Just a quick post to warn anyone who is considering getting T-Mobile in the New Hampshire seacoast. I started using it when I got my Nexus 4 about a month ago and I would NOT recommend it around here. I get no coverage at home in Rye; no coverage at my office on Pease and spotty coverage at best anywhere else around here.
That is all.
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Sunday, October 7, 2012
John Luis Home Solid Wood Closet Organizer
My house has small closets - 58" wide and 24" deep. Two of the three have no doors on them and are trimmed in a way that makes it difficult to hang standard closet doors. So I wanted to get a system that would optimize the space and look good. After researching a lot of options online, the John Luis appeared to be good looking and highly customizable. Three days later I was unpacking the large box and planning my installation. Now that it's complete, I wanted to capture my impressions of how it went together and the final product.
Fit and Finish
As advertised, the shelves, racks and supports are all solid wood. They're made of pine and finished in either a deep burgundy color that they call Mahogany or a lighter stain they call Maple. In my opinion, naming the different finishes after specific hard woods is a bit misleading. It would be easy to think you were buying a solid mahogany or maple shelving system when in-fact it's made from the less expensive and softer pine.
I found the burgundy stain to be attractive and the pieces were well-covered. The finish seemed a little soft and marred fairly easily, though. Fortunately, the manufacturer includes a magic-marker style touch-up tool. It comes in very handy and I was glad to have it after nicking different pieces during the course of construction.
On initial inspection, I found the pieces were well-made and in good condition except one of the 24" shelves which had pretty large dents in it. They were made after the finish had been applied and in a position such that they would show if I had positioned the shelf low in the rack. Instead, I simply positioned it higher up so I couldn't see the dents. Problem solved. A couple of the shelves had knots in them but they were'nt loose and the stain and finish cover them nicely. Still, I'd prefer clear lumber.
The hardware is well-made and it all does the job it was meant to do. There are plenty of screws, brackets and assorted pieces. I found the drywall anchors especially useful since the configuration I used had me attaching shelves to the wall where there were no studs.
Assembly
Let me start by saying this is not a quick or easy project. It's more like a renovation than a simple installation. And doing it with two people would make it easier. Having said that, though, I would have had little space for anyone but me for most of the project.
I've never assembled a closet organizer before so I can't compare this to other similar systems. I have, however, done extensive home renovations, woodworking and some general carpentry so I was well-prepared with the tools for the job. The instruction manual says you need:
* Pencil
* Tape measure
* Level
* Screwdriver
* Saw
I'd say that list represents a bare minimum for getting the job done. Here's what I used and I think it would be difficult to do it with less:
* Pencil
* Tape Measure
* Gum eraser (We all make mistakes.)
* Drill and driver (Doing this job with a handheld screwdriver as is suggested in the manual would bring a grown man to tears.)
* Chop saw (Or a crosscut sled and a tablesaw.)
* Flashlight (My closet is not lit so this was essential.)
* Small and medium-sized level (A small level for front-to-back and a longer one for levelling the long shelves and vertical supports.)
* Spackling compound & touchup paint for the walls (Again, we all make mistakes. Additionally, you're bound to mar the walls during the installation.)
I probably spent 8 hours from the time I opened the box to the time I finished cleaning up. I found the instructions clear and easy to follow. But I'd caution anyone who isn't used to taking measurements, calculating distances, marking and drilling walls, and marking and cutting lumber to pay close attention to every step outlined therein. And be careful to use the exact screws called for in each operation as some are too small or too large for certain steps. And don't skip the initial planning step. It's key to a successful installation.
Final Outcome
I'm very happy with thje way the closet looks and at the vastly expanded capacity. (I now have a whopping 20 feet of shelf space and 60 inches of hanging space.) The whole thing is sturdy and functional. It was worth the effort and I plan to install one in at least one other bedroom closet.
Fit and Finish
As advertised, the shelves, racks and supports are all solid wood. They're made of pine and finished in either a deep burgundy color that they call Mahogany or a lighter stain they call Maple. In my opinion, naming the different finishes after specific hard woods is a bit misleading. It would be easy to think you were buying a solid mahogany or maple shelving system when in-fact it's made from the less expensive and softer pine.
I found the burgundy stain to be attractive and the pieces were well-covered. The finish seemed a little soft and marred fairly easily, though. Fortunately, the manufacturer includes a magic-marker style touch-up tool. It comes in very handy and I was glad to have it after nicking different pieces during the course of construction.
On initial inspection, I found the pieces were well-made and in good condition except one of the 24" shelves which had pretty large dents in it. They were made after the finish had been applied and in a position such that they would show if I had positioned the shelf low in the rack. Instead, I simply positioned it higher up so I couldn't see the dents. Problem solved. A couple of the shelves had knots in them but they were'nt loose and the stain and finish cover them nicely. Still, I'd prefer clear lumber.
The hardware is well-made and it all does the job it was meant to do. There are plenty of screws, brackets and assorted pieces. I found the drywall anchors especially useful since the configuration I used had me attaching shelves to the wall where there were no studs.
Assembly
Let me start by saying this is not a quick or easy project. It's more like a renovation than a simple installation. And doing it with two people would make it easier. Having said that, though, I would have had little space for anyone but me for most of the project.
I've never assembled a closet organizer before so I can't compare this to other similar systems. I have, however, done extensive home renovations, woodworking and some general carpentry so I was well-prepared with the tools for the job. The instruction manual says you need:
* Pencil
* Tape measure
* Level
* Screwdriver
* Saw
I'd say that list represents a bare minimum for getting the job done. Here's what I used and I think it would be difficult to do it with less:
* Pencil
* Tape Measure
* Gum eraser (We all make mistakes.)
* Drill and driver (Doing this job with a handheld screwdriver as is suggested in the manual would bring a grown man to tears.)
* Chop saw (Or a crosscut sled and a tablesaw.)
* Flashlight (My closet is not lit so this was essential.)
* Small and medium-sized level (A small level for front-to-back and a longer one for levelling the long shelves and vertical supports.)
* Spackling compound & touchup paint for the walls (Again, we all make mistakes. Additionally, you're bound to mar the walls during the installation.)
I probably spent 8 hours from the time I opened the box to the time I finished cleaning up. I found the instructions clear and easy to follow. But I'd caution anyone who isn't used to taking measurements, calculating distances, marking and drilling walls, and marking and cutting lumber to pay close attention to every step outlined therein. And be careful to use the exact screws called for in each operation as some are too small or too large for certain steps. And don't skip the initial planning step. It's key to a successful installation.
Final Outcome
I'm very happy with thje way the closet looks and at the vastly expanded capacity. (I now have a whopping 20 feet of shelf space and 60 inches of hanging space.) The whole thing is sturdy and functional. It was worth the effort and I plan to install one in at least one other bedroom closet.
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Facebook Investor Whiners
I find it laughable that people bought FaceBook (FB) at over 100 x earnings and are now crying foul because the stock hasn't gone up. At this writing, Google (GOOG) sells for less than 18 x earnings,; MicroSoft (MSFT) is under 11 x earnings; and Apple (APPL) costs less than 14 x earnings. They are solid performers in the same space as FB and are fairly priced. What would make a rational investor buy any stock at such a high premium as FB has been, and still is, selling for? I'd wait until it gets under 20 x earnings before I started to consider buying.
Update: 8/16/2012 - Yesterday I bought FB and its PE is still over 100, but it's close to half of what it was at IPO. I'm hoping that the company can capitalize on its 900 million users.
Update: 8/16/2012 - Yesterday I bought FB and its PE is still over 100, but it's close to half of what it was at IPO. I'm hoping that the company can capitalize on its 900 million users.
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Asus Transformer Review
In recent years I've watched co-workers, friends and family smuggly brandish their iPuds, iPlods and iDontCares whenever they had the chance. In my mind, these folks were slaves to the latest tech fashion and I saw no reason to hop on the bandwagon. Hell, you couldn't even get to the file system on those things. How could you do anything useful with them?
