← Autodidact Archive · Original Dissent · xmetalhead
Thread ID: 17581 | Posts: 24 | Started: 2005-03-31
2005-03-31 03:41 | User Profile
I've been recently jamming some cover songs with some old friends in their studio. I haven't played with a band in about 4 years after being in bands for the previous 12. Man! It felt great playing through a Marshall amp again with the drums, bass, lead guitar and singer. I missed that euphoria of grooving with a kickin' tight band. I've been using an '85 Telecaster, but I now I'm inspired to get a more meatier ax. A Les Paul perhaps. What do you guitarists out there play? I also have a '96 American Fender Jazz bass that I used to enjoy playing more than guitar sometimes. Old married guys can still rock ya know. Get back out there.
2005-03-31 07:04 | User Profile
That's cool, x. Myself, just an old Ovation acoustic/electric, Hohner A and C harps with neck brace, three chords and the Truth. :)
Seems to be an inverse relationship between the number of one's kids and time spent strummin' and pickin', and admittedly the last few years I haven't played much at all. Just an occasional song here and there for family things. But being recently introduced to Son Volt's 'Trace' and Farrar's work has inspired me a bit and I've picked up the six string a few times just in the last week. I know music from years of playing the trumpet, but guitar I just play by ear and couldn't tell you an A flat from an E. Therefore I've always had difficulty knowing how to chord up the fret board. Good thing most all country music is just three chords, but I've always wanted to play better, it's just a matter of finding the time.
2005-03-31 16:16 | User Profile
[QUOTE=Texas Dissident]That's cool, x. Myself, just an old Ovation acoustic/electric, Hohner A and C harps with neck brace, three chords and the Truth. :)
Seems to be an inverse relationship between the number of one's kids and time spent strummin' and pickin', and admittedly the last few years I haven't played much at all. Just an occasional song here and there for family things. But being recently introduced to Son Volt's 'Trace' and Farrar's work has inspired me a bit and I've picked up the six string a few times just in the last week. I know music from years of playing the trumpet, but guitar I just play by ear and couldn't tell you an A flat from an E. Therefore I've always had difficulty knowing how to chord up the fret board. Good thing most all country music is just three chords, but I've always wanted to play better, it's just a matter of finding the time.[/QUOTE]
Brother,
Give me a shout if you're ever out SoCal way--we'll set up a VIP tour of the Fender Guitar museum...amazing place!
For myself, I play the meanest Theremin this side of Pacoima. :whstl:
2005-03-31 16:33 | User Profile
[QUOTE=Texas Dissident]That's cool, x. Myself, just an old Ovation acoustic/electric, Hohner A and C harps with neck brace, three chords and the Truth.[/QUOTE] Tex, I had a feeling you were the Original Troubadour in addition to the Original Dissident! That's all Bob Dylan (Robert Zimmerman) was in the beginning too: three chords, harmonica and (some) Truth.
[QUOTE=Howard Campbell, Jr.]For myself, I play the meanest Theremin this side of Pacoima.[/QUOTE] Theremins are THE coolest instrument. I'm reminded of the Pixies' tune "Velouria" featuring a theremin. Also, I once saw a band in NYC which had a chick theremin player.
2005-03-31 19:13 | User Profile
I've played guitar for almost 20 years. I have an 8-string classical guitar and two electrics: an Ibanez Universe (7-string) and a B.C. Rich Warlock. I started out playing classical guitar, but now I'm mainly a metal player -- I love the complexity, speed, and awe-inspiring precision of bands like Emperor and Zyklon. Even after all these years of playing, it's still an immense challenge for me to play along with those guys' CDs, as they have much more natural talent than I do. I also like more "traditional" melodic metal such as Iron Maiden and King Diamond. I'm not currently in a band, as it's hard to find people who both like the kind of music I do and who are sufficiently advanced to play it. Most people who are into so-called "heavy" music these days play garbage like Green Day or Limp Bizkit -- talentless doofuses like that should never be confused with real metal. A lot of people bash metal, but as someone who has played classical music for years (and performed in front of many people, including at a funeral once by invitation), I can tell you right now that it's more difficult to play stuff by the better melodic metal bands than most classical music (including Bach, Tarrega, and many others). Metal isn't for everyone, but I absolutely love it.
One of my favorite new bands: [url]http://www.zyklontribe.com/[/url]
2005-03-31 20:57 | User Profile
Klezmer.
2005-03-31 21:10 | User Profile
[QUOTE=Angler]I've played guitar for almost 20 years. I have an 8-string classical guitar and two electrics: an Ibanez Universe (7-string) and a B.C. Rich Warlock. I started out playing classical guitar, but now I'm mainly a metal player -- I love the complexity, speed, and awe-inspiring precision of bands like Emperor and Zyklon.[/QUOTE] Nice.
