The Pedal Juice arrived last week and I have to admit that I haven’t really had a chance to test it with my pedals, but I thought I’d start out by writing a post about just exactly what the Pedal Juice is and how musicians can use it when they are playing gigs.

The Sanyo Juice Pedal is a 9 volt portable guitar pedal power supply and from what I have seen and heard of about it online it’s a great thing to use.

The Pedal Juice Pedal is quite light and a very compact accessory that you can take along with you anywhere you practice or perform.

The Pedal Juice is a 9V DC Rechargeable Lithium-Ion power supply for your pedal with a List Price of $199.99(US) that charges up in about 3 1/2 hours. It gives you up to 50 hours of constant, stable power for a single analog pedal or up to 20 hours of continuous power to three digital pedals. No more looking for an electrical outlet or hookup for your pedals -- just use the rechargeable Pedal Juice and you’re set.

I use 2 pedals, so when I jam this weekend I’ll see how it works and get back to you with my results. With the price of 9 volt batteries these days, if your better at math than I am, you can see how much money and time you’ll save with an accessory like this.

This power supply eliminates all that AC ground looping noise that you get when you play. Another advantage that it has is that you can recharge it hundreds of times, thereby eliminating the need to change batteries in the middle of a show. That happened to me last year on stage and that’s something no musician wants to go through more then once!

With both DC outputs the Pedal Juice has the ability of powering multiple devices including pedals, multi-effect units, drum machines or portable recorders at the same time. It doesn’t get any better than that.

This device has a very visible LED power indicator that shows you the remaining power level with green, orange, and red LED lights at a glance. There is also a nice little feature that allows you to connect devices with a flip of the on-off switch. The Pedal Juice is both water and shock resistant to JIS IPX3 compliance levels.

I found just a couple of video reviews and this one is the best I’ve seen so far. Why don’t you take a look at it if you find the new Pedal Juice as interesting and innovative as I do, and once I’ve tried this out for myself, I’ll write another post about my experiences with the Pedal Juice.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdh_c9V4eHQ

Keep on Jammin’

Toronto Area
http://www.manzer.com/guitars/ Linda Mazner
http://wrenguitarworks.com David Wren (made 3 for Bruce Cockburn)
http://furanguitars.com Furan Guitars Edgar Munch
http://williamlaskin.com/index.php William Laskin

B.C.

http://robertandersonguitars.com/Home.html Robert Anderson
http://richguitars.com/index.html Rich Pielou
http://wrayguitars.ca Wray Guitars

Manitoba

http://mcconnellguitars.com/ Jordan McConnell

Quebec

http://www.saumierguitars.com/english/ Marc Saumier

I know that there are tons of other guitar Luthiers out there that I have obviously missed. If you know of any, please tell and I’d love to check them out and place them in this post!

It’s very simple to use and gives you a general overview on how to play your favorite chord in a very unique position on your fretboard. It will make your favorite chord or song a little more exciting trust me.

While figuring out cover songs or working on chord progressions, I’ve always tried playing chords that are normally played at the top of the guitar (or first position) in different locations of the fretboard. These new chord breaths new life into the chord or song. The new chords that I am searching for are known as inversions.

First, I take apart the chord that I am using one note at a time. I then try to figure out where else can I play this one single note at a time in the old chord, in another position. I take that one note and find it an active above it and remember where it is on the fretboard. I then repeat this process to all the other notes in that chord. This is the easiest way to find out another way or inversion to play this chord that I want to use.

Doing so I am finding not only a different way to play the chord but also discovering a more colourful way to play it. I am always striving to find a chord that sounds a little bit more distinctive then the original one. Some of the newer inversions of chords that I have found over the years have produced either more warmer, or sonically different tone to them with overtones that can bring some new perspective to an old chord/song.

Most listeners will be aware of this change. The song that you will be performing will sound the same but you are creating a different way of digesting a song. This new inversion of a familiar chord in a song will make them sit back and take notice of how you play a certain song. It almost forces them to become more aware of what you are playing in front of them while your playing live at a show or just in front of friends.

I’m sure that there are tons of other sites out there more graphic or appealing then Chordinversion.com. If you know of any can you put your two cents worth in here to help others find the best site to meet their chord inversion needs?

Keep on Jammin’

To understand how you can install this accessory on your guitar check out the video below. I found the way he uses the capo to keep the strings in place while taking the strings off is a neat little trick.

I first saw this thing in the July issue of Acoustic Guitar. At first I was skeptical. It comes in 2 sizes and comes in 2 colours, black or ivory. Most of the reviews that I’ve seen online about the O-Port states that it does enhance and adds clarity to your top end as well as the harmonic/sonic tones. The mids of your guitar seem to be brought to the forefront of your sound which I tend to focus on a lot when gigging through a PA.

