What's up Lately?
Welcome to my music website! If you're hear (get it?) for my music, check the Music Gallery, next tab over. This page is for guitar, amp and gear!
Peace through music! :)
-Joe Racano
[email protected] My writing is at: JosephJohnRacano.com
How about that Gibson USA? They made a great comeback with their new Gibson SG Supreme. For me, it was love at first sight! I got the one in Translucent Ebony Burst and man, she is a beauty who plays like the wind. Her anamorphic flame-maple top changes appearance when you move her around, so I named her
Chimera:
Chimera:
'Chixulub' was the 7-mile wide asteroid that killed the dinosaurs 66 million years ago, leaving a giant impact crater at the edge of the Yucatan Peninsula. And 'Chixulub' is also a Fender 'Cometburst' Stratocaster, made to celebrate the 70th Anniversary of the instrument that defines Rock and Roll. I added a bit of case-candy to the mix for presentation (and because I'm addicted to guitar porn). Note the sterling silver 70th anniversary guitar pick, hat, pick tin, strap and so forth! Enjoy the slideshow:
Welcome back! I just added a few new guitars to the studio collection. Below is a slideshow of the cool new time capsule Fender Stratocaster built by the Fender Custom Shop called the Johnny A. model. Johnny is a rock star with a who's who list of accomplishments, and now he's designed this killer strat, with the best features of all his favorite years, 1963, '64, '65 and '66. The color is a hybrid called Sunset Glow Metallic. I named the guitar 'Sunset City' after a place I lived in New York. I also got lucky scrolling through guitars-for-sale on ebay, and discovered that while I was pre-occupied with the Fender 'Rarities' collection of boutique guitars, in 2019, another FSR (Fender Special Run) had happened at Guitar Center. They made a limited (450) edition Black-burst Quilt Maple Top Stratocaster with Pale Moon ebony fingerboard. They had become extremely rare to find, and when I saw the one offered by SH Guitar Works in Eureka, Missouri, I had to have it! I have added it (I named it 'Dark Water') to the slideshow:
And here is my new every day player with the chunky Large 'C' neck! It's a 2024 Custom Shop beauty in Fiesta Red:
Above: The Red Rail, a 2024 Fender Custom Shop 1959 NOS (New old stock) Stratocaster, 2 piece alder body, AAA Birds Eye Maple neck, Fat 50's p/u, gold hardware, and an amazing feel! Thanks to Cream City Music, Brookfield, Wisconsin.
Above: Fender Rarities 'Blue Cloud' Telecaster, 2019 from Ed's Custom Shop, La Quinta California
And this is what I brought home from Lightning Joe's Guitar Heaven in Arroyo Grande, California. Say hello to the next-newest member of our family, the 'Black Rose.' She's Black with a Rosewood neck so I named her after my old 'cuda. This is a 1983 'Dan Smith era' Fender Standard Stratocaster made in the U.S.A. Plays and sounds like a dream. Only made for one year - note the two knobs and face-plate jack plug in!
Above: Fender 70th Anniversary Stratocaster 2023
Below: This is 'Vino,' a 1978-1981 all-original Trans-Red Fender Stratocaster. Vino weighs only 7lbs 11.2 oz! The neck is very unusual for a strat, quite thin. Thanks to Billy Handy jr's 'Gas Station' in Bellmore Long Island, N.Y.
Below: This is 'Vino,' a 1978-1981 all-original Trans-Red Fender Stratocaster. Vino weighs only 7lbs 11.2 oz! The neck is very unusual for a strat, quite thin. Thanks to Billy Handy jr's 'Gas Station' in Bellmore Long Island, N.Y.
