Home  Xtras  Search tip: <Control + F> type subject <Enter>  TAB explained
1. Echo

2. BPM - Beats Per Minute

3. Stage Lighting

4. Alternative 12 String Rhythm Guitar Sound

5. 12 String Chords

6. Electrical Safety

7. Transposer

8. Tony's Tips

9. Fretless Bass

10. Speaker Cabinet

11. Left Handed Guitar Conversion

12. Active Or Passive

13. Print Blank :

14. Noisy Controls

15. Mini Mixer 		16. XLR Connectors

17. Studio Level Attenuation

18. TAB / Tablature Composition

19. The Ultimate "Live" Recording Enhancer

20. Buying A Guitar

21. Phantom Bridge

22. Electro-Acoustics

23. Whistling

24. Teaching

25. How To Control Feedback

26. Nine String Guitar

27. Don't "Taste" Test PP3s

28. Reverse Stress

29. Print Ink

30. Computer Recording



1. Echo
For maximum effect a digital echo (in my case the Zoom 9002) requires for multiple echo settings to be exactly synchronised. The ever popular "analogue" units e.g. Watkins Copycat, Binsons etc, are already set up by the positioning of their record / playback heads when assembled in the factory. Millisecond = ms

The general rule seems to be: For maximum effect on "Apache" echo, ensure time of Delay One is an even multiple of Delay Two.

For Zoom 9002 I use these settings:

Delay one: Decay 20% Time 340ms Depth 80%

Delay two: Decay 20% Time 170ms Depth 80%

Compression Depth 50%

I find this works well for Apache, Atlantis, Wonderful Land.

The original Zoom 9002 factory settings were of little use to me at live gigs. I would appreciate other settings to try.

My wife is also pleased that I am now using the lightweight digital effects, the old bulky valve Binsons are too heavy for her to carry ;)

Thank you for e-mail contributions from knowledgeable guitarist Tony who has access to old tape / wheel echoes and has investigated lost art of sound: To help replicate smooth sound of old echo, use digital multi-tap delay with two or three taps (heads) as desired and set first tap to about 80% that of the second tap volume. This will prevent the knocking effect of the repeats when regeneration (swell) applied. Much better for Shadows stuff.

Thanks to David Jeffreys for this professional critique: I read with interest your notes on echo with the Zoom unit. If only echo sounds were that easy to recreate. Apache is in fact a very difficult echo to create digitally with much success.
The analysis using the actual sample from Apache suggests the following:
Ist initial sound at 0 seconds to 123ms
Ist echo 123ms lasting till 432ms
2nd echo 432ms till 599ms
3rd slight echo at 599 ms duration around 100ms.
The closest sound is reproduced by a Meazzi echomatic with factory heads set for 141 ms (head 2) and second echo at 424ms. (Head 6).
The original Hank echo unit must have had a slighly different speed and head settings to normal Meazzi units.
Think that's difficult the analysis for Wonderful Land runs to 12 pages of graphs at our R&D section here!
Echo emulations are not straight forward. Suggest you try looking at the wave samples with Cool Edit wave program or similar before making such assumptions. Hope that this may help you to improve your echo sounds in the future.



2. BPM - Beats Per Minute
A quartz electronic rotary watch can make a handy metronome if placed on the pickup of an electric guitar. It will generate an accurate 60 BPM (beats per minute) through sensitive amplification; experiment with compression and/or overdrive.

If fed through an echo unit many complex rhythms may be generated especially if multiple watches are used.

When using a drum machine, sequencer or watch, this formula may be useful to calculate required echo settings. BPM to delay time conversion:

There are 60000 milliseconds (ms) in a minute. 60000 ÷ (BPM × echoes per beat) = ms setting on echo unit

e.g. for Rock 'n' Rolex: The watch = 60 BPM

For 2 echoes per beat 60000 ÷ (60 × 2) = 500ms setting on echo unit

For 4 echoes per beat 60000 ÷ (60 × 4) = 250ms setting on echo unit (my favourite)

"Allright Now..." Thank you for the inspiration Jennie.

60 BPM is relativley slow e.g. the speed of heartbeat at rest whereas 120 BPM is a quick dance pace and often referred to as "The Devil's Beat".



