Saturday, June 13, 2015

The Boss RC-50 Can't Go to Europe

The Boss RC-50 is my primary looper and she's been a loyal trouper who has been with me for years and years, maybe ten or so.  She's been around the world with me, crashed on the road along the way, put up with unbelievable abuse, and made it back alive ... but not anymore.

There was a final test to see if she's really dead as she does sort of work.  The guitar output was run directly to the mixer, bypassing the mixer magic to feed the looper and also bypassing the looper itself.

The result was so clean and loud that I was worrying myself.  Dude, you seriously need to back off or this will do more ear damage than you want to know.

I went up to Yevette to apologize for the volume as I don't usually blast it like that, mostly because the thing overheats and whines like a Congressman:  I won't work and you can't make me.

She said, no, no, I was going to go back and ask if you were recording it.  Whoa, that's pretty cool.  She also remarked on how clean it sounded.

I didn't record anything as I didn't even think it would work but ... dayum ... it was smokin'.

I can't do it all that long but it sure does start fires while it lasts.  That feels excellently damn good.


The looper can't be sold unless it's AS IS so maybe it gets fifty bucks.  Replacing it is about $600 US and likely more in Europe but I don't know that for sure.  Either way it's impossible so there will be some review as to what adaptations can happen without it.

In some ways, it's better without it as a looper is an instant jam killer.  It's ok for three-chord jam band stuff but there's no chance you can get really weird as you're locked because of the loop.  This needs more thought as it is one killer device and her passing does not go lightly with me.

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