Alright, guys, I’ve promised some effects usage demos, and the fuzz ones are done; but they’re in three parts, and the first one has just passed hour number 3 of uploading onto youtube. So maybe tomorrow. Yikes, youtube is slow. It’s not like anyone else on universe is trying to upload videos or anything, right? I choose to believe I am the only one who matters. So then, what’s the holdup, youtube? ;) But, those posts are on their way. In the meantime, here’s a filler post that doesn’t have much to do with anything. Except for sweet tone. (Oh! Yes…that just happened.)
(And as this is a filler post, here’s just a little preview of where this conversation-with-myself post will most surely end up. That’s right. The movie you had just finally convinced yourself was just a really, really bad dream. That’s Kurt Russell of ‘Executive Decision’ fame, and Jason Scott Lee of…not really sure, except for the incredible live action version of ‘Jungle Book.’ Yep. The angry one is Mowgli.)
Last week marked the 8th time I have almost sold a guitar……then realized the strings haven’t been changed in (I’m embarrassed to say how long)……have proceeded to change the strings……and have not sold the guitar. I had thought I was over this, as I have been very Catholic headmistress about changing my strings every week or two for the last year. But I forgot about my acoustic, as I don’t play it out as often. But for Christmas, we did a lot more acoustic flavored stuff, and I was getting bummed with the sound of my guitar. It’s a higher end Seagull with LR Baggs electronics, so it should sound fairly decent; but I was just quite particularly un-stoked with the sound.
Then I remembered, ‘Oh, ya. I’ve been through this 5 times before on electric, and twice before on acoustic. Will I ever fully learn? I’m guessing no. But that just means more fun buying new gear when I don’t need to. No, that’s wrong. You always need to. Always.
So, if you’re finding yourself unhappy with your tone, change your strings first. If it still sucks, then go get a new guitar or two. But try new strings first. They and your pick are the first levels of your tone, and the most acoustic parts of your sound.
Sorry for the kind of public service announcementy post, but obviously I need these fairly often, so I’m guessing maybe some folks out there need them as well. And as a side note, that has no bearing on anything musically (except for some really awesome drenched in 1984-synth soundtracks), I saw the first two ‘Terminator’ movies for the first time last night, and they were quite decidedly less cheesey than I thought they would be. Arnold is Arnold, of course, but if you gotta use him, may as well make him a machine. It works. Like emotion-incapable Keanu as an alien in ‘The Day the Earth Stood Still’, or Kurt Russell as a brainwashed soldier in, um, ‘Soldier.’ hehe That was a sucky movie. Mowglie is so in that movie. hehe It still sucks. But Terminator 1 & 2? Not so bad! But 3 is tentatively slated for the watching tonight, so we’ll see how that goes.
(These are the punk kids from the beginning of the first Terminator. And that is definitely Bill Paxton on your left. You know, highly respected Bill Paxton from Apollo 13, Tombstone, Twister, Predator 2…[well, the ‘respected’ part probably doesn’t extend to Predator 2. Not even a little.] I’m gonna bet he wishes this role could just be forgotten. We do too, Bill. We do too.)
Ah, the holidays. When I have nothing better to post about than Arnold, Mr. Reeves, a punk rawk Bill Paxton, and the live action Jungle Book. (Bet you didn’t even know there was one. Now that movie rocks!) Come on youtube, upload!!
Splendid.
Karl.
Guitar for Worship 