Artist Spotlight With Derek Pincombe of the band "Conceded"

I think Derek may have more guitars than most of us have t-shirts! I have had the distinct pleasure of repairing and setting up many of them.  He and his band-mates (including another regular of ours, Caleb Kirkpatrick) are some of a dying breed of youth chasing the rock and roll dream, and boy are they going at it.  They are always working hard whether it's practicing, recording, or promoting their upcoming shows.  Here's where you can check them out online:

concededrock.com

1. What guitar(s) do you play on stage?

I use my Jackson Dxmg with 81-85 emg's and floyd rose. I use this guitar because it feels  comfortable and it sounds really good and jackson has that name loyalty  in metal it just feels right.

2.What is in your amp/pedal set-up? 

My amp pedal setup is a Line 6 tube amp with behringer cabinets which i have to say line 6 is perfect for metal there so much you can choose from its endless. I also use a 

line 6 short board which is perfect it has a built in wah along with  other multiple effects.

3.What brand and gauge of strings do you play? 

I use ernie ball (Regular Slinky 46,36,26,17,13,10)strings i would trust my life with  these string best strings in the world i tried using DR strings but the  string broke on stage and after that incident i will never use another  string other than ernie ball strings.

4.How long have you been playing? 

I've been playing passionately for 4-5 years i got my first guitar in 2001 but i never really played over the past 4-5 years ive been playing almost non-stop.

5.Any advice for players that want to play out, but haven't tried/had  a chance to? 

My best advice is for your first show go with a battle of  the bands thats what conceded did we did a few of those till we felt  comfortable enough to play with bigger crowds. the trick is not to get  nervous, haha i know easier said then done but you have to focus and  have a good time. Also if your band is not ready to play live don't  push it you want to sound your best.

Ben's Home Made Acoustic Sound Treatment Panels

With plenty of space in our newly rennovated basement for group lessons and jam sessions we are ready to get rockin'. There's just one problem...It's too darn loud down there! Well, nessecity is the mother of invention and our resident carpenter Ben Miller was on the job. Keep in mind that sound proofing was not the main objective here. It would take way too much material and time to do that, and total sound proofing is nearly impossible to acheive. We just wanted to take some of the edge and echo out of the space to make it more bearable for those that are actually playing in the space. Ben's acoustic sound panels are made to do just that.

Each 2'X4' frame is packed tight with rock wool insulation to provide as much sound dampening as possible. The frames are then covered with cloth to hold in the insulation and make them a little more attractive. Strategically placing the panels around your studio or practice space can do wonders for the sound qualities of the room. Since panels are light enough to hang on the wall like pictures it's easy to use trial and error to find just the right spots.

You can stand them up on the floor in the corners of the room to use them as bass traps. Even if you're not recording but just looking to treat a room for listening to music they are quiet effective as well. Stan in the area where you'll be listening and have someone run a mirror along the wall and mark the spots where you can see the speakers in the reflection. Place sound panels in those locations to dampen the "first reflection" of the sound and your listening experience will greatly improve. For serious treatment use the same method on the ceiling as well.

Ben has already been busy making dozens of the frames for some of our teachers to use in their home studios, and we are making them available as a new product in the store for $40.00 each. You can even choose the color of fabric you want... it'll really tie the room together.