The Mask of Zorro

Adding a DC Jack to a Dunlop Fuzz Face

2012-01-18T07:22:00.000-08:00

The Dunlop Jimi Hendrix Fuzz Face sure looks like the original. Two knobs and a switch. All battery powered with no DC power jack. Mostly authentic. However, the new version uses NPN silicon transistors.

That's good news. The NPN transistors are the same polarity as the transistors as most pedals out there. A DC power jack can be installed and it will have the same polarity as your other pedals. The Fuzz Face can be powered by a brick or 1-spot without any problems.

Adding the DC jack is easy. Drill a hole, install the jack, and do some minor rewiring. Another option is to install a LED indicator.

Adding the LED indicator usually means replacing the DPDT switch in the Fuzz Face with a 3PDT switch commonly used in boutique and DIY pedals.

Below shows where a jack and LED grommet have been installed in a fuzz face. The INPUT and OUTPUT jacks have been removed to make a little room to work in.

Below shows the all the new wiring in place. The connections from the DPDT switch were migrated to the top two rows of the 3PDT switch. The last row provides a connection between ground and the LED when the pedal is engaged. A 4.7k resistor was connected in series between the DC jack and the LED.

Here's the modified pedal. A nice bright blue was selected for the LED color.

Dyna Comp Compressor

2011-12-11T07:36:00.000-08:00

The MXR Dyna Comp is one of the best compressors out there. It is generally regarded as the compressor against which other compressors are compaired.

However, they have a double sided circuit board. This makes repairs a bit tricky. Desoldering in particular becomes a cumbersome task. Too much heat can make a pad lift off from the board.

The pedal below came into the shop with some intermittent problems after a previous potentiometer replacement. The pedal would cut out when the sensitivity knob was touched or manipulated. I found that the pads connecting the pot were starting to come loose. The solution was to make a solid electrical connection by putting in some jumper wires. These connected the lugs of the pot to the next component that the pot was supposed to be connected to. Some circuit tracing was required to figure out where to connect to.

Route 66

2011-09-26T16:31:00.000-07:00

Whoa this pedal is totally cool! What a great idea to combine a TS-808-like distortion with compression in one pedal. The housing is all totally old school pressed metal. The inside circuit is most beatious. Nice circuit layout, wide and roamy with plenty of elbow room.

This unit had a fried resistor due to some abusive power supplies. The resistor was fried beyond all recognition (FUBAR). No way to tell what value it was. Some circuit tracing in the power supply section was required to determine an appropriate replacement value. The pedal is now on it's second life!!

Replacing pots in an Arion Stereo Chorus

2011-08-11T12:33:00.000-07:00

The Arion and Roctek pedals are notorious for failures in the potentiometers. The small cheap pots have extra-long shafts and are mounted directly onto the PCB. The long shafts provide more leverage, increasing the chances of something breaking.

It's possible to replace these pots in some cases. With the Arion Stereo Flanger there isn't quite enough room to replace all 4 pots with standard 16mm Alpha pots. But you *can* replace the two outside pots.

An example is shown below. The outside pots have been replaced with Alpha 16mm pots. The pots are now mounted on the pedal housing. The original Arion knobs wouldn't fit on the Alpha shaft. Some filing, or drilling out, is required so that the knob can go onto the new shaft. The plastic bar that goes across the pot shafts inside the pedal housing was also cut so that it only went across the two original shafts.

This pedal lost it's original battery cover. Generic replacements are available directly from Arion.

PSA/ACA switch for BOSS HM-2

2011-07-01T10:26:00.000-07:00

Here's a Boss HM-2 with a switch that selects between a Boss PSA or ACA power supply.

When you use a PSA power supply and put the switch in the PSA position then the pedal works great. When you use a PSA power supply and put the switch in the ACA position, like the stock circuit, then the pedal is starved for voltage. The circuit isn't quite getting enough voltage to work like it was designed to. It sounds very lo-fi and ratty. In a mostly bad sort of way.

One of my earlier posts talked about the ACA to PSA mod. This pedal has a switch to select the option of engaging the mod (PSA mode) or going back to stock (ACA mode).

Seeing Eye-Dog Mod

2011-06-17T16:14:00.000-07:00

The Boss SD-1 is like a DS-1 on steroids. The distortion is more aggressive.

I tried several mods on this SD-1 until I finally found some that I liked. It has a Seeing Eye-Dog mod on the inside. There is a new toggle switch for the tone. In one position a filter cap is lifted out. This gives the pedal a bright loud sound, great for punk or No Wave. Putting the switch in the other position gives a darker bassier sound, like a neck pick up sound.

Of course the boring little red LED indicator has been swapped out for a giant bright orange LED.

Here's the inside of the pedal showing the filter cap and toggle switch.

Here's a photo of the modded pedal with the toggle switch for the tone.

Fish Fights at the Shipwreck

2011-05-23T07:40:00.000-07:00

Got to check out the new aquarium at the Shipwreck Tavern before the show on May 21, 2011. At 150 gallons this big tank is noticeable.

It's a fresh water aquarium. There was a catfish, a couple of boisterous crayfish and a few other fish (gouramis?). The show went well - the Shipwreck is always a good place to play.

Fremont White Rabbit

2011-05-18T11:09:00.000-07:00

Brad Yaeger and the Country Gentlemen had a great show last night at the recently opened Fremont White Rabbit. This is "The Bar Formerly Known as TosT".

The industrial atmosphere has been transformed into a dark cozy "rabbit hole". Dark interior with books and candles on the wall and some blue mood lighting.

Performers will notice great improvements. For starters there is now a real green room, complete with chilled bottled water. Whoa! A first for the Country Gentlemen! Huge monitors are in the front of the stage. A burly snake is on stage left. Very professional looking. The back of the stage is adorned by a trippy commissioned painting that gives the illusion of a giant rabbit hole.

Vintage DOD FX55-B Supra Distortion

2011-04-20T15:36:00.000-07:00

The FX55 used to be called the "Super Distortion". Until some good lawyers from a pickup manufacturer started sending persuasive letters to DOD and they had to change the name.

Here are a couple of red rocking vintage DOD FX55-B pedals. The pedal on the left is probably from 1994. The pedal on the right is probably from 1988.

The left pedal has the "bar" style model name while the right has "box" style. The logo is "italics" on the left and is "shaded relief" on the right. Footswitch plate is blank on the left and has a "DOD" on the right.

Below shows some differences in the bottom plates. Smooth for the left and serrated (WICKED!!) on the right.

And on the inside? Not much difference. The PCB layout hasn't changed between models. The biggest difference seems to be a transition from yellow to greenie caps.

Both of these came into the repair shop with switching problems. Here's the internal switch on the 80's model.

Information on the dates of these red rockers came from the
America's Pedal web site.

Rehousing a Rocktek Flanger

2011-03-30T10:54:00.000-07:00

Not really a huge fan of plastic enclosures, I decided to rehouse a worthy Rocktek Flanger in the enclosure of an MXR Stereo Chorus (with a dead Reticon chip).

I removed the Flanger from the enclosure. Q6 was removed and jumpered to put the flanger in an "always on" mode. D3 was also removed. True bypass switching will be used on this project.

After verifying the "always on" mod I then removed the in/out jacks and all the pots. I purchased new replacement pots and put those in the MXR enclosure. I used the old jacks from the MXR chorus. I needed to drill holes for the on/off LED, the LFO rate indicator LED and the Feedback pot.

Usually a stereo input jack is used to switch a connection to the power supply (ie, turn on the box). None of the MXR jacks were stereo. I installed a SPST on/off switch in the hole for the old AC power connection. The wires for the on/off switch were connected to the input jack ground connections on the flanger PCB.

The flanger also needed some ground jumpers on the old pot connections.

Another beautious mod was to decrease the value of the feedback resistor. The pedal can now go into howling self oscillations when the feedback knob is cranked! My dog loves these sounds so much that he howls back at the pedal.

More info:
Pedal Area
Wikipedia entry for flanging

Seeing Eye Dog

2011-03-15T07:40:00.001-07:00

Here's a DS-1 with the Seeing Eye Dog mod and a switch to go into Ultra Underdog mode. The little LED lights up when you play your guitar. Cool! Wink, wink! The on/off indicator LED has been replaced with a big bright blue LED.

Big Heavy Ball

2011-03-02T08:26:00.000-08:00

The Ernie Ball Volume pedals are extremely heavy duty. These look like they could last forever - with some TLC now and then.

This 6150 needed to be taken apart and put back together to get it tweaked back into place. I like how it has strings and springs inside. Very old school mechanical. The aluminum and the mechanics make me thing of WWII airplanes.

