Randolf Arriola (embryo) Guitar Gear 101

[embryo]

Leecs,

I think for the acoustic guitars within ur budget you'll easily find something suitable from regional made instruments from Yamaha, Takamine and others. Acoustic guitars with open soundholes are more sensitive to the climate so you'll have to be more careful with these instruments. The top end acoustic guitars are great but from my experience they suffer most in our climate and one ends up spending too much time n energy caring for than playing them.

I think for an electric player going into acoustics the 11 gauge set is fine for a fair balance in playability and getting a full bodied sound. Anything lighter and it starts to sound wimpy. Too heavy and you'll get a great sound at the expense of of ur usual dexterity on electrics.

Hi Randolf, I email u, but did not reply, so i thought of asking you here. As you know im looking for an acoustic guitar at the moment. What should i look for in a acoustic guitar? budget wise around $400-$500. what string gauges is appropriate? Thanks

 

[embryo]

Aging Youth Bro!
U arh! I oredi forgot wat cds u got from me!
Di u loan my "I was Bono's Doppelganger" book?

 

[embryo]

John Mclaughlin's setup serve's his musical visions well for him so in his context his setup is the now and not the future. Is it for everyone then? Not necessarily I feel. It's just that there are many folks who still prefer the older hardware in order to recreate the intended original vibe without too much unnecessary hassle and compromise. As long as the choice of tool serve's them well is all that matters really imho.

John McLaughlin is a great spirit in that he executes his art with anything from an Acoustic guitar to an Electric, the Synclavier and the Virtual Guitar Rig. He treats technologies as mere tools to serve his musical intentions and that's always an inspiring thought.

For my own musical visions I see the need to constantly mix and match older tools with modern cutting edge technology. I feel that to effectively understand how to use modern technology to it's best requires knowledge and experience of older tools learning about their strenghts and identifying their weakness. Modern technology is constantly evolving but they stem from older established technologies. Once in awhile some of the brave spearheads will introduce ideas that are so ahead of time and the masses will shun it but the few pioneering spirited players will be the ones to explore the possibilities of these tools first before it catches on and eventually becomes mainstream. Hmmm...

I love the ideas and the exciting possibilities of modelling technologies like Guitar Rig and Amplitube etc. but I'm still wary tho reservedly hopeful of laptop technologies. I look forward to the day when one can select and configure one's own custom laptop system to suit the intended specific needs much like the way desktop machines can be easily put together. Until that day arrives I'm still pretty much a hardware guy and for that the VG99 is the way to go at the moment. Who knows what the future has in store for us... tomorrow, next week, next month... We'll see. In the mean time dream on and it may just come true!

 

[monk]

tanks

well, Randolf, I really resonate with what you have said.
And just on a side note, John M changed to such a set-up partly because of convenience due to airport restrictions.

I just made a more detailed check on the GR series. It seems like the VG-99 has almost everything the GR has to offer? Maybe except for a few sound modules/patches.

What ye think?

 

[Junior_]

Hi Mr Randolf, just wondering what arrangement would you suggest I go for if I have the following pedals.

a strat, TS-7, DS-2, GE-7, DD-6, fab chorus

Currently I'm using the TS to boost my DS and i'm thinking of getting a CS-3 soon, so wondering is there any recommendation as to which would be the best? Thanks

 

[bedokkids]

Hi Mr Randolf,

i have an Vox escort lead amp, however the sound will suddenly go soft, and loud periodically. what could be the problem?

 

[bedokkids]

The Roland GR and VG systems both use the GK Hexaphonic Pickup.

Roland GK Hexaphonic pickup
The GK hexaphonic pup is actually 6 individual pickups. This is a necessary design in order to achieve perfect isolation of each guitar's strings pitch reading. The isolation of each string is necessary because how the whole thing works is like this; The GK pickup senses the pitch from the individual string and translates it to voltage which contains 3 important information; the designated guitar string, frequency and dynamics.
QUOTE]Hi Mr Randolf,
like to ask your advise on the ghost hexa pickup. what do you of it as compare to the roland with the ugly outboard?

 

[embryo]

The VG has the the capability to offer everthing that the GR series has but.... not yet.

well, Randolf, I really resonate with what you have said.
And just on a side note, John M changed to such a set-up partly because of convenience due to airport restrictions.

I just made a more detailed check on the GR series. It seems like the VG-99 has almost everything the GR has to offer? Maybe except for a few sound modules/patches.

What ye think?

 

[embryo]

The Graphtech Ghost pickup system has the ability to be made compatible with the Roland GR and VG systems but you'll need to get the optional Graphtech GK compatible preamp module that can be installed in the guitar's control cavity. You'll still need the 13 pin Roland cable to connect to the GR/VG systems.

