The latest and the greatest up-to-date news from your favorite mecca of vintage effects.
Okay, we got the purple rope lights working in the Zebra Lounge and I got some new pics. I have to say though, none of these photos do justice to the ambiance and vibe of the real thing.
And while we're at it, I almost forgot to show you all our super groovy lightshow in the studio. There's definitely no shortage of ambiance and vibe at the Gear Shop.
We've had numerous requests for new pictures of the FMO Gear Shop now that it's finished. So we had a little impromptu photo shoot last night, and here's the result.
Aerial View
Overhead Door, starring Harvey the Ladder 
The Office, where I sometimes actually get stuff done...
The Shipping and Receiving area, which doubles as a bar when the area in front becomes the dance floor... 
The Lavatory is Lovely...
Aerial View of the Work Bench, where Cats build Pedals... 
Makes ya wanna work here, don't it? 
One of many surprises we have in store - our Vintage Keyboard project studio! 
Lots o' gear in here...
2 hours free studio time to the first person who can name every keyboard pictured...
Storage and Inventory room...
And finally, my personal favorite - the Zebra Lounge!
Listen, don't let this turn in the economy get you down. Sure, we've hit some turbulence, and the ride's getting a little bumpy, but as the saying goes, This Too Shall Pass. It's true! Allow me to quote these immortal words of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, from his first inaugural address 76 years ago, at the height of the Great Depression: "... the only thing we have to fear is fear itself—nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance..."
Think about it, it's fear that fuels this recession. People freak out en masse and stop spending. First retailers feel it, then manufacturers, and ultimately everyone's affected in a sort of domino effect. I know there’s a little more to it than that, but hey, I’m a guitar player not an economist. The point is, let’s not panic and make things worse (after all, FEAR Is often little more than False Evidence Appearing Real).
Let’s remember, this is a time for giving, generosity, and good cheer. So here’s hoping, in spite of present circumstances, you all have a happy, joyous holiday season... And of course, I would be remiss in my duties if I didn’t mention the fact that Analog Man’s Guide To Vintage Effects makes the perfect holiday gift for all your musician friends and relations.
Finally! Our new shopping cart is up and running! Check it out!
I know it's been a while between updates, but between moving and getting set up in the new place, PLUS working on the shopping cart, I've been a very busy boy. The new place looks amazing! We're just putting the finishing touches on it, and then I'll take some pictures and post them. Stay tuned!
... turn and face the strange ch-ch-changes."
Yeah, so we did a mini move on Monday, when I did the last update, but then ran into complications. Long story short, I rented a U-Haul yesterday and with the help of Dave, Amica, and Jorge, moved more gear than you could play in a month into the new space... and my house hasn't been this empty since I moved in. It's so weird... and a little sad, my big empty lonely house (even my cat's a little freaked out)... but it's new and exciting at the same time. I still don't have current pictures of the finished space, but I have some from a few weeks ago that show further progress than the last batch.
The room with the window is the lounge (you should see it now!). In front of it is the packing and shipping station. The studio is behind the lounge. To the left is the office, behind that the bathroom, further back is the work area, and the storage room is all the way at the end (behind the back wall).
... like RIGHT NOW! The two main things we have going on here at FMO are the big move to our new location and getting our new shopping cart up and running. Each of those things have been demanding my full-time attention, on top of what I usually have going, and I've been running around like a nut 24/7 trying to get everything ready. It's all very exciting, but incredibly hectic as well. So if anyone feels I may have been a little neglectful lately, please feel free to be a squeaky wheel and let me know.
The shopping cart has a go live date of (dare I say it) this Saturday, November 8th, but a LOT needs to happen before then. And we're scheduled to start moving into our new location like... TODAY! Seriously, the movers will be coming by with the big rig later today.
Speaking of the new location, it looks fantastic! All the construction was completed a couple of weeks ago; then there was painting, electrical, plumbing, flooring; now we're just doing some finish work and a few final tweaks and then moving in. I'll bring the camera so I can get some pics to show you all what the finished space looks like. In the meantime, check out these shots I got while it was still under construction...
You know, it occurs to me that the column I write with Analog Mike for Premier Guitar magazine - called "Stomp School" - has never been never been mentioned on either the For Musicians Only website or on Analog Man's website. We've been doing this column for over a year and a half now, so it's about time we told you about it. As you can probably guess, it's all about your favorite topic and mine, the stompbox. But rather than talk about it, why don't you just go check it out! Make sure you select "All Issues" from the pull-down menu so you can pick which article you want to read.
Oh, and while we're at it, check out the feature article I wrote for the November issue, called "The Wild And Wacky World of Collectible Effects." Lots of great G.A.S. inducing, drool-worthy pictures by yours truly.
I saw an awesome show last night at the Palace Theater in Waterbury - the Experience Hendrix Tour 2008. But get this, I didn't just see the show, I had an all access backstage pass, courtesy of my friend and colleague Analog Mike, who was bringing some custom made Analog Man Sunlion pedals to his pal, Kenny Wayne Shepherd.
The show was fantastic! Check out this all-star line up in attendance: Eric Johnson, Buddy Guy, Brad Whitford of Aerosmith (another Analog Man customer), original Howlin' Wolf guitarist Hubert Sumlin, Kenny Wayne of course, Jonny Lang, Eric Gales, Bernard Allison, and Mato Nanji. All this in addition to original Jimi Hendrix bandmates Mitch Mitchell and Billy Cox. Mitch only played on a few songs, so Chris Layton of Double Trouble held down the drum duties for most of the night.
I have to say (not to make anyone jealous), it was a blast hanging backstage, standing 3 feet away from Eric Johnson and Brad Whitford, chatting it up with Kenny Wayne (well, actually Mike was doing most of the chatting), and Jonny Lang with an ear to ear grin over getting a King of Tone pedal and an Analog Man t-shirt. Mike and I even went up to the balcony for a bit to check out Eric Johnson's set.
The music, of course, was great throughout the entire evening. But the thing that impressed me most was the way most of the guitarists just hung out in the wings all night watching each other play when they weren't on stage, all respectfully attentive and cheering each other on. Hubert Sumlin was so enthusiastic he even got up and started dancing a little (he's 76!). That's the stuff that made my night.
Unfortunately, I didn't think to bring a camera until I was halfway to the show, so you'll have to settle for a picture of my pass and this setlist that I got backstage.
