Disqus - Latest Comments for Sammy

Re: Help! I’m in a pentatonic box and can’t get out!

Sammy — Thu, 01 May 2008 17:38:51 -0000

Hey Oracle, that's a great tip! That YouTube vid is great. It's similar to the Dan Denley series on two-string and 3-string pentatonics. Excellent!

Re: Reverend Roundhouse RT Series

Sammy — Wed, 21 May 2008 14:32:35 -0000

Dear Reverend,

I love your new, fresh Roundhouse RT body shape.

Sincerely,

Les Paul

;)

Re: Gibson Longhorn Double Cut BV

Sammy — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 19:13:21 -0000

I like the selector switch being moved to the lower section. I tend to bump mine on my LP Studio and inadvertantly switch to a different pickup.

Re: Steve Vai Jemini Distortion Pedal

Sammy — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 13:17:28 -0000

I think Steve (both of them) should really learn to play his instrument. ;)

Re: How NOT to buy an electric guitar

Sammy — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 11:31:55 -0000

Very good article. And your English is also very good. Better than most Americans'. ;)

Re: Why would you need Michael Angelo Batio guitar tabs?

Sammy — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 14:04:47 -0000

Michael Angelo Batio plays really fast. That's it. Fast, boring, fast. There is no other point to his gimmick than that. Oh, and a terrible wig. I'll take good songwriting over mindless guitar masturbation any day.

Re: Most recognizable bass guitars sounds, Steve Harris,Joey DeMaio?

Sammy — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 13:35:59 -0000

I would add Geezer Butler of Black Sabbath to that list, Joey Vera from Armored Saint and Fates Warning and of course the very odd Les Claypool. Oh, and the late Cliff Burton. Very unmistakable tone there. Steve Harris does top the list of unmistakable sounds, with his almost trademarked galloping style of playing.

Re: Do the alternative rock bands know how to play the guitar?

Sammy — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 13:40:53 -0000

Sometimes it's more about songwriting than technical skill. If you can connect to people, then sometimes actual technical playing is less important. And think about this, with the exception of musicians, most people don't know good talent from bad. They just know if they like it or not. Dream Theater is probably the most talented band I've heard, but they often bore me to tears, while I can think of a dozen "simple" guitar solos that give me shivers because they speak to me. As for the asshole above, I'm glad you didn't let him get to you.

Re: Hi, my name is Fender,Leo Fender! I want YOU to build a custom electric guitar

Sammy — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 17:46:05 -0000

I'm more of a Gibson guy, but honestly Gibson and Fender are pretty much stuck in the past, so I'd go to Schecter and have them build it. Yes, it would end up being produced in Korea, but it would be to my exact specs and the model I'd have would be off-the-shelf exactly the same at a guitar store. And it would be modern in design and features, and affordable. I know that's not a specific answer because honestly I'm pretty okay with what is out there now.

Re: Benjamin Lechuga

Sammy — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 13:19:30 -0000

While all of these shredding guitar "heroes" are all very talented, I find them to be boring and frankly, I think they all sound the same. I'll take a guy like Slash anyday - someone who is a songwriter, not just a mindless noodler.

Re: Chris Broderick of Nevermore, a complete guitar player

Sammy — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 13:23:13 -0000

He's not a guitar player, he's just a musician, plain and simple. An awesome, talented musician.

Re: When you think your life is over, it ain’t, move on!

Sammy — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 20:12:03 -0000

Well, you're probably still 10 times the guitarist I'll ever be.

Re: When skills are not enough

Sammy — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 18:35:28 -0000

Holy shite! As a hard rock/metalhead, I still think this song rocks! And that singing voice belies his age and is sweet and smooth!

Re: Dreaming of a perfect guitar

Sammy — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 17:56:12 -0000

The ideal guitar is the one you want at the moment. That's why we end up with way too many and end up selling them on eBay...before buying some more!

Re: The 3 years old Beatle!!!

Sammy — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 17:22:00 -0000

There is something disturbing about this video..and yes, it does open the door to some bad Asian accent jokes.

