Rick doesn't have to buy vintage gear because he has it from when it came out🤣🎸🎸

@TheAgentAssassin

4 жыл бұрын

I wish I kept all my pedals from the 80s.

@frenchiesfrankieandhenry

4 жыл бұрын

@@TheAgentAssassin line 6 was poppin when I started in 2000. Nothing to regret for me. 🤣

@gmmakesmehurl

4 жыл бұрын

@@frenchiesfrankieandhenry Does Line 6 actually sound good to you? I never could get a sound I liked out of the few things I tried.

@chadbouterse8617

4 жыл бұрын

@ Harry The Helix platform is awesome. I have a stomp and run it into my clean amp channel. I dont use IR.. but its 60-80 pedals and preamp tones in a box... used this way I love it

@gmmakesmehurl

4 жыл бұрын

@@chadbouterse8617 I've heard some good things about the Helix. Now that I think of it, one of my friends uses a Helix and I recall him sounding pretty good live.

I have nine guitars; made by six different manufacturers, and I’m building a 10th from a kit. The only essential part of my rig is my fingers. Rick is right. Good guitar, good amp, and practice.

Hi Rick! Let me take this chance to send a message, even if that's out of topic. I'm now 42, I spent a fortune in gear through the years. If I could send me a message, the me 20 years old, I would tell me: spend (invest) your money on lessons, concerts and travels. That's my biggest regret. I write that in tears.

@666wurm

4 жыл бұрын

Few even make to a stage where more/better gear makes any difference at all. Live life first.

@allgrainbrewer10

4 жыл бұрын

W7 I liked the strat acoustic. But no way at 2k

@gmmakesmehurl

4 жыл бұрын

As Robin Williams once said in a movie, "The only people with no regrets are idiots and psychopaths." It's ok to regret. For it helps you appreciate what ya have now.

@OrgChromer

4 жыл бұрын

@@doubleuseven Invest in knowledge and coaching. IOW, invest in yourself. ;)

@rockandrollemergency

4 жыл бұрын

At 43, I have a show next month, where I play in 3 bands on the bill, 1 on bass, 2 on guitar. 1 of which I write, play guitar and sing lead in a 3 piece. I refuse to let go. Flat out refuse. 👊🏼

Hey everyone. I have an easy way to recall what has the biggest impact on your audio… just follow the path of the audio signal, starting with your hands. The order that the audio flows gives you the ranking of what has the greatest impact on your sound. As Rick stated in the video, the instrument has the biggest impact. I would argue to count the player and his or her hands as #1 and list the instrument as #2. In the case of a guitarist, the guitar is obviously the instrument and is the first item in the audio chain. Keep in mind that there are many things to change on an instrument to modify or enhance the tone. Guitar pickups, pickup location, strings, type guitar wood, type of neck wood, etch to name a few. The order of impact, at least in my mind, follows the order of the audio signal when recording/tracking: The player/person > the Instrument > Amp + speaker + cab > Microphone > Mic placement > Preamp > EQ > Compressor. I will tell you a little about myself so you can judge whether to ignore my text or consider it. I am a scientist / engineer from North Carolina. I have a degree in biochemistry and one in chemistry. I took a bunch of music courses when in college (Music theory I, II, III, Ear Training, Class Piano, etc.) even though I was always a science or engineering major. I finished my PhD in Nanoscience (essentially, the science of small things) a little more than a year ago. My area of focus within Nanoscience is Semiconductor process technology, Photolithography, and Device Fabrication. This is the technology used to make microchips, microprocessors, etc. This technology is now being widely in audio products. For example, Fishman Fluence pickups are now using some of these techniques as opposed to the ancient method of winding a Copper wire around a bobbin. As far as my music career, I have played music professionally and/or toured with the following bands: Waiting for Wednesday, Goldstar, Viewpoint, and Swift. We (Swift) played a lot of shows with Florida tased band, School For Heroes, who I think Rick recorded a few times back in the early 2000's. I have also went through the recording engineering program at Guilford Technical in Greensboro, NC. I would be honored to “nerd out” and talk gear, music, audio, chemistry, science, or engineering with anyone who has similar interest.

@megyalilaballad

2 жыл бұрын

I would add ‘room’ before any of the above criteria.

Budget guitars with high actions put off more beginner guitarists than any other reason. Spend a few hundred dollars more and get a guitar that wants to be picked up.

@dzhellek

4 жыл бұрын

Even a cheap guitar can play well if you let someone who knows what they're doing work on it for an hour or two. The problem is you're unlikely to find that someone at the typical Guitar Center.

@therealdavegrohl1098

4 жыл бұрын

Or just adjust the neck relief/action yourself.... 10 minutes work, and save yourself a few hundred

@timn5008

4 жыл бұрын

Good point. You want to buy the best (acoustic) guitar you can afford, but most often that affordable guitar aint gonna have good playability. Add to that that the new player knows next to nothing, and it's tough for the beginner.

@dzhellek

4 жыл бұрын

@Noise Injection I agree up to a point. Once go above, say the $1500 mark, everything doable should be done unless you have a special mod that you want to make. Of course. All guitars need a little work eventually.

@the_nondrive_side

4 жыл бұрын

Or learn how to do a set up.

i always used .009's in my youth. As I got older I went to .010's and .011's thinking that SRV had to be right. But after your string demo I did my own test playing the low end riff of Her Strut with a variety of gauges and much to my surprise .009-.042's sounded better. So I'm back to the wisdom of my youth.

@fenderjag114

4 жыл бұрын

@@officialWWM After Rick's video this this weekend (and Rhett's follow-up), I put a set of 8s on my Reverend Rocco (Fender scale) and played China Grove the way we used to in high school (but better!). The sound really took me back to the '70s. I don't think I was imagining it.

@applied311

4 жыл бұрын

@@officialWWM believe it or not he uses SEVENS!!

@themongoloid8944

4 жыл бұрын

Me too Frank!!!! I just wish I had of known about proper setups and being relaxed. More money don’t necessarily mean good setup although it should- not always though. PROPER SETUP !!!!!!!

You are right, I should buy another guitar. Thanks rick!

