Dean C. posted an article on Amps, Pedals and C Strings - Jun 1, 2009, 7:15 am
Perhaps that headline comes as a shock to people who only know Rachel Barton Pine's classical music, but it's no secret that she's a big metalhead.  She's recently gotten her hands on a Wood Violins Viper and, as of last January, joined the Chicago-based doom metal band Earthen Grave as a full ...
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Dean C. posted an article on Amps, Pedals and C Strings - Mar 10, 2009, 8:01 am
I first heard about Hung, an NYC-based metal band with an electric violinist, two years ago. As a string player and metalhead, here was a combination of two of my favorite things, and I quickly set out to learn more about them. Once I had, much to my delight, I found out that Hung is really good. ...
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Dean C. posted an article on Amps, Pedals and C Strings - Mar 9, 2009, 2:39 pm
In my previous post, I suspected that this kind of announcement would be forthcoming, unfortunately I'm a few days late posting about it. Anyway, five bands are scheduled to open for Ne Obliviscaris on two of their upcoming Australian tour dates. On March 27th at The Castle, Empyrean, Death Audio ...
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Dean C. posted an article on Amps, Pedals and C Strings - Mar 1, 2009, 12:57 pm
According to Ne Obliviscaris' MySpace blog, they'll tour Australia from March 27 to May 23 before heading into the studio to record their first full-length album! As a US resident, it's that second part that I really care about. I previously wrote that The Aurora Veil is amazing, and I'm very much l...
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Dean C. posted an article on Amps, Pedals and C Strings - Feb 7, 2009, 8:12 pm
It’s commonly believed in the electric string world that electric violinists should avoid using guitar amps. Apparently, the same trait that makes guitar solos sound “flashy” makes electric violins sound shrill and screechy. Well, not necessarily. To demonstrate what I mean, I give you this ...
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Dean C. posted an article on Amps, Pedals and C Strings - Feb 6, 2009, 4:13 pm
Since my Metal Bands with Strings post last November, I’ve found a few more string players in bands who write some really shit-kickin' music: Earl Maneein NYC violinist/violist, graduate of the Mannes College of Music and founder/primary songwriter for the self-described “violin-driven post-thra...
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Dean C. posted an article on Amps, Pedals and C Strings - Jan 26, 2009, 10:40 am
I just found another article about Leon Theremin's cello from Modern Mechanix, posted just over a week ago. It was originally published in May 1932, one month before the article in my first Theremin Cello post. The transcription from Modern Mechanix: Tones of New Stringless Cello Generated by Elect...
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Dean C. posted an article on Amps, Pedals and C Strings - Jan 23, 2009, 7:00 am
I found this clipping on Modern Mechanix, a blog that posts articles from old electronics and science magazines. This one came from the June, 1932 issue of Modern Mechanix Magazine. Someone at Modern Mechanix transcribed the text, and it reads: Theremin Cellos Win Music Public in “Electric Conce...
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Dean C. posted an article on Amps, Pedals and C Strings - Dec 9, 2008, 11:03 pm
The December 2008 issue of Strings magazine features virtuoso violinist Rachel Barton Pine on its cover. For some reason, it reminded me of the first album of hers that I ever heard: Stringendo: Storming the Citadel. Do you know that one? It’s her metal album. It was released in 1997, the year aft...
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Dean C. posted an article on Amps, Pedals and C Strings - Nov 2, 2008, 6:04 pm
While I think it’s great that strings are becoming more prevalent in non-classical genres, sometimes I feel like string players cross styles to dabble in a fad rather than because they feel compelled to break from their roots. However, I get a real thrill when I find ones who’ve made the jump f...
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