Randolf Arriola (embryo) Guitar Gear 101
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embryo
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Ideally it would be best to patch the Vox Tonelab into the amps' effects loop to minimize unecessary preamp stages but you can also try the regular guitar input if ur adventurous.
embryo
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Impact of different strings on? Sorry I didn't get what u intended to ask. Strings itself is large volume of discussion and yes the different makes do have their own respective good and not so good... Let me know.
embryo
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JM4 New Looper by Line6
Line 6 - JM4 Looper
This should be interesting! Combining features of Digitech's Jam Man with Karaoke loop jam features of Boss RC range of loopers with the obligatory Line6 modelling technology. This is interesting development I feel as I do believe Digitech could very well be planning for a "pro" version of the blue twin pedal JamMan. Boss has a great idea in the RC50 but with obvious strategic built in exclusions of wants and needs from the current model. Just when I was hoping that Boomerang will come out with something interesting in their upcoming version III. This could be just what most have been waiting for.
Line 6 - JM4 Looper
This should be interesting! Combining features of Digitech's Jam Man with Karaoke loop jam features of Boss RC range of loopers with the obligatory Line6 modelling technology. This is interesting development I feel as I do believe Digitech could very well be planning for a "pro" version of the blue twin pedal JamMan. Boss has a great idea in the RC50 but with obvious strategic built in exclusions of wants and needs from the current model. Just when I was hoping that Boomerang will come out with something interesting in their upcoming version III. This could be just what most have been waiting for.
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embryo
New member
Strings
Okie, so regarding strings I do notice that different brands use different compositions of metals hence the difference in tension, feel and tone. Most strings in the past used to be made from a higher composition of nickel unlike today. Most frets were also made with nickel and today most of the frets made also have different percentage in nickel. I've heard opposing opininions about stainless steel frets but I'm interested to give them a try especially for my Steinberger as I'd like to hear and feel the difference in tone that Stainless Steel frets have with nickel strings. I do know that nickel is much softer compared to stainless stell so the frets won't wear down so fast. Hmmm...
To get a classic version of balanced tone of highs, mids and lows the pure nickel strings are the way to go but they'll cost more these days. To get the most highs you'll want to go stainless steel strings but these strings will chew up ur frets much faster. Different brands also use different wrapping techniques for the wound strings and yes they do sound and feel different if you pay close attention enough...that is.
I would suggest that players stick to a particular brand and gauge of strings for their guitars in order to maintain consistent intonation, feel and tone.
Okie, so regarding strings I do notice that different brands use different compositions of metals hence the difference in tension, feel and tone. Most strings in the past used to be made from a higher composition of nickel unlike today. Most frets were also made with nickel and today most of the frets made also have different percentage in nickel. I've heard opposing opininions about stainless steel frets but I'm interested to give them a try especially for my Steinberger as I'd like to hear and feel the difference in tone that Stainless Steel frets have with nickel strings. I do know that nickel is much softer compared to stainless stell so the frets won't wear down so fast. Hmmm...
To get a classic version of balanced tone of highs, mids and lows the pure nickel strings are the way to go but they'll cost more these days. To get the most highs
you'll want to go stainless steel strings but these strings will chew up ur frets much faster. Different brands also use different wrapping techniques for the wound strings and yes they do sound and feel different if you pay close attention enough...that is. I would suggest that players stick to a particular brand and gauge of strings for their guitars in order to maintain consistent intonation, feel and tone.
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embryo
New member
Hughes and Kettner Triamp and Triamp MKII (Alex Lifeson)
H&K Triamp MKI
Alex Lifeson
H&K Triamp MKII
Having done work on a previous EL34 equipped Triamp and at the moment trying to revive a dead 6L6 equipped Triamp from the US This current day Triamp MKII - Alex Lifeson (yes it belongs to fellow S'porean) is imho the most toneful and versatile full tube amp head available today. The other close runner would be the Switchblade also by Hughes & Kettner. Damn the Germans for their technology and PRICES!
H&K Triamp MKI
Alex Lifeson
H&K Triamp MKII
Having done work on a previous EL34 equipped Triamp and at the moment trying to revive a dead 6L6 equipped Triamp from the US This current day Triamp MKII - Alex Lifeson (yes it belongs to fellow S'porean) is imho the most toneful and versatile full tube amp head available today. The other close runner would be the Switchblade also by Hughes & Kettner. Damn the Germans for their technology and PRICES!
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embryo
New member
Hmmmm... interesting! I know a US guy on ebay who used another local chap's pictures of his own Steinberger for his own inflated pricing. O well it takes all sorts ya.
