamic mic and will be posting a complete review here very soon. You will be able to read about this exciting new mic and how it compares with some of the classic mics. Coming soon.

Also, I'll be reviewing the Fishman SoloAmp which in August won a "Best in Show" award at the Nashville NAMM show. This innovative compact sound system is designed especially for singer-songwriters by the folks at Fishman Transducers. I'm still waiting for my SoloAmp. This new product is in such demand that I couldn't get a review sample... so I bought one and am waiting for delivery. The SoloAmp uses linear array speaker technology to make a compact sound system optimized for voice and guitar. It weighs in at about 25 pounds and sets up in just a few minutes. By placing it behind you on stage you hear what the audience hears while the sound is evenly distributed throughout the audience. Reports from musicians who have already received a SoloAmp are positive. Stay tuned to read more about it here soon.

Also planned for the coming weeks is a review of the Fishman Aura Acoustic Imaging Pedal. This digital processor allows you to recreate the sound of an acoustic guitar played into a microphone in a recording studio... live, on stage and without the feedback problems normally encountered when trying to mic an acoustic guitar on stage. I've read mixed reviews by consumers. Some of the reviews are extremely favorable. So I'm eager to try the Aura pedal for myself to see how it works in conjunction with Fishman's new SoloAmp.

Review: Classic Dynaco Tube Amps - Upgrades and Mods

2008-09-29T21:39:00.001-07:00

Tube be or not tube be... sorry... couldn't resist. The picture you see here shows a pair of restored, original factory assembled Dynaco Mk III amplifiers. I purchased this pair from a neighbor who had them stored in has garage. He needed some cash and I was looking for some tube equipment to sweeten up my stereo system.

With a little help from my friends I cleaned up these amps, replaced old selenium rectifiers, installed new power supply capacitors and of course installed all new tubes. James Demeter and Kevin from DynakitParts.com were both generous in providing their expertise and encouragement. Kevin also supplied replacements for the original Dynaco can type capacitors. These replacements increase the capacitance and voltage rating of the original power supply caps. That makes the power supply safter and it also give you a performance boost. Kevin sells complete kit amps that are excellent replicas of the original Dynakit amps. Like the original Dynakits the prices are reasonable and the quality is first rate.

Dynaco amps were some of the most popular hifi amps ever sold. Their popular models include the Stereo 70, Stereo 35, Mark III, and Mark IV. These amps were sold factory built or as kits. I was fortunate to get a pair of the 60 watt Mk III amps that were factory built. The original workmanship was good and they didn't need a whole lot of work. The sound of these amps is lush and sweet. You know right away these aren't your typical transistor amplifiers. Voices and instruments take on a three dimensional quality that brings the music alive.

There a folks such as self-proclaimed Dynaco guru Dynaco Doctor aka Joe Curcio who will tell you that the Dynaco amps perform poorly unless modded. Curcio audio has for sale a number of "upgrades" that he promises will allow you to realize the "full potential" of your classic Dynaco amp. It makes me wonder how these amps became bestselling classics in the first place without any help at all from Mr. Curcio and his fellow tube gurus. Could it be that they sound pretty darn good with the stock circuitry designed by David Hafler? Are the commercially available mods really going to sound better than the classic Dynaco sound?

My buddy Dennis and I have, between us, built most of Mr. Curcio's designs and we've each been disappointed with the final results. The tube magic was lost. The modified amps may measure well but they they sound somewhat cold and uninvolving. It's also worth noting here that the Dynaco amps are collectable and that they are most valuable in their stock form. Perhaps monetary value is significant as an indicator of optimal sound quality–it depends on who you listen to.

Curcio is now advertising some newly designed mods. He says these mods will preserve the tube sweetness of the original Dynaco circuits. We exchanged some emails and he persuaded me to place an order. However, after thinking it over, I cancelled the order and opted to keep my Mk III amps stock. The 6922 tube driver stage favored by Curcio may be accurate and may measure well, but 6922 tubes tend to sound cold compared with the original Dynaco drivers. If you're dead set on modding your vintage Dyncaco amps, there are a number of popular mods available these days. You can do some Googling and you will find the commercially available Curcio Audio mods, the Roy Mottram mods and the Poseidon mod plus all kinds of DIY mods.