When Android tablets started started gaining ground, I still wan't thrilled. Sure, you could move files around like a real computer, but still, why bother? They seemed gimmicky and they were just trying to catch up with the iPad.
Then a friend gave me a reason that ultimately lead to my buying the Asus Transformer. He suggested that it would be great to carry all of one's sheet music around on a single device. With dozens of fake books in PDF files on my PC, each holding hundreds of songs, I knew he was right. I envisioned placing the tablet on a music stand and instantly calling up any sheet of music that I own. It seemed like the perfect application and I started reviewing the available Android tablets.
About six months ago I bought the Asus Transformer because of the keyboard and the glowing reviews I read. With 32 G of memory I figured I'd have plenty of capacity for my music and anything else I'd want it for. And the detachable keyboard and various connectivity ports overcame my biggest objections to other tablets. After using it for a few months, here's what I've found:
First the good stuff. The Wifi always works great. I can easily locate and connect to any network within range, and automatically reconnect next time I power up. It's a simple thing, but it works well. Also, Bluetooth connectivity is a breeze. I just enable it and select the device I want to use. Works great every time. The keyboard is good to have, but I find that I wind up using my laptop if I have any real work to do. Not because the Transformer's keyboard isn't useful, but because of the shortcomings listed below make the tablet a poor choice for doing most tasks.
Now for the not-so-good stuff. My biggest gripe is that the platform is unstable. Apps freeze or close up regularly, including Gmail, which I would expect to be better behaved on a Google operating system. The Android browser, Stumble Upon, and the Kindle App regularly freeze or close unexpectedly. (It might be coincidence, but I can't help but notice that all these apps exchange data over the network.)
The next biggest problem for me is that the web connection is s-l-o-w. When I'm at home, the router is never more than 40 feet away and I expect to get the same network performance as I get from my laptop. But I frequently give up on a web page because some simply take too long to load. I'm using the browser than came with the the machine and even if I don't have anything else running, network response is generally slow and sometimes its downright glacial.
Speaking of slow, response to page swipes, tilt actions and other gestures suffer from mild to severe lag, depending on what app I'm using. Even the screen orientation doesn't change quickly when I turn the tablet on its side.
Another major problem, is the fairly frequent freezes and crashes. Everything, including Google apps like Gmail, will freeze up from time-to-time. I have 26 gig of free memory, so I'm using less than 15% of the total system capacity - so I can't understand why the thing has such a hard time managing resources.
And sometimes, when the machine has sat by itself for a while, rather than going to sleep, it goes into a constant cycle of going to sleep and waking up. It doesn't let you have control - it just keeps going blank and then the splash screen comes on. The only way to stop it is to hold the power button in for a while until it finally powers down. It's maddening if you pick it up and expect to do something quickly.
A less egregious issue is that it always asks which application to use for opening PDF file. Or music files. Or videos - even though I check the 'Use as Default' option every time. And also, I can't uninstall the NetFlix app and I constantly get reminders that there is an update available for it.
Pros:
Nice to carry tons of sheet music and other material in a small package.
Cons:
Slow, buggy, unstable. Barely useful for even the most basic computing/network tasks.
The Bottom Line:
Great to have a small devic ethat holds all my sheet music and othe rdocuments. But it isn't stable or powerful enough to handle even teh simplest computing tassks.
Sunday, January 15, 2012
The Global Socio-Economic Ramifications of Taking a Hot Shower
For years I lived with a hot water heater that, along with my furnace, was fired by oil. And every time I turned up the heat or ran the hot water I felt a pang of guilt. Not becasue of the high price of oil, but because petro dollars fund terrorist regimes and contribute to so much corruption worldwide.
So now I live in a house with an electric hot water heater. And for the first few months I lived here, I was very cautious about running the hot water. But it just occurred to me that my electricity comes from a wood-burning power plant in Newigton, New Hampshire. And that I can take hot showers, do laundry on the 'hot' setting and use hot water whenever I want without being concerned about the global socio-politiclal-econmic-terrorist-funding ramifications in doing so. How liberating! In fact, I've taken the electric space heater out of the basement and plugged it in so now I'm heating part of my house with electricity, too. Woo hoo!
So now I live in a house with an electric hot water heater. And for the first few months I lived here, I was very cautious about running the hot water. But it just occurred to me that my electricity comes from a wood-burning power plant in Newigton, New Hampshire. And that I can take hot showers, do laundry on the 'hot' setting and use hot water whenever I want without being concerned about the global socio-politiclal-econmic-terrorist-funding ramifications in doing so. How liberating! In fact, I've taken the electric space heater out of the basement and plugged it in so now I'm heating part of my house with electricity, too. Woo hoo!
Friday, May 20, 2011
NYC vs. Boston, Mass.
I lived in the Boston area for ten years and, growing up in Connecticut, I have spent many, many days and nights in New York City. I think I have a good feel for both places and I wanted to compare the two by relating local jokes from each city.
The New York joke is well-known: A harried tourist is trying to get to his concert and is hopelessly lost. He stops and asks a native how to get to Carnegie Hall. And the famous response is 'Practice, practice, practice.'
It's funny because it isn't the answer one expects. But the subtext implies that anyone can become a world-class musician if they just put in the effort. Overall, a very positive outcome. And, I believe, a pretty good reflection of the New York attitude. That is, .You might not be from around here, but you have as good a shot as anyone.'
The Boston joke might be less well-known and it goes like this: An ingenue moves into Boston from the hinterlands. She is anxious to make her way and fit into the big city. She attends a social event and notes how her own attire is not at all what the other women are wearing. So she approaches one of the best dressed ladies at the party. The girl graciously says 'You are all so lovely. Tell me, where do you get your hats?' To which the Bostonian woman replies: 'My dear; we HAVE our hats.'
Now this joke says something entirely different. The punch line is unexpected, but the woman's scorn is clear. Her answer indicates that, even though she knows exactly what the young girl is asking, she doesn't intend to help. The answer is stingy and condescending. The matron clearly indicating that the girl does not belong and will never fit in.
Those two jokes, in my mind, sum up the two cities. You can probably tell which I prefer.
Monday, March 8, 2010
Gibson Custom ES 335 Dot
I've been playing guitar for almost 40 years and the Memphis 335 DOT is the 4th semi-hollow body that I've owned. In the 80's I had a 1960 335 and a Yamaha SA2000. I currently own an Eastman 185MX and the Memphis 335.
I played rock as a younger man but now I play jazz and blues. I play the 335 primarily through two amps - a 60 watt Tech 21, which is a middle-of-the-road solid state amp, and a 50 watt Fuchs head and 2x12 Fuchs cabinet. I also practice with it through a small Kustom tube amp. The guitar's character shines through with all three amps, but it really sings through the Fuchs.
I bought the guitar from American Musical Supply. They have a 45-day return policy and I've always had good luck with them. It arrived in a couple of days and was well packed. The hard-shell case has a stencil from the custom shop. The inside has an attached sheet of fabric that covers the guitar when the case is closed. The 'blanket' doesn't seem to serve any purpose and it's kind of a pain to pull it off the guitar to take it out of the case and then cover the guitar when putting it away. (A minor gripe.)
Construction
The guitar's fit-and-finish are very good. Great attention to detail in the binding, the paint and the high-gloss finish. The Grover tuners do a good job and the other hardware is top-notch as well. I really like the '57 humbuckers. They have great output and the tone is perfect.
Since the guitar is made from laminated woods, you don't have to worry much about the moisture content varying as the seasons change. My Eastman is made from solid maple and, as it drys out during the winter months, a tiny split opens up between the bookmatched halves of the top. I should get a humidifier and keep the room at a constant level because that split is only going to grow as each season passes.
