A Wazinator Stompbox Battle! ★ Acoustic Tuesday #112

Ever seen a performer stomping on something that seems to produce this big beefy bass drum sound?
Well, those are stompboxes.
There are a ton of them out there, and since I had an opportunity to get my feet on some Wazinator stompboxes, you get to hear all about them.
So, in today's episode of Acoustic Tuesday, I'll introduce you to three styles of Wazinator Stompbaxes, plus, hear a Turtle who's a Doctor AND Guitar Player, and meet an Acoustic Guitar Geek who shares her story.
★ Show YOUR Support for Guitars 4 Vets: acousticlife.tv/at4vets
★ Request your invite to Tony's Acoustic Challenge today: tonypolecastro.com/at-request-invite/?ref=INVITE&src=AT
★ All show notes and links: acousticlife.tv/at112/
★ Get the show: tonypolecastro.com/get-acoustic-tuesday

[@colej3360]

Former metal head turned acoustic enthusiast from Melbourne Australia here. I just need to thank you guys for introducing me to the new Billy Strings album. It really is a masterpiece. I love the way he blends traditional bluegrass guitar and vocal tones with the contemporary sound of overdrive and chorus effects. An incredibly well thought out album that I will be revisiting over and over. Also Tony, regarding the artwork, if you haven't yet seen, there is an animated video on KZbin for Away From The Mire which is absolutely worthwhile checking out. Cheers, guys. Keep up the top work.

[@robertrees5799]

#SMALLWIN: Feeling Groovey, had the pleasure to donate 3 guitars to Mike Greg’s, coordinator of the Cleveland, Ohio Chapter of Guitars 4 Vets. Two acoustic and an LP style electric (which I help build). I attempted to send along a photo but I am too much of a Digital Dinosaur!

[@Staromil]

Dana Bourgeois says in a recent video that he's no longer doing torrefaction in the shop, because each piece of wood comes out different due to varying temperatures in different parts of the kiln etc. and that he'd much rather buy already torrefied wood and pick only the best pieces. Because ruining good wood is pricey. Also he adds now he has an oven for sale.

[@Jess_Jones]

My D18 has a torrefied top and I’m in love with it.

[@loubehrman9609]

I like the idea of torrifaction. The ONLY thing I'd question is whether or not there are any long term affects from the process that are detrimental to the wood. I don't have a leg to stand on. Am only asking the question. But, what's that 612ce going to sound like 20 years, 50 years, 100 years down the road? I say this because I think this is relatively new technology and am betting no-one's done much in the way of testing.

[@jorigg9230]

Yay, Sharon!! You rock bandmate and co-conspirator! (Don still loves his Breedlove!)

[@sharontiano1348]

I love you guys

[@RussellSyx]

Great show, thanks guys. Have a great day everyone.

[@shaneroberts9466]

Another great Tuesday video, not to mention that cool dude on the back of the pickup truck! Hehe. Keep pumping the G4Vets cause, and guitar geekizm. I ran into G4Vets setup at the Dallas guitar show Oct 5th, I was wearing your tshirt, and they asked about Acoustic Tuesday effort and gave the thumbs up.

[@colindamo]

Your song “if light was liquid” is amazing! I love your approach/style of that song. I also like how the arrangement is a little bit off tempo in some parts. It really makes your song unique! Great work!! 😀😀😀

[@cf5853]

Tony, You are too cool. I love the Acoustic Tuesday sessions. I still learn lots and have lots of things reinforced after 40 yrs of playing. Oh tell Noah I said "Ya go Kroger""Digital Downloads", and your song is awesome. Keep it real and keep having a great acoustic life. Ya baby !

[@loubehrman9609]

Alright. That's not fair. I love the Tiano's and seeing Sharon on the show made me cry. Way to go guys...

[@jonathanmeyer1164]

Greetings again Tony and Noah, ive got a #smallwin for you guys this week. I have successfully installed an under saddle pickup system into my Samick Gold Rush D1, but not without almost basically ruining my guitar. I had cut the hole for the input jack and battery box a little too big for two of the mounting screws to actually grab onto any of the body wood. Two hours of tinkering later, i made a rectangular washer to hold it in place, and in my opinion, made it even stronger than just the 2 screws. Heres hoping i dont have to take it out anytime soon, because my solution was a pain in the neck to mount in the guitar, and i dont want to do that again.

[@jimdoner3443]

Playing a Taylor 614 with a Torified top on it sounds absolutely awesome but how much would it really differ. Also if one where aloud to change naturally while the was induced would they both be very different years and maybe years down the road?