Those BC Rich Warlocks are the ultimate metal guitars. Don't see too many of them around these days. Ibanez guitars are great for metal too. I don't play metal anymore, though I still have my Ibanez but haven't taken it out of it's case in 15 years.
[QUOTE=Hugh Lincoln]Klezmer.[/QUOTE] Hava nagila, hava nagila!
2005-04-08 05:30 | User Profile
x,
You a Jayhawks fan?
Any of those guys jewish, you know?
2005-04-14 13:59 | User Profile
I play guitar. I have a BC Rich and a broken down crate tube amp right now.
2005-05-09 16:53 | User Profile
[QUOTE=Angler]I've played guitar for almost 20 years. I have an 8-string classical guitar and two electrics: an Ibanez Universe (7-string) and a B.C. Rich Warlock. I started out playing classical guitar, but now I'm mainly a metal player -- I love the complexity, speed, and awe-inspiring precision of bands like Emperor and Zyklon. A lot of people bash metal, but as someone who has played classical music for years (and performed in front of many people, including at a funeral once by invitation), I can tell you right now that it's more difficult to play stuff by the better melodic metal bands than most classical music (including Bach, Tarrega, and many others). Metal isn't for everyone, but I absolutely love it.
One of my favorite new bands: [url="http://www.zyklontribe.com/"]http://www.zyklontribe.com/[/url][/QUOTE] You mean the band formerly known as Zyklon-B?
The best of metal is the proudest and most masculine Indo-European music today. Emperor, Enslaved, Immortal, Burzum, Morbid Angel and Deicide seem like healthy artistic options.
2005-05-10 00:56 | User Profile
[QUOTE=neoclassical]You mean the band formerly known as Zyklon-B?
The best of metal is the proudest and most masculine Indo-European music today. Emperor, Enslaved, Immortal, Burzum, Morbid Angel and Deicide seem like healthy artistic options.[/QUOTE] Yes, I think they were called Zyklon-B for a time. That might have a side project of Samoth's when he was still in Emperor. Now Zyklon has two of Emperor's former members: Samoth and Trym. (Notice who's in my current avatar? That's actually Isahn.)
I love all of Emperor's albums. I recently got a live concert DVD of theirs, and it's an awesome show. Some people think Emperor is overrated, but I sure don't. The only thing I would have changed about their music is some of the production -- it could use more bottom end.
Immortal is great, too. I have two of their albums: Sons Of Northern Darkness and At The Heart Of Winter. Both kick ass. I want to hear more of their older work eventually, too.
I used to listen to a lot of Morbid Angel -- my favorite album by them is definitely Blessed Are The Sick -- but I kind of grew away from them. Still, Trey is a really gifted guitarist. That guy is insane!
I listened to Deicide in high school and still admire a lot of their work, but I think I prefer more classically-influenced bands.
Other "extreme" bands I like include Behemoth, Mayhem (even their new stuff), Decapitated (weak name, but a very talented band with interesting lyrics), Nile, and a few others. I haven't heard all the guys you listed yet, but I'm working on that. And I adore King Diamond, though he's a bit closer to mainstream melodic metal.
I agree that this kind of music is the most magnificent there is. It's got more sheer balls than anything else ever created by man. And its richness and complexity challenges the mind. As corny as this might seem, I draw strength from it and get high from it. And playing it on guitar, though often quite difficult, is a great release of aggression.
2005-05-26 10:05 | User Profile
I currently have 2 guitars: my everyday one is a beat-all-to-hell '82 Kramer Pacer, but my treasure is my antique cherry sunburst '82 Gibson Explorer E2. Rarely played because the neck is too thick for my tastes, and it weighs a ton - but oh, to gaze upon it. Both are in need of refretting. I also have a broken '78 Peavey Musician MarkIII and a huge 4x12 cabinet.
I just bought a Rock-It Pro headphone amp: too much hum, but a good crunchy distortion.
My dream guitar is an SG Custom, either light blue with white pickguard, or all pure white (none o' that miscegenated off-white shit....lol).
2005-05-29 06:10 | User Profile
I played in clubs in RI/Mass area very actively between 1987 - 1995.. hung it up as a serious thing shortly after.. did covers, originals, live over college radio station gigs, studio recordings.. a message .. if you don't play at least once a week, the rust can get so thick its a major project to reach the plateau near former heights of musicianship.. Im 36 and I was in my playing prime around 25. anyway, 1973 Rickenbacker 4001 bass guitar, black on white ala Geddy Lee of Rush, Chris Squire of Yes or Paul McCartney in the Wings era. also, yes I have a original waa-waa and an original Electro-Harmonix Big Muff which combines for some monster riffing. I've strayed from rock, even prog rock, though, and find myself into the old standards from the 20s-40s now.