3. Stage Lighting
Stage lighting can be unpredictable and beyond musicians' control. Avoid colours on music, chord charts, song sheets etc. especially red as it "disappears" under red light. Similarly, plastic page covers often cause reflective dazzle.

Under a red / orange stage light, £20 and £10 notes may appear similar... Ouch!

A thin strip of white correction fluid e.g. Tippex, applied to mixer / amplifier controls, useful in shadows.

In anticipation of a darkened stage; close your eyes or wear sunglasses for a few minutes while light is bright. Your pupils will dilate enabling you to see where to walk safely when stage illumination is dimmed.

Circuitry of lighting dimmers may induce electrical interference to vintage style Stratocaster single coil pick-up. Switching pick-up selector to a combination of two pick-ups may help "buck" the hum.

Who's buzzing? Not me, I came by taxi ;)



4. Alternative 12 String Rhythm Guitar Sound
Two variations:

#1. Two, six string, rhythm guitars; one with regular strings, the other with the "octave" strings of a twelve string guitar and tuned as such. Played together, creates a delightful sound from two rhythm guitarists who would otherwise present the same "voice".

#2. On a 6 string guitar replace string G (3rd) with a top E (1st) ·008 inches / 0·23 millimetres and tune it carefully an octave above original G (3rd).

Example: Access MP3
Sound file may require first play to complete loading.

Enhanced by slight pitch shift e.g. Zoom 9002 effects unit settings:

Pitch Shift: Pitch Zero  Fine +30%  Balance 40%

Reverb One: Time70%  Balance20%

If pitch shift not available, try a small amount of chorus.

"Eight Miles High..."


5. 12 String Chords
Chord shapes for use with above 12 string sounds:

T = Thumb
X = string not played
0 = string played open
thin string chord grid right
Left palm

    2
  1 | 3
  | | | 4
T | | | |
| | | | |
 \| | | | 		E

O_ _ _ _O_O
|_|_|_2_|_|
|_3_4_|_|_|
|_|_|_|_|_|
|_|_|_|_|_|
|_|_|_|_|_| 		"Major"

 _ _ _ _O_O
|_|_|_|_|_|
|_|_|_|_|_|
T_|_|_|_|_|
|_|_|_2_|_|
|_3_4_|_|_| 		"minor"

 _ _ _ _O_O
|_|_|_|_|_|
|_|_|_|_|_|
T_|_|_1_|_|
|_|_|_|_|_|
|_3_4_|_|_|


E applies to frets 0 and 12
Position of thumb:
"Major"   fret 3 = G   fret 5 = A   fret 7 = B   fret10 = D

"minor"   fret 2 = F#m   fret 7 = Bm   fret 9 = C#m

I often transpose songs to the key of E Transposer tip 7 for this technique.

"I've got a peaceful easy feeling..."



6. Electrical Safety
When connecting multiple effects units an earth loop may occur resulting in a low frequency hum. Do not break the earth loop by disconnecting mains earth wire of effects unit as this would compromise electrical safety. Break the path of the signal earth; I use a short guitar jack plug extension lead with signal shielding open circuit at one end.

Beware of unregulated power supply units. Their output can vary considerably and possibly cause damage to effects pedals when used instead of batteries or the manufacturers' recommended unit. Take care, use regulated power supply units for effects pedals.

When wiring a mains plug consider allowing the insulated earth wire to be longer (approximately 1.5cm) than the live and neutral. If the cord grip should fail the safety earth will be the last to disconnect. Protect yourself.



7. Transposer
Create two card discs approx. 9cm and 12cm diameter. Mark face of edges into twelve equal segments and label with consecutive notes from the chromatic scale in a clockwise direction:

C C#/Db D D#/Eb E F F#/Gb G G#/Ab A A#/Bb B

Locate small disc to front of larger and attach by a method that allows rotation. Align the current key on small disc to required new key on large disc. All the intervals are now transposed, particularly useful when working with a transposing instrument e.g. saxophone. Print Transposer Template



8. Tony's Tips
Replace cartridge fuses in amplifiers, plugs and other equipment subject to sound or transport vibration. For reliability this should be done every couple of years as fuses also have other "wear out" mechanisms. After all, they are designed to fail, but hopefully not at a gig.

