After demoing the Soul Food against other pedals and hitting some of the (relatively) higher gain sounds, I thought it would be good to do a video focusing on the Soul Food’s clean – or cleanish – side. It’s a transparent overdrive to begin with, and thus a great option for those looking to add just a small amount of fine grit.
This demo was recorded with a Fender MIM Strat (w/ Texas Special pickups) and a Fender Champ II (Rivera, with Eminence Ragin’ Cajun speaker) amp miked with a Sennheiser e906 dynamic microphone.
This video gives you a brief introduction to using a “Drop D” partial capo, which leaves the 6th string open. This partial capo is often called a “Drop D” capo because you can get a tuning similar to Drop D by using it on the 2nd fret. This capo can also be used in other positions though, and people use these capos a lot on the 4th fret as well. This video offers a brief overview on using a “Drop D” capo, however I’ve decided to include a few more in-depth pointers below for those interested.
The following are some additional things to consider when using a “Drop D” capo, some of which are covered in the video:
Popular Keys – I mainly talk about playing in the key of E in the video, and this is logical since we have an E in the bass. With a partial capo, the key of E works well in both the 4th fret and 2nd fret capo positions. Of course there are other key options, and songs in a given “key” often contain non-diatonic chords. Experiment to find out if the chords in a given song sound good with a partial capo. For example, on the 4th fret you might also play in the Key of B; on the 2nd fret you might also play in the key of A. It depends on the chords involved. Something like a missing ‘E’ or ‘Em’ shape (see more below) may rule out a particular partial capo option.
Some chord shapes don’t change – Any voicing that doesn’t use the 6th string will be the same, although you may now be able to add the open 6th string in if it didn’t work before (see more below). Any shape that does use the 6th string will be the same as long as you’re fretting notes above the capo. (Chords that normally use the open 6th string probably won’t work, per below.)
The missing chords – any fist position chord that uses the open 6th string in the bass won’t work the same – notably the “E” and “Em” shapes. For example, if you’re playing in the key of B with the partial capo on the 4th fret, the vi chord – G#m – will be tough to grab unless you leave the 6th string out. One option here is to move the capo back further from the 4th fret so that you have space to fret that 6th string 4th fret note with your finger, but I’ve found this is not always practical – either the capo still gets in the way or the strings start to buzz because the capo isn’t close enough to the fret. So you may want to try another capo position &/or other chord voicings when you’re ‘missing’ these chords.
Deciding when to use the low E in the bass – while the open E bass string may not work with some chords (and can be left out), it may be usable for other chords – either in strumming the chord or as part of an alternating bass pattern. For example, with the partial capo on the 4th fret, the “D shape” gives us an F# Maj. We probably want to leave the low E bass out of this chord. (Note you could make it F#7 by adding the low E, but a voicing with the b7 in the bass may not work.) More examples – still with the partial capo on the 4th fret: we can play C#m using the “Am shape”, and of course E is the minor 3rd. Even though E is part of the chord, it may not sound good to play C#m with E in the bass when you’re strumming… however the low E could work as part of an alternating bass pattern when fingerpicking. Use your ear to decide in borderline cases like this. Playing the A (“F shape”) and B (“G shape”) chords with fingerpicking, you could try alternating the 6th string bass between a fretted note and the open string. You may find this works better for the A chord (where E is the 5th) than the B chord (where E is the 4th). Even if you don’t know all the theory, you should be able to figure out what sounds good for your song – experiment and use your ear.
Expanding your key options with a second capo – A second ‘normal’ capo (or one that can cover the 6th string) can be used to give you more key options using the partial capo either 2 or 4 frets above a normal capo. For example, put a regular capo on the 2nd fret – this gives you F# in the bass. Then use the “Drop D” partial capo on the 6th fret and it will work in F# similar to how the partial capo works by itself on the 4th fret in E. You could also play in F# with a normal capo on the 2nd fret and a partial capo on the 4th fret, giving you the Drop D style tuning. For the key of G, you could use a normal capo on the 3rd fret and a partial capo on either the 5th or 7th fret. Other options are around, so feel free to experiment.
Using a regular capo ‘off-center’ – if you don’t already have a partial capo, you may be able to experiment by using a regular capo ‘upside down’ and ‘off-center’ (as shown in the video) to see how the tuning sounds. You may decide you don’t need a partial capo, but if you like the sound you get and want to use it a lot, it’s probably good to go ahead and use a partial capo.
A final note – while you usually see partial capos used on acoustic guitars by fingerstyle players or singer-songwriters, you can of course use them on electric guitars and with different styles of music.
