Making Music

[Dr. Gonzo]

1 hour ago, Mel81x said:

@Dr. Gonzo thoughts? This is the only JEM whose color I can stand in the upper range. The rest of them look like Borat on a holiday with their neon colourings. Thinking of picking this up in the new year or maybe before.

 

Unfortunately, I can't watch that with sound right now - bet it sounds great though, it's got the Vai signature pickups, doesn't it?

I normally hate the way JEMs look lol. They're always a bit too flashy for my tastes - I'm sure they play really well though... they're expensive guitars designed by Steve Vai, who might be the best guitarist in the history of the instrument. And it's an Ibanez, they tend to always play great... even the cheap ones. That one's finish is really really nice though and I like the pickguard as well. Can't stand the fretboard or that weird design on the pickup covers though lol.

What's the body made out of?

[Mel81x+]

12 minutes ago, Dr. Gonzo said:

Unfortunately, I can't watch that with sound right now - bet it sounds great though, it's got the Vai signature pickups, doesn't it?

I normally hate the way JEMs look lol. They're always a bit too flashy for my tastes - I'm sure they play really well though... they're expensive guitars designed by Steve Vai, who might be the best guitarist in the history of the instrument. And it's an Ibanez, they tend to always play great... even the cheap ones. That one's finish is really really nice though and I like the pickguard as well. Can't stand the fretboard or that weird design on the pickup covers though lol.

What's the body made out of?

Its a Mahogany body with a Walnut neck. I figure it should play well considering who actually designed it and you're right the rest of them look so bright it hurts my eyes. I actually played an older JEM that had neon-green and pink on it. While I don't think colour truly matters I had to make an exception in that case because I think I'd unnecessarily stand out with it. But the sound was ... exemplary. 

[Dr. Gonzo]

6 minutes ago, Mel81x said:

Its a Mahogany body with a Walnut neck. I figure it should play well considering who actually designed it and you're right the rest of them look so bright it hurts my eyes. I actually played an older JEM that had neon-green and pink on it. While I don't think colour truly matters I had to make an exception in that case because I think I'd unnecessarily stand out with it. But the sound was ... exemplary. 

I've seen some white JEMs that are less gaudy. They've all got that inlay design on the fretboard though - it's just way too flashy for my taste. I'm sure they play nice because... Steve Vai… but I've never even picked one up at a store to fuck around on because the way they look (obviously not the most important thing about a guitar) meant I'd never really ever truly be interested. And I'm one of those people that fucks around on all the expensive guitars I can at stores  - played a nice NAMM ESP model the other week.

[Mel81x+]

43 minutes ago, Dr. Gonzo said:

I've seen some white JEMs that are less gaudy. They've all got that inlay design on the fretboard though - it's just way too flashy for my taste. I'm sure they play nice because... Steve Vai… but I've never even picked one up at a store to fuck around on because the way they look (obviously not the most important thing about a guitar) meant I'd never really ever truly be interested. And I'm one of those people that fucks around on all the expensive guitars I can at stores  - played a nice NAMM ESP model the other week.

I actually looked at an ESP too. Then I saw a Flying V and got taken back to my love of Jackson's and then said no I have to get an Ibanez just because I want to own one now. And I do the same thing in guitar stores, I just go in see an instrument I really like and play it without thinking twice.

[Dr. Gonzo]

1 minute ago, Mel81x said:

I actually looked at an ESP too. Then I saw a Flying V and got taken back to my love of Jackson's and then said no I have to get an Ibanez just because I want to own one now. And I do the same thing in guitar stores, I just go in see an instrument I really like and play it without thinking twice.

I miss my Jacksons - even though I just sold one.

In other news, my cab has cleared customs and was last reported to be in SF. Should have it in 1-3 days! Can't wait until I can return my friends shite Peavey cab with it's shite Sheffield speaker. Pretty impressed with how quick Thomann could get something out from Germany to me tbh.

[Mel81x+]

Just now, Dr. Gonzo said:

I miss my Jacksons - even though I just sold one.

In other news, my cab has cleared customs and was last reported to be in SF. Should have it in 1-3 days! Can't wait until I can return my friends shite Peavey cab with it's shite Sheffield speaker. Pretty impressed with how quick Thomann could get something out from Germany to me tbh.

My hand was hanging around that Flying V and I said just buy it because you know you want one and then I said to myself that if I ever took it to a gig with the band I am playing now it would be like seeing a sober set of individuals playing Jazz and me sitting there with a weapon of mass destruction. 

