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Guitar Gaf |OT| Fingerpickin good
- Thread starter NEO0MJ
- Start date
Always-honest
Banned
Let me know how it works out. I'm considering doing the same with a strat i'm putting together..
TheCochese
Banned
Got my Monoprice tuner in today, and man is it top notch. I love it. I thought I'd send it back, because at least the Marshall Gateway app has one, but no...I'm keeping this.
Hale-XF11
Member
Can anyone recommend a simple and affordable, yet sturdy and reliable loop pedal?
I recently bought a Ditto Looper and it would not power on out of the box, so I returned it. Then I did some more research and discovered that lots of people had problems with that particular pedal. Sucks, because it's otherwise exactly what I want in a loop pedal.
I recently bought a Ditto Looper and it would not power on out of the box, so I returned it. Then I did some more research and discovered that lots of people had problems with that particular pedal. Sucks, because it's otherwise exactly what I want in a loop pedal.
I will when I eventually get the second roll of tape and finish the project. Mine looks a lot jankier than ones I've seen posted online and I'd really suggest just getting some tape that has conductive adhesive.
I'm having a hard time telling if it's better than it was before. I'll give full impressions when the job is finished. It's not worse, so that's something.
Edit: Just ordered this roll.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01HF5WSXE/?tag=neogaf0e-20
It'll come Wednesday and I'll post impressions for the tape and the shielding then.
Well the tape came and I shielded the guitar. It works flawlessly now and noticeably better than when I had it unshielded and partially shielded. I guess it really is an all or nothing thing.
Before unless I had my hand on the strings there would always be noise even in the 2 and 4 position. Now it's like my hand is on the strings even when it's not. In position 2 and 4 it's silent on my amp's clean channel even with the volume up high. In position 1, 3 and 5 there is some light white noise, which is to be expected from single coils.
I'd really recommend getting the copper tape that is conductive on both sides. My link one post up is the one I'd get and I'd order 2 to be safe. It was much much easier and I had to use a lot less of it. I still have half a roll.
Truth be told I didn't do any soldering. I did use a multimeter I had on hand to test for continuity. With it I learned that my shielding was grounded even without adding another grounding wire. The small aluminum shielding that the guitar came with was already ground so as long as I connected my copper shielding to it it worked.
Overall I'd really recommend shielding your guitar.
Before unless I had my hand on the strings there would always be noise even in the 2 and 4 position. Now it's like my hand is on the strings even when it's not. In position 2 and 4 it's silent on my amp's clean channel even with the volume up high. In position 1, 3 and 5 there is some light white noise, which is to be expected from single coils.
I'd really recommend getting the copper tape that is conductive on both sides. My link one post up is the one I'd get and I'd order 2 to be safe. It was much much easier and I had to use a lot less of it. I still have half a roll.
Truth be told I didn't do any soldering. I did use a multimeter I had on hand to test for continuity. With it I learned that my shielding was grounded even without adding another grounding wire. The small aluminum shielding that the guitar came with was already ground so as long as I connected my copper shielding to it it worked.
Overall I'd really recommend shielding your guitar.
TheCochese
Banned
Thank you so much for the CODE recommendation. I really like it and haven't dug into the custom settings at all. Thing puts out a ton of sound for being so small
So I've been loving my semi hollow Mustang/Jaguar hybrid, but I'm facing some noise issues which are driving me nuts. I thought humbuckers were supposed to be quieter than single coils? It's much noisier than my Jag and Jazz.
Strangely enough, the noise disappears when I touch the pickups, not the strings. I suppose this is a grounding issue, but I never heard of a case where noise disappears when the pickups are touched instead of the strings. Anybody has any ideas on how to tackle this issue?
Strangely enough, the noise disappears when I touch the pickups, not the strings. I suppose this is a grounding issue, but I never heard of a case where noise disappears when the pickups are touched instead of the strings. Anybody has any ideas on how to tackle this issue?
scotcheggz
Member
Can you take a photo of your electrics easily enough? It definitely sounds like a dodgy ground somewhere.
