Winston Psmith

If the FOH sound engineer is experiencing ear-fatigue, I could see how they would slowly be notching up the levels through the show. OTOH, if you were experiencing ear-fatigue, you would likely be turning up, or signaling for more volume as the night went on. Highs tend to go first with ear-fatigue, so you would probably hear your Amp as sounding "wooly", but not necessarily louder. I definitely agree with @Caevan O’Shiteabout how the room, and the people or materials in it can influence the sound, but again, that tends to be more perceptible within the room, rather than on stage. If the space is slowly filling up during the course of the night, that could seriously influence how the FOH is hearing you, and cause them to turn up. Hard to know, and even harder to test out from the front of the stage. It might be worth taking some time with the Boogie, in your practice space, or wherever, and do a timed experiment. Turn it On, wait however long you usually wait for it to warm up, play through it for a little while, then wait. Give it 10 minutes, play a little more, take a break, repeat, to listen for any increase in output. If you don't notice any appreciable change in output, it's probably not your Amp.

My sincere respect on the restoration work! Some things simply can't be restored to vintage specs, so re-working them into something new is much better than trashing good, old woods. And yes, that gold Pickguard is fugly, indeed . . .

Craig Anderson recommended the MXR Micro Amp as a clean Boost/Buffer long ago, and the Micro Amp was my go-to One-Knob Boost Pedal for along time. I retired it only because it's an original, now "vintage" Rochester MXR pedal, with no LED and no AC adapter jack. I'd dial it just past Noon, to where I could just tell that it was On, and leave it there. The main thing I noticed was that my Dynamics--driven Pedals, Envelope Filter Effects in particular, were more responsive with the Micro Amp On. Not using a dedicated Boost pedal at present, but if I were trying out Boost Pedals in a store, I'd probably set up a Micro Amp to A/B against the others.

@Caevan O’Shite- I haven't tried the current EHX Attack-Decay RI, so I can't say how it behaves, but I have the Malekko Sneak Attack, which is an Attack/Decay Envelope Generator, much like you'd find in some Analog Synths. VERY different from the Slow Volume or Bumblebee, and much trickier to dial in. The Decay settings are critical. Took me several sessions with the Sneak Attack to get anywhere near the sound I wanted from it, while the 'Bee was no problem to set up.

The Deep Freeze and Pico Attack Decay look like two I would use.

Another thought is using effects to fill out the sound of the Rhythm Guitar, anything from a simple Mod effect, to one of EHX' 9-series pedals. Use the effect sparingly, so it stands out when it's On. Fingerpicking also adds a world of texture and harmony to otherwise simple Chord structures.

I probably would have bought the Assassin just for the name, myself, especially for $20+/-. Have to agree on hanging on to that Dyna Comp for now. If it doesn't have an AC adapter jack, it's an original Rochester MXR pedal, not a Dunlop RI! I recently saw an original Micro Amp in rough shape going for $165 on Reverb, through my FLUMS. That Dyna Comp could wind up being worth a stack of $20 Guitars. Regarding "Script" vs. "Block" logo vintage MXR pedals - the logo only tells you so much. Somewhere in my stack of Guitar ephemera, I have some promo material from MXR, where, among other things, they talk about having changed the internal circuit of the Phase 90 four times within a very short production period. I'll try to dig it out at some point, but it raises the question of "Which one is the real Vintage circuit?" The answer is, pretty much any of them, at this point.

Installing P90's does nothing to address the issue raised by the OP, sorry. Quick search doesn't really bring up anything helpful. Much discussion of the Guitar model itself, various issues regarding the Electronics, etc., but no "Guide TO Chet's Settings", or anything so obvious. Couple of not-altogether-helpful thoughts - I'd start out by putting on a new set of Strings, then let the strings stretch out and set up overnight. Next, I'd install a fresh battery, check the tuning, and plug into a Mixer or MFX with a good, easily readable Level Meter, and set the balance of the individual Piezos using the meter, and my ears, as a guide. Given that the overall tone of any Electric Guitar is going to be influenced by a legion of factors, it may not be possible to emulate the Chet Atkins tone you're after, even having adjusted the Piezo PU's. I would go for the best overall tone and level you can achieve with whatever Amp, PA or FRFR System you're using, while continuing the search for more information. In desperation, you might try contacting Gibson directly, but I don't know if they would have that information, if they didn't set the PU balance at the factory, and even if they had the info, somewhere, there's still the issue of whether they can find it, and if they'd be inclined to share it. Good luck, and good hunting . . .