Capos can be used by anyone from singer-songwriters who want to change keys (usually to find an appropriate singing range for each song) to people playing fingerstyle or flat-pick guitar instrumentals who want to find a new voice for their guitar. Of course you don’t need a capo to play in different keys, but a capo allows you to use first-position style chords or other voicings with open strings that may not otherwise be available. Open position chord shapes lend themselves well to fingerpicking where you’re adding ornaments / runs as in folk, blues, and bluegrass guitar, in a way that is endemic to those styles. From that standpoint, a capo may be a required piece of gear for playing certain styles of music. These days, most capos fall into one of two camps – those with a lever or clamp like Shubb, and spring-loaded capos like Kyser. The Shubb style ones give you a nice grip and have an adjustable thumbscrew for optimum pressure at different points on the neck. Kyser style capos are great for people who use the capo a lot and need to quickly change capo positions. (They can also clamp on your headstock for handy access.) In addition to touching on these two popular capo types, the video also covers some tips & tricks for getting a good sound with your capo – including flipping the capo over / upside down &/or using two capos – and avoiding the confusion that sometimes comes from what to call chords when you’re using a capo.
With all of the major acoustic guitar builders coming out with ‘pre-aged’ tops, I thought I’d compare some of the benefits that come with torrefied versus naturally aged guitar tops. Many guitar builders are now baking their spruce top wood to accelerate the aging process – this goes by various names such as torrefied/torrefaction, thermal treatment, and thermo treatment. The idea is that new guitars with treated tops will sound more like vintage guitars right out of the box. While some people think a guitar has to age over 50 years to sound ‘vintage’, aging is not just a function of time but also of how much a guitar is being played. For a guitar that’s being played regularly, I think the first and most significant amount of break-in often occurs between 2 and 8 years – give or take. I hear an interesting sweet spot in a guitar while it’s in the middle of this transition, as the top ages but before the top would be considered fully aged. It’s a matter of taste, I know, but somewhere around the 4-8 year mark I think the guitar will have a good combination of ‘new’ and ‘old’ qualities to its sound. I understand the desire for a ‘broken in’ and ‘vintage sounding’ guitar and agree that torrefied tops sound good on some models. Generally, though, I would prefer to break in the top myself, naturally, so it can meld to my playing and I can meld to it. I enjoy the natural aging process of the top and hearing, at least to my ears, the sweet spot in the aging process that occurs before the top is fully aged. Of course, it also depends on your style of music. If you play old-timey string band music, bluegrass, or old school blues/folk, then a torrefied top could be a plus. I’ve also played some guitars with torrefied tops that I really like, such as Taylor’s 612ce. Overall, it’s probably best to go on a case by case basis and chose a guitar that appeals to you.
This video is about the new Gotoh 510 tuners I had installed on my Taylor. I had stock gold finish Taylor tuners on the guitar (no difference from the nickel ones except for the finish) and they were pretty nice, but they had a little more wear than normal and were starting to give me some trouble with all the alternate tunings I use. The stock tuners had probably an 18:1 ratio so I thought I’d try the Gotoh tuners, which are a bit heftier and have a 21:1 ratio. Pete (the guitar tech featured in the video) recommended I order the Delta Series version of the tuners, though I’m not sure how those differ from the normal ones. (Also note: this is not meant to be a do it yourself video – I recommend you go to an experienced luthier, as I did.) Overall, I’m pleased with how the tuners look and perform, and how the guitar sounds after installing the tuners.
You may also want to view my video for Lágrima, recorded after installing the Gotoh tuners – this is the kind of song that I think sounds better with the extra sustain from the tuners.
Here is my demo & review of the Hoof Fuzz from Earthquaker Devices. Touted by Earthquaker as their flagship pedal, this fuzz is based on the ‘green Russian Big Muff’ used by such players as Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys. (His guitar tech started Earthquaker.) Featuring a pair of shaggy hooves on the front of the pedal, this thick and wooly fuzz is appropriately named. It has interactive tone controls that allow you to scoop/boost the mids, a super bright LED, and a really loud level knob. As with many pedals from EQD, you can get this high quality boutique pedal at an affordable price – even less used. It’s a fun pedal – a good first fuzz or a good all purpose fuzz.
This demo was recorded with a Fender MIM Strat (w/ Texas Special pickups) and a Fender Champ II (Rivera, with Eminence Ragin’ Cajun speaker) amp miked with a Sennheiser e906 dynamic microphone.
This is a two part video about the differences between analog and digital delay. Part one discusses the general differences between analog and digital delay effects. Part two compares popular analog & digital delay pedals: the MXR Carbon Copy vs the TC Electronic Flashback.
In terms of sound, analog delays tend to sound warm and round. The repeats loose some definition and clarity, however there is generally more body and texture to the repeats. In general, analog delay works well when there is more space in the mix and you’re not running a bunch of other effects. It’s perfect for anything from classic slapback sounds to spacey classic rock. Analog delay can round out a brighter sounding guitar and amp.
