polara

Well, I DID say it with a wink! Tastes vary, and most of the HFC would think what I like is utter crap. I just don't "get it" when it comes to rock shred. And it's not like I don't like technically accomplished music, 'cos I grew up listening to pretty much nothing but classical and bebop. I've got Cannonball Adderly and John Coltrane and Oscar Peterson CDs in my collection, and those cats are NUTHIN' if not chops monsters. I guess where I differ from some here is that to me, the shred guys sort of have one foot in each world (again my opinion): that is, they're trying to be technically flawless and show off a lot of finger coordination and perfect timing and phrasing while still playing rock tunes. To me, rock 'n' roll needs a directness, an almost "folk music" appeal that goes straight to the gut (or maybe a few inches lower) and makes you want to move your hips: to fight or cry or screw or jump up and down. I love lots of stuff that isn't rock. I also dig a few guitar virtuosos. Ever hear David Torn? The guy flat RIPS but his music is waaaaaay out there so it's kind of a cool environment for cerebral playing. Or Wes Montgomery, or Chet Atkins, or Robert Fripp, or Joe Pass, or Pat Metheny... sometimes even Allen Holdsworth. I prefer the context in which they shred, if that makes sense. They're playing "art music" with "art technique" instead of slapping chops over music that I happen to think is best played by Chuck Berry or The Ramones. I don't wanna hear Leyontene Price singing "Satisfaction", nor do I want to hear George Lynch play it. I also don't want to hear Mick and Keef tackle "Le Nozze di Figaro." There is a place for technical precision and a place for dumbass rawkin', and they rarely blend well. In my opinion, of course. Tastes vary, as I said.

"...the guys mentioned above, I would leave the U.S. market and go to either Japan or Europe." I'll pitch in to buy their tickets.

Ah, tastes differ. I liked Cobain's sounds (um, Butch Vig's and Steve Albini's sounds) on Nevermind and In Utero. And loved Hendrix's sounds most of the time. I've enver heard a distorted tone as thin and whiny as Reggie (sp) Wooten. If you see the Wooten Brothers you'll have fun, and they all have chops to spare, but he plays this Kramer into a Peavey practice amp and he either uses a broken speaker or some sort of rig with bumblebees in a tin can for his distortion. Amazing.

True about the lack of surprise on the split or car. Still, fer what it's worth the guitar I bought from Joe was pristine and fairly priced, and he's helped me out getting info in the past.

I agree, Ted. Oddly, when I mix the stuff I record, I try to strip away plug-ins and EQ as I go, and try to only compress and 'verb the overall mix. I ALWAYS end up, in mixing, going down to just a couple modulation things like a little flange on a drum part and some vocal compression.... then apply a multiband compressor to the overall mix and a add little overall room reverb. So often, less is more and simply panning the guitars a little differently or removing a part to let other parts "breathe" beats adding another gizmo.

Vinyl by Izotope. It's a combination of a compressor, hig-and low-pass filters, amp model, and noise generator that simulates the sound of a vinyl record. Use it very subtly, with no noise, to warm up a recording by compressing and equing it, or crank it up so your song sounds like an old Edison record.

My Pedulla Rapture. It jsut plays itself and it's beat up enough that I don't have to worry about the finish. Cruise basses just never quite did it for me... dunnow why exactly.