By combining the best of traditional building techniques/designs and using modern technology to enhance the overall performance/quality of their instruments, the company’s founders Willie Carter and Eric Poulsen, have been able to take their shared passion for steel string acoustic guitars to create and build next-generation professional instruments with a human connection.
“Our tag line, Modern/Classic speaks to our approach. The use of cutting edge technology is typically reserved for the large production shops, and classic techniques are often reserved for very small production shops.” said Carter, “One of our goals was to mate the two, and create an instrument that has the advantages of modern manufacturing, with the characteristics that attract players to vintage instruments. It’s truly the best of both worlds.”
Eric Poulsen and Willie Carter are not only the faces of the business, but also the actual builders whose collaboration has produced models that have already been embraced by professional touring musicians Richard Julian (Norah Jones and the Little Willies), Justin Young and Lance Konnert, guitarists for Colbie Callait.
Here's what Eric and Willie had to say about the new models:
G-Model
The Carter/Poulsen g-model was inspired by the great vintage 00 14-fret guitars. The g-model is not a copy but a creation of the Carter/Poulsen Guitars’ collaboration. We designed the g-model from the ground up to be a modern musical instrument with a nod to the classic steel string guitars of the past.
T-Model
The Carter/Poulsen t-Model has the benefit of close to ten years of refinement. We designed the t-Model to combine the comfort and balance associated with small bodied guitars with the richness and volume expected of larger instruments. This modern/classic instrument is influenced by guitars of the past and executed with an eye towards the future.
J-Model
The Carter/Poulsen j-model is the largest bodied instrument in our line and a contemporary synthesis of several proven traditional designs. It occupies a unique position with a distinct voice and character, combined with balance and comfort. The j-model is an expression of the future of modern steel string guitars planted in classic tradition.
Carter/Poulsen Guitars was founded in 2009 in Santa Cruz, CA, by Willie Carter and Eric Poulsen. Their partnership embodies a shared passion for the steel string acoustic guitar and the result is a culmination of many years of experience in various aspects of the music industry, guitar building and fine woodworking. With a client/ player focused approach, their goal is to merge proven traditions with promising innovations in design and construction, a process that is both modern and classic.
For more information:
Carter/Poulsen Guitars
Revv G3 Purple Channel Preamp/Overdrive/Distortion Pedal - Anniversary Edition
The Revv G3 revolutionized high gain pedals in 2018 with its tube-like response & tight, clear high gain tones. Suddenly the same boutique tones used by metal artists & producers worldwide were available to anyone in a compact pedal. Now the G3 returns with a new V2 circuit revision that raises the bar again.
If 3 Were 6
With six times the controls found on the 1 and 2 versions (if you discount the original’s on/off slider switch,) the LPB-3’s control complement offers pre-gain, boost, mid freq, bass, treble, and mid knobs, with a center detent on the latter three so you can find the midpoint easily. A mini-toggle labeled “max” selects between 20 dB and 33 dB of maximum gain, and another labeled “Q” flips the resonance of the mid EQ between high and low. Obviously, this represents a significant expansion of the LPB’s capabilities.
More than just a booster with a passive tone, the LPB-3 boasts a genuine active EQ stage plus parametric midrange section, comprising the two knobs with shaded legends, mid freq and mid level. The gain stages have also been reimagined to include a pre-gain stage before the EQ, which enables up to 20 dB of input gain. The boost stage that follows the EQ is essentially a level control with gain to allow for up to 33 dB of gain through the LPB-3 when the “max” mini toggle is set to 33dB
A slider switch accessible inside the pedal selects between buffered or true bypass for the hard-latch footswitch. An AC adapter is included, which supplies 200mA of DC at 9.6 volts to the center-negative power input, and EHX specifies that nothing supplying less than 120mA or more than 12 volts should be used. There’s no space for an internal battery.
Power-Boosted
The LPB-3 reveals boatloads of range that betters many linear boosts on the market. There’s lots of tone-shaping power here. Uncolored boost is available when you want it, and the preamp gain knob colors and fattens your signal as you crank it up—even before you tap into the massive flexibility in the EQ stage.
“The preamp gain knob colors and fattens your signal as you crank it up—even before you tap into the massive flexibility in the EQ stage.”
I found the two mid controls work best when used judiciously, and my guitars and amps preferred subtle changes pretty close to the midpoint on each. However, there are still tremendous variations in your mid boost (or scoop, for that matter) within just 15 or 20 percent range in either direction from the center detent. Pushing the boost and pre-gain too far, particularly with the 33 dB setting engaged, can lead to some harsh sounds, but they are easy to avoid and might even be desirable for some users that like to work at more creative extremes.
The Verdict
The new LPB-3 has much, much more range than its predecessors, providing flexible preamp, boost, and overdrive sounds that can be reshaped in significant ways via the powerful EQ. It gives precise tone-tuning flexibility to sticklers that like to match a guitar and amp to a song in a very precise way, but also opens up more radical paths for experimentalists. That it does all this at a $129 price is beyond reasonable.
Electro-Harmonix Lpb-3 Linear Power Booster & Eq Effect Pedal Silver And Blue