The only drawback, which I found mentioned only once in my search for product reviews, is how the O-Port affects the bottom/bass end. It appears that it dampens the bass end sound that is created from the top or front of your guitar. See some, but not all, of your bottom levels comes from the vibrations that are created top of a acoustic guitar. The other way is from the sound bouncing around the insides of your guitar that comes out of your sound hole or port.

Sometimes too much bass from the guitar brings on more feedback in weird sized rooms through a PA. Considering that this device is attached directly to the top of your guitar, it makes sense that it would stop the top from vibrating.

This invention would fit into my Larrivee perfectly. The pickups that I use would not be affected at all. If your acoustic guitar uses a side mounted system like a Fishmen Ellipse Blend or something like a L.R. Baggs M1 SERIES – PASSIVE PICKUP, then this one is not for you!

I have to say that I’ve never used or seen the O-Port in action. The effects from this accessory appear to be interesting enough that I entered a contest to win one. If I win one, fingers crossed here, then I’ll tell you all what I think about it! So …

Keep on Jammin’

The boys just happen to have all their instruments of honour off to the side and then it happens … Jimmy starts playing this little song called Whole Lotta Love. I don’t know if this was planned but this is the first song that is played with all three sitting together, PERFECT I say!

The other guys just melt when he begins playing. The Edge stands up to get a much closer look at how Jimmy does it (holy shit, I sure would) and it looks like Jack starts to smile and shake inside with excitement! He is trying his best not to totally freak out, check it out. This is the best part of the show!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=suGVO5t96wI

If you haven’t see it then search for it online or go out and buy it, I guarantee you’ll love it. I did. I remember when it first came out I thought that the concept was ideal. Having three generations of guitarists in one movie talking about whatever they want to can’t be all that bad. I didn’t think that they’d actually play but I couldn’t of been more wrong.

Keep on Jammin’

Joni Mitchell was the first guitarist that I encountered using this technique. I never tried this form of playing for a couple of years after playing. When I ventured on this coarse, I found that it opened up a whole new world of guitar playing for me. It certainly took a while to get use to it.

After a while through trial and error, I found that i could expand my chord progressions and better yet, develop that full sound that I have been looking for. Stepping out of your comfort zone is a must for all guitar players. Remember, it’s better to goof up while practicing in the comfort of your own home first before jumping in!

Open Tuning is very frustrating to master at first glance. Check out this link and give it a whirl!

Do you use alternative or open tuning? If so, what are you favorite ones?

Keep on Jammin’

I love how he just strums the strings on his acoustic guitar, a Stella I think, that gives off such a warm and inviting sound to the piece. This is a perfect example of how not using a pick can create a very intimate sound to a song. The chord structure and bridges that Mr Costello uses are simple and to the point.

In the beginning part before he starts playing, Elvis makes the point of saying that he would love to hear Barry White sing this one but with no disrespect to Barry, I think only Elvis could pull this one off. Mind you, it would be an interesting version for sure!

So sit back, turn down the lights, fire up a candle or two, OR if it’s raining outside get out your notebook and watch it while the rain is hitting the roof just right and enjoy!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=6c74V89CA8Y

Keep on Jammin’ Elvis

As it turns out this is some of Yoshihiko Satoh’s conceptual artwork that was displayed and actually won the 2002 Kirin Art Award Grand Prix prize. It is really something to behold. The thing that got my mind going was that if you look really close to the guitar whammy/wammy bars in the top picture, all of them are not in the same position. Then if you focus your attention to the picture below, all of the tail pieces are not the same. This made me think that it’s real … or is it?

Keep on Jammin’

Many bands have attempted to play this great song like Humble Pie, New Riders of the Purple Sage or W.A.S.P. (remember them?). John Mayer’s interpretation of this song closely resembles that of John Scofield, which features guess guitarist Mr. Mayer. In Ray Charles adaptation, he has a more upbeat rhythm were as John Mayer’s is performed with a slower tempo with a swampy bluesy swagger.

In I Don’t Need No Doctor, which is a classic 12 bar blues song in the key of E, John hooks his distinctive chording in it. The trumpet player Brad Mason and saxophone player Bob Reynolds fill out the song rather fittingly.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXWKMwnWP4Q

Here are some neat chord inversions that John Mayer plays in this one. For this song, I will provide you with the chords in TAB form that I think he uses. Please be patient with this new TAB tables that I am using here folks. I’m just seeing how it comes up on some people’s screen. Please tell me if there is a problem viewing this post, thanx!

Keep on Jammin’

It’s a blow up guitar and I let some kids who are having difficulties coping when they wake up from an operation and it really works. At another time, she gave me a really neat pack of Guitar Picks for my birthday, she thought that I’d love it and I sure did!

Thanx Connie!

Keep on Jammin’