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.

The new Z-Wreck pictured here with the latest Grosh EJ

The new Z-Wreck is like the most killer Vox AC-30  you’ve ever heard- this is it.  Incredible punch and clarity but with smooth breakup. This is really amazing. Plus it’s the best looking amp of all time. Nice one  Z! – John Flynn

Check out the Doc’s video of Brad Paisley putting the Wreck through its paces. Read more about the Wreck on Z’s site.

"Best looking amp of all time!" - Flynn

This particular Z Wreck was here for about two minutes before it got snatched up, but we’ve got more on the way!  Questions? Just shoot us an email.

Adirondack top, Mahogany back and sides, under $1000. Easily one of the best deals around.

If you’ve been following our blog for a while or checked out our store site, you’re already are hip to the fact that we love Eastman Acoustics for their great value (flattops are under $1,000) and exceptional build quality. It’s not a stretch to say that almost everyone in the store has purchased one. These are seriously good buys, made by folks who know what they’re doing and most of all, they sound fantastic. As John points out, they won’t take the place of a top notch Collings, but they are incredible instruments at unbelievably reasonable prices. We just received a few new ones in the store and thought you might like to know why we personally love and purchase these guitars for ourselves too.  Our staff, on their own Eastmans:

John Flynn on his AC312CE: Well, after owning and playing my Eastman AC312ce for a couple months I have to say (CLICK ‘Continue Reading’ below to read more of our Eastman kudos–>). that I am totally shocked by this guitar. Tonally it is absolutely fantastic. Rich, but still very clear and extremely dynamic. Playability is exceptional as well. This guitar has to be a serious contender for the player looking for an outstanding value in the under $1000 price point. Will this replace my 24 year old Collings OM-1?  No, that guitar has aged to acoustic perfection, but I will say that should I break a string live I have no reservations about picking up the Eastman. Granted, I do use this guitar predominately as a live instrument but I feel it would record beautifully and plan to use it on a project we are working on at The Art House. It’s also just a great guitar to sit on the couch with.

Jason Jones on his Eastman E10D: “This E10D is an absolutely amazing guitar for the money. Far and away one of the best sounding guitar under $1000.”

Matthew Khomsi on his AC320CE (he also bought an AC312!): “I love this guitar so much I bought one myself. It is one of the very best sounding acoustics for under $1K. If you want to upgrade your acoustic and what you want is an amazing sounding/feeling guitar, where you aren’t concerned about logos, get an Eastman.”

Brian Soden on his AC312: I bought an AC312 (without cutaway or pickup) and it’s been such a joy to play. There are a ton of guitars that come and go, but this one will be with me for a while! I also like the cutaway version, the AC312CE…the Fishman pickup system on the CE makes it an incredibly great guitar for live performance.”

Matt Christenot on his Eastman E10OM: “I couldn’t say no – it’s  just a great value with fantastic sound.”

In addition to the flattops, we also carry Eastman Archtops, mandos and occasionally stand up basses too.

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!!

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

The Grosh 293 Full Hollow - The Perfect Guitar?

What a guitar! This Grosh DG-293 may be the most responsive instrument we’ve ever had here at Mass Street.  If you love dynamics,  and aren’t afraid to play an instrument that hides nothing, this is the one.  It would be hard to find another instrument that will give what this guitar gives.  It can go from extremely  delicate to flat-out intense with ease. It’s just as versatile stylistically – a seriously great jazz, fusion, or rock guitar.

What about feedback? Yes, it is a full hollow, however if you’re doing gigs where you play moderately loud, but not Metallica volumes, it’s surprising the volume levels you can get. It does go into harmonic feedback more easily than most at medium loud levels, but to me that’s an asset.

Ok, I know it’s not suppose to matter, but on top of all that, this thing looks incredible. It’s perfectly finished and plays like butta. Yes, this is a more expensive instrument but when compared with the competition, it is less than most and if you compare it to a new 335 – OK, there is no comparison.

This guitar should be a strong consideration for anyone looking for the perfect guitar. – John Flynn

It took about 8 months but it was well worth the wait.

John's OF-20 12 String!

I had the idea for this 12 string electric quite a while back and really wanted the relic thing so I asked Dave Seuferling if he was interested in making one for me.  He was into it from day one – and when I say into it, I mean into it.

Dave is absolutely incredible when it comes to relic guitars, the best we have ever seen.  And this Seuf Tele 12 String is quite simply amazing.  His attention to detail and authenticity is unparalleled in our opinion.  He is also genuinely concerned with every piece of wood and hardware on the guitar.  He selects nice, respectably light bodies that are resonant and alive. The neck pocket and neck are tightly assembled, to create a nice one-piece tone.  His fretwork and final finish are top notch and he went the extra mile to make certain this guitar played absolutely perfectly -  which it does.  It is quite seriously effortless to play.

