DISQUS

I suppose you have one more thing to add to your list of guitar set up activities: intonation, string height, truss rod adjustment, nut height, "computer reset." Oh, the future.

Hope it works out Ov. I like the color, dig the surfer blue and maple neck.

Keep us posted, and post some playing samples when you get it back in good order!

IG

I cannot believe he's 52. That's news to me. He kinda looks in pictures like he's in his late 30's or something. Time flies my friends....

IG

Thanks Pribek! You rock... and roll...

IG

Thanks for the highlight Ovidiu!

You know, I fall into the same way of thinking "solo" a lot, although I do in my head appreciate rhythm and know that it takes the same amount of mastery to develop a tasteful approach to rhythm as it takes to develop solo chops. I think the concept of improvsiation actually takes both "solo" guitar and rhythm guitar creativity.

The funny thing is that over the weekend I started with my usual thing. Which is to turn on my drum machine, find some beat that makes sense, and then see if the beat comes with a good bass loop, and then record both as background for something to "solo" over and so on and so forth.

So, I did that and nothing really clicked. So I turned the drum machine off and just started "noodling," and then the 3 chords just came (Am, G, F) and I just recorded about 4 minutes of those chords. Then I played them back and just allowed myself to play over the chords whatever came to me, with no thought about what I wanted to do, but just allowing myself to play. And, as you can hear from the recording, it's not a master lead by any means, but, just a pattern with leads here and there. And when I played it back I thought it needed a bit more "rhythm," so I added the strings.

So, to go back to your point. We all have the same "ideal" picture in our minds of "solo" guitar because that's what the culture dictates. That's what media portrays as the "ideal" image of a guitar player. And it's true to some extent, but not all. And you just have to allow your mind to do away with the "ideal" picture and just play what you feel and what comes out of you naturally. Even if you're not happy with the result at first, you have to know what "you" sound like and go through the exercise of just recording what comes out of you.

IG

Gosh, I only know one of these. #10, Zack Wylde. I totally flunk the quiz. I am not worthy!

IG

Thanks for keeping this conversation alive Ovidiu and linking to my post. Your question is really insightful and it's such an important one for anyone to really think about and use it as a way to keep their motivation going.

I don't think there is one single correct answer, since dreams mean different things to different people, and we all have different lives and different challenges and perspectives.

But I do think that one constant issue is that we make our dreams independent of what we think "real" life is about. So, we do real good at managing our dreams out of our lives when "real" life demands our attention. And this is where I think that perspectives need to change. I think people should see dreams as journeys that are worth undertaking and that are as essential to life as other things. And people should have the skills to manage dreams and learn how to balance their lives so that their dreams can exist and become part of their lives.

So, in the case of playing guitar I think many of us create unrealistic expecations of our dream to play guitar, so that when "real" life comes at us (jobs, responsibilities, etc), we are not able to match our dream with "reality." But, when you begin to see guitar playing as an essential part of your overall life and a journey, and not a one-shot to fame kinda of thing, you start to learn how to grow with it and approach it as your life changes.

This is such a huge topic, I could go on and on. But, I'd love to see what other comments have to say.

Thanks!

IG

Why would anyone wear jeans that look all beat up and washed out? Cuz, they look cool.

And why would someone pay more money for beat up looking jeans? Cuz, it takes skill to make them look beat up, and the one who does it the best is in more demand. You can always try yourself of course, just wash the jeans in bleach, but, they ain't gonna look like a pair of good worn out jeans.

Same thing with relics. They just look cool to some folks. And, ain't nothing wrong with that I guess.

IG

Actually, I think I like Eric's guitar toilet handle better:
http://ericmakesmusic.wordpress.com/2008/05/07/...

LOL

IG

I've only used a ">Variax Acoustic, so I can't comment on the Variax electric guitar sound and feel.

BUT, the Variax Acoustic is a good piece of gear, in my opinion. We use it in my cover band for "acoustic" type songs, and it does really well on stage. I also bring it home at times (it belongs to my bass player) and do some direct recording with it, which I think is the best thing about the guitar (and it may be for the electric one too). When you record direct you get pretty nice, convincing acoustic sounds.

I recorded one my guitar playalongs with the Variax Acoustic, so, you can judge for yourself.

IG

One thing you should do too, is listen to some of the great blues players, pay attention to their licks, and try to play them using the pentatonic scale.

Like, say you get an Albert King CD. Pick a song, figure out they key (that way you know what pentatonic scale to use), then hum licks and parts of solos in your head, and try to find some of the most obvious notes in the pentatonic scale.

The goal really is to internalize each scale note in you and know where to go when you hear a lick in your head. That's the beauty of the pentatonic scale, that you can depart from any of its notes and come right back. Each note has its little branch of places to go. So, when you know in your blood what each note sounds like, you free yourself up with the scale and just run with it.

Like, for example, you should know where the flat 7ths are in the pentatonic scale, since that note is one of the scale's most go-to notes. Stuff like that.

The pentatonic scale is way too fun, also very rhythmically inclined. Schweet.

IG

Thanks! Keep up the good work man. Fo sho'!

IG

Interesting that the guitarists you picked are almost exclusively humbucker pickup users.

Pickup types are my guideposts when thinking about recognizable tones. Typically I can sort of tell from listening if a certain tone is coming from a humbucker type guitar (say, Les Paul) or a single-coil type (a Strat type).

And I think a lot of guitar players (not all, of course) who have recognizable tones are humbucker players. Humbuckers don't give you a whole lot of tonal variety by themselves, which leaves the player with the opportunity to shape his unique tone a lot with touch, attack, feel and dynamics (and amp/effects too of course).

Then Strat players, those guys and gals are recognizable not so much on tone, but on their playing style and phrasing. Because in my view the Strat has its very distinct set of voices (5 of them, all right there in the switch), and it's very difficult to mold those voices into different tones with effects and amps. When you're a Strat player, you have to commit to the Strat tone and find unique ways to basically leverage the voice they already have.

The two types are just complete different animals. And I love them both!

IG

My question re: the guitar sales statistics is always, how many of those guitars (1.5 million in 2006) are in a closet somewhere, not being played? I've actually sent a letter to the US census before asking them to add a question to their census that asks household heads if there are any music instruments in their house and to describe what they are. I can guarantee you guitars would show up in lots of households, but who knows if they're being played.

Anyway, I have 3 guitars, and I am very much like Pribek, don't like to keep too many around and change main guitars rarely:

1. A Fender Strat, standard, no frills, black body and maple neck, my main guitar for my cover band gig.
2. A weird Ibanez humbucker Les Paul look-alike that has been modified like crazy. I use it mainly for the church gig that I do on Sundays. A nice rocking machine.
3. A Simon and Patrick electric acoustic, which is my main play-at-home guitar (all songs/riffs start with this guitar) and the one I intend to take on my future solo acoustic gigs.

And, I subscribe 100% to Gary's theory of tone above.

IG