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stray
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Reply #245 on: May 04, 2006, 04:59:30 AM

/rant

So is it me or is the typical guitar player flat out ignorant of "technical" things?

And when I say technical, I use that term lightly. I'm not talking about mods or amp maintainance. Just little things. Like adjusting intonation or getting their EQ settings right. Hell, I know plenty of people who'd consider even a string change some kind of big job....And then when they do happen to change strings, they can't even do that right either (You know, when they just wind the string all the way into the post, instead of giving it slack? Or when they let 8 inches of wire swing around on their headstock?).

Also, I have a neighbor who's probably been playing for 40 years, and he barely changes his strings.....And when he does, he tries to salvage the old ones by boiling them. I'll tell him: "Dude, I've got a gazillion packs at home. Take one," but then he acts like that's some big deal.

I don't know what's that's all about.

Secondly: Tuning. More often than not the sound coming out people's guitars is out of tune and out of pitch. Yet, they go about their happy way, completely oblivious that they sound like complete shit (regardless of what the song is, or if they have skills).

Thirdly: Tone/Timbre/etc. I may be a little picky here, but again, I'm not talking about anything silly, like Ash vs Mahogany or Rosewood vs Maple. Just simple things.

For example, I've got a friend, who for the life of me, can't distinguish between a humbucker and a single coil sound. Apparantly, all guitars are the same to him, besides looks. The same goes for amps -- There's just clean and distorted in his world. This is a guy, who, for some reason, makes (rather, has made) money playing music.

/rant off
MisterNoisy
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Reply #246 on: May 04, 2006, 07:42:42 AM

/rant

So is it me or is the typical guitar player flat out ignorant of "technical" things?

And when I say technical, I use that term lightly. I'm not talking about mods or amp maintainance. Just little things. Like adjusting intonation or getting their EQ settings right. Hell, I know plenty of people who'd consider even a string change some kind of big job....And then when they do happen to change strings, they can't even do that right either (You know, when they just wind the string all the way into the post, instead of giving it slack? Or when they let 8 inches of wire swing around on their headstock?).

I've noticed it, but what other people do has never really bothered me - if the situation permits, I usually offer to do a setup for them.  The combination of fear and ignorance is what keeps 'guitar techs' in business doing maintenance and setups, despite the ready availability of the Internet and cheap tools.  One of the advantages to buying and modding up cheap gear or building from kits is that you have no fear when it comes time to take the things apart, and can then apply that experience elsewhere.

I keep waiting for one of the guys with strings hanging out all over the place to stab someone in the eye.

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Raph
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Reply #247 on: May 10, 2006, 11:59:00 PM

Being an acoustic player, I just learned how to adjust intonation on an electric two weeks ago.  undecided

I also have no idea what the tonal difference between a single coil and a humbucker is. :)

I can tell the difference between spruce and koa tops, though.

Anyway, that's all about to change. I just inherited a '61 Gibson Melody Maker. Despite being in a basement for thirty years, it's in great shape. The repair guy at the local shop looked at it, and sent it back, saying "you can do everything that needs done to it."

It sounds great too. I can tell the tonal difference between it and the cheapo Fernandes electric I have.

The repair prognosis on the 112-year-old banjo (not a typo -- SS Stewart, 1894), however, was a bit dicier. Looks like it'll be maybe $175 and a few weeks to get it back into shape.
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Reply #248 on: May 11, 2006, 01:31:48 AM


The repair prognosis on the 112-year-old banjo (not a typo -- SS Stewart, 1894), however, was a bit dicier. Looks like it'll be maybe $175 and a few weeks to get it back into shape.

I wouldnt have a "guy at the local repair shop" working on a 112 year old musical instrument. I would look for a professional antique restoration company, so as to ensure the greatest historical and therefore potential monetary value is retained. Maybe thats just me though.

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stray
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Reply #249 on: May 11, 2006, 06:00:10 AM

I also have no idea what the tonal difference between a single coil and a humbucker is. :)

Singles vary from each other more than humbuckers do, but generally speaking, they're more bright and crisp (and noisy). Humbuckers offer higher gain and output, produce more sustain, but lack the high end dynamics of a single coil. For clean, non distorted playing, humbuckers are more mellow and lack the chime that a single coil produces. Both are great in their own way though.

