The OS Guitarists thread

[cardswin2006]

Re: The OS Guitarists thread

This is the first I've seen this thread...not sure what took so long!

As for what I play, my major influences are Van Halen, Clapton, SRV, ACDC, and Zeppelin. SRV seems like he wouldn't belong in there but I love to just jam in blues music, and basically all hard rock is just blues cranked to 11 anyway.

As for guitars, I'm pretty embarrassed to say I played a Fender Squire (the crappy $99 version) for over 10 years before my wife surprised me with a new guitar for Christmas three years ago. She bought an Ibanez RG350DX, which while it wouldn't have been my first choice, it's a very nice guitar and finally allowed me to learn the nuanced tremolo usage EVH is known for.

Now I'm even more embarrassed to report that I play a Fender amp that came with the Squire my mom bought me 15 years ago. I have an effects setup that plugs into it, but it still sounds pretty terrible tone wise.

However, I feel like it's a waste of money to invest in a nice amp as I never gig (I played a few open mic nights in college doing sing alongs and drinking anthems, but that's about it) and my wife would probably kill me if I ever turned it up really loud.

I took guitar lessons for years but never really took it seriously until I had to drop the instructor due to my tight schedule in high school, but I really took to the guitar after that. I regret not taking advantage of the lessons when I did, but it gave me a solid foundation to learn from.

At this point, I'm pretty happy with my playing ability. I'll never be a confused with a guitar hero, but if I hear something I want to learn how to play, I now have the chops to do it without much frustration which is pretty gratifying. The only thing I struggle with is sweep picking, but I don't really listen to that kind of music anyway, so it's more for flair than anything else as I would never really use it.

Now for my complaint: tuning and maintaining a floating trem system is a b*tch. Since VH is one my favorite bands and they play everything tuned down a step, if I ever want to play along with a song I have to retune the guitar. Adjusting the spring tension and everything gets tedious, and it seems more trial and error than science for me at this point. I love the double locking system to keep everything in tune, but I literally spew expletives when I break a string as I know what's in store for me.

[TCM]

Re: The OS Guitarists thread

I haven't had my strat in like two days but it feels more like two months. Can't wait to get it back.

[8]

Re: The OS Guitarists thread

Mindblowing! This isn't the best video of ewan performing this song but it was the only one that let you embed it. Go to youtube and watch a better quality vid to fully appreciate his playing.

<iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/3TjinhoKHSM" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="345" width="560"></iframe>

[RedZoneD25]

Re: The OS Guitarists thread

This is the first I've seen this thread...not sure what took so long!

As for what I play, my major influences are Van Halen, Clapton, SRV, ACDC, and Zeppelin. SRV seems like he wouldn't belong in there but I love to just jam in blues music, and basically all hard rock is just blues cranked to 11 anyway.

As for guitars, I'm pretty embarrassed to say I played a Fender Squire (the crappy $99 version) for over 10 years before my wife surprised me with a new guitar for Christmas three years ago. She bought an Ibanez RG350DX, which while it wouldn't have been my first choice, it's a very nice guitar and finally allowed me to learn the nuanced tremolo usage EVH is known for.

Now I'm even more embarrassed to report that I play a Fender amp that came with the Squire my mom bought me 15 years ago. I have an effects setup that plugs into it, but it still sounds pretty terrible tone wise.

However, I feel like it's a waste of money to invest in a nice amp as I never gig (I played a few open mic nights in college doing sing alongs and drinking anthems, but that's about it) and my wife would probably kill me if I ever turned it up really loud.

I took guitar lessons for years but never really took it seriously until I had to drop the instructor due to my tight schedule in high school, but I really took to the guitar after that. I regret not taking advantage of the lessons when I did, but it gave me a solid foundation to learn from.

At this point, I'm pretty happy with my playing ability. I'll never be a confused with a guitar hero, but if I hear something I want to learn how to play, I now have the chops to do it without much frustration which is pretty gratifying. The only thing I struggle with is sweep picking, but I don't really listen to that kind of music anyway, so it's more for flair than anything else as I would never really use it.

