Dan & Mick’s 2020 Resolutions [Happy New Year!] That Pedal Show

What are you resolving to do in 2020 when it comes to guitar? As the new year dawns, we discuss 10 things that will make our lives better…

Life too short for long YouTube videos? Please see the ‘Interesting bits and go-to sections’ information below.

HAPPY NEW YEAR! Yes, we made it around another time, one year older, one year wiser… Okay, well one year older will do. From the bottom of our speaker cabs we wish you the very best for the year ahead, and talk about 10 things than Dan and I are going to do in 2020. Let’s see if we actually stick to them!

Enjoy the episode!

Pedals & stuff in this episode…

Dan’s Rig
• 1965 Fender Telecaster
No longer made

• Effectrode Vacuum Tube Preamp

• Diamond Memory Lane Jr

• Matchless HC-30 with Hughes & Kettner Vintage 212 / Celestion G12M Greenback

• The GigRig Modular Power Supply System

Mick’s Rig
• 1961 Fender Stratocaster
No longer made

• Schmidt Array SA250 Pedalboard

• Catalinbread Belle Epoch Deluxe

• Dan Drive Austin Pride Fuzz
Find Dan on Instagram @dandrivepedal

• Klon Centaur Professional Overdrive
Try klondirectsales on ebay, or your favourite vintage gear dealer

• Free The Tone Flight Time FT-2Y Digital Delay

• Two Rock Classic Reverb Signature with 2x12 cab / TR1265B speakers

The GigRig Modular Power Supply System

Interesting bits and go-to sections…
- Intro playing: 0:00
- Welcome and Happy New Year! 1:30
- What are we doing today? 2:30
- Dan #1: Valve preamps: 3:05 (4:02)
- Mick #1: Delay before overdrive: 6:20 (7:38)
- Dan #2: Work on jazz playing: 10:42
- Mick #2: Work on mental health (no jazz for me): 13:25
- Dan #3: Finish EP and get better recorded tones at home: 16:00
- Mick #3: Learn the piano? 23:15
- Dan #4: Acquire an old Tele: 32:45
- Mick #4: Resolve the Strat problem: 35:16
- Dan #5: Start gigging again: 42:13
- Mick #5: Start enjoying the guitar again: 44:01

Mick’s Reading List

PLEASE NOTE: Lots of people have asked me for links to the reading material I mention in this vlog, so they are as follows. I would like to stress that no books have all the answers. They may not be interesting or useful, and depending on the nature of your state of mind, they may be not advisable at all! However, I share them purely as titles that have helped me personally.
I AM NOT DOCTOR, A COUNSELLOR OR A PSYCHOTHERAPIST - all of the following is opinion based on what works for me.
Stay well y’all!

First off, I did some reading around the role of the body’s stress hormone, cortisol, and how many people suffering with depression also experience extended periods of high cortisol levels. There may be a correlation between the two. There are many articles on this – Google it – but the upshot seems to be that better diet (less sugar predominantly), less alcohol and increased exercise are all ways to combat high cortisol, and therefore reduce stress. After that…

Eckhart Tolle, The Power Of Now

Fumitake Koga, Ichiro Kishimi, The Courage To Be Disliked

Alfred Adler, Understanding Human Nature

Danu Morrigan, You’re Not Crazy It’s Your Mother

Mark Manson, The Subtle Art Of Not Giving A F**k

I’m just getting started. Happy reading!

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[ProfessorHumblesDelusions]

I'm starting my third year of battling cancer and your show has been a constant source of fun, knowledge and inspiration for me. I have loved watching the evolution of your show production, but the one thing that has been consistent from the start is your great friendship and laughter. All the best you and the crew and to all your viewers (their comments are a riot) in 2020!

[willgoodfellow]

Good on you Mick for talking about mental health. There's still a lot to be done to break down the stigma around depression and anxiety and your openness definitely helps. Wishing you and Dan a very happy 2020.

[nickstone]

This last year has been tough, i suffered a breakdown which has resulted in me getting divorced and as I'm watching this I'm in a room I've rented without any of the things i had just 6 months ago . The good news is the week before christmas i was offed a great new job and because of that my mortgage was approved and i move in shortly and now I'm getting to play guitar in an effin awesome studio ( Circle Studios Birmingham ) with a Grammy award winning producer ( Trevor Gibson ) So from the jaws of disappear the most amazing things can still appear .

[DavidDyte]

"I'm very proud of you." - me, too. It means the world to me that you're doing well, Mick. You're a true gem and I'm so happy to call you a friend. You might want to give a listen to Marillion's album "Happiness is the Road" - the first disc is inspired by Tolle's work and what it's done for Steve Hogarth's mental state.

[brianpara]

Two of the most honest, genuine human beings on YouTube. You’re a pond away and yet TPS always feels inviting and cozy like family. As someone who battles his own depression, I appreciate your candidness and vulnerability. Always captivating content with incredible playing and tone that is only second to your passion for what you do, sense of humor, and brotherly bond that makes TPS so delightful. Happy 2020 to all! Cheers 🍻

[lance]

I think Mick is onto something there. I think a lot of YouTubers stress themselves out worrying about the show, and while it's important, for sure, if you're living your best life and having fun, you'll be someone that people enjoy watching, no matter how much or how little content you're able to deliver.