Seuf Guitars are relatively new to the scene, but I honestly believe as he can produce more instruments he will become a go-to guy in this market.  His work is of the highest level and this one is a striking example of his talent. – John Flynn

Take a look at the  Seuf OF-19, strat style, currently in stock and check out how a Seuf Tele stacked up against a real vintage ’58 Fender Tele and a Fender Roadworn in our ‘Relic Battle Royale’ from a few months ago.

Matt C, Jason, Eric and Matthew K rockin' the special Groshes

Tuesday morning Brent and Yoshi from Don Grosh Guitars stopped by Mass St. Music and brought some very cool one-off guitars and prototypes for show and tell (and some bagels). What a morning…more than anything else it just confirmed why we love these guitars – not only do they have incredible playability and tone but they are some of the coolest looking guitars around. In the photo below, John checks out the 293 – fully hollow. We’ve got a 193 in the store right now, and it’s phenomenal – come check it out while it’s still here.

John checks out the exquisite fully hollow Grosh 293

We also got a chance to check out the very first ElectraJet – one of our favorite models, and Grosh’s bestseller. This seriously is a new standard in guitars – we think it’s only going to continue to grow in popularity. It was a real treat to play the very first ever made and everyone gave it a spin. One of our shop luthiers, Matt Harmon even said this model is the first he’s ever thought about purchasing since he’s learned to make guitars himself.

Matt C plays the very first EJ ever made

Luthier Matt Harmon takes a turn

“Getting to play the first ElectraJet was awesome,” Matt C. said. “It’s hard to make a really new guitar that doesn’t weird people out – the EJ is completely new but familiar too – it’s here to stay.”

More than anything we all learned more about the differences in the Standard versus Custom necks including how the double action truss rods and thicker necks on the Customs all lend to even more tonal transfer. “It was nice to see the actual parts – see and feel the differences in the necks,” said Matthew K.

Bent Top and Retro Classic bodies

Brent showed us both a Bent Top and Retro Classic unfinished body – the craftsmanship is impeccable. Originally cut with the ultra-precise CNC machine, then completely hand finished. We already knew Don has a hand in each and every guitar, but wow – he’s really in the trenches….whether shaping the Bent Tops or fitting each and every neck to the bodies, or doing some of the incredible paint jobs (Bo Ballinger is the other painting master at Grosh). Even before construction begins, the woods are acclimated for 4 – 6 months rather than kiln dried like some other folks – this insures the wood is more stable. Kiln dried wood tends to try to suck moisture back up after it’s dried out. They fit the frets to radiused fretslots so there are absolutely no gaps, giving you even more tonal transfer – that’s what these guys are all about – as they say “Tone, Looks, Playability”. The Grosh attention to detail and innovation is just outstanding. How about that double action truss rod? I held one and it is heavy. It not only allows you more adjustment, but that added mass does give you more of that sweet tonal transfer. They’ve got every base covered.

Brent shows off a killer Bent Top

Yoshi and one of the 'cadillacs' of Retro Classics

They showed us a special Retro Classic with a Mary Kay type finish, gold hardware and Birdseye Maple Neck, loaded with 50s style pickups – “A nice piece of Ash” as one of our guys said.

Jason’s favorite? The ‘raw’ EJ demo guitar, unfinished, loaded with Grosh humbuckers. He said “I want one.”

The raw, unfinished demo EJ loaded with Grosh humbuckers!

Jason (center) with raw EJ, Matt C (left) w/ prototype RC Standard and Eric (right) with the tricked out Retro Classic

The most exciting news from Grosh was two fold – More pickups (look for a review in an upcoming issue of Guitar Player magazine) and the new Hollowtron – we’re really excited about getting this guitar! Thanks to Brent and Yoshi for a great visit! Come back anytime.

Yoshi checks out Flynn's late 90s Retro Classic burst while Brent checks out Eric's own Retro Classic T

Yoshi rocks Flynn's RC and former MSMer Brian Soden checks out the RC Standard

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

This Collings I-35 is an extraordinary instrument.  I know, all Collings guitars are spectacular, but this one is, in my estimation, absolutely perfect.

Collings I-35 in Tobacco Burst

The weight is just right.  It really feels more like you’re playing an older instrument. It plays perfectly and is ridiculously in-tune. It has that vintage 335 resonance, which has a distinct midrange vibe, but the Collings has a much nicer low end and the sweetest top end.  It’s not correct to say its like a 335 on steroids. It’s more like a fine vintage instrument that is sweetly enhanced.

I don’t know if I even need to mention the plugged-in tone. When it’s this acoustically perfect, you would have to have some lame electronics to mess it up and that’s not going to happen with Collings. These Lollar humbuckers are perfect for this guitar – a bit hotter than a traditional pickup but still have that full frequency tone.

I have played and sold a lot of I-35s . I own and play one myself on a regular basis. I love mine but I must say, this one is better. Also, personal preference, but I just love the look of the standard. Simpler and yet still gorgeous. This one just begs to be played instead of protected. It simply can not get any better than this.  -John Flynn