Visit of students from Armeria Eskola
This week I had a pleasant visit from electronics students from Armeria Eskola in Eibar. They’re studying the application of electronics in audio, and the teacher proposed a challenge. This challenge is about making a guitar pedal (or perhaps more accurately, an instrument pedal, because it could be used for other instruments). The initial proposals ranged from a germanium fuzz to a treble booster.
They were interested in seeing how it would actually work and how it sounded, and that’s why they came to Kitarshokak. We did it in two groups of three students each. For the occasion, I showed them a Throbak Fuzz Haze, a fuzzface, and a Thundertomate Treble Booster with a Mullard OC44 on a ’68 Marshall Plexi Vintage with its original cabinet, all from Kitarshokak Backline. The guitar was a ’97 Fender Stratocaster SRV with hand-wound pickups also from the same Backline.
In addition to the actual sound of the pedals, I showed them the recording studio, some insights into how a recording is made, some history of the equipment, what I do at Kitarshokak, and the philosophy of Kitarshokak and therefore mine today, not only for things related to instruments but also as a philosophy of life or concepts.
Several students told me they really liked it, and I was very pleased with it. Seeing the positive feedback, reaching out to the students, and seeing how the sound of the gear has resonated with them is truly tremendous, especially since almost none of them are rock fans. It’s very likely that what they liked was the lively and dynamic sound of the gear—vivid, authentic, and full of nuances. That’s what I appreciate, at least from my experience. Now, I hope they can complete the challenge of making the pedals and come back to see how they work on the same gear.
Let’s see if it’s true! Good luck with it, keep going!
