Muso Snob Ramblings and Instrument Porn

To replace the sadly murdered instrumental onanism thread.
Post pics of instrument filth, or any deluded musical ramblings.
Here’s a snatch of my new toy - a Digitech bass whammy pedal (Wal DBX compressor into whammy into Darkglass valve distortion into 3Leaf envelope follower into another channel of DBX compression):

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Ever been at a concert, and fantasised about being up there on stage with the band*? Just sometimes…

Story here.

  • obv. exceptions for Mr Smalls, Mr Dartmoor et. al.
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Not much to report here. I’m still preferring acoustic to electric. The acoustic guitar is a more genuine instrument, there’s no hiding sloppy technique with a wall of stink with an acoustic, it demands better. I also like the timbre and soft-to-loud dynamics of an acoustic, both of which get lost somewhere with an electric. And the simplicity of the instrument, I like this.

Also bought a new metronome because my last one broke. Korg MA-1. Review: Beepy little fuck.

Funnily enough, I’ve gone the opposite way! Played for years with a lovely clean slap sound, but now I’m trying to get more Bootsy, or more metal, or both!

I do like a bit of fuzz bass Lenny. These fuzz pedals are great. Handmade and reasonably priced unlike some other boutique crap.

Guitar pedals, and with a sense of humour.
Play a bit of rudimentary bass myself.
Have a Big Muff & POG. What would you recommend?

Depends what you want!
I had a Rocktron Utopia bass multiFX that cost about £120 from http://www.knightonmusiccentre.com/ which had an enormous array of sounds such as wah, distortion, phase, flange, delay so very good value for the amount of stuff on it…
However, after 6 years of gigging with it it’s stopped working.
So now my pedal board (not including rackmount DBX dual channel compressor) is a Digitech bass whammy (£150ish, excellent octaver with pedal for sweep FX, can go down/up on just about all intervals with chord or single note functions), Darkglass tube distortion (boutique valve distortion sound - very clean or extremely dirty with all inbetween, no noise but £200!) and 3Leaf envelope follower (bit like a 70s Mutron but does more - gives you that Bootsy phat wah-ed sound, very clean,no noise but also £200).
I’ve also got a Qtron for further Bootsy-ism, but I’ve found it to be unreliable, but that’s sub-£100 pedals for you!

So who’s this in the photo with his 1968 Gretsch White Falcon?

Answer: Prince Charming, Prince Charming… It’s Adam Ant. The guitar is for sale on eBay for £10,995

How much?
They take piss…
Norman Watt-Roy’s bass was also on at over £10k.

Unpaid bills are something to be scared of?

I’ll get my coat.

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The dealer must be hanging on for a fan with deep pockets.

What? Sorry dude but what a load of fucking pish. You can change dynamics on an electric if you have the right technique. Changing pick velocity and pick angle, using different (subtle) fretting hand technique, utilising volume control etc. And hiding behind a wall of stink? Nope. If anything a wall of distortion highlights poor technique more, string noise is much more apparent, there is no hiding poor technique and sloppy playing. :slight_smile:

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I disagree. The acoustic guitar has greater dynamic range because there is no compression - an electric guitar with distortion will be compressed and therefore reduced in dynamic range. Even a clean electric will have some signal compression. Picking technique can go some way to overcome this but ultimately the acoustic instrument will always have greater dynamic range.

As to obscuring poor technique with a big stink of distortion it does I suppose depend on what aspect of technique is being looked at. The two instruments do present different challenges technically - you’re correct string noise with an electric and consequently left and right hand muting technique is more important with an electric, less so with acoustic. However turning everything to eleven can also cover a multitude of fuck-ups - something which you just can’t do with the intimacy of an acoustic which is why I described it as a more genuine (meaning honest) instrument.

I still bloody love a loud electric guitar BTW. :grinning:

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Technique and equipment is EVERYTHING.

S’not necessarily so!
Look at Jaco Pastorius’ solo stuff compared to Weeather Report… He had technique and that same battered old fretless, but without someone sensible to guide him he invariably produced lacklustre shite.

There are plenty of extremely talented musicians that when they’re working under someone else’s guidance produce some fantastic work, and when let loose on their own produce the most self indulgent noodly shite.

No No No. You misunderstand. Without equipment he could make no noise :laughing:

He could have made farty noises with his hands…

I’m sure Zawinul would have been impressed :sunglasses:

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An album that would have benefited from the absence of noise.