An outraged reader letter calls us to task for [gasp] … being nice to people.
Several years ago an article about British author Mark Haddon (The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time) made the case that art should make us uncomfortable. I bookmarked the piece, thinking it would be good column fodder, but the time never felt right to go there till a recent letter from a PG reader declared he is "extremely disappointed" in our "political bent."
"Why is it necessary to print that [State of the Stomp columnist] Aisha Loe is 'a queer woman of color'? … It would appear that liberal thinking is at work here. Labeling a person for who she is."
The reader didn't quite quote our friend (and fantastic stompbox designer) Aisha correctly, though. Her self-penned bio actually states she is "half of Loe Sounds, a queer women of color-owned business." Either way, I'm inclined to wonder why Mr. Extremely Disappointed is so bothered by Aisha being so mundanely forthcoming about her business.
"I thought liberals wanted unity and acceptance for everyone. If that were truly the case, the queer designation shouldn't matter at all. I'm a white male heterosexual, but with this one exception, never felt the need to announce it to the world."
In addition to being under the mistaken impression that sexuality and/or ethnicity correlate with liberal views, it appears Mr. Disappointed is either callous toward or not very well informed about the historical struggles of various marginalized demographics that are finally getting the freedom to be honest about who they are. Meanwhile, his letter also makes it clear he takes issue with discussion of the origins of popular guitar music, as well as with anyone whose views on language (particularly what he deems "profanity") and identity don't jive with his—even in articles that are self-evidently op-ed pieces. Rather than live and let live and either turn the page or click away from the "offensive" content, Mr. Disappointed threatens to cancel his subscription and "move on" if we don't shape up—despite admitting, "I enjoy most of the columns and reviews."
Just celebrate that we live in a time when (and, hopefully, a place where) we're free to express ourselves without being burned at the stake or thrown off a cliff.
I think what readers like Mr. Disappointed—and we did have a couple write in to express similar views, though most said the opposite—are experiencing as time oozes by is not just a feeling of losing "the good ol' days," but also a sense of invalidation … of irrelevancy. And I don't say that passive aggressively, either—hell, we're all either currently or soon will be in the same boat. But we don't have to see it that way. Some see music and guitar and the arts and … well, almost everything in modern life as an us-vs.-them battle. Rather than just enjoying what they like from life's smorgasbord, they let nagging insecurities and a sense of self-righteous superiority push them to take "moral stands" against … what—a guitar website? A guitar player who doesn't want to be defined by notions of personhood solely attributable to their genitalia? Who fucking cares, Mr. Disappointed!
Sidenote: Do you think Mr. Disappointed ever stopped listening to his favorite bands or walked out of their concerts when they inevitably dropped the F-bomb between tunes?
Back to Haddon, who recounts how in the late '80s—when all his pals were into the Sex Pistols and the Clash—he somehow instead became enamored of Miles Davis' landmark Bitches Brew album. "The music and [jazz-critic Ralph J. Gleason's] liner notes together were a guide to an entirely new world … 'it's not more beautiful, just different. a new beauty. a different beauty. the other beauty is still beauty. this is new and right now it has the edge of newness and that snapping fire you sense when you go out there from the spaceship where nobody has ever been before [sic].'"
To the Extremely Disappointeds of the world I submit that this—what Gleason said about Davis' music—is how we should look at the art around us. If you don't like it—even if you loathe it—just celebrate that we live in a time when (and, hopefully, a place where) we're free to express ourselves without being burned at the stake or thrown off a cliff. Further, if someone or their art is just so "different" that it makes you feel icky, perhaps remember that much, if not most, of what you love in art and music once offended the status quo. And don't just remember that—celebrate it.
"If it's merely an improvement on what went before—that's just craft, isn't it? … I think it was [French writer/artist/filmmaker] Jean Cocteau," continues Haddon, "who said fashion is what seems right now and wrong later. Art is what seems wrong now and right later. Great art has that slight discomfort to start with: It takes you a while to think, yeah, this is right. I just didn't realize that it was right at the time."
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Stompboxtober Day 29 is live! Enter today to win a pedal from StewMac—more chances to win tomorrow!
