Welcome back, my 4, 6, 7 and 12-stringed friends! How’s it been? Oh right, cool. Funny, I didn’t get an invite to that party. Never mind, I’m sure you have a perfectly reasonable explanation/excuse. Anyway, this is my second post after finally getting a new laptop sorted, so the arid wasteland in my life that was not-having-a-laptop seems to be fertilised and flowered for the foreseeable future. Touch wood. So, onwards we go!
Ladies/gentlemen/fluids, let’s broaden our minds! Lawrence?!
DOUBLE STOPS
Expressive playing appears to be a key part of being a rock guitarist. The strength in which a player will pluck a note or the intensity, speed and frequency of their vibrato will become their personal musical signature. Heck, a good enough player can noodle around two notes for ten minutes, but still make it sound awesome. A big part of expression seems to be double stops, the use of which I believe is left up to a player’s discretion. I’ve known about double stops for years, either through tuition or just hearing stuff on records, but have always struggled to know when to use them. I’ve never been sure whether to pluck those two notes (on neighbouring strings) at the start of a phrase, the end, or somewhere in between. Well, cracking this skill is now on my to do list. I’m getting slightly better at it, but the experiments continue! How do you use double stops, dear reader?
AMP REPAIR
I finally managed to get my Ibanez TSA5TVR booked in for repair. As mentioned in previous posts, it tends to crackle and pop unpleasantly at even relatively low volume. My local music shop recommended someone as the person they go to for their own repairs, as their in-house technician only does guitars. The amp repair chap works from home, which made him tricky for me to track down. Being visually impaired, I would have obviously preferred a visible shop front on a high street in which to find, rather than a quiet semi-detached house in a leafy middle-class suburb, but thankfully my taxi driver was competent (a rarity) and found it with ease. Booking ahead with instructions seemed to help. Well, my last communique with the repair dude revealed that the problem might be with the tone control, which apparently might be overloading, or something. I don’t know, I’m not very technical. So, fingers-crossed he’ll be able to fix it and it won’t cost too much! If it’s more than the cost of the amp, I guess I’ll just have to tell him to keep it. He doesn’t have my address.
ORANGE CABINET
I’ve owned the Orange Micro Terror mini-amp head for about a year or so now. I bought it because a) it was super-cute b) I’d never owned an amp head before and c) it had a headphone jack, so I didn’t need a speaker cabinet to run it through (back then I was only playing “silent”). Well, since I’ve recently started coming out of the guitar playing closet, I decided to get a cabinet(s) for the Micro Terror and Crate PowerBlock. The Terror actually has a cab designed for it, which came up 2nd hand at my local guitar shop a few weeks ago, so it’s now in my living room sat comfortably under the Terror. Yay! It may be a bit too low powered for the PowerBlock, but my guitar-Yoda friend said that it’ll be fine, just so long as I don’t have the volume up too loud. Which I certainly won’t. The cab for the Terror is passive, so I didn’t need to sort out an extra plug socket for it. It’s also very user friendly, so just one simple lead was required (and included) to get things going. And it all sounds great! I’m so excited, as this is the first head/cab combo I’ve ever owned, or even tried. I usually use practice combos, which are sensible for “bedroom playing” (although my music nook is actually in my lounge). Since the prospects of me ever being in a band are low (apparently, you need to be good at socialising), the chance of me ever owning a proper, giant, scary head/cab stack are unlikely, so my Orange kit will do me just fine. For now.
COMPRESSOR #2 PART 2
I got round to picking up my new Electro Harmonix Soul Preacher compressor, which I wanted to use to compare with my MXR Dyna Comp and hopefully learn more about the “art” of electric guitar compression. So far, I’ve learned that this one is a lot more sensitive than the Dyna Comp, so the volume/sustain hits antisocial levels very quickly. The compression level seems a little more slack, so I’m still playing around with that. I’m still not sold on the whole compression thing, even with two pedals of varying output. I guess I’ll use them only when I’m playing a very cheap guitar with low sustain and high crapiness, which I’m guessing is why they were invented. Onwards!
SLIDE GUITAR PROGRESS
I love slide guitar. It’s just the coolest sound ever, and makes my soul weep. Well, my tutor ran me through the basics last year, and what I gleamed from him is that you really just need to play it intuitively by ear. Since then, I’ve not really followed up on it much, so last week I decided to pick it up and attempt to master it, once and for all. What I’ve learned very quickly is that I need to adapt one of my guitars especially for slide playing, as I require much, much heavier strings (almost bass guitar-heavy) and a higher action/nut height. There’s a special detachable nut you can buy to put over your guitar’s default nut, so there’s no need for me to pay for the nut to be raised at the guitar shop, but stringing heavy strings doesn’t sound fun, so I might just pay to get that and the nut done, and set aside that guitar for permanent slide use. It’ll be fine, as it’s just a cheap Vintage-brand Strat that’s kinda surplus in my collection anyway. Sounds great with the slide I’ve done so far, too!