In my opinion, David Hafler got some things very right in the original Dynaco designs. Therefore my advice is to do only what is necessary to keep them running well and then sit back and enjoy the magic. (By the way, be warned... when I cancelled my order for Joe Curcio's Mk III upgrades, he deducted a whopping twenty percent "restocking fee" from my refund. When I complained about that his response was adversarial bordering on belligerent. He doesn't deal with returns graciously.)

I'm using a Conrad-Johnson PV5 preamp and my Mk III amps to drive a pair of Thiel CS 2.2 speakers. While Thiel's are not considered to be especially tube friendly these CS 2.2's sound great with the Mk III's. There is plenty of power to spare.

If you are fortunate enough to own a pair of Klipsch horn loaded speakers, you should seriously consider finding or building a tube amp. Many music lovers consider Dynaco and Klipsch to be the path to musical nirvana. Kevin from Dynakitparts.com tells me the Dynakit Stereo 35 paired with some highly efficient horn speakers is some of the best sound he's ever heard. The Klipsch forums are another good source of info about Dynaco amps.

The original Dynaco designs are among the best tube amps ever made. You can buy better tube amps, but you had better be prepared to spend a whole lot of money. If you absolutely must have the best of the best and you can afford it, then look for some Conrad-Johnson tube hifi gear. If you are willing to believe that you can convert a Dynaco amp into an amp that rivals the very finest amps that money can buy then Joe Curcio and the other Dynaco gurus will be glad to take your money. Although I haven't tried every possible mod, I would urge you to be skeptical of these claims. They sound too good to be true and in my experience that's usually a sign that they probably are too good to be true.

In the meantime consider this: In the world of tube amps, second best is still a darn sight better than just about anything else available. If you are fortunate enough to stumble across an old stereo Dynaco tube amp or a pair of Dynaco tube monoblocks my advice is to restore them, keep them as original as possible, and enjoy them for their classic sweetness and richness. I guarantee you will rediscover your favorite music and hear subtleties and shadings you never noticed before.

As a musician I believe that the perfect is the enemy of the good. Before you blow your hard earned money on expensive "upgrades", hear what the original Dynaco amp designs can do. I'm willing to bet that if you do that, you'll stop right there. It doesn't get much better. So save yourself some money, skip the mods, and spend your extra cash on some new recordings. Music is one of life's greatest pleasures and even more so when you play it through some great classic tube amps like the Dynaco Mk III's.

Alan Acuff, Folksinger

2008-09-22T11:26:00.001-07:00

It occurs to me that I haven't properly introduced myself here on this blog of mine so here goes...

My name is Alan Acuff. I entertained professionally for about twenty years. During that time you could find me pickin' and grinnin' at resorts, saloons, and cafes throughout Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and Southern California. I also produced national radio spots for Budweiser beer, opened for Bonnie Raitt, performed live on various public radio broadcasts, and when times got tough I worked at odd jobs here and there.

As a youngster I had an ambition to be a painter when I grew up. After high school I attended California Institute of the Arts where I wound up making video art instead of painting. I was pioneer in the early days of multimedia and performance art. In 2008 my art and music video's were feature by the Getty Museum and Research Institute in their landmark show California Video. They also interviewed me and included me in their book California Video: Artists and Histories.

In the early days of multimedia you couldn't make a living making music videos so after a brief stint in TV and radio advertising, I decided to pursue my interest in American folk music. In 1979, my good buddy Fred Walecki introduced me to Ramblin' Jack Elliott. Jack crashed at my Venice Beach pad for a while.

Later on Jack returned the favor by driving me around Texas where he introduced me to Townes Van Zandt and Mickey White. Not long after that I started performing at Austin open mics. From there I progressed to bar gigs... I sorta got stuck in that rut for about two decades. Guess I should have been more ambitious but there I was playing the music I loved and making a living at it. Plus the joints where I played gave me cool T-shirts and free cheeseburgers. It just doesn't get a whole lot better than that.

