Well here is my new GHP - what I think represents the coolest-looking and riding BMX bicycle built up with the best components that exist as of today. Although my experience on this bike is limited so far, I’ll be bold enough to say that this is the best bike I’ve ever ridden. The bottom bracket is placed just right for my long legs (36-inch inseam), and it just feels great. I love this bike, and there is a difference when a world champion like Greg Hill is behind its development.

With a total build cost of around $2600, I think it was worth it. Though it’s just been completed, I did have a chance to ride it around here a bit and it runs like a well oiled machine - so smooth and refined compared to what I’m used to. The frame’s build quality is exquisite. Welds are nice, neat, and consistent and the black finish is beautiful. The GHP logos are laid in under the clearcoat, which really adds to overall look of quality. I can’t say much more until I get a chance to run this bike more, so I’ll cut it short here until then.

:: GHP - click on image to enlarge ::

Parts breakdown:

• Frame: GHP Pro XXL
• Forks: Answer Scythe Pro carbon
• Cranks: Shimano DXR, 180mm
• Chainring: Snap, 39T
• Pedals: Shimano DX clips or Funn Soljam Viper sealed
• Rims: Sun Rhynolite XL
• Hubs: Chris King BMX with 14T cog
• Spokes: Marwi titanium
• Handlebars: GHP Star Bars
• Stem: S&M Race XLT
• Headset: Chris King Nothreadset
• Chain: KMC Drop Buster
• Brakes: Paul Moto-Lite
• Brake Lever: Paul Love V-Lever
• Brake Cable: Odyssey Slic
• Bar Ends: Animal
• Chain Tensioners: Redline
• Seatpost: Thomson Elite
• Seatpost Clamp: Profile Slimjim
• Seat: Crupi with titanium rails

I posted previously about the GHP frame I bought for my ultimate race bike build. In recent weeks, I finally kicked myself in the ass hard enough to order all the parts for this new bike. I wanted only the absolute best - not that my skill level warrants it, but just because I would get extra BMX-cred. Well, not really.

Among the parts I ordered were the new Chris King BMX hubs, which are laced to Sun Rhynolite XL rims and titanium spokes. These hubs are a new design, and though I have no idea what has changed internally, I can see that the hub shell is slightly larger than the previous model. Why would someone want to pay over $500 for a set of hubs? The engagement system is supposedly the best, and while that may not matter for someone like me, I figured a USA-made product such as this is a long term investment. At the very least, they look and sound cool.

:: Chris King BMX hub - click on image to enlarge ::

The Chris King cog is a ridiculous $50 (as if the $500 price of the hubs isn’t?), and I chose the 14T size to go with my 39T chainring. I’ll list the full parts breakdown in another update when I talk about assembling the bike, which should begin next week when the final parts arrive. Until then, I’ll be rockin’ the Haro.

Here it is, the Eastern Titanium Grim Reaper. The controversial freestyle BMX frame is the lightest of its kind in the world, and it’s made completely of 6Al-4V titanium. The chromoly version of the Grim Reaper was the catalyst of many flame wars in the BMX community, with its weight-relieved design and relatively light weight and the titanium version of this further entrenches the two camps that either love its innovation or lambaste it for its perceived dangers of breaking.

:: Eastern Titanium Grim Reaper - click on image to enlarge ::

Whatever anyone thinks of it, the Titanium Grim Reaper is a site to behold and an intriguing experience to actually handle. It’s lighter than most handlebars, and the welding work is pure artistry. But how strong is it? I’m not sure - according to Eastern, it can handle whatever kind of riding you can dish out, yet it has no warranty against breaking or denting. Sort of a contradiction in logic, since Eastern generally stands behind their frames with a very strong warranty. Either way, this is BMX history that will be remembered, as this particular frame is no longer being produced, and from what Eastern tells me, there will be no more. What’s the fate for this one? I don’t know yet, but it sure is one heck of a conversation piece.

