Guitar Megathread - learn-share-talk-lessons-tips-fun

[rollerball]

Ever checked out Ormbsy Guitars? I'm a fan of the fanned fretboards.
Their Hype guitar reminds me of those blackmachines that are pretty coveted.
https://www.ormsbyguitars.com/hype-gtr.html

[CherryPopinski]

NGD Finally got my first Orange Amp! (New Pick-ups?)

It finally happened! Super stoked that I finally managed to snag my first big boy amp. I've wanted the OR15 for a long time and it sounds just as good as when I first tried it in my local music shop. For a single channel amp it's quite tweakable and it responds really sharply to picking dynamics. I can't stop jamming on this thing. Only real issue I'm having is a couple months ago I got my hands on a guitar I've wanted since I was 13. An Epiphone SG G-400 with Maestro tremolo which is quite rare. The thing is playing through the OR15 I can tell how crappy the pick-ups are now especially because I have a Tony Iommi SG and Brent Hinds V.

So basically I'm looking to switch the pick-ups in the guitar and possibly the pots and switches as well to better hardware. Any recommendations? I know that Classic 57's are a pretty standard upgrade for G-400's but I want something different but not sure where to look. I play a lot of Thin Lizzy, Sabbath-esque, and hard rock music. Occasionally I'll play cleaner stuff but I like to (try to) shred most of the time.

[ctgblue]

NGD Finally got my first Orange Amp! (New Pick-ups?) The thing is playing through the OR15 I can tell how crappy the pick-ups are now especially because I have a Tony Iommi SG and Brent Hinds V.

So basically I'm looking to switch the pick-ups in the guitar and possibly the pots and switches as well to better hardware. Any recommendations? I know that Classic 57's are a pretty standard upgrade for G-400's but I want something different but not sure where to look. I play a lot of Thin Lizzy, Sabbath-esque, and hard rock music. Occasionally I'll play cleaner stuff but I like to (try to) shred most of the time.

Even though the customer service sucks, the GFS stuff is really good. I'd go with the "quik plug crunchy pat" setup, unless you're always on high gain. Then get the 'quik plug' wiring harness.
Once you have this in, if you want to go to power rails, it's remove, unplug, put back in. No soldering. I have the rails and crunchy pat in one of my teles, with the quik plug controls with coil split tone knob.
If you don't want to replace everything, then the Dragonfire screamers work really well too. High output, inexpensive, and they clean up well. I have those in one of my strats..

[CherryPopinski]

Even though the customer service sucks, the GFS stuff is really good. I'd go with the "quik plug crunchy pat" setup, unless you're always on high gain. Then get the 'quik plug' wiring harness.
Once you have this in, if you want to go to power rails, it's remove, unplug, put back in. No soldering. I have the rails and crunchy pat in one of my teles, with the quik plug controls with coil split tone knob.
If you don't want to replace everything, then the Dragonfire screamers work really well too. High output, inexpensive, and they clean up well. I have those in one of my strats..

This is the first guitar I'm ever switching out pickups in, is it something you think I can easily do on my own? I have a soldering iron.

A couple set's I'm looking at at the Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates, Vintage PAF clones, maybe some Burstbuckers, IDK I'm kinda new to the whole pick-up thing. I usually just plug in and play.

Is it worth replacing the switches and stuff as well? I'm currently having issues with the stock neck-pickup but I think it might be the switch components. For reference like I said I usually play a lot of Sabbath and Lizzy riffs and moderately high gain music. I definitely gravitate towards more british sounding music.

[Dominik]

I'm actually interested in buying a new guitar, ready to drop bank on it because last one I got was like 8 years ago.. Can't decide between an ernie ball JP a Steinberger or just really tempted to get a good old solid Fender Strat, just love their sound.. I never tried the ernie balls or the steinbergers though, they don't sell them in my country, would have to buy them online without even trying them which is scary for such an expensive guitar..

A Strat with a humbucker in the bridge (that also sounds good split) and a 12" or compound radius neck would be close to perfect IMO. A JP would also be nice and you'd have a neck that is better for bending and keeping the action lower for legato.

There are more options going the Strat route. You can always swap out the pickguard to put in a bridge humbucker later. Also Warmoth and Musikraft build licensed necks so if you ever want a different neck profile, radius, stainless frets, etc. for around $200 you've got a new neck or $100 more if you want it roasted. That's what I did with my Ibanez which has a Strat neck pocket. Got the neck I always wanted and isn't available on any production guitar.

This is the first guitar I'm ever switching out pickups in, is it something you think I can easily do on my own? I have a soldering iron.