You can still get the DanElectro Spring King, which has a Tap Plate for that classic 'Verb Splash sound. I saw Elvis Costello with one up on a Music stand some years back, so he could hit the Tap Plate and get that sound.

@KuruPrionz- No disagreement, there's nothing magical about the Guitars, nor their components. Still can't help imagining the rant that would follow any outreach from someone with a used Kiesel.

IDK - Given the way he treats customers who've ordered, and paid for, brand-new Guitars - $200 re-stocking fees, being banned from ever ordering another Kiesel Guitar - I can't imagine how he'd respond to anyone asking for help or repair work on a USED Guitar! The video response might be interesting, however . . .

Not certain how obscure it is, but 1,000 Clowns with Jason Robards has long been one of my favorite films. The opening sequence alone had a great influence on me, early in life, and Murray (Robards) is perhaps my most-loved tragic hero. Yes, tragic. Watch and decide for yourself. FWIW, in later years, I came to love how this film depicts the city I grew up in, at the time I was growing up. It's true, you can't go home again, but sometimes, you can see what it looked like.

@skipclone 1 - There's an antique, perhaps Medieval Stringed Instrument, the name of which I can't recall, that had an absurdly long Bass string, or course of strings?

Had not seen any of JK's video posts previously, but damn, he reminds me of the late Ed Roman, except Ed saved most of his venom for the industry. I would think some of those videos, even without commentary, would serve as a warning to anyone thinking of buying a Kiesel Instrument.

With my solid-body Electrics, I try to keep them so the Neck PU is more or less over my Solar Plexus, what Martial Arts practitioners would consider the center of Chi. FWIW, it feels like the shortest path for energy to travel, as if I were projecting my strength directly out of my body through the Guitar. Having your Guitar slung down below your belt buckle means wasting a LOT of energy just reaching for the thing. Unless you can scratch your kneecaps without having to bend down even a little - go ahead, try it - probably not the best position. Having it tucked up under your chin does much the same thing; you waste a lot of energy, and blood flow, holding your hands up above your heart. Fine if you play Arco Strings or Bluegrass Mandolin, not so good if you have a Les Paul, or a deep-body Acoustic.

@Scott Fraser- A few years back, we went to what was being billed as the "Meeting Of The Spirits" Tour, with John McLaughlin and Jimmy Herring. At the time, we were told it would also be McLaughlin's farewell tour, because, as he put it, he felt that his hands could no longer do what his head and his heart wanted. It seems that he's found some serious relief, if not restoration, because his fingers were on fire last night.

John McLaughlin & Shakti, live, last night, with Bela Fleck doing a solo opening set. Words fail, truly. Hearing Bela Fleck play Gershwin's entire "Rhapsody In Blue" on a 5-string Banjo was just one highlight of an extraordinary evening. McLaughlin and Zakir Hussain are no less amazing to hear, and watch, after all this time. In stark contrast to many recent concerts, I barely saw a smartphone in evidence anywhere. The audience seemed to understand, even expect, that we were there to witness something beyond mere entertainment. At risk of bringing religion, or something like it, into the Forum, I have to say that it was impossible to see and hear those five men performing together, and not feel that they were in touch with something MUCH greater than themselves, call it Music, call it God, call it whatever you like, IDK, and I don't really need to define it, I am just grateful to have been there to share in the experience. For gear heads, myself included, McLaughlin seems to have a new PRS Private Stock Guitar - it's one I hadn't seen on any of the previous tours - and it appears as though he's added a Synth PU of some kind(?), since he first got the Guitar. From where I sat, it looks a lot like the new Roland GK5, and it doesn't show up in early photos of the Guitar, nor in the limited-edition run of 200 John McLaughlin Private Stock PRS Guitars. Yes, you can order one of your very own, for just under $15,000. If I had the $$$, maybe, but somehow, I don't think I could make it sound quite like he does . . .

