Taylor 214 Grand Auditorium Acoustic Guitar Review

Hiya!

When it comes to acoustic guitars I am pretty much a die-hard Martin and Takamine enthusiast, but I recently stumbled upon a lovely Taylor Grand Auditorium model 214 that really struck my fancy. This model was discontinued in 2013, though there are still similar things in their line-up.

In case you are not familiar with Taylor’s models (like me), the 214 is a mid-size acoustic (somewhere between a dreadnaught and the smaller Taylor Grand Concert) with no cutaway or electronics. It is a comfortable size, with the body measuring around 4 5/8”deep, 16” wide, and 20 long. This guitar has a normal scale length (25 ½ inches), so there should not be a lot of adjustment if you are switching from something else.

This guitar was built in Mexico (like all 2 series instruments) and the body is made from laminated rosewood, and the top is made from solid spruce with forward shifted braces. The top has a glossy finish and the back and sides have a smooth satin finish. The top and back are multi-ply bound with black and blindingly white plastic, and there is a faux tortoise shell pickguard.

This Taylor’s unbound neck has 20 frets, 14 of which are free from the body. The neck is sapele, sort of like mahogany, with an ebony fretboard (the bridge is ebony too). There is a very pretty Indian rosewood peghead overlay and a black plastic trussrod cover. The nut is 1 11/16” wide and it has a Nubone nut to match the compensated bridge saddle. The chrome-plated sealed tuners hold well, though I wish they were nickel, which looks so much classier. The neck also has a satin finish, felt broken in right out of the box.

The frets are still in wonderful shape and perfectly level, and the top is certainly gorgeous. It has a super-fast neck, and though I have heard that these guitars do their best for fingerstyle, it is a nice strummer, even when digging in. It is pretty loud, but it has an uncanny brightness and clarity. The top has a loose sound, and it is as sweet as can be with very good balance.

The Taylor Grand Auditorium 214 is well-made, attractive, a good player, and It sounds wonderful. Plus they are a good value! The 214 had a list price of $1068 and a street price of $700 when they were new and these guitars seem to sell for around $500 or $600 on the used market, which brings them well into the realm of us mortal men. Check one out for yourself and see what you think!

Mahalo!

Chicago Blues Guide Album Review: Mississippi Heat - Warning Shot

This review was originally published in Chicago Blues Guide on November 5, 2014. Be sure to check out their website at: www.chicagobluesguide.com

Mississippi Heat - Warning Shot

Delmark Records

By Rex Bartholomew

Since 1991, Mississippi Heat has been churning out a unique brand of blues from their home base of Chicago. The band has gone through a few line-up changes over the years, but it is still led by Pierre Lacocque, a masterful harmonica player and first-rate songwriter. They have a big and fun sound, and are not afraid to record original material or bring their show to the stage. They have a heavy gigging schedule and a legion of dedicated fans that come out to see their wonderful high-energy shows.

Mississippi Heat recently released Warning Shot, their 11th album and fifth release from Chicago’s storied Delmark Records. It is a hearty serving of Chicago blues (with a few other flavors added), coming in at over an hour and containing 16 tracks. 14 of these tracks are originals that were written by the band members, with Lacocque getting credit on ten of them. There is a killer line-up of musicians for this disc, with Inetta Visor on vocals, Neal O’Hara on keys, Brian Quinn on bass, Sax Gordon on the saxophone, Kenny Smith and Andrew Thomas on drums, and Michael Dotson and Giles Corey on guitar. A true Windy City legend, Ruben Alvarez, also lends a hand with his tasty percussion work.

All of the songs on Warning Shot are very good, and the band placed one of the best up front! “Sweet Poison” has a frisky bounce right from the intro, with Pierre waging a harmonica battle against the guitar and holding his own. Then, when Inetta starts singing, this track is propelled to the next level with her throaty pipes tearing into her old man for his philandering ways and ruing that his love is still so sweet. There are high production levels to be found here, with crystal clear recording and a spot-on mix that will be found throughout the rest of the album. It is amazing that this disc only took two days to record!