Now for my complaint: tuning and maintaining a floating trem system is a b*tch. Since VH is one my favorite bands and they play everything tuned down a step, if I ever want to play along with a song I have to retune the guitar. Adjusting the spring tension and everything gets tedious, and it seems more trial and error than science for me at this point. I love the double locking system to keep everything in tune, but I literally spew expletives when I break a string as I know what's in store for me.

I feel your pain as an owner of 5 Floyd Rose trem guitars. Yes, I quoted all of that for a short reply. Sue me!

[Fresh Tendrils]

Re: The OS Guitarists thread

Bump.

Last night I went over to a friend's house, which is the same place I got to play those tube amps a couple months ago. Stayed plugged into his Fender DeVille amp while we played. That thing sounds so smooth. I'm definitely going to have to get a Fender tube amp after Christmas. I wasn't using any effects just adjusting my tone knobs and volume and it sounded so good. It is amazing how much better my playing sounds through a better amp.

Anyway, I need some more people to jam with because I forgot how fun it was to jam with somebody that knows more than I do. Plus, its hard to measure where I am when I'm just playing by myself most of the time. It was good to have a real rhythm guitar and go over leads and some licks.

[cardswin2006]

Re: The OS Guitarists thread

I feel your pain as an owner of 5 Floyd Rose trem guitars. Yes, I quoted all of that for a short reply. Sue me!

So is there a secret to tuning these things? Like I said before, it seems like trial and error for me at this point.

[st67]

Re: The OS Guitarists thread

I hate floating bridges. I had an Ibanez with the Rose one forever, and it was a mess.

I finally got a new guitar this last year and I like it a lot better.

I mostly just mess around learning songs. I get bored trying to actually 'learn' it because I just don't seem to really get it.

But I've been practicing Master of Puppets this last little while and my down picking is finally starting to become fast enough to play it. I just don't have the endurance - my shoulder and wrist start to give out. I'll keep working on that. The down picking is insane in that song.

[Fresh Tendrils]

Re: The OS Guitarists thread

For those of you who write/play your own songs, where do you start? Do you start with the lyrics and try to find a rhythm? Do you start with a rhythm/riff and come up with words? Both?

I know song-writing can be as difficult as the song-writer makes it, but for me it's just finding a starting point and going from there because I've come across some nice riffs and things I would like to build songs around.

[Lieutenant Dan]

Re: The OS Guitarists thread

Bump.

Last night I went over to a friend's house, which is the same place I got to play those tube amps a couple months ago. Stayed plugged into his Fender DeVille amp while we played. That thing sounds so smooth. I'm definitely going to have to get a Fender tube amp after Christmas. I wasn't using any effects just adjusting my tone knobs and volume and it sounded so good. It is amazing how much better my playing sounds through a better amp..

I'm primarily a bassist, but I also hack away on guitar so I can compose and record my own music. Plus, guitar is fun to play as well. I used to have a Strat going into a Fender Blues Jr, $300.00 of all-tube Fender bliss. That little amp is just incredible, and I miss it alot.

Even with as great as emulation is these days, there is no substitute for real tubes for guitar.

For those of you who write/play your own songs, where do you start? Do you start with the lyrics and try to find a rhythm? Do you start with a rhythm/riff and come up with words? Both?

I know song-writing can be as difficult as the song-writer makes it, but for me it's just finding a starting point and going from there because I've come across some nice riffs and things I would like to build songs around.

It's different for everyone, and one person can start a song in the different ways you mention.

For myself, one song started off a bass riff I come up with while listening to a beat on my drum machine.

Another tune, a lyric and basic melody both just popped into my head on the drive home from work one day. I kept singing it all the way home, thru the garage, and into my studio so I wouldn't lose it and started recording right then and there. WAY too easy to lose an idea you're having!!! Get it down.

Other tunes, just noodling on guitar, or messing about on the keyboards playing figures or chords using different sound settings.

[Guffers]

Re: The OS Guitarists thread

It's just striking while the iron is hot I think. Being able to analyze your own music and improving it is probably the biggest step. I have a friend who has been writing songs for 10 years and they are still terrible, basically because he can't see the forest for the trees and is unable to see his own weaknesses.

