Author Archives: bobwootton

Two examples of how to save space on a pedalboard – both at the front end – that I’m really surprised aren’t made (better) for guitar players, even in these days of trying to compact pedalboard space. 1 Combination wah … Continue reading →

So I’ve just caught up with this and other online reviews about a year late, duh. I’ve been trying to run four XTOMPS on a mini pedalboard for most of this year, for live playing into one or two amps. … Continue reading →

Regular visitors to this site will know I’m a fan and friend of 633 Engineering founder Cliff Brown and his fabulous amps.  My #1 633 amp, a Custom 36 which I co-designed in small part, received the ultimate accolade, scoring … Continue reading →

I was intrigued by this new pedal as I often use a delay pedal to add thickness to tones, set to a very short delay with low feedback and mix and a bit of modulation. The standard-sized TC housing has … Continue reading →

I’ve just acquired two Overdrive Special-style amps by Mystic Blues, and a Catulator, a buffered fx loop/driver, all made by Tommy Cougar.  Both 100ww switchable to 50, powered by 6L6’s. These things are rare but have a hell of a … Continue reading →

I’m trying to find out more background on my ’59 Hofner 500/5 bass. It has been with my family since ca. ’63 and is untouched apart from a obligatory neck reset about ten years ago. It dates itself pretty easily … Continue reading →

I loaned my #1 633 amp, a Custom 36, to maker Cliff Brown for photography and review in Guitarist magazine, which was published in the August 2016 issue. The amps were with them for quite a long time and word filtered back … Continue reading →

Being lucky enough to own quite a few of each, It thought I’d tackle this thorny question. I actually found it very easy to reach a view. First thing to say is that it’s important because it’s not just the … Continue reading →

In fact it arrived a couple of weeks ago but I’ve been on the road.  It may look almost exactly the same as my fabulous #1, and it has the ‘633 sound’, but this one has cascading gain and is … Continue reading →

Today, 483 days after they announced it at NAMM 2015, I finally received my Hotone Xtomp stompbox simulator.  Or ‘portal to infinity’ as they style it. They’ll probably be very glad that I’ve received it as I have been flaming … Continue reading →