Playability
Out of the box, the guitar was fairly well set up. The neck was straight and the action a little on the high side, but pretty good for a factory setup. The frets were a bit taller than I prefer so in order to get the action as I like it, I had to get the frets filed, but that's more of a personal preference.
The guitar is thin, but the body is big and I think that's where some of the tone comes from. The neck is what they call a 'slim profile'. This is my least favorite aspect of the instrument. It's very slim - I don't mean the width across the fingerboard - I mean the thickness between the fingerboard and the back of the neck where you put your thumb. After an hour of playing, especially when chording a lot, my left hand is sore to the bone. I have other guitars with thicker necks and they are far more comfortable to play. This is my only complaint with this instrument.
Tone
The electronics on this guitar are very responsive. Where some tone and volume controls seem to have little effect after a certain point, these provide smooth, gradual change over their entire travel distance. They are clean and not scratchy.
I get a great jazzy clean sound out of any of my amps using the neck pickup and varying the tone control. I'll dial in some bridge pickup for a great chucka-chucka rhythm tone.
I LOVE the lead tone with a bit of distortion for blues and harder-core jazz stuff. It's soooo sweet - very rich and full of overtones. With a little tweaking, it gets that distinctive Larry Carlton/John Scofield tone, which is my holy grail.
Overall
The Memphis 335 is very well-suited to the music I play. It's great for jazz, blues and light rock. The tone is far richer than any solid body I've ever had. But, it doesn't produce the sustain or the hard edge that you get from a Les Paul or some other solid-bodies.
The guitar plays very nicely, it's balanced and comfortable. It's well-made and is a great looking instrument. The neck thickness is my only complaint. I would consider it perfect if it were a little more comfortable for me to play.
I played rock as a younger man but now I play jazz and blues. I play the 335 primarily through two amps - a 60 watt Tech 21, which is a middle-of-the-road solid state amp, and a 50 watt Fuchs head and 2x12 Fuchs cabinet. I also practice with it through a small Kustom tube amp. The guitar's character shines through with all three amps, but it really sings through the Fuchs.
I bought the guitar from American Musical Supply. They have a 45-day return policy and I've always had good luck with them. It arrived in a couple of days and was well packed. The hard-shell case has a stencil from the custom shop. The inside has an attached sheet of fabric that covers the guitar when the case is closed. The 'blanket' doesn't seem to serve any purpose and it's kind of a pain to pull it off the guitar to take it out of the case and then cover the guitar when putting it away. (A minor gripe.)
Construction
The guitar's fit-and-finish are very good. Great attention to detail in the binding, the paint and the high-gloss finish. The Grover tuners do a good job and the other hardware is top-notch as well. I really like the '57 humbuckers. They have great output and the tone is perfect.
Since the guitar is made from laminated woods, you don't have to worry much about the moisture content varying as the seasons change. My Eastman is made from solid maple and, as it drys out during the winter months, a tiny split opens up between the bookmatched halves of the top. I should get a humidifier and keep the room at a constant level because that split is only going to grow as each season passes.
Playability
Out of the box, the guitar was fairly well set up. The neck was straight and the action a little on the high side, but pretty good for a factory setup. The frets were a bit taller than I prefer so in order to get the action as I like it, I had to get the frets filed, but that's more of a personal preference.
The guitar is thin, but the body is big and I think that's where some of the tone comes from. The neck is what they call a 'slim profile'. This is my least favorite aspect of the instrument. It's very slim - I don't mean the width across the fingerboard - I mean the thickness between the fingerboard and the back of the neck where you put your thumb. After an hour of playing, especially when chording a lot, my left hand is sore to the bone. I have other guitars with thicker necks and they are far more comfortable to play. This is my only complaint with this instrument.
Tone
The electronics on this guitar are very responsive. Where some tone and volume controls seem to have little effect after a certain point, these provide smooth, gradual change over their entire travel distance. They are clean and not scratchy.
I get a great jazzy clean sound out of any of my amps using the neck pickup and varying the tone control. I'll dial in some bridge pickup for a great chucka-chucka rhythm tone.
I LOVE the lead tone with a bit of distortion for blues and harder-core jazz stuff. It's soooo sweet - very rich and full of overtones. With a little tweaking, it gets that distinctive Larry Carlton/John Scofield tone, which is my holy grail.
Overall
The Memphis 335 is very well-suited to the music I play. It's great for jazz, blues and light rock. The tone is far richer than any solid body I've ever had. But, it doesn't produce the sustain or the hard edge that you get from a Les Paul or some other solid-bodies.
The guitar plays very nicely, it's balanced and comfortable. It's well-made and is a great looking instrument. The neck thickness is my only complaint. I would consider it perfect if it were a little more comfortable for me to play.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Prosper.com Lender Review
A lousy investment for lenders. People who can't get loans from traditional means want your money.
I have been a Prosper lender for three years and I've tried a variety of loan strategies from conservative to risky. I've spread my loans across different borrowers and nearly all of them have defaulted.
While the website offers a lot of information about borrowers, like credit score and debt-to-income, there doesn't seem to be any correlation between it and the likelihood of the borrowers paying you back. When a loan goes into default, there's a small chance that you'll get back a few cents on each dollar you lent.
The best bet for a lender is probably the Portfolio Plans which allow you to invest within a given risk tolerance. But again, don't count on getting your money back. I would like to see Prosper publish the percentage of loans that default.
Everyone wants to earn the highest possible return on their investments. And this site implies high returns with social benefits; namely, lending to folks who have no other place to get money. But this is a last resort for borrowers and you shouldn't kid yourself into thinking that the high interest rates are guaranteed, or even likely. .
Recommended:
No
I have been a Prosper lender for three years and I've tried a variety of loan strategies from conservative to risky. I've spread my loans across different borrowers and nearly all of them have defaulted.
While the website offers a lot of information about borrowers, like credit score and debt-to-income, there doesn't seem to be any correlation between it and the likelihood of the borrowers paying you back. When a loan goes into default, there's a small chance that you'll get back a few cents on each dollar you lent.
The best bet for a lender is probably the Portfolio Plans which allow you to invest within a given risk tolerance. But again, don't count on getting your money back. I would like to see Prosper publish the percentage of loans that default.
Everyone wants to earn the highest possible return on their investments. And this site implies high returns with social benefits; namely, lending to folks who have no other place to get money. But this is a last resort for borrowers and you shouldn't kid yourself into thinking that the high interest rates are guaranteed, or even likely. .
Recommended:
No
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Waves Igtr Personal Guitar Processor
Like many guitar players, I've always wanted to be able to practice through headphones and still get a decent sound from my guitar. I bought my iGTR after trying a bunch of headphone amps. Rockman, Zoom, CTech and many others over the years have left me flat (no pun intended), so I wasn't expecting much from the iGTR. I was pleasantly surprised and here's why:
Form Factor
The unit is a little bigger than an iPod and it clips securely onto your guitar strap or belt. I put mine on the strap just above the strap button on the upper bout of the guitar. That way, the controls are all right at my finger tips.
Speaking of the controls, they are simple and very easy to use. Three jog wheels control Drive, Modulation and Time effects. Additionally, there is a switch associated with each jog wheel: Bright, Normal and Warm for the Drive effect; Phaser, Tremelo and Wah for the Modulation wheel and Delay, Chorus and Reverb for the Time-based effects. Operation is simple - select a switch position and then dial in the amount of the desired effect. Much easier than navigating through menus as you have to do on many similar devices.
Sound
I know it's subjective, but to my ear, this thing sounds closer to to the sound of my guitar running through an amp than any other headphone unit that I've tried. The effects sound quite natural and the guitar's sonic qualities shine through. My 335 sounds like it's suppose to and so does my Strat. I am holding on to this because of the sound - I've gotten rid of every other headphone/practice device that I've bought.
Input/Output
You plug your guitar in one end and a set of headphones/earbuds in the other. Turn it on and play - couldn't be simpler. You can also plug an iPod, another iGTR, a metronome, etc, into the auxiliary input. Nice feature to be able to play with another person or backing track. You can also use the auxiliary output for another set of headphones, or to send the signal to a recording device, another iGTR or any other external device. Very nice.
