Guitar Gear Thread. Your new, next or future guitars, amps, FX etc.

[chriswallace85]

Rules... A chord's a root, the 3rd, and the 5th. Leave the 5th alone, and fuck about with the 3rd, which is usually the 2nd string of ya chord. Go one fret either way on the major 3rd. Summit like that.

I might get shot with shit for this, but you could play that using the Beatles/Oasis chords, with your ring finger on the B string and your pinky on the high E, both on third fret. Or you could hit the lead root note with your thumb, then hitting the other strings on the upstroke? I just tried it and both work. Also for for the little run down from the G note to the open E hit the F# on the way down for your little dum dum dum.

No better place to start with this kind of palaver.


Hide Your Love Away is a lesson in suspended chords.

As is War is Over, for a bit more of a stretch.

Once you've got ya head / fingers round them, just hoy them in wherever ya feel they work.

 

[Big Jeff]

Does anyone know a good guide or technique for learning how to embellish (if that is the right word!) your basic open chords?

I heard a really nice acoustic version of Stand By Me in a pub the other day, and that is really simple (G G Em Em C D G G- repeat). I got home and picked it up straight away, but I want it to sound more interesting.

When you watch various tuition videos for other songs, people like Justin Guitar often say, "and you can embellish the G by just adding your little finger here", or sometimes it is just taking a finger off and hammering it back on.

There are clearly rules to what works and what doesn't, but what is the best way to learn about those?

It is worth learning a little bit of musical theory.

I know zzzzzzzzzzzzz. But the reality is that knowing some theory and scales will help.

Even if you just learn the major and minor scales it will help. As someone has just pointed out Root, 3rd and 5th ( and even octave) can be the building blocks to start to play little licks that will embellish your playing.

Some players rely almost exclusively on the minor pentatonic scale and have built careers around it.

Start with the G minor pentatonic scale (3rd fret) and experiment playing the notes within it.

You don’t have to just run up and down the scale, try experimenting playing different notes, at different speeds, with different emphasis on certain notes.
You can add variety by adding bends, hammer ons and pull offs once you have a bit experience.

The root note, G is often a good starting point but not always.


Good luck.

 

[fyl2u]

I particularly like open Gadd4 (or what ever it's called.... 3x2013.... You hammer on the 201 bit from the G major shape. Think along the lines of the Wild Horses intro. It's like an Am7 within a G. I think this is probably the G more you're on about in the 3rd line there. I hoy it in there all the time.

Looks like a G6+4, sometimes called a "C over G" because the "2013" is the 3rd, 5th, octave and high 5th from a C chord but you have a G bass. You'll probably find that using a 3 instead of the X on the A-string sounds fine.

 

[chriswallace85]

Looks like a G6+4, sometimes called a "C over G" because the "2013" is the 3rd, 5th, octave and high 5th from a C chord but you have a G bass. You'll probably find that using a 3 instead of the X on the A-string sounds fine.

Err, aye.

I just play the hower.

It's just the All Right Now move isn't it. The Brown Sugar shuffle. Rifftastic. Hammer on that little Am7 shape.

 

[Dinsdale]

dithering over replacing the plinky plonky pickups in one of my cheap guitars. Anyone had any experience of tonerider or irongear or similar mid-price humbuckers?

 

[chriswallace85]

Looks like a G6+4, sometimes called a "C over G" because the "2013" is the 3rd, 5th, octave and high 5th from a C chord but you have a G bass. You'll probably find that using a 3 instead of the X on the A-string sounds fine.

I think that's probably what I do. I doubt I mute the string. It was just trying to visualise and describe what I was on about in me head as simply as I could. Not that easy without a guitar handy.

 

[JAZZMANB]

I’m seriously thinking about buying a P Bass.

I have a J bass but P Bass players are convincing me that a P bass is the ultimate

I've arrived late
I should have bought one in 1979 when Jean jacques burnel made me pick the bass up
I got a jazz and stuck with it .
I've always found P's hit and miss .
Had a fretless ,just lifeless
Then a Japanese 60s one . Dull tone
Now i have a mex and a old 60s hybrid and they're both fantastic.
Jazzes can sound a bit thin . I have a Sadowksy Jazz bass and sound wise it flattens any Fender I've had .

