:...guitar nuts on the quest for superb tone...:

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2007-03-05T20:46:00.001-05:00

FunkFest in the GTA

2007-01-29T10:04:00.000-05:00

I'll be heading down to Brampton in a few months to hang with some great artist in this year's GTA FunkFest. This truly is increbile artistry.

Bloom where you're planted.

2006-12-12T13:04:00.000-05:00

Geoff Moore

2006-11-13T15:18:00.000-05:00

I had the oppotunity to spend last Sunday with Geoff Moore and his guitar player Dana Weaver (of SonicFlood). Most folks would remember Geoff's music ministry as the 'Geoff Moore And The Distance' band back in the early to mid 1990's. He's a great guy and a great advocate for Compassion's ministry to children throughout the world. He and his wife have even adopted two girls from China over the years. It's really tough to travel around the world and see poverty and simply do nothing. Geoff has an incredible testimony of faith to action.

I'll be with Geoff and the band again this weekend at Canada Christian College in Toronto as he'll be opening for Audio Adrenaline's farewell tour. It was great to eat Chinese food with Geoff and hear about stories that span the globe. He's been involved with the music biz for over two decades and been partnered with Compassion's ministry for almost as long. Come out and see Geoff's band playing in Toronto this weekend if you've got the time. It's amazing to take in world-class musicians doing what God has empowered them to do so well. I'll be in Calgary through December to work with Geoff Moore again. God is alive in our world, even amidst the worst poverty.

LMT Connection...Funk is the final frontier!

2006-09-26T21:28:00.000-04:00

Whoa - got to check out the great LMT Connection trio live after the newworldson concert this past Sundaynight . Man, this music speaks to the soul - there's such a fourth dimesion to this kind of music. Not only is it my favorite style but something about it goes so much deeper than other genres for me. There's a freedom in this music unlike anything else - both for the player and the audience. I believe that God designed humans to create music... music that goes deep, digs down and plants something. Music was never intended to generate money but fulfill expressions of worship. Funk & soul are certainly deeper concepts than just a genre or an art form... there's something more in this. Can God be found in a martini bar? Killer players all around - crazy good horns! Check out the clip - it's worth watchin.

LMT Connection & BB King's 80th Birthday Tour

Unite In Worship

2006-09-25T20:12:00.000-04:00

I will be travelling to Vancouver with Compassion Canada for this year's west coast Unite In Worship conference. It will be a great event as we hope to see many children in the third world sponsored by caring Canadians. Some great artists in the lineup too - newworldson of course.... doin' the late nite cafe - gunna rock!

:...newworldson...:

2006-08-19T14:01:00.000-04:00

Well, I'm totally stoked about hangin' out with newworldson this week. I first heard their "down from the mountain" single last year on the emptyheart series and was wowed then. Their debut cd is makin waves all over and glad to be able to hear about their heart for ministry and look forward to taking them in live for the first time on Tuesday. I just love how "out-of-the-box" this music is. In an industry so saturated with over-produced pop it's great to see bands like this bring the art back into artist. Check out the newworldson site and myspace. Keep your eye on these guys. If you have a few minutes, please watch this video clip of the guys - great stuff!

newworldson - live

New things....

2006-08-16T20:09:00.000-04:00

Well, just to let you know why it's been over two months since I made my last post: I started new employment in early July and I've been imersed into my new role. Since starting my job I've travelled to Peru for a week and been all over Ontario. It's quite a bit of travel but I get to see some great ministries out there and, of course, get to hob-nob with very cool artists and some with very monstrous guitar rigs (hehehe)... so, I'm still very involved musically and still looking forward to getting back on the guitar bloggin of course. Since my new job involves many other aspects of music and ministry, I've been toying wiht the idea of setting up a sister blog to this one to focus a little more on the details of the ministry I'm involved with. Just a little FYI. I'll blog soon...really I will.

Vox AC30

2006-06-11T19:44:00.000-04:00

For you Vox AC30 finatics: be sure to pick up a copy of "A Service Engineer's Guide To The AC30 Valve Amplifier". I've always been a huge fan of the AC30 clean channel - truly an amazing amplifier creating spectacular tone! Wish I had one!