My Enhancement Requests
This unit would be close to perfect if it had a built-in metronome or drum machine. I'd also like a little more control over the effects. The phaser, delay, chorus, reverb and tremelo are great, but I'd use every one of them more if I could tweak their levels a little. And finally, a tuner would also be a great addition. I know that any of those enhancements would complicate the user interface, but I'd be happy to pay that price.
Summary
The best guitar headphone amp that I've used, and I've used a lot of them. While some units, like the Line6 Pocket Pod, offer more sounds and more control, I definitely prefer the iGTR for it's smaller size and ease-of-use.
Pros: Ease of use, great sounds, small footprint.
Cons: No metronome or tuner, EATS batteries.
Recommended: Yes
Form Factor
The unit is a little bigger than an iPod and it clips securely onto your guitar strap or belt. I put mine on the strap just above the strap button on the upper bout of the guitar. That way, the controls are all right at my finger tips.
Speaking of the controls, they are simple and very easy to use. Three jog wheels control Drive, Modulation and Time effects. Additionally, there is a switch associated with each jog wheel: Bright, Normal and Warm for the Drive effect; Phaser, Tremelo and Wah for the Modulation wheel and Delay, Chorus and Reverb for the Time-based effects. Operation is simple - select a switch position and then dial in the amount of the desired effect. Much easier than navigating through menus as you have to do on many similar devices.
Sound
I know it's subjective, but to my ear, this thing sounds closer to to the sound of my guitar running through an amp than any other headphone unit that I've tried. The effects sound quite natural and the guitar's sonic qualities shine through. My 335 sounds like it's suppose to and so does my Strat. I am holding on to this because of the sound - I've gotten rid of every other headphone/practice device that I've bought.
Input/Output
You plug your guitar in one end and a set of headphones/earbuds in the other. Turn it on and play - couldn't be simpler. You can also plug an iPod, another iGTR, a metronome, etc, into the auxiliary input. Nice feature to be able to play with another person or backing track. You can also use the auxiliary output for another set of headphones, or to send the signal to a recording device, another iGTR or any other external device. Very nice.
My Enhancement Requests
This unit would be close to perfect if it had a built-in metronome or drum machine. I'd also like a little more control over the effects. The phaser, delay, chorus, reverb and tremelo are great, but I'd use every one of them more if I could tweak their levels a little. And finally, a tuner would also be a great addition. I know that any of those enhancements would complicate the user interface, but I'd be happy to pay that price.
Summary
The best guitar headphone amp that I've used, and I've used a lot of them. While some units, like the Line6 Pocket Pod, offer more sounds and more control, I definitely prefer the iGTR for it's smaller size and ease-of-use.
Pros: Ease of use, great sounds, small footprint.
Cons: No metronome or tuner, EATS batteries.
Recommended: Yes
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Tech 21Trademark 60 Guitar Amp
I've been playing rock, blues and jazz through a Mesa Boogie MarkII combo since the mid 1980’s. I bought this amp because I was tired of lugging the Boogie around. I’ve been very happy with that decision.
The Box
At 34 pounds, the Tech 21 is much lighter than the 56 pound MB. They both have 12” speakers, they’re both 60 watts and they both include spring reverb units. They both take about the same amount of floor space (about 1.5 square feet) and they’re almost exactly the same height - about 18 inches. But becasue it's so much lighter, this amp is much easier to get into and out of my car than the MB.
The MB is all tube and the Tech 21 is solid state. They’re both two-channel amps and both come with a footswitch to toggle between channels. The Tech 21 footswitch also allows you to cut an effects loop in and out and control the reverb and built in boost function.
The controls for the Tech 21 are located on the top of the amp giving its face a very clean retro sort of look – just a cane grille surrounded by black tolex. It also has metal corner protectors on all eight corners. All-in-all, it’s very solidly built.
The Tech 21 has the usual ¼” input. It also has an effects send and return, headphone out and a SanAmp output for going direct to a mixing board. A great feature for the studio or on-stage.
The Sound
I’ve found the Tech 21 to be very well-suited to what I’m playing these days – a mix of jazz and blues in solo and combo settings. The amp has a very warm, full clean sound. Deep mids and solid bass. To my ear it lacks the clarity of the Mesa Boogie, though. The highs are clearer on the MB and the mids are better defined. Having said that, I’m very satisfied with the tones I get from the Tech 21. It does quite a respectable job handling the nuances of jazz chords and solos and I believe an EQ in the effects loop would allow me to really hone the sounds to perfection.
The distorted tone on the Tech 21 really sounds good. It provides excellent tone and balance without getting muddy. I use it to add a little bite to some solos and some crunch for some rhythm parts, or if I want to really jump out to the top of the mix, I'll really crank it. Now, I’m used to the killer overdrive from the MB and Santana solos clearly sound better through the Boogie. But the Tech 21 does a great job and I’m thrilled at its versatility.
Miscellaneous
1) I’ve noticed that the Tech 21 doesn’t provide as much headroom as the Boogie. It’s plenty loud enough for anything I’ve put it through, but the MB is the clear leader here.
2) I had the chance to run a great experiment at a friend’s music store. He had a Tech21 on the floor and I wanted to try swapping out my speaker for a Jensen. So first we set both amps up side-by-side with the settings exactly the same and compared the two amps. They sounded almost identical. Next we swapped the Jensen speaker into my amp and did the same comparison. To my surprise, the Jensen sounded thin and reedy next to the Tech 21 speaker. We put my speaker back in and I’ve never looked back.
3) While the lack of tubes does take away subtley from the sound, I’m really happy that I don’t have to change tubes with this amp. That and the lighter weight are worth the trade off to me. (Not to mention the HUGE price difference.)
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The Box
At 34 pounds, the Tech 21 is much lighter than the 56 pound MB. They both have 12” speakers, they’re both 60 watts and they both include spring reverb units. They both take about the same amount of floor space (about 1.5 square feet) and they’re almost exactly the same height - about 18 inches. But becasue it's so much lighter, this amp is much easier to get into and out of my car than the MB.
The MB is all tube and the Tech 21 is solid state. They’re both two-channel amps and both come with a footswitch to toggle between channels. The Tech 21 footswitch also allows you to cut an effects loop in and out and control the reverb and built in boost function.
The controls for the Tech 21 are located on the top of the amp giving its face a very clean retro sort of look – just a cane grille surrounded by black tolex. It also has metal corner protectors on all eight corners. All-in-all, it’s very solidly built.
The Tech 21 has the usual ¼” input. It also has an effects send and return, headphone out and a SanAmp output for going direct to a mixing board. A great feature for the studio or on-stage.
The Sound
I’ve found the Tech 21 to be very well-suited to what I’m playing these days – a mix of jazz and blues in solo and combo settings. The amp has a very warm, full clean sound. Deep mids and solid bass. To my ear it lacks the clarity of the Mesa Boogie, though. The highs are clearer on the MB and the mids are better defined. Having said that, I’m very satisfied with the tones I get from the Tech 21. It does quite a respectable job handling the nuances of jazz chords and solos and I believe an EQ in the effects loop would allow me to really hone the sounds to perfection.
The distorted tone on the Tech 21 really sounds good. It provides excellent tone and balance without getting muddy. I use it to add a little bite to some solos and some crunch for some rhythm parts, or if I want to really jump out to the top of the mix, I'll really crank it. Now, I’m used to the killer overdrive from the MB and Santana solos clearly sound better through the Boogie. But the Tech 21 does a great job and I’m thrilled at its versatility.
Miscellaneous
1) I’ve noticed that the Tech 21 doesn’t provide as much headroom as the Boogie. It’s plenty loud enough for anything I’ve put it through, but the MB is the clear leader here.
