B Sharp has Closed
Thank YOU to our loyal patrons for 10 years!
The retail storefront has closed, but our repair services continue!
Please contact us for:
Amplifier/Electronics Repairs
Dave is working out of his personal workshop just outside of Providence, and is best reached by email
Guitar/Instrument Repairs
We will be closing at the end of June,and we have to sell EVERYTHING. We will be accepting offers on pretty much everything, including new and used inventory, strings and sticks, store fixtures...
Simon and Patrick guitars, Electro Harmonix pedals, Kala Ukeleles, an Orange Tiny Terror, a few nice old Fender amps, plenty of used pedals - it's all got be gone by Sunday, June 30th 2013.
B Sharp may be closing, but our repair services will continue, and we look forward to keeping your equipment playing and sounding great. Please contact us via email at the links below for details.
Pedal Building Class has been postponed until further notice- if you signed up, please get in touch with Dave for more info.
Get some beach time, but don't forget to rock out. :)
That's about it for now... Keep an eye out for the new site (same URL) and tons of new things to look at!
-Dave
Here's a little info regarding the circuit: I had two design parameters in mind for this circuit- keep it simple (low parts count, common circuit topology, etc.) and allow for some circuit modifications to let the builder personalize their circuit. I decided on a basic, classic single transistor design which is where all effects pedals pretty much began. By changing or omitting a few components, this circuit can be a clean boost, fuzz/distortion, or a treble booster. Each participant in the class will be able to decide which configuration appeals to them, and build their pedal accordingly. Information will be provided to explain some of the principles involved, details on the circuit modifications, schematics and basic terminology in the form of handouts. If the student wants, they may add pots, switches, etc. to allow the modifications to be switchable on the fly, however, this will not be included in the scope of the class itself, as the focus is on construction. We will get into a little circuit design and operation, but only as it applies to this specific circuit.
More soon! -Dave
Over the years many of you have asked if we would share with you our experience, either through apprenticing, interning, or just answering LOTS of questions. While it is impossible for us to take on any kind of teaching scenario like this, I have considered doing a limited series of classes. What I'd like to do is put together an effects pedal kit, and I'd basically teach you how to build it. The focus will be on construction techniques, with a strong emphasis on soldering technique, planning and troubleshooting. The cost will be determined by how many people are interested, but should cost about as much as a "boutique" effects pedal would cost you- which is nice because at the end of the class, you should be able to walk away with exactly that! We have always encouraged our fellow musicians to learn more about their equipment- we have always believed that an informed customer is a happy customer, and we've noticed that most of you agree and appreciate being treated like humans rather than numbers. This is an exciting opportunity, and could be really awesome!
How many of you are interested in this idea? Send an email to amps@b-sharpmusic.com if you are!
Our friend Mike is working on a new Wordpress format for the site, which will make it much easier for us to update more often, so expect to see big changes soon. Specifically, we'll have a more current gallery of our in stock merchandise, as well as a larger list of guitars, amps, pedals, microphones, recording gear, that we can special order.
The biggest news is that I've begun building amps from scratch! We have a prototype 5 watt, all tube head available to audition during business hours. This is version 1.6 or so - it's a very vintage American sound. I will be redesigning the preamp for more gain to allow a wider range of tone sometime this month. In the works are a 150 watt all tube bass/ guitar head, and most likely a 50 watt and/or 100 watt guitar amp. These are (or will be) original designs loosely based on some of our favorite tube amplifiers. Check back for more info!
*Orange AD-5 (5 watt, 10 inch Celestion speaker), Tiny Terror combos (7/15 watts, 12 inch Celestion speaker),
*EH Voicebox, Big Muff Pi with tone wicker, Bass Big Muff,
*Cort electric, acoustic, and bass guitars,
*Maxon AD999 analog delay (900 ms delay time!), OD808 overdrive, D&S distortion & sustainer, D&S II, GE601 Graphic EQ, CP101 Compressor, PT999 phase tone,
and most importantly: the re-vamped Grim Rimmer (version 2.0) and our new Black Box boost pedal!
The new Grim Rimmer is a slight tweak on the original the results in smoother tone and response, and better tracking and clarity. It's a little less noisy, but still gets nasty when you play chords. The octave effect is much more pronounced and usable.
The Black Box is a basic boost. It's actually the clean boost in our excellent Malazadas repackaged in solo format. We have a limited edition large box variety, but we will be switching to a small box format for the production unit.
Check the "B Sharp Custom" page for more info, ordering, and pictures in the next week!
We've decided to start with their Simon & Patrick line of acoustic instruments. They're made in Canada, they retail in the $300 to $500 range, and they're excellent quality. They've gotten excellent reviews on Harmony-Central and just about anywhere else I could find in a Google search, and based on the few we have in stock, this positive feedback is well deserved!
