As we've been researching instruments, one thing has been abundantly clear. Brands these days are meaning less and less, and being made in America is relative. In the past years we've been finding guitars by the likes of Eastwood, and Xavier (www.guitarfetish.com) that have been comparable to Epiphone, and even some of the overpriced Gibson guitars we've been seeing. Last night, I was blown away at a local big-box guitar seller that has a Gibson ES-335 with a non-gloss finish that was in the $2,200 (sale price) range. Now Gibson was selling a very similar guitar to this called the ES-333 that was almost half the price. Why the inflation?
The more we look at the "high-end" guitars, the lest reason we see to pay top dollar for the prestige of owning them. The off-brand builders have really honed in on producing instruments that are as quality as the hardware that's on them... and that's interchangeable anyway. Bottom line, we just don;t see the need for paying into these large companies that charge more for instruments that are really not that much better and are just as stamped out, as the "budget" models.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Sound Preferrances of Guitar-DNA
With all the reviews, and testimonials we've given on gear, we should probably give a little background as to the type of sounds we actually go for in out gear.
Guitar: Our ideal guitar tones do vary, and there is no one sound we go for. That said, even though we do a lot of mods to guitars, we realize there's never going to be a guitar to get every sound, as some have accused us of over the years. For heavier rock tones, we tend to rely heavily on '57 Classic sound, but also like Seymour Duncan SH-2n Jazz in the neck with their JB's in the bridge. In regards to single coil use, we like pickups with higher magnetic fields, like what you find in G&L Asat Specials and Duncan's Quarter Pound pickups. We also love P-90's (and not the humbuckers that look like P-90's, like the P-100's or H-90's), as well as the veriations you find on the oddball guitars of the 60's and 70's. We deal a lot with Gretsch tone, so we're not all into just blaring overdrive. In regards to Gretsch, we dig various Filtertron designs, but shy away from spending top dollar on the highest price pickups, and usually look to GFS for alternatives. It's hard to justify dropping over $200 in a guitar we paid $600 or less for.
Guitar Amps: When it comes to amps, we are tube zealots. The only solid-state guitar amp we really give any kudos for is the Roland Jazz Chorus, but aside from that, we have yet to be impressed by any solid-state or modeling amp. The beauty of tube amps, is that even the oldest and cheapest have their strong points. We've always liked old Silvertones, which are now inflated price wise due to a certain WHITE guy using them, and all the hipsters trying to get that sound. Sovtek is a favorite of our that we consider a "cheap vintage". Generally we like British high-gain sound of EL-34 amps, but are really getting more into the 6L6 sound of Mesa lately, with more bottom.
Basses: There is no perfect bass, and we have different basses for different applications. For heavier rock (especially while doing pick style) we love passive basses, especially P-Basses with Duncan Basslines SPB-3 Quarter Pound P pickups. Generally, we never use, and remove or bypass (via Fender No-Load tone pots) the tone pots. We've become huge fans of high output in basses without being active. We also do use active basses, especially for non-pick styles. Generally, we rely on EMG for active basses, with some exceptions of basses that have great OEM pickups, such as Music Man, Alembic, or Wal basses. We do believe if you are looking for the Swiss Army Knife of basses, the best recommendation is EMG PJ sets, and an Aguilar preamp. This will get you CLOSE to about every sound you'll need, which is nice if you're doing covers and need to switch up sound a lot, or if you change up your playing styles a lot.
Bass Amps: We tend to be more into all-tube bass amps than solidstate or hybrid. The downside to this is that most all-tube heads are not readily available to try out and make a decission on, and reviews are subjective and all over the place. Ampeg SVT and SVTII's are usually the only all-tube bass head that's around, and though they sound great, they don't sound as good as older Ampeg, and they don't have the greatest components. If we're talking readily available current production heads, we recommend the Mesa Big Block 750 over Ampeg now, even though Mesa no longer makes an all-tube head (sad, as we loved the Bass 400, and 400+). Although, something to keep in mind is the way we see it, people view amp choices kinda backwards; Ampeg stacks for larger venues, and smaller cheaper combos at smaller ones. Usually, at larger venues, you're going to be running direct anyway, so the tube preamp of the hybrids are all anyone really hears anyway. Conversely, at smaller venues, bass amps don't usually get mic'ed or run to the board, and an all-tube bass amp is actually more noticeable. We realize that tube is not for everyone, and a lot of people like biamping. We think of this as ear candy for the most part, only really noticed at the stage level, and through the board, it's lost. We tend to like 10's and not so much the muddier 15's, although for those who like a deader sound, 15's are great. A great all around cab we've been liking that seems to work as a solo cab for pretty much everything is the Ampeg SVT410HLF.