Nut.
LEARNING SONGS
I personally come at guitar playing from a writing perspective, so my main enjoyment comes from developing chord progressions to be sung over, or jamming with myself using a looper. However, that’s all getting a little old, and I really want to start playing the odd cover. Most importantly, I want to learn the blues. You can be taught all the basic musical theory you like, but playing the blues seems to be something you need to figure out yourself, much like slide playing. Makes sense, since slide playing is often a key part of the blues genre. I prefer southern Delta and hill country blues, that often have simple, metronomic rhythms, rather than northern Chicago blues, which is when saxophones and fedoras usually get involved… *shudder*. Although I do enjoy Texas blues too, which is faster and more upbeat. What I plan to do, is just sit down in front of my laptop with a guitar and play along to a song each day until I get the essence of it. I’m going to learn by ear, rather than looking up guitar tabs on the internet, which I find very frustrating indeed. While he wasn’t technically a roots blues artist (although when he did dabble in it, it was incredible, of course), I’ve decided to begin learning-by-ear Jimi Hendrix’s debut Are You Experienced album. I’ve already cracked the basics of Foxy Lady and Manic Depression, so fingers crossed, when I come to more traditional styles, I’ll have honed my skills. Hendrix is somewhat tricky due to his unique guitar setup (that right-handed Strat slung over for his left-hand playing created sounds you can’t recreate on an un-customised instrument), so I’m just trying to get as close as possible and assume it’s the best I can do. His expressive playing I can’t reproduce, either. Few can, I guess.
Right, that’s all for now, lovers. See you at the after party!
Tuesday, 22 January 2019
Saturday, 5 January 2019
Jim's Analogue Noise Bunker - Transmission 6
It feels like, every time I broadcast from the Analogue
Noise Bunker, I’m making excuses as to why I haven’t done so in a while. Well,
hold on to your hats, because this time I have a doozy!
I didn’t have a computer to write on.
Ha! Take THAT!
But, yes, sadly my last laptop finally gave up the ghost and refused to ignite its operating system anymore. I nearly took it to a tech person, but reasoned that it was about five years old anyway and was very slow, so I may as well just buy a new one. Which is what I’m typing on now!
So, what’s been going on with my musical life? Not a great deal, to be honest, as being without a laptop and coincidentally experiencing a major low mood slump at the same time meant I was essentially living one day at a time. Just… surviving. The phrase “squalor” is the best way to describe my living conditions around that time. I made sure I practiced every day, though, and am very grateful to my friends for persevering with me while my behaviour became somewhat… erratic.
Anyway, misery aside, I’m back on form now and DOING STUFF! Let’s see what that is…
VERYTHIN PROBLEMS
I’ve just not been getting decent clean tones out of my Hofner Verythin semi-hollow. Every time I play it, it’s been a battle to get something crisp and punchy from it, particularly out of the neck pickup. I do prefer playing through neck pickups, so this is obviously something I had to sort out. I tried raising and lowering the pickup’s height (using the screws at each length-way side), but that didn’t seem to make much of a difference. I have been browsing for better pickups, as I’m guessing these are the stock Hofner ones and possibly low/medium quality, and was fancying investing in some retro PAF-style humbuckers. These cost a lot of money, however, so I’ve kept up with my signal chain experimentations as a backup. What seems to work best is playing through my Old Blood Noise Endeavours Fault OD pedal, both as a clean boost and an overdrive. I’ve also rolled the tone down on my MXR compressor, but upped its volume. This, combined with using the gain channel on my Blackstar amp (with the level turned up oh-so-slightly, so it acts as just a dirty clean channel), seems to now create the tones I want. Yay! This will all save me about £300+ in a posh set of new pickups and their installation.
PRS 245 SE
I’ve been on the lookout for a Les Paul-style guitar ever since starting playing again after my 2010-2013 hiatus (after having to sell all my equipment due to financial problems). The closest I’ve gotten is my Epiphone SG Custom, which is lovely, but has some fret-buzz issues that I need to have looked at. Anyway, not having the money for (or actually being prepared to pay for) a real Gibson, I’ve been checking out more modestly priced alternatives. Through my own research, I’d narrowed it down to an Ibanez 420 double-cut and a Schecter E-1. The Schecter is really an Explorer, but I’ve been told you get pretty much the same tones as you would with a Les Paul, so hey-ho. A friend, however, recommended the PRS 245, one of which recently came up for sale 2nd hand locally. It’s in a rather unpleasant platinum finish, but beggar’s can’t be choosy, as they say. I’m paying half price for this mother. Anyway, as of writing (Saturday 05 January 2019) I’ve still only put the reserve down for the PRS but, hopefully, after the weekend, I’ll find the time to pop down to the shop and try it out. I’ve never owned or even tried-out a PRS before, which makes the 245 even more tempting. Apparently, they shouldn’t sound as good as they do for the prices they ask, which is totally counter to the Gibson ethos. I shall report back!
