|
SlippyHat posted:Whoa! I didn't even know where to start looking, for pedals. This is exactly what I am looking for! Thanks. It's Gorilla Salsa you should thank... Unless you're talking about my erection... (you're welcome  )Anyway, since I'm already having good luck with this thread, how about some pickups? I've had the same electric for about nine years, and rather than buy a new axe (my roommate is already pissed off that I bought the amp before paying rent (don't worry, I'm good for it)) I was thinking about trying some guitar necromancy. It's a Gibson Les Paul Special (the kind of "special" that has mittens pinned to its jacket) with all the original hardware. The bridge pickup cuts out frequently, and it's become quite annoying. Any thoughts on a good place to start?
|
#
?
Apr 1, 2010 02:14
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 11, 2024 09:13 |
|
|
Reset_Smith posted:It's Gorilla Salsa you should thank... Unless you're talking about my erection... (you're welcome Are you looking to repair or replace?
|
|
#
?
Apr 1, 2010 02:53
|
|
|
Gorilla Salsa posted:Are you looking to repair or replace? Gorilla Salsa to the rescue  Replace. Maybe just one of them. I already checked out the connections at the toggle switch, input, and volume/tone knobs. It all looks fine, so I'm guessing the problem is in the pickup itself (which I have not removed. I'm alright with electrical workings, but I'll admit I'm afraid to gently caress it up worse) Anyway, I figure this might be a good time to upgrade. Perhaps install something with a more robust high-end for the bridge pickup. I enjoy making it scream. 
|
|
#
?
Apr 1, 2010 03:44
|
|
|
Reset_Smith posted:Gorilla Salsa to the rescue Pickups are a touchy thing, and we actually have a thread here on SA about them. I'm not 100% sure what your tastes are, so I'm not going to throw out blind recommendations for you (I'm much more well versed in pedals than pickups). That said, Dimarzio has a really cool pickup finder tool on their website, as well as audio samples (taken from various artists' songs). Seymour Duncan has both a tone chart and audio samples for their products. Based on what I know of your tastes and of these pickups, I'd check out the PAF Pro from Dimarzio and/or the SH-1 59 from Seymour Duncan.
|
|
#
?
Apr 1, 2010 03:58
|
|
|
Gorilla Salsa posted:Pickups are a touchy thing, and we actually have a thread here on SA about them. I'm not 100% sure what your tastes are, so I'm not going to throw out blind recommendations for you (I'm much more well versed in pedals than pickups). That said, Dimarzio has a really cool pickup finder tool on their website, as well as audio samples (taken from various artists' songs). Seymour Duncan has both a tone chart and audio samples for their products. Fantastic. Thanks again, GS I'll go check out that other thread, too...
|
|
#
?
Apr 1, 2010 04:12
|
|
|
Stupid questions about bass amps and their controls: 1. What's the relationship between the 'gain' knob and the 'volume' knob? The manual says the two are interlinked, but as far as my (admittedly untrained) ears can tell, they both act like volume knobs. On a guitar amp if I boosted the gain it would start to distort but that does not occur on a bass amp. 2. From what I've read, the notch knob decreases the volume of a small set of frequencies by 12 db. Where is that useful and where should I be setting it? I can't actually turn this feature off but I really have no idea why I'd want to cut out just a small set of frequencies. It seems like something I would do with my EQ but I'm sure there's a good reason for it. --- Not sure if it helps to know this but I usually aim for a warm, bassy tone. I don't play metal, hard rock, etc.
|
|
#
?
Apr 1, 2010 17:38
|
|
|
So I've had a hard on for Jazzmasters for a while now, but I'm beginning to think shorter scale guitars are better suited for me. Jaguar's have shorter necks don't they? Can someone give me a run down of why I would choose a Jazzmaster over a Jaguar or vice versa? I like to play alternative music, mostly Dinosaur Jr or the Cure, if that's relevant.
|
|
#
?