It's not difficult and is one of those things you'll wish you tried sooner. Use the right type of solder (60/40 rosin core) and get a solder sucker for $5-10. Draw a diagram so you know where all the wires go, keeping in mind with 4 conductor wiring pickup manufacturers don't use the same colored wire. See this chart.

As for which pickups will work best in the Epiphone SG, going with Gibson pickups isn't a bad idea if you don't mind forking out twice as much as an equivalent Duncan or Dimarzio. Keep in mind a lot of neck humbuckers sound like mud which is okay for more of a creamy lead tone higher up the neck with a compressed higher gain sound but for clean chords with nice articulation and a more dynamic lower gain tone it can be a problem. Always experiment with pickup and pole piece height before giving up on a pickup.

[BetaThanU]

Is amplitube worth the 300 odd bucks?

[rollerball]

Is amplitube worth the 300 odd bucks?

Might as well get a used Amplifire imo.

[rollerball]

hey deadhead, can you post a link to that aviator tab? I wanna see what it looks like.

[FreshRollyG]

---
1. Playing guitar with a screwdriver (0:38) After the original video many people have told me that Godspeed You! Black Emperor uses screwdrivers to play guitar and at the same time, many people have asked me what else can they use besides drumsticks so it made sense to start where we left off and show you a couple of alternative "bowing” methods, only this time using a screwdriver. I think the one at 0:48 is pretty interesting since it feels so different to play. I'm using the screwdriver to control the pitch while grabbing the string and playing a vibrato with my other hand.

The screwdriver I'm using has a part rubber, part plastic handle. The rubber is great because the friction makes it extra bouncy on the strings and darker sounding when rolling the handle behind the neck. Note that I'm not using a room mic, I'm using an iso cab (watch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acAwsNM127I). The sound travels through the guitar to the strings when rolling the handle behind the neck. VST distortion adds some nice bark to the sound (1:22).

2. Bending harmonics with a pick (1:32) Touch the string with a pick and pluck the string with your free fingers. The trick is to find the right spots on the string just like with pinch harmonics. These spots can be marked with a marker until you learn to eyeball it. Add vol swells and a ton of reverb to get ghostly sounds.

3. “Picking” with a slide (2:33) I don't know if it counts as picking but the easiest way to describe this one is “picking with a slide” because it's like picking, only the pitch is determined by where you pick. This can be used for sound effects like bird and ray gun sounds but also to play arpeggios or even melodies.

4. Bowing with a slide near the bridge (3:24) Not really bowing, more like “using a slide as a moving bridge”. This might seem similar to bowing over the fretboard but in this case both hands control the pitch as the fretting hand is used to fret the notes. Note that again, this is different from bowing with an actual bow since the slide controls the pitch as well as the amplitude. Slow(ish) circular vibrato with a slide seems to work well. With a right kind of sound this can sound really nice and haunting but the downside is that it will screw up your tuning and intonation so it's tricky to play in tune even if you lower your tuning a little bit to compensate (4:04).

5. Glitch tapping (4:20) “Glitch tapping” is a term coined by a master of this technique, Josh Martin. Basically, what it is, is hammering the same note multiple times in a row using different fingers.

Watch these awesome videos: Josh Martin of Little Tybee - "Glitch Tapping" on his Ibanez SIX28FDBG https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCTRCG20Jb4

Little Tybee's Josh Martin "Glitch Tapping" A Closer Look https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atGeWypVLxE

Martin does a great job showcasing the technique so at first I wasn't going to include this technique on the video but since I couldn't find any videos of people doing this with a high-gain distortion I wanted to show you how it sounds in a more conventional rock / metal context.

As you probably guessed by the short bursts and the fast edits on the video, this technique isn't exactly my forte. I can kind of do it with only two fingers (maybe three on a good day) but even that can be a nice way to breath new life into some old tapping patterns.

I find that experimenting with different angles of the tapping hand can help with the articulation. You can also try both, exaggerating and minimizing the movement of the fingers to see if there's a difference. For me, keeping the fingers close to each other it's easier to play fast (4:41) but the articulation can suffer. Multiple taps can be grouped and felt as a single motion (4:54) but sometimes it helps to focus on an individual finger if it doesn't keep up with the rest.
---

[rollerball]

This 1984 video of young Yngwie Malmsteen when he was playing with Alcatrazz at 21 years old, imo, was his peak in terms of technique and raw energy and the new-ness of his neoclassical style. This is pre-car accident which many think forever affected his playing abilities and his ability to think.
A lot of this style might sound dated now, but at that time, man, it must have been electrifying.
Skip to 5:34 to start playing for a full blast of Yngwie at the height of his powers.

