The Jackhammer is a funny pedal, the controls are fiddly and  the Distortion is hopeless but the overdrive is very usable indeed.

I picked mine up on ebay for a very good price. Therefore this review and test is based on the price I paid which was under £20.

Like I said the controls are fiddly, the contour and freq control are really hard to seperate so when you turn the Contour knob the Freq knob turns also.

The Distortion is terrible, I A/B’d it with a few other distortions I have and no matter how much fiddling I did it just didn’t come anywhere near to what I wanted.

That said the Overdrive is better than I expected especially when you take the dismal Distortion into account.

It’s got a very AC/DC vibe about it, it allows you to get some really crunchy sounds and sounds excellent on open chords with the right settings.

Getting the settings is the problem, too many knobs in a very small space and they’re stacked.

The Gain knob is onto of the Volume Knob, the Treble sits on the Bass Knob and the Freq sits above the the Contour.

After some messing I managed to get a sound that suited my Fender Champion and then just used the Gain to dial in more overdrive and it works very nicely.

I have a few different distortions and usually find a good setting and leave them using the guitars volume and tones to alter the sound.

If you’re looking for a distortion/overdrive you can dial different sounds in then it may be an idea to look elsewhere.

If you’re looking for a very usable Overdrive and are willing to fiddle with it then this maybe the pedal for you.

Check out the video below, it’s recorded using a Fender Champion, Fender Telecaster with the toggle switch on the bridge pickup and it’s been recorded using a T-Bone MB75 and not an sm57 as stated in the video.

Sound: 7/10 for the overdrive 2/10 for the distortion

Usability: Too twiddly and trying to do too much on a small box, 4/10

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In the meantime I’ve been using it during my lessons with students and so here is my review.

On first opening the item and giving it a test run with a guitar and seymour duncan woody pickup I found that the volume given out would be enough to project my warblings without deafening poor passers by.

It’s a wedge shaped speaker with two inputs, one for guitar electric or acoustic and vocal.

The guitar channel comes with a really bassy gain. There is a reverb that can be assigned to either channel but not both.

The battery has a good 4 to 6 hours in it.

The guitar sound without gain is nice and crisp.

The only fault I can find is that it is quite noisy, the amp gives off a very audible white noise which from reviews I read before seems to be a common design fault.

That said it’s use is not for recording or even the bedroom, it’s for performance which when you have street level noise would not be a factor. For portability this is quite a heavy peice of kit so bear that in mind when having to carry a guitar as well.

If you’re looking for a cheap small area performance vocal and guitat amp I don’t think you can go wrong for the price.

If you’re looking for a portable battery powered amp to practice with get a pignose.

Overall I;d give it 7/10 due to the noise generated but in a performance setting you could live with that.

Check out the info below for specs:

The Hiwatt BSK15/8 Guitar Amplifier Busker Amplifier, Solidstate, 15 Watts. Compact and portable, battery or mains powered busking amp from the legendary British company. Simply plug your mic, your electro-acoustic guitar and off you go, to the streets!

£130 @ Dolphin Music

The Hiwatt BSK15/8 15 Watt Guitar Combo blends pedigree with portability. Hiwatt have been making great amps since the 1960′s and the BSK15/8 Maxwatt 15 Watt Busker Amp With AC/DC is no exception.

A lightweight construction with side handles, a removable speaker cover and internal battery make this an indispensable tool for musicians on the move – the internal rechargeable battery can even be charged by a 12v car lighter socket. The 15 Watt Hiwatt speaker provides great sound powered by AC or DC operation for convenience.

The amp has two channels for simultaneous guitar and microphone inputs with separate volume and tone controls for each. You can adjust the tone of your guitar to your needs with bass, middle and treble controls, a boost switch and gain dial. A compact, highly portable guitar amp, great wherever you take it!

Features:

• 15 Watts
• 8″ Hiwatt High Performance Speaker
• AC/DC Operation
• Internal Rechargeable Battery
• DC Socket & 12v Car Charger Input
• Battery Life 2-8 Hours (Subject to Vol.)
• Microphone Channel: High/Low Input, Level & Tone Control
• Instrument Channel: High Input, Gain, 3 Band EQ
• Level Controls & Boost Switch
• Headphone Jack

£130 @ Dolphin Music

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I was also not totally convinced my pc was any faster.

The solution? Upgrade my operating system.

So with a little bit extra cash I bought myself a copy of XP Pro 64bit.

To install on a sata drive you will need your drivers and a floppy drive to put them on.

If you do not have a floppy drive then either borrow one or get ready to make a slipstreamed installation disk.

