Blog Talk

February 22, 2009

Customer Progress Videos

I just added a new category on the Warr Guitars site ( www.warrguitars.com ) called "Customer Progress". I will be periodically post short video clips of customers instruments in the making.  Over the next several days I should have many posted.


Enjoy,

Mark Warr

February 03, 2009

Custom Pickup Winder

I thought I would share a picture of my custom built pickup winder we made! Also testing this post using my iPhone app. 

  Custom Pickup Winder

Mark Warr

My Pal Reginald Manning From Las Vegas

Manning 

Reginald getting a new stylish strap for his Warr Phalanx!

October 23, 2008

Bill Burke " With" Now Available

Hello Everyone,
I'm pleased to announce my next release, "With". Clips and purchasing info are currently available at:
http://cdbaby.com/cd/billburke3. Every effort was made to create enjoyable music and employ the touch-technique in a unique way.
Please enjoy and best regards.
Bill Burke, 8 String Guitarist
www.billburke.net

September 19, 2008

Introducing the new Warr "Metal" Series

Warr “Metal” Series


Metal_front_2

Our new Touch-style model “Metal” not only looks the part but sounds the part! Our new hand-wound custom pickups are designed to DRIVE your sound with over-drive and sustain rivaling the best that thrash/metal has to offer!

You have the choice of a hard-magnet pickup design for the most thrash over-drive tone or an eleven adjustable pole-piece soft magnet design to add that thicker over-drive tone.

We can design your Warr “Metal” with many tuning combinations!

Pick your color! Most colors are included at no extra charge.

Check out www.warrguitars.com

September 17, 2008

Behold... The Arctopus stop by the vlazemetal studio

Behold... The Arctopus stop by the vlazemetal studio to talk about their current tour and their latest album, Skullgrid.

Direct Link: http://vlaze.com/267990

August 14, 2008

Bill Burke with Jim Donovan and Drum the Ecstatic

Here's a small sampling of tunes I recently performed with Jim Donovan and Drum the Ecstatic during the Rhythm Renewal in Loretto, PA. The ensemble always takes on different forms and improve is at the core - I don't recall doing a show yet where I was familiar with everything we played. We play lots of west African high-life music, soukous, reggae, groove and just about anything that chugs. The Warr is perfectly suited as I often have to quickly move from playing keyboard-like parts to a strong lo-end. Please enjoy! PS - I did do some solo material that evening but will wait to publish until the next cd, currently at the printers, is released.

July 29, 2008

few photos from E-Tap 2008

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E-Tap 2008 was a great success. Through July 21-27, a week of music and laughter took place at Académie D'été in Libramont, Belgium, thanks to Daniel Shell and all participants. More details to come later, but here are some quick pictures.
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Alexander Dowerk and his Warr Mark Butler and his Warr Mattia Clera and Kai's Warr

July 11, 2008

Warr Guitars just purchased laser cutter

Warr Guitars just purchased a 60 watt laser cutter. Due to this laser machine, Warr Guitars will be anouncing some new products in the near future! Keep watching.

June 09, 2008

EA Gear by Bill Burke

A few weeks ago, the unfortunate reality that my stage rig was not cutting it became unavoidable. On the solo gigs I had just done, my combo could not adequately fill the rooms. With the percussion ensemble, the din of speakers distorting while trying to push my sound over a drummer and five percussionists was distracting to say the least (fortunately, I had a direct line running to the house system). I needed more clarity and headroom.

While making my way back home, I was contemplating the options available. The EA stuff kept popping into my head as a possibility. I knew Trey and others I admire have used the gear. But having had no personal experience I was unsure.

As serendipity had it, I arrived home and noticed Mark Warr’s post – only 17 hours old – that he would be carrying EA gear. So I picked up the phone and called. After Mark answered the slew of questions I had (and after the great talk with Randy Strom who had just started using EA himself) I decided to go for it; the iAmp800 and the 210 cab.

As the weeks passed, I’ve used the EA rig on about 12 gigs with three different routing configurations. To conclude first: the EA stuff sounds amazing and true. My 8 string sounds as pure as it does when I record direct. This is the best rig I’ve ever owned.

In the first configuration, I run the stereo outs of my instrument into a Muse Receptor (essentially, a DAW set up for live use of VST plug-ins). This is my most used routing set-up. From the board I run directly into the iAmp to the 210. The tonal quality seems lossless and there are no noticeable artifacts sometimes associated with running direct from a computer based system like the Muse. I imagine the EA stuff would sound great with a laptop running Guitar Rig or the like.

In the second configuration, I run the same as above but go direct from the iAmp to the board. The DI works better than I had hoped. It’s a true signal that sounds great as a feed to the house, and as in one instance so far, to a stand alone digital workstation. Other amp DIs I’ve used pale in comparison.

In the third configuration, I run directly into the iAmp. Having experimented, my instrument sounds best with the bass end into the active input and the treble into the passive. The magic of these instruments really shines through the EA stuff. The warmth of the lows, the texture of chords and the bliss of bell-like overtones are clear and articulate.  (As I’m writing, I’m reminded that there are two other configurations I’ve used. The first is with a six-string student who plugged in and claimed, “It’s like I’m hearing my instrument for the first time”. The other is a gig I did on bass last week: unbelievable sound and tone control.)

I’m blown away with the EA gear. It’s absolutely clean and with the EQ off, flat. My headroom concerns are gone. I haven’t even come close to pushing the boundaries. I’ll be entering my next gig with the percussion ensemble at The Great Blue Heron Festival knowing the group members will be able to hear and enjoy my stage sound.

My only gripe is that I don’t yet have a second rig to run stereo during my solo gigs. But I’m saving…