COMPRESSOR #2
I’ve also put the reserve down for a new compressor. As mentioned in previous posts, I’m very new to the whole compression thing and still feel like I’m in the experimentation stage. Buying a second compressor to act as a comparison was something I’d casually decided to do straight after buying my MXR Dyna Comp. Since it wasn’t a priority, I’ve been happy to wait till a decent one turned up 2nd hand, so along came the Electro Harmonix Soul Preacher Compressor/Sustainer. I’ve checked some reviews and it seems like a good one. Hopefully, after comparing it to my MXR, I’ll be in a better position to understand compression and tell you whether either pedal is good or bad.
That’s all for now, rock gods!
Peace out.
I didn’t have a computer to write on.
Ha! Take THAT!
But, yes, sadly my last laptop finally gave up the ghost and refused to ignite its operating system anymore. I nearly took it to a tech person, but reasoned that it was about five years old anyway and was very slow, so I may as well just buy a new one. Which is what I’m typing on now!
So, what’s been going on with my musical life? Not a great deal, to be honest, as being without a laptop and coincidentally experiencing a major low mood slump at the same time meant I was essentially living one day at a time. Just… surviving. The phrase “squalor” is the best way to describe my living conditions around that time. I made sure I practiced every day, though, and am very grateful to my friends for persevering with me while my behaviour became somewhat… erratic.
Anyway, misery aside, I’m back on form now and DOING STUFF! Let’s see what that is…
IBANEZ TSA5TVR
I’m finally taking action on this amplifier, which I bought early last year. It’s an awesome sounding piece of kit when it works but, sadly, it has a habit of popping and crackling unpleasantly when its pushed sonically. This seems unnatural. Things improved slightly when I played directly into it from my guitar, but I do like my signal chain, and don’t believe I should have to dispense with it JUST because this amp doesn’t play nice with others. I’ve been recommended an audio servicing company locally so, fingers crosses, this month (after the Christmas madness/shutdown) I’ll haul it down and get them to take a look at it. I partially believe I am to blame for the amp’s problems, as I disconnected the speaker so I could play quietly through the headphone jack (for some bizarre reason, the headphone jack doesn’t mute the speaker), but a few hours later, my friend messaged me (having read the manual that I should have read) and told me to reconnect it straight away. I’m not one of the world’s great engineers, you may have noticed.
I’m finally taking action on this amplifier, which I bought early last year. It’s an awesome sounding piece of kit when it works but, sadly, it has a habit of popping and crackling unpleasantly when its pushed sonically. This seems unnatural. Things improved slightly when I played directly into it from my guitar, but I do like my signal chain, and don’t believe I should have to dispense with it JUST because this amp doesn’t play nice with others. I’ve been recommended an audio servicing company locally so, fingers crosses, this month (after the Christmas madness/shutdown) I’ll haul it down and get them to take a look at it. I partially believe I am to blame for the amp’s problems, as I disconnected the speaker so I could play quietly through the headphone jack (for some bizarre reason, the headphone jack doesn’t mute the speaker), but a few hours later, my friend messaged me (having read the manual that I should have read) and told me to reconnect it straight away. I’m not one of the world’s great engineers, you may have noticed.
VERYTHIN PROBLEMS
I’ve just not been getting decent clean tones out of my Hofner Verythin semi-hollow. Every time I play it, it’s been a battle to get something crisp and punchy from it, particularly out of the neck pickup. I do prefer playing through neck pickups, so this is obviously something I had to sort out. I tried raising and lowering the pickup’s height (using the screws at each length-way side), but that didn’t seem to make much of a difference. I have been browsing for better pickups, as I’m guessing these are the stock Hofner ones and possibly low/medium quality, and was fancying investing in some retro PAF-style humbuckers. These cost a lot of money, however, so I’ve kept up with my signal chain experimentations as a backup. What seems to work best is playing through my Old Blood Noise Endeavours Fault OD pedal, both as a clean boost and an overdrive. I’ve also rolled the tone down on my MXR compressor, but upped its volume. This, combined with using the gain channel on my Blackstar amp (with the level turned up oh-so-slightly, so it acts as just a dirty clean channel), seems to now create the tones I want. Yay! This will all save me about £300+ in a posh set of new pickups and their installation.