Be prepared this kind of setup is painful and has taken me a few days, if you are not tuned to tinkering in this way then back off now or find someone who is experienced in this matter.

Read this first: Great tutorial on slipstreaming installation disk

Note: Before you start check your systems drivers can cope with x64 – I found beta drivers for my hardware but it took a good few hours.

Investigate your potential setup first, it may be that this is going to cause more problems than you think.

M-Audio for example have beta driver drivers but they are difficult to get but not impossible to find.

Check controllers, midi equipment and graphics drivers.

Next check your software will support this, again pointless if it doesn’t.

I’ve got Sonar 7 which has a x64bit version in the installation and by all accounts should run.

Also my UAD card states that it should work also so I’m a happy bunny so far.

BACK UP EVERYTHING!!!

I decided to dual boot so that I could test it first.

So you’ve got your slipstreamed disk.

You should be ready to install.

Once you’ve installed XP x64 install any drivers you have and then start to install your software.

I decided to check that Sonar works first before rushing ahead installing everything.

I installed my M-Audio driver, followed by my Behringer BCF2000 and then my UAD card.

The M-Audio 2496 was a bit painful and I had to do a manual install.

That is find a driver then look in Control Panel – System – Hardware – Device Manager.

You need to locate your Multemedia Device that has a yellow symbol next to it.

Click properties – Update driver – browse for driver(which you should have unzipped somewhere)

Install Sonar 7 – its hould ask you which version to install – I chose x64 which comes with an unsupported warning.

Once installed I then copied my old VSTs into a new folder called VST64.

The reason for this was to let Sonar scan the VST plugins to see what would work straight off the mark.

I understood that some would need reinstalling but some wouldn’t.

Straight away I hit problem software.

QSpectrum

CMplay – Computer Music – Probably a reinstall?

DS404.dll

4Front

Also got MSVCP71.dll and MSVCK71.dll – need to check these out.

Also found quite a few of my other VST plugins would need full reinstallation.

That done, I tested the recording and monitoring setup and it’s great.

I will probably update as I go along with this because it’s only a day old so problems will arise I expect in the future.

But at the moment I’m a very happy bunny!

Below is my PC spec with equipment listed for those interested.

AV8 3rd eye Motherboard

AMD 64 4200 Dual Core

4gb Memory

2 UAD-1 PCI-X cards

M-Audio 2496

49e Keystation

Behringer BCF2000

Related Reading:

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Bare in mind that you may need other components – condenser microphones require phantom power – your audio interface or mixing desk may already have that, it would be worth checking.

Also if you don’t own one already you’ll need a Stand, add to this a Microphone Cable, Shock Mount and a Pop Filter.

As well as the Microphones listed below I’ve added some links to the above items it is possible you would need.

If you have a budget then it may be worth you factoring in these items as well.

Also be aware that some of the following microphones come with shock mounts and/or pop filters.

Behringer C-1

The C-1 is a professional and super-affordable large-diaphragm condenser microphone with a cardioid polar pattern. It provides all the performance you’d expect in a top-notch professional condenser microphone: exceptionally flat frequency response, ultra low-noise transformerless FET input circuitry and incredible audio transparency.

With its high-quality transducer and gold-plated XLR output, the C-1 is very neutral-sounding and truly delivers on the promise of noise-free transmission. It also offers a phantom power LED indicator and a swivel stand mount. Whether miking acoustic or electric instruments or using it for vocals or drums, the C-1 is an excellent choice for both live and studio applications.

Behringer C-1 £29 @ Dolphin Music

—————————————————-

Samson C01

Great for recording vocals, acoustic instruments and for use as overhead drum mics, the new Samson C01 large diaphragm condenser microphone is accurate, detailed, smooth with warm bass and extended top end. This sturdy microphone has a large 19mm diaphragm that produces a smooth flat frequency response. It features a heavy gauge mesh grill screen, a gold plated XLR connecter and an LED indicating 48V phantom power. The unit includes a swivel stand mount and an optional SP01 shock mount is available.

£49.99 @ Dolphin Music

———————————————

SE Electronics sE1000a + FREE SE Electronics POP Shield!

The sE1000a is sE’s new entry level condenser mic for studio vocals and instrument recording. Get FREE sE Electronics Pop Shield when you buy the sE1000a!*

It has a 1/2” capsule tuned to accept low frequencies just like a larger diaphragm mic. Sister product (analogue only) to the USB1000a, the sE1000a performs well above its price point and looks the business!

Flight case is not included, but can be bought separately. The mic ships with a built-on shock cradle

£69.99 @ Dolphin Music

————————————

SE Electronics SE2000 + FREE pop Shield

The sE Electronics SE2000 Condenser Microphone is perfect for recording vocals and acoustic instruments.

