Sounds like decent gear Oakster, hope you have fun with it I played a strat for many years, loved it. These days I play a Parker Fly which is great. But I have a secret yearning for a sunburst Les Paul, still love the sound and look of them. I'm halfway through mixing my one and only solo album. Decided to do it all myself, all instruments, songs engineering, producing and mastering. Been great fun, huge learning curve on the technical side, and still curving, it has taken a good couple of years to get it to this stage, in between working and family stuff. A labour of love I guess. Anyone else in mid project out there?
Hey Oakster, glad to hear/read that you are still plugging/strumming away!
In the past 18 months(jeez! Time has flown!) I have seen the disappearance of my band. The singer leaving halfway through the recording of the album.(Mentioned earlier in the thread) An alternate incarnation of that band also died a death, when our drummer decided to leave on the eve of our 1st gigs, as that 'new' line-up.
I've also done a few rough recordings with Cafc-4-Life, & will be doing more with him soon, possibly including a track for Charlton Upbeats fundraising.
With relegation & our subsequent failure to get promoted, also inside the same time period, & many other lows on personal fronts, it hasn't been the grandest of times, & I've been less inspired to pick up the 'axe' too much over the last few months. However, in the occasional efforts to keep my 'chops' up to speed, I've been checking out these sites:
Given up on my guitar at the moment and now play my bass more, in the midle of writing my own stuff and composing the bass for it, now all I need to do is start recording it so I dont forget
I've been playing for around 20 yrs and haven't progressed any further in the last 19 of those. Still can'r do barre chords, just open for me. But there's 1000's of really cool tunes out there that don't require barre's, so i'm happy staying at the level i am and not many days pass when i don't pick up Mary (my guitars name) and stroke her for an hour or so.
I think my biggest problem when i first started learning was that i'm a lefty but learnt on my brothers guitar so had to learn right-handed....too late to change now
[cite]Posted By: 3blokes[/cite]Sounds like decent gear Oakster, hope you have fun with it I played a strat for many years, loved it.
These days I play a Parker Fly which is great. But I have a secret yearning for a sunburst Les Paul, still love the sound and look of them.
I'm halfway through mixing my one and only solo album. Decided to do it all myself, all instruments, songs engineering, producing and mastering.
Been great fun, huge learning curve on the technical side, and still curving, it has taken a good couple of years to get it to this stage, in between working and family stuff.
A labour of love I guess.
Anyone else in mid project out there?
Nice one! It takes a lot of dedication, & certainly time! Recording an album, between work & family can be tough, but well worth it in the end! I've been fortunate enough to be in a couple of bands that have recorded & released a couple of albums(very independent), & it's a great feeling when it's all done.
I'm working very casually, when in the mood, on a solo album, of sorts(under a band-type name & may try & get a band together for some live action, at some point in time), & it's very much in the demo stages. Got around 16 largely complete songs, & 20 roughs in different stages, which I'm trying to whittle down, refine, then get down to about 14.
What sort of style/sounds do you write? What recording set-up do you have? Any intention to get it out there, or more of a self release for circulation amongst family & friends? (sorry, many questions):-)
Bought myself an original trans-blue Jackson dinky strat just after xmas - cost me 1600 quid but is absolutely beautiful. I also got an Ibanez 8-string a few months ago. BEEFY! - tuned to low F, but f***ing hard to play with any precision for a bloke nicknamed 'Beadle' by fellow bandmembers when i was young.
Hi Stefco, your solo album sounds like it is evolving like mine! I have whittled it down to 14 songs down from about 30 original ideas. It may not end up as many as 14 in the end, suspect it will be 10-12. I'm using Logic 9 and mainly Spectrasonics gear. Not sure how I would describe the material, just have written what I felt like doing to be honest. It was just meant to be a bit of enjoyment and also help me get over a couple of difficult things that had happened in my immediate family. 3 of the tracks have found their way to a publisher via a family member, but I've no idea if they will be taken up. Fingers crossed on that one! I will be really glad when the whole thing is finally done, good luck with what you are doing, probably like me it drives you nuts at times, but when it is going well, it is a hard feeling to beat :-)
Are they in good nick Arthur? First half decent guitar I had was a Les Paul copy. Played all right but pretty naff pick ups. When I changed to a strat I had to learn not to lean so heavily on the bridge when picking which I did with the Les Paul, because I kept putting the bloody thing out of tune!
[cite]Posted By: arthur_bloomfield[/cite]Ive got a couple of Gibson Les Pauls (one an original 1954)
That's probably worth more than my house!
