***The Official Guitar Thread***

Do it. I have 3 on my board :o

Sorry for the dumb question - have you tried simply swapping the guitar? I.e. seeing what happens when using another.
 
Noise gate is one of those things for me.. like compression.. if you're just playing for yourself it's not that important. With others it is.


Just planed the front wedge edges for the glue up. It's so flat that there's no light between them and the straight edge and when they're together there's no light between the two edges. It's now glued and is currently in the clamps. This is the important one as it's the sound board.
 
Raymond Lin said:
3 noise gates? WTf?
Click to expand...

One behind each thing that causes gain / noise:

The guitar.
Front end pedals.
Amp

All are Decimator X pedals, front and back one are connected by a cable that helps avoid over clamping at the back =]

Final pedal of the set is arriving tomorrow… then I consider the board ‘complete’ and I’ll post the ridiculousness then…!

Oh - Neural DSP have a 50% sale on Plug-Ins at the moment if anyone is interested.
 
Just gave myself a heart attack... 3 hours into the glueing the front I thought I'd check the new top.
I had put some masking tape to help stop it from sticking down to the board underneath. However with three clamps (including two screw tighten clamps), and hitting it with a wood block and hammer it wasn't moving! *parp* explored with a thin metal ruler underneath and it seemed not much but one area was stuck fast.. so I moved the two screw clamps over.. they were screwed enough to be bending.. block and hammer.. not moving.. then just as I resigned myself to cutting the ply board off using a router etc.. it slowly shifted.

Turns out that some of the supporting board ply came off (not a problem). Cleaned it up the block by removing the masking tape and squeeze out.. checked the bond between the wedges, and put into clamps. Brought it inside and left the final squeeze out to dry off. It sounds good, there's no gaps or movement.. I consider myself extremely lucky - it still looks like a perfect glue up. Sounds awesome too already.

Before anyone thinks it's just wood.. that spruce top £81. The maple back wedges and sides £153. I don't want to **** it up as I'm still under budget and want to keep it that way!

I've made a dependency chart for the construction. Next I'll make the gadget/contraption for testing the top when weight is put on. That means as I go along I can see if the top starts bending under the load that the bridge would put on it. Starting to come together..

Edit: Now 6 hours later and the top wedge already sounds like a drum.
 
Last edited:
Nitefly said:
Oh - Neural DSP have a 50% sale on Plug-Ins at the moment if anyone is interested.
Click to expand...

Yeah I tried Neural DSP.. not for me:
* there's still lag between playing and sound
* it gets very expensive and you can't simply rearrange the pedals any/which way
* the licensing engine sits on your machine, so it's a pain moving machines etc. It can take quite a bit of space too.
* doesn't feel quite as "alive" as pure analogue pedals

My steps to playing now:
* plug in
* flip metal switch on top of amp.
* plug in guitar to pedals (stops battery dying)
* wait for tubes to warm.. find plectrum box..
* play.
 
Last edited:
NickK said:
Yeah I tried Neural DSP.. not for me:
* there's still lag between playing and sound
* it gets very expensive and you can't simply rearrange the pedals any/which way
* the licensing engine sits on your machine, so it's a pain moving machines etc. It can take quite a bit of space too.
* doesn't feel quite as "alive" as pure analogue pedals

My steps to playing now:
* plug in
* flip metal switch on top of amp.
* plug in guitar to pedals (stops battery dying)
* wait for tubes to warm.. find plectrum box..
* play.
Click to expand...

Funny you should say that as I solved my notable latency issue with Neural DSP today… it immediately annoyed me so it was straight off to Google.

I changed the audio input from ‘windows audio’ to ‘ASIO’ and in doing that there was no discernible ‘lag’ difference between amp and computer. This seems to be a common fix. Worth giving it a try. You can always put your front end pedals into your audio interface. And also use the audio outputs form your audio interphase as an ‘amp effects loop’.

Despite having a pretty meaty / serious amp, there is no way on earth I could record it and make it sound better than a plug-in. It’s just not realistic without all the mic-ing up, sound treatment and volume. So plug ins is the way to go for home use.

I’ll probably get an Axe Effects 4, whenever that releases.
 
