I've got one of those Berhingers, it seems pretty good but I've nothing to compare it out. It works as both the audio "in" interface, but also as a connection to speakers instead of the laptops headphone out jack.
I tend to use the USB connection from my amps though (a Katana and a Yamaha THR, both of which are connectible this way), and I'd recommend that way if your amp allows, to start with at least just because it's so simple.
Behringer UMC22/UMC202 are fine as simple interfaces.
Though I prefer the Steinberg UR22 that Behringer copied for these models.
I had a UmC202 and a UR22 to compare and sold the Behringer.
Nicer preamps, less noise, midi in/out and he option to power from a supply as well as usb.
I'm also going to jump in at this late stage. I've been lurking this thread for a while.
I'm a wannabe bass player. I borrowed one when I was young and loved booming along to Rage Against the Machine songs but I never stuck with it. I always said that as soon as I had the space and the free time I'd get back into it. It only took 20 years and a global pandemic for that to happen.
Through my job I always get offered big discounts for companies that I have no interest in but just as the first lockdown started I got an email from Fender! 20% off absolutely everything on the website so I knew it was time to dive in. I now have a beautiful 70's style Mexican Jazz bass exactly like this...
I went straight back to learning RATM tunes and I can fumble my way through most of them. The biggest difference in 2020 is that it's more fun. When I used to play on my own in my bedroom it used to be so boring. I'd hit dead ends all the time and had no one to ask questions to or I'd run out of stuff to practice.
Now with an amp, my own living room, YouTube on the big telly and an elderly neighbour who is deaf as a post, I'm having loads of fun with it. I'm still clumsy and inconsistent and nowhere near playing with a band but I might get there eventually. I'll be looking for proper lessons with a local teacher in the new year to see if I can make actual progress.
This thread has got me looking at guitars now. I've never played one but I've kind of fallen for this....
£1007 with my discount. I won't be buying it because I literally can't play a thing on a guitar. Something for the future maybe.
@shakattack RATM have some awesome bass lines! Get stuck in mate!
Yeah they're amazing. I think I love them even more now than when I was an angry teenager. I had tickets to see them this year on the surprise world tour but we'll have to wait.
There's some really good tracks to play along to on YouTube. I can't do any of them 100% yet as there's always one detail like a fast tricky fill that I can't nail yet.
One of my mates who rides is also a good drummer so my short term goal is to get good enough to meet up and mess around and have some clue what I'm doing. I've been learning chord shapes and scales so I can plod along to a backing track. I've never played with another person yet.
Depending on what you're after - I got one of these little USB mixers...
https://www.andertons.co.uk/benringer-xenyx-302-usb-analog-mixer-302usb
It works as a mixer and as an in/out device and it runs off the computer's USB power. So I can use it to run my computer USB into my speakers, or I can run a mic or guitar into my computer too.
The excuse I got it for was something I've not tried yet- which is to be able to take a line in (like a backing track) and a guitar in and then mix both out via USB to the computer - which'd let you put both out onto a track, or Youtube or whatever. Not sure, it seemed important at the time. In the meantime though, it seems great for the money...
@sharkattack just get jamming with your drummer friend, you can't beat it for getting a feel going. Even if you just stick to some simpler riffs that you are more confident with.
As Jordan says, playing along with a drummer is great. If you're a long-time bedroom guitarist (which I was until about ten years ago) you won't realise how awful your timing is, even when you think it's great. Playing with a live drummer and really listening to the groove is a great skill to have - regardless of the notes you're playing.
And, needless to say, drummer/bassist bands like Royal Blood manage to make it sound pretty good... 🙂
(Randomly, my pal Alex, who I met through mountain biking, works for Fender and worked on both the Tom Morello Strat and makes basses for Royal Blood. Small world!)
Hi @chipps we have met once. I came to your house maybe fifteen years ago with my ex wife who was meeting your OH about something. We had a good chat about bikes, the mag and music. I remember you showing me a loft or something where you were working on amps(is that right?) I was very impressed/envious of that set up, do you still have it?