Interesting Sounds from the BF-2

2011-01-27T07:30:00.000-08:00

Here's a mod that comes from the Brian Wampler book. Putting the cap across a couple of pins on the clock controller gives some big depth on this Boss BF-2 Flanger. Woohoo! More of a bend than a mod.

Decided to not keep this one for now.

Otherwise, I did all of the Wampler mods to clean up the hiss and reduce the "boxy" sound. Then I replaced the op-amps with Burr Brown low noise op amps. Now a sweet sounding "Made in Japan" BF-2.

Time to play around with some of the trimpots!!

ZMD #4 - the Dog Face

2011-01-07T15:48:00.000-08:00

Zorro Music Devices #4 is finished.

It's called Dog Face.

It's mean! It's fierce! It'll bite ya!!

It's a Fuzz Face clone. This pedal has provided hours of fun! I've been practicing with this one and haven't used my Tube Screamer or Big Muff for a while.

November Update

2011-01-07T15:30:00.001-08:00

A big repair project kept "The Zorro" busy for the month of November.

Many of these pedals were in a flooded basement and had been under water for several hours. OH THE HUMANITY!! They were definitely worth opening up and putting in the time to bring them back to life. The worst was the Tube Screamer. This thing was riddled with rusted components and was sounding really ratty. A lot of replacements got the pedal breathing and back on its feet.

The moral of the story: if your gear is soaked then open it up and let it dry out for a really long time!!! Wait a while before you fire it up again.

New Web Site for ZMD

2010-12-31T10:06:00.000-08:00

There's been a few tweaks to the Zorro Music Devices web site at www.jorgezorro.com. It's been updated to have more information on my work in guitar effect pedal repair and pedal mods in the Seattle area. The web site is still a mashup between the pedal mods and my guitar performances. At some point I'll get a new domain for ZMD and split those off.

It was also time to find a new web hosting provider. I'm trying out Webzpro and we'll see how it goes. So far their technical support has been excellent. I actually talked to some helpful people over the phone. Still waiting to try out more scripts and DB back end stuff.

Good way to start 2011!

ZMD #3 - Russian Fur

2010-12-30T15:10:00.000-08:00

ZMD #3 is done and out the door!

This is a clone of a Civil War Green Russian Big Muff Pi. The printed circuit board came from General Guitar Gadgets. Enclosure is a blem from Pedal Parts Plus. The electronics components were purchased from Small Bear Electronics.

This was a big improvement over ZMD #1. The layout was improved and all the internal wiring is shorter and more direct. Still plenty of space for an internal battery. A "starve" control has been added for an old school "dying battery" sound.

Prickly Pear Finished!

2010-12-29T15:27:00.001-08:00

The Prickly Pear has been sounding awesome! It's been used live and in the studio.

It was finally time for some hand lettering.

The MODE, VOLUME, TONE, and SUSTAIN controls have been labelled MO' BIG PRICKLY FUZZ.

ZMD #1 is completely finished!

Guitar Parts in the CAN!!

2010-10-28T06:33:00.000-07:00

Guitar parts for 4 songs were tracked the other night. Four songs in 4 hours. Had a false start on Sunday night. Had listened to the songs for about 8 hours during bass tracking. Got the guitars set up and spent about 2 hours playing stuff that wasn't worth keeping. Had to come back another night for a fresh start.

Things fell into place a couple of nights later. I rode my bike to work just like on regular practice night. Wore my usual sweaty bike shorts that I usually wear to practice. Brad and I tracked at the same time.

Gear that I used:

* Fender Strat through Marshall with custom TubeScreamer.
* Jazzmaster through THD and custom TubeScreamer.
* Les Paul through THD and Prickly Pear/Beaver/Muff Clone.
* Les Paul through CRANKED Bassman and custom TubeScreamer.

Drums done, bass done, guitars done. Next is vocals.

Happy Anniversary to Zorro Devices!!

2010-10-20T16:28:00.000-07:00

Happy 1 year Anniversary to Zorro Music Devices!! Well almost...

Actually it was about a year ago that I had just gotten the boot from my previous employer. One day out of the blue I got escorted to the front door. Found about 25 other fellow employees out on the sidewalk too, stumbling around in a confused state. This was right after I had moved into a house and I was stone cold broke. As usual, I've worked like a demon to set things straight.

Tons of resumes going out the door daily didn't pay off until a resume workshop. Things picked up after that.

In between is when I started to get BACK into music electronics. It would be tempting to thank my previous employer for helping me get on this road...but they don't really deserve it. I'd been migrating from acoustic to electric music for the LAST 3 YEARS!! I'd already been purchasing mod kits before my "slow time".

Fortunately I'm employed again. That's how I can afford my "hobby".

Better yet is that I've been in a band - for more than 6 months. Still way short of a 1 year mark with "The Country Gentlemen". But things are looking stable.

My plan is keep at it with the music electronics slow and steady for years and years to come.

Zorro Devices #1 - Prickly Pear

2010-10-10T11:07:00.000-07:00

Zorro Devices serial number 001: THE PRICKLY PEAR. Here's my first pedal build.

Big Muffs have totally captivated me. I've been obsessed with FUZZ ever since I worked on a couple of civil war Russian Sovtek Big Muffs. Way cool - and hella pricey on Evil-Bay.

I decided to purchase and build a clone kit. The BYOC Large Beaver is widely reviewed as a reasonably priced Muff clone.

Of course, I made some minor changes to the circuit and put it in a copper colored housing purchased from Pedal Parts Plus.

The Prickly Pear is the name of this box. Named after the cactus with edible fruit.

Summer/Fall Update

2010-10-06T14:36:00.000-07:00

Things went downhill during the summer. My car broke down on the freeway coming home from Folklife. Lost power crossing the Ship Canal Bridge and had to coast off the freeway. Got the car back from the garage the day before my cat had to go to the vet for her last visit. She had been with me for 14 years. Intestinal cancer made her miserable at the end. Two weeks later my landlord called me to tell me that I had to vacate my rental house because the owner wanted to sell. Goodbye workspace garage and goodbye drumset. Goodbye to the garden that we had just planted. Threw out all the living room furniture - long since destroyed by the cat.

Managed to find another house in the neighborhood. Set up the workshop in one of the bedrooms but I have to go outside for drilling. Managed to build my first clone, the BYOC Big Beaver which is a clone of the Electro-Harmonix Big Muff. I made some changes to the circuit and put the clone in a custom enclosure. I call it the Zorro Prickly Pear. Sounded good enough to use for a show at the Shipwreck.

FOLKLIFE ON SUNDAY

2010-05-27T16:50:00.000-07:00

JORGE ZORRO be playing some rocking Mexi-Ska at NW Folklife.

Sunday 11:00 - 11:30,
Fisher Green Stage.
Big stage just south of the fountain on the east side of Key Arena.

See you there!

NW FOLKLIFE

Next Electric Show

2010-05-04T15:53:00.001-07:00

Next show with Brad Yaeger Band is Thursday, May 6, 2010. Venue is the illustrious BLUE MOON TAVERN in the U-district.

Also on the bill are Colby Imus and the Good Lieutenants and the Betty Ford Falcons.

See you there!

Installing a Lace dobro pickup

2010-04-14T19:17:00.000-07:00

The Lace dobro pickup is a snap to install! This job took about 5 minutes! Just a little bit of double stick tape and it's good to go! Much easier than the piezo install.

Installing a Fishman piezo pickup in a resonator

2010-02-25T10:37:00.000-08:00

This resonator has a spider bridge but the Fishman pickup works with either a spider or biscuit style bridge.

First thing to do is remove the strings and the bridge cover.

Pull out the bridge and cone from the guitar.

Drill a hole through the end and install the jack.

Connect the piezo to the underside of the cone. Make sure that you have the correct side of the piezo touching the cone. This guitar didn't quite match the instructions provided by Fishman.

Install the cone and bridge. Put on a string and connect the guitar to an amp. Adjust the tightness of the cone nut until there is optimal output from the pickup. The pickup was sensitive to this adjustment. Too tight or too loose and there was hardly any output.

After the nut is adjusted, pull the string off and install the bridge cover. Put the strings on and you are ready for some electrified resonator.

Modded Digitech Hot Rod Distortion Pedal

2010-02-03T19:10:00.000-08:00

This Digitech Hot Rod Distortion pedal has been a good workhorse for me. Mods on this pedal are bit difficult because of the surface mount technology. However I was able to upgrade some caps. The evil green monitor LED was a nice upgrade. Sounds way cool.

