Burlap and Blues, The Blues Blog

I hate to throw everyone off by breaking this up with an effect review, but I am trying to keep everyone on their toes.

The rest of the single coil manifesto (interpreted)

All preamp distortion, tube or solid state, will sound buzzy at low volumes. I don't care if it's a point-to-point wired Matchless Hotbox, a Boogie V-Twin or whatever, preamp distortion sounds buzzy unless it's used moderately in combination with a hot power amp. That's just the way it is.

A good point to remember.

Tube amps still sound more organic than solid state amps. The difference is mostly in the power amp section, however. That's just the way it is.

Another good point to remember, even if you are running the latest $1200 digital emulator.

Read more

Single Coils (from where) Manifesto has graced the internet for quite some time. I have taken time to translate the best into words that most people can understand.

Collecting guitars is fun. But actually keeping more than five guitars properly set up, in fresh strings, and in tune is a pain. More than five is for collectors, not players. That's just the way it is.

Yes, it is a pain, maybe when you get 12 you should plan on having a guitar tech. I have more than 5 but rarely bring more than 3 to a gig. I have several styles of gigs I do, so each of my guitars gets pretty regular use.

The guitar and amp markets are dominated by lower end gear. The high end gear is the most fun to discuss. But most players are shemps who play in their bedroom on low priced equipment. That's just the way it is.

I agree and I will trade you my Marc Sean Price for your entire collection.

The $800 rule. On solid body guitars you get what you pay for (at regular street prices) up to about $800. After that, quality continues to increase with price, but with diminishing returns. Another way of saying this is that you pay most dearly for that last 10% or so of quality. That's just the way it is.

I still am amazed at the number of people who are trying to gig playing guitars that are not matched to their playing ability or amplifiers. This year I watched a young man play a starter $99 bass guitar into a $750 bass amp. Great amp, crappy tone from a crappy guitar.

Read more

The Craigslist Manifesto – amplifiers

Don’t expect to get what your paid for an effect for your used amplifier, that’s just the way it is.

A non working solid state amplifier is practically worthless even if it is vintage, that’s just the way it is.
Retubing and biasing a tube amp is part of amplifier maintenance and does not necessarily increase the worth of your amplifier. It may make your amplifier more saleable but does not increase the value, that’s just the way it is.

Replacing a speaker in a vintage amplifier does not make it worth more than list, that’s just the way it is.

Before posting your amplifier, check the value because if you do not you leave yourself open for silly reply posts on how dumb you are, that’s just the way it is.

The Craigslist Manifesto – effects

Don’t expect to get what your paid for an effect for your used effect, that’s just the way it is.

The Boss DS-1 is one of the most sold pedals in the world, almost everyone has had one and knows that a used one is worth about $20. No one cares what you paid for it, that’s just the way it is.

There are some vintage effects that are worth more than they were originally priced at, none of them are currently available for sale, that’s just the way it is.

Multi effects pedals devalue over time, that’s just the way it is.

Effects generally are not worth more if you tell us that someone famous uses that kind of effect. If you claim that the specific pedal was used by someone, plan to show pictures, that’s just the way it is.

Before posting your effects, check the value because if you do not you leave yourself open for silly reply posts on how dumb you are, that’s just the way it is.

The Craigslist manifesto, selling guitars.

Your coputer is not going to be worth more than you paid for it, that’s just the way it is.

Windows XP is not the latest operating system, it has not been for a long time, that's just the way it is.

When you say that your computer is hardly used, please define hardly used because it means different things to different people, that's just the way it is.

If you purchased your laptop for $1,200 and now you can buy a better one new for $500, your laptop is not worth $500, that's just the way it is.

People who sell freeware such as AVG, Gimp, and Open Office on Craigslist for more than free, should be banned from internet use on a permanent basis. You might as well just post asking for someones bank account number, it is stealing, that's just the way it is.

Weird Al was prophetic about the instant devaluation of computers, please watch this before posting your computer AD:

Take some time to check to see how much your computer is worth. If you post something ridiculous in price be prepared for retaliatory comments about your stupid post, that’s just the way it is.