Comments for Guitar Gear

Comment on Guitar Dad: What Makes It All Worth It by Michael

Michael — Sat, 10 May 2008 18:55:27 +0000

Sweet story.

You should look around for some fun songs for kids that you can play and the kids can sing/dance along.

My Story: my kid is 14 and played better after 2 months worth of lessons than I did after two years.

Now I buy nice guitars and make him play them for me. It is really nice to have a guitar player in the family.

Comment on Who is GoofyDawg? by goofydawg

goofydawg — Thu, 08 May 2008 15:46:30 +0000

That’s so awesome! Thanks so much. BTW, what’s your cooking blog site?

Comment on Who is GoofyDawg? by Mia and Mike

Mia and Mike — Thu, 08 May 2008 03:29:12 +0000

Hi Bren, Downloaded a copy of your album from iTunes over the weekend. Added a link to it on my cooking blog too.

Comment on You Can Never Get Enough… by Stratoblogster

Stratoblogster — Thu, 08 May 2008 02:43:07 +0000

That’s the best clip I’ve seen in awhile!

Those guys are talking! BB has so much class. And Moore is one of the best chameleons in the business– I’ve heard him mimic Neal Schon, Michael Schenker, Tom Scholz and Albert King. That’s variety.

He’s got the BB King vocabulary down too.

Comment on G.A.S. Management by rockridge98

rockridge98 — Thu, 08 May 2008 00:43:42 +0000

Another technique I use is to make myself wait a week before making any music purchase. If I still want the item as badly after the week, I will probably get it. If I am on to the next obsession, then I know I was right to wait.

Comment on Review: Voodoo Lab Micro Vibe by goofydawg

goofydawg — Tue, 06 May 2008 22:03:16 +0000

It’s about at about 1:30- 2 o’clock. Note though that the “vibe-ness” is also a function of the speed setting. For the second clip, I used a very slow speed setting, at about 10 o’clock, so it makes the vibe sound much more subtle than it actually is, but there is a definite pulse going on. For a more psychedelic sound, I turn the intensity up to about 4 - 5 o’clock, then set the speed anywhere between 1 and 2 o’clock. You then can get that Hendrix breathy sound.

Comment on Review: Voodoo Lab Micro Vibe by tremspeed

tremspeed — Tue, 06 May 2008 21:28:33 +0000

if you can recall, where is your depth control in the second clip?

i had the danelectro cheapass vibe pedal, and always though it was too subtle… and i hear the voodoo lab pedal is very similar to the dan-o. i’m looking for those super breathy hendrix/trower sounds.

Comment on Monumental Things Are Happening! by goofydawg

goofydawg — Tue, 06 May 2008 18:44:09 +0000

Thanks, Ig!!!

Comment on Monumental Things Are Happening! by ig

ig — Tue, 06 May 2008 18:36:14 +0000

Awesomeness! I’m getting it…

Comment on Hidden Gem: My Epiphone 58 Korina Explorer by Les Paul

Les Paul — Sun, 04 May 2008 09:08:50 +0000

Les Paul…

The labor cost in America is too high to produce anymore quality goods. That is why we import so many products. The Slash Epiphone is acutally a better buy than an American made Gibson. Not because of the price, but because of cheaper labor cost. If I …

Comment on Monumental Things Are Happening! by Josh

Josh — Fri, 02 May 2008 21:49:10 +0000

That’s great! Congratulations on the accomplishment! I’m searching for it right now…can’t wait to hear it

Comment on Recording Your Guitar At Home: Lessons Learned by goofydawg

goofydawg — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 22:46:15 +0000

Sorry… it’s the RSM-200. Keep on forgetting the “S” for some reason.

As far as the GAS is concerned… yeah… I know how you feel…

Comment on Recording Your Guitar At Home: Lessons Learned by Michael

Michael — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 22:35:02 +0000

Thanks. I was just getting over a bad period of GAS, but I guess this leads to another one. Oh well.

Comment on Recording Your Guitar At Home: Lessons Learned by goofydawg

goofydawg — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 18:53:24 +0000

Yeah! I’ve found that it sounds best when you use two mics to record it: A dynamic mic and a ribbon mic. An SM-57 will work for the dynamic, though I actually prefer the Sennheiser e835 stage vocal mic. It has a built-in presence boost, so you don’t get that boominess that you’d normally get from an SM-58. I also like the much richer tone I get from that mic. Sennheiser also makes the e609 dedicated cab mic. I haven’t tried it out yet but I’m probably going to spring for one pretty soon. I combine that with my Nady RM200 ribbon mic.

As far as setting up the amp, as you know, it has a fairly expansive output, and the speaker is prone to “popping” when you attack the strings, which results in some severe peaks. I’ve placed a couple of layers of duct tape on the grill cloth directly over the center of the speaker cone to alleviate the pop. About a 6″ diameter circular pattern will work pretty well.

