2,876 Reply by Tenement Funster

(580 replies, posted in Bands and artists)

Thanks for the "tour", Arkady!

I have no experience recording, apart from recording some stuff decades ago on a "ghetto blaster" on cassette tape. I'm nearing 60 years old, but you probably figured that out already! big_smile

I also haven't performed on stage for several decades, and just jam with a few friends now and then for fun. Mostly, the guitars are my psychiatrists, and are an integral part of unwinding each day after work. I probably spend more time listening than playing, and have been pleased to find lots of newer prog work in the past few years (like yours) to add to the older classic favorites. I've got the group "Believe" playing right now (out of Poland) and their album "This Bread is Mine" is stellar work.

Who would you regard as a few of your favorites?

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2,877 Reply by Tenement Funster

(8 replies, posted in Electric)

Regardless of brand, power level, or price, you will definitely be happier with a tube amp than a solid state. Tube amps usually cost a bit more, but you get more sound per watt than with a solid circuit. The sound of a tube amp is simply warmer and more full, and your guitar will sound more musical and less artificial.

You'll probably pay around $400 - $500 for an entry-price all-tube amp (new), and brands like Bugera and Peavey make decent tube amps in the lower price ranges. If that's too steep, the next best thing is probably a VOX ValveTronix which has a single tube in the pre-amp section. A VT20+ can be bought for about $250 new, and they have some decent effects built also.

Happy hunting!

Go to forum: Electric

2,878 Reply by Tenement Funster

(4 replies, posted in Guitars and accessories)

I keeping with the gun shape & theme of the guitar, adding a shotgun-style recoil pad with some weight inside of it might have changed the balance without spoiling the effect. It may have even enhanced the effect of it's shape. My Cort Bass is also a bit neck heavy, and it's a pain in the rear to play it for any length of time.

https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSvcNVtXl81_YpqynDOMO3CqFatcR6xAessfkyHCDSbliSLwnF3

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2,879 Reply by Tenement Funster

(20 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)

Happy NBD, Jerome! big_smile

Really great to see you celebrating your Irish heritage with her name (Saoirse = "Freedom"), and she's just as lovely as her name. Happy times in the O'Neil "circus"!

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2,880 Reply by Tenement Funster

(2 replies, posted in Electric)

I had a chat over the weekend with a luthier I know well, and he's going to investigate installing one of these in my Les Paul. Whenever I listen to someone "sing" with their guitar using one of these, I get glassy-eyed ... it's truly hypnotic.

Go to forum: Electric

2,881 Reply by Tenement Funster

(5 replies, posted in Guitars and accessories)

Can't wait to hear how it works for you, Roger.

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2,882 Reply by Tenement Funster

(3 replies, posted in Songwriting)

This is first class! Great composition, playing, singing, and recording ... well done, sir!

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2,883 Reply by Tenement Funster

(11 replies, posted in Other string instruments)

TIGLJK wrote:

TF

Thanks for the enlightenment - I have never even heard of this instrument before.    These guys playing - Relentless- are ridiculous -    I can't imagine the time that they put in to get to that level of performance. - That is incredible.  Way too advanced for me.
JK

Glad you liked it, JK!

Tony Levin's group is actually called "Stick Men", and "Relentless" is one of many songs they perform. They also do a rendition of Igor Stravinsky's "Firebird Suite" which is so good it's beyond description. As a fan of Prog Rock, I also came across this video of David Tipton playing Pink Floyd's "Brain Damage" on a Chapman:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFiysMYGD_k

Go to forum: Other string instruments

2,884 Reply by Tenement Funster

(1,560 replies, posted in Bands and artists)

Really great bass guitar work backing this track ... it captured me immediately, and got me bouncing around in my chair! big_smile

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2,885 Reply by Tenement Funster

(3 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)

If I could chime in as a non-moderator, I'll just say that Chordie is an absolutely terrific resource. The creators & moderators have done a fantastic job of creating a very useful and functional site, and have set a tone in the Forums which is polite, respectful, helpful and appreciated. It is only reasonable that someone should step up to pay for Chordie to exist, and that is being done via advertisers.

So while we don't like the spam parasites who try to free-load into our forums, the companies who pay to have their products and services marketed on this site deserve our thanks and support. Without them ... there would be no Chordie.

