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Ch0jin
June 17th, 2008, 03:09 AM
Hi Everyone :)

I stumbled across this site and after reading a bit decided it looked like something I might like to be a part of. (It was the collaberations that got me as I've always wanted to do that)

Well I'm 37 and have been messing around on guitars for a while, but I'm more of a random noise maker than a guitar player ;) (short attention span)

There are some truly impressive gear lists on here, so I'm sure mine will look pretty basic, however there are a few items I have here that I wouldn't trade anything for.

Guitars - 1989 Squire Strat with Dimarzio 'Chopper' in the bridge and the most recent and prized posession is a 2008 Maton Mastersound Deluxe with Seymour Duncans. For those of you unfamilier with Maton, the one I have is essentially this one http://www.maton.com.au/electrics/ms2000-dlx-sd.html but in high gloss black. Sound wise and playability wise, it's like a LP Custom, but better (and as it's locally manufactured it's less expensive). I can rave on and on about it, but I'll save that for another time ;) Oh I also have an amazingly ordinary Vantage Bass that cost me $50 ;) I hope to add a Tele and another two Matons one day (the BB1200 as seen in Josh Homme's hands and an acoustic)

Amps. My main amp is a Peavey Ultra 112 Combo with Sovtek 6L6's running into a vintage Vase 4x12 bass quad box. (Vase was an Australian company who made some really cool amps and cabs back in the 60's. I got this one for nothing for cleaning out a garage, true 60's vintage alnico magnet speakers and all) I also have a home made JCM800 2204 50W I made from scratch and built into the old Vase bass head I scored with the speaker cab. (Had I known better at the time I'd have rebuilt the Vase amp instead of butchering it for my own project, but cest lavie) I hope to add either a full hand made low wattage tube amp like the firefly, or a modded Valve Jnr. I'd also love to own (but unless I'm playing in a rehearsal space or live they are both overkill) a Ceriatone Plexi or JCM800 2203 clone and a Fender Hotrod Deluxe ;)

I've also just started making my own FX pedals and I'm loving it. So far I have a simple germanium fuzz (based on a fuzzface) a more complex germanium fuzz with bias and shape control, a highly modded Big Muff Pi design, and a beautiful analog tremelo. Soon I'm going to get into a TS808 clone and perhaps a booster or two (oh and maybe an analog delay too).

Oh and I've heard raves reviews on the fulltone OCD, so maybe I'll see if I can get hold of one of those too...

The germ fuzzes are freakin amazing, but only into a tube amp. I tried one into an old solid state harp amp and an old fender solid state amp and all the cool dynamic stuff went away and I just got mud.

Umm what else....JD Crybaby modded for tru bypass, Boss Metal Zone, Boss Turbo OD, and this ghastly horrible behringer digital reverb that I'd have returned if it hadn't cost $20 new. (I'm hoping one day I can find a use for it)

Oh and a Pocket Pod!! These things are the business!!!! I couldn't be more impressed with a product. Seriously, every guitarist should have one.

Anyway, enough of my ramblings, I can hear a corona calling from the fridge and my Maton calling from behind me....

Some Geetar and Pedal shots on my flickr page if ur interested.....

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ch0jin/

Peace
Darren

Lev
June 17th, 2008, 03:29 AM
Welcome to theFret. I love the cover art on those homemade pedals, very impressive - be sure to post some clips on how they sound :bravo:

Are Maton guitars made in Australia? They came to my attention when I saw Tommy Emannuel playing an acoustic Maton.

Jipes
June 17th, 2008, 03:29 AM
Welcome here Darren sure you'll like it ;) As for your basic equipment I know lots of great artists who plays on cheap instruments and still have amazing sound quality so don't worry :AOK:

Jipes

Algonquin
June 17th, 2008, 03:41 AM
Welcome to the Fret.
Cheers :beer:

mrmudcat
June 17th, 2008, 04:26 AM
Welcome:beer:

tot_Ou_tard
June 17th, 2008, 04:46 AM
Welcome Darren!

I'm sure Vood will be around shortly to discuss FX building with you.

O! & Warren will tell you that he's sure that you'll like it here.

Don't pay any attention to the man. :D

sunvalleylaw
June 17th, 2008, 06:49 AM
Welcome Darren!

luvmyshiner
June 17th, 2008, 06:54 AM
Welcome to the Fret Darren!

warren0728
June 17th, 2008, 06:54 AM
welcome darren....this is a great forum....i think you will like it here....

ww :pancake:

note: this welcome copyrighted 2008...no unauthorized use of this welcome will be tolerated

Katastrophe
June 17th, 2008, 07:11 AM
Welcome! :rockon:

Robert
June 17th, 2008, 07:18 AM
Welcome! :wave: Great intro!

SuperSwede
June 17th, 2008, 07:56 AM
Welcome!

Making you own pedals eh?? You are going to love our own witch doctor "Duh Voodoo Man". He makes some zonkin good pedals

scgmhawk
June 17th, 2008, 08:08 AM
Welcome, mate, and cheers:beer:

Ch0jin
June 17th, 2008, 05:59 PM
Thanks for all the warm welcomes :)

To answer a couple of questions...