Around 1981 I left Austin for Los Angeles where I studied acting, appeared in TV commercials and films, and continued to perform music. By 1987 I was suffering from a combination of Los Angeles smog and bad allergies. A doctor talked me into moving to Santa Fe, New Mexico where the clean high desert air brought me some relief.

Pretty soon after moving to Santa Fe I was performing at the Santa Fe Hilton, the Bishop's Lodge, El Farol, the Coyote Cafe, and other local music spots. That's about as far as you can go in Santa Fe. Santa Fe didn't provide anything much in the way of other musical opportunities. So I returned to my art school roots. I took some photography classes and started a photography business. As a photographer I've worked for Car and Driver, Charter Bank, Lucchese Boots and many other clients.

Meanwhile some of my friends were encouraging me to study up on digital audio recording and to record some of the songs I wrote back in my checkered past. That's something I somehow never got around to in the old days. Could have been fear of success or just plain lack of ambition... I dunno...

...and that brings us pretty much to the present. I'm just about finished converting part of my Santa Fe loft into a recording studio and then I'm going to make some recordings and videos which you'll find on my music website... coming soon! Please stay tuned!

This blog is a hodgepodge of memories, music reviews, and equipment reviews. It's dedicated to Ramblin' Jack Elliott and to everyone else who ever took the wrong road and just kept going because they were curious to see what was down the road and around the bend. I hope you'll enjoy visiting and reading, and I look forward to your comments.

Santa Fe Music Blog Update

2008-09-20T18:37:00.001-07:00

Hi folks! Been too darn busy to post much in recent weeks. Just want to let you know that I'm making some progress and that I haven't forgotten all y'all. Stay tuned for some new music, some new equipment reviews, and more. As Ramblin' Jack Elliott always sez, "To be continued..."

Ira Ingber - Here Is Where

2008-07-23T12:12:00.000-07:00

While my own music project is moving slowly forward I want to take a moment to point your attention at Ira Ingber. To quote musical luminary Van Dyke Parks, "Ira Ingber's debut album isn't really his debut album. The 'Man-Behind-The-Curtain' for artists such as Bob Dylan, Brian Wilson, Van Dyke Parks, and... 'your name here' emerges as singer/songwriter in his own right."

Ira's CD, Here is Where inspired me to pick up my own guitars after a long layoff. He sounds like he is having sooooo much fun and he makes it all seem deceptively simple. Trust me folks, it ain't as easy as it looks. It takes talent to make something extremely difficult and complex appear to be as easy as falling off a log. Follow the link above to Ira's website and listen for yourself.

You can purchase Here Is Where at CDBaby.com.

New Beginnings Sprouting From Old Roots

2008-04-18T14:46:00.001-07:00

I was looking through my scrapbook photo album and ran across this old picture of me holding Ramblin' Jack Elliott's guitar. (You can see Jack over my shoulder reading the newspaper.)

Well, after some years away from it I find myself returning to music. I gave it up for a while to start a photography business and settle down. About the same time this picture was taken, Townes Van Zandt introduced me to a Houston lady named Rutherine. She educated me in what she called, "The Rules Of The Road." Well, I was never much good at rules but Rutherine steered me around a few obstacles with her down home wisdom. I wish just she had also warned me about the perils of New Mexico real estate... especially water issues... it's a long story... It always makes me smile when I think of Rutherine and her Rock and Roll Hotel. Sometime soon I'll do a post devoted the her "Rules of the Road" lesson.

Been getting restless to play some folk music and maybe ramble around the globe a little. Guess the wanderlust has grabbed ahold of me. No telling where it's gonna take me. In the meantime I've been doing a bunch of song writing. I'll be doing some recording soon as I get up to speed on digital audio technology. Check back here once in awhile and there may be something new here that all y'all can listen to... or maybe even a video... ya never know...

