Vol. 24, No. 3
January-February 2023
Players, Gear & Sound — The Inside
Daniel Donato of Cosmic Country talks about his years with the Don Kelley Band and his surf-green custom shop Telecaster, and the Cosmic Country Phaser he made with Robert Keeley is limited to 150 pedals. Riverhorse drives to Texas for a pair of mid-'60s Fender amps. Brandon Ficquette of Smokey Bs explains Stratocaster wiring, Josh Scott of JHS Pedals describes his 4,500 pedals, and Richard Goodsell revisits the Leslie speaker.
PLAYERS, GEAR & SOUND
The Inside
Daniel Donato - The Cosmic Countryman
By Scott Ulrichs. Daniel Donato — Nashville's Cosmic Country bandleader — sits down for a wide-ranging conversation about his years with the Don Kelley Band, his surf-green custom-shop Telecaster, Seymour Duncan-wound pickups, vintage Fender Pro amp, and the philosophy of tone, touch, and improvisation that drives his music.
Cosmic Country Phaser
By Scott Ulrichs. The Cosmic Country Phaser — a limited-edition collaboration between Daniel and Robert Keeley — delivers warm, vintage-voiced modulation across three stage modes without the level or high-end pitfalls that plague many phaser pedals. Only 150 were made, each adorned with psychedelic artwork, making this a compelling find for players who want subtle, musical phase that earns its place on the board.
Cowboys and Deluxe Road Trips
By Riverhorse. A Texas road trip to score a pair of mint mid-'60s Fender amps from "Cowboy Carl" turns into a tale of vintage tubes, a blown Deluxe Reverb, a neighborhood amp builder, and the pursuit of righteous tone.
HARNESSING THE LIGHTNING WITH
Brandon Ficquette of Smokey Bs
By Riverhorse. Brandon Ficquette of Smokey Bs discusses guitar wiring, harness construction, and the art of matching capacitors, potentiometers, and switches to bring out the best in a Stratocaster's tone.
PEDAL POWERED
Josh Scott
By Richard Goodsell. Josh Scott, founder of JHS Pedals, sits down to discuss his small-town Alabama roots, his legendary collection of over 4,500 pedals, and how reverse engineering and relentless curiosity built one of the most celebrated effects companies in the world.
The Leslie Speaker Revisited
By Richard Goodsell. A comprehensive history of the Leslie rotating speaker cabinet, from Don Leslie's rivalry with Laurens Hammond in the 1940s through its golden era with the Hammond B-3, its adoption by guitar legends, and the modern pedal simulators that carry its legacy today.
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