“Alley Cat Boogie” is another peach of a song, a rocking boogie with hammering piano from O’Hara and Sax Gordon trading solos with Pierre. The backing vocals of Mae Koen, Diane Madison and Nanette Frank are a nice touch and make this track complete. You may also know them from their work on guitarist Giles Corey’s Stoned Soul album, which was released by Delmark earlier this year. This track is backed up with the Calypso stylings of “Come to Mama,” which includes some fun percussion work from Alvarez and is also notable change from the pell-mell boogie that came before -- Mississippi Heat never gets stuck in a rut on Warning Shot.

Guitarist Michael Dotson takes the vocals on the three tunes that he penned, and his voice is hearty and could possibly even be described as tortured. “Yeah Now Baby” has driving tempo that is held in check by the masterful backline of Quinn on bass and Thomas on drums, and “Swingy Dingy Baby” brings a little vintage swing fun into the mix. But the standout is “Evaporated Blues,” a funky Delta-tinged blues-rock song that only a guitar player could have written. Kenny Smith also wrote one of the tracks, “What Cha Say,” and we get to hear his lead vocals on this slow grinder as well as his fine work behind the drum kit. This quartet of songs fits in well with the rest of the material on this CD and provides even more variety to what is already a diverse collection of music.

The two covers are quite unexpected. The first is a fairly faithful revision of Ruth Brown’s “I Don’t Know” from 1959. This Brook Benton and Bobby Stevenson jazz song stands the test of time well, with Inetta taking the role of chanteuse and Lacocque’s harp and Corey’s lead guitar edging the tone a little towards the bluesier side of things. The other is completely out of left field: an instrumental take on Hank Williams’ “Your Cheating Heart.” Pierre plays the lead on his harmonica and Gordon blows a gloriously raunchy solo on his sax. This may be the best version of this song out there, besides Hank’s (of course)!

Finishing up the set is “Working Man,” with the entire band back on stage and Visor featured on the soulful lead vocals. This brand of fast-paced Chicago blues is a fine way to bring things to a close, as it is a fun reminder that this is where it all started for this top-shelf band.

Warning Shot is a well written and masterfully played album of new blues tunes that integrates all manner of influences to keep the listener entertained from beginning to end. Mississippi Heat delivered the goods with this record, and their live show is also a treat to see. They are gearing up for the Lucerne Blues Festival in Switzerland right now, but they will soon be heading back for plenty of shows around Chicago, and then on to other points in the US and Canada. Check out their website at www.mississippiheat.net

3Peaks DS-115TZ Screw Removal Pliers Review

Aloha!

Over the years I have stripped the heads of plenty of screws, mostly in household and automotive applications. In these cases it is usually easy enough to drill it out or get a pair of vise-grips on the head of the screw to twist it out (or break it off). The situation changes drastically when working on a pretty guitar, though. A pair of flat-jaw pliers or a poorly used drill bit is a recipe for disaster when working around soft wood.

This is where the 3Peaks DS-115TZ screw removal pliers come into play. These purpose-built pliers have a circular grab area with little teeth that help grab the screw head better to prevent slipping and unplanned damage. These pliers are made in Japan, where they still know how to machine quality tools to good tolerances.

The pliers are about 4 ½ inches long and have comfortable handles that let you get a good grip on what you are doing. They can handle screws with heads up to ½-inch in diameter, though you will probably not find screws this big very often in guitar work. They have a nice smooth action, which might help you not mess things up too badly as you nervously try to get your guitar back to normal.

I have used these pliers a few times for both guitar and household tasks, and they work great! They grip very well, and provide enough leverage to get the job done right. I would recommend putting a bit of tape around the end of the jaws to protect the guitar’s finish, as it is very easy to get close to the wood if the screw is fully seated when it gets stripped out.

3Peaks pliers have not been the easiest to find, but these tools are now being sold through Stewart MacDonald, so luthiers everywhere can get their hands on them more readily. They are not cheap ($29.95), but if you need them you really need them, and it will be well worth your money to pick up a pair before you need them!

Mahalo!

