Hidden Christmas gem: Frosty Returns
I just saw this for the first time recently, and was very pleasantly surprised at how good this is.
All of the Christmas classic television shows were made in the 1960s. There's Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer from 1964, A Charlie Brown Christmas from 1965, and of course Frosty The Snowman from 1969. For whatever reason, the 1960s was the decade when that all happened.
But then there's Frosty Returns from 1992.
Yes, 1992, which is obviously much later than the 1960s.
Before I get into Frosty Returns, let's talk about Frosty The Snowman for a moment.
I have never liked the original 1969 show because it's just plain weird, has questionable storytelling and is borderline creepy.
Here are a few things I notice every time I see that show:
- Frosty doesn't know what a traffic light is, but does know what the North Pole is. He seems to know things when it's necessary to move the story along.
- A train line to the North Pole from the United States does not exist.
- Frosty melting, as in dying, is what he describes as to "get all wishy-washy".
- Frosty's death is described by Santa Claus as really no big deal since all Christmas snow is magical(?)
- At the end of the show, Santa leaves a little girl directly on top of a snow-covered roof in the middle of the night with no way to get down. Thanks, Santa.
As for Frosty Returns, this show is many times better than the original Frosty The Snowman.
When I first started watching the 1992 show, I thought okay, this is going to be terrible, I'll watch a few minutes of it then go watch something else.
That didn't happen.
I noticed immediately the 1992 Frosty is very self-aware of what it is. The jokes are far better, and the show even pokes fun at itself here and there. There's actually a story that holds and it's paced very well. There were absolutely no cringe moments, no glaring plot holes and no errors. All the characters have just the right amount of screen time where nothing is too short nor lingers too long.
Yeah, I liked 1992 Frosty. A lot.
1969 Frosty is just weird as I said above. But the 1992 show? It's a gem. Everything very neatly fits together and it's a fantastic Christmas season show.
Watch Frosty Returns. You'll like it.
A genuinely good idea, Mojo Grip pick
All the grip with no sacrifice.
To note up front, this comes in a bunch of different thicknesses with both celluloid and delrin options. You're covered here.
I switch back and forth between celluloid and delrin picks, which for me means Fender 351 and Dunlop Tortex.
With the Fender 351, I get the nice "bite", similar to if I were pulling on the strings and snapping them back to the fretboard. With the Dunlop Tortex, that stays in the hand and there is no danger of it slipping away from sweat.
With the Fender Mojo Grip, now it appears you can have both.
To answer the question of whether the grip is removable, yes it is, meaning it can be reused with other picks of 351 size.
How long does that rubber grip last? That I don't know, but I'd assume for a good long time before the rubber starts wearing out.
I plan on getting some of these just to see if my picking hand can get along with the grip or not. They're definitely worth a try.
It's really tough to beat a Katana 50 guitar combo amplifier
It's easy to understand why so many guitar players love this thing.
The amp I use is a Line 6 Spider V60. Great amp. But it's a bit complicated to use.
Then there is the BOSS Katana 50. It's lighter in weight, less in price by almost $100, and has something else going for it over the Spider V60. Simple controls and no screen to deal with.
Yes, this is a big deal because it makes the Katana 50 stupidly easy to use. With this amp, most guitarists don't even need an instruction manual. It is a true plug-in-and-go piece of kit.
Easy is good, and the Katana 50 is easy. Whoever designed the control layout should be given a raise, because everything a guitar player needs instant access to is right there. And although most wouldn't even notice this, I really like the fact there's a solid vertical line between the sections for AMPLIFIER, EQUALIZER, EFFECTS and TONE SETTING. This means you can find stuff easily in low-light environments (like a stage).
Heck, the controls are so thoughtfully laid out that you can figure out where you need to be just by feel alone after a while.
And unlike typical BOSS products, it's not overpriced.
Yeah, I can totally understand why this has a 4.7 out of 5 rating on Amazon - it's just that good.
Cheap guitar collectible for end of 2021, Squier Bullet Stratocaster HT
This is only true if you get a very specific color.
The Squier Bullet Stratocaster HT comes in 5 colors. Black, Brown Sunburst, Fiesta Red, Sonic Gray and Tropical Turquoise. The most collectible of these colors is Sonic Gray.
Why?
Guitar Center doesn't put this specific color in their stores.
The reason GC doesn't carry this color is because they have three Limited Edition colors of their own for this guitar. Sea Foam Green, Red Sparkle and Lake Placid Blue (the blue is the best of the lot).
However, it's the Sonic Gray one that's the elusive color. Some guitar dealers have this guitar in stock, but not all that many. If you want Sonic Gray, it's almost a certainty you'll have to buy it online.
Fortunately, the guitar is cheap (under $200) so it absolutely won't break the bank.
If you want some cheap exclusivity, getting one of these in Sonic Gray is the way to do it.
There's still a need for the Tascam DP-006
There is a good reason Tascam still makes this.
I prefer the ZOOM R8 for multitrack recording duties, but then there's the Tascam DP-006. It is less in price, but why would anybody bother with a 6-track recorder?
Answer: The DP-006 is where you get the most for the least in the smallest form factor. It is the best "sketch pad" recorder you can have.
The DP-006 is small. Two 1/4" inputs and built-in condenser high-quality microphones for mono or stereo recording of voice, acoustic guitar or other acoustic instrument. Fairly easy to figure out.
And when I say small, I'm not kidding. 6.1" x 1.6" x 4.2" (155mm x 41.5mm x 107mm).
The tradeoff to the size is that there are no physical fader controls, although there is complete control of levels through the menus. It wouldn't be much of a recorder if you couldn't do that.
It is easier to record with the DP-006 instead of a smartphone because of the dual 1/4" inputs and dual microphones. Everything you need for quick multitrack sketch recording is at-the-ready with the DP-006.
Also, the DP-006 can run on just 4 plain alkaline batteries for up to 8 hours. That's pretty darned good. And since few people record for 8 hours straight, you'll get some good life out of the batteries you put in it.
To give you an example of how easy it is to sketch record with this, you could sit on your bed with nothing more than an acoustic guitar, a set of headphones and the DP-006 and just start recording. After that, you can mix and master, still just sitting right there where you are.
Granted, the ZOOM R8 can also do this, but it's not as compact as the DP-006.
It's just nice to have a DP-006. And if you absolutely need 8 tracks, Tascam also still makes the DP-008EX. Slightly larger, but also a significant bump up in price.
The low price and compact size is what makes the DP-006 such a winner for quick sketch recording.
I would own one myself if I didn't already own the ZOOM R8.