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Guitar Gaf |OT| Fingerpickin’ good

I have an eye in one of those Yamahas with a double and a p90, the 311. I believe that Yamaha has a good quality/price, but still need to try it out, they cost around 300 euros.
 

blackjaw

Member
So barre chords are fucking my thumb in the worst possible way. Anyone got a solution? Like playing a single chord repeatedly isn't a problem but once I start moving around the neck, it starts cramping up like mad. It it something I'll just get used to as I go on or is this something I'm doing wrong?

I've got a Taylor BT2, by the way.

I use more of my palm or lower thumb to lightly hold a barre from the other side and less upper thumb. I like thinner necks because of this. Not sure if it makes sense but try relieving some pressure from the thumb. Grip lightly, it's just there to support
 

Jcinq

Neo Member
I bought one of those Dragonheart picks the other day and it's pretty sick. Never really used a pick thicker than a 1mm.
Only real problem is the rounded edge is unusable in my opinion, even with just strumming.
 
Vintage V100PGM

This is the first time I had seen, heard of or played a Vintage. I was pretty impressed. I've got dozens of hours on an Epi Standard LP and it easily beat it out on tone and felt like it was put together better. With a price tag of $649 it better, lol.

Love the Peter Green sound, but I think the flipped pickup looks dumb, so if it were mine I'd flip it back (phase won't change) and put matching knobs on. Have heard good things about that model, though.

So barre chords are fucking my thumb in the worst possible way. Anyone got a solution?

Stop playing them, the world won't end— especially in a band. Use other voicings— or if your thumb is long enough try fretting the sixth string with your thumb, and if not, see about muting it.
 
Any recommended power bricks for pedal boards?

i power 9 pedals with a single one spot into a power strip taped to my board

probably a bad idea but i've doing it for over a year and no problems at all, and im running an ehx memory man with hazarai and a boss dd-500 together
 
Any recommended power bricks for pedal boards?

61PutYFWwAL._SL1000_.jpg


I picked up one of these for $50. I only have a overdrive and wah pedal.
 
Any recommended power bricks for pedal boards?
Do make sure what you get has the right power outputs. You can get power bricks that are all 9v or some with 12v and 18v. It depends on your pedals. Hard to find ones with multiple 12v and 18v outputs or they're expensive.
 

EVOL 100%

Member
Anybody have any idea on what's going on the bass in this song? Specifically the short bursts of feedback like noises that go on for the entire song.

Autolux - Audience No.2

It's too thin and airy to be feedback, and it's not added in post-production since the bassist is able to generate pretty much the same sound when they play this song live. Maybe a delay with the feedback set high and the delay time set low?
 

Pinewood

Member
Im still looking at loopers. Is the Ditto X2 a good choice vs EHX 720? I was going to just stick with the Ditto Stereo but the X2 advantages seem pretty great.
 

TheZink

Member
I use a Walrus Aetos for my board, works as intended, quiet and plenty of power.

I'd watch reverb though, I got mine used (perfect condition) for $100.
I use the same. Works great. Much better than the old T-Rex power source I had before.
 
Anybody have any idea on what's going on the bass in this song? Specifically the short bursts of feedback like noises that go on for the entire song.

Autolux - Audience No.2

It's too thin and airy to be feedback, and it's not added in post-production since the bassist is able to generate pretty much the same sound when they play this song live. Maybe a delay with the feedback set high and the delay time set low?

Well it is overdubbed cuz the regular bass part overlaps it regularly. Not sure in what way it's done live, but it's definitely post/overdubbed in the studio recording. Not only that, but the "feedback" part is stereo panned left, and the regular bass is center-right - obviously recorded separately on different tracks.
 

EVOL 100%

Member
Well it is overdubbed cuz the regular bass part overlaps it regularly. Not sure in what way it's done live, but it's definitely post/overdubbed in the studio recording. Not only that, but the "feedback" part is stereo panned left, and the regular bass is center-right - obviously recorded separately on different tracks.