[cheyneluke]

Amazing show guys I really enjoyed this!

Love the conversation about mental health Mick! I’ve suffered with anxiety and depression for years and I can vouch for the benefits of exercise! Thanks for being so open about it!

You guys have both inspired me to JFDI!

I want to:
- Improve my guitar playing and knowledge!
- Build a proper pedalboard!
- Get better at recording and mixing
- Finally release some original music after years of writing and then never doing anything with it because of fear!

Looking forward to another great year with TPS! Love you boys!

[soulisthegoal]

I'm OCD and have been continually working on my mental health for many years now. Important to remember that your mental health can improve your guitar playing and that guitar playing can improve your mental health, but being kind to yourself is what is most important. We all find things difficult and can all beat ourselves up about mistakes, but allowing ourselves to make these mistakes and move forward is very important to good playing and good mental health.
Mick, well done on being open about your difficulties and I wish you all the best with everything.

[kelvmuller]

I am sitting here surrounded by devastation, my country (Oz) is literally on fire. Many dead countless lives forever changed. And I am trying to unpack why todays TPS is brining me some comfort at this awful, I hope seminal, moment in time. I think, for me, it the honesty and love you offer your audience. Thank you for today you have made dark days a little lighter. Best wishes Kelv.

[TheToneLounge]

Mick's comment about mental health struck a nerve with me. I've been suffering from crippling panic attacks on and off for the past 4 months. I tried ignoring it, tried working through it and numbing it with more music and entertainment. Alas, nothing is working. It has slowed down my YouTube channel, since I have days and sometimes weeks where I'm too messed up to film anything. So I too, am talking this issue very seriously and am getting professional help. I'm glad to see other people being open about it. Thanks for sharing Mick. Cheers mate!

[mbstudio]

first year without depression and anxiety for me, and it will stay like this.

[eranmontiel]

As a marriage and family therapist I want to thank you for being open enough to talk about depression. Hopefully it inspires some people to seek help if they need it.

[TheRealZookness]

Picking up the guitar again, after some 20 odd years away, has been a boon of unmatched potency in my own personal mental health. Then finding TPS, which for me has just the right mix of gear-nerdery, banter and MUSIC... Few things in my life currently bring me the joy of Saturday/Sunday mornings, getting some coffee, and queueing up a few TPS episodes on the TV and sitting down and noodling away (or working on guitars, which I've learned I love nearly as much as playing) while watching the show, entertainment, education, relaxation and recreation all at once, pure bliss.

In 2020, I'm going to learn more theory. I have never really enjoyed "practicing" so my tendency is to just sit and fumble around the fretboard looking for arrangements that I like and then expanding upon them, but going forward I am going to put a more concerted effort into expanding my musical vocabulary as it were so I can play something more than arpeggiated chords swimming in a sea of reverb and delay.

You guys keep it up, Happy New Year from the states!

[masonvankraayenburg]

I’ve played hundreds of shows and still get crippling anxiety before most. It creates quite a dramatic dynamic going through the fear and uncertainty mixed with passion and excitement. It’s always rewarding after the gig regardless of how it went that I chose to go through with it. It’s a price many musicians pay as most of us are introverts. The only failure is not doing what you love, and even then there’s another day to try again.

[adamwalker]

Happy New Year Guys. Would be great to hear about your journey's this year.

Dan - would be great to hear about your song writing and recording journey
Mick - would be great to hear about your harmonic, and mental health journey's. I too am struggling mental health wise and often (like you) find comparisions to other players/fear of failure a real blockage.

Would be great to hear you both play live as you are both inspirational to those of us on far more limited budgets throught the sheer joy you in playing.

All the best in 2020!!

[jlawishere]

So much love for you guys. Just the most genuine people, proud to know you and be blessed with your knowledge and energy. I have that book on the Subtle Art of Not Giving a F**k. It's brilliant. Honest and so refreshing to hear about what's going on with you Mick, it's not an easy thing to talk about, trust me and Dan I can't wait to hear the EP. You both deserve the utmost creative success. I'll definitely need to pick both of your brains this year about pedals and playing. Might even bring my camera...All the best. James

[huskvarsm]

As regards depression in my encounters with it i found if you take away its power and replace that with self affirmation thats 98% of the you can replace it with any good thing in your life or something you aspire done mick.

[danielmyers]

This video made me happy to my core. I recently came to accept that 95% of my playing happens in my room in a terraced house, through Ableton, and whilst I will have my beautiful collection of tube amps one day, the thing that makes my play and lose myself daily, is good quality bedroom and headphone sounds, so I really can't wait to see what Dan's videos figure out. Mick, I did the same thing with piano about year ago and I still can't play it, but I do think much more in terms of notes and intervals than I did, I found removing muscle memory really forced my brain into learning. Also I think more blogs whilst running can only be a good thing.

[hulkslayer]

My new years resolution is to stop buying gear and start learning to play the gear I already have.

[Iammattmoore]

Man. Dans face expresses what my heart feels whenever that Strat is played.