Apr 1, 2010 21:56
|
|
|
Cloud Dog posted:Stupid questions about bass amps and their controls: The notch probably removes some mids. Switches like that are usually advertised as a "make it sound good" switch, but in reality its hardly ever the case. For a warm bassy tone try increasing the low mids a bit and backing off on the highs.
|
|
#
?
Apr 1, 2010 23:41
|
|
|
My smallish Fender bass amp has a "cut mids" button and it makes the bass sound like crap if you press it. It's like the tone knob on your bass itself (if you have a J or P): there's only one position in which it sounds good.
|
|
#
?
Apr 2, 2010 00:18
|
|
|
Epi Lepi posted:So I've had a hard on for Jazzmasters for a while now, but I'm beginning to think shorter scale guitars are better suited for me. Jaguar's have shorter necks don't they? Can someone give me a run down of why I would choose a Jazzmaster over a Jaguar or vice versa? I like to play alternative music, mostly Dinosaur Jr or the Cure, if that's relevant. Besides the scale and controls, the biggest difference is the pickups. The jag pickups are uniquely sized but voiced similarly to a strat. Unlike a strat though, you don't have the 5-way switch to select an out of phase position. There's also some jaguar models with humbuckers, but that's probably not what you had in mind. The Jazzmaster has totally unique pickups that are similar in size to P90s. A lot of Jazzmaster copies have P90s, but the real Jazzmaster pickups are wound much flatter, and compared to the jaguar's the Jazzmaster's pickups are warmer and less trebly.
|
|
#
?
Apr 2, 2010 02:48
|
|
|
Way Past Cool! posted:Besides the scale and controls, the biggest difference is the pickups. The jag pickups are uniquely sized but voiced similarly to a strat. Unlike a strat though, you don't have the 5-way switch to select an out of phase position. There's also some jaguar models with humbuckers, but that's probably not what you had in mind. The Jazzmaster has totally unique pickups that are similar in size to P90s. A lot of Jazzmaster copies have P90s, but the real Jazzmaster pickups are wound much flatter, and compared to the jaguar's the Jazzmaster's pickups are warmer and less trebly. Any man with a J Mascis avatar is a man I can trust. Thank you for the info about the pickups. I'll have to keep that in mind, I'm still not sure what kind of tone I want in addition to what I have with my Les Paul.
|
|
#
?
Apr 2, 2010 05:44
|
|
|
Way Past Cool! posted:Unlike a strat though, you don't have the 5-way switch to select an out of phase position. Well drat, what ARE all those switches for then?
|
|
#
?
Apr 2, 2010 13:25
|
|
|
baka kaba posted:Well drat, what ARE all those switches for then? Yeah I forgot to ask that last night, I thought that the three switches on a Jag were pickup selectors, so technically couldn't you get an out of phase sound? And I know JMs and Jags have a rhythm/lead switch but I don't get what that exactly does.
|
|
#
?
Apr 2, 2010 17:20
|
|
|
I'm looking at after-market tremolos for my beater Telecaster. I was scouting for GFS trems but I have no idea what I'm looking for. I want something that will more or less just drop right in be it a Wilkinson- or a Bigsby-type deal. Any suggestions?
|
|
#
?
Apr 2, 2010 17:28
|
|
|
Epi Lepi posted:Yeah I forgot to ask that last night, I thought that the three switches on a Jag were pickup selectors, so technically couldn't you get an out of phase sound? And I know JMs and Jags have a rhythm/lead switch but I don't get what that exactly does. Sorry I forgot to mention that, the first two switches on the jaguar are on/off switches for the neck and bridge pickups. The third switch activates a bass-cutting filter, which makes the tone even higher pitched, which can be used to cut through the mix when playing with a full band. The rhythm circuit switch on both jazzmasters and jaguars cuts off the bridge pickup and main volume and tone knobs. This means only the neck pickup is active and it's volume and tone are controlled by the roller knobs. The rhythm switch can be used to quickly switch between separate volume/tone settings, but a lot of people never use it at all. You can see how different setting work with this Virtual Jaguar (a corny name but it illustrates the features pretty well). There's more information about Jazzmasters and Jaguars on the same site.
|
|
#
?
