Rotosound JK-10 Jumbo King gauge 10 acoustic guitar string set sound test

 Rotosound JK-10 Jumbo King gauge 10 acoustic guitar string set, I think is an underrated acoustic guitar strings. I've been using mostly D' Addario and Earthwood string set for my Fender DG60CE. I've tried super light gauge, etc. But this gauge 10 by RotoSound is just the right fit. It's considered extra light but still sounds thick and crispy. 

The other thing I noticed is that after I installed it, it didnt take so much time to adjust the tuning. Mostly you need to stretch the strings. But this one it was fine as soon as I put it. May be just a little bit after I tuned it to standard tuning. Then usually the following day, the strings will be out of tune. But this one stayed in tune. 

I think Im loving the RotoSound strings at the moment and may be one day soon, they will sponsor me hahaha. 

Leave in the comments section guys your experience using this strings. Cheers!

Subzero G110 Unloaded speaker cab and HH Invader 10

 Before we head straight to the speaker cabinet, let me tell you a back story of why I ended up building this guitar speaker cabinet. 

So I have a Vox MV50AC mini amp head and it's obviously paired with the Vox BC108. It's a good mini amp combination. Does the job but the trouble was, it's too small to compete with a loud drummer. Now I bought a DIY speaker cabinet with 10 inch speaker and it's from a Laney HCM30R. The problem with this one is that the cabinet is too small. Almost just the size of the the speaker and no room for air movement. It's very good for myself as a commuting musician because it's super lightweight and portable. But again, the sound seems a bit thin when the whole band is playing and with our recent three gigs, there's always someone commenting to turn my guitar up.

So here we are now. I found a proper speaker cab for a 10 inch speaker. It's being sold on eBay as an unloaded speaker cab and it's from Gear4Music. The Subzero G110.  Looks brand new. Sold cheaper but obviously without the speaker, which is generic or one from Gear4Music. Then, I found on eBay as well a selling who's got the HH Invader 10 that he took out from his Laney LC15 amp. Selling it super cheap as well. So I said to myself this is the perfect combination. Just under £80 for the cab and speaker plus postage. Hence I bought it and assembled. 

I've already gigged with this setup and the sound is amazing. I will say though that it still needs a little bit more to compete with a very loud drummer. Coz on our soundcheck, I thought I was already loud with the volume on 12 o'clock and gain 9 o'clock on my Vox MV50AC but they were saying I need to push it some more coz my guitar is still not that loud from afar. So I pushed it around 1 o'clock and Im afraid that the speaker cab might not handle it if I push it some more. But Im also plugged in the mixer through the Vox MV50AC line out that's why I don't want to push it full volume. Although I did it before when we gigged in a small venue and I was using the 8 inch speaker cab which was the Vox BC108. On our last song, I put the volume full blast. It didn't explode. 

Right, so tone-wise it's really good it's a perfect tone match for the Vox MV50AC most especially if I use a single coil pickup like strat type guitar. The cab is not that super heavy but it's also got a bit of weight. When it was empty the seller said it's 8.9kg but when I put the HH Invader speaker probably it went to 10kg. It's portable for some people and for me as well but not ideal if you're a commuting musician. It's a bit bulky as well. Not massive but i think it's more of the depth/thickness of the cabinet. 

Will have more gigs with this speaker cabinet so will keep you posted. But, if you've had experience with either the Subzero G110 speaker cab or the actual speaker that I put which is the HH Invader 10, please let me know in the comment section what your thoughts are. 

Thanks for visiting my blog. 

Looking at selling your gear?

 Where to sell your gear in Southampton

Look no further, go to Powerhouse Music in Southampton. Very friendly and accommodating staff. Also not only about selling your gear but if you're looking to buy used or second hand gear like effects pedals, guitars, amps, speakers, etc. This is the place to go to. I actually struggled before buying musical instruments or gear and ended up buying online most of the time, but now there are at least 4 music stores around Southampton City Centre. 

