Musical gear wanking thread

[NoSleep]

I'm not sure I understand what's wrong.

It powers on fine but only works in "hold" mode.

So it only works when you have "Hold" selected on the right hand control? Isn't that some sort of looping effect?

Or do you mean it only works if you keep your foot down on the pedal?

I think it sounds like you've worn some moving parts out. Or maybe the circuit board has collapsed inside the pedal. Best thing to do is open it up and check for damage.

There's plenty of cheap options for delay pedals out there these days.

[Ferris]

Yeah probably did a shit job of explaining that.

Basically, it only works as a hold/looper pedal (ie you have to keep your foot on it, and it loops the signal forever) on all but the smallest delay time setting. It's been like that for years on the biggest delay time setting in the far right (next to the hold setting), but the issue seems to be migrating along the time settings and pretty soon I'll just have a second looper pedal that I don't want.

Google had nothing for me - I think taking it apart and having a look is probably my best bet. Considering I only have time to play properly once or twice a week these days, fuck knows when that will be. I'm not particularly pedal-loyal, boss delays are probably the only ones I've always used and will continue to use because I'm a dunce and I don't want to learn a new interface.

[drummersaredeaf]

Rewiring a guitar - pain in the arse or not?

Got a Schecter with a 2xHB both coil split set up that has been done by some sort of idiot. I have a wiring diagram from Seymour Duncan, and started trying to work out what has snapped, but it's a real mess in there. Think I'd probably have to have it all out and do it from scratch as the original job is such a shocker.

Easier to pay someone?

[popcorn]

I'm also facing technical difficulties. Trying to sell my old Vox AC15 amp, spent some time last night cleaning all the bits and pieces and checking it over. Someone came round to try it this morning and immediately discovered the reverb is broken, which I'd somehow missed, great. After he'd scoffed himself home I took the back off and poked at it with a wooden spoon but couldn't see anything wrong. Might try and borrow a wheely cart thing from the pub next door to take it down the guitar shop.

[Ferris]

I'd probably buy that off you because who buys an amp for the pre-installed effects? A clown, that's who.

[popcorn]

It's a proper classic feature though, it's an actual physical reverb tank full of springs and reverb inside the box.

[Ferris]

It's a proper classic feature though, it's an actual physical reverb tank full of springs and reverb inside the box.

Is it?!

Well, what kind of clown wouldn't know that? A very foolish one, that's who.[nb]I think I've used Fender black face amps exclusively for about... 12 years at this point? I had a Marshall 15w tube amp in 2009 I used for recording but even then I preferred the Fender super champ I had at the time. Like I say, I'm a dunce and refuse to learn new interfaces. [/nb]

[NoSleep]

Rewiring a guitar - pain in the arse or not?

Got a Schecter with a 2xHB both coil split set up that has been done by some sort of idiot. I have a wiring diagram from Seymour Duncan, and started trying to work out what has snapped, but it's a real mess in there. Think I'd probably have to have it all out and do it from scratch as the original job is such a shocker.

Easier to pay someone?

If you're up to soldering and you're tidy up after somebody else's mess that already fits in the space provided, it can't be too difficult, unless the space provided under the pick guard is insufficient for what's crammed there. Then you'd have to be up for some carpentry (making the cavity larger).

[DJ Bob Hoskins]

For anyone making music with an iOS device: a few Moog apps are currently free on the App Store. I nabbed the Model D last year when it was made free for a short time and it's pretty decent. Download 'em while you can.

https://www.musicradar.com/news/all-of-moogs-ios-synth-apps-are-currently-free-get-the-minimoog-model-15-animoog-and-filtatron-for-nothing

[Better Midlands]

For anyone making music with an iOS device: a few Moog apps are currently free on the App Store. I nabbed the Model D last year when it was made free for a short time and it's pretty decent. Download 'em while you can.

https://www.musicradar.com/news/all-of-moogs-ios-synth-apps-are-currently-free-get-the-minimoog-model-15-animoog-and-filtatron-for-nothing

I got that Model D too last year when it was free, its really good.

[Ferris]

What courier/postal service are people using for guitars these days in the UK?

I'm getting my old tele shipped across the Atlantic and am having to direct my parents despite being entirely clueless myself. I suspect Royal Mail are hopeless but have no idea on alternatives.

It'll go in a hardcase (but it's the original fender hardcase, not a big plastic clamshell flightcase type thing) and I've told my dad to wrap it in "shitloads" of cardboard (and he's good value for wrapping stuff in cardboard) so not too worried there. Just want it to be a halfway reliable service for international shipping.

My go-to is fedex - are they any use? Google doesn't have a clear answer really. I'd guess it's worth ~£800 so some level of insurance would probably be useful and any personal recommendations on reliability will be gladly received.