Apr 2, 2010 21:31
|
|
|
Ireneo Funes posted:I'm looking at after-market tremolos for my beater Telecaster. I was scouting for GFS trems but I have no idea what I'm looking for. I want something that will more or less just drop right in be it a Wilkinson- or a Bigsby-type deal. The bigsby top mount is the only widely available type that will "drop in" without extensive routing. Even then I believe some drilling will be required to install the roller bridge, but it's nothing major. GFS mostly makes trems and blocks for strats at the moment. Unless you want to cut some huge holes in your tele you'll have to skip those.
|
|
#
?
Apr 2, 2010 22:06
|
|
|
Way Past Cool! posted:Sorry I forgot to mention that, the first two switches on the jaguar are on/off switches for the neck and bridge pickups. The third switch activates a bass-cutting filter, which makes the tone even higher pitched, which can be used to cut through the mix when playing with a full band. That's pretty neat, I've always wondered what all those switches were for. Have you had a chance to play the J Mascis signature Jazzmaster (or maybe it's a Jag I really don't know)? It sounds and looks great but obviously it's a bit pricey.
|
|
#
?
Apr 3, 2010 03:55
|
|
|
Jacques Diarrhida posted:That's pretty neat, I've always wondered what all those switches were for. Have you had a chance to play the J Mascis signature Jazzmaster (or maybe it's a Jag I really don't know)? It sounds and looks great but obviously it's a bit pricey. I like those too, they're not that pricey anymore though, relatively. If you don't mind the used market you can find a lot of ebay that go for anywhere between 500 and 800 dollars. It bothers me that I see so many on ebay though, makes me wonder why so many people want to get rid of them.
|
|
#
?
Apr 3, 2010 06:17
|
|
|
Are the Gibson '58 VOS a limited time deal that Gibson is doing? I dreadfully want one, but realistically I won't have 3700 dollars to blow on a guitar for a couple years, and any sort of limited edition thing is going to be long gone by the time I've got enough scratch to buy one. If that's likely to be the case, then I might just start convincing myself that the Epiphone version would be exactly the same and for a couple thousand dollars less. Pretty much all of my gear is on the low price / high value end of the spectrum, which is why I want just one really top notch thing that I can hold onto for years, treat lovingly, and pass on to my kids when they follow in my footsteps and live out all those dreams that I failed to accomplish. fake edit: What I really want is just a plain top les paul, and the '58 VOS is basically the only gibson version of that that I can find. If somebody knows of a standard production les paul that's a plain top and is maybe around 2 grand or something, that would be pretty balling.
|
|
#
?
Apr 3, 2010 17:23
|
|
|
This might be a better guitar than an Epiphone http://www.rondomusic.com/product3215.html I've never played one, but if you got it I'd be interested in hearing about it 
|
|
#
?
Apr 3, 2010 17:53
|
|
|
Coca Koala posted:Are the Gibson '58 VOS a limited time deal that Gibson is doing? I dreadfully want one, but realistically I won't have 3700 dollars to blow on a guitar for a couple years, and any sort of limited edition thing is going to be long gone by the time I've got enough scratch to buy one. If that's likely to be the case, then I might just start convincing myself that the Epiphone version would be exactly the same and for a couple thousand dollars less. http://www.chrisguitars.com/gibson.html has a 2005 VOS '60 plain top in very good shape for $2499, it's #14 on the page (I've been buying stuff from Chris for years, he's a great guy to do business with).
|
|
#
?
Apr 3, 2010 18:09
|
|
|
Coca Koala posted:fake edit: What I really want is just a plain top les paul, and the '58 VOS is basically the only gibson version of that that I can find. If somebody knows of a standard production les paul that's a plain top and is maybe around 2 grand or something, that would be pretty balling.
|
|
#
?