2005-08-01 10:22 | User Profile
[QUOTE=xmetalhead]Old married guys can still rock ya know. Get back out there.[/QUOTE]
Decided to start playing again after not doing it for 20 years. Not that I was much good to begin with. Had the usual garage bands growing up.
Current guitars are a Stratocaster that I've switched over to humbuckers and a stock ESP Viper (SG clone) that I use for drop-D stuff. Also have a Washburn seven string that I don't play much and have mostly given over to my daughter who plays five string bass. Its easier to go back and forth between the two since they both have a low B string.
2005-08-01 13:24 | User Profile
[QUOTE=wild_bill]Decided to start playing again after not doing it for 20 years. Not that I was much good to begin with. Had the usual garage bands growing up.
Current guitars are a Stratocaster that I've switched over to humbuckers and a stock ESP Viper (SG clone) that I use for drop-D stuff. Also have a Washburn seven string that I don't play much and have mostly given over to my daughter who plays five string bass. Its easier to go back and forth between the two since they both have a low B string.[/QUOTE]
Cool. I love Strats and Telees. I jammed with a bassist and drummer two weeks ago in the studio and I was pumped. It's just awesome to play through a Marshall with drums and bass. We jammed on "Roxanne" by the Police, "I'm the Man", by Joe Jackson, and "Rebel, Rebel" by Bowie. It's getting easier to sing and play the guitar simultaneously, but at first is was terribly difficult. It's a must to memorize the lyrics first before trying to sing and play guitar at the same time. Though, we don't jam enough for me to get it down completely, it's great to just get away from the wife for a few hours! :whstl:
2005-08-01 13:59 | User Profile
[QUOTE=xmetalhead]Cool. I love Strats and Telees.
I think a Strat is the most comfortable of all guitars to play. Its balanced very well and shaped so that there's no sharp corners when playing either standing or sitting. I don't think most people consider this issue when buying a guitar. They only think about the sound and the visual asthetics.
I jammed with a bassist and drummer two weeks ago in the studio and I was pumped. It's just awesome to play through a Marshall with drums and bass. We jammed on "Roxanne" by the Police, "I'm the Man", by Joe Jackson, and "Rebel, Rebel" by Bowie. It's getting easier to sing and play the guitar simultaneously, but at first is was terribly difficult. It's a must to memorize the lyrics first before trying to sing and play guitar at the same time. Though, we don't jam enough for me to get it down completely, it's great to just get away from the wife for a few hours! :whstl:[/QUOTE]
The closest I can get to jamming is recording stuff on my four track recorder or playing along with jam tracks.
2005-08-01 14:40 | User Profile
Wild Bill, do doubt the Strat is probably the best all around guitar ever made. You can pretty much play any style on that guitar and it always looks good too.
I still use my four track too. Haven't upgraded yet to using my computer for recording music. One of these days....
2005-08-01 21:11 | User Profile
[QUOTE=xmetalhead]Wild Bill, do doubt the Strat is probably the best all around guitar ever made. You can pretty much play any style on that guitar and it always looks good too. [/QUOTE]
Yes, not bad for a fifty year-old design.
One guitar I'm kind of interested in is a seven string baritone that ESP is selling. Its a 27 inch scale so it probably tunes a couple steps below a normal seven string which would put the low end at G instead of B. Talk about low! This thing could crank out some killer riffs.
[url]http://www.espguitars.com/guitars_stephen.htm[/url]
They want a nine for it, so I don't think I'll be getting it soon.
2005-08-09 06:33 | User Profile
[QUOTE=xmetalhead]Wild Bill, do doubt the Strat is probably the best all around guitar ever made. You can pretty much play any style on that guitar and it always looks good too.[/QUOTE]
I thought I'd throw this in while we're talking about guitars. I recently set-up my 7 string with a set of those Zakk Wylde low-tune boomers - the low string is a 0.070. Then I tuned the guitar for drop-A, which means the seventh string is tuned an octave below the fifth string, so for chords one uses the bottom three strings. I never heard of anyone using a 7 string this way, but it it gives an absolutely killer chunk sound with muting and has some other advantages. The really nice thing about this as compared to drop-D tuning on a 6 string, besides lowering the tuning all the way down to A, is the six top strings remain in the normal E-e configuration, so the normal fingering for notes remains. One can also just ignore the seventh string and play it like a normal guitar.