PRS 245 SE
I’ve been on the lookout for a Les Paul-style guitar ever since starting playing again after my 2010-2013 hiatus (after having to sell all my equipment due to financial problems). The closest I’ve gotten is my Epiphone SG Custom, which is lovely, but has some fret-buzz issues that I need to have looked at. Anyway, not having the money for (or actually being prepared to pay for) a real Gibson, I’ve been checking out more modestly priced alternatives. Through my own research, I’d narrowed it down to an Ibanez 420 double-cut and a Schecter E-1. The Schecter is really an Explorer, but I’ve been told you get pretty much the same tones as you would with a Les Paul, so hey-ho. A friend, however, recommended the PRS 245, one of which recently came up for sale 2nd hand locally. It’s in a rather unpleasant platinum finish, but beggar’s can’t be choosy, as they say. I’m paying half price for this mother. Anyway, as of writing (Saturday 05 January 2019) I’ve still only put the reserve down for the PRS but, hopefully, after the weekend, I’ll find the time to pop down to the shop and try it out. I’ve never owned or even tried-out a PRS before, which makes the 245 even more tempting. Apparently, they shouldn’t sound as good as they do for the prices they ask, which is totally counter to the Gibson ethos. I shall report back!
COMPRESSOR #2
I’ve also put the reserve down for a new compressor. As mentioned in previous posts, I’m very new to the whole compression thing and still feel like I’m in the experimentation stage. Buying a second compressor to act as a comparison was something I’d casually decided to do straight after buying my MXR Dyna Comp. Since it wasn’t a priority, I’ve been happy to wait till a decent one turned up 2nd hand, so along came the Electro Harmonix Soul Preacher Compressor/Sustainer. I’ve checked some reviews and it seems like a good one. Hopefully, after comparing it to my MXR, I’ll be in a better position to understand compression and tell you whether either pedal is good or bad.
That’s all for now, rock gods!
Peace out.
Tuesday, 11 September 2018
Jim's Analogue Noise Bunker - Transmission 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!Tuesday, 4 September 2018
Jim's Analogue Noise Bunker - Transmission 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!
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!
Friday, 3 August 2018
Jim's Analogue Noise Bunker - Transmission 3
Sorry for the slight delay with this post, but the recent heatwave has really put a cap on my playing time. Plus, since I had some new equipment to try out and get used to, it's probably best it took me a while. Anyway, let's got on with some guitar playing and tech talk!
PLECTRUM THICKNESS
Over the years, I've come to prefer a hard plectrum to the soft kind and, since settling on that, I've never even considered going soft again. However, since I've been taught new skills as a guitarist and been trying to alternate between strumming chords and plucking scales, I've found the harder plectrums just a bit too tough for the former. In general, I was worried that a softer plectrum wouldn't work for scales and arpeggios, but last night I dug out a softer pick and - low and behold! - it seemed to work just fine. I've involuntarily accrued a supply of the softer ones over the years, so hopefully I won't need to stock up next time I'm in the music shop. Shall let you know how I get on.
VOLUME/TONE BALANCING
I was stressing last weekend over balancing the volume of my signal chain. I currently have four volume knobs to deal with - my guitar's, the compressor's, the overdrive pedal's and the amp's. I usually have my guitar volume all the way up and tweak it as I play, then work on the amp volume, then the compressor's (I'm new to compression, so I'm not too sure how to best use it still) and then the overdrive's. But last weekend, for some reason, I wasn't getting the tone I wanted. Not only that, but I kept getting an unpleasant fuzz from whatever overdrive pedal I was using. So, dear reader, which volume do I prioritise? I guess it's all subjective, but the recent addition of a compressor has really thrown a spanner in the works. I'm tempted to remove it altogether. What do you think?
THE NINTH JAM
After a couple of weeks of heavy power chord riffage, I've suddenly fancied a change and have begun looping jazz-tinged 9th chord combos and improvising scales over them. Shall try and get a recording at some point. There's some freaky stuff going on in Jim's music nook.
MAXON CHORUS
So I finally picked up those three new pedals I had reserved for a few weeks and they're all GREAT. I've rolled back the mix on the chorus, as I only wanted a subtle warbling effect. It's set to a fast rate, as I don't like the slow swirl of 90s grunge. I wanted the retro 60s Leslie thing. While you can't hear the pedal's intended effect strongly on chords, it does add a metallic shimmer, which is very satisfying. On scales, however, the Leslie effect comes through loud and clear. One thing I don't like about the pedal, however, is how difficult the mix knob is to reach and turn on the back of the pedal. It almost needs tweezers or a wrench to use.
ECHOES... FROM SPACE!
Along with the Maxon chorus, I picked up the Boss (Roland) Space Echo. It's a compact, digital version of the analogue tape delay/reverb from the 70s. A secondhand of the original will set you back about a thousand pounds and much effort (due to the machine's required upkeep). While I've always avoided heavy delay and reverb effects until I was a good enough player not to rely on them, I think the Space Echo is going to motivate me to start having some fun. I think I'll keep the delay off when using the chorus pedal, as their effect is sort of similar and seem to cancel each other out. Shall keep you posted!