QUOTE]Hi Mr Randolf,
like to ask your advise on the ghost hexa pickup. what do you of it as compare to the roland with the ugly outboard?[/QUOTE]

 

[embryo]

The Vox Escort is likely a Solid State amp if I'm not mistaken. I've not worked on one yet but from your description you may have an intermittent connection at the input jack. You can help yourself by getting a can of electronic approved contact spray from Sim Lim and spray into the jack and plug ur input jack in and out a coupla times whilst twisting fully clock and anti clowise to see if this resolves the problem. If the problem doesn't go away u may want to send it in to the original seller if it's still under warranty. Let me know how it goes. Good luck.

Hi Mr Randolf,

i have an Vox escort lead amp, however the sound will suddenly go soft, and loud periodically. what could be the problem?

 

[embryo]

Your setup is fine as it is. You did not state your amp and it's settings though. For your current pedals I have some suggestions;

1. Experiement with swapping the position of the fab chorus with the DD6 and see if you like it.

2. When you get it add the CS3 as the first pedal before your TS7. Experiement with the CS3's sustain knob between 9 to 12 o clock with the attack and tone knob at 12 o clock at first and set the output knob to taste. Your next comp pedal to experiement with would be the Dynacomp which is a much darker sound but may be an interesting tonal shade to your liking. Try to know.

3. For the DD6 You may want to consider a Hi Cut Mod with toggle switch selection for default sound and 2 choices of High end cut to get your digital delay pedal to sound like a warm analog delay which adds a nice afternote ambience to the overall sound.

4. There are other mods for personalizing and improving the performance, tone and noise levels of your TS7, DS2 and GE7 but I would suggest you take it step by step by learning how to use your current setup first.

Finally as I stated earlier the choice and useage of amp and it's settings are very important.

Hi Mr Randolf, just wondering what arrangement would you suggest I go for if I have the following pedals.

a strat, TS-7, DS-2, GE-7, DD-6, fab chorus

Currently I'm using the TS to boost my DS and i'm thinking of getting a CS-3 soon, so wondering is there any recommendation as to which would be the best? Thanks

 

[chimaera]

Yo bro randolf I have a question, am most probably gonna get a Mesa Quad Preamp, and a TC electronic G-sharp. I plan to run those using a Mesa Heartbreaker. Can you design a switching system such that :
1. I can select the preamp to use either the quad/Mesa heartbreaker preamp through the power section of the heartbreaker. Currently am running the quad through the FX return loop as the Heartbreaker has a serial FX loop doing this will bypass its preamp section.
2. Select in/out the G-sharp
So have a system consisting of Mesa Quad-Heartbreaker-Gsharp.
Regards

 

[embryo]

GUITAR 101

Guitar 101 is a one on one private tutorial session. The tutorial is a hands on demonstration, practice and q&a about electric guitar gear. I'll cover topics raised by the student and will also introduce necessary topics and skills to acquire that will be beneficial to the student in his own quest to learn about how to choose, use, maintain and apply them for a wide range of musical applications. Applicable for the start up to the pro and home recording enthusiasts and aspiring sound engineers.

The topics in GUITAR 101 covered include (not exclusively);

Guitars
1. Type of Guitars,
2. Pickups,
3. Setups,
4. String Gauge and type,
5. ReStringing, Intonation and Tuning,
6. Tremolo Whammy Bar system setup, calibration and maintenance
7. Guitar Maintenance for woods and electronics
8. Essential must know musical knowledge
9. Mods

etc. in accordance to one's needs that are not stated above.

Pedals and outboard Gear
1. Compressor
2. Volume Pedal
3. Overdrive
4. Distortion
5. Fuzz
6. Delays
7. Modulation (Chorus, Flange, Phaser, Tremolo, Vibrato, Univibe etc.)
8. Harmonizers/Pitch Shifters
9. Amp and Speaker Simulators
10. Wahs.
11. Guitar Synthesizers and Modelling Technology
12. Mods

etc. in accordance to one's needs that are not stated above.
Amps
1. Difference, strenghts and weaknesses between Tube and Solid State amps
2. Combo and Head and Cab configurations - Why and the sonic differences
3. Fender and Marshall amps what's the difference and ideal musical application
4. Pre amp tube(distortion) and Power Amp tubes (distortion) Tone, Dynamics and Saturation Character
5. How to dial in a good sound with different amps and speaker configurations
6. Speaker and Cabinets Closed and Open Back characters
7. What and why the need to Bias tube amps,
8. Maintenance and selection of replacement tubes
9. Tube Amp Mods.

etc. in accordance to one's needs that are not stated above.