Are Maton guitars made in Australia? They came to my attention when I saw Tommy Emannuel playing an acoustic Maton.

They sure are! They've been making guitars since 1946 and I've seen Maton acoustics in the hands of many an acoustic strummer. They have a custom shop too and I think Tommy Emannual had at least one full custom number made for him. Michael Franti and Josh Homme are also big Maton fans apparently.

Oh and the Wiggles use the entry level Maton Electrics the MS500 series haha.


.. I know lots of great artists who plays on cheap instruments...

Just to defend my girls honour... Whilst the Squier and the Bass are cheap, the Maton is in the same kind of class as a LP Custom. Individually hand made to order they have a list price of something like $3200 or so. As a big bonus for Aussies they dont carry the same premium that an imported LP Custom does, so roughly speaking, to get the same feel and sound from a LP you'd be paying more than $5k for a new one over here.

My quad box though you are spot on! There is naught cheaper than Free! I suspect it's worth a bit though if I wanted to sell it. After all, doesn't just about everything in the Guitar world that can be described as "Vintage" (it was made in the 60's) command big $$? Then add that it was from a "botique" manufacturer and woohoo!! It's clearly not for everyone though. It's horribly impractical as it has the old style luggage handles, not the nice recessed handles you get on modern cabs so it's a knuckle crusher to carry, and it's got rubber feet, not wheels. Also as it was intended as a bass cab it's quite "dark" sounding, but like some other more famous "bass" rigs from that era it sounds awesome with a guitar!! I can also run it in parallel with the single 12" in my valve combo if I want more "sparkle".

Anyway, I feel myself hijacking my own welcome thread so I better get back to work ;)

just strum
June 17th, 2008, 06:53 PM
Ch0jin,

Welcome to thefret - I went to visit your site and I found your photos interesting. Did you take all of those and what camera or cameras do you use?

Warren is our resident photographer, so if you have an interest, he would be the man to talk to. Just avoid pancake offers.

Ch0jin
June 17th, 2008, 08:46 PM
Well thanks Just Strum!!!!!

Yeah I took all of those, photgraphy is a hobby of mine (I seem to pick the most expensive hobbies huh, guitars and photography) I'm glad you found them interesting. My camera collection is a little more extensive than my guitar collection as I have and use a Canon AE-1 thats the same age as me, an EOS 33 Film body (it's loaded with T400CN or before it was discontinued, Velvia 50) an EOS 20D Digi (almost all the pics on that site were taken with the 20D) and the coolest is an old Polaroid from the aerly 80's, but the film has been discontinued :( Oh and I have an old 35MM P&S I never use haha. Lens wise the EOS bodies get to use a 10-22, 28-135IS, and a 50mm F1.8 primarily. The AE-1 has either the 200MM fixed or a 50mm F1.8

Hope that makes sense ;) and I'm just as happy to talk Photgraphy as I am Music so there you go.

just strum
June 17th, 2008, 08:54 PM
Well thanks Just Strum!!!!!

Yeah I took all of those, photgraphy is a hobby of mine (I seem to pick the most expensive hobbies huh, guitars and photography) I'm glad you found them interesting. My camera collection is a little more extensive than my guitar collection as I have and use a Canon AE-1 thats the same age as me, an EOS 33 Film body (it's loaded with T400CN or before it was discontinued, Velvia 50) an EOS 20D Digi (almost all the pics on that site were taken with the 20D) and the coolest is an old Polaroid from the aerly 80's, but the film has been discontinued :( Oh and I have an old 35MM P&S I never use haha. Lens wise the EOS bodies get to use a 10-22, 28-135IS, and a 50mm F1.8 primarily. The AE-1 has either the 200MM fixed or a 50mm F1.8

Hope that makes sense ;) and I'm just as happy to talk Photgraphy as I am Music so there you go.

The AE-1 and the lenses made sense, the others I am not familiar with (except Polaroid). I have a Minolta (forget the model) and a number of different lenses. The only digital I use or have are a Sony Cyber Shot and the Canon Sure Shot (or something like that). My 16 year old is the up and coming photographer now, so I gave her all my equipment and books.

duhvoodooman
June 18th, 2008, 07:44 AM
Welcome to TheFret, Darren. Always great to have another enthusiastic player on board, especially a fellow DIY pedal freak! :AOK: We've already started talking about that subject in another thread, so I won't elaborate further here. 'Cept I will say that I like germanium fuzzes, too, and I'll be building four of THESE (http://www.buildyourownclone.com/tonebender.html)--one for myself and the other three for discerning fellow Fretters--in the next few weeks. Have the kits on order from BYOC right now....

BTW, I really like the looks of that Maton guitar--interesting variation on the classic Les Paul shape. Distinctive yet still recognizable where its roots lie. If it plays & sounds as good as it looks, it must be a fine instrument. :dude:

Brian Krashpad
June 18th, 2008, 11:43 AM
G'day Darren!

Welcome.

oldguy
June 21st, 2008, 08:06 PM
Welcome to TheFret, Darren! Glad you joined us here. :)