Rick, I LOVE what you're doing here on KZread. I know it's a challenge continuing to find new subjects, but with all due respect, we're spinning our wheels if we're looking for one-size-fits-all solutions as far as equipment and strings. In my 57 years as a guitarist, I've come to realize that every single song, every single instrument, every single musical environment, every single performance, every single section of every song and, especially, every single player is different at all times. That's why the real magic is so rare and even the best performers can't always duplicate it! With my three dozen or so fretted and fretless instruments, electric and acoustic, well-known and rare or el cheapo, various amps of different sizes and manufacturers, tweeked eq and effects, I have learned how to get almost all of them to sound like familiar and different instruments, even though they're radically different and played through various amps or recording systems and that even includes using various, mics, styles and sizes of strings. The best anyone can do is figure out what it takes to get the sound they want for each performance of each section of each song through experience and using their ears. It takes experience, experimentation and, most importantly, good ears. Where there's a will, there's a way to get their sound. Keep up the great work!

@naturligfunktion4232

4 жыл бұрын

Sam Cooper preach brother!

I’ve found that the pick thickness is one of the biggest tone changers!!!

As a barely intermediate level guitar player, I am am spending money on learning to play. I've found a really great lesson site (that works for me) and one on music theory, so I bought plans. Gear will not make me a player. A long time friend is a pro musician and a superb guitarist. He could play the cheapest guitar (as long as it was in tune) through the crappiest amp and make it sound good.

@AdaptivePhenix

4 жыл бұрын

You're not supposed to say such stuff because without the constant BS that the industry *is* then gullible fools will stop parting with money. Did you notice how the Helix was quickly dismissed? We're supposed to believe that individual little boxes made by some guy somewhere will always sound "better". This stuff is right up there with miracle diets, age reversing potions and get-rich-quick schemes. 👍😁

@llewodcm20

4 жыл бұрын

Hell yeah dude

@hv8546

4 жыл бұрын

the video is not about whether buying gear is better than anything else, but when you do, what should you do and paying lessons won't make you better either, but practicing

@JeffLearman

4 жыл бұрын

No question about it! A great musician can make good music on a poor instrument, and a poor musician can't make much on anything. AFTER that, this is a great guide on biggest bang for the buck when spending a limited budget on GEAR. Instruments first, speakers second IMHO. Audio interfaces last, because the difference between the best and the "decent inexpensive" units is smaller there than anything else (mics, mic preamps, software, etc.) But even with instruments, there are some really great inexpensive ones especially in electric guitars. For everyone and everything, there's a point of diminishing returns, and that level gets higher the better you are (more experienced and discriminating.)

@zeromustafa401

4 жыл бұрын

Dude, online there is a site called Simianmoon . Com and it has a science section and a guitar section that is completely free and goes through beginner, intermediate and expert. It is an incredible resource for learning. I've been playing 15 years and I'm 25 and even today it has taught me so much. Not saying stop paying to learn, just suggesting you add this to your arsenal.

I am amazed how many people are buying so many ill-advised additions chasing tone when they have not learned to create something worth listening to. Every day someone asks me about mic preamps that cost as much a used car...Forget it. Interconnets(name for woo woo very expensive cables) that make Zero difference except make your wallet sound hollow. Or people want my opinion on a $2000 mic and I say no, every mic sounds different in different acoustic space but in the studio, we has HUNDREDS of mics from $25k/pair to old radio shack PZM, electric $1 electret mics and everything in between because everyone only of those on something, was the most appropriate sound character for the acoustic space, singer, material etc. Unless someone tests dozens of price range mics to see is anything fits their material and space better, they might find a used SM-58 from a pawnshop beats out the mic locker classic $5k tube mics. You are right, instrument, lessons, arranger, strings, placement of a cab, placement of mics around the cab, drum mic placement, all these things have more impact than the inherent quality or spec of any one component like cables or preamps, or converters. When comparing the great studio sounds and records it was assumed by the beginners that the old equipment made the difference but it wasn't, a lot of the old priceless gear was not that good, but the attention and craftsmanship of the engineer, producer, arranger made sows ears into silk purses. All the home recordist hobby gear is better technically than what we had in big studios 40 years ago and the only reason home recording sounds like crap is who is doing the work and their ability of capitalize on defects and turn them into unique recordings. It as never easy to record a song that made you want to buy it. The lesson is learn how to create the sound signature your music would be most enhanced by and learn how to listen in the session and experiment. Moving mics a few inches makes a big difference. But most of all, write material that is compelling in its own right and then whatever voicing you use will be the only everyone will be chasing and not know how you did it. Stop spending on things because they are a fad and start experimenting with sound character, even with cheap mics, in some positions they will sound much better. What sounds better is subjective in producing music, what sounds better in RE-producing music is more objective.

Expectation: i'll buy an acoustic, a pedalboard, an effect processor, a soundcard and a new amp Reality: i bought four stratocasters.

@fragtagninja1633

4 жыл бұрын

One can never have too many strats.

@mjobusch

4 жыл бұрын

Money well spent!

@minisurfbanana

4 жыл бұрын

That’s why I sold a bunch of pedals and amps. You don’t realize that u spent $2500 on other stuff...I’d rather have more guitars...so I bought 2 new ones!

@rodmorris6775

4 жыл бұрын

lucky you to be able to afford 4 strats

@Soldano999

4 жыл бұрын

rod morris well none of them cost me that much. 1 Japanese 1 squier 1 mexican and 1 highway 1.

I saw you at NAMM wanted to say hi but I did not want to interrupt you conversation you were having. First time I was there. It was a bit too crowded and loud for me but it was nice to finally see it. I have had my 1973 SunburstLes Paul Deluxe since 1976 along with my Fender Deluxe Reverb and I have had my red American Strat for 20 years and I have a Spanish classical guitar for 30 years. All wonderful gear that was built well. My favorite guitar is my Strat because I enjoy playing old surf music.

I think the thing that made the biggest difference to me was an electronic tuner. If you actually rate it by cost, it was an astronomical return on investment.

Rick, thank you for the awesome insight here. I do believe that often times we get too caught up in the ‘right/best’ gear when we should focus more on our actual craft of writing and playing music.

Rick - that AT&T 3G microcell back there under the light is officially vintage technology at this point. They are retiring the 3G network in 2021. Love your work. So proud that you are from ATL.

@edpack4390

4 жыл бұрын

LOL I noticed that too.

@JokerCat9

4 жыл бұрын

Actually hes from New York, but he lives in Atlanta now

Playing rock and roll with heavy gauge strings is like playing pro football: the injury rate is 100%. Acoustic instruments really benefit from having heavier or harder tension strings -- electric instruments can be equalized and or set up differently. When you learn classical, so much emphasis is placed on "correct" technique -- this is as much or more about injury prevention than it is tone production -- to play to a high classical standard, you have to play for long hours, which is hard on your whole body, so the technique has evolved to allow for that, while minimizing injury. Rock technique will get you each and every time -- take Jimmy Pages advice: use the lightest strings you can stand. I also don't disagree that spending on an instrument is the most worthwhile piece - but consider buying used, and getting a skilled, honest luthier (maybe even one with access to a PLEK machine) to put in 5-10 skilled hours on getting your guitar really dialed in, with the most comfortable action, and best intonation possible -- don't overlook the time and skill getting an instrument really playing right: yes to spending on an instrument, but spend on someone to get it together (or learn yourself by trial and error). The difference between many instruments is just the amount of time skilled human hands have been on them -- G&L is a good value proposition in that regard -- but you can get about anything costing around $400-$600 used, and spend as much on a luthier, and you'll have something that plays as well as a $3000 instrument -- just worth considering, IMO.

@AhmadSleeq

4 жыл бұрын

@@sapinva injury from heavy string is very real, i am a skinny little dude i admit and having really heavy strings( heavier than 10 to 52 on a 24.75 scale or 9 to 46 on a 25.5 scale) can really mess with my elbow muscle/wristi am active and wouldn't consider my lifestyle as unhealthy just am small in size by genetics and that's my limit

@mjobusch

4 жыл бұрын

@@sapinva Playing guitar involves to totality of your being, and playing it well is a highly athletic endeavor. If you don't play, you haven't built the muscles or tendons up properly to handle it for long periods, you will get injured -- I'm dead serious. You can be in shape in every other way, and injure your fingers, shoulder, back, etc. playing guitar -- proper technique helps minimize the risk, but even then overuse (repetitive stress) injuries are very common. Every beginner is "out of shape" for playing guitar -- even if they are pro athletes in some other area, with good metabolic numbers, etc. There's also a huge difference between classical techniques and rock techniques -- rock techniques are usually more injurious.

@mjobusch

4 жыл бұрын

@@sapinva This is a dodge of your original question: selecting individual gauges has nothing to do with it -- you can injure yourself using 7's -- but it takes longer -- and that's really the point.

@mjobusch

4 жыл бұрын

@@sapinva the low slung thing is about weight distribution -- to help distribute the weight of a heavy Les Paul across your back -- not sure that it works. Most rock technique is "bad" technique in the eyes of a classical purist: classical players don't bend notes, and pretty much never mute strings with their left hand since the technique is to ensure each finger joint has at least some bend in it -- when you look at Paul Gilbert and others, their pinkies are almost totally collapsed. Classical players don't have to fight a high-gain amp, with each string eager to scream out. I've been playing for about 35 years, and injury prevention was a discussion that happened pretty early -- I'm shocked that after 50 years you've never heard of it, or heard of people getting injured from over use -- injury isn't exclusive to guitar -- even flute or banjo players can get injured - every instrumentalist, and even vocalists. So you've played 50 years -- let me ask you: have you 50 years of experience playing, or one year, repeated 50 times? Three months? Have you ever played 9 hours or more at a stretch for a week or more straight?

@mjobusch

4 жыл бұрын

@@sapinva right -- amp compression -- but to suggest Steve Howe never throws his thumb over the neck, bend strings -- we know that's just not the case. How about nine hours in a day, versus in one stretch? The likes of Verdine White and others will tell you that in the beginning, playing a lot is the way to go -- I can say anecdotally, it works for me, so long as my callouses, muscles, and tendons have acclimated to playing -- it's like when someone trains for a marathon -- they don't go from no running at all to forcing themselves through one: they build up to it, and do a couple of shorter long runs first -- maybe do several half-marathons. I remember in the way back preparing Villa Lobos Etude #2 for masterclass at Towson University (not Juliard or anything) -- I'd worked on that piece for several years -- but before masterclass, I stayed up all night running through that piece - by the time I hit, I delivered a performance that was one of the best in my life -- my peers talked about it positively for weeks -- but I was much younger then -- it was a little easier to do, and it was the only responsibility I had at the time.

I couldn't agree more Rick, the most important purchase is your instrument! I just slapped down $2,300 for a Paul Reed Smith silver sky and it just incuredges you to play. Great sound great feel! I can get soooooo many tones out of these pick ups its amazing!

@martydibergi5228

4 жыл бұрын

Now save up for a matchless amp. It will bring out the touch and dynamics in your geetar

Thank you! ive been screaming this to anyone who will listen for decades... noone listened

There was so much low-end resonance in the old jazz guitar set (archtop and .13 string gauge) that many guitar players used a special device to tame the vibration of the bass strings.

4:33 yup... guitarists always overlook their speakers and cabs. When I first started using IR's it really showed me how much I was missing with the cabs I was using before. I've always loved Friedman's approach to speaker choices. Mixing greenbacks with V30's to get the mix of modern and old school Celestion tones.

@tommack9395

2 жыл бұрын

Pup's, cabs & speakers and mics. Many people do not understand the basics and they essentially constitute the wave shapes, What's more many comprise "like" basic components ... convert a wave to current - often via a coil around a magnet - toss some character on the current between and spit it back out (convert it back out) as a wave - again via a coil around a magnet. So yes output (Speakers) and input (pup or mic) are the basic physical determination of eq.

Cab is defiantly the most important part. You can make a crappy guitar or amp sound good through the right cab but even the best guitar or amp won’t sound great with a crappy cab.

I just love how you explain complex situations between the guitar, amplifier, and your ears , its all about the instruments!!

I’m 26 now, I love just playing in my room. When the time came of thinking, maybe I should go out and play somewhere, I realized Rock n roll is a really expensive genre, but so satisfying. I’m still in my room tho. Lol

I was near 30 years in the hi-fi business and for years it was about transducers - the two ends that change vibration into electricity and electricity back into vibrations - so the cartridge and the speakers in a record playing set-up. Suddenly one day (or so it seemed) it all became about cables. I realised after obsessing for ages about this and that, that if I was happy everything sounded better than if I was glum. I don't record stuff other than in the simplest way for youtube but what I think I'm saying is that all the important stuff - the stuff that makes you want to listen to BB King - come from the inside so I guess what I'm saying in the 'where to spend your money' debate is: spend it on whatever is going to make you jolliest for longest :-)

@PaulMcCaffreyfmac

4 жыл бұрын

And the truth of it is that realising it automatically raised my level of contentment by losing the fretting, if you'll pardon the pun :-) Good to meet you.

@oromoiluig

4 жыл бұрын

"Everything sounded better when I was happy and worse when I was glum". That is a fantastic observation and the only thing that makes a difference when buying "hi-fi" cables.

@PaulMcCaffreyfmac

4 жыл бұрын

My old hi-fi guru used to swear by 30 amp solid-core cooker cable for speakers. Cheap as chips and as good as anything. Yeah! the Linn/Naim thing got way out of hand in a big way and then at the other end you had magazines bigging up the good looking but ordinary NAD stuff. I used to work with the guy who brought NAD into the UK and I can only imagine the debauchery he must have treated some of those writers to to get reviews like that...Hahahahahahahahahaha

Recap: Spend money on everything that moves in air and is closest to the source as possible, instruments, strings, speakers/cabinets, monitors. Then mics, they move in air. Then preamps, not in air Software is pretty cheap anyways and when they get good input sounds they will sound better.

Your string test really opened my eyes...thinking back I always used .009’s and switched to .010’s when I started using different tunings especially Eb I found the .010’s worked best for me. I recently realized when ever I try a guitar (most seem to be strung with .009’s ) in stores, I play better and I am able to be more expressive and it’s comfortable...who knew? Lol! Switching back to .009’s on everything electric. Thank you for the wake up call and all your efforts. Keep it going!

Rick you're always on my A list of things to watch...so I wanted to tell you after watching this video went to my local store to hang out, and came home with a used divided by 13 1x12 cab. Great for gigging and recording, to me great value at $400(I'm in SFBayarea). A great speaker cab is something you never knew you needed, until you hear your fave amp thru it - now I can play out and record with my little ac10 and get awesome tone. Man I love this channel

Love your tone man, (as is, your voice and your character). Can't believe that you haven't tried a pedal you bought yesterday though! As soon as I get home, and anything new is out of the box and plugged in!

If you are into recording, the most important thing is decent studio monitors because at the end of the day, all your other gear whether cheap or expensive can create interesting sounds but if you can’t hear that you are working with a big disadvantage.

AMEN! I’ve been telling my friends this for years. I learned this years ago by using a Mesa cab that I’d traded for and it seamed I went through a period of time when I hated every amp I had till I realized I actually hated the speakers in the cab. it was at the time the only cab I had. I did a deep dive into speakers and it’s not just cone shape or wattage it’s how the amp pulls the signal through the speakers people forget that the signal goes out and returns to the amp the speakers become part of the circuit this is the heart of “impulse response”.

@JazzRockswithAdam

4 жыл бұрын

Bryan Saunders AMEN!!!!

This vid is perfect timing for me. Sitting on $2500, trying to make the best decision.

@zeromustafa401

4 жыл бұрын

What are you looking for/what are you needing/wanting to add to your gear? If you dont mind me asking. I'm going to be going shopping soon some time in the next year or so, love hearing what others are searching form

@Ruudis9er

4 жыл бұрын

PRS Silver Sky

@tomlebeau7921

4 жыл бұрын

What do you have already? What do you do? Hobby or is it your job?

this is my personal experience: eight or seven years ago I bought my first amp, a Mesa Boogie MarkIV RevB (needless to say it was terrific!). Than in 2016 I changed it because the amount of features and possibilities given by that amplifire in the end overwhelmed me. (Having said that I must say that I will buy another one asap!) About the cabinet: when I bought the mesa I took some time to understand what cabinet I needed. For sure a 1x12 or 2x12, but which speakers? Very soon my choise fell on Celestion G12M Greenback an Vintage30s. I asked my teacher, who owned and still own a recording studio and he told me "it's like asking if you love mom or dad more, they are both good". In a certain way he was right: depends on the musical genre. I wasn't playing in any band at that time so any choice was equal. I chose a V30s loaded cabinet. In 2017 I started playing in a band, making covers of the Eagles. For three years I've been trying to tweek my sound and finally this year I changed the cabinet with a Greenback loaded one: It changed everything! I agree: if the guitar and amp are right, the cabinet/speaker is the MOST important thing! (and then the Microphone if it needs to be amplified)

One of the stand out assets of the Beato channel is his choice to not have sponsorship deals. With so many great all encompassing music channels, I'm avoiding the sponsored channels, not because they might offer less, it's more I find it exhausting and distracting from core content of the channel creator and does little to aide my own research regarding pro audio and guitar related gear I'm deciding whether I need or not. This channel has no veneers no gimmicks with only the occasional parlour trick. 😉 I'm grateful to the creators team for making the effort to authentically translate this man's genuineness and honesty. ✌️

Santana uses 9.5 GHS on his PRS. He has used stone and glass picks. He is constantly playing with the guitar volume and tone knobs to get that velvet smooth OD tone. I found rolling the tone down to about 8 is pretty sweet. Love G12H and EVM12L speakers in a larger cab. It gives me the deeper jazz tones I like.

The average listener has no idea of the difference between a vintage Tube Screamer and a modded newer one. But you're covering a lot of good points here. What amazes me these days is that you can buy a 15 watt Monoprice tube amp, re-tube it, and get gorgeous tone with any decent Strat, Les Paul or SG... especially with Duncans in them. Incredible tone is completely doable for under $1,200 total. Maybe you could do a video on that, Rick?.... "Great tone - On the Cheap!"

The strings make sense, I’ve been a heavy bottom skinny top, player for decades. I’ll be buying a 8 set soon.

Guitar picks make a huge difference too. Speakers are at least 35% of your tone, but hands define the player.

I think the situation changes when you playing in a cover band and you need all types of sounds. I think the most important thing is a versatile amp or pedals and not so much the guitar, if you bought a Squier Classic Vibe Strat and loaded it with good pickups like HSSS setup that would make the guitar very versatile and not have to spend a lot of money but I think the money should be spent on the amp for the effects to get you the sound that you’re trying to cop, for instance if you had an amplifier that could do a couple nice clean sounds, a couple nice middle distortion sounds and a couple nice heavier metal type of sounds... that’s what you need. When you’re playing songs from Tom Petty, The Stones, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Zep, Metallica, Pink Floyd, Eagles, Bob Seger and list just goes on and on. You have to cover all those sounds for everything and it doesn’t have to be 100% correct but if you can get the sound close like 85-90% of the sound that you’re trying to cop, I think it’s good enough and you could use the same guitar all night long...but it’s the amps or pedals sounds that are going to make that difference.

Mic is an EQ, cab is an EQ, etc... I learned from many years of sound: Everything is a filter.

@trebleboost7

4 жыл бұрын

@Evan HodgeMan, Evan, you are making me remember the joy of my Alhambra that I haven’t played in years. There is something special about a nylon that is incomparable.

@slavesforging5361

4 жыл бұрын

I always say the exact same thing. every piece of gear is a new filter, that gives a different flavor to sound in a different way. Actual eq is great, but if you really want to make a natural sound change, you need to change one of those filters... speakers, mic, pickups, pre amp, pedal, whatever.

@sseltrek1a2b

4 жыл бұрын

and, eq from a particular guitar design, eq translated through your pedals, the tone in the way you approach the strings, etc...this is why dialing in a great sound with your gear is such a puzzle- lots of variables affecting the signal that ends up at the speaker...

@JesseBFournier

4 жыл бұрын

Plot twist: your brain is an eq.

@Saiph

4 жыл бұрын

@@JesseBFournier Wow. That's deep... and also true! Your ear's are definitely an eq as well. Especially as you get older.

I guess to each his own. 😉 I still like heavy gauge strings better. I’d still change a driver or cabinet before using light gauge strings for filtering. I TOTALLY agree with you on buying a quality instrument first!

@kalidesu

4 жыл бұрын

It can come down to feel with strings. Yep.

After watching your string gauge video I’m putting lighter strings on nearly all my electric guitars because I know it makes them easier to play by having less tension making bending easier and being able to use a lighter touch. That said I will NOT be doing this to my acoustic guitar because I believe that you need a heavier gauge string to get the top moving. Great content in the last couple of videos 👍

You need a Glenn Beck chalkboard behind you for this. "The Hierarchy of G.A.S."

My very first light gauge strings were given to me by Ted Nugent in 1970. I was interviewing him for a local music magazine, and he let me try his blonde Byrdland. I was stunned by how easy it was to bend strings on it, and mentioned this to Ted. He replied that it was a result of using light gauge strings (the short scale of the Byrdland never came up). As someone who had only used the Black Diamond and LaBella medium gauge strings available from the local department store, I had never heard of such things. Ted whipped out a briefcase in which he had every single gauge of individual Ernie Ball strings from .008 up to what I suppose would have been their heaviest at the time, neatly organized like a vinyl record bin, with gauge labels sticking up. "Here, I'll make you up a couple sets" he said, and selected gauges that he felt would provide a smooth and balanced transition from high to low E, starting with .009. Changed my life forever. Sometimes people you don't expect it from can surprise you with their generosity. I eventually transitioned to D'Addario XL110s, and have used them pretty much since, recently experimenting with a set of Ernie Ball "Primo Slinky" (.0095-.044) as a sort of compromise.

In Music (and instruments), it's not a matter of 'better ', it's a matter of taste, and practical sense.

I love a HSH Supertrat with a bar through my pedalboard to a Peavy Renown solid state that emulates a tube into a 1962 Marshal 4x12. Its 400 watt and use jazz 3 pick and 9s for strings. Thats what I learned and got comfortable with a big band playing hundreds of shows and recording etc

My first guitar teacher said buy the best guitar you can afford ...I got a 2nd hand Gibson ES335 for sale on consignment at my local music store ... and he was right, it was a great decision ... and when i walked through the door with it, he recognised it .... it was my instructor who had sold it !

"Spend your money on guitars" Say no more! Peace!

@gergelyboros8138

4 жыл бұрын

This sums the stream ?

You focus on what changes sound. Its more expensive to have a guitar that feel great, than what sounds great. You nailed it when you said pickups and strings have the largest effect on sound. So if you buy an 80 usd guitar and slap 300usd pickups and 20 bucks on strings, you will have a great sounding guitar...but how will it play, and hold tune, and feel?

I'm pretty sure you will have problems tuning a guitar down to C if its a 24" scale. That's not a string problem tho. The thicker strings just make it more comfortable to play for some people because they don't like playing with strings that are too loose. I have an extended range (7-string) guitar and I do notice the muddy low end that I'm not a fan of. I use 9s on this guitar with standard tuning btw. The muddiness, I'm pretty sure, mostly comes from the high output passive pickups that have alot of windings. I might try going to 8s and see how they feel. The feel of the guitar strings is more important to me than the tone they produce. So far, I've been using OD pedals with bass cuts and EQ pedals to boost my high end to tighten up the tone. Maybe I'll need less of that with 8s and it will feel good. TBH, the 9s are just what the guitar came with.

Big thank you for mentioning, with regards to the whole string discussion, that whole purpose of the exercise was solving the low end issue with a cranked marshall into a 4x12. For reference, I run a Gretsch strung up with pure nickel 12's through the top boost channel of an AC30. 0 issues with low end. If you don't take the whole rig into account, you're not getting the whole picture.

Ya, for loudspeakers designers the speaker cabinet itself is also a filter, in this case it is an "acoustic filter" which work in cohesion with its internal cross over filter to achieved a specific design goals.

The first mod that I made to my first guitar was tuning keys. Did it help my tone? No. Did it help my sanity? Oh yes.

I agree, good guitar that you enjoy playing. I have found the pickups also make big a difference in tones as well. It all makes a difference, some more than others. It's all fun.

The thing about this guy he's like guru level. I'm not looking to be anywhere near guru, just a good understanding.

There are so many choices for what guitar to buy. Find what suits your playing. If you are just getting started as a player don't be as concerned with the guitar as much as you are with learning how to play music.

The single most expensive piece of gear (other than guitars) I've bought is my Mesa cab. It's totally worth it even though your neighbors might not agree \m/.

The way I learned it is to spend your 💰 first on what you bring with you to the recording studio. Your instrument first, your amplifier second.

I suspect that lighter strings have a clearer tone due to inharmonicity, which is caused by stiffness in the wire. The thicker/stiffer the wire the more inharmonicity will be introduced. I don’t know how much of an effect inharmonicity will have, except to say that it will.

@ayoungethan

4 жыл бұрын

Stringjoy made a video about a completely unwound set that makes your point. But a little inharmonicity isn't necessarily a bad thing. Just a question of how much you want...

@neasden_nev

4 жыл бұрын

ayoungethan absolutely right. It’s what gives the piano its complex and unique sound.

Check out D'Addario "Black Ice" picks. I've only changed picks 3 times since the 70's and I switched to these a year or two ago. They are a creamy smooth material in a jazz pick type size. I use the 1.1mm on my steel and nylon acoustics and strat.

The movement of the strings causes the electrical signal in the pickups, and lighter strings move more for a given frequency. For acoustics heavier strings produce more sound, but this doesn't translate into a stronger electrical signal. It was counter intuitive when I tried it for myself, but it was obvious through the amp. You might even consider doing the experiment through an oscilloscope if people continue to be superstitious about it.

@daaprtschdapsch

4 жыл бұрын

It's not that easy. I'm not sure if thinner strings really move more, since that also depends on the picking. Heavier strings might encourage heavier picking, which also changes the excitation. Heavier strings influence the magnetic field more than thinner ones. I'm not saying that one is better than the other or that what you are saying is wrong, just that it's more complicated to explain.

@sid35gb

4 жыл бұрын

Heavy strings on an acoustic is to get the top moving which is something you don’t need to do with an electric guitar.

@pakoti96

4 жыл бұрын

(1) Lighter strings have less tension => move more. (2)Heavier strings have more metal => produce a stronger signal if they were to move the same amount. The question is which effect offsets the other more. (3)If you take the same signal and make it stronger you'd get bigger bass response from the amp. If (1) is correct and light strings produce more signal, then they should have more bass response. BUT these are not the only factors. I think that: (4) Light strings produce more high frequency harmonics. Because being lighter they require less force to move the same amount. The higher the frequency is, the lower energy the wave that produces it. The lower energy the wave, the easier it is to be absorbed by the nut and bridge. Therefore I don't know for sure whether lighter strings produce a stronger signal, but they definitely produce more high frequencies.

I think it depends on what you do, where you play etc. If you are playing at home, you may want to spend more on guitars and pedals because you don't need a 100w amp and cabs. Studio work may not need amps/mics either if they have them so having a guitar you are comfortable with and has great tone is worth spending money on. If you play pubs, you may want a 'beater' guitar as long as its good enough, and invest in a good sound system, amps etc. I don't think there is a one for all answer on this. Its more to do with the individual and their needs/circumstances at the time...

Instrument first - could not agree more. The amp speakers themselves seem for me to be great investments. No getting around cheap speakers!

Prioritize essentials over additionals. Essentials are: * Whatever you need to make sounds you want (instrument, plucks, bow, etc) * Whatever you need to record that sound (if you are into recording) * Whatever you need to perform with that kinda sound (if you are into performing) * Whatever you need to preserve the instrument (case or a bag, and a stand for home) Additionals are: * Whatever makes your life easier when doing so For acoustic instrument you only need an [instrument] to perform and [microphone/recorder] to record. For electric instrument you need [cables], [amp], and [speaker] to perform, or [cables], [effects processor] and [monitors] to record. Monitors are simply speakers or headphones that have flat response across all frequencies. If you want to make wonky flangey kinda sound with echo and stuff, then pedals or effects processor are essential for you. Otherwise, it's additional. If you wanna record from your PC, adapter or interface is essential. Otherwise, it's additional. If you wanna compose, then DAW anr/or Tabs software is essential. Otherwise, it's additional. If you perform, then clip-on tuner or direct tuner is essential. Otherwise, you get the point. "Go cheap" or "Pay up" - I'd say it like this: 1. Pick from what you can afford. Don't go into debt. Figure out money first, if needed. 2. Pick rather from your feel than from the price, that being said about both cheap and expensive options - pick the one that feels the best. There are tons of great cheap options out there too. Yamaha makes good cheap guitars and basses. NUX makes good cheap pedals. Zoom makes good cheap processors. And those are only ones i know, explore the market for yourself and tell us about hidden gems. 3. If item is simple to produce (adapters, cables, plucks, stands), then go cheap, but make sure it works. About good free additionals: Metronome - "soundbrenner" app. It is just great, despite being an addon to similarly named product. Tuner - "Free Universal Tuner" app from Dmitry Pogrebnyak. Name is not striking but app is really good. Spectral analyzer - "Spectroid" app. This one will do the job but won't replace good flat mic if you have bad one in your phone. You can also use your phone as a pretty good recorder if you don't have other options or if you're sure mic in your phone is nice and flat.

@fishypaw

4 жыл бұрын

Good guide. I'd add, if you want to save money, and be a better musician, then learn the basic mechanics of guitars, such as maintenance, repair, set-ups, basic fretwork, and modding. This will not only help keep your current guitar(s) in good shape, but it means you will be better equipped to be able to spot and buy decent value second hand guitars, and then turn them into great guitars without breaking the bank. P.S. I was looking for something like "Spectroid", It seems to do the job well. Cheers.

@BoopyTheFox

4 жыл бұрын

​@@fishypaw Yes, absolutely. Learning about how certain instrument works, helps a lot in spotting overpriced AND underpriced instruments, gear, etc, and making better choice. And it is also just plain satisfying to know that you just set up your own gear and that you're able to do so in case something doesn't go right. Sooner or later, one learns about their instrument. Same thing with PC enthusiasts - from gamers to coders and hackers, they can trust setup to a guy, surely, but vast majority (i think) will tell you that they rather prefer doing it on their own. Same with any kind of enthusiasts, music/instrument included.

It just made more sense for you to use one brand of strings when juxtaposing how they sound. I love DR strings because they are smoother and last longer than Ernie Ball. That's the beautiful thing about music it's all about subjective preferences. And is what creates a persons sound

I'm the guitarists, songwriter, and sang both backing vocals as well as 40% of main vocals while being the only guitarist. Very long story short we played all originals and got the attention of Corey Taylor of Slipknot and Stone Sour to be on a mini tour, throughout the midwest we are from Rockford IL they are out of Dabuque Iowa. We would be opening act and also signing with Sony Red, my drummer, a Neil Peart/Fear Factory/ Dave Lombardo of Slayer style drummer that I wrote songs with for 12 years 4 days a week for 4 to 6 hrs a day plus shows. My drummer got into serious legal trouble ( from the actions of mutual old friends) right before getting music lawyers involved and signing with Sony Red, he disappeared and WAS NOT REPLACEABLE at the time, they combined skill set didn't exist yet, now young super drummers grow on trees. BUT SONY was intrested in out musical chemistry and level of playing we could nail songs in the studio in 1 or 2 takes, once my drummer left they lost interest in waiting for us to get someone up to speed, before we even got known nationally. How possible is it to get a cutting edge drum machine and recording guitar vocals and bass myself and programming drums...what equipment would I need to sound pro on KZread only for now? Any feedback from you is gold. We had a monster following because my lead singer was a pretty boy and very internet company savy... I get asked all the time when am I going to get a decent recording of my original songs? I could probably get the other members together, the drummer included BUT he would need alot of work to play our old stuff, but our songwriting chemistry gets noticed and our originals don't even sound alike or copy cat anyone else. The songs recorded well and sounding great on KZread could really help us. My Drummer just spent over 15,000 on new Tamas and cymbals, with axis pedals with laser triggers built in. $1,000 kick pedals. My main question is for Vocals and Guitar what would record and output well on KZread.

I think as a songwriter of any kind a portable multi track recorder is a must.

More I get old and more I feel confortable to play with light gauges. Never had enough money to spend for a Gibson but recently I found a cheap used Ibanez and finally gone with humbuckers and 09 strings low action and I was surprized for the good and jazzy tones a metal guitar can have! And so smart and Easy playing. But if you like SRV and Jimi there's nothing better than a strato vintage c shape neck heavy gauges high action and violence over the Guitar! 😁🤗♥️

As a musician I prioritize necessity then experimentation I have 1 guitar and 1 bass guitar an audio interface,studio monitors a mic and 5 pedals (OD,compressor, fuzz and reverb). I don't really understand the need to buy guitar after guitar when you already have one good one

One of the things that stiffer strings allow one to do is some forms of fast strumming. Try playing Pete Townsend's single note solo in "I Can See For Miles" near the end of the fingerboard or with thinner gauge strings. One *could* attempt that by picking right beside the bridge where the strings don't move much, but it would sound very thin. The stiffness and physical resistance provided by a heavier gauge allows the string to remain in place when picked hard, such that it can be re-picked again and again. That's also a part of what allows many jazz layers to simply fly through the notes as quickly as they do; they tend to use thicker gauges, which facilitates fast picking, when accompanied by decent action.

Hi Rick, Your channel and info is great. As a photographer, your exposure is dark and it is because there is a bright spot in your background that the camera is attempting to find the middle balance, which in turn is making your face darker. You can lighten your exposure to compensate or attempt to remove the bright light and reflection in the back. Just an observation.

i picked the strings for my guitars usually without any amp plugged in, because, if it feels good and sounds good without the amp, it will do with the amp. If it sounds trash, it won't sound better through an amp ... unless you digitally bend it

I started with 008s in the 70s and later moved up to 009s and got better control for the right hand. Five years ago, I moved up to 010s (regular tuning) and improved the right-hand technique again. I use a Hi-pass filter early in the chain for most of my guitars.

Don't let the criticism derail you from sharing your wisdom. Responding to everyone that disagrees with you is basically a modern day story of John Henry, it's just not worth the stress and will just kill your message in the end. Of course, consider legitimate critiques and comments, but these are few and far between, don't let it get you riled up or whatever. I love your channel and yours is a very needed voice in the music production and guitar conversation today.

taking about picks . I used to use a plastic bread tie, only when i couldn't find my pick and it sounded great . I used them several times.

I've wondered why most amp cabinets are either closed backed or the same size closed backed ... meanwhile home stereo speaker builders try to match drivers to the volume of the cabinet. Amp cabinets seem more driven by size on stage, brand of speaker, and brand of the amp -- visual marketing not math... Look up "DIY speaker cabinet calculator" and you can find dozens of sites with calculations and formulas.

DON'T change your string gauge to alter the tonal balance! There are better ways to adjust tonal balance. Select the string gauges for playability. Also keep in mind that as the strings become thinner and the string tension is reduced, when you fret the string there will be greater bending of the strings between the frets and you will tend to play sharp. This point was really driven home when someone brought me a short 22.5" scale guitar that had tuning issues. It had a .008" to .041" string set installed and they felt like rubber bands. It was nearly impossible to play a chord without the strings going sharp. A set of heavier gauge strings solved the problem.

@MrACangusyoungDC

Жыл бұрын

Hm? It's not really like that. Your points are correct but Malcolm Young having wounded G string type gauges gives tone and sturdy qualities you might like (on cranked big headroom amps, and hard playing) . You might want that on your rythm guitar and be fine with that kind of playability for rythm. Same goes for picks. I need to go down in thickness (and sharper edge) on harder acoustic strings for getting the right acoustic strumming tone, or more balanced loudness in hybridpicking, then even thinner for Nile Rodgers strat like playing and tone, and it this case it's great for playability. I'm heavily hybrided 10s (think 10-52) on gibson scale lenght and the same on e flat strats (fender scale length). I was thinner than that but I once decided to commit to harder strings because I wasn't gonna be dynamic enough with the type of playing I like, or naturally can't escape, for the most part, and that little bit of struggle was worth it in the end for me. Playability isn't overruling everything. Most guitar legends seem to want to fight their guitars just a little.

You keep coming up w/ great/important topics Rick. Thanks ! Good seeing you at NAMM !

Always surprised that picks don’t get a lot of discussion. Quite a difference between thick and thin picks and I think there are reasons to switch back and forth depending on what music you’re playing. Even cheaper than strings too.

@truthserum9157

2 жыл бұрын

Pick ups won’t change to much sound if you don’t change out all the electronics with it, like the pots the cops and resisters on the guitar, if you change them all out with the p.u. Then it’ll make a big deference.

@markdeweese9288

Жыл бұрын

Agree

@GuitarFabi

Жыл бұрын

@@truthserum9157 he's talking about picks not pick ups. That's a completely different thing.

THANK YOU. I am sick of videos by producers that look at guitars like cell phone charms AND CHAMPION AMP CABS INSTEAD, as though the Instrument were meaningless. Great show

I use Ernie Ball strings... Hybrid Slinkys, 10s on the E, A, and B, 9s on the G, B and E. It handles standard, Drop D, Eb Drop D and recently I've found Db with the low E tuned down another whole step. Brilliant.

