[Retire]

Thirty Years. Wow.

 

I'm sure it will be a challenging transition.  All I have to say to you is thank goodness you play the guitar.  So many people I know don't have any hobbies.   Playing guitar will always give you a goal, something to achieve for that day.  As well, something you can look forward to.   My sister lives in a retirement home,  I see her neighbors all the time.  Those that are the happiest are those who maintain their interests.  

[the signal processor method]

5 hours ago, Rudi said:

Maybe you dont have the opportunity to use the volume levels to make the simulation complete. Or maybe you literally dont have a powerful enough amp?

 

Both.  At ten watts output and having to limit the master volume to 5 (neighbors)  It's just not there for me.   While I've got a 60 watt roland cube sitting in the corner anything past the 3 mark and the cops are at my door.  

[the signal processor method]

Great read Rudi.

 

Things will change with a variax.

 

Line 6 strove for authenticity as much as humanly possible with the models included.  This means that the output and tone control varies widely from model to model.  One of the forum members from VGuitars created a customized bank based on all the original settings but...Volume levels.  He normalized the volume across the board so if you are switching say from a Les Paul to a Gretsch Duo Jet the output is the same.  I have his custom bank which I've modified a little on my variax.  It's convenient but not authentic anymore.  As a result I'm going through a "unbalancing" act in my own modded model guitars.  Sure I can't change the virtual string windings, gauge, bobbins and base plates but there is much that can be done with regards to varying the output on a per string basis and altering the pots capacitance and resistance.   It's nothing that I would advise a working musician to do.

 

My first "serious" modelling attempt is trying to recreate Frampton's Les Paul Custom.  His signature model is not far from the truth to the original one he owned.  Which was modded before he acquired it.   Originally it had soap bar P90's not humbuckers.   Though Gibson states that his original "modded" LPC had two Gibson humbuckers and a humbucker of "unknown origin" in the middle.   I personally have every reason to believe that all three humbuckers were SD's.  two Jazz and one JB in the bridge.  As well Frampton's original had a different wiring then every other 3 pup.  On the original one it was two tone and two volume. On LP Customs with 3 pups the wiring goes.... Neck only, Bridge Only and the middle position is bridge and middle.  On Frampton's one that he played he had the middle pup always on.  And the tone was bypassed for the middle pup.   The three-was selector was...

Bridge-Middle, All Three, Neck Middle.   When you take out the tone control completely on a pup the character of the pickup sound changes.   The problem with my noble idea is that the variax won't allow a position which uses all three pups at ones. Or to use two pups at the same time with one pup having a tone control while the other one doesn't.   Crazy cork sniffing stuff I know.   In the end I opted for middle pup only for the middle position and boosted the middle pup levels as Frampton's pup levels are set (the middle pup has a higher output then the bridge/neck.  It's been fun and I just wish I had an amp that was loud enough to capture the whole thing.   

 

 

 

 

 

[I'm not a Gibson Player]

I was a serious Gibson player till I bought a Stratocaster.  Mostly it was about feel for me.  My first guitar was a 335.  Saved and saved for months.  Borrowing friends cheap guitars till I had it.   That 335 was what I burned my self into.  Even though it was too big for my body.  Later I would have two Les Paul's.  I love LP and a few other Gibson guitars for their tone.  I've never been happy with LP copies,  Heck I've been dissatisfied with many models of LP's  They are either too heavy or too like or the neck is too round.  I'd always preferred the 50's slim profile over the beefier necks that came later.  That was the profile of my 78' Custom.  I still hated the weight.  

 

I can't get away from the tone of certain (not all) Gibsons.  Oddly I'm not a fan of 335 tone.  I was when I wanted it and when it was my first guitar.  That quickly faded.  For a semi-hollow tone I much prefer my Raven West 450.  Smaller (prs shape) semi hollow.  

 

In the jazz category it's easy to see the association with Gibson.  Mostly because Gibson used to give huge discounts to named professionals in return for the advertising having the gibson brands predominately displayed in various magazines and on shows.  Anyone who has had a box(full body) for years knows what happens to them over time. Warped necks worn frets, the guitar rattles glue loses cohesion.  The thing that remains is when listening to those old recordings you hear that gibson tone. So it becomes the benchmark you hold all other guitars up to. I've seen it for myself with serious boxes.  And yet I love the tone.

 

Technology makes it so that I'll prolly never own another Gibson or Fender.  Variax is the answer.  Strat wieght, Strat, neck.  All the tone in the world and I can play a Les Paul tone without shoulder pain or my leg falling asleep.

 

 

 

 

[Not Socialised Properly]

It's not just the internet. That's what real life is in many areas. Much of "American Life" was whitewashed by the media for fear of prosecution from the censors.

[Guitar Cases.]

Highly informative and well written, Thanks for that.

