Make Your Own Guitar Effects Pedal

[Daniel~]

I think this has got to be one 0f the most remarkable threads I ever read!
We are 10 years on together and we're Still just getting to know each other!

Let those who will blabber on about coincidences...This was meant to be! ":O}|

I can't carry a note. Yet EVERY one of my close friends in my early 20s (all 3 of them) were Musically inclined, one ended up writing two of the Songs On the seminal Eagle's Album,( Jack Tempchin.)

Now I find that once again I'm surrounded by Musicians..I just can't escape the music and really, why try! ":O}

 

[Gizmo]

There's the Hipshot Drop D tuning machine that makes dropping the "E" to "D" easy, but I recall another de- tuning gadget that was much easier to use and much, much faster. Sorry, can't remember the name of it. I saw a Drop D tuning gadget on a dog house (orchestral or stand-up) bass once, too.

I've been debating on getting a Hipshot, because it detunes at the peg. There's another detuner that works at the bridge (the EVH D-Tuna, apparently created by Eddie Van Halen), as well as one that clips directly on the string just above the nut (the Pitchkey).

The D-Tuna has a problem with Floyd Rose tremolo bars, but that's not really an issue for bass. It also has a problem with floating bridges in general, although this isn't a problem for me. Detuning at the bridge, though, just strikes me as asking for problems. That said, it seems that most of the people that use them are quite happy with them.

The Hipshot on the other hand can be a bit fiddly to install and get working correctly. In some cases you may have to do a little work on the nut to get the string moving in the nut freely. Again, most of the people that use them seem to be quite happy with them.

The Pitchkey seems to be the most problem-free of the bunch in terms of installation. Since it also tunes behind the nut, it can suffer from the same string movement issues as the Hipshot. My biggest concern with it is that it 'pinches' the string, so I'm concerned that it can cause extra abuse to the string. Dunno if that's a legitimate concern or not.

Have you seen a fanned fret bass guitar? Their intonation is much more accurate than a standard fretted bass. They look like a difficult transition would be required. Naturally the player in the ad said it was easy as pie for him!

I just ran across those the other day, first I'd heard about them. I've not had a chance to play one, so I can't say much about them, but the concept seems reasonable enough, and one thing I've noticed on my bass is that there is a very slight intonation change at the 12th fret. I don't play much up there, but it bugs me knowing that it's there and I can't really do anything about it.

 

[Gizmo]

I think this has got to be one 0f the most remarkable threads I ever read!
We are 10 years on together and we're Still just getting to know each other!

Let those who will blabber on about coincidences...This was meant to be! ":O}|

I can't carry a note. Yet EVERY one of my close friends in my early 20s (all 3 of them) were Musically inclined, one ended up writing two of the Songs On the seminal Eagle's Album,( Jack Tempchin.)

Now I find that once again I'm surrounded by Musicians..I just can't escape the music and really, why try! ":O}

I've lived in a world populated by music my entire life. My Dad raised me on Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Ray Price. I've played Sax since I was 8 years old. I always have music going through my head, either songs I've heard or just stuff I make up. Everywhere I turn my ear, I hear music; in the wind, the rustle of the leaves, the chirping of the birds, the sound of children, even the cacophony of the city.

Even on my worst days, I live in a marvelous and wondrous world.

 

[Daniel~]

"Oh! I did not know that!"
Now that I do...There are doctors that can fix that!. Stay away from them!
I can't think of anything else to say without my envy pouring out on the page.":O}

 

[Gizmo]

"Oh! I did not know that!"
Now that I do...There are doctors that can fix that!. Stay away from them!
I can't think of anything else to say without my envy pouring out on the page.":O}

Truth be told, I sometimes wonder if I'm not just a bit 'teched in the haid' as they say. If so, I have no desire to be cured.

For sure and certain, I've learned that I have a different way of looking at the world than most. That frequently gets me in trouble, but it also keeps life interesting.

