Those of you who've been reading this blog from its inception know that it's about guitars and recording, not just guitars. Well, after a flurry of early experiments, I stopped trying to record and focused on guitar, mostly buying new ones.
I recently found myself with some unexpected time off, so I decided to finally try some serious recording. I turned my PC into a dual-boot XP-Ubuntu machine a while ago and installed all the Ubuntu Studio audio packages but I never had a chance to try it out. Until now.
I've mentioned this before, but I'm a fan of Rob Chapman a.k.a. Rob Chappers a.k.a. The Monkey Lord on YouTube and I became a member of his forum to help design his latest guitar. Apparently, the members of this forum have occasional collaborations and I just happened to notice their latest one, so I wanted to try to record something. I downloaded the backing track - a simple blues progression in E - and got to work trying to figure out Ardour.
My recording rig was slightly comical. I didn't want to plug directly into the computer, but I needed a way to get the sound into Ardour. So I used the microphone I got with Rock Band. Yes, you heard me, I used a Rock Band microphone. It's USB, so it worked just fine with the computer. One thing about Ardour (and Linux in general) is that it's open source, so there's a wealth of information on how to use it. I Googled "ardour usb microphone" and got my setup instructions immediately.
With the microphone set up, I got to work recording. I already have some experience with Jack, the audio connection system, and Patchage, the excellent graphical connection manager, so setting that up wasn't bad. After fumbling around with Ardour I managed to get the backing track imported and I rattled off about eight or nine solos. I also managed to figure out how to export just the tracks I wanted into WAV files, although I still don't know how to export as MP3s, so I brought the WAV into Audacity to convert it to an MP3.
I ended up with one that I thought was pretty good so I submitted it for the collaboration. It was done on my Strat through the neck pickup with the volume on 10 and tone on about 6 and a half, then through my DigiTech RP90 on a custom preset based on a Marshal JCM800, then through my Line 6 Spider III 15 as an amp only - I had it on the clean channel with a flat EQ - then through the Rock Band microphone and into Ardour.
Here it is, I hope you like it. I know it's not perfect (I messed up in a few places) but I think it's pretty good for my first attempt. Enjoy!
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Friday, February 4, 2011
Decision made
In my last post regarding Les Pauls and how they don't fit me, I ended with a question as to what to do with the one I have, my Les Paul Junior Special. It's a fantastic instrument, but it's not one that I see myself playing much if at all in the future. I've had it for a while, though - over 12 years - so parting with it won't be as easy as it was when I traded my Telecaster for my new Ibanez.
But, after careful deliberation and discussion with my wife, I've decided that I'm going to do it. I'm going to bring it to Guitar Center and trade it for the guitar I really want, a hardtail Ibanez RG. Or at least I'm going to try. I see no reason why I shouldn't get as much as I got for my Tele, if not more. It's a genuine, made-in-USA Gibson, and a rare one at that. They were only made for a few years - based on my research, they were made between 1998 and 2002 - and very few of them were black. Most of the ones I've seen on the 'Net in pictures or for sale are either cherry or natural. But, if they don't give me enough for the guitar, I'll bring the Gibson back home with me, no harm, no foul. I think it'll work, though. If I get what I got for my Tele, I may even have enough for a case.
Another bonus, too, is that I don't have to shop for a guitar. I know exactly what I want, and according to their Web site, they have some in stock. I want a hardtail version of my Ibanez, and I found almost exactly that - the RG3EXFM1. There are only two minor dissimilarities - it's a flamed maple top, not quilted like mine, and it doesn't have the center single coil pickup. Actually, though, I prefer the H-H setup anyway, so that's a bonus in my eyes. The only thing I have to choose is the color. They have two colors available - blackberry, the same color as mine, and transparent gray burst. The only decision I have to make is what color to get. If they only have one left in stock, well, that decision is made, but if not, whatever one looks best in person is the one that comes home with me.
They're both nice colors, though, so I'd be happy with either one. Don't take my word for it - see for yourself:
So you see, either way I win. I'll let you know if it works out. I hope it does, because I really want another Ibanez. They've become my favorite guitars. If I were a professional, I'd try to get an Ibanez endorsement contract. Really. I like them that much.
Wish me luck!
But, after careful deliberation and discussion with my wife, I've decided that I'm going to do it. I'm going to bring it to Guitar Center and trade it for the guitar I really want, a hardtail Ibanez RG. Or at least I'm going to try. I see no reason why I shouldn't get as much as I got for my Tele, if not more. It's a genuine, made-in-USA Gibson, and a rare one at that. They were only made for a few years - based on my research, they were made between 1998 and 2002 - and very few of them were black. Most of the ones I've seen on the 'Net in pictures or for sale are either cherry or natural. But, if they don't give me enough for the guitar, I'll bring the Gibson back home with me, no harm, no foul. I think it'll work, though. If I get what I got for my Tele, I may even have enough for a case.
Another bonus, too, is that I don't have to shop for a guitar. I know exactly what I want, and according to their Web site, they have some in stock. I want a hardtail version of my Ibanez, and I found almost exactly that - the RG3EXFM1. There are only two minor dissimilarities - it's a flamed maple top, not quilted like mine, and it doesn't have the center single coil pickup. Actually, though, I prefer the H-H setup anyway, so that's a bonus in my eyes. The only thing I have to choose is the color. They have two colors available - blackberry, the same color as mine, and transparent gray burst. The only decision I have to make is what color to get. If they only have one left in stock, well, that decision is made, but if not, whatever one looks best in person is the one that comes home with me.