Modded DS-1 distortion pedal

2010-01-13T20:26:00.000-08:00

A recent pedal modification project was this BOSS DS-1 Distortion pedal. I went through a complete cap upgrade and also worked on the bass response and cleaning up the high end. One of the toggle switches selects between a standard symmetric clipping and a more aggressive asymmetric clipping. The other toggle switch selects range in the tone - I found that I wanted a brighter sound when playing through a Fender amp. There is also a new bright yellow LED.

Simple Pedal Board

2010-01-05T10:57:00.000-08:00

A "plywood and duct-tape" style of pedal board is low tech yet effective. I've been low on cash so I decided to build a simple pedal board instead of purchasing a commercial board. Power comes from a 1-SPOT supply.

The board is a particle board (my favorite!) shelf that I spray painted green.

I installed another piece of wood on the underside in the front - this makes the board sit inclined instead of flat. Not really necessary, just a little extra touch.

For a little padding I put down some closed cell foam - normally used as weather stripping. The boat cleat is the "handle" for moving the board around.

The pedals are fastened with the usual method of Velcro (TM). But that stuff doesn't always hold. I wanted something really bombproof so I installed some loops for cable ties for every pedal. This photo shows the tie-down loops for the footswtich for the digital delay.

The first version of the board: Tuner -> Wah -> Tube Screamer -> Distortion -> Chorus and a footswitches for the delay and for the amp.

A more recent version of the board: A tremolo and analog delay are added after the chorus. The footswitch for the digital delay has been removed. The pedals are a little too close to each other - some "rearranging of the furntiture" might be next.

Chorus as vibrato

2009-12-15T10:18:00.000-08:00

Much as I hate to say it the sound of a chorus pedal is just not as popular as it used to be. However you can get some spacey sounds out of a chorus pedal by turning it into a vibrato.

The chorus effect is usually a mix of a dry signal with a vibrato (pitch modulated) signal. Many stereo choruses provide a split signal with a dry signal coming out one output jack and a vibrato signal coming out another output jack.

On the Boss CE-3 it's as simple as setting the mode to stereo and only using one of the output signals. The standard setting is a mono mode. In stereo mode the vibrato signal comes out of output jack A.

The modulation rate was a tad slow for my tastes to I modified the oscillator circuit to increase the maximum rate. While I was in there I also upgraded some electrolytic caps to film.

Tightening the play in the Snarlin Dog Wah

2009-12-07T16:06:00.000-08:00

I was getting some good use of the Snarlin Dog Whine-o-Wah. But then the pedal started to have some loose play. The pedal wouldn't stay in a fixed position. When I took my foot off it would flop down into the full toe position.

Hmmm, time to fix it. Taking a look at the wah, it looks like there is a leaf spring that holds the pedal in position by friction.

So if the spring were a little tighter there should be more friction. Looking at the underside of the pedal I noticed a small hole in the heel. So I took the rubber heel pad off the pedal. Ah, we now have access to a screw.

Tightening the screw pushes down the leaf spring onto the rod that crosses the pedal. After a few adjustments I could lift my foot off the pedal and it would stay in the same spot.

BOSS ACA to PSA power supply mod

2009-12-02T10:44:00.000-08:00

The older BOSS pedals may not work correctly with a modern AC power adapter (like a 1-Spot or Boss PSA). These older pedals required the Boss ACA adapter and they have a sticker on the housing right next to the power supply jack. The ACA supplied a higher voltage than the PSA. The ACA voltage is unregulated and the PSA supplies a regulated voltage. The ACA-style pedals have a series resistor (and diode) that drops some voltage from the power supply. The pedal might not get enough voltage if you use a PSA power supply on a ACA pedal.

In my case I had a CE-3 chorus that worked fine with a battery. But when I used a PSA supply the LED wouldn't light up when I engaged the pedal. I also had a HM-2 that sounded really terrible and ratty with the PSA supply.

There are two workarounds:

1. Daisy-chain the power supply (in parallel) to some non-ACA pedals. These will drop the supply voltage.

2. Modify the ACA pedals to accept the PSA supply.

The mod is simple: jumper the series resistor. The newer Boss pedals do not have this series resistor. This mod has no effect if you are using the battery - the resistor is cut out of the circuit if nothing is plugged in to the power supply jack. The jumper can be placed at the numbered wire connections at the end of the board near the control knobs.

Here is the ACA sticker on a DS-1 Distortion pedal.

For all the pedals in my stash, the mod is to jumper the blue wire that goes to the power supply to the yellow wire that goes to the input jack. On the CE-3, that's holes 2 and 3.

Here's the jumper for holes 2 and 3 on the CE-3 chorus. I just used part of component lead for the jumper wire.

For the HM-2 Heavy Metal the holes are 4 and 5.

Ah, the DS-1 has two sets of blue and yellow wires! Joy! But by looking at the connections to the power supply jack and input jack you can see that holes 10 and 11 should be jumpered.

Here's the jumper between holes 10 and 11 on the DS-1.

The pedals can now be used with a single modern AC adapter power supply. They also sill work fine when daisy-chained to other pedals. And they still work fine when power by an internal battery. Joy!

This article by stinkfoot provided some very useful background information on the ACA/PSA issue.

Morley Wah sweep mod

2009-11-25T08:36:00.000-08:00

There are a lot of things to like about the Morley Classic Wah pedal: rugged construction, spacious circuit board with abundant labelling, and most of all no scratchy pots. The Morley is famous for the "electro-optical" coupling in their pedals. In the late 70's this was a very innovative and radical design. However, the sweep on this Classic Wah was engaging much too rapidly. All the modulation was happening back near the heel position. Fortunately, the sweep can be manipulated to be a little more smooth.

Here is the pedal before opening it up. Another thing that I like about this pedal is that the on/off switch is off to the side so you don't activate the device by pushing the pedal in the full toe position.

Flip the pedal over and undo the four screws holding the bottom plate. There are two screws on each side.

You might have to open up the battery compartment to give yourself something to grab onto while pulling off the bottom plate.

Instead of a potentiometer, the Morley's use an LED and an LDR (light dependant resistor). A tab allows more light to hit the LDR as the pedal is moved forward into the toe position.

Power up the pedal (I prefer a battery when I'm working on pedals). Keep it on its back while you hook up the pedal to a guitar and amp. You can still work the foot pedal while the device is on its back. GENTLY push down on the LED. Moving the LED down means that the pedal will have to be in more forward position to pass the light. Try working the pedal after each adjustment. This should help smooth out the sweep.

Overall, the sounds of this Morley Classic Wah are comparable to a Dunlop Crybaby. It's a straightforward wah sound, not too radical, and a bit noisy. The pedal is solid but not high-end. OK if you're on a tight budget.

Modding the Screamer

2009-11-13T11:29:00.000-08:00

The Ibanez Tube Screamer has always been a classic distortion pedal. Especially when modded back to the TS808 sound. I applied the Monte Allum modification for the TS9.

Here's the TS9 prior to any modifications.

Removing the battery cover provides access to the four screws that hold in the bottom plate of the pedal.

I followed the instructions and tested the pedal after each part was changed.

Two toggle switches are added to the pedal for this mod. Here is the pedal with the new holes drilled for the new toggle switches. These two holes could have been a scootch lower in the pedal, nearer to the crease.

Finished pedal! Monte Allum provides mods for several common pedals.

Taking the Scratch out of the Snarling Dog

2009-11-04T11:10:00.000-08:00

My Snarling Dogs Whine-O-Wah started to "scratch" when I engaged the wah pedal. It would make a "scritch-scritch" sound whenever I moved the pedal up or down. This was a classic case of a dirty pot.

Most of the time, the usual fix is to apply some contact cleaner and work the pot until the dirt is worked out. It made sense to remove the pot from the pedal to provide access. In addition, the inside of the pedal would stay clean and free of contact cleaner. Here are the step to access the potentiometer and apply contact cleaner:

1. Flip the dog on it's back and remove the machine screws that hold the rubber feet on the bottom plate. It might be helpful to also remove the battery cover to have something to grab onto to pull off the bottom plate.

2. Carefully lift off the bottom plate. You'll want to be careful that you don't lose the lock washers between the bottom plate and the pedal housing.

3. From the topside remove the nut and lockwasher that hold the switch in place. Flip the pedal over on it's back again and remove the footswitch. Use a flat head screwdriver to work off the pinion gear from the pot. You can then loosen the 1/2 inch nut, the lockwasher and the flange that hold the pot into the housing.