With respect to mic placement, I set the dynamic mic off-axis, at about a 45 degree angle about 3-4″ away from the cabinet, then set the ribbon mic no more than a foot away, aimed directly at the duct tape. This will pick up the ambient and create depth in your recording. I also place a 4′ X 3′ board about a foot away from the rear of the ribbon mic to not only contain the sound a bit, but also make sure the mic doesn’t pick up too much room noise behind it.

Lastly, because the stock configuration of the volume knobs boost the output gain really quickly, thus making volume control difficult, I’ve invested in a good attenuator to help control my maximum gain. I have the Dr. Z Airbrake, though the Weber Mass, and THD HotPlate will work as well. I found my Airbrake on E-bay and got it for about $150.

Comment on Recording Your Guitar At Home: Lessons Learned by Michael

Michael — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 01:41:10 +0000

Thanks for the tips!
I noticed that on the song you posted, you used a Hot Rod Deluxe. I’m experimenting with recording on my own. Any tips for that amp in particular?

Thanks!

Comment on Review: Presonus TUBEPre by Recording Your Guitar At Home: Lessons Learned « Guitar Gear

Recording Your Guitar At Home: Lessons Learned « Guitar Gear — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 20:49:16 +0000

[...] of all, invest in a decent tube pre-amp. PreSonus makes a great one called the TUBEPre. You can read my review on it here. Even if you use a dynamic mic that will draw power from your line, a pre-amp will boost your mic [...]

Comment on Customer Service - When It Comes to Gear, It Really Does Matter by Tweed Demon

Tweed Demon — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 18:15:42 +0000

G-dawg, another good observation. One thing I’ve found really troubling over the last decade is the amount of these new “Walmart-like” chain stores selling guitars, specifically Guitar Center. One recently popped up by me about a year and a half ago. I checked it out and found the usual young shredders from the local bar scene with the latest haircuts selling christmas guitars to young wanna-bes. For once I like an informative conversation regarding one of their products without the word “dude” as part of the dialogue. The most troubling thing I noticed as I walked around the store was the complete lack of regard for the instruments. Living not too far from Green Bay, the climate, temperature changes and humidity can really wreak havoc on any wooden instrument. I saw nice high end Gibson’s so dried out that the frets protruded the side of the neck by nearly an eighth inch. Troubling indeed. But the most troubling of all is how this Corporate machine is affecting the little boutique shops that serviced their committed clients for years. I have no data on this, but I assume it’s significant for those who dont have a thriving internet sales business.
In Wisconsin, we’re very fortunate to have one of the best guitar shops ever assembled (an I say this from experience, I’ve been to Gruhn’s, Willcutt’s, Elderly, Eddie’s, Norm’s in Receta, and the original Guitar Center in Hollywood). When I need to make a major purchace, I have no problem driving the 3.5 hour one way to Dave’s Guitar in LaCrosse. Not only does he have one of the coolest collection of American Guitars and Amps ever assembled (and on display on his second floor), but the customer service is top notch, pricing is straight up (they dont try to pull a fast one by assuming you dont know what your trade is worth), and knowlege, the love of the instrument, and service are second to none. About two years ago I was on a new amp quest. Not only did they let me take anything I wanted into the back shop and A/B stuff while their shop guys were fixing things (for about 2 or 3 hours), but they brought me coffee while I was doing it! Salesmen I deal with are excited to come in on their day off if one of their customers are in town. I’ve also gotten calls when cool stuff comes in that I was interested in, and they’ve given me first rights on nice limited addition stuff.
With the way the corporate greed seems to be taking over the gear industry, my only hope is that the cream rises to the top and that shops like Dave’s will always be there, and worth every mile of that 7-hour round trip. I’m sure there will always be a market for Christmas guitars, but we as gear-heads need to demand customer service and accept nothing less.

Comment on Gear Review: PRS DGT by Customer Service - When It Comes to Gear, It Really Does Matter « Guitar Gear

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 23:56:14 +0000

[...] I don’t feel as comfortable with buying the gear. Take, for instance, this review about the PRS DGT. A reader, Jimi Ray Clapton, had been waiting 9 months for his new DGT, and it still hadn’t [...]

Comment on Review: DigiTech Bad Monkey by Charli

Charli — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 06:39:55 +0000

Bought it , great pedal. For those of you who aren’t satisfied. It’s only $50

Smooth, dynamic overdrive to boost your sound.

The Digitech Bad Monkey Tube Overdrive effects pedal produces the smooth, natural character of an overdriven tube amp while maintaining your guitar’s distinct tone. Low and High tone plus Level and Gain controls. Dedicated output with cabinet emulation to run direct into a mixer or recorder.
DigiTech Bad Monkey Tube Overdrive Pedal Features:
High, Low, Level, and Gain controls
Amp and recording/mixer outputs

Where can I buy?
http://www.musicthingz.co.nz

Comment on Guitar Dad: What Makes It All Worth It by goofydawg

goofydawg — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 17:27:49 +0000

Cool! Let’s hook up! Email me and I’ll get you my contact info at: thedawg_REMOVETHISANDTHEUNDERLINES_@goofydawg.net