Yeah, it's probably recorded separately in the recording, but as I said, he gets the same tone when they play the song live, albeit being just different enough to rule out them playing a prerecorded track

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4spMOxXuPk

Shitty quality, but you get the idea. Maybe it is heavily processed natural feedback? Dunno, just curious because I never really heard anything like it before
 
Yeah, it's probably recorded separately in the recording, but as I said, he gets the same tone when they play the song live, albeit being just different enough to rule out them playing a prerecorded track

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4spMOxXuPk

Shitty quality, but you get the idea. Maybe it is heavily processed natural feedback? Dunno, just curious because I never really heard anything like it before

It's clearly a looped sample they are playing. It repeats the exact same tone over and over, unlike the studio recording which is more fluid and random.
 

sgjackson

Member
I kind of feel like I'm in a little bit of a rut practice-wise. I finished JustinGuitar's intermediate program a few months ago, and I'm finding myself a little lost without the structure - it was really nice having a list of 5-6 things to work on and a few relevant songs to learn to apply them. Now I'm trying to assemble a practice schedule mostly on my own and it's not working as well.

Right now I'm rigourously practicing probably 90 minutes to 2 hours a day, and I do ~20-30 minutes each of rhythm warmups (alternate picking, galloping, and downpicking), major scale and pentatonic scale patterns, improvising, theory (learning the fretboard, figuring out what keys songs are in and transposing them, etc), and just learning songs. This sounds good on paper, but the songs I'm learning don't really feel tied to what I'm working on. Long-term I'd like to be able to play older school metal - thrash/stoner/death/black/basically everything - but I've tried playing stuff like Metallica songs to GuitarPro files and slowly upping the speed and I'm really tired of hitting a brick wall at 85-90 percent of maximum tempo.

I'm working with a teacher on Skype and we're mostly working on theory stuff right now, and I'm going to bring this up to him on our next meeting to get some insight on that front, but I was wondering if you guys had any general input. In the process of typing this I realized I probably shouldn't be trying to get to downpicking eighth notes at 200bpm right away and it would be wise to think of stepping stone songs that are at a more reasonable speed while continuing metronome work, so I'll probably do that to start with.
 
Finally got my Aerodyne Japan Strat.



Only thing I might change is the tremolo arm if possible (would prefer an all chrome one) or failing that go hardtail by blocking the bridge.
But she's real pretty and very playable.


Nice! Love the Aerodyne range, mate in a band plays the bass and it's killer!
 

RevenWolf

Member
Just found a store across the street from where I work. Selling a Gibson Les Paul Studio at essentially half the price it would normally be. Would be such a good upgrade as I'm still using a squire stratocaster.

But I absolutely can't afford anything at the moment :( feels bad man :(
 

blackjaw

Member
Just found a store across the street from where I work. Selling a Gibson Les Paul Studio at essentially half the price it would normally be. Would be such a good upgrade as I'm still using a squire stratocaster.

But I absolutely can't afford anything at the moment :( feels bad man :(

It would sound and feel completely different that what you are use to, did you play it?
 

RevenWolf

Member
It would sound and feel completely different that what you are use to, did you play it?

Just briefly, it was a fair bit heavier, definitely a clearer sound, though my squire is surprisingly fat sounding.

I definitely wouldn't make a purchase without testing it out for longer but I don't feel like doing that when I know no matter what I couldn't afford to upgrade lol.

*edit:
Availability is also a pretty big issue for where I am sadly, I haven't had much luck in finding stores near me, and not sure which guitar/brand would best suit me/music I play.
 

RevenWolf

Member
What kind of amp are you playing through? If you've caught the internet-transmitted 'pursuit of tone' virus, an amp is a better purchase.

It's a Marshall, I can't remember the exact model but for the price I paid I can't complain.

I wouldn't say I'm after a complete 'pursuit of tone', I imagine a large factor is I've owned my guitar for 13 years, so I was thinking of getting another one (I'd keep both).

Honestly budget ATM does restrict me from getting a higher quality amp, and it's definitely on my list as well, would you have any recommendations?
 

Pinewood

Member
From what Ive heard myself (and what the internet keeps telling) is that a mediocre guitar through a good amp sounds better than a good guitar through a mediocre amp.
 

