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Messages - HarlowTheFish

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136
The Pickup Place / Re: Pick Ups for Baritone
« on: June 25, 2019, 06:45:44 AM »
sorrynotsorry
The Dream Theater mix is kinda weird because JP is the only guitarist and he's got a more scooped tone to sit around Jordan Rudess' keyboards. It fits in the mix similar to a bass sometimes in that it's not always the main focus of it but if you took the guitars out it sounds really hollow. The best example of his tone (but with the Illuminators) is the beginning of Our New World (aka the only 30 seconds of that entire album that's salvageable).
a D Sonic/PAF Pro set sounds killer, and if you dug the sound samples of the Katana in the other thread make sure you try the D Sonic both ways (bar close to and away from the bridge) because it makes a pretty drastic difference. Bar towards the neck will be big and muscular but on the less bright side, while bar towards the bridge will be a brighter, more like the Lithiums I had for the Drop A stuff.

137
The mini bar (off topic & misc) / Re: your first guitar idol?
« on: June 25, 2019, 06:39:56 AM »
When I first got into guitar, Ray Toro and Frank Iero from My Chemical Romance. Frank's got some killer riffs and Ray had a really good sense of melody that a lot of the punk/emo guys didn't have. When I started playing more seriously, I jumped really fast from punk to prog and got really into Mark Holcomb from Periphery, because his phrasing and especially his riff-writing is insane.
After a while I got into (relatively) less heavy stuff, with Yvette Young from Covet, Rabea Massad (the one with the really good youtube channel) for his Toska stuff, and Mark Knopfler.
Nowadays, top five in no particular order, probably:
Fredrik Thordendal from Meshuggah for his nuts solos
Adrian Smith who has the most godly lead tone of all time and I will fight people on this
Joey Rubenstein from Icarus the Owl for showing me that prog =/= heavy and serious and deep all the time
Michael Weikath for being the most underrated member of Helloween and IMO one of the best rhythm guitarists in power metal
Brent and Ian from I the Mighty (particularly for the self-titled, Hearts and Spades, and Karma Never Sleeps EPs as well as the Frame trilogy which are some of the best post-hardcore I've ever heard) because they're absolutely killer songwriters.
Honorable mention to Steve Harris who's my Bass Daddy and will have a special place in my heart always

138
Gear Closet / Re: Baritone Amp Suggestions
« on: June 25, 2019, 05:38:26 AM »
It's not tube, it's not boutique, but the only problem with it IMO is the onboard boosts/drives/distortions (the amp distortion sounds fine, it's just the effects) are kinda noisy if you use them for gain and it really needs a computer and the Sneaky Amps to go from "really good for the money" to "actually pretty good, period", so you'll have to budget in like $5 for a USB cable for it. Also works for direct recording if you're not set up with an interface.
Quick demo: the first bit (kinda loud, sorry) is my Strandberg Classic 6 (stock pickups) straight in to the Brown channel in Drop C, then my Kiesel CL6 with the Kiesel Lithiums in Drop A (same Edguy riff). The bit of fizz on the latter is from the Lithiums, the Katana's already bright and the Liths are a little (a lottle) trebly.
Couldn't get it to attach here so link: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1s4P3KjDegr3TzM0KY79l8sNLQg8lXtAo
The cleans are the CL6 in Drop A, first with both humbuckers split for the picky bit, then the neck humbucker full on for my decidedly mediocre off-time rendition of Autumn Leaves.

Good Christ, dude! Your tone is massive! Those cleans are really good, too! Yeahh, that's exactly what I had in my ear for what I wanted to go for as far as my tone goes.

Yeah,  I'm going to save up the cash and do that! You said that was mostly the Katana?
Thanks dude!
That was all Katana, with the built in red reverb (I think it's a big room or hall or something?) dialed in just to keep it from sounding super dry. Guitar into amp, line out (stock settings, there's some options that I haven't messed with) into my Behringer UMC1820 interface, into Reaper.
Gain at like 2 o'clock, bass at 9 o'clock, mids at 11:30 and treble at like 2, presence at 10:30ish on the Brown channel for the dirty stuff. Channel volume all the way up.
For cleans it was gain at noon, channel volume all the way up, bass at 10:00, mids at 11:00, treble at 1:30, presence at noon on the Clean channel.
Red 'verb at about 8:30 on both.
Mine's still running the 1.2 firmware too, 2.0 and up have a bunch of cool features, I just haven't gotten around to updating yet.