Apr 3, 2010 19:24
|
|
|
DrChu posted:Like these? http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product/Gibson-Les-Paul-Standard-Traditional-Pro-Electric-Guitar?sku=581715 Yes! Those don't come in honey burst, which is a minor tragedy but the cherry sunburst is almost as good, and those look fantastic. Thank you for pointing those out; I had completely missed them.
|
|
#
?
Apr 3, 2010 22:22
|
|
|
Epiphone also makes a plain top for relatively little money. The VOS models are not widely loved by serious players, especially since the recent ones are weight relieved thus making a joke of the "VOS" name. The real secret though is that if you're prepare to spend $2000 on a les paul it should be a Heritage. MAde by former Gibson employees on former Gibson machinery, in the former Gibson factory. Their wood selection and finishes are second to none and as long as you're shelling out two grand for a guitar you might as well get to specify the neck profile, pickups, and other details. I wouldn't be surprised if the Heritage ran you closer to $1500 too, it just depends on the options you choose (matching burst-painted male pickguard is a bit extra and so on). I have long dreamed of a Heritage LP or 335 style guitar with a one piece plain maple top. I will continue to dream of this for a very long time I think.
|
|
#
?
Apr 4, 2010 04:47
|
|
|
On my electric guitar, the 1st fret on my high E string is buzzing pretty bad. This is the only fret that's giving me an issue. It started a few months ago, but I could still get a good sound out of the fret if I was careful with my fretting, but now it's just hosed. Is there a way I can fix this without taking it in somewhere? I'm sorta proficient at repairs, I can replace tuners/nuts, adjust truss rods. Is this a way harder job than I think, that I should just have someone else do?
|
|
#
?
Apr 4, 2010 05:54
|
|
|
codyclarke posted:On my electric guitar, the 1st fret on my high E string is buzzing pretty bad. This is the only fret that's giving me an issue. It started a few months ago, but I could still get a good sound out of the fret if I was careful with my fretting, but now it's just hosed. Is there a way I can fix this without taking it in somewhere? I'm sorta proficient at repairs, I can replace tuners/nuts, adjust truss rods. Is this a way harder job than I think, that I should just have someone else do? Sounds like it could likely just need a little adjustment of the action (string height). I would suggest the following steps, in order: 1) make sure you have new strings on the guitar 2) google "guitar setup" and read through a few guides to get a sense of what's what 3) don't mess with the truss rod until you've ruled out adjustment of the bridge saddles etc.
|
|
#
?
Apr 4, 2010 06:30
|
|
|
I have a Roland Cube 30, a Boss ME-70 pedal and the budget version OLP John Petrucci signature series. I'd like to get as close as I can to Paul Gilbert's swooshy, punchy sound. The problem is that no matter how hard I try, I just can't get close to what his guitars sound like. Is it too much to ask? The answer to that question is important, as I think my problem could be solved with a pickup replacement - I have an X2n in the bridge and I think it has way too much output for getting a Paul Gilbert-like tone. I've gotten close with 40% bass, 55% middle and 40% treble amp settings and using the 'classic' (marshall) overdrive setting on the ME-70, but it's still not really there. Should I buy a Laney amp? Should I get a PAF Pro and stick it in my bridge position? Or should I just give up and get a new guitar?
|
|
#
?
Apr 5, 2010 02:50
|
|
|
SSJ2 Goku Wilders posted:I have a Roland Cube 30, a Boss ME-70 pedal and the budget version OLP John Petrucci signature series. I'd like to get as close as I can to Paul Gilbert's swooshy, punchy sound. The problem is that no matter how hard I try, I just can't get close to what his guitars sound like. Is it too much to ask? The answer to that question is important, as I think my problem could be solved with a pickup replacement - I have an X2n in the bridge and I think it has way too much output for getting a Paul Gilbert-like tone. I've gotten close with 40% bass, 55% middle and 40% treble amp settings and using the 'classic' (marshall) overdrive setting on the ME-70, but it's still not really there. I am not sure what all the Me-70 has for flange, but I would look in to that. Or, you could get one of these: http://www.musiciansfriend.com/prod...ELAID=374013199
|
|
#
?