Performance and Recording
1. Do and don'ts as a player and your gear
2. How to translate a good sound from your home practice to rehearsal to performance
3. How to minimize noise issues.
4. How to mic your amp
5. How to set your amp's volume and tones
6. How to communicate and work with your band to achieve a great sound
7. How to work with a soundman
8. How to setup a home recording system for great sounding demos.

etc. in accordance to one's needs that are not stated above.

Guitar 101 course
The Guitar 101 sessions come in several flexible packages;

1. Guitar 101 1 hour session.
2. Guitar 101 2 hour session.
3. Guitar 101 Module in 4 seperate sessions of 1 hour per session
4. Guitar 101 Module in 4 seperate sessions of 2 hours

The Guitar 101 student is free and encouraged to suggest, mix and match and choose the curriculum that suits his/her immediate needs along the way.

Do email me if you are interested and have further enquiries about Guitar101.

 

[embryo]

Hi Chimaera,

You have an interesting lineup of great gear but obviously you are facing a practicality issue of making them all compatible. It is not impossible trying to intergrate the Quad Preamp to replace the Heartbreaker's preamp and use the G Sharp for the effects. It's just not practical and in the long run will prove to be a very expensive venture with severe inherent limitations.

Off the top of my head I have 2 suggested solutions for you;

Idea 1
1. Replace the Quad Preamp (even tho the many knobs luk so coool) with either a Triaxis, JMP1 or ADA MP1
2. Keep the G Sharp or upgrade to an Eventide Eclipse
3. Replace or set aside the Heartbreaker amp with a Mesa 50/50 full tube power amp
4. Get a Voodoo Labs or Behringer FCB Midi Footcontroller to get instant recall of your many combinations of pre amp settings with your reverb, delay and modulations with pitch shift choice.

Idea 2
Get a Hughes and Kettner Switchblade Head which comes with a full tube amp with built in delays reverbs and modulations with instant recall of the amp and effects settings with a midi footcontroller pedal.

ps. As problematic as the Rivera has been it's still a great sounding amp!

Yo bro randolf I have a question, am most probably gonna get a Mesa Quad Preamp, and a TC electronic G-sharp. I plan to run those using a Mesa Heartbreaker. Can you design a switching system such that :
1. I can select the preamp to use either the quad/Mesa heartbreaker preamp through the power section of the heartbreaker. Currently am running the quad through the FX return loop as the Heartbreaker has a serial FX loop doing this will bypass its preamp section.
2. Select in/out the G-sharp
So have a system consisting of Mesa Quad-Heartbreaker-Gsharp.
Regards

 

[embryo]

CUSTOM MOds and RePAIRs for the Line6 DL4, MM4 and FM4

Custom MOds
The full custom mod for the Line6 DL4, MM4 and FM4 unlike conventional "pin thru circuit boards involves delicate procedure of removal and reinstallation of very small electronic components called SMT (Surface Mount Technology). Hence the higher risk, cost, time, parts and labour. The mods for the Line6 pedals includes;

1. Reviving the Highs and Low Mids for a fuller sound
2. Opamp Upgrade for better signal/noise perf and audio fidelity.
3. Noise Reduction with less coloration in disengaged mode
4. Neutralize or create a slight boost in the outputs in both engaged and disengaged modes
5. Footswitches x 4 upgraded to more robust and longer lifespan replacements.
6. LEDs upgraded to superbrights with color choice of Blue, Red, Orange, Green, Purple, White and Disco even if you're that sorta guy!

RePAIRS
Stomp Switch Failures
The Line6 Pedals' 4 x stomp switches are prone to wear and tear and somehow I'v noticed that the later to recent batches have switches that become intermittent and eventually fail rather quickly. Under the hood the switches are not ur usual "true bypass" type but the cheaper tack switches. These parts are relatively cheap to replace but the way they are mounted on board makes it difficult if you don't have the right tools and skills to remove them without liftin the circuit board's traces.

Power up failures
Often the unit comes in with power up failures as in the unit cannot boot up with the 9v dc supply or with the batteries. This is usually the result of blowing up the power protection circuit either with a wrong reverse dc polarity and installing the batteries backwards or in worse cases trying to power up the pedal with a wrong voltage supply from a suspect dc supply adaptor. Powering up the Line6 pedal with a one spot or boss adaptor requires the use of a "reverse polarity adaptor".

Do note to check because like all pedal mods your remaining Line6 warranty would be voided with any of the above mods. For mod prices Pls do state in ur email if you want your Line6 Pedal to be fully upgraded including all the above stated in a packaged mod or you may only want selected upgrade choices.