 

[Big Jeff]

I've arrived late
I should have bought one in 1979 when Jean jacques burnel made me pick the bass up
I got a jazz and stuck with it .
I've always found P's hit and miss .
Had a fretless ,just lifeless
Then a Japanese 60s one . Dull tone
Now i have a mex and a old 60s hybrid and they're both fantastic.
Jazzes can sound a bit thin . I have a Sadowksy Jazz bass and sound wise it flattens any Fender I've had .

Do you use a compressor?

If yes can you recommend one please?

 

[JAZZMANB]

Do you use a compressor?

If yes can you recommend one please?

No ,never have .
I'm a bit clueless tech wise
I understand how they work but can never hear a difference when I've applied it .
It was mentioned once by a pa guy because I chop and change during a song and try to get the dynamics through my fingers and where I pluck etc . .
The gigging band I've been in 15 years or so do it from the desk .

 

[Big Jeff]

No ,never have .
I'm a bit clueless tech wise
I understand how they work but can never hear a difference when I've applied it .
It was mentioned once by a pa guy because I chop and change during a song and try to get the dynamics through my fingers and where I pluck etc . .
The gigging band I've been in 15 years or so do it from the desk .

Cheers. I’ve got millions of pedals for guitars and bass and most of them get retired in short order. I’ve pretty much got an electric effects board with tuner, delay, OD and clean boost, then for acoustic I use a T Rex Acoustic soulmate which has everything I need and more. Including compression. I tried my bass through it but obviously it’s set up for acoustics not bass and I want to keep it as simple as possible.

I’ve been looking at a TC ELECTRONIC one knob compressor - SPECTRACOMP it’s called so I might give that a go.

I might trade in a few pedals I don’t use to get a swap done.

 

[Blind Joe Death]

I've arrived late
I should have bought one in 1979 when Jean jacques burnel made me pick the bass up
I got a jazz and stuck with it .
I've always found P's hit and miss .
Had a fretless ,just lifeless
Then a Japanese 60s one . Dull tone
Now i have a mex and a old 60s hybrid and they're both fantastic.
Jazzes can sound a bit thin . I have a Sadowksy Jazz bass and sound wise it flattens any Fender I've had .

I played an early 80s Japanese reissue p bass which was magnificent - light as a feather and nitro finish. As nice as any pre cbs I’ve tried. Lovely thing, and I’m not a bass player.

 

[Shack]

Sounds very low to me mate, I’d have it in for a new one. Will only sound better with a higher saddle

Well, after realising a replacement compensated saddle will usually just slot in without any need to faff around with intonation I bought one online and have just fitted it. I decided to put the new one in and work out how much to take off (rather than adding on to the old). There was actually another shim under the old one (alongside the one in the bag!). Anyway, took off about a millimeter (to get it to drop 0.5mm at the 12 fret) and I've ended up with 2.25mm at the low E and 1.75mm at the high E. No buzzing and all good! Will give her a cleanup next and replace the strings.

 

[Blind Joe Death]

Well, after realising a replacement compensated saddle will usually just slot in without any need to faff around with intonation I bought one online and have just fitted it. I decided to put the new one in and work out how much to take off (rather than adding on to the old). There was actually another shim under the old one (alongside the one in the bag!). Anyway, took off about a millimeter (to get it to drop 0.5mm at the 12 fret) and I've ended up with 2.25mm at the low E and 1.75mm at the high E. No buzzing and all good! Will give her a cleanup next and replace the strings.

Nice one! Glad you did! There’s no place for shims on a guitar that nice, they’re just dampening your sound.

It’s amazing how important that little piece is - it drives the whole top. Just make sure the bottom of the saddle is square.

Hope it’s sounding good mate and you’re enjoying it!

 

[Shack]

Nice one! Glad you did! There’s no place for shims on a guitar that nice, they’re just dampening your sound.

It’s amazing how important that little piece is - it drives the whole top. Just make sure the bottom of the saddle is square.

Hope it’s sounding good mate and you’re enjoying it!