More than likely, that Melody Maker you have has P-90 pickups. These are single coils, but they're more compressed, hot, and midrangey than the average Fender design.
Sky
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Reply #250 on: May 11, 2006, 06:43:57 AM

Quote
so as to ensure the greatest historical and therefore potential monetary value is retained.
Fucking capitalists. I agree with you about the professional restoration, but from a player's viewpoint.

I've traditionally played Strat knockoffs, but since I got my Gibson SG, I'm a total convert. Well, probably not total, because my Strat knockoffs were cheap, playing with some quality single coils would probably mitigate that a lot. I am hooked on the 61 reissue's thin wide neck, though. Bendy bendy bendy, big chunky Albert King bends.

Went to a great blues jam last night, hosted by my buddy Jim Wolf. He's an amazing guitar player, he started playing a few years before I did, but kept with it professionally all through (and didn't make a major genre switch halfway along, heh). My girlfriend kept kicking me under the table to play, because I was better than a lot of the guys up there, but I'm simply not that comfortable playing blues yet. I don't want to halfass things, and my playing has been progressing well, so it's just a matter of time until things gel.

Now I just have to learn some actual blues songs (opposed to jams) :P I've got much of "All Your Love" (Mayall's version w/EC), "Since I've Been Loving You" (Zep, got that one pretty cold but requires a keyboardist), a decent chunk of "Hideaway" (Freddie King),  "Born Under a Bad Sign" (Albert King), a couple EC tunes off "From the Cradle". I can play pretty much anything with a standard progression without much in the way of tricky signature passages, but of course I enjoy playing songs with those passages to tie together extended jamming to avoid the dreaded jamband syndrome (beating the same three chords to death). I just have a hard time focusing on learning a song without going off constantly :) Luckily, that'll pay off as I learn some tunes, because I love to play around with arrangements and change the way I play songs to keep it interesting.

Best part of the jam last night was when there was an ensemble onstage and this old guy (had to be in his 70s) comes out of nowhere, walking through the crowd, playing trombone. He was really wailing on it, too. Great stuff. If I ever form another band, it'll be goddamned huge, horns, keys, I love varied instrumentation.
stray
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Reply #251 on: May 11, 2006, 06:55:14 AM

Sounds fun, man.

I haven't made a conscious effort for blues in quite some time, but lately I've been getting better at slide (mainly open E tuning). Tried to learn some Robert Johnson tunes as well, but that ain't happenin'! So I'm learning Keith riffs instead  cheesy.
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Reply #252 on: May 11, 2006, 08:10:59 AM

Robert Johnson seems a lot more complex than he is, but it's sure not easy. The seperate bass line is killing me, it's the reason I'll never be a drummer. I've been working on acoustic blues a bit lately, but it's slow going and hard to stick with when I'm still at such a beginner level (imo) compared to my skill at other styles.

I'm working some slide, too. Open G stuff "In My Time of Dying" was the first slide tune I learned a couple years ago, now I'm working on some Muddy stuff like "Can't Be Satisfied" (actually the Library of Congress version "I Be's Troubled").

My latest cd binge:

T-Bone Walker - Blues Masters
Sonny Boy Williamson II - King Biscuit Time
Muddy Waters - Folk Singer (with Willie Dixon and Buddy Guy)
Elmore James - King of the Slide Guitar (3cd)
Paul Butterfield - Paul Butterfield Blues Band
Paul Butterfield - East West
Little Walter - His Best (my favorite harp player)
Otis Rush - The Essential Otis Rush
Alan Lomax - Deep River of Song (Alan and his dad among a few others did the Library of Congress field recordings, some great stuff from varied artists, some of the most essential listening you can do for blues imo, the /real/ stuff, non-commercial)
stray
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Reply #253 on: May 11, 2006, 08:37:45 AM

Robert Johnson seems a lot more complex than he is, but it's sure not easy.

Well, I've got the general idea and can do some of those songs "my" way, I guess.  cool I know the notes, but it's his attack and sense of rhythm. It's sketchy. It's amazing that he sang the way he did against this stuff.

Plus, combining slide with all of that finger picking isn't doing me any favors. I'm a lefty, but I play righty, so I'm a little slow for this kind of thing (same goes for classical).
Sky
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Reply #254 on: May 11, 2006, 09:18:59 AM

Yeah, I can't really bring slide into it because I play on my middle finger :( It's just how I learned, originally (up until a couple months ago) I played slide with a bic lighter that I pressed down with my middle finger.