Chicago Blues Guide Album Review: Jarekus Singleton - Refuse to Lose

This review was originally published in Chicago Blues Guide on June 22, 2014. Be sure to check out their website at: www.chicagobluesguide.com

Jarekus Singleton - Refuse to Lose

Alligator Records

By Rex Bartholomew

As he hails from Mississippi, it would be natural to assume that Jarekus Singleton would be another in the long line of Delta bluesmen, but the scope of his music goes far beyond the borders of the Magnolia State. His original songs are blues-based, but he calls upon many genres to achieve a unique mood, including rock, jazz, funk, hip-hop, and maybe even a little country. This contemporary blues sound caught the ear of Alligator Records’ Bruce Iglauer, who helped Jarekus produce his debut album for the label, Refuse to Lose.

Though Singleton is barely 30 years old, music has been a life-long passion for him, and he started playing bass at the age of nine in his grandfather’s church. After switching to guitar and discovering his voice he fell under the spell of the blues at the age of 15. He showed impressive athletic prowess during college, but he always stuck with his music. This was fortunate for him (and us) as his basketball career was cut short in 2009 by injury, just as he had caught the eye of the NBA.

That same year, Jarekus formed his own band that self-released an album in 2011, and some of its tracks received regular airplay on satellite radio. He won the first of many blues awards in 2012, and it was only a matter of time until he signed with a label that could get his music heard across the country and around the world. His decision to work with Alligator worked out well -- Refuse to Lose is 53 minutes of exceptional art that is broken up into 12 self-penned tracks, and it is getting him the attention he deserves. Singleton takes the guitar and vocal parts for this project, and he is joined by a more than capable crew that includes James Salone on organ, Ben Sterling on bass and John “Junior” Blackmon behind the drum kit.

This set kicks off with “I Refuse to Lose” and the first impression is that this project has a very live sound. The guitar, bass, drums and organ on this blues rocker have a natural tone and blend, so that it is almost like being at a perfectly mixed blues gig. Credit for this vibrant mood goes to Pete Matthews of Nashville’s PM Music, who puts together a consistently tight product. Jarekus’ voice ranges from a spoken-word style all the way to a throaty roar, and if you listen to the words you will get to learn a bit of his life story.

Not knowing all of Singleton’s history, it is easy to assume that many of the songs are autobiographical as the lyrics are written in a very personal manner. Both “Hero” and “High Minded” sound like the voice of experience, taking to task folks that are haughty and egotistical, or possibly just too big for their britches. Also, “Crime Scene” and “Suspicion” are full of worldly wisdom that can only come from having a few relationships go sour. These subjects have been staples of the blues since day one, but Jarekus’ use of modern language and pop culture references brings his songs into the present day and makes them accessible to a new generation of listeners. He is a masterful storyteller!

In the same self-revealing vein, “Keep Pushin’” describes his motivation as well as specifics about his athletic history and the path to his new life in the blues spotlight. This hard-driving rock song uses a killer walking bass line, hammering drums and superb organ work to give it a rock feel that contrasts well with his rap-like lyrical delivery. It makes for a catchy package that results in one of the standout tracks on Refuse to Lose.

The other prize-winning tune is “Blame Game” which has a traditional 12-bars blues construction, but uses a sparse arrangement that is refreshingly different than what other artists are bringing to the table. Singleton changed things up for this song and brought in a different band to back him on this song: Ben Sterling popping out a very organic-sounding bass, Brandon Santini honking out a tasty harmonica lead and Robert “Nighthawk” Tooms playing a subdued piano accompaniment. This ends being a bare-bones shell that is decorated with Jarekus’ simple syncopated guitar chords and an all-too short solo. He really is quite a singer and guitar player, and the closer, “Come Wit Me,” arrives all too soon to end things on an upbeat note.

With its unique modern blues sound, wicked arrangements and heartfelt songwriting, Refuse to Lose is a winner in every way. Jarekus Singleton has made his own niche with his progressive sound and style, and he surely will play an important role in the future of the blues!

TC Electronic PolyTune Clip Tuner Review

Howdy!

It seems like I write a review for a new tuner every month, and this month is no exception! Today we are looking at the TC Electronic PolyTune Clip tuner, which takes their time-tested technology and packs it into one of those slick little clip-on tuners that everybody and their brother seems to want. I really loved the PolyTune pedal and hated the PolyTune app, so this will be interesting!

