Re-calling all guitarists...

[MIDI Life Crisis]

Feedback (pun intended...)

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=1a4_1416061046

[mikehalloran]

It would have sounded no different had the stage instrument been a cardboard cutout.

[Tritonemusic]

Wow, I never would have believed he was getting that kind of tone out of nylon strings, had I not seen it with my own two eyes.

[bayswater]

It would have sounded no different had the stage instrument been a cardboard cutout.

!!! I've spent a lot on guitars. I could get that sound with a cardboard cutout????

[mikehalloran]

It would have sounded no different had the stage instrument been a cardboard cutout.

!!! I've spent a lot on guitars. I could get that sound with a cardboard cutout????

Sure, just as easily as he got that sound out of a nylon stringed guitar. I liked the part where his fingers hit three different positions while the note made a half step bend up. Latency doesn't account for the mismatch, either.

Seriously, have you ever known anyone with finger vibrato that even? It would surprise me if that wasn't a VI being played on a keyboard. To me, it didn't sound like a guitar player. The guy miming it could play but he wasn't playing what I heard.

Yes, I have many thou$ands invested in guitars, too. I may no longer be able to play but I've not forgotten how.

[daniel.sneed]

My two cents: Any high gain sound on a nylon guitar turns playing in a nightmare... So can't believe what I hear!

[bayswater]

I haven't had to buy strings for a long time. I was given several years worth by a music store that was closing down. Before I buy another load of replacements for 7 electrics, 4 acoustics and 2 basses, I was wondering what strings others use, and why. My default is Pyramid.

One specific question, does anyone know who makes strings for Rickenbacker? I assume they don't make their own.

[daniel.sneed]

I bought some Rick strings a while back. They were fine to my ears and fingers. Didn't have any packaging. Only plastic bags. They were compressed roundwound kind.

Since then, I've been sold to D'Addario Chromes strings, though. They are ribbonwound kind.
And guess what, now I use them on my acoustic guitars, too...

[bayswater]

Ribbon as in flat wound? I just put some on my strat and the intonation went way off, and the tension is so much higher I can only get a floating bridge. Not sure I'm happy with that. I used flat wounds a lot in the past for live performance, but they don't seem so great for recording.

[Gravity Jim]

Most flats exhibit pretty high string tension, except the TI's which are lower tension than roundwounds, even. I don't mind the expense since flats last so long. Perfect on my Godin archtop and, surprisingly, a Variax I picked up for grins.

[James Steele]

Hahaha... can you say backing tracks? I bet the guitar player did not want to have to do that at all but was pushed into it and had to make the best of it. Saw this a while back and posted to my Facebook, which was good for a chuckle. Even most non-musicians can figure out what's wrong there.

[daniel.sneed]

Most flats exhibit pretty high string tension [...]

I totally agree, Jim. Of course different strings means different tensions, for same gauges.
Remember, some instrument tweaking may be required as soon as you change your string type or string brand.
To help getting upon this, D'Addario web site tension charts show individual string tensions for all string sets, for given intonations and string length (scale).
If you chose flatwounds, you may like a lower gauge than usual.
BTW, I quite always buy different plain strings than basic sets (1st and 2nd strings). Often higher gauges, but sometimes lower too, depending on guitars and playing kinds.

And, yes, flatwounds will play fine for very long times.
Much darker than rounds, which is what I love them for, and they will stay equal over time.

[wylie1]

Time to change the strings on my classical I guess.
This reminded me of live video I've seen where the guitar breaks into a whaling lead and the camera zooms in on the bass player.

[bayswater]

Most flats exhibit pretty high string tension [...]

I totally agree, Jim. Of course different strings means different tensions, for same gauges.
Remebre, some instrument tweaking may be required as soon as you change your string type or string brand.

Understood. These are Pyramid medium flat wound, and it looks like the intonation adjustment will take it right the limit of the bridge adjustment. I haven't used flatwounds for a long time, except on bass, and I doubt I will again. Thinking back, when I used them a long time ago, I probably used slack string tuning.

I've finished changing strings on all the guitars now. A mix of brands were at handy. D'Addario, DR, Markely, Fender, Gibson, Ric, Pyramid, Yamaha, Martin, GHS. Reading the labels, you'd think these are the most technically advanced advanced manufactured object ever produced. The D'Addarios feel right. The rest: meh.

[Shooshie]

Hahaha... can you say backing tracks? I bet the guitar player did not want to have to do that at all but was pushed into it and had to make the best of it. Saw this a while back and posted to my Facebook, which was good for a chuckle. Even most non-musicians can figure out what's wrong there.

Most video editors at least try to match some strokes, or with piano, some hands slamming down a chord, any chord, as long as it's timed to strike with the audio. These guys really didn't try very hard, did they?

That's why I don't like most movies or TV shows that deal with music and musicians. They'll show a sax player holding a low note while the sax is screaming all over the altissimo register, or the fingers are moving and the note is standing still... like the guitar in that movie. I've even seen them with the sax or clarinet's mouthpiece upside down! Reed on top! Then there is the hero horn player who sits in with the band, who plays some kind of funky brass arrangement, and the guy nails the lead line, all the notes, WITH NO MUSIC! Clairvoyant? Maybe, except that he also doesn't move his fingers, so maybe it's the trumpet itself that's got the ESP.

Oh well... It's the curse of being a musician. It's hard to enjoy the music unless you're playing it, or unless one of the legendary pro's is playing. Camera tricks don't work on musicians. Maybe on kazoo players.

Shooshie