Learning Guitar and Bass Methods?

[stuartj]

Originally posted by Victor
Great stuff - the more we talk about guitars, the less of a community of arseholes this place becomes.

Get stuffed.

[Victor]

Originally posted by stuartj
Get stuffed.

Just keep strumming that laminated chipboard Korean excuse of a "Gibson".

[stuartj]

I spit on your Gibson you capitalist running dog. You and Gibson players everywhere will be first against the wall when the revolution comes, comrade. You will consigned to the fiery pit, you godless heathen.

[911S Targa]

Bring it on . Us Gibson players love the pit !!

[IROC]

Since this thread seems to be turning into a catch-all for various guitar-related things, I have a question about my own guitar that I have asked many times and have never gotten an answer.

My Gibson SG is a "Firebrand". Made in 1982, if memory serves. I bought it brand new in 1983. The Gibson Firebrands were lower-end models with a natural wood finish that came primarily in walnut, IIRC. Anyway, this is where mine seems a little different. Mine's mahogany and is painted with what appears to be a vintage sunburst finish. I have never seen another "Firebrand" that was painted. I've never even talked to anyone who's seen a factory-painted Firebrand. What's up? Any ideas? The only place mine actually says "Firebrand" is on the truss rod cover. Maybe it's not actually a Firebrand?

What do you experts think?

BTW, it's been an excellent guitar. It's still totally stock.

Mike

[Jim Richards]

Originally posted by IROC
Since this thread seems to be turning into a catch-all for various guitar-related things,

...and I'm going to be shopping for a practice amp...something that won't p.o. my condo neighbors. I am currently using a Tom Sholtz Rockman and either headphones, or the speakers from my PC. Low budget, but it works.

[deathpunk dan]

haha. I own several real gibsons, and for anyone to say an orville is not a quality guitar is just dreaming. BTW a good friend of mine owns the guitar used in the Green Day video 'american idiot.' It was an end-of-tour gift from those guys to him as he played 2nd guitar on most of their 05 world tour. I keep telling him to sell it but he says he could not do that, not only bc they are good friends, but also bc they have a guy whose job it is to keep an eye out for that kind of thing. I bet some fool would give him serious cassssshhhhhh for that guitar.

And I will also put my burny super grade up against any les paul standard from the 70's - present, tone and playability wise. If you want to polish your guitar with a diaper and store it under your bed, the burny or tokai is not for you. But if you play out and tour (as I do) this is a much smarter solution. I don't worry about poly vs nitro flametops or whatever. I don't even care about deep tenon joints. I care about it staying intonated, looking cool, and sounding good.

Jim - practice amp: check out the vox 15w with modeling. Pretty cool for what it is.

Or a 5w handwired class A boutique amp if you want to get silly.

[stuartj]

Originally posted by Jim Richards
...and I'm going to be shopping for a practice amp...something that won't p.o. my condo neighbors. I am currently using a Tom Sholtz Rockman and either headphones, or the speakers from my PC. Low budget, but it works.

Behringer V-Amp2. Small bucks, big sounds, phones or in amp. Best 100-200 bucks you will spend`

[cashflyer]

Originally posted by 911S Targa
.... you really REALLY should go to a guitar store, or two, and actually pick up the guitars, and see how they feel. Last thing you need to do is buy a Fender strat on eBay, then getting, then finding its very uncomfortable to play on. Go out, and pick up some guitars. See how they feel on your shoulder. See how they feel when you sit and play ...

Once before when one of these notions to learn hit me, I bought a brand new Epiphone Strat kit (came with case and practice amp). I bought it, as opposed to a different style, because I like the look and the sound. (watched too many Eric Clapton performances...) The guitar was stolen from me before I ever even had a single lesson.

Maybe this time I will try out a few other styles to see what "feels" good.

Anyone have opinions about "acoustic electric" guitars? My uncle has an Ovation.... that plastic back just seems weird.

[IROC]

Originally posted by deathpunk dan
Jim - practice amp: check out the vox 15w with modeling. Pretty cool for what it is.

Or a 5w handwired class A boutique amp if you want to get silly.

Heck, even 5 watts is awful loud without some sort of attenuation. Ever crank up an Epi Valve Junior? Even a level where you get a decent amount of break up, the neighbors will be bangin' on the wall.

A 6K6 tube in my Univalve puts out around 3-4 watts or so and it is very loud.

The Vox suggestion was a good one. Also the Behringer. I would even be tempted to check out the Line6 stuff.

Mike

[Shuie]

5 watts is plenty loud enough to play a small bar or club. All other variables being the same, a 5 watt amp is only half as loud as a 50 watt amp.

[Jim Richards]

Thanks for the advice, guys! I need some schooling on attenuation. I guess you run the amps cranked to get the sound from the tubes/electronics, but need to attenuate the output to keep peace with the neighbors. Is that right? Who makes attenuators? Thanks again!

This sure beats the hell outta flogging the dog over politics.

[Shuie]

Call Mike Kennedy for an attenuator. (225) 926-1976. In general, power soaks kill tone. The one Mike builds doesn't. Its Ken Fisher's (Trainwreck, Komet) design.

I'll stay out of the Orville by Gibson vs. post '50s Gibson except to say that the 'laminated Korean' comment above is 100% inaccurate. I think most of you know where I stand on this. There are better alternatives to anything made on a production line by Gibson, Orville by Gibson, or anyone else if you know where to look

[IROC]

THD makes a good attenuator called the HotPlate. Works really well. The beauty of an attenuator is you can push the amp into some good power tube distortion with output levels that aren't insane. I, personally, like some good power tube distortion over preamp distortion. It seems alot of amps these days (unless you really crank them) are mostly preamp distortion.

Mike

[stuartj]

Originally posted by Jim Richards
Thanks for the advice, guys! I need some schooling on attenuation. I guess you run the amps cranked to get the sound from the tubes/electronics, but need to attenuate the output to keep peace with the neighbors. Is that right? Who makes attenuators? Thanks again!

This sure beats the hell outta flogging the dog over politics.

Jim

This -IMHO- is getting silly. For example, I have in my box of stuff a Tom Scholz Power Soak attenuator (certainly a tone sucker) . I used to use this to muzzle a non master vol Marshall 100w Super Lead that was so shatteringly loud (only ever ran on 10, till it burst into flames every so often) it was hard to use it even very large rooms.

Honestly, you dont need to muck about with this stuff- the technology has moved on. I have a 30w Class A valve amp for out, a 50w tranny amp for home and what I practice with is a Behringer V-AMP2. Cheap as chips and every sound you could possibly want from a sparkly Super Twin to a cranked Marshall to a mental Engel.

If you want to spend more, buy the Line 6 Pod, but dont start mucking about with valves and attenuators.

Just MHO, ofcourse.

[Jim Richards]

Hmmm, the Behringer V-AMP2 is sub-$100USD. Thanks again for the advice!