I’m a lefty music nerd, cat person, and Phish fan gently tossing his thoughts into the void with everyone else on this thing. I build and repair pedals, amps, and synths. More info at: hochstrasserelectronics.comhttps://bsky.app/profile/hochstrassererich.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/hochstrassererich.bsky.social/post/3mjurvnvfns2vThis is what a capacitor looks like when it starts leaking corrosive goo. Luckily the damage to neighboring components seems fairly minimal. #amprepair #analogelectronics #capacitor19 Apr 2026 20:24 +0000at://did:plc:t4bzxfpyaphtbf74bruxjotv/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjurvnvfns2vhttps://bsky.app/profile/hochstrassererich.bsky.social/post/3mhl3t2yqv22oThere’s not enough celebration about these two here on Bluesky: https://youtu.be/pRgHYWOtqqc?si=zGj_iixdfoIlnMnc21 Mar 2026 13:04 +0000at://did:plc:t4bzxfpyaphtbf74bruxjotv/app.bsky.feed.post/3mhl3t2yqv22ohttps://bsky.app/profile/hochstrassererich.bsky.social/post/3mgsr4semjs2w“Closer to the Heart” from Rush’s Different Stages Live album ends with what is basically a “Harry Hood” jam and it is rad as hell. #rush #phish #harryhood11 Mar 2026 20:49 +0000at://did:plc:t4bzxfpyaphtbf74bruxjotv/app.bsky.feed.post/3mgsr4semjs2whttps://bsky.app/profile/hochstrassererich.bsky.social/post/3mginzsjqzs2bI took a walk down memory lane a few weeks ago with this rig. My middle school pedalboard also included a Crybaby and later a Digitech Whammy IV and Danelectro Hash Browns flanger. I was surprised at how good the DS-1 sounds given how harsh I remember it being. #bosspedals #pedalboard #fenderamp07 Mar 2026 20:27 +0000at://did:plc:t4bzxfpyaphtbf74bruxjotv/app.bsky.feed.post/3mginzsjqzs2bhttps://bsky.app/profile/hochstrassererich.bsky.social/post/3mfhoju5x6k2fThe Ampeg V4-B tone stack is awesome. It is also loud enough to let the whole town know that I haven’t been practicing enough lately. Always a pleasure when one of these comes through the shop for some attention. #ampegV4 #tubeamp #vintageamps22 Feb 2026 17:38 +0000at://did:plc:t4bzxfpyaphtbf74bruxjotv/app.bsky.feed.post/3mfhoju5x6k2fhttps://bsky.app/profile/hochstrassererich.bsky.social/post/3meylf6v6q22xThis album is spectacular and the Beastie Boys agree. #rootdown #hammondorgan #jimmysmith #vinyl16 Feb 2026 17:32 +0000at://did:plc:t4bzxfpyaphtbf74bruxjotv/app.bsky.feed.post/3meylf6v6q22xhttps://bsky.app/profile/hochstrassererich.bsky.social/post/3mdtluumops22It’s odd when the mundanity of adulthood and the bleakness of seasonal depression intersect in such a way that the highlight of your day is finding the fork you thought you lost like 3 weeks ago. It’s certainly not joy, but there is something quietly victorious in it.02 Feb 2026 00:32 +0000at://did:plc:t4bzxfpyaphtbf74bruxjotv/app.bsky.feed.post/3mdtluumops22https://bsky.app/profile/hochstrassererich.bsky.social/post/3mckz6qgoos2bSome days I feel sorry for the other folks in this Planet Fitness who are totally unaware of the absolute barn burner of a “Tweezer” jam that’s being fed into my ears while I’m on the treadmill. Hartford 2013 if anyone partakes.16 Jan 2026 21:11 +0000at://did:plc:t4bzxfpyaphtbf74bruxjotv/app.bsky.feed.post/3mckz6qgoos2bhttps://bsky.app/profile/hochstrassererich.bsky.social/post/3maj4i4kyfk2lMay every delusional private equity parasite be visited by 3 ghosts this Christmas. Your AI-driven lack of talent and creativity might make you rich, but it will never make you cool.21 Dec 2025 16:14 +0000at://did:plc:t4bzxfpyaphtbf74bruxjotv/app.bsky.feed.post/3maj4i4kyfk2lhttps://bsky.app/profile/hochstrassererich.bsky.social/post/3ma7omw6qws26Finally giving a listen to the much-praised Albany “YEM” 👍🏻 Good stuff17 Dec 2025 22:13 +0000at://did:plc:t4bzxfpyaphtbf74bruxjotv/app.bsky.feed.post/3ma7omw6qws26https://bsky.app/profile/hochstrassererich.bsky.social/post/3m7mvdz7iqs2uNot to sound smug, but I’ve never once used ChatGPT. The closest I’ve gotten is watching former coworkers use it on a shared screen and even then I never found myself feeling curious about asking the earth-murdering robot for bad information. Feels good, man.10 Dec 2025 10:52 +0000at://did:plc:t4bzxfpyaphtbf74bruxjotv/app.bsky.feed.post/3m7mvdz7iqs2uhttps://bsky.app/profile/hochstrassererich.bsky.social/post/3m72beu47t22eIt’s that time of year when a lot of “Is ‘Die Hard’ a Christmas movie?” discourse floats around, but for those who live with depression and don’t much care for action films: Is Joni Mitchell’s “Blue” a Christmas album? I vote yes.03 Dec 2025 01:07 +0000at://did:plc:t4bzxfpyaphtbf74bruxjotv/app.bsky.feed.post/3m72beu47t22ehttps://bsky.app/profile/hochstrassererich.bsky.social/post/3m6yxn57vxc2iBoom boom acka lacka lacka boom 🦖02 Dec 2025 12:40 +0000at://did:plc:t4bzxfpyaphtbf74bruxjotv/app.bsky.feed.post/3m6yxn57vxc2ihttps://bsky.app/profile/hochstrassererich.bsky.social/post/3m63x6wyrmc2fThis Martin 112T needed a recapping, some reimagining of the grounding and filament wiring to help eliminate hum, and a much-needed new (and grounded!) power cord. Under the hood it’s more or less a Fender 5E3 Deluxe and it sounds spectacular. Super cool little amp. #vintageguitaramps20 Nov 2025 23:45 +0000at://did:plc:t4bzxfpyaphtbf74bruxjotv/app.bsky.feed.post/3m63x6wyrmc2fhttps://bsky.app/profile/hochstrassererich.bsky.social/post/3m5gnmx7xys2vI’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: “Building a Mystery” has an incredible collection of guitar sounds12 Nov 2025 12:28 +0000at://did:plc:t4bzxfpyaphtbf74bruxjotv/app.bsky.feed.post/3m5gnmx7xys2vhttps://bsky.app/profile/hochstrassererich.bsky.social/post/3m47mjo6gtk2zLate October in New England is a top tier vibe27 Oct 2025 23:54 +0000at://did:plc:t4bzxfpyaphtbf74bruxjotv/app.bsky.feed.post/3m47mjo6gtk2zhttps://bsky.app/profile/hochstrassererich.bsky.social/post/3m3wyxldrtk2aI finished building an amp recently. It’s sort of Deluxe Reverby under the hood, but with a variety of mods that keep it from being any kind of exact clone. The chassis and transformers are repurposed spare Hammond organ parts. Making stuff is cool. #guitaramp #tubeamp #walnut24 Oct 2025 13:43 +0000at://did:plc:t4bzxfpyaphtbf74bruxjotv/app.bsky.feed.post/3m3wyxldrtk2ahttps://bsky.app/profile/hochstrassererich.bsky.social/post/3m3ulgdcl622pIf you ever have the opportunity to play with a Digitech PDS2020, go