Custom Boards Blog

The phaser was born trying to combine a vibrato and a flanger. The vibe was trying to emulate the sound of a Leslie cabinet. Leo Fender thought that tremolo was vibrato and the other way around. Does this seem confusing? Check out these 50 facts regarding modulation effects.

He turns a knob labeled “Overdrive”, something I was just starting to develop a lifelong love affair with. That’s what you wanted – overdrive, and lots of it! And once you’ve got your taste of it, you’re bound to come back for more.

When I heard the news that I might get to service a couple of the late Albert Järvinen's amplifiers, I was so excited I almost fainted. Did these amps sound special? Has the late guitar legend left some of his special mojo in these combos? I was about to find out.

On a foggy April morning in 1982 a phone rang in Ireland. The caller was Jet Records' boss David Arden, and his case was very important. He was on the lookout for somebody to replace guitarist Randy Rhoads, who had died only a week before.

For a guitar technician, a festival is probably the most demanding place to work, ever. In mainland Europe typical changeover times at festivals are typically only 15 minutes. This means you have a quarter of an hour to perform all the tasks you’d spend many hours doing at a club gig.

Who was the man behind all this? Who had the cheek to demand complete secrecy, an advance of 10,000 Finnish Markkas, and who would still expect his clients to wait patiently for up to five years?

After a long and stressful wait the next batch of amplifiers arrived in the USA, and Joel Wheeler went ballistic. The new amps were completely different to what had been agreed. Further investigation made it obvious that the factory had used a hodgepodge of parts from a number of suppliers.

Are you wondering how to leave a lasting impression of yourself at a venue? Well, I'll tell you. Get comfortable and come with me to an unforgettable tour opening gig at the Tavastia venue of Helsinki.

For decades the equipment of the most-influential guitarist of all time has been something of a Holy Grail. What did Jimi Hendrix use to achieve his legendary sounds? Speculation and myths abound, which is why I took the bull by the horns to lay this all to rest.

In Finland in the 1980s Sielun Veljet was a genuine cult band, so their 2011 comeback was a unique chance to experience the band’s energy firsthand. I was told that a huge part of the equipment on tour would be old, some even vintage gear. I should be prepared for lots of breakdowns and troubleshooting. I could hardly wait…

I was lucky enough to work on the same festival stage as Them Crooked Vultures in 2010 and in 2013 with QOTSA. This gave me a chance to find out the details of Josh Homme’s stage setup straight from his tech. As a result you can read this summary of his guitar gear dutring these two tours.