Effects: We tend to stray from digital effects whenever possible, the only digital pedals we use are some delays, and E-H's Holy Grail reverb, but aside from those, we go analog. We also go true bypass whenever possible. We tend to like overdrive and distortion in pairs, one for a little bite, one for the distortion. Our favorite pair in this regard is Tubescreamers and Rats. There are various pedals that will accomplish this, but our absolute favorite combo is actually the Maxon OD-9 and RatII (preferably vintage). These are both true bypass pedals. For other effects, we like vintage Morley for bass wah, and some guitar wah, otherwise we look to good old Dunlop Crybaby pedals. E-H pedals are fantastic, especially the pre-Nano ones. Fulltone and Z-Vex are great too, but pricey.
Guitar: Our ideal guitar tones do vary, and there is no one sound we go for. That said, even though we do a lot of mods to guitars, we realize there's never going to be a guitar to get every sound, as some have accused us of over the years. For heavier rock tones, we tend to rely heavily on '57 Classic sound, but also like Seymour Duncan SH-2n Jazz in the neck with their JB's in the bridge. In regards to single coil use, we like pickups with higher magnetic fields, like what you find in G&L Asat Specials and Duncan's Quarter Pound pickups. We also love P-90's (and not the humbuckers that look like P-90's, like the P-100's or H-90's), as well as the veriations you find on the oddball guitars of the 60's and 70's. We deal a lot with Gretsch tone, so we're not all into just blaring overdrive. In regards to Gretsch, we dig various Filtertron designs, but shy away from spending top dollar on the highest price pickups, and usually look to GFS for alternatives. It's hard to justify dropping over $200 in a guitar we paid $600 or less for.
Guitar Amps: When it comes to amps, we are tube zealots. The only solid-state guitar amp we really give any kudos for is the Roland Jazz Chorus, but aside from that, we have yet to be impressed by any solid-state or modeling amp. The beauty of tube amps, is that even the oldest and cheapest have their strong points. We've always liked old Silvertones, which are now inflated price wise due to a certain WHITE guy using them, and all the hipsters trying to get that sound. Sovtek is a favorite of our that we consider a "cheap vintage". Generally we like British high-gain sound of EL-34 amps, but are really getting more into the 6L6 sound of Mesa lately, with more bottom.
Basses: There is no perfect bass, and we have different basses for different applications. For heavier rock (especially while doing pick style) we love passive basses, especially P-Basses with Duncan Basslines SPB-3 Quarter Pound P pickups. Generally, we never use, and remove or bypass (via Fender No-Load tone pots) the tone pots. We've become huge fans of high output in basses without being active. We also do use active basses, especially for non-pick styles. Generally, we rely on EMG for active basses, with some exceptions of basses that have great OEM pickups, such as Music Man, Alembic, or Wal basses. We do believe if you are looking for the Swiss Army Knife of basses, the best recommendation is EMG PJ sets, and an Aguilar preamp. This will get you CLOSE to about every sound you'll need, which is nice if you're doing covers and need to switch up sound a lot, or if you change up your playing styles a lot.
Bass Amps: We tend to be more into all-tube bass amps than solidstate or hybrid. The downside to this is that most all-tube heads are not readily available to try out and make a decission on, and reviews are subjective and all over the place. Ampeg SVT and SVTII's are usually the only all-tube bass head that's around, and though they sound great, they don't sound as good as older Ampeg, and they don't have the greatest components. If we're talking readily available current production heads, we recommend the Mesa Big Block 750 over Ampeg now, even though Mesa no longer makes an all-tube head (sad, as we loved the Bass 400, and 400+). Although, something to keep in mind is the way we see it, people view amp choices kinda backwards; Ampeg stacks for larger venues, and smaller cheaper combos at smaller ones. Usually, at larger venues, you're going to be running direct anyway, so the tube preamp of the hybrids are all anyone really hears anyway. Conversely, at smaller venues, bass amps don't usually get mic'ed or run to the board, and an all-tube bass amp is actually more noticeable. We realize that tube is not for everyone, and a lot of people like biamping. We think of this as ear candy for the most part, only really noticed at the stage level, and through the board, it's lost. We tend to like 10's and not so much the muddier 15's, although for those who like a deader sound, 15's are great. A great all around cab we've been liking that seems to work as a solo cab for pretty much everything is the Ampeg SVT410HLF.
Effects: We tend to stray from digital effects whenever possible, the only digital pedals we use are some delays, and E-H's Holy Grail reverb, but aside from those, we go analog. We also go true bypass whenever possible. We tend to like overdrive and distortion in pairs, one for a little bite, one for the distortion. Our favorite pair in this regard is Tubescreamers and Rats. There are various pedals that will accomplish this, but our absolute favorite combo is actually the Maxon OD-9 and RatII (preferably vintage). These are both true bypass pedals. For other effects, we like vintage Morley for bass wah, and some guitar wah, otherwise we look to good old Dunlop Crybaby pedals. E-H pedals are fantastic, especially the pre-Nano ones. Fulltone and Z-Vex are great too, but pricey.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Guitar Accessories
In these troubled times, there have been two key things that have been keeping the smaller guitar shops open (the ones that are still alive anyway). In the last few years we've seen a lot of guitar shops close, get bought out, or minimize their stock. The two things that have kept the good shops going are 1) repairs, and 2) accessories.