2) I had the chance to run a great experiment at a friend’s music store. He had a Tech21 on the floor and I wanted to try swapping out my speaker for a Jensen. So first we set both amps up side-by-side with the settings exactly the same and compared the two amps. They sounded almost identical. Next we swapped the Jensen speaker into my amp and did the same comparison. To my surprise, the Jensen sounded thin and reedy next to the Tech 21 speaker. We put my speaker back in and I’ve never looked back.
3) While the lack of tubes does take away subtley from the sound, I’m really happy that I don’t have to change tubes with this amp. That and the lighter weight are worth the trade off to me. (Not to mention the HUGE price difference.)
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Alesis ACTIVE Speaker USB Connection
These speakers are very well-suited to home or mobile computer recording studios. (They also make excellent PC speakers). At this price, nothing else comes close in either sound or features.
Performance
The 3"woofer and 1" tweeter deliver crisp, punchy sound over a broad spectrum. The bass boost ( 4.8dB at 100Hz) works well and delivers respectable low-end for this size speaker. The cabinets are ported and I think that helps tremendously. They must be ultra shielded because I have them within inches of my laptop and I get exactly zero interference or hum. They are active, meaning they have built in amplification, but at 10 watts, they won't rattle your walls if that's what you’re after.
They required no setup or driver installation at all. When I plugged them into a USB port on my laptop (running Windows XP), they showed up immediately as a sound-card. I DID run into a little trouble when I tried connecting them to my USB hub. They tended to simply cut out and not come back until I rebooted. I know that audio devices are finicky and it's always best to plug them directly into your PC - case in point.
The 88db (weighted) signal to noise ratio is better than many speakers in this price range, especially desktop PC speakers. But it's not as good as even slightly higher priced monitors. The 80hz to 20Khz frequency response is average. Digital resolution is at 16 bit, 44.1kHz or 48kHz.
Features
These speakers have more functionality than anything I've seen in any desktop monitor. The big draw for me was the USB connectivity. But they also have a 1/8" TRS input (for your iPod, etc); stereo RCA inputs; two unbalanced 1/4" input jacks; as well as a TRS headphone out. That covers about any modern audio interface out there (except XLR). Also, the headphone jack and power/volume knob are on the front which makes them very convenient. All other controls and jacks are on the back.
Another HUGE benefit to these speakers is that anything you plug into them is available as a sound source in your computer. So if you plug the mains from your board into them, and plug them into your USB port, you can then manipulate it, record it, sample it, etc. on the PC. Same is true for a CD or tape player, DJ console, guitar, keyboard, and on, and on. No other PC speaker that I know of offers this feature.
Overall
The speakers are compact and solidly made. The connections are well-seated and don't feel at all wobbly like some cheap computer gear. Great sound and super functionality. These are terrific for a project studio or as computer speakers. They take up very little desk space at (W x H x D): 6.0 x 5.0 x 7.5 inches.
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Performance
The 3"woofer and 1" tweeter deliver crisp, punchy sound over a broad spectrum. The bass boost ( 4.8dB at 100Hz) works well and delivers respectable low-end for this size speaker. The cabinets are ported and I think that helps tremendously. They must be ultra shielded because I have them within inches of my laptop and I get exactly zero interference or hum. They are active, meaning they have built in amplification, but at 10 watts, they won't rattle your walls if that's what you’re after.
They required no setup or driver installation at all. When I plugged them into a USB port on my laptop (running Windows XP), they showed up immediately as a sound-card. I DID run into a little trouble when I tried connecting them to my USB hub. They tended to simply cut out and not come back until I rebooted. I know that audio devices are finicky and it's always best to plug them directly into your PC - case in point.
The 88db (weighted) signal to noise ratio is better than many speakers in this price range, especially desktop PC speakers. But it's not as good as even slightly higher priced monitors. The 80hz to 20Khz frequency response is average. Digital resolution is at 16 bit, 44.1kHz or 48kHz.
Features
These speakers have more functionality than anything I've seen in any desktop monitor. The big draw for me was the USB connectivity. But they also have a 1/8" TRS input (for your iPod, etc); stereo RCA inputs; two unbalanced 1/4" input jacks; as well as a TRS headphone out. That covers about any modern audio interface out there (except XLR). Also, the headphone jack and power/volume knob are on the front which makes them very convenient. All other controls and jacks are on the back.
Another HUGE benefit to these speakers is that anything you plug into them is available as a sound source in your computer. So if you plug the mains from your board into them, and plug them into your USB port, you can then manipulate it, record it, sample it, etc. on the PC. Same is true for a CD or tape player, DJ console, guitar, keyboard, and on, and on. No other PC speaker that I know of offers this feature.
Overall
The speakers are compact and solidly made. The connections are well-seated and don't feel at all wobbly like some cheap computer gear. Great sound and super functionality. These are terrific for a project studio or as computer speakers. They take up very little desk space at (W x H x D): 6.0 x 5.0 x 7.5 inches.
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Lasko 5367 Ceramic Electric Compact Heater\
I live in northern New England and we keep the furnace at a chilly 60 degrees during the day while the house is empty except for me. I spend my time in my 20’ x 22’ music room recording and composing and the Lasko does a good job of quickly heating the room by 10 degrees and keeping it there.
The tower takes up very little floor space and the oscillating feature is quite effective in filling the whole room with heat. (Prior to getting this model, I tried another non-oscillating heater that was no where near as effective as this one.) When the room is cold, I turn it on and place it about three feet from my workstation. Within a minute the area around my desk is warm enough to start working. After about half an hour I move the unit further out into the room and leave it there for the day. The entire room is comfortable in no time.
Made in China, the unit seems well-built with a metal grid over the ceramic element. (This grid quickly becomes hot to the touch.) The front and top are metallic looking grey plastic and the back is shiny grey. It’s modern looking and you might mistake it for a speaker rather than a space heater. The built-in handle won’t break off because it’s integrated into the casing. And very important to me because I work with music is that the fan is quiet - quieter than the previously mentioned model that I tried. Its six-foot chord won't reach into the center of many rooms, but it's longer than some. It has automatic overheat protection and comes with a 3 year warranty.
The controls are simple – turn up the thermostat and switch the mode to fan, low heat or high heat. I expect to use the fan mode in the summer when it’s 90 degrees in here, but for now I mostly use the high heat setting (1500 watts). Push a button to start to stop it from oscillation. Simple.
It seems to operate fairly economically. Our electric bill somewhat higher since the unit is on every day, but we use far less heating oil by keeping the furnace at a lower temperature.
A couple of minor issues: As I mentioned, the metal grid gets quite got. I wouldn't want a baby to get near it. Second, there is no tip-over protection so if it falls or gets knocked over, it will stay on. This might pose a safety hazard under some circumstances.
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The tower takes up very little floor space and the oscillating feature is quite effective in filling the whole room with heat. (Prior to getting this model, I tried another non-oscillating heater that was no where near as effective as this one.) When the room is cold, I turn it on and place it about three feet from my workstation. Within a minute the area around my desk is warm enough to start working. After about half an hour I move the unit further out into the room and leave it there for the day. The entire room is comfortable in no time.
Made in China, the unit seems well-built with a metal grid over the ceramic element. (This grid quickly becomes hot to the touch.) The front and top are metallic looking grey plastic and the back is shiny grey. It’s modern looking and you might mistake it for a speaker rather than a space heater. The built-in handle won’t break off because it’s integrated into the casing. And very important to me because I work with music is that the fan is quiet - quieter than the previously mentioned model that I tried. Its six-foot chord won't reach into the center of many rooms, but it's longer than some. It has automatic overheat protection and comes with a 3 year warranty.
The controls are simple – turn up the thermostat and switch the mode to fan, low heat or high heat. I expect to use the fan mode in the summer when it’s 90 degrees in here, but for now I mostly use the high heat setting (1500 watts). Push a button to start to stop it from oscillation. Simple.