Last edited:
Nitefly said:
Oh - Neural DSP have a 50% sale on Plug-Ins at the moment if anyone is interested.
Click to expand...

Nobody was interested in the amazing offer IK Multimedia had with their products like ToneX Max, AmpliTude and 49 other things i got free with just one purchase.
You all missed out on one of the greatest deals I've seen in my lifetime.
 
SexyGreyFox said:
Nobody was interested in the amazing offer IK Multimedia had with their products like ToneX Max, AmpliTude and 49 other things i got free with just one purchase.
You all missed out on one of the greatest deals I've seen in my lifetime.
Click to expand...

Yeah that was a good un, thanks for sharing… I was assuming black Friday was the time to buy but I guess I missed out!
 
The ridiculous overkill board, as promised:

image1.jpg

image0-2.jpg


So what's in that chain then.... in order and with youtube vids:

Front End:

(1) Octaurus NOS by Jam Pedals - with a cheeky custom shop paint job. This is an octaver fuzz that can sound absolutely devastating when blaring out sludgy riffs.
(2) Peterson Stomp Classic Tuber - this is now discontinued but still great, I like how it can be 'always on' or tune muted.
(3) Decimator X by ISP - the first of three noise gates on the board - no point giving a link to this! This strips out noise prior to the compressor.
(4) Compadre Boost + Compressor by Strymon - this is truly an always on pedal... amazing IMO.
(5) Wahcko by Jam pedals - it's a wah, not much to say!
(6) Whammy DT by Digitech - this allows standard whammy pitch shifting plus the ability to adjust the entire tuning by up to an octave in either direction - this doesn't track perfectly but it's decent enough for dropping a semi-tone. I also like using it momentarily, to add a random hammer on in a riff, up to two octaves up.
(7) Zelzah Phaser by Strymon - also amazing... it's hard to turn it off because it just makes everything sounds better.
(8) Fuzz Universe Custom by Majik Box - a boost and overdrive in one, combining two pedals Paul Gilbert used back in the day.
(9) Keeley Modded TS9DX - a long discontinued Ibanez tubescreamer modified by Keeley.
(10) Dirty Tree Boost by Pepers Pedals - when reaching for those Meshuggah tones!
(11) The second Decimator X by ISP - this gets engaged if any of the pedals are introducing noise.
(12) Lehle P Split III - for using two amps in stereo, which eliminated ground hum. I currently have a Mesa JP-2C and also a very old but trusty Blackstar HT5.

Back End:

(1) The third Decimator X by ISP (Mesa Only) - this is always on to take away amp noise, connected by a cable to the first ISP in the chain so they react together and clamp in sync.
(2) Red Panda Radius (Mesa Only) - a ring modulator for those weird dissonant robot sounds.
(3) Pyramids Flanger by Earthquaker Pedals (running in stereo) - a lush, flexible flanger.
(4) Meris LVX (running in stereo) - a mega delay / modulator / looper with all sorts of weirdness available.
(5) Meris Mercury X (running in stereo) a mega reverb / modulator.

Yeah, it's getting pretty 'ethereal' in my neighbourhood.
 
Last edited:
LuckyBenski said:
- PGM
- Fuzz Universe pedal
- Paul Gilbert reference
- Curly cable

Do you like Pablo Gilberto by any chance?

It's the curly cable that really drove it home :D
Click to expand...

Ha yes, I do… or I did! I even had a lesson from him at one point. Jamming with him was just as embarrassing as you would imagine.

Tbh I think he’s ’lost it’ a bit recently. First, I don’t like his slide / bluesy playing, it does nothing for me. He’s also become a bit self-indulgent in interviews, as if he’s lost all self awareness from people liking him for so long. The Fuzz Universe album was dull but the title track is amazing and perhaps the last truly brilliant thing that I think he put out.

