Jim's Analogue Noise Bunker - Report 5

A quick but long one, this week. Oi-oi! Ahem, anyway, thought I'd drop this entry/report/transmission/whatevs while it was still current. So, on we go, with more of my adventures with guitars and their related peripherals!

UNPLUGGED

Well, unplugged headphones, at least. I've just had a rare music practice through an amp + its resident speaker! I've been getting more and more concerned that I'm not hearing the full dynamic range (is that really a thing, or just a nonsense term?) through my wireless headphones, so have decided to "go live" for a change. I'm INCREDIBLY self-conscious while playing through speakers as, most likely, my neighbours can hear me and are either being annoyed by what I'm doing or judging my performance. Either way, I'm usually happiest playing "silent". I was thinking of maybe getting some noise-cancelling headphones to wear for speaker playing, just to take the edge off and make me feel a little more confident. I'd never play so loud as to be antisocial, but that raw sound is very powerful, even at a low volume, so I feel I need something to ease me out of my shell. Or what might also work is maybe just wearing standard over-ear headphones without them plugged in, just to soften the effect. Hmmm. I'll run some tests! I would like to eventually rent a rehearsal space/sound booth so I can finally see what it's like to "go crazy" with the volume, but since I don't drive, it'll be a bit of a task to lug stuff around. I guess I'll have to face that problem eventually, if I ever want to perform live.

THE MYSTERY SWITCH PART 2

So I've had the Squier 50s Classic Vibe Strat for about a week now, and I'm still not too sure what that extra toggle switch does. It definitely does something, as I do hear a difference in tone, and there's an audible electrical crackle when I switch positions, indicating something mechanical happening. As well as the possibility of it being a "presence" switch, I'm also wondering whether it actually provides different pickup combinations. In the bridge position, it definitely seems to give the most basic sound of each pickup, so maybe that's the "off" position. Therefore, the other two positions could combine the neck and bridge, all three, or have some reversing effect on something. There's a lovely Scottish guitar tech on YouTube that I follow, called "MADMALKO", who adds polarising features to his customised instruments (you can watch him here: https://www.youtube.com/user/MADMALKO), which gave me the idea that maybe this is what the mystery switch does. My final theory is that it changes the output of the pickups, as there seems to be a boost to the tone whilst playing with heavy distortion. I've still yet to hear back from my friend, who's sorta my "Obi Guitar Kenobi". I run things by him when I'm confused. I'm not very technically minded, or practical in general, so fingers crossed!

So, yeah, that's it for this week, rock gods! Do get in touch with advice, thoughts, feelings and admissions of undying love.

Toodles!

Jim's Analogue Noise Bunker - Report 4

Welcome back, guitar freaks! My head's been stuck in GTA Online for the past month or so, therefore musical inspiration has been limited. Or purposefully rolled back, in favour of virtual video game vehicle consumption. Fear not, though, as like most of my hobbies, my guitar lust will swing back into my consciousness and become a daily distraction again soon. I do keep practicing daily, and always keep an eye on my local music shop for bargains, just not as obsessively as I sometimes do. It's nice to have a change, I must say. Bit cheaper, too. So, my fine fellows, here's a rundown of my recent musical adventures (when I'm not in Los Santos)...

WRITING BUNDLE

Without trying, I seem to have accrued a handful of punk-pop song fragments, which I think I might try recording. I don't think they're complete verse - chorus - verse - chorus - middle eight - chorus deals, but they might at least work as demos. Demos for what, you ask? No idea, but it'll be interesting to get back into music recording again. I haven't properly done any in about seven years or so. The last time was in a professional analogue recording studio at college, and before that was at home with ProTools. This time it'll be Audacity. I'll still be using my old Shure mic and M-Box input, though. We shall see.

ROCKING ALL THROUGH THE NIGHT

Must say, the one good thing to come out of my horrible, medication-triggered adrenaline floods in the middle of the night, are some inspiring music sessions. Usually, the seizures come during the hypnagogia period, where I'm slipping into sleep. For some reason, my antidepressants fire a burst of what feels like adrenaline into my brain, and I need to get up and do something tasking. Or stare at a bright light. Just something to occupy my brain, basically, and the doing-stuff thing seems a little safer. When I tried (and failed) to come off my medication a couple of years ago, I noticed the floods stopped, and now I'm back on them and taking two tablets a day, I seem to get two floods each night. Coincidence? I dunno, but going into my guitar nook and rocking out for ten minutes with my headphones on is the best cure I've found thus far. During that frenzied state of hyper-activity, I tend to be a little more experimental and try out different chord combinations. It's getting to the point where I almost look forward to the floods now, although they are still rather unpleasant. Fun, fun, fun!

P.S. Yes, I have mentioned them to my doctor(s), but they never seem interested. Oh well.

ONE OUT, ONE IN

So although - boy! - does Eastwood's Norma EG 521-4 look cool as funk, unfortunately, in person, it has about as much personality as a brick. And a really boring brick, at that. The type of brick that doesn't get invited out to parties by all the other bricks. In fact, I'd describe it as a machine trying to sound like a musical instrument, but getting it slightly wrong. Which sorta doesn't make sense, as an electric guitar is a machine, really, but the Norma lacks its own musical signature. Perhaps it's like a replicant in the Blade Runner universe - they're 95% convincing, but that remaining 5% gives them away to the Voight-Kampff machine. Anyway, to cut a long story short, I traded it in today (Tuesday 04 September 2018) for a Squier Classic 50s Vibe Stratocaster, which I've been eyeing for years now. They're quite prized amongst players, and are shooting up in price. Luckily, this one was 2nd hand. Anyway, this leads me onto...

THE MYSTERY SWITCH

So I've cross-referenced the Vibe's serial number on the Fender database, and it is what it says it is. However, the model I am now in possession of has a mysterious 3-way toggle switch fitted between the 5-way pickup selector and volume/tone dials. I've browsed a few online music shops for the same model, but they're all missing that third control function. So, what's it for? Well, after playing around with it for a bit, it does seem to change the tone slightly. The closer to the bridge it gets, the wetter the tone. So if it's in the neck position, the tone is thin and dry. Maybe it's a "presence" switch, a musical tone that probably divides players and sends them arguing about what it really means. Regardless, is it a stock function that's now been discontinued, or a custom job by a previous owner?

If you know or have any ideas... HELP!

Well, folks, that's all for this transmission from the bunker. Do get in touch and tell me all your six-stringed secrets!