Karaoke Forums

This is over my head but I will venture a guess. I would imagine that the more electronics added to the instrument the more it will affect its' resonance.

Well BB King's guitar (as I recall) was essentially an ES-355 without the F-holes.. and I wonder how THAT affected resonation ?   This is actually over MY head as well Chuck,  these are the more technical areas of music that I learn about daily from those more technically inclined than I... It get's interested...
A fascinating topic might even be,  how much of the electric guitar that we hear ARE tonal characteristics of craftsmanship, woods, as opposed to electronics ?  While it's true a resonant chamber likely won't resonate as much when the path is obstructed (with anything solid such as electronics, or neckthru body to help inhibit feedback), How important is resonation vs Electronics on an electric guitar ?   Is a guitar sort've a Synth with minimal traits of it's own that make a huge difference ?   Can a MIDI equipped brick or cinderblock sound as good ?  Is it really true that bolt on neck, doesn't allow for the same sustain as neckthru on guitar..  These are questions MANY guitarists even have.

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Northeast United States runner up for the "Singing Hall of Shame".

As to your first question, I don't think anyone has done an acceptable job of a guitar to midi conversion.  I don't recall ever hearing one that sounded right.

You sure know how to ask a question that'll start a war don't you.  I've been a singer/muscian for 40 years and the best and most versatile guitar is always a favorite topic when you get us pickers together.  

After all of this time the only thing I can say for certain is that the answer is so subjective as to be completely useless.  Never one to shy away from an opinion, however, I offer the following: When I first started out a Gibson ES-335 was it for me.  But there wasn't too much difference between that and the Guild Starfire IV.  Then I stumbled across the Guild X170 and fell desparately in love.  A Schechter C-1 Elite caught my eye a little later.  I've played a Strat for quite a few years and have learned to love what I can do with it.

Last fall after a year of research I bought a Carvin AE-185.  If you aren't familiar with Carvin, they are a guitar and amplification manufacturer located in San Diego.  They have three primary appeals: 1) high quality; 2) moderate pricing; and 3) they have specific models but each one is made to the customer's specificiations as far as the wood for the top, color, pick-ups (within the range of pickups that Carvin produces), color, inlay, etc.  They are not a true custom shop but they are very close.  The AE-185 looks similar to the old Fender Thinline Telecaster.  It is a semi-hollow body with an f-hole.  The guitar has two humbucking pickups plus a piezo pickup in the bridge and mine has the coil tap/phase switch option.

I read a lot of really positive stuff about this guitar and finally made the plunge.  The feature I liked best was that it has dual outputs so I can send the humbucker output to my guitar amp and the piezo output to the sound system.  I no longer have to haul both my electric guitar and my electric acoustic guitar to every gig or take time to take one off and put the other one on between songs.  To my mind, this is about as flexible as it gets.  And it sounds good, whether I'm playing it as an acoustic or as an electric.

At this point, the Carvin is my favorite.  But there are a whole lot of others I would like to own as well.

I've heard all of that stuff about the pre-CBS Fender amps.  I don't really know the answer.  As far as I have been able to determine based on my own experience, the biggest change was more a management mind-set than anything that had to do with the guitars or amps.  I think Fender's management is far less flexible or cooperative or customer oriented than it was in the pre-CBS days.  But that's just my opinion.

Larry

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"Life is too short for diet soda and lite beer"

Now that was an excellent post IMO Larry !




A guitar I've seen that's VERY reasonably priced assuming it's a good guitar. I wish I had a way to know.  The Shechter C Series is getting "Blown out" by MF, and a few other large companies. (it might be the less expensive ebony Schecter C's however getting blown out) You can purchase one for a song... Is the C- ELite the F-hole model C with birdseye maple (thinline model) ?  Sharp guitar for under $800... maybe considerably less..  Regarding Carvin Yep..... That's the general consensus among guitarists who have taken a chance (given their liberal VERY reasonable return policy) quality, etc..Not to mention you really can't know what your guitar will sound like until you take the chance of buying it site unseen mailorder...(which of course goes against the grain of many oldschool guitar players who believe, "you try a guitar first, buying one site unseen or mail order is a grab-bag's chance of guitar a good sounding Axe"..Personally, I haven't a clue what's what in this area either,  I'm not fortunate enough to  have a music store nearby that affordably could supply me with most of my vintage guitar collection.. I *HAD* to take certain chances when buying via Internet mailorder...For those that want trustworthy help however and good mailorder policy.  Mandolin Bros, and ELderly inst. are respectable companies

Another guitar I've never played (Carvin) although I have a lapsteel from their Covina Ca days...

Larry, do you share comparable feelings about the modeling amps  (such as Line-6) as you do regarding MIDI guitar technology ?

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Northeast United States runner up for the "Singing Hall of Shame".

Dunno if anyone here is familiar with Martin Sexton, I had a friend send me his song Glory Bound last year and I was immediately hooked. I highly recommend that anyone who likes acoustic style blues check him out. His site link is below... darn shame he never comes to Canada on his tour...would love to see him live.


http://www.martinsexton.com/

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Te audire no possum. Musa sapientum fixa est in aure. (I can't hear you. I have a banana in my ear.)

WOW,

  He's got that Jim Morrison look !

