4,651 Reply by Zurf

(17 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)

Welcome to the forum Mozzy. 

Hard to say. There's guys like Segovia and other guys like Andy McKee and then still other guys like Eric Clapton.  How do you compare Segovia to Clapton?  Each are incredible in their own style, and arguments can be made that each is the best living player in their style.  Yet arguments can be made that there are others who are better.  Then you take Leo Kottke who created his own playing style, and then think of Andy McKee who improved on it.  Which of those two is better?  Each is amazing, and each is innovative.  But who's better?  I don't know. 

All that said, I think everyone can agree that Stevie Ray Vaughan deserves mention.  Put all that other stuff aside, and he's just awesome.  Watching his hands while he plays, it's just effortless.  I can't even keep up with what he's doing, but it's completely effortless looking.  Same for Doc Watson.  I don't know if you like country folk music, but even if you don't, pull up a chair and nice cup of whatever you like to sip upon (some peppermint tea with honey would be good) and watch some Doc Watson videos on Youtube.  The man is faster than lightning.  He'll rip out 40 notes and you won't even see his hands move.  Malmsteen has nothing on him for speed.

Speaking of musicians who can play across styles and are innovative, you have to mention Malmsteen.  He may be the epitome of it - someone who has taken Classical stylings and turned them into heavy metal is one heck of an innovator. 

But don't forget Roy Clark.  He can play the back of a guitar better than most people can play the front.  Forget about the Hee Haw schtick.  Roy Clark is one amazing musician.  Bear in mind that he earns his money from country, but his main musical love is jazz.  What he plays on stage isn't even his best work!  Oh, I'm sure he loves doing it and puts his heart into it and I mean no disrespect, but his main love is jazz. 

I guess my point is that it's hard to say "best."  But I think we can all agree, they're all better than me.  Though there are surely some mutants on Chordie who can give some of these guys a run for the money.  Or the glory, because Chordie doesn't pay. 

- Zurf

Go to forum: Chordie's Chat Corner

4,652 Reply by Zurf

(4 replies, posted in Acoustic)

Others have handled the numbers fine.  From my perspective, Light and Extra Light and Medium Light and all such are generalizations.  For specific instruction, you need to give the number.  The shop where I usually buy strings will ask you what size, and if you say Light or Extra Light or what-have-you, they'll then ask you what number. 

Some manufacturers consider .10s to be extra light, some consider them to be light.  I'm not sure about Martin.

My recommendation is that you play the guitar and see whether you like how it sounds and feels.  It's the price of strings, which is hardly anything.  The experiment in sound and tone is probably worth the money.  In a month take the guitar back in and ask for 11s or 12s. 

- Zurf

Go to forum: Acoustic

4,653 Reply by Zurf

(20 replies, posted in Acoustic)

I wonder if there'd be a way to glue one of those pads that they put on dashboards to keep your cell phone from sliding off on the back of the instrument (or the front of your shirt). 

- Zurf

Go to forum: Acoustic

4,654 Reply by Zurf

(24 replies, posted in Acoustic)

Nope.  I work on whole songs and then promptly forget that I know them.  Obviously, some parts are harder work than others.  I don't think I've ever tried to get anything 100% accurate, though.  I'm not interested in tribute style covers for myself.  Someone's already done the song that way, I usually wind up doing songs similarly but not the same.   Sometimes not even similarly.  Or some part the same and another part different. 

Similar but not the same: I do Kenny Chesney's "Don't Blink", The Dixie Chick's "Cold Day in July", and Fleetwood Mac's "Landslide", and Johnny Cash's "I Still Miss Someone" that way.  Not note for note, but sort of kind of similar and I spent some time getting the signature riffs something that approximates the original rendition.  On I Still Miss Someone, I do the vocals as close to Johnny's as I can, but spiff up the guitar part a bit above the standard JC boom-chicka-boom. 

Not even similarly: I do Elton John's "Crocodile Rock", Tom T. Hall's "I Like Beer", and Jimmy Buffett's "Volcano" that way.  Crocodile Rock I do as a bluegrass fingerpick, I Like Beer I do with pretty straightforward strumming instead of the slide work he used, and I do Volcano with a Bo Diddley beat instead of a Calypso beat and will sometimes slip that into "What I Like About You" by the Romantics but with a Bo Diddley beat, and then on into "Caroline" when I can remember the lyrics.  It's a 3:1 sale. 

- Zurf

Go to forum: Acoustic

4,655 Reply by Zurf

(20 replies, posted in Acoustic)

Nothing on there about the solid body basses.  That's my Ovation - an Ovation Magnum 3 bass.  Two tons of solid mahogany body and another 400 pounds of cast aluminum bridge. It sustains long enough to take a coffee break during a solo. 

- Zurf

Go to forum: Acoustic

4,656 Reply by Zurf

(5 replies, posted in Recording)

Grrrrrrrrr.