[Dr. Gonzo]

4 minutes ago, Mel81x said:

My hand was hanging around that Flying V and I said just buy it because you know you want one and then I said to myself that if I ever took it to a gig with the band I am playing now it would be like seeing a sober set of individuals playing Jazz and me sitting there with a weapon of mass destruction. 

All the more reason to get it, tbh.

Nah just kidding, I know you want that JEM 

[Mel81x+]

4 minutes ago, Dr. Gonzo said:

All the more reason to get it, tbh.

Nah just kidding, I know you want that JEM 

There's a much older gentleman who plays such a sweet Gibson Studio LP at the practice sessions and I took my Yam bass in the first time (its a TRBX304) because I truly like it as a bass and it has one of the best Active EQs I have ever used. We get done with the set and he comes to me and says "I hope that's not the only bass you have because its very loud and stands out. I understand you like rock music but you may want to get something more for Jazz". I came back the next time and this time I took my Jazz bass with me and before we start I was out smoking and he says "That's a good purchase and a solid instrument. When did you buy it?" and I said "Oh about 12 years ago" and his face dropped. Since then I don't go to their sessions with something like that looks like it could blow holes in the walls or be taken on a drive-by. I figure a JEM (that particular JEM) would make them look at me weird too but its far closer to clean looking. 

[Dr. Gonzo]

25 minutes ago, Mel81x said:

There's a much older gentleman who plays such a sweet Gibson Studio LP at the practice sessions and I took my Yam bass in the first time (its a TRBX304) because I truly like it as a bass and it has one of the best Active EQs I have ever used. We get done with the set and he comes to me and says "I hope that's not the only bass you have because its very loud and stands out. I understand you like rock music but you may want to get something more for Jazz". I came back the next time and this time I took my Jazz bass with me and before we start I was out smoking and he says "That's a good purchase and a solid instrument. When did you buy it?" and I said "Oh about 12 years ago" and his face dropped. Since then I don't go to their sessions with something like that looks like it could blow holes in the walls or be taken on a drive-by. I figure a JEM (that particular JEM) would make them look at me weird too but its far closer to clean looking. 

What colour is the Yamaha bass? Because to my eyes... it just looks like a bass. I can understand wanting a band to have an overall aesthetic, but at the same time... I'm one of those people that doesn't really give a fuck about the aesthetic of a band. I've seen metal played live on a Tele with singlecoils - I don't care too much about how it all looks, I care more about how everything sounds.

Ah well, probably easier to just deal with it the way you did since you've got the instruments that'll fit that aesthetic.

[Mel81x+]

7 hours ago, Dr. Gonzo said:

What colour is the Yamaha bass? Because to my eyes... it just looks like a bass. I can understand wanting a band to have an overall aesthetic, but at the same time... I'm one of those people that doesn't really give a fuck about the aesthetic of a band. I've seen metal played live on a Tele with singlecoils - I don't care too much about how it all looks, I care more about how everything sounds.

Ah well, probably easier to just deal with it the way you did since you've got the instruments that'll fit that aesthetic.

It is. I am of the same thinking that if it sounds right it doesn't matter. The only saving grace is that this goes on till February and I like these guys because I am learning so I'll take it on the chin for now. That bass doesn't look out of place anywhere honestly its not the most outrageous looking thing either and yeah its a red colored instrument but its not a gaudy red either. Oh well.

P.S. You'll have to let me know how that CAB works out for you as I am thinking of getting something similar but I can't decide on what I want. I want something small with a D.I. output so I can plug it into an interface.

[Dr. Gonzo]

@Mel81x my cab came in yesterday and... it's pretty fucking great considering it only cost a bit more than just buying a Celestion Vintage 30 (even if it is just the 8 Ohm version). The difference between the Harley Benton cab with a nice speaker and the Peavey cab with a shit speaker is night and day. I emailed Thomann about it after I asked the question on here about "how the fuck is this so cheap?" - it's because they buy in bulk from Celestion, generally (because, ya know... they sell the products) and as a result they're able to make a pretty high quality cabinet with their in-store brand Harley Benton.

The one concern I'd have about it is with gigging - I don't think it's high quality wood or anything like that. I think it's made as cheaply as possible but with a nice speaker - so people playing and recording at home have something cheap that sounds good (similar to their Harley Benton instruments). It's sort of the exact opposite of the Peavey cab I was borrowing - which I think was designed to give people who play live a well made cabinet with nice wood... but with a dogshit speaker they'll probably end up changing. It's a bit bigger than the Peavey cab as well, which I wasn't really expecting - but the Peavey cab is much, much heavier & feels like they made it out of really solid wood.

Doesn't really impact me too much, as I haven't played live in a very long time and I probably won't. And if I did play live, I'd probably use a 2x12 cab (or a 4x12), rather than a 1x12 - even recording, I think I'd rather use a bigger cabinet than a small one tbh - granted, I'm totally dogshit at recording and I don't know wtf I'm doing most of the time - plus the little red record light scares the fuck out of me and makes me nervous as fuck when I play (which is weird because I got over stage fright basically 2 minutes into the first time I ever played live - but the red light fright is very real). And when I jam with my pals, I typically go over to my friend's house where he's built a studio and then I have a nice 4x12 he built to use (which is fucking great, 2 Vintage 30 speakers and 2 G12 greenbacks... it sounds fantastic with every amp I've seen it used with).

I'd recommend these Harley Benton cabs to anyone who wants a nice speaker cabinet for cheap - but if you're gigging you'd probably want a flight case for when it's not on stage (or just be really fucking careful loading it in and out of venues). I'm pretty sure Thomann's got Harley Benton flight cases for pretty cheap though.

Sadly, though, there is no DI output for you to plug it into an interface.

But I am pretty happy with the cheap little rig I've put together for myself - it sounds much higher quality than what you'd expect for the amount I paid for the amp & cab. I'm also still seriously impressed with that Micro Dark Terror amp - it's great having a little head that can produce nice tones at low volume... but then if you want/need it to get really fucking loud, it can absolutely do that and get incredibly loud. I'm also pretty impressed with the tonal diversity I can get from it, considering it's only got 1 knob for the EQ - even when I'm not using my EQ pedal, there's plenty of tonal variety to be found in it. For an amp marketed to high gain players and with so much gain on tap, you can get a really really nice clean tone. It's also got a fuckload of gain on tap, which is obviously great for me - the low end is a bit loose (because it's got that typical Orange high gain sound)… but with an overdrive that loose low end tightens waaaaay the fuck up. And then the high gain tones are absolutely brutal.

Makes me want to start a website or a youtube channel or something where I take cheap gear and try to coax great tone out of it lol. Because this must be the best time ever to be a guitarist - I never would have thought I'd be able to put together a rig this cheap that sounds this good. And in the last year, I've used a ton of pretty inexpensive gear that has sounded fucking fantastic - and many of what I've tried is most certainly possible to gig with pretty easily.

Just goes to show you, you don't need to spend a lot in order to sound good. Although tbh, all of the crazy expensive gear I've played and owned... generally produces pretty phenomenal tone & like I said with this cab... I'm not sure it would hold up on the road unless you took very good care of it or had it in a flight case. With a Mesa Boogie cabinet, you're paying a lot more for the cabinet design that Thomann copied for their Harley Benton cabs... but it'll survive gigging for years and years.

Also what did you end up getting when your Boss NS-2 died? Because mine isn't dead... but it's also not consistently working & I'm not sure if I should crack it open and need to resolder some connections or if it's time to replace something I've had for 15+ years.

[Mel81x+]

4 minutes ago, Dr. Gonzo said:

Also what did you end up getting when your Boss NS-2 died? Because mine isn't dead... but it's also not consistently working & I'm not sure if I should crack it open and need to resolder some connections or if it's time to replace something I've had for 15+ years.

You're so right about cost coming down on so many things and I'd like to attribute China and S. Korea to all this goodness. They made CNC a viable option for so many guitar manufacturers for cheap and also allowed IC work to happen at such a fraction of the cost that making things in the mass so that anyone at any level in the music spectrum can truly enjoy good tone and sometimes great, long-lasting gear too. If you think about just five years ago and look at the options on the market its such a stark contrast to the mid 90s when you literally had such few options you were pigeon-holed into what you wanted sound-wise.

As for the NS-2, I did what any Boss pedal loving owner would do. I went out and go another one haha. I would recommend opening it up and see if there's corrosion or something came lose and just try and fix it. simple cable replacements on the power source can also make a difference or so I am told. 

[Dr. Gonzo]

3 minutes ago, Mel81x said:

You're so right about cost coming down on so many things and I'd like to attribute China and S. Korea to all this goodness. They made CNC a viable option for so many guitar manufacturers for cheap and also allowed IC work to happen at such a fraction of the cost that making things in the mass so that anyone at any level in the music spectrum can truly enjoy good tone and sometimes great, long-lasting gear too. If you think about just five years ago and look at the options on the market its such a stark contrast to the mid 90s when you literally had such few options you were pigeon-holed into what you wanted sound-wise.

As for the NS-2, I did what any Boss pedal loving owner would do. I went out and go another one haha. I would recommend opening it up and see if there's corrosion or something came lose and just try and fix it. simple cable replacements on the power source can also make a difference or so I am told. 

Going back to the mid 90s when I started playing... the options that were available were a fucking joke. Especially the low priced solid state/modeling amps (other than the Roland stuff tbh, they always made pretty nice solid state shite) - you compare what was available then at a low price point to now and it's night and fucking day. Especially Line 6 modelers, oh my god they were fucking awful - I'm so glad Yamaha bought Line 6 because it's really turned them around IMO.

But a big part of it is technology is so much better. CNC means we can get consistent quality from countries where it's cheap to build a guitar. The amp modeling technology seems to make leaps forward year - which is great for beginners and experienced players alike tbh. Something like a Boss Katana would have been my prized possession as a kid - an amp that cheap, that sounds that good with that much tonal diversity? And the power output setting means you can use it in a variety of settings - from the bedroom to actually gigging (although you'd probably want the 100watt one for gigging). Insane how much better it is than the Crate I started playing on that I'm pretty sure cost just a tiny bit less than what a Katana 50 goes for.

Also, alright I'll try fucking around with the NS-2 when I'm back home tonight. Because if I can fix the fucking thing, that's ideal. I also really don't want to get rid of it, because it's the piece of gear I've owned the longest.

[Mel81x+]

2 minutes ago, Dr. Gonzo said:

Going back to the mid 90s when I started playing... the options that were available were a fucking joke. Especially the low priced solid state/modeling amps (other than the Roland stuff tbh, they always made pretty nice solid state shite) - you compare what was available then at a low price point to now and it's night and fucking day. Especially Line 6 modelers, oh my god they were fucking awful - I'm so glad Yamaha bought Line 6 because it's really turned them around IMO.

But a big part of it is technology is so much better. CNC means we can get consistent quality from countries where it's cheap to build a guitar. The amp modeling technology seems to make leaps forward year - which is great for beginners and experienced players alike tbh. Something like a Boss Katana would have been my prized possession as a kid - an amp that cheap, that sounds that good with that much tonal diversity? And the power output setting means you can use it in a variety of settings - from the bedroom to actually gigging (although you'd probably want the 100watt one for gigging). Insane how much better it is than the Crate I started playing on that I'm pretty sure cost just a tiny bit less than what a Katana 50 goes for.

Also, alright I'll try fucking around with the NS-2 when I'm back home tonight. Because if I can fix the fucking thing, that's ideal. I also really don't want to get rid of it, because it's the piece of gear I've owned the longest.

You're so right. I think about it from the perspective of someone wanting to get into music just to muck about and if you tried to do what we're capable of doing today back in the day you'd have to not only shell out the money but then go to classes or find someone to teach you. Add the internet to this mix and now manufacturers are forced to improve their gear, buyers are so much more aware of what's out there and companies that can make cheaper gear for the market with astounding output get far easier recognition and that leads to sales and more importantly, improvement. 

I have and will always love Yamaha as a company. They do instruments the right way in the acoustic domain and whenever someone asks me why I play my APX I always tell them that you can lug around a much heavier instrument but you try plugging that in and tell me that the electronics beat the Yam and its very rare that it ever happens. Them partnering with Line6 is only going to make their instrument manufacturing so much better to pair with the modelers. 

As for the NS-2, trust me when I say this, you really have to try and do something wrong with a BOSS pedal. They are so sturdy that unless you're cutting wires or trying to force the situation you really cant do any harm to them.

[Dr. Gonzo]

I've never played a Yamaha instrument I didn't think was a much higher quality than the price point they're available at. And with their guitars, you jump up $100 from the last model you looked at and the upgrade in quality is absolutely outstanding. The THR amps (which I have back at my parents house, I'm pretty sure my dad uses it all the time now) are also pretty remarkable little devices.

Imo we've already seen Line 6 benefit from being a Yamaha subsidiary - the Helix gear is top notch and competes with Fractal and Kemper stuff at a (slightly) lower price. As a kid I remember the Line 6 Pod being a good, not great, the Pod HD stuff that came out shortly after Yamaha took control was really great (for the time - dunno how they hold up now, considering how much better modeling technology is now). Even the fucking Line 6 Spiders, which are famously dogshit, have improved pretty significantly in quality. My opinion of Line 6 has changed pretty significantly after the Yamaha takeover

They also own Steinberg. And a top notch Piano company that I forget the name of. I know Yamaha does stuff outside of music... but their music division and subsidiaries are all top of the line imo and their contribution to music is pretty significant.

Yamaha and Boss are... fucking great companies. God bless Japan, eh?

[Dr. Gonzo]

@Mel81x wow it was easy as fuck to fix my NS-2. There was just one loose connection (idk how it got loose in the first place, but whatever) - resoldered it real quick and put it back together and now it's good as new (well functionally, the paint is still pretty beaten up lol)

[Inverted]

So I boiled my choice down of guitars about a week ago down to a Danelectro 59, or that preowned Player Strat. They were basically the same price.

The Danelectro has a shape and feel I really love, plus I was a bit concerned about the Strat only having the 3 single coils. The Danelectro has two humbuckers but also could get a nice clear, almost tinny sound for the kind of finger-picking and chordal stuff I enjoy playing. 

Ultimately I was swung back to the Strat when I found that even with just a little amp distortion and gain, the Strat actually sounded great for riffing and other more messy stuff. 

I don't know if it's because I maybe don't listen with he ear of a lifelong guitarist but I find the preconceptions, which I always read about, around pure single coils to be kinda overstated. Obviously you probably couldn't get a good metal tone from it, but otherwise I really don't think the limitations - as far as a non-expert listener would be concerned - are anything that can't be quite easily overcome with a little fiddling around. 

So yeah I went for this badboy and I've hardly been able to wrench myself from it. Getting the Strat for like 60% of RRP was just too good a chance.

Though mines has a whammy bar which I'm still getting to grips with. 

[Mel81x+]

18 hours ago, Inverted said:

So I boiled my choice down of guitars about a week ago down to a Danelectro 59, or that preowned Player Strat. They were basically the same price.

The Danelectro has a shape and feel I really love, plus I was a bit concerned about the Strat only having the 3 single coils. The Danelectro has two humbuckers but also could get a nice clear, almost tinny sound for the kind of finger-picking and chordal stuff I enjoy playing. 

Ultimately I was swung back to the Strat when I found that even with just a little amp distortion and gain, the Strat actually sounded great for riffing and other more messy stuff. 

I don't know if it's because I maybe don't listen with he ear of a lifelong guitarist but I find the preconceptions, which I always read about, around pure single coils to be kinda overstated. Obviously you probably couldn't get a good metal tone from it, but otherwise I really don't think the limitations - as far as a non-expert listener would be concerned - are anything that can't be quite easily overcome with a little fiddling around. 

So yeah I went for this badboy and I've hardly been able to wrench myself from it. Getting the Strat for like 60% of RRP was just too good a chance.

Though mines has a whammy bar which I'm still getting to grips with. 

Firstly, congrats on the purchase I think that's a stellar instrument for the price. As for the whammy bar, I tend to turn it backwards as most of the stuff I play doesn't really require it and for some reason, ever since I played an Ibanez with the way those bend I can't seem to get behind using a whammy on an instrument that can't sharp the note versus flatten it, not like that's a bad thing as it does it very well. 

About the coils, you're right, no one is going to really notice the differences unless you're nit picky and and have the ear to say no that doesn't sound good or it isn't a humbucker. You've also made a great point about amps and modelers and as @Dr. Gonzo will attest to, if your signal chain is good (which in most cases it will be in today's landscape) you can shape the sound and model anything you want with some time and patience. 

The other nice thing about Strats, and I can't remember where I read this, is that they are so customizable and you'll find parts to do pretty much anything you want down the road if you want a different experience. Want a humbucker at the bridge? No problem. Just swap out the pick-guard plate, get a humbucker pickup system and then you have one for a fraction of the cost it would be when buying that kind of instrument. Want a locker tuner setup? There are so many companies making them with micro-variations to give you exactly what you want. 

[Dr. Gonzo]

Nice guitar mate! And @Mel81x is right, if you ever felt the need to... a strat is probably the easiest guitar in the world to modify to your tastes.