Korg Triton

2006-06-11T14:25:00.001-04:00

Preceeding the Korg Oasys is the increible Korg Triton. Well, it's just an amazing keyboard! I've heard few critical reviews of this sweet piece of gear - every time I hear one on stage I'm always mezmorized by its versatility. The thing is a monster through a nice PA and sounds unbelievable in the studio. The Korg Trito n is a geat live workstation if you're into texturing your tunes with some creative drum samples/loops... and it's surprisingly affordable - even more affordable on ebay! Some of the biggest artists on the planet today are using Triton for their flagship keyboard. This keyboard is a wise investment for church worship setups. And what of those seasoned keyboard players who love the touch or feel of their own keyboards? Hey, no problem... just plug in the old keyboard into the Korg Triton rack brainbox (below) = same feel with a contemporary twist!

Live Audio Solutions

2006-06-04T19:49:00.000-04:00

There are a number of elements that surround getting that "good" mix at the FOH like room acoustic treatment, accurate loudspeaker placement, reliable power amps, faithful console, great mics and placement, and trained audio techs mixing capable musicians. All that said, I think that most smaller venues like some churches have a difficult time trying to get good mixes from their FOH because of the poor containment levels - noise "bleed" from loud intruments into vocal mics etc... This is most common with drum kits that are unmic'd with no sound enclosure: high frequency audio spills onto the stage uncontrolled, throwing vocalists and other musicians into a frenzy - asking FOH for higher mix levels from their own monitors, pushing the overall SPL through the roof! Laymans terms: the overall sound is really bad! I find drums and floor wedge monitors to be the areas I first put my attention toward when trying to contain sound levels in this type of environment.

I know that many drummers prefer the look and feel of an acoustic kit but these kits are "unrealistic" in most smaller environements that I see them in today (around where I live anyway). Acoustic kits can be contained well but better containment usually costs more than I'd like to spend. I think the bst investment for this kind of containment is a kit like the electronic Roland V-Drums. Because each drum in the kit is wired through the sound console, this eliminates the problem of noise bleed. All you need is nice PA.

Another great way to contain needless "stage noise" is by migrating from monitor wedges to the in-ear monitor system (IEM's). These IEM's eliminate mic feedback from traditional floor monitors and give the musician accurate tone/feel of what they are playing and a greater confidence to do it. Shure Inc. has developed some of the most affordable IEM systems. One great aspect of the Shure IEM systems is that you can purchase them "wired" and then later upgrade the belt packs to wireless when more budget money comes available.

Refining Live Audio Technique

2006-06-04T16:18:00.000-04:00

From time to time I find the need to brush up on proper ways to approach live audio deployment, getting those blasted mics set up properly and, of course, getting that superb mix at the FOH. Well, I always fnd my way back to my good friend and his 'lil list of pdf's to give a helping hand to anyone out there into FOH mixing in church or other venues. Check out this list of live audio helps. Oh yeah, and if you feel so inclined to purchase a new Midas XL8 above, it's totally unreal!!.... oh wait, I know you'll want to migrate to the live digidesign VENUE rig...ya ya... hehe

Eoghan Heaslip

2006-06-03T08:09:00.000-04:00

I'm not one for plugging a lot of contemporary worship music only because I think that most of it sounds the same anymore. For me, going into the local christian bookstore music section is kinda like going to Baskin Robins: pick your flavour... but the flavour only lasts a while then we come back for something else. I mean, how many times can we listen to the same 15 worship songs produced 15,000 different ways? So that said, I'm extreamly "picky" when it comes to whom I will listen to in the worship music realm.
This might sound a little strange but I've had a song running through my head like crazy the past few weeks and I can't seem to get it out of there. I haven't even heard it or played it for 2 years now...odd. Ever had that happen? Well needless to say, I started to hum out the lyrics of the tune and found them to be very encouraging. The song is by Irish based worship leader/song writer Eoghan Heaslip (pronounced Owen Heslip). I first came across his music a few years back - he got some great writing and creativity. Like I said, the lyrics to "Gathering Song" have been marching through my mind contstantly... check them out - I hope they encourage you today:

As we gather, here together in Your presence
As Your people, we acknowledge and remember
The works of Your hands, Your purpose and plan
Your Word through the ages
Like an anchor for all times, as one we sing:

He who has promised will be faithful
He who has promised will be true
He who has begun a good work will complete it
Oh Lord, all our hope is found in You

*sample
*chart

Taylor T5 Thinline Fiveway

2006-05-20T08:56:00.000-04:00

I've always been a big fan of thin acoustic-electric guitars like the Gibson SST simply because I can have the feel of an electric with fantastic acoustic tone. Well, Gibson discontinued manufacturing the SST in January '06 so I've been on the hunt for something similar that I could incorprate in my worship leading and various other playing. If I could have my way I'd have a two necked guitar: one neck being a Taylor acoustic and the other a PRS electric (haha). Well, I'd sure love to stay out of the '80's look on stage... then I came across the new Taylor T5 thinline, recent '06 winner of NAAM's Retailers Choice electric guitar of the year. I had no idea they had come up with such a cool guitar. Not only does the guitar look like a piece of fine art, HC reviews of the T5 are a amazing and promo video clips display the incredible versatility of the guitar. The combo acoustic/electric guitar can take both acoustic and electric strings - whatever feel you need in your style. The price is what you'd expect from a high-end Taylor but would likely pay dividends through the music set night after night - truly a remarkable concept. I'm going to head down the road to the music shop to give one a test drive myself - almost sounds too good to be true.

McPherson

2005-10-12T20:02:00.000-04:00

So when my buddy Michael Olson was in town a while back I was able to check out his McPherson acoustic. I was like, 'yeah yeah so what's with the dumb hole location, right?' Well, read on. He was going on about his Taylor acoustic and how he thought it was superb (as it is and always shall be...) but was overwhelmed with the tone and action of the emerging fabulous McPherson's guitars (one's he tours with). Well, I got a chance to test drive his McPherson a little: yup - it's hands down one of the best acoustic guitars out there right now. For all you high-end "Taylor-made" acoustic guitar tone lovers, you gotta check out a McPherson, period.

Building A Stratocaster

2006-04-13T15:35:00.000-04:00

My buddy gave me this link to check out: an inside look at the architecture and assembly of a Stratocaster guitar. Wish I had the time to build one - love these guitars!

Guitars and Humidity

2006-04-12T14:23:00.000-04:00

Before I completed renovations in my basement I did extensive research on how humidity affects guitars - since I'd be playing and storing my instruments down there. Here's a helpful video done by Taylor guitars on what low humidity levels can do to an acoustic guitar over prolonged exposure. I found this small article helpful as well.

David Gilmour - On An Island

2006-04-06T08:56:00.000-04:00

Well, an incredible album that's a must if your into Floyd and just incredible guitar tones. Pink Floyd's David Gilmour has put together some incredible stuff on this one. It's not crazy guitar shred stuff - very blue... very smooth...very contemplative. One of my favourite albums by far! Gilmour tracked his guitars on his house boat studio (built in 1911) - very cool - and Abbey Road Studios hosted some orchestration sessions too - check out the press kit video. You can sample each tune from the record here.

Eric Clapton's Gibson ES-335

2006-04-05T08:34:00.000-04:00

Eric Clapton purchased his cherished Gibson 335 in 1964 and played it for over 40 years. He auctioned it off in June of 2004 to raise support for his Crossroads Centre charity. It was purchased by the Guitar Center for a stunning $847,000 USD! Over the next year Eric Clapton, Gibson, and Guitar Center worked on releasing a limited edition recreation of the guitar. You can watch the 55 minute documentary here. Truly an amazing process. I was so impressed to see the craftmanship put into creating a guitar like this. Guitar builders are artists too.

Just Stop And Think...

2006-01-02T09:13:00.000-05:00

The past year has been full of it's up's and downs... you too? All the technology, guitar gear, and cool opportunitites will never replace the love I have for my wife, children, family and friends. You all mean so much to me. Just stop and think for a minute about your own values... and when you've got a few extra ones to spare, watch this.