Currently we have a couple of folk guitars, a dreadnought, and a parlor guitar. We also had a mini jumbo, but that didn't last even one day before someone scooped it up! Of course we'll be getting more after the holidays, and as space allows, and we can special order any of the models on the Simon & Patrick website. Check out the Gear page for specific models in stock in the next couple of days.
We also have access to Godin, Seagull, Norman, and Art & Lutherie instrument lines for special orders if you see anything you like that we don't have in stock.
Come and check out our new Simon & Patrick acoustics today!
Dave is working out of his personal workshop just outside of Providence, and is best reached by email
Guitar/Instrument Repairs
Domenick has moved his repair operations to MACHINES WITH MAGNETS and can be reached by the above email or at (401) 475-2655
5/31/2013
B Sharp Closing Sale!
We will be closing at the end of June,and we have to sell EVERYTHING. We will be accepting offers on pretty much everything, including new and used inventory, strings and sticks, store fixtures...
Simon and Patrick guitars, Electro Harmonix pedals, Kala Ukeleles, an Orange Tiny Terror, a few nice old Fender amps, plenty of used pedals - it's all got be gone by Sunday, June 30th 2013.
B Sharp may be closing, but our repair services will continue, and we look forward to keeping your equipment playing and sounding great. Please contact us via email at the links below for details.
1/7/2012
Our Current hours are 12-7 Tues-Fri, 12-6 Sat & Sun and the website is in the process of being redesigned, so please check out the B Sharp Facebook Page for current, up-to-date information!7/16/2011
Hey, Ya'll! Huge apologies to anyone that may have tried to stop in the past few weeks and found our doors closed- remember we've got a small crew here (just 3!) and things are hectic right now! Sorry for the inconvenience. Our new summer hours are:12-6 M-Sat, 12-6 Sun (call for availability)
Pedal Building Class has been postponed until further notice- if you signed up, please get in touch with Dave for more info.
Get some beach time, but don't forget to rock out. :)
3/9/2011
GENERAL UPDATE:
- We're updating our website to a new format, which will make it much easier for us to update. The new site will feature lots more information on our product lines, up to date used inventory with pictures, tons of information on our custom pedals and amps, a shopping cart, and more.
- We're in the process of expanding our own effects pedal line under the name MADE-RITE! This is very exciting and is the culmination of years of work. We are redesigning the artwork on our existing pedals- Malazadas, Grim Rimmer, and The Sadish (clean boost), so that the whole line has a "connected" appearance. The new pedals will be the HVY-D, a thick, saturated, sustainy distortion, and two as-yet-unnamed "vintage yet modern" effects- a Germanium treble booster, and a 70's style fuzz.
- Planning for the next pedal building class will begin in a few months- most likely the class itself will occur in mid to late June. Contact amps[at]b-sharpmusic[dot]com to get yourself on the email list.
- We're carrying many more brands and lines, with a particular emphasis on smaller effects pedal builders. We picked up Earthquaker Devices last fall, and we'll be adding Solid Gold FX in the next month or so. If there are any lines you'd like us to carry, let us know! If we get 50 people asking for a particular line, then we'll probably pick it up- let your voice be heard!
That's about it for now... Keep an eye out for the new site (same URL) and tons of new things to look at!
-Dave
9/18/2010
Pedal Class Update:
Here's a little info regarding the circuit: I had two design parameters in mind for this circuit- keep it simple (low parts count, common circuit topology, etc.) and allow for some circuit modifications to let the builder personalize their circuit. I decided on a basic, classic single transistor design which is where all effects pedals pretty much began. By changing or omitting a few components, this circuit can be a clean boost, fuzz/distortion, or a treble booster. Each participant in the class will be able to decide which configuration appeals to them, and build their pedal accordingly. Information will be provided to explain some of the principles involved, details on the circuit modifications, schematics and basic terminology in the form of handouts. If the student wants, they may add pots, switches, etc. to allow the modifications to be switchable on the fly, however, this will not be included in the scope of the class itself, as the focus is on construction. We will get into a little circuit design and operation, but only as it applies to this specific circuit.