Alesis Quadraverb users - send £15, as at Aug 1999, to Sound Technology in Hitchin. Request software update chip to turn Quadraverb into a Quadraverb PLUS with several more effects. Just plug the new chip in. This not advertising, just that Sound Technology is UK Alesis agent. Update works well for new PLUS unit!

Never use compressed air cleaners around electronic equipment. This damages hermetic glass seals as are used on valve bases, transistors, diodes, etc. and can generate localised high voltages next to static sensitive components. That is, ruin them, if not immediately then a year down the road as contamination seeps in.

LOCTITE 290 Penetrating Threadlock: apply on all electrical connection screws to prevent snap, crackle and pop. Particularly little screws in jack plugs, mains plugs, IEC connectors.



9. Fretless Bass
Fretless bass guitar can be achieved by lifting the frets from a fretted neck.

Ensure you first score each side of fret with a sharp blade to loosen dirt and grease which may cause surface of finger-board to lift. Number and indicate the orientation of each fret (correction fluid is ideal as it can later be rubbed off when guitar is required to be refretted).

The fret grooves do not affect the sound of the strings and are a useful visual aid to enhance the player's ability to maintain intonation. Thanks Jim.



10. Speaker Cabinet
If on a restricted budget making your own speaker cabinets is an attractive option.

Design of a compact, closed back, enclosure should consider an aperture / vent at the front for even frequency response. In my experience take the diameter of the drive unit e.g. 12 inches and use this figure for the area of vent to cut out of baffle board i.e. vent could typically be 8 inches by 1·5 inches = 12 square inches.

I have used this tip on vocal and bass guitar speaker cabinets. Smooths out annoying resonances.



11. Left Handed Guitar Conversion
Left handed guitarists often require to convert a right handed guitar. The nut (headstock string guide) does not have to be reversed if you can tolerate a slightly higher action on bass strings and use silver paper (chocolate wrapping) to pack out grooves, if necessary, for thin strings. The string saddles / bridge are best reversed if possible for consistent wear of grooves and accurate intonation.

Guitar Chords Left Handed



12. Active Or Passive
Guitars with active circuitry often have a built in pre-amp, with battery, that allows for enhanced tone and higher output. Passive circuitry is usually just the bare minimum of electrics but has no battery to run down.



13. Print Blank :

Chord Windows
5 line music paper
6 line TAB paper



14. Noisy Controls
Technical tip for bodgers that often works quite well if you have snap, crackle and pop from your amplifier or guitar rotary controls. Then spray Contact Cleaner inside the control and turn a few times. Most controls have a gap at the rear where the spray, via a narrow long tube, can be directed inside. Thanks to Tony. I have also used WD40, sparingly, with good effect when Contact Cleaner not available.



15. Mini Mixer
Construction project, novice assembly. Suitable for guitars, keyboards, high impedance microphones.

Fixed Resistors 100k ohm
Potentiometers / Variable Resistors 100k ohm Log.

Attenuates high output from CD/tape player into sensitive guitar amplifier for interval music at gigs.

Reliable. No battery required. Amplifier volume control is the Master Gain.

Best in a screened case but will work with slight hum in plastic sandwich box.

Most useful in emergencies or bedsit jamming into one amplifier.

Maximum 5 input channels recommended or input levels may interact.

Caution: avoid inhaling fumes from soldering.

Circuit Symbols - Fonts Download 		      Mini Mixer



16. XLR Connectors
Xtra Low Resistance connectors are fitted to most modern low impedance three wire balanced microphone leads but older amplifiers may have ¼ inch mono 2 pole input jack sockets.

Diagram shows how to reterminate or make an adaptor lead.

XLR

A microphone XLR to jack plug adaptor lead may be most useful when dep gigging.



17. Studio Level Attenuation
Many modern amplifiers are designed for stage power levels. When required for studio / home use their background noise and power may be a nuisance. A short patch lead with a 50k ohm resistor in series with the inner conductor attenuates the amplifier to a more suitable level when connected to the effects send / return sockets.