The other one that's just opposite Powerhouse Music is Hobgoblin Music Shop. Another friendly music store to go to but they are more specialised store for acoustic/folk instruments.  They also buy, trade and do commission basis if you're interested in selling your old instruments. Lovely place to hang out as well to try instruments that you wanted to learn or to purchase.

There are two more shops near the train station and it's The Guitar Store and Becketts Music LTD. Let's start first with The Guitar Store. Don't go to this shop!  They got a culture there that says "we don't need you, you need us." They got an attitude of being a "snob." Although, the owner is lovely and accommodating, but the staff are worst to be working in a guitar store. I've been in the UK for nearly 17 years and I always go to Southampton but I've only entered this store about 5 times. And four times out of 5 were all bad experience. Only once, when I met the owner, where there's proper customer service happened. He asked me if he can help and if I needed something and even offered if I want to try out some instruments or gear. The first time I was there, nobody entertained or asked. They just look at me as if gauging if I got the money to buy or not, or if Im there to just annoy them and not buy. They don't know that for a person to buy any product, you need to interact and promote or market what you got. So after 5 mins or so, I left the store and went to Becketts Music LTD which is just around the corner past their store and that's where I bought my first guitar. The owner of the shop immediately asked me if he can help and if Im looking for a specific things. So I said Im looking to purchase an electric guitar. He then asked me what sort of budget I got. So I said, Im just looking for a budget friendly guitar, which is between £150-200. He then pointed to me three guitars that are within my budget and he offered for me to try. He took it and accompany me to the corner where there's an amp. I tried the first guitar and it's ok but I wanted to try the second one which was the Lyon by Washburn HSS. It sounded great and it feels great. Better than the first one. And then for comparison sake, I asked if it's ok to try the third one. And yeah he let me try the three guitars he suggested. But, the action and the sound of the third guitar wasn't to my liking. So I decided to purchase the Lyon by Washburn. He gave me a good deal where he paired it with a Stagg practice amp, 15 watts I think and then the guitar came with a gigbag, strap and lead. Ready for rehearsals. And in total, he only charged me £129. I left from The Guitar Store where nobody entertained me and came out from Becketts Music LTD with a brand new guitar. 

I lost track with our topic, so yeah The Guitar advertise that they are buying used gear but when I went there, they weren't interested. I gave them a list of the items and immediately they said to sell it privately. I mean may be perhaps it was in good faith so I can get more out of it. But in a business sense, they could've rip me off and buy my gear super cheap and sell it double or triple of the price. Coz anyways, Im already letting go of those gear. But no, in just a couple of seconds, immediately said to me that its better to sell it privately. I did ask about commission basis where I will just leave my stuff there and once they managed to sell it, they will just then give me commission. But no again, he said we only do commission for high end or expensive gear. That may be the case, but don't you feel insulted. It was like saying your gear are worth nothing. Anyways, so same scenario, I went to Becketts Music LTD and tried it there. 

The guy I spoke to at Becketts Music LTD was ok, very accommodating and said the same thing to sell it privately but was more of compassionate. He gave me his business card so that if ever I get stuck in selling my gear, I can email or call him and we can talk about it. 

That's when I ended up at Powerhouse Music and they bought all my gear. No fuzz, pure business. Now they're displaying my gear at their store and it's a potential income immediately for them. And a bonus, word of mouth or advert for them. Because I am now sharing my experience on where to sell your gear in Southampton. 

Share your thoughts guys on the comments section below. Cheers!

How to use the WendyLett

How to use and put the WendyLett in an open bed (unoccupied) or closed bed (occupied) setting. Tips on how to prevent the person from sliding and the difference between a normal mattress versus an air-flow mattress.

There's instruction manual when you buy the WendyLett. Also make sure to attend moving and handling trainings so you get updated on how to use your equipment. Every year there are changes. So whatever you're seeing on this video might not be the one that you will be using or it depends on the trainer that you have. 