Oasis Follow Up - A Cold Dry Winter

2008-01-29T23:28:00.000-08:00

A couple months back I wrote a review of the new Oasis guitar humidifiers. I just want to follow up here by saying that the darn things work exactly as promised. We're having the coldest driest winter in memory here in Santa Fe, New Mexico and my acoustic guitars are happy and healthy.

The guitars have even been doing some song writing recently and are rumored to be working on a CD with the artist formerly known as Alan Rogers. More on that soon. Or as my pal Ramblin' Jack Elliott says, "To be continued..."

Review: Oasis Guitar Humidifiers

2007-11-15T08:08:00.000-08:00

Here in Santa Fe we live in the high desert. The altitude is about 7,000 feet and the humidity is generally around 20 percent. If you own an acoustic guitar you'll find it a challenge to keep it sufficiently humidified so as to prevent it from cracking. Guitar builders advise keeping your acoustic guitar in an environment of about 45 percent humidity.

The other day I observed that my 1963 Gibson LG1, an old friend, was showing a hairline crack opening up along the seam in the top of the guitar. I had been using a popular soundhole humidifier, but it failed to do the job. This motivated me to search the internet in a quest for an effective guitar humidifier.

My efforts paid off and I found the website for Oasis Guitar Humidifiers. The website features a new kind of guitar humidifier developed by guitarist Dave Hepple. I read the material on his Oasis website and also Googled the products. I found some satisfied owners recommending Oasis humidifiers in some of the guitar discussion groups on the internet. So I placed an order.

I had a question regarding my order so I called and spoke with Dave. I'm glad that I did because I learned something valuable. In addition to the standard and Plus+ (for dry climates) humidifier, he also makes a Re-Hydrator for professional use. It is for restoring badly dehydrated guitars... just the thing for my Gibson. Dave kindly included one in my order along with the Plus+ humidifiers that I purchased.

I first used the Re-Hydrator to restore the moisture in my Gibson. It took about a week and I had to replenish the moisture in the Re-Hydrator several times during that week. The crack disappeared and the top of the guitar now shows that slight arch or "belly" which is the sign of a healthy acoustic guitar. After restoring the guitar I switched to the Oasis Plus+ humidifier and it is doing an excellent job of maintaining the humidity level in the guitar.

I won't attempt to detail the technology of the Oasis guitar humidifiers here because Dave does a splendid job of that on his website. If you read his info and instructions you will have no problems. The humidifiers are safe to use with any guitar and doubly safeguarded against leakage. They utilize a special membrane which allows water vapor to pass through in such a way that the humidifier shrinks as it dries out. A quick glance will tell you when it needs to be refilled.

I highly recommend the Oasis Guitar humidifiers and also recommend the Oasis Hygrometer which is a miniature humidity gauge that fits nicely inside your guitar case. It's easy to read and accurate. If you are interested in learning more about guitar care and humidification I recommend the excellent instructional videos available free on the Taylor Guitar website.

It's a pleasure to find a product that is so well conceived and constructed with such integrity. I've used every guitar humidifier
on the market today and the Oasis Guitar humidifiers are by far the easiest to use and most effective available.

Demeter Tube Direct - A Review

2007-09-30T20:46:00.001-07:00

The Demeter Tube Direct is a veritable sonic Swiss Army Knife for musicians. For those of you who aren't acquainted with this mainstay of studio and stage, I'm talking about the original vacuum tube direct box as designed by audio nerd par excellence and lead guitar slinger of The Heaters, James Demeter.

The DTB was originally conceived as a studio direct box. During the design process James came down with a bad case of the flu. He found himself wondering what would happen if he used a 12AX7 vacuum tube in his circuit. Sometimes delirium is the mother of invention. And so a modern pro audio classic was born.

Demeter's brain child has often been imitated but never equaled. Before he manufactured equipment Demeter paid his dues as tube amp guru to the likes of The Eagles, Bonnie Raitt, Ry Cooder, David Lindley, and many others. He knows how vacuum tubes work. I've been a tube direct user since the early days and I can't help but wonder when I see something running off a low voltage wall wart power supply and claiming to be a vacuum tube preamp. I guess there are folks who will believe anything...