Spend most of your budget on lessons unless you're too good for lessons and you're already a Pro with a music degree or something. After that IMO bias towards a smaller # of higher quality well setup guitars and just an amp or two, with effects to taste for fun.

My theory is that the signal path of any audio chain is just a series of impedance mismatches, the worst impedance mismatch occurs when sound interacts with the air in the room. The speaker, the mic diaphragm, how you hit the drum, that's the place to start and work back from there.

Thought the PRS booth looked great. Their seems to be a nice thing to have what do you think

Rick thanks again for all the edgumacation. I'm not a pro musician and I don't make money playing guitar (except when people want me to STOP playing.) Practice! Good instrument, quality amp, a couple of pedals and LOTS OF PRACTICE. ENJOYMENT is the key.

You are awesome Rick, thanks for another interesting and informative video

I agree, the cabinet is very important. Yet, seems like it's the most overlooked part of the chain. It is interesting when you talk about string gauge. I, personally, have never chosen a specific string gauge for the tone, it has always been about getting the tension that feels good to me.

everything. need ALL gear. i have my whole life to ACHIEVE ALL GEAR.

Thinner strings will sustain longer. Once the string is put into motion, it will vibrate longer. Not as much mass to overcome.

So true Rick! While trying to get the closest Hendrix tone with my 60’s Player Strat I was using 10-46 and something was missing. Switched to 10-38 and there it was!

@Mark95876

4 жыл бұрын

Hendrix's strings were mixed by his techs for some scientific reason to do with the laws of electromagnetism.

@stevestarr6395

4 жыл бұрын

Shoegaze forever Ha Ha, but actually he just liked the feel and tone of Fender Rock N’ Roll 150’s.

Just to touch on string gauges, only opinion I have is that larger gauges are better for lower tunings i.e. drop B. It all comes down to personal preference and what feels good for you.

Rick, First of all your channel is AMAZING! If I had a spirit animal you would be it lol. Anyway I've been playing for about 30 years. I'm a side picker " use the side of the pick instead of the point" and I use very thin "White" Jim Dunlop pick. . I lean towards heaver strings only because the smaller gage strings almost seam to snag and slow down the feel of the pick. I know it sounds silly. I think its just because of how I pick and the thickness of the pick. Maybe someone else has the same issues. Eights are like picking rubber bands with a skinny pick lol. It just doesn't seam to bounce of the strings the same as a 10 or 11. Maybe something to try lol. Great channel!

4 жыл бұрын

I kinda recognise that. Mostly use 010-046 or 010-052. 010 is my sweet spot for how they feel and sound (never felt any urge to go higher gauge than that). My guitar with floyd has 009s though and it feels like the strings move too much and I trip over them when picking sometimes.

Rick, I would love to hear your input on choice of cymbals when recording. Large crashes like (18" or 19") or smaller crashes (15", 16"). I play drums, but would not call myself a drummer. I like you love vintage drums. I have a 1960 silver sparkle Slingerland kit with Chicago badges, and a 1966 with Niles badges. I have always assumed that smaller, quicker decaying cymbals would be best for studio work, but I have never put this to a test. What are your thoughts?

If you put a magnetic pickup on your acoustic... use electric strings. So many people using phospher bronze acoustic strings with magnetic pickups.. SMFH. 13-56 come with a wound 3rd so do anything 10 or above if you look for it.. Not sure why people don't think to try this. As far as your string gauge thing.. Only time I disagree is when you play a plain G open or close to the nut. The last 3-5 frets can sound bad without tension. Otherwise.. 8s sounded damn good on your video.. If your not gonna play open chords it's gold. I use the Balanced Tension packs mostly. When I buy pickups I look for the highest resonance. You can always roll off treble. Full Shred on a neck pickup clean does great things

Here's a question...you take a modelling amp and set it to model cabinet A. You feed that into cabinet B. Which cabinet does it actually end up sounding like?

It's all about what you like to feel under your fingers. If 8s feel good and you play better use 8s, if it's 10s use 10s. At the end of the day what makes each individual play at their best is what gauge should be used. I personally did not like the feel of 8s . I was lighting up the touch used them for about a week and wasn't for me I like 10s to 46 on my rg and 9 to 56 on my 7 string esp. Thanks for everything you do Rick love your insight and material keep bringing the music, much respect

I just picked up the guitar. I’ve been practicing for 4 hours. When do I start talking to managers for when my career takes off?

I use to use .010 to .046 strings across the board. Then in 2014 I had a left shoulder injury with nerve events. Long story short I switched to .009- .046 and it's been so much easier to play and yes playing clean had been so much easier and crisper. The mids with distortion are awesome. It took me years to get my playing game back.

To electric guitars: Expensive guitars are normally set up perfectly. cheap guitars often arent. You can safe so much money when you set up an e guitar yourself. the easiest and most effective way to change tone without spending money is just setting up the pick ups height. expecially humbuckers are amazing for this. if you think that your sound is not edgy enough but way too muddy, your pick ups are way too high. pretty cheap is changing pick up magnets, but that can go wrong or can be difficult. wouldnt recommend that because pick ups are waxed normally. with some work you can change your tremolo block for 20 bugs or replace pick ups. a cheap guitar for 100 bugs can be like an expensive high end guitar just by spending 200 bugs fpr pick ups + tremolo block. perfect pick up height, set up intonation and get strings height set up and do some research. its not even that difficult to do those things and feels very satisfying to costumize your guitar and improve it by yourself.

@robzona7779

4 жыл бұрын

I agree I think the most important thing is your amp if you got a bad sounding a cheap app whatever that expensive guitar is not going to sound good through it. But you can take a $50 guitar play through good amp and yeah it sounds pretty damn good

@CarlosLauterbach

4 жыл бұрын

​@@robzona7779 Yeah i agree. depends on what you want. something like a line6 should be fine for practising at home. used amps tend to be amazing too and pedals can do a lot too

I think it's fairly easy to deduct what I should invest in next: It's the thing that more than anything else can advance my work right now and the forseeable future. What thing hinders progress the most right now? Be honest! It's usually practice, but if it after soul searching you find that it is something you CAN buy, do the research on it (DO NOT skip this part, let it take time) and buy the most bang for the buck version of whatever it is. Repeat. Once you've done this for a few years your setup will have become a pretty well oiled machine and gear acquisition syndrome will subside. I'd also advice to learn about basic electronics and learn how to service your own guitar(s) and you will find that "mojo" is not real. This will save you a lot of money.