139
Gear Closet / Re: Baritone Amp Suggestions
« on: June 25, 2019, 04:46:26 AM »
It's not tube, it's not boutique, but the only problem with it IMO is the onboard boosts/drives/distortions (the amp distortion sounds fine, it's just the effects) are kinda noisy if you use them for gain and it really needs a computer and the Sneaky Amps to go from "really good for the money" to "actually pretty good, period", so you'll have to budget in like $5 for a USB cable for it. Also works for direct recording if you're not set up with an interface.
Quick demo: the first bit (kinda loud, sorry) is my Strandberg Classic 6 (stock pickups) straight in to the Brown channel in Drop C, then my Kiesel CL6 with the Kiesel Lithiums in Drop A (same Edguy riff). The bit of fizz on the latter is from the Lithiums, the Katana's already bright and the Liths are a little (a lottle) trebly.
Couldn't get it to attach here so link: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1s4P3KjDegr3TzM0KY79l8sNLQg8lXtAo
The cleans are the CL6 in Drop A, first with both humbuckers split for the picky bit, then the neck humbucker full on for my decidedly mediocre off-time rendition of Autumn Leaves.

140
Gear Closet / Re: Baritone Amp Suggestions
« on: June 25, 2019, 03:14:50 AM »
These are all really good options and good advice for when I get a little bit more cash, but are there any combo amp options? I know the 6505+ has some, and the Hotrod Deluxe moreorless inspired dudes like Mesa Boogie to improve on that blueprint; if my history is correct.

Like I said, I just don't really have the room or cash for a 2x12 or 4x12 and a grand or more header.
There's a 5150 50-watt combo but it's still a chunky boy and probably still louder than it seems like you want.
H&K has the Tubemeister 36 combo, but the Deluxe versions (of the Tubemeisters and the Grandmeister) are literally just better in every way - the caveat is they're only available as heads, but there's a matching 1x12 that sounds pretty good. You can  They just announced a Black Spirit combo http://hughes-and-kettner.com/products/spirit/black-spirit-200-combo/ which will probably land around $1200 (since the head is $999)
umm lemme see what else. . .
You could try to pick up a used Mesa Mark V 25 or 35 combo, but those are closer to $1400 used, or you can get the Rectoverb 25 combo for like a grand used, if Mesas are your thing.
For a really unconventional pick: get a Boss Katana (the Artist if you really want a combo, or the head + 2x12, and the GA-FC with either one). They sound killer, are pretty affordable ($599 for the Artist 1x12 combo, $399 for the head, and $359 for the 2x12, plus $99 for the footswitch with either one), and since you want it for a baritone, here's the kicker: I literally use my Kat head for recording bass and I can't make the darn thing sound muddy no matter what I do.
It's not tube, it's not boutique, but the only problem with it IMO is the onboard boosts/drives/distortions (the amp distortion sounds fine, it's just the effects) are kinda noisy if you use them for gain and it really needs a computer and the Sneaky Amps to go from "really good for the money" to "actually pretty good, period", so you'll have to budget in like $5 for a USB cable for it. Also works for direct recording if you're not set up with an interface.

141
The Pickup Place / Re: Are these switching options possible ?
« on: June 25, 2019, 03:00:37 AM »
So last question:
The EGEN wiring I posted which is a HSH config and can coil tap it to use the inner neck and inner bridge. Is it possible to use a rail coil/pickup in the middle ? and split it in pos 2 and 3 when coil tap is off ? Or is it just possible but both rails will be active and not splitted in pos 2 and 3 when coil tap is off ?  :o
You can use a rail, but no production superswitch I know of has enough contacts for the specific switching with all the splits you want so if you're really set on this you're gonna have to get one custom made and that's a lot of $$$

142
The Pickup Place / Re: Pick Ups for Baritone
« on: June 24, 2019, 11:13:18 PM »
Oh, lel. That's my bad. I'm not big Dream Theater so that's probably why, but I did recognize the name somewhat.

I did check out the pickups though, and man. Those are all pretty damn awesome sounding. I did find one o those shootout videos and the guy comparing the crunch lab to the Illuminator did a good job. The Crunch Lab sounds good on its own but the Illuminator sounds good in a mix. It sounds, to me, like the Liquifire/Crunch Lab are good solo pickups and the Illuminator set sounds better in a mix which leads me to believe that they're pretty good for rhythm players; me. But again, no baritone examples. They both sound killer though.

Is there a pickup rental service? No? Ok... lol.
At least now I have a much clearer idea of what I'm looking for and the Fishman Fluence Modern are out the window for the time being.

Now I just need to figure out if I want to settle on the D Sonic/PAF Pro or the Illuminators. Both are very good options with very reasonable prices.