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Northeast United States runner up for the "Singing Hall of Shame".

never thought of it that way but yeah guess you're right. He sounds nothing like Jim tho  :no:

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Te audire no possum. Musa sapientum fixa est in aure. (I can't hear you. I have a banana in my ear.)

Michael,  what type flute do you own ?  Is it operable, or just a prop ?

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Northeast United States runner up for the "Singing Hall of Shame".

I'll have to see if I can find a sample of him Fierynette, see if I like him..



Larry,

  What I like about Don's question, is "How do I know TODAY", given a 60's 335 (not P-90 PU config of course just Standard larger HB's) 70's Starfire 4, Today's DeArmond (Korean line "Starfire4)  AND Since Fender bought Guild and the RI plant also manufactured DeArmond knockoff's the DeArmond Starfire... OR Older Epi Sheriton, Kalamazoo Epi line semi-hollows, Ibanez Artstar series (AS-120 up), 70's 345 (possibly beefier sound deeper body, dunno), and a decent 355, "that I could even discern which guitars I'm listening to" ?

I don't know if today I could tell a difference... It's not easy to do head-to-heads with the semi-hollow's for my own shootout. Two of the same guitar even sound different  :shock:  

It's not easy to differentiate between a LP and 335 much of the time.

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Northeast United States runner up for the "Singing Hall of Shame".

 Talking about guitars is like how some guys talk about cars or power tools.
I myself am just a bass player and have never owned a classy guitar.  So, I don't know from first hand playing experience all the different models.  But I sure know what I like to hear tone wise and style wise in guitars and players.  I'd really like to hear some of what you, Steve and Larry have played in the past or present.  Enough karaoke for now, let's hear something that's not canned and pre-packaged for a bit of a change!  

I have nothing in digital that's a decent recording.  I also am so rusty, I won't submit solo material.. It'd be an embarassment, and no vehicle for any display of my musicianship (what I'm trying to say is I'm a has been)   ..


Actually that's not entirely true.  I just don't get into soloing.. I need to backup someone..

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Northeast United States runner up for the "Singing Hall of Shame".

Steven, do you have any old recordings on tape of bands you've been in?  Anything at all even if it's got tape noise or whatever in it?

In boxes someplace downstairs I have cassette and reel/reel coverband tapes.. It really does sound exactly like the actual band, no originals... Allman Bros,  Uriah Heep, Yes, etc  and I've got a few other's with one or two of the bigger names I've played with..  Those are in boxes somplace downstairs with all my other gear... Probably getting eaten by silverfish as we speak..

Speaking of wish,  I hope moths aren't eating the grill and Jenson Goldbacks, Celestian speakers on my Ampeg, Marshall, and Fender cabs downstairs..

I've got the Peavey 15 inch BW speakers down there too..  I hope they are OK in a dehumidified room.... (Along with Marshall heads, Ampeg heads, and the vintage stuff I can't fit up here)...

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Northeast United States runner up for the "Singing Hall of Shame".

Who does Henley's "Boy's of Summer" with pedal steel, synth ?  The slower version, sounds really pretty, never heard this rendition,  much nicer orchestration than I've heard...  Is that Henley unplugged ?  Alot of pedal steel work on this

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Northeast United States runner up for the "Singing Hall of Shame".

Speaking of Celestion speakers, I really wish I hadn't let the repair guy talk me into putting a whole new EV speaker in my Trace Elliott bass amp instead of just reconing the Celestion.  That cabinet was designed specifically for the Celestion.  Now the Trace doesn't have the same very bottom end frequency response it used too.

Well, pull some of those old band tapes out and I'll explain how to transfer them to sound files if you don't know how to already.

I can't understand why anyone would talk you out've Celestians in the Trace cab.. Trace is made stock with those. But like I said,  this is coming from someone who tool the BW out've the Peavey 115BX cab, and replaced it with a JBL K series...

Oh yeah,  and if that's not bad enough, almost removed the celestians from my Marshall JCM cabs, and replaced them with Altecs

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Northeast United States runner up for the "Singing Hall of Shame".

Well, the sale point he was trying to make was that the EV was more "bullet proof "volume wise.  But I think the real motive was that he wanted the Celestion as a trade in. At the time I didn't give it enough thought.  

Oh Man Don,  That's just wrong.  Although (in the 60's and 70's) I used to load bass cabs with EV SRO speakers,  He probably felt he could turn a better prophet on the EV speakers,  not sure....That's just wrong assuming that was his motive

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Northeast United States runner up for the "Singing Hall of Shame".

This is the exact reason I'm afraid of taking my Thoren's TT to just any electronic repair person,  (or any of my vintage stuff) for fear they'll do some swapping.

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Northeast United States runner up for the "Singing Hall of Shame".

A friend of mine (older retiring tech) gave me some Van Zandt PU's..  I have two "Blues" for strat, and two J Bass pu's.... Isn't there an easier way to install pu's than having to solder everything to some weird location ?  HEHE....  Just splice two wires and hook them to the old wires ??   I guess not... Grrrr..  I have a third hand.... but the problem is,  it's not very useful,  Can't teach it to hold a soldering Iron, even type or play piano parts.

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Northeast United States runner up for the "Singing Hall of Shame".