The Guitar Thread

[Tom 14011]

I'm shite at setting guitars up so can't comment! My Ibanez has a floating trem so that's worse

 

The idea of the Helix and how they made it blows my mind, especially as it's supposed to play and sound like a ton of famous valve amps!

[Andrew 4713]

Just going through the 60 odd pre-done patches on the thing is a real eye opener to how much this can do, there are loads of famous sounds recreated, usually with PES style slightly dodgy name so you can figure out what it is.

 

I'm not making any patches yet, just figuring out how to use it all has given me option paralysis, too many things I could do.

 

There are a couple of "SFX" demo patches on it which just produce some seriously weird and wonderful sounds as well.

[Andrew 4713]

OK bit more of a write up!

 

The RG.

 

Absolutely immense, this is not an "expensive" guitar, it was £340 and as far as I am concerned is further proof (if any was needed) that the quality of lower/mid range guitars these days comfortably makes them the sort of thing a pro could use with no ill effects. I've played a lot of moreexpensive guitars, I've owned a few and there is nothing in it when picking it up and playing the thing that would make you think it was any less than my Custom Shop Telecaster, its astonishing. As you'd expect for an Ibanez it does its best work with a high gain amp such as the 5150 III patch I am in love with on the Helix right now and it fucking screams! No small part of that will be down to the Helix/Speaker but the guitar keeps up with them very happily, the trio of things I got this weekend combine into an absolutely massive sound, it makes me feel like a kid again just starting out and getting excited that those sounds are coming out of my hands, it's inspiring, it makes me want to play it, what more can you ask? Honestly @Tom if you're considering getting rid of the Matt Bellamy sig for something similar I can't recommend this enough RG421EX, Ibanez's traditionally catchy naming convention at work.

 

The Helix.

 

This mother fucking thing! I have never owned a piece of gear as exciting as this, I'm a self concious player and generally stick to my own home when playing, just for me. I also have a very broad taste and will flip flop between genres in the blink of an eye. I've always felt that the gear I've had has imposed limits on my playing that I didn't want, "I can't get this tone or that tone, I've got my amp setup for metal and I'll have ot change everything to play some blues" and other excuses.

 

That feeling has completely disappeared, I can go from an insanely saturated 5150 (as mentioned above) to a proper Dumble clone with a tube screamer in front of it and go full SRV or Bonamassa with a press of two footswitches, its liberating in a really enjoyable way.

 

I'm really still scratching the surface of what it can do, I've graduated from using the preset patches to using downloaded ones other people have made from the Line 6 website, I'm looking at paid for IRs of various other amps/pedals that people have made that other users are talking about, they're like £2 each and I'll make that step  pretty soon I'm sure, not even started making my own yet!

 

Also giving a shout out to the Alto TS210, the PA speaker I bought to accompany the Helix, its really impressed me, powered, quiet (no fan), delivers a big big sound really well, ran some music through it the other day (from my PC, through the Helix and into the speaker) to jam with a bit as well and it sounded awesome.

 

I always get a bit of buyers remorse between ordering something and it arriving, especially when its gear I've not actually tried before buying. Getting all this stuff was a great idea!

[Tom 14011]

Glad to hear you're enjoying it! I'm still perplexed by the concept of the Helix. Just the detail they went to strikes me as insane. When modelling amps they literally took them to pieces and studied the wiring etc so as to give them the best chance. The idea of making and selling patches is cool too, especially if people can do it well. Imagine watching a show, say Bonamassa at red rocks and saying 'I fancy that tone' and it being as simple searching for it online

 

I also have an RG, mines as 25th anniversary model, with the Vai pick up set up and an edge III. Its a great axe to have in the arsenal and it certainly punches above its weight.

 

 

 

I've been playing my old SG recently like. As a kid i thought it was a pure rock guitar but it's only recently I've learned of it's 'proper' sound. Which is bluesy and clean and not half as harsh as what you expect an SG to be. Which is a shame really because i stickered the hell out of it over a period of about 16 years

 

 

[Andrew 4713]

Looking to trade a bunch of my stuff in, either against something new or just for cash, emailed a local (big) shop asking if they'd be interested in any of it since there is more stuff than I want to cart to a shop to be offered pittance.

 

Sent a list asking for just a ballpark starting figure and they couldn't even be arsed with that, just sent back "how much do you think its all worth?"

 

Having worked in retail that did trade ins I'm sure thats not how its supposed to work, if I'm putting my own pricing on it I might as well just stick it all on ebay.

 

Btw if anyone wants anything heres a list.

 

Amps;

Egnater Tweaker 15: Excellent condition, never gigged, all in perfect working order including original box and manuals.

Vox AD30VT: Same as above, in really good nick and never gigged, no box/manuals for this one.