The SE Electronics SE 2000 is a large diaphragm, cardioid pattern microphone that utilises a one inch, centre terminated, gold sputtered mylar diaphragm capsule. This works in conjunction with low noise Class A, FET circuitry and a transformer balanced output stage.

The SE2000 features a wide frequency response with a very subtle presence lift, which makes it suitable for recording studio vocals as well as most acoustic instruments and ensembles.

All SE microphones are closely matched, making them ideal for stereo applications, and the SE2000’s are particularly recommended for recording vocals and acoustic instruments. 48 Volt phantom power is required.

£77.50 @ Dolphin Music

———————————————–

£89 @ Gear 4 Music

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More Details:

General-purpose cardioid recording microphone

Extended frequency response

Roadworthy construction

Switchable 20 dB preattenuation pad

Switchable bass cut filter

Designed and engineered by AKG in Vienna, Austria

The Perception 120 is a 2/3-inch diaphragm true condenser microphone that offers solid build quality, outstanding performance, and excellent value. The low-mass diaphragm delivers a clear sound with accurate sonic detail. A switchable 20 dB preattenuation pad and bass cut filter make the Perception 120 an excellent choice for a wide range of recording and live sound applications.

Backed by AKG’s six decades of experience in making microphones and input from sound engineers around the world, the Perception 120 now brings AKG studio quality to musicians and project studio applications

£99 @ Gear 4 Music

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Additional info that may be of help:

Condenser microphones need phantom power – these preamps have that available and also give you control over the sound.

ART Tube MP Preamp

The Tube MP is the worlds most popular external tube microphone preamp. Whether youre working with a digital, computer or analog recording system, the Tube MP`s TEC award nominated design will allow you to obtain professional recording studio results at a fraction of the cost of comparable equipment.

Professional quality sound combined with professional features like: a hand-selected 12AX7a tube, phantom power and phase reverse are what have made the Tube MP a staple in thousands of studios worldwide. For a minimal investment, a Tube MP can provide the single largest improvement to the sound of your studio.

£38.99 @ Gear 4 Music

£33 @ Dolphin Music

Behringer Tube Ultragain MIC100

The Tube Ultragain MIC100 is a vacuum tube mic/line preamplifier with integrated limiter for studio, live and hard disk recording applications. It features a carefully selected 12AX7 vacuum tube with UTC technology for exceptional warmth and lowest noise. Thus, the MIC100 can be used to eliminate the “dull” sound of standard digital recorders and sound cards. Also, it perfectly complements studio-grade condenser microphones.

When used as a high-end DI-box, it ensures outstanding signal integrity. The Tube Ultragain MIC100acomes with phase reverse switch, +48 V phantom power and 20 dB pad. balanced inputs and outputs provide the finishing touch.

£38.56 @ Dolphin Music

—————————————-

Shock Mounts

Electro-Harmonix SM-1 Mount

£25 @ Dolphin Music

Gear 4 Music Cheapo Option

£11.95 @ Gear 4 Music

Microphone Stand:

£14.95 @ Gear 4 Music

Microphone Cable:

XLR Cable £3.95 @ Gear 4 Music

Pop Screen:

£19.99 @ Dolphin Music

That’s right, theBigRed have reduced the cost of downloadable backing tracks to 49 pence – it get’s better for a short time you’ll also be able to get a discount of 25% when you buy 10 or more tracks!

Just add you tracks and then enter 58F9993AD2 at the end and you’ll get your 25 % discount on the whole amount.

Enjoy!

Get them here > Click

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Also a brilliant idea for christmas.

The following magazines are brilliant:

Total Guitar is dedicated to beginner and intermediate guitarists. It features profiles and interviews with big name and must-hear guitarists, in which their playing and gear secrets are revealed.

Total Guitar also transcribes the latest and classic guitar tunes so you can learn to play your favourite songs. Readers’ technical questions are answered in-depth every issue in Q&A, while the latest guitars, amps and effects are reviewed. No other magazine offers so much for newbies and improvers!

Total Guitar

Guitarist Magazine

Guitarist is the longest established UK guitar magazine, offering gear reviews, artist interviews and techniques lessons, tips and tricks.

Guitarist offers the world’s most authoritative guitar, amplifier and effects reviews, plus a CD or DVD every month.

There is also a great software package out there for Guitarists, it’s called Guitar Pro it costs 59 euros which in English money works out at around £50

If you’re looking for something with a bit more then you could look at Cakewalks Guitar Pro

Which at £127.99 @ Gear 4 Music may be a little more money but does look the business. Check out the specs below.

