SOMETIMES, IT’S THE LITTLE THINGS

TOMORROW IS THANKSGIVING (so yeah, now you know we shipped this issue in late November). At this festive, contemplative and weirdly cold time of year, my thoughts typically turn to… buying gear for myself! Two Thanksgivings ago — right after stuffing the ol’ breadbox — I walked over to a deserted couch and ordered a Fender Professional II Tele. Last year it was a rosewood Tele. So sure, I do like my annual Teles, but over the course of the past year, I’ve come to realize that that sort of “festive” annual spending will put me in a Charles Dickens-style “workhouse” before I know it. So I’ve (for now, anyway) shifted my monetary allegiance to the little stuff: pedals and cables. Think about it: they sorta give you that same G.A.S.-related rush (not to be confused with the gas you feel at Thanksgiving — sorry, had to!), but at a fraction of the cost. And yes, cables! I recently discovered the joys of boutique instrument cables, like my 15-footer from Runway Audio (handmade in Nashville) and my 10-footer from Caulfield Cables (handmade in Northern California). Hey, why not? Anyway, it’s this recent shift toward “pedal love” that inspired, well, the initial idea behind Chris Gill’s comprehensive guide to replicating the Beatles’ guitar tones, the story that lies at the heart of this issue. And (on a related topic), if you don’t mind some blatant foreshadowing, we’ll be taking a closer look at G.A.S. in an upcoming issue. Stay tuned — and enjoy this issue!

— Damian Fanelli (And just in case, G.A.S. is Gear Acquisition Syndrome)