Also I remember Sting saying that you will probably write 80 or 100 songs before you start churning out great stuff. Like most things the 10,000 hour rule definitely applies. Start with any part of the tune that inspires you, the melody, chord progression, lyric or even song title. Then play your stuff for some honest, musical friends and ask for serious feedback. Even the most talented songwriters in the world have producers.

[dan_457]

Re: The OS Guitarists thread

I've composed god knows how many songs, it's somewhere in the hundreds, and I do it in probably the most unorganized way possible. They're all instrumentals though, as I have no singing talent and honestly have nothing to sing about anyway.

They usually start with a riff, or a thought, simple enough. I get an Idea and build around out in a pretty linear progression, recording as I go. It's often starts with an intro for me, even thoguh a chorus is probably a more common building block for others. Production is my weak spot, as I lack any real equipment, and subsequently production knowledge, but I do pretty well with what I have.

I also don't limit myself to a genre, I've made things from like techno, to orchestral, to metal/orchestra hybrid, alternative, funk and who's knows what. It's always writing the different stuff that's the most fun for me. Getting out of your comfort zone always proves a great learning experience as a guitarist.

[8]

Re: The OS Guitarists thread

I'm asking for one of these for christmas, so I can start recording.

Spoiler

The only problem for me is I have a hard time finding time to write since I have a wife and a 1 year old. I'm also very protective of my writing and singing, I'm the opposite with my guitar playing since I've been playing for 15 years. I think I have an average voice, nothing special but others have told me I'm a good singer but I just chalk that up to being nice to me.

[Lieutenant Dan]

Re: The OS Guitarists thread

I'm asking for one of these for christmas, so I can start recording.

Spoiler

The only problem for me is I have a hard time finding time to write since I have a wife and a 1 year old. I'm also very protective of my writing and singing, I'm the opposite with my guitar playing since I've been playing for 15 years. I think I have an average voice, nothing special but others have told me I'm a good singer but I just chalk that up to being nice to me.

That's cool. I bought one for my son to use two years ago and he loves it because he can jot down ideas quickly.

And if people aren't making funny faces when you sing, you're good.

[KingV2k3]

Re: The OS Guitarists thread

For those of you who write/play your own songs, where do you start? Do you start with the lyrics and try to find a rhythm? Do you start with a rhythm/riff and come up with words? Both?

I know song-writing can be as difficult as the song-writer makes it, but for me it's just finding a starting point and going from there because I've come across some nice riffs and things I would like to build songs around.

When this topic comes up in my world, I always paraphrase a quote I read a loooong time ago by Guitarist / Songwriter Rick Neilsen of Cheap Trick...

It goes something like:

"Write 200 songs top to bottom, throw them away and THEN you're a songwriter"...

I also cite a conversion I had with one of my favorite songwriters, who said something like:

"Take a song you love, rip it off, turn it inside out and write some different lyrics...works every time"...

Sometimes the least technically competent players, (with the weakest music theory backgrounds) make the best writers, because they can use the "rip off" method to great advantage over a highly trained musician who can't make those "happy accidents" turn into songs...

They just parrot what they like, and never veer into new territory by circumstance...

The last bit of advice is true of playing, performing and writing...

Start a band and book some shows...

There is no greater motivator than possible public humiliation...



Oh, and have fun!

[RedZoneD25]

Re: The OS Guitarists thread

If anyone has any EQing "tips", feel free to flood my PM box. I legitimately suck, though I have the equipment to make it sound nice. I'm not a gear-ho by any means, but yeah..I think part of my problem is I've developed a hearing problem from years of loud music so my recordings always come out a little treble-heavy (a product of me not being able to fully hear bass frequencies anymore), and other than that I never get the "jumping out the speaker" sound, rather a more "just playing it out of the speaker".

I use a MacBook Pro (Garageband/Logic Express Pro 9), Boss ME-25, and some nice M-Audio speakers designed for mixing as well as some Bose headphones. Looking to get a guitar tone on tape as "fat" or "thick" as that of what you'd find in the rhythm guitar of this awesome Zelda cover (which, is the same quality of production I'd ultimately like to get):

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