jimmarchi1's forum posts 8022

I don't think I mentioned Depeche Mode's Violator - so influential to me, probably trumps every other album I listed....

or did I list it? well, it should be way up top of everyone's list.

just keep it clean no matter how much their british accents turn you on... hands on the keyboard!

nope, never lived in Chicago though its a great town. I am from Philadelphia and Like Johnny I have lived in New Jersey and near Washington DC. Not unlike Cash, I've been EVERYWHERE, man. Including the UK

I can understand your confusion as Chicago and Philly have very similar personalities, just very different accents!

so its well after 5 in England, I shoulda gone imported

fellow junkies, Lucian and I live 9 hours away in Philadelphia... I am actually very upset about it! I never saw this coming as she has survived so much during her relapses that I assumed she was immortal.

tea time!

I am working from home today so its BEER TIME! fuck it, its 5 o'clock somewhere

if you post a pic I can tell you exactly what to do

how's Lu, well, his mom died of a heroin overdose in a condemned house in the armpit of Ohio that we inherited but never visited before we separated.... that was about 3 months ago and I figured out how to explain it t him about 2 months ago, other than that he's great. Thanks for asking.

also, this is the best way to create whatever accent you are looking for:

http://www.tinyloops.com/tb303/images/sound_accent_settings.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/RFaxg.png

see the last knob on the right and the button in the step sequencer marked 'accent'? that's what adjusts the accent and select where its applied, cranking the knob up is a fairly british accent circa 1990 on any steps that you press the button on.... start at 3 o'clock for Rickman and then turn her up as desired to approach Finney... down at noon you get Thompson LOL

PS: turn her way down to 9 o'clock to sound alla 'merican like an African American from Chicago

unlikely to be a broken coil if the sound doesn't drop out completely sometimes, but its not impossible...

what's the control layout? Switch, master volume and master tone?

its most likely the switch, jiggle the switch in the bridge position and see if you can get the full sound.... the switch probably needs retensioning or replacing depending on what style 3 way it is. If jiggling the switch doesn't get you full signal for a millisecond or two and its master volume and tone then that means its probably the pickup itself (however unlikely that is from the symptom you describe).

If you have money to spend just do a 'shotgun' repair. Gut and upgrade all the electronics from output jack to neck pickup with decent quality shit. Switchcraft jack, CTS 500k pots, mallory 150 tone cap, Duncan P90s. That'll reduce future headaches dealing with cheap Chinese hardware.

you know, I wonder this myself... I am not much of a drummer but I have a lot of interest in percussion, kits, tuning, drum recording methods and found object percussion etc. We really need a percussion board.

a belated welcome

I don't know what you mean, those idiots are still ENORMOUSLY popular in the USA...

there are no good chops in greenday other than the drumming, and then its just proficient, not interesting. I remember scratching my head when dookie came out... I scratched my head harder at nimrod and I'm still scratching my head now a good dozen records later. Ditto for the offspring. I like punk, but these 2 bands just don't appeal to me much even though each one has a handhul of catchy pop tunes. I am not sure why they have been more successful than contemporary bands with more substance and originality like the Bosstones or NoFX. I don't understand the music biz at all.... they probably have a better publicist and were smart enough to throw the mud at Woodstock II.

anyway.... yeah, maybe they played the tower theater because its iconic... I mean, david bowie cut a double album there in his thin white duke phase...

anyway, in the more recent photo its a different variety of amps... possibly deluxe reverbs and some kidna of marshall combo, maybe an 18 watt?

In the 1st photo I know that the 4x10, bottom left is a super reverb because I noticed its a silverface and the Concert was discontinued before silverface cosmetics came in

the next 2 amps on the bottom row are vox ac30s, one in fawn the other in red, they look vintage or at least old, pre-custom classic, tolex appears to be stock vox custom colors