And singing while playing anything is pretty much out for me, still. I'm working on it, and I've been having fun harmonizing...but when the rhythms start to get too independent of each other, sayanora to one of them :)
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Reply #255 on: May 11, 2006, 12:18:34 PM

Im still having great fun with my guitars. Been at it since Xmas now, and pick up the guitar daily so looks like its here to stay.

I still havent got a clue about scales, have trouble knowing what key im playing in and can barely remember a chord, but can now getting hang of play some powerchords, play can jam rhythm along with mate, palm mute, pinch harmonics, tune the guitar down, as well as play some nice spanish melody stuff when the chicks are round, and yeh blimey, to think ive missed out on such a good fannymagnet for all these years.....
stray
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Reply #256 on: May 11, 2006, 12:31:25 PM

Scales....Well...

I've been playing for about 16 years, and I'm no authority on scales either (though I do know some things intuitively i.e. or as a result of learning riffs and whatnot over the years). My advice is just learn the songs and musicians you've been dying to learn, get at least a rudimentary understanding of rhythm (That's the real bane of new musicians. Not scales), how to recognize chords and keys a song's in, learn riffs and patterns (if not scales), and let it go from there.

There are more musicians (especially guitar players) who don't know a lot about theory than those who do. You're not alone.
« Last Edit: May 11, 2006, 12:38:54 PM by Stray »
Nebu
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Reply #257 on: May 11, 2006, 02:03:03 PM

Having played professionally for years I can honestly admit that while I know how to set up my instrument, I often pay people to do it for me.  They are often more efficient and can sometimes bring new ideas to the table. 

As for the rest, there are many people out there that can play an instrument... very few of them would I consider musicians.  Too many young musicians focus far too much energy on becoming technical gurus and lose sight of the purpose of music. 

"Always do what is right. It will gratify half of mankind and astound the other."

-  Mark Twain
Sky
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Reply #258 on: May 12, 2006, 06:43:46 AM

That's definitely true. There was one young guy at that open mic wednesday that was a decent player, but he kept plugging in these stock riffs rather than play melodies along with the band. It was kind of sad, really. But it was a good point to explain to my girlfriend that that was what I was trying to work out of my playing before I look to form a band. Riffs should be there to support the melodic playing, not just to wank off.

The worst part was he was playing a SRV strat and half of his band's covers used very recognizable SRV licks. It's like "Oh, they're doing the intro to Pride & Joy...no it's an original that is bland and stock beyond the SRV lick." Bah.

Actually, I'm starting to feel pretty comfortable in the blues, when a few more things become automatic, a couple scales (major pentatonic for instance, I always have to think to play in that mode because I've played minor and blues pentatonic for almost twenty years) and some chord variations (working on 7th variations has really enhanced my blues, but now I have to fit them with my scales!). I don't like to think about the technical stuff when I'm playing, I like to be very playful with the melodies and rhythms. Rhythms are really my strong point, I love playing around the beat and doing interesting attacks, a leftover from my metal days.

It's funny learning basically the opposite way I did originally. Back then, I practiced for hours every day with my band, at least two hours a day, often all day long writing sessions. But I rarely had time to practice alone, because it was either playing or partying. Now I never get time to jam with a band to work things out :) There were a couple tracks on the last...Guitar One, I think...guitar mag cd that are nice. They are basically cheesy backing tracks, a C shuffle and Am slow blues (which I totally crush, heh, I kerpwn minor keys).

/ramble
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Reply #259 on: May 12, 2006, 12:47:44 PM

Er, the guitar shop is Buffalo Brothers and the repair guy is a banjo specialist who regularly works on vintage instruments. :) Give me some credit...!

Tho, fwiw, finding 100-year old banjos isn't that uncommon. There were several there for sale in the store. It's not like finding a 100 year old guitar.
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Reply #260 on: May 12, 2006, 01:02:37 PM

Yeah, I've noticed that. Same goes for most folk instruments (dulcimers, etc). A lot of them seem to sell for pretty cheap.
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Reply #261 on: May 14, 2006, 02:13:30 PM

So yesterday I cleaned and restrung my grandfather's 1950's Harmony ukulele.  It's a baritone, so it's tuned like a guitar's 4 high strings. It came out rather gorgeous looking -- I never expected that underneath the dust. Sounds quite nice.