My own love affair with the DTB began one day when I asked James if I could use my preamp with my newly acquired Sunrise Guitar Pickup given to me by our friend James Kaufman. Some folks will find this hard to believe but I'll swear on a motel full of Gideon Bibles that it's true... that's the first time anyone paired a Sunrise Pickup with a Demeter Tube Direct. Now it's become the reference standard for acoustic guitar amplification.

Open Mic Cancelled

2007-08-09T10:21:00.000-07:00

After a trial month of open mics at the PD Bean we decided to abandon the project. It's a good idea and could work. It would take more time and effort to promote than I have available. If you're interested in taking over, stop by the PD Bean and talk to Dan about it.

Thanks to everyone who participated. Wish I had the time available to promote the event. It was fun for a short time, but I need to focus my time and energy on my photography business.

Open Mic at the PD Bean

2007-07-02T22:14:00.000-07:00

Alan Rogers' Open Mic, Santa Fe's first and best open mic, returns after a long hiatus. We're thinkin' of it as the Alan Rogers Open Mic Comeback Tour.

The event kicks off July 9 at 6:00pm at the PD Bean Coffeehouse at 2411 Cerrillos Rd. in Santa Fe. Sign-ups start at 5:30.

Just like in the good old days Alan Rogers will provide sound for the talent and will fill in as needed with music and ~~atrocious~~ funny jokes.

Folksingers and songwriters are welcome. Because the PD Bean is a cozy venue the open mic will be limited to acoustic instruments (acoustic pickups are OK). Sorry, no drums or Marshall amp stacks.

The event is scheduled for the second and fourth Monday night of each month. Stay tuned to this blog for pictures and reports. The picture below shows your genial host and coffee bean wrangler, Dan. Come down and visit us Monday night.

Pat Malone at The Bishop's Lodge

2007-06-04T11:34:00.001-07:00

While photographing a wedding last weekend at The Bishop's Lodge, I had a chance to dig Pat Malone's jazz duo playing in the main lobby. Pat and bassist John Blackburnet fielded my request for "Green Dolphin Street" with one of the grooviest arrangements of the venerable jazz standard ever... these guys are cool.

Pat Malone perfoms Thursdays and Saturdays at La Posada, Sundays at La Fonda, and Fridays at The Bishop's Lodge. Call (505) 983-6377 for more info and for more about Pat, visit his website at patmalonemusic.com.

Butch Crouch CD On Sale

2007-05-13T16:34:00.000-07:00

Butch's long awaited CD I Got So Close is finally here. You can pick up your autographed copy on Sunday nights at El Farol on Canyon Road. For more info click HERE to visit Butch's myspace.com page.

It ain't a perfect world folks but you'll feel better about it after you listen to Butch sing about it all with compassion and humor. After all these years and all the things life has thrown his way Butch still has that magic sparkle in his eye and his gravelly whiskey baritone just gets more soulful with every passing season. Go have a couple of beers and listen to Butch. I bet before long you'll be smilling through the tears.

Busy McCarroll at Gig Performance Space

2007-03-17T19:46:00.001-07:00

Santa Fe music scene mainstays Busy McCarroll, Kevin Zoernig, Justin Branford and Joel Fadness will appear Saturday, March 24 at Gig performance space at 1808 Second Street in Santa Fe. The show begins at 8pm and seats can be had for a modest $10-$15 donation at the door. It's an intimate venue and there isn't a bad seat anywhere in the house. For more info visit www.gigsantafe.com.

Chuscales releases new CD

2007-02-27T19:34:00.000-08:00

Chuscales is a soft-spoken man with a kind, gentle manner about him... until he picks up his guitar... then his guitar speaks. It sings, shouts, whispers and cries with passion, fury, tenderness, melancholy, mischief, loneliness...

Chuscales' guitar has loved and lost, it has tossed and turned in an empty bed, it has gone hungry without food, and stayed out all night drinking... it has tiptoed barefoot up the stairs at the break of dawn and laid down in it's case without waking a soul.

