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You are here: Home / 2007 / Archives for November 2007

Archives for November 2007

Basic Humbucker pick up system

November 19, 2007 by Chris

Basically making a Humbucker pick up(p/u) is when you place a single coil beside another one.

Visually you will notice that some Humbucker p/u’s may have a cover on them, thus you will not see the two coils side by side. I will try to explain that one in another post.

humbuckingpickup1.jpg Both coils generate a signal that comes from the strings that are vibrating or making sound. If you pluck a string it will vibrate in a certain direction and height. During one complete cycle it will move closer and then farther away from the pick up itself. By placing two of them side by side obviously gives you more signal/sound output that comes out the the p/u and into the guitar amplifier.

These coils are wired together in a configuration called series.

serieswiring.jpg For people just trying to grasp at this idea, here goes nothing. Both of the coil’s wirings are opposite to each other.

When you wrap the wire around the coil, it can be wound either by clock wise or counter clock wise direction. This is better known as polarity, or the direction of how the signal is sent to the amp. In guitar terms it is better recognized as reverse winding and reverse magnetic polarity called RWRP.

For guitarist in the know, the RP is how the pick ups are wired to each other.

reversedpolarity2.jpg With a single coil p/u, it generates a certain hum from it. For some, this drives them mad and others love the effect. I tend to fall in the middle of this one. Both sounds are very unique. So now having two coils in RWRP, the EMF effect, offsets the other one thus making a hum less p/u with more power. BTW, this is the reason why they called it the HUM-BUCKER pick up, get it? Also by adjusting the height of the p/u, you change the sound and output of it.

This link is to a How to make a Humbucking Pick Up thus giving you a complete visualization of the structure and a better idea of how it works. I tend to be a more visual person in how I learn, some people learn more by audio means.

I hope that I did not confuse anyone with this post. I just want to give the average person a better/basic working knowledge of how this system works!

Keep on Jammin’




Filed Under: Guitar Equipment, Guitars, My Equipment Tagged With: amp, clock, coils, Gibson Humbucking picks up, guitar amplifier, guitarist, magnetic polarity, offsets, pers, pick ups, single coil, visual person, visualization, wirings

Back from Vegas Baby, part 2

November 14, 2007 by Chris

So, now for the our next experience in Vegas.

Tricia, the brains behind everything technical, was trying to connect to our hotel wireless connection while I put away all of our belongings in the room.

3 hours later and countless calls downstairs and the company who is running the entire network system and we had to get a new room! Yes, 3 hours into our stay in the hotel that bragged about their wireless internet connection, we had to move to a new room!

Before we even accepted any new room, we asked if we could go to the rooms that we were offering us, to check out our connection there before even thinking about moving anywhere. It was something that they encouraged as well. Ok, that sounds like a good idea, let’s do it!

They sent us a attendant with the new rooms keys and off we went. I forgot to mention that while Tricia was attempting to connect to the system, the one and only Mr. Fab called us on our cell and wanted to get together at the Outback outside our hotel!

Now with this little factor adding to the drama of finding a room in a hurry to meet the infamous Mr. Fab, the first room was chosen. Our signal strength was pathetic at best! In total, while being in the Imperial Palace for 4 days, we had 3 connections to the internet lasting 15 minutes each. That’s right, on-line for 3 times lasting 45 minutes in total.

I do have to say that they did not charge us at all for this unacceptable service. If they did charge us then the tone of this post would be considerable different. The staff on the phone was polite both at the hotel and the Hotel Wireless company who ran the system. The only thing that was unprofessional was some of the lies they told us. They may have been small but insulting none the less.

So my advice to anyone who is going to stay in a hotel on the Las Vegas strip and want wireless connection, do not go to the Imperial Palace. They didn’t even offer us a free meal or anything at all for all our wasted time – and that wasted time trying to connect to the internet and making all those calls must have amounted to about 6 hours!

In my next Vegas post I’ll tell you about partying with Mr. Fab and all the other bloggers we met Thursday night and so on!

Keep on Jammin’

Filed Under: Entertainment, Home and Lifestyle, Recreation Tagged With: 15 minutes, bad service, belongings, blog, bloggers, dinner, downstairs, entire network, fab, famous, frustrating, hotel, Hotel Wireless, imperial palace, internet connection, internet connection at The Imperial Palace, Las Vegas, MR. Fab, no internet, outback, partying, posts, room 3, signal strength, sounds, trip, vegas strip, wasted time, wireless internet connection

Late in the Evening drumming

November 14, 2007 by Chris

This is a song that I just love playing! It has everything a player, with heavy rythum guitar influences would want.

The rhythm is very catchy. It’s Simon and Garfunkel so everyone has at least heard the song one. The chord can be played in such a way that they all open with really big fat sounds to them!

stevegadd.jpg The biggest thing about this tune is the drummer is and drumming itself. I can play the drums at a decent level but I would love to play this song the way that only Steve Gadd can.

I have never seen a drummer play with 2 sticks in his hand but this guy certainly does and he does it well!

If your a drummer looking at this post here is a challenge for you! Go get on your kit and try this one out. Wait until you reach 0:48 on the video counter at the bottom left of the screen. Try it out and get back to us! If your not a drummer, go and get the old pots and pans out or if your not that ambitious then do it air drumming style!

Enjoy.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDU9691Q-Uw&NR=1&feature=fvwp

Keep on Jammin’

Filed Under: Entertainment, Music, Musicians, Songs to play, Video Tagged With: big fat, decent level, drummer, drums, fun, guitar, guitar influences, heavy, late in the evening, love song, play, playing, pots and pans, rhythm, simon garfunkel, sound, sounds, Steve Gadd, Steve Gadd with simon and garfunkel, studio drummer

Back from Vegas Baby

November 13, 2007 by Chris

If there is only one phrase that I can use to explain Las Vegas N.V. it would be, this place is way over the top!

las-vegas.jpg The buzz of the city was not that apparent when we landed at McCarren airport. We got off the plane, picked up our luggage then got a cab. I had never seen a live palm tree before so I certainly got my fill before we reached the new Las Vegas strip. There is a new and old part of Vegas, but we were going to be exposed to the new part only. Our cabbie informed us that these trees cost the city around $30,000.00 US each.

Now the buzz of the city did not just creep up on us, it exploded right in front of our eyes!

Traveling on the strip was like entering a place similar to Disney World, but for adults! The buildings were like nothing that I had even seen before and I love my architecture. They were