Mix-and-Match: My Personal Reflection

Among all the pedals I have, many of them are drive pedals. What's the use of having so many drives? Well, as least I can try to mix and match and experiment what kind of tone is produced.

As seen from above, I've tried to pair the Behringer Vintage Tube OD and Modtone Speedbox. Normally, people use the OD to boost the distortion. I use it otherwise. I tried to boost the tube OD with Speedbox and here is the result.
When played through my Fernandes, it doesn't sound good at all. Too bassy for my liking. So I used my Squier instead. I find that the above combination is a better match for a strat with SSS pickup configuration. The Tube OD sounds much bright and I like the crunchy overdrive from it.
However, there is one more problem. Too much noises are produced when I join them together. This is worsened by the hum of the single coils.

Teak anyone?

You have seen various acoustic guitars made of full mahogany, maple, rosewood or a combination of spruce top and mahogany sides and the list goes on. However, have everyone has a guitar (either electric or acoustic) made of teak? Well, I own an acoustic guitar made of teak; it is a customised guitar from Myanmar

What is teak?
A teak is a exotic topical hardwood and is used in production of furnitures, boats and etc. (My country has a lot of them). Teak is often mistaken for mahogany as they have the similar brown colour. However, if you give a thorough study of the wood side by side, you will find that teak has a much dryer look. They also have very different wood grains.

Mahogany

Teak

So you rarely see a teak guitar before? Well, there is a reason behind it. Teak is very high in oil content and that factor makes it hard to glue. Luthiers, not wanting so much of trouble, choose not to use teak as a tonewood.
Teak is also relatively heavy. It also has large pores. This could be the reason why my acoustic guitar sounds very bright apart from it being a grand concert.

The bolded words are the reasons why teak is unpopular as tonewood.
 Don't get me wrong though. Teak is still used as a tonewood, just not as popular. So there are still teak guitars like the Cripe Guitar below.

BEHRINGER PB-100

Well, look what I've got myself using portion of the Ang Bao I got!!

Behringer PB-100

Its function is well stated on it. It is a preamp booster (aka) clean booster. Got this for a cheap $29 from Subversion! Today was the first time I see him in person. =) He's indeed a very nice and friendly guy as many say. The pedal was as good as new. The pedal was thoroughly cleaned. No shoe prints on the switch shows that this pedal has never been gigged before and hence looks brand new!

Almost immediately after I'd got it from sub, I ran straight back home to try it out. 

Well, I placed the newly acquired PB-100 in the first position, followed by my Ibanez Tubescreamer TS-7. the Zoom G2.1u is just there to act as a tuner. -.- 

The PB-100 do wonders with the TS-7. The boost makes the TS-7 sound 'fatter'. I tweaked my treble at 3 o'clock on the PB-100, bass at 11 o clock and the gain in the middle. 

Many of the Keeley modded overdrives like Keeley modded TS-9 and Keeley SD-1 works in the same way. Instead of having a clean booster outside, they had a integrated boost circuit inside them. (Sub told me this! xD) 

Let's "play-in"

Well... as you know, for an instrument's tone to be matured, it requires years of playing. However, those hollow instruments like guitars and ukulele got ToneRite for them to mature the tone through vibrations which mimics the physics of playing the instrument itself. This is called play-in. However, ToneRite is not very effective for solid body electric guitars. So...... I'd been waiting for something which will works for the electrics.

AND

 Finally, there is a "play-in" for solid body electric guitars. Thx to the primeVibe.

It is expected to arrive at late Oct or early Nov. Costs $99, i think it's US$ (they never mention). Check primeVibe for more infos.