(Sorry for using this thread like a personal advice column. I am duly embarrassed at my lack of knowledge.)

[drummersaredeaf]

I worked for Fedex (spit) and the induction contained a tit load of propaganda about how brilliant they are. They asked the group how much a hardback book from Paris to NY would cost - about £50 I recall because we all guessed about a third of that. They boast that they have the best quality and can move a frozen T Rex across the US. But they treat the staff like shit and there's nothing like a self employed van driver to ignore a handle with care sign when loading up a van.

They might well be a bit better in terms of service, but I get the impression it will cost you through the arse.

[Ferris]

(Again - sorry everyone for turning this thread into a Ferris advice column.)

I think the bit I'm concerned about is the "over the ocean and ooh it's gone missing tough luck pal hahaha" bit. I was talking to my dad about it a few hours ago actually, as I said then, it's basically tough as nails and would need a shipping crate to land on it to cause issues, and even so I'd be able to replace parts fairly easily. If the case gets beat up, well whatever.

If the actual guitar gets dinged, well... I'll post a picture if/when it ever arrives, but suffice to say I used it to smash the *fuck* out of cymbals when playing in a punk band as a teenager and I stubbed out cigarettes on it on stage more than once (which ages me a bit).

I'm worried about some sticky fingered cunt nicking it, basically. It's looking like fedex will get the nod (though I'll likely pay £200 for it all) and I'll report back when done. Suspect it'll be alright? Fucking hope so anyway.

[Spiteface]

Talking about my Baja Tele in here last week made me realise I hadn't touched it in ages - I've been mostly using my Edwards Les Paul or my Fender Jaguar if I wanted single coils. So on Monday, I restrung it and have got back into it all over again:

I have a strange relationship with teles, in that I can go months without touching one, but then pick one up and wonder why I dont use one more often. I actually got round to lowering the action on this today, so it's actually easier to play again.

Also, recently saw that Fender is making these:

https://www.fender.com/en-GB/electric-guitars/telecaster/j-mascis-telecaster/0140262326.html

Now, I've had a Squier J Mascis Jazzmaster for years, and really like Dinosaur Jr. This isn't as much of a shock to me as I knew J had used teles for recording since the Green Mind album (this sig model is based on the tele he got around that time and still uses). I'm tempted by it, I must admit, or maybe ordering a blue sparkle tele body from Warmoth and a mirror pickguard for my Baja.


There's also a tasty-looking purple thinline he's been using live in recent years, too.

[ArtParrott]

Also, recently saw that Fender is making these:

https://www.fender.com/en-GB/electric-guitars/telecaster/j-mascis-telecaster/0140262326.html

That's nice but why not spend another £17,800 quid and get a proper player's guitar

[popcorn]

Went mental and bought a Strymon Timeline. Sounds nice and it has lots of lovely features (including midi sync) but is it worth £430?! what have I done?????

[Ferris]

430 quid! What on earth were you thinking?!

[popcorn]

it's got midi sync!!!!!

[Ferris]

christ.

[popcorn]

I wish ferris had midi sync.

[Ferris]

Inspiration Machine.
When we decided to create a studio-class stereo delay effects pedal, we knew we must go well beyond what has been done in the past—in sound quality, sonic flexibility, hardware design, and processing power. We spent months locked up in the Strymon sound design labs dreaming up the most spacious, lush, creative, and tweakable delay effects ever heard.

That's you, that is.

[popcorn]

Went mental and bought a Strymon Timeline. Sounds nice and it has lots of lovely features (including midi sync) but is it worth £430?! what have I done?????

Turns out this was a great purchase and I'm really happy with it. I'm a fucking nut about delay effects and this can just do everything imaginable and then some.

The looper function is also so good it has made my previous looper (Akai Headrush A2) obsolete, which I wasn't expecting. The looper isn't midi-clocked but I've discovered that you can hack that by sending loop start/stop instructions via midi instead, so a robot is activating the loop period perfectly in time with the clock.

In other happy pedal news, I just replaced my ancient Whammy 4 with a Whammy 5. It's the same thing but 1) accepts standard 9v power instead of the Whammy 4's fucking awkward bastard special power cable and 2) has a greatly improved tracking functionality so now you can actually play more than one note at a time without sounding like a robot death rattle. And you can switch it back to robot death rattle mode at any time you like!  An unambigous improvement, Whammy 4 can get down the Cash Converters. If only all of life's decisions were this easy.

[DJ Bob Hoskins]

The looper isn't midi-clocked but I've discovered that you can hack that by sending loop start/stop instructions via midi instead, so a robot is activating the loop period perfectly in time with the clock.