I think you’re right about non-discerning ears not being able to tell the difference between the types of pickups. Also with distortion those “in between” positions in a Strat can sound fairly humbucker-y. You’ve got probably one of the most versatile sounding guitars, mate - you’ll find you’ll have a shitload of tonal diversity with a strat.

Enjoy!

[Mel81x+]

Since this is a Making Music thread I figure we could share what we're trying to learn right now. On my plate are two songs which we're working on as a band to get finalized for some YT work.

• Black Sabbath - God is Dead - The bass work by Geezer is so simple at the start but at the end when him and Toni start their little bass/guitar duel the man's fingers go from rhythm to machine-gun speed
• Iron Maiden - Powerslave - There is not a single Maiden song that is easy from a bass perspective and I have been on this for nearly a month now and I still can't get that rhythm piece in the middle when they switch the speed of the song. I'd take the guitar pieces any day over the bass parts in this.

On a personal front I have started practicing a lot of disco-based groove numbers and the one I am currently learning is Tom Misch - Disco Yes. I'd also like to thank @Inverted for turning me onto Khruangbin, they have some great bass work even if its rather simplistic from an execution perspective.

 

[Inverted]

@Mel81x

Since I got the Strat I've actually been working on a Khruangbin tune - Mr White. I think I've posted it in here before. The tune is mainly based around finger picked triads in the D string to high-E string region, with little bluesy/pentatonic flourishes, so it's actually turned out to be an ideal beginner's tune. 

I've found it good to be forced away from the low E string.

[Mel81x+]

32 minutes ago, Inverted said:

@Mel81x

Since I got the Strat I've actually been working on a Khruangbin tune - Mr White. I think I've posted it in here before. The tune is mainly based around finger picked triads in the D string to high-E string region, with little bluesy/pentatonic flourishes, so it's actually turned out to be an ideal beginner's tune. 

I've found it good to be forced away from the low E string.

I actually like the percussive bass in that song and its one of the songs I actually took time to practice when you posted it because it has, like you said, a very bluesy backend to it all. Being forced away fro the low E actually also forces you to learn the board a lot better in my experience and once that happens then you can really start to build your own fillers. The other nice thing about that song is the amount of respect for time you will develop as the little riffs all have excellent stops and restarts.

[Dr. Gonzo]

2 hours ago, Inverted said:

@Mel81x

Since I got the Strat I've actually been working on a Khruangbin tune - Mr White. I think I've posted it in here before. The tune is mainly based around finger picked triads in the D string to high-E string region, with little bluesy/pentatonic flourishes, so it's actually turned out to be an ideal beginner's tune. 

I've found it good to be forced away from the low E string.

Hey that’s the song you posted that made me think “hold up, this is a cool band better check out more songs” - cool!

@Mel81x I think most Iron Maiden songs are easier from a guitar perspective than a bass perspective (maybe other than the solos) tbh! Steve Harris is a beast.

I’ve been trying to learn “Chosen Ones” by Megadeth, someone asked I could teach it to them - I said “yeah probably, but let me learn it first.” I did not know their first album was in the annoying 1/4th step down tuning though, so that was my first lesson learned in learning that

[Mel81x+]

1 hour ago, Dr. Gonzo said:

Hey that’s the song you posted that made me think “hold up, this is a cool band better check out more songs” - cool!

@Mel81x I think most Iron Maiden songs are easier from a guitar perspective than a bass perspective (maybe other than the solos) tbh! Steve Harris is a beast.

I’ve been trying to learn “Chosen Ones” by Megadeth, someone asked I could teach it to them - I said “yeah probably, but let me learn it first.” I did not know their first album was in the annoying 1/4th step down tuning though, so that was my first lesson learned in learning that

He has forearms that are bigger than the neck of even a 6 string bass and theres a reason why. Most of his work on songs from the older albums are like a workout.

[Mel81x+]

15 hours ago, Dr. Gonzo said:

Hey that’s the song you posted that made me think “hold up, this is a cool band better check out more songs” - cool!

@Mel81x I think most Iron Maiden songs are easier from a guitar perspective than a bass perspective (maybe other than the solos) tbh! Steve Harris is a beast.

I’ve been trying to learn “Chosen Ones” by Megadeth, someone asked I could teach it to them - I said “yeah probably, but let me learn it first.” I did not know their first album was in the annoying 1/4th step down tuning though, so that was my first lesson learned in learning that

On a side note, you ever use one of those famous drop d tuners? I forget what they are called now ... Hipshot thats it. I used to have one on my precision bass.