They're both nice colors, though, so I'd be happy with either one. Don't take my word for it - see for yourself:
So you see, either way I win. I'll let you know if it works out. I hope it does, because I really want another Ibanez. They've become my favorite guitars. If I were a professional, I'd try to get an Ibanez endorsement contract. Really. I like them that much.
Wish me luck!
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Irony Thursday: I no longer want a Les Paul
Ever since I waxed nostalgic about the Les Pauls I've owned and sold, I thought that some day I'd have another one, whether it be an official Gibson/Epiphone or a good quality copy like the ones made by Agile. The more I play, though, the more I'm learning what guitars fit me and which ones don't. Which made me come to a realization:
Les Pauls don't fit me.
Why? It all has to do with the body shape and, more specifically, the location of the lower body arch. I don't know the exact name of it, but it's the curve on the bottom of a guitar where you rest it on your right leg (or left leg if you're a lefty) when you play sitting down. There are two ways to sit with a guitar. One is the way I explained above; the other is similar to a classical guitarist, where you put the guitar between your legs with the lower curve on your left leg.
The designers of the Les Paul apparently had the latter position in mind when designing the guitar. The bottom curve is offset closer to the neck so that when the guitar is held in the classical seated position, the bridge is closer to the right leg, putting the playing area just about dead-center. The downside of this is that when the guitar is held in the right-leg position, the playing area is shifted even more to the right, which for me is very uncomfortable.
Contrast this with Fender guitars. On Strats and Teles, the bottom arch is more centrally located between the neck and the bridge, which makes the playing area perfectly placed for right-leg playing. This also holds true for Strat-based guitars like my Ibanez.
So what does that mean for me? Well, I'm a right-leg player. I try to play holding the guitar in the classical style but it just feels wrong to me. So when I play a guitar sitting down (which is most of the time) I set it on my right leg. Which is fine when I play my Strat or my Ibanez or my Durango. However, when I play my Les Paul Junior, it feels uncomfortable - it hurts my shoulder after a while because I have to hold my arm back further. So I end up switching between the right-leg position and the classical position, but since I don't like the classical position, I end up going back and forth until I just say, "Screw it" and use another guitar.
After coming to this epiphany, I naturally came to the conclusion that a Les Paul would not suit my needs. There are a few other guitars I'd like to have, and I would like to get one more guitar someday to round out my collection, but a Les Paul will not be one of them. The irony is that the whole Short List started with my desire to replace the Les Pauls that got away. I'm glad I went through the process of picking the right guitar instead of caving to my nostalgia or I would've ended up with another guitar that wasn't the right fit, like what happened with my Telecaster.
I also have a tough decision to make about my Les Paul Junior. It's a beautiful guitar and it does hold some sentimental value, but it spends most of its time in the closet because it's not comfortable for me to play. Like my old Telecaster, the Junior has real world value that could be used to acquire the gear I want if I choose to go that route. Sentimental value has a strong pull, though, so this won't be as easy as it was for the Telecaster. I only owned that for about eight months before selling it and getting my Ibanez. I've had the Junior since I bought it new in either 1998 or 1999.
I hate tough decisions.
Les Pauls don't fit me.
Why? It all has to do with the body shape and, more specifically, the location of the lower body arch. I don't know the exact name of it, but it's the curve on the bottom of a guitar where you rest it on your right leg (or left leg if you're a lefty) when you play sitting down. There are two ways to sit with a guitar. One is the way I explained above; the other is similar to a classical guitarist, where you put the guitar between your legs with the lower curve on your left leg.
The designers of the Les Paul apparently had the latter position in mind when designing the guitar. The bottom curve is offset closer to the neck so that when the guitar is held in the classical seated position, the bridge is closer to the right leg, putting the playing area just about dead-center. The downside of this is that when the guitar is held in the right-leg position, the playing area is shifted even more to the right, which for me is very uncomfortable.
Contrast this with Fender guitars. On Strats and Teles, the bottom arch is more centrally located between the neck and the bridge, which makes the playing area perfectly placed for right-leg playing. This also holds true for Strat-based guitars like my Ibanez.
So what does that mean for me? Well, I'm a right-leg player. I try to play holding the guitar in the classical style but it just feels wrong to me. So when I play a guitar sitting down (which is most of the time) I set it on my right leg. Which is fine when I play my Strat or my Ibanez or my Durango. However, when I play my Les Paul Junior, it feels uncomfortable - it hurts my shoulder after a while because I have to hold my arm back further. So I end up switching between the right-leg position and the classical position, but since I don't like the classical position, I end up going back and forth until I just say, "Screw it" and use another guitar.
After coming to this epiphany, I naturally came to the conclusion that a Les Paul would not suit my needs. There are a few other guitars I'd like to have, and I would like to get one more guitar someday to round out my collection, but a Les Paul will not be one of them. The irony is that the whole Short List started with my desire to replace the Les Pauls that got away. I'm glad I went through the process of picking the right guitar instead of caving to my nostalgia or I would've ended up with another guitar that wasn't the right fit, like what happened with my Telecaster.
I also have a tough decision to make about my Les Paul Junior. It's a beautiful guitar and it does hold some sentimental value, but it spends most of its time in the closet because it's not comfortable for me to play. Like my old Telecaster, the Junior has real world value that could be used to acquire the gear I want if I choose to go that route. Sentimental value has a strong pull, though, so this won't be as easy as it was for the Telecaster. I only owned that for about eight months before selling it and getting my Ibanez. I've had the Junior since I bought it new in either 1998 or 1999.
I hate tough decisions.
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