There doesn't seem to be a way to date these more accurately than by decade. I'm going off the logo styling...
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Reply #262 on: May 14, 2006, 04:52:19 PM

I posted a pic of the uke and also a recording. Wow, the tone on that thing, for a uke! Sounds like a classical guitar.

http://www.raphkoster.com/2006/05/14/may/
stray
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Reply #263 on: May 14, 2006, 05:35:52 PM

Watch out, Tiny Tim!

Sounds like a cool thing to have around actually.
stray
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Reply #264 on: May 23, 2006, 09:42:56 PM

When he's not snapping necks, he's just your average, humble "blues man".
Sky
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Reply #265 on: May 24, 2006, 06:51:47 AM

Hey, the guitar thread.

I think I'm breaking down and taking lessons for a while. I'm signed up for some basic blues harmonica lessons from a local cat (through our Art&Community Center), and went to see him play the other night. The guy he was with did some great acoustic blues guitar, and he gives lessons (through another Music & Art Center), so I figured wth. I'm also getting to the networking phase where I need to integrate into the local blues scene, this should help a lot because he has a studio as well.

He asked if SRV got me into blues, I chuckled and started listing my listening, I listen mostly to pre-1970 stuff, heavy on the 20s-50s. SRV is cool, but I'm not too interested in sounding like him, more like Big Bill Broonzy style. Should be good times as I finally figure out what chords I'm playing (some of them I can't quite pin down), and re-learn some theory I've forgotten.

Also, something to do on Tuesday night, heh.
Sky
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Reply #266 on: May 24, 2006, 06:54:07 AM

When he's not snapping necks, he's just your average, humble "blues man".
The sad part is....I've heard worse.
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Reply #267 on: May 24, 2006, 08:49:10 AM

I posted a pic of the uke and also a recording. Wow, the tone on that thing, for a uke! Sounds like a classical guitar.

http://www.raphkoster.com/2006/05/14/may/

Looking at getting a baritone ukulele myself, just for a bit of fun.

I was going to link Jake Shimabukuro but your article about him on your website comes up on page 1 of google searches for him, so i guess you know ....

Here's a vid of his thats not the Ukulele Gently Weeps one.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8395698617458049023&q=ukulele
stray
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Reply #268 on: May 24, 2006, 03:34:59 PM

When he's not snapping necks, he's just your average, humble "blues man".
The sad part is....I've heard worse.

Strange article here.


I gotta admit though. I don't really dislike him. Out for Justice is one of my favorite comedies.


[edit]

What's pretty kickass though is that he owns Jimi's Jazzmaster. That's even cooler than Jimi's white strat imo, since it's the first Fender guitar Hendrix was gigging with.

The only video of it in action, I think. Very cool.
« Last Edit: May 24, 2006, 03:41:42 PM by Stray »
penfold
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Reply #269 on: May 24, 2006, 05:24:27 PM


Quote from: Steven Seagal
I'm very quiet about it. I'm kind of reclusive as it is; I never like to blow my horn.

Right after he answers some of the preceeding questions as if he was the soul of jimi hendrix reborn.

penfold
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Reply #270 on: May 25, 2006, 02:09:12 PM

Might as well show off my new guitar. Im a big fan of Lamb of God and for ages I've wondered what guitars Willie uses, Ive always seen the ones with the sunburst many times. I found out exactly what it was on ebay last night;



Its Willie Adler from Lamb of God's Framus Diablo Custom Shop guitar and differs from the others they do as has a fast flame maple neck and wilkinson bridge. It was a bit battered and dirty from the tour it was used on (bloke said was relic finish, but just looks scratched and dinged to me) and willl need new strings and setting up again but I'm pleased.
« Last Edit: May 25, 2006, 03:26:44 PM by penfold »
Sky
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Reply #271 on: May 26, 2006, 06:33:09 AM

That guitar looks nice, but the site doesn't likey Safari :(

Lamb of God is cool, but I'm not big on yelling guys. Love the music, though.

I actually got my non-metal girlfriend into metal watching the VH-1 stuff this past week, because she's never really heard the heavy stuff with a melodic vocalist that doesn't sing in piercing registers. Unfortunately, there really isn't much actual heavy stuff like that, but she was digging Maiden, vintage Priest, etc. I'm a bad influence  evil
stray
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Reply #272 on: May 26, 2006, 06:54:55 AM

Unfortunately, there really isn't much actual heavy stuff like that, but she was digging Maiden, vintage Priest, etc. I'm a bad influence  evil

I hate to admit it, but I just recently discovered the first two Iron Maiden albums. Bruce Dickinson's amazing and all, but I can only take him in small doses. Paul Di'Anno rocks! And the sound of Maiden in that stage was tight. Very "unepic", less spacious, etc.. It's just raw and rockin'. Not at all what I expected.