Re: Dave Mustaine says that guys who can’t solo are not accomplished as guitar players

Sammy — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 20:22:54 -0000

Hey guys, go read the WHOLE quote. He's clearly speaking specifically of rock guitarists of the past 10 years. He's not talking about jazz guitarists or any other genre. Where I would differ with him is that many of those guitarists actually could and can solo, but were told not to by record labels. Case in point: I read an article with a guitarist in one of the heavy bands from that era (I think it was Mudvayne) who had written and recorded a solo for every song. As soon as they were finished, the producer said, "Now that you've had your fun, let's finish the record" and promptly cut every solo from the album.

Re: A song I recorded 8 years ago still hunts me

Sammy — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 16:33:40 -0000

Nice melody and pretty guitar. I'm not a fan of orchestration in rock/pop music, so that part doesn't speak to me, but as a solo song w/ vocals and guitar, yes, I like it.

Re: We Are The Seekers Of Tone

Sammy — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 18:45:25 -0000

I only own three: My acoustic is a mid-low level Canadian made Simon & Patrick spruce top six-string. My two electrics are an '04 Gibson Les Paul Studio (all stock) and a 2007 Schecter Blackjack C-1 which is also low-mid level in price.

The Simon and Patrick is underrated and plays like an instrument 3 times' its value. I love it.

Re: How music should not be

Sammy — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 13:29:57 -0000

As a longtime metalhead, I will still readily admit that those who listen to our music can be, and all too often are, some of the most close-minded, violent assbags on the planet.

Re: Roland GR-33, for new age guitar players?

Sammy — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 17:50:54 -0000

I think I want to kill the guitarist in the video.

Re: Roland GR-33, for new age guitar players?

Sammy — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 11:14:27 -0000

Well Ovidiu, I just find him infinitely annoying. So I guess I don't really want to *kill* him, but he certainly doesn't make me want to buy the processor. :)

Re: Brilliant but unreliable guitar player, looking for work…

Sammy — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 16:11:15 -0000

I'll take a decent but reliable guitarist who can write before a virtuoso anyday! I've had the virtuoso and every damn song turned into an excuse to feature the solo. Oh, and the virtuoso was unreliable and uncreative beyond the solo.

Re: Brilliant but unreliable guitar player, looking for work…

Sammy — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 16:44:32 -0000

Ovidiu, I had a guitarist quit a band because I asked him to cut a 90 second solo down a few seconds - in a 3-minute song. Yeah, the solo was half the song. Had another who thought "solo" meant "show off shred skills and every conceivable pedal at all times". I finally found an awesome lead player who knows when/how to play the right solo. Yeah, I'll take reliable songwriters over accomplished shredders ANY day.

Re: Satisfaction is not among the top 25 greatest guitar riffs of all time!

Sammy — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 18:25:20 -0000

These greatest whatever lists are completely pointless. Especially one that includes an Iron Maiden riff that is NOT The Trooper.

Cowardly anonymous posters who call people "fag" should be sent to Greenland.

Re: Unbelievable guitar player with birth disabilities rules us all!

Sammy — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 19:40:32 -0000

Ovidiu, you're an a-hole! I have all of my (physical) faculties and the last thing I need is someone with these obvious physical disabilities to make me feel so inadequate. Geez, not I have to practice that much harder.

Re: Bruce Dickinson in Romania again!

Sammy — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 19:43:30 -0000

How's this for dad of the year? I'm taking my son and three (or four) of his buddies to Seattle to catch Maiden as a gift for his high school graduation. I've seen I.M. five times, and frankly I think they keep re-recording basically the same album over and over nowadays, but my son is a huge Maiden fan, so that's where I'll be driving in early June. (It's about 300 miles from my home.)

Re: Girls play the harp,boys play the electric guitar!! It may be in our nature!

Sammy — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 16:32:05 -0000

I'm not sure what those percentages actually represent, but if they are the percentage of kids who play each instrument, then there is a huge overlap - lots of people playing multiple instruments. I think the numbers are incorrect or there needs to be further explanation of the results.

