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[Ballard]

One that is rarely heard elsewhere.

You guys kind of missed the point. DK didn't miss the point but there are very few artists like that out there. I'm talking about unique tones created by a variety of gear, not just unique solo styles.

[imapiratearg]

Yeah, Billy Talent are far from unique, tone-wise.

To answer DK's question, I would do something like J Mascis.  Monolithic, melodic solos with funky sounds and a heavy use of fuzzed-out guitars.   Also, wonky, screechy guitar freakouts a la Ira Kaplan of Yo La Tengo.

[doombilly]

If you were a famous guitarist, what'd you be known for?
How's about you guys?

Um, messing up so much that it becomes a "style."

yeah like the way he would always mess up the b minor in "therapy" and nail it in "detached."

Although I used to be known for playing things different everytime but my girl has already dickpunched me enough to make me stop doing that.

[Thrillho]

Actually I have a tendency to play things differently too, especially lead stuff. I think recording my band's demo may prove tricky

[Patrick]

Yeah, Billy Talent are far from unique, tone-wise.

I dunno, dude, the crisp, shining attack of every note, whether clean or distorted, is pretty distinctive to my ears. Every other time I've heard a guitar, regardless of what kind of amp, the attack has been sharp, but not nearly as well-defined. The distortion is pretty distinctive as well, it's very tight and brilliant. To me, Marshalls have distortion that's looser and much meatier in the lower middle frequencies, and Fenders are too muddy to accurately reproduce that sound.

[imapiratearg]

Well if you're getting a Fender, it's not to imitate a Marshall.

[doombilly]

Actually I have a tendency to play things differently too, especially lead stuff. I think recording my band's demo may prove tricky

I'm not talking about a solo. I'm talking about the same chords only accented differently. I am like Bily Pilgrim. Only instead of unstuck-in-time I am unstuck-in-meter. )
I suggest marrying your bassist and having him / her /it dickpunch you frequently.

[imapiratearg]

There's a flaw with that plan!  Too much cockpunching could cause sterility!  Sacrifice your baby or your band?  Decisions!

[doombilly]

There's a flaw with that plan!  Too much cockpunching could cause sterility!  Sacrifice your baby or your band?  Decisions!

I have one great kid already (8 yo, daughter). Another would simply complicate things.

[imapiratearg]

Yes, but other dudes don't.

[doombilly]

Oh me, always thinking of myself...

Speaking of, I saw one of these in the shoppe when I picked up my Tiny terror.
You have no idea how nicely it played.



(acoustic black widow)

[Lummer]

MOAR PIX PLZ


Oh, and I also got another seven-string this wednesday. Pics coming up.

[Tehz]

Whoa, holy shit. Yeah, I agree with Lummer, MOAR.

[doombilly]

Those are just goggled images. I don't have a camera. So these are NOT pictures of the one I saw.
This is the ugliest feature, but it really is kind of endearing because it is so retarded:

here's a nice pic but this one's been modded with an extra jack to be stererererero


Nice article here:
http://www.vintageguitar.com/features/brands/details.asp?AID=1046 but teh website is down right now.


many more pics in a crappy gallery here:
http://www.acousticblackwidow.com/

[Thrillho]

Actually I have a tendency to play things differently too, especially lead stuff. I think recording my band's demo may prove tricky

I'm not talking about a solo. I'm talking about the same chords only accented differently.

So am I. Hence the key word 'especially.'

[valley_parade]

Ah man. I have but ONE complaint about my new Tele, and that's that the tone pots are kinda shitty. I should probably replace them at some point.

That said..it's a hell of a lot better than I was expecting it to be. Ballsy as fuck. KEEP MAKING GOOD, INEXPENSIVE STUFF, SQUIER. KEEP AT IT. Maybe someday I'll snag a Jagmaster and put a 25.5" neck on it.

[doombilly]

So am I. Hence the key word 'especially.'

oh durr. Sorry.

[king dan]

the tone pots are kinda shitty. I should probably replace them at some point.

DO IT. while you're at it replace ALL (and I mean all of the wiring) with shielded copper wire. A pain in the ass, yes, but you'll thank me later.
Squier uses absolute shit cheapo wire on the inside that adds all that lovely buzz and hum that I'm sure you love.
Oh also when you do it swap bad wire for good wire one at a time so you don't get confused.
You'll be surprised at the improvement post guitar surgery.

[phantompenguin]

i just ordered a used american standard telecaster from ebay.  it'll be my first upgrade from my squier affinity strat. 

[RipTatermen]

Has anyone ever shielded their pickups by dipping them or "potting" them in wax?  I'm thinking about doing this to my Strat's pickups to get rid of some of the excess noise and hum.

All pickups should be potted by default, so unless they're very old or you know they're not potted, it's probably something else. I fixed my uncle-in-law's 40 year-old microphonic hollowbody (yeah, I know: 'microphonic pups are radical!' you say. Well, not with hollowbody feedback they ain't) by potting the pickups, and it's actually pretty fun. You put some marbles in a jar, throw in some chunks of canning wax, and heat it in water, and then dunk the pickups. But not knowing anything else about your guitar, I'd say you'd have more success magnetically shielding your cavity.