But overall, this is a background or idea on how WendyLett looks like and how to use it in general sense. 

My new band The Wildcards based in the south of England

 The Wildcards

- We are a 4 piece (Vocals, Guitar, Bass and Drums) Rock and Pop Cover Band from the Southampton area with a passion for making and playing great music. We are the ideal band for local festivals, weddings and functions. 

It's really fun playing with this group. We are very diverse in terms of music and personalities. But we got one thing in common, the passion for music. Jen and I were together as an acoustic duo and we always wanted to form a full band. We did quite a few jams with other musicians and played as a full band but more of collaboration, jamming or as requested basis. But finally we found our group.

To cut the long story short, I was looking for a drummer to complete our full band concept when I found a post on JMB. That's when I found Macca. He wanted to form a band. So I contacted him and tried to reach out. He's already got musicians he can tap so all he needed was a second-guitarist and a lead vocalist. It was perfect for Jen and I. 

On our first arranged meet up jam, Jen and I were going to come and meet them (drummer, bassist and lead guitarist), unfortunately the bassist had an accident just before the meet up and he was also singing for the male songs. That's when we improvised and changed things around. Jen had to learn male songs and we adjusted the key. I contacted Sherwin to play the bass. 

We had a really good first meetup. I was struggling a bit because Im not used to wearing in-ear and good thing we didn't use click (metronome) because that was the plan. Macca was the one who introduced in-ear to us. I mean I know in ears because when I make youtube videos, I use it. Plus Ive been to a lot of gigs and have seen them using it. And I've had the chance to do some recording with previous bands so we were using headphones during recording sessions. I was playing mostly rhythm and Steve was our lead. He's really really good. He just ask what's our song and he plays it instantly. No copies in front of him. Just his guitar, pedalboard and stack amp from Pure Rehearsal Studios. That's where our first meetup was. But after that first meetup, Steve after few days messaged and said that in terms of distance, he's the one that's a bit too far from the group and will struggle if we are going to push through with regular rehearsals. So he gave up the lead role. 

So yeah, we meetup most Tuesdays as our preferred rehearsal evenings every fortnight or once a month until our bassist struggles with the Tuesday arrangements. That's when we look for a new bassist. 

Then Thomas came, bringing a different energy to the group. He's got unorthodox style of playing bass. Very versatile and he's got ears to tiny details to the songs. Easy going but also puts out his opinion most of the time. I would say he's full of surprises. He can learn songs really quick and even transpose on the go as well. 

Then after a couple of months, we got our first gig at the True Story Brewery for their summer bash. Then it was followed by our gig at HMV Southampton for their Live and Local act. Then gig at the Wig and Quill, then at the Devizes Inn and the rest is history. 

We got gigs thats just kept coming til next year 2026. And also, we've started writing songs and looking forward to make it happen this 2026. 

Follow us on facebook: The Wildcards

And Instagram:  The Wildcards25

Looking for affordable podcast mixer or for your band?

 I was looking for affordable desktop mixer that can be used for my podcast and for my band's silent practise. I found this on ebay, really good mixing console for its price. Obviously second-hand but after I cleaned it, it looks new.

When I tested it, I was really surprised. Sounds amazing. I owned a Behringer Xenyx 1002fx and Im happy with it until we used it for band's silent practise. It can't handle all the instruments and vocals. It gets distorted/clipping and the in-ear concept isnt good. But the bonus to that mixer is that its really portable and it's got built in effects.

On the other hand, this Behringer MX802A is heavier, bulkier and got no built in effects. So you might need to think about that. It's not really massive but it's bigger than the other one. It's got FX send and return so it's not a worry that it doesnt have built in fx.

Leave in the comments section if you own one of this and what's your experience.

Lyon by Washburn HSS strap type versus Epiphone SG Special-1 LE

 

Im torn between two guitars. I bought this Lyon by Washburn HSS about 15 years ago now and I've gigged and recorded lots of stuff with this. Now, my good friend LuVugz gave me this beautiful Epiphone SG special-1 LE and it sounds amazing especially the pickup. I did a lot of work on both guitars. But I think there's still room for improvements. 