 

[Daniel~]

Our "gifts" are ours to care for. When we do, they care for us! ":O}

 

[cloasters]

Shucks, I didn't give enough notice to the fact that booman created two albums, when he first mentioned it some time ago and also his recent post about them. You DA MAN, booman! I've never written anything more than a few licks and tbh they were mostly pretty lame. Wow, credit where it should go! That is very impressive, my hat is doffed to you.

Thinking about it a 6-String bass guitar HAS to be quite neck heavy. Yay, another excuse not to have one! I'm lucky, only one of my 4-Strings is just a tad neck heavy. Can't recall if it's the G&L or the Fender Jazz bass. Oh well, I'm not gonna find out tonight. The much better musician than I that I mentioned doing perfect pitch exercises with also quit playing. He's a pro and plays jazz. He's one heck of a guitarist, and puts my ability to shame. Yet he has twenty years under his belt, went to Berklee and has played as a professional for years. He threw in the towel after leading a jazz band locally and being paid very little over what his players made. The headaches were legion and local musicians are now paid like dirt.

The entertainment business has always been cruel. There is now no point in going professional if you aren't a a darn near genius player. Perhaps near genius isn't good enough, it's impossible to make a living worth talking about if you don't have star level talent. I'm thinking of Bakithi Kumalo who played on "Graceland," Marcus Miller a Miles Davis veteran and reaching into the past, James Jamerson. There are notable Caucasian players too Carol Kaye is another oldie, a member of The Wrecking Crew (it's a movie title available on-line) these were the unsung musicians that played the instruments behind many, many hit bands of the sixties. Sorry, memory not working, there are some modern women bass players with enviable chops and talent.

 

[cloasters]

Playing sax since you were eight years old? The hat is off to you, you are an amazing musician! I imagine that any instruction with the licorice stick in fourth grade would have helped, and I forgot about the trumpet I was loaned by the public school in fifth grade. Very good instrument to annoy anyone in the same house with. What's a mute? I never knew.

"Tetched in the head?" Not that I have ever noticed, but I'm coming from a somewhat tetched gray area myself. You seem to have no issues with Tech, so maybe you're a little "Teched" in the noggin? Who can say about these ephemeral subjects?
Everywhere you turn you hear music? James Jamerson, arguably the most talented bass player of the twentieth century said much the same thing.

The Hipshot, though popular has never seemed to be the best de-tuning solution to me. They look clumsy and time consuming. A tiny widening of the "E" string's slot in the nut may help and graphite applied there wouldn't hurt, either.

A gadget at the bridge would give me pause too. Messing with freakin' bridges, no matter how well designed and heavy duty with plenty of high quality metal always make me nervous as well.

The ultimate solution I've seen is a bass guitar with an extended scale on the "E" string only. A swift pass of the hand puts those extra two frets (maybe three. It's been years since I've seen one) into or out of play. I'm sure that bass was well priced for the money conscious. Not.

I've never had a bass with perfect intonation at all frets on all strings. Without the hassle of learning and paying for one of those fanned fret basses perfect intonation is a pipe dream. Who knows, mebbe fanned frets aren't perfect either! Unless you're Jaco Pastorius on his fretless, of course. "Portrait of Tracy," you might look it up, pretty sure it's on Youtube.

Leo Fender was fibbing about his Precision Bass. All the same, they are the most recorded basses on Earth.

 

[Daniel~]

"Llfe leads the thoughtful man on a path of many windings"
You guys are proof of that! ":O|

 

[cloasters]

101 Proof Wild Turkey? When I was an alki stronger than 86 Proof was a real mistake. Had to leave it alone. Had a sip of Everclear once many years ago. Unholy stuff that is. But the band named Everclear is very good, imho.