Back in the Spring, Laurie Anderson presented an exhibition of "Lou Reed's Guitars" at the Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden in D.C., where she accompanied the controlled feedback sound with her Violin, and told stories. There was also a gentleman playing what appeared to be Taiko Drums, and a very tiny wooden flute, which he played as he moved through the audience. Extraordinary . . . I saw a number of EM friends I hadn't seen since 2019-early 2020, and it was, in many ways, a healing experience, being out in the daylight, soaking up sound. She stayed for hours, and then took time to greet everyone who wanted to stop and thank her. A great talent, and a generous spirit.

I recently ordered some supplies from Sweetwater, and was tracking my package via UPS. Estimated delivery date was 8/10, all good. On the morning of the 10th, I looked to see where my package was, and the site showed a delivery date of 8/9(?!?), saying that my package had been delayed. It took a bit of digging on my part to find that there was now a USPS tracking number for my package, which showed up on the 11th. For whatever reason, UPS had transferred my package to the Postal Service. This has happened more than once, and while the package is being transferred between services, it usually drops off of ALL the tracking sites. which is nerve-wracking, and annoying. Ghosts in the machine . . .

I've played out in the D.C. Summer heat, and never had the adhesive on the Velcro give out like that. I have to wonder how the circuits and solder joints in your pedals are liking that heat treatment?

@skipclone 1- Probably around 2001-2002. A better way to find out would be to look at the serial #, and check it against the Epiphone Guitar Dater It's sometimes called the "Aviator" logo. Epiphone was using that logo/label on some of their entry-level models. Here's someone selling a neck(?) off of a bolt-on Epi LP. Epiphone neck w/Aviator logo

A little intro. Back in the mid-80's, I worked in a nightclub, getting off work at 2 AM, and going to bed sometime before the Sun came up. Despite being largely nocturnal, I was planted in front of the television in the morning, to watch "Pee-wee's Playhouse." It wasn't just a fun, wacky show, it was truly subversive. Kids were getting up in the morning and being exposed to the Music of people like Todd Rundgren, Mark Mothersbaugh, and even The Residents!?! There was a picture of J.R. "BOB" Dobbs on the wall, another clue that this wasn't just a kiddie show. The world that Pee-wee inhabited wasn't just imaginary, it was hallucinatory. Almost everything in the Playhouse was alive, and when all else fail, he had a Genie in a box who could make everything right again. Of course he was strange. Comedians are generally complex personalities, to put it kindly, and to stay "in character" for pretty much all of their public life has to be exhausting, if it's not exhilarating. Rest in peace, Paul and Pee-wee, and thanks for helping me laugh through the 80's.

That signed Mini is a treasure unto itself! +1 on using Delay with MonoSynths! I've used a Boss GT-1 MFX with my MonoLogue, BSII, and Neutron, and I much prefer it for Synth over Guitar. It allows you to stack/chain up to 4 Delay effects. The Tera Echo effect adds some very cool Filter-like textures to the Echo effect, and the Chorus makes for a very useful Stereoizer effect, even with the Rate and Depth dials way back.

I subscribed to EM from the early 90's until I got a notice informing me that I was holding the last physical copy of EM that I was going to get, because they were switching to an all-digital format. I'm a bit of an anachronism, in that I like having hard copies of my reference materials, books, gear manuals, magazines, etc.. Somehow, it seemed as though I was supposed to be grateful that I'd be getting a monthly email installment, instead of the physical magazine I'd subscribed to and paid for. The phrase "Bait-&-Switch" comes to mind, and I cancelled as soon as I got that notice. When they screwed up my long-time subscription to Guitar Player, and then had a manager give me grief over the phone for requesting a missing copy, I was done.

Glad they found it, @surfergirl, let us know when it gets there! I've had the experience where a package disappeared from one tracking site because it had been transferred to another shipper. It was some arrangement between USPS and FedEx, IIRC, but it meant that I had no tracking info for several days.