Recent Posts

926

Living Room / Re: Do we have any musical people on DC?

« Last post by 40hz on December 03, 2014, 12:34 PM »

@40Hz:  I swore off Fender amps since the last one I tried.  Can't remember what it was, but it was loud as hell at less than 100 watts and rang like a gong...  Just like my Gramp's '53 Deluxe (which I still have and give periodic TLC ).

-Edvard (December 02, 2014, 02:10 AM)

Seriously? I wonder which one. My GF owned several. She currently possesses a late 70s Lead 75 1x15 and a spankin' new '65 Delux Reverb 1x12 They can be loud (if you crank them) but they can also purr like kittens. The Lead 75 has a toggle to drop it down to 15 watts - and (ironically) has a lead preamp stage that can be cascaded into the normal preamp stage. Foot-switchable too. (Hmm...I wonder who they got those ideas from, right?)

There's always the option to add a power attenuator to the mix if you're one of the "dimed in the bedroom" crowd. But since she's a low to medium volume type of guitarist, we never felt the need. Besides, plugging a pedal into the front jack is a lot easier if you ever do need that full out sound at reasonable levels. More flexible too, as we all know.

We also know any guitar amp packing more than 50 watts makes no sense to build at all. Even much over 25 watts is pushing it. With today's sound technology, those high wattage behemoths and gigantic backlines of yesteryear are just soooo yesteryear. Unless you're into guaranteed ear damage. Or possible electrocution.

Perfect compliment to that Fender guitar tone if that's what you're looking for, but I prefer to think of Fenders as the platform everybody else dove off of.  

Sounds about right to me!

Yeah, I'm aware that they're all Bassman underneath, but I love the soul that happens when you start tinkering...

So do I. And there's certainly a lot more to life than "classic" sound and vibe. Tinkering? I say: Keep at it!

927

Living Room / Re: Do we have any musical people on DC?

« Last post by 40hz on December 03, 2014, 12:06 PM »

Honestly, that wasn't even the biggest problem in his band. His guitarist was a wannabe late 80s hair metal god with as bad a case of LGD (lead guitarist's disease) as I've ever seen.

-Vurbal (December 03, 2014, 11:28 AM)

+1! Right up there with Roger Fisher in Heart's original lineup.

928

Living Room / Re: Do we have any musical people on DC?

« Last post by 40hz on December 03, 2014, 11:58 AM »

^I met Dr. Hook ages ago when they were at the top of their game. Checked into the hotel I worked at the night I was on the front desk. Nicest bunch of guys I ever met. Friendly, funny, articulate, and polite. One thing came across big time was how much they were enjoying what they were doing. A few people in the lobby recognized them and came up. The Hook crew were every bit as pleasant (and patient) with them as you could possibly hope for. Signed some autographs. Even passed out some free tickets for the next night's show.

During their stay I got to talk with them a bit. I complimented them on their music. Ray Sawyer immediately jumped in and said a big factor in their success was that the band had never been afraid to work with and perform music written by outside songwriters like Shel Silverstein. He said a lot of groups make the mistake of insisting on doing everything by themselves. I found that really interesting, and surprisingly humble.

I think this song of theirs touches on SB's earlier question:

lyrics here

DR. HOOK LYRICS
"Everybody's Makin' It Big But Me"

Elvis he's a hero he's a superstar
And I hear that Paul McCartney drives a Rolls Royce car
And Dylan sings for millions
And I just sing for free
Oh everybody's makin' it big but me

Oh, everybody's makin' it big but me
Everybody's makin' it big but me

Neil Diamond sings for diamonds
And here's ole rhinestone me

Oh everybody's makin' it big but me

Well I hear that Alice Cooper's got a foxy chick
To wipe off his snake, and keep him rich
And Elton John's got two fine ladies
And Doctor John's got three
And I'm still seein' them same old sleezoes, that I used to see

Oh, everybody's makin' it big but me
Yeah everybody's makin' it big but me

I've got charisma
And personality

Oh how come everybody's makin' it big but me?

(What's wrong with that?)
(I don't see nothing wrong with it Ray)

Well I paint my face with glitter
Just like Bowie does
And I wear the same mascara
That Mick Jagger does
And I even put some lipstick on
But that just hurt my dad and mom

And everybody's makin' it big but me

Oh, everybody's makin' it big but me
Yeah everybody's makin' it big but me

They got groupies for their bands
And all I got is my right hand
And everybody's makin' it big but me

Everybody's makin' it, makin' it, makin' it
Everybody's makin' it big......ME!