Below: 'Red', 1979 Fender Stratocaster, Ash, Maple, 10 lbs
Below: 'Java-the-Hot' 1974 Fender Stratocaster, Mocha Brown/Fender Walnut, weight: 7lbs 3 oz, Alder, Maple
More of what's new:
One of the things I stay focused on is always making my music better. It may seem like recordings are etched in stone, but many times they're really not. Newer technology and new ideas come available and I improve older recordings when the opportunity arises. In this case, I have always lamented one of my best efforts (Legend of the Los Osos Kidd, 2012) not being as good as it could have. A friend of mine told me she was giving the CD to her daughter to see what she thought of it. Like most kids, she was into music, seriously. A few weeks later I ran into the lady again and asked her what her daughter thought. She replied to me, not in a gentle way, "She hated it." Ouch!
I asked her why, and she told me it was because the music was too monotonous, and it was the drum beat, or lack thereof. And this made sense to me, because I felt the same way, having been bound by the simplistic (but well sampled) drum beats of the machine I was recording on, the BOSS BR1600 CD. OK, so years pass, and I have upgraded to a Tascam DP32SD stand alone mixer-recorder, and now I have the AKAI MPCone Sequencer and I can play it like a real acoustic drum set! And that brings us to what is new: I just finished recording a drum track for the first tune off the LOK album, and it came out excellent! I will be able to resurrect that entire album. The first song resurrected: Mary Weatherbee's Gut String. I'll post the link when I can figure out how.
I asked her why, and she told me it was because the music was too monotonous, and it was the drum beat, or lack thereof. And this made sense to me, because I felt the same way, having been bound by the simplistic (but well sampled) drum beats of the machine I was recording on, the BOSS BR1600 CD. OK, so years pass, and I have upgraded to a Tascam DP32SD stand alone mixer-recorder, and now I have the AKAI MPCone Sequencer and I can play it like a real acoustic drum set! And that brings us to what is new: I just finished recording a drum track for the first tune off the LOK album, and it came out excellent! I will be able to resurrect that entire album. The first song resurrected: Mary Weatherbee's Gut String. I'll post the link when I can figure out how.
Got it!
Below: Lobo Rojo (The Red Wolf)
2022 Fender Ultra Luxe Stratocaster, Limited Edition (Guitar Center/Fender), Serial # US22042307 Body: Alder, Fingerboard: Ribbon Ebony, Stainless Steel frets, Nut: Bone, S1 Switch Volume control knob, Noiseless Pickups, Manufactured in Corona, California in August 2022, Purchased at Guitar Center Santa Maria on 11/22/22 Bridge: 2 point Fulcrum Tremolo, Color: Umbra
2022 Fender Ultra Luxe Stratocaster, Limited Edition (Guitar Center/Fender), Serial # US22042307 Body: Alder, Fingerboard: Ribbon Ebony, Stainless Steel frets, Nut: Bone, S1 Switch Volume control knob, Noiseless Pickups, Manufactured in Corona, California in August 2022, Purchased at Guitar Center Santa Maria on 11/22/22 Bridge: 2 point Fulcrum Tremolo, Color: Umbra
Below: 'Old Number Seven':
This is 'Old #7' custom built for me by Terry Scheffer in 1998. He used a 12-string head-stock under the premise more wood means more resonance (needed because it was a parlor guitar style 000, very small body). Ebony fret-board, mother of pearl and abalone. It was also an extra inch thick, with a thin line p/u under the bridge of fossilized walrus tusk. This guitar saw lots of action and recording was used for rhythm tracks on several of my albums including the solo acoustic recording 'Fabric of Society,' from the Wild Bird (1999) CD produced by Reynaldo Macias jr. and recorded by Marco Forcone's 1605 Studio in Huntington Beach California, 1999.
This is 'Old #7' custom built for me by Terry Scheffer in 1998. He used a 12-string head-stock under the premise more wood means more resonance (needed because it was a parlor guitar style 000, very small body). Ebony fret-board, mother of pearl and abalone. It was also an extra inch thick, with a thin line p/u under the bridge of fossilized walrus tusk. This guitar saw lots of action and recording was used for rhythm tracks on several of my albums including the solo acoustic recording 'Fabric of Society,' from the Wild Bird (1999) CD produced by Reynaldo Macias jr. and recorded by Marco Forcone's 1605 Studio in Huntington Beach California, 1999.