RADIO HAVANA
I. Love. This. Pedal.
Want your guitar to sound like a cheap-ass transistor radio? Then look no further than the Heavy Electronics Radio Havana! And, yes, I do want my guitar to sound like a cheap-ass transistor radio. The Radio Havana works not only as a lo-fi fx emulator, but also as its own overdrive. Two birds. One pedal. Bet you could probably knock a bird out the sky with it for real. But don't do that. Just buy one and play guitar through it! Initially I had a problem where my 9v power tree was creating a horrible hiss/whistle, but after trying an independent power supply, I found that it now sound golden. I was legit freaking out for a while there, thinking the pedal was faulty.
That's all for now, you funky rock chicks! Keep in touch!
Rock on.
PLECTRUM THICKNESS
Over the years, I've come to prefer a hard plectrum to the soft kind and, since settling on that, I've never even considered going soft again. However, since I've been taught new skills as a guitarist and been trying to alternate between strumming chords and plucking scales, I've found the harder plectrums just a bit too tough for the former. In general, I was worried that a softer plectrum wouldn't work for scales and arpeggios, but last night I dug out a softer pick and - low and behold! - it seemed to work just fine. I've involuntarily accrued a supply of the softer ones over the years, so hopefully I won't need to stock up next time I'm in the music shop. Shall let you know how I get on.
VOLUME/TONE BALANCING
I was stressing last weekend over balancing the volume of my signal chain. I currently have four volume knobs to deal with - my guitar's, the compressor's, the overdrive pedal's and the amp's. I usually have my guitar volume all the way up and tweak it as I play, then work on the amp volume, then the compressor's (I'm new to compression, so I'm not too sure how to best use it still) and then the overdrive's. But last weekend, for some reason, I wasn't getting the tone I wanted. Not only that, but I kept getting an unpleasant fuzz from whatever overdrive pedal I was using. So, dear reader, which volume do I prioritise? I guess it's all subjective, but the recent addition of a compressor has really thrown a spanner in the works. I'm tempted to remove it altogether. What do you think?
THE NINTH JAM
After a couple of weeks of heavy power chord riffage, I've suddenly fancied a change and have begun looping jazz-tinged 9th chord combos and improvising scales over them. Shall try and get a recording at some point. There's some freaky stuff going on in Jim's music nook.
MAXON CHORUS
So I finally picked up those three new pedals I had reserved for a few weeks and they're all GREAT. I've rolled back the mix on the chorus, as I only wanted a subtle warbling effect. It's set to a fast rate, as I don't like the slow swirl of 90s grunge. I wanted the retro 60s Leslie thing. While you can't hear the pedal's intended effect strongly on chords, it does add a metallic shimmer, which is very satisfying. On scales, however, the Leslie effect comes through loud and clear. One thing I don't like about the pedal, however, is how difficult the mix knob is to reach and turn on the back of the pedal. It almost needs tweezers or a wrench to use.
ECHOES... FROM SPACE!
Along with the Maxon chorus, I picked up the Boss (Roland) Space Echo. It's a compact, digital version of the analogue tape delay/reverb from the 70s. A secondhand of the original will set you back about a thousand pounds and much effort (due to the machine's required upkeep). While I've always avoided heavy delay and reverb effects until I was a good enough player not to rely on them, I think the Space Echo is going to motivate me to start having some fun. I think I'll keep the delay off when using the chorus pedal, as their effect is sort of similar and seem to cancel each other out. Shall keep you posted!
RADIO HAVANA
I. Love. This. Pedal.
Want your guitar to sound like a cheap-ass transistor radio? Then look no further than the Heavy Electronics Radio Havana! And, yes, I do want my guitar to sound like a cheap-ass transistor radio. The Radio Havana works not only as a lo-fi fx emulator, but also as its own overdrive. Two birds. One pedal. Bet you could probably knock a bird out the sky with it for real. But don't do that. Just buy one and play guitar through it! Initially I had a problem where my 9v power tree was creating a horrible hiss/whistle, but after trying an independent power supply, I found that it now sound golden. I was legit freaking out for a while there, thinking the pedal was faulty.
That's all for now, you funky rock chicks! Keep in touch!
Rock on.
Wednesday, 18 July 2018
Jim's Analogue Noise Bunker - Transmission 2
Welcome back, guitar geeks! Well, here's my latest confessional. I need to get a few musical thoughts off my mind.
In the past month or so, I've been doing a fair amount of practicing and improving in some areas of my guitar playing, but my unrelated plan to go out to the pub more often so I'm not stuck at home so much and maybe drink less while I'm out, has sort of backfired. Weird, huh? While I have been getting out more and feel more confident about doing so, I'm now basically drinking three times as much each week. I don't have a problem with this, on principal, but it's had a knock on effect not only on my purse and health, but I've not been playing guitar as much. And that's the real tragedy here. Although maybe not for my neighbours. So I'm going to go back to my old drinking habits of going out once a week and take it from there. My block of lessons with my tutor has just ended, so I'm going to take a break for a while to digest what we've been doing for the past few months. I might start up again after Christmas, but I'm starting to think that I have all the knowledge I require now. I just need to practice my skills, and not being in the pub so much will definitely help this. Anyway, here are some of my random musical adventures...