:: Closeup view of bottom bracket - click on image to enlarge ::

Old school BMX bikes have become the collectible muscle cars of bicycles. There are now several message forums dedicated to the old school collector, be it freestyle or race bikes. One of the newest sites to emerge is Table Top BMX, which is owned and operated by Jason Kraig and Ty Babcox - BMX collectors well known among old schoolers.

Why do I like a new site so much? Because this one is different - it has experienced explosive growth and rapid development along the way. The community is great, and to top it all off, TTBMX just opened an online store that’s filled with many NOS parts us collectors need. I would rather not deal with unknown Ebay sellers, and this is perfect. The prices are right, and more importantly, the product descriptions are accurate. That’s what we need, and my latest CW ZX Pro project has been almost completely fulfilled by the TTBMX online store. More on that build later, for now, check out Table Top BMX - even if you’re not into BMX collecting, there’s a lot of memories in that site.

This 1998 Jackson Kelly PS-6T Performer guitar was a birthday present from my parents when I was in college, and now that my dad is no longer with us, it’s very special to me. It was used about five times; its last time being a live performance with Appetite For Destruction (a Guns N’ Roses tribute band) in the summer if 1999 in front of a crowd of hundreds. It was a great show - loud, long, and we all made it through the night on our own feet.

:: 1998 Jackson Kelly PS-6T Performer - click on image to enlarge ::

The very first time I used this guitar, I loved its feel and mass, though I absolutely despised the stock pickups. For such an aggressive guitar it came equipped with low-output junk pickups that would create more feedback than music. So, I went to Music Emporioum and had the neck pickup replaced with a Seymour Duncan JB model Trembucker. The difference was incredible. The guitar sounded like it looked - edgy and overdriven, yet refined with awesome harmonics. My first choice was the ceramic magnet Duncan Distortion (another great pickup), but none were in stock, so this was my second choice. As it turns out, I have a new appreciation for alnico magnet pickups like the JB. They sound warmer and fuller without the exaggerated highs of some of the higher output pickups.

The guitar is now fully set up, with the bridge reset for 9-gauge strings. Once I plugged it in, I suddenly had the same revelation that I did ten years ago - that this was one hell of a great sounding and playing guitar. The build quality of this Japanese-made Jackson is excellent - just a hair under par with my Ibanez RG570. The frets are very nicely polished, and the neck is very smooth with a satin finish. It plays very fast with no buzzing or intonation issues. Why did I wait so long to play this again? Sometimes I need to kick myself, and this is one of those times.

My cousin John and I have been discussing the reunion of Conviction (our band from the 1990s), and this guitar will lead my entry into the band, right alongside my Les Paul Classic. The Jackson JT-series licensed Floyd Rose bridge seems well-made, and it’s rock solid, but if it gives me headaches, I’ll replace it with an Original Floyd Rose. I’m off to New York after the Miami International Boat Show, and the Kelly may come with me. We’ll see how it performs.

The Mercury Racing calendar is much like the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue - it’s eagerly awaited every year by performance powerboaters. Mercury Racing powers the fastest boats in the world, and the calendar is a showcase of their technology and the boats that are powered by it. Only the best, fastest, and sexiest boats are worthy, and the calendar is printed on extra-glossy, oversized stock that looks almost as amazing as seeing the boats in person.

:: Sample images from the 2008 Mercury Racing calendar - click on image to enlarge ::

For 2008, Andy Driver is featured with his Quartershot T1 and Mercury 2.5-liter Drag outboard. Driver is a world champion, and I had the opportunity to photograph him for the calendar. The boat is not only fast, but beautiful, and my thanks to Andy for accommodating me and Mercury Racing for this shoot.

Equipment used for this shoot was my workhorse Nikon D200 and Nikkor 70-200 AF-S VR 2.8 zoom lens. The camera performed flawlessly for the shoot, with highlight retention and image quality absolutely stunning. That morning we had a thick haze in the air due to all the fires that were sweeping the state at the time, so I was a bit concerned that image resolution would suffer. Once I loaded up the raw files, those concerns were instantly put to rest - which was no real surprise anyway since the D200 always got the job done without fail.

