Tav

.88mm Green Tortex are where it's at, anything thinner than yellow isn't playable for me.

You must have a pretty fucked up crotch if that's what you think one looks like...

So I guess somewhere like BnQ would be worth looking at?

Crazy!

"Wah" is not a good way to describe the effects of a tremolo as it makes you think of a wah pedal, or playing with the tone control...just experiment with different levels of pressure in both directions, wobbling it, dive boming (where you push it right down so the strings go floppy>, try pressing it down one way then pulling it back the other...anything...try it with clean and distorted sounds...sure you'll come up with something...or get an example of the sound you want in a song and tell us what it is.

Well ask the band. I am sure the Hartke has the 115v/230v switch on the back but my mind may be lying to me.

No worse than a RG Ibanez

Not true at all, BC Rich have made some fine guitars. Sure they make alot of rather extreme looking shapes but models like the eagle and mockingbird are quite well designed guitars.

We were young and scared the first sound check we ever did lol. I'll add things to the big list of mines as the turn up.

I read about that a while ago. You can sample and put effects on seperate strings amoung other things. We already have digital guitar in the form of the variax and varix 2. Piezio pick up translates the string vibrations into an electrical signal...the guitar then uses it in built processor to make it sound like a variety of different guitars, then coverts it to audio and put's it down a lead. I guess the gibson will allow for the same but some sort of amp will be doing the digital to audio coversition...and that would allow multiple stringed effects etc...exciting!

I got the don't mess around attitude from Lava when you soundchecked us. We learnt pretty quick that the best way to do it is to get on stage do what we're asked, play and song and get off. Even got thanked for being quick once or twice.

Some of this has prob. already been said before in the thread but I am trying to put everything I can think of...the more you play the more you learn what to do. Have all your stuff organised before hand. If you need to borrow an amp/cab organise before the gig with another band or hire one from captain toms. Sometimes both bands will need a bass amp so renting one from somewhere like Captain Toms can be cheaper if you organise together. On the flip side of this don't let people borrow your stuff willy nilly. Some people won't treat it with respect so let them know before hand that you don't want them messing with it, better than seeing something abused. Most people around aberdeen I have gigged with are decent and used equipment with respect or have helped out by loaning something or other... Drummers will usually have to take their own cymbols, snare and kick pedal...again make sure you have or can get... Spares are important. Spare leads are a must...no point in waiting for someone from another band to come running to your aid, have some close at hand. Hoop your leads through your strap and around the amp handle...save you pulling one out mid gig...simple and saves some embarresment. If you can manage take two guitars and two basses and plenty of drum sticks <keep them close at hand and same goes with guitar picks> if you snap a string it's all well and good being able to change it but it's easier to just pick up a new guitar. We usually take two basses and an extra guitar sometimes. If your going to resting before a gig do it the day before and play them in...otherwise you'll go out of tune easier...which brings me onto my next point... Be in tune! This is really important and some bands don't seem to manage this in their early gigs for one reason or another. If you can have a tuner each but if not make sure your in tune before going on stage <for the gig and sound checks too> and listen out whilst playing. The audience don't really like to hear you tuning up at full volume on stage so the less of this you do the better...turn down or if you have tuners mute through them. Don't arse around at soundchecks. Everyone will appriciate if you sound check in a reasonable time. Venues like Kef you'll have the sound guy telliing you what to do so that makes it easier, do what he says and you should be fine... Venues like drakes your more on your own, get you instruments on, set your amps, play a bit, adjust, play a song, take on board what they have to say about your sound, adjust again if needed...do not all stand around making heaps of noise individually whilst waiting for others memebers to set up...I was once subjected to about 10mins of thumbs, bumps, and random bass licks at Drakes whebefore a band decided to attempt a song it was awfully annoying. Singers take a bottle of water on stage, better to have it there ready rather than having to ask someone to get you or having your voice go off on you mid set. It gets v.hot on stage infront of those lights...you will sweat! Taking a toweler for you hands by be benifical. Relax as much as possible, if you enjoy yourself then the crowd are more likely to. Don't worry if you make a mistake, everyone does. If something does go wrong technically don't worry again it happens to everyone at some point. Crowd interaction is a good point, introduce your songs, a little bit of banter here and there keeps everyone smiling but don't let your mouth run away. After the gig is just as important. Once you've rocked your socks off and blown the crowd away you need to clean up! Get your stuff off of the stage asap to allow the other bands to set up. Pack it up and store it out of the way, other bands will appriciate this. If your drummer has alot of stuff learn how to help him take his cymbols down, the quicker the better. Don't leave your drinks on stage either as people may knock them over...it's happened before it will happen again...

