Guitar |OT| If you stick with it, you're gonna be rewarded

Wag · Dec 23, 2017

Excuse me while I hijack this thread for ukelele stuff.

https://ukutabs.com/i/israel-kamakawiwoole/somewhere-over-the-rainbow-what-a-wonderful-world/

I'm trying to learn this and was curious about barre chords on the uke and when I should use them. Since it only has 4 strings it's very easy to barre something like an E-minor instead of using 3 fingers on each string. Any hints or advice?

zbarron · Dec 23, 2017

It probably is haha, but it was free so I decided to try it, and I gotta say it sounds pretty sweet. The Seventy 80 is considered a full spectrum PA style speaker. It's why they're often found in modeling amps.

Wag said:
Excuse me while I hijack this thread for ukelele stuff.

https://ukutabs.com/i/israel-kamakawiwoole/somewhere-over-the-rainbow-what-a-wonderful-world/

I'm trying to learn this and was curious about barre chords on the uke and when I should use them. Since it only has 4 strings it's very easy to barre something like an E-minor instead of using 3 fingers on each string. Any hints or advice?

I'd just play the E minor as it shows. It's really easy and it'll be a handy shape for chord changes.

Wag · Dec 24, 2017

zbarron said:
I'd just play the E minor as it shows. It's really easy and it'll be a handy shape for chord changes.

I figured that out on my own, but it is easier on my fingers to barre stuff rather than use individual fingering. I have tendinitis/arthritis in my fingers/hands, painful to play certain chords. The uke is much easier to play than my steel string acoustic, my electric isn't that difficult tho. I'm definitely considering a nylon string acoustic now.

zbarron · Dec 26, 2017

Wag said:
I figured that out on my own, but it is easier on my fingers to barre stuff rather than use individual fingering. I have tendinitis/arthritis in my fingers/hands, painful to play certain chords. The uke is much easier to play than my steel string acoustic, my electric isn't that difficult tho. I'm definitely considering a nylon string acoustic now.

Yeah good call. I love playing my uke. It's easier and it's small size makes it perfect for just relaxing on the couch and fiddling with it. If you need any advice on ukuleles, or guitaleles let me know. I've done tons of research on them. I am not very knowledgeable on nylon string guitars though.

I finally got my JJ EL84 tubes from Amazon. That completely fixed the rattling sound I was experiencing. Reverb.com is having a 15% off sale until the end of the month so I ordered an Eminence Private Jack. Anyone have experience with these speakers? They seem to be Eminence's take on a Celestion Greenback. The Seventy 80s just aren't clicking with me. They are harsh even after 20+ hours of break in. They're honestly not that bad, but I just can't leave well enough alone.

treble · Dec 26, 2017

Anyone get anything nice from Musical Santa?

Supa Necta · Dec 27, 2017

treble said:
Anyone get anything nice from Musical Santa?

I bought 2 of those Fender Paramount parlors. A sunburst for me and a natural to gift to my son in a few years.

Released · Dec 27, 2017

Got a Vox AC15. Sounds amazing :>

zbarron · Dec 27, 2017

Released said:
Got a Vox AC15. Sounds amazing :>

Awesome. Which AC15? AC15VR? AC15C1? AC15C1X? AC15 Custom? They have a bunch.

Wag · Dec 28, 2017

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/flash-sale?N=500001

Musician's Friend is having a flash sale. Looks like some decent prices.

I'm still looking for a new acoustic but I'm hesitant to buy one (specifically a steel string) without playing it first. I know most, if not all steel strings are going to be easier to play than mine- after fooling around with the ukelele I'm very tempted to just buy a nylon string classical- but it's not the best for blues/r&b.

zbarron · Dec 28, 2017

Why not just use your electric? Electric guitars are very common with those genres.

Angry Grimace · Dec 28, 2017

I picked up a Yamaha THR10 for my apartment since I basically can't use my Jet City tube amp anymore. Practice Amps are way better than they were when I picked up the guitar 10 years ago (note: I stopped playing for like 7 years in there so I still am not good in the least).