Aye, I checked it was square. I've put Nanoweb Phosphor Bronze lights on. Not sure I like them! I have some Nanoweb 80/20 Bronze also. I'll try them next. I used Nanoweb's a while back on all mahogany and I seem to recall I liked them on that. I polished the frets with 0000 steel wool and I noticed some probably need recrowning as there's the odd flat spot, so will look into buying a file for doing that next before the next string change.

 

[DaveH]

I need to replace the machine heads on my son's SG. One of them has been difficult to tune, with signs of wear and tear on the cog. Then this week the end of a screw just popped off while he was playing. It means we have a screw shaft stuck in the headstock and a machine head with a buzz because it is only held on with one screw.

I'm tempted to look for ones where the screw holes don't match and drill some new ones, then I can just file down the sheered screw. It is so small, I don't think I could drill it out without causing damage.

There are loads available for about £30, should they be fairly decent at that price? Any makes particularly good or any that should be avoided?

I've also got a notched straight edge and a fret rocker on their way, so I'll see if the neck is straight and the frets are level before I restring it.

 

[Shack]

I need to replace the machine heads on my son's SG. One of them has been difficult to tune, with signs of wear and tear on the cog. Then this week the end of a screw just popped off while he was playing. It means we have a screw shaft stuck in the headstock and a machine head with a buzz because it is only held on with one screw.

I'm tempted to look for ones where the screw holes don't match and drill some new ones, then I can just file down the sheered screw. It is so small, I don't think I could drill it out without causing damage.

There are loads available for about £30, should they be fairly decent at that price? Any makes particularly good or any that should be avoided?

I've also got a notched straight edge and a fret rocker on their way, so I'll see if the neck is straight and the frets are level before I restring it.

Once the machine head is off you may find you have enough of the screw available to turn and remove with pliers. No advice on tuners as generally only play acoustic (Waverley, Grover, etc - open back tuners).

I've seen straight edges used but can't you pretty much do the same thing with fretting 1st / 12th fret and checking action at 6th fret with a feeler gauge? Or does the straight edge help with other things (twisted neck)?

Thinking of a fret rocker myself as I have a feeling the acoustic I changed the nut on has had frets levelled but not profiled properly. So I want to check that whilst I profile the frets. No wonder it was cheap! But it's all good experience and quite enjoyable.

 

[DaveH]

Once the machine head is off you may find you have enough of the screw available to turn and remove with pliers. No advice on tuners as generally only play acoustic (Waverley, Grover, etc - open back tuners).

I've seen straight edges used but can't you pretty much do the same thing with fretting 1st / 12th fret and checking action at 6th fret with a feeler gauge? Or does the straight edge help with other things (twisted neck)?

Thinking of a fret rocker myself as I have a feeling the acoustic I changed the nut on has had frets levelled but not profiled properly. So I want to check that whilst I profile the frets. No wonder it was cheap! But it's all good experience and quite enjoyable.

Cheers. I'm going to wait for them to arrive and then watch a couple of videos.

The straight edge is an odd one. It seems you either pay about £70, which is really expensive for what is essentially a ruler with some notches cut in. Or you pay anywhere from about £12-30 where reviews say the teeth are not quite cut properly and you need a file to finish it off to a usable standard. I've gone for a £12.99 Amazon one and will see if it is a load of crap or not when it arrives.

 

[Blind Joe Death]

Aye, I checked it was square. I've put Nanoweb Phosphor Bronze lights on. Not sure I like them! I have some Nanoweb 80/20 Bronze also. I'll try them next. I used Nanoweb's a while back on all mahogany and I seem to recall I liked them on that. I polished the frets with 0000 steel wool and I noticed some probably need recrowning as there's the odd flat spot, so will look into buying a file for doing that next before the next string change.

They might bed in nicely, I hate that new string sound! I really like the John Pearse New Medium phosphor bronze set. I dip in and out of open tunings and they’re perfect for that.

 

[tooliohelmet]

If you want to make a day of it I’d suggest going to gear4music(absolutely massive place) in York and Wildwire guitars(bought a couple guitars from these lads) in selby, both within half hour drive of each other.

Thanks for this recommendation, we had a drive down today and picked her birthday present. Cheers

 

[conrad]

Thanks for this recommendation, we had a drive down today and picked her birthday present. Cheers

Tremendous bud, did you manage to get to both?