So I tested them back to back. Same setup, same patches on my Zoom G1Four via Vox MV50AC and same speaker cabinet which is the Laney HCM 30. 

Let me know what you think guys. 

Rotosound Super Light 9 Pure Nickel First Time To Use It.

 I havent tried this pure nickel electric guitar strings before. I've used the pink one I think, which is the Roto Pink and it's nickel same gauge 9-42, super light as well. But this blue one is more of a warm tone. Here's what RotoSound say about this this strings:

"The go-to set for blues, rockabilly, and smooth rock, Pure Nickels are a perfect pairing with bright vintage-style pickups.

Compared to the nickel plated steel wraps of our Rotos, these 100% nickel strings impart a warm tone that lasts longer than its plated counterparts. Easier on your fingers as well as your frets, Pure Nickels are easy to bend with a super smooth feel."

But such a shame, Im using this in my Lyon by Washburn HSS guitar. It's the one that's just in the house. The Epiphone SG Special-1 LE, I put the pink one because I bought the 3 in 1 plus free strap offer. But I think when I ran out of those pink set of strings. I will go for this blue one.

If you got any comments and suggestions about this Pure Nickel strings, just leave in the comment section below. Cheers!

Trying out the Alto TS408 as FRFR guitar speaker

 I bought this Alto TS408 from Amazon and wanted to try it for my guitar.  First attempt was using my Zoom G1Four into this Alto TS408. And I was surprised. It sounded good. Then I tried fiddling with the EQ settings from EQ off or flat to Live, DJ and Custom. 

It's amazing. It's small but a bit weighty. Then I used my Vox MV50AC with the Zoom G1Four though it's line out option. And again sounds amazing. 

Here's the video comparison. Using the Behringer GDi21 as an amp simulator and DI. Compared to plugging it straight to the unit and then using the Vox MV50AC. 

Trace Elliot ELF paired with a hifi speaker Vonyx SL8 as a bass cab

 

I bought this Vonyx SL8 passive 8 inch speaker on eBay because it was offered to me really cheap. I plan to use this as bass cab for my bandmate and if it doesnt work, I'll try it as my guitar speaker cab or a stage monitor.

So on our rehearsal I brought it and tried his Trace Elliot ELF mini bass amp head and I was really surprised. It sounded nice and crispy. Works well as his bass monitor during rehearsals and for small venue gig. The Trace Elliot ELF has got an XLR output which we use to connect to the PA system. So yeah his bass still goes to the FOH (Front Of House). 

I also tried this Vonyx SL8 as my guitar cab. It worked but not as good as a bass amp. Especially when I step on my effects pedal for distortion. Also it's probably got to do with my Vox MV50AC mini amp head. Perhaps if I use a hifi amp, it might work as an FRFR speaker. I haven't tried it yet because I lend my speaker to my bandmate.

So if you're looking for a cheap bass cab for home use or rehearsals or small venue gig as a monitor speaker, I think this is the answer. 

How to drop tune using your Zoom G1Four

 It was shared to me by my good friend and ex-bandmate on how to drop tune using the Zoom G1Four. I've been using this pedal for very long time. I never tried until he mentioned it to me. 

Also after discovering how to drop tune, I started to re-invent and use it to up tune. Like a virtual capo.

If you want to know how I did it, here's the link to my membership videos: https://youtu.be/i_my36qtVSM?si=zSl-KDPbYn08mONB

I joined 5point6 band on their gig at ABP Southampton Marathon 2025

 I was invited by 5point6 as dep guitarist. We planned to rehearse about 3 times for this gig but we ended up to meetup more it's because we've been a bit unlucky with the drummer. I think we had 3 drummers that didnt push through because of busy schedules and conflict of interests. Anyways, we finally found one and the line up was completed.