Decisions, decisions...
the Dream Theater songs Paralyzed and Out of Reach on the new album have his JP6 BFR Baritone with the Crunch Lab/LF set, if you want to hear them with a baritone. I can't find anything with the Illuminators in a proper baritone but it'll give you a decent point of reference.
There's no pickup rental service AFAIK but Dimarzio lets you swap out pickups for others in the range (that are the same price I think) that you can definitely use to find something you like.

143
Gear Closet / Re: Baritone Amp Suggestions
« on: June 24, 2019, 05:17:49 PM »
What about ev guitar speakers? They have a much higher power capacity.
EVs are sound great, I just find them prohibitively weighty.

144
Gear Closet / Re: Baritone Amp Suggestions
« on: June 22, 2019, 10:43:11 AM »
For speaker cabs I recommend the highest wattage you can get away with. DV Mark's Neoclassical cabs (1x12, 2x12 - what I have - and 4x12) have 150-watt Neodymium speakers that stay tight and clear with whatever volume or pitch I throw at them. A little speaker breakup at higher tunings is nice, but the lower you go, the more mushy and unpredictable it becomes. The DV Mark cabs are a little pricey new, but can be had for pretty good money used (I see the 1x12 pretty regularly in the $300 range).
As for amps, you ideally want something higher wattage not because of the volume but because of the headroom. With lower tunings, you want as clean power as you can manage, or you'll lose both clarity and projection with your low notes. A 5150 III 50-watt (I like the EL34 one, but either way make sure you get one of the new ones with separate gain and volume for the blue and green channels) will cover a lot of ground, but the lowest volume it reasonably does is still "pretty darn loud".
If you want to make a bit more of an investment, the Hughes & Kettner Black Spirit 200 sounds really really good, has a ton of functionality that works great with lower tunings, and gives you 200 watts clean of class D power. It's about as loud at the end of the day as the 50-watt 5150, but the volume range is a lot more usable. I have the Grandmeister Deluxe 40 (basically the 40-watt tube predecessor) and the voicing (which the Black Spirit keeps, it's a pretty signature H&K thing) is killer for lower stuff. The DI on both of these is basically the best built-in solution you can get, so if you want to do any recording it's a great option and scales up very well.
Any of these will be like twice as loud as your Mustang though, but the H&Ks will both go pretty quiet. They all also have cleans ranging from pretty-darn-good (5150) to really good (Grandmeister) and will cover the full breadth of baritone sounds I can think of off the top of my head.

145
The Pickup Place / Re: Pick Ups for Baritone
« on: June 22, 2019, 06:01:23 AM »
Ahh dammit the bastards discontinued the peacekeeper  >:(
The Minuteman and Patriot are basically Peacekeeper Lite and Peacekeeper Plus respectively AFAIK from talking to the owner when I got mine, but I kinda dug the middle ground. Ah well.
The Fishmans are pricey, but they sound good. I've played them in a 7 in B, but not a baritone 6, and they sounded killer for the low stuff.
John Petrucci of Dream Theater is basically modern shreddy guitar Jesus, as far as modern shreddy guitarists are concerned (not being one I think his riffs are cool and funky but the solos go kinda over my head). I like the Sonic Ecstasy set the best, but you can only get them with that hideous etched cover, so no thanks. The Illuminator is a pretty close second, I just find the SE a little tamer and less aggressive. The Crunch Lab/Liquifire set feels to me like the punk rock Illuminator: kinda raw and bright and pokey in a way that's really good but also in a way you can't really tame, that's just how they are all the time. The Dreamcatcher/Rainmaker literally just got released so I have no idea how they sound other than "probably like the other JP pickups" and "probably still really good". They're all slightly different approaches to the same general sound, just depends on what specifically you're looking for.

146
The Pickup Place / Re: Are these switching options possible ?
« on: June 21, 2019, 07:14:21 PM »
+1 Harlow.

I would only add plugging into a pedal and switching pedals and guitar settings at he same time.  Many famous guitarists have techs changing pedals/patches on the fly.  Unfortunately, I don’t have a tech on payroll.   My Esquire, (1) pickup and 3 usable tones is my favorite go to axe.  Sometimes keeping it simple is the better choice.
Ahh but now Boss makes affordable 4-, 5-, and 8-loop pedal switchers so no excuse BluesJam  ;D ;D ;D

147
The Pickup Place / Re: Are these switching options possible ?
« on: June 21, 2019, 02:34:58 PM »
It's not that you can't split rails or whatever, it's that the combinations you're trying to get need switches that have more contacts than anyone currently makes. If you want to pull out your electrical engineer hat and design a 5- or 6-pole 5-way switch, combined with a 4pdt for splitting, you could get there. But the parts physically don't exist.