I was trying to remember Tal Wilkenfeld who played with Jeff Beck when she was sixteen. Whoo-eee, now that's a bass player!
I should be lucky enough to have five percent of her talent. Being more like three percent is mighty humbling, yet it's the painful truth. Envious of her gear back then, too. EBS from Sweden, extremely expensive. Or at least it used to be.
Glockenklang amps and speakers from Germany used to cost around 25 grand--each. From what I see today the prices have dropped amazingly. My guess is that at least some of their line MUST be made in China nowadays.
It's the same with EBS gear. I can't find a price list but point to point wiring done in China must cost far less than if the Swedes do it. I wonder if the solder joints are as clean? Wouldn't bet on it.

For me I hope dream gear will always beckon but will never be bought. I ain't good enough to deserve it! Your Fender Rumble 350 sounds like a very interesting choice. 19 Hz, that's amazing. However I doubt that that frequency has a flat response. And that probably doesn't natter very much. Seems like you are a 4-String enthusiast. Me too. A low "B" would be nice in theory, but I bet I'd vibrate that string unintentionally all the time.

And a 34" scale isn't enough for a "B" string. to the best of my knowledge 36" is necessary. Kinda think I'd have to stretch a bit at the longer scale. No fun. Not to mention that 36" is too long for "A, "D" and "G" strings. No perfect lunch, arrgh. It's quite possible that someone has built a bass that's right on both scales. I'm sure it's a bargain if it exists.

 

[Gizmo]

And a 34" scale isn't enough for a "B" string. to the best of my knowledge 36" is necessary. Kinda think I'd have to stretch a bit at the longer scale. No fun. Not to mention that 36" is too long for "A, "D" and "G" strings. No perfect lunch, arrgh. It's quite possible that someone has built a bass that's right on both scales. I'm sure it's a bargain if it exists.

Yeah, I believe the 6 string basses are pretty much all 36" now, just so you can keep a decent amount of tension on the low strings.

As for 4-string vs. 6-string, I have no need for 6. I have a hard enough time keeping track of 4!

 

[Daniel~]

You guys may not realize this but I'm pretty tight with the guys who run this place.

If you want I could ask them to create a music related site...just let me know! ":O}

 

[cloasters]

A music related site? I dunno, that seems like a very nice concept but wouldn't it be quite far away from our basic thrust of Linux and Computers with Trimmings-ville? It's fantastic that booman started this thread! I thought the sounds created by that do it yourself stomp-box were less than stellar. But the point was that you can build it yourself and modify it to the moon if you wish. Then we went astray as we often do. Yay!

Oops, I forgot to congratulate Daniel for knowing a person that actually wrote two songs for the Eagles. I could be ambivalent about the Eagles but after they added Joe Walsh I don't have any complaints. Never bought any of their music but that's true for the great majority of musical efforts. The last LP I bought was "Tutu" by Miles Davis and company. "Perfect Way" is my favorite track but a friend tells me that that song was stolen. Stealing is of course a well worn and time honored way of laying down tracks on wax. Garsh, I can talk like an old timer!

Hold on, I'm old. Careful, it can happen to you!

I bought a left-handed 4-String a few years ago. The idea was that I'd broaden my dexterity and give my fretting hand a break because I've had problems with arthritis and carpal tunnel over the years. I couldn't play note one on it! It was an inexpensive Brice and I returned it with no problems at all. Go Brice!

Speaking of fretting hand difficulties... Have either of you august persons had a lesson from a professional teacher? I ask because even a handful of lessons can be invaluable in quite a few ways. I was dang lucky, my uncle sprang for a couple of grand worth of lessons for me. Thank you uncle Ken!

As far as fretting hand usage goes, I was originally doing it wrong. I was using the pads of my fingers. It's much more efficient to utilize the very tips of your fingers--just a tad short of the fingernail. Putting on pressure vertically is the correct method. This requires less pressure. Extra unneeded pressure is what can destroy your wrist in time.

I wish I could say that I learned this correct embouchure completely. I got about half way there. Early lessons are extremely important! Please get them if you possibly can.

My teacher was a little short on patience. He had the nerve to play "If I only had a brain" on his custom made fretless a few times when I wasn't learning something as fast as he taught it. I mean, as if I was slow on the uptake!