NEO0MJ

Member
From what Ive heard myself (and what the internet keeps telling) is that a mediocre guitar through a good amp sounds better than a good guitar through a mediocre amp.

Heard the same here and it makes sense in my head. I imagine it would be like trying to listen to a FLAC file through those complimentary airplane headphones.
 
From what Ive heard myself (and what the internet keeps telling) is that a mediocre guitar through a good amp sounds better than a good guitar through a mediocre amp.

I'd say it depends - personally I'd put the guitar above the amp, but then my board has an onboard preamp so i usually just use the power amp of any amp thats around and things generally sound consistent.

For me anyway, a better guitar will help your playing and make you want to play much more than a better amp will.

Guitar ->>> Preamp ->>>>>>>> Power Amp

The other factor in this is that 'better' can be surprising and is totally subjective - my best playing guitar is probably actually my cheap Tokai LP that only cost me 300 bucks...
 
Once upon a time, I did the cheap guitar to a Gibson Les Paul upgrade while still playing through a cheap practice amp from the early '90s. It was not the sound upgrade I was sold on/sold myself on.

I wouldn't say I'm after a complete 'pursuit of tone', I imagine a large factor is I've owned my guitar for 13 years, so I was thinking of getting another one (I'd keep both).

Ah. You pay a lot for the Gibson name; so why is this one so cheap, comparatively? Sometimes the typical cost they demand is worth it and sometimes it isn't— ratio depends on how good the QC was at Gibson in the time period the guitar was made. I personally do not assume that a Gibson is a great instrument just because it's a Gibson. Maybe that should be true for all brands, but I'm less skeptical about some than others.

Honestly budget ATM does restrict me from getting a higher quality amp, and it's definitely on my list as well, would you have any recommendations?

No, it depends on roughly the sound you want and I haven't done any serious amp shopping in a while.

For me anyway, a better guitar will help your playing and make you want to play much more than a better amp will.

YMMV of course, but for me once a 'worse' guitar passes some threshold of playability, getting a good sound is more inspiring than anything else.
 

EVOL 100%

Member
My standards for a good guitar if whether if it has good playability and has good acoustic response and resonance. Maybe it's because I started on a classic guitar, but I hate playing guitars that feel like dull blocks of wood with strings attached to them no matter how good they sound plugged in.

It's the main reason why I actually prefer playing my Jazzmaster more than my Jag, despite the fact that I like the sound of the latter much better, and why I'm getting a semi hollow custom built. If the JM had a shorter scale it'd be my main guitar.

I feel that it's easier to change the amplified sound of guitars more than the acoustic properties of them, since the latter really can't be changed once it's built, while the latter can be fixed using different pickups or post production.

So I might get a semi hollow Jag body with a swimming pool route for maximized acoustic resonance if the Stang turns out good.
 
YMMV of course, but for me once a 'worse' guitar passes some threshold of playability, getting a good sound is more inspiring than anything else.

I do agree with this - but for me an amp is not that central to a good sound, especially if you are a home player - a nice preamp/pedal and a decent cab sim, and a good delay I will use much more than any of my amps - and i can actually crank em up in my studio space!
 
My standards for a good guitar if whether if it has good playability and has good acoustic response and resonance. Maybe it's because I started on a classic guitar, but I hate playing guitars that feel like dull blocks of wood with strings attached to them no matter how good they sound plugged in.

It's the main reason why I actually prefer playing my Jazzmaster more than my Jag, despite the fact that I like the sound of the latter much better, and why I'm getting a semi hollow custom built. If the JM had a shorter scale it'd be my main guitar.

I feel that it's easier to change the amplified sound of guitars more than the acoustic properties of them, since the latter really can't be changed once it's built, while the latter can be fixed using different pickups or post production.

So I might get a semi hollow Jag body with a swimming pool route for maximized acoustic resonance if the Stang turns out good.

Excellent points - this sums up what I was getting at about a guitar being more important (to me) much better!! Thanks
 
I hate playing guitars that feel like dull blocks of wood with strings attached to them no matter how good they sound plugged in.