Now, what we've noticed is that since the first electric guitars started coming out, there have been numerous companies coming out with just about everything imaginable to bolt, screw, strap, or glue to guitars, and some have been great, and others have been down-right weird. Here is a list of some of our favorite items you find floating around the guitar stores.
Straps: Though something most people just grab and go, there are differences and things to concider when looking at straps. One is overall strength. You don't want a strap that can fall apart or break, thus we recommend looking over the thickness, especially at the ends, and the material itself. As far as materials the straps are made of, the main uses are nylon, cotton, and leather (there are some newer materials, but these are too various to get into, so we'll stay with the basics). Generally there really is no this-is-better-than-that when it comes to materials, and it depends on your playing style as to what's best. Nylon moves around more, which is great if you play in a style where you move your guitar/bass around a lot. Leather is good for staying put on your shoulder more rigidly; it will move, but not as fluidly. Cotton is a good middle-of-the-road of these; more fluid than leather, more sticky than nylon, but if you're really sweating, they all get sticky. Strap length is another thing to consider. When buying Levy's straps, we always look for an "XL" in the model number, as these are extra long. On average, leather straps only go to about 52", which is a bit short for some of us. Even some "extra long" leather straps by other companies are only 56".
Ernie Ball is renown for their long straps. Their nylon ones (the cheapest straps we ever buy) go to just shy of 6', and their leather straps go to 60". The nylon straps seem cheaply made, but the worst thing we ever noticed with them is the leather ends stretch a little on heavier instruments (like my Jazz Bass). They seemingly change up their designs on their leather straps every so often, but the current ones have some funky designs including studded, snakeskin patterns, and so on.
Dunlop makes some high quality straps. They've been making really sturdy nylon straps for years (still using one of the first ones they released about 10 years ago) that adjust to 6', and we've found their BMF leather straps adjust to 60", and are a great soft leather. These go for about $10 less than the Ernie Ball leather straps, and are exceptionally more comfortable.
Levy's Strap has become an industry standard, and we find their straps at pretty much every reputable (or big-box) guitar shop. As mentioned, if you like your strap longer, keep an eye open for "XL" in the model number. They do make some of the softest leather and suede we've come across, and their nylon (very thick) and cotton straps have some major lastability (we have some from 1994 that show no signs of wear, and Aaron's been using the same Levy's leather strap with skull graphics religiously since 1998). Also worth mentioning for you wireless users, Levy's make the MM4 wireless holder that they claim will work on any strap, but seemingly is designed for leather straps. This is leather and uses hook-and-loop fasteners, and has never failed us in holding the bodypack.
Another strap company that's been gaining some momentum in our area is Souldier Strap. They make custom straps that harken back to the designs of the 60's, when guitar straps and camera straps were groovy. We see a lot of these in the area, but can't seem to get our heads around the prices (usaully $25-$35 street). If you're into those retro designs, and are looking for the whole American crafted aspect, these straps are made right in Chicago.
Locking Tuners: Some love locking tuners, some hate 'em. We tend to fall on the side of loving locking tuners (Aaron of Guitar-DNA has outfitted nearly every guitar he's ever had with locking tuners). Generally the most common are Sperzel, which we've used a lot, and with great success. Schaller makes a similar locking tuner that actually has a higher gear ratio; thus finer tuning (these can be found as OEM on some Fender Deluxe models). Also worth noting, Guitar Fetish has introduced a "Sperzel-Style" locking tuner on their website (www.guitarfetish.com) that go for $32.95 (about half of what Sperzels go for), which are designed to directly replace those Epiphone tuners that never want to stay in tune. The great aspect of locking tuners is not only the stay-in-tune factor, but the quickness of string changes. With locking tuners, a it can take less than 5 minutes to change strings on your guitar; just unlock, remove what's left of the old string, pull the new string through, tighten the lock, and tune. No sitting and winding.
Straplocks: We're pretty much split down the middle on what straplocks we like. Generally, half of us are fans of Dunlop Dual-Design (although we have many Original style) straplocks. These are great in that we've never had an issue with them. They use a C-clip that never comes off the lock. The common fear is that they'll pop out of the strap button, but we've had sets that are still in use from 1992 that have never failed us. The trick is to squirt a little WD-40 on them every so often to keep them working smoothly. Dunlop also has had som flush-mount locks, which can be seen on old Warwick basses (now making their own straplock), and Fodera basses as well.
The other half of us use Schaller straplocks. These are a bit more of the industry standard, and were OEM on American Fender and Gibson guitars (and basses) in the 90's. The main thing we stress is USE A DEEPWELL SOCKET WHEN ATTACHING THESE TO YOUR STRAP. If it's a newer strap, be sure to tighten them every time they start to get loose. We have experienced nut-loss on these, making the guitar fall and eliminating the point of straplocks. Another thing we see A LOT is people who put the locks on upside down so the locks slide on 3ms quicker. This is a not good idea, in that if the locking pin that goes into the strap button fails, theres nothing to catch. We recommend... no, INSIST that the locks open side be up, for added safety.