Fast forward to the gig. I was very excited. The organiser planned it very well. The challenge now is the road closure because of the marathon going to the venue. Our venue was at Itchen Bridge Woolston and by the barrier/toll gate. My son came with me that day. We commuted so it wasnt a problem. And the stage was just right in front of Woolston train station. 

When we arrived, Rock Choir Southampton was already rockin it and you can hear the cheers and the music from the train station. We immediately went there and waited for my bandmates. Then, when Sherwin arrived, just few minutes later, Karl approached us because he's in charge of the sound system as well as they will be performing with his band, Davey Jones Locker. Anyways, he said to us to start setting up on stage while the Rock Choir were performing. Then soon enough all of our band members arrived.

There's Mr. Rhino jamming along to the music of Rock Choir. We were busy on stage setting up and Karl was helping us with our sounds. Then it was time for our set. We had a quick soundcheck just to hear ourselves from the monitor on stage and for Karl to test our sound in front of the house speakers. Then we were good to go. 

Everyone was busy, the participants running under the heat of the sun. It was quite warm that day but at least there's breeze because they were on the bridge. The crowd cheering and then the volunteers and the organisers busy with the event. 

We just crack on with our songs. The unfortunate thing happened. I snapped one of my strings on our second or third song. The show must go on, so we just continued playing and then after that one another string snapped again. So I was left with just 4 strings. We still continued until it was our last song and on the intro, I really needed a complete set of strings so we swapped guitars with our rhythm guitarist. 

And that's what happened that day. We stayed for Davey Jones Locker and they're amazing. Rockin the stage and high energy band. Mr. Rhino pass by again and dance to Davey Jones Locker songs. It was amazing day for us.

Improvised Recording at Planet Sounds Rehearsal and Recording Studios

 We've had the chance to record our session at Planet Sounds Southampton. So what we did was, plugged everything to their mixer and then line out to Focusrite Scarlett Interface and record.  Sounds straight forward isnt it. 

So, Im using my zoom G1four guitar processor and directly plugged into the mixer. The bass was plugged straight the mixer and then the drums goes to the drum monitor then lineout to the mixer. We were using an electronic drumkit. The electric guitar and acoustic of Rob goes to his amp. So he got a Laney acoustic amp with a DI out. So that's easy. We just used the DI out and into the mixer. His electric guitar goes to his Boss Katana 50W which doesnt have a lineout. So we mic'd it and that's the only one that was mic'd in during our session the rest were plugged straight to the mixer. 

Also we used the PA speakers as our monitor and the only one who's using the headset to monitor our recording was Sherwin. I let him use my wireless in-ear monitor which I bought from TEMU and it's a Wave WP-10 wireless in-ear monitor. So he can hear our sound and mix it properly. He asked me to adjust from the main mixer which one needed boosting. It was mostly the vocals and he finds that his bass was loud so he kept asking me to turn it down a bit. 

Then he did his magic from his home and added/tweaked it and that's the result of our improvised recording session at Planet Sound Rehearsal Studios.

Fender Tele Deluxe Thinline jack ferrule cup replacement repair

Fender Tele Deluxe Thinline

 I had the chance to fix this guitar. The jack input ferrule/cup is missing. So I ordered from Gear4Music a Fender replacement parts.  It was pretty much straight forward.  But then when I tested the guitar, the intonation and action was a bit of a challenge and the switch as well as the tone and volume knob are a bit crackly. But when the volume and tone knob are on full level, its seems ok. 

I did enjoy restoring and playing this guitar but had to return it to the owner so yeah it was a short and sweet encounter. 

Here's the sound demo of this guitar. Hope you like it. Enjoy!

Epiphone SG Special with wraparound bridge review repaired restored

 Here are a series of videos which I uploaded about my Epiphone SG Special. It was given to me by my good friend Weng who bought it from New York and brought it home in the Philippines. Then last December, when I went home, he messaged me that he's giving me his guitar. 

