New tone for less than $10?

They're a very cheap, often overlooked, way to overhaul your tone. I'm talking about strings. I read tons of interviews with established players in Guitar Player and other magazines and they always discuss their gear and their setup when asked about their sound. Details about customized zillion dollar guitars, pedals, and amps abound, but very rarely does anyone say something like "my strings are a big part of my sound".

But doesn't it stand to reason that your strings make a big difference in the tone coming out of your favourite amp? I mean, I tried some Elixir super-duper coated strings a couple of months ago and they sounded crap. It was my second attempt at using coated strings (I tried Cleartone first) and in both cases I ripped the strings off the same day. So if I can hate the sound of certain strings, doesn't that alone mean they're important? Me thinks so.

Most of my life I used Dean Markley Vintage Electric Re-issue .09 gauge, since that's what Alex Lifeson uses (at least I think he does) and I have spent quite a few years trying to play like him. They sound good, last quite a while, and even when they're near dead they still sound decent. I used to go for up to 6 months without changing them.

A few months ago I read an article with much the same thesis as this post and decided to try something new (and not coated). I asked the owner of my favourite local music store (plug --> Harmony Music) what was good and he suggested GHS Boomers. At the time I was also listening to some Stevie Ray Vaughan and heard he used a heavier gauge string, so I tried some .10 gauge Boomers. The result was a very different sound, and much better suited to the blues I am currently into playing. Note that if you change the string gauge you use, you'll also need to adjust the intonation. I guess I'm wondering how much of the difference in tone is because of the brand change and how much is because of the heavier gauge? One day I'll have to do a bit of an objective test to try and figure that out. For now I'm going to go with 50/50, since it's safe for me to do so.

I plan to keep changing things up. Maybe I'll do a little analysis of my favourite players and put together a list of their strings brands and gauges. Then I'll try a few out and see what the results are. I'll make sure to post that when I do. For now, though, I just had a new set installed when I got Harmony to set up my new Strat, so I got about a month to go before I can start.

It'd be very cool if I could get some comments including what type of music people are playing, the type of strings and gauge they use.

In memory of SRV

In memory of Stevie Ray Vaughan, who died tragically in a helicopter crash on this day in 1990, I just wanted to post this link to a really cool video that celebrates his talent. Enjoy.

It's been 19 years and people are still discovering Stevie's music.

Please feel free to post your own thoughts on Stevie and links to your favourite SRV videos.

The one that got away

Since the death of Les Paul on July 13 I've been thinking that I should write a post in tribute to this musical pioneer. But I wanted to do something a little different than just simply listing his achievements and expounding what they meant to the musical world. After all, there are many places where you can go and find out about this stuff. And it is great stuff that I'd encourage everyone to read about, just not here. I've also been wanting to do a post asking everyone to comment on that one guitar they regret letting go the most. It just so happens that, in my case, these two posts can be combined.

27 years ago I walked into a tiny little music store called Ken Jones Music, in Etobicoke (considered by many that do not live there to be a suburb of Toronto) and gazed upon a most beautiful 1972 Gibson Les Paul custom. It looked pretty much exactly like this one:


The gold plating on the hardware was a bit worn, but otherwise the guitar was mint. Ken, the owner of the store, told me the guitar was $1200, and since I was a regular who sometimes sat in for his son, and resident guitar teacher, that he would extend me credit over a year with no interest. Sweeeeeeet!

Without hesitation I signed on the dotted line and then hurried home to discover what I just acquired through my very own amplifier. Needless to say, I was in awe. It was by far the best guitar I had ever played. The sound was unlike anything I ever heard me make. I don't recall exactly, but I might have missed the next 3 days of school just to hide out at home and play everything I knew over and over. I was in guitar heaven. But I was also in debt.

At the time of the Les Paul acquisition I was 16 or 17. I worked in a car wash and picked up a few bucks once in a while teaching lessons for my guitar teacher (Ken's son Brian). My usual net income every month from these activities was about $120. For the first few months after buying my Les Paul life was good. After all, I had a Les Paul! My band played a few shows and occasionally people commented on how cool my guitar was. I was totally stoked!