TORNADO OD
I've been slowly falling in love with my Rothwell Tornado overdrive pedal, which I impulse bought a few months ago. My reasons for buying it? Well: I'd never heard of the brand before, it looked super cool and it was at that sweet 2nd hand price where it meant it wasn't going to be junk, but wasn't an extravagant purchase either. It's got a solid but immature growl to it that has become great for developing my power chord skills. I'm not sure how "immature" works as a sound description, but it kinda does. Or maybe the pedal's basic yellow casing makes me think of a playschool toy. I dunno.
ORANGE MICRO TERROR
I've currently swapped over to my Orange Micro Terror head from the Crate PowerBlock. The PowerBlock seems to be stuttering a bit, so I'm worried it's on its way out. Or it could just be bad signal chain wiring by me. We shall see. Both mini-amp heads are lovely machines, so I'm glad I have the option to swap over when I fancy a change. I'm also thinking about buying my first cabinet, as I currently play quietly through headphones. It's very rare for me to play through my combo speakers these days. I'm very shy. And live in a flat.
DRUM MACHINE PEDAL
A month or so back, I invested in a drum machine pedal to help me improve my rhythm and timing. It's the Micro Drummer by Mooer, a company that makes cost-effective, no-frills pedals that I'd recommend to pedal noobs like myself if they're wanting to test the, erm, pedal water. But the Micro Drummer is really quite special! Not only does it have loads of beat styles, but you can speed them up and slow them down as you so desire, and it also has volume and tone controls. Most importantly, though, it doesn't sound like a synthesised drum machine - it legit sounds like you're sat in a room with an acoustic/analogue drum kit. Damn, do I feel like a badass when this thing is pounding away and I'm grooving to some power chords! I've put it near the end of my signal chain, just before my looper (before it all goes into an amp). So if, like me, you're a bedroom musician who's looking to discover what it's like being in a band but can't be arsed to search YouTube and sit through ads to find a backing track you can't modify, then get this puppy! It really has opened up a new world of playing possibilities for me.
SIGNAL CHAIN - CHORUS
So I'm hopefully going to be picking up my new first chorus pedal soon, but I'm wondering where to place it in my pedal signal chain. Apparently, atmospherics should be placed AFTER compression and distortion, but I'm not sure whether chorus counts as an "atmospheric", like reverb and delay. I don't know why it wouldn't, though. I'll end up searching for advice online, of course, but if you fine folk have any ideas or preferences, then let me know!
Ok, I think that's enough for now.
Rock on!
P.S. Yes, you read right, I actually thought that that pub plan was a good idea. Now stop laughing.
In the past month or so, I've been doing a fair amount of practicing and improving in some areas of my guitar playing, but my unrelated plan to go out to the pub more often so I'm not stuck at home so much and maybe drink less while I'm out, has sort of backfired. Weird, huh? While I have been getting out more and feel more confident about doing so, I'm now basically drinking three times as much each week. I don't have a problem with this, on principal, but it's had a knock on effect not only on my purse and health, but I've not been playing guitar as much. And that's the real tragedy here. Although maybe not for my neighbours. So I'm going to go back to my old drinking habits of going out once a week and take it from there. My block of lessons with my tutor has just ended, so I'm going to take a break for a while to digest what we've been doing for the past few months. I might start up again after Christmas, but I'm starting to think that I have all the knowledge I require now. I just need to practice my skills, and not being in the pub so much will definitely help this. Anyway, here are some of my random musical adventures...
TORNADO OD
I've been slowly falling in love with my Rothwell Tornado overdrive pedal, which I impulse bought a few months ago. My reasons for buying it? Well: I'd never heard of the brand before, it looked super cool and it was at that sweet 2nd hand price where it meant it wasn't going to be junk, but wasn't an extravagant purchase either. It's got a solid but immature growl to it that has become great for developing my power chord skills. I'm not sure how "immature" works as a sound description, but it kinda does. Or maybe the pedal's basic yellow casing makes me think of a playschool toy. I dunno.
ORANGE MICRO TERROR
I've currently swapped over to my Orange Micro Terror head from the Crate PowerBlock. The PowerBlock seems to be stuttering a bit, so I'm worried it's on its way out. Or it could just be bad signal chain wiring by me. We shall see. Both mini-amp heads are lovely machines, so I'm glad I have the option to swap over when I fancy a change. I'm also thinking about buying my first cabinet, as I currently play quietly through headphones. It's very rare for me to play through my combo speakers these days. I'm very shy. And live in a flat.