Now I understand that cehcking out the info below means nothing to a guitarist, and especially to someone who is not familiar with computer audio or DAWs.

Simply put Cakewalks Guitar Pro comes complete with an audio device that allows you to plug your guitar into your pc or laptop this means that you can turn your pc/laptop into a recording device, effects unit and mini amplifier.

For £127 that’s a pretty good deal – this not only includes the input device but also Cakewalk software which I’m a massive fan of.

There’s a hell of a lot included in this package.

More Details:

Compact and portable, the UA-1G has a special 1/4″ guitar input with optimized settings for recording guitar. While high quality converters and super-low latency ensure you’re getting the best sound possible.

Multitrack Recording Software:

Easy-to-use interface puts key features just a mouse click away, while precise editing tools help you tweak your tracks to perfection. You don?t have to be a professional recording engineer to create your own high-quality tracks.

Features/Specifications:

• Simple multitrack recorder interface streamlined to make it easier than ever to record, edit, and mix your music
• Record and playback up to 32 audio tracks at 24-bit/96 kHz quality
• Record and playback up to 64 virtual instrument tracks
• Track Templates help you set up to record
• Arrange and edit music with point and click ease
• Precise yet easy to use audio editing tools
• Cakewalk Publisher allows you to create custom music players and playlists that you can share online
• CD Burner to burn your finished tracks and mixes to CD

Virtual mixer lets you take control of your mix and get it just right with all the important tools and controls right there: mute, solo, pan, EQ, FX, and more.

Create, edit, and print your own notation and tablature from any MIDI file or MIDI track. Download MIDI files to learn and play along. Double synth parts on guitar. Make tab for your rhythm guitarist, and more. Included fretboard view makes it easy to match notes to the guitar neck.

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To be honest I’ve not had chance to review this item, but then again it’s Boss and you really can’t go wrong with that.

Read through the specs list and see what this item is capable of doing and work it out as per seperate item and you’ll see at the price this is being sold at that it’s actually great value.

Check out the youtube video below,

— Boss eBand JS-8 Jam Station: Audio Player/Recorder with Guitar Effects:

The Ultimate Jam-Along Companion for “bedroom guitarists” who love jamming along with their favorite songs, the ultimate musical companion has arrived. eBand is a portable all-in-one audio player that’s packed with big features.

£313.65 @ Dolphin Music

£313.65 @ Gear4Music

Thomann @ £293 – 345 Euros

With the Boss JS-8 Audio Player with Guitar Effects, WAV and MP3 files can be loaded and played by eBand, and the tempo and pitch can be changed. Plug in your guitar and jam along using the powerful onboard COSM® preamp and BOSS effects. You can minimize the pre-recorded vocals or guitar parts with the Center Cancel feature for minus-one play, and record and save your jams. There’s even a library of backing tracks and rhythms onboard, plus a built-in tuner and metronome.

BOSS FX Onboard

eBand is loaded with high-quality BOSS effects derived from the GT-10, including over 100 powerful guitar sounds that span a variety of genres. It also features the famous COSM® preamp from the GT-10. Using eBand?s Guitar/Mic input, you can apply the internal processing to your guitar or voice.

EZ TONE Sound Wizard

Creating your own sounds is simple with eBand. The EZ TONE feature provides a quick, intuitive approach to tone creation based on graphic icons and a Tone Grid. You’ll be programming at the speed of sound!

Memory-Card Compatibility

SDHC memory cards of up to 32GB can be plugged into eBand, letting you store thousands of WAV/MP3-format songs per card. eBand also lets you play WAV/MP3 files directly from USB memory stick, expanding your data storage and file-management options. (eBand comes with a 1GB SD card)

Convenient Phrase Trainer

Phrase Trainer is a feature packed function convenient for practicing phrases from imported songs. Phrase Trainer includes functions to control pitch and tempo of imported songs, Center Cancel for minimizing the guitar or vocal parts from pre-recorded audio, and AB repeat. Now you can learn phrases without feeling any stress!

USB Audio Interface

eBand can be used as a USB audio interface, allowing the audio signals from eBand (audio-player sound + live guitar/vocal sound) to be transferred to PC via USB. As a result, eBand audio can be recorded into DAW software on your PC. Furthermore, audio from PC can be played back on eBand. This means eBand can function as USB speakers for your PC.