By the way, I remember seeing your pictures of this when it was half made, did you post any pics of it finished up? Would love to see it
alright maybe guitar gaf can help me with this
in the next month or two I'm going to drop around 500-600 on stuff for recording metal - i've been playing around with writing some death metal and i've had enough nights where i sat down at 8-9pm and went "wait, shit, it's sunrise" using a bad rocksmith cable and reaper setup that i want to get some actual decent stuff.
this is what i'm currently looking at:
-Focusrite Solo 2nd Gen: I'm taking them at their word that the input gain on hotter guitars is fixed from the 1st gen. if not (or if you like a different interface) let me know. the rocksmith cable's input gain is a pain in the dick and it's super noisy, and i need an interface for mics anyway.
-Shure SM58+xlr cable and mic stand: this is mostly for growls and i might bring a friend in to actually sing if i write stuff for that. a lot of people said that the harder metal vocalists just use 58s cause they avoid distortion, and they're cheap and durable, so why not, but i'm really open to suggestions here cause i know dickall about vocal mics.
-Bias FX+the metal expansion: I did a highly unscientific experiment where I loaded up my song DIs into a classic Tube Screamer->6505->Mesa cab sound with the demos for amplitube, guitar rig, s-gear 2, thermonik, and bias fx and preferred the latter by a fair margin. Given that it's also the cheapest and based on some other stuff I've seen I also prefer its fendery clean sounds and marshall crunch sounds it seems like a no brainer. Metal pack cause that's what I'm writing so why not.
-EZDrummer 2+2 packs: my drum experiments with free stuff have gone terribly (unlike the guitar and bass stuff i've done which is okay) and having looked at how the software works online it seems really intuitive for getting ideas down that sound solid, which is exactly what i'm after. you can get it+two ezpacks for 250, and one of those packs is the one everyone says is awesome for the kind of stuff i'm writing on a handful of forum threads i've seen, so i'm thinking that seems like a good plan.
in the next month or two I'm going to drop around 500-600 on stuff for recording metal - i've been playing around with writing some death metal and i've had enough nights where i sat down at 8-9pm and went "wait, shit, it's sunrise" using a bad rocksmith cable and reaper setup that i want to get some actual decent stuff.
this is what i'm currently looking at:
-Focusrite Solo 2nd Gen: I'm taking them at their word that the input gain on hotter guitars is fixed from the 1st gen. if not (or if you like a different interface) let me know. the rocksmith cable's input gain is a pain in the dick and it's super noisy, and i need an interface for mics anyway.
-Shure SM58+xlr cable and mic stand: this is mostly for growls and i might bring a friend in to actually sing if i write stuff for that. a lot of people said that the harder metal vocalists just use 58s cause they avoid distortion, and they're cheap and durable, so why not, but i'm really open to suggestions here cause i know dickall about vocal mics.
-Bias FX+the metal expansion: I did a highly unscientific experiment where I loaded up my song DIs into a classic Tube Screamer->6505->Mesa cab sound with the demos for amplitube, guitar rig, s-gear 2, thermonik, and bias fx and preferred the latter by a fair margin. Given that it's also the cheapest and based on some other stuff I've seen I also prefer its fendery clean sounds and marshall crunch sounds it seems like a no brainer. Metal pack cause that's what I'm writing so why not.
-EZDrummer 2+2 packs: my drum experiments with free stuff have gone terribly (unlike the guitar and bass stuff i've done which is okay) and having looked at how the software works online it seems really intuitive for getting ideas down that sound solid, which is exactly what i'm after. you can get it+two ezpacks for 250, and one of those packs is the one everyone says is awesome for the kind of stuff i'm writing on a handful of forum threads i've seen, so i'm thinking that seems like a good plan.
Most recent nano board.
TC Polytune 2 mini -> SSBS Fuck OD -> OBNE Black Fountain -> Caroline Kilobyte -> Boss RV-6...Cioks DC5 below for power...shitty clips with my fender tele and c&c pocket piano: https://soundcloud.com/user-939917545
Oh yeah, here's a picture of the guitarCan you take a photo of your electrics easily enough? It definitely sounds like a dodgy ground somewhere.
By the way, I remember seeing your pictures of this when it was half made, did you post any pics of it finished up? Would love to see it
It looks like a cheap Chinese guitar because it is, and it was a fucking mess when I first got it - but it plays amazingly and I really like the semi hollow body.
As or the buzzing issue, I decided to take the guitar to a tech, seems like a fool's errand to do it myself
Hero_of_the_Day
Member
Any of you have any opinions on any multieffects pedals? Kind of looking for something that doesn't have amp modeling, just effects. Around $700-800 tops.