[FireAarro]

Has anyone ever shielded their pickups by dipping them or "potting" them in wax?  I'm thinking about doing this to my Strat's pickups to get rid of some of the excess noise and hum.

All pickups should be potted by default, so unless they're very old or you know they're not potted, it's probably something else. I fixed my uncle-in-law's 40 year-old microphonic hollowbody (yeah, I know: 'microphonic pups are radical!' you say. Well, not with hollowbody feedback they ain't) by potting the pickups, and it's actually pretty fun. You put some marbles in a jar, throw in some chunks of canning wax, and heat it in water, and then dunk the pickups. But not knowing anything else about your guitar, I'd say you'd have more success magnetically shielding your cavity.

Nope... not all pickups are potted. Some prominent guitar builders and guitarists claim it deadens the tone.

The pickup was potted in what appeared to be straight paraffin wax. Most PAFs type pickups are not potted because it will effect the tone. If they are potted the wax should be mixed with bees wax to make not so hard and brittle. Potting is a fast cheap way to address the problem of microphonics and squeal. There are other, and better methods to stop the microphonics with out potting the bobbins.

By the way, the potting should not have any effect on electrical interference, but it will reduce microphonic feedback, so keep that in mind!

[Patrick]

I know nothing about whether Gibson potted their pickups back in the day, but I know for a fact that Gibson does it on all their pickups now.

I also know that ES-137s and 175s have tone that fucking slays, and that I want a 137 with a Bigsby.

[king dan]

Yep, as an obsessive modder I have taken apart quite a few pickups and I have yet to see a Gibson not potted. Also I was surprised that an Epiphone LP I was working on had potted PAFs as well. I've played both potted and unpotted and I have to say I disagree that it's a tone-wrecker. Unless you consider static and noise and hum tone. Or if you're a member of Black Dice.

[BlakeJustBlake]

Here's my stuff:

Gibson SG Classic
Epiphone Les Paul Special II with Gibson '57 Classic Reissue Pickups
Alvarez Reagent
Fender Jazz Bass

[Ballard]

SG Classic huaglhuagl.

[BlakeJustBlake]

I don't really know what a reaction of huaglhuagl entails...Should I be saying "Yeah, it's pretty awesome." or "Do you declare a duel good sir?"

[imapiratearg]

I am almost positive "Yeah, it's pretty awesome," would be an appropriate response there.

[Patrick]

I declare a duel, good sir. Those P-90s will give me the sound I'm looking for a lot quicker than the 590R and 590T on my SG will.

[Ballard]

I don't really know what a reaction of huaglhuagl entails...Should I be saying "Yeah, it's pretty awesome." or "Do you declare a duel good sir?"

It's like an Internet boner. Fucking beautiful sounding and looking guitar you got there man. 

[tomselleck69]

What is the consensus on putting lace sensor pickups into a stratocaster? / which are the more interesting-sounding ones? / more poorly thought-out questions that betray my naivete about pickups and pure childlike desire to mess with my guitar.

[Ballard]

Tell us more about your Strat. What year, what pickups are in it?

[tomselleck69]

Nothing special, basic Mexican Strat with the stock single coils. I don't remember which year I got it, but judging from the serial number it was made in 2000 or 2001.

[Tehz]

What does everyone think of aluminum necks? Travis Beans, 70's-era Kramers, etc.



I've seen some going on eBay for decent prices. Never gotten a chance to play one myself, unfortunately. Anyone have any experience with 'em?

[Patrick]

My favourite guitar shop ever has a Kramer with an aluminum neck that I've wanted to play for ages, but the owner (despite being a friend of mine) refuses to let anybody play it, and it's not for sale. I've heard that they give out some pretty bright tone, and the sustain... well, the neck's literally made out of fucking metal, of course it'll sustain. Downside: you are probably going to have absurd amounts of radio interference. Have fun with that.

Oh, and I posted about it in the Blog Thread, but I thought I would mention here that I am about $250 away from having a Fender American Vintage Jaguar in my hands. I'm thinking I'll get it in Olympic White, because the natural wear that will inevitably occur over the years will show through so much easier with such a light finish, and a well-worn Fender is like a well-worn pair of jeans. The wear patterns are similar, but none are ever the same, and they are always sexy.

[Tehz]

Lucky fucker.

I'm saving up for the AV Jazzmaster also, but I'm still a good thousand away at this point.

[imapiratearg]

Why not get the eight hundred dollar Player's one?

[greenMonkey]

My friend just got one of those.  It is gorgeous.  Through his Tiny Terror with the gain cranked it absolutely roars.

[Patrick]

Why not get the eight hundred dollar Player's one?

Because it's MIM. I just bought this one and the guy has a roller bridge installed, but he's also including the original bridge and the mute assembly.

I have to talk to my bank, though, because Wells-Fargo are dicks. I went the "buy it now" route and went to put in my card info and they were like "lol, no".

[Tehz]

Yeah, I know the MIM is like, half the price of the American one, but I know that if I save up for the real deal it'll be totally worth it in the long run. Besides, they way my job's been paying lately, I'll be able to afford it in no time.