Audacity- Call of the Wild:
In 1994, I recorded a collection of songs I had written that so far existed only in my head. I used a borrowed 4 track analog recorder and did the dirty deed in a garage in Huntington Beach. Somehow these recordings survived the journey to 2023, and are now uploaded onto my Tascam DP32SD stand-alone recorder-mixer. In 1999, I recorded digitally for the first time and one of these songs ('Spirit of the Night') made it onto my Wild Bird CD. But the '94 version was still too good to shelve, so it became part of my latest project, which is resurrecting the 1994 recordings, collectively called the 'Call of the Wild.' But during the transfers and generation to generation cassette to cassette, dub to dub, the recording gained a bad hiss of white noise. I wanted to write rehearse and finally add drums but first I needed to address the hiss!
Enter Chad Crawford at Quicktech, and a little program called AUDACITY. We were able to isolate the frequencies hosting the hiss using the NOISE REDUCTION feature, and EQ. Then we struck a delicate balance between hiss reduction and loss of warmth. And it worked like a charm! I will post the finished upgraded recording when it is completed. -Joe Racano
In 1994, I recorded a collection of songs I had written that so far existed only in my head. I used a borrowed 4 track analog recorder and did the dirty deed in a garage in Huntington Beach. Somehow these recordings survived the journey to 2023, and are now uploaded onto my Tascam DP32SD stand-alone recorder-mixer. In 1999, I recorded digitally for the first time and one of these songs ('Spirit of the Night') made it onto my Wild Bird CD. But the '94 version was still too good to shelve, so it became part of my latest project, which is resurrecting the 1994 recordings, collectively called the 'Call of the Wild.' But during the transfers and generation to generation cassette to cassette, dub to dub, the recording gained a bad hiss of white noise. I wanted to write rehearse and finally add drums but first I needed to address the hiss!
Enter Chad Crawford at Quicktech, and a little program called AUDACITY. We were able to isolate the frequencies hosting the hiss using the NOISE REDUCTION feature, and EQ. Then we struck a delicate balance between hiss reduction and loss of warmth. And it worked like a charm! I will post the finished upgraded recording when it is completed. -Joe Racano
Above: 'The Blue Max'
2021 (75th Anniversary) Fender American Professional II Stratocaster, Serial #210072065, Color: Miami Blue, Neck: Deep C, Maple with rolled edges, Body: Alder, Weight: 7lbs 9 oz, V-mod Pickups, Push-push second Volume Knob, Bone nut, Upgraded Tremolo w/ cold-rolled steel block
Below: 'The Bat Strat'
Fender American Professional II Stratocaster, Serial #210084536, Color: Dark Night, Neck: Deep C, Maple with rolled edges, Body: Alder, Weight: 7lbs 9 oz, V-mod Pickups, Push-push second Volume Knob, Bone nut, Upgraded Tremolo w/ cold-rolled steel block
2021 (75th Anniversary) Fender American Professional II Stratocaster, Serial #210072065, Color: Miami Blue, Neck: Deep C, Maple with rolled edges, Body: Alder, Weight: 7lbs 9 oz, V-mod Pickups, Push-push second Volume Knob, Bone nut, Upgraded Tremolo w/ cold-rolled steel block
Below: 'The Bat Strat'
Fender American Professional II Stratocaster, Serial #210084536, Color: Dark Night, Neck: Deep C, Maple with rolled edges, Body: Alder, Weight: 7lbs 9 oz, V-mod Pickups, Push-push second Volume Knob, Bone nut, Upgraded Tremolo w/ cold-rolled steel block
'Conception' 'Jazzle' 'Very Cherry'
Available Later this Year on CD and Flash Drive:
Most recent Recording Project:
https://soundcloud.com/emcee-neapolitan/lonestar-w-basswav?si=145b395b8b7a4cebb8a71a6fbb8c43bc&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing
https://soundcloud.com/emcee-neapolitan/lonestar-w-basswav?si=145b395b8b7a4cebb8a71a6fbb8c43bc&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing
'El Tigre' 'Vino' 'Lobo Rojo'
'Blondie' 'The Witch' 'The Natural'
New Bass Amplification by Ashdown Engineering!