4. You now have clear access to the pot. I put a paper towel behind the pot when I sprayed the contact cleaner into the pot at the shaft. Then I worked the pot and removed the excess grimey grease from the pot. Here I was able to plug in the pedal to a guitar and amp. I had to repeat the process a few times until the pot was cleaned out and wasn't making a scratching noise.

5. The only real trick to reassembly is to get the shaft in the proper position relative to the rack. Loosen the screw that holds the rack support in place. The support is the white plastic thing against the rack. Rotating the support out of the way allows you to move the rack around and get some clearance. Now put the pot back in place with the flange, the lockwasher and the 1/2 inch nut. The pinion gear can go back on with some help from a screwdriver. Turn the pot completely counter clockwise. Then put the pedal in it's fully forward position bringing the rack into the housing.

6. Put the rack support back in place, as shown in the photo below. Put the switch back into the top of the housing. Last thing to do is reassemble the bottom plate.

7. Time to WAH!!

Greenwood Harvest Festival

2009-11-02T10:52:00.000-08:00

Many wicked witches, pirates, spooks and some ladybugs and Zorros played some games and partook in some free nachos. The Greenwood Harvest Festival was buzzing with activity. This festival was a lot fun for the kids and for Jorge too! Greg Spence Wolf played for 3 hours and I played along for part of that time. Paulette tapped for over an hour as well. Many thanks for a fun part of Halloween in Greenwood!

Neck realignment project

2009-10-01T11:53:00.000-07:00

The low E string on a Fender Squire was sometimes slipping off the finger board when I played single notes. Barre chords seemed to work okay but when I would play some heavy riffs on the single E string it would slip off the finger board.

Looking at the fingerboard I could see that the low E was closer to the edge of the fingerboard than the high E string. This indicated a neck alignment problem. The neck was not coming straight out of the body of the guitar.

The solution was to re-align the neck.

I loosened up the strings but left them on the guitar as a guide. Then I used a screw driver to loosen the neck bolts at the back of the guitar. I put the guitar on a table in the playing position. I pushed down on the neck until the strings looked more centered. I had to keep pushing on the neck while I tightened up the neck bolts. The Squire was ready for action after a quick re-tune.

No more string falling off! The strings are much more centered on the guitar.

Before	After

Guitarras de me padre - My Dad's guitars

2009-09-11T10:15:00.000-07:00

My dad has been into wood for a long, long time. For the last few years he's been directing his wood skills into guitar making. He's made a few amazing instruments.

His guitars are classical, ie, nylon string guitars. They are designed for playing classical style, not for strumming out some folkie tunes.

Most of the guitars are ergonomically designed. Many are "parlor sized". They are a bit smaller, more lightweight, and more comfortable to play than a standard sized guitar.

Here's the website: http://www.georgethomasguitars.com/georgethomasguitars

Top 20 Guitar Albums

2009-04-10T10:27:00.000-07:00

When I was first learning to play guitar, a guitar teacher took a few minutes to offer some sage advice. "Jorge, there are two albums that you HAVE TO listen to: BB King Live at the Regal and John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers".

Okay, so I managed to find these on vinyl and listened to them quite a bit. (I think BB King was in the supermarket, of all places). Sure, these are some awesome albums. In fact I still cop a few licks that I learned off these.

But I got to thinking: What ARE some of the greatest guitar albums? Can I limit it to just 2? or 5? After thinking about it for a bit, I think 25 is a more reasonable number. I would like to say that this is a guitar lesson and I'm giving you advice on some albums that you should listen to. It might be more realistic to say that these are my favorite guitar albums ever. However, it's true: if you are learning, these are some excellent sources of truly inspired musicianship. In a few cases, I couldn't pick my favorite for a certain artist - some options are provided so pick up what you can find.

1. Stevie Ray Vaughan - In step. Some guitar players take note that Stevie played fairly heavy strings on his guitars and really had to wail and have some beefed up callouses on his left hand. He really cleaned up his act by this album and his playing is really clean.

2. Iggy Pop - Raw Power. Some crazy, loud, crude simple playing that totally stands the test of time.

3. Buddy Guy - Slippin' In. Take some lessons from the MASTER. Listen to the way that he EXPRESSES with his bends. Buddy has influenced the biggest names like Jimi, Stevie, Beck, Clapton, Page, and so on and so on. Who else has the guts to play a polka-dot painted guitar (AND has some guitar skills)? Some people prefers his earlier more basic stuff. Whatever, you've got your pick of Buddy albums.

4. Jimi Hendrix - Electric Ladyland. Listen and learn.

5. Johnny Winter - Johnny Winter. His first self-titled debut is a great starting point. Man can this guy wail! He covers several styles of blues.

6. Jeff Beck - Blow by Blow. A seminal and bold album in the history of guitar. The dimished 5th car horn sound in Freeway Jam is a classic. Scatterbrain has some of heaviest riffs I've ever heard. Some alternate live versions are on the classic "Jeff Back and the Jan Hammer Group Live". Needless to say, I had a hard time deciding between Blow by Blow and Wired, which has the awesome 7/4 rocker Led Boots. Everthing that Beck does helps him express: slide-ups, pre-bends, tone changes, attack variations, pull-off runs on open strings.

7. Led Zeppelin - Presence. Speaking of Led...Presence is one of least appreciated Zep albums. At the same time, it's a return to some more stripped down stuff at a time when Page has some strong skills. Nobody's Fault But Mine and Tea for One feature some great bluesy solos.

8. Living Colour - Vivid. Heavy distortion and chromaticism that alternates with clean guitar sounds and volume swells. Listen to main riff of Cult of Personality.

9. Rage Against the Machine - Battle of Los Angeles. Tom Morello has pioneered crazy and unique sounds to come out of the effects chain, along the lines of Robert Fripp's Frippertronics. Except that Morello rocks and never goes jazzy. Many of his solos are beyond my comprehension. But then he dishes up some simple pentatonic rock riffs that we can gobble up. I think he does a lot of stuff in dropped D tuning.

10. Yes - Fragile. Back in the day there was a thing called Superbands where every band member excelled in skills. Steve Howe provides a legendary mix of rock with classical influence. I think he often played a Gibson ES-175. He obviously knows his scales and time signatures inside and out and backwards.

11. Santana - Abraxas. When you hear ONE NOTE of Santana you know who you're listening to. That can be your new goal: when someone hears ONE NOTE of your playing, your style is so distinctive that they know it's you. ONE NOTE.

12. Ozzy Osbourne - Blizzard of Oz. Randy Rhoads totally set up Ozzy's solo career. Back in the day we were all blown away by how Ed Van Halen had revived the whammy work of Hendrix and how he was amazing every one with his right handed hammer-ons and pull-offs. All of a sudden, WHAM! along came Randy out of the blue to further evolve the Van Halen LA-style of rock guitar. Randy often TRIPLE TRACKED his solos. Did it hurt to build up those callouses on your left hand? Time to get going with callouses on your right hand for your right handed hammer-ons and pull offs. Listen how Randy throws in a passing note or two in between Ozzy's singing phrases.

13. Infectious Grooves - It's the Plague That Makes Your Booty Move It's the Infectious Grooves. More of a "project" than a band but it really caught on. Distorted punk riffs alternate with clean funky guitar work. Features Mike Muir (Suicidal Tendencies), Robert Trujillo (Ozzy, Metallica), Stephen Perkins (Janes Addiction, Porno for Pyros).

14. Molotov - Dance and Dense Denso. Mexican rock/hip hop in Spanish and English.

15. Deep Purple - Machine Head. Ritchie Blackmore rips out some clean blues rock guitar solos on Lazy. Space Truckin has some great basic rock riffing.

16. Soundgarden - Badmotorfinger. Listen to early Soundgarden. Listen to Rage. Some things are great on their own. Like chocolate. Or mustard. Not so great when mixed together.

17. Alice in Chains - Facelift. Not so hard to pick out some of this stuff. Great motivation to stay off the horse.

18. ZZ Top - Tres Hombres. The early stuff with guitars totally rocks. Billy Gibbons is the master of the right-handed thumb harmonic. Nice trick, just don't over-use it. Their Deguello album is also very cool. (Just blues and rock guitars, no synthesizers).

19. Queens of the Stone Age - Songs for the Deaf. This is their best work.

20. Ry Cooder - Mambo Sueno. Features Manuel Galban. Here's a whole new universe for you to explore.

I'm a b-b-b-bad country boy!

2009-04-08T13:23:00.000-07:00

I've been practising "Thank God I'm a country boy" in a super heavy version.

Think of crossing George Thorogood's "Bad To The Bone" with "Thank God I'm a Country Boy". Lyrics are belted out over a heavy blues riff. Bad ass!