Digital repeats do not have the high-end roll-off of analog and generally sound crisper and clearer. (You also tend to get longer delay times and more features with a digital pedal.) Digital delay works well with other pedals and is also the delay of choice for acoustic guitar. The clean, clear repeats sit well in the mix because they don’t have as much body / girth as the repeats on an analog delay.
It should also be noted that there is some overlap between these sounds, with some analog units more on the clear/crisp side (like Seymour Duncan’s Vapor Trail) and some digital delays more on the warm/round side. Some digital delays can produce a convincing analog sound and let you do some things you couldn’t normally do with an analog pedal, however the simplest way to get an analog sound is with an analog delay pedal. Really I recommend owning one of each if you have the means (provided you like delay; also note, they are readily available used). In addition to being useful in different contexts, it can also be fun to run the two delay pedals together. (Maybe I’ll do that in another video one day.)
For the sound demo in part two, I compare the MXR Carbon Copy with the TC Electronic Flashback. Really, this is not meant to show you everything the pedals can do, but to give you a taste of the different sounds that are commonly used – namely a short-to-medium delay to add body. (I do play around with some weird sounds for a bit though.) The Flashback especially is a fairly versatile pedal, however I will focus on the Analog / Tape / LoFi settings, which still sound ‘digital’ in comparison with the Carbon Copy.
The playlist embedded below has both parts of the demo.
This demo was recorded with a Fender MIM Strat (w/ Texas Special pickups) and a Fender Champ II (Rivera, with Eminence Ragin’ Cajun speaker) amp miked with a Sennheiser e906 dynamic microphone.
Today’s tip involves finding good cables – both guitar / instrument and microphone cables. I talk about what you might look for in a cable, including length, what it’s covered in (i.e. rubber, braided / mesh, etc.), and connectors. In general, I look for cables made in the US, and there are several affordable US-made brands carried by a lot of music stores – these include CBI, RapcoHorizon, and Pro Co. I will include some links on my webpage to where you can find these if your local music store doesn’t carry them.
I will have some links to cables on the Accessories page.
The overall theme of this video is that you should try some different strings on your electric guitar, even if (or especially if) you’ve been using the same type for a while. I focus here on two often overlooked string types: pure nickel strings and (if you have a Strat) Fender Bullets.
Electric guitar strings typically have plain steel treble strings (1st, 2nd, 3rd) and wound bass strings with a steel core (4th, 5th, 6th). The winding can be done with various alloys, including pure steel, nickel coated steel (warmer), and pure nickel (warmest). Back in the 50’s and 60’s, strings were made with pure nickel wraps, so their warm sound is often associated with classic rock, blues, and vintage tone in general. It can be a great choice for garage rock or other styles as well. Nickel strings are great for warming up bright sounding guitars like Strats and Teles, and as a side benefit they tend to last longer than other types of strings.
Fender makes a variety of strings with ball-ends (the standard for guitar), but also makes specialized bullet-end strings for Stratocaster guitars with floating tremolos. The bullet ends fit snugly into the Strat tailpiece and give you better tuning stability, more sustain, and supposedly less string breakage. While I haven’t had an issue with breaking strings, I did find that these strings gave me slightly better tuning stability and sustain, however the trade off is a stiffer feel and slightly less dynamics. If you have a Strat with a tremolo (most Strats), you might try these out to see what you think. Also note, they will not work on other types of guitars as the bullet ends are too big for Gibson style tailpieces, string-through-body Teles, etc.
So, go ahead and try some different strings on your electric guitar. 🙂
Here is my three part demo of the TC Electronic Trinity Reverb T2. The “T2” means this is the second version of the pedal, which comes loaded with nothing but ambient reverb presets. (The first version had a mix of ambient sounds and stock Hall of Fame presets.) The presets are mostly based on church / cathedral and long plate type algorithms that feature unusual modulation of the reverb. Some of the sounds are nice and lush; others are just plain weird. In fact, at least half of the settings are a little ‘too much’ for my taste, but there are several that I do like. And while I demo a few short room / slap back sounds, this pedal really excels at long, washy reverb sounds. People who are into ambient sounds, shoegaze, worship music, etc. will probably like this pedal. Yet, also keep in mind that you can get some nice ambient sounds from the Hall of Fame pedal’s stock church and modulated settings, as well as the tone print slot. This is a 3 part demo (because it’s the Trinity, of course), where parts one and two explore stock settings on the dial. Part 3 compares the T2 to the ambient sounds you can get from the Hall of Fame stock settings plus the Sigur Rós tone print, and also pairs the T2 with the TC Electronic Alter Ego V2 (the T2’s sister analog / tape delay pedal). The playlist embed below has all three parts of the demo.
This demo was recorded with a Fender MIM Strat (w/ Texas Special pickups) and a Fender Champ II (Rivera, with Eminence Ragin’ Cajun speaker) amp miked with a Sennheiser e906 dynamic microphone.