Cool Extras

There are many other notable features packed into eBand, including an internal recorder for capturing your guitar performances as you play along with songs or backing tracks. And speaking of backing tracks, 300 audio-loop phrases are onboard for jam-along inspiration. Of course eBand is also equipped with the essential built-in tuner and metronome

Features/Specifications:

• Imports and plays audio files (WAV and MP3)
• Pitch and tempo control of imported songs
• Guitar/Mic input with dedicated input control; headphone output
• Custom-tuned speakers for powerful playback
• COSM Preamp and 100+ effects derived from BOSS GT-10
• EZ Tone function provides the ultimate easy-to-use, intuitive approach to sound creation based on graphic icons
• 300 audio-loop phrases onboard for backing tracks and rhythms (some include companion guitar effects pre-programmed to match the loops)
• Tuner and metronome built in
• Records and saves your guitar performances
• USB audio interface for direct link to and from PCs
• Play songs from USB memory stick
• Import your favorite songs from audio CD to eBand with included utility software (PC/Mac)

Further Specifications:

• Memory Capacity: SD/SDHC Card (128 MB ? 32 GB)
• Data Type: JS-8 Songs (Recording/Playback), MP3 (Bit rate: 64 kbps – 320 kbps, Playback only), WAV (Quantization Bit Rate: 8/16/24-bit, Playback only)
• AD Conversion: 24-bit + AF method* (GUITAR/MIC IN), 24-bit (LINE IN)
• DA Conversion: 24-bit
• Sampling Frequency: 44.1 kHz
• Effect Patch Memories: Preset: 130, User: 100
• Effect Types: AMP (Amp Modeling) -FX (OD/DS, WAH, COMP, LIMITER, OCTAVE, AC.PROCESSOR, PHASER, FLANGER, TREMOLO, ROTARY, UNI-V, PAN) – EQ (Equalizer) – NS (Noise Suppressor) – DELAY – CHORUS – REVERB.
• Recording Time (listed capacities are approximate. Times may be slightly shorter depending on the number of songs that were created.): JS-8 Songs: 250 min. (1GB), 8,060 min. (32GB) – WAV/16-bit/Stereo: 90 min. (1GB), 3,020 min. (32GB) – MP3/128 kbps/Stereo: 1,040 min. (1GB), 33,330 min. (32GB)
• Nominal Input Level:GUITAR/MIC IN: -20 dBu (INPUT GAIN=GUITAR), -32 dBu (INPUT GAIN=MIC), AUX IN: -15 dBu
• Input Impedance: GUITAR/MIC IN: 1 M ohm/AUX IN: 22 k ohms
• Nominal Output Level (Phones): -10 dBu, LINE OUT: -10 dBu
• Output Impedance (Phones): 44 ohms, LINE OUT: 1 k ohm
• Display: 132 x 64 dots graphic LCD (with backlit)
• USB: Supports file transfer (mass storage class) and audio
• Width: 264 mm/10-7/16 inches
• Depth: 166 mm/6-9/16 inches
• Height: 201 mm/7-15/16 inches
• Weight: 1.7 kg/3 lbs. 12 oz.

Accessories Included:

• AC adaptor (PSB-1U), SD card (1 GB), Owner’s Manual, Roland Service (Information Sheet)

£313.65 @ Dolphin Music

£313.65 @ Gear4Music

Thomann @ £293 – 345 Euros

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Guitarist/Producer Complete Recording Package for Less than £80

8 Guitar and Bass Amps
19 Cabinet Models
27 Effects Pedals
Also includes Metronome, Tuner and 2 Tapedecks
48 Audio Tracks & 64 MIDI Tracks
24Bit/96kHz Resolution
Up to 8 VSTi’s
2 Insert Effects and 4 Send Effects per channel

Software Included: Guitar Rig 4 Essential, Cubase LE4

Session I/O Interface
24 Bit/192kHz Cirrus Logic Convertors
Mic Input with 48v Phantom Power
2 Line/Hi-Z inputs
2 Line Outputs with Level Control
Headphone Out with Seperate Level Control
Sturdy Aluminium Construction

Dolphin Music £79

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Looks very tidy as well.

Perfect for beginner and intermediate guitarists looking for a cheaper end acoustic.

It’s priced at £119 @ dolphin music

Vintage® V300 Acoustic Series

• Top: Solid Spruce
• Back: Nato Laminate
• Sides: Nato Laminate
• Binding: Multi White/Black
• Neck: Nato
• Fingerboard: Rosewood
• Bridge: Rosewood
• Scale: 642mm
• Tuners: Chrome
• Strings: High Quality USA Made
• Finish: Natural

The Guitar Magazine awarded the V300 ‘Best Acoustic Guitar Under £100’ in their end of year round up. ‘This little concert acoustic is stonkingly good,’ continued TGM, adding, ‘A comfortable, fast playing neck, plus good dynamics and volume from the parlour-esque body. At this price, go buy. Every home should have one.’

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