I have used plenty of TC Electronic equipment over the years, and it has been universally good stuff. They have been around since 1976, and I really like the tone of their amplifiers and effect pedals. Their products are solid and reliable, and are a definitely a good value when you consider what they can do and what they cost.

The PolyTune Clip is no exception. This thing is bigger than some clip-on tuners, but it is tiny and light for what it can do, measuring 1 by 1 by 2 ½ inches (most of this is the stainless steel clip), and it weighs in at 0.07 ounces. It seems sturdy, and it survived drop test nicely. It runs on a CR 3032 battery (available at drug stores everywhere), and the battery is supposed to last for 18 hours of use. I have not verified that. Yet.

The display has oodles of tiny multi-colored LEDs with the standard utilization of red for out of tune and green for in tune. It is super easy to see in all light conditions because TC Electronic included an ambient light sensor so it can adjust to how much light is available. This is nice as it is not too blinding on dark stages, and you can still see it in daylight. Of course, the glare direct sunlight is still kind of a pain, but what are you going to do?

The specs of this unit look very on paper, with chromatic tuner accuracy of about 0.5 cent (like the full-size pedal) and strobe tuner accuracy of an astounding 0.02 cent. As far as I can tell, the Polytune delivers on these promises.

The Polytune has a logic called “MonoPoly” that allows the tuner to discern if you played one string or all of them. If you play one string it will go into the usual chromatic mode, but if you play all of the strings it will go into polyphonic mode and you can check the intonation of all of your strings at the same time. Really – it will display all six and tell you which ones are in tune, flat, or sharp. Really!

Initially this might seem like a gimmick, but it is truly awesome and a huge time saver, particularly if you are on stage getting ready for the next song in your acoustic coffee house set. By the way, this feature works great on their pedal and is where the TC Electronic app fell flat.

Does this polyphonic feature work on all guitars and basses? I do not know, but it works on all of mine. Electric guitars (ESP, Stratocaster, Telecaster, Les Paul, Explorer), active basses (Sadowsky, Stingray), passive basses (Precision and Jazz), and my acoustic with pickups (Takemine and Martin). All of them worked fine, though I must add in the disclaimer that I use normal tunings. If you use alternate or drop tunings (from E-flat down to B) the Polytune is supposed to work, but I cannot personally vouch for it. The same goes for 5-string basses – I just do not have one lying around right now.

The polyphonic modes is a great tool for quickly checking to see where the guitar is, tuning wise, but I still prefer to fine tune each string individually in the regular chromatic mode. Since it automatically switches modes based on what the user is doing, this is not a big deal. By the way, the polyphonic mode seems to work better when using a pick on both guitars and basses. See what you think…

You do not have to set it up every time you use it. When you select different modes or reference tones, this unit will memorize you settings after it powers off.

In actual day-today usage, and the Clip is very good; if I needed a new high-end clip-on tuner, it would be one of my first choices. But this is a moot point as I love my Peterson strobotuner, so it is not going to be replaced.

The TC Electronic PolyTune Clip is priced competitively with the rest of the higher-end clip-on tuner market, carrying an MSRP of $75, and a street price of $50. Give it a try and see what you think!

Mahalo!

Customer Service Excellence: QSC

Aloha!

I recently had a touch of difficulty with one of my QSC KSub subwoofers, and since it was still barely within warranty I figured I should see if there was anything the company could do about it. I came away very pleased!

QSC is one of the leaders in live sound equipment: they have been making high-quality amplifiers for years, their K and KW series speakers are ultra reliable (and powerful), and their Touchmix board is amazingly innovative. All I have are QSC speakers (K12s, K10s, and Ksubs) and I have given up on buying equipment from anybody else. I am not alone here, most clubs I go to have QSC speakers permanently set up for bands and DJ activities.

Anyway, I called to tell them about my problem, and actually got a customer service agent on the line right away, and she was from their headquarters right here in sunny Southern California. I explained what was going on, and after a little discussion about whether it was a quality defect, they sent out the parts I needed right away (it was a minor thing that I could fix myself).