for it. I’ve repaired a number of these and they all tend to need every capacitor replaced to work properly again. It’s not a small job, but it’s well worth the effort. Loads of fun. #guitarpedals #vintagepedals #delaypedal23 Oct 2025 14:35 +0000at://did:plc:t4bzxfpyaphtbf74bruxjotv/app.bsky.feed.post/3m3ulgdcl622phttps://bsky.app/profile/hochstrassererich.bsky.social/post/3m3py44uzi226HBO charging more after removing Joe Pera Talks With You and True Detective inspires an all too common question: why must we pay more for things that are worse?21 Oct 2025 18:39 +0000at://did:plc:t4bzxfpyaphtbf74bruxjotv/app.bsky.feed.post/3m3py44uzi226https://bsky.app/profile/hochstrassererich.bsky.social/post/3m2r44f67w22aPersonal growth is hating on “Lido Shuffle” for the first 30-something years of your life and then one day realizing it’s actually a banger and a half.09 Oct 2025 11:58 +0000at://did:plc:t4bzxfpyaphtbf74bruxjotv/app.bsky.feed.post/3m2r44f67w22ahttps://bsky.app/profile/hochstrassererich.bsky.social/post/3m2bxpbb6f22kYes, and as Trey said on the Long May They Run podcast, “You can cry in your milk or do something cooler.”03 Oct 2025 11:29 +0000at://did:plc:t4bzxfpyaphtbf74bruxjotv/app.bsky.feed.post/3m2bxpbb6f22khttps://bsky.app/profile/hochstrassererich.bsky.social/post/3lzjdh7srrs2vI know this thought will get me put on a watchlist, but the line “I wanna get lost in your rock n roll and drift away” hits way harder than it gets credit for.23 Sep 2025 16:23 +0000at://did:plc:t4bzxfpyaphtbf74bruxjotv/app.bsky.feed.post/3lzjdh7srrs2vhttps://bsky.app/profile/hochstrassererich.bsky.social/post/3lzgv7l2xv22sFor all the issues with social media, I do appreciate that it occasionally turns me on to music that wasn’t on my radar. This week it’s the Jerry Garcia Band doing “Shining Star” apparently.22 Sep 2025 17:03 +0000at://did:plc:t4bzxfpyaphtbf74bruxjotv/app.bsky.feed.post/3lzgv7l2xv22shttps://bsky.app/profile/hochstrassererich.bsky.social/post/3lzetpmvr7c2uWhile the main point of building an amp is to goof around with all the stuff in your shop and eventually make your guitar louder, every once in a while you get to enjoy a fleeting moment of feeling accomplished as the process unfolds. #guitaramp #electricguitar #tubeamp #makestuff21 Sep 2025 21:30 +0000at://did:plc:t4bzxfpyaphtbf74bruxjotv/app.bsky.feed.post/3lzetpmvr7c2uhttps://bsky.app/profile/hochstrassererich.bsky.social/post/3lzdywprotc22I watched “Before Sunrise” for the first time over a week ago and I feel like I’m still unpacking that record store scene 🤯21 Sep 2025 13:31 +0000at://did:plc:t4bzxfpyaphtbf74bruxjotv/app.bsky.feed.post/3lzdywprotc22https://bsky.app/profile/hochstrassererich.bsky.social/post/3lxzqjff2x22sProgress pic of the guitar amp head I’m building. Next I’ll need to build the guts. #guitaramp #makestuff04 Sep 2025 18:09 +0000at://did:plc:t4bzxfpyaphtbf74bruxjotv/app.bsky.feed.post/3lxzqjff2x22shttps://bsky.app/profile/hochstrassererich.bsky.social/post/3lxz3skypfk2sHave we considered sharin’ Sharon’s outlook on the topic of disease as public health policy?04 Sep 2025 11:58 +0000at://did:plc:t4bzxfpyaphtbf74bruxjotv/app.bsky.feed.post/3lxz3skypfk2s