What's HBL up to now

[HalfBlindLefty]

Today's ramblings, a song, some 40 years ago touched my heart.

The Queen of Diamonds let you down
She was just an empty fable
The Queen of Hearts you say you never met
Your twisted fate has found you out
An' it's finally turned the table
Stole your dreams and paid you with regret

Love the banjo in this reprise :)

[MichaelRobinson]

The post I did here was at the wrong place so I deleted what I wrote.

[VikingBlues]

I'll add my name to the list of those admiring the "raw notes". Good blues for sure.

It seems like the Fender is a tad harsher than the Tokai, but it sounds great!

I've always though that the First Lady (Tokai) has particularly sweet tones.

[HalfBlindLefty]

Haha, Thanks VB.
Remember, tone is in the fingers :)

Oke, next one It's back.... Love playing my heart out
Got me the SlowBlues CD from mrgblues ( same source as last 2) so...

In answer to all the Raw notes wishes, I one again grabbed Josie out of the rack of choice.
Named the track : "Josie, Her Royal Rawness" and believe me, it's RAW. At certain a point while playing I only focussed on the Rhythm section and forgot to pay to much attention to the Organs direction :) Later on I listened to the "pipes"and more or less forgot to mind my timing

Guess I'd better move this topic sometime to something less off-topic.
I even had to apply a compressor on the master channel..

download/file.php?id=2577

Yes, sure, First Lady can do this to..... Uh ooh

[VikingBlues]

It's back.... Love playing my heart out

It's back big time!

In answer to all the Raw notes wishes

Yes, sure, First Lady can do this to..... Uh ooh

Those wishes are well and truly answered.

Blues should sound like this - this is very worth a download. To my old ears any issues with guitar v organ direction and with timing do not get in the way at all. Blues needs a rough edge anyway to get the best from it - one of the biggest hurdles to clear in trying to play blues for me.

Haha, Thanks VB.
Remember, tone is in the fingers :)

True indeed - though I know from my Hagstrom pickup upgrade, and from eventually finding a replacement for my poor old Super Champ, that my fingers can be enhanced rather nicely with the right gear. "Oh I get by with a A Little Help from my Gear ...."

[12bar]

VB summed it all up - I really like this playing!

[vancouverois]

Excellent, the blend organ and guitar is quite nice!
The playing is outstanding, kudos!

[HalfBlindLefty]

Thanks guys, glad it's not to bad.
When you realize, I just step from my normal playing mode into Beserker mode and start playing away it came out nicely

Why Beserker mode, well I use this type of playing for situations I can't get what I want to play to work out and keep tumbling over the strings.
That's the time I just let go. Most of the time without a BT, just raking and hitting strings.
Just realized that one of the things I do is het/pick the string at about the same moment I fret the note. I would have to try out if the picking is just before, or just after the fretting moment. Somehow it adds rhythm and drive to the played phrases.

This evening I gave the Tokai a go. Yup she does it to, but has a diffent timbre than the Fender, lighter, less deep. As if here sound characteristics don't fit with the chosen amp setting 3 and gain @ 2.5 on the Super Champ XD. May have to fool with the settings to find out if I can get the tone I want.

A small first test sample without a backing : download/file.php?id=2578

[VikingBlues]

This evening I gave the Tokai a go. Yup she does it to, but has a diffent timbre than the Fender, lighter, less deep. As if here sound characteristics don't fit with the chosen amp setting 3 and gain @ 2.5 on the Super Champ XD. May have to fool with the settings to find out if I can get the tone I want.

I'll go back to my earlier mention that the First Lady has a particularly sweet tone. I can appreciate the way that will get in the way and need some adjustments as the sound needed is on the raw side. It doesn't sound as if you're a long way off for sound at this point though.

Of the Fender voicings on the SCXD I find voice 3 to be the most difficult one to get a tone I like. My interest has been stirred - must have another go at that voice and see if I can unlock its secret.