There have been some new comers to the straplock world, and we haven't really looked into them much, as they just seem to be re-hashing existing designs we don't feel a need to stray from. There have been leather straplocks, and straps with mountable clips (like DiMarzio) that we never really liked. We never commit to a strap to the point of skrewing them dirrectly into the guitar, and plactic clips can (and have) break.
Guitar Bridges: Admittedly, we don't change out guitar bridges too often. What we have noticed is for Tune-O-Matic style bridges and tailpieces, Tonepro's locking stuff seems promising. We like Graphtech's Stringsaver saddles for their smoothness, and ease on strings. For trems, we really don't get into these much, and for the most part only have some Bigsby trems on our Gretsch guitars (hence the interest in locking tuners). Floyd Roses seem to be popular for metal shredders, but these can be hit or miss. We've used some that are spectacular and stay in tune phenomenally, and some have proven to be about as good as Fender vintage floating trems... with springs missing.
Bass Bridges: We generally tend to like high-mass bridges, specifically Leo Quan. We tend to use Fender basses more than anything else, and the Leo Quan Badass Bass II is a great replacement for standard "vintage" style Fender bridges as it uses the existing 5 hole pattern, making it unnecessary to drill more holes, and the Bass III is designed for those American Standards post-'95 that are string-through-body. These come either pre-slotted, or blank, were you have to file the string slots. Those who want lighter bridges might like the ones by Hipshot. We also have used Kahler trem bridges for basses we wanted to put whammy bars on. These require less routering than the Hipshot trems that are designed around the classic Fender Strat-style floating trems.
Another thing worth mentioning in the accessory department, is Fender's No-Load Tone pot. This is a 250k pot available split-shaft or solid, that bypasses when turned all the way up. These are great when you want the stripped-down sound of a guitar or bass without a tone knob (even with tone knobs maxed, there's still SOME resistance), but don't want to go without a tone knob all the time. These come with the resistor for tone applications, but can be used as volume knobs as well. With bypassing at the 10 spot, there's less concern with the pot resistance, as more than likely you'll have it bypassing anyway. These also are de-dented to sit in the 10 spot, kind of like active blend center spots on a lot of basses, thus don't turn accidentally as much as standard pots.
There are plenty of accessories out there that we haven't mentioned, but have more than likely tried, and/or have an opinion on. Feel free to comment away on what we may have missed.
Now, what we've noticed is that since the first electric guitars started coming out, there have been numerous companies coming out with just about everything imaginable to bolt, screw, strap, or glue to guitars, and some have been great, and others have been down-right weird. Here is a list of some of our favorite items you find floating around the guitar stores.
Straps: Though something most people just grab and go, there are differences and things to concider when looking at straps. One is overall strength. You don't want a strap that can fall apart or break, thus we recommend looking over the thickness, especially at the ends, and the material itself. As far as materials the straps are made of, the main uses are nylon, cotton, and leather (there are some newer materials, but these are too various to get into, so we'll stay with the basics). Generally there really is no this-is-better-than-that when it comes to materials, and it depends on your playing style as to what's best. Nylon moves around more, which is great if you play in a style where you move your guitar/bass around a lot. Leather is good for staying put on your shoulder more rigidly; it will move, but not as fluidly. Cotton is a good middle-of-the-road of these; more fluid than leather, more sticky than nylon, but if you're really sweating, they all get sticky. Strap length is another thing to consider. When buying Levy's straps, we always look for an "XL" in the model number, as these are extra long. On average, leather straps only go to about 52", which is a bit short for some of us. Even some "extra long" leather straps by other companies are only 56".
Ernie Ball is renown for their long straps. Their nylon ones (the cheapest straps we ever buy) go to just shy of 6', and their leather straps go to 60". The nylon straps seem cheaply made, but the worst thing we ever noticed with them is the leather ends stretch a little on heavier instruments (like my Jazz Bass). They seemingly change up their designs on their leather straps every so often, but the current ones have some funky designs including studded, snakeskin patterns, and so on.
Dunlop makes some high quality straps. They've been making really sturdy nylon straps for years (still using one of the first ones they released about 10 years ago) that adjust to 6', and we've found their BMF leather straps adjust to 60", and are a great soft leather. These go for about $10 less than the Ernie Ball leather straps, and are exceptionally more comfortable.
Levy's Strap has become an industry standard, and we find their straps at pretty much every reputable (or big-box) guitar shop. As mentioned, if you like your strap longer, keep an eye open for "XL" in the model number. They do make some of the softest leather and suede we've come across, and their nylon (very thick) and cotton straps have some major lastability (we have some from 1994 that show no signs of wear, and Aaron's been using the same Levy's leather strap with skull graphics religiously since 1998). Also worth mentioning for you wireless users, Levy's make the MM4 wireless holder that they claim will work on any strap, but seemingly is designed for leather straps. This is leather and uses hook-and-loop fasteners, and has never failed us in holding the bodypack.
Another strap company that's been gaining some momentum in our area is Souldier Strap. They make custom straps that harken back to the designs of the 60's, when guitar straps and camera straps were groovy. We see a lot of these in the area, but can't seem to get our heads around the prices (usaully $25-$35 street). If you're into those retro designs, and are looking for the whole American crafted aspect, these straps are made right in Chicago.
Locking Tuners: Some love locking tuners, some hate 'em. We tend to fall on the side of loving locking tuners (Aaron of Guitar-DNA has outfitted nearly every guitar he's ever had with locking tuners). Generally the most common are Sperzel, which we've used a lot, and with great success. Schaller makes a similar locking tuner that actually has a higher gear ratio; thus finer tuning (these can be found as OEM on some Fender Deluxe models). Also worth noting, Guitar Fetish has introduced a "Sperzel-Style" locking tuner on their website (www.guitarfetish.com) that go for $32.95 (about half of what Sperzels go for), which are designed to directly replace those Epiphone tuners that never want to stay in tune. The great aspect of locking tuners is not only the stay-in-tune factor, but the quickness of string changes. With locking tuners, a it can take less than 5 minutes to change strings on your guitar; just unlock, remove what's left of the old string, pull the new string through, tighten the lock, and tune. No sitting and winding.
Straplocks: We're pretty much split down the middle on what straplocks we like. Generally, half of us are fans of Dunlop Dual-Design (although we have many Original style) straplocks. These are great in that we've never had an issue with them. They use a C-clip that never comes off the lock. The common fear is that they'll pop out of the strap button, but we've had sets that are still in use from 1992 that have never failed us. The trick is to squirt a little WD-40 on them every so often to keep them working smoothly. Dunlop also has had som flush-mount locks, which can be seen on old Warwick basses (now making their own straplock), and Fodera basses as well.
The other half of us use Schaller straplocks. These are a bit more of the industry standard, and were OEM on American Fender and Gibson guitars (and basses) in the 90's. The main thing we stress is USE A DEEPWELL SOCKET WHEN ATTACHING THESE TO YOUR STRAP. If it's a newer strap, be sure to tighten them every time they start to get loose. We have experienced nut-loss on these, making the guitar fall and eliminating the point of straplocks. Another thing we see A LOT is people who put the locks on upside down so the locks slide on 3ms quicker. This is a not good idea, in that if the locking pin that goes into the strap button fails, theres nothing to catch. We recommend... no, INSIST that the locks open side be up, for added safety.
There have been some new comers to the straplock world, and we haven't really looked into them much, as they just seem to be re-hashing existing designs we don't feel a need to stray from. There have been leather straplocks, and straps with mountable clips (like DiMarzio) that we never really liked. We never commit to a strap to the point of skrewing them dirrectly into the guitar, and plactic clips can (and have) break.
Guitar Bridges: Admittedly, we don't change out guitar bridges too often. What we have noticed is for Tune-O-Matic style bridges and tailpieces, Tonepro's locking stuff seems promising. We like Graphtech's Stringsaver saddles for their smoothness, and ease on strings. For trems, we really don't get into these much, and for the most part only have some Bigsby trems on our Gretsch guitars (hence the interest in locking tuners). Floyd Roses seem to be popular for metal shredders, but these can be hit or miss. We've used some that are spectacular and stay in tune phenomenally, and some have proven to be about as good as Fender vintage floating trems... with springs missing.
Bass Bridges: We generally tend to like high-mass bridges, specifically Leo Quan. We tend to use Fender basses more than anything else, and the Leo Quan Badass Bass II is a great replacement for standard "vintage" style Fender bridges as it uses the existing 5 hole pattern, making it unnecessary to drill more holes, and the Bass III is designed for those American Standards post-'95 that are string-through-body. These come either pre-slotted, or blank, were you have to file the string slots. Those who want lighter bridges might like the ones by Hipshot. We also have used Kahler trem bridges for basses we wanted to put whammy bars on. These require less routering than the Hipshot trems that are designed around the classic Fender Strat-style floating trems.
Another thing worth mentioning in the accessory department, is Fender's No-Load Tone pot. This is a 250k pot available split-shaft or solid, that bypasses when turned all the way up. These are great when you want the stripped-down sound of a guitar or bass without a tone knob (even with tone knobs maxed, there's still SOME resistance), but don't want to go without a tone knob all the time. These come with the resistor for tone applications, but can be used as volume knobs as well. With bypassing at the 10 spot, there's less concern with the pot resistance, as more than likely you'll have it bypassing anyway. These also are de-dented to sit in the 10 spot, kind of like active blend center spots on a lot of basses, thus don't turn accidentally as much as standard pots.
There are plenty of accessories out there that we haven't mentioned, but have more than likely tried, and/or have an opinion on. Feel free to comment away on what we may have missed.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Squier Vintage Modified, and Classic Vibe.
Over the years, Squier was basically seen as the poorman's Fender at best, and in most cases are associated with being "Christmas Guitars", as they have the Afinity Series which can be bought at many big-box and department stores in a kit with a little amp, cable, strap, and these are considered "starter packs". In the last couple years Squier has come up with some nice instruments that seem comparable to Fender's Standard (made in Mexico) series. Admittedly, we'll be mainly talking about the basses here, as we moreso get into Gibson when it comes to guitar.
The first thing we noticed was the Vintage Modified Series, primarily the Vintage Modified Precission. This is in that Sid Vicious-esque White with a black pickguard and rosewood fretboard. Now seemingly all Vintage Modified basses have Duncan Designs pickups, which are designed by Seymour Duncan (maker of the SPB-3, Quarterepound P pickup, our favorite P pickup out there), and this Precission has a single Duncan Designs P. One of our neighbors at the practice space had one of these, and we tried it out through an Ampeg SVTII with SVT810E cab, and were blown away! This amp is setup FOR running P-basses, and this $279 (street) Squier was on par with a Fender Standard, even though it has an agathis body (Fender Standards have alder). This bass alone is definitely in a class above the Squires of old. Since then, we've tried the Vintage Modified 70's Jazz Bass, which is a great soulding Jazz, and the one that we found absolutely STELLAR was the Vintage Modified Jaguar. This has a great balance of P and J pickup, with stacked volume/tone controls like the '62 Reissue Jazz Bass that Fender makes. At first we thought it was a rehash of the Fender Jaguar bass from a couple years ago, which we weren't all that impressed with (basically we thought it was a Jazz Bass with too many switches).
With the Classic Vibe series, we noticed these are quite good as well, but prefer the pickups on the Vintage Modified series better. The plus side to the Classic Vibe basses, is that if you're looking for a decent older style Fender for cheap, they're there. They offer some variations of Fender's '51 Precission Bass, and the '72 Telecaster bass, as well as 50's or 60's style Precission, and a 60's style Jazz Bass, both of which have the finger rests (but not the chrome pickup covers that everyone takes off anyways).
They also have a couple signature basses worth noting. There's a Mike Dirnt signature, which is similar to the Fender version, but has an agathis body, Squier P pickup (not sure how overly different that is than the Fender P in the Fender version of this bass), and a standard vintage 4-saddle bridge. There's also a Frank Bello signature, also similar to the Fender signature but with graphics, and lesser pickups and bridge, and a Pete Wentz bass that has the Duncan Designs version of Duncan's SPB-3 (and can't seem to be purchased as after market equipment). The Wentz bass sounds great but screams "I WANNA BE PETE WENTZ" a little too much with the heart-bat graphic and 12th fret marker.
The Squier Signature bass that demands its own paragraph here, is the Matt Freeman signature that is to be released soon. According to the reports, this bass will have a basswood body (which is what Music Man uses on their basses), and it will have a high mass bridge, seemingly the same bridge as what's on the current American Standard Fenders. This will be available in black, or white (the 70's Precission Matt Freeman uses that this was modeled after is white), and have a maple fretboard. Squier boasts a "tinted" finish on the neck, which will give it a higher-priced appearance than the other Squier basses.
We're all about finding the best cheap gear that actually compares to the higher-end gear, and by all means, feel comfortable with these Squiers. Admittedly, there's going to be some compromises in pots, hardware, etc, but even with replacing those, you still come out ahead compared to buying the American versions.
The first thing we noticed was the Vintage Modified Series, primarily the Vintage Modified Precission. This is in that Sid Vicious-esque White with a black pickguard and rosewood fretboard. Now seemingly all Vintage Modified basses have Duncan Designs pickups, which are designed by Seymour Duncan (maker of the SPB-3, Quarterepound P pickup, our favorite P pickup out there), and this Precission has a single Duncan Designs P. One of our neighbors at the practice space had one of these, and we tried it out through an Ampeg SVTII with SVT810E cab, and were blown away! This amp is setup FOR running P-basses, and this $279 (street) Squier was on par with a Fender Standard, even though it has an agathis body (Fender Standards have alder). This bass alone is definitely in a class above the Squires of old. Since then, we've tried the Vintage Modified 70's Jazz Bass, which is a great soulding Jazz, and the one that we found absolutely STELLAR was the Vintage Modified Jaguar. This has a great balance of P and J pickup, with stacked volume/tone controls like the '62 Reissue Jazz Bass that Fender makes. At first we thought it was a rehash of the Fender Jaguar bass from a couple years ago, which we weren't all that impressed with (basically we thought it was a Jazz Bass with too many switches).
With the Classic Vibe series, we noticed these are quite good as well, but prefer the pickups on the Vintage Modified series better. The plus side to the Classic Vibe basses, is that if you're looking for a decent older style Fender for cheap, they're there. They offer some variations of Fender's '51 Precission Bass, and the '72 Telecaster bass, as well as 50's or 60's style Precission, and a 60's style Jazz Bass, both of which have the finger rests (but not the chrome pickup covers that everyone takes off anyways).