Just curious: when you say 'a robot' do you mean a script that runs on the same computer as your DAW/MIDI clock output? My bandmate has a DigiTech JamMan looper and actually went to the bother of building his own gizmo which converts MIDI clock into the proprietary 'JamSync' clock signal which the looper requires (he used an Arduino processor in a metal case to which he added MIDI in and 1/4" jack out sockets). Would be interesting to know if there's a software solution for this. The clock is coming from GarageBand on an iPad, incidentally, so not sure what scope there is within iOS for creating something to handle the MIDI to JamSync conversion.

I just recently bought one of these babies: https://www.disasterareadesigns.com/shop/p/smart-clock-gen-3. Using this I can take the MIDI clock from the iPad, send it onwards to my EHX 1440 looper, and simultaneously send 'tap tempo' signals to my Boss SY-1 Synthesizer and DD-5 Delay pedals so that everything is tempo sync'd. And there's still another 2 ports I'm not currently using which can provide either MIDI or tap tempo outputs. So in other words I can still expand the setup and add another 2 pedals with MIDI or tap inputs. It's a really clever and comprehensive little device and it works like a charm. Highly recommended, although it's not exactly cheap.

[popcorn]

Just curious: when you say 'a robot' do you mean a script that runs on the same computer as your DAW/MIDI clock output? My bandmate has a DigiTech JamMan looper and actually went to the bother of building his own gizmo which converts MIDI clock into the proprietary 'JamSync' clock signal which the looper requires (he used an Arduino processor in a metal case to which he added MIDI in and 1/4" jack out sockets). Would be interesting to know if there's a software solution for this. The clock is coming from GarageBand on an iPad, incidentally, so not sure what scope there is within iOS for creating something to handle the MIDI to JamSync conversion.

Nothing as sophisticated as this.

The Timeline has a midi in and accepts midi notes for the looper stop/start functions. I wanted to sync my guitar loops to drum loops in Ableton, so I just use Ableton clips to start and stop the loop at the right moment, in time with the drum loops.

I just recently bought one of these babies: https://www.disasterareadesigns.com/shop/p/smart-clock-gen-3

As my schemes develop I am definitely going to need something like this eventually.

[Ferris]

Just remembered you spent 430 quid on this. I needed a bit of cheering up so the laugh was very welcome, cheers.

[DJ Bob Hoskins]

Nothing as sophisticated as this.

The Timeline has a midi in and accepts midi notes for the looper stop/start functions. I wanted to sync my guitar loops to drum loops in Ableton, so I just use Ableton clips to start and stop the loop at the right moment, in time with the drum loops.

As my schemes develop I am definitely going to need something like this eventually.

Right, I'm with you now. Smart workaround, by the way!

If you do reach the point where you need a device like the SmartClock, you should check out its little sibling, the MicroClock. It's less flexible but it's also a fair bit smaller and cheaper.

[Petey Pate]

Doesn't exactly warrant a new thread but has anyone else seen the 'leak' of Roland's SP-404 MKII sampler? Here's a list of the specs.



I'm definitely intrigued but doubt I'll be rushing to buy one, nor could I really justify purchasing one at this point. While perhaps not the case here, Roland has a tendency to miss out on one of the best features of past gear when upgrading it. One annoying thing about the SP-404 is that you can't sample from an external source and pre-existing samples on the pads at the same time, yet this was a feature of the older SP-303.

[earl_sleek]

That looks sweet, but I don't think it's enough of an upgrade to justify $500 for me. Depends how much I can get for my 404A, maybe.

[peanutbutter]

music gear nerds, have you any visualiser tools you especially like? Software or hardware.

Would kinda really like some kind of laser thing but they seem mad expensive (LaserCube) or really underwhelming (anything I've seen under  like... 200). Got a whole bunch of LED things that either have basic sound responsiveness built in via mic or have software pushing colors to them.

[Spiteface]

My most recent one, a Gordon Smith GS-1 60:



I really wanted a Les Paul Junior-style guitar, and Gibsons were either too expensive, or 2nd hand 2015 models (the ones with the weird necks & robo tuners). Epiphone hadn't unveiled their "Inspired by Gibson" line either, which has a proper set-neck Junior in it. This was £569, which for a hand-made UK guitar, is really good. Great punky machine, this one. Nicknamed "Maiko-chan" because I'm a wanker that named his guitar, after the sticker I got while in Japan earlier this year.

I like this guitar, but the hum is annoying me. So I'm looking into solutions, i.e. swapping the pickup out for a noiseless one or even a humbucker like this one:

https://www.creamery-pickups.co.uk/custom-13-dirty-northern-p90-dogear-bridge.html

This makes sense seeing as it's basically designed for Juniors anyway. Would prefer something closer to a P90 so I need to weigh up those tradeoffs.