May 2008: Just got back from the 2nd Annual NY Amp Show... It was as good as last year - lots of great amps - and more pedals this year than last. My friends from Fuchs Audio, Peavey and Pigtronix were exhibiting their newest gear for some VERY happy players. I've posted some photos from the amp show, and few others that have been knocking around.

Also, something new I've been using in the studio - it's called the Grendel Dead Room, made by Grendel Sound. It's a speaker iso-box that allows you to push your amp as hard as you want to without blowing out walls, windows, your ears, the engineer's ears... you get the drift. If I'm working in a smaller, home studio, it's perfect, and the owner and residents love me. Personally, I don't like playing at loud volumes, particularly when I'm recording, because it's easy to get ear fatigue, and you lose sense of your tone too quickly. These guys have really done their research, and this iso-box sounds great. The speaker they use is a 12" WGS that sounds terrific - it is full and articulate no matter what I throw at it. I am impressed...

More of What I'm Using Currently:
Guitars: Peavey HP Special / Godin Acousticaster / Gadow / Steinberger / Reverend w/Stetsbar / Stratocaster w/StepMax Tremolo / And I put 'em in UltraCase cases

Amps & Cabinets: Fuchs Audio ODS 100 / Peavey Classic 30 / Motion Sound SRV-212 / Grendel Dead Room

Pedals, etc.: Hermida Audio Zen Drive / Gig-FX / Pigtronix / Electro-Harmonix / Visual Sound / Peterson Strobe Tuners / Boss / Creation Audio Labs / Keeley Compressor

Cables: JPS Labs

Mics: Heil Sound / Avant

Pickups, Saddles & Bridges, etc.: Seymour Duncan / GraphTech Guitar Labs

Picks & Accessories: Fred Kelly / Dunlop / Pearse / Strum 'n' Comfort / On-Stage Stands / Big Bends Nut Sauce / Palm-Dry (Travel Wellness)

Slides & Capos: Duane Allman Slides / Jet Slide / Musser Rings (Peaceland Music) / Third Hand Capos / Kyser Musical Products / Glider Rolling Capos

March/April 2008: I was fortunate enough, growing up in Niagara Falls, NY, to have met Tommy Tedesco. I learned a great deal about a side of the music business that, until I met Tommy, I didn't know existed: the world of the session musician. He was part of a loose group of first-call LA players later called the 'Wrecking Crew.'

His son Denny Tedesco has just released a film titled The Wrecking Crew that pays tribute to his father and this group of musicians with whom he worked. I went to see a screening of Denny's movie here in Buffalo, and I have to say it is a beautifully created tribute to not only Tommy, but his cohorts, and the music they created. What a film!

It is told through the musicians themselves - most of whom are still active in the business. Tommy Tedesco himself passed from cancer in the mid-1990s, but there is quite a bit of interview footage of him as well.

This film is scheduled to be screened in Nashville during their film festival April 17 - 24, and in LA during their film festival June 19 - 29. If you are in either of these areas, and if you are a musician, or simply a music fan, go see this film.

November 2007: It's been a while since I've updated this site, but I have just added a few things so read on...

I have lost two very good friends and musicians recently. Angelo Pilato was a local player I always enjoyed. He was a very talented player who could have and should have received national recognition, but did not. He doesn't have a web 'presence,' and he did what he did quietly, and for himself. I will miss him and his spirit.

Mark Freeland, passed on recently. He was a unique, creative force in music and the visual arts - an old friend whom I will always miss.

And speaking of the visual arts, I have recently met another artist after my very own heart - Hugo Rodriguez. Like my own life, the subject matter of his canvases is the guitar. His work is beautiful.

I ran into Tony Galla and Gary Mallaber in LA - both formerly from Buffalo, NY, from the Buffalo band Raven. They were true inspirations, showing me that guys from my area could go on to be successful on a national level. Tony is a fabulous singer and guitarist, and Gary has played drums for everyone from Van Morrisson to Steve Miller to Bruce Springsteen. I am proud to have these guys as friends.

Mel Davis is a terrific B3 player - we had fun playing together in LA. Check out his website.

Jerry Donahue - from the Hellecasters - king of the string benders.

Andy Brauer

Over Veteran's Day, I did a quick 'home movie' of my arrangement of Amazing Grace and Taps. I've posted it on MySpace and YouTube. For the curious, I did some 'Suppling' and a few other nifty things. Seriously - it's all natural guitar harmonics and vibrato bar. No fretted notes. It will be posted for a limited time.

I also realized that I had a bunch of photos that never quite made it to this site, so here are a few to the right. I'll post more soon.

NEW GEAR!!! Recently I got myself a Zendrive Overdrive pedal. It's not often that I'm speechless, but this a v-e-e-e-ry nice piece of pedal. The other piece of gear I've been using, actually for a while is a pair of Extreme Isolation Headphones by Direct Sound. As a person who has had sound stuffed in his ears mercilessly for more years that I'd like to count, these headphones are really great for listening, recording, whatever.

And finally, I've got a MySpace page and the newest addition to the requisite web presence: a Facebook page. Please visit me there. As always, please check out what my friends are doing as well.

Winter NAMM 2007: (Anaheim, CA, Jan. 18 - 21) The SRV captured the interest and imagination of quite a few players, and attracted media attention as well.
Some of the players and industry types who stopped in to check us out included: Andy Brauer, Bobby Cochran, Lon Cohen, Perf De Castro, Jerry Donahue, Doyle Dykes, Eric Erdman (UgliStick), Scott Lerner, Larry Mitchell, Lee Oskar, Bill Richardson, Sammy Sanchez, Josh Smith, Bobby Stanton, Peter Stroud, Anthony Terrezza, and Walter Trout.

Website Updates: We have put up a section of photos and credits for the DVD. Click here. So many people were so generous with their time, and several companies were quite generous with their gear. Without that spirit of cooperation, we could not have executed this project the way we did.