Like I said. Great bunch of guys.

929

Living Room / Re: Do we have any musical people on DC?

« Last post by 40hz on December 03, 2014, 10:49 AM »

^I think a lot of it is them seeing some of the new corporate and marketing analysis "inspired" acts coming in and walking off with all the nickels. Such is life. I'm sure the musicians of their parent's era mostly felt the same way about them and their music.

Seriously. I have strong opinions about what constitutes "good" music. But I also have zero patience with musicians who are into the whole "Why do people listen to  _____  and not my stuff?" thing. My feeling is, if what you do (or want to do) doesn’t attract an audience, either: (a) stop playing; (b) play for your own enjoyment in your own living room; or (c) go perform in a park for free - and maybe people will eventually start to come around.

Music is art. But it's also showbiz. And one of the most important rules in showbiz is: NEVER EVER PUBLICLY TRASH SOMEBODY ELSE'S ACT! Probably best not to do it in private either. Because it always gets back sooner or later. Always.

I think you don't get it because there's nothing to get. It boils down to somebody else getting the applause and money - and not them. The fact is, many of the Old Guard have blown their fortunes - and are now finding themselves in their mid to late 60s completely broke. That just might have a little to do with it.

930

Living Room / Re: Do we have any musical people on DC?

« Last post by 40hz on December 03, 2014, 10:13 AM »

^It does seem weird he'd do that considering music is such an interactive and improvisational art form. The give and take between the various band elements (bass/percussion/instrumental/vocal) is what it's all about. Or at least it is to me.

I'm guessing it may have been for reasons of economy. Or possibly to provide a framework for him to perform in. Lifestyle choices are starting to catch up to a lot of the Old Guard. And short-term memory is one of the first things to go. Maybe he's in that camp?

931

General Software Discussion / Re: Best Linux Distro for Windows HDD recovery

« Last post by 40hz on December 03, 2014, 09:54 AM »

@SJ - that's good to hear. I had heard some rumors about certain machines not allowing a switch to legacy boot. But I guess they were only rumors after all?

GPT support is already in the Linux kernal. But you may need to recompile it if the distro you're using hasn't enabled it for you. Fortunately, most of the more recent distro releases have done so. Really good article from IBM on all that here.

Last I heard, the UEFI issue is still up in the air for some distros. But a few of the majors (Suse/Fedora/Ubuntu) have already cut a deal with the devil, so it's not an issue. For them.

932

General Software Discussion / Re: Best Linux Distro for Windows HDD recovery

« Last post by 40hz on December 02, 2014, 08:18 PM »

For Windows systems I prefer using [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiren%27s_BootCD]Hiren's BootCD.

-40hz (December 02, 2014, 01:17 PM)

Does it support UEFI secure boot GPT etc?  I'm reading at the home page now but I thought I'd ask you also since I suspect you know quite a bit about it. 

-MilesAhead (December 02, 2014, 06:48 PM)

It does not have support for EFI out of the box AFAIK.

There are supposedly workarounds for it. And (fortunately) I have yet to need them. But I also haven't run into an issue with an EFI system - nor do I own one. So I have no way of testing or speaking with assurance on anything I've read when it comes to that.

Anybody out there have any real-world experience with any of this?

933

Living Room / Re: Do we have any musical people on DC?

« Last post by 40hz on December 02, 2014, 03:24 PM »

https://www.youtube..../watch?v=cNIQrIXlrNw
Wow!  That is very impressive, (Dolby).

-superboyac (December 02, 2014, 03:04 PM)

Yup! TD is awesome! I've posted these previously but they're worth revisiting. First is Europa. What's really impressive is how minimalist his setup is here. But he still does a creditable performance with it. That setup is well within the financial resources of the average musician. Like burlesque queen Gypsy Rose Lee so famously said: "It ain't how much you've got. It's how you use it."

Then there's his multimedia extravaganza/retrospective The Invisible Lighthouse where he pulls out all the stops and goes state of the art. This is the trailer for the show:

934

Living Room / Re: Do we have any musical people on DC?