Josh Ritter

2006-04-05T21:18:00.000-04:00

Hey, check out Josh Ritter's new album The Animal Years. A good buddy of mine just sent me this link to sample the audio stream of the record: very cool stuff - refreshing.

Josh Ritter's The Animal Years is the kind of breakthrough effort that will cause listeners new to the 29 year-old singer -songwriter's work to wonder where this guy has been all their lives - and prompt his passionate fan base to just say, well, we told you so. Following the independent release of The Golden Age of Radio (2002) and Hello Starling (2003), Ritter was championed by critics in publications ranging from the New York Times to Details Magazine, hailed by fellow artists who shared stages with him, and name-checked by anyone who happened to catch him on tour during the years he doggedly worked the road. The music-savvy citizens of the Republic of Ireland christened him a major star well before anyone in the states even knew he had a record out. On The Animal Years, his V2 Records debut, Ritter more than lives up to the buzz. He embraces the topical while reaching for the timeless, resulting in an album that's firmly rooted in right now but guaranteed to resonate for years to come.

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PRS has done it again!

2006-04-01T16:07:00.000-05:00

Back in April of last year I blogged on the incredible PRS 513 Rosewood model and it's unreal capabilities. The 513 just won the award for "Best Electric Guitar of the Year." Here's a snip from the article I read:

The award was presented to the company lastnight at an awards ceremony held in Frankfurt, Germany.

This marks the second consecutive year PRS has won the prestigious award, making it the only guitar manufacturer to win the award twice. The awards ceremony began seven years ago.

The voting panel included editors and journalists of 58 publications from around the world.

"In my opinion, it shows that the international press not only rewarded our unique level of quality and attention to detail but also awarded PRS' quest for innovation and further improvements in the guitar market, which in the end, benefit all guitar players," said Peter Wolf, director of sales and marketing in a statement.

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Mercy Train

2006-02-12T22:59:00.000-05:00

Spent most of the day hangin' out with my band Mercy Train. From left to right: Skip Prokop, Andy Bartha, Matt Shelvock, Ryan Ethier, Jamie Prokop, Donny Paulton. We ate tons of tastey perogies and cabbage rolls, talked about the current record, spoke on spirituality, and chatted about exciting developments for the upcoming record. We spent some time listening to vintage Paupers music and, of course, recent mixes of our own material coming out of the studio. It was all around a great time of fellowship with some great players and brothers. For those of you wondering: Mercy Train will be finishing up the first record soon and we're already ramping up for recording our next batch of tunes...and man, I gotta say,... of course biased a bit... but man, this new material is great - really "out-of-the-box" some powerful stuff in these. Well, I guess you actually gotta hear what we've done first eh? Er...ummm...well, it'll be done soon - really it will.
As for upcoming guitar tones and stuff to expect: Matt and I are looking foreward to tracking some guitars using the MesaBoogie Lonestar (check out my previous post about auditioning this amp - it's UNREAL). We're also hoping to bring back the MesaBoogie Tremoverb for sure...maybe even someone's very incredible Diezel VH4????...eh Nathan? (hehe). Keep ya posted. ;)

Finally...

2006-02-03T09:37:00.000-05:00

I've been out of the blogging loop for the better part of a month. I've been tied up a bit waitng for our third little package to arrive. Aneilya Mae Bartha was borth January 31, 2006. I always find the swell of different emotions sureal thru the whole experience... makes me want to write more songs. As I grow deeper into my roles as husband and father, I understand a bit more clearly the need for "ballad" times - times for the quite, contemplative moments that nurture growth. Being kind of a crazy energy guy, that's tough at times - just the change in pace that is - but I'm getting better at finding that balance between the work and rest. All that to say, cool... I'm a dad three times over and lovin' it. We call her Nelly for short -it sounds cool. Actually, I wanted to call her Nelly officially just 'cause I really like Nelly Furtado's vocals... well, my wife thought we'd name her after her grandmother Aneilya and we could use Nelly for short. We're both happy with the name.