Above: Lobo Rojo (The Red Wolf)
New Gear!
More boutique wizardry from Fender, this is the Umbra version of the 2022 Fender American Ultra Luxe Stratocaster, Limited Edition series built exclusively for Guitar Center.
A word on firepower:
The Fender American Ultra Stratocaster features a unique “Modern D” neck profile with Ultra rolled fingerboard edges for hours of playing comfort, and the tapered neck heel that allows easy access to the highest register. A speedy 10”-14” compound-radius fingerboard with 22 medium-jumbo frets offers effortless and accurate soloing, while three Ultra Noiseless Vintage pickups and advanced wiring options provide endless tonal possibilities, without hum. The sculpted rear body contours are as beautiful as they are functional and the S-1 switch adds the neck pickup in to any switch position. This versatile, state-of-the-art instrument will inspire you to push your playing to new heights. Other features include sealed locking tuning machines, chrome hardware and bone nut. A premium molded hardshell case is included for storage and protection between gigs. Nice guitar! :)
More boutique wizardry from Fender, this is the Umbra version of the 2022 Fender American Ultra Luxe Stratocaster, Limited Edition series built exclusively for Guitar Center.
A word on firepower:
The Fender American Ultra Stratocaster features a unique “Modern D” neck profile with Ultra rolled fingerboard edges for hours of playing comfort, and the tapered neck heel that allows easy access to the highest register. A speedy 10”-14” compound-radius fingerboard with 22 medium-jumbo frets offers effortless and accurate soloing, while three Ultra Noiseless Vintage pickups and advanced wiring options provide endless tonal possibilities, without hum. The sculpted rear body contours are as beautiful as they are functional and the S-1 switch adds the neck pickup in to any switch position. This versatile, state-of-the-art instrument will inspire you to push your playing to new heights. Other features include sealed locking tuning machines, chrome hardware and bone nut. A premium molded hardshell case is included for storage and protection between gigs. Nice guitar! :)
Hey out there in music land...
Here's my first album, 'Ride the Monster!' very few original copies remain. Recorded in Fort Myers, Florida 1983-1986, and thanks to my good friend SC Douglas for digging this one out! I'll post the recordings soon. (cover art by Joe Racano, photos by SC Douglas)
Newsflash! Just added: 'Project Blues Book' the latest album by Joe Racano and featuring Terry Lawless!
Here's my first album, 'Ride the Monster!' very few original copies remain. Recorded in Fort Myers, Florida 1983-1986, and thanks to my good friend SC Douglas for digging this one out! I'll post the recordings soon. (cover art by Joe Racano, photos by SC Douglas)
Newsflash! Just added: 'Project Blues Book' the latest album by Joe Racano and featuring Terry Lawless!
Above: Left- Frank Ring jr Right- Terry Lawless
Great day in the studio today! Knocked out the Bass on my Fender Rarities Jazz Bass named 'Jazzle' Hosted Terry Lawless and he laid down seriously smokin' organ and electric piano too.
Wow is all I can say!
I told him this one was going to be a soul punch in the face LOL. Now for drums and lead. Thanx to Frank Ring jr engineer, Chad Crawford consult, and just basically everybody who takes a bus into cool people land!
Great day in the studio today! Knocked out the Bass on my Fender Rarities Jazz Bass named 'Jazzle' Hosted Terry Lawless and he laid down seriously smokin' organ and electric piano too.
Wow is all I can say!
I told him this one was going to be a soul punch in the face LOL. Now for drums and lead. Thanx to Frank Ring jr engineer, Chad Crawford consult, and just basically everybody who takes a bus into cool people land!
Above: Joe Racano on tour at KMUD, Redwood Community Radio
Hello! This is my music site, see my writings at: JosephJohnRacano.com.
I have tried to keep up and current but it's hard to do. The site includes a bit of my musical history as well as what's more recent. Let's start with (some of) the instruments...