They also have a couple signature basses worth noting. There's a Mike Dirnt signature, which is similar to the Fender version, but has an agathis body, Squier P pickup (not sure how overly different that is than the Fender P in the Fender version of this bass), and a standard vintage 4-saddle bridge. There's also a Frank Bello signature, also similar to the Fender signature but with graphics, and lesser pickups and bridge, and a Pete Wentz bass that has the Duncan Designs version of Duncan's SPB-3 (and can't seem to be purchased as after market equipment). The Wentz bass sounds great but screams "I WANNA BE PETE WENTZ" a little too much with the heart-bat graphic and 12th fret marker.
The Squier Signature bass that demands its own paragraph here, is the Matt Freeman signature that is to be released soon. According to the reports, this bass will have a basswood body (which is what Music Man uses on their basses), and it will have a high mass bridge, seemingly the same bridge as what's on the current American Standard Fenders. This will be available in black, or white (the 70's Precission Matt Freeman uses that this was modeled after is white), and have a maple fretboard. Squier boasts a "tinted" finish on the neck, which will give it a higher-priced appearance than the other Squier basses.
We're all about finding the best cheap gear that actually compares to the higher-end gear, and by all means, feel comfortable with these Squiers. Admittedly, there's going to be some compromises in pots, hardware, etc, but even with replacing those, you still come out ahead compared to buying the American versions.
Line 6 X2 XDS95 Mod
As stated before on the old Guitar-DNA website, we are huge fans of the wireless systems that Line 6 has been selling. We started out with the X2 XDS95 systems about 3 years ago, and they have proven to be every bit as great as the top-of-the-line Shure systems, or anything else out there that's considered to be pro-level, for a fraction of the price. The only downside to them has been the range.
Th XDS95 is the X2 unit with the stompbox-sized reciever; the XDR1, and this unit is great as a compact unit, expcept the internal antennas tend to allow for dropout in as little as 10' or less in some venues. This wouldn't be so bad if they hadn't advertized up to 100' of range. To solve this problem, we started doing what we always do. In lieu of buying more gear we looked to the interwebs for a mod, and sure enough we found one. The XDS95 Modification: http://xds95modification.blogspot.com
This mod is set up to add two 2dBi antennas to the XDR1, and thus should increase the range dramatically. We are in the midst of trying this mod out, and will be posting updates of our progress, as well as pictures as we go along here. The actual blog is going to be seperate from this blog, and the URL is http://x2xds95mod.blogspot.com
Feel free to check it out.
Th XDS95 is the X2 unit with the stompbox-sized reciever; the XDR1, and this unit is great as a compact unit, expcept the internal antennas tend to allow for dropout in as little as 10' or less in some venues. This wouldn't be so bad if they hadn't advertized up to 100' of range. To solve this problem, we started doing what we always do. In lieu of buying more gear we looked to the interwebs for a mod, and sure enough we found one. The XDS95 Modification: http://xds95modification.blogspot.com
This mod is set up to add two 2dBi antennas to the XDR1, and thus should increase the range dramatically. We are in the midst of trying this mod out, and will be posting updates of our progress, as well as pictures as we go along here. The actual blog is going to be seperate from this blog, and the URL is http://x2xds95mod.blogspot.com
Feel free to check it out.
Monday, April 4, 2011
Line 6 G30, G50, G90
So it's no real secret that we're fans of guitar wireless systems, and have used several over the years. There's a certain stigma related to these systems, that they just make the user capable of running around like an asshole on stage... TRUE, but there's also the convenience factor with these great systems. The negative has always been a) the price, and b) the lack of available information (here in Milwaukee, our guitar gurus stay away from wireless systems like they're the black plague).
Line 6 has been helpful in making reliable systems, that are affordable by comparison to the industry standards. Over the years, we've used Nady, and Shure, and the Shure T-Series was a favorite for 15 years or so. A couple years ago, in researching new systems, we noticed that there were some great reviews on X2 wireless systems, and they were CHEAP! They had been bought and were sold by Line 6. These systems were great, and still are, we still use them after 3 years with no issues. The down side is they were discontinued about a year ago (but can be found still new-in-box at $129 street price). So what to do? The same people who made these great systems now make the Line 6 Wireless guitar units (and wireless mics; Guitar Center in South Chicago tells us they can't keep the XD-V70 in stock). These would be the G30, G50, and G90.
Line 6 G30: This is the lower price unit that is rated for about 30 meters (about 98 feet). It's basically a rehash of the X2 XDS95 (our favorite stompbox sized system ever). It's got the same true-to-cable sound the X2 did, but has one more user channel than the XDS95 had (XDS95 had 5 channels, the G30 has 6). The G30 has a switch for simulating cable degradation, with settings to mimic a 15' cable, or 30' foot cable (or no cable simulation) which seems like Line 6 is trying to incorporate their "modeling" into the new wireless, but seems kinda neat. The big plus is the transmitter for the G30 has 1/4" cable connection like the old Shure T-Series which we loved. This means you can use whatever 3' cable you want which are available at any store, rather than having to order special cables (Guitar Center no longer carries the required cables for Shure wireless systems). Like the XDS95 and XDR Plus, you can run the receiver off the same power supply you use for Boss-type effects pedals, so it's designed for running in a pedalboard. This is a great convenience when setting up, just plug in the pedalboard, plug the one cable to your amp, and you're set.