The answer is probably no but do you have any noise issues with your other guitars? Could it be that the problem is wiring in the house?
I only ask because that's the problem I faced when I upgraded stock humbuckers from an Epi to some Seymour Duncans. For a long time I thought the issue was with my wiring. Being a stubborn about doing it myself, I've tried different pots, wires, etc, rewired 3 times. And then one day, I took my setup elsewhere and it was quite, totally perfect.
Turned out that the wiring in the house was bust but my other guitars were not sensitive enough for me to notice or that I got used to that level of extra hum. Surely enough when I tried the other guitars at a different location, I was like oh, so it's supposed to be this quiet? Oh...
I'd rather get one thing that does the job well but then again there's an appear in having all in one. Then again in that case I would look at some PC software, like Guitar Rig. I've tried it a while ago because there's a free demo and it was pretty good, combines modeling and effects.
StaffyManasse
Member
Hey hey my my Guitar Gaf.
I got my hands on a pretty sweet Fender Tele and I was wondering what is the go-to small & not too expensive home amp these days? How are the modelling amps these days, Vox Valvetronix and others?
Edit. For what I've read, Boss Katana 50W is pretty good for 200 euros (new). Anyone tried / have one?
I got my hands on a pretty sweet Fender Tele and I was wondering what is the go-to small & not too expensive home amp these days? How are the modelling amps these days, Vox Valvetronix and others?
Edit. For what I've read, Boss Katana 50W is pretty good for 200 euros (new). Anyone tried / have one?
Wag
Member
http://www.sonicjunction.com/
Anyone ever use Sonic Junction? I'm a blues guy (a pretty decent harp player) so I can use both the guitar and harp instruction. I had in-person lessons in person with Jerry Portnoy and Dennis Gruenling who are both instructors on the site. Some great guitar instructors on there as well.
Anyone ever use Sonic Junction? I'm a blues guy (a pretty decent harp player) so I can use both the guitar and harp instruction. I had in-person lessons in person with Jerry Portnoy and Dennis Gruenling who are both instructors on the site. Some great guitar instructors on there as well.
I don't think so, this guitar in particular is noisy wherever I play it - I think it's just a matter of the guitar wiring being messed up.
I'm not sure if it's a matter of coincidence or it's the root cause, but my pickups are Seymour Duncans as well. Maybe it has something to do with the pickups being unpotted? Anyhow I'll be taking it to a tech this week, hopefully I'll be able to get this fixed then.
CrudeDiatribe
Member
No, unpotted means the pickups can be microphonic and will produce sound from blowing on them. Doesn't sound like a buzz.
Example.
Sounds like you have a ground loop or a hot swapped for a ground somewhere.
adamsappel
Member
Glad you like it! Yeah, it's very loud, and light, too. When you get comfortable with editing patches, get the footswitch. It's a little unintuitive, but seems like it would be great to assign clean-modulation-overdrive presets.
I want to get the Katana 100W Head, but mainly because it has the smaller 30W speaker, and also has a dedicated acoustic channel. By all accounts they are great amps, but aren't quite modelers; they work more like a traditional solid-state amp, but with separate "voices" to adjust. They also have every Boss pedal on board, so all your effects needs are already met. Here's my recommendations for $200 amps:
StaffyManasse
Member
Thanks! Hello gas my old friend, it's been a while.
Are local shops the best place to get replacement tubes? I think one of my power tubes is going bad and I can't find an exact replacement online. I took em both out and the one that was a bit dim sounds like there's something loose inside.
Edit: put them back exactly how they were and volume is back to normal. Still feel like I should replace them though.
Edit: put them back exactly how they were and volume is back to normal. Still feel like I should replace them though.
TheCochese
Banned
So I guess I'll be getting a 335 clone at some point in tribute to Cornell.
Kalamari
Member
I'm thirsty for a mexican strat lately. Anyone here have a fair amount of experience buying used from reverb.com? Ideally, I would like to try before I buy, but most stores don't have any used strats. I have only seen a couple, one had a badly worn fretboard and the other was HSS, barf.
So, this will be my first electric guitar purchase, what are some good questions to ask the seller before I make an offer?