Apr 5, 2010 03:04
|
|
|
I bet dropping a PAF pro or 36th anniversary (in his new sig model) would get you closer than you are now. It's also unlikely to result in a sound you absolutely hate. First though, look at your technique. You probably already use a jazz III held at a pronounced angle, but if you don't I'd recommend trying that before buying a new amp or swapping electronics.
|
|
#
?
Apr 5, 2010 03:18
|
|
|
Ferrous Wheel posted:I bet dropping a PAF pro or 36th anniversary (in his new sig model) would get you closer than you are now. It's also unlikely to result in a sound you absolutely hate. First though, look at your technique. You probably already use a jazz III held at a pronounced angle, but if you don't I'd recommend trying that before buying a new amp or swapping electronics. I've been using fender mediums as they tend to be closer to the 0.60mm dunlops that he uses. I'll look into those Jazz III's as this is the second time someone's suggested them. Mostly I'm asking about the PAF because I'd rather just save up and get a brand new ibanez if the OLP isn't worth saving/saveable. Thanks. black_mastermind posted:
I've noticed him using this in the ending lick to Technical Difficulties. Thanks for the suggestion, but the ME-70 has a pretty wide repertoire of effects, including flangers/phasers. Going to get some new picks on tuesday when the shop opens, will report back.
|
|
#
?
Apr 5, 2010 03:28
|
|
|
SSJ2 Goku Wilders posted:I've been using fender mediums as they tend to be closer to the 0.60mm dunlops that he uses. I'll look into those Jazz III's as this is the second time someone's suggested them. The sharp tip of a Jazz III should get you way closer to the Gilbert/Petrucci sound if you hold it properly. See for example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CpJNUGHxC3M Interestingly, in that video he seems to be using a regular full-sized pick. :itisamystery: Personally, I'm liking the 1.14 tortex Jazz IIIs. I'm not a shred guy, but I found those got me closer than I've been in the past to super metal tone. The ultex kind are more durable and have a nice rounded edge; I like them slightly better for fast funk rhythm type strumming.
|
|
#
?
Apr 5, 2010 07:17
|
|
|
I have a PGM-301, and there definitely is a punch from his pickups, but the missing link you're looking for might be simpler than you think. A BIG factor in Paul's sound is the pick he uses/how it's angled. I assume you're trying to mimic the more Racer X-ish sound of his, the sound he's primarily associate with, where just the pick coming in contact with the string gives it sort of an overdrive to it. What he's doing to get this, is he's using a pick with a rough edge to it. His signature sound comes from that rough edge shaving on the string. I can mimic it pretty exactly just doing that against a three note per string pattern. You don't wanna be creating this sound too much though, cause you'll be burning through picks pretty fast since the rough edge eventually just grinds down.
|
|
#
?
Apr 5, 2010 07:51
|
|
|
Ferrous Wheel posted:The sharp tip of a Jazz III should get you way closer to the Gilbert/Petrucci sound if you hold it properly. See for example: I've been watching that video religiously. Every note seems to be like a card hitting the spokes of your bike wheel or some poo poo like that. It was something like that I'm sure that he said. I think he's using this in the video:  At least that's what I've managed to read on some Racer X forums and such. I'll definitely look into all of the picks you've mentioned though! codyclarke posted:I have a PGM-301, you lucky bastard codyclarke posted:and there definitely is a punch from his pickups, but the missing link you're looking for might be simpler than you think. A BIG factor in Paul's sound is the pick he uses/how it's angled. I assume you're trying to mimic the more Racer X-ish sound of his, the sound he's primarily associate with, where just the pick coming in contact with the string gives it sort of an overdrive to it. What he's doing to get this, is he's using a pick with a rough edge to it. His signature sound comes from that rough edge shaving on the string. I can mimic it pretty exactly just doing that against a three note per string pattern. You don't wanna be creating this sound too much though, cause you'll be burning through picks pretty fast since the rough edge eventually just grinds down. Thanks again.
|
|
#
?