[@MatPearn]

G'day Mates. Matt P from Adelaide in South Australia. Have been watching since episode 25-26ish. Love the show and Billy Strings new album is amazing. I'm more of a country fan at heart but i have listened to it twice in one day. Great stuff Billy, Noah and Tony aswell.

[@TJDarnell1231]

Checking in from Knoxville, TN. Another great show! If torrefaction improves tone then I'm all for it. Loved the new song Tony and sorry Noah, but the Rachel Maddow thing was pretty darn funny.

[@daveyjoweaver5183]

Show Closing: We've thrown darts at our board, we've patched the holes in the wall, we hit the edges and worked our way to the Outer ring of the center being sure to move the guitar our of the way. And hitting the bulls eye and putting darts away, it is time to go home and play guitar with some Scotch and Bourbon. DaveyJO in Lancaster Co. Pa.

[@jeffevansmusic]

Great video and thanks for the comparison. Don't forget once you feed any stompbox into a say a graphic eq for example almost any sound is attainable. I have got the Baby Grand and its easily changed to sound like dropkick. If you use a pedal such as the Zoom MS70CDR for example you can build a chain of effects which might include a compressor which will change the sound again completely. Or add in a pitch shifter where you can tune the sound of the kick over a wide range of pitches.

[@mikem2285]

It seems most guitars have the honey colored versus "whitish" spruce top. How do I know if my Alvarez Yairi DY52 from 1992 has that, of does any guitar I look at for that matter? Are ALL Taylor's "torrified" (spelling?)? My goal purchase is a Tayl0r 414CE V-Class. Is that torrified?

[@MrGarccia]

Hey, Tony! What's up? Have you ever try the horsekick pro?

[@daveyjoweaver5183]

Great show as always Tony and Noah! My COMMENT on guitar tops: Does the rapid aging process make the tops get darker in time? Sound is great but there is something to be said for natural aging, the vibes within, the energies spent on all the years of playing and how does a vintage guitar compare to the new? Also, check Randy Schwtiger at The House That Never Sleeps on YT. He shares all his guitar repair and voicing of guitars bit acoustic and electric. A great guitar player himself and a funny guy indeed. Being a woodworker and guitar geek, I have learned so much from Randy, far more than I did before. And I did replace nuts and bridges, adjusted truss rods and work on repairing finishes and so much more from Randy. Thanks Kindly to ATLT! DaveyJO in Lancaster Co. Pa.

[@don6538]

Tony, thanks for playing on the show. How about getting Noah to play with you? Like to see/hear that.

[@don6538]

Watched belatedly from Boston Massachusetts. #smallwin 7 trivia in a row beats my previous string of 6 in a row. My introduction to the song was the Elvis version, not Monroe. Thanks for another great show Tony and Noah.

[@HunterErwinMusic]

I have the Baby Grand It’s Excellent Use it all across the country at all my dates

[@donnylee1992]

Love torrified tops! They look and give great tonal advantages. Also loved seeing you demo the new Orangewood guitar. Hopefully they'll add more wood options. I'd love to see an all solid mahogany Oliver or Oliver Jr. or something w/ Ovangkol or Acacia back and sides. Glad to see a G4V post from the Richmond chapter! Reminds me I need to buy myself the fundraiser shirt. Lastly in regards to the Game of Thrones Fender's you guys talked about recently, have you seen the video of them playing the full Game of Thrones song? Brad Paisley shows up and jams w/ the others. It's pretty awesome! Cheers to my follow guitar geeks and keep up the great work guys!

[@tjb2492]

I liked all 3 stomp boxes

[@charkerr6111]

Hey, Tony, have you ever played a Tricone Resonator from Republic Guitars? I'm really curious about them, but haven't found any I can get my hands on...

[@anthonyprice5596]

Does torefication effect the guitars resilience to damage, are they weaker/stronger? Has anyone tested? I mean if I was spending good money on a guitar if it's more likely to damage I'd prefer the non torefied I would assume a dry wood would be less flexible so weaker? I'd sacrifice a slight sound difference for strength.

[@edcurtis246]

Hi Tony and Noah - Ed from Aloha here. How much extra do luthiers charge for torrification? I can see their own expenses incluse the large kiln and the fancy loading cart and the electricity.. The first 2 of these 3 are fixed expenses - once these things are paid off, then they really shouldn't be charging you for those expenses any longer. OR...are the luthiers charging your for the improved sound? I'd like to know how they justify whatever the charge is. If it is more ethan $100, I probably wouldn't pay it just becasue it isn't economically justified.