Line 6 G50: A step up from the G30, this has more range (50 meters) than the G30 due to the antennas, and has a tuner out, which works by using the "Mute" feature on the transmitter. When you mute the transmitter, there's no sound to the amp, but you can still use a tuner (kind of like a tuner pedal). The transmitter for the G50 is the same as the G70, making it compatible with that system. This system has 12 channels (so you can have 12 guitars ripping out bitchin' solos at the same time), but unfortunately doesn't have the 1/4" cable-to-transmitter, however it uses the same type of cables as the Shure systems, which can be ordered from any Shure wireless dealer. The transmitter is pedalboard compatable like the G30.
Line 6 G70: The rackmount version of the G50. This has 12 channels, 70 meters of range, and has a standard out, tuner out, and XLR out for recording (because we all want to run around for recording). If you need this much professional wireless product (priced at a fairly modest $599 street), it may be worth considering both a G50 and a G70, as then you get 2 transmitters for 2 instruments (making switching to a backup guitar/bass take only seconds), plus you have a choice of receivers for when you're going to run the rack, or just the pedalboard, or if you are on the quick-go and are just bringing the guitar/bass, the G50 receiver can almost fit in the case, or a backpack/shoulder bag.
The X2's have withstood the test of time, and we see no reason for these to be any different. Line 6's videos come across as these being new technology, which can be scary, but rest assured, it's basically the same as what has been available for years, and has never failed us.
Line 6 has been helpful in making reliable systems, that are affordable by comparison to the industry standards. Over the years, we've used Nady, and Shure, and the Shure T-Series was a favorite for 15 years or so. A couple years ago, in researching new systems, we noticed that there were some great reviews on X2 wireless systems, and they were CHEAP! They had been bought and were sold by Line 6. These systems were great, and still are, we still use them after 3 years with no issues. The down side is they were discontinued about a year ago (but can be found still new-in-box at $129 street price). So what to do? The same people who made these great systems now make the Line 6 Wireless guitar units (and wireless mics; Guitar Center in South Chicago tells us they can't keep the XD-V70 in stock). These would be the G30, G50, and G90.
Line 6 G30: This is the lower price unit that is rated for about 30 meters (about 98 feet). It's basically a rehash of the X2 XDS95 (our favorite stompbox sized system ever). It's got the same true-to-cable sound the X2 did, but has one more user channel than the XDS95 had (XDS95 had 5 channels, the G30 has 6). The G30 has a switch for simulating cable degradation, with settings to mimic a 15' cable, or 30' foot cable (or no cable simulation) which seems like Line 6 is trying to incorporate their "modeling" into the new wireless, but seems kinda neat. The big plus is the transmitter for the G30 has 1/4" cable connection like the old Shure T-Series which we loved. This means you can use whatever 3' cable you want which are available at any store, rather than having to order special cables (Guitar Center no longer carries the required cables for Shure wireless systems). Like the XDS95 and XDR Plus, you can run the receiver off the same power supply you use for Boss-type effects pedals, so it's designed for running in a pedalboard. This is a great convenience when setting up, just plug in the pedalboard, plug the one cable to your amp, and you're set.
Line 6 G50: A step up from the G30, this has more range (50 meters) than the G30 due to the antennas, and has a tuner out, which works by using the "Mute" feature on the transmitter. When you mute the transmitter, there's no sound to the amp, but you can still use a tuner (kind of like a tuner pedal). The transmitter for the G50 is the same as the G70, making it compatible with that system. This system has 12 channels (so you can have 12 guitars ripping out bitchin' solos at the same time), but unfortunately doesn't have the 1/4" cable-to-transmitter, however it uses the same type of cables as the Shure systems, which can be ordered from any Shure wireless dealer. The transmitter is pedalboard compatable like the G30.
Line 6 G70: The rackmount version of the G50. This has 12 channels, 70 meters of range, and has a standard out, tuner out, and XLR out for recording (because we all want to run around for recording). If you need this much professional wireless product (priced at a fairly modest $599 street), it may be worth considering both a G50 and a G70, as then you get 2 transmitters for 2 instruments (making switching to a backup guitar/bass take only seconds), plus you have a choice of receivers for when you're going to run the rack, or just the pedalboard, or if you are on the quick-go and are just bringing the guitar/bass, the G50 receiver can almost fit in the case, or a backpack/shoulder bag.
The X2's have withstood the test of time, and we see no reason for these to be any different. Line 6's videos come across as these being new technology, which can be scary, but rest assured, it's basically the same as what has been available for years, and has never failed us.
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