It seems to operate fairly economically. Our electric bill somewhat higher since the unit is on every day, but we use far less heating oil by keeping the furnace at a lower temperature.
A couple of minor issues: As I mentioned, the metal grid gets quite got. I wouldn't want a baby to get near it. Second, there is no tip-over protection so if it falls or gets knocked over, it will stay on. This might pose a safety hazard under some circumstances.
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Sweet and Lowdown Movie Review
As a long-time Woody Allen fan and jazz guitar player I looked forward to seeing this movie. It came highly recommended and I was disappointed on a lot of levels.
First, there was not one minute while watching this film that I wasn't aware of the fact that I was viewing a performance. The acting was stilted and even Sean Penn's performance seemed affected.
Second, despite having lived an interesting and somewhat sordid decade or two travelling and playing guitar myself, I could not relate even slightly to the protagonist. Granted, the time period was a factor, but the lead character (Emmet Ray) was so one-dimensional that I found it impossible to empathise with him on a human level.
Third, while monologues from people like Woody Allen were interesting, they offered no more than speculation and conjecture. The relationship between Mr. Ray and the people doing the talking was never made clear and as a result the viewer was left scratching his head wondering about the source of their information. Additionally, the random breaks in the action of the film served to disrupt what little momentum might have been building.
Fourth, in at least one scene we are treated to three alternatives as to what happens. I believe the intent was to let the viewer know that anything was possible and no one really knows what happened. But that is disconcerting to the average movie goer who usually wants to be told a story - not given a series of possibilities and left to wonder.
Fifth, Mr. Penn's phony fingering on the guitar neck was distracting and detracted from the viewing experience. It's like watching someone lipsynch poorly. The scenes where he's playing should have been edited in such a way that his hands weren't shown - at least during some of the very difficult pieces.
Sixth, what the hell happened? Did he divorce Blanche? Did he father a child? Did he return to Hattie? Did he stop playing? Just saying that he disappeared strikes me as a lazy way to end a film.
Having said all of that, I loved the guitar playing. I hadn't heard of Howard Allen before, but I plan on finding some of his recordings. That's the one positive thing I got out of the film.
Summary - A movie tells a story, with a beginning, middle and end. This one had a beginning, alternative middles and no real end. It was unsatisfying and overrated. Do yourself a favor and just buy the soundtrack.
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First, there was not one minute while watching this film that I wasn't aware of the fact that I was viewing a performance. The acting was stilted and even Sean Penn's performance seemed affected.
Second, despite having lived an interesting and somewhat sordid decade or two travelling and playing guitar myself, I could not relate even slightly to the protagonist. Granted, the time period was a factor, but the lead character (Emmet Ray) was so one-dimensional that I found it impossible to empathise with him on a human level.
Third, while monologues from people like Woody Allen were interesting, they offered no more than speculation and conjecture. The relationship between Mr. Ray and the people doing the talking was never made clear and as a result the viewer was left scratching his head wondering about the source of their information. Additionally, the random breaks in the action of the film served to disrupt what little momentum might have been building.
Fourth, in at least one scene we are treated to three alternatives as to what happens. I believe the intent was to let the viewer know that anything was possible and no one really knows what happened. But that is disconcerting to the average movie goer who usually wants to be told a story - not given a series of possibilities and left to wonder.
Fifth, Mr. Penn's phony fingering on the guitar neck was distracting and detracted from the viewing experience. It's like watching someone lipsynch poorly. The scenes where he's playing should have been edited in such a way that his hands weren't shown - at least during some of the very difficult pieces.
Sixth, what the hell happened? Did he divorce Blanche? Did he father a child? Did he return to Hattie? Did he stop playing? Just saying that he disappeared strikes me as a lazy way to end a film.
Having said all of that, I loved the guitar playing. I hadn't heard of Howard Allen before, but I plan on finding some of his recordings. That's the one positive thing I got out of the film.
Summary - A movie tells a story, with a beginning, middle and end. This one had a beginning, alternative middles and no real end. It was unsatisfying and overrated. Do yourself a favor and just buy the soundtrack.
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Thursday, March 8, 2007
Olympus Camedia Digital Camera
Olympus Camedia C-4000 4MP Digital Camera w/ 3x Optical Zoom  Pros Easy-to-use, excellent quality digital camera. Cons 3X zoom is limiting. The Bottom Line Versatile, digital camera with all of the features a point-and-click photog could want. |
| Full Review This is my first digital camera. I've had it for about four years and I'm still crazy about it. I use it for everything from taking quick snapshots for eBay to taking pictures for printing and framing. When I bought it, 4.1 megapixel was as high as you could get. Now, of course, higher resolution cameras are the norm. But the output is great up to 8 1/2 by 11 inches. (I haven't printed any larger than that.) I've had Shutterfly print some and I've sent some to my Canon i960. Both look terrific The Setup The unit plugs into a USB port on your computer. You plug your guitar or bass into the Tomeport and the signal is routed to the software that Line6 ships with the unit. There are a couple of stereo line ins and line outs so you can monitor an external sound source or send your guitar to an external source (like a PA). There is also a mic input with a built in preamp, but I haven't used it. The Software Line 6 ships a good software package (Gearbox) with this unit. It contains a bunch of very usable amp models, speaker cabinets, preamps and effects. I play a combination of rock and jazz and I can usually create a tone that meets my needs. You can tweak any and all settings for the canned sample sounds and save them as user sounds. I used to use my own custom sounds exclusively, but the latest version of Gearbox has a really cool Tone Library button which links you to a whole bunch of on-line tones that emulate sounds from people like BB King and other well-known player to staff members from Berklee. These tones are awesome! They really expand the usefulness of the software. Speaking of which, the latest version also includes a cool little metronome which was sorely missing from the last version. You can use it to provide a simple click-track or use one the provided drum grooves. It even does 5/4 time. Very nice. The effects are standard issue - Reverb, Delay, EQ, Chorus, Flange, Fuzz, etc. They are all serviceable and virtually noise-free. The Sound This thing sounds great for the price! The modelled amps are quite authentic. The only sound I haven't been able to reproduce is a Marshall Stack, but I think if I spent the time, I would be able to get just what I was looking for. I was afraid before I got it that it might track poorly or there might be a latency issue, but the thing is spot-on. I can bend, hammer, tap, pull, pop, mute, chicken-pick, etc and it doesn't miss a beat. Another fear I had was that the character of my guitar would be lost in all of that electronic processing, what with the modelling and all, but that is not the case. I'm happy to report that my semi-hollow-body retains its clear harmonics and subtle, round tones while the Strat chunks and crunches away. Keep in-mind, however, that this isn't a studio-level piece of equipment. It's great for getting a guitar or bass signal into your computer. And the Gearbox software is terrific for a consumer-level signal processing, amp modelling tool. But don't expect pristine, high-end output. It's good, but keep the price in-mind when you form your expectations. Some Drawbacks There are a couple of minor drawbacks. First, you can't really use the thing on-stage because it has no foot-pedal. That means that you have to use your computer's mouse every time you want to select a different sound or change a setting. Second, I wish there were more options available for it. For instance, if people could write plugins for it, a whole world of effects or amp sounds might blossom. As it is, we're stuck with the options that the vendor puts out. |
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Saturday, February 17, 2007
Line 6 TonePort UX1 Product Review
LINE6 UX1 TONEPORT Music Computer Interface  Pros Excellent way to get your instrument or voice into a computer program. Cons No footpedal, limited effects and amp models. The Bottom Line Very good consumer-level interface to the world of computers for the traditionally analog musician. |
| Full Review |