I use this type of playing for situations I can't get what I want to play to work out and keep tumbling over the strings.
That's the time I just let go. Most of the time without a BT, just raking and hitting strings.
Just realized that one of the things I do is het/pick the string at about the same moment I fret the note. I would have to try out if the picking is just before, or just after the fretting moment. Somehow it adds rhythm and drive to the played phrases.

I'm interested to hear this about your changes in technique to get the right rhythm and drive. Fits in with my limited experience of this more raw type of playing.

My recent bluesy recording needed a fair change in settings for both the PRS SE and the Hagstrom Viking Deluxe to sound as if they were in the same zone ... and I couldn't dial in anything right for the Strat so it had to stay on the sidelines. If I'm playing at the smooth jazzy end of the spectrum I can get away with hardly any adjustment in settings for the three. It was also very noticeable to me that my technique was different on the two guitars to get the sound I was after.

This adapting technique to get the right sounds and rhythm is one of the reasons I find the practice of adding lots of fx and sims after a recording is made to be most unsatisfactory - you can't then react to what you hear as you're playing so then the potential quality of the playing is diminished.

[HalfBlindLefty]

You are right VB, 3 is a tricky one to tame. I have the gain set waaaay low :)
As far as First Lady is concerned, she's got low output pickups. To add to that I've set them at quite a distance away from the strings. Looks like I have a definite reason for owning two strats

For some reason I can't get the Avion and the Champ to... mhh like each other. Just as the Okko and the Champ refuse to be to friendly.
When I set the Okko to something resembling clean boost it's all fine, but the very moment I add a little dirt the magic is gone.
I have been thinking about changing the Avion's electronics so it would adapt to the Champ, but for now I still have Cybie.

The style change grows one you when you start to use it more often. It helps me in a way that it doesn't make me feel like I can't lay that day.
It may be something I will be using a lot more. Maybe I should study on some SRV stuff

BTW: Today I recorded a "sound finding session" using Cybie and the Fender Strat. Mhh I have some adjustments to make. But it is going somewhere that might be nice.
Takes me about 30 seconds to find my way into the Backing. I faded out where it got really really bad... wrong notes, slipping fingers, nah you don't wanna listen to the deleted parts.

Here is a sample : download/file.php?id=2585

So it's not about the playing, but about the sound. I have to remember to adjust the microphones a bit.

[vancouverois]

Nice tone and slow blues playing!
It indeed reminds SRV and Buddy Guy type of sound.
A tad more bass and you're spot on!
The Cybie is a must have amp and to my ears seems to have more headroom than the Champ XD,
so you have plenty of room for reverb, equalization and modulation without altering the sound
like on emulators like mine.

Well done!

[VikingBlues]

I've been slow in getting around to listen to this - I have a wonderful holiday cold - all the nose blowing, sneezing, coughing, headaches, sore throat, mouth ulcers take the edge off all my musical pleasures.

This latest recording - the sound is VERY good indeed (the playing is VERY good too BTW, but you did say this was about the sound!) - certainly very good for slow blues like this.

Does make more sense to keep two strats if the sound profile is as different as the First Lady and Josie. Especially when they're as good as these two.

Interesting to hear about the difficulties of the Okko Diablo with the SCXD. The Okko has been at the back of my mind for a long time but I'll need to bear in mind that I've been hearing it on your recordings through the Cyber Twin. I get on very well with the Palmer Roots OD through the SCXD but I have disposed of two OD pedals that were supposed to be much better because they just didn't do the job for me - the Fulltone Fulldrive and the Rothwell Heartbreaker. Maybe was down to the SCXD and not the pedals ... and not me.

I've always been very impressed by your recording with Cybie - it came as a major surprise how much you'd taken to the SCXD and what good sounds you got from one. Glad you did take to the SCXD - it's made my playing days much happier!