More soon! -Dave
7/1/2010
A box of new Earthquaker Devices effects pedals just arrived today- We've got the Monarch, the Tone Reaper, and the Disaster Transport Jr. All very excellent sounding pedals, and we will be getting more models in soon. Stop by and try 'em today!6/18/2010
New high gain distortion pedal in the works. What should we call it? If we use your suggestion, we'll give you one for 1/2 price! Come hear it when the prototype is ready next week, get inspired and name the freakin' thing. It's not even in a box yet, but it sounds amazing, if I do say so myself!5/17/2010
Ok, the ~7 watt amp saga continues! This weekend I built a second head, which is for sale, with more to come. Here's some specs: average output is 7 watts into an 8 ohm load, single-ended (i.e. Class A) design using one EL34 and one 12AX7, two "channels"- one covers clean to classic 60's sounds, the other covers crunch to modern high gain sounds, 1/2 power switch for bedroom jams, and a beautiful orange LED! Hammond transformers, Sprague orange drop or Mallory 150 coupling caps, Illinois or F&T filter caps, minimum 1 watt metal film resistors used throughout to keep noise to a minimum. Steel and Aluminum enclosure finished with an attractive two-tone hammercoat/industrial gray finish. Combo version, logos, labels, and pictures coming soon!Over the years many of you have asked if we would share with you our experience, either through apprenticing, interning, or just answering LOTS of questions. While it is impossible for us to take on any kind of teaching scenario like this, I have considered doing a limited series of classes. What I'd like to do is put together an effects pedal kit, and I'd basically teach you how to build it. The focus will be on construction techniques, with a strong emphasis on soldering technique, planning and troubleshooting. The cost will be determined by how many people are interested, but should cost about as much as a "boutique" effects pedal would cost you- which is nice because at the end of the class, you should be able to walk away with exactly that! We have always encouraged our fellow musicians to learn more about their equipment- we have always believed that an informed customer is a happy customer, and we've noticed that most of you agree and appreciate being treated like humans rather than numbers. This is an exciting opportunity, and could be really awesome!
How many of you are interested in this idea? Send an email to amps@b-sharpmusic.com if you are!
7 Year Anniversary Sale!
Up to 20% off all instruments, amplifiers, pedals and more through the end of April!
7 years isn't too bad when you consider the economic roller coaster the country's been on for the past couple of years! April 1st of this year marks our 7th year in business, and we want to thank our loyal customers for supporting us for all of this time- we couldn't be what we are without all of you! Our entire line of EH pedals is on special- most are at 15 or 20 percent off! We've got their latest offerings in stock- the Ring Thing programmable ring modulator and the Deluxe Memory Boy, an analog delay with tap tempo, expression pedal control, and a host of other features at a nice price. We've got new Simon & Patrick acoustics, a Dillion double cutaway electric (more to come from them!), a few new amps from VHT and Orange, an expanding selection of microphones and inexpensive USB computer interfaces, and much, much more!
The upcoming months could see big things happening for us, stay tuned and keep your eyes open- but in the meantime come in for some great deals!
The upcoming months could see big things happening for us, stay tuned and keep your eyes open- but in the meantime come in for some great deals!
***Update on the amp building: the 5/8/10 watt amp is now at version 2.0, probably the final version unless I find transformers that sound better! Here's the feature list: it puts out 5 watts clean, 10 watts distorted, has knobs for volume, master, and tone, a switch for 1/2 power, and a "channel" switch that allows you to use one or two gain stages in the preamp for either vintage or high gain sound! I will be building a few more prototypes, including a combo version with a 10" speaker. This amp is excellent for recording or just low volume practicing without compromising your tone. Ask Dave about the Early Endorser Discount Program!
3/1/2010
Wow! We've been so busy since December that there's been no time to update the website until now- thanks to all of our loyal customers for all this business!Our friend Mike is working on a new Wordpress format for the site, which will make it much easier for us to update more often, so expect to see big changes soon. Specifically, we'll have a more current gallery of our in stock merchandise, as well as a larger list of guitars, amps, pedals, microphones, recording gear, that we can special order.
The biggest news is that I've begun building amps from scratch! We have a prototype 5 watt, all tube head available to audition during business hours. This is version 1.6 or so - it's a very vintage American sound. I will be redesigning the preamp for more gain to allow a wider range of tone sometime this month. In the works are a 150 watt all tube bass/ guitar head, and most likely a 50 watt and/or 100 watt guitar amp. These are (or will be) original designs loosely based on some of our favorite tube amplifiers. Check back for more info!
9/26/2009
New
Electro Harmonix
pedals, new ART condenser and ribbon microphones...
Memory Toy $80, Deluxe Memory Man $310, Cathedral Reverb $215, Frequency Analyzer $150
ART TubeMP w/USB $110, includes USB cable
ART M-One Condenser $95, M-Two $150, M-Five ribbon mic $150, Apex440 USB condenser mic $100
Call for prices and current inventory = (401) 223-2112
ART TubeMP w/USB $110, includes USB cable
ART M-One Condenser $95, M-Two $150, M-Five ribbon mic $150, Apex440 USB condenser mic $100
Call for prices and current inventory = (401) 223-2112
8/25/2009
B Sharp Music's first ever "Staying in
Business Sale!" is happening right now through Monday, August 31st!