So, this will be my first electric guitar purchase, what are some good questions to ask the seller before I make an offer?
adamsappel
Member
I buy from Reverb fairly often. I like buying from there because it's gear from a musician and they're more likely to have treated it nicely and not want to burn a Seller reputation. You're going to find better pricing from Craigslist or Guitar Center, however. First electric guitar, as in you don't know how to play yet? Is there a reason you want a Mexican Strat specifically, or even a Strat in particular? Where are you located? What's your budget?
Kalamari
Member
I have an acoustic I have been practicing on for about a year, so I am somewhat familiar with guitars in general but don't know much about electrics.
I decided on a Mexican Strat because I like their sound, I like their feel, and I think a used one is a good value, it's an instrument that I'll probably never feel constrained by during my learning process.
I live in the Northwest, the nearest city with any guitar store is Portland, OR, about an hour away. I'd like to find a good one that's $400 or less.
Finished up my latest project guitar. It was a kit in the style of a Mockingbird. I upgraded pretty much all of the guts and hardware and kept the body. So far it sounds really good, still need to work on setup but I'm pretty pleased with it.
Seymour Duncan Alpha/Omega pickup set
Tone Pros locking bridge & tailpiece
Gotoh locking tuners
Switchcraft output jack and 3-way toggle
Bourns mini-500k pots
.47μ orange drop caps on the tone pots
Seymour Duncan Alpha/Omega pickup set
Tone Pros locking bridge & tailpiece
Gotoh locking tuners
Switchcraft output jack and 3-way toggle
Bourns mini-500k pots
.47μ orange drop caps on the tone pots
adamsappel
Member
Search the Used Gear section on Guitar Center online and you'll find a ton of Strats in that price range. GC has a very generous return policy. Also consider a Squier Classic Vibe, arguably better/equal to a Fender Standard MIM.
That looks really nice. Love the color you went with.
Outtrigger888
Member
Looking at a fender bassmaster guitar amp. Anyone here use one or can recommend a better amp within that price range 650$ to 850$
Kalamari
Member
I'm not really a fan of the polyurethane coating on the neck of the Classic Vibe Strats, my hand doesn't slide as freely as it should.
I have been looking at Guitar Center as well. Can you have a guitar shipped to a store in order for you to try, does GC just eat the shipping cost?
adamsappel
Member
Did you mean Bassbreaker or Bassman?
Yeah, the neck is the, uh, sticking point for me, too. You can sand that down, though. I email the store and ask if they'll ship it for free, and they've said yes each time. Ship to store is free for new gear, I think.
teruterubozu
Member
Very, very nice man! I don't think I've seen a Mockbird type kit, especially with the signature cloud inlays! What kit is that? Albatross? I'm itching to do another kit guitar. Perfect paint-cure weather right now before summer humidity kicks in!
Thank you! This was from a company called Solo Music Gear. They have a good variety of different kits available. https://www.solomusicgear.com/
Outtrigger888
Member
Bass breaker sorry.
Looking at getting this one specifically
http://www.guitarcenter.com/Fender/Bassbreaker-18-30W-2x12-Tube-Guitar-Combo-Amp.gc
adamsappel
Member
TC PolyTune clip-on tuner is $50; +/- 0.02 accuracy. Snark clip-on is also great and $15.
There's a few of them at Reverb for ~$700, mint, shipped. I've never heard anything but praise for them, but that is way more amp than I need, so I've never tried one.
Polytune clip looks fantastic. Sold. Thanks
TheCochese
Banned
I haven't had a ton of lap time with the Epi LP, but I can tell you it is loads nicer to play than my Strat. I don't know if it's the rough vs smooth neck, or anything else, but it feels...better. I can't pick out a specific reason for it, but I'm 99% sure it isn't just new gear syndrome.
Think this weekend I'm going to design a little amp stand that my pedals can slip under and perhaps a drawer to put picks and patch cables in. Really tight on space at the moment.
Also, did a test run of a couple wall hangers.
Free-handing the rests was not a good idea.
Think this weekend I'm going to design a little amp stand that my pedals can slip under and perhaps a drawer to put picks and patch cables in. Really tight on space at the moment.
Also, did a test run of a couple wall hangers.
Free-handing the rests was not a good idea.