18. TAB / Tablature Composition
When compiling TAB / Tablature consider to use a monospaced font e.g. Courier New for easy alignment and equal spacing of characters. Also applicable are the Typewriter Text HTML tags <tt>text</tt>

Another way to prevent tab getting badly aligned when displayed as an HTML page is to use <pre> and </pre> tags or <xmp> and </xmp> tags:

<pre> 
e -----2-----
B -----2-----
G -----3-----
D -----4--4--
A -----4--4--
E -----2--2--
</pre>

TAB explained



19. The Ultimate "Live" Recording Enhancer

Applause ! ;)   Play MP3



20. Buying A Guitar
There are many different types of guitar on the market but the type of music that you want to play will determine the type of guitar to buy. If you are a complete beginner, the classic guitar is a good choice due to its nylon strings which are much easier on fingers unaccustomed to guitar playing.

Prices vary and it may be a good idea to acquire a used guitar to see if you are suited to this instrument. Beware though - look out for neck warpage! To detect this, check that the neck is not bowed back or that the strings are not disproportionately high of the fingerboard.

When purchasing a guitar try wearing it with a strap, standing up, to ensure the headstock does not dip when you let go. If it does the guitar may be inadequately balanced and unsuitable for your requirement as the neck will need continual support whilst played standing. This particularly applies to bass guitar with long neck and heavy headstock. The guitar should be the right size for you. If you feel uncomfortable holding it, you will not produce your best music.

A common mistake people make is having metal strings fitted to a guitar made for nlylon strings. In such circumstances the wood is unable to cope with the increased stress put upon it. If in doubt don't purchase.

Instead go to a reputable dealer who will be able to advise you. Such dealers should be able to service your instrument and give advice on tuning. You never know when one of the strings will break!



21. Phantom Bridge
Beware of adjusting guitar pickups too close to strings in pursuit of higher output. The magnetic field of electric guitar pickups may restrict string vibration resulting in a "Phantom Bridge" effect. This is most noticeable when using distortion. Many guitarists prefer vintage guitars for their sound which may in part be due to the magnets of the pickups ageing and losing their original strength thus resulting in a more pleasant tone.



22. Electro-Acoustics
"Hi Bob, I am a beginner.  Please could you give me some information about electro acoustic guitars?"

Sound is subjective. We hear differently. The electro acoustic is a compromise guitar. The black bowl body which reduces feedback and aids comfort does alter the sound compared to a dedicated acoustic guitar. It does not have the depth of tone of a conventional jumbo acoustic but it is easy to carry, comfortable & convenient for jamming, recording and gigs.

If you require a guitar that sounds great for acoustic use most of the time then an electro acoustic is probably not for you as you are paying for electrics / pick up etc that you will hardly use.

The electro acoustics are popular because of their versatility, they are not expected to replace top of the range acoustics but do compliment solid body electrics and real acoustics as they can gig at folk clubs or Rock 'n' Roll dances. They sound adequate with or without amplifier and guitar effects enhance their appeal.

It is an old saying... "It doesn't matter what it sounds like, its what you get out of it that counts."

As you are a beginner I feel that you should go for a guitar that is easy and comfortable to use which gives you scope to explore various styles of music / gigs, encourages you to play and not be concerned with the finer points of sound quality. If you can not hear the difference between the electro acoustic and another guitar that has a reputation for superior acoustic quality but may not fulfil your requirements I would advise you to request that a padded gig bag with shoulder straps and a guitar strap be included in the deal and buy the electro acoustic.

The only exception to this is if the INTONATION of the electro acoustic is suspect (which means the ability to be correctly tuned) which is most unlikely with modern production engineering techniques.

Electro acoustics aren't just guitars...
they're Babe magnets ! ;)

My acoustic steel string gauges are:

·013  ·017  ·026  ·036  ·046  ·056  inches.

0·33  0·43  0·66  0·91  1·27  1·42  millimetres.

Caution: Spanish/classical nylon string guitars may be damaged if fitted with steel electric or phosphor bronze acoustic strings due to the extra tension.