Btw, the broken Triamp has power section working now but the power amp section is still "charred" badly. I have to rewire the burnt sections step by step which takes hellava time. I've tested the built in Redbox DI out and the 6 preamps are all still sekectable and sounding great...so far. Just the power section so keep fingers crossed because I'm very interested to hear how the 6L6 version will sound eventually so we can have a private A/B/C comaparison...hopefully sometime soon.
I know a US guy on ebay who used another local chap's pictures of his own Steinberger for his own inflated pricing. O well it takes all sorts ya.Btw, the broken Triamp has power section working now but the power amp section is still "charred" badly. I have to rewire the burnt sections step by step which takes hellava time. I've tested the built in Redbox DI out and the 6 preamps are all still sekectable and sounding great...so far.
Just the power section so keep fingers crossed because I'm very interested to hear how the 6L6 version will sound eventually so we can have a private A/B/C comaparison...hopefully sometime soon. 
PatheinRaindropMoe
New member
woahhh, good features!
JM4 New Looper by Line6
Line 6 - JM4 Looper
This should be interesting! Combining features of Digitech's Jam Man with Karaoke loop jam features of Boss RC range of loopers with the obligatory Line6 modelling technology, this could be just what most have been waiting for.
embryo
New member
Allan Holdsworth on Guitar Player Magazine
In the mean time do look out for the latest Guitar Player Apr.08 issue with Allan Holdsworth - The Man Who Changed Guitar Forever! Read 'em and weep!
Quote from John Fruciante about Allan Holdsworth; "His guitar playing is totally original and that in itself is rare. But even more rare is that his playing also seems to be impossible to emulate. When I was a teenager I used to learn the beginnings of many of his solos but they would usually venture into what was for me impenetrable territory, often just a quarter of the way in. One can imitate his pull-off, bar, and vibrato technique, as sometimes players do, but the s*** where it sounds like he’s blowing air into his guitar and playing super fast in the way that a great saxophonist would, I haven’t heard any other guitarists be able to imitate. You can hear his influence on EVH, but Eddie doesn’t go into that dissonant territory and the blowing air effect is not there when he’s playing fast. As a kid I was amazed that Holdsworth wasn’t using his right index finger on the neck, but now I realize the angle and the muscles in action for right hand tapping would never create that sound as for whatever biological/scientific reason there is a certain lack of true force in right-hand tapping. At its best, two-hand tapping has a beautiful fluidity but it doesn’t have a quality of sound you’d call strength, while his fast playing certainly does. I believe it is only with his very unusual muscle and nerve setup in his left hand and arm that such a sound is possible on the instrument. He sounds like he’s blowing into it hard when he’s playing super fast. To my taste, guitar doesn’t lend itself to playing fast as well as other instruments. I think the possibilities of approaches to doing it are limited in comparison to instruments like the piano, the saxophone, or the drum machine. Something about the guitars physicality in correspondence to our muscles and hand angles just doesn’t seem to offer the potential for expression at lightning speeds that those other instruments do. To me, he is one of the few people who totally overcomes those limitations and is totally expressive whilst playing fast and makes it sound natural, relaxed, and effortless—and, at the same time, exciting and intense. It always sounds like there’s a musical/emotional idea there and it never sounds like he’s playing scales or exercises, which almost all flashy guys of the last 25 years generally seem to be doing a big percentage of the time, though I’m no expert. My favorite stuff of him is that first I.O.U. album and Road Games. Those are just beautiful records and he seems to be hitting a peak around that time—so inventive and unprecedented. I’ve heard that his stuff in Tempest is interesting in that his tone sounds like Clapton. I want to hear that. The UK record is awesome as is the stuff with The New Tony Williams Lifetime. Those were staples for listening to and playing along with when I was 15 and 16. And they always sound great when I’m in one of those phases and come back to them. Oh, and the two Bruford albums are extraordinary. I used to love learning from that stuff. Fun to try things that are impossible!” —John Frusciante
In Search Of The Uncommon Chord
In the mean time do look out for the latest Guitar Player Apr.08 issue with Allan Holdsworth - The Man Who Changed Guitar Forever! Read 'em and weep!
