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expanding on the plugins, dug up this old gem, fair amp/cab job..
but such a bundle of fun with crazy stacking and modulation.
recommended for the experimental types!
http://nomadfactory.com/products/magma/
Just treated myself to a new bass... Haven't had one for at least 15 years!
On paper, nothing special, it's an '08 Squier p-bass special made by Cort. But, it's as close as I'm ever going to find to my first bass (and first instrument!) which i got in about 2001. It was the exact same model but in british racing green, and man I loved that thing. Traded it in, stupidly, against a MIM Fender Standard which was an uninspiring slab in comparison. This one is a slightly glittery black, and in fantastic condition. Just picking it up brought back memories, the muscles never forget...
https://imgur.com/ezPoSPg
https://imgur.com/CKkcN50
Bought from ebay but it turned out that the seller was STW'er oldtennisshoes!
nice bass enjoy
an update i have changed the guitar that i ordered for a different harley benton fusion model from the original one i ordered (have changed to an hss fusion pro iii in daphne blue satin finish but with a roasted maple neck and ss frets 24 fret still).
it is on its way so hopefully in a few days it will turn up (really looking forward to getting it, hopefully it will all be ok and no damage etc) .
will try and post some pics of it when it arrives.
Thommen have been really good for orders for me lately but it does seem to take a week to arrive the pricing usually great though. Consistently cheaper than Andertons.
couple of recent acquisitions, the Lowden sounds spectacular...
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Wow that Lowden is stunning @sailor74. Used to work in a music shop in the 90s that stocked Lowden so was lucky enough to play a few but never rich enough to own one.
Not an acoustic fan but the Lowden does lol wonderful.
Did you like that Fender strap btw?
Yes, very much so. I bought two, one for the Strat, the other for the Tele.
What model of Lowden is that?
They're all lovely looking guitars.
After @Edukator pointed out the misalignment of my Tele saddles I ordered a new set from Gotoh.
Decided to stick with brass rather than Ti as it is bright enough already and had a spare 20minutes this morning to swap them over and re-intonate everything.
I’ll probably drop the neck by a fraction of a turn on the micro tilt to get the action a bit higher without raising the saddles but otherwise it’s pretty darn good. Twisted Tele pickups arriving soon as I found a secondhand set on a US forum. Tried them on another Tele and liked the neck pickup a lot.
That Tele colour is smokin'!
🙂 I've got the matching Strat too, also in Miami Blue with a maple neck. Very pretty. Prefer it to Lake Placid Blue now.
I like those Gotoh saddles. They cure all the problems with trad Tele saddles: intonation, zitar effect and string position stability.
Thanks for pointing out the problem with the original saddles. I hadn't noticed it, but once you mentioned it I couldn't not see it.
They do seem good and do intonate well.
Lowden sounds spectacular
Watch out for the Lowden over winter. Mine had to live in it's case as the house gets too dry and the saddle has pulled off twice :(. Not sure it can be repaired again :(. It's fine if it's in it's case with something to humidify it slightly
Got the guitars out for a bit of sunshine and to clean the usual storage room so thought i'd take a shot. The blue of the Strat and Tele really pops out but hard to photograph correctly.
The Variax is ticking along nicely whilst the Kemper Stage is great but benefits from a few extra pedals.
I find it hard to get by with out the Cali76 Stacked Edition compressor. It instantly improves things. The Revival Drive is great and the J Rocket APE does help for that vintage Echoplex tape preamp sound with the Flashback2.
The Trelicopter at the end is just because I really like the wave shape control for the trem modulation.
very nice setup there
That blue telecaster looks beautiful!
apologies for the copy/paste from fretboard forum
well my fusion iii hss just turned up about an hour ago.
if this is a mark of the harley benton guitars i can assure you i will definitely be buying more of them at some point
it's bloody awesome i have to say
yes there are a couple of issues with it but nothing major at all and easily fixed by a guitar tech (i am not a guitar tech lol).
man the neck on it is lovely both to look at and the feel. also the whole guitar looks lovely to me and feels great (nothing feels cheap on it i have to say.
this is both my first harley benton guitar and order from thomann and i have to say am very happy with it (also bought a gig bag too that feels very nice quality for the money).
all in all i am a very happy chappy i have to say.
i will try and upload some pics and playing report (am not a good player though so will be a crap player report lol).
now i'm off to play it again.
Sounds like a win! Pics please.
i hope these worked (apologies for awful pics from my el cheapo phone)
specs here for it https://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_fusion_iii_hss_roasted_db.htm
i paid £344 inc a gig bag and delivery (took just over a week because of hols).
i love the guitar i have to say 🙂
I'm really tempted to pull the trigger on a Harley BentonCST 24, it's just justifying to myself as I hardly play these days.
Nice colour. Got a bit of a Charvel vibe about it.
Had weird day of lots of time waiting for clients to clear work so had a lot of time playing in an empty house with a bit of volume. Main aim was to see what gear I want to get rid of before the market tanks.
Played the JTV59 Variax convinced the Tele and Strat would be standouts. I was wrong. It really does sound and play great, even without the modelling switched in.
So it's just amps and FX to let go.
Grrr.
I do like the blue colour on that tele.. Just seems to really suit it.
See one in the flesh, the colour really pops.
@sailor74…… that looks awfy like my Lowden S10….. just a beautiful guitar.👍
Any particular reason you think the market is about to tank, @Eddiebaby?
I have a couple of guitars I need to shift when I can be bothered. You saying I should pull my finger out?
I think there is going to be a shortage of disposable cash across all markets. I'm a prolific buyer but everything is going in hold for now.
There's also runaway inflation and your guitar is more likely to hold its value than cash in the banK. I've ordered an acoustic, demand is such there is no deleivery date, just sometime hopefully.
Try being a lefty. Availability is even worse 🙁
Been on the lookout for an Epiphone ES-335 lefty in Cherry for months.
After @Edukator's comment I thought about what I should sell and keep. I've been plugged in for a couple of hours using just the BOSS GT-1000 Core into headphones.
It is so easy to get a great tone, so plans to sell that have gone too. Makes realise how much stuff I've bought without fully utilising the benefits of what I already have. 😳
I’ve ordered an acoustic, demand is such there is no deleivery date, just sometime hopefully.
What have you ordered?
Yamaha LL16 sunburst. I tried an LL6 in my local shop, nice to play but it had that slightly dull laminate sound so I ordered the all solid version. The local shop gets my business even if I have to be patient, I've already got three acoustics so it's not as if I'm short of something to play.
Anyone looking for a Polytune Clip in Black. Was bought one as a present. Already have one.
Used once to show the giver how it worked.
Boxed, still with the plastic on the screen.
£27 posted.
https://www.andertons.co.uk/polytune-pedals/tc-electronic-polytune-clip-black
Yamaha LL16 sunburst. I tried an LL6 in my local shop, nice to play but it had that slightly dull laminate sound so I ordered the all solid version.
Nice looking guitar. They aren’t able to give a lead time? That’s unusual.
I don’t think I’ve ever tried playing a laminate next to a solid wood from the same manufacturer. Was it an obvious difference?
I'm going on the basis of trying other laminates/solid wood back to back, the shop didn't have an LL16 to try, if they had I'd have walked out with it.
The Indonesian Epiphone Texan solid I've got is obviously quite different to the laminate especially when strumming. The solid is clearer, better defined and warmer to my ears. I can strum it hard without it sounding messy. Still not much bass, for that I'd have to buy the American built solid wood Texan which is lighter built with lighter bracing.
I bought the Indonesian Texan (a Frampton) after trying a few exotic and not so exotic guitars in a big shop in Berlin, it came close to the exotics without the price ticket making me wince. The Martin (D18 or D28 I can't remember which) disappointed. the Gibsons didn't disappoint, but how much! I'll probably buy a j45 one day but for the moment it's the Yamaha that's on order, at least I won't worry about dinging it.
And no, no lead time, it's a frsutrating time for guitar shops, especially the small ones.
Been a bit hectic with work and breaking toes on the bike but I did squeeze a gig in a few weeks back and a bit more next week hopefully. Been tweaking the Tele (poor old Strat is feeling very neglected) and along with the delayed
install of the Twisted Tele pickups I fitted a black anodised scratch plate.
It was a perfect fit, a good price and delivered the next day. I can’t recommend Guitar Anatomy enough if you need bits.
I also completed the Tele setup with the nut slots deepened and polished and the neck angle and truss rod sorted. Plays like a dream and TBH I simply don’t want to bother with the Strat anymore.
Hope to use it live a couple of times next week darn Sarf…
Other than the hectic work and breaking toes that all sounds great Eddie 🙂
I've barely tried playing recently as I've got a buggered wrist. Did manage a few minutes this evening which was plenty of time to confirm that I'm rubbish at using a looper pedal 🤣
https://youtube.com/shorts/6Y_2gFulHvs?
Sounds good @simondbarnes - I love a bit of looping. Timing is the main thing that can make loops sound terrible, but yours seems good.
One thing I learnt recently about looping is that when you're laying down a backing track, less is often more. A full 6-stringed barre chord with a jangly tone can be too 'busy'. Try thinning it out by turning the tone down and playing fewer notes. Just IMO of course.
One thing I learnt recently about looping is that when you’re laying down a backing track, less is often more. A full 6-stringed barre chord with a jangly tone can be too ‘busy’. Try thinning it out by turning the tone down and playing fewer notes. Just IMO of course.
I will try and remember this for next time, cheers 🙂
I had some beer on the ride home from work and gave it another go this evening. The beer hasn't helped the timing at all. I watch the Normans Rare Guitars YouTube channel, Michael Lemmo makes it seem so simple!
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/797r01h7lEc?
Nice looping, Simon. And well done for leaping straight into the lead bit. I usually (actually always) listen to the loop at least once to make sure it all joins up in the right place... 🙂
Is this time to feature my all-time favourite looping video. Not super flash, or technical, but a lovely example of looping done beautifully.
That is indeed lovely Chipps. I will keep practising 🙂
Nice work Simon. You keep improving.
There's only one decent looping video though
Nice work Simon. You keep improving.
Thanks. If I didn't have semi-permanently buggered wrists & hands I'd be able to manage more than a few minutes here and there and actually improve properly!
You're right, @eddiebaby - the best looping ever. I had one of those pedals and there's very little memory on them, so KT did a great job of wringing the best performance out of it.
This is a proper finger workout! They're ruined after a few minutes of learning 🙁
https://youtube.com/shorts/ZQOGSneJTDA?feature=share
I need some advice (along the lines of recommend what you use) for songwriting/production.
As well as taking my guitar down the local on a Monday or Tuesday night for a singalong with a bunch of other like-minded folk I want to play and record complete songs, rather than just messing about a bit here and there. I'm too old and not good enough to join a band, and don't realistically expect either of those to change (although I will stop getting older sometime...).
What I want is the ability to put down some rudimentary and fairly shonky drum beats and bass lines, a couple of guitar parts and then add some keyboard lines. So I looked at the Andertons website and my eyes were drawn to a couple of Midi 37 key controllers, Arturia Keystep (£159) and Novation Launchkey Mk3 (£179). Both come with Ableton Live Lite and deep integration with it. But when I called Andertons to talk it through the guy, Cam, from the Pro Audio dept seemed to be really good but thought I'd be better off with a proper synth and said the Korg Krome EX-61 £799) was what I ought to take a look at.
But that's a bit more than I want to pay for an experiment that I might end up not sticking at, and the MIDI controllers aren't stand alone instruments. And then I looked at the ridiculous £70 Carry-On folding piano that's stand alone but also has USB Midi and the ability to download loads of voices and percussion. And I can stick it in my suitcase and take it with me when I go to Vass for 2 weeks.
I've got a good enough Windows 10 laptop, Android phone and tablet, no Apple products at all, a Boss Katana Mk 2 amp and a USB mic. I've got a spare amp and speakers to use as monitors.
Help me decide!
Currently playing along with the hold music on the phone to an insurance company....😞. Get your practice whilst you can
I was hoping for a slightly more versatile solution than that bu I might give it a go. 😄
Oops, sorry. Kinda crossed post, but I can help a bit. Ableton will do what you describe and comes with lots of useable basic beats. I got a midi keyboard off gumtree for very little. I _think_ you can get Ableton live lite without a product purchase.
Yes, it's not the Ableton itself that is significant, it's the integration. The lite version is limited (though some of the best albums ever have been recorded on half that capacity) but at the start I think the restrictions will be beneficial and if I outgrow it, I must be doing something right.
So you can bounce multiple tracks onto another track which helps. You lose the ability to adjust the volume of those independently, but it can help. You could try reaper, but Ableton is probably better for what you describe.
I have a Novation Launchkey Mini (Mk2 I think) which is about £90 IIRC and comes with Ableton Lite which seems versatile enough. I've probably used it more with GarageBand, though, which is excellent for simple stuff. Obviously it's small so it suits someone who can play a line or two but is definitely not a pianist. It's got velocity-sensitive drum pads and various knobs that I've spectacularly failed to grasp but would be very useful for using live. Check out YouTube tutorials on the matter. That particular model is good because it's very popular so there are good instructional videos available.
The other option is that loads of old electronic keyboards from the 90s have MIDI outputs. A cheap one of those + a MIDI-to-USB cable (£8-9) might see you right if you can find the right software. I have no experience of using it, but Reaper is supposed to be like Ableton but is free to download and use.
If you don't have one, I'd thoroughly recommend a looper pedal for this stuff. I use mine way more than the Launchkey (probably because I prefer playing and am better at guitar).
i just got one of these bad boys (have wanted to get one for years now).
man it will take some practise to use but already it is bloody great what you can do with it.
I've had a few EBows over the years. I think I sold my last one on here. I use them for a while then sort of lose interest. They are fun but I currently prefer to put my effort into improving my slide playing. And that needs constant work...
@bigjohn - if you had an iPad or whatever, I'd suggest Garageband. There surely must be a Windows version? (I've just looked, and there isn't - here's a list of runners up though: https://producerhive.com/buyer-guides/daw/free-garageband-alternatives/ )
Do you actually want/need a keyboard? There are other non-keyed gadgets that might do the job. Something like Native Instruments' Maschine Mikro is a bit of a hip-hop beat machine, but it plugs into your PC, comes with enough sounds and functionality to put together some finger drumming and some bass and there you go for £200.
Something a little more tactile to look at is the Digitech Trio+ - around £200 or so. You 'teach' it your song by strumming chords into it, then it comes back with a suggested drumbeat and bassline in-key. You can alter the musical style and you can sew different sections together to make a whole tune. And it has a looper so that you can add more backing to your arrangement. It's a fun machine that's pretty simple to use...
It might surprise you to hear that I recently got one, Simon 😉
I did have the previous Trio, which was good, but it lacked a looper - and trying to use it with a looper didn't really work as the two would drift unless you got them spot on. The addition of the looper really makes it work well now.
There are many good demos online. I like the Mick Taylor/Andertons one, as they approach it (like I would) without reading the manual. If you do read the manual, though, you can see how to make a five part song and use a lot more of the deeper features.
Ok, maybe not my first thought but might be just right. I'll take a look
Something a little more tactile to look at is the Digitech Trio+ – around £200 or so. You ‘teach’ it your song by strumming chords into it, then it comes back with a suggested drumbeat and bassline in-key. You can alter the musical style and you can sew different sections together to make a whole tune. And it has a looper so that you can add more backing to your arrangement. It’s a fun machine that’s pretty simple to use…
Spark amp by Positive Grid has this. Play chords, riffs etc, it analyses and creates a backing track. Has different pre-set "backing musicians" based on genre
I've got a Boss RC-2 Loop Station surplus to requirement here if anyone's interested? Decent nick, loves the back wheel, not for faint-hearted, first 2 see will buy etc...
I wouldnt recomend Ableton to anyone a their first DAW - even though it is the best if you invest time and lots of money
Arturia isn't integrated with Ableton its just a controller - a very good one but not integrated
I'd just go with garageband
Little free tip for bolt on neck owners.
With everything tuned up release slightly the neck bolts nearer the bridge then slightly loosen the bolts nearer the neck. The neck should pull back as far as possible into the pocket hopefully increasing toan and sustain does move as I have to retune when I do it. The benefit may be psychological but it all counts.
Don't forget to totally tighten the bolts. And loosen them in the order I mentioned.
When the strings are on and tight I loosen the neck bolts and waggle the neck around till I get the strings the distance I like from the edge. I like the low E quite close so it's easy to get my thumb over and the high e further away from the edge so I can use a bit of vibrato without it falling off. Then tighten obviously.
Just been mixing and mastering some tunes for our new EP.
I went a bit Jonny Greenwood on the solo 😉
Here's one I just did - Physical Education by The Supermercados:
http://sndup.net/bxnt
Sadly almost no space to move anything in the neck pocket. Super tight but feels good so not tempted to drag away at any paint. Yet. 😉
@ajantom spent ages working out what that made me think of. For some reason I was transported to Stan Ridgway and Wall of Voodoo.
Nice one.
On a side note I was supposed to be working hardish to finish earlier this week but that was scuppered by Amazon delivering the CD of Jeff beck at Ronnie Scotts in 2007.
Brilliant.
Here's the full concert or skip to 42:45 for Joss Stone and People Get Ready.
Random question, I've got one of these, a digitek gsp 2101 studio tube pre-amp/fx unit..
I don't really use it aside from noodling about, are they worth anything these days?
Probably not really BUT Andertons did look st the recently. I haven't watched it though. They may slog it off or be positive about it.
Nice! I think I might have to keep it!
Good find on the video! teh volume pot on mine is a bit dirty and scratchy but it's otherwise fully functional. it has 2 tubes in it aside from the digital effects, so it seems like a serious bit of kit, the instruction manual is more like a book.
My old man bought me it for my 16th or 18th birthdady I think, and they were super expensive, about a grand if i recall.
Cheers @chipps 🙂
@eddiebaby - I'll take that, love a bit of Wall of Voodoo.
Here's another mix of a new one called Invisible Illness...
http://sndup.net/cpb8
@mattyfez, Great bit of kit. I gigged with one throughout the 90s and was very upset when it died a static emitting death in the late 2000s. Should really have got it fixed but it sat and gathered dust and got hoofed when I moved house. They were very spendy in the 90's. I paid over a grand for mine which would be Kemper + money by today's standards
I love watching that footage of KT on ‘Later…’; I saw her live a couple of times around then, the first time supporting Joss Stone at The Fleece, and her skill with a looper blew me away, first time I’d ever seen/heard one used. Second time was again in Bristol, and had a chat afterwards, and she introduced me to her brother, who’s deaf, and lives in Devizes, not far away. Really lovely person, great voice, too.
Some impressive playing by Gretchen Menn, guitarist with all-female Zeppelin tribute band Zeppelina, for the Martin Guitars No-Limits Challenge. My hands ache just watching her playing the first piece.
https://www.musicradar.com/news/martin-no-limits-challenge-gretchen-menn
This might be of interest as well, really fast fingerwork on bass guitar, including 6/7-string fretless bass. Can’t say I’m really into black metal, apart from Opeth and Myrkur, but the speed and intricacies of what these guys play is astounding.
https://www.loudersound.com/features/10-best-metal-bassists
Best thing about the Jubilee 4 days was the crap weather giving me an excuse to play a lot of guitar.
I’ve been playing a bit in Open G on the Variax but went whole hog and detuned the Tele and took the low E off.
Lots of easy fun until you (or rather me) have to think hard about how to create minor chords. So much fun I've ordered a cheap Eastcoast Tele from Andertons to use as a dedicated different tuning guitar.
All I’ve got to do is stop making everything sound like a drunk Keith Richards.
Taken over another room now for work and guitars. I need a couple more stands now as I have space for them all.
I got one of those Warwick five guitar stands. Great to have them all lined up, but easy to clonk them together if you’re not careful.
The Hercules headstock stands are pretty good
https://www.thomann.de/gb/hercules_stands_gs_432b_3_way_guitar_stand.htm
I’ve been doing my usual distraction of unbuilding and rebuilding pedal boards instead of learning stuff. Currently running two Victory V4 pedals into a TC Plethora, while simultaneously trying to get to grips with a Line6 HX Stomp…
I’ve also been strangely drawn to Strandberg guitars this year. Anyone played one?