Re: Girls play the harp,boys play the electric guitar!! It may be in our nature!

Sammy — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 11:42:35 -0000

GLW, I think you figured it out.

Re: Michael Angelo Batio playing jazz, everything is possible now!

Sammy — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 12:50:45 -0000

What was nice about it was it didn't show him, for once, as a one-sided, shred show off, with no real listenable musicality. He showed tasteful - along with very skilled - playing. Oh, and the wig - er, hair - doesn't even look as ridiculous in this video.

Re: Where to squeeze the rhythm guitar player

Sammy — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 19:29:05 -0000

You are all missing the bigger point. The reason that guitar was built is because this planet is too full of idiots with way too much time on their hands.....um, said the guy who comments on guitar/music/political blogs.

Re: Learn to master the guitar to play slow…

Sammy — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 20:06:01 -0000

Well, here's what I think. Those of us who cannot shred condemn it as guitar masturbation. If I could shred, I'd do it until my fingers bled and my wife kicked me out of the house.

Re: Learn to master the guitar to play slow…

Sammy — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 20:08:48 -0000

On a more serious note, in Iron Maiden Dave Murray is more the shredder and Adrian Smith more the finesse/bluesy guy. While their dual/duel style (yes, I'm purposely forgetting Gers as Murray's useless clone) is a worthy trademark of Maiden's sound, I'd take Smith over Murray any day. Listen to the Maiden albums when Murray left before coming back to the band in 2000. His absence is deafening.

Re: Learn to master the guitar to play slow…

Sammy — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 11:20:15 -0000

Oh I agree with you. Satch and Petrucci are more than just shredders. Way more. Petrucci's riffing on the newest Dream Theater is really heavy and good. And yes, he can play with subtle nuance. Another one is Gary Hoey. He can make his guitar sound almost vocal.

Re: Electric guitars and underwear just don’t fit together, don’t you think?

Sammy — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 17:35:57 -0000

You suck.

Re: When you pick your guitar, do you practice or play?

Sammy — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 17:40:14 -0000

I do a little too much "playing" and not enough "practicing". If I enjoy a cocktail, then it's more "noodling", so I now only drink (if at all) after actually practicing. But in the big picture view, it's good just to play, if nothing else.

Re: When you pick your guitar, do you practice or play?

Sammy — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 17:42:00 -0000

And Ovidiu, why is the guitarist in the photo flipping me off? Is that you? Huh?? ;)

Re: Korean girl kicks ass on electric guitar! Yeah, baby!

Sammy — Wed, 07 May 2008 00:23:27 -0000

Notice how she just up/downstrokes through the whole lead part and lets her left hand do all the work? Pretty cool technique.

Re: Beautiful Romania

Sammy — Wed, 07 May 2008 00:33:35 -0000

Very cool trip. I'd love to visit a place like that.

In the U.S., we call sometimes call one's spouse the "better half" as a joke. In your case, Ovidiu, that's true. ;)

Re: Korean girl kicks ass on electric guitar! Yeah, baby!

Sammy — Wed, 07 May 2008 15:40:53 -0000

I've watched a few videos of these Korean guitar shredders and I've noticed something peculiar. Their facial expressions lack any joy. I've seen Dateline type shows on Asian sex slaves and they have that same vacant, disconnected look. Maybe it's just a cultural thing that I'm totally unaware of, and I'm not expecting Yngwie or Vai stage antics, but these girls look as if they'd rather be doing anything besides playing guitar.

Re: Top 3 pop covers of AC/DC songs(Celine Dion&Anastacia,Shania Twain,Shakira)

Sammy — Thu, 08 May 2008 17:35:00 -0000

Makes me want to stick a fork into an AC outlet while connected to a DC post and kill myself. ugh.

Re: Reflections of an obtuse minded guitar player on Romanian folkloric music

Sammy — Fri, 09 May 2008 17:24:40 -0000

Not my cup of tea, but it never hurts to expand your horizons. I just sold some stage monitors to a young woman in a local band. They play original funk-type rock, but found we appreciate each others' bands - mine being hard rock.