I can't tell what the bottom amp to the left of the plexi half-stack is because dude is standing in front of it.... looks like a twin reverb or pro reverb

on closer inspection, the entire top row is deluxe reverbs, you can see the offset 12"

unless its a very low output humbucker (7k or less) you are going to need 500K pots to have any treble... but, most strats have no tone on the bridge and a global volume, so you are going to brighten the neck and idle if you raise the value of the master volume pot.... I know some guys stay stock or others will experiment with different value pots across the board like 300k but my suggestion is NOT to add a humbucker because its not stratty

try the duncans stock first, they are designed to work as a team in that specific set... also consider moving one of the tone knobs from the neck or middle pickup to the bridge pickup to smooth her out a bit... this is a classic mod that always modernizes strat bridge pickups a little giving you an ultra chimey position with some bottom end as well as a nice thick single coil lead without the piercing treble

then if you really want a humbucker consider switching to series wiring or adding a series/parallel option with a so-called super-switch

if you must add a humbucker, search the Seymour Duncan forum for advice...

its awfully blurry and there are no brand logos on any of the amps but the marshall... I saw some weird model logos on some of the amps but can't read them for the life of me

That theater is in my home town. I have been to so many shows at the Tower. I used to live near it and have a rehearsal space nearby to boot about 10 years ago.... I am surprised that a huge draw like Greenday would do a show there. If I could listen to more than half a greenday song I woulda gone and I could tell you what they used...

if I had to guess (and I am going to guess) I see some twins (one with a 15", unles its an apocryphal blackface non-reverb Pro, LOL), a concert or super reverb, a couple of ac30s and a plexi? but I am totally unsure

looks like a DC30 or clone to me... and I have one.... you can get any combo cab you want from Matchless or 3rd party builders like Sourmash.... I suspect its a 3rd party cab sicne it doesn't have the lightup matchless logo, but anything's possible... Mike Perrotta and the folks at matchless are very accommodating and anything they refuse to do can be done by a small builder for less anyway.

I've been looking to ditch my beat up black headbox for a snazzy 2x12" but can't decide on cosmetics so I am REALLY familiar with the options out there... they are limitless

props to Followhill for having the balls to use channel 2 with the EF86, my favorite vox-alike channel of all time but not very popular with most guys due to the lack of controls (most of the knobs are global controls, but who needs controls when your amp sounds that glorious)

as some of you know I went to cooking school so I'm going to start posting my recipes in off-topic.... they are all knockout good and very original

Autumn mac n cheese

1/2 box elbow or mini-shell macaroni (I usually like de cecco, but barilla holds up really well in the oven and really any brand will do if you don't care how mushy your pasta gets)

4 to 8 ozs canned jumbo lump crabmeat (rinsed and sifted for shell)

8 ozs+ butternut squash cubed (often available precut at the supermarket)

3 slices of bacon

2 tablespoons of butter

1 tablespoon of olive oil

1 tablespoon of flour

1 cup of heavy cream

1/4 cop sour cream

1small shallotte diced very small

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

teaspoon ground nutmeg

teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon ground mustard powder

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon west indian of madras curry powder (optional)

1/2 cup grated gruyere cheese (the more expensive it is the better your mac will taste)

1/2 cup grated Havarti cheese

1/2 cup grated cheddar (any old shit will do)

4 slices Cooper sharp American or similar

1/2 cup grated parmesan, pecorino or locatelli cheese (not out of a jar, real shit from Italy)

1/2 cup preseasoned breadcrumbs

1/2 cup panko breadcumbs

1/2 cup of cheez-its (not Nips or any other brand... plain are best, but tabasco, pepper jack etc can add some zazz if you feel daring... and yes, I know my cooking teachers would be shocked by this, but you have to try it, cheez-its can be an ingredient, really)

preheat oven to 450 farenheit

In a food processor, pulse the cheez-its until they are ground coarsely, the texture of breadcrumbs.

steam the butternut squash until its mushy and reserve... if you have a pot with a pasta insert an steamer you can reuse the water to boil your pasta assuming you add a couple tablespoons of salt to it.... either way, boil the pasta for exactly 1 minute less than the minimum cook time.

In a large enameled dutch oven cook the bacon until its crispy and all the fat is laying in the pan,remove it and crumble it into a bowl... then melt 1/2 a tablespoon of the butter into the bacon grease over medium heat, then sautee the shallot until its translucent adding salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Wisk in the flour and cook it until it forms a smooth paste (about 5 minutes). Add the dry mustard and other ground spices, then wisk in the heavy cream and Dijon. thicken the cheese sauce over medium (or lower) heat whisking constantly. When the sauce has thickened a little stir in the gruyere, Havarti and American slices until they are thoroughly incorporated and remove from the heat. If you have a food mill, place it over the pot and process the squash thru the largest disk, if you don't have a food mill pulse the squash in a food processor until it is the consistency of lumpy oatmeal and then add it to the cheese sauce. Stir the squash gunk into the sauce thoroughly and taste. Now is the time to salt and peper the sauce the way you want it so think hard when tasting it and season wisely! If you have fresh tarragon you might want to chop some up and stir it in, tarragon is pretty zazzy in this dish but not essential. Once the sauce is tasting right, incorporate the cooked pasta. and set aside.

In a medium sautee pan melt the remaining butter over medium medium-high heat. Meanwhile, in a work bowl mix the panko, ground cheezits and seasoned breadcrumbs with the olive oil and parmesean cheese (a salad fork generally works well for this) and then add the moistened bredcrumbs to the pan with the butter and toast until slightly browner than they started, about 5 minutes, then remove from the heat. Grease an appropriately sized baking dish with butter (corningware is a good call here, do NOT use metal) and reduce the oven heat to 375. Mix the crumbled bacon into the breadcrumb mixture. Next you want a big ladel and a rubber baking spatula. Gently fold the crabmeat and sour cream into the macaroni mixture attempting to leave some large lumps but also break up some of it so it distributes evenly. Ladel about a third of the macaroni mixture into the baking dish, smoothing it with the spatula, then sprinkle it with shredded cheddar. Repeat this process until all the macaroni and sauce is in the baking dish, then evenly cover the top with the toasted breadcrumb mixture and place it in the oven. Bake for 1 hour or until the breadcrumbs start to singe around the edges (you will smell the toasty bread smell), whichever comes first.

Serve it to people who like comfort food and remember to credit me as the creator of this dish!

If you don't like crab meat (like my son) then you can omit it and the dish is still bangin'

for a thinner sauce sub 1 and 1/4 cups of whole milk for the cup of heavy cream or try 1 and a 1.4 cups of light cream and omit the sour cream (though the sour cream adds a lot of bite to offset the crab/squash sweetness and highlights the nuttiness of the gruyere and parm)

have you ever had Yard's Brawler, brewed here in my hometown of Philadelphia? If you like the sweet and earthiness of Newcastle I expect the Brawler will be a second favorite. Its one of my faves lately for EXACTLY the reasons you've mentioned.

https://cdn.beeradvocate.com/im/beers/46504.jpg

bitier, heavier, more coffee-like malts, smoother finish without the ethanol tang that new castle has these days (I swear it tasted different 10 years ago)... better with food, especially red meat

http://www.2beerguys.com/images/forblog/smuttynose_old_brown_dog_sixer.jpg

America's reved up version of Newcastle....

I have 2 in the can and one in the pipe so far.... techno-pop stuff, but not trite:

the new one(has a vocal melody but no lyrics, will demo a vocal this week though):

and the last one

if you can sing it better than me (which I am sure most people can) then reply... I would love to hear your version.... lyrics are definitely not set in stone

best warm or just slightly chilled

everything but the ec86 is interchangeable, which if I recall is a single high mu small signal triode whereas the others are dual triodes with hum cancelling and shared heaters, yada yada, you probably don't care....

the 83s/ax7s have a gain in voltage of 100, the 82s/au7s have a really low gain and a very linear reponse to boot that is generally not great for guitar amps unless its in a cathodyne phase inverter or an amp that needs expanded headroom because it has a lot of potential gain on the clean channel like a vox... and the AT7/81? that has a gain of 70 to 80, but unlike the similar 12AY7 and the lower gain AX7 variants Leo Fender was so fond of that perform identically to an AX7/83 apart from the lowered gain in voltage, the AT7/81 also has a very low output impedance into the next stage so for any stage that doesn't directly preceed a cathode follower (an impedance lowering tube stage generally used to feed tone sections to minimize loss of gain in treble due to the loading of the tone stack on a high impedance preamp signal like in tweed fenders and marshalls) you will get a change in the frequency response and slew rate as you start to enter distortion territory changing from an ax7 to an at7.... fender and hiwatt also favored them as long-tailed pair phase inverters and any amp with a long-tailed pair (most modern push-pull designs including the AD15) can swap between these 2 tubes in the phase inverter slot for a change in output stage response

in 12ax7/ecc83 types the Dario's aren't bad while mazdas and brimars are great, like almost 50s Mullard great... I quite like Mullard's ecc81s and notoriously swap them for V1 in amps that I think have a little too much preamp gain and upper midrange fizz but I've never used the Dario version... you au7 is worth a try in ANY position in your amp, but it probably won't pelase you, its more of a hifi triode which is why its rare to see it specified for gain applications in guitar designs, they are mainly used in non-gain producing phase inverter types and as trem/vibrato oscillators

I always have some brimar, mazda and Mullard 83s and 81s (especially the military grade ones with the CV designation, wow are they good) around because I am quite fond of them in V1 of vox/marshall/orange type circuits followed by a current production tung sol 12ax7 in V2... I also have some backup mazda and Dario ef86 pentodes in case the Mullard ef86 in the matchless goes bad on the job

my other favorite 12ax7 types are GE grey plates, ANY RCA ax7 (their at7 is best left to phase inverter duties) and the mighty amperex bugle boys that were made in holland which are becoming so hard to come by

in your amp the most suitable position to experiment with tube type substitutions is V1

so to sum up: don't use the ec86 because it will likely fry something in your amp, but DO mix and match any other tubes from your collection in any slot. As a rule of thumb the ecc82 is probably not suited to your amp since the AD15 isn't a gain monster that can benefit from a couple stages with less gain and more dynamics... although putting it in the phase inverter position which is probably V2 in your amp may yield a more dynamic, clean and 'hiwatt' like power amp feel with reduced volume and no distortion in the first 2/3rd of the master volume, but you may find it to be anemic at anything less than ear-splitting levels

dedicate some serious time to auditioning tubes at various volume and tone settings with all your guitars and effects and make notes, then go back a few days later and do it again.... if your notes on what sounds good where are the same both times you have a winning peamp tube compliment

also, make sure to listen for microphonic rings and squeals at volume, the euro tubes were more prone to this than USA tubes were... microphonic tubes ALWAYS get worse with time, so you should discard any tubes with audible ringing... if you're unsure what noises are coming from the tube versus your signal chain then unplug everything, crank the amp and tap the tubes very gently with a rubber eraser. You should hear a thud, but it shouldn't sustain r become a ringing sound or feedback.

looks like a knockoff of a Polytone

I just found a really nice one trying to play an AF song, don't know what the proper name is, but FADACF, I've been writing a few bits on it. Sus2's are also nice,

by the way, justnoticed this and I felt I should inform you that your tuning's an open Fmaj6... basically just a slide tuning, barre for a major 6 in any position, barre plus a finger on the D to modify it to dominant 7 (middle finger), maj 7 (ring finger) or straight major (pinky)... it'll give you a really unique voicing on those 6th and 7th chords that would be difficult in standard

okey doke... my best friend loves his Timmy.

there's a town an hour or so north of philly in rural PA called Intercourse PA... the next town over is called Bird In Hand

I am not joking. Look it up

maybe they got tired of your non-consensual intercourse?

I think you meant 'discourse with'.

actually hes more like 21 and engaged, but their screennames are Dukeuke and Liam... I am sure they can help you with your dialect quandary, England's not a very big place.

that said, careful with british actors accents as an example, their screen voices do not always reflect their actual accents or any particularly English dialect, particularly if they had classical Shakespearean training or spent time in the state funded repertoiry theater circuit.... for over 100 years its been the goal of the royal college and similar institutions to imbue their students with a homogenous accent.... this was hevily rebelled against in the 60s by northern actors like Albert Finney etc

but listen to the homogenous accent of Kenneth Brannagh on screen.... he's IRISH! He can lapse backinto his native accent at will in interviews, but on camera he will typically use his big stage voice unless the role requires a specific dialect.

maybe you should start by allowing only moderators to change the item and then open it up from there

I thik Cumberbatch will alwys be best known as Sherlock Homes on the BBC's recent reimagining.... his Richard III wasn't too shabby either.

Its funny he is playing Kahn the tiger when he was also Kahn the space-pirate in the recent Star Trek sequel. Anyway, voiceover work takes no time or effort at all and can generally be done by actors while they are performing in another live action feature. That's why they all love it. You get to double dip, get paid twice, get your name out there twice, but do 1/2 the work!

oh yeah, I forgot to mention the 3 mini-hum equipped firebirds as a great cross between an LP and strat (to my ear)....even the 'bird minibuckers are a weird hybrid of Gibson and fender ideas having 2 bar magnets with the coil of wire wound right onto them

I will try to be brief this time:

1) customizing your guitars is not wrong, they are tools, make them work the way you want unless you are worried about resale (and then just keep the original parts)

2) P90s are un-stratty, like a toothier humbucker with single coil openness... great pickups though, I used to swear by them much to the annoyance of sound and lighting guys allover the USA. Hum city!

3) I think the tremonti is just the wrong PRS for you, its mostly LP and LP jr DNA, you are looking for a PRS with some actual fender style singles with pole piece magnets (this is the difference between a fender single and a soapbar, P90 style pickups have bar magnets under the coil whereas 90% of fender pickups use magnets as the poles and vintage correct ones don't even use a bobbin, the wire is wound directly on the poles) maybe a bolt-on, possibly a trem and DEFINITELY fender type woods... I don't know all of his models, but if you ike the feel of the PRS you have already you might want to just find another model that has a stratty sound.... so, you know, stay away from signature models next time...

4) if you buy a neck to put on a strat you will probably want a '59 Gibson type profile and 50s Gibson nut width on a 25" scale.... the current Mexican 'classic' series is an excellent value on the used market and great for modifications... I am not sure what's poking you when you palm mute on a stock strat, maybe the strats are set up wrong or you are muting too hard because the little saddle screws shouldn't dig into your hand.... I have only had issues with cheaply made and badly set-up strats, with my own Stratocasters I've been able mute and chug away all night without issue

5) have you considered getting a gutted Gibson SG special with the late-period batwing pickguard and then building a new pickguard up with strat pickups and switching?Gibson actually made an SG with 3 strat-size blades too

http://archive.gibson.com/Files/USA/2007/SG3BFICH1_.jpg

but if you go SG special it'll be cheap, you can get the strattiest electronics possible, and you are guaranteed a wide and chunky neck feel. Only downsides of the 3 pickup SG is the scale and that all mahogany guitar are on the dark side, but if its way too dark plugged in you can always raise the potentiometer values to let more treble through. It won't make it a strat but will get closer.

okay, that wasn't brief

your #1 electric is a Gibson scale LP copy

you seriously responded to that verbal joust? I was just joking! and you responded as Yoda too... hmmm. Dude, it'll ne cool, g get laid... anyway now I'm feeling bad, you're just too easy. Its important you populate all these pseudo-emo-morons, keep it up. Then we can all know exactly how to be generic and uninspired as major labels continue to refuse to recognize us! and we'll all get rich in the process of waiting for FM airplay, right?

to be fair to these bands, its more their worshipper that are the problem, like rabid Smiths fans....

then again, this sums my vitriol for these idiots up (blame yourself, not me)

http://www.aceshowbiz.com/images/wennpic/jason-mraz-performs-live-02.jpg

but I am seriously (or I guess NOT) kidding you...all your earnest effort just tickles my funny bone! I mean, there are chemicals you need to ingest while listening to these records at 10+ and shivering on a warm day. .... get to it, ya dangus.

I didn't see it this year and I won't 2 years hence. There already was a jungle book and it had awesome songs and was humorously racist in an inoffensively antiquated way. It was also part of my childhood.

If I want a version truer to Rudyard Kipling I will read the story to my son again. There are a lot of other enjoyable stories in the collected Kipling anyway. I never tire of "The Man Who Would Be King."

Hollywood can continue to dig its own grave like the record industry and newspaper biz did.... file sharing doesn't kill media revenue, crap content does. Why not steal a bag of dog shit? Better yet, why not enjoy the classics you already own that will enver be matched by the clowns these corporations hire....

read the books, form your own theories.... I hate the internet fan speculation sites. My wife loved reading them aloud to me in bed just to hear m groan as I tried to fall asleep....

nah, 25.5" scale is both a part of the strat's feel and a huge component of its sound, the different string length from nut to bridge really differentiates fender and Gibson, particularly on the wound string.... want to hear an example? most quality acoustic manufacturers offer upwards of 3 neck scales, compare the tone of a 25.5" scale to 24.75" acoustic with the same construction and it'll jump out at you with the extra variables removed....

I am loathe to say it as I dislike mr smith's guitars as a general rule, but there are a number of PRS models that offer a good compromise between the strat and paul utilizing the unusual (on electric) 25" scale... there are also a number of Hamer models that attempted to marry the paul to the strat and/or tele with varying degrees of success. A 25" scale bolt on will likely give you a degree of spanky, ringing wound string fender goodness and a richer twang than Gibson has while maintaining the slinky les paul feel to a degree. And yes, from there you could go with 3 strat style pickups.

I believe USA customs offers drop-in 25" replacement necks for the strat, so you could take your stock strat and just swap the neck and set her back up. Bingo, compromise tension for fender tone and Gibson comfort with a bolt-on for extra percussiveness and glassy fender pickups. If that's not what you're seeking you can always go back to the old neck and return the 25" conversion neck.

But there's also the bridge differences with their very different break angles at the saddle and different amounts of contact with the body... those variables both effect feel and tone substantially too.... the tune-o-matic will always feel easier to bend because the tension on the string isn't cmletely perpendicular, therefore you will get less 'fight' from the string when bending. And then there's the strat trem's sustain block! just change materials and you change the sound....

The fact of the matter is that the paul doesn't sound like a strat partially because it plays like a paul and vice versa. The electronics are another part, but if you listen to a super strat with 2 humbuckers, a set neck and les paul woods (like everyone wanted in the 80s) you know you don't hear a Gibson. Even if its one with a tone-omatic or classic strat trem over the ubiquitous Floyd rose. The super strat isn't a little bit of both, its neither.... simply its own thing. Neck scale, wood choice, neck attachment. It all plays a role, but that neck scale is a bigger deal in both feel and sound than one would think.

I am interested to read the OP's responses to Gchiaren's questions though....

a question of ethics, do I tip off the FBI?

yeah, no prob... if you are going all software I would try using some vintage emulation like the free OB-X VST as I think the bandpass and saws will do that sound very easily (though maybe something designed to do JP8000 supersaws will be even better, there's a lot of options in that department, but I like the oberheim emulation's bandpass filter A LOT, really classic)... a sequential circuits emulation might get you there too, the prophet synths had that cutting quality and a good emulation thru some judicious EQ might create the sound you want.... maybe even an FM synth with a filter section and multiple envelope generators as long as you stay conservative with any modulation between oscillators.

good one Boom, I seriously laughed at that one....

to th OP, be more specific, this thing is full of blippy, modulating, panning synths.. are you talking about the one that start relatively early and has an early analog subtractive sound or the detuned PWM sound that comes in later? Or do you mean that detuned saw sound that sounds like tis thru a bandpass filter and not a lowpass? That has extreme panning.

If I had to guess saw track has a single delay on it at high volume set to inverse stereo and a good bar of delay time to create the pan, the other panning trance BS is just hand panned (my favorite way to do silly psychedelic panning) or has an autopan effect on it and the crazy stereo spread is an additiaonal effect slapped across the sawy-synth channel, a submix buss or even the whole track during or just prior to mastering! There's even a free vst plugin for this sort of effect, try A1 stereo enhaner (I think that's the name, I am not a huge fan of extreme use of stereo and would mix all in mono if it were socially acceptable)

as for the synths, these are very simple patches to mimic with just about any 2 oscillator analog-style subtractive with PWM and 80s type artchitecture (though, having more than 1 filter mode will be a help to you for a few of the sounds and more than 2 oscillators or maybe a super-saw type of detune knob would be a plus for some of this stuff, but its pretty stereotypical mid90s rave jackassery I grew up with in here, silly but fun! there's probably some FM or wavetable sounds in there if I could gear myself up to listen all the way through at volume)...

the individual tracks do sound pretty heavily compressed or limited (maybe a multiband to be able to adjust the apparent level of diverse frequencies brought forward by the filter sweep, there's lots of ways to go about this though) and there's quite a bit of subtractive EQ on most of the stuff to keep it all sitting in its own frequency range even as it modulates... anyway, nothing too impressive here, not reinventing the techno wheel, but spinning it competently. But that's how you become and stay a superstar DJ/producer/whatever-they-call-it.