The mic came with free software - Sonar LE.  However, it was an old version.  So Cakewalk was nice and gave me extreme discount on an upgrade to their new version for Windows 7.   The problem is that neither the old version nor the new version came with any instructions.  The new version is a download, so it's not like there's an opportunity to provide a manual, but still.  I tried to use it and it took me fifteen minutes to figure out how to turn the record thing on.  And while it's "on", it's not working.  I see the meter going in the mic channel, but no little wavido thingies are showing up in the recording area.  Also, it automatically turns on a click track, which is pretty cool, but another fifteen minutes and I have not figured out how to adjust the speed of the metronome on the click track or how to turn it off if I don't want it. 

So now I've had to pay $9 for the upgrade (a great price, but still a price), drive to Borders ($6 more bucks for gas for the round trip), and try to find a book on Sonar LE (probably $30) just to use my "free" software that comes with the mic.  Ain't that a kick in the shorts?

- Zurf

I repeat.  Grrrrrrr.

Go to forum: Recording

4,657 Reply by Zurf

(231 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)

Q: What do you get when you pour boiling water down a rabbit hole? 



A: Hot, cross bunnies.

Go to forum: Chordie's Chat Corner

4,658 Reply by Zurf

(26 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)

Some day we're going to have hear some of the bad-ass investigator by day rock-star drummer by night stories.  Sounds exciting!

- Zurf

Go to forum: Chordie's Chat Corner

4,659 Reply by Zurf

(13 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)

Shy of taking a trip to the U.S., no I don't. 

Which songs are you looking for?

- Zurf

Go to forum: Chordie's Chat Corner

4,660 Reply by Zurf

(26 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)

jcellini wrote:

I couldn't have said it better myself!!  Zurf, way to go!!!

Thanks.  I'm not trying to preach.  It's an observation of my own life.

Go to forum: Chordie's Chat Corner

4,661 Reply by Zurf

(26 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)

selso wrote:

Whats that one song? " Gonna be alright, Not feeling to good myself". I dont know if thats how it goes but I sing that little part when things are bad and it brings a smile to my face.

Feeling Alright by Dave Mason, though my favorite version is the Joe Cocker version with Steve Winwood giving his left hand a work out on the piano. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiTcmahEjiY

I felt the same way much of the winter PapaTom.  Sometimes, I think it's a stage of life thing.  Having a hard time finding work will surely do it to.  I'm rooting for you to get the job you want, but more importantly praying for you that you'll recognize the job the man upstairs has planned for you when it comes available.  When nothing's going right, I sometimes take that as a signal that there's too much me in the effort and not enough Him.  Not sure if you're a religious man, but that's something I've seen work out for myself. 

- Zurf

Go to forum: Chordie's Chat Corner

4,662 Reply by Zurf

(10 replies, posted in Acoustic)

.11's. 

- Zurf

Go to forum: Acoustic

4,663 Reply by Zurf

(30 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)

I face the F.  The F and I aren't quite friends but we aren't quite strangers either.  We're friendly acquaintances, I'd say.  A bit awkward at first, but once we warm up to one another things go a bit more smoothly.

B is evil.

- Zurf

Go to forum: Chordie's Chat Corner

4,664 Reply by Zurf

(2 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)

I don't have a particular time worked out, but it's still on the "to do" list for the summer. 

It would probably be mid-summer - Julyish.

- Zurf

Go to forum: Chordie's Chat Corner

4,665 Reply by Zurf

(6 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)

Sweet.

Go to forum: Chordie's Chat Corner

4,666 Reply by Zurf

(30 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)

badeye wrote:

which way you going billy

hey jude

big iron

big bad john

hero's have always been cowboys

he's so fine

to sir with love

                    i dont know, these tunes are not about girls, my two cents... 

badeye    cool

I don't know Which Way You Going Billy.

Hey Jude is about a girl.  It's TO a guy, but it's about a failing marriage from a dad about the marriage failing with his wife. 

I don't know Big Iron.

Big Bad John had Mom tattooed on his arm.  Probably.

His heroes have always been cowboys because cowboys get all the skinny big-haired chicks in the tight jeans. 

He's So Fine is about a woman's feelings about a guy.  So it's still about a woman. 

To Sir With Love is the same. 

I'm sure that I can twist more songs' lyrics around...

- Zurf

Go to forum: Chordie's Chat Corner

4,667 Reply by Zurf

(30 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)

Mekidsmom may have found a loophole. 

- Zurf

Go to forum: Chordie's Chat Corner

4,668 Reply by Zurf

(30 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)

wlbaye wrote:

There are a few that aren't about girls, they're the ones The Gal is singing about the Guys.

Nope.  Those about are about girls too.  They're about the girls emotions in the context of her relationship with the guy.