Thanks both - mixer vs just interface 🤔
@jordan - I still have a room full of disorganised music-related stuff, if that's what you mean... 🙂
(Randomly, my pal Alex, who I met through mountain biking, works for Fender and worked on both the Tom Morello Strat and makes basses for Royal Blood. Small world!)
Yeah it is a small world. I just found this picture on the Barefaced website,
Go on there Chief! I now want something similar in the garage.
One of the main reasons I want to level up my ability is so I can justify buying all the cool gear that goes with it but don't tell anyone.
My mrs. actually really likes that Strat and she never passes comment on anything. I wonder what she'd say if it arrived in the living room. I could hide it behind the J bass for a while.
Timmy C - that guy that rides bikes with Hans Rey, right? 🙂
@chipps I am very comfortable in rooms full of disorganised music related stuff..I'm sat in one now.........and there's a bike in here too just to balance things up. 🙂
The very same. I remember buying the Battle of Los Angeles whenever that came out (1999?) and the thank you section in the liner notes mentioned loads of mtb manufacturers. It was my 2 teenage obsessions colliding but I was pre internet so couldn't find any other info.
They're in the UK next year you should invite him for a ride/interview/jam session.
There's a good mention of mountain biking in Duff McKagan's autobiography too. I think it was Dave Cullinan who lived near Duff and who took him out riding in his drug-addled years and helped put him on the path to fitness and recovery...
Taylor Hawkins, Foo Fighters drummer is another mountain biker who has had drug problems in the past.
If anyone is in the mood for some RATM, here is us doing a cover of Killing in the name from a few years ago. Not really doing it justice I know but it was fun.
Nice one. Such a mint song.
Junior's teen band's version of Killing in the Name of at 17:25. He's on bass for that song.
They did a good job of that! Nice one!
Taylor Hawkins has played drums at Hans's Wheels For Life gala dinner thing... Sooo LA 🙂
Just had a couple of hours playing the landlord's 63 Telecaster. Totally original. Never even had the scratchplate taken off or the neck removed.
No finish on a lot of the back of the neck. He claims he was told it was from the first batch of maple neck Teles brought over.
The feel is stunning, the bridge pickup sounds fine, not too certain about the neck pickup though. Conditionwise it would be described as lightly worn on the front with some belt buckle damage on the back but it is so playable.
Fingerboard is a touch worn but as John has neer been a lead player and not a big bender of notes the frets feel in really good condition.
Pics tomorrow.
Sobering experience playing something that is probably worth above £15K.
If it's a 62 with the original wiring there will be next to no treble on the neck pickup and the tone pot will mix the pickups in the middle position, I think, the dates they changed to modern wiring must be on the Net somewhere to confirm.
Good to know thanks. More time with it tomorrow.
Quick PSA.....
This could be an error, as it appears far too good to be true, but PMT are advertising the black version of the Orange Rocker 32 for £499.
https://www.pmtonline.co.uk/orange-rocker-32-2x10-valve-combo-amp-in-black
That's ridiculously cheap.
I recently paid £15 more than that for the Rocker 15. The 32's are normally up around the £800 mark.
Too big and heavy for me, but I'm considering getting one just to flip it on Reverb....
The practice continues. I bought a Blackstar Flybass amp plug
for using with the headphones.
I’ve finally got to a full speed Come as you are bass line on Fender play. I was struggling to keep up at half speed 2 weeks ago 🥴
It feels like the daily sessions are paying dividends.
Just need my new Yamaha TRBX304in Factory Blue to turn up now.
for using with the headphones
Anyone got recommendations for decent headphones for plugging into an amp or multi effects?
I have a pair of Technics over ears that distort very easily and even my £300 Sony WH1000xm3 headphones struggle with distortion
I’m using some oldish sennheiser hd 449s without issue.
This could be an error, as it appears far too good to be true, but PMT are advertising the black version of the Orange Rocker 32 for £499.
A good amp at the old price but that is very impressive.