Sooo, I'm not sure about playing the nylon string. This version calls for a big acoustic with heavy strings so I can knock the snot out of them with some heavy hitting. Might have to adjust some lyrics, too

"Got me a pipe, got me some whiskey
Ready to fight, it's gonna be risky
Life's nothing but getting really, really frisky
Thank god I'm a country b-b-b-b-b-b-boy!"

Hmmm, well I might hold off on the lyrics changes....

Saddling up for the John Denver Tribute Concert

2009-03-24T17:01:00.000-07:00

What are your favorite John Denver songs? You'll get a chance to hear a few at the
John Denver Tribute Concert on Sunday May 17 on Baingbridge Island, Washington.

I plan on playing a few FAROUT tunes in honor of the prolific performer and songwriter.

My current plans include these tunes:

1. Country Roads (a waltz in Spanish)
2. Thank God I'm Country Boy (heavy blues version)

Yes, you're right. He didn't actually WRITE all those songs, but he did perform them.

I hope to play a George Thomas hand made nylon string parlor guitar.

Brad Yaeger will be playing along with me. We'll split up the singing duties.

This concert, hosted by Chalice Music and Music Community Resources, will be a fundraiser for Teen Music Scholarships.

FAROUT!

Un visitante de la Niña.

2008-07-16T23:49:00.000-07:00

What a surprise to look out my window and see a square rig vessel on Lake Union. Moments later I received an e-mail from the Center for Wooden Boats with the haps.

It was a replica of La Niña, one of the sailing vessels used by Christopher Columbus. This boat was hand built in Brazil using methods of the 15th century.

Steerage is with a large tiller. The steering "wheel" for the helm had not yet been invented. Only the captain had a berth below deck. All other hands slept on the open deck.

Gracias por el visitante!

Jorge plays some guitar on Brad Yaeger's CD

2008-07-16T19:48:00.000-07:00

Jorge's guitar playing is featured on the new CD "Fighting to be Last" by Brad Yaeger.

Got some clean sounds and a solid backing rhythm guitar for Brad. Even have a few solos in there.

Take a listen...

El disco esta listo - the CD is ready.

2008-05-22T10:24:00.000-07:00

Finalmente! Finalmente! El disco de Jorge Zorro ya ha hecho. Hay muchas copias si usted quiere un disco.

Finally, the Jorge Zorro CD has arrived! There are plenty of copies. Drop me a line if you would like one.

The title is "Musica del Barrio".

Cancion Nueva en MySpace

2008-03-27T13:37:00.000-07:00

Angelitos en el Autobús está en myspace.

Ayer me pongé la canción nueva en la pagina de myspace.

It's a very happy song!

Que beuno y rico es el 48!

View From the Westin Tower

2008-01-11T15:38:00.000-08:00

It's great to have a view from the Westin Tower. All of us here would especially like to thank the naked lady that was walking around in her apartment in the high rise across the street. YAY!! Thank you for the Happy Friday.

So, where are the good lunch spots around here?

Concierta que viene en C & P

2007-10-26T09:11:00.000-07:00

Hola Chavos y Chavas!

In case you have nothing to do on the Saturday before Halloween, come on down to the C & P Coffee house and hear some tunes. It's me and Patric Davidson and Brad Yaeger. Show is from 6 - 8 PM.

Have a good one!

Live Music at Cafe Allegro

2007-09-07T20:28:00.000-07:00

Always fun to spend a Friday night hosting some live music in the U-district's oldest coffee house. I had the opportunity to host an evening of music featuring Brenda Brink and Greg Spence Wolf. Ojala! It's tonight! Love that Wi-Fi!!

Brenda Brink:

Greg Spence Wolf:

Your lovely host (on the COMPUTER):

Photo shoot with Puja Parakh

2007-09-04T16:10:00.001-07:00

Soy profesional.

Well, at least I have some professional photos now.

The tagline "Are you cheap?" got my attention.
Puja knows the mind of musicians! Actually, her CL ad aside, I had seen her work for Agnes Ingarra. Nice work!

Anyway, Puja and her assistant were kind enough to meet me at the Ballard bridge. Puja hadn't worked this location before and she was meeting my desire to have a local shoot.

Some goofing around, a few minor technical details, and soon we were on the bridge in the middle of traffic, getting some good shots. Good thing that I practice my moves in front of the mirror! Which images are your favorites?

Check out Puja's photo blog.

Here's Jorge Zorro on the Ballard Bridge:

Thank you Mike's for having such a cool looking building!

!Ay! !Mierda! Nos puedemos ver un reflexion de la "reflector" en la guitarra!

Ositos: Minus the Bear at Easy Street

2007-08-21T14:42:00.000-07:00

Nice guitar work and a very tight band. Cool guitar sounds. The keyboard player had to be put in place because he's "the new guy". (That would suck).

New CD is for sale. But I didn't buy it. Musica por los pinches gringos. Otherwise, Muchas gracias a Easy Street para las conciertas en sus tienda.

Amigos Invisibles

2007-07-13T13:32:00.000-07:00

Aparece que Jorge necesita a traer la camera a las conciertas! Esos son con el telefono....

DJ Johhny Horn on the guitar...

...y Los Amigos Invisibles en el Neumos...uhhh, sin baterista...

Arbol en la calle

2007-07-09T11:09:00.000-07:00

Ayer, el pasado domingo, escucho algo en la calle. Parte del arbol (big-leaf maple) esta en la calle. Choco un poco un coche tambien. Para Jorge, eso es la mejor parte del fin de semana, Ja, Ja!

The Big Show at Wayward Coffee

2007-07-06T11:19:00.000-07:00

Con mucho gusto a ver muchas gente en la conciertita en Wayward Coffeehouse en Junio 30. Muchas, muchas gracias a los genta estaba alli!

Good to have a few friends there. Of course the big draw was Mona Sterling, in her first solo acoustic performance. Nicely done!

Many thanks to Brad Yaeger for putting together the show.

The Police in Key Arena

2007-06-07T14:10:00.000-07:00

It sure is good to have friends that will spring for tickets for you. I wasn't really thinking of seeing the Police - weird because I listened to them TONS. Aside from Buddy/Jimi/Stevie my other main influence on the guitar is Andy Summers. I still play single-coil chorus arpeggiated stuff all the time. ANDY!!!

Okay, now back to the show. It ROCKED!!! Very strong and tight performance. Took a couple of tunes for Stewart to lock in. About halfway through the second tune he started to groove. I think they started Message in a Bottle okay this time, not many screw ups in the beginning. Stewart's giant gong was GINORMOUS! Man that think musta cost some coin! Stewart's riser came up, he gonged, and then he hit the kit. All good. Stewart would sometimes switch to hitting the snare with his right hand while holding his left hand in the air.

With seats behind the stage we could see most of the stage action. Andy's guitar rig didn't look like what I remembered in Guitar Player - I'll have to take another look at that. But I think Andy's guitar tech often did the pedal switching. Andy didn't have to step on pedals or press buttons too often.

And then there's Sting. You know I really wanted to hate the guy. He ruined one of my favorite bands and "left them in the lurch". Chingadero. But his voice was strong and he looked healthy. His voice didn't stay strong through the whole show. That would be asking a lot. But he did far better than I thought he would. (Iggy Pop really blew him away though in terms of consistency). Between Iggy and Sting I'm really motivated to hit the gym everyday.

And Andy finally got to rip solo after solo. None of this "8 bars and you're done" shit. Man he sounded good. The red strat was an interesting choice. It sounded hot!

Yeah, a few fuck ups at the end. Andy and Sting were getting mixed up on some shit. I read in Stewart's blog that there's been some key changes and stuff. That's what happens. And any "tension"? I didn't see much. Even when Andy was pushing himself into Sting during a solo - it seemed like it was all in good fun.

Second time seeing the Police. The first time musta been in 1980. Good stuff.

Stewart's Blog Entry for the Vancouver Show

Seattle Times Review.

Seattle PI review

Latest Book: Neighborhood Threat On Tour With Iggy Pop

2007-06-06T14:24:00.000-07:00

Whew, I was needing to take a break from that other book, Sonic Gold. And having just seen Iggy and the Stooges at WaMu Theater (and also back in the early 1980's at WWU) it was a real treat to find "Neighborhood Threat On Tour With Iggy Pop" by Alvin Gibbs, again at the Seattle Public Library.

Crazy, crazy, stuff of course! Lightweight reading for heavyweight partying and antics. Entertaining. Iggy is one sharp dude. He takes care of himself and still has some backbone too. Rico y suave.

(Photo from www.brooklynvegan.com)

Canela para los Hormigos

2007-06-06T14:08:00.000-07:00

Canela's da bomb!