 

Pedals;

All ungigged and in excellent condition.

ProCo Rat 2 Distortion with Original Box and Power Converter.

Dr Tone PSU10 Power Supply with power leads.

Dr Tone DST101 Distortion.

Dr Tone OVD101 Overdrive.

Dr Tone DLY101 Delay.

Dr Tone CHR101 Chorus.

Dr Tone FTN101 Chromatic Tuner Pedal.

Stagg UPC688 Pedal Case.

 

Guitar;

LTD KH202L; Left handed Kirk Hammet Signature guitar, decent condition with some signs of age, this is the older version of the guitar that had passive EMGs rather than ESPs own pickups and a gloss painted neck rather than a plain maple one.

 

It's all good stuff and it all works fine, just looking to get rid of the amps since I've got the helix now and don't really play the guitar, making room for something else on the rack.

[Andrew 4713]

Traded the above (minus the vox, plus a Fender CD100CE) at Richtone music in sheffield and ordered this (due to arrive this week!) along with some cash for the NZ fund.

 

 

Always wanted a Wolfgang, converting this to a lefty once I get it and installing a trem setter mod so I can drop tune without any issues. 

[Tom 14011]

I've never bothered trading anything before really!

 

The Wolfgang looks awesome like, they always looked like they'd be a bit small for me though! 

 

Get tapping  

[Andrew 4713]

God fucking dammit.

 

http://www.guitarworld.com/gear-news-electrics/evh-announces-new-left-handed-models/31408

 

 

[Tom 14011]

Oh god  

[Andrew 4713]

Woo,

 

 

 

[Tom 14011]

Nice  

[Andrew 4713]

I'll be selling it in about October to get a left handed one if you are interested?

[Tom 14011]

Talk to me in October

 

Today I got given a Boss BR-800 and a Digitech Jam Man from a kind lady at work, they were her late husbands and she gave me them as she knew I'd use them.

 

I was over the moon as my TC Electronic looper has literally just packed in & I've never been able to commit financially to recording gear as I've always defaulted to guitars.

 

Currently looking for the cheapest microphones/software so I can do some recording/editing on the PC.

 

[Andrew 4713]

Reaper(free) will do the trick for recording software as long as you've some sort of interface, mic wise the Shure SM57 is the boyo you want.

 

Interface wise Focusrite make good shit and you can get something like this https://www.gak.co.uk/en/Focusrite-Scarlett-2i2-2nd-Gen/77597?gclid=Cj0KCQjwhrzLBRC3ARIsAPmhsnW8R1aiwD_H-v7EubuXHcuvSFiGlbwoqDubg1i2RX-MTdZ0xzdsQqkaAjClEALw_wcB

 

The Helix will record via USB into Reaper really well, you can even playback a plain signal through the helix and back to the computer to re-amp it which is really cool.

[Tom 14011]

The BR800 has a USB interface mind! I think I'll settle for pretty much any MIC i

can grab, same goes for headphones/monitors as it stands.

 

Itll be a slog because I'm a bit skint right now but it'll be fun when everything's together.

I'll even borrow a drum kit  

[Tom 14011]

WIthout going all Patrokles on your ass this is the first song I did with the BR 800

 

Can't remember the name of the software I used but I couldn't edit anything, so everything is non mastered.

 

the guitar used is a 1970s East German Kay acoustic my sister got for £10

 

[LooneyToony 41]

That is really nice, Tom. Fantastic.

 

Hey Tom and Andrew, I didn't know you guys played guitar.   I play the Kazoo.  Hit me up sometime and we'll jam! 

[Tom 14011]

Cheers  

[Tom 14011]

My sister just bought this, but she's moving in at the end of the month so I'll get to play it a bit.

 

It's a squier Gary Jarman & I know it sounds class because I watched him play it on Saturday & in may.  

 

[Tom 14011]

Does anyone know of any good bass amps that are cheapish btw? 

[Andrew 4713]

Fender Rumble 40?

Not super cheap mind, got a budget?

[Tom 14011]

I'm not sure really...she's looking at Orange Bass amps now for fucks sake.

 

Bit of an orange fan girl, I know they're great guitar amps but I've got no idea about the bass.

[Andrew 4713]

I think theyve a solid reputation there too.

 

The Orange Crush and Fender Rumble range seem to live in about the same price bracket, I'd be surprised if either was anything less than decent.

[Tom 14011]

Yeh I suppose so, the only experience I've had is loan of a fucking massive fender one, which sounded good - especially as I was using a Ricky/Jazz bass at the time and the time I used my Jazz and an Ashdown.

 

the orange and Jarman will look cooler than all of them so it'll probably sound better too. Nailed on.

[Tom 14011]

 

 

brap