Incidentally, the retail mark up on new musical instruments in UK is often 100%. This is necessary to cover the costs of running a store, tax and holding expensive stock. Most beginners are usually advised to buy quality second hand as new guitars quickly lose their price due to e.g. Value Added Tax which must be included again if the guitar is sold back to the store for resale because the customer found learning to play too difficult. In some areas of UK it may come across as offensive to require a lower price after it has been stated. Therefore, when negotiating a purchase, you will often get more value by requesting a free accessory you need e.g. padded gig bag, strap, strings, capo, plectrum, slide - but don't expect to walk away with the whole store! ;) rather than a lower price. An extra item that would cost you say £10 will often only cost the propriertor £5. I often find that a gentle assertive "How do you feel about..." with regard to the above usually achieves a win / win for both sides :)



23. Whistling
Use inhale breath rather than exhale breath to minimise extraneous noise when whistling into a microphone to accompany songs e.g. "Dock Of The Bay" and "Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life".



24. Teaching
Consider that a dark rosewood fretboard with nickel plated electric guitar strings has an enhanced viewing contrast compared to that of a pale maple fretboard.



25. How To Control Feedback
Hi Bob, I have a few things that might help as follows...

There are several ways to increase sustain and/or obtain controlled feedback. However, it must be stressed that feedback occurs in a system at a point of high gain and resonance, which does not always coincide with where you want it.

For example, high pitch whistles often occur when a guitar pickup is situated near speakers/horn drivers due to magnetic coupling, ie. between the coil in the pickup and the one in the speaker. The guitar pickup is usually electrically resonant at a high audio pitch so of course that is where it "screeches". Acoustic feedback also occurs easily on hollow bodied instruments where the body is tuned. Acoustic guitars for example feedback at bass frequencies. That is why many "acoustic" amplifiers incorporate "anti-feedback" devices like tuned notch filters.

Anyway, here are a few ways to increase sustain/feedback starting with the most subtle. Use in combination and in moderation.

1. Use heavier gauge strings. They vibrate for longer so require less feedback to hold a note.

2. Make the guitar as rigid as possible. This particularly applies if you have a bolt on neck. Make sure the screws are tight or this will cause reduced sustain of the string.

3. Use hard materials for the Bridge and Nut parts that are in contact with the string. For my own strat, I made a new Nut out of an old brass tap. This replaced the plastic one supplied with the guitar I bought in 1972.

4. Lower the pickups to increase the distance between the pole pieces and strings. Some people raise the pickups to produce maximum drive to the amplifier. Unfortunately, pole pieces are magnetic, and close proximity to strings will dampen their vibration.

5. Use a high output pickup. Seymour Duncan have a strat single coil replacement that is very resonant. Easy to get feedback just above middle pitches but at the expense of losing the high "top" you expect from strat's.

6. An old method is to use a treble boost before the amplifier (or effects unit) to overdrive it.

When an amplifier overloads it clips the signal, high overload simply causes the output waveform to eventually switch between two voltage levels of a value determined by the internal power supplies. This is known as going "dc" and can easily damage Hi-Fi's. However, good guitar amplifiers are designed to work with this.

The audible effect is an increase in bass, going woolly and harmonic distortion. The addition of the treble boost counteracts the Bass and improves "clarity" and rich harmonics. This in turn increases the likehood of feedback where you want it (if not overdone).

All the above can maintain the character of your guitar when used in moderation. However, if the priority is just a long note then obtrusive effects and other ways can be used. Sometimes the amplifier itself just needs more "ooomph" to get attitude and sustain out of it. Ways forward are:

1. Add a couple of cheap piezo tweeters. Put these in a small box on top of the amplifier and parallel with the main speaker. This will cause a MAJOR difference in sound. Use two Maplin RT60Q or CJ83E wired in series, these are under fifteen pounds the pair and can really add life to an old amplifier.

2. An effect like the Line 6 POD can provide really good overdrive and simulates the sounds of different amplifiers. At low volume you can have long sharp sustain like Gary Moore, or select Marshall overdrive for the Status Quo sound. Unfortunately, it has several shortcomings. i) You get someone else's sound. (But you may not care) ii) There is no bypass switch. iii) It generally has a poor "low drive" sound. iv) It has no high "top". A side effect of the way the internal technology is used. Sampled sounds in some keyboards also have this problem.