Getting wall hangers for my guitars was one of the best things I've ever done. Should've just bought some from amazon or something though, I just made a plywood piece to hold them/kind of make it a bulkier thing that doesn't look as out of place as just a hanger stuck on the wall.
adamsappel
Member
A wood strip across the wall and screwed into studs is the safest way to hang your guitars. I decorated mine by printing out iconic album covers and gessoing them onto the wood, then I attached cheap generic hangers to that.
neurosyphilis
Definitely not an STD, as I'm a pure.
Ordered my first guitar the other day. I haven't played since my freshman year of high school in guitar class, and that was an acoustic. I went with a cheap Squeir Fender Strat for $199, since I've always loved Strats thanks to Jimi Hendrix, David Gilmour, and Steven Ray Vaughn.
Hopefully I get decent at playing, it will be tough as hell I know because I will be teaching myself. Hoping this becomes a hobby of mine for the rest of my life, and when/if I get good I plan to reward myself with a MIA Fender Stratocaster.
Hopefully I get decent at playing, it will be tough as hell I know because I will be teaching myself. Hoping this becomes a hobby of mine for the rest of my life, and when/if I get good I plan to reward myself with a MIA Fender Stratocaster.
teruterubozu
Member
My $200 and under streak continues. Picked up 2 guitars back-to-back on craigslist:
Ibanez ART300 Caiman Green ("gator finish") = $150
ESP LTD EC-256 Goldtop = $150
Both set neck. Ibanez is active pickups. The LTD has push/pull coil-tapping.
Like I always say, $200 and under goes a long way in the used guitar market.
Ibanez ART300 Caiman Green ("gator finish") = $150
ESP LTD EC-256 Goldtop = $150
Both set neck. Ibanez is active pickups. The LTD has push/pull coil-tapping.
Like I always say, $200 and under goes a long way in the used guitar market.
Maybe where you live. Around here it's 90% trash and the other 10% isn't that good of prices. You'll save $50 for buying used and at that point I'd rather buy new.
teruterubozu
Member
I've gotten great sub-$200 deals on eBay too. It's all about the search. I check all listings - craigslist, eBay, reverb, musicgoround, guitar center used, etc. - 2-3 times a day. But yeah nothing beats Craigslist for on-the-spot deals, plus people are always willing to cut prices on craigslist.
Hero_of_the_Day
Member
I've never understood people who don't buy used gear. We all have magical powers that causes the guitar to become used on contact any way, so why pay the full price. Especially after dealing with Guitar Centers used stuff online, where both things I've bought used look practically new, including my PRS which is almost 15 years old.
I haven't used Craigslist a ton. I did get my Digi 002 for like $150, which is a good price even by today's standards. Back then they were probably still going for like $400 on ebay and shit. I have a friend who found someone who was desperate for an acoustic guitar. He had a Martin that went for like $600 new, and the guy traded him a Fender Deluxe Tele for it. One of the best guitars I've played in my life. He went hard at Craigslist for a while and has a pretty crazy collection for Gibsons, Fenders, and Mesa amps that he got for stupid prices or trades.
I haven't used Craigslist a ton. I did get my Digi 002 for like $150, which is a good price even by today's standards. Back then they were probably still going for like $400 on ebay and shit. I have a friend who found someone who was desperate for an acoustic guitar. He had a Martin that went for like $600 new, and the guy traded him a Fender Deluxe Tele for it. One of the best guitars I've played in my life. He went hard at Craigslist for a while and has a pretty crazy collection for Gibsons, Fenders, and Mesa amps that he got for stupid prices or trades.
CrudeDiatribe
Member
I think I only own one used guitar (from '82), a used neck and a used pedal or two.
You can't always find what you want; when I was buying most of my gear money was more available than either time, patience, and perhaps sense.
Well the ESP looks nice. The Ibanez looks like the paint stripper has just started working.
You can't always find what you want; when I was buying most of my gear money was more available than either time, patience, and perhaps sense.
Well the ESP looks nice. The Ibanez looks like the paint stripper has just started working.
teruterubozu
Member
LoL! Yeah the gator finish is definitely a love it or hate it thing. I'm in the it's so ugly I Kinda like it camp! I did replace the speedknobs to black dome tops though.
Red Blaster
Member
Mixolydian
Member
It looks like they raised the "borders" of a quilted maple top. It's...different. Glad ya like it though.