StewMac International House of Overdrive Pedal Kit, With Bare Enclosure
The IHOO is based on the Crowther Hot Cake, an overdrive that became available around 1976. It was one of the earliest hand-made boutique effects pedals available. The circuit was designed to be what is now referred to as a “transparent” overdrive. An effect that enhances the player's sound while keeping the original tone intact.
This circuit has undergone many changes since its inception, and we have further expanded on the design by returning to an earlier version most revered by players and removing the buffer, which resulted in a reworked circuit that is true bypass but still retains the charm of the design.
We also include the original LM741 IC chip found in the originals, as well as the TL071 that is found in later versions so you can experiment with which IC best suits your playing style.
A 1000-watt speaker cabinet crafted for musicians who demand power and precision. Sunn Amps intends to reinvent the standard 4x12 configuration with the introduction of this new cabinet.
The Sunn Amps DoomBox is built to accommodate both guitar and bass, offering an impressive 1000-watt handling capacity—making it the first commercially available 4x12 cabinet with such high power handling. With four specially designed 12” drivers rated at 250 watts each, this cabinet provides clean, unrestrained sound levels that can maintain power integrity across all frequencies, ideal for high-volume performances.
Inspired and developed using feedback from artists and bands who rely on the depth of lower tunings and high volume genres, the DoomBox was engineered to meet the unique demands of professional musicians looking for a robust, high-efficiency cab that can translate the raw power of their sound without compromise.
Premium Craftsmanship and Materials
The Doom Box cabinet is crafted from solid finger-jointed Baltic Birch plywood, ensuring both durability and tonal clarity. Each cabinet is constructed by hand in the U.S.A. using original 1930s machinery, the DoomBox reflects Sunn’s historic commitment to quality, contrasting with some of the mass-produced, MDF-based cabinets on the market today. The cabinet’s aluminum basket, ferrite magnet, and custom Sunn weave Tolex with a custom grill design complete its professional-grade build.
Technical Specifications:
• Power Handling: 1000W
• Inputs: 1 x ¼”
• Impedance: 8 Ohm
• Drivers: 4 x Sunn 12S250
• Construction: Marine Grade Baltic Birch
• Dimensions: 29.25” X 30” X 14”
• Weight: 107 lbs
• Price: $2399.00
With clear low-end punch, even sound response, and ample air movement, the Doom Box ensures that every note reaches the audience with clarity and power. This cabinet is a game-changer for musicians who need high-performance, road-ready equipment that enhances their unique sound.
Does the guitar’s design encourage sonic exploration more than sight reading?
A popular song between 1910 and 1920 would usually sell millions of copies of sheet music annually. The world population was roughly 25 percent of what it is today, so imagine those sales would be four or five times larger in an alternate-reality 2024. My father is 88, but even with his generation, friends and family would routinely gather around a piano and play and sing their way through a stack of songbooks. (This still happens at my dad’s house every time I’m there.)
Back in their day, recordings of music were a way to promote sheet music. Labels released recordings only after sheet-music sales slowed down on a particular song. That means that until recently, a large section of society not only knew how to read music well, but they did it often—not as often as we stare at our phones, but it was a primary part of home entertainment. By today’s standards, written music feels like a dead language. Music is probably the most common language on Earth, yet I bet it has the highest illiteracy rate.
Developed specifically for Tyler Bryant, the Black Magick Reverb TB is the high-power version of Supro's flagship 1x12 combo amplifier.
At the heart of this all-tube amp is a matched pair of military-grade Sovtek 5881 power tubes configured to deliver 35-Watts of pure Class A power. In addition to the upgraded power section, the Black Magick Reverb TB also features a “bright cap” modification on Channel 1, providing extra sparkle and added versatility when blended with the original Black Magick preamp on Channel 2.
The two complementary channels are summed in parallel and fed into a 2-band EQ followed by tube-driven spring reverb and tremolo effects plus a master volume to tame the output as needed. This unique, signature variant of the Black Magick Reverb is dressed in elegant Black Scandia tolex and comes loaded with a custom-built Supro BD12 speaker made by Celestion.
Price: $1,699.