I've been playing for approx 41 years, currently in a covers band called RayBand, who are playing some Church Hall in Dartford on Sat night. Rock and Roll!!
Our last gig was the Bexley Home Brew Festival, featured in this week's News Shopper.
[cite]Posted By: arthur_bloomfield[/cite]My 1954 is in very good condition I was given it as a birthday present way back when I was a young man.
My other Les Paul Sunburst is a 1960 reissue I bought in 1990.The 1954 is a Gold Top with stop tail piece.
I know I'm a lucky fella.
You're obviously a big Gibson fan. I've got a Les Paul and an SG myself and love 'em both (especially the SG, which I've had since 1977), but my main guitar these days is a strat, because I think it is more versitle. I'd be interested in your opinion on that.
Ive got a few strats my favorite is a Japanese 1962 reissue.Ive put a Seymour Duncan Hot Rails in the bridge position.Ive got a graphite string blocks.The only dodgy thing about these jap strats were the selector switch which I replaced.Ive also put a maple scalloped neck on it replacing the original rosewood neck which I still have.The Statocaster is a great guitar.Nice talking to you.I'm off to bed now.
[cite]Posted By: 3blokes[/cite]Sounds like decent gear Oakster, hope you have fun with it I played a strat for many years, loved it.
These days I play a Parker Fly which is great. But I have a secret yearning for a sunburst Les Paul, still love the sound and look of them.
I'm halfway through mixing my one and only solo album. Decided to do it all myself, all instruments, songs engineering, producing and mastering.
Been great fun, huge learning curve on the technical side, and still curving, it has taken a good couple of years to get it to this stage, in between working and family stuff.
A labour of love I guess.
Anyone else in mid project out there?
Started recording my first solo album. don't get alot of time with a 7 month old. Playing everything Guitar, Drums, keys, Sequencing, Vocals and currently teaching myself slap Bass! It's hard but i'm getting there.
Got a 92 Mex Strat.
Jap Jazzmaster.
78 custom tele.
84 Westone thunder 1a Bass.
But most important of all.................................. iv'e got a Big Muff.
[cite]Posted By: 3blokes[/cite]Sounds like decent gear Oakster, hope you have fun with it I played a strat for many years, loved it.
These days I play a Parker Fly which is great. But I have a secret yearning for a sunburst Les Paul, still love the sound and look of them.
I'm halfway through mixing my one and only solo album. Decided to do it all myself, all instruments, songs engineering, producing and mastering.
Been great fun, huge learning curve on the technical side, and still curving, it has taken a good couple of years to get it to this stage, in between working and family stuff.
A labour of love I guess.
Anyone else in mid project out there?
Started recording my first solo album. don't get alot of time with a 7 month old. Playing everything Guitar, Drums, keys, Sequencing, Vocals and currently teaching myself slap Bass! It's hard but i'm getting there.
Got a 92 Mex Strat.
Jap Jazzmaster.
78 custom tele.
84 Westone thunder 1a Bass.
But most important of all.................................. iv'e got a Big Muff.
[cite]Posted By: arthur_bloomfield[/cite]Ive got a few strats my favorite is a Japanese 1962 reissue.Ive put a Seymour Duncan Hot Rails in the bridge position.Ive got a graphite string blocks.The only dodgy thing about these jap strats were the selector switch which I replaced.Ive also put a maple scalloped neck on it replacing the original rosewood neck which I still have.The Statocaster is a great guitar.Nice talking to you.I'm off to bed now.
I think I beat you going to bed - reading this the following morning.
I've only got one real strat, but I've got a couple of copies made by Kimbara. When I bought the first one (early 1980s) Fender were doing such a poor job it was better than what they were producing! I've customised both - one has been resprayed by a car mechanic friend and the shade includes the correct paint for my car (cool when you've got a Ferrari like Eric, possibly less cool when you've got an 8 year-old Focus!) and genuine 1990's USA Fender pick-ups, the other has Dave White "Old Glories", which are supposed to mimic the 1950s Fender tone. These two I use for different tunings - one is "Stones" tuning and the other is for slide.
Don't use many effects - wah and echo, then straight into a Peavey Classic 30 amp. Used to have a superb 50w Marshall JCM 800, but it was too loud for the gigs I was doing.
Just dug out my guitars after a year since moving, learned a bit of Sultans lead - you tube is fantastic for this.
