Bill Finnegan and Others | Guitar Builders Panel | Audio Builders Workshop
Channel: Audio Builders Workshop
Date: 2018-03-14

The builders that have signed on are NerdKnuckle Effects, Electronic Audio Experiments, Source Audio, Copper Sound Pedals, Mid Fi Electronics, and Klon.

"In the 1980s, Bill Finnegan played in a band where he plugged his Telecaster straight into a Twin Reverb turned up as loud as the soundman would permit. In bigger Boston-area clubs, the Twin’s volume would be at 6 or sometimes even 7, but in smaller places Finnegan could usually turn it up to only 3 1/2 or 4. The latter still sounded good, but not as harmonically rich as when the amp was working harder. Although it didn’t occur to him at the time, a pedal that would give him the sound of a cranked amp is exactly what he needed.

Finnegan recalls that, in 1990, guitarists began chasing after out-of-production Ibanez Tube Screamers in droves. He’d heard about a guy who was selling two TS9s, and—hoping one of the little green pedals would help make his Twin sound like it was at 6 when it was only at 4—he went to check them out. It immediately became clear that Tube Screamers were not for him."

The day will begin with a general meet and greet where attendees can visit the demo boards of local effect pedal builders and test out their pedals, ask questions, buy effects and geek out. After the meet and greet each builder will be front and center to present their effects, talk about how they got started building, first effects, favorite effects, white whales, approach to designing and tweaking pedals. Once all of the builders have presented there will be a panel where all of the builders are asked questions by you, the audience. We anticipate that there will be time again at the end for additional headphone demos and sales!

STOMPBOX SONIC provides musicians with an extensive tonal palette for auditory exploration. Specializing in effects pedals (aka “stompboxes”) built by companies large and small, some locally crafted, some collected from around the world. Our goal is to ignite the creative spark and help you navigate all those switches and blinking lights to bring your music to life.

The Boston Audio Engineering Society (AES) is a 501(c)(3). Our work group, The Audio Builders Workshop, offers group-builds and seminars for anyone interested designing or building music production products. Our members are entrepreneurs, educators, and music professionals. Please consider donating to the AES so we can continue to put on great events like this.