[@mikewalker6916]

Hi Tony and Noah - enjoyed your acoustic tuesday today especially about the stompbox. Tony you mentioned a (female?) fingerstyle guitar player, but I missed it Guinifer something - I’m probably spelling it wrong - can you reply with her name properly spelled please? Thanks in advance - Mike NL

[@preslee3528]

Great show guys! My Huss and Dalton TDR has a torrified spruce top and its a very strong sounding guitar but I don’t haven’t A/B’ed it with an uncooked top so I’m not sure how much of its sound is related to that. I would say that my next guitar probably will not be torrified because I like the idea of a guitar aging naturally through years of playing and I feel like cooking them kind of takes that away.

[@patcross5799]

Happy Tuesday- geez all these questions, and I was hoping to half nap on the couch while watching/listening.... but no you put me to work. The Wazanators- I prefered the first one, even with the limitations of your recording and my playback I lean toward the woodier, less traditional drum sound. It would be fun to fuss with all three like you were able to do. Torrification- I start out by saying I haven't played a torrified guitar, but I do like the look of torrified wood compared to "new" spruce, and I am sure there is some affect on the sound just not sure what that affect is and if I like it or not. I am also curious about the sound of torrified wood as it ages, I have no idea what to expect, but it will be interesting. All that being said, I doubt I would pay the premium for the torrified wood. Tony if you haven't watched the Canadian TV show Letterkenny you may want to give it a watch, available on Hulu and through the Daily Motion website. With that great show again and see you next week, well see your video next week.

[@9thenumber]

Hey guys. Thanks for showing my guitarsenal! The Journey OF660 is called Antoinette because, like the last queen of France, the Journey has a detachable neck. OK, sorry.

[@loualleluia6353]

Torrifaction: my opinion is a definite yes. I've played the same model (e.g. a Gibson J-45 & J-45 Vintage w/torrified & hide glue) and the difference was enough that I would buy the torrified strictly based on having the sound I like. I also played a remarkable ($499) little Ibanez AVN6 parlor guitar that actually has a torrified top, and I love the sound. I've also listened to KZbin comparisons terrified vs not on some Martin Dreadnaughts, and again, a noticeable difference. Is it worth it? If it gives the sound I like, then yes.

[@vwbeetle72jellybeen]

#youknowyoureaguitargeekwhen you hear Tony mention, "Doctor Turtle," play some of his music, and you realize you've been using Doc Turtle's music as a backing track to videos you created using Microsoft Movie Maker for years! It's okay, Microsoft paid him royalties for it. So cool to hear his name from someone else without my first response of, "who in the world is Doc Turtle?" Just an amazingly talented artist!

[@sbolfing]

I think you should talk Matt C into sending me a dread with torrified Adi top to compare to my #newguitar Custom D-18 with a new Adi top. I promise to return the guitar after reviewing it... Steve from Brazoria, TX

[@colindamo]

Geeky guitar question for Tony: that bourgeois guitar you played in your performance for if light was liquid Is pretty sweet! Question: the bridge pin for the low E string looks pretty close to the saddle. Is that a specific design? Does it add more down pressure to the low E? Other than that that guitar is a sweet 12 fret cut away with a sweet herringbone outline and simple aesthetics but amazing tone! Great AT!

[@colindamo]

....oh wait nevermind I just saw this guitar featured on Eddie’s Guitars you tube channel as the bourgeois OMSC. Pretty sweet GIT Tony 😀😀😃

[@johnviolette5511]

John V from Raleigh. Started watching Tuesday, finishing on Saturday. Torification? Souds like a naughty word... But, I first heard about from Andy Powers and the redo of the 600 series a few years ago. Then I think you mentioned last week that a guy in Canada may have started using it years ago. Boucher maybe? Anyway, I think it has more clout behind it than that vibrator thingy... As for is it better and worth it? I'm with Noah, not experienced enough to tell the difference. But if Taylor, Martin, Bourgeois, and others use it, then I think it is a real improvement. Cost increase? Anything that adds labor and time cost more.

[@hunter71950]