A few months later was a different story. The Les Paul was still the coolest thing ever, but I hadn't been able to afford to do anything fun for a half a year. I couldn't go to the movies, buy records, or any of the other things I like to do that cost money. My spending money went from $120/month to $20/month. So I did the single most stupid thing I have done in my musical life; I traded my Les Paul in for a very much less cool BC Rich Mockingbird (non-USA model). I hated that guitar. Not because it was a crappy guitar or anything (it was okay), but because it wasn't a Les Paul.

Now, 27 years later, not a day goes by where I don't think about what might have been had I not traded my Les Paul. If I had her back, I'd definitely treat her better. And I long for the day where I can afford another Les Paul. But even that one won't be the same as my first one. Nope, nothing will replace that amazing black and gold beauty. No other guitar, that is.

So here's to Les Paul the man. He invented a guitar that is much more than wood, steel, plastic and lacquer. A guitar from which all other solid-body electric guitars followed. A guitar that aspiring guitarists dream of. A guitar that still inspires great guitarist to do great things. A guitar I think about every day. A guitar that has a life of it's own. Even though the man is dead, Lester William Polsfuss will live on forever - as Les Paul. Thanks Les.

Fretboard Logic - Part 1

This is the first in a series of posts where I review a set of instructional books called Fretboard Logic.

Fretboard Logic (see Bill Edwards Publishing) is a three part system that teaches an in-depth understanding of the guitar fretboard in terms of the patterns of notes that it contains. These patterns differ from all other musical instruments because of the unique tuning system of the guitar.

I first saw Fretboard Logic advertised in Guitar Player magazine. The testimonials made it sound different from all the other instructional guitar books out there, suggesting that once I understood the guitar's fretboard, and the patterns of notes on it, I would be a much better guitarist. This struck a chord with me (pun intended) because I always hated being a hunt-and-peck guitarist but thought that I had to invest a lifetime of effort studying theory and memorizing modes to advance to the level where I wanted to be. And since guitar is my hobby and not my job, I don't have that kind of time to invest.

At the time of this writing I have just completed part 1 and am working through it again. The book suggests doing this in order to help it sink in, which I think is kind of cool. I mean, why rush it?

Part 1 introduces the series and then covers three main topics: the chord forms, the scale forms, and the lead patterns. There are five chord forms, five scale forms (whose patterns match the chord forms), and two lead patterns that also relate back to the chord forms (though not as neatly as the scale forms). All of this follows what is called the CAGED sequence. That is, the five chord forms follow the non-barred first position chords C, A, G, E, and D. Essentially, if you play one of the first position chords and then move up the fretboard and barre the next form at the same fret where the previous chord ended you are playing the same chord. The same basic concept applied to the scale patterns. The lead patterns are a little different since they cover more real-estate on the fretboard.

The more you practice the forms and patterns the more you start looking a little differently at the fretboard. So I guess the method is working. I downloaded some blues backing tracks (I'm going through a blues thing right now) and improvised over them during my practice sessions. At first I used only the scale patterns. They're very similar to what the pentatonic boxes are, but not exactly. I played songs in a number of different keys and used as much of the fretboard as I could (by using the different forms). As that got more comfortable I started focusing on only the notes in the lead patterns, which gave me some more options for moving from position to position while staying in key.

So far, I'm pretty happy with what I got out of my $43 investment, and I've only read the first part. In about a month of fairly regular practice using Fretboard Logic I honestly feel that I am improving as a guitarist. At the very least I am able to use more of the fretboard without any guesswork. So at this point I am leaning towards recommending this system. At least I recommend part 1.

Stay tuned for my thoughts as I work through part 2...

Greatest guitar track?

To kick off my new blog, I'd like to pose a question...what is the greatest guitar track ever recorded?

I know that this is an impossible question to answer since everyone has different tastes and every guitar player has a different style, but I thought that it would be fun to get peoples ideas anyway. And please justify your choice with your reasons.

Now here's my pick:

The live version of Texas Flood by Stevie Ray Vaughan. (here it is on YouTube)

Here's why. First, the tone is unbelievable. It's exactly what I hear in my head when I think of southern blues rock. Second, the chords choices are excellent. I just love those chords. Finally, I think Stevie is actually hurting that poor quitar! Damn he is good!

Now your turn. What's your greatest guitar track?