GEAR DATABASE

This segment is where we answer your questions and comments – hopefully every Monday.
The main focus of the Q&A will be the main show that went out on the preceding Friday, but we'll answer other stuff too.
This one is slightly unusual - it's Christmas, everybody is strapped for time, so we did it during the TPS Christmas Beverage.

Here's the link to the main show being discussed – it was posing the question of whether there are ‘bad’ pedal platform amps. Or not. https://youtu.be/GFr6_Hs2guo

Here’s a synopsis of the questions…

- Hello - we’re out for a beverage! 0:00
- What’s top of your wish list to Santa, and what’s the best guitar gift you ever received? 2:15
- Are you doing an Xmas show? 3:00
- What’s that on top of the bass amp? 3:43
- The JC40 didn’t sound that bright to me - what are we missing? 5:13
- Why didn’t you use any difficult pedals? 6:17
- So, what do you think is a bad pedal platform then? 8:25
- Tube amp snobbery? 9:10
- What’s up with the dB meter? 10:13
- Why do you play so loud? 11:03
- I’ve never owned an EL34 Vox-style amp – what do you think of the Hand Wired Series? 12:24
- Should I make my amp quieter at the input, or in the FX loop? 15:05
- Ever tried a Laney IRT-X? 17:18
- What do you think of the Catalinbread Belle Epoch Deluxe? 18:01
- My Holy Grail Reverb stopped working when I got the power supply wrong – can I fix it? 19:39
- Tube pedals in the FX loop of a solid state amp? 20:15
- An industry question about companies, reviews and all that? 21:00 (*extra info - see below)
- How do we use delay without tap tempo? 27:00
- Is that an Ibanez JEM? 28:05
- Where are the Ed O’Brien Strat and the Huber Krautster? 29:45
- What is that new white PRS? 31:11
- Mick’s Strat Vlog: 32:16
- Does Mick like maple fingerboards on Strats yet? 32:50

• Extra info on TCM’s question about companies paying people to use gear in general…
“Hello TCM - there was a bit of the question I didn’t answer… ‘Do companies still pay artists to use gear?’. Erm, yes, but it’s not very common. It’s more likely to be a percentage on sales of signature equipment. Nevertheless, some companies still pay some artists a fee to use gear. As I say, it’s relatively rare.
“Far more likely is that the artist will be provided with the gear either free or at a vastly discounted rate in order to be an ‘artist'. That's the main benefit of being an artist.”