- Zurf

Go to forum: Chordie's Chat Corner

4,669 Reply by Zurf

(30 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)

I love "Bubbly" and "You Were Meant for Me", but definitely out of my range.  I'd have to completely re-arrange them and turn them around.  I like doing that, but it's not in the cards just this moment. 

The three I'm working on right now, as long as this thread has resurfaced, are:
1. I Still Miss Someone (a fairly straight cover vocally, but adding a little interest with fingerpicking instead of straight boom-chicka-boom strum)
2. Wagon Wheel (also a fairly straight cover - the timing is hard for me on this one vocally)
3. Cold Day In July (Dixie Chicks)  - Fairly straight cover, but a different picking pattern.  I'm experimenting with slow-picking down arpeggios, just kind of a slow sweep down with one of my picking fingers.  It's kind a pleasant sound.)

- Zurf

Go to forum: Chordie's Chat Corner

4,670 Reply by Zurf

(5 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)

My favorites all seem to be about unrequited or forgotten love.  "Distantly In Love" is one such.  "I Still Miss Someone" is another such.

Go to forum: Chordie's Chat Corner

4,671 Reply by Zurf

(30 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)

They all are, Doc.  One way or another, they all are. 

- Zurf

Go to forum: Chordie's Chat Corner

4,672 Reply by Zurf

(4 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)

tubatooter1940 wrote:

I'd love to come pick with you, buddy.
Can I do my naughty songs?
toots

Yep.

Go to forum: Chordie's Chat Corner

4,673 Reply by Zurf

(17 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)

You're welcome.  Yeah, I ran sound board for a band for a while.  It was fun and I learned a few things.  Too bad Marcalan's not around, because he's forgotten more than the rest of us have learned all together.  But we'll do what we can to steer you in the right direction. 

By the by, welcome to Chordie.  We're glad you're here and look forward to your contributions.


Edit:  I used the wrong name from a different forum.  I meant "too bad Marcalan's not around", but the super thing is that Marcalan is back on, I just saw a post from him, and we can hope that he'll chime in on this topic.  I'd believe anything he said on the topic of live sound and recording.

- Zurf

Go to forum: Chordie's Chat Corner

4,674 Topic by Zurf

(4 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)

How's June looking for my Virginia and Maryland Chordian brothers and sisters?  Some Saturday afternoon blending into evening as necessary? 

It's just a thought so far, and I haven't broached the subject with my funny little honey.  Just thinking the timing might be getting good for another (a)Chordian jam. 

Detman101?  Jets60?  Others?  I live in Loudoun County, Virginia within an hour drive of Manassas, Winchester, Fairfax, Frederick, Gaithersburg, Rockville, even Harpers Ferry and Charles Town WV are within an easy drive.

Or we can meet up in a park or campground if things get arranged right. 

Again, nothing firm.  Just trying to gauge interest. 

- Zurf

Go to forum: Chordie's Chat Corner

4,675 Reply by Zurf

(17 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)

Agree with Wayne on the Shure mics.  I've not used a Peavey and make no comment on them.  If you can't get a Shure mic, then Samson is a decent second choice. 

For amps, Wayne made some good suggestions.  In addition, I recommend that you test a Fender Acoustisonic or the Fender Acoustisonic Junior 30.  There's a whole lot of country stars have used the Fender Acoustisonics in clubs.  Also Roland makes some, but I've never been a big fan of Roland for some reason.  I am also not a fan of Crate, though they make some as well.  The Crates have too harsh of a sound to my ear.  Good for electric rock, but not so much bluesy Country.  Of course, everything with music and reproducing it is a matter of taste and preference.   

You're going to want an acoustic amp, because most acoustic amps have a line-in for your guitar and a separate channel for your mic.  That's what you want as a minimum: two chanels each with its own input and each with it's own volume and treble, mid, bass settings.  One input can be a 1/4" jack for your instrument, but you're going to want an XLR jack for the mic.  If your guitar doesn't have a jack and you need to run two mics, one for your voice and one for your guitar, then you're going to either need an amp with two XLR jacks (which limits your choices) or you're going to need an XLR to 1/4" mic cable for one of the mics, which is a good solution but not the best solution. 

If the amp is clean, 30 watts goes a long way.  More is better generally speaking, but you should be much more interested in the cleanliness of the amplification than the shear power of it.  If you've got 100 watts, but it distorts at 10% volume, that doesn't help you.  Better to have 30 watts of clean power that you can crank. 

Once you get an amp with the inputs you need and good, clean power, you can start to accessorize based on your need, desire, and finances.  One nice feature to have is an output so that you can run your mixed guitar and vocals out to a PA or mixing board with one cable.  That allows you to use your amp as a monitor and reduces the need to mic your amp in a stage setup setting.  Many folks do that, but being able to line it out is a better solution (at least for your sound engineer at the board). 

One thing to remember - GOOD CABLES.  The importance of good cables cannot be overemphasized.   

- Zurf

Go to forum: Chordie's Chat Corner