Re: Reflections of an obtuse minded guitar player on Romanian folkloric music

Sammy — Fri, 09 May 2008 17:37:15 -0000

Ok Ovidiu, thanks to the wonder of the world wide web I looked up your city on Google Maps and Wikipedia and have learned something new for the day. Your town square is pretty cool looking.

Re: Reflections of an obtuse minded guitar player on Romanian folkloric music

Sammy — Sat, 10 May 2008 12:00:32 -0000

Very cool! We are the Lilac City (Spokane, Washington) but we do have plenty of tulips here in April. Not this year though, because we had such a long winter.

Re: Electric guitars, a never ending source of “must have” things!

Sammy — Tue, 13 May 2008 13:54:12 -0000

I have the Les Paul version.

Re: Electric guitars, a never ending source of “must have” things!

Sammy — Tue, 13 May 2008 14:33:14 -0000

Go here to see it. Looks exactly like this: http://store.vintagemusicstore.com/gigotoplespa...

Re: A few thoughts from the road (or Duracell rabbit on Ecstasy)

Sammy — Tue, 20 May 2008 12:40:06 -0000

Ovi, it's the Energizer Bunny. ;)

Re: 4th stats report on my 6 months goal of 5000 visitors per day dare

Sammy — Wed, 21 May 2008 12:06:32 -0000

Ovidiu, I'm American, so of course I have no problem with you trying to capitalize on your blog and make a little money (or a lot). ;)

You can count on me to be at least one or two of those daily 5,000.

Re: 4th stats report on my 6 months goal of 5000 visitors per day dare

Sammy — Wed, 21 May 2008 14:05:07 -0000

A couple of weeks ago I commented to my wife about my "friend in Romania". She did a double-take and said, "Yeah right. You don't know anybody in Romania!"

I told her maybe I don't really KNOW someone in Romania but the internet can make for interesting modern "pen pals".

Re: What’s the story with a relic? Tell me about it!

Sammy — Tue, 27 May 2008 14:50:19 -0000

Ovidiu, you hit the nail on the head when you said "artificially aged". It's a bit phony.

Re: What’s the story with a relic? Tell me about it!

Sammy — Tue, 27 May 2008 14:59:58 -0000

Sure they look real, but I could punch myself in the eye and then tell people I was a in a bar fight to look like a tough guy. It's still a bit phony to me. Or I could buy a cool '68 Camaro that someone else restored or hot-rodded.

I guess I think that a guitar player should "earn" the nicks and scrapes on his guitar. Unless, I guess, you buy some old relic from a pawn shop or old player who earned it. But in that case, if you have any integrity, you should tell the real story of the guitar. Somehow, buying a guitar from a factory that has carefully and precisely placed every cut, scratch and scrape into the guitar is fake.

Re: Not all songs come naturally to you

Sammy — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 13:14:56 -0000

Is it just me or did Steven Tyler just butcher that song?

Re: To shred or not to shred?!

Sammy — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 19:51:47 -0000

Nope, not me either. I don't think I ever will either, mainly because I don't have the necessary hours in a day/week to practice to get to that level.

I think a lot of the world's best shredders likely didn't see a real vagina until at least age 25.

Re: To shred or not to shred?!

Sammy — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 19:53:15 -0000

re: above post...

i.e., Sammy is jealous...

Re: How not to choose an electric guitar. Take 2. Personal ramblings.

Sammy — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 18:16:30 -0000

The answer, of course, is to buy one of each!

Okay, you knew that was coming. Sorry. Since Carvin lets you choose exactly the specs you want, you might try them, but I'd find out if they have a return policy. One nice thing about where I live is that there are two guitar stores that can order what I want and return if I don't like. Sometimes there is the risk of a restocking fee, but that's not too large a penalty to risk.

As for making your decision, I think you should decide exactly what your needs will be. Maybe because you have an Ibanez you could buy another desired brand and use both.