« Last post by 40hz on December 02, 2014, 01:55 PM »

Looping has come so far it's almost it's own musical idiom and discipline these days. I have a huge amount of admiration for people who have mastered samples and looping for live performance. Tom Dolby does it brilliantly. I have zero interest in doing it myself. But I love seeing other people who do it well. A lot of one-person street performers are into it big time.

I've even seen a few one man shows where the performer was also controlling an entire multimedia environment along with the music in a manner far beyond that of the average DJ. Cool stuff. Again, not something I personally want to do. But I respect people who are trying to push the envelope and technology as far as possible.

 

935

Living Room / Re: Peer Review and the Scientific Process

« Last post by 40hz on December 02, 2014, 01:48 PM »

But in order to be a far-right extremist, you only have to say something like "saving money is good" or "being in debt is bad."

-Renegade (December 02, 2014, 12:48 PM)

Not true. But you have your agenda I suppose.

936

General Software Discussion / Re: Best Linux Distro for Windows HDD recovery

« Last post by 40hz on December 02, 2014, 01:44 PM »

I'd suggest booting of a live linux distro and copying your user data over to an external drive. Most of the mainstream Linux distros can read DOS/FAT/FAT2/NTFS formats out of the box. Mint and Ubuntu definitely can. Once your data is safe you could just install or reinstall whatever OS you like. Data is data.

Luck!

937

Non-Windows Software / Re: LINUX - Mint 17.1 (Rebecca) ISOs are now available for download

« Last post by 40hz on December 02, 2014, 01:36 PM »

Is it true that you can just backup your user directory/partition and then copy those files back after an upgrade. I've heard rumors to that effect about Linux distros, but never tried that, since I'm pretty much always using it in a VM and it's easy enough for me to simply wipe and reinstall.

-Deozaan (December 02, 2014, 12:10 PM)

If by "user directory" you mean the home directory, the answer is pretty much yes. If you mean the usr directory, the answer is no.



See the link in the above post for the preferred way to do an upgrade.

938

Non-Windows Software / Re: LINUX - Mint 17.1 (Rebecca) ISOs are now available for download

« Last post by 40hz on December 02, 2014, 01:31 PM »

What's a good backup utility (except the built in one, don't ask...) to make it pain free to move up from Mint 13?

-rgdot (December 02, 2014, 12:06 PM)

Take a look at this. See the section C1. "Fresh" upgrades

939

General Software Discussion / Re: Best Linux Distro for Windows HDD recovery

« Last post by 40hz on December 02, 2014, 01:17 PM »

Re: Best Linux Distro for Windows HDD recovery

The two that get used most are the SystemRescueCD and the Trinity Rescue Kit.

They're both kinda "techy," so I'd advise downloading and getting familiar with them before you need them. Sitting in front of a dead PC is not the time to get acquainted with tech tools.

Additional resources:

Darik's Boot & Nuke (DBAN) - secure disk wiper

GParted - the most comprehensive partition tool and drive formatter

Clonezilla - the universal drive/partition copy/restore tool.

FWIW, I prefer to stay within the OS when it comes to system recovery. So I'd definitely try to use the most Windows specific recovery tools available before I'd try using Linux-based ones. I see that more as a last ditch sort of thing rather than the preferred way. The one place where I would definitely use a Linux solution is when attempting data recovery from a heavily infected Windows system. So far, malware doesn't straddle multiple operating systems that well. So there's a much smaller chance of propagating a Windows infection going in with Linux to get the user's data off the drive. Truth is, almost any live distro disk could be used for that.

For Windows systems I prefer using Hiren's BootCD.

YMMV

940

Living Room / Re: Do we have any musical people on DC?

« Last post by 40hz on December 02, 2014, 10:55 AM »

^ I guess we could always take turns being the thread's designated bumper.

941

Living Room / Re: Raspberry Pi project: wireless file server

« Last post by 40hz on December 02, 2014, 10:50 AM »

You can get it with OpenELEC installed - which makes for a very nice home media server. Better than a Pi in that the port layout is a lot more compact than the hydra-like arrangement the Pi has. And it has a case and power supply included!

Yeah...gimmee-gimmee!

942

Living Room / Re: Do we have any musical people on DC?

« Last post by 40hz on December 02, 2014, 06:35 AM »

I wonder if we should ask Mouser about the possibility of getting a Musician/Musical Instrument/Music Tech child board at DoCo?