:: Image featured in calendar for Drag engine - click on image to enlarge ::

These days my D200 is relegated as a backup camera body, with a D300 replacing it. I recently had a chance to give the D300 a small workout shooting BMX riders, and it lived up to my expectations as a fast and accurate performer, so stay tuned for a follow up with more details on my results with the D300.

The Mercury Racing calendar is only $12.00, and can be ordered by following this link.

Kuwahara BMX is back - well, sort of. Many of us remember them from back in the 1980s, even though their bikes were never as popular as some of the mainstream bikes of the day. So now that the X-Games have resurrected BMX from the grave in the mid-1990s and it is now an Olympic sport, many brand names have returned, though they are a shadow of their former years. Like the current trend in video games, “retro” is now cool, and Kuwahara also jumped on that bandwagon with the 25th anniversary Laserlite Limited Edition race bike, which is a tribute to the Kuwahara model used in the 1982 movie E.T., The Extra Terrestrial.

:: 2007 Kuwahara Laserlite Limited Edition - click on image to enlarge ::

Basically, this bike is a 2007 Laserlite Team model with a different color scheme. Well, that’s exactly what it is. That’s a good thing I suppose, since the Laserlite Team is very light and fast race bike, although there are some small issues that need to be mentioned. When my Limited Edition model arrives, I’ll be sure to check for these same issues.

When I assembled my 2007 Team model, I noticed that the chain alignment was off due to improper crank spacing from the factory. It’s not a big issue, but it does require removal of the crank set to correct. Another anomaly worth noting is the as-equipped 42/16 gearing, contrary to the factory-stated 44/16 the bike should have. I have a suspicion that the crank spacing issue may not be an accident, and adding a 44-tooth chainring with properly spaced cranks would result in a frame clearance issue with the OEM Funn crankset. Another minor annoyance is the lack of chain tensioners. There’s simply no excuse for this oversight on a bike in this price class.

The Laserlite Team is very well balanced, yet positively flighty on the front end. The handlebars are a bit small, but reversing the stem will correct this for most people. It’s a fast bike - it’s very light, and it feels light too. I’m over six feet tall, and the Pro XL size is slightly smaller on the top tube than most other Pro XLs, but the bottom bracket’s lower position helps make up for this. The Kuwahara-branded cassette hub works fine, and the Funn Viper pedals are really large and grip extremely well. Overall, I really liked how this bike feels, and I’ll post more details as I spend more time with it.

:: 2007 Kuwahara Laserlite in Team model trim - click on image to enlarge ::

According to Kuwahara, the Limited Edition ET model is limited to 250 units worldwide. That doesn’t sound like much, does it? You might be thinking that you had better line up for this one, as the Ebay speculators will be in full force, right? Well, no - though cool looking and equipped with mid-to-top of the line components, of question is whether the $799 MSRP is justified, and lack of sales have underscored this notion, especially with dealers initially offering this model for $1000 or more.

:: Funn Hooka DH is actually a MTB crankset - click on image to enlarge ::

The red, white, and gold colors on the Limited Edition look great, and they pay proper homage to the original E.T. model, though it’s unfortunate that Kuwahara could not sell 250 of these bikes. Maybe this retro stuff has finally reached its limit - well, at least for the now Chinese-made Kuwahara brand name anyway. Is the ET destined to be a collector bike, or will it turn out like the somewhat disappointing Haro Retro Sport? Maybe we’ll know in 20 years, but putting aside the potential issues mentioned above, it’s a great riding machine.

The Gibson Les Paul guitar has always been a personal favorite of mine. It’s classic, looks like a piece of furniture, and has a deep, mellow tone that sustains forever. It’s no secret why I chose to start playing a Les Paul - my guitar hero Slash played Les Pauls exclusively, so when I was learning how to play the guitar I knew I would have to play one too. Silly, right? Well, not really, because Slash is extremely cool and his playing is amazing. That’s all that matters.

