How Your Opinions On Gear Change When You Play Everyday:

SG John said:
I learned a long time ago, that it's all about the song. Your role is to make it be the best it can be. It's why I like experimenting so much, and everything is always new to me. Frustrating at times? Sure, but that's the path I take. It's like my role as a machinist. It's impossible to see it, or do it all. What's important is to understand as much as you can, and do it well.
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I too have a machining background, which helps. I make all sorts of things when it's needed.

Today, I played keys on a recording. We actually put tape on the keys with numbers on them...LOL

I don't branch out as much as you do, but I certainly respect it...
 
I haven't broken a string live ever and only broke two or three at band practice back in 2014, and two of them were on a wraptail SG Junior before I swapped the stock bridge out for a Graph Tech NW-2 with the string saver saddles. I haven't had sweat damage to guitars. I put the headstock of my Stiletto into the rehearsal room ceiling fan by accident once and knocked the headstock of my old Explorer on a wall one gig in small venue when I stood stage right (I generally don't). I have broken a few strings in setup when they have been faulty or I pulled at them too much stretching them in. A broke a nut on an old BC Rich Warlock bass the first time I changed the strings back in 1991.

I last dropped a pick at practice or a gig back in 2015

You get the idea ...

On the other hand I've stepped on the cable a lot of times and I've had ear plugs jump out of my ear pretty much every single time
 
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concerning string breakage....
i have always changed strings before each and every gig ive ever played, and have never broken a string during a show except for one time....and that was the time i forgot to change the strings.
ive found that, for me, after i change strings and stretch them all out real good, i have about three hours of hard playing on them before they are shot to hell.

concerning intonation.....here is a copy and paste from a post i wrote a few years back on another forum.


awhile back there was a thread on sweetened tuning or some kind of tuning james taylor uses, where you tune the strings a bit flat by cents...
low E -12, A -10, D -8, G -4, B -6, E -3

i dont have a tuner that has a way to really measure cents accurately, but i can adjust the Hz on them, so i converted cents to Hz and came up with this formula

low E 437, A 438, D 438, G 439, B 438, E 439

while it is not perfect, it is pretty close.
before, when i tuned each string with the 440 setting, the strings would be in tune but when i hit a chord, the chord would be out.....sharp, i think.
tuning with the tuner at the above settings for each string, i strike a chord and whatever chord i hit is in perfect tune at the 440 setting.
strange, huh?
and it sounds pretty good too.
 
heltershelton said:
concerning string breakage....
i have always changed strings before each and every gig ive ever played, and have never broken a string during a show except for one time....and that was the time i forgot to change the strings.
ive found that, for me, after i change strings and stretch them all out real good, i have about three hours of hard playing on them before they are shot to hell.

concerning intonation.....here is a copy and paste from a post i wrote a few years back on another forum.


awhile back there was a thread on sweetened tuning or some kind of tuning james taylor uses, where you tune the strings a bit flat by cents...
low E -12, A -10, D -8, G -4, B -6, E -3

i dont have a tuner that has a way to really measure cents accurately, but i can adjust the Hz on them, so i converted cents to Hz and came up with this formula

low E 437, A 438, D 438, G 439, B 438, E 439

while it is not perfect, it is pretty close.
before, when i tuned each string with the 440 setting, the strings would be in tune but when i hit a chord, the chord would be out.....sharp, i think.
tuning with the tuner at the above settings for each string, i strike a chord and whatever chord i hit is in perfect tune at the 440 setting.
strange, huh?
and it sounds pretty good too.
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Very interesting!!!!

When I setup a guitar with super jumbo frets, I will have the player run through a few songs and watch the tuner. If they really clamp down hard, then I will generally go a little flat on the intonation., but I've never tried the method you described above.
 
heltershelton said:
concerning string breakage....
i have always changed strings before each and every gig ive ever played, and have never broken a string during a show except for one time....and that was the time i forgot to change the strings.
ive found that, for me, after i change strings and stretch them all out real good, i have about three hours of hard playing on them...
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I've tried just about everything. I always run brand new strings before a show too, and I always break them about midway down the string's length, or right at the ball end, but never at the saddle..

