ABOUT US
You can probably learn the most about us here at Alameda Guitars by considering the fact that this "about us" page exists primarily to have an even number of nav menu items.
Alameda Guitars is the result of 30 plus years of futzing with guitars. In 1993 my bandmate Chris Sanzo and I started messing with gear to try and make said gear do more than it was designed to do. Chris, an electrical engineer, could dive into the theory, and I'd just make sure I knew what I was futzing with wouldn't electrocute me, and start trying things. It's generally been a good technique, though don't ask me about the time I kept wondering why my amp was shocking me when I was replacing a fuse. Hint - unplug the amp first!
Rather than bore you to tears with some hokey spiel about how Alameda Guitars came to be (sadly, it did not involve Venus coming forth from the sea on a giant clam shell), I figure some articles and videos of random tinkering I've done might be more useful.
Enjoy! Mel Waldorf
Premier Guitar - Reader's Guitar of the Month (August 2023)
First, let me say that I have thought Premier Guitar magazine is awesome long before they had me in the Reader's Guitar of the Month column.
Admittedly, I like them even more now. I mean, why wouldn't I? They didn't have to have me in their magazine. They could have ignored me. They could have sent some generic "not interested" response. But they are too suave and sophisticated for that. They're so suave and sophisticated how could they do anything other than do the article? In fact, I think they're not just suave and sophisticated, but erudite, charming, and down-right gorgeous, too.
(click on the magazine to see full article)
With Ryan Burke (60 Cycle Hum) talking about some of my more peculiar guitar creations
Vox-ish amp I built with Ethan Meyer from Cave Valley Amps
Demo of DeArmond Rhythm Chief pickups with acoustic guitar strings
Thomas Vox Cambridge Reverb V1032 resto-mod
Fuzz circuit based on Vox Distortion Booster
Comparison of vintage, modern, and modified reverb pans
As if that's not proof enough I do things not quite normally, here's a video of my band Meshugga Beach Party on the Gong Show in 2017. I'm the guy playing the guitar with the Off Kiltertrons.