Hey hormigas en la oficina por mas de una semana. Muy repugnante! Ugg! Hoy yo puse canela molida en el piso. Bueno! Adios a los hormigos.

Paraguyan Harp at NW Folklife

2007-05-30T11:52:00.001-07:00

Antonio Centurion played some fine polyrhythmic Paraguyan harp music at Seattle's Northwest Folklife this last weekend. What a treat! He was accompanied by a guitar player/vocalist but I didn't catch his name. He was also excellent. Many of the tunes were polkas. But they still have 2 over the 3. Nicely done! Antonio was raised bi-lingual, being of the Guarani people of Paraguy. Thank you to NW Folklife.

Antonio's Web Site

Sonic Cool

2007-05-23T11:46:00.000-07:00

I'm currently reading "Sonic Cool: The Life and Death of Rock'N'Roll" by Joe Harrington.

Oh, how I embrace the sarcastic (and knowledgable) approach of Joe Harrington's writing. FINALLY - someone who does not love the Rolling Stones. Okay, so the main gist that "rock died a long time ago" gets a bit overdone. But Joe does it so well. In so many instances the author points out that a particular group or piece of music really has a long history and lineage that shouldn't be forgotten. That what appears to be "New" is actually somethings that's been going on for 10 years and was probably ripped off from someone else. You may not agree with every opinion (Jeez, dude, do you even have to go so far as to attack the almighty and near god-like "Sgt Peppers"?). But it sure is an interesting read. Well, mostly. Every once in a while I would be greatly distracted by repetitive material. Some downsides are the extreme anglo-centric viewpoint (almost no mention of latin music) and the disregard for contemporary music (yes, Joe, electronica and hip-hop are actually considered music by some people).

Ummm, the copy that I have is checked out from the Seattle public library - you can read it after I return it.

Gitano in the news

2007-05-22T12:02:00.001-07:00

Things are going great with la banda "Gitano". We were recently featured in "Siete Dias" a local latin newspaper. Please look for the Wednesday, March 16 issue and check out page 13. Well, here's a copy in case you miss it. Gitano tambien esta en la myspace - gitanoseattle. Gracias, jorge

Mudhoney Rules!!!

2007-03-26T15:30:00.000-07:00

These guys wrote the fucking book, man!

Mudhoney totally rocked that warehouse called Neumo's last Thursday. Damn, they put on a good set and got the crowd going. Definitely the high point of the evening. After Press Corps and FCS North, it was time to get out of there and go home...sticking around for more cocktails is always an option, but not a good idea when you go to work the next day (or um, in the morning).

Kelly Berry is one cool dude! Happy Birthday, old mate! Many, many thank you's to all who attended. Awesome performances by Ivan Schwartz, Bricklane, and Bastards of Jazz.

At one point, me and the old buds jumped on stage, plugged in our guitars, skipped the sound check, and went right for the countoff for some swamp blues....yeah, we called ourselved Jr Jackson! Now, those boys play regular, but I was just sitting in for laughs and giggles. hee, hee!

Last week was DOPE!

Thank you to my old and new friends!

New Old Tunes at El Diabo

2006-12-20T11:19:00.000-08:00

The next Jorge show has new material and a new line-up. The set list has some original reggae material and some new (old) covers with Frank Zappa and Johhny Cash and John Prine. How about "Xmas in Prison" for ya?

Jay Cook will shred on the electic guitar while I strum away on the acoustic. Got some great harmonies worked out!

Well dressed Brad Yaeger opens the show.

El Diablo on Friday - top of Queen Anne at Quenn Anne and Howe. Hope to see you there!

New Old Open Mic at Molly Maguire's

2006-07-12T11:10:00.000-07:00

It's a new old open mic. Well, it's been around, and it's back after a long hiatus.

Apparently I was lucky with my timing when I visited Molly Maguire's Irish Pub the other night. It was the second week of the reactivated open mic.

Wow, I got to play several songs!

Brett was a great host, and did some magic with the nice PA system. Reverb, monitors, the whole works. I think he brings a small drum set to the show to back you up.

Starts at 9 PM. Full bar, Irish food. Guinness.

I've also updated other entries in my Seattle Open Mics page.

Cafe Racer also is starting up a new open mic on Fridays. Cafe Racer is on Roosevelt at Ravenna, just south of the Trading Musician. Tell em Jorge sent ya!!

"...for him they were great goals..."

2006-06-23T18:07:00.000-07:00

David Byrne's Journal provides some fascinating reading on a variety of topics. Plenty of music stuff, but I prefer the more political raves.

I'll have to admit that I was never much of a Talking Heads fan...but Byrne's label, Luaka Bop, has some of the best music I've ever heard. Now I'm hooked on the guy.

con todo respecto, JZ

Rob Hampton's Guitar Blog

2006-06-16T16:31:00.000-07:00

Yes, this is a link to another blog. A good one.

A Guitar Teacher's Lesson Notebook. Good stuff!

Happy Friday!

I'll be strapping on the electric for a few tunes on Saturday night at the Rendezvous! A little Stevie Ray and some Judas for ya!

peace, jorge

Synergy/West Coast Tour pics!

2006-06-15T11:28:00.000-07:00

Well,the tour was really a flight to LA to visit my grandma.

But I did get a spot at the Synergy Cafe in Culver City. Thanks, Alex! It was a cool scene. Thanks to James Hurley for loaning me a guitar for the show!

Back at the C & P Coffee house

2006-06-01T16:19:00.000-07:00

Jorge and Patric are back at the C & P tonight!

Hope to see you there!

C & P, West Seattle.

Your Vote Doesn't Count!!

2006-06-01T16:16:00.000-07:00

Unless you support the current terrorist regime!

(Check the definition of "terrorist" - Bush and Rumsfield fit
the definition).

Voters denied access and media manipulation discussed in an
article at Rolling Stone written by Robert F Kennedy.

Afghanistan - hit and run or failed brakes?

2006-05-30T10:21:00.000-07:00

Hmmm, different versions of the truth are out there. Please be sure to read between the lines.

According to the Seattle Times article, the crash in Afghanistan was the result of failed brakes.

But in a different version from the LA Times (that I found at the UW Daily), the accident is described by witnesses as intentional. They talked about the how the drivers were "singing and dancing" after killing civilians. In this article, they describe vehicles driving into crowds of people screaming "help me" as their legs are crushed.

Hmmm, why would you be singing and dancing if your brakes failed?

Arsenic in Seattle Schools' Water

2006-05-01T18:05:00.000-07:00

yes, no more tap water for Seattle Schools. According to
today's Seattle Times
article
there were levels of arsenic that violate EPA safety standards at 5 elementary schools.

Water systems will be shut down, and the students will be drinking bottled water.

Guess who supplies the bottled water?

The arsenic is not at the source of the water - it is introduced by faulty water systems.

Water - Creating shortage out of abundance

2006-04-26T14:13:00.000-07:00

Today's Seattle Times has an article on the
rate increases for water. Surprise!

Part of the rate increase is "due to capital improvements that have improved water filtration, treatment and security for reservoirs and other facilities".

Of course! Water costs more because of "needed" security!

I think it's bogus. Water is abundant and should be publicly available.

Don't be surprised when we have to start filtering air. Only those with access to filters will have clean air...

Check out the book "Water Wars" by Shiva for a good read.

Jorge's West Coast Tour

2006-04-19T10:37:00.000-07:00

Halfway through Jorge's first ever West Coast Tour!

The first stop was in beautiful sunny California. Home turf! Culver City is right next to my home town of Venice.

The Synergy Cafe and Lounge was the perfect venue! Good grub and drinks and a very artsy lounge area! Alex is doing an awesome job!

Plus, James Hurley was kind enough to loan me a guitar for the Synergy show. James is an awesome player and a super human being!

Thanks to all who have supported the tour!

The Truth...

2006-03-17T11:38:00.000-08:00

La Verdad...

is out there. Just not always easy to find. Especially re: activities in Iraq.

the truthout describes the usual business of US military killing civilians and then lying about it.

Green Frog in Bellingham

2006-03-14T17:45:00.000-08:00

The FROG is the PLACE in Bellingham! What a cool happening spot! The show last Friday was a huge success!

It started out as an adventure. Well, not the part about me being at work all day and keeping my head in my computer. I skipped my noon-time gym session in order to leave work a whole 30 minutes early. I was nervous about getting to the show in time. It's usually 1.5 hours - but with traffic - who knows.

The lightning flashes during the bus ride home didn't help. Then it started SNOWING as I got off the bus! The lightning also continued. Someone offered me a ride home but I was only a block away.