Best non high pitched vocalist in metal is Glenn Danzig. He's also the best Goth and Punk vocalist as well. :)
« Last Edit: May 26, 2006, 07:17:25 AM by Stray »
Sky
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Reply #273 on: May 26, 2006, 07:39:25 AM

I like all Maiden, up until Bruce quit, really. But the Dianno stuff is really great, so punky, raw and punchy. They are actually the only Maiden albums I own in cd format right now, since my blues buying interrupted backfilling my metal catalogue. Wait, I do have Live After Death.

Rime of the Ancient Mariner helped me pass 9th grade english :)
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Reply #274 on: May 26, 2006, 08:24:35 AM

Do you know what show this clip is from? That's pretty a good quality and performance for an early vid.
Sky
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Reply #275 on: May 26, 2006, 09:40:54 AM

It might be from the Early Years DVD. Not sure, I haven't watched it in a while. HIGHLY recommend grabbing it.
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Reply #276 on: June 12, 2006, 12:39:39 PM

Posted another thing, this one with some electric in it (gasp!).

http://www.raphkoster.com/2006/06/11/the-sunday-poemsong-feel-the-slide/
Sky
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Reply #277 on: June 12, 2006, 01:04:19 PM

I like the lyrics; it's really not my musical style, but it does grow on me, it's catchy. A coworker (a vintage hippy) liked it. I didn't care for it at first, but by the end of the song I liked it.

Since it's guitar update time: I'm learning to read music. Again.

Took my first lesson last tuesday and it was a real barrier not being able to read music. Spent the last week grinding the very basics of music theory, which I remember enough to know I knew it, but not enough to use it. It's been torture.

But good stuff, in the end. My knowledge expands, my chops expand, and my repertoire expands (+All Your Love - Mayall's Bluesbreakers or Otis Rush). Not sure where these lessons are going, because I'm on track for a few months worth of re-learning basic theory, which I can do alone, I think it's time to needle the guy for some style lessons in early (pre-WWII) delta blues.

Just added the first Taj Mahal album and a Mississippi John Hurt disc to the collection, both strong albums in their styles. I can't believe I didn't have that Taj album, it's great funky blues. And Hurt is a great transfer technically, the stuff sounds like it was just recorded, but it's from 1928. I love that old multiple melody solo acoustic stuff, that's where I want to go in my current phase of playing.
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Reply #278 on: June 12, 2006, 01:26:09 PM

that's where I want to go in my current phase of playing.

My Personal Update:  Still wishing I was Keith Richards. Electric, acoustic, whatever...


Also, my acoustic sucks.

Actually, it doesn't suck per se. It's just a plain jane Takamine dreadnought is all. I want a Jumbo.
Sky
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Reply #279 on: June 13, 2006, 06:53:37 AM

Mine's a jumbo, an Alvarez. I loved it so much when I just had the Cort electric, but the SG has totally spoiled me. I played an incredible Taylor classical that was marked down to $900 from $1500, I came sooo close to buying it, I really wish I had. I've been hunting a classical for years.

Funny you mention the acoustic, I'm compiling a list of acoustic stuff to burn to give my instructor an idea of where I want to be on the acoustic. Here's the list so far:

Too Too Train Blues - Big Bill Broonzy
Brown Skin Shuffle - Big Bill Broonzy
Mistreatin' Mama Blues - Big Bill Broonzy
Catfish Blues - Buddy Guy & Junior Wells
Bukka's Jitterbug Swing - Bukka White
A Spoonful Blues - Charley Patton
Dimples In Your Jaws - Joe Lee, Boy Blue, Darnel Walker
Crawlin' King Snake - John Lee Hooker
Stagolee - Mississippi John Hurt
Rolling Stone - Muddy Waters
I Be's Troubled - Muddy Waters
Bowlegged Charlie - Otis Taylor
From 4 Until Late - Robert Johnson
Love In Vain - Robert Johnson
Rolled and Tumbled - Rosalie Hill
The Ponly Blues - Son House
Mississippi Blues - William Brown
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