The Guitar Topic

[Ballard]

Shit dude, my condolences. But yeah I've seen a fair bit of Gibsons snap at the headstock, and it's totally fixable.

(Though getting it replaced would prolly be nicer)

Phaedra, just go to the right shop. As I said before, large warehouse music chains (Sam Ash, Guitar Center) pay by commission, so the employees won't care nearly as much that you get the instrument that's right for you. They'll try to sell you something expensive, and if you say no, they'll sell you some cheap crap. They're also intimidating places to try things out if you're new to your instrument, 'cause you'll have 6 or 7 people around you shredding and playing Stairway To Heaven (what's the bass equivalent??).

So check out your local music shop- they're really nice about you trying everything out, even if it takes an hour or two for you to find the right instrument. They'll set your bass up for you (make sure it's properly stringed, action [the distance between the strings and the fretboard. If you're new, you want the action lower because you haven't built up the finger strength needed to press the strings down hard yet] suits you, it's in tune) and sign off on everything before you go home so you don't wind up with a ton of expensive crap.

[DynamiteKid]

Try ampeg, fender, behringer, ashdown, gallien-krueger, SWR, fender, etc..

Are you implying something sir?  :]

That I'm haphazard with my posts?

Actually, I'm not huge on fender for bass amps.  I love the guitar amps, though.  I recently bought a Behringer 4210 combo for my bass.   I had been wanting to downsize for some time, but never dreamed I'd buy a Behringer.  It was a surprisingly nice sounding amp for almost no money. I put in some Emenince 10s in to replace the crappy Bugeras, and did away with my huge Ampeg fullstack.  400 watts, tube preamp, full eq, and a balanced DI for less than $400.  Amazing.

Just to add to the cool picture post- I just ordered this '81 Ibanez Roadstar refin with original old school DiMarzios -

What a fabulous specimen.

How much did he cost you? Do they have him in ginger? I could put him to work in my garden.

[Chad K.]

"What a fabulous specimen.  How much did he cost you? Do they have him in ginger? I could put him to work in my garden."

Yeah, they would only sell the bass, not the child labor.  I found out when I asked the shop owner to poke holes in the shipping box.

[Patrick]

...good news, guys, for both me and all of you. Their customer service department is all kinds of accomodating. They said as soon as I get back to the U.S. (December) I can call their 800 number and talk to them about getting my shit replaced.

<3 <3 <3, you guys.

[muteKi]

Phaedra, just go to the right shop. As I said before, large warehouse music chains (Sam Ash, Guitar Center) pay by commission, so the employees won't care nearly as much that you get the instrument that's right for you. They'll try to sell you something expensive, and if you say no, they'll sell you some cheap crap. They're also intimidating places to try things out if you're new to your instrument, 'cause you'll have 6 or 7 people around you shredding and playing Stairway To Heaven (what's the bass equivalent??).

I have a lick that's based on the special stage theme from Sonic 2 (yes, I'm a nerd) that I like to play when it comes to stuff like bass shredding.
UPTEMPO JAZZ FTW

[Phaedra]

Thanks again for all the advice, people.
But sadly it seems my plans for learning bass will have to be put on hold indefinitely, thanks to screwing my wrist up. Le sigh...

KimJong, glad to hear it. Hope all goes well with it in December!

[Ballard]

No way, I think it'd be a great form of physical therapy. And easy to motivate yourself with. Build up the strength in your wrist and fingers while rokking out.

[Lummer]

I'm considering a new guitar, honestly.

What should it be, a new Gibson, or a nice seven-string?

[Patrick]

I did some research and it turns out that headstock breaks like mine are about as common on Gibson guitars as fleas on cougars, so be prepared for it if you get one and register for your warranty as soon as you get the guitar home.

Otherwise, they're brilliant guitars. They sound incredible, they look good, they age nicely (although a beat-up Gibson isn't as good-looking as a beat-up Fender), and if you're getting a semi-hollow, you are GOING to get gorgeous feedback.

[Lummer]

Since i said I was considering ANOTHER guitar, I know full well they're brilliant guitars

It's just which one I should choose :/ That's the hard part.

I do own a semi-hollow, but I don't use feedback at all. Maybe for a bit of sustain during solos, but that's it. My style doesn't need it, otherwise. With that said, my Les Paul sustains for days without the feedback anyways, so I'll be fine

[godinpants]

Lummer,
I think it's about time, that you kicked it up yet another notch.
http://www.ibanez.com/eg/guitar.aspx?m=RG2228

Sure it's pretty ugly, but imagine the added metal cred.

On second thoughts, if you wanted to add some interesting sounds to your set up, look into a guitar synth pickup.
And some form of synth module.
Imagine having some dirty electro lead doubling your guitar line.

[Patrick]

What's your style? I may/may not bet able to help you.

[Lummer]

My style for my band, is a sort of southern boogie-rock/blues/slugde-metal thing. So as a result of that, a Gibson is the way to go.

Other than that, I am also considering either an Ibanez RG1527, a used RG7620 or maybe even a Schecter.

[Patrick]

Gibson definitely fits that whole thing very well, especially the blues and sludge metal parts. For bonus blues justice, I'd say something with P-90s, and don't be too stingy on the distortion and treble/mids on your amp.

[DynamiteKid]

I did some research and it turns out that headstock breaks like mine are about as common on Gibson guitars as fleas on cougars, so be prepared for it if you get one and register for your warranty as soon as you get the guitar home.

And I must point out here...

I DID TELL HIM THIS AT THE TIME.

[Patrick]

Hush, you. Now I have to go make my retort-post useful, thanks!

I am a pretty big fan of the "get a shitty Ibanez acoustic, fix up the bridge for proper intonation, and mount a humbucker on it" idea. Of course, you have to get a soundhole cover to prevent (or at least dampen) ear-raping feedback, but meh, details.

[anditsdiscontents]

Secondhand Spector NS-4. AU$650 from The Bass Player, Annandale, Sydney.

[Phaedra]

For anyone vaguely interested in my quest to learn the bass, I'm having an ultrasound on my wrist next week so hopefully I'll find out what's wrong with the damn thing.
In the meantime, I spent yesterday sussing out a few music stores around here. Good lord, music shop workers are a weird breed...Most of them seemed to take the request for advice as an opportunity to show off their own playing skills, and one of them was hellbent on selling me a Squier, for some reason, even after I'd expressed some doubt at this suggestion.
I think I have my heart set on a Fender Jazz...but this thing was kind of sexy-lookin', too: http://www.therockinn.com/inventory.cfm?Cat_ID=6&Man_ID=5&Inv_ID=145
No idea how it plays, though.

[Ballard]

Hehe, Beatle bass.

I'd tell you to go for a Hofner if you're getting one of these, but they're all priced out the ass except the one linked, which is too cheap to play well. (Hofner was the company that made the original Beatle basses)

I'd say a Jazz is a pretty good selection.

Good luck with your ultrasound. Hope you get to play soon.

[thestyxcrossing]

Right now I'm playing an Epiphone G-400, cherry finish. I'm still fairly new to the instrument but I've gotten to the point where I wanna start refining my sound, and I'm guessing my first step would be to invest in something more than a 15watt tube practice amp...and I'd like to start looking into pedals. It just sucks cuz I really don't know much about amps and pedals, or at least not enough to know what I'm looking for. Any ideas guys?

I like to think my style is kind of folky/classic rock inspired indie...if you can imagine that. Sort of...Shins meets Portugal. The Man...? Or Zep meets Modest Mouse? I'm not quite sure how to describe it...I like playing clean but I like to distort at points to add that cutting force, never too extremely though. I guess basically I want a sound that sounds clean and classic, but leaves room for those times where I want to shred.

Any suggestions of what I should be looking for as far as amps and pedals go?

[carrotosaurus]

Amp - Fender Deluxe Reverb. Hands down. Start saving up.

For distortion, just get a RAT. It's the only pedal you'll need.

[valley_parade]

Right now I'm using a Marshall Guv'nor 2 and an E-H Nanomuff for distortion. The latter is a pretty good pedal, but I'd recommend the full-on Big Muff Pi, as the nano only has a volume control (seriously). I just bought it cos it was cheap.

[Ballard]

Three most common distortion pedals are the Ibanez Tube Screamer, Electro-Harmonix Big Muff, and ProCo RAT.

If you want overdriven, pseudo-fuzzy classic rock go for the Ibanez TS-808. Though the re-issues kinda suck and aren't nearly as good as the vintage ones, IMHO.

If you want anything from KISS to the Smashing Pumpkins, go for a Big Muff. Thick, heavy, hi-gain distortion. But be warned, it'll hijack your sound. Any guitar through a Big Muff through any amp will sound about the same. So it gets boring fast.

The RAT will give you a wide range of tones. It has a really nice, fluid distortion that lets your guitar's natural tone shine through, but you can Rokk The Fuck Out (TM) with it too.

Then there are a ton of lesser known and/or boutique pedals. There's no science there except playing through them and figuring out whether or not you like the result. Head down to a local guitar shop that isn't Sam Ash or Guitar Center. They'll have a much better chance of having them in stock and they'll be nice about letting you try them out.

P.S. The Voodoo Labs Superfuzz (bit of a misnomer, it doesn't have the least bit of fuzz in it) makes a fucking great distortion pedal.

[DynamiteKid]

Hello all. I want a bass distortion/overdrive pedal. Do I have to use specific bass FX or can a guitar one just do the job? I know the frequencies will be different, but I like a lot of high and mid in my bass tone anyway.

I'm looking for a pedal that can get me close to Peter Hook, and/or the bass player in 'Eternal Life' by Jeff Buckley. The bass tone in the latter blows me away.

[Ballard]

Check out BlackBox Effects. Their pedals are specifically designed to sound just as good with instruments other than guitar as with guitar (bass, synth, anything else you can plug in to a 1/4 jack).

[thestyxcrossing]

Three most common distortion pedals are the Ibanez Tube Screamer, Electro-Harmonix Big Muff, and ProCo RAT.

If you want overdriven, pseudo-fuzzy classic rock go for the Ibanez TS-808. Though the re-issues kinda suck and aren't nearly as good as the vintage ones, IMHO.

If you want anything from KISS to the Smashing Pumpkins, go for a Big Muff. But be warned, it'll hijack your sound. Any guitar through a Big Muff through any amp will sound about the same. So it gets boring fast.

The RAT will give you a wide range of tones. It has a really nice, fluid distortion that lets your guitar's natural tone shine through, but you can Rokk The Fuck Out (TM) with it too.

Then there are a ton of lesser known and/or boutique pedals. There's no science there except playing through them and figuring out whether or not you like the result. Head down to a local guitar shop that isn't Sam Ash or Guitar Center. They'll have a much better chance of having them in stock and they'll be nice about letting you try them out.

P.S. The Voodoo Labs Superfuzz (bit of a misnomer, it doesn't have the least bit of fuzz in it) makes a fucking great distortion pedal.

Thanks Ballard. I appreciate the differentiations. I'll probably start looking into the RAT since I'm looking for some variety. There's several local shops around where I'm at so I'm gonna bring it in and try em out.

And thanks for the other suggestions everyone.

[Felix]

A friend of mine came in the other day with a "Léro" guitar. I have found only two things about this brand : it's probably from the 70s and it's a Korean imitation of a Les Paul. Sounds decent, doesn't play bad, I like it.  I doubt it's worth something big, but does anyone here ever heard about Léros ?



As for distortion pedals, I bought a Double Muff this summer. I really wanted a Big Muff, but like Ballard said, it always sounds the same. The Double Muff has two channels, (Ch 1 Overdrive, serves as a volume boost for channel 2nd, and CH 2 well, kinda like the Big Muff) and a lil' (very lil') switch to choose the channel you want. Unfortunately you can't switch with your foot, which is kind of sucky, but I rarely need to do so. Also, it's cheaper than the Big Muff.

[sombrasoubrette]

Boyfriend + guitar (it's some sort of Ibanez, I'm not sure)



Mine (also an Ibanez, from the Artwood series)



It's big but it makes a REALLY nice sound.

[imapiratearg]

Is it wrong not to love Ibanez acoustics?  I like them, I just don't love them.  I really love Taylors though.

[Ballard]

This one is pretty cool.

[Patrick]

I don't even -like- Ibanez acoustics. In fact, I don't like most Ibanez that I've played AT ALL. The tone doesn't work for me. I don't like "singing" tones from my guitar. If I'm playing single-coil instruments (like my hardtail Squier Bullet, which I adore), I like a bright snap. If I'm playing humbucker instruments, I like an angry snarl (my SG was built for PURE ROKK, God rest her). And if I'm playing an acoustic, I like one of two sounds. Either it's bright and light-sounding, or it's dark, heavy and mellow.

Maybe I'm just not playing the right Ibanez (or an elitist asshole), but I've never found one that gives me a sound I like, no matter what settings I'm using on any amp I've played one through.