Apr 5, 2010 11:39
|
|
|
Why is that all my Cubase songs end up being quieter than other mp3s? I always set the mixer as high as it will go before it starts clipping, and it inevitably ends up super-quiet. Am I missing something stupid with the mixer balance?
|
|
#
?
Apr 6, 2010 01:12
|
|
|
Popcorn posted:Why is that all my Cubase songs end up being quieter than other mp3s? I always set the mixer as high as it will go before it starts clipping, and it inevitably ends up super-quiet. Am I missing something stupid with the mixer balance? Echoing this question. Pisses me off to no end. Bumping them up in Audition later just isn't the same. Cubase 5, full thing -- if it matters.
|
|
#
?
Apr 6, 2010 01:19
|
|
|
Do they sound different in Cubase before you save them? What if you load a loud mp3 into Cubase and then save that out, does it change? I'm just wondering if it's a technical problem or just a lack of compression on the mix - pretty much everything out there (especially professional stuff) is compressed/mastered to make it sound as loud as possible, music without this can sound weak and quiet in comparison. You can wang something like this on the master channel to see if it's closer to what you want http://www.kjaerhusaudio.com/classic-master-limiter.php
|
|
#
?
Apr 6, 2010 16:36
|
|
|
I currently own a CDP-100, connected to my computer by way of a USB cord. I use Red Dot Forever to record my music, which is just okay for it's intended purposes, but the sound quality is pretty crap. The emotional quality of the song is lost, because it sounds like a MIDI file. Is there any way to record a higher quality sound with a USB? My only other alternative atm is a USB headset to record live audio, but it picks up all the thumps from the piano keys being released.
|
|
#
?
Apr 6, 2010 17:14
|
|
|
Popcorn posted:Why is that all my Cubase songs end up being quieter than other mp3s? I always set the mixer as high as it will go before it starts clipping, and it inevitably ends up super-quiet. Am I missing something stupid with the mixer balance? The main reason for me is weird transients causing peaks, so I always open my exported WAVs in Audacity and chop the peaks off with a hard limiter. there are probably better ways of doing this, but whatever  Mixing is the key thing, though- if the instruments aren't clashing with each other then you can turn them up further.
|
|
#
?
Apr 6, 2010 19:40
|
|
|
How good do standard hard cases fare in airplane cargo holds? I'm looking at a way to get my LP to and from Seattle, and wondering what the best approach to take might be. I've seen some ~140 "flight cases" as well, but was unsure if they're much better.
|
|
#
?
Apr 7, 2010 03:17
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 11, 2024 09:13 |
|
|
Warning: truss rod/string action question ahead. I have an old, probably 60s era Madeira I got from my grandfather. The action on this thing has always been wacky probably because he didn't take care of the thing at all (when I found it, he had thick-thread screw for a nut, seriously). Anyway, I got a new nut, bridge, and strings for it, but even after reading some stuff I'm not sure how to proceed to make it really playable, since 1.) The action is too high with the bridge on at all. I actually removed the bridge because even at its lowest setting the 1st fret would be uncomfortable and the 12th a basically unplayable 1/2" above the neck. After this the 12th fret was playable albeit a little clumsy, and the 1st fret would buzz if you played the strings at an angle or held the guitar flat while ringing. I know none of this is right, but when I went to research Truss Rod Adjustment everyone says NOT to adjust this for string action. What's wrong and how do I fix it?
|
|
#
?
Apr 7, 2010 03:52
|
|