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2,886 Topic by Tenement Funster

(3 replies, posted in Poems)

I'm just enjoying an amazing hour on the back deck this morning, listening to a wide variety of birds, enjoying a cup of coffee, and plunking away at my classical guitar. It was the first hour of daylight, and the memory of our long, cold, snow-filled winter is (thankfully) fading fast. A silly little poem seemed to be in order, and my laptop is enjoying the morning as much as I am:

SPRING AT LAST

At last ...
The tree buds magically morph into leaves,
The sun rises earlier, higher, brighter,
There's a tingling warmth in the breeze,
Spring is here … adieu, Old Man Winter.

At last …
Bird song chorus greets each new day,
My coffee mug full, front row seat on the deck,
Tuned to the green, now replacing the grey,
No notes are written … yet melodic, symphonic.

At last …
A bicycle squeaks, a lawn mower drones,
The kids down the street play on their lawn,
"Supper!", Mom calls, "Not now!" they respond.
"Ready or not … here I come!"

At last …
The BBQ launches a mouth-watering smell,
Of gourmet delights, prepared by my wife,
Her care, her smile, her love, I can't tell,
At the last my best friend ... the love of my life.

Go to forum: Poems

2,887 Topic by Tenement Funster

(11 replies, posted in Other string instruments)

I'm wondering if any Chordians have own or play a Chapman Stick? I've been listening to a lot of music recently featuring Tony Levin, Nick Beggs, etc., and the range of tones and sound quality from this unusual device is amazing:

http://www.stick.com/instruments/inlays/linear5.jpg

This is taking the tapping technique we guitarists use to the extreme, and I also would think tuning this rig would be a challenge, not to mention trying find someone who sells strings! Here's a sample of this thing in action from Levin's prog-jazz fusion group "Stick Men":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5cVdvz9hnM

It's on my "bucket list" to try one of these instruments someday ... crazy cool stuff!

Go to forum: Other string instruments

2,888 Reply by Tenement Funster

(580 replies, posted in Bands and artists)

Thanks, Arkady .... so glad you enjoyed this!

Greg did have a great voice, and I for one could have wished for more acoustic-based ballads (like Lucky Man, Take a Pebble, etc). Carl Palmer is one of the few drummers who could really do justice to this piece. All in all, a very talented trio.

I wanted to ask you about your own work on OurStage. Do you do all of the instrumentation, recording and mixing? That's very impressive work, and I've been back frequently to enjoy it.

Go to forum: Bands and artists

2,889 Reply by Tenement Funster

(580 replies, posted in Bands and artists)

Emerson, Lake, & Palmer    "Pirates"    Montreal, 1977

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gD9C1az9ZYc

"Pirates" has all the feeling of a feature film, and Greg Lake has never been in better voice. Many Prog Rock groups over the years have employed an orchestra, which shows the underlying bridge between Prog and Classical music. Hard to believe this video was shot almost 40 years ago, but the performance and recording quality have stood up quite well.

http://i.ebayimg.com/03/!CB9w!4gBGk~$(KGrHqEOKpwE0VGyVY,mBNJkv+0dBg~~_35.JPG

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2,890 Reply by Tenement Funster

(20 replies, posted in Acoustic)

Just put new strings on my 12-string about a month ago. It takes a bit longer than a 6-string and a tuner is essential, but not difficult. It also helps to remove / replace one string at a time, making it easier to bring it to tune as you go. I really like these Elixir coated strings (about $25 / set) because they last a lot longer so changes are less frequent:

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/71XDmheXKgL._SY355_.jpg

Go to forum: Acoustic

2,891 Reply by Tenement Funster

(11 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)

Way to go, Randall!

Glad it all went well, and you deserve to pat yourself on the back for doing it yourself successfully. Moving to a strap that holds the body (rather than the nut at one end) will save your guitar's neck from potential curvature.

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2,892 Reply by Tenement Funster

(7 replies, posted in Songwriting)

Mojo ...

That's a very well-written song, describing the regrets most of us carry through life. Your line "like a wisp of smoke from a bridge I've burned" is first-class, along with the rest of the song. I agree with Graham ... keep 'em coming.

Go to forum: Songwriting

2,893 Topic by Tenement Funster

(2 replies, posted in Electric)

I think this is one of the coolest innovations to come along in electric guitar tech in a long time. I've never really been happy with any of the electronic / stompbox sustain gadets, as the sound never sounded natural. This Fernandes circuit actually emits a pulsing magnetic field from their neck pickup, which keeps the actual string vibrating until the player stops it. The bridge pickup then just operates as it usually does, so the the sustain is purely from the guitar itself:

http://www.fernandesguitars.com/images/stories/sustainer/circuito-sustainer.gif

Here's the whole rundown from Fernandes' site, and I see it can now be bought as a kit and installed in any guitar ... very interesting:

http://www.fernandesguitars.com/sustain … ainer.html

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2,894 Reply by Tenement Funster

(22 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)

We all miss you, Bill!