Anyway, we got all the gear in the car. I was packing my clothes at the last minute. Spare socks in one coat pocket and spare underwear in the other. The guitars and tuners were the important part.

The snow piling up on the freeway was not a good sign. Then a miracle occured. The weather cleared up, the traffic cleared up, and we were making good time.

The Green Frog is cool! The sawdust crunched underfoot as I walked in. The array of guitars, mandolins, banjos, and acoustic basses hanging on the wall is unique! How many places have a guitar that you can pick up and play?

We never knew if the other band was going to show up, or even who they were. We started late and did our usual set. The crowd was loud and having some fun.

So were the dogs! There were 4 dogs playing in there.

Finally the other band showed and we got off stage.

I like this place. Hope to go back.

Best part was seeing some buddies that I haven't seen in years.

Check it out - the Green Frog Cafe and Acoustic Tavern, 901 N State St. Bellingham.

pics from the show.

Sunday at Rendezvous

2006-02-21T09:42:00.000-08:00

Killer show at the Rendezvous Jewel Box Theater!

Patric and I sounded better than ever! Our guitars were in tune and the songs were together. We're starting to improvise on the song structures.

Unknown Factor came out and did their thing. Aaron did a great job as a front man, keeping the interest of the audience. After the originals, I got back on stage and ripped through some Judas Priest and some David Bowie/Stevie Ray Vaughn stuff.

I haven't shredded like that for 20 years!

Catch the next show at the Alley Upstairs at Cafe Allegro on the Ave, on Sunday Feb 26. Open mic at 6 PM, Jorge and Patric at 7 PM.

What I've Been Listening To

2006-02-16T16:08:00.000-08:00

It's been mostly the same 4 recordings for the last two months:

1. Shakira - Laundry Service - Yeah, I know that La Fijacion Oral is the newer CD - but this one has great guitar work!

2. Yerba Buena - Island Life - this album absolutely defines cool New Yorican music.

3. Lydia Mendoza - the La Alondra de la Frontera CD that goes with CS's book - just plain beutiful live musical performances.

4. Molotov - Dance and Dens Denso - Frijolero cracks me up!

Drop me a line and let me know what's on YOUR turntable!

Bands for Fans

2006-01-19T12:11:00.000-08:00

Dear Music Community,

You are invited to Bands For Fans, a casual evening of networking and socializing at Seattle's Premier Club, located at 1700 1st Avenue South. The event takes place on Thursday, February 2, from 5 to 8PM.

Oragnized by Seattle rockers, Stripmall Sideshow, and co-produced by Music Community Resources, Bands for Fans brings together people who represent the many resources in the art, politics, and business of the music industry.

A DJ will be spinning local unsigned music, so bring your CD to the Mix (pre-labeled with the strongest cuts if possible.

More details at www.stripmallsideshow.com

No Place for Pikas

2006-01-06T17:01:00.000-08:00

Those of you who walk in the mountains are familiar with these little friends.

Unfortunately, warmer climates are taking away the living spaces of these little guys.

Article here from UW.

Live and Let Live!!

Feel the Love at El Diablo

2005-12-29T12:43:00.000-08:00

Howdy!

It would be great if you came down to El Diablo, 1811 Queen Anne Ave N, on Friday at 8 PM for some excellent tunes by Jorge and Patric!

Great wine, beer, food, coffee! ALL AGES!

Blu-Ize at the Hotwire on Friday

2005-12-06T09:36:00.000-08:00

Blu-Ize has been doing a fantastic job of running the Victory Music open mic on the First and Third Sundays at Alderwood Mall. I had a blast at the last open mic. We ended the public part of the evening with a jam by Alan Kausal, Ron Dalton, Mike and Galena, and old Jorge on the mandolin.

That was so much fun that I'm going to check out Blu_Ize on Friday, December 9, at my favorite Shoreline hang out, the Hotwire Online Coffeehouse on 15th, just north of 175th.

Ron Sims is cool!

2005-12-06T09:14:00.000-08:00

The Drawing Jam at the Seattle Academy of Fine Art was an excellent artistic adventure! The day didn't go quite as planned...and that was a good thing!

I started out doing my two hour set in the sculpting room on the first floor. Alene Brede AKA the Fluted Edge played her set before me, warming up the small crowd. It seemed appropriate to play instrumentals and let the artists find their zone without distractions from the musicians. Playing for a nude model was a first for Jorge!

After my sets, I was back in the Green Room chilling with the Seattle Guitar Circle and munching a few satsumas. Beth came into green room and asked if I wanted to play some more up in the Peltonen Studio. With guitar and mandolin in hand I ventured up to the 3rd floor.

Ron Sims was the model for the first hour. He was good at what he did. When he finished, he acknowledged my playing. He got a "Jorge Zorro" bumper sticker in his hand when he tried to shake hands. (I shook hands after giving him the sticker). Way cool! The next model was Judith Wetzel and her oh-so-cool thick rimmed glasses. Like something Elton would have worn in the 70s!

After 4 hours I was ready for my sandwich. So by the time that Miss Mabel Dean started to model I had to run for some grub. Course I came back for my guit-box and checked out the show. Now, Miss Mabel Dean - that's some real stage presence there!

I went downstairs to look for Sneezy Waters but I missed him. :(

Drawing Jam at Seattle Academy of Fine Art

2005-12-01T09:11:00.000-08:00

That's this Saturday! It's a crazy and kooky artistic event!

Grab your pencils and sketchbooks!

The Drawing Jam is definitely worth checking out!

At the Seattle Academy of Fine Art, 1501 10th Ave E. 206-526-ARTS
Saturday, December 3, 10 AM - 10 PM.
$10.

I'm on the first floor from 12 - 2 PM. Last year I played in the family activity room. Very grateful to be invited back!

Killer Coke at Caffe Bella

2005-11-30T08:47:00.000-08:00

The open mic at Caffe Bella was fairly quiet last night. However I did manage to get the small crowd riled up. I dedicated "Which Side Are You On" to the people of Columbia and India that work in Coca-Cola bottling factories.

Do you think it's easy to form a union these days?

Read all about it at www.killercoke.org.

The stories about India are relevant to my current line of work: groundwater hydrology.

A special "Thank You" to the person that put up flyers of the Columbian Coke Float around UW campus. :)

Live Dub Music Tonight @ NECTAR

2005-11-30T08:44:00.000-08:00

Now hear this! Some of me buds is playin' some live dub tonight at Nectar:

MILITANT RHYTHM SECTION is appearing in person this Wednesday at Nectar in support of their "TRIBUTE TO SCRATCH" and "MEXICAN WEED DUB" releases on Purefire Records.

As a part of Nectar's Club Jahmani Wednesdays,
MILITANT RHYTHM SECTION will perform two sets of live dub music,
featuring Annabella Kirby, Lynval Golding, Matt Nims, Johnny Horn and
special guests.

EASTBOUND SOUND SYSTEM (DJs Cide and Jahson) will be playing cultural and uptempo dancehall, and Session stubby beers are $2 all night.

NECTAR
412 N. 36th ST. SEATTLE
206 632 2020

AES Meeting at Benaroya Hall

2005-11-29T08:44:00.000-08:00

The directions said to take the Artist Entrance and then find your way to the S Mark Taper Auditorium. I figured that the auditorium was some tiny little room in the back of Benaroya Hall.

Imagine my surprise when I go in the Artist Entrance, go up an elevator, some back hallways and then find myself on stage at Benaroya Hall. I basked in the glory for a moment before walking off stage and taking a seat.

The PNW Chapter of the Audio Engineering Society held a meeting last night in Benaroya Hall. Al Swanson, of the Seattle Symphony, gave an excellent presentation on microphone techniques with classical orchestra.

His favorite mics are small-diaphram omni-directional condensor mics. Suprisingly, Al frequently uses only 2 or 4 microphones, typically in simple configurations. The two mics are usually placed about a foot apart and slightly off axis. His philosophy is that he is trying to faithfully record an "event".

This was a special treat to hear an excellent lecture in a world class room. Thanks to AES for hosting the event.

Pegasus Coffeehouse

2005-11-16T09:18:00.000-08:00

Ah, the Pegasus Coffeehouse, a distinct Baindbridge landmark. (Actually, a 'Winslow' landmark for those of us old enough to remember).

Norm Johnson of the Island Music Guild has done an absolutely fantastic job of developing the live music at the Pegasus. He's got some very excellent acts lined up.

