hariossa

Hey Lazz! I missed this one... I'm busy as el diablo!! but doing ok, being involved more and more in guitar making, which makes me very happy. I guess rockers won't like this kind of stuff: Los Panchos - Sin ti

Hey Lazz thanks for those links!! Ever heard about http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pd4onjZp7o?

The intonation problem is very simple to solve, just get new strings, an electronic tuner and a screwdriver that fits the string saddle screw and tou'll be on your way. I disagree with Rudi on striking the harmonics, I believe it's more accurate to compare the 12th fret with the open string, if the octave at the 12th fret is higher then tighten the saddle screw, tune the string and check again (repeat until you achieve the right intonation), obviously if the octave at the 12th fret is lower than the open note you must loose the saddle screw... Hey that's not a bad idea at all!!!

I've just changed the plywood block for a massive piece of ebony and it sounds way better now look!!! Here's the bass without the bridge and all electronic stuff: Look at the cheesy block of plywood under the bridge! I stuffed a lot of wet cotton around the block's base and top to soften the glue... A closer look to the bastard after it first came out: A very close look to the new ebony massive block!! look at how the block top matches the bass arched top. I ruined the first block I did because I sanded too much, this one is the second and last one, it's very hard to find ebony that thick... This one is to prove that I did it Sorry Rudi for hijacking I'm glad you have a new bass, I'm sure you're going to have great moments with it... after you heal the blisters on your right hand Cheers!

I think I fit in all that categories, it would be interesting to make a kind of dialog or answer your questions if you have some for me. cheers!

I own 2 cheap bass guitars, both of them are Hartley Benton's from Thomann.de, one is a 5 string fretless with active electronics, and the other is a McCartney's Höfner style with passive electronics. With cheap instruments like these you can't expect a well calibrated instrument and atention to detail, but since I spend all my weekends repairing instruments right now, I was able to drive both basses into their maximum stage. I have done a lot of recording with them and they do their job pretty well, all I need after recording is some EQ and compression. Some day I'll change them the pickups and replace the active circuit in the fretless for a better one (but I'll wait 'till the cheap one dies first), also I should replace the plywood block under the beatle one's bridge (the one inside the body between the top and the back) for a real piece of wood to improove it's sound. If you buy one be sure to get a set of good strings at the same time, the ones that came from factory were useless and went directly to the can. The fretless has the dots on the upper side of the neck "between the frets" and came with roundwound strings, it's obvious that this bass comes from the same production line of the fretted ones. cheers!

Imogen Heap, a capella. http://youtube.com/watch?v=pSIbfzK2spg

I have 2 Basses, one 5 string fretless and one McCartney style 4 string Bass...

wow, that would be great, but not, that's my weekend's job we're building too more with tthe same shape but different scale and woods, one of them will be mine!!

Luthier Marco Buitano built this beauty, it's a baritone guitar tuned in B and uses .11 strings, it feels like playing .9 on a regular guitar but with more "gonads". It has an ebony and wenge through-the-body neck and an ash and walnut body. I was in charge of all the electronics which consists of 2 Humbuckers, a push-pull Volume pot that turns the Seymour Duncan pickups into single coils, a Tone switch and a regular 3 way Les Paul-style pickup switch. Te control cavity is sealed with copper tape for electronic insulation and has a little cap on the volume pot to allow "expressive high frequencies" when you turn down the level, that's specially good when you're playing directly to a Valve amp, like Jeff Beck, you can start a solo with a clean sound using the guitar volume at "1" and make the guitar squeal with overdrive as you smoothly turn the volume up. The tone switch is a very nice feature too, since almost every guitarist never touches the tone pot on their guitars anyway... and it's a lot of fun to make rhythmic patterns on the switch, like Tom Morello does with an on/off switch only here it sounds like aah-ooh-aah-ooh... Using a switch for the tone makes possible to completely remove the tone cap from the circuit at its "off" position, so the guitar has less resistance and a more "pure" sound. Do I sound too proud? sadly I don't have sounds to prove it because the owner took it off our hands as soon as we finish it, but at least you can see the photos:

You guys gotta see this guy!! "The manualist"

great catch Lazz!!! some more jazz here with Pat Martino and this old classic "Four on Six":

yes, it's just like "look how fast I play" sort of thing...

In the 80's guitar playing speed was better than music, check the fastest guitar god of those times, Michael Angelo: I wonder why speed metal is not at the Olympic games...

;D excellent!!

I've seen guitars built using a 5 liters oil can, also a big beer can could make a nice body!! excellent founding Nightwolf!!

I check Songstuff as often as I can, I got a new job and at the weekends I'm working with a luthier, I'm building my own guitar!!! I'll post some pics soon, right now it's just a piece of wood...

Hey! that's why I love Songstuff!!!

I've spent many years writing only instrumentals, most of the times I started with the title, just some crazy title that creates a "feeling" in my mind and in contact with that "feeling" the music grows easier... hmmm... I think Steve is going to post another weird photo under this post...

For me "St. Etienne" by Frank Zappa, from "Jazz From Hell" is one of the best guitar solos of all times. This tune also features Steve Vai playing rythm guitar...

here's another big harp guitar: Beyond the Trees

I use Cheeze Machine for long sustaining chords, also I use a lot the Delay Lama it's a lot of fun!

I know I said this like a zillion times before, but all of the free Computer Music VST instruments are really good, and best of all: FREE!! (just the price of the mag). That said, Native Instruments makes the best ones, but you can also find a lot of free ones at KVR.

Ride My Face To Chicago - Frank Zappa

helter skelter - the beatles