Honeyboy Edwards of Delta Blues Fame Dies

David "Honeyboy" Edwards died Augsut 29, 2011. He was one of the great blues men of our time and he knew all of the big names of Delta Blues! What a loss-- he was someone to stop and appreciate. I have a link to the New York Times story below.  Also, I have uploaded a video of him performing. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/30/arts/music/david-honeyboy-edwards-delta-bluesman-dies-at-96.html

VHT Special 6 Handles a Distortion Pedal

On the VHT Special 6 Head and Speaker Cab:  I am seeking ways to get the most out of this small stack low wattage tube amplifier.  I know if I give it a good 7 on the tone and 8 1/2 on the volume dial, I will get some great clean tone that breaks up when my pick strikes the strings more firmly.  Great overdrive sound and round, full notes of tube-ish goodness.  The challenge is using the stock tubes and speaker to get an overdrive sound on very low volume for the sake of other family members in the home.

I was working on a friend's recording project, laying down tracks for his backing instruments on his music demo.  I wanted overdrive to just tastefully add a bit of rockin' to bring texture to the sound of his music.  Though I am trying to be a purist and stay away from digital sounds, I grabbed a 10 year old BOSS Super Overdrive Pedal we have sitting around in a closet.  I was able to get the very nice moderate distortion sound quality I was looking for, while still generating the warmth out of the 12AX7 preamp and 6V6 output tubes in this VHT Special 6 Head.   I would think the Special 6 Combo with the 10 inch speaker that I didn't end up buying would have an easier time breaking up with less head room.  This Special 6 closed-back speaker cab has a 12 inch VHT Chrome-back speaker that is able to handle the drive from the higher gain switch I leave pulled up (doubles as a volume knob), so it takes more gain.

Using this overdrive pedal, with the amp power setting switched to 3 Watts, allowed me to turn the volume on the guitar down and record some tasty guitar tracks over my friend's demo project.  The distortion did turn out warm and natural sounding. 

What I have learned is that using pedals with this VHT Special 6, such as overdrive and delay/reverb, is a good option to consider.  That doesn't change my view that this amp cranked up to a reasonable level without pedals will give the player a great natural, tube overdrive sound.  I just keep on enjoying this amplifier and I continue to be amazed that it has a better tone that a much more expensive amp, such as my Fender Deluxe 90 DSP, 90 watt 1X12 all purpose amp.  I haven't put them side by side, by also I LIKE THE SOUND OF THE VHT SPECIAL 6 MORE THAN THAT OF THE FENDER BLUES JUNIOR I SOLD RECENTLY.  Of course the Blues Junior does have a very nice spring reverb on board that the Special 6 can't boast. The Blues Junior was too thin and shrill sounding for my taste and the larger price tag. 

Glen Campbell Plays On Despite Alzheimer's Disease

I have long admired and tried to emulate Glen Campbell, as a person and particularly as a guitarist/singer.  He is just incredible!  He now bears the diagnosis of Alzheimer's Disease, which is something that all who love him are saddened by.  He is out there on the road now conducting a concert swing designed as a farewell tour.  The beauty of it is his family travels with him and several of his family members are playing instruments and singing, as well.  Campbell speaks of them with great pride, in an article by Chris Talbott called "Family Helps Glen Campbell fight Alzheimer's," when he states, "What's really fun is it's not like work now because I've got my kids here, and my wife here, and they're all playing" (Wednesday, August 24, 2011, Press Enterprise, Riverside, CA).

As a musician, Glen Campbell has had numerous hit recordings and is known for his blazing fast lead guitar, played acoustically and on an electric.  The recent photos of him show him playing a blue Fender Stratocaster with a pearloid pick guard (just a coincidence in reference to this blog, not intended irony).  His family refers to the disease as "Part-timers" because it ebbs and flows from memory and cognitive struggles to a fairly fluid mental performance on Campbell's part.  It seems that he is very capable still of playing even though he may at times forget something important, such a the key the song is being played in.  This is not like him his wife, Kim, says, and adds that he sometimes, "repeats himself a little."

According to the writer Campbell still glides amazingly over the strings on his guitar and sings well.  I intend to try to catch a west coast version of the concert tour.  I wouldn't miss it for the world.  I feel for the great Glen Campbell, but I am impressed by his overcoming attitude and the spirit with which he faces each day.  As Talbott writes, Campbell explains that, "Tomorrow's cool. Just don't mess it up.  It's just wonderful. I think where I am right now in this universe, I wouldn't want to be anything else than what I am."  Now that is what I call standing strong in the face of the wind and remaining focused on what matters.  In this case you would have to include music, but what Glen Campbell is clearly saying is that his family is what he lives to enjoy.  -- Guitar Man

VHT Special 6 Head and Cab Review

I was seeking the VHT Special 6 Combo Amp and found a great price on one-- $199.99.  The seller contacted me a few days later to tell me they were out of those and asked if I would like a VHT Special 6 Head and Closed back 1X12 speaker Cabinet instead.   What I received over a month ago was a new VHT Special 6 Head and Closed Back Speaker Cab for the same price-- $199.99, with no shipping cost and no tax! Amazing, but was it going to be as good as the reviews I had read? The Special 6 Head arrived in new condition and the VHT Special 6 Closed Back 1X12 Speaker Cabinet did have some wear from display (a 2-1/2 inch scratch in the tolex on the right side). Otherwise, the speaker cabinet was virtually new. Of course, it wouldn't be possible to get this deal again since I got what appears to be the floor model on the Speaker Cab. Nevertheless, I am very pleased at the condition for the price I have paid.

Now that I have had 4-5 weeks to play this rig, I can share my perspective on how it performs. The first thing I noticed was the tone-- great on both my Riviera P93 and my Telecaster. It was easy to hook everything up and get started. Then I plugged in and began to play blues rifts--- which is my primary purpose for this amplifier. I plugged in to the high input, Turned both Volume and Tone knobs up to 10, switched the power to high (you have the option of low at 3 Watts versus high at 6 Watts) and pulled the volume knob out until it clicked for the "boost" mode. It breaks up beautifully with these settings and is loud, loud, loud! Would it be loud for Metal, no, but it drives a very strong signal which if played through a mic on stage could stay with any rocking band and a loud drummer. With this head and cabinet combination, it is louder than I would expect or have needed for my rare gig and primarily home use.

I played with combinations on the pickups, power mode from 3 to 6 watts, the Boost in or out, and variations of the Volume and Tone to see where it breaks up in a quieter setting.  With this initial approach, I was getting great clean Fender-like tone, and I mean great full, clean tone. My Telecaster was acoustic-like in its fullness of tone and strong, but not muddy, bass end. This VHT Special 6 was full on both ends of the sound spectrum, with rich and clear mid-range.

I eventually found my niche for the settings on this amp.  I set the power switch on Low, plugged in to the High output input, turned the Tone to 7 (2 o'clock) and turned the volume up to 8.5 (4:30).  This took me about 4 weeks to arrive at and when I did, was I pleased.  I kept hearing that I should mod out the tubes and change the speaker.  Totally unnecessary!  The speaker needed some time to break in and the tubes seem to develop or mellow with lots of use.  It sounds great with my Epiphone Custom Riviera P93, but my favorite guitar on this VHT Special 6 is my Fender MIM Telecaster.  What a nice, rich tone, with a beautiful, natural breakup and clear highs.  It is very blues-y and vintage Fender sounding.  I can't believe my ears, and I then I remember the price, and it is just astounding!  The big difference with the tube overdrive versus a DSP amp, is it doesn't get that thin and tin can sounding distortion, but remains warm, with round notes that give you the full benefit of the tubes. 

This is a hand wired, class A, 6 watt head guitar amplifier with a matching closed back VHT speaker.  The wiring is point to point and is done remarkably well judging by the tone.  The white piping, the tolex, VHT white letter emblem and the way everything is buttoned down makes this pair a really a nice looking rig.  The switches, knobs, power light and craftsmanship all appear to be of very good quality.  You will need to buy a speaker cable, and make sure it is the gauge for speakers, rather than the instrument type.  There is a foot switch for the power boost (overdrive function), but the volume knob pulls out to accomplish the same thing, and I have no reason to push it back in unless I want to practice while everyone in the house is sleeping.  Also, the 3 Watt switch setting is where I have this VHT Special 6 set as a general rule for home use.

I found the VHT Special 6 while shopping for a Fender Super Champ XD Tube and Modeling Combo Amp.  I kept reading about the VHT Special 6 Combo and stumbled onto this deal for the head and cab version.  I am so glad it went that way.  I may still need a Super Champ for a small, easy to carry all purpose amp, but for larger gigs and home use, this VHT Special 6 Head and Cab is my amp.

I would recommend pedals-- a digital delay and/or reverb, since this amp is a very simple 2 knob set up and has no effects loop.  Also, for practicing on a very low volume level, an overdrive pedal is also a good option.  

So far, I feel like this VHT Special 6 Head and closed back Cabinet with a VHT Chrome-back 12 inch speaker is more than I could have hoped for-- it is an amp rig that I would proudly play with a blues trio in small to medium venues, without hesitation. Beyond that, I would mic it with an SM57 and happily sing and play Texas Flood or Stormy Monday in a bigger room. The fit and finish is A+. The warm, pure tone is remarkably authentic. The knobs, corners, and hardware are high quality. The 12 inch speaker in the closed cab is the real deal. I have no thoughts of replacing tubes or speaker and plan to keep playing it for a number of months before I consider mods. This is supposed to be one of the most mod-able amps in this price range, which sounds more like $500 -$700 than the $200 the head normally goes for and the $164 the cabinet sells for on Ebay new. I recommend the VHT Special 6 Head and Cab whole-heartedly and without reservation.-- Guitar Man

Special 6 Closed Back 12 inch Speaker Cab