The parts arrived the next day and this just confirms why I am a loyal QSC customer. They build great stuff and stand behind it. This might not seem like a big deal to some of you, but good customer service is a thing of the past, and it is nice to know there are still companies out there that care about keeping their customers. Throw them some business if you get a chance, you will not go wrong!

Mahalo!

Blues Blast Magazine Album Review: Doug Otto and Hurricane Harold – Blues at Barkin’ Jack’s

Good day!

This CD review was originally published in the February 19, 2015 edition of Blues Blast Magazine. Be sure to check out the rest of the magazine at www.bluesblastmagazine.com

Doug Otto and Hurricane Harold - Blues at Barkin’ Jack’s

Self Release

10 tracks / 36:53

A lot of new blues music has to be described in terms of the other genres that have influenced its sound, for example, blues-rock, country-blues, and the old standard: rhythm and blues. There is no struggle to figure this out with Doug Otto and Hurricane Harold’s new CD, Blues at Barkin’ Jacks. This release is mostly blues at its most basic level – guitar, voice, and harmonica, and all of it is played with a remarkable brilliance. No drums, bass or keyboard were needed to achieve their goals, and the effect is really cool.

Both of these gentlemen hail from the Twin Cities, and those long cold winters in the great white north have apparently given them the opportunity to hone their chops! Doug Otto provides the guitar and vocals for this project, but he also finds plenty of work with his own bands, the Getaways and North Country Bandits, as well as sitting in with the No Accounts. Hurricane Harold Tremblay is a master harmonica man (a mentor of Curtis Blake), and co-founder of Cool Disposition. He also hosts a weekly blues show on KFAI radio in Minneapolis and leads the All-Star Revue, which features some truly fine artists from Minnesota – he is a genuine renaissance man.

Blues at Barkin’ Jacks has ten tracks that are mostly covers of wonderful vintage blues tunes, along with three originals that were written by Otto. It was recorded live in the studio with no overdubs and no more than two takes for any song. Jeremy Johnson did a wonderful job of engineering and mixing the guys’ time in the studio, and the final product has a clean sound that makes it sound like these guys are playing in your living room.

After starting off the set with a slow-driving rendition of Howlin’ Wolf’s “Asked for Water,” the duo plays the first of the three originals, “Broken Thoughts.” Otto’s writing on these songs has more of a roots and country-blues theme, and all of them are well suited to his pleasant tenor vocal range (which makes him sound a bit like Eric Clapton). His songwriting is mature, with good imagery and phrasing, which can also be found on “Heart to Heart” and “My Time is Moving Slow.” The latter gives Tremblay a chance to sing harmonies, which is a cool effect as his voice lends a unique droning effect. This is the standout track in the album, without a doubt.

The rest of the songs are straight-up Maxwell Street blues material, as can be heard from Muddy Waters’ “Long Distance Call,” which uses subtle electric guitar chording with a heavy bass beat while Harold shows off his fine feel for the harp. Otto’s guitar tone is outstanding on Skip James’ haunting classic “Hard Time Killing Floor,” and he also delivers a surprisingly good falsetto vocal performance, which is a hard thing to accomplish for most singers.

The classics continue with Lonnie Johnson’s “She’s Making Whoopie (in Hell Tonight)” which would be a hard song to write today, but in 1930 there were no political correctness police to contend with. There are also a couple of well-done Robert Johnson tunes, “Hell Hound on My Trail” and “Kind Hearted Woman,” that are delivered in a wonderfully laconic style.

Despite the good craftsmanship these gentlemen showed on the cover tunes, the originals are exceptionally special, and are the highlight of this disc. A full-length album of Otto-penned originals would surely be a good listen, and hopefully this pair will have the chance to continue their work and head back to the studio to give us a bit more of this wonderful stuff.

There is a lot to like about Blues at Barkin’ Jack’s, and Doug Otto and Hurricane Harold really delivered the goods. Their bare bones live sound is clear, and the selection of tunes that they assembled works well together. There is no mistaking this album for anything but the blues, and you should certainly give it a listen!

Mahalo!