Need more guitar discussion

[TKRIS]

Anyone play any other instruments?
I've been thinking of picking up a bass to noodle with. Figure it'll help with timing as well.

My wife took piano lessons for years, and was apparently pretty good. We have her keyboard downstairs. I keep threatening to bring it upstairs so I can use it.
Been listening to a lot of Tom Waits recently. I think I might have to plug it in and play around with it tonight.
Having a hard time finding transcriptions online though, so if anyone knows of a site, I'd appreciate it.

[rage2]

I've been learning drums for the last few months. Getting half decent at it.

Bass is easy. If you know your basic scales, you can improvise and play everything half decent.

[wildkarrde]

Newest member of the family :

[finboy]

loves me some jaguar

[JMaj7]

http://www.songsterr.com

For whoevers learning

[b_t]

couldn't sleep for shit so recorded a tune. the combination of beer and weed made for some weird shit. Do some weird tapping on this one in addition to some trippy atmospheric shit

http://soundclick.com/share?songid=7184202

[b_t]

I just picked up a set of monitors and did up a new mix for that song ^^ plus I updated it a ton, more riffs, more solos (no shred really), changed the snare sound etc.

But EVERYBODY should have monitors for listening to music. These things are fucking incredible, absolutely amazing, enlightening, a complete revelation.. music with good recording and production sounds absolutely incredible.

[zipdoa]

Originally posted by b_t
I just picked up a set of monitors and did up a new mix for that song ^^ plus I updated it a ton, more riffs, more solos (no shred really), changed the snare sound etc.

But EVERYBODY should have monitors for listening to music. These things are fucking incredible, absolutely amazing, enlightening, a complete revelation.. music with good recording and production sounds absolutely incredible.

what are you using for monitors? I would like a good set that I can use with my amPlug/amp and my m-audio recording device, as well as just for my iPod.

[b_t]

Originally posted by zipdoa


what are you using for monitors? I would like a good set that I can use with my amPlug/amp and my m-audio recording device, as well as just for my iPod.

I got a pair of Adam A5s and then the pads to isolate them from your desk so that the bass sounds more accurate. They weren't cheap but I've never heard music sound like this before.. the stereo image is amazing. Listening to a really good recording like a Dave Matthews Band CD, you can hear exactly where each instrument is set on the soundstage.. it sounds like his voice is coming from my PC monitor and not the speakers.

[b_t]

SONG CLIP WITH VOCALZ
Clean and brutal!

http://soundclick.com/share?songid=7208957

[TKRIS]

In my neverending quest to see just how big of a geek I can turn myself into, I picked up a bunch of various electrical components this weekend and started wiring my own pedals.
Made a simple Booster that works pretty well (all things considered). Starts to break up at higher levels, but I think that's a combination of n00b-soldering and using a cheap silicone transistor.
I built a NPN Fuzz Face last night. I didn't have time to troubleshoot it, but it's kicking in and out. Pretty sure I've just got some grounding/shorting issues (I scrunched everything onto a pretty small board, then stuffed everything into a pretty small box). Should be able to get that sorted out tonight. I've also got a couple pieces on order to build a Dist+ clone, so I'll get that one done later this week. I think I'll make a PCB for that one as well.
I'm actually not much of a pedal guy, but this is all in the name of getting some soldering, layout, wiring, and troubleshooting experience before I start on a tube amp build.

Anyone else into this shit?
Any advice on starter amps to build? I'm currently trying to decide between a P1-Extreme or an 18 Watt TMB

[zipdoa]

Originally posted by TKRIS
In my neverending quest to see just how big of a geek I can turn myself into, I picked up a bunch of various electrical components this weekend and started wiring my own pedals.
Made a simple Booster that works pretty well (all things considered). Starts to break up at higher levels, but I think that's a combination of n00b-soldering and using a cheap silicone transistor.
I built a NPN Fuzz Face last night. I didn't have time to troubleshoot it, but it's kicking in and out. Pretty sure I've just got some grounding/shorting issues (I scrunched everything onto a pretty small board, then stuffed everything into a pretty small box). Should be able to get that sorted out tonight. I've also got a couple pieces on order to build a Dist+ clone, so I'll get that one done later this week. I think I'll make a PCB for that one as well.
I'm actually not much of a pedal guy, but this is all in the name of getting some soldering, layout, wiring, and troubleshooting experience before I start on a tube amp build.

Anyone else into this shit?
Any advice on starter amps to build? I'm currently trying to decide between a P1-Extreme or an 18 Watt TMB

Not quite the level you're at with building things, but I wired up my own cutoff switch yesterday... very easy and lots of fun to play with. Will probably try building a distortion pedal soon...