| I've played guitar for 30 years and worked with computers for twenty. In that time I've always resisted the push to marry the two. To me musical instruments have always been the antithesis of the 'Moore's Law' way of thinking that prevails in technology. I love the fact that the guitar and amp that I've owned for decades are as good or better than most of the stuff that's being made today. So, as I said, I've always resisted the move to plug the guitar into my computer. Then, one day I was messing around with some recording/sampling/mixing software and I realized how powerful, clean and accurate it was. There, on my computer and at very little cost I had software that would allow me to record, bounce, mix, punch in and out, time-stretch, detune, sample, and on and on. It was a revelation! Turns out the computer and music ARE well-suited to each other. (Check out http://flstudio.com/ if you want to get a look at some really fun and hip software.) So I had to find a means by which to plug my Strat and ES-137 into my laptop and get my playing into the mix. I did a fair amount of research and the Toneport was exactly what I wanted. The Setup The unit plugs into a USB port on your computer. You plug your guitar or bass into the Tomeport and the signal is routed to the software that Line6 ships with the unit. There are a couple of stereo line ins and line outs so you can monitor an external sound source or send your guitar to an external source (like a PA). There is also a mic input with a built in preamp, but I haven't used it. The Software Line 6 ships a good software package (Gearbox) with this unit. It contains a bunch of very usable amp models, speaker cabinets, preamps and effects. I play a combination of rock and jazz and I can usually create a tone that meets my needs. You can tweak any and all settings for the canned sample sounds and save them as user sounds. I used to use my own custom sounds exclusively, but the latest version of Gearbox has a really cool Tone Library button which links you to a whole bunch of on-line tones that emulate sounds from people like BB King and other well-known player to staff members from Berklee. These tones are awesome! They really expand the usefulness of the software. Speaking of which, the latest version also includes a cool little metronome which was sorely missing from the last version. You can use it to provide a simple click-track or use one the provided drum grooves. It even does 5/4 time. Very nice. The effects are standard issue - Reverb, Delay, EQ, Chorus, Flange, Fuzz, etc. They are all serviceable and virtually noise-free. The Sound This thing sounds great for the price! The modelled amps are quite authentic. The only sound I haven't been able to reproduce is a Marshall Stack, but I think if I spent the time, I would be able to get just what I was looking for. I was afraid before I got it that it might track poorly or there might be a latency issue, but the thing is spot-on. I can bend, hammer, tap, pull, pop, mute, chicken-pick, etc and it doesn't miss a beat. Another fear I had was that the character of my guitar would be lost in all of that electronic processing, what with the modelling and all, but that is not the case. I'm happy to report that my semi-hollow-body retains its clear harmonics and subtle, round tones while the Strat chunks and crunches away. Keep in-mind, however, that this isn't a studio-level piece of equipment. It's great for getting a guitar or bass signal into your computer. And the Gearbox software is terrific for a consumer-level signal processing, amp modelling tool. But don't expect pristine, high-end output. It's good, but keep the price in-mind when you form your expectations. Some Drawbacks There are a couple of minor drawbacks. First, you can't really use the thing on-stage because it has no foot-pedal. That means that you have to use your computer's mouse every time you want to select a different sound or change a setting. Second, I wish there were more options available for it. For instance, if people could write plugins for it, a whole world of effects or amp sounds might blossom. As it is, we're stuck with the options that the vendor puts out. |
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Mercedes-Benz 2003 E-Class Auto Review
| Pros Best looking mid-sized Mercedes to come down the pike in decades. Cons A bit sluggish off the line. The Bottom Line I really like this car. It drives wonderfully and it's luxurious without being flashy. |
| Full Review |
| The E320 is my fourth Mercedes sedan. My first and favorite was a 1968 250S. It was an absolute classic. Wonderfully rich interior, excellent handling, but a bit underpowered. The body style was instantly recognizable as a Mercedes with a slight Pagoda design to the roof, the huge expanse of hood and a trunk that reminded me of a boat's deck. The E320 reminds me of that classic sedan from days of old. It has the most luxurious appointments of any Benz since those from the '60s. The body styling is distinct and, like my old 250S, the car is slightly underpowered. Still, I really enjoy this car and I'll tell you why here: Interior The interior is what ultimately sold me on it. As I mentioned above, the appointments are pure luxury. Swooping wood trim surrounds the driver and front passenger. The best woodwork I've seen in a Benz in 30 years. The leather seats are supple and supportive - much more comfortable than those in the Jaguar X series that I test-drove. In fact, these seats, while not as roomy as the ones in my old 250 are better than those in any of the Mercedes that I've owned since then. The back seat is roomy and the trunk is huge. While it's a subjective judgment, I'd say the controls are laid out well for the most part. I like the analog speedometer and other gauges. But I have a couple of minor complaints in this department. First, telephone dial pad is too far away from the driver to quickly dial while driving. If I have to manually dial a number, it takes a lot of concentration and carefully looking back and forth from the road to the phone pad. I'd have liked a little easier means by which to dial manually. My other complaint is that the menu system which is accessible through steering wheel controls is a bit clunky. I rarely need to change the time or set the interior lighting options while driving, but I have to wade through those menus to get to the few options that I use frequently while at the wheel. Speaking of the interior lighting, I like it. Lots of ambient light available at night and plenty of task lighting when needed. Exterior Gone is the boxy look that started appearing on MB sedans in the '80s. The body sits on its haunches and looks like a cat that's ready to pounce. A sloping roof and hood make the car appear to be in motion even when it's parked. The raked headlights and grill give it a very aggressive 'face'. Very nicely done. Performance As others have noted here, the E320 is not the quickest car on the road. It's heavy for the size of the engine and it doesn't jump off the line. When I get in my wife's Maxima after driving the E320, I have to consciously back off the throttle so I don't over-do it. I've had the E320 up to 115 MPH on the highway and it felt very well-grounded. I think there was a good deal more speed left in her, but I understand that they install a governor at the factory that tops out at 130. But the best place for driving this car is on twisty two-lanes. It sticks to the road and corners tightly and is very much at-home carving out swaths through the back roads. The ride is pure Mercedes - comfortable without being too soft. I get about 30 MPG when driving conservatively on dry roads. I don't drive it in snow, so I can't comment on how she handles under those conditions. |
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Sennheiser MX 500 Earbuds Product Review
| Sennheiser MX500 Earbuds (White)  Pros Excellent sound, decent comfort and great price. Cons Needs a longer cord The Bottom Line Absolutely the best earbuds I've found for the money. |
| Full Review |
| I bought these as an interim set after giving up on my Shure E2 in-ear set. (You can read my review of the Shures at E2 Product Review). I had intended to just use the Sennheisers only until I found a better set. But after using them for a couple of weeks I am extremely pleased and I don't plan on giving them up. In fact, they're so affordable that it's easy to justify few more sets for home, office, etc. Comfort The very first thing that I noticed when I put these in my ears was how much more more comfortable they are than the Shures. These have standard earbud-style drivers with foam pads that sit lightly in the outer ear. The Shure's are inserted into the ear canal and, as I mentioned in my E2 review, I found them very uncomfortable. These Sennheisers are far more comfortable. Sound These phones sound great! I am still knocked out by them. They blow the Shures away in all respects. The high end is clear, bright and a little breathy like a set of well-tuned studio monitors. The mid range is full and well defined. And the bass is great - better than the Shure's which are renowned for their bass response. These are as loud as the Shures are, as well. In case you can't tell, I am supremely happy with the Sennheiser's sound. Isolation This is the one area where the Shure's win out. The Sennheisers do not seal you off from external noises the way the Shure's do. If that isn't a concern for you, it won't matter. But if you want to hear less of the world around you, and you want the world to hear less of whatever you're listening to, the Shures are a better pick. Minor Annoyances Nothing is perfect and these phones would be even better if they had the following: 1) A longer cord. You'll probably need an extension. 2) Better foam pads. The supplied pads are cheap and fall off easily. 3) How about a volume control on the cord? It's a lot easier to turn up the tunes with an on-cord control rather than fumbling for the volume on an MP3 player. Bottom Line Absolutely the best earbuds I've owned. Disclaimer After reading this, I realized it sounds like an advertisement. I just want to assure you that I have no affiliation with Sennheiser and no axe to grind with Shure. These are just my opinions. |
