Mass Resonator

Everyone throws out their top ten lists this time of year and we thought you might like to know what our absolute favorites were that came through Mass Street Music this year.  The Intelli Tuner took the tuning world by storm with it’s accuracy, very small size, great price and incredible light that can illuminate your view in the woods on a dark night, the Lava cables really seemed to make a difference and we love both the locally made straps, the Anthology and the Jaykco), but here are 10 of the super standouts (in no particular order) - some are still here in the store and some are long gone, making someone very happy in ‘09. Cheers.

This Grosh EJ Special turned several employees' heads

Gold Tone Banjos - Eric M. (More on the way!)

Dr. Z Jaz 20/40 - “I never thought I would consider replacing my Prescription ES but this amp is so good and really usable in so many different settings.” - John F. (We have another of these on the way)

Collings Winfield CWMA - Mike H., Shop Manager

Dr. Z BrakeLite! - Matthew K.

Collings OM1 Mahogany - This guitar was my absolute favorite for the year of 2009.  I think it was everybody else’s favorite too…I’m sure you understand why!  Yowzer! - Brian S. (Like an all Mahogany? Check out another great Collings Mahogany in stock, the C10 Mahogany)

Grosh Reserve PlexiT Hollow - Just might be the world’s coolest guitar.  - Isaac F.

Leslie G27 1×12 Guitar Speaker Cab! - WOOOOOOOOOoooo!! - Jason J.

Grosh EJ Special - “Perfect and a real rocker. Think we all hankered for this one.” Anne T., Matt H.

Eastman Flattop AC Acoustics - “Outstanding guitars and killer value.” - Matt C.

Beatles picks! - “Cool designs, great for chewing on too. Woof.” - Chucho (we’ll add these to the website as soon as we get a new batch in).

Runner ups we love too…the Suefs!, the EP Booster, the Yamaha JR1

We’ve been longtime fans of Dr. Z and Bogner and just recently started carrying the incredible 65 Amps. We sat down with some of the best combo amp offerings  from each of these great boutique amp builders and here are the results. The judges: Our Co-Owner and GM John Flynn, electric and acoustic expert Brian Soden, and IT guru Kyle Rabe. Kyle missed out on playing the 65 amps, but gives his thoughts on the other two. The amp contenders: the Bogner Shiva 112 Combo Amp, the Dr. Z Galaxie 210 Combo Amp, and the 65 Amps London 112 Combo Amp.

Bogner Shiva 1×12 combo

The mighty Bogner Shiva 112 Combo!

Flynn:   No question, for the guy looking for a great Twin and Marshall JCM800 in a single amp there is nothing out there that can compete with this amp.

Brian:  Flynn said it…the dirty side of the Shiva sounds like the best JCM800 you’ve ever played.  Even at low volumes, it sounds huge with great presence.  The clean side is pure Blackface tone.  Plus, the Shiva combo cabinet is not open back…it’s actually a sealed and ported, similar to the Bogner Cube 1×12 extension cabinet.  The ported cab gives this combo the presence and “oomph” that a 4×12 gives you.

Kyle:  The Bogner Shiva combo kills when it comes to versatility.  The clean channel is sparkly and rich while the distorted channel can go from moderate crunch to intense overdrive.  The master volume is an extremely convenient feature.  All in all, it’s like having two of your favorite amps in one box.  When compared to the Dr. Z Galaxie, the Shiva has a more modern voicing.

Dr. Z Galaxie 2×10 combo

The good Doctor's Galaxie 210 Combo

Flynn: Great Blackface Bassman tone with a bit more chime and overall Z tone.  The second channel has an insane boost which is great for soloing.  Definitely a very under rated amp. Another plus is that this tone mixes so well with a band.  Great drive without killing the sound man.

Brian: I love this amp!  It has the Blackface Fender thing going on in a big way, but also has a cool 3D quality, which is Z’s extra magic dust he sprinkles on all of his designs.  We all know that some amps work better with humbuckers as others sound their best with single coils, but with the Galaxie, Tele’s, Strats and humbucking guitars all speak their voice VERY well.  Plus, this amp is the most pedal-friendly of the three, in my opinion.

Kyle: The Galaxie is extremely responsive, perhaps due to the open back design, but it begs to be turned up.  Don’t let the wattage fool you - it will cause some ear pain if you’re not careful.  Z has always done clean well, and he takes a more aggressive take on the Galaxie’s overdrive than he does on something like the Route 66.  You don’t get the metal “thunk” that you would on a modern amp; instead, you get rich, creamy distortion with wonderful dynamic response in a very portable package (this amp is probably the lightest of the three).

65 Amps London 1×12 combo

65 Amps London 112 Combo rocks it

Flynn: I love this amp.  Really different.  Not as wide open in the top end as say a Prescription ES and definitely more mid range driven like a Vox, but it has its own tone. Really rich without over-compressing.  Turn it up to 8 and it’s got a great drive that is just plain fun to play on.  It is still nice and touch sensitive although more forgiving than some extremely dynamic amps.  I think this amp would work really well in a group situation.  Its tone is such that you can turn the amp up louder, but not slice off the heads of those around you - yet it has still got a boutique type of presence to it.  I would recommend this amp to anyone who does not want another me-too amp, needs to rock Americana style (Sheryl Crow, Tom Petty, or heaven forbid - New-Country stuff) and simply can not play at high volume levels.  It’s really deserving of the reputation it has earned.

Brian: This is a killer two channel amp that is all British tone!  The first channel, or “Trem” channel, has very rich built-in tremolo that reminds me a lot of an old ‘62 Fender Tremolux I had years back.  The tremolo is also foot-switchable.  I threw an Xotic AC Booster in front of it and conjured up some VERY nice overdrive, a la Warren Haynes.  The second channel, which has an EF86 in the preamp section, has more gain on tap and is voiced a bit thicker.  This channel also has a 6-way color switch so you can boost/cut the mid-range depending on what guitar you’re using or what type of sound you’re going for.  I had a lot of luck dialing in more midrange bark when using humbuckers.  Yesss.  The hand-wiring inside of this amp is beautiful as well.  Excellent for a Roots-Rock player.

The final word: No clear ‘winner’ here as they’ve all got a lot to offer depending on what style of music you play and what exactly you’re after, but we hope our ’shootout’ gave you a little  more in-depth info on each of these great boutique amps. We’re continually amazed by the exceptional offerings from Dr. Z, Bogner, 65 Amps, as well as other boutique builders who take real players into account when hand building these incredible amps.

-Brian Soden

Whether you just purchased your first acoustic guitar or are playing your favorite from long ago, you’ll want to be sure you’ve got your acoustic humidified for the fall and winter. Why? Once the heat goes on in your home and the air becomes more dry, your guitar will need a little TLC so it doesn’t lose natural moisture in the wood.  If you don’t, your bridge could pull up on its own, and your top, sides or back could even develop a crack. The shop sees this sort of thing too often in the wintertime, so take a moment and make sure you’ve got a humidifier for your guitar. They are inexpensive, easy to use, and one of the best things you can do for your guitar.

Kyser Acoustic Humidifier...priceless protection

We’ve tried several brands and offer a few different ones here in the store, but truth be told, we like the Kyser Humidifier best - it’s affordable and so simple to use. How do you use it? First, make sure you have the right one - if you have a regular acoustic 6 or 12 string, you’ll need the Kyser Acoustic Humidifier. If you have a classical guitar, or a similar guitar with a smaller soundhole, you’ll need the Kyser Classical Humidifier.

Straight out of the package, it looks a bit like › Continue reading