I've also broke D'Addario, GHS, Dean Markley, and every other brand I've tried in the same place. I've also broke the strings in the same fashion when playing other people's guitars. But I also break them playing rhythm too.

Keep in mind that a lot of our songs have 2-1/2 step bends, like Buddy Guy's "I Smell A Rat," and even Hotel California has multiple big bends in it.

Here's a brand new Ernie Ball high e that snapped at the end of a four hour set during the last phrase of the solo in Journey's 'Don't Stop Believin.' If you play it like the recording, the last note is a 2-1/2 step bend at the 22nd fret.

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I tried a wound.017" D'Addario 'G' string once, thinking it might be tougher. Nope!!! Broke this during the lead section of 'Hit Me With Your Best Shot."

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Snapped high 'e' hear during first solo of 'Seeet Home Alabama" right at the 8th fret.

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Sometimes, I play solo sections on the heavier strings when it's possible to get up there. My vibrato is very intense too. Here's a shot of my Les Paul, "Thing One," just before a recent level and crown:

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Some rhythm evidence of sawing on the pickups...

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And a post-set shot of Les Paul "Thing Two." Loys of pick dust and contact with the pickup too.

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Honestly, it's probably bad/rough technique more than anything else.

Since I'm playing both rhythm and lead, I'm bearing on these guitars 4 - 6 hours sometimes, even with a one hour break between sets, that's actually of time on a set of strings.

So, what ive started doing is just switching from primary guitar (Fender Strat) to Les Paul at the end of the first set...

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Then, I restring the Stratocaster during the one hour break between sets.

This seems to be working thus far...
 
Being stuck indoors last 5 years, the gear was something to do..now reality of a live band again.. only need couple SG's, in the dif tuning we use. The 800 or Triple Recto & the 4x12 cab & a cable.

Live i basically need
clean
mild crunch
crunch
lead pop

all quick accessible. Once that show starts the gear is not in my mind at all, Interesting ..it's full circle back to the same 61 zebra's & 490's in SG's & if i drop low it';s the 498t & LP for the uglies. Same formula since switched to guitar..when i fuss..i just waste time it seems & always go back at money time to the tried & true.
 
Mitch Pearrow SJMP said:
I think ham fisted would describe my bad habits,,
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steveb63 said:
I know what you mean.

I'm the king of bakin' the ham. If you know what I mean. :dood:
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Same boat, that's why i cant play a damn solo to save my ass even my life depended on it: these grapefruits with bananas on them, attached at my wrists just cant do what i want lol can bang the hell out of something but nothing more
 
Robert Herndon said:
Very interesting!!!!

When I setup a guitar with super jumbo frets, I will have the player run through a few songs and watch the tuner. If they really clamp down hard, then I will generally go a little flat on the intonation., but I've never tried the method you described above.
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your method would be the way to go for playing live for quick tuning between songs. can you imagine having to change settings on the tuner for every string?
but i think somebody makes a tuner with sweetened tuning settings built in. i cant think of what company.....they make those strobe tuners that i find to be difficult to use because they are too sensitive for me.
 
Yargnad said:
Peterson, and I can't live without strobe tuning. Regular tuners just leave me with a strange itch that I cant scratch. It only took a little while to get used to the sensitivity.
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yeah, thats the one.
ill admit i only tried one once and it pissed me off so i stopped. im using a TU-3 and it does the job fine for me.
maybe one of these days ill get a peterson and practice with it til i dont hate it, lol
 
Brand new Gotoh SD-91 Vintage Tuners bought from an authorized dealer - Amplified Parts in Tempe Arizona....

I started having trouble with only the low E string going out of tune, so this morning, I examined it with a magnifying glass and noticed that when I dived bombed the tremolo, the low E post would rotate CCW about an 1/8 of a turn.

I pulled it off and it's totally worn slap ass out. Playing day and night and 3-4 string changes a week - including 11 semitone dive bombing killed them dead...

I took an old Gibson tuner and modded it to work temporarily, even though it looks like crap...

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