[Dominik]

Skip to 5:34 to start playing for a full blast of Yngwie at the height of his powers.

Made it look too easy. Critics like to focus on his ego and how he's been playing the same music for over 30 years but take away the flawless picking, sweep arpeggios, and harmonic minor runs and Malmsteen could have easily been a great blues/rock player. His bending and vibrato is as good as it gets.

Also reminds me of how confident Steve Vai was back then. Not only did he replace Malmsteen in Alcatrazz but effectively replaced Van Halen by joining David Lee Roth, arguably the two most influential guitarists of the 80s.

[CherryPopinski]

Any other ideas for pick-up suggestions? I'm kinda taking a shot in the dark here lol

[Dominik]

Any other ideas for pick-up suggestions? I'm kinda taking a shot in the dark here lol

Vintage output? Medium to high gain? Do you want a neck humbucker that is clear, articulate, and dynamic for chords and for more of a blues or jazz approach, or do you want a fatter, warmer, and more compressed tone at the expense of clarity? Describe your ideal bridge humbucker sound and the music you're playing.

Post links to your favorite guitar tones. That would help narrow it down.

[CherryPopinski]

Vintage output? Medium to high gain? Do you want a neck humbucker that is clear, articulate, and dynamic for chords and for more of a blues or jazz approach, or do you want a fatter, warmer, and more compressed tone at the expense of clarity? Describe your ideal bridge humbucker sound and the music you're playing.

Post links to your favorite guitar tones. That would help narrow it down.

Gimme a sec...

[CherryPopinski]

I'm looking for something that is clear and articulate but also better for moderate to high gain music as well. I'm not talking distortion-laden madness but stuff like this... I play a lot of different genres but mostly riff out to hard rock type stuff and pentatonic noodling.

EDIT: I guess you could say vintage to an extent but I don't want some PAF clones that are gonna end up being microphonic when I crank the gain.

On the clean side (I know Frusciante uses a strat...)



from stuff like this



And on the heavier end...

[Galindo62]

i forgot whats that guitar program yall like?

i just want to tab something though. any easy sites or programs for that?

[reverse79]

Damn. this is sad


Guitar company Gibson reportedly facing bankruptcy


https://www.cnbc.com/2018/02/19/guit...ankruptcy.html

[MakeABanana]

NGD Finally got my first Orange Amp! (New Pick-ups?)

It finally happened! Super stoked that I finally managed to snag my first big boy amp. I've wanted the OR15 for a long time and it sounds just as good as when I first tried it in my local music shop. For a single channel amp it's quite tweakable and it responds really sharply to picking dynamics. I can't stop jamming on this thing. Only real issue I'm having is a couple months ago I got my hands on a guitar I've wanted since I was 13. An Epiphone SG G-400 with Maestro tremolo which is quite rare. The thing is playing through the OR15 I can tell how crappy the pick-ups are now especially because I have a Tony Iommi SG and Brent Hinds V.

So basically I'm looking to switch the pick-ups in the guitar and possibly the pots and switches as well to better hardware. Any recommendations? I know that Classic 57's are a pretty standard upgrade for G-400's but I want something different but not sure where to look. I play a lot of Thin Lizzy, Sabbath-esque, and hard rock music. Occasionally I'll play cleaner stuff but I like to (try to) shred most of the time.

[img]http://scontent.flas1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/27751711_1816541958413129_3617631896778386516_n.jp g?oh=7cd99924edc97f30c043faf5258484c5&oe=5B0C88B3[img]

Welcome to the Orange amp crew. Regarding your pickups, have you messed around with pickup height and pole piece height? Sometimes a change can breath some new life into the pickups. If that doesn't work, then yeah, good idea to swap them out.

[Galindo62]

Damn. this is sad


Guitar company Gibson reportedly facing bankruptcy


https://www.cnbc.com/2018/02/19/guit...ankruptcy.html

coroporations arent rock and roll. shouldnt feel too bad. Ill never understand americans obsessions for corporations like disney, target, and apple, etc etc.

i feel bad for the employes if they do go through layoffs or closure.



also another plus is if you own one, their value goes immediately up if they shut down.

[CherryPopinski]

Welp, pulled the trigger. Screamin' Demon and 59 for the neck. Wasn't cheap, but I'm hopeful it'll be worth it. I found a cheaper wiring kit compared to the Emerson for only $60 and includes everything even comes with switchcraft jack and toggle switch. Just waiting on the parts now and I'll have my tech install everything.