As you say a loud amp.
Re headphones My old Sennheiser HD465 are still going strong. I prefer them to Shure as you can replace the lead if it gets crackly... (Never has.)
Talking of Amps I've been playing with the DT25 a heck of a lot lately. With the V2 software I can use it as the original 2 channel amp with 4 amps to choose one of in each channel and a digital 'spring' reverb.
But I have an iPad app now that lets me configure 4 different modelled amps with a valve in there per channel and assorted different reverbs. The really cool thing is being able to programme the all valve power amp as Pentode or Triode or Class A/Class AB and adjust the Negative Feedback Loop for major sound control.
Its still not exactly progammable as the knob positions control the sound, so if you have it set up as a mellow breaking up Bassman and then switch to a Boogie or Soldano the knobs are all in the same position so things can get a bit 'interesting'.
I run the quieter amps on ChA and the high gain on ChB but it still is open to error.
Really love this but 25W is damn loud in the house. A good pub gig size though.
The iPad control screen for programming the amp opportunities.
https://flic.kr/p/2k7BBdm
For the 4th day in a row I just nearly bought a bass. Haven't had a bass for 15 years, switched to guitar and never regretted it, but suddenly I just... want... a... bass. Resisting... Well not really, in fact I totally tried to buy it but teh webstore doesn't like firefox so I didn't complete and now I've backed off.
I mean, really what I need to do is put new strings on my lovely MIK tele so I can play that without getting lockjaw but, I waaaaaaant.
Specifically, one of these, a very cheap Ibanez:
Short scale so should be less stress on my busted wrist, PJ pickups like my old mexi Fender, and rather handsome if you ask me.
@oldtennisshoes feel free to drop me a PM if you want some pointers/direction on moving forwards. I don't have many bass students these days (it's one the lowest uptake instruments of all apparently)
PSA: GuitarGuitar appear to have just chopped £100 off the TC Plethora X5 price to £339, which is quite tempting, having missed out on the one on here recently.
Any other not-black Friday (whenever that is) bargains spotted?
Haven’t had a bass for 15 years, switched to guitar and never regretted it, but suddenly I just… want… a… bass. Resisting
I have been switching between bass and guitar for the last 15 years. I am better at bass as I find it easier as I have a mangled middle finger due to car knocking me off bike so chords are challenging on guitar but I keep going back to guitar as bass seems to get a bit dull after a while as a bedroom bassist/guitar player.
Had my Japanese Les Paul Elite for 20 or so years and love it. Sounds better to my ears than many Gibsons I’ve tried.
Tried a Fender Telecaster when I started out but didn’t feel right ( I only tried one).
Now I’ve gone and bought a Fender MIM Vintera and I absolutely f love it!
Maple neck ( which I was dead against) absolutely so chunky neck. The only thing is it’s not nitro so sanded a lot of it down to get a nice feel.
Really now want a black faceplate nitro tele.
Also bought my little boy a small 3/4 strat.
Absolutely amazing tones, thoroughly impressed. I think I may be a Fender boy as need a fully grown up one of those, but must have a big fat chunky neck and nitro.
Turned onto Fender strats through a £100 kids guitar.
Anyway, just my thoughts right now
Got a Seymour Duncan Quarter Pound pickup for the bridge position in my Strat arriving today.
Hoping that it gives me a nice, chunky sound that still sounds like a strat but a little more beef than the USA standard pickup I have in there.
Did find this article with some good tips on getting a strat just right: https://guitar.com/guides/diy-workshop/25-ways-to-upgrade-your-fender-stratocaster/
bass seems to get a bit dull after a while as a bedroom bassist/guitar player
That's why I didn't stick with it when I was younger. I loved bass and knew it was awesome but sitting in my bedroom learning from a book was unbelievably dull.
Now there's no end of online lessons and videos to play along to. Now that I have my first amp and YouTube exists it's much more fun.
I also just booked a block of 5 lessons. First one is next Wednesday so hopefully I'll see some progress before 2020 is out. Then when my drummer friend is allowed back into his practice space he's invited me along for a mess around.