[Xaris3514]

There's Geddy, my first (and only) bass sitting next to Steve, my Guitar Hero controller.

Geddy's a Dean Edge 09, but unfortunately, the amp that came with him isn't very good and I'm looking into getting a new one.

[BlakeJustBlake]

I'm waiting to get my bass amp back from a friend who lives several several several hours away.

[Xaris3514]

A question to other bass players. Do you guys like to use picks? I've experimented with different sized picks (and a quarter) and have found that I like the sound from plucking the strings over using any sized pick (though the quarter made a pretty nice sound, but I'd assume that it would kill the strings).

[tomselleck69]

I prefer using my fingers, but I dislike the "fingers ONLY" attitude that a lot of bassists seem to have. Playing with a pick certainly has its own range of applications and interesting stuff you can do with it. I think it's best to be acquainted with both.

In any event, I don't play bass as much as I used to, so I find that I have to switch to a pick after 20 minutes of (aggressive) playing if I don't want holes in my fingertips.

I never really took to huge bass picks, nor the felt ones. I like small, heavy tortex picks for both bass and regular guitar.

Now, quarters...

[Thrillho]

A question to other bass players. Do you guys like to use picks? I've experimented with different sized picks (and a quarter) and have found that I like the sound from plucking the strings over using any sized pick (though the quarter made a pretty nice sound, but I'd assume that it would kill the strings).

I alternate whether I use a pick or fingers depending from song to song. Anyone who tells you that you must ALWAYZ UZE FINGRZ is... well, talking out their ass, there's plenty of people who only use fingers and that's fine, but you get a very different sound from playing with a pick which is more suitable for different songs.

As far as using a quarter, there are people who use coins to play. I don't think it's great for the strings, no, but you know, Brian May's done it for forty years.

[sean]

I personally don't like using a quater cause it is so damn thick.

However, use what you want! Use your fingers, use a pick, or even use your dick for all I care. Just do whatever works best for you. It is always a good idea to be proficent in different styles of playing though, so it would be wise to at least be able to do both. Which style you actually use in your playing is your desicion.

[FireAarro]

Yeah, I know the MIM is like, half the price of the American one, but I know that if I save up for the real deal it'll be totally worth it in the long run. Besides, they way my job's been paying lately, I'll be able to afford it in no time.

Try them both. I hear the MIMs are pretty good guitars too. My AVRI kicks ass though.

When there used to be only MIJ/CIJs and AVRIs there was always the camp of people who thought AVRIs were a cut above, worth the extra money, and the camp that thought the CIJs with (or some would say even without) a few mods were better. I've played many of both and am firmly in the former camp (owning an AV Jaguar) though the Japanese guitars are good too. But once you upgrade the Japanese guitars, they'd come up to almost the same cost as the Americans. The advantage of getting the CIJ to mod is the customisability, really, though this is not to say the CIJ offsets aren't fine guitars off the shelf, but they are certainly lacking in a few aspects compared to the AVRI (namely the vibrato tailpiece, and to most, the pickups).

Okay, there was a big tangent which doesn't quite say anything about the topic at hand. I've not yet touched a Mexican Jazzmaster or Jaguar.

[Patrick]

As far as using a quarter, there are people who use coins to play. I don't think it's great for the strings, no, but you know, Brian May's done it for forty years.

Billy Gibbons as well. That's not to say that playing with a coin will make anybody as completely fucking heroic as these two guitarists, but damned if I don't love the sound of the attack every time I hear either of their recordings.

Oh and after finally figuring out how to find my bank account number, I finally paid for that motherfucking Jag. That was so much more of a pain in the ass than it should've been, but fuck it, I've got a Jaguar now like I have always wanted!

Speaking of the whole U.S. vs. Mexico thing, my friend back home in California (the one whose dad owns those gorgeous vintage axes and amps) has himself a MexiStrat. It served him pretty well for a good while, but he changed the strings fairly recently and had a huge problem with his tremolo. They're the same gauge that they've always been, same brand, same everything, but now that damned tremolo bridge is at a good 30 degree angle from the body (and he's not the only one, Darryl told me a while back that he was having the same exact problem). I'd be reluctant to go for a guitar made in the same factory as that sucker, especially when Jags are said to be really temperamental as it is.

[BlakeJustBlake]

A question to other bass players. Do you guys like to use picks? I've experimented with different sized picks (and a quarter) and have found that I like the sound from plucking the strings over using any sized pick (though the quarter made a pretty nice sound, but I'd assume that it would kill the strings).

I prefer the fingers because I can usually play just as fast with them as with a pick and the pick sound is just too sharp for just regular playing for me. I like the smooth soft bass lines that the fingers give you. Plus, with the fingers it's much easier to go into slap mode, which I think is the most fun you can have on a bass.

[valley_parade]

I personally don't like using a quater cause it is so damn thick.

I've been known to batter my guitar with a 5CHF coin, that's some thick shit.

[sean]

Well, too thick for me. I like playing with a 1mm pick. Thick enough to get good sound, but still has a touch of bend to it.