3. Try using an "aural exciter" in conjunction with (or in place of) the amplifier treble control. You get a lot more harmonics that help induce feedback at "higher" places on the guitar neck.

4. The ultimate is to use a guitar to midi convertor with synth module. Just press the hold button after hitting a note and it will continue until the neighbours start bashing at the front door. (Been there, done it, etc..)

Regards Tony.



26. Nine String Guitar
Whilst 12 string guitars have a beautiful sound they may be difficult to play on some models compared to a standard guitar due to the extra six strings. A compromise is to remove the bottom three octave strings: E A D, to leave nine strings on the guitar. This facilitates easier playing whilst still maintaining a "chiming" sound and a full bass register. Do try it, you might like it.

p.s. An alternative is to leave all the strings on the 12 string guitar and tune it one whole tone low to the notes: D G C F A d. The reduced tension facilitates easier playing. This technique also allows an octave string to be used at A instead of the unison. Use a capo at fret 2 to restore standard concert pitch if required.



27. Don't "Taste" Test PP3s
Many low power guitar effects units use a PP3 (MN1604/6LR61) 9 volt battery. To test the "freshness" of a used battery it is commonplace to apply the battery terminals to tongue. This technique may result in permanent damage to taste sensation and should not be used. I prefer to apply tippex to battery case and write installation date to help determine when battery should be replaced at a later date. Remove batteries from equipment not in use to prevent damage from leakage.

28. Reverse Stress
It is possible to reverse stress by playing a musical instrument. A groundbreaking study published in the February 2005 issue of the international research journal Medical Science Monitor shows for the first time that playing a musical instrument can reverse multiple components of the human stress response on the genomic level. "In simple terms, using a unique combination of the latest genomic technologies, we showed for the very first time that we could turn off the DNA-based switches that literally turn on components of human stress response," said Muhammad A. Sharaf, Ph.D., Senior Staff Scientist at Applied Biosystems. The study's principal investigator, Barry Bittman, M.D. of the Mind-Body Wellness Center in Meadville, PA, USA, says; "These unique findings not only shed new light on the value of active music participation, but also extend our understanding of individualised human biological stress responses on an unprecedented level. One possible explanation relates to the degree of active engagement in a calming expressive activity in contrast to merely settling down to relax and read. With ongoing research, recreational music making could potentially serve as a rational stress reduction activity along with other lifestyle strategies that include healthy nutrition and exercise."

29. Print Ink
Beware of allowing print ink from tab/music sheets contacting guitar body e.g. whilst stored in guitar case. Print ink or photocopier toner may leave indelible marks.

30. Computer Recording
This is a basic method and explanation. Ensure all audio settings are set low to avoid overload of delicate equipment and speakers. Using a Windows 98 enabled Personal Computer or PC I recorded my guitar as a WAV file and then converted it into a MP3 file for upload to the internet using free www.musicmatch.com software. Most guitars whether electric or electro-acoustic use a standard ¼ inch or 6·8 mm jack plug which requires connection to shielded audio cable. At the other end you will probably require a 3·5 mm stereo plug wired for a mono connection which will be inserted into the line or microphone socket on the rear panel of the PC system unit. With the speakers on you should be able to hear your guitar amplified through the PC. If not, ensure that relevant audio pathways are not muted by clicking once on the speaker symbol on the task bar to reveal volume setting and click twice to reveal line in channel settings. Go: START > ALL PROGRAMS > ACCESSORIES > ENTERTAINMENT > SOUND RECORDER to record the WAV file and then use the free MusicMatch download to convert to MP3 and reduce file size as required. I use the 16 kbps setting when converting to minimise file size and ensure a fast loading for the listener although this does reduce sound quality. It may be possible to buy the lead ready made or use an adaptor with a regular guitar lead. A Cathode Ray Tube or CRT monitor may cause audio interference via the pickup of an electric guitar. Experiment with playing position to reduce hum. You may hear my work via http://clix.to/tips

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