The modern artists pulling off split modes don't have setups like this: they'll pick 5 sounds they actually use, put them on the 5-way, and then maybe have a switch for splitting. When you're wiring something, try to think about the sounds and positions you actually use regularly, and have them be the quickest to access. If there's something else you absolutely need, then add an extra switch, but if it's not necessary, leave it out. It's just gonna get in your way.

I'm not gonna tell you to get an Esquire, but I'll say this: go to a guitar store, get an HSH ibanez, a Tele, a LP, and an SSS strat. Plug them all in and try every position for at least 3 minutes. Take notes on what you liked about each one and why and what you'd use them for and whatever. Then make an informed decision about what sounds are essential for you and you need on quick access, and make those the ones available on the 5-way. If you desperately need some other position, then consider adding it to the switch, but I'd recommend giving yourself a week or so to play around with it before you do that, because you'll be able to get a feel for how you use each position and whether you're actually missing anything.

148
The Pickup Place / Re: Pick Ups for Baritone
« on: June 21, 2019, 02:25:50 PM »
Yeah a neck pickup in the bridge is no problem. I hear people quite like the Liquifire and Titan Neck as bridge pickups, but I haven't gotten a chance to try that setup a lot.

I think you'd have a good time with the D Sonic/PAF Pro if you like the voicing on them, but I'm personally not crazy on the clean tones of either one without a coil split.
The Duncan Custom 5/Jazz Neck setup is pretty good, it just needs your right hand chops to be good because if you don't accentuate your attack well then you'll lose some articulation. These do sound pretty nice clean though. Clear, broad midrange, fat bottom with only a bit of flub (you can EQ or boost out), nice treble.
If you're not against actives, the Fishman Fluence Moderns (or one of the signature sets) are getting recommended by everyone and their grandmothers, and it does sound really good. They're kinda their own thing but Fishman's got a ton of clips of the entire lineup on YT.
I've also heard basically the entire lineup of Petrucci pickups from standard to drop G and they sound killer, but they have a pretty specific and pretty similar (to each other) voicing that you either like or don't, so it's more like picking a slight variation. These tend to have a hearty helping of midrange, a pretty tight bass, and enough treble to cut through nicely but not much more. I personally disagree with the neck pickup EQ a little (I prefer something brighter) but if you dig the Petrucci tone then these are a pretty good pick.

I gotta say that with what you're looking for I'd personally probably go for the Guitarmory stuff. I've got a set of Peacekeepers that I've used from D standard do Drop A and they're absolutely killer. They have options that go hotter and thicker than that, as well as a little more tame, so there's a good bit of variety in their lineup. Most have clips too.

149
Guitar Lounge / Re: ESP guitars
« on: June 20, 2019, 09:29:49 AM »
From what I remember ESP made a 1:1 conversion Les Paul. They made it better, in fact. Gibson took them to court, sued, won, and ESP had to start making their own stuff. Pre-Sue ESPs are rare to find.
It's worth a Google, at least.

As far as my opinion goes, I love them. Their guitars feel great, the budget models don't sound too great (my EC-256 sounds kind of flat in the clean department), but they do play great. I played on Ibanez gear for a decade, tried out the ESP stuff and fell in love.
I'm poor so I can't really comment on their expensive stuff but I can say I got a killer deal on an F-414FM and that normally went for about 600 USD. I got mine for 350 and it sounds amazing.
Gibson actually sued for the EX/MX shape (copy of the Explorer) which is why you can only get the weird pointy one outside Japan nowadays. IIRC (as I heard from the ESP collector I bought my '03 Eclipse I - the 4-pot LP-contour one - from) they got a cease-and-desist from Gibson over the Eclipse and just stopped shipping the 4-pot Eclipse I to the US, which is why we only get the 3-pot Eclipse II. You can still find non-US 4-pot Eclipse IIs pretty easily though. Same as the old ones, they just don't retail over here.
Who knows though, Gibson might get prissy and decide we can't even have that if their latest ad's got it right.
My '03 Standard 4-pot is straight up the best-sounding, slickest-feeling Les Paul I or any of my friends have ever played so I get why the Big G would want to get rid of the competition.

150
The Pickup Place / Re: Are these switching options possible ?
« on: June 20, 2019, 03:37:13 AM »
https://web.archive.org/web/20171209125357/http://www.dimarzio.com/sites/default/files/diagrams/hshep1112_1v1t_f.pdf
I think this setup would probably give you all the sounds you want except middle on it's own, but you could add a DPDT/4PDT to go to just that with one switch. Optionally, if you're more attached to middle than neck+bridge, the standard HSH setup with autosplits will do that but with no middle hum-cancelling. I don't think there's an easy way to go about that as you'd need more poles than any switch manufacturer really works with.

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