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2,895 Reply by Tenement Funster

(8 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)

First I've ever heard of this, Russell, but it looks like a heap o' fun! I gather that it's great big "open mike" event? You could take your C9, looper, Trio, and other gear, and do a full duration blow out version of "In-a-Gadda-da-Vida" ... just kidding, my friend. With your talent & know-how, I'm certain you'd be a hit.

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2,896 Reply by Tenement Funster

(26 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)

What BlueJeep said ... in triplicate!!!

A brand name is just that ... a brand name. Within each brand, the manufacturer tries to make models at all affordability levels, to appeal to the broadest market possible, i.e., to sell more product. This is true of guitars, fishing rods, sneakers, you name it. An all solid wood acoustic guitar (spruce top, mahogany or rosewood body) will generally sound better than a less expensive laminate, regardless of the manufacturer. My Larrivee cost a lot less than the "big brand" models I tried, but my eyes, ears, and hands told me it was well made, sounded great, and played well.

My favorite example of brand-name disappointment happened a couple years ago, when I got to play my dream guitar, a Gibson L-5. It cost over $10,000 and sounded like crap! Thin, shrill, no sustain, no character, unbalanced in the hand, etc. The trees don't know which brand name will be stamped on them, and as long as the luthier puts the materials together right, it'll sound right. And the guitarist playing it is the final judge. Buying a guitar so that someone will say, "Ooooo ... you've got a Gibson!" or "Ooooo ... you've got a Martin!" isn't the right reason to buy a guitar. Like what you play, and you'll always play what you like.

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2,897 Reply by Tenement Funster

(6 replies, posted in Songwriting)

Well composed and well performed! I love the changes in key / mood throughout, and some good film clips to go with it. Impressive!

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2,898 Reply by Tenement Funster

(580 replies, posted in Bands and artists)

The Neal Morse Band    "Waterfall"    Nashville, 2015

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJHzdKDctPI

This week's entry is a day early, as I head out for a weekend fishing trip with the kayaks and good friend. We'll be visiting a few waterfalls, so thought this selection would be appropriate. This is one of a number of great pieces by Neal Morse & Co., performed at a concert earlier this year in Nashville. Lots of talent there, and a soothing piece of music.

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2,899 Topic by Tenement Funster

(0 replies, posted in Poems)

I was eating my packed lunch at small park today. There was this piece of abstract art as it's centre-piece, a concrete "sculpture" that didn't seem to resemble anything I've seen. There was a plaque identifying the artist, and the whole park was laid out with this as the nucleus.

A few feet away was a maple tree ... how Canadian is that, eh? As I compared the two of them, it occurred to me that most things that are man-made (however lovely) tend to get uglier as we look closer. The tree however is quite the reverse. Although beautiful as whole, it continues to reveal beauty no matter how deep or microscopic we can look - even at the cellular level. So that gave rise to this short poem:

LOOKING CLOSER

The artist's admiration of his latest creation,
Thought through …
Designed deep …
Planned perfect …
Rightly proud of his achievement, the ribbon's cut,
And we enter another pavilion of human making.

Watching the concrete as it moves close to my eye,
Consistent inconsistency …
Abnormal anomalies …
Cracked creases …
Rightly examined up closely, the truth leaps out,
And we enter a visible ugliness of human making.

That leaf on that branch of that beautiful tree,
Symetrically surreal …
Flawlessly functional …
Microscopically magnificent …
From near or from far it makes no difference,
And we enter wondrous beauty not of our making.

Contrasting creations of man and creations divine,
Randomly rough …
Serenity seen …
Opposing opposites …
We look close at the man-made, it's beauty degrades,
But that leaf on that tree, so majestic I'm entranced.

It's pretty much nonsense, but it was an engaging thought throughout the day. No, I don't use drugs or hallucinogens ... that was a long time ago in another life. tongue

Go to forum: Poems

2,900 Reply by Tenement Funster

(580 replies, posted in Bands and artists)

I'm totally with you, Arkady ...

For whatever reason, I can't stay interested in a song if has only a catchy riff or punch line. Great lyrics come from great poetry, but great music requires thought, planning, complexity, etc. Creative use of instrumentation, key changes, counter-point, rhythmic switching, etc. all make for a more interesting and engaging piece of music. It can be done in most genres, but I feel it really shines brightest in Prog.

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