While doing a little homeowners insurance inventory this morning, one of my photography endeavors evolved into a steamy gun-pornography shoot. Ok, not really… I just got my Springfield Champion 1911 back from its Bobtailing operation, and I’m silly about it. The job was done by Woodie from Hyatt Guns in Charlotte. He did a very nice job and the price was right. They’re fully CNC enabled, and are one of the largest gunsmiths in the South. It would have cost a good bit more to send to Ed Brown (1911 guru who invented the modification, and where you can purchase the bobtail mainspring housing) or Springfield, plus I avoided all the messy shipping overhead.

Here she is.

I’ve not yet taken the Champion to the range, but I will in the next few days. I much prefer the bobtail both ergonomically and aesthetically. I honestly think J.M. Browning would’ve approved of this weight saving, concealment enhancing modification to his masterpiece.

For a few years now I’ve been carrying a Neuman KM84/184 depending on the venue and I really like these mics. As a result of my efforts to carry as little gear as possible to shows I’ve been on the lookout for an alternate case (one that’s smaller) for them. These mics are very small (just over 4″) and I wanted a case that was compact yet protective.

Enter Pelican Products of Torrence, California. They specialize in rugged, often waterproof cases and flashlights. The particular case I purchased was intended for a compact digital camera, but I just happened to see it in on my desk as I was packing up the 184 for a gig. The two were made for each other. The 184 fits in perfectly lengthwise and you can put the standard Neuman mic clip on for a very snug and safe fit.

The inside of the Pelican 1010 is rubberized and provides a very safe environment for mics, ipods, digital cameras or anything you want to store in a watertight, crushproof (I’m sure they mean to a certain extent) casing.

The case is small enough that it fits easily under the headstock in my Calton case or in the gearbox under the neck. If you use a small mic similar in dimensions to the KM184 and want an alternate case that is built to really protect your gear, the Pelican 1010 is a great option - especially priced between $5-10!

Check prices on the Pelican 1010…

-bh

Got to check out two reso-enabled acoustic ensembles last night @ Ziggy’s in Winston-Salem, NC.

Hit And Run from Colorado was in town sporting a new hub-capper named David Richey.  David attended ETSU’s Bluegrass program and is an exciting modern-style player.  He’s a lefty, which interestingly aided in tracking his movements due to the mirror image effect.  He plays a great sounding Meredith Maple (sounded great through an SM58).  He played most of the night sans-capo (well, might I add).  Great singer too.  Keep an eye out for David.  He’s a great addition to an already entertaining and exciting band.
The next set was The Biscuit Burners.  Bill Cardine was a joy as always.  He and Dan Bletz fired off a new reso/guitar duet that I really liked.  I hope they record it.  BC was rigged up with a KSM44/Schertler combo with the pickup running into a Schertler Unico amp.  He was mic’ing the amp, but I didn’t recognize the mic.

Fun reso night indeed.

-bh

I finally crumbled to the desire to rack up a pair of Telefunken V72’s. I got my first taste of these vintage pres in Randy Kohrs studio a few months back - I’ve not been the same since. The tone seems to be custom made for reso. Smooth, thick and sits very well in a mix. I plan on using the V72’s for reso and vocals on my current project - with the remainder of the tracks going through a Presonus ADL600 (more on this later) to avoid noise accumulation.
The 72’s are housed in a rack made by Boutique Audio and Design. It’s a rugged chassis that’s seems to be well built. I haven’t popped the hood on it yet but plan to in the near future. There’s quite a market for vintage gear and the Tele’s are very sought after. The modules themselves are selling upwards of $800, then you have to have them modded. I’m glad I got hold of a pair when I did. I was also able to find a pair of NOS EF804S tubes for spares (the price of these is also escalating). I love the vibe surrounding vintage gear in general and Telefunken in particular - right down to the logo.

Oddly enough, it’s somewhat inspiring to me. I suppose the notion that my tone will sound better on the recording is a very positive thing. I’ll post sound samples soon.