Waiting time is currently 1 to 2 weeks (depending on workload) All parts used for the mods are guranteed for 1 year to be replaced at no extra costs.

Feel free to email me randolf@embryosongs.com for further enquires or to make an appointment.

 

[chimaera]

Thanks for the quick reply bro. Yeah integration would be sumthing of a hassle. I will probably just use the preamp as a recording tool, (it has direct record out). Am getting it coz its quite a good deal and well I dont have the dough to plonk on a triaxis although I wish I have. Thanks bro..

 

[embryo]

Boss BD2 Bluesdriver Mods

Among other drive pedal mods that'll I'll recap here in this thread as a reference for those interested, I'll discuss about each specific model specifically stock pedals that are easily available and replaceable. Today I'll start with the Boss Bluesdriver pedal aka BD2.

Quote:
Seandon asked "hey Randolf, like I asked you earlier, what does your BD-2 mod change? Thanks!"

The BD2 is a unique drive pedal that has a stock distortion character somewhere between the SD1 and DS1 but the main difference is the BD2's ability to clean up more effectively with the guitar's volume knob than most drive pedals out there. The cleanup action with the guitar's passive pickup volume knob is much smoother compared to most Fuzz pedals. The main areas for improvement for the BD2 is to upgrade the stock tonal character to a fuller bodied more responsive less compressed distortion that still retains and actually improves the dynamic range of the pedal. This pedal works great either alone or in the 2nd position of multiple drive setups to respond to your guitar volume knob's setting almost like a tube head.

The custom mod for the BD2 which I call the "BD2 Ghostdriver Custom Mod"also comes with up to 2 optional toggle switches to select different drive characters and low end shapes for the individual player.

Custom Mods
For the player who is on his/her own tonequest seeking customized service for mods... If you need help or recommendations on deciding from among the wide range of custom mod options what's most suitable for you please do note that the choice of the most suitable mods is determined with careful consideration of each unique player's needs and musical intentions. It would be most helpful for me to know specifically the following from you;

1. What Guitar and Pickups?
2. What Pedals do you use and the patching order?
3. What kind of amp? Solid State or All Tube? Amp Settings?
4. What is your musical Preference?

Warranty: Except for fair wear and tear, all parts used in the Mod service are guranteed for 1 year.

Email me at randolf@embryosongs.com for further details or to make an appointment.

 

[leecs]

wa!!! can open a shop liao ah!!! hehe

Wana ask you something. Are the China made Corts & Ibanez any good? I’m really skeptical to purchase it because it’s made in China. The Corts comes with Fishman electronics though. On the other hand, I would really love to acquire a Simon & Patrick. But the model Sinamex carries doesn’t not come with electronics. Haiz……

What your opinion on this? hehe

 

[embryo]

Leec, I dun really have a negative sweeping conclusion about gtrs made in Mexico, China, Indonesia, Korea, Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand or Singapore or anywhere else. I only know that labour and manufacturing costings are much cheaper elsewhere outside of the US.

I have a cheap cheap made in China Ibanez Artcore full hollow all maple body that has one of the straightest most rugged weather resistant necks I've ever come across.

The one consistent fact about guitars made in the US these days is that they are usually made with better grades of wood than the rest of the world. Unless you intend to build a slapped together frankenstrat from various 3rd party body parts suppliers, the electronics and other hardware can always be upgraded but the woods used in the bodies and necks is something else...right?

My very 1st guitar was an early 80's made in Japan Aria Pro II Cardinal series. It was very versatile, playable, sounded decent and most significant of all it was cheap! I hated the colour so I stripped the bodypaint after 6 months of owning it only to discover that the body consisted of 6 slabs of Ash wood glued together! You do get what you pay for! Heh btw I still own it ya.

My advice is irregardless of brand or marketing hype just go get the best guitar "you can afford" that feels and sounds great to your ears, eyes and hands at first. The rest after that is really up to you ya.

wa!!! can open a shop liao ah!!! hehe

Wana ask you something. Are the China made Corts & Ibanez any good? I’m really skeptical to purchase it because it’s made in China. The Corts comes with Fishman electronics though. On the other hand, I would really love to acquire a Simon & Patrick. But the model Sinamex carries doesn’t not come with electronics. Haiz……

What your opinion on this? hehe

 

[leecs]

hmmm!!! ok........ I know what i want now. But is it advisable to buy with electronics built in? My hi-fi doesnt come with aux input though. only cd, cassette & MD. maybe it will work if i plugged into the MD Analog input. But thats out of the point of getting an acoustic with electronics la.