Quote from John Fruciante about Allan Holdsworth; "His guitar playing is totally original and that in itself is rare. But even more rare is that his playing also seems to be impossible to emulate. When I was a teenager I used to learn the beginnings of many of his solos but they would usually venture into what was for me impenetrable territory, often just a quarter of the way in. One can imitate his pull-off, bar, and vibrato technique, as sometimes players do, but the s*** where it sounds like he’s blowing air into his guitar and playing super fast in the way that a great saxophonist would, I haven’t heard any other guitarists be able to imitate. You can hear his influence on EVH, but Eddie doesn’t go into that dissonant territory and the blowing air effect is not there when he’s playing fast. As a kid I was amazed that Holdsworth wasn’t using his right index finger on the neck, but now I realize the angle and the muscles in action for right hand tapping would never create that sound as for whatever biological/scientific reason there is a certain lack of true force in right-hand tapping. At its best, two-hand tapping has a beautiful fluidity but it doesn’t have a quality of sound you’d call strength, while his fast playing certainly does. I believe it is only with his very unusual muscle and nerve setup in his left hand and arm that such a sound is possible on the instrument. He sounds like he’s blowing into it hard when he’s playing super fast. To my taste, guitar doesn’t lend itself to playing fast as well as other instruments. I think the possibilities of approaches to doing it are limited in comparison to instruments like the piano, the saxophone, or the drum machine. Something about the guitars physicality in correspondence to our muscles and hand angles just doesn’t seem to offer the potential for expression at lightning speeds that those other instruments do. To me, he is one of the few people who totally overcomes those limitations and is totally expressive whilst playing fast and makes it sound natural, relaxed, and effortless—and, at the same time, exciting and intense. It always sounds like there’s a musical/emotional idea there and it never sounds like he’s playing scales or exercises, which almost all flashy guys of the last 25 years generally seem to be doing a big percentage of the time, though I’m no expert. My favorite stuff of him is that first I.O.U. album and Road Games. Those are just beautiful records and he seems to be hitting a peak around that time—so inventive and unprecedented. I’ve heard that his stuff in Tempest is interesting in that his tone sounds like Clapton. I want to hear that. The UK record is awesome as is the stuff with The New Tony Williams Lifetime. Those were staples for listening to and playing along with when I was 15 and 16. And they always sound great when I’m in one of those phases and come back to them. Oh, and the two Bruford albums are extraordinary. I used to love learning from that stuff. Fun to try things that are impossible!” —John Frusciante
In Search Of The Uncommon Chord
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embryo
New member
ENGL Invader 150 Tube Amp Head
In the works at my home workshop is another gem of recent discovery. The ENGL Invader 150. Using 6 power tubes the amp is surprisingly very toneful even at low master volume output. The amp that I'm working on unfortunately has an issue with a built in safety feature that auto mutes the output section if a speaker load is not attched to the amp's output. This should be resolved very soon with official technical support from ENGL Germany soon...I hope.
The ENGL when it was working fine had a nice American Twin like clean sound in channel 1 and the gainy channels in 3 and 4 are pretty crazy sounding. Without the need of any drive pedals This amp is an excellect showcase of full tube harmonic rich tone. Channel 3 is the hands down winner of the 4 channels as it has that elusive classic Marshall Super Lead 100 tone that's always ready to rock but also with a split personality of cleaning up with excellent clarity with just a change in one's picking dynamics. Te ENGL has the capability to give the player up to a total of 8 channels of instant switching capability which is really alot considering the dynamics responsiveness of each channel. I hope to get this amp going soon as there are others and the owner himself awaiting anxiously with bated breath. Patience arh pls hor!
I'm not sure what it is about the Germans but they have a knack for some really outstanding technology beyond Mercedes and BMW and their tube amp designs are just breathtakingly toneful and full of well thought out user friendly practicality. Pricing is not exactly in their favour when compared to US made stuff but when tone is cost no object you can't go wrong with the German made amps from Hughes and Kettner and ENGL. Yet to discover more along the way.
In the works at my home workshop is another gem of recent discovery. The ENGL Invader 150. Using 6 power tubes the amp is surprisingly very toneful even at low master volume output. The amp that I'm working on unfortunately has an issue with a built in safety feature that auto mutes the output section if a speaker load is not attched to the amp's output. This should be resolved very soon with official technical support from ENGL Germany soon...I hope.
The ENGL when it was working fine had a nice American Twin like clean sound in channel 1 and the gainy channels in 3 and 4 are pretty crazy sounding. Without the need of any drive pedals This amp is an excellect showcase of full tube harmonic rich tone. Channel 3 is the hands down winner of the 4 channels as it has that elusive classic Marshall Super Lead 100 tone that's always ready to rock but also with a split personality of cleaning up with excellent clarity with just a change in one's picking dynamics. Te ENGL has the capability to give the player up to a total of 8 channels of instant switching capability which is really alot considering the dynamics responsiveness of each channel. I hope to get this amp going soon as there are others and the owner himself awaiting anxiously with bated breath. Patience arh pls hor!
I'm not sure what it is about the Germans but they have a knack for some really outstanding technology beyond Mercedes and BMW and their tube amp designs are just breathtakingly toneful and full of well thought out user friendly practicality. Pricing is not exactly in their favour when compared to US made stuff but when tone is cost no object you can't go wrong with the German made amps from Hughes and Kettner and ENGL. Yet to discover more along the way.