Hello! This is my music site, see my writings at: JosephJohnRacano.com.
I have tried to keep up and current but it's hard to do. The site includes a bit of my musical history as well as what's more recent. Let's start with (some of) the instruments...
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Above: 'Thylacine' - 2020 Flame KOA Top Fender Rarities Stratocaster
Below: 'Frostbite' - Vintage 1975 Fender Stratocaster in Olympic White
Below: 'Frostbite' - Vintage 1975 Fender Stratocaster in Olympic White
Lupinesong Recording Studio
Los Osos, California
Welcome to my humble studio where we are currently upgrading from 16 tracks to 32 tracks capability. We are retiring our second BR1600CD and had briefly installed a Presonus 32S Recorder/Mixer, pictured below, but we found it did not meet our needs (no overdubbing capability). We are now making the switch to the Tascam DP32SD, which is a better fit due to it's ability to record, mix, and overdub. This studio is mainly for private use. Also, we have a cool new guitar hanging wall unit.
The Tascam DP32SD Portastudio is now on line and ready to record. Stay tuned!
Another upgrade for Lupinesong Recording Studio is a switch from the solid but limited drum beats of the BR1600CD to the amazing MPC One Sequencer by Akai!
Much thanks to Noah Berends and company at Sweetwater Sound, and to all the good folks at Lightning Joe's, Arroyo Grande- (I mentioned the latter in the song '6-string savvy off the Midnite Medicine CD) for all the expert help in procuring this fine gear and some cool strats, too. You're the best!
The studio upgrade is catching me in the middle of a recording project, with about half an album done already, so it will be interesting to hear how the old sound will match up to the new one.
At present, I am lucky to have had U2 keyboardist (and amazing saxophonist) Terry Lawless join me on this and on my previous music endeavor, entitled, 'Scorpittarius.'
Above, is the most recent recording, 'Alien in my Window,' a tongue-in-cheek response to the fascinating newly released U.S. Government report on UFO's.
Joe Racano........bass, lead & backing guitar, vocals
Terry Lawless...Keyboards
Frank Ring........Vocal assist and able engineer
Joe Racano Terry Lawless Frank Ring jr.
Above: The Blue Max and Terry's Sax
A brief discography:
Project name Date Recording location
Ride the Monster.............................1983-1986.............Skunkcheck Studios, Fort Myers Fla.
Call of the Wild, 5th Street Alley........1994........Anomaly Studio, Huntington Beach Calif.
Tigersharks LIVE! .................................1994...........Five Points Bar & Grill, Huntington Bch.
Pier Plaza LIVE! .....................................1998................Pier Plaza on Huntington City Beach
Wild Bird.................................................1999...............Studio 1605, Huntington Beach, Calif.
Bluejay (acoustic)..................................2001..............Studio 1605, Huntington Beach, Calif.
The Napoletan, PS158.....................2008-2012.............Lupinesong Studio, Los Osos, Calif.
Legend of the Los Osos Kidd..............2013..................Lupinesong Studio, Los Osos, Calif.
Midnite Medicine...............................2016-2017............Lupinesong Studio, Los Osos, Calif.
ICE- Out of the Permafrost.................2017 mix/master/add..Sutton Sound, Atascadero
Scorpittarius............................................2018.................Lupinesong Studio, Los Osos, Calif.
Project: BLUES BOOK.............................2022...Lupinesong Studio, Los Osos
(Now Available! Inquire at: [email protected])
Joey Plays Berkeley, 1990 (above)
Some video and photographic history through the years:
Above video: LIVE! at Peppers, City of Industry, Calif. Below: Berkeley, 1990
Above: LIVE! acoustic at Border's Books, 2011- video by Adam Flood
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Above: Backstage at Pier Plaza, Below: LIVE! onstage, June 8th, 1998
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Above: 'Fabric of Society,' Below:'Down Hearted', (both songs from the 'Wild Bird' CD) 'Down Hearted' performed LIVE! at Gallaghers Bar, Huntington Bch. 2000
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At left: LIVE! recording of 'Down Hearted' (Wild Bird, 1999) -this version was captured via VHS videocassette, so the sound is weak- turn it up!