Norm gave me a ring last week because of a cancellation and I was happy to play at the Pegasus. A very good listening crowd. Since Norm has his own PA, and I didn't need to bring my amps and stuff, I was able to bus it down to the Ferry terminal and walk on the boat. A special "Thank You" to Norm for picking me up on Bainbridge and driving me to and from the Pegasus.

They've got a jam session/open mic on Sundays. Excellent coffee and sandwiches in an interesting brick building. I often have lunch there if I'm around Bainbridge.

Check it out if you get a chance!

BOOMING BASS LINES

2005-10-26T09:22:00.000-07:00

Dancehall and Reggae spun by the humble master DJ Johnny Horn!

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26, NECTAR in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle

RHYTHM SESSION will be performing a live dub set featuring Lynval Golding and Matt Nims on guitars, Annabella Kirby as vocalist, Don Kenoyer on keys and Johnny Horn doing a live dub mix from a wicked master tape...
The night is called Club Jahmani, and features East Bound Sound System.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 27, BALTIC ROOM on Seattle's Capitol Hill

WICKED AND WILD, our weekly dancehall night, has been going strong for five years plus. Featuring DJs Soul One, Johnny Horn, Rising Sun & Nikko, and Papa Jigsy.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28, TOMMY'S in Seattle's University District

CHELA and GEORGETOWN (featuring Lynval Golding) will be performing live reggae music, with DJs Element and Johnny Horn spinning dancehall and roots.

Hope to see you out on the town...Thanks, JH

Junior Jackson at the Highway 99 - first Wednesdays

2005-10-21T17:03:00.000-07:00

The Highway 99 has some hot blues! My old buds play on the first Wednesdays, starting around 9 PM. It's on Alaska, under the viaduct.

Junior Jackson does swampified soul-ful southern fried blues!

Aggeliki's greek singing at Georgia's 10/29

2005-10-21T16:54:00.000-07:00

If you'd like a special treat then please think about visiting Georgia's Greek Restaurant on Saturday, October 29. The venue is on 85th, west of Greenwood, next to the laundromat. Aggeliki's performances are usually listed as "Yanni and friends" on the website.

Aggeliki Barberopoulou does a wonderful job of singing traditional greek songs with accompaniment by the talented Yanni on bazouki and the talented Yanni on guitar. (I think he usually plays an ES-335 through a Fender).

Oh whoops - my friends in FolkVoice are there tonight!

It's a very family friendly place, with an abundance of excellent food and drink. I needed a fork lift to remove me the last time because I ate so much.

Open Mic Fridays at Cranium's

2005-09-19T13:47:00.000-07:00

Cranium's in Lake City has been a favorite coffee stop for me. Love those old Kiss dolls and Star Wars action figures. Imagine how pleased I was to find out that they've started a Friday open mic. I managed to catch the open mic a few weeks ago and I really want to get back there.

Starts around 7 PM (or a little later). JJ was hosting. The players were a mix of old folkies, hip hoppers, spoken word, and some younger singer/songwriters. Very casual. Hope it sticks around.

Zap Mama show at the Triple Door, Sept 15

2005-09-19T13:38:00.000-07:00

What a special treat to catch an act like Zap Mama in an intimate club setting like the Triple Door! This was an axcellent show that really charged up the crowd! Ya-yo!

Marie Dualne made a grand appearance in her green dress with purple sash, purple wrist-thingies and spike heels. Her opening hand gestures, reminiscent of a hula motion, were so fluidlike and mesmerizing. A mere warm-up. By the end of the show, Zap Mama was pulling hip-hop moves and back flips.

All the players were amazing. The backing vocalists each had incredible range and talent, the bass player and key player swapped instruments, the guitar player ripped out some tasty licks, the drummer was solid, and the DJ could scratch, rap, AND dance!

Most of the tunes were from Ancestry in Progress but there were some other's in there for variety. Rafiki, one of my favorites, was the 2nd song. Marie played high notes in the chorus on a little bottle filled with water - she added a little more water just before the song to "tune" the instrument. I especially like the audience jangling car keys in times to the music, with men and women singing different parts.

Pat Robertson ????? WTF???

2005-08-23T13:04:00.000-07:00

Hey Pat, I will tell you who should be assassinated!! I'll give you a hint: he's a gringo, and his initials are PR!! Gracias, pendejo!!

Folkcrunch!

2005-08-18T12:27:00.000-07:00

Check out Billie Dove's Folkcrunch Blog on Seattle area singer/songwriters! Rumor has it that this excellent blog was inspired by Jorge Zorro's blog. (WOW!! Someone actually looked at my blog?!). Folkcrunch currently has a picture and an entry on singer/songwriter Greg Wolf. I've seen Greg around town - now I just need to see him perform! Love his dumpster diving lyrics!!

Hunger Relief Benefit at Caffe Bella July 30

2005-08-18T12:18:00.000-07:00

Thank you, thank you, thank you! Special thanks to performers Patric Davidson, Alan Camhi, and Aggeliki Barbaropoulou for helping to make this a special evening! Having the Torchlight Parade starting a block away made the logistics very interesting. More fun for old Jorge! And THANK YOU to all who donated to help reduce hunger in West Africa. We raised $12 that I sent to OXFAM. Muchas gracias! And don't forget that there are people who are hungry and have no access to plumbing or medicine. Count your blessings!

Trabant Chai Lounge

2005-08-18T11:51:00.000-07:00

The Trabant Chai Lounge in the U-district has an excellent open mic on Monday nights. I finally checked out the place on Monday, July 25. Mix of musicians with a little spoken word. Saw my old friends from the Hotwire, Agnes Ingarra and Luke. Also saw Cup of Nikki, for the first time and I was impressed with her songwriting. Chang, the sound guy, made her Ibanez arch top guitar sound very sweet! Wow, Change and Nikki even knew algun palabras de espanol!

Trabant has coffee and sodas, free Wi-Fi and a hip atmosphere. And Mexican hot chocolate! On 45th at the Ave.

2005-07-07T14:16:00.000-07:00

What a special treat to be invited to perform at the 23rd Annual
Yakima Folklife Festival! There are 3 (THREE!!) Jorge performances:
Friday 10 PM - Greystone Restaurant
Saturday 11:30 AM - Garden Stage
Saturday 4:45 PM - Lawn Interlude Stage

Lot's of great Seattle-ites heading over (Michael Guthrie, PK Dwyer) and of course I'm very excited to catch some new acts that I haven't seen before! Kid friendly activities and even some flint-knapping and bread making. Hope to see you there.

I'm also excited to break out with the release of a packaged version of my CD. This one even has jewel cases with spine labels. Oooooh! Aaaah!

Wrapping up NW Folk Life

2005-05-31T11:55:00.000-07:00

That would have to be about one of my favorite Folklifes ever!

The acts were an excellent mix of national and local groups. I've seen some real improvement here! I was very happy with the shows that I managed to catch this year. "Baby Gramps" was awesome! He had unique tunes and a sensor of showmanship. Very inspiring to old Jorge! Thanks for the good music, all you performers!

Web site:NW Folklife

George Lopez on ABC.

2005-05-20T11:14:00.001-07:00

So, mi primo Jorge Lopez has his own prime-time show on ABC. Brings back memories of watching pioneering shows like "The Jeffersons" in the 1970s that actually had colored people! Well, black ones anyway.

So it only took, what, another 30 years to have a show with brown skins? Not bad.

I swear I heard the word "chinga" at the very end of Jorge's show.!Que Rico!

Stuff Cafe on Friday the 13th!!

2005-05-10T15:23:00.000-07:00

Oh, Friday the 13th...One of my luckiest days!
Please check out my lucky music on Friday, May 13th,
at the wonderful Stuff Cafe!
It's on the corner of Leary and 6th, between Fremont and
Ballard. Or FREELARD.

Diner/collectibles atmosphere with breakfast cereal
any time!

Jorge at the Penny Cafe, April 2

2005-04-01T16:26:00.000-08:00

Hey, y'all! Jorge plays at the Penny Cafe on Saturday, April 2, beginning at 7:30 PM.

ALL AGES and SMOKE FREE! FREE ADMISSION! (But I'll gladly take a donation in the tip jar!!)

I'd love to see you there.

1707 Market St.

Ballard.

Ken Fordyce's Recording class

2005-03-21T15:06:00.000-08:00

Ken Fordyce teaches some great courses at his studio, Mirror Sound Studios. I took a four-week course on "Modern Recor ding Techniques" through UW's Experimental College. The course fee was $50 for 4 weeks of two-hour sessions on Saturdays.

The classes were small, giving us plenty of time to talk to Ken. I loved checking out his studio and the many different ways that he could route and A/D-D/A his signals. Very informative and worthwhile. Best for beginners.