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  • in reply to: Anyone using Guitar Rig? #69418
    youngwasp
    Member

    Nothing on their website?

    gul·li·ble /ˈgʌləbəl/ Pronunciation Key – Show Spelled Pronunciation[guhl-uh-buhl] Pronunciation Key – Show IPA Pronunciation
    –adjective easily deceived or cheated

    Sorry.

    in reply to: Anyone using Guitar Rig? #69454
    youngwasp
    Member

    Guitar Rig? Are you serious? There was a major fault identified with that and they were all recalled – do not plug it in again, pack it carefully and return it immediately.

    Apparently it can catch fire or explode.

    in reply to: My new guitar lesson website with 50 videos…. #69420
    youngwasp
    Member

    [quote=”Tim”]This discrepency seems to crop up quite often in discussions between Americans and us normal folk (UK).

    I call them ‘the fat E’ and ‘the skinny E’ clears up any confusion.

    Hello Bob, welcome to the board! Not looked at the site yet but I’m on my way as I’m trying, with little success, to learn the dark art of 6-stringing.

    Tim.[/quote]

    Agreed, out in the colonies things are different, however I believe Mr Crispy is Canadian (the place where Stargate is filmed).

    in reply to: My new guitar lesson website with 50 videos…. #69416
    youngwasp
    Member

    Hi Bob

    Just had a very quick random run through a couple of videos.

    Not a criticism, more a nod at how perspective is different for everyone.

    The lesson on Open C tuning, you refer to the bottom E string as the top string – yet having played since 1967, I always view that as the bottom string. Marvellous how things are seen by other guitarists.

    in reply to: ZOOM MRS-8 digital recorder #69308
    youngwasp
    Member

    What stops you;

    1. CD in a CD player.

    2. Line out from CD into audio input of recorder.

    3. Select ‘New song’ on recorder.

    4. Start CD player.

    5. Press record on recorder?

    in reply to: Last lekky I bought #69282
    youngwasp
    Member

    One of my daughters was desperate to start playing a while back and we went through several ‘kid’s’ guitars. Without exception and no matter how they were tuned or what strings were put on, none would hold their tuning for more than a couple of minutes. The slightest bend or slur or bit of hefty power chord work and it was away with the fairies.

    Waste of time, money and effort.

    in reply to: I want quality, but can’t afford a good Gibson or Fender #68916
    youngwasp
    Member

    [quote=”acoustica1″]What do you think about fenders made in Mexico? I owned a very serious “Mex-tele” .[/quote]

    This is a real conundrum for me;

    I own several American Fenders and about the same number of Mex equivalents. Admittedly several of these I haven’t played very much at all.

    In light of this question, I got all my USA and Mex telecasters in one room and put on a blindfold. My wife then randomly selected instruments and handed them to me and I played the same piece.

    Without question, my Fender 50’s reissue Esquire came out on top – this is something I only purchased a while ago, mint, secondhand for £280. It has the feel of a real top quality Fender, and although only one single coil, it is capable of producing that shiver up the spine. It is beautifully weighted and balanced and the neck, although something of a handful (full ‘C’ contour), is sublime.

    in reply to: Barre chord finger pain #69138
    youngwasp
    Member

    [quote=”GeoNjules”]I’ve been trying to do some barre chords. Problem is I can’t practice very long, maybe a minute or two. The fleshy part of my index finger (closest to the hand) hurts like h***. It is VERY tender and seems like I’m not even coming close to holding the strings down.
    Will this area callouse up after awhile like my fingertips? Any suggestions?
    I read to maybe start with partials (3 or 4 notes) and work your way up to full chords. Can anyone post the partial fingerings for me?
    Thanks.[/quote]

    Partial fingerings cannot replace slapping your index finger down across all the strings to create a ‘new nut’, in other words, there are no shortcuts to barre chords. Whilst chord fragments might increase the range of your chord vocabulary, they will not in any way make barre chords easier to learn either in terms of technique or the ‘physical torture’.

    It also depends a great deal on the type of guitar you are using, barre chords on an acoustic are certainly more difficult than on an electric guitar. That said, different models of electric guitar will make the process easier than others, not to mention the gauge of strings you have fitted.

    No, the side of your index finger will not callouse up in the same way as your fingertips have/will. If you do a lot of rhythm work, the index will become far less painful, but even after many years of playing, a long session of barre chords can still take its toll. There again, if you daily did hours of barre chords for months at a time, it is possible that your index finger would develop a much tougher exterior to compensate.

    One word of advice – most beginners tend to think that barre chords need a lot of index finger pressure, when in fact this tends not to the case. Positioning needs to watched also – be sure to place the finger almost on top of the fret and not between two, press firmly, but not so that it hurts.

    Barre chords are not easy, but will very quickly become easier and in a month or two, you will wonder what all the fuss was about.

    youngwasp
    Member

    Firstly I would like to know what people think constitutes the difference in quality between cheap and expensive instruments? I have a very varied range of guitars, from just under a hundred quid to just under 2k.

    Going back about six years, really cheap guitars were nasty and unquestionably poorly constructed. Things have changed dramatically over the past 36 months and there appears to be a real battle down at the sub 300 quid end – manufacturers striving to get excellent quality affordable instruments out into the marketplace.

    I do find it strange how much perspective can influence opinion and by this I mean that I know several guitarists who hate Squier guitars and have only bad words to say about them. On the other hand, I love Squiers and have about a dozen. I recently purchased the new Vintage Modified Telecaster (2 x single coils/1 x humbucker). I paid just 200 quid and it is easily as good as any of my higher end Fenders.