Also went through my storage and pulled my PRS and that thing still has the kickin raddest paint job.

zbarron · Dec 28, 2017

Angry Grimace said:
I picked up a Yamaha THR10 for my apartment since I basically can't use my Jet City tube amp anymore. Practice Amps are way better than they were when I picked up the guitar 10 years ago (note: I stopped playing for like 7 years in there so I still am not good in the least).

Also went through my storage and pulled my PRS and that thing still has the kickin raddest paint job.

Nice. I haven't heard a single person dislike them.

Wanted to post my guitar collection now that I have a stand for the acoustic.

I replaced the Celestion with the Eminence. I'm glad it came with an amp badge so I don't have to lie. It's a night and day difference. Bigger than a pickup swap or covering the humbuckers easily.

Wag · Dec 28, 2017

zbarron said:
Why not just use your electric? Electric guitars are very common with those genres.

I have a bad back so hauling around an amp is not an option, plus I want to start doing open mics again so just an electric by myself isn't really going to cut it.

Cryptosporidium · Dec 28, 2017

Picking up this badboy tomorrow

My Mel9 is amazing, seriously if any of you are interested in the 9series by EHX pick on up at a store.

Angry Grimace · Dec 28, 2017

zbarron said:
Nice. I haven't heard a single person dislike them.

Wanted to post my guitar collection now that I have a stand for the acoustic.

I replaced the Celestion with the Eminence. I'm glad it came with an amp badge so I don't have to lie. It's a night and day difference. Bigger than a pickup swap or covering the humbuckers easily.

I'm surprised it took so long for someone to engineer a practice amp that isn't just a copy of 60s era combo design given that sound engineering has come a long way and it's perfectly possible to make an amp that doesn't sound farty at low volumes with very small speakers as long as its actually designed for it.

It honestly probably has saved my ability to keep playing - I live in an older apartment building and the idea of firing up even the tiniest combo is probably unrealistic but that little guy sounds just fine at apartment levels. That said, I'm not even sure if it makes any sense for an awful flogger like me to keep a USA PRS, a Les Paul and a tube amp around at this point. It's not like I'm gigging. I just used to live in a house in the suburbs where I could fire that fucker up to ridiculous levels.

zbarron · Dec 28, 2017

That picture you see is in my apartment. Luckily this complex is only one floor and I'm in a corner unit so I only have one next door neighbor. Still the tube amp on the right sounds good at the same volume as a TV (I've compared them with a sound meter.) It's not a cranked tube sound but still a good sound. Then again it's a 15 watt with a 1 watt option. You could try this method if you want to keep your tube amp.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=te-Z6oC8HiM

I'd gladly trade my spare amp in for a Yamaha TH5/10 or a Roland Micro Cube. I think I'd use it battery powered at all times. I hate being attached to walls. One cable from the guitar is already an annoyance.

Angry Grimace · Dec 28, 2017

I don't want to keep my tube amp though.

It's just large. It sounds better in theory, but at the volume I'm playing at, it doesn't at all. It's better than my long, long gone Mesa/Boogie Mark III which sounded like total assholes at the kind of volume I ever played it at (I bought it for vanity and because it was $600). Holy fuck was that thing loud as balls. It was an 85-watt 1x12 that weighed a completely outrageous amount. Every amp I have ever bought has gotten smaller. I sold the Mesa and got a Marshall JCM 900, and then sold that and got a 20w Jet City I still own (which sounds better than either the Mesa or the Marshall at the kind of wimp-volumes I ended up playing it at and cost like $300).

Basically everything I ever bought was a vanity purchase to feel cool about having some thing since I'm terrible and just waste money on crap. The only one of those things I don't regret is the Les Paul because I always wanted a sunburst and it looks like art sitting in the corner haha. If I purchase gear on skill at actually playing I'd wager I'm at the level of "Mexican Strat and 20w Chinese tube amp." I got one of those right. After 10 years.

zbarron · Dec 28, 2017

I understand. I have problems with vanity all the time. I want my strat's headstock to say Fender even if it doesn't sound any different.

I'm glad you're enjoying the THR10. They only seem to have the THR10X by me and I'm not a metal player. I'm growing to appreciate it more. How does the glow behind the grill look in person?