I am not a musician but I love reading threads like this, people talking about their hobbies, projects, passions.
I don't want these discussions hiding away in a sub-board, in fact i'd like to see more of them in the Living Room.

-mouser (December 02, 2014, 03:09 AM)

@musix people at DoCo - Does Mouser have any idea what he's getting himself into with people like us?

@Mouser - Thx. And here I was worried that people might be getting bored with us.

943

Living Room / Re: Do we have any musical people on DC?

« Last post by 40hz on December 01, 2014, 10:53 PM »

I wonder if we should ask Mouser about the possibility of getting a Musician/Musical Instrument/Music Tech child board at DoCo?

Or maybe I should just set one up for us 'off-campus' so to speak?

944

Living Room / Re: Do we have any musical people on DC?

« Last post by 40hz on December 01, 2014, 09:45 PM »

That should help greatly with my technique - especially since I'm not using a pick like I did the first time around.

-Vurbal (December 01, 2014, 09:24 PM)

Nothing wrong with a pick IMO. Just one more arrow in the quiver. I'm a finger player myself. But if you ever play a large venue - or a big outdoor gig - you'll sometimes need to sacrifice that "feel" for the extra definition a pick provides. At least if you want the "pulse" to be heard and felt instead of just blasting out a low amorphous roar.

Check out bassist Scott Devine's website and YouTube channel. He's got some really good bass-oriented instructional videos. Really nice guy. And a talented and dedicated musician. I always find something interesting and worthwhile there. I suggest you subscribe to (at least) his freebie lessons. I was lucky enough to have my GF buy me a subscription to his bass academy as a birthday present last year. I got a huge amount out of it despite having played a bass for most of my life. (If I have any advantage in music, it's my unshakable belief there's always something new I can learn or try to master.)

Disclaimer: I'm not affiliated with Scott Devine in any way, shape, or form. I just really like what he's doing for bass players.

945

Living Room / Re: Do we have any musical people on DC?

« Last post by 40hz on December 01, 2014, 09:27 PM »

@E - You didn't do anything wrong if it was the Dual Rectifier AFAIC. That was (is) one harsh amp. I once suggested that my godson (the Berklee College of Music guitar major) go with a Vox AC-30. I based this recommendation on the general sound he liked, his style of playing, and the stuff he wanted to play. He went with a Dual 'Recto' instead. Seven years later, and now a gigging musician, he uses an AC-30 as his main amp. Even called to tell me what a great "box" it was - and ask if I ever tried one.

Funny thing about the Mesa Boogie Mark {Roman numeral here}...It's core circuit design is just a 50s Fender Bassman. It's tricked out with some fancy gain stages on the front end. And some minor electrical design improvements. But it's still mostly a Bassman. As are roughly 70% of all medium power guitar amps built today.

Like the P-Bass, the Strat, and the Tele...it amazing how much - and how often - Leo Fender got it almost completely right the very first time.



Leo! THE MAN!!!

-----------------------

BTW-  my current fav for a reasonably priced guitar amp (if I were buying today - which I'm not) would be the Fender '68 Custom Princeton Reverb.

If I had money to burn, I'd opt for a Magnatone Twilighter if for no other reason than to get that real (i.e. pitch-shifting) vibrato circuit and dreamy reverb tank. But I'd have to wipe the blood off my nose after looking at the price tag. (Note: I'm a delay/modulation junky in case you hadn't guessed.)

Nick Jaffee (Just Nick) has a nice discussion and demo of each here and here.

Long live the 6V6!

946

Non-Windows Software / LINUX - Mint 17.1 (Rebecca) ISOs are now available for download

« Last post by 40hz on December 01, 2014, 09:08 PM »

Mint recently announced the release of the 17.1 update (Rebecca) to their latest LTS edition. It offers some interesting and worthwhile updates to Qiana. Both the Cinnamon and MATE versions are now available.

Those wishing to upgrade from version 17.0 will not need to do a full reinstall:

Upgrade instructions:

  

• If you want to upgrade from Linux Mint 17.1 RC, simply launch the Update Manager and install any Level 1 update available.
   
•  If you want to upgrade from Linux Mint 17, please wait for a few days while we release a new version of the Update Manager to you. In the meantime, you do not need to download or to reinstall anything. We’ll make announcements next week when this is ready.