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Shure E2 Earbuds Product Review
| Shure E2 High Energy In-Ear Earphones  Pros Good sound Cons Uncomfortable, poorly manufactured The Bottom Line If these were more comfortable and better made, I might recommend them. But as it stands, I don't think they're worth the aggravation. |
| Full Review |
| I bought these because they received good reviews from the industry press and because, as a performing musician, I used Shure microphones for years and loved them. First thing I noticed when unpacking them is that they came with a little case. You are supposed to roll them up and store them in the case when they're not in-use. It's a good idea, but I wonder how many people will do this in practice. I keep my headphones attached to my MP3 player and at-the-ready. I suspect others will, too. Next thing I found was three sets of foam and three sets of plastic ear pieces. Each set is larger than the next and the idea is that one of them will fit your ear relatively well. One ear piece goes on each speaker and they are inserted into your ears. It took me a LONG time to finally settle on the large plastic ear pieces. They weren't the most comfortable, but at least they didn't come off in my ear like some of the others did. Comfort Wearing these things definitely takes some getting used-to. I found myself fiddling with them a lot to try and get them to sit in my ear canal tightly. They always seemed to want to fall out unless I really crammed them in there. I found them to be uncomfortable and annoying. Sound But, when they were nestled in my ear correctly and I had the tunes cranking, they sounded really good. The low end was better than any other earbuds that I've had and I've had a few. It isn't like listening through a set of big studio monitors, but the response in the low range is pretty impressive. The rest of the spectrum is also nicely covered. Isolation Another plus is that other people can't seem to hear the music, no matter how loud it's cranked. You can be wailing to Van Halen's 'Eruption' turned up to 11 and the people next to you won't hear a thing. Another side effect of using them is that you can't hear a lot of what's going on around you either. These are no open-air style headphones -they seal you off nicely. Bottom Line But alas, I'm giving them up. Yesterday, after only about 8 months of use, one of the plastic driver casings broke for no apparent reason. I'll probably glue it back together and use these as a backup, but they just aren't worth the annoyance factor to me. |
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Gibson ES137 Semi-Hollowbody Electric Guitar Product Review
| Pros Versatile, nice tone, pretty Cons Heavy, not perfect for jazz, fit and finish are sub-par The Bottom Line Nice instrument, but shop around |
| Full Review |
| This is the only guitar I've ever bought online. I bid on it on eBay never thinking I'd wind up with the winning bid. But lo-and-behold, I am now the proud owner of this very nice, one-year-old guitar. Overall Gibson is clearly aiming this guitar at the player who has a variety of musical demands. It works well in any rock scenario and it holds its own in a jazz context. I don't play country, but the instrument is very versatile and I imagine it would play well in that arena in the right hands. Playability First, let me tell you that this guitar is heavy. It weighs about three pounds more than my Fender Strat. If you will be playing the instrument on a stool, perhaps in the studio, this won't be a problem. But if you plan to use it for live gigs, the weight will take a toll over the course of a night if you stand. The neck feels like the Les Paul I've played. It has an ebony fingerboard and a fairly wide radius. The neck is relatively thick - kind of feels like the Taylor acoustic I've had for years. The cutaway allows unimpeded access to the upper frets. My two main guitars are the 137 and a Fender Strat with a maple neck. I probably play each one about 50% of the time. I have to say that the Fender has much lighter action and the notes fairly jump off the guitar. The 137 requires a lot more coaxing and the notes don't jump as much as you have to squeeze them. I know this is a nebulous description, but it's the only way I can describe the action of each instrument. Fit and Finish The ES-137 is fairly well-made. The purfling is nice, the frets are fairly finished and the varnish is highly polished. Having said that, I have a couple of minor gripes. First, the finish is pretty, but soft. I found that the spot where the neck meets my guitar stand has formed a bump. It will probably rub out, but I really don't like feeling that every time I play on the upper frets. Second, there is a loud rattle that comes from the front of the guitar whenever I play it. When it's plugged in, it's no big deal - you can't hear it. But if I sit and play it without an amp. it drives me nuts. I've tried tightening or pressing on very piece of hardware on the instrument, but I can't stop the rattle. Third, the fret work is a little sloppy and the high 'E' string frequently gets caught in a gap between the end of the fret and the neck binding. It's maddening and I'm getting the guitar refretted just to correct the problem. It's an expensive solution, but I can't gig with this guitar in this condition. |
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Magellan Meridian Color GPS Product Review
| Magellan Meridian Color Handheld GPS Navigator  Pros Low cost, color is great, pre-loaded buoys, cans, nuns and lighthouses. Cons Short battery life. The Bottom Line I highly recommend considering this unit if you're looking for a handheld GPS. |
| Full Review |
| I use this unit in the US North Atlantic. I have a 17 foot Newport daysailer that I take from the mainland New Hampshire coast to the Isle of Shoals, around Portsmouth Harbor, into Southern Maine and around Hampton and Rye NH. Before I had the Magellan, I had charts, a magnetic compass and dead reckoning to determine my whereabouts. I still use those methods, but not because I have to - I just like to keep the skills up. Benefits on the water Using this unit makes sailing much less stressful. I no longer have to scan the horizon for landmarks, buoys or lighthouses when heading for a particular destination. I simply set it, and various way-points, on the Meridian before leaving shore and it guides me in effortlessly. Color or Gray-scale Before I bought the Magellan, a friend who has a much larger boat and far more money than I do strongly recommended getting a color unit. He pointed out that color images impart more information than gray-scale. After using the color Magellan for a couple of months, I have to agree - color images, especially when on the open ocean, are more informative at a quick glance than gray-scale. It's easy to see if an approaching buoy is red or green, for example, with a quick look at the screen. Compared to other brands I checked out Garmin and Lowrance before settling on the Magellan. Both of those manufacturers offer color GPS units, but the price-point for color is considerably higher than the Magellan - at least $100 more than the Meridian. And those other units didn't come with oceanic aids to navigation installed. They had to be purchased separately and loaded from a CD. The Magellan has preloaded all of the buoys, nuns and cans that I'm looking for in coastal waters. It also comes with the standard GPS bells and whistles. Knot-meter, trip planner, ETA, miles off-course, etcetera, but they are well-documented and I won't reiterate them here. Suffice it to say that it has everything necessary to conduct a coastal cruise in US waters. As I understand it, there are different areas of the US coast loaded on each unit depending on where you buy it. So if you're purchasing on-line, be sure that the one you're buying is loaded with the coastal area that you are planning on cruising. Downside of a backlit screen Others have noted the short battery life and they are not exaggerating. 6 hours is all you can expect if you use the back-lighting. But I find the non-backlit mode readable, even in bright sunlight, and the batteries last about 10-12 hours in that mode. Just be sure to carry extra batteries when you head out. The unit comes with a serial cable to connect it to a PC. The documentation calls this a serial/power cable, so I believe that it doesn't use the batteries when it's connected in this way. There is no connection for on-board power. In-use It takes about 2 minutes to lock onto satellites the first time it powers up for the day. I'm not sure why, but it is much faster locking on when I power it up if it's been off for a short while. It tracks very well whether I have it zoomed in all the way or zoomed out fairly far. The menus and interface are extremely easy to use, even under adverse conditions. I was fighting 5-foot seas and 20 knot winds one day recently and I had no problem moving quickly between the different screens when I had a free hand. Setting way-points, destinations and icons is very easy and intuitive. It's a lesson in effective user-interface design. Form Factor The unit is light and the buttons are placed below the screen on its face. This allows you to manipulate the controls without blocking the display with your hand. It's also quite light-weight so it doesn't weigh you down if you keep it on your person. After using the Meridian for a couple of weeks, I purchased a mounting bracket for around $20. It's very helpful to have it at-hand without digging it out of my pocket while sailing. |
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