Have just put a bid down on a an ME-70 I have a number of pedals but should have bought one of these years ago.
guitars include
Red Korean Strat c 1988 Epihone red sunburst Les Paul c 2010 then a couple of tanglewood copies of a G355 and a R330, and various acoustics have also inherited my step offsprings epi SG (glued neck)
a few amps too, small Marshall, Vox Valvetronix (tranny valve emulator), WEM valve amp, a couple of acoustic/keyboard amps - in fact over the years I've acquired a drum kit and bass guitar too so pretty much have a band set up, lol, moving house was quite an effort to hide it all from the wife after cosetting it away in the garage for years
never had enough cash to buy a ‘real’ guitar
have written and recorded some naf songs, don’t really have a singing voice, won a talent show in my youth with some others who had the talent although I banged out the not fade away riff and solo plus similar for Louie Louie.
I reached a basic blues solo standard but didn’t progress further, worryingly I’ve been thinking about getting into jazz recently - showing my age
Learnt to play the guitar during the first lockdown using https://www.justinguitar.com/ really great lessons and song tutorials.
Better than the in person lessons I had as a teenager!
His lessons are excellent as he's forced himself to learn the guitar left handed and recorded this, so the challenges of learning the guitar are as fresh in his mind as they are for you.
Just dug out my guitars after a year since moving, learned a bit of Sultans lead - you tube is fantastic for this.
Have just put a bid down on a an ME-70 I have a number of pedals but should have bought one of these years ago.
guitars include
Red Korean Strat c 1988 Epihone red sunburst Les Paul c 2010 then a couple of tanglewood copies of a G355 and a R330, and various acoustics have also inherited my step offsprings epi SG (glued neck)
a few amps too, small Marshall, Vox Valvetronix (tranny valve emulator), WEM valve amp, a couple of acoustic/keyboard amps - in fact over the years I've acquired a drum kit and bass guitar too so pretty much have a band set up, lol, moving house was quite an effort to hide it all from the wife after cosetting it away in the garage for years
never had enough cash to buy a ‘real’ guitar
have written and recorded some naf songs, don’t really have a singing voice, won a talent show in my youth with some others who had the talent although I banged out the not fade away riff and solo plus similar for Louie Louie.
I reached a basic blues solo standard but didn’t progress further, worryingly I’ve been thinking about getting into jazz recently - showing my age
I’ve been getting into jazz recently as well - theory wise it’s on another level to anything I’ve played before but it’s amazing how things start to slot together the more you learn.
Currently learning arpeggios for Autumn Leaves which I believe is the track most people start with. I can see how addictive it’ll be to learn more and more once I’ve got some of the basic intervals committed to memory.
Played guitar for around 40 years. Played for some very dodgy bands in the early eighties. Recently inherited two guitars from my brother who was a really good guitarist. Gretsch & Fender Stratocaster. Both lovely guitars and been playing electric guitar for first time in years again. Amazing how much better I sound on electric especially using effect pedal!!
Don’t get to practice as often as I’d like due my arthritic hands but love learning when I can. Can play Mystery Man (Hank Marvin) to a very poor standard but know it all my head which is nice when I do get to pick it up, instead of picking up books or firing up YouTube. Bought a little Spark amp which a great little piece of kit especially for a novice, when you can recognise the noise as “Sounding like” the original sound it gives me the need to carry on practicing.
Comments
These days I play a Parker Fly which is great. But I have a secret yearning for a sunburst Les Paul, still love the sound and look of them.
I'm halfway through mixing my one and only solo album. Decided to do it all myself, all instruments, songs engineering, producing and mastering.
Been great fun, huge learning curve on the technical side, and still curving, it has taken a good couple of years to get it to this stage, in between working and family stuff.
A labour of love I guess.
Anyone else in mid project out there?
In the past 18 months(jeez! Time has flown!) I have seen the disappearance of my band. The singer leaving halfway through the recording of the album.(Mentioned earlier in the thread) An alternate incarnation of that band also died a death, when our drummer decided to leave on the eve of our 1st gigs, as that 'new' line-up.
I've also done a few rough recordings with Cafc-4-Life, & will be doing more with him soon, possibly including a track for Charlton Upbeats fundraising.
With relegation & our subsequent failure to get promoted, also inside the same time period, & many other lows on personal fronts, it hasn't been the grandest of times, & I've been less inspired to pick up the 'axe' too much over the last few months. However, in the occasional efforts to keep my 'chops' up to speed, I've been checking out these sites:
Justin Sanderco YouTube &/or
Justin Sanderco Website
These have good, concise, informative & relaxed videos of lessons, practise techniques & more, through all levels of player, from starter to pro'.
Well worth a look, if you haven't seen his stuff before.