2005-08-16 09:50 | User Profile
[QUOTE=wild_bill]I thought I'd throw this in while we're talking about guitars. I recently set-up my 7 string with a set of those Zakk Wylde low-tune boomers - the low string is a 0.070. Then I tuned the guitar for drop-A, which means the seventh string is tuned an octave below the fifth string, so for chords one uses the bottom three strings. I never heard of anyone using a 7 string this way, but it it gives an absolutely killer chunk sound with muting and has some other advantages. The really nice thing about this as compared to drop-D tuning on a 6 string, besides lowering the tuning all the way down to A, is the six top strings remain in the normal E-e configuration, so the normal fingering for notes remains. One can also just ignore the seventh string and play it like a normal guitar.[/QUOTE]Hey, that's pretty neat, wild_bill.
I also have a 7-string (an Ibanez Universe). It's a very nice guitar, but I don't use the low B a whole lot, so it kind of gets in the way a lot of the time. I may sell it at some point and replace it with another 6-string.
For those who are looking for a great guitar for the money: I recently picked up a Jackson (one of the "Dinky" models) and am impressed as hell with its quality. It was a little over $300 new, yet its sound and overall quality are comparable to some much more expensive guitars I've played. You can look at some models on their website:
[url]http://www.jacksonguitars.com/[/url]
(The website leaves little doubt that Jackson caters primarily to metal players, but don't let that put you off if you're not into metal like I am. Their guitars really are excellent.)
2005-08-16 12:18 | User Profile
[QUOTE=Angler]Hey, that's pretty neat, wild_bill.
I also have a 7-string (an Ibanez Universe). It's a very nice guitar, but I don't use the low B a whole lot, so it kind of gets in the way a lot of the time. I may sell it at some point and replace it with another 6-string.
This is kind of funny, since I'm converting from six to seven string! I'll always keep my Strat though.
For those who are looking for a great guitar for the money: I recently picked up a Jackson (one of the "Dinky" models) and am impressed as hell with its quality. It was a little over $300 new, yet its sound and overall quality are comparable to some much more expensive guitars I've played.
You're not the first person I've heard make similar comments about Jackson. I'm almost curious enough to check one out, except that I'm probably going buy a new 7 string and I think Jackson discontinued their 7 string model.
I'm looking at the Schecter Damien 7. The one feature I like is it uses a 26.5 inch scale instead of the usual 25.5 inch. This allows even lower tuning or lighter strings - whatever one chooses.
[url]http://www.schecterguitars.com/spec.asp?id=35[/url]
If I can possibly swing the money, maybe I'll go for the Blackjack 7
[url]http://www.schecterguitars.com/spec.asp?id=24[/url]
OR if I hit the lottery, I'd go for this ESP 607B 7 string baritone:
[url]http://www.samash.com/catalog/showitem.asp?ItemPos=0&TempID=1&STRID=8921&Method=3&CategoryID=683&BrandID=0&PriceRangeID=0&PageNum=0&DepartmentID=1&pagesize=10&SortMethod=3&SearchPhrase=&Contains=&Search_Type=SEARCH&GroupCode=[/url]
2005-08-16 13:08 | User Profile
Here's my next guitar: Brownsville GG1, $140 at Sam Ash. I like the White one (of course) and I dig it's look. What do you think? I play through a Marshall combo so anything you plug in sounds great.
[URL=http://www.samash.com/catalog/showitem.asp?ItemPos=14&TempID=5&STRID=9758&Method=0&CategoryID=0&BrandID=0&PriceRangeID=0&PageNum=1&DepartmentID=1&pagesize=10&SortMethod=3&SearchPhrase=&Contains=&Search_Type=HOT&GroupCode=]Sam Ash[/URL]
[IMG]http://www.samash.com/images/items/bgg1whxxx.jpg[/IMG]
2005-08-17 12:06 | User Profile
[QUOTE=xmetalhead]Here's my next guitar: Brownsville GG1, $140 at Sam Ash. I like the White one (of course) and I dig it's look. What do you think? I play through a Marshall combo so anything you plug in sounds great. [/QUOTE]
Its pretty amazing the guitar deals out there. I remember when a cheap guitar was a miserable thing that would make most people give up. Now its possible to find some very playable ones for very cheap. With a little work, they can be quit good.
Here's a deal you might be interested in:
Squierî Jason Ellis Signature Showmasterâ⢠Guitar - $149 [img]http://img3.musiciansfriend.com/dbase/pics/products/51/511039.jpg[/img]
[url]http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/g=guitar/search/detail/base_pid/511039/?c_tid=a[/url]
2005-08-17 12:21 | User Profile
Wild Bill, that's a nice axe for $150. Thanks for the info.