I also just discovered synth pedals! This thing sounds amazing...
The possibilities are endless. I hardly listen to any normal rock music anywhere. Most of the stuff I like these days has never had a musical instrument anywhere near it. But I like the idea of being able to play that stuff on a bass, like nasty swampy electro and hiphop beats.
My favourite bridge pickup for a Strat is the JB jnr wired via a Schaller mega switch that taps the humbucker on position 2. Sweet as ****.
Got a Seymour Duncan Quarter Pound pickup for the bridge position in my Strat arriving today.
I put one in the neck of my Fender Duosonic. An absolutely fantastic pickup
My favourite bridge pickup for a Strat is the JB jnr wired via a Schaller mega switch that taps the humbucker on position 2. Sweet as ****.
Completely agree on this one
This one I assume.
If there's one pickup that I'd like to change in my guitars it's the bridge pickup in my Mexican Strat which doesn't sound very strat like and doesn't have much grunt either. Lose, lose.
Anyone got any tricks for removing chrome?
This one I assume.
If there’s one pickup that I’d like to change in my guitars it’s the bridge pickup in my Mexican Strat which doesn’t sound very strat like and doesn’t have much grunt either. Lose, lose.
Posted 2 hours ago
All my strat bridge pickups have been poor even the custom shop ones I think its just my taste really
This one I assume.
That's the fella.
If I was a better player I could get away with the CS PU in the bridge but I need a bit of help unless I have everything cranked.
Anyone got any tricks for removing chrome?
What are you trying to remove it from?
Any guitar shop will remove silver.
And gold, and notes and coins. They take cards too.
🙂
i would like to get it removed from everything, i dont really like shiny stuff but it might look better than the alternative of course.
Is the hardware usually made of plated stainless or something else?
A lot of it is mild steel, remove the chrome and it will rust. Other bits are diecast, they just look grey and then go furry and greyer.
Why haven't they wired it with spliting the humbucker with a push-pull? And unless I'm missing something there's no tone control for the humbucker. I'd fit a push-pull and run the humbucker through one of the tone pots before installing.
Edit: I see you've added a photo of the original. Pinch the wiring off that. 😉
As I said before i'm not a big fan of pull pots so I use the Mega switch that can be wired in multiple ways. It means I can't split the bridge pickup on its own but the JB Jr just come across as a fatter bridge pick up that was what I wanted. The coil tapping is done by the switch that has a bunch of options.
I've ever really wanted a treble roll off on the bridge, the volume control of adding the middle pickupdoes all I want.
Obviously others have a different view.
Here are the wiring options with the Schaller switch.
By not new, I mean that I got the new pre-wired board and got it swapped over ~7 years ago.
I was never overly convinced that it sounded ‘better’ (for me) than the fender original in that I did miss the S1 sounds. But rather than **** with the pre-wired plate (that cost >300£ at the time) I think I’m going to swap back to the original...
Also the BKP is a tortoiseshell board and it always reminds me that it would much look better on an Olympic white body (rather than the black mine is...). A refinish is a step too far atm...
Just priced up the pre-wired to what it’d cost now; 525£!
I too prefer a switch to push-pull, Eddie, you may have noticed them on a couple of my Teles. I don't know where I'd put one on a Strat though so I'd use a push-pull. It needs to be in reach without risk of accidentally hitting it.
What's the orignal Fender humbucker like compared with the Bare Knuckle, Metalheart? I've a Mexican Tele which had Fender humbuckers and they were very disappointing when I plugged it into a tube amp. I swapped for Duncan Pearly Gates which are both better defined and have more punch. Yourguitarhero describes the Pearly Gates as muddy so on that basis the original Fenders were quagmire.
If ever the lockdown ends and all the music bar haven't gone bankrupt I'll do something with my Strat because it's nice to play but sounds crap compared with my teles so I don't use it.