DRUM MACHINE PEDAL
A month or so back, I invested in a drum machine pedal to help me improve my rhythm and timing. It's the Micro Drummer by Mooer, a company that makes cost-effective, no-frills pedals that I'd recommend to pedal noobs like myself if they're wanting to test the, erm, pedal water. But the Micro Drummer is really quite special! Not only does it have loads of beat styles, but you can speed them up and slow them down as you so desire, and it also has volume and tone controls. Most importantly, though, it doesn't sound like a synthesised drum machine - it legit sounds like you're sat in a room with an acoustic/analogue drum kit. Damn, do I feel like a badass when this thing is pounding away and I'm grooving to some power chords! I've put it near the end of my signal chain, just before my looper (before it all goes into an amp). So if, like me, you're a bedroom musician who's looking to discover what it's like being in a band but can't be arsed to search YouTube and sit through ads to find a backing track you can't modify, then get this puppy! It really has opened up a new world of playing possibilities for me.
SIGNAL CHAIN - CHORUS
So I'm hopefully going to be picking up my new first chorus pedal soon, but I'm wondering where to place it in my pedal signal chain. Apparently, atmospherics should be placed AFTER compression and distortion, but I'm not sure whether chorus counts as an "atmospheric", like reverb and delay. I don't know why it wouldn't, though. I'll end up searching for advice online, of course, but if you fine folk have any ideas or preferences, then let me know!
Ok, I think that's enough for now.
Rock on!
P.S. Yes, you read right, I actually thought that that pub plan was a good idea. Now stop laughing.
Monday, 9 July 2018
Jim's Analogue Noise Bunker - Transmission 1
And... we're off! Well, at least with this new guitar playing/tech blog series, which is named after a fictional recording studio in a story that I'm currently in the middle of NOT writing. But it's on my list of creative things to do.
So, for the first proper post in the series, I've just quickly put my musical adventures down under some very basic subheadings. It's nothing fancy as yet but, who knows, maybe things will develop as I go along.
Right, here we go...
HEAT
I'm struggling to play in this heatwave. I can usually play for about an hour or so in mild weather, but at the moment I can only play for five or ten minutes at a time before I risk electrocution. I'm sure that that can't really happen, but it's better to be safe than deep fried. Also, when you're sweating buckets, playing becomes tricky after a while, especially once it starts running down to your hands. I'm looking forward to some milder weather, basically.
ROTARY CHORUS PEDALS
So, for the past few weeks, I've been obsessing over chorus pedals. It's not an effect I've particularly liked using in the past, but learning the history of chorus pedals and who've used them and how has made it really appealing to me, so I've become a bit distracted of late by which pedal I purchase. As with all guitar fx pedals, there's a range of prices and qualities. If I'm not going to use an effect much (delay and reverb, for instance) then I'll look at moderate to cheaply priced models. But since chorus pedals are trying to recreate the whirling analogue Leslie organ speakers of yore, I've kind of wanted to do this one properly. Luckily, there are plenty of useful demos on YouTube so you can find what's right for you. I really wanted one with a level/mix function, as I want to be able to use the effect quite subtly, thus having control over its input on the signal has become quite important. Eventually, I decided to go for the Maxon CS-550 Stereo Chorus, which seems to do everything I want, was for sale second hand at my local music shop and is moderately priced (relatively speaking). In a perfect world, I'd have gone for the Neo Ventilator 2 Rotary Speaker Simulator but, errr, I don't have £350 spare. I've yet to pick the Maxon up, but I'll let you know how I get on with it, hopefully in the next post!
POWER CHORDS
I've always hated power chords. I've loved hearing them on record, but when it comes to me actually playing them, I've been stumped. I've never managed the simplistic finger positioning, and never gotten the tone right. This is one of the reasons why I love Telecasters so much, as you can play standard barre and open chords with distortion and still get a wonderfully crisp tone, while humbuckered Les Paul-type guitars tend to produce something mushier. Well, my guitar tutor finally showed me the trick to holding down power chords that begin on the 5th/A string while silencing the bottom 6th/E string. Ever since then, I've been upping my power chord game. I think I'm improving my movement and tone, which is very pleasing indeed. I think investing in some upmarket distortion pedals and amplification has helped too. The experiments continue!
STRAP
This week I've dropped my strap length down and am playing quite low-slung. Admittedly, anything low or ultra-high is cool as funk, but in between just looks rubbish. I know I shouldn't think about looks but, hey, sometimes we just do, don't we? I seem to be playing quite well with my guitars low, and am even managing some solos. The newer straps I bought don't seem to have very generous lengths, whereas the older, plain, black one I have can go VERY low. I'm very happy with it. Sadly though, it doesn't have an outrageous pattern like the newer ones I have. Alas!
