Joseph Cotten is a website developer and one of our main technical consultants.
Number two would be my wife, Jessica, who is without a doubt the best thing, next to Jesus that’s ever happened to me. We’ve been married since June of 2002.
I’m also a major gearhead. I’ve spent at least 12 years building a pedal board. If you’re not a geek, you can skip this paragraph. Here’s my setup: guitar goes through an Evidence Audio Lyric HG 20 foot cable (best cable in the world!), into an Ernie Ball VP Jr. Passive volume pedal. The tuner-out goes to a Boss TU-2 tuner, and the signal out goes into an Ernie Ball Cry Baby Classic. This is the only wah pedal made that actually uses the original Italian-made Fasel inductor. If you want classic wah tone, this is the only option. Don’t be fooled by the Cry Baby “Original”. There’s nothing original about it. The “Classic” is the path to enlightenment. The Cry Baby Classic also happens to be the wah of choice for people like Kirk Hammet from Metallica, and Zak Wylde. From the wah, I’m going into a Tech 21 SansAmp TRI-AC tube amp simulator. Leave your Line6 world and come to the Good Side of the force! The TRI-AC uses an all-analog signal path to simulate either a Marshall, MesaBoogie or Fender tube amp, cabinet and speaker combination. Up to 3 presets can be programmed, and the thing is absolutely amazing. Output goes into a T.C. Electronic Nova Delay. It’s a floorpedal with up to 9 presets that uses the same guts as the main delay unit used by the Edge of U2. Best delay ever. Output goes into an Ibanez SoundTank Tremolo. Smooth, adjustable, greatness. Output goes into a Boss BF2 Flanger (the purple one). Classic flange effects from Chorus to VanHalen. Output goes into a Digitech Digiverb reverb unit. If I’m playing acoustic, I use a little of the Plate reverb, but when I play electric, I use the truly realistic Spring reverb. Output goes into a Countryman Type85 Active DI Box. If you’re signal is going to end up going to a mixing board, your direct box (or lack thereof) becomes the single most important piece of equipment you own. The Countryman Type 85 is one of the best at letting your signal remain transparent and powerful. Everything’s powered by a JuiceGoose power conditioner/supply that removes all interference and power peaks/drops from the AC line. Then, I used a GodLyke power supply to route to all the pedals. All audio interconnections either use GeorgeL’s cables or CoreX2 cables, each custom-cut and assembled for their spot on the PedalPad AXS pedal board.
Okay, that was fun. Next on the Interests list would have to be design. I like messing with interior design and have even dabbled in architectural design, but what I really love is graphic design. To take an idea, or set of ideas and translate them into the visual language is something that both challenges and invigorates me. I’ve managed to make a living doing that for companies and churches, and I hope to keep doing it as long as I enjoy it.
Another interest would have to be dogs. Specifically large dogs. Jessica and I adopted a golden retriever / australian shepherd mix three years ago and ever since then, we’ve grown to love every dog we meet! It’s funny actually, but I don’t know what we’d do without Pippen. Yes, he’s named after a hobbit, which leads me to another interest:
The works of J.R.R. Tolkien. I’m quite a fan. Now you see the true extent of my nerdiness. Terrifying, isn’t it? Oh, but there’s more! My favorite of all Tolkien’s work is The Silmarillion. The Lord of the Rings is great and all, but The Silmarillion is better. Way better.