You can hear Chuscales on Friday and Saturday from 5-7pm in the lobby bar of Santa Fe's legendary La Fonda hotel. Be sure to pick up a copy of his new CD, Guitara Flamenca. You won't be disappointed. Chuscales in concert more than lives up to his reputation as a master of the Spanish and Gypsy guitar.

My only complaint about his CD is that it should be one of ten... instead of the only available recording.

Pete Springer & Whatsisname at the Tin Star Saloon

2007-01-28T00:33:00.000-08:00

Last night I dropped by the Tin Star to catch Pete Springer with drummer par excellence Andy Pimm. In my last write up of the band I failed to mention that Pete Springer trades off on lead vocal and harmony vocal with his partner... whatisname... er... uh... Don Curry.

Seriously, this band is driven by it's tight vocal harmonies and strong instrumental backing. Curry and Springer do an admirable job of harmonizing on a wide variety of material. Last night I was fortunate to catch them performing a standout version of the the old Randy Newman song You Can Leave Your Hat On.

There is one thing lacking however, and that is a CD that you can purchase and take home to Cleveland. How about a Live at the Tin Star recording? What about it guys?

I've been searching for the dolphins in the sea and sometimes I wonder do you ever think of me?

2007-01-19T10:15:00.000-08:00

Something about a snowy winter in Santa Fe that can have you waking up with Fred Neil on your mind. For those of you who are also dreaming of palm trees, golden days, and purple nights here are some Fred Neil links.

www.furious.com/Perfect/folkniks.html

www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAmZF79wvu8

www.richieunterberger.com/neil.html

www.home.zonnet.nl/jim2873/fredneil/hitparader.html

www.fredneil.com/

www.home.zonnet.nl/jim2873/fredneil/rushevans.html

Butch Crouch at El Farol

2007-01-15T09:00:00.000-08:00

Butch Crouch is much more than a singer of folksongs. He is a troubador in the tradition of Woody Guthrie, Cisco Houston, Hoyt Axton, and Ramblin' Jack Elliott. Butch has lived the songs he sings and he brings them alive on stage where performs them with authority and sensitivity. Butch is a skilled raconteur and you might find yourself so caught up in one of his humorous, rambling tales that you almost forget that he's a damn good guitar player and singer. A man of many talents, he's also an accomplished songwriter who, after a lifetime spent entertaining live audiences, has finally put some of his own songs on a CD which is planned for release this Spring (2007).

You can catch Butch every Sunday night at El Farol at 808 Canyon Road beginning at 8:00pm. El Farol is one of Santa Fe's oldest cantinas and restaurants and is now smoke-free throughout the establishment.

Don Curry & Pete Springer at the Tin Star Saloon

2007-01-06T09:13:00.000-08:00

Don Curry on guitar & vocals and Pete Springer on keyboards, with a rotating drummer lineup including Mark Clark, Andy Primm and Pete Williams, cover a wide range of rock music including Beatles, Simon & Garfunkel, Tom Petty, David Bowie, Smashing Pumpkins, New Radicals, and many more, as well as some original music. The focus of their music is vocal harmony and eclectic and esoteric cover tunes.

Current dates at the Tin Star Saloon are:
Saturday, January 6
Saturday, January 27
Saturday, February 10
Saturday, February 24
Saturday, March 10
Friday, March 23

God bless Bill Hearne and John Wayne

2006-12-29T16:19:00.000-08:00

Bill Hearne is one of our national treasures. Bill can stand side by side with any guitar picker and singer in the world and hold his own. I'll stand on Guy Clark's coffee table in
Steve Earl's cowboy boots and say that!

Bill's website is the place to go for info on his current performing schedule. You can most likely find him at the La Fonda in Santa Fe on Wednesday and Thursday nights. Check his website for more info on where he's appearing.

Keep an eye out for Bill's new brand new CD. He promised me there's a whole bunch of good ole honkytonk songs comin' our way. The CD features Bill and his trio which includes Cathy Faber on doghouse bass and vocal harmonies and multinstumentalist Bob Goldstein adding a generous amount of his special magic to the mix.