LO-FI DISTORTION PEDAL
While having my daily browse of my local guitar shop's second hand gear pages, I found a pedal called Radio Havana by Heavy Electronics. It recreates the effect of a low-fi transistor radio, with a tinny sort of vibe. I think it's similar to an activated (but uncocked) wah, but with more clarity and acts as its own drive pedal too. I fell in love with it instantly. I'm hoping to pick it up soon, along with the chorus pedal mentioned above. I've current only put the deposits down on both. What drew me to the Radio Havana pedal was its retro sound. While I don't have the money for genuine vintage equipment, I sure do love modern tech that tries its best to recreate the older sounds. I'm certainly no metal buff, that's for sure. I'll let you know how I get on!
Right, well, I think that's all for now. I hope those of you who are interested in this sort of thing have found this useful, interesting or at least can empathise with my plight. Do get in touch if you fancy discussing stuff or have anything to suggest/recommend.
Rock on!
So, for the first proper post in the series, I've just quickly put my musical adventures down under some very basic subheadings. It's nothing fancy as yet but, who knows, maybe things will develop as I go along.
Right, here we go...
HEAT
I'm struggling to play in this heatwave. I can usually play for about an hour or so in mild weather, but at the moment I can only play for five or ten minutes at a time before I risk electrocution. I'm sure that that can't really happen, but it's better to be safe than deep fried. Also, when you're sweating buckets, playing becomes tricky after a while, especially once it starts running down to your hands. I'm looking forward to some milder weather, basically.
ROTARY CHORUS PEDALS
So, for the past few weeks, I've been obsessing over chorus pedals. It's not an effect I've particularly liked using in the past, but learning the history of chorus pedals and who've used them and how has made it really appealing to me, so I've become a bit distracted of late by which pedal I purchase. As with all guitar fx pedals, there's a range of prices and qualities. If I'm not going to use an effect much (delay and reverb, for instance) then I'll look at moderate to cheaply priced models. But since chorus pedals are trying to recreate the whirling analogue Leslie organ speakers of yore, I've kind of wanted to do this one properly. Luckily, there are plenty of useful demos on YouTube so you can find what's right for you. I really wanted one with a level/mix function, as I want to be able to use the effect quite subtly, thus having control over its input on the signal has become quite important. Eventually, I decided to go for the Maxon CS-550 Stereo Chorus, which seems to do everything I want, was for sale second hand at my local music shop and is moderately priced (relatively speaking). In a perfect world, I'd have gone for the Neo Ventilator 2 Rotary Speaker Simulator but, errr, I don't have £350 spare. I've yet to pick the Maxon up, but I'll let you know how I get on with it, hopefully in the next post!
POWER CHORDS
I've always hated power chords. I've loved hearing them on record, but when it comes to me actually playing them, I've been stumped. I've never managed the simplistic finger positioning, and never gotten the tone right. This is one of the reasons why I love Telecasters so much, as you can play standard barre and open chords with distortion and still get a wonderfully crisp tone, while humbuckered Les Paul-type guitars tend to produce something mushier. Well, my guitar tutor finally showed me the trick to holding down power chords that begin on the 5th/A string while silencing the bottom 6th/E string. Ever since then, I've been upping my power chord game. I think I'm improving my movement and tone, which is very pleasing indeed. I think investing in some upmarket distortion pedals and amplification has helped too. The experiments continue!
STRAP
This week I've dropped my strap length down and am playing quite low-slung. Admittedly, anything low or ultra-high is cool as funk, but in between just looks rubbish. I know I shouldn't think about looks but, hey, sometimes we just do, don't we? I seem to be playing quite well with my guitars low, and am even managing some solos. The newer straps I bought don't seem to have very generous lengths, whereas the older, plain, black one I have can go VERY low. I'm very happy with it. Sadly though, it doesn't have an outrageous pattern like the newer ones I have. Alas!
LO-FI DISTORTION PEDAL
While having my daily browse of my local guitar shop's second hand gear pages, I found a pedal called Radio Havana by Heavy Electronics. It recreates the effect of a low-fi transistor radio, with a tinny sort of vibe. I think it's similar to an activated (but uncocked) wah, but with more clarity and acts as its own drive pedal too. I fell in love with it instantly. I'm hoping to pick it up soon, along with the chorus pedal mentioned above. I've current only put the deposits down on both. What drew me to the Radio Havana pedal was its retro sound. While I don't have the money for genuine vintage equipment, I sure do love modern tech that tries its best to recreate the older sounds. I'm certainly no metal buff, that's for sure. I'll let you know how I get on!
Right, well, I think that's all for now. I hope those of you who are interested in this sort of thing have found this useful, interesting or at least can empathise with my plight. Do get in touch if you fancy discussing stuff or have anything to suggest/recommend.
Rock on!
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