While I think I have some pretty great electrics they only ever feel alive when plugged in. Certainly nothing like my beloved acoustics.

a nice preamp/pedal and a decent cab sim, and a good delay I will use much more than any of my amps

By 'amp', I (at least) meant 'thing to plug your guitar into to make it loud'; I use simulators all the time. The amp is a key component in the sound of an electric guitar and its contributions are frequently underrated.
 

RevenWolf

Member
Once upon a time, I did the cheap guitar to a Gibson Les Paul upgrade while still playing through a cheap practice amp from the early '90s. It was not the sound upgrade I was sold on/sold myself on.



Ah. You pay a lot for the Gibson name; so why is this one so cheap, comparatively? Sometimes the typical cost they demand is worth it and sometimes it isn't— ratio depends on how good the QC was at Gibson in the time period the guitar was made. I personally do not assume that a Gibson is a great instrument just because it's a Gibson. Maybe that should be true for all brands, but I'm less skeptical about some than others.



No, it depends on roughly the sound you want and I haven't done any serious amp shopping in a while.



YMMV of course, but for me once a 'worse' guitar passes some threshold of playability, getting a good sound is more inspiring than anything else.

Well the store itself is essentially a Gibson retailer. They have epiphones which I was looking at for a cheaper price. Essentially the vast majority of their stock was getting discounted as they were about to get the 2017 models in.

Combine that with it being a les Paul studio which is a bit cheaper than the standard.
 
Anyone excited for NAMM '17 this month?

Ibanez is unleashing 55(!) new guitars and basses for 2017. Get your wallets ready!


Schecter looks like they are releasing a new classic style line that shifts away from their familiar metal style axes.


Should be more guitarporn coming out in the next few days!
 

Scottify

Member
I'm digging that Ibanez Talman, looks pretty slick, and that fretless/fretted bass combo would be pretty interesting to try out.
 
Game changer!

nkc2ItU.jpg


Line 6 G10 wireless relay. $158 from Reverb.com. It falls into that Do I really need this?/I can't live without it! category. I wandered all over my house with no dropped signals or delay. I can turn my amp up and stand back from it for a better sound. Great for sitting in front of my computer. Highly recommended.

Located in Australia, and budget for the guitar or amp? At the moment the budget is 0 but eventually I'd say around 2k Aud for guitar and $500aud for a good amp.

What is it about your current amp that is lacking? Do you have anything like Craigslist (online flea market, essentially)? It's hard to recommend amps because they are so tonally different. Do you play clean? What genre of music are you playing? Do you want amp overdrive or pedals? Are you in a space you can play loudly? Tube or solid-state? etc.

My favorite amps currently are my VOX AV30 and Fender SuperChamp X2. What I love about them is they let me play through different amp models (Fender Bassman, VOX AC15, Marshall JCM, etc.), but I'm not really having to "dial in" those sounds and I can simply adjust the EQ as needed.
 

Surfinn

Member
Just thought I'd post this for people looking for a practice amp:

Blackstar ID Core 10

Been playing with this for the last 2 days and it's probably the best sounding small amp I've ever had. Sounds like you're playing through a tube amp even at low volumes, very punchy and it's got pretty smooth distorted sounds in comparison to other amps within the same price range. You can use three effects at one time and can even use the included USB cord to record/play along with stuff on headphones.

Very happy so far. I'm a returning guitar player, recently decided to get back into it.
 
Just thought I'd post this for people looking for a practice amp:

Blackstar ID Core 10

Been playing with this for the last 2 days and it's probably the best sounding small amp I've ever had. Sounds like you're playing through a tube amp even at low volumes, very punchy and it's got pretty smooth distorted sounds in comparison to other amps within the same price range. You can use three effects at one time and can even use the included USB cord to record/play along with stuff on headphones.

Very happy so far. I'm a returning guitar player, recently decided to get back into it.