[Youtube Subscription Service - Launch Iminent, Warnings Of Takedowns]

John,

 

I think the main point of the composers forum going to pay is exclusivity not as a part of financial compensation.  While I can't speak of knowing your experience handling this forum for so well and long.  I am acquainted with the labor of love it takes to build a forum and maintain it.  I'd rather not get into my past experiences or for that matter current endeavors with forum operations in this reply..

 

 

Quite frankly vimeo is better geared for the working videographer / musician and maybe too much so to be of interest to the general public.  DailyMotion has been steadily increasing in content over the last few years with many a youtuber whom has become disillusioned with youtubes previous tactics.  There are more user contributed video sites however the general public is slow to move away from youtube.  I'm guessing / hoping that the subscription based concept will sink youtube.  As both consumers and providers deserve better then youtube.

[Youtube Subscription Service - Launch Iminent, Warnings Of Takedowns]

Artists make money by selling t-shirts and gigging. Gigging for a signed act is the way that most labels make money off of it's stable of performers. 

 

I've had a few accounts with youtube over the years, received many hits, not recieved a dime in compensation.  Youtube operates on advertising same as broadcast radio and television. Public radio and television have a more equitable return for performers then youtube. If you say... go on a tv show you will be financially compensated by that show. The show is paid for by the producers who in turn make money from advertisements.  Not so for youtube.  Going to a subscription service will not return more money for artists as John points out. It will make things harder for signed acts on indie labels to make money and their take will be less then what it was before.

 

I've always had mixed feelings about youtube from both a viewer and uploader perspective. I'd stop watching youtube today if more content providers would switch to a youtube alternative such as dailymotion.  Unfortunately the eyes go to youtube so the uploads go to youtube.

 

It's not free if advertising exists.  Advertising pays for the operations just like television, radio, print.  The news stand price of a magazine doesn't begin to cover the cost of the ink let alone the paper or the content or the distribution.  The news and magazine subscription service is a service to advertiser so they can show numbers.  The internet does not require a subscription to show circulation numbers as there are more then enough tracking information on who watches what when.  

 

Google is just greedy.  Which is fine for it's competitors.

 

Hulu was formed by american television broadcasters (fox, abc, cbs, nbc, cw)  As a means to combat piracy.  They have a graduated system allowing one to choose subscription vs free.  Because it's structure the pay content is value added. Both Hulu and the producers make money on hulu's free service due to advertising just as it works in american broadcast television.  It's a good deal all the way around for content providers, viewers and advertisers.  Whats more Hulu Plus which is a subscription upgrade offers more Value added for pricing.  They way it should be.  If the value of plus is not up to ones standards one can choose not to use the service.  This is the way it should be, rather then forcing people to pay for what they've already gotten for free without any added value (youtube)

 

Before the advent of high speed internet Cable had no true competition. Generally if you wanted a different provider it meant moving to a different part of the country.  As a prime example.... Locally the only cable provider is comcast. My apt complex had it's own satellite and you had to use the complexes service for cable type viewing. This also meant one couldn't get comcast or any other cable companies broadband.  The village(apts) had crappy cable with poor reception and no broadband. They also did not allow for satellites,  So crappy cable subscription service or no cable subscription service. The only game in town for broadband was ATT.  No true choices and not competitive. As a consumer there are four pizza places in walking distance to me. All of them compete with one another and I the consumer am the winner as each has to really make it worth my while for me to buy someone's pizza.  This type of competition does not exist for me in the cable or broadband internet. I get what the one provider has to offer at the price they have to offer.

 

If both youtube content providers are getting screwed and youtube visitors are getting screwed by google / youtube with no say in the matter I say Leave youtube.

 

The internet doesn't change because someone has a perception of how they want it to be.  There may indeed be a shift but not as intended.  Interest in youtube has begun to diminish overall.  People would rather spend time on facebook then youtube as it is. Vloggers and Vlog content are diminishing on youtube.  Once a subscription system is enforced it may indeed drive the last of us uploaders and viewers to different public video sites such as dailymotion and others.  Before facebook there was friendster then there was myspace while they still exist they have considerable less viewers and therefore advertising revenue.  The same could be the case for Youtube.

 

Here's another story.... I used to belong to a composers forum.  I thought it would present a unique opportunity for me to gain some classical composition insight. Instead it was a bunch of composers who would constantly rag on other composers.  A very bitchy place with some highly accredited classical composers. All quite pompous.  Weekly I'd get emails and pm's suggesting I financially contribute to keep the site open.  That site offered nothing for me. Later they tried to make it a subscription service forum where by members had to pay to be members.  That was past the point of no return for me, so I left.  Within three months of being a pay/subscription only thing, the site closed down.  Good Riddance  My thoughts are the same regarding youtube.  If youtube loses viewership because of going to a subscription based service (which has failed time and time again on the web) then it's fine with me.  I'll simply spend my viewing time elsewhere.  I'm done with being an uploader and getting screwed on financial returns from youtube.  

[Thoughts Thoughts Thoughts]

Come to Michigan.  The climate is similar and so long as you don't work in upper middle class areas they tend to be very friendly and compassionate.