Below: Shutting down the famous Sutton Studio in 2016. Last project after 40 years! We used WAV files to resurrect the only 5 surviving songs salvaged from SkunkCheck Studio, Fort Myers Fla. owner Jim Pecker. What once were 35 songs are now 5, collectively entitled, ICE- Out of the Permafrost. Great CD! |
Excerpt from that day's blues blog: Back in Sutton Sound Studio, Atascadero, California for the last guitar riffs and on to post production. Yesterday's session included a dreamy guitar solo and then mix-down of one of the so-called 'lost songs', this one entitled, 'I Wonder Why'. Originally recorded 8 track analog at Sound Check Recording Studio in Fort Myers Florida, the bass and high hat were a bit compromised by the tape recording being 32 years old! But Rick worked with it and it is a cup-half-full situation. I lost about 19 excellent recordings from the original project and I am so glad to at least have these 5 tunes, with the original youthful energy! I called Mike Sciarrino, the drummer on the project, in New York and let him know we were recording - at least I was recording- "You recorded 32 years ago," I told him!
Slideshow below...
Slideshow below...
Thank you, Rick Sutton ('Little Ricky') for saving your studio's last magic for me!
Mike Sciarrino and Ken Wells play the Lee County Arena with me, February, 1985. Photo by Burnell Caldwell
On September 8th, 1982, I left New York and headed for South Florida. I had a job waiting at the 2 family bakeries. I used the money to put myself through the studio and recorded my first project, 'Ride the Monster.'
As soon as I got to Cape Coral, I set up in my mother's garage and took out an ad in the local rag for a drummer. That is how I met Mike Sciarrino. Mike was a product of the metal era of 80's glam, and dressed the part. But his chops were the best I have ever heard, before or since- unbridled power. We played together for 6 years, including a tour of the bay area of California. Mike's work can be heard on 'ICE'- out of the permafrost.'
As soon as I got to Cape Coral, I set up in my mother's garage and took out an ad in the local rag for a drummer. That is how I met Mike Sciarrino. Mike was a product of the metal era of 80's glam, and dressed the part. But his chops were the best I have ever heard, before or since- unbridled power. We played together for 6 years, including a tour of the bay area of California. Mike's work can be heard on 'ICE'- out of the permafrost.'
Joe Racano, Lee County Arena, February 1985
Welcome to Joey Sings the Blues, featuring my blues, rock, spoken word, and art. Recorded, live, studio, electric or acoustic, my music isn't easily categorized.
My rock can include a rap or hip hop component, and my rap often features hard rock guitar riffing. My blues is anything but traditional. I write an occasional pop tune, enjoy composing barbershop harmonies, and mix all of the above. I do not apologize. I play guitar and bass and I like to sing the blues. I've been playing for 45 years, and am still writing and recording.
I want to save the world.
View Special Archival Footage below:
Opening for Ralph Nader, 2000 US Presidential campaign, Chapman University, Orange County, California
My rock can include a rap or hip hop component, and my rap often features hard rock guitar riffing. My blues is anything but traditional. I write an occasional pop tune, enjoy composing barbershop harmonies, and mix all of the above. I do not apologize. I play guitar and bass and I like to sing the blues. I've been playing for 45 years, and am still writing and recording.
I want to save the world.
View Special Archival Footage below:
Opening for Ralph Nader, 2000 US Presidential campaign, Chapman University, Orange County, California
FEEDBACK CORNER:
"Joey Racano is a throw back to when men with guitars changed the world" -Will Swaim, OC WEEKLY
"I wish you would post more songs on youtube. And the sound of your guitar flows through my veins, ,like I grew up with it." -Nicole Kater, Costa Rica
"Joey is one of the true unstoppable forces of nature" -Mark Bixby, Huntington Beach, California
"A damfine musician" -Jim Washburn, author of 'Martin Guitars, An Illustrated Celebration of America's Premier Guitarmaker'