I’ve owned a few Les Paul guitars over the years - my first one being a Les Paul Studio. I purchased it at Sam Ash Music in Carle Place, NY in 1994. Back then I couldn’t afford the more expensive Standard model I wanted, but that didn’t matter to me - the ebony Les Paul Studio with gold hardware was light years ahead of the guitar I started with, and it had that Les Paul sound I was after. Several years (and many live performances) later, I sold the Studio, sans pickups, which live today in my friend Maureen’s B.C. Rich.

:: Gibson Les Paul Classic - click on image to enlarge ::

Today I received a new Les Paul Classic in ebony with nickel hardware. The Classic is essentially a Standard model with hotter ceramic pickups and a slimmer “faster” neck profile. I especially like the creme-colored trim and binding and top hat knobs - even the trapezoid inlays have a more aged look to them. I love this guitar and it will stay with me for a long time, and now that my cousin John and I are planning on a recording session next year, the new Classic will certainly come in handy. Now all I need to do is get the Marshall half-stack out and slam that A-chord with the gain set at 10.

Anyone between 25 and 45 years old that has raced BMX will know who Greg Hill is. I won’t give you a history lesson (you can read about Greg here), but I will say that most of my elementary and jr. high school days were spent reading about Greg in BMX Plus! and BMX Action magazines. Greg Hill Products (GHP) was a new company back then, making frame sets and bars. Though they didn’t last long, GHP is back again with much interest among those that know the brand name.

So I wanted to build a new race bike, and after a lot of thought and reading, I emailed Greg and inquired about one of his GHP frames. Greg responsed right away with his number, and I called the next day. I dial the number and who answers the phone - the man himself - the guy I used to read about as a kid. Greg answered any questions I had and I immediately knew I made the right choice by choosing his company for my next bike build. How many companies will give you that kind of rider-owned service these days?

:: New GHP race frame - click on image for larger view ::

The new frame arrived today, and to add to my excitement, I see that Greg personally signed the inside of the box. Okay, some of you non-BMX types may not get this, but that totally blew me away. I need to start ordering parts immediately, because I can’t wait to ride this bike. Thanks again Greg and GHP - I hope you guys are around for a long time.

The Digitech RP-1 guitar preamp/effects processor was introduced in 1992 as a revolutionary new product. It was the first all-digital multi-effects processor that was not rack-based. When I saw this in the Musician’s Friend catalog at that time, I had to have it. I saw the full-page ads in Guitar magazine with the tag line, “Do it on the floor” which I still clearly remember. Well, in 1994 I finally had enough money saved from my school job where I could get one. By then, the RP-1 was being phased out and Sam Ash was selling them for $400.

:: Digitech RP-1 guitar effects processor - click on image to enlarge ::

After bringing it home and plugging it into my Tube Works RT-2100 amp, I knew I was going to use the RP-1 live. Two years later, I started a band with my cousin John, and that’s what started my live career. Several bands and many dozens of live performances later, I still have this unit, and it still works perfectly. It has hundreds of hours of use through weekly rehearsals and it’s been on many stages where it could be responsible for the premature hearing loss of many people. I lost count of all the shows this unit has carried me through - some very large venues, and it has the battle scars to prove it.

Digitech only produced this unit for two years, and immediately introduced updated models to replace it. The RP-series still continues today, although they are much different these days. The RP-1 was unique in that it ran on AC power - and as a result, this the floorboard would get so hot that you could barely touch it. Subsequent Digitech models ran on DC power, and in my opinion, never sounded as good.

I plugged it in last night just to see if it still works, and it does. All of my presets are still stored in its memory, and it sounds as amazing as I remembered. Hard to believe, but I would still go live with this old processor today.

:: The “then new” supertwist LCD display - click on image to enlarge ::