Very nice man. I saw a guy on youtube playing with that and I was impressed, including every else who was commenting. It's a nice little amp for sure. I'm really jonesing for a Boss Katana though. I also took a hiatus from guitar and have been returning to it in a big way.
 

zbarron

Member
I moved recently so I decided to stop by the local guitar shop today. They had a great sale on some of the guitars including this one:
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/det...szSAaGQO8AFaAoEZYrir_-0NEy7GzKbuK7hoCpKnw_wcB

It is even more beautiful in person. It's comfortable as hell and has a great voice. The asking price was $350. It almost made me forget that I don't have $350 to be spending on a guitar.

I ended up just grabbing an assortment of picks. I'm liking the thin ones a lot more than I thought I would.
 

RevenWolf

Member
Game changer!

nkc2ItU.jpg


Line 6 G10 wireless relay. $158 from Reverb.com. It falls into that Do I really need this?/I can't live without it! category. I wandered all over my house with no dropped signals or delay. I can turn my amp up and stand back from it for a better sound. Great for sitting in front of my computer. Highly recommended.



What is it about your current amp that is lacking? Do you have anything like Craigslist (online flea market, essentially)? It's hard to recommend amps because they are so tonally different. Do you play clean? What genre of music are you playing? Do you want amp overdrive or pedals? Are you in a space you can play loudly? Tube or solid-state? etc.

My favorite amps currently are my VOX AV30 and Fender SuperChamp X2. What I love about them is they let me play through different amp models (Fender Bassman, VOX AC15, Marshall JCM, etc.), but I'm not really having to "dial in" those sounds and I can simply adjust the EQ as needed.


Honestly my amp isn't terrible. It has zero options for tone shifts etc so I supplemented it with a green rhino distortion pedal. I also have an Rv-30 loop station but my amp definitely doesn't loop well and cuts out unless I use headphones.

Honestly amp is still low on my list for changes ATM l, the one I got is small enough to be easily portable for now which is fine by me.
 

Pinewood

Member
Game changer!

nkc2ItU.jpg


Line 6 G10 wireless relay. $158 from Reverb.com. It falls into that Do I really need this?/I can't live without it! category. I wandered all over my house with no dropped signals or delay. I can turn my amp up and stand back from it for a better sound. Great for sitting in front of my computer. Highly recommended.



What is it about your current amp that is lacking? Do you have anything like Craigslist (online flea market, essentially)? It's hard to recommend amps because they are so tonally different. Do you play clean? What genre of music are you playing? Do you want amp overdrive or pedals? Are you in a space you can play loudly? Tube or solid-state? etc.

My favorite amps currently are my VOX AV30 and Fender SuperChamp X2. What I love about them is they let me play through different amp models (Fender Bassman, VOX AC15, Marshall JCM, etc.), but I'm not really having to "dial in" those sounds and I can simply adjust the EQ as needed.

Modeling amps are great for noodling around with the controls (my one and only amp for the last 6 years has been a Vox VT15) but in the end I just usually end up playing through one or two different amp settings I like (Vox AC30 or Marshall JCsomething).
 

Kalamari

Member
Amps really confuzzle me, it's good to see some solid recommendations for practice amps though. It seems like there are so many more variables to electrics when compared to acoustics.
 
Amps really confuzzle me, it's good to see some solid recommendations for practice amps though. It seems like there are so many more variables to electrics when compared to acoustics.

Amps can be amazing, however IMO they are towards the last 20 percent of amazing, and you don't need a stellar amp to enjoy the guitar - a great guitar that you like through pretty much any amp is better than a crap guitar through a great amp.

Like for example, my 'living room' amp is an Orange Micro Terror with 10 inch mini cab - it's not a great or even decent amp by any stretch - but I plug my ESP or Strat in and I can get lost for ours.,

The same does not apply when I play some of my shitty guiyars into my Vox AC30 or Blackstar HT60 in the studio - I want the better guitars!
 

Surfinn

Member
I'm looking for a way to get good heavy distorted tones plugged straight into the computer.. is that even possible? Been trying on and off for years with various pieces of software and never found a solution that wasn't buzzy, muddy or overprocessed.

Guitar Rig sounds pretty much like everything else. Cleans are easy to produce.. distortion is really difficult though.
 
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