I find the Pearly Gates a bit muddy on my guitar - but it is an old Dean Z which is a huge, heavy Explorer shaped piece of wood... Might be a nicer fit on a naturally brighter guitar
I too prefer a switch to push-pull, Eddie, you may have noticed them on a couple of my Teles. I don’t know where I’d put one on a Strat though so I’d use a push-pull. It needs to be in reach without risk of accidentally hitting it.
Hence the Schaller doing it all in one. All I lose is the ability to have a choice of Just Bridge humbucker or Split. I
Quarter pounder has arrived, time to bust out the soldering iron.
What’s the orignal Fender humbucker like compared with the Bare Knuckle,
For kind of obvious reasons I’ve never ABed them. From memory it’s a riff-raff (see link below). As to be expected for a knocking 150£ pup it has better dynamic range and clarity. I had a H&K tubemiester
18 combo that I hated (never ‘warmed up’) at the time so even less ability to compare in head now.
https://www.bareknucklepickups.co.uk/pickup/humbucker/riff-raff
I would’ve thought the zinc baseplates on the (Irish Tour) single coils and Jensen oil/paper cap might have warranted a comment over the bucker switching...
Here’s a before and after (fitted):
https://flic.kr/p/eVousD
That looks super pretty with that tortoiseshell 'guard.
I can only imagine how it sounds.
Right then.
Finally managed to stop playing the '63 Tele* long enough to take some photos.
The relic effect is pretty good, but as John has spent 57 years doing it I'd expect it to look authentic.
The bridge pickup is probably one of the most amazing things I have ever heard.
The neck pickup is a waste of magnets but thanks to Edukator's info I found it can be used to roll off treble. I think I'd happily settle for an Esquire...
The feel is amazing, the narrower and tighter radiused fingerboard caught me out a few times as I was muffling the high E but that is something I'd get used to.
I'd love it. I still prefer my Strat overall but that bridge pickup into a valve amp is remarkable.
* He swears blind he bought it in 1963.
The back plate serial suggests 1965/6. I'd need to take the neck off to get another number. I'm sure he isn't lying but he remembers the year as he'd just turned 21.
https://flic.kr/p/2k8z7gj
https://flic.kr/p/2k8vhr4
https://flic.kr/p/2k8vhNr
https://flic.kr/p/2k8z89G
https://flic.kr/p/2k8vieS
https://flic.kr/p/2k8zDzN
https://flic.kr/p/2k8zDYi
I'll have the guard and humbucker off the bottom one, and middle and neck off the top one. I'll junk one of the tone pots so the volume is where tone 1 normally is and wire it all up like a Nashville Telecaster with the push button to split the humbucker. 🙂
Edit as Eddie has just added pictures of a Tele:
That is in remarkable condition for the age. Junior put more wear on the frets on his first Tele in 2 years than that has got. How much are you going to offer him for it? 😉
The nitro on the neck hasn't worn too well though. Whatever you think of modern polyurethane finishes in terms of feel they are incredibly resistant to wear compared with nitro.
That is in remarkable condition for the age.
He played rhythm guitar and sang in his band for all that time and didn't really tear it up, hardly ever used a pick…
…very gentle on the beast.
I think the neck has worn well. Fingerboard would be better if he'd trimmed his nails a bit better. The neck feels good as the finish has work off but something has sunk into the grain giving those dark patches up near the nut at the back.
How much are you going to offer him for it?
I screwed up there by saying what it reckon it is worth, but being honest he'll never sell it. He doesn't need the money. He'll probably leave it to his grandson who has no interest in music, but hey, its his to do with what he wants.
Edukator
Free MemberThe nitro on the neck hasn’t worn too well though.
Aye but it'll probably feel amazing- hand worn nitro is like butter as long as you keep playing it. Loving the body wear taking the shape of the grain, I've seen it a bit before but never quite like that, pretty ace.
eddiebaby
Full MemberHence the Schaller doing it all in one. All I lose is the ability to have a choice of Just Bridge humbucker or Split.
Looking at the wiring pics just made me realise, I used to be pretty damn good at this stuff and now, I know absolutely nothing. Bikes and time have pushed all the knowledge out of my other ear.
(I've got an early 90s MIJ hotrod strat in a case, in bits, which I'd started some insane wiring scheme on- I wanted a double fat strat with a les paul style pickup switch in the bottom horn and a wee selection of mini switches for taps, phasing etc... Got as far as getting the parts, routed the body, got a scratchplate made and even ordered a custom shop 4-wire seymour duncan '59 for the neck, and then... I dunno, got a girlfriend or something. And now it's not even that I don't know how to finish it, I don't even know how to start to finish it 🙂 ) I guess it can stay in the case for a while longer, seeing as how nobody else'd want it and I probably wouldn't play it)
guess it can stay in the case for a while longer, seeing as how nobody else’d want it
You just need a time machine.
Allan Holdsworth was quite into twin humbucker Strats for a while.
Well that’s that sorted then...
Put the Quarter Pounder pickup into the strat. I think it is pretty much what I was looking for - similar tone to the normal pickups but a little fatter and higher output - sounds good once you get into crunch or distorted sounds - the normal pickups sound a bit "clanky" there. Basically it's kind of like a P90, which is my favourite kind of pikcup.
It's possibly still a little bright, so I might take the pickguard off again and wire the bottom tone control onto it as there is no tone control at the moment.
I also thought it would fit under the normal pickup covers, but it doesn't so I have one black pickup now where the others are white..... I think they make a white version so I might see if can get one second hand and swap them over.
Allan Holdsworth was quite into twin humbucker Strats for a while.
But then ended up with 1 humbucker (bridge) and headless. Exactly the sort of guitar I would love as like him I don't see the point of a heavy headstock at the end of the neck and I convert my guitars to bridge humbucker (with coil split) as it covers all I need.
I don't buy guitars for £1500 but even if I did Kiesel don't even sell the Holdsworth guitar as they have put 2 pickups on it for some reason.
😁
If you think that’s pricey I was trying to find a Steinberger L2 a couple of years back...
As I can't get my mystery guitar finished yet.
I bought a bass kit from coban guitars.
Spend the afternoon building it.
So if you can hear a weird sound it's me murdering Peter Gunn
Love this thread even though I can barely follow most of it. To me a pickup is what Cletus drives, so a discourse on how soapy they are is at a different altitude to my head 😉
Anyway - to Christmas...despite only knowing 8 chords (yep, that's nearly enough for 3 Quo tribute bands) I want to make some different noises. A work colleague suggested a Roland Cube GX micro which seems quite cool - what else should I look at in this sort of bracket?
I have had a Roland Microcube for about a decade and I’d rate it probably the best 65£ I’ve spent on guitars.
It’s got a such decent sound for something so small and the combination of amp models and effects is great for a bedroom amp.
The ability to take an mp3 in and headphones out also a boon.
So I’d give a thumbs up for its replacement.
Oh, Lou Reed said "One chord is fine. Two chords is pushing it. Three chords and you're into jazz." 🤪
I know hundreds of chords it's putting them into some kind of melodic order that things start to unravel. 🤣
Ooh! Modern jazz then.
Have we done
“What’s the difference between a rock guitarist and a jazz guitarist?”
“One plays three chords to an audience of thousands.....”
Your Uncle Larry says you should listen to organ players...
One chord:
despite only knowing 8 chords
One of the beauties of guitar (esp. electric) is chord shapes, If you only know a handful you can play pretty much any standard chord: specifically B and F (just A and E with a barre). Otherwise know as Ramones chords... forces you to learn (at least) the notes of the top two strings up the neck.
And any chord in A or E you can play with three fingers can also be barred (ie Am, E7, Em7, etc.).
Get a capo and the handful of chord shapes you do know can open whole new songs. I like a capo on the fourth fret personally (that I think of C# as I like to around the ‘Am’ shape here...)
Managed to sell my Marshall JTM1c overnight
Great amp but wasn't getting used for more than room decoration by my mrs