[sombrasoubrette]

it's dark, heavy and mellow.

Mine makes a pretty dark, heavy, mellow sound. The huge body helps.

[Lummer]

Maybe I'm just not playing the right Ibanez (or an elitist asshole), but I've never found one that gives me a sound I like, no matter what settings I'm using on any amp I've played one through.

I strongly suspect you haven't played the right one yet.
The place where Ibanez cuts corners, is ALWAYS the pickups, which is why even their Prestige models come with the "kinda-okay-at-times-but-still-shitty" Ibanez stock pickups. If you've never played one in a store, that appealed to you, the pickups are probably the reason.

Slap a set of decent (yes, even decent will do) pickups in one, and it's like you have an entirely different guitar.

I can honestly say, that my RG1570 with DiMarzio Breed pickups (who are by no means the greatest pups ever), screams, snarls, chugs and whispers with the best of them. Try and get hold of a used Ibby with DiMarzio's, then you'll most likely be amazed

[Patrick]

DiMarzio

I've been meaning to look and see if DiMarzio makes pickups like their TwangKing Tele pickups, but for Strats. My friend put TwangKings in his Warmoth Telecaster, and I couldn't stop fapping for like 3 weeks.

[DynamiteKid]

One of my mandolin strings broke. I now have a two-inch gash on my hand. Owweee.

[imapiratearg]

>.<

[godinpants]

I've been playing more slide than normal lately.
I'm thinking of starting a rootsy duo, something like xavier rudd, or john butler.

Should i,
A. get a decent acoustic.
B. get a wiessenborn.
C. get a dobro.
D. get something else.

[Patrick]

I'm a fan of dobros. I propose E. all of the above.

[Ballard]

I'd say decent acoustic over a dobro, though both are a good choice.

[celticgeek]

Dobro for the win.  Although I really like acoustics.

[Lummer]

I'd say decent acoustic over a dobro, though both are a good choice.

I'd say about 80/20 here. The acoustic can be used in pretty much any context you put it in. You might get another bright idea some day, where the Dobro doesn't fit.

The ideal solution is of course to buy it all. It rocks to have a varied "palette"

[Patrick]

GUYS HOLY FUCK LISTEN TO THE SOUND SAMPLES OF THIS

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Hiwatt-CTE-Custom-Tape-Echo?sku=152500

I WANT THIS SO BADDDDD OMG *UNF UNF UNF UNF*

[godinpants]

Looks like the dobro is winning, and i should have mentioned i do already have an acoustic, but its kind of shit, and not an electric acoustic.
There are these really nice matons I've been looking at.

But I'm also leaning more towards the dobro, just with a bit of what Lummer mentioned of it not really fitting in much.



Also KimJongSick, if it's not a WEM copycat or a Space Echo, its not worth it.

[corwinzor]

That's a nice guitar!

I play a Danelectro U2 1956 reissue. It's kind of a salmony color, so it's like playing a dreamsicle. It was a great buy- I bought it used for $200 about 4 years ago and it hasn't needed any repairs. Really nice, rich, vintage tones. I've been playing it through a Fender Bassman tube amp lately.

[valley_parade]

How's the Bassman? I've been running down my list of possible new amps, and the reissue is there (also a Fender Hot Rod Deville 2x12, Vox AC30CC, and an Orange Tiny Terror + 2x12). Any decent distortion on its own, or would I be better off with pedals?

[Ballard]

Funny, I've been trying to decide between an Orange Tiny Terror + PPC112, a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe or DeVille.

I just played through the latter two today with no pedals and they sounded fucking rad. I have yet to play through a Tiny Terror, but Orange is known for their great hi-gain tones, so it should be great.

[Lummer]

Both of you need an Orange Tiny Terror. Really, you do.

This is not because i've tried one, but because I've tried to get Fender amps to sound good distorted. And that, my friends, is absolutely impossible unless you have some absurdly good boutique pedals. The Orange may have the same cleans as a fender, though. Fender amps do have very good clean sounds, so if you need that the most, go for that. I wouldn't touch those things with a ten-foot pole, though.

[Ballard]

It's basically fact that Fender amps, without the aid of stompboxes, are terrible for metal. I got a great distorted tone out of them, but it was lighter than required for metal music.

[valley_parade]

Maybe I'll just get the Tiny Terror and a Deville.

I mean my great-aunt was pretty damned rich, right? ...>>

[Patrick]

Get me that goddamn tape delay dude.