I guess we shouldn't be surprised at the better sound from the Cyber Twin though and at the better qualities it brings. Currently used on ebay USA the Cyber Twin is going for $500-650 used v $150-200 for a SCXD!

[HalfBlindLefty]

Oops, missed the last two replies.... I'll be answering tomorrow guys. Sorry for the delay.

[HalfBlindLefty]

Thanks Chris, I'm affraid the SuperChamp has not much more bass to give..... But Cybie can do that, no problem at all :)

VB, thanks for listening and commenting. And yes it's about the sound. I guss I'll always be kicking against my own playing and I'm far to old to become a master at it. Let's just say it's a ritual ;)
I thought that since Cybie takes the Okko so great, the Champ would do the same. It does, but on a very limited set of possible settings on the Okko.
If you're happy with your current set of od's, stay with them until you don't like their sound to much anymore.
Mhh, I guess the used CT's are the first series and not the SE (Second Edition). I wouldn't sell mine for under 800 Euro's. Even when I'm thinking about changing amp, I guess it will be the mere thought, no action.

[HalfBlindLefty]

Felt like having both the SC and Cybie in one recording, both playing a different role.
What did I do this time.
I threw a 3 chord (A,D,G) onto the Jamman a week ago or so (using the Fender strat). I hooked the Jamman up to the SuperChamp and had that playing the loop for a little over three minutes.
I choose a setting on the Champ so it would sound some kind of thinnish.
After I had that recorded in my DAW, I used Cybie and my most used setting (slightly overdriven with added bass) to play a leadish track using (again) my Fender strat.
I started out with filling in on the chords and after a couple of measures started a melody.

Why ? mhh, for no other reason than be able to do so and make some music.
Called it Between the lines.

download/file.php?id=2589

[VikingBlues]

for no other reason than be able to do so and make some music.

That's a very good reason as far as I'm concerned. Plus - we get the bonus of getting to hear some mouth watering tones and mood drenched music.

Even when I'm thinking about changing amp, I guess it will be the mere thought, no action.

No action makes a lot of sense to me!

Why is it that Fender can make such a remarkably good amp and then discontinue it? Or to make a really good value for money amp and then "upgrade" it to a new model which has none of the special qualities of the original? Yes - I know - the answer lies in them producing an amp that makes the "in" sounds in current musical fashion. I do wish my tastes were in line with what is popular - would make things much simpler.

[HalfBlindLefty]

Thanks VB, after listening again I feel I've should have paid more attention to the timing here. On the other hand, what's done is done :)

It's all about sales VB, sales figures yes, the young ones dictate the "sound"

[vancouverois]

Very nice and what a superb and rich tone!
Sales... are one million miles away from passion, heart, soul and feeling.
Unfortunately, this trend encourage the vintage hype thing and the added bitterness is that
this hype is fueled by their cost effective measures resulting in poor products.

[HalfBlindLefty]

Thanks and agreed upon Chris.
Still, even most of us try to find THAT sound. Although I feel I'm coming close :) (today)

[HalfBlindLefty]

Sound, decisions, listening, trying and then suddenly, after a few minor turns on the pots of your amp and selecting a different fx you feel like you've got it.

Fender Strat -> cable -> Cybertwin SE (afectionally nicknamed Cybie) -> Shure SM57
. -> Shure PG57

The remainder of the signal chain is as always, mixer -> Soundcard > DAY

No external overdrive, jamman or whatsoever, just me, the strat and Cybie. I added a little more gain and reverb, decreased the presence and killed the compression.
the only FX (from within Cybie) is the tri-chorus which is only very slightly present in the signal.

The BT I used is the same BIAB thingie I posted in the backingtracks section of the Bluesroom.
I was enjoying the sound that much that I sometimes forgot to play and tried to regain my position (count) :) ghehe

download/file.php?id=2594

I was blown away (again) with the amp's dynamics. hit the string slightly harder and whoops, a lovely crumbling edge appears
Who needs an Okko..... That's going to be parted with soon .