[TKRIS]

Let me know if you're looking for schematics. I've been collecting websites for awhile now.
Started tearing into the Fuzz the other night. Broke one of my pots, and realized space was just too tight. I'm going to scuttle the whole board and etch a custom PCB for it. Should be a big space saver, and look much, much neater. I'll post pictures when it's done, if anyone's interested. I'm changing it around a bit, and my local supplier doesn't have a bunch of the pieces I need, so it'll be a while, as I'll have to order a bunch of stuff from mouser or something.
I'm actually toying with the idea of just doing 1 big box that will house a booster, Fuzz, Dist+, and maybe a compressor or something.

I'm pretty sure I'll be building an 18 Watt TMB once I've got the pedals that I've started all wrapped up. Not sure if I'm going to design my own PCB, buy a prefab PCB, or build it on a turret board.

[Seanith]

What's involved with creating a cutoff switch? I saw Kerry had one on his guitar haha. I think it would be something i'd be interested in doing if I end up getting another guitar.

[TKRIS]

I haven't done it, but it should be super, super simple. Should just be able to splice it into your output jack. Or you could put in on the ground and output posts of your volume knob, if it's a strat style guitar with a master volume (this is probably a better idea).
For a Les Paul style guitar with separate volume knobs for each pickup, just turn the volume of the neck pickup completely off, and put the selector in the middle position (only the bridge will be active, as the neck volume is at 0). Then, if you apply a bit of pressure (not enough to cause the switch to change position) you should be able to find the sweet spot where it'll disconnect the bridge and go to the neck (which is set at 0). Boom, built in kill switch.

Shouldn't take more than 5 minutes and $3 on a guitar like a strat where all you have to do is pop off the pickguard, splice the switch in, and drill a hole for it.

[Seanith]

Originally posted by TKRIS

For a Les Paul style guitar with separate volume knobs for each pickup, just turn the volume of the neck pickup completely off, and put the selector in the middle position (only the bridge will be active, as the neck volume is at 0). Then, if you apply a bit of pressure (not enough to cause the switch to change position) you should be able to find the sweet spot where it'll disconnect the bridge and go to the neck (which is set at 0). Boom, built in kill switch.

I have a Les Paul style so this method should work for me... i'm not sure if i understand all the details here though. Can you explain the whole "sweet" spot thing a bit more? Thanks a lot.. btw I have this guitar...

[TKRIS]

I don't think it'll work on that guitar. You need Les Paul style wiring. More to the point, you need separate volume knobs for each pickup. I'm pretty sure that Ibanez has a master volume, and separate tone controls.

With a Les Paul, you have 2 volume knobs and 2 tone knobs, so you have a separate volume and tone for each pickup. This means that you can turn the volume of the neck pickup off completely. With the selector switch in the middle position, both pickups are selected, but since the neck pickup volume is set to 0, only the bridge pickup is making noise.
If you push the switch to the neck pickup only, the guitar will not make any sound because the neck pickup volume knob is set to 0.
But you don't have to push the switch hard enough to actually make it "click" into the neck position. The sweet spot you're looking for will be a spot where the switch technically stays in the middle position, but is pushed hard enough that it internally switches to the neck only.

I'll see if I can find a video so it's easier to see. If I can't, I can quickly make one tonight.

EDIT: Shows how it's done about 1:50 into this video

[zipdoa]

I did it on my ibanez, its an RG series, single master volume knob, just spliced the positive wire through the cutoff switch (DO NOT SPLICE THE GROUND, you get an awful buzzing! ). Took me about 15 minutes to do, but unforunately I didn't check my actual switch to see if the circut is normally broken or open, so now it cuts of my guitar unless i'm pressing it down. The guy at radioshack said that theres a place in the SW called active electronics that carrys cutoff switches that are normally closed circuits until you push the button in, and then it cuts the sound.

Will post pics when shes all finished!

[Seanith]

Originally posted by TKRIS
I don't think it'll work on that guitar. You need Les Paul style wiring. More to the point, you need separate volume knobs for each pickup. I'm pretty sure that Ibanez has a master volume, and separate tone controls.

EDIT: Shows how it's done about 1:50 into this video
[

Fuck yeah you're awesome! It does work with my guitar perfectly The neck and the bridge have their own volume, then the bottom knob is for the tone of the entire guitar I guess. I play the bottom pickup anyways (except for clean channel) so this works great. Thanks!

[Dumbass17]

fuuuuck
i give mad props to anyone that can play a full song on a guitar! god damn is it ever tough! my fingers are killing me trying to learn the G and C major chords

i'm having two big issues;

1) i have small hands and manage to reach all the strings and strum but no matter how i position my hand, i keep seeming to touch other strings!

for example if my 1st finger is on the 2nd string (as part of C chord) it always seems to BARELY touch the string below it.

2) when i seem to reach a comfortable position with my fingers, my knuckles lock up (like the 2nd knuckle will go at a 90 degree angle with my finger tip and 'lock')

ARGH
it's frustrating lol

props to you guys