Saturday, August 23, 2008
Collab - I Will Follow You Into The Dark (Cover)
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The Story -
Main Vocals - Ray
Main Guitar - Ray
Intro Guitar - Chris
Backing Vocals - Chris
Strings - Chris
This cover of Death Cab For Cutie's "I Will Follow You Into The Dark," was a pleasure to work on. As you might have guessed from the credits above, it was work done by Ray and myself. It's far from perfect, but I think it's an okay interpretation of the original song. I like how it sounds full and thick because of the combination of vocals and strings, without being too heavy (in my opinion).
As usual, any thoughts on the matter are certainly appreciated.
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Some technical bits:
The backing vocals were created by a combination of singing fairly high, compression, and chorus. Wewt. The strings were composed using my midi controller. All the levels and such were managed in Garage Band. If the song sounds too quiet...TURN IT UP!
Random Side Note - I was randomly coming up with band names, and "RC Magnificent" just sort of came to me. That's probably why I shouldn't come up with band names: that's terrible (and it sounds like a low-grade rap group that addresses issues of remote controlled vehicles. lol.)
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
The Great "Paul" Debate
I have something to confess. I've got GAS. I don't mean the smelly kind, I mean Guitar Acquisition Syndrome. I've learned a lot about my own likes, dislikes, and tastes (as far as guitar is concerned) in the last year, and I'm ready to move on to a guitar that is more, "practical." For example, I'm more than a little fed up with the V-shape of my current guitar. Not only that, but the bridge (a Floyd Rose tremolo) is not something I want in my next guitar. My musical tastes have definitely changed (not into metal quite so much), and this has left me in an interesting position. I've recently become enamored with the "Les Paul" body shape, and while aesthetics alone are NOT justification for purchasing a guitar (read: learned that one the hard way), there are so many choices on the market to compare and contrast, I'm bound to end up a winner if I do my research. What follows will be an unadulterated look into what I plan to purchase, a gigantic "compare and contrast." Enjoy.
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The Obvious (and boring) Choice: Epiphone Les Paul Standard
Pros - It comes in a lot of colors.
Cons - Quality control seems spotty. It's an "over-played" guitar, 22 frets.
Price - $549, from Musiciansfriend.com
The Sadly Discontinued Choice: Yamaha AES 620
Pros - Great features, highly reviewed, all-around good guitar.
Cons - Only available second hand, purchasing price and quality might vary greatly. 22 frets.
Price - Variable.
The "Swede-ish" Choice: Hagstrom Ultra Swede
Pros - Good feature list, seemingly high reviews
Cons - I've NEVER seen one in a store, and I've never had the chance to play test one. 22 frets.
Price - $370
The Curvy Choice: Dean Cadillac
Pros - Interesting shape, Dean has a seemingly good reputation
Cons - 22 frets, Dean also has a lot of "rabid fanboys." Reviews on MF seemed to smack of quality control issues. This is another guitar I've NEVER seen in stores.
Price - $600
The "art-sy" Choice /rimshot - Ibanez ART300
Pros - I've been able to find this one in stores. I liked the unique top on this one.
Cons - 22 frets. Not sure about the Ibanez active pick-ups. Also, Ibanez is another one of those companies with a fairly rabid fan-base.
Price - $380
The One That I Was Seriously Considering: Washburn WI64
Pros - This guitar has enjoyed very high reviews, and has great features considering the price. Buzz-Feiten tuning (something no other guitar in this price range has), and good upper-fret access (from what I've seen).
Cons - 22 frets, I'm not sure about the VCC (Voice Contour Control), it's basically Washburn's proprietary coil-tap technology (to allow a guitar to achieve single-coil and humbucking sounds), but I want to test it. Never seen this guitar in a store. I don't like the shape as much as the others.
Price - $370
The Obviously Imported Choice - Agile Al-300/3500
Pros - This guitar is listed as a lot of "bang for your buck" on several websites, and it looks downright sexy in black with gold hardware. Ebony fretboard (a feature not normally found on guitars in this price range).
Cons - Looks VERY similar to the Epiphone, 22 frets. Has a 30-day satisfaction guarantee, but you can only import then from Korea. The 3000 line seems to have been discontinued, meaning you can now only buy it second-hand.
