#music gear

[disease]

PANASONIC RS-261US TAPE DECK USED BY AFRIKA BAMBAATAA [MFG. ~1973 | plastic/silver | 3 × 12 × 10 1/4"]

[garys-classic-guitars]

1962 Epiphone Riviera, Hard to find guitar with earlier stye short headstock, One PAF and One Pat # mini humbucker both with stickers

[technician-the]

the Electro-voice model 664, also called the EV664, was a microphone made in the 1950s and 60s. It was the leading microphone for live vocals in the 1960s.

Designed and made in Buchanan, Michigan. The 664 was nicknamed the “Buchanan Hammer”, after a legendary demonstration where a salesman used the mic to drive nails into a board, then plugged the mic back in and finished his presentation.

the mic weigh several pounds, and had a body made of un-plated die-cast zink. the thickness of the casting made the mic almost indestructible, and because there was no plating rust (or even dents) can be sanded away and then the microphone can be polished back to a factory shine. As a result these mic's tend to look much younger then their true age.

The lettering stamped on the side of the microphone is the instructions to wire the connector, which is useful because it is not standard.

These microphones pioneered the Variable Depth (or variable D) concept. The fin hides a long, winding, internal passage, which is used to make the microphone more directional, and improve its frequency resonance.

After the success of the 664, Electro-voice introduced the 665 and 666, studio versions with matte finish and different connectors.

in the 1970s all these microphones were replaced the RE15 (a smaller mic better for hand held stage use) and RE20 (A direct refinement of the 664, and an incredibly successful radio microphone). The RE20 still in production.

[heidismagblog]

[techtalkbyjames]

Own a little piece of the dream ...Free Guitar strings with every guitar purchase.. Go here: https://reverb.com/shop/jamesguitarshoppe…

[smokeitm]

buying gear: new or used??

Some things I like to consider when buying instruments and accessories

Disclaimer; I deal mostly with guitars, basses, FX pedals, and amps. I've very little experience buying any other instruments.

used?

I'm heavily biased towards buying used gear for a number of reasons;

carbon footprint - I figure getting things second-hand means I'm not buying directly from the factory, but from someone who bought it from someone online who bought it directly from factory. I like to think that means I'm cutting fewer trees down.

informal (or less formal) economy - a lot of used gear can be found at local music shops or sites like craigslist. I generally try to avoid shopping online or buying from Guitar Center (though for some items, it's more difficult to find anywhere else) because it feels better to give money to my neighbor than to a corporation.

price point - used gear is often (though not always) cheaper than newer counterparts. the major exception that I can think of is vintage gear.

"character" - unless the piece was kept in a temperature controlled case for years on end and never used, it's likely to have collected a ding or sticker here and there. i don't go out of my way to scratch or sticker my gear (i don't like to sticker them at all, but that's personal preference), but a chip here or there is like a scar, and a reminder that objects age just as we do.

storied - used gear often has more of a story associated with them, even if that story only goes as far as "i met with some guy from craigslist in a sketchy parking lot at 9pm."

new?

All that said, though, there are some reasons one might prefer to buy a new piece of gear.

safety - you're much less likely to get mugged at Guitar Center than at sketchy parking lot at 9pm. that being said, i've never been mugged.

reliability - buying from craigslist keeps money local, but also relies on the good faith and honesty of people not bound by economic/corporate constraints. stores (including guitar center) generally have some form of quality control and regular maintenance.

wear & tear - simply put, new gear (unless it was blemished during manufacturing or transport, in which case it is usually discounted) usually lacks cosmetic wear; if you're looking for a shiny new piece, this is the way to go. moreover, certain gear components require specific skills and/or tools to repair or replace, something that is more commonly required for used gear.

parting remarks

as stated, i'm heavily biased towards buying used gear. nearly all of my gear (amps, FX pedals, and guitars) was purchased at a used music store or on craigslist. if you have any additional ideas or reasons for/against new or used, please feel free to comment and add to the discussion.

[mattyfrankmusic]

Check out these omniCHORDS I love this thing so much omg

Gonna use these for a song about being so lonely you turn into mothra and ~destroy~

If you don’t know what an omnichord is, you prob heard it if you watch Adventure Time or this one song by Alice Phoebe Lou called Only When I. They’re these electronic versions of autoharps and this model was discontinued in the 80s but has recently been rediscovered by musicians for its extremely cute and charming analog charm and cuteness👾👾👾

[garys-classic-guitars]

1964 VOX AC-30, Rare model that sounds full and loud, Great sounding with added Top Boost by Mark Sampson founder of Matchless amplifiers

[caravan-dynamics]

[purplemaggot]

some toys are just boxes that make noise

[heidismagblog]

[florencechai]

I have been a long time ardent fan of Swedish hybrid synth maker Love Hulten. I was inspired by his work and decided to create my own version of a hybrid synth..perhaps a mix of Arturia Microfreak x Moog x Theremin? Not sure about the usability but it was sure fun to design!

[techtalkbyjames]

🎶🔥🎵Yours is a Heart filled with Wonder...Your life is a magical journey. Music does not judge, or extract a penalty. It just gives Love... Music is the Magic you have been looking for and in America anything is achievable... https://reverb.com/shop/jamesguitarshoppe

[killydoesntloveyou]

Sitting here like an assembly line worker manually backing up 46 sysex files of unfinished Digitakt projects

[beautifulpersonpeach]

Hi BPP, it's Black Friday. I was wondering if you could share any rec for wireless earbuds? I'm a non-audiophile who's very overwhelmed by all the choices. I'd like a pretty good quality one for music listening but also for all-purpose (calling, general listening) occasions. Is a budget of $100-150 enough? I was recommended Sony WF-1000XM3, but I'm not sure what to look for in the first place. Any help is would be wonderful. Thank you.

**

Anon,

You don't know what you've just done. The level of self-control I'm exercising right now you have no idea. Because left to me, I'd do everything in my power to sell you on the BeoLab 50 I got a couple months ago that is frankly better than sex. I'd try to convince you to sell your child or get into crypto NFTs to get it. I could talk from now till tomorrow on this topic... but that isn't what you're asking.

So, the simple answer is that the Sony WF-1000XM3 is very good headphones for that price point, but the Sony WF-1000XM4 is better if you don't mind a modest bump in price. I assume sound quality and comfort are primary considerations for you, so if you're on a budget the Sony WF-1000XM3 will do the job excellently. It's a bit chunky and I'd definitely not recommend getting it wet at all, not even in the gym, but even though it's a bit large it's still comfortable, the noise-cancelling effect on it is great, and it transmits most frequencies really well. If you do plan on wearing earbuds to the gym or using it anywhere you could sweat a lot, and don't mind a bit of a price bump, then I'd recommend the newer iteration: the Sony WF-1000XM4. This one my sister has and she likes it a lot. It's smaller and the battery quality is way better - it holds a charge about 4 hours longer than the older version.

I personally prefer items that are completely water-proof so I use neither of those earbuds, but these are very good all rounder earbuds that more than cover the bases. Sony is a good brand for studio headphones - they're built to last a long while - and these earbuds can hold their own against brands like Sennheiser at an affordable price point.

I'm not sure what research you did Anon, but you've already (potentially) decided on a pretty decent choice.