Or possibly buy one more expensive model that is on your list and a Mexican Strat, which will satisfy your Strat craving, but at a lower cost and not too much of a quality decline.

Re: How not to choose an electric guitar. Take 2. Personal ramblings.

Sammy — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 23:59:00 -0000

Jon, I hate you. I now covet one of those Surh Moderns. The Trans-Charcoal...okay, two...I also love the denim...and the magenta.

Stunning guitars! Not exactly cheap, though, especially when you start adding the options.

Re: How not to choose an electric guitar. Take 2. Personal ramblings.

Sammy — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 11:37:52 -0000

Ovi,

In the last four (including current) bands I played with here are the guitars used by each main guitarist. All bands have been in the original hard rock/bordering on metal:

~ Carvin - not sure the model, but it was a double cutaway with HB pickups. His tone was horrible. Like a giant bumblebee. He used Carvin everything, but I don't think it was the guitar's fault. I think it was that he had so much stuff between guitar and preamp-then-amp that his sound was compromised.

~Ibanez - RG style. The guy was a phenom on guitar, but his problem was that he thought songs were written so a guitarist could solo. He had a crappy amp, but played through a Boss multi-effects board and his tone was awesome for hard rock. The clean tones were very chimey.

~Fender Strat - about a 1977 made in America model. This guitar was great for the clean passages, but just way too thin for our harder edge. He had to tweak his POD a lot to coax a heavier sound - and he was using a Marshall stack.

~My current guitarist plays mainly a Les Paul Studio and a Paul Reed Smith double cutaway. First off, he's a wizard at finding a good tone for any song. But these guitars are insanely perfect for the sound I've looked for for years.

I play a Les Paul Studio that is identical to his. I purchased mine used for $700, so I got it for close to half off a new one. The other guitar I use was cheaper and it's a Schecter Black Jack C-1 style. No trem on either. The PRS my guitarist uses has a Floyd. So, if you can afford the PRS, I'd recommend that. It's flexible with a five-way selector. I has the Floyd. It has 24 frets and has a familliar shape.

Re: How much is enough when we speak about amp power?

Sammy — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 14:09:03 -0000

I'm going to echo the 50w crowd. I've played in a room the size you're speaking of with a guitarist (I mainly sing) who had a 100w Marshall 1/2 stack. He was up around 2 on the dial (maybe 3) and it overloaded the room. My 50w combo (tube) can smoke a room. And of course in a live setting, it's the PA that's driving the room's sound, not the guitar amps.

In my band's current practice configuration, we use no guitar amps. Everything runs through the PA, so we don't have that problem of bassist and guitarist inching the volume upward until it's a wall of sound. As a singer, it's frustrating when that happens because it just becomes a ridiculous competition for volume and the sound mix ends up burying the vocals. It just creates a cacophony of noise.

Re: Japanese musicians rock the house on traditional instruments!

Sammy — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 12:51:06 -0000

I liked the reactions of the uptight crowd who looked like those sacred instruments were being used for blaspemy.

Re: Tiago Della Vega, the fastest guitar player in the world (World Record 2008)

Sammy — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 19:11:16 -0000

When it comes time for the Iron Maiden guitar solo (usually a trade-off), I've always much preferred the Adrian Smith "feeling" solo after Dave Murray is finished with the "speed" solo.

i.e., this guy is impressive but B-O-R-I-N-G, even though I'll never be able to do that.

Re: Yesterday I received my new guitar. Today I will send it back!

Sammy — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 23:29:52 -0000

I'm late to this post, but good luck Ovidiu.

Re: DESPERATELY SEEKING: Guitar teachers

Sammy — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 16:57:58 -0000

With the ease at finding free information (lessons, tablature, chord charts, scale charts, video lessons, etc.) on the web, this surprises me.

Re: The ideal rehearsal room?

Sammy — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 11:39:13 -0000

So you kill the singer but keep the keys??? I may have to rethink this whole internet pen pal thing, Ovidiu! ;)