We'll be taking 10% or more off of all guitars, amps, and effects, plus get a free B Sharp t-shirt if you spend over $100! Starts today! Click here for pictures of some our current inventory!
Don't miss this sale! We don't do this often, so when we do, we do it RIGHT!
5/18/09 New Orange amps, New B Sharp Custom pedals, New Electro Harmonix pedals, Cort guitars, Maxon pedals...
Recently in stock:*Orange AD-5 (5 watt, 10 inch Celestion speaker), Tiny Terror combos (7/15 watts, 12 inch Celestion speaker),
*EH Voicebox, Big Muff Pi with tone wicker, Bass Big Muff,
*Cort electric, acoustic, and bass guitars,
*Maxon AD999 analog delay (900 ms delay time!), OD808 overdrive, D&S distortion & sustainer, D&S II, GE601 Graphic EQ, CP101 Compressor, PT999 phase tone,
and most importantly: the re-vamped Grim Rimmer (version 2.0) and our new Black Box boost pedal!
The new Grim Rimmer is a slight tweak on the original the results in smoother tone and response, and better tracking and clarity. It's a little less noisy, but still gets nasty when you play chords. The octave effect is much more pronounced and usable.
The Black Box is a basic boost. It's actually the clean boost in our excellent Malazadas repackaged in solo format. We have a limited edition large box variety, but we will be switching to a small box format for the production unit.
Check the "B Sharp Custom" page for more info, ordering, and pictures in the next week!
12/12/08 New Acoustics! Godin, Simon & Patrick, Seagull, Norman, Art & Lutherie
Hey folks, we just got a dealership agreement with Godin instruments, and we're really excited about it!We've decided to start with their Simon & Patrick line of acoustic instruments. They're made in Canada, they retail in the $300 to $500 range, and they're excellent quality. They've gotten excellent reviews on Harmony-Central and just about anywhere else I could find in a Google search, and based on the few we have in stock, this positive feedback is well deserved!
Currently we have a couple of folk guitars, a dreadnought, and a parlor guitar. We also had a mini jumbo, but that didn't last even one day before someone scooped it up! Of course we'll be getting more after the holidays, and as space allows, and we can special order any of the models on the Simon & Patrick website. Check out the Gear page for specific models in stock in the next couple of days.
We also have access to Godin, Seagull, Norman, and Art & Lutherie instrument lines for special orders if you see anything you like that we don't have in stock.
Come and check out our new Simon & Patrick acoustics today!
10/ 2/ 08 Warranty Service
We are now approved to do warranty work on most major brands we carry. This means if you buy a new Orange, Hughes & Kettner, or Yorkville/ Traynor amp or an Eastwood guitar from us, if it has any problems covered by the warranty, you can bring it to us to get it fixed. Warranty terms are different depening on the manufacturer, so ask us for details. We stand behind what we sell at B Sharp!3/ 25/
08 Custom Pedal online ordering
We are in the process of setting up a paypal shopping cart system for online ordering of our custom pedals. In the meantime, we will now be accepting email and telephone orders. The Malazadas Boost/ Distortion is $225 shipped in the lower 48, and the Grim Rimmer is $185 shipped. See the B Sharp Custom page for details and ordering information or call (401) 223-2112 or email: clarencebsharp@choiceonemail.com.
12/ 03/ 07 UPDATE: We now carry Eastwood guitars!
They have a bunch of weird designs of which we only have a select few at the moment. Check the gear page in a few days and you should see a picture of what we have in stock. All Eastwood guitars and basses come with an official hardshell case.
Check 'em out: http://www.eastwoodguitars.com/
B SHARP MUSIC is a small independently-owned music shop located in Providence, Rhode Island, that has been open since April 2003. We carry used and new guitars, basses, amps, drums, and effects. We BUY your old equipment, too!
We specialize in FIXING YOUR STUFF. If you are sick of sending your guitars and amps away to unknown lands and unknown people through Wal-Mart guitar stores, we can help you out. Our turnaround time for repairs is less than theirs, and you can actually talk to the person who is fixing your gear. Click the "repairs" link above for a detailed list of repair costs.
If you are sick of
the sound of your amp or pedal, and want to make it better, we can do
that, too. We do silverface to blackface Fender mods, and we can
basically make your guitars, amps and pedals sound and play
truly excellent. We build CUSTOM PEDALS. Have an idea for an awesome pedal? Let
us know and we can make it for you! If you can find a schematic for it,
we can probably build
it.