Price - Variable.
Another Dark Horse - Michael Kelly Patriot
Pros - Supposedly very well-made Korean guitars. Many models have ebony fret-boards, coil-taps, and other cool features.
Cons - Quality control may be spotty, the higher end models are only available with EMGs, 22 frets, I have never seen one in a store.
Price - $400-650, depending on model.
The Most Expensive One So Far - ESP/LTD EC-1000
Pros - It is a very good looking guitar (especially in vintage black), 24 frets, can get ebony fretboard, can get Seymour Duncan pick-ups
Cons - Easily the most expensive of the bunch (so far, dun-dun-dun), what's the point of having 24 frets if you can't reach past 17? Can only get EMGs and ebony fret board, not SD's and an ebony fret board. LTD brands each guitar at the 12th fret with the model name (that REALLY irks me)
Price - $840-880 (!)
The One I Didn't Even Notice Until Recently - Schecter Tempest Custom
Pros - Looks very good in black, some good features (TonePros bridge, Grover tuners), most "different" looking
Cons - Pick-ups are only "Duncan Designed," seems a little pricey for the features, I think someone in Maroon 5 plays this guitar.
Price - $600
I'm Not Sure Why I'm Even Listing This One - PRS SE Single Cut
Pros - Good resale value? Name recognition? Heel isn't as HUGE as it is on the double-cuts? A few of the finishes look nice.
Cons - It seems too expensive for the price. It seems to be a brand people flock to for the name, even though better-made, less expensive instruments are available.
Price - $600
EDIT EDIT EDIT
The Guitar I Forgot - Fernades Ravelle
Pros - Distinctive body shape (in this case, a good thing), several different models with various prices, cool colors (at the "Elite" level, anyway), Fernandes sustainer and Seymour Duncan pick-up.
Cons - The Elite model is expensive, there are no dealers in the immediate area (meaning no try-before-you-buy), there are not as many reviews available, and the features do not seem to match up with the price.
Price - ~$750-950 (Elite Model...why it pays to shop around)
The Truly Imported Model - Edwards LP Standard
No Image Available. (Just imagine a Les Paul that says "Edwards" on the headstock; see above.)
What is it? - It's basically a Les Paul copy made by a Japanese arm of the guitar company ESP.
Pros - It's a Les Paul without being a generic Les Paul. It is supposed to have that "magic" Japanese craftsmanship.
Cons - Since it was meant for the Japanese market, shipping will be ridiculous. There is absolutely NO try-before-you-buy with this guitar.
Price - Variable
One More For Good Measure - Ibanez Iceman ICT700
Pros - It's another looker of a guitar. I mistakenly thought that this guitar had a tremolo, when in fact it is a fixed bridge design. 24 frets (you can actually reach).
Cons - Kind of expensive. More of a "metal" guitar. Reverse headstock (I find them irritating, honestly). Have yet to see one in a store to try.
Price - $700
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Did anyone else find it odd how there are so many "Les Paul" style guitars on the market? This little comparison only scratched the surface...I didn't touch on high or lower end models. I wonder why the shape has endured for as long as it has?
---
The Obvious (and boring) Choice: Epiphone Les Paul Standard
Pros - It comes in a lot of colors.
Cons - Quality control seems spotty. It's an "over-played" guitar, 22 frets.
Price - $549, from Musiciansfriend.com
The Sadly Discontinued Choice: Yamaha AES 620
Pros - Great features, highly reviewed, all-around good guitar.
Cons - Only available second hand, purchasing price and quality might vary greatly. 22 frets.
Price - Variable.
The "Swede-ish" Choice: Hagstrom Ultra Swede
Pros - Good feature list, seemingly high reviews
Cons - I've NEVER seen one in a store, and I've never had the chance to play test one. 22 frets.
Price - $370
The Curvy Choice: Dean Cadillac
Pros - Interesting shape, Dean has a seemingly good reputation
Cons - 22 frets, Dean also has a lot of "rabid fanboys." Reviews on MF seemed to smack of quality control issues. This is another guitar I've NEVER seen in stores.
Price - $600
The "art-sy" Choice /rimshot - Ibanez ART300
Pros - I've been able to find this one in stores. I liked the unique top on this one.
Cons - 22 frets. Not sure about the Ibanez active pick-ups. Also, Ibanez is another one of those companies with a fairly rabid fan-base.
Price - $380
The One That I Was Seriously Considering: Washburn WI64
Pros - This guitar has enjoyed very high reviews, and has great features considering the price. Buzz-Feiten tuning (something no other guitar in this price range has), and good upper-fret access (from what I've seen).
Cons - 22 frets, I'm not sure about the VCC (Voice Contour Control), it's basically Washburn's proprietary coil-tap technology (to allow a guitar to achieve single-coil and humbucking sounds), but I want to test it. Never seen this guitar in a store. I don't like the shape as much as the others.
Price - $370
The Obviously Imported Choice - Agile Al-300/3500
Pros - This guitar is listed as a lot of "bang for your buck" on several websites, and it looks downright sexy in black with gold hardware. Ebony fretboard (a feature not normally found on guitars in this price range).
Cons - Looks VERY similar to the Epiphone, 22 frets. Has a 30-day satisfaction guarantee, but you can only import then from Korea. The 3000 line seems to have been discontinued, meaning you can now only buy it second-hand.
Price - Variable.
Another Dark Horse - Michael Kelly Patriot
Pros - Supposedly very well-made Korean guitars. Many models have ebony fret-boards, coil-taps, and other cool features.
Cons - Quality control may be spotty, the higher end models are only available with EMGs, 22 frets, I have never seen one in a store.
Price - $400-650, depending on model.
The Most Expensive One So Far - ESP/LTD EC-1000
Pros - It is a very good looking guitar (especially in vintage black), 24 frets, can get ebony fretboard, can get Seymour Duncan pick-ups
Cons - Easily the most expensive of the bunch (so far, dun-dun-dun), what's the point of having 24 frets if you can't reach past 17? Can only get EMGs and ebony fret board, not SD's and an ebony fret board. LTD brands each guitar at the 12th fret with the model name (that REALLY irks me)
Price - $840-880 (!)
The One I Didn't Even Notice Until Recently - Schecter Tempest Custom
Pros - Looks very good in black, some good features (TonePros bridge, Grover tuners), most "different" looking
Cons - Pick-ups are only "Duncan Designed," seems a little pricey for the features, I think someone in Maroon 5 plays this guitar.
Price - $600
I'm Not Sure Why I'm Even Listing This One - PRS SE Single Cut
Pros - Good resale value? Name recognition? Heel isn't as HUGE as it is on the double-cuts? A few of the finishes look nice.
Cons - It seems too expensive for the price. It seems to be a brand people flock to for the name, even though better-made, less expensive instruments are available.
Price - $600
EDIT EDIT EDIT
The Guitar I Forgot - Fernades Ravelle
Pros - Distinctive body shape (in this case, a good thing), several different models with various prices, cool colors (at the "Elite" level, anyway), Fernandes sustainer and Seymour Duncan pick-up.
Cons - The Elite model is expensive, there are no dealers in the immediate area (meaning no try-before-you-buy), there are not as many reviews available, and the features do not seem to match up with the price.
Price - ~$750-950 (Elite Model...why it pays to shop around)
The Truly Imported Model - Edwards LP Standard
No Image Available. (Just imagine a Les Paul that says "Edwards" on the headstock; see above.)
What is it? - It's basically a Les Paul copy made by a Japanese arm of the guitar company ESP.
Pros - It's a Les Paul without being a generic Les Paul. It is supposed to have that "magic" Japanese craftsmanship.
Cons - Since it was meant for the Japanese market, shipping will be ridiculous. There is absolutely NO try-before-you-buy with this guitar.
Price - Variable
One More For Good Measure - Ibanez Iceman ICT700
Pros - It's another looker of a guitar. I mistakenly thought that this guitar had a tremolo, when in fact it is a fixed bridge design. 24 frets (you can actually reach).
Cons - Kind of expensive. More of a "metal" guitar. Reverse headstock (I find them irritating, honestly). Have yet to see one in a store to try.
Price - $700
---
Did anyone else find it odd how there are so many "Les Paul" style guitars on the market? This little comparison only scratched the surface...I didn't touch on high or lower end models. I wonder why the shape has endured for as long as it has?
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