[Dominik]

Damn. this is sad

Guitar company Gibson reportedly facing bankruptcy

It sounds dramatic but Gibson won't disappear. The brand has too much history and there will always be a demand for Les Pauls, SGs, and 335s built to vintage specs.

With a new owner and management they might come back stronger and not do stupid things like robo tuners, PCB wiring, countertop material for fingerboards on $7K guitars, etc. and put stronger QC measures in place to avoid shipping duds out the door. Trim the fat and focus on their strengths.

[ctgblue]

This 1984 video of young Yngwie Malmsteen when he was playing with Alcatrazz at 21 years old, imo, was his peak in terms of technique and raw energy and the new-ness of his neoclassical style. This is pre-car accident which many think forever affected his playing abilities and his ability to think.
A lot of this style might sound dated now, but at that time, man, it must have been electrifying.
Skip to 5:34 to start playing for a full blast of Yngwie at the height of his powers.

I was in college when Malmsteen broke out.
I was sitting at an ATM when the intro to Steeler's Hot on your heels came on the radio.
I was stuck there through the whole thing with my mouth open.

Still awes me

[rollerball]

I was in college when Malmsteen broke out.
I was sitting at an ATM when the intro to Steeler's Hot on your heels came on the radio.
I was stuck there through the whole thing with my mouth open.

Still awes me

Really digging that acoustic beginning.

[CherryPopinski]

It sounds dramatic but Gibson won't disappear. The brand has too much history and there will always be a demand for Les Pauls, SGs, and 335s built to vintage specs.

With a new owner and management they might come back stronger and not do stupid things like robo tuners, PCB wiring, countertop material for fingerboards on $7K guitars, etc. and put stronger QC measures in place to avoid shipping duds out the door. Trim the fat and focus on their strengths.

Hopeful someone will take charge and go back to basics. They should keep things traditional and definitely lower their prices. Honestly I'm such a huge Epiphone fanboy because I think they're just as good as if not better than an actual Gibson. Do some need a little work yea, but put enough love and work into an Epi and it'll blow a Gibson out the water. Also what's up with that modern V design absolutely an insult to the Flying V.

[Dominik]

Hopeful someone will take charge and go back to basics. They should keep things traditional and definitely lower their prices. Honestly I'm such a huge Epiphone fanboy because I think they're just as good as if not better than an actual Gibson. Do some need a little work yea, but put enough love and work into an Epi and it'll blow a Gibson out the water. Also what's up with that modern V design absolutely an insult to the Flying V.

Agree with you. I had an Epiphone G-400 early on and played it for several years. Loved it.

Welp, pulled the trigger. Screamin' Demon and 59 for the neck. Wasn't cheap, but I'm hopeful it'll be worth it. I found a cheaper wiring kit compared to the Emerson for only $60 and includes everything even comes with switchcraft jack and toggle switch. Just waiting on the parts now and I'll have my tech install everything.

Did you get the 4 conductor version of the 59? If so I'd ask the tech to use a push pull pot on the tone for coil splitting to get closer to that Frusciante clean sound you like.

[rollerball]

Hey Dom, do you have an opinion on bareknuckle pickups?
Are they overpriced?

[rollerball]

Is amplitube worth the 300 odd bucks?

Hey Beta, you drive a BRZ?
I drive a WRX.

[bickb]

Is amplitube worth the 300 odd bucks?

I prefer Guitar Rig tbh. I've got guitar rig 5. It's awesome

[bickb]

I found this arrangement for the good ol'classic Can't help falling in love, and I had to play it immediately :P



I know this is more or less an eletric guitar thread, but it's worth the listen

Let me know what you think.

[Dominik]

Hey Dom, do you have an opinion on bareknuckle pickups?
Are they overpriced?

I guess it's all relative. I mean let's say the quality of the sand cast alnico magnets and scatterwound process they use makes them 5% better than Dimarzios and Duncans. If you can hear the difference and your playing is at a level where 5% is important to you then they're absolutely worth it.

I spent many hours on that site listening to samples and was close to pulling the trigger on an Abraxas set but it turned out Dimarzio had some nice vintage-medium output pickups that I'm very happy with. My take is Seymour Duncan and Larry Dimarzio have been making pickups for 40 years so I'd find it hard to believe they haven't wound a pickup to suit just about every guitar and player.

And in the US Seymour Duncan has a 21 day exchange policy and Dimarzio 30 days. With BKP you've got 14 days to ship it back to the UK at your expense so you'd want to install them straight away to make sure you're happy.