It's a beautiful guitar. At first, it needed a bit of TLC. Like strings needed changing, guitar needed cleaning and then the jack input is crackly. You'll see all of this on the videos.

But the most important thing is that it's now restored. And, I love it. The stock pickups really sounded good. The overall finish of the guitar is amazing. You'll be the judge guys and watch the videos.

Here's the video where I took this Epiphone SG Special for repair. It was for the fretbuzz, the jack input and a bit of setup like the neck truss rod, and the action. 

I did a bit of looping, so if you're interested and wanted to hear this Epiphone SG Special in action, here's the video:

And last but not the least, I did a comparison video between Epiphone LP Special II and this Epiphone SG Special.

Tried using Bose S1 Pro as my main amp for my guitar

 Finally, I did it! I used my Bose S1 Pro as my main amp for my guitar during gig. The only thing I regretted was that I should've used it as my monitor as well. But instead I put the Bose S1 Pro near the front of the stage because we didnt have a full PA setup that evening. But I learned my lesson, I shouldve put it next to me either at the back or in front. 

I learned as well that I could have used the line out of my Bose S1 Pro to send to the mixing desk or PA for the front of the house speakers. But, that's going to be in my future gigs. 

So here's the video so you can hear how it sounds.

Gear Used:

Epiphone LP Special II

Zoom G1Four

Lekato WS50 guitar wireless system

Bose S1 Pro

Istorya ta about sa Vox MV50AC mini amp head

 

OUTPUT POWER

50 Watts RMS   4 Ohms
25 Watts RMS   8 Ohms
12.5 Watts RMS   16 Ohms

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INPUTS

1 x Normal Input Jack

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OUTPUTS

1 x External Speaker Jack
1 x Headphones|Line Out Jack

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CONTROLS

Volume, Gain, Tone

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TUBE COMPLIMENT

NuTube 6P1

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DIMENSIONS (W X D X H)

135 x 100 x 75 mm | 5.31 x 3.94 x 2.95 inches
540 g | 1.19 lbs

Designed with an emphasis on analog, VOX’s MV50 combines classic amplifier design with new and innovative production techniques to produce a miniature amplifier with truly monstrous sound. Boasting an incredible 50 watts of power, this one-pound package serves up serious guitar tone that’s reminiscent of your favorite old tube amps. With speaker & line/headphone outputs, the MV50 is perfect for the stage, at home, or in the studio for direct recording.

The MV50 is equipped an all-analog pre-amp circuit that features Nutube, a revolutionary new vacuum tube that produces authentic tube tone at a fraction of the size. By taking advantage of this incredible new technology, VOX’s engineers were able to design a true, miniature tube amplifier. Beyond the inclusion of Nutube, the pre-amp circuit in the MV50 features a staggering number of analog components that effectively reproduce the dynamic character of a traditional tube amp. Paired with this innovative pre-amp circuit is a reliable and efficient Class D power amp that has been specifically designed for the MV50. From warm, natural cleans to dynamic overdrives, this power amp has been engineered to respond to the nuances of your guitar and, of course, your technique.

Though designed with the compact BC108 in mind, the MV50 is a perfect match for nearly any speaker cabinet. The EQ switch on the back of the amplifier features two distinct settings, FLAT & DEEP. When connected to a small cabinet, such as the BC108, setting the amplifier to the DEEP mode will emphasize the rich low-frequency range and prevent the high frequencies from becoming too pronounced. When connected to a larger, more conventional speaker cabinet, setting the amplifier to the FLAT mode will allow you to take full advantage of the characteristics of the speaker cabinet, without emphasizing or reducing any frequency range.

When it comes time to practice or record, the MV50’s line/headphone out can be directly to a mixer, audio interface, or your favorite pair of headphones. VOX’s design team consulted with highly experienced recording engineers and used only the finest microphones and vintage pre-amps to design the cabinet simulation circuit in the MV50. This cleverly designed circuit allows you to record or practice with serious studio sound anywhere or anytime.