FWIW they're running a little late with the Update Manager...erm...update? Target release is now the first week of December. Worth the wait if you want 17.1 since it saves a lot of work over a doing a clean reinstall.

I'm writing this in a live session of the Cinnamon version right now. It seems noticeably faster than 17.0 even though it's running off a USB key. Can't wait to see what it's like running off the hard drive.

 

947

Living Room / Re: My 1-year Facebook Death-a-versary!!!

« Last post by 40hz on December 01, 2014, 08:54 PM »

A few years ago, I almost pulled the plug when their privacy/security options got so bizarrely weird.

-superboyac (December 01, 2014, 05:10 PM)

My younger sister had the same problem. She asked if I knew how to fix it. I told her "no" and suggested she ask one of her kids.

Her 13-year old daughter said "no problem" and got her all squared away in about 15 minutes. ("Boy Mom! Sometimes you are so dumb! You never ever leave these settings at their default!!!)

If you're born to it, it's no big deal I suppose. Kids seem to grok Facebook inside out.

Next time you have a FB question - ask a kid.

948

Living Room / Re: Do we have any musical people on DC?

« Last post by 40hz on December 01, 2014, 08:43 PM »

I wouldn't know better without more research than I've ever bothered to do.

-Vurbal (December 01, 2014, 05:19 PM)

Hardly worth it IMHO. I doubt either of us really care one way or the other.

The guy who buys a $2000 - $3000 Fender or Gibson isn't considering a DIY Build.

-Vurbal (December 01, 2014, 05:19 PM)

Good point. I always found it interesting that the semi-serious and amateurs always owned those high-end Gibsons or the more exotic 'new' brands with all the fancy inlays, etc. whereas the pros all seem to use stock Fenders or Gibson studio models. Same with amps. The pros use old-school Fender Twin/Reverb/Vibrolux/Princetons or Vox AC-30s or Marshalls or the less expensive Orange amps. The semi/amis all get into the Mesa Boogies or those other $2K+ boutique amps.

The high-end market is definitely the preserve of the Saturday "go to the local jam night" crowd. Whereas most of the pros (who know they can get their sound out of whatever they're playing) try to spend as little as possible and try not to take anything out that they'll be too upset about having stolen. Because sooner or later it will. The only time they seem to show up with something really expensive is when they have an endorsement deal with some manufacturer. And half the time that endorsement guitar or amp sits on the stage like some débutante, prominently displayed, but completely untouched all night long. Because it's only there (at most) as a spare.  

Ah me...the things we do for love!
 

949

Living Room / Re: My 1-year Facebook Death-a-versary!!!

« Last post by 40hz on December 01, 2014, 04:58 PM »

I admire those who are not on facebook. 

-superboyac (December 01, 2014, 10:53 AM)

Don't. I'm not. 

950

Living Room / Re: Do we have any musical people on DC?

« Last post by 40hz on December 01, 2014, 04:54 PM »

Apparently Fender requires licensees to make them thicker than the Fender originals, presumably to give themselves a perceived quality advantage.

-Vurbal (December 01, 2014, 03:51 PM)

Hadn't heard that one before.

Hmm... Considering you can specify the wood, fingerboard, neck shape, neck contour, binding, fret type,# frets, nut type, etc. on a Warmouth bass neck - and about two or three times many options on a guitar neck - I don't really see that allegation holding up very well. But I could be wrong.

Fender also isn't too gung-ho about selling replacement wood parts, although they do a pretty brisk trade in replacement pickups these days. Fender is first and foremost an instrument company. Not a parts supplier. So I don't see where the replacement neck businesses would be seen as a threat by them. Especially now that their Squire line has mostly removed the price justification for Partscasters and Frankenstrats. You can get a very nice finished instrument (with warranty) from Squire for far less than you would pay to build something as good or better. Squires have become good enough that many pros are now using them as their main instrument. I'd certainty strongly consider buying a Squire before I built something these days. Especially if I just wanted a mainstream type of guitar like a Strat, Tele, or P/J-Bass with standard specs.

When you consider 90% of the sound of an electric is directly provided by the pickups and tone stack, unless you have something extremely specific in mind sound-wise, any customization beyond the electronic components is a fairly good illustration of the law of diminishing returns. And outside of the recording studio, it's doubtful how much of that last 10% will even be audible to the average listener. In a 'live sound' venue I'd wager none of it would be. Even to most musicians.

Just my anyway.