‘Peak’ Paul Gilbert was around 20 years ago IMO, for example in this video… skip to the solo at 2:35 and then watch his post song commentary at 5:30… classic:


Or this, where he’s so uncool but because he doesn’t care, it somehow flips back around to being cool as ****:


Curly cable was of my own choosing as an aesthetic choice… it looks much less messy when the guitar is in its stand, highly recommended! :)
 
Last edited:
Yup, I love the Space Ship One videos! Funnily enough I got into him with Vibrato right after Fuzz Universe and I really enjoy that phase where he got into writing and singing. Saw him live in... 2013? And it was great because while he's a killer player, he just loves the song. So he would do a mix of covers and originals but really putting the whole song first and not too much guitar widdle. But then it's PG so you're getting a whole lot of brilliant guitar widdling along with it :D

I have listened to some of the albums since that and he's gone a bit too far with the blues and slide. I can't dig a blues instrumental album, for instance. It needs songwriting to hold it up. Whereas Technical Difficulties, my first introduction to Paul's playing... Can listen to that on repeat!

Edit: definitely listening to Space Ship One today, cheers!
 
Last edited:
Just tried the Edson Lopes version of Scherzino Mexicano, which is slightly different to what I worked out many years back. I'm adopting his fingering for the middle section as it just sounds nicer, though is harder to play.

Also had my 5 yearly attempt at Capricho Arabe. If there is a more dramatic opening to a piece of music, I will be very surprised!
 
Been trying to find a hard case for the archtop.. can I find one that someone doesn't want 300+ for... so looks like I'll end up making a bespoke case too. It's less a problem with bout side, more a problem with neck length and arch height - the case needs to support the body without forcing the bridge through the top of the guitar if dropped. It should be relatively simple to bend and use dog-pegs to make a form. Two layers over lapping should then provide the sides, the top and back would then be secured on, then a fabric (perhaps a sprayed resin) over the top for the shell. Inside simply pad the hell out of it, except the bridge and strings. Thinking about it - it would good to have a protective pad to go under the trapezium tail piece to stop that whipping against the top. Ideas ,ideas..

I've looked into building a neck pickup - what I have in mind seems plausible (a humbucker without the bar magnet but slightly shorter magnetic pole pieces - like fender). I've done quite a bit of research on that but more at a later date.

Today I was finishing up the mould/bending of the sides. They're now ready to get glued into the neck and tail blocks. I have the outline so I can now crack on with the chassis holders for the top plate. I can then bend the linings too but I will need a load of pegs and rubber bands around them to secure them inside the sides when gluing.
 
potatolord said:
Just tried the Edson Lopes version of Scherzino Mexicano, which is slightly different to what I worked out many years back. I'm adopting his fingering for the middle section as it just sounds nicer, though is harder to play.

Also had my 5 yearly attempt at Capricho Arabe. If there is a more dramatic opening to a piece of music, I will be very surprised!
Click to expand...

 
I'm staying in drop D for a few weeks (partly so as not to destroy my tuning heads yet again). I will be mostly practicing
Scherzino Mexicano (Ponce) - needs a tidy up
Estrellita (Ponce)- both standard version and a Manuel Barrueco transcription which is heavy on harmonics. Plan is to mix that up a bit.
Ballad Allegretto (Koshkin)- needs a tidy up
Tango (Albeniz)- needs a tidy up, particularly second section
Capricho Arabe (Tarrega)- second section needs learning
Cancion de Cuna (Brouwer)- haven't played this for years, so will be much work. A lovely tune.

@NickK this one is the holy grail for me- tone, vibrato and dynamics are just impossibly good. But I do love Mr Bream.
 
Last edited:
Managed to make the neck and tail blocks, clean up the linings etc today. Tomorrow I'll fit (bend and glue) linings and the neck and tail blocks to the sides. The end result will be the outline shape of the body. I may also add the side bracings but I may not have enough clamps todo that at the same time. I'll have a second set of linings to bend and glue but I think I may glue the first set in first and the add the second set.

Then I'm onto front plate and the fun of testing and carving. Once that's done, I'll have the angles and spacing for the neck design so I can crack on with doing that (including testing that too). It seems simple to say "yes 3 degrees works" but the reality is the neck and the bridge height will change with loading and as the guitar settles in for the first months. The process I have will allow me to test the top as I carve and the neck bend when it's initially put together so I can counter for some of the variations.

My head block as a result is different to a normal acoustic, it's not a dove tail but a U with the neck through the hole and glued in. It may make any neck reset a little pain in the behind :D

I'll post some photos as this will start getting interesting (once I've found a free hosting site!).
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom