Lawrence’s The Art House, of which several Mass St Music folks are involved with, will be hosting a very cool “Nuts & Bolts of True Studio Recording” Workshop on Sat. & Sun. Dec. 4 & 5.  If you have an interest in studio recording and want to learn hands on, this is a great opportunity. Art House engineers Jim Barnes and Isaac Flynn will be leading the session.

From The Art House:

“We will be doing an actual recording from the ground up with a live band. We will go from the initial set-up to a final mix and everything in between. This will be an intense session designed to teach fundamentals that build great recordings as well as avoiding common mistakes that can create irreversible problems. Topics include: Efficient Setup, Mic-ing Techniques, Headphone Mixing, Recording the basic tracks right the first time, Over Dubbing, Vocal Recording, Rough Mixing, Final Mixing…and much more.”

Cost for the two day intensive is $275. Please contact Matt Christenot at mchristenot@gmail.com or our own esteemed John Flynn at jflynn@massstreetmusic.com or Isaac  Flynn at iflynn@massstreetmusic.com for more info and payment details.

Art House Studio

There’s a new joint venture between Mass Street Music‘s own John Flynn, Isaac Flynn, Matt C and studio engineer Jim Barnes  -  The Art House. It’s  an innovative recording studio located near the heart of downtown Lawrence.  The Art House is much more than just a recording studio however, it’s an arts collective housing visual artists, filmmakers and music teachers, including veteran Mass St Musician Eric Mardis.  So far the reviews have been outstanding.

Between now and April 1st Art House has an introductory recording rate of $250/day, including engineer fees. After April 1st the rates will be $350/day, engineer fee included.  If you’re into home recording Art House will be offering classes.  Having trouble recording  your own drums, or doing your final mix down?  You can even partner with them – they’ll record your drums, you record the rest and then Art House will  mix it down.  More info on Art House can be found  in this great  Lawrence Journal-World article.

You can also check out samples of their work at www.myspace.com/thearthouselawrence.  Interested in booking or more info? Contact Matt C at arthouselawrence@gmail.com, or call 785-220-7195.  Congrats guys!!

Ah spring! Incessant rain, purty flowers, hay fever and some cool new gear in the store. Here’s what we’ve been drooling over lately:

John Flynn – Don Grosh Retro Classic S Shape

This is a fantastic instrument and now that Birdseye necks are going to skyrocket in price, this is a great time to get one at the old price. This guitar plays and sounds amazing. Definitely a brighter “Robert Cray” type tone. The neck is super stiff and just has a great vintage feel about it and Don’s new pickups are just as amazing.

This Grosh has been taunting John - he can see it from his office

Isaac Flynn - Don Grosh Retro Classic S Shape

Like father, like son…Isaac had this to say on the RC, “It’s so easy to play, the Grosh pickups are the best I’ve heard, and the guitar just looks awesome!”

Eric Mardis - Ome Sweetgrass Banjo

This banjo is so gorgeous. The fit and finish are second to none, but the real payoff is when you put on some picks and let loose on this thing. Â The tone is bright without being an “icepick in the forehead.” Bright yes, but also full and pleasant at the same time. Â I’m truly impressed with this, our first OME Bluegrass banjo!

Sweetgrass Ome Banjo

Matthew Khomsi – Mogami 12′ Right Angle Platinum Cable

I thought I would see what all the hype is about with these high-end cables. Well, the jury is in and let me just say, from the first second I plugged it in, my bass sounded substantially more massive. I was genuinely shocked at how big a difference replacing my instrument cable had on my tone.

Worth the hype? Matthew gives a resounding thumbs up

Jason Jones – Fender Hau’oli Tenor Ukelele

I choose the new Hau’oli Ukulele from Fender. Hawaiian for “happy”, this ukulele lives up to its name with its rich tone, stable tuning, and great price that are guaranteed to put a smile on your face!

O Happy Day, the new Fender Tenor Uke!

Matt Christenot – Fender American Vintage 52 Tele Reissue

This 52 tele reissue is a must have for tele lovers. Very cool.

Fender 52 Tele Reissue

Anne Tangeman – Squier Classic Vibe ’50s Tele

That’s right…I said Squier. Honestly the past two years they have been making some very cool guitars and basses and I think this Classic Vibe line shows them off at their best. This tele has a retro eye on the past, it’s well made and it’s inexpensive. Twang!

Squier (that's right) Classic Vibe 50s Tele