Guitarists of Singletrack…

I’ve been fancying a Centaur style drive for a while now, and probably would have settled on a Soul Food, what about it aren’t you getting on with?

It’s not delivering what I was after exactly (but I like the idea of the twin pot blend).

and it’s LOUD…

but an hours fiddle doesn’t constitute a proper test. I’m a crap guitarist, but I have days when things click and if feels like I can play a bit. So, as with the epi, I need to try it when I’m on a ‘good’ day. Too much work, never enough play as someone once sang…

and, at the moment, what I most want to learn to play is bulerías style (for which neither epi nor pedal are suited… 🤦‍♂️)

I have absolutely fallen in love with the new Gibson SG Kirk Douglas signature model in Inverness Green 😍

I keep stopping myself from buying it online as I want to have a play first before making the investment but the shops likely won’t be open for another 2 months 🤦‍♂️

https://www.gibson.com/Guitar/USA19H701/Kirk-Douglas-Signature-SG/Inverness-Green

@BoardinBob that does look lovely. Amazeballs green colour.

Captor X incoming tomorrow

Interested to hear what my amps actually do sound/feel like 🙂

This thread is great, thank you all for being here. I have two things, first of all I am now the proud owner of this:
https://www.pmtonline.co.uk/fender-mij-limited-collection-jazz-bass-natural

It blows my American Deluxe from around 2015 to pieces for build and finish quality, it is literally perfect.

Secondly, I’m looking at purchasing an Audio interface to start and so dome recording at home.

Does anybody have any recommendations please?
It only needs to be small, like 2 ins, one would actually really do.
I don’t trust half the youtube videos reviews and some client reviews on retailers websites seem a little misleading too.

I have absolutely fallen in love with the new Gibson SG Kirk Douglas signature model in Inverness Green

I’ve never been overly keen on the SG shape, but I really like the ones they had on Andertons over the weekend. I seem to have a thing for olive green guitars, though.

https://www.andertons.co.uk/brands/gibson/sg-guitars/gibson-sg-standard-limited-edition-olive-drab-green-t-type-pickups

Student discount gives 20% off absolutely everything on the Fender website. Worth it if you know someone who can hook you up!

Why on earth did you need to say that. Back in a while….

Nice to see/hear some (excellent) musical contributions since I was last in here.

One guitar I wouldn’t buy on line is an SG, with the possible exception of an Angus Young which is guaranteed to have a 41mm nut. The ones I’ve played have ranged from a generous 43mm to a 45mm which made muting/playing with the thumb a chore. I didn’t measure one from the Tunomatic period but it it felt even wider.

Buy a grippy strap to go with it to reduce the neck plunge.

Does anybody have any recommendations please?

I bought the steinberg ur22 after a bit of research and then sent it back because it ‘just didn’t sound right’ with my active bass.

I replaced it with a Behringer UMC404HD which was the same price, double the inputs and has the PAD setting to better deal with hotter inputs. It’s working better better than the Steinberg did for me.

The Focusrite gear is supposed to be good too.

But, check if your amp has a USB out, as that will do it too.

The 8 string playing is coming along – slowly 🙂 it’s a weird beast to get my head around + it needs a bit of a fret polish and set-up which I haven’t got round to yet.

This week I’ve mostly been working on major and minor scales and arpeggios.
Trying to get to the point where I can do them by touch anywhere on the neck, combining scales and arps, or going up major, down minor, etc. Getting there!

I use a Focusrite Scarlett Solo interface. I use it more for vocals but it has XLR and 1/4”inputs, so will take outputs from an effects board, line out from an amp or direct from the guitar.

The reviews are emphatic, and I recently had to source some interfaces for more singers. Everyone at various music shops recommended them out of hand. Less than 100 quid. Oh, and the direct monitoring is great, but use low impedance headphones.

I’m not going to force another video down anyone’s throat but Chris Buck has just posted a clip of him with the Gamechanger Light reverb pedal.
His playing is simply amazing. Well worth a listen.

the Gamechanger Light reverb pedal.

Not sure if this is the same one but Anderton’s put this out yesterday

But they also put this out and it sounds absolutely fantastic

Yep, a good day for toys. To be honest the Andertons video showed it off much better. Chris Buck just plays the heck out of it.
As we’re doing videos here you go:

Agreed on Chris Buck – a lot of talent in those fingers!

What does everybody sit on / sit at to play when they’re at home?

Andersons seem to use office chairs, Justin Sandercoe drapes his blanket over the back of a sofa (settee, if you were brung up in Brum), I’ve seen others on a Dave Allan style high stool.

I used to use the high stool but with my Katana amp on the floor controlled by my laptop on the desk (no foot pedals) this is awkward unless I make a complete change to my set-up – which I’m going to do anyway once I’ve decided where I’m sitting.

I need to take care of my posture as I had major spinal surgery late last year, but isn’t causing side-effects. A friend of mine who does DJ sets, music production and recording is getting me to build him an uppy-downy studio desk so he can stand up to play, but I don’t think that’s for me.

I prefer standing, easy access to all the neck and the body at the right height. If I do sit down it’s on a dining chair and sometimes slumped on the sofa which is like standing but nearer horizontal.

In use an office chair, usually the one without arms. I should stand a lot more as I get out of practice at playing when vertical.

I dunno but if you’re sitting there’s less movement which makes for easier filming and better product display (it’s a sales advert remember 🙂 )

Decided to try out the Captor X which arrived 2 days ago – only really manage to plug it in and play for 20 mins but for so good

The week will be interesting to see how the tube amps I’ve never been able to play loud will actually sound

Having refretted the old Sigma so it’s playable all the way up the neck till the body gets in the way I’ve been revisiting songs that I’d normally play on a Tele with the Marshal valves glowing. Spanish rock is quite popular in this part of the world. Maintaining the unusual strumming pattern and remembering the words keeps my brain very occupied:

I seem to only really play standing up… Which is surely the perfect justification for buying a Flying V? 😉

Playing standing up? You need an upright bass mate!

Oh, wait… 😀

@Chipps – we need a Guitar category in the classifieds.

Random seems a bit er random for an for an Epiphone SG G400 Deluxe Pro Honeyburst 😉

Ooh, that looks lovely! (I already have an SG, otherwise, that’d be tempting…)

I’ll see if I can request a ‘music’ category in the Classifieds…

Agreed ^ ^ ^ My un-random American Special Telecaster may be up for sale soon.

Does anyone have any experience of The Shergold SM01SD Masquerader 1

https://www.shergoldguitars.com/the-guitars/masquerader/masquerader-sm01-sd-dirty-blonde.html

My son is looking for an addition to the collection and if he gets the grades in his highers I might treat him to something. These look really nice and the price is great.

I’ve never played a (modern) Shergold, but: good old British brand name, redesigned by Patrick Eggle and a solid rosewood neck. All good things. I have a couple of rosewood necked guitars and think they’re brilliant. Oh and a P90/Humbucker combo is a great pickup choice.

bit more mundane but any recommendations for a clip on capo. I bought one cheap off t’internet but it’s a real bastard to get it to not put the guitar out of tune, is that a common problem or does a better one work better?

The £10 on my local guitar chappy sold me seems to work really nicely. Let me grab it and see what it is.

Here you go (they seem more expensive now!)

https://www.gear4music.com/Guitar-and-Bass/Tanglewood-TSPC-Speedbar-Capo/I8N

I bought one of these a while back and it seems fine to me and only £7
Donner DC-2 Guitar Capo for Acoustic and Electric Guitar, Black https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00XKVP8BC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_fabc_5RB5W54EDW38AJ9N9TV7?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

But for Xmas last year I was given one of these as a present which is much nicer

Shubb GC-30 Deluxe Acoustic Guitar Capo, Stainless Steel https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B004VDD4KK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_fabc_3E6WQJ9HAJJ0T226XDAG

Sorry for the Amazon links – just easier to share but you can buy them elsewhere

Thanks Chipps, it’s firmly on the list now.

I figured I’d only ever get one capo in my life, so got one of the G7th ones. It’s really a lovely thing. Not very cheap though.

G7th user here too. A guitar shop friend gave it to me, I don’t think I’d have bought it otherwise, but it’s great.

PSA – if you subscribe to Guitarist magazine at the moment, I think they’re giving one away as a gift… (Can’t see it on their website, but it’s in my print issue – shout if you need details)

yes please Chipps, if you could.

Obviously the best way to sell a Flying V is to tape a Spongebob Patrick soft toy to it…
At least the price has been slashed from £500.

https://reverb.com/uk/item/38685774-flying-p-flying-v?utm_source=braze&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=INTL_Sunday_Content_20210307_(UK)&utm_term=Variant%202

Right then, I play a lot of guitar in bare feet so to help my soft delicate soles I bought some oversized pedal toppers and I like them.

I have a bunch left over. These are the cheap China made ones off ebay. So I have 2 ‘sets’ of four with the mini hex key to give away. Let me know and I’ll stick em in a jiffy bag.
Express your preference for Silver/Red/Green/Gold or Sliver/Red/Green/Blue.

it’s a real bastard to get it to not put the guitar out of tune

Move it really close to the fret. It’ll then get in the way but at least you won’t have to re-tune.

Any capo with a spring will put a guitar with light strings out of tune unless it’s almost on top of the fret. The screw adjustable ones are perhaps better for use on electrics, at least with the screw adjustable ones once you’ve retuned after fitting the capo the guitar usually stays in tune.

The spring they fit is a compromise, a capo with a spring stong enough to hold down the strings on a heavily strung acoustic guitar will put a lightly strung electric a country mile out.

The problem above is why the G7th design is so good. It uses a kind of one way clutch arrangement (“wrap spring clutch” apparently) so no compromised spring arrangement. You simply push it down to the tension you need and it grips without releasing until you push the release tab.