 

[Gizmo]

A music related site? I dunno, that seems like a very nice concept but wouldn't it be quite far away from our basic thrust of Linux and Computers with Trimmings-ville?

It would have to be completely unrelated to GOL or AOA. It's not necessarily a bad idea, but there are already a lot of music sites out there and I'm not sure how we'd differentiate ourselves.

Speaking of fretting hand difficulties... Have either of you august persons had a lesson from a professional teacher? I ask because even a handful of lessons can be invaluable in quite a few ways. I was dang lucky, my uncle sprang for a couple of grand worth of lessons for me. Thank you uncle Ken!

I am currently taking lessons from a guy who plays a lot of the local clubs and such. My first lesson from him, I played a bit for him. He then asked me why I had come to see him; what was it I expected him to show me? (We had already talked for a bit and he realized that I had a significant music background, so it was a legitimate question.)

I explained that I couldn't escape the feeling that there was something fundamentally wrong with my technique. His response was "You're right, you're working WAY too hard. You're strangling the bass, like you're trying to wrestle it into submission. Treat it like a lover instead."

My teacher was a little short on patience. He had the nerve to play "If I only had a brain" on his custom made fretless a few times when I wasn't learning something as fast as he taught it. I mean, as if I was slow on the uptake!

Benji can get a little impatient, too, but only because, as he puts it "I think there's a great bass player in there somewhere, we just have to find him". Not 'great' in the sense of 'technically skilled' but in the sense that my goal is to serve the music the best that I can. Being a bass player isn't about ripping off awesome riffs, or virtuoso performances. It's about being the one that provides the glue that holds everything together.

 

[Daniel~]

yes completely new to you. To me it would just another forums I could poke my noise into.":O}
I don't know anything about computers either.

Just something I thought you might like to do.":O}

 

[cloasters]

I do believe that you're the real deal musician, Gizmo. I'm very happy that you are taking lessons, I'm surprised that you had the same problem as I did/still do, unfortunately. Please take your teacher's advice about not strangling the neck to heart! Early instruction is far better than waiting for lessons, saving your wrist and hand muscles is so surprisingly important. At least it was for me--I didn't have a lesson until I had four years under my belt. I wish I'd been much smarter than that!

There was something about the size of a bass and the thickness of the strings that made me feel that it was a monster that had to be subdued. Wrong, wrong, wrong! Writing about this actually brings back some of the feeling of fatigue in my left wrist from the days when I still played every day. Major economy of effort is required for proper playing. Loose as a goose will develop your ability to the max. I sincerely hope you will or are already able to do easy does it!

My teacher also played a lot locally. I'm out of touch with that aspect of the world of music. I saw him play with a local jazz luminary called Toots Hasegawa, probably mis-spelled, sorry. The guy wails most tastefully on that nice fretless of his. My better musician than I friend hired him for local work and had no complaints at all about his playing. My teacher is a jazz only player, as was my guitar playing maestro buddy. Tbh, jazz scares the hell out of me from a playing it standpoint. It's far too difficult, rock is a much easier palette to work within. Perhaps I could have played jazz-fusion eventually, but maybe I'm overstating my little bit of talent.

My goal was to lay down a good bottom line. All musician's jobs are to make fellow players sound good. Yet bass is truly fundamental to this, obviously. Most non bass players would much rather hear a solid simple bottom line than a wild slap happy performance, even if done very well. And that's the truth.

About a music forum Dan. You don't know anything about computers? It is to laugh. I feel really under capable of really writing about music, tbh. For one thing, how do you write about something you only hear? I know very little about music when I think of the great encyclopedia of it. There is a Grove Encyclopedia of Music. It takes up more than seven feet of shelf space.
To me one of the most beautiful aspects of music is that it's here, then gone completely. It's temporary importance can be great indeed, if it's a good composition--listen carefully. But then it slipped into the past.