Angry Grimace · Dec 29, 2017

zbarron said:
I understand. I have problems with vanity all the time. I want my strat's headstock to say Fender even if it doesn't sound any different.

I'm glad you're enjoying the THR10. They only seem to have the THR10X by me and I'm not a metal player. I'm growing to appreciate it more. How does the glow behind the grill look in person?

I like it. It's probably trying to emulate tube glow, although in the amps I've owned where you could even see the tubes they don't really glow as brightly as marketing photos do.

Also, I weighed my Les Paul just randomly on my bathroom scale. 9 pounds, 10 oz. That's a heavy fucker. I got it as a "scratch and dent' limited run of plain-top, non-weight relieved Les Paul Traditionals a couple years back. I really love the way my PRS looks, but I have to admit the LP sounds about a billion times better through any amp I've ever put it through. I don't think I much like the PRS's pickups, I'm just too cheap to replace them.

zbarron · Dec 29, 2017

I don't know what pickups they are or what model PRS you have but there are a few options in the budget range if you don't mind spending a little but don't want to spend Seymour Duncan prices. If they have ceramic magnets you could swap them for alnico for all of $8.
https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.com/ulk/itm/222122150677

Or I can personally recommend these pickups if you like PAF Alnico 2 style ones.
https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.com/ulk/itm/362182506821

Just something to consider.

Angry Grimace · Dec 29, 2017

zbarron said:
I don't know what pickups they are or what model PRS you have but there are a few options in the budget range if you don't mind spending a little but don't want to spend Seymour Duncan prices. If they have ceramic magnets you could swap them for alnico for all of $8.
https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.com/ulk/itm/222122150677

Or I can personally recommend these pickups if you like PAF Alnico 2 style ones.
https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.com/ulk/itm/362182506821

Just something to consider.

I forgot that I have a set of DiMarzio PAF36's in a beat to hell unplayable Orville Les Paul that I have in storage, too (I bought them years ago and literally never had them installed!). I should just pull those out and stick them in there, I think.

zbarron · Dec 29, 2017

Definitely. Worst case scenario you don't like them and you haven't spent a dime. I'm probaly the biggest advocate for budget guitar stuff in this thread, but I went cheap on my PAFs based in large part off this video.

As you can tell the differences are completely negligible. The recipe for PAFs has been studied and remade so many times in the past 50 years it's a known quantity. You have a GFS sounding about as good as a Fralin.

Angry Grimace · Dec 29, 2017

I mean, in large part I don't like the PRS pickups because they're something like double the output of the '57 Classics in my LP and it sounds pretty terrible through a solid state amp (I don't know if that term even gets used anymore). They're fine through the JCA22C but I don't play it enough to make it worthwhile, particularly given the best I could say was that they were "fine" even though tubes.

Also, Gibson models and pricing are dumb as hell. I got my LP for $1250 brand new (as a scratch and dent because of like half an inch of 1mm wide discoloring on the binding on bass side of the guitar that's almost unnoticable) and it has '57 Classics instead of BurstBuckers, but it's not like it costs Gibson more money to make a set of any particular PAF clone even if they claim there's magic voodoo involved in producing BurstBuckers. I think a regular Traditional is like $1000 more and adds those pickups, and flame maple (which I have always hated to begin with an never looked at getting anything but a plain top). None of that is as dumb as the time Gibson used to have a LP model that justified a lower cost because it had green inlays.

zbarron · Dec 29, 2017

I also don't enjoy hot humbuckers. The stock Epiphone humbuckers on my LP were 11.3k and 16.1k ohms. My new pickups are about 7k and 8k ohms. They have much more clarity and the overdrive sound on my Orange solid state amp went from Nasty to great. I did end up wiring the neck in parallel to get even more clarity. I think this swap will be perfect for your PRS.

Angry Grimace · Dec 29, 2017

The stock treble pickup on the PRS (It's a '96 CE-22) is 15k.

The problem is that this is one of the models that have those weirdo rotary switching systems and I have no clue how that would work because I don't necessarily want to remove the rotary system, but I don't know how the wiring on that would even work.

Cryptosporidium · Dec 29, 2017

Got my MD500, have the Mel9 before it.

SOUNDS AMAZING. buy one and youll never go back

zbarron · Dec 29, 2017

My friend came over today to check out the new amp and brought over his new pedal. Caverns

This thing sounded really nice and had tons of different options. It's out of my price range, but he loves it and it really is a great pedal.

Deleted member 10612 · Dec 30, 2017

Well I love my Prs 57/08 pickups. They feel rather low output.

Jack Remington · Dec 30, 2017

My 2017 New Years Resolution was to be able to play the Dazed and Confused solo.

Fucking nailed it today.

treble · Dec 30, 2017

Have a new addition to my collection coming in on a deal that was too good to pass up. I'll share some pictures when it arrives :)

Cryptosporidium · Dec 30, 2017

zbarron said:
My friend came over today to check out the new amp and brought over his new pedal. Caverns

This thing sounded really nice and had tons of different options. It's out of my price range, but he loves it and it really is a great pedal.

Knobs on YT had a good video on that.

My MD500 and MEL9 are fucking amaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaazing together. I can recreate metroid music with the Slicer, Pattern Filter, and Mel9 String synth

Cryptosporidium · Dec 30, 2017

Jack Remington said:
My 2017 New Years Resolution was to be able to play the Dazed and Confused solo.

Fucking nailed it today.

Nice! Page solos are always cool

Angry Grimace · Dec 30, 2017

Sankt Ra said:
Well I love my Prs 57/08 pickups. They feel rather low output.

I think these are HFS or Dragons. I'd have to pull them to find out.

It would be a job to replace them because of the rotary switch. I think that rotary switch is garbage but it would be expensive to replace since it would require body work.

CrudeDiatribe · Dec 31, 2017

Isn't it just three wires per pickup?

BlackFyre · Dec 31, 2017

I switched from left handed to right handed playing. My new years guitar resolution is to get more comfortable playing

Wag · Jan 5, 2018

So I'm digging the ukelele- I'm sort of getting the hang of it now, some of the chords are reversed from the guitar. The main problem I'm having with it is I have big hands and it's hard to form chords on the top frets.

After playing the ukelele for a while I definitely see I need an easier acoustic guitar to play. Yes I have an electric but it won't cut it for open mics, so I'm open to suggestions. While I'd prefer a steel string, a nylon string isn't out of the question. As little pain as possible- I don't want to deal with tendinitis on a regular basis.

I'm mostly into blues/R&B.

zbarron · Jan 5, 2018

Dude I've recommended the Seagull S6 like five times haha. Get your ass to a Guitar Center and try one out as well as others. If a guitar has a straight neck, a good setup, a short scale length and low tension strings it's as good as you'll get.

hombremalo · Jan 5, 2018

I recommend the loar guitars if available in your area, I have a lh200 and it's a great guitar for its, cheap, price.

treble · Jan 5, 2018

hombremalo said:
I recommend the loar guitars if available in your area, I have a lh200 and it's a great guitar for its, cheap, price.

Seconded. If you can find one, they are outsized value. My old band mate had a Loar parlour style, and it both sounded and played great.

CrudeDiatribe · Jan 6, 2018

zbarron said:
I've recommended the Seagull S6 like five times haha. If a guitar has a straight neck, a good setup, a short scale length and low tension strings it's as good as you'll get.

Neck on my sister-in-law's S6 is not at all comfortable to me and will trigger RSI-related pain.

Jonnax · Jan 6, 2018

Any good apps on windows for recording short clips and replaying them?

Got into a habit of just recording myself play a bit then listening to it again just using laptop microphone. And I've using the windows Voice recorder app.
However it's a bit glitchy with slow startup and sometimes not recording.

zbarron · Jan 6, 2018

CrudeDiatribe said:
Neck on my sister-in-law's S6 is not at all comfortable to me and will trigger RSI-related pain.

Is it the nut width? They make slim models
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000KDZG2Y/?tag=era0f0-20

Jonnax said:
Any good apps on windows for recording short clips and replaying them?

Got into a habit of just recording myself play a bit then listening to it again just using laptop microphone. And I've using the windows Voice recorder app.
However it's a bit glitchy with slow startup and sometimes not recording.

Audacity.

Hero_of_the_Day · Jan 6, 2018

I have been listening to Polyphia non-stop for like a year now. Just constantly blown away by their guitar tones. Decided to look up what they use, and am not shocked to see they rock AxeFx II's. Saw Jimmy Eat World a few months back and was just blown away by their guitar tones, and found out they use them as well. Crazy how far tech has come since my high school days of rocking on of these bad boys:

Reven Wolf · Jan 7, 2018

So I just got an ESP LTD M-500 FM for Christmas! It's such a crazy upgrade for me after having the same starter for ages.

Trying to pick my next song to learn, (been plUonh for about two years, but my condition makes progress slow I feel), any recommendations?

I played fear of the dark in a concert a few months ago (student concert), I was thinking of learning Mjolnir Remix but progress has been extra slow so I'm not sure if I'm biting off more than I can chew...

CrudeDiatribe · Jan 7, 2018

zbarron said:
Is it the nut width?

Necks that make it so my fingers have to close more to fret a note or chord, so it's mostly profile and thickness.

zbarron · Jan 7, 2018

CrudeDiatribe said:
Necks that make it so my fingers have to close more to fret a note or chord, so it's mostly profile and thickness.

Gotcha.

Anyone here use attenuators? Is there a noticeable benefit over just using master volume? I can set my pre amps on full and then adjust my volume with my power amps or vice versa, but I can't have both sets of tubes working hard and not blow out my ears even in 1 watt mode.

Hero_of_the_Day · Jan 7, 2018

Reven Wolf said:
So I just got an ESP LTD M-500 FM for Christmas! It's such a crazy upgrade for me after having the same starter for ages.

Trying to pick my next song to learn, (been plUonh for about two years, but my condition makes progress slow I feel), any recommendations?

I played fear of the dark in a concert a few months ago (student concert), I was thinking of learning Mjolnir Remix but progress has been extra slow so I'm not sure if I'm biting off more than I can chew...

This is where I kind of am at the moment, and the hardest place I always find myself in; not knowing where to go next. I always feel like I reach a plateau and am stuck there for a long time before I finally learn something that clicks and improves my playing. It always feels like a massive jump when I finally get there, but figuring out what "there" is is so fucking hard.

treble · Jan 7, 2018

zbarron said:
Gotcha.

Anyone here use attenuators? Is there a noticeable benefit over just using master volume? I can set my pre amps on full and then adjust my volume with my power amps or vice versa, but I can't have both sets of tubes working hard and not blow out my ears even in 1 watt mode.

One of my amps has an attenuator, and it is handy. It's a Vibrochamp that attenuates from 5 to 1 1/4 watts. It's not a huge difference, but certainly takes the edge off for practicing, which helps keep it from annoying the neighbours, and lets me play late at night while still having the benefits of tube compression, etc.

zbarron · Jan 7, 2018

treble said:
One of my amps has an attenuator, and it is handy. It's a Vibrochamp that attenuates from 5 to 1 1/4 watts. It's not a huge difference, but certainly takes the edge off for practicing, which helps keep it from annoying the neighbours, and lets me play late at night while still having the benefits of tube compression, etc.

My 15 watt amp has a built in one that goes to 1W. I'm considering adding something like THIS because even on the 1 watt mode I still can't crank it. I can get a great sound and even a nice 12ax7 overdrive sound, but I can't overdrive both and wanted to know if it's worth it to be able to do that.

treble · Jan 7, 2018

That I'm not sure about :) I considered going down that road at one point as well for my Deluxe Reverb, but ultimately decided against it. I just heard mixed things about them when I dug into impressions, and didn't want to get into connecting and disconnecting for gigs and practices. It just felt like one more thing to worry about, and I favour simplicity, so I decided to find a "practice" amp that had one built in.

Weber is a good brand, and that attenuator seems reasonably priced enough that, if it doesn't work, I'm sure you'll be able to move it without losing very much. If you do get it, be sure to share some impressions... I'd be interested in them for sure,

Guitar |OT| If you stick with it, you're gonna be rewarded

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