I know that bolt ons are strong and if something did happen to my neck the ability to screw it off and put a new one on is going to be a relief. Neck Thru's are just necks with wings so your right if something goes wrong it's the whole guitar that's in jepordy. I guess like people have said it's personal preference. Bolt on suits me as I never need to venture past about the 19th fret and even then 90% of playing is the 7th and below. The best way to get around is the problem is to buy both lol...

We have a 15 year old beat up Squier strat in the house...it's the only thing my dad plays and he's been playing for well over 30years...he's been shopping for something to replace for ages and so far nothing...it's def. not sound nor appearence that makes it good, it sounds shite plugged in and it's battered and old but it feels great to play...it's not a good guitar but it's good to play. If you want good sound and playability it's going to cost.

Cheers, well I'll organise to take it somewhere like capt toms sometime or something?

190...cheapy...I could make one for about 250-300

I might make one, just for the novelty...based on the picture in the above post.

On Craigs point, what kind of guitar is it you use? Rikenbackers are quite popular in that scene though...Converge use them... I don't see why the amp should limit his sound if he's playing through a clean channle...fenders are guff for high gain distortion on their own but surely using a metal zone into the clean channle would return favourable results? All the amp would be doing is making it loud rather than producing the acctual distortion? If it has an effect loop could you put it into the return side and eliminate the amplifiers pre-amp so then the amp would just be amplifying the signal from the pedal...sort of like the pedal becoming the pain tone controls? I am sure I've done this with a DS-1 into my Marshall and it sounded all right. And for that kind of music you'd be wanting scooped mids but with a bit of crunch, so put some mid in bt not too much? Experiment! Or Buy another amp, I wouldn't say sell the fender as it may prove useful in the future and you'll kick yourself for getting rid. For value the Laney TF320 like Rennie's is decent for that style of music, plenty output and power, reliable and if you wanna make it bigger you can buy an extension cab. It's also go two drive channles so with a distortion pedal you can have 3 choices of drive...or more if you combine...

Machine heads could be the problem...there orginal and it was well used and gigged in it's younger days, all but one of the machine heads are original...a little accident when I was 3 and I knocked it over caued one to go missing. The neck does seem to have slightly too much forward bow to it so some adjustment there would prob. be needed. Just need someone to look at it really and tell me whats wrong and what needs done.

Well it does give you super strong neck/body join as they are one...no bulcky heel area for bolts like on a bolt on...surely that's an improvement? It allows for radical double cut aways which otherwise maybe be unstable/somewhat fragile...that's a bonus?

I am considering just a set up after thinking about it last night. I could set up the trem/intonation myself but neck relief is something I haven't done before. New pots and wiring would also be a must too I think. Re-fret might be needed but I think I can put that off for a while yet. The main problem is the fact it goes out of tune so easily. Anyone suggest any reasons for this? Keeping the original hardware and finish would be good to retain it's character, just need to be careful as it belongs to another family member and it's old. Currently it just sits in it's case which is such a waste. How are Bruce Millars and RandB's for getting set ups done by the way?

Your so right! Where's the style and grace huh?

You don't have the intellegence to comprehend setting up and restoring a guitar let alone acctually carrying the task out. So does no one have any ideas?

You pay for what you get with guitars to some extent. It all depends on who your buying from really. Some companies offer better products for cheaper and some companies are over priced...a Gibson Les Paul might cost 1700 and a Tokai copy about 900 and from what I've heard the Tokai might be bette built...it's still not 150 though is it? Good wood costs...the better the wood you use the better the sound you will get. Where as Alder comes in at around 50 for a guitar sized sheet, some like Brazilian Mahogany is going to be in the hundred's. Better electronics cost more. Good pickups cost more than the one you'll find on a cheap guitar. Better magnets, more accuratly wound wire even active components all cost more and sound better. Time and care that goes into building a better guitar bumps up the price. Cheap guitars are made by the hundreds in factories and slung together, more expensive guitars can have hand selected woods, no manufacturing faults<more rejects costs more>, carefully finished and put together. Taking time costs money and leaves you with a better product.

Yeah if your going to play 6 string your going to need pretty big hands, even on a wide 5 stretching can become a problem.