Keep at it Oakster! ;-)
I think my biggest problem when i first started learning was that i'm a lefty but learnt on my brothers guitar so had to learn right-handed....too late to change now
Nice one! It takes a lot of dedication, & certainly time! Recording an album, between work & family can be tough, but well worth it in the end! I've been fortunate enough to be in a couple of bands that have recorded & released a couple of albums(very independent), & it's a great feeling when it's all done.
I'm working very casually, when in the mood, on a solo album, of sorts(under a band-type name & may try & get a band together for some live action, at some point in time), & it's very much in the demo stages. Got around 16 largely complete songs, & 20 roughs in different stages, which I'm trying to whittle down, refine, then get down to about 14.
What sort of style/sounds do you write? What recording set-up do you have? Any intention to get it out there, or more of a self release for circulation amongst family & friends? (sorry, many questions):-)
I'm using Logic 9 and mainly Spectrasonics gear.
Not sure how I would describe the material, just have written what I felt like doing to be honest.
It was just meant to be a bit of enjoyment and also help me get over a couple of difficult things that had happened in my immediate family.
3 of the tracks have found their way to a publisher via a family member, but I've no idea if they will be taken up. Fingers crossed on that one!
I will be really glad when the whole thing is finally done, good luck with what you are doing, probably like me it drives you nuts at times, but when it is going well, it is a hard feeling to beat :-)
Band nicknames eh;-) I recall I was known as "Peanut" in one I was in ;-)
First half decent guitar I had was a Les Paul copy. Played all right but pretty naff pick ups. When I changed to a strat I had to learn not to lean so heavily on the bridge when picking which I did with the Les Paul, because I kept putting the bloody thing out of tune!
That's probably worth more than my house!
I've been playing for approx 41 years, currently in a covers band called RayBand, who are playing some Church Hall in Dartford on Sat night. Rock and Roll!!
Our last gig was the Bexley Home Brew Festival, featured in this week's News Shopper.
My other Les Paul Sunburst is a 1960 reissue I bought in 1990.The 1954 is a Gold Top with stop tail piece.
I know I'm a lucky fella.
You're obviously a big Gibson fan. I've got a Les Paul and an SG myself and love 'em both (especially the SG, which I've had since 1977), but my main guitar these days is a strat, because I think it is more versitle. I'd be interested in your opinion on that.
Started recording my first solo album. don't get alot of time with a 7 month old. Playing everything Guitar, Drums, keys, Sequencing, Vocals and currently teaching myself slap Bass! It's hard but i'm getting there.
Got a 92 Mex Strat.
Jap Jazzmaster.
78 custom tele.
84 Westone thunder 1a Bass.
But most important of all.................................. iv'e got a Big Muff.
Love my Big Muff!
I think I beat you going to bed - reading this the following morning.
I've only got one real strat, but I've got a couple of copies made by Kimbara. When I bought the first one (early 1980s) Fender were doing such a poor job it was better than what they were producing! I've customised both - one has been resprayed by a car mechanic friend and the shade includes the correct paint for my car (cool when you've got a Ferrari like Eric, possibly less cool when you've got an 8 year-old Focus!) and genuine 1990's USA Fender pick-ups, the other has Dave White "Old Glories", which are supposed to mimic the 1950s Fender tone. These two I use for different tunings - one is "Stones" tuning and the other is for slide.
Don't use many effects - wah and echo, then straight into a Peavey Classic 30 amp. Used to have a superb 50w Marshall JCM 800, but it was too loud for the gigs I was doing.
guitars include
Red Korean Strat c 1988
Epihone red sunburst Les Paul c 2010
then a couple of tanglewood copies of a G355 and a R330, and various acoustics have also inherited my step offsprings epi SG (glued neck)
a few amps too, small Marshall, Vox Valvetronix (tranny valve emulator), WEM valve amp, a couple of acoustic/keyboard amps - in fact over the years I've acquired a drum kit and bass guitar too so pretty much have a band set up, lol, moving house was quite an effort to hide it all from the wife after cosetting it away in the garage for years
never had enough cash to buy a ‘real’ guitar
have written and recorded some naf songs, don’t really have a singing voice, won a talent show in my youth with some others who had the talent
I reached a basic blues solo standard but didn’t progress further, worryingly I’ve been thinking about getting into jazz recently - showing my age
Better than the in person lessons I had as a teenager!
His lessons are excellent as he's forced himself to learn the guitar left handed and recorded this, so the challenges of learning the guitar are as fresh in his mind as they are for you.