Another great show, guys! Listening from the SF Bay Area, as always. Two thoughts: Tony, I'm surprised that you as a true, deep-diving guitar geek, don't go all molecular chemist on us in your explanation of torrefaction. As I understand it, having heard Richard Hoover of Santa Cruz Guitar Company talk about it, and quoting from an online SCGC ad, cooking the top wood "...in an oxygen-free environment at a relatively low temperature [...] reduces the oil, sugar, and resin content of the wood, reducing mass and weight and increasing stiffness resulting in similar chemical transformations that occur in wood over decades of air drying." Hoover uses the term "plasticization" to describe the changes in the molecular structure of the wood that occur during the process. This hardening/stiffening enables the topwood to transfer the vibration of the strings to the soundboard much more efficiently than untorrified wood, enhancing the sound in multiple ways. My second thought: I really appreciate your urging us to play every day, Tony, even if it can't be a true working/learning session every time. And as you always stress, having fun is the constant, primary goal. In my dotage, having been on the guitar-learning curve for over 50 years now, I am very familiar with the dreaded bored-with-everything-I-play syndrome, which can seriously compromise the play-everyday ideal. One remedy I have discovered (although I'm sure that a million other players do the same thing) is that it is both fun and technically beneficial, is to create a new song in my recording DAW (I use Apple's free GarageBand application), and find one or more rhythm loops that sound good, or have a novel "flavor", tempo, etc., that makes me want to play along. Often, I DO play something very familiar, but the new tempo or ambiance often makes it into something new. Sorry for any hint of self-promotion, but here's an example from my Soundcloud page -- an old tune that I way overplay, and the new tune that emerged as I tried to keep up with the conga drum and Egyptian Nile Darbuka. "Dandelion Wine" becomes "Vino Latino"... Dandelion Wine: soundcloud.com/scott-hunter-4/sophies-first-vin-de-pissenlit?in=scott-hunter-4/sets/reunion-tunes Vino Latino: soundcloud.com/scott-hunter-4/vino-latino-1?in=scott-hunter-4/sets/reunion-tunes

[@nancyshumway2251]

Where’s the vinyl from you Mr. Tony really want to hear it

[@klausluttgen4310]

Greetings from germany!

[@daddio307]

Just thought I'd throw this in for all you DIY'ers and those without money :-). A KZbin clip (and there's quite a few) about making your own stompbox (super easy, even for the most novice). Hope it helps.

[@ahnafmahir]

Love from Bangladesh 🇧🇩 🖤💞

[@kjgas6945]

Thumbs up gentlemen, here in Northern Arkansas

[@don6538]

My comment from AT 111: No distressed guitars or torrified tops for me. I prefer the natural events and changes of season a guitar goes through during it's lifetime. For example, I really like the naturally aged color of the top of my 34 year old J200, as pictured in my guitarsenal in episode 39. Note contrast with newer Taylor top in picture.

[@mrgrnjns1111]

I wish i had an opinion on torified tops..... No shops in my area have any in stock. and i mean none. I went looking because i am curious........... Sorry no help here. My son and i are going to be making the 2.5 hour trip real soon down to Eddies Guitar in St. Louis.... so i plan on giving a few a whirl.... and hopefully meet Matt lol..........

[@don6538]

Noah, you are not being bullied silently. Not very silent. ;-)

[@sp1kline]

torrefaction makes a big difference in the sound, but it also makes the guitar feel "older" to me.

[@thomaschalmers4031]

Hi Guys, welcome into my home in Bonny Scotland,

[@boydbc]

#whatdoyouthink I feel that torrefaction definitely changes the sound of the tonewood. I'm all for it if done right.

[@boydbc]

As for the Taylor video it's neat to see equipment that I have to work on at work used for something as awesome as guitar manufacturing. I have a newfound respect for my employer's oven chambers and watlow controllers now that I've seen it used to make amazing guitars.

[@sp1kline]

In a small way, Doctor Turtle reminds me of Robbie Basho.

[@MrPab1lb]

Maybe but it would depend on how much

[@marcbrule3754]

could have used Stomping Tom Coners as an example on how to stomp

[@rabbisandra]

Go Sharon. I miss you

[@sharontiano1348]

Miss you too but loving your Barefoot On The Porch series..

[@rabbisandra]

@@sharontiano1348 Thank you so much

[@oldmate86]

I think what footwear you’re wearing makes the biggest difference. Wearing dress shoes with a hard sole just makes all stompboxes sound too sharp and harsh to me.

[@paulsmart5199]

Yup.. drop kick was the better sounding box...stomptastic!

[@KushagraGuptaMusic]

help plz 😀

[@nancyshumway2251]

#smallwin it’s in the way 9f a joke I heard that’s fun for the entire family. A Pastor and a Taxi Driver die and go to heaven the taxi driver speaks with God he is given a golden robe and I gold staff and he walks into heaven. The Pastor goes up to God looks down and has. a burlap robe and a wooden staff, he says” God I don’t want to complain but I preached you word for thirty eight years.” God says” while you preached people slept, while he drove people prayed!” Hello from cooler Maryland Nancy Hope you enjoyed my clean joke no I didn’t make it up!

[@jakeminor1967]

Torrefaction? Who cares what it LOOKS like? A cheap stain will do the looks. As for sound, I suspect there are benefits, but that's all. Suspicion.

[@LinZeeLinuz]

Your youtube ad is all money grubbing, so fake. You want money just make it clear.