    There are many makes and models that simply never get a look-in or mention. Fernandes for example; my local supplier had a rack on the wall of assorted guitars that collapsed overnight and the owner was selling off a few that got chipped in the process. I bought a Vertigo X for £125 that is quite beautiful, wonderfully balanced although only a single humbucker that is nothing much to write home about.

    I also picked up a Traveler Speedster. This is basically a reverse strung full scale electric guitar (it had a nick in the fretboard as the result of falling off the display), with a detachable teardrop arm support. I got that for just £145. This may appear like a toy, but having taken it on holiday, it became my weapon of choice for the next two years. I saw them new in this month’s Guitarist mag for £199. Really stonking instrument – you don’t need to spend over the odds for quality.

    http//www.audiolinks.com/tek9/tek9.asp?pg=products&specific=jmomhqprq

    This prompts a question, do photobucket links only work when you have posted over a certain number?

    in reply to: Check the speed of this guy #68756
    youngwasp
    Member

    [quote=”glw”]Yeah, but can he keep a Roundtrees fruit pastille in his mouth without chewing?[/quote]

    Judging by the look on his face, I don’t think the fruit pastilles are in his mouth.

    in reply to: Check the speed of this guy #68768
    youngwasp
    Member

    Well, I availed myself of the contact facility on the left of Maxi’s site.

    He now has 3 friends, so there!

    in reply to: Metal players ….your opinion please!!!!! #68617
    youngwasp
    Member

    When this started I immediately started singing ‘The Changing Man’ by Paul Weller (which incidentally I think is ripped off from 10538 Overture by ELO).

    It hardly approaches metal of any description thus far experienced, the simple inclusion of a ‘metaly’ sounding guitar recorded in the lavatory hardly qualifies it for the genre. Personally, I found it interesting, but I would beef the whole thing up by keeping the lighter passages as they are and really kicking in with the distorted sections.

    It also needs something else, just a hint of gothic choir and a short electric violin solo. You also say that your friend wants a song? Well this isn’t a song, it is an instrumental, so I am bit confused. Can we see the lyrics – or maybe we could collaborate and write them between us?

    in reply to: Beginner Guitar #68644
    youngwasp
    Member

    This is an immensely difficult question to answer, there being so many variables at play;

    Firstly, the type of music you want to focus on is inherently important. So this said, if the heavy chunky sound is something you favour, then you will obviously need something with humbucking pickups.

    If a lighter rock sound is more desirable, then something with single coil pickups – however, modern amps and effects processors have taken making that choice away as virtually any electric guitar can be made to sound pretty much how you want by pluggin it into a box and twisting a few knobs.

    You must also take into acount your stature and physical strength. Trying to stand up and manipulate an instrument that resembles a surfboard can get very tiring after a short while.

    The size of your hands and fingers is equally important as necks come in a variety of contours/depths.

    I would never recommend buying a guitar over the internet if you are a beginner. Always go to a guitar shop and sit with as many different instruments as you can before the salesman gets bored and walks off. You may not be able to even finger a single chord but you will get a sense of what ‘feels’ right.

    Obviously, what appeals aesthetically is going to be a big part of the decision making process as well – certain shapes just don’t look right. I have never been attracted to Stratocasters, despite owning several.

    My choice for a beginner would be either the new Squier Vintage Modified SSH Telecaster;

    http//www.sweetwater.com/guitargallery/electric/all/sZSSH07010180/

    This has the feel of a much more expensive instrument and has five way switching giving a range of tones, the SSH meaning two single coils and a humbucker. I bought one of the first imported and paid £190.

    Or, the Schecter Blackhawk which is a different animal entirely. Full two octave 24 fret neck. I have seen this go for around £135 cash in Sound Control. They are trying to get rid of them and take offers. Several different colours too. Very very good for the money.

    http//www.soundcontrol.co.uk/mod_1/pages/mod_1.12/pages/mod_1.12.1/pages/mod_1.12.1.1/pages/index.php?sku=1.1.1.1.1-64-293

    in reply to: technique #126798
    youngwasp
    Member

    Good point, I have noticed considerable physiological changes as I have aged. I have to ‘warm-up’ for longer periods, and there have been occasions where playing ‘cold’ has proved very difficult.

    You ask about exercises, there being any number of these designed to facilitate the improvement of response. However, the biggest change I found came from internal assistance and I don’t mean mental things like meditation.

    Two things;

    Every day I take essential oil and after a short period, all my joint functions improved by 50%. I used to take Udo’s Oil, but there are many cheaper and equally good alternatives. Most supermarkets sell essential oil (Sainsbury’s definitely).

    The other thing is glucosamine sulphate, a naturally occurring amino acid that is proven to rebuild joint cartilage and tendons. I combine this with sulphur (also known as MSM), in capsule form, (there are several makes that stick them in the same capsule together).

    You may think this is a load of old ****, but your finger joints are like elastic bands and the stronger and more supple the connective tissue, the faster and more fluid your playing response. I also run, lift weights, and do punchbag/boxing/martial arts training and at a bodyweight of 17st noticed the very definite changes since taking these supplements.

    in reply to: Opinion on buying 1st acoustic #67891
    youngwasp
    Member

    I realise the temptation is strong, but from my experience and even having said in another thread that the cost of guitars has come down and the quality gone up, then I would not buy a really cheap acoustic.

    Chances are it will be poorly finished, the action will have been set up by a space shuttle pilot and resultingly be difficult to play and make the entire experience decidedly unpleasant.

    Unless you can get a more upmarket secondhand model, then I would wait until you had more money and look to buy something more attractive and accomodating – I have several ‘cheaper’ acoustics, the most recent being a Takamine that cost me just short of 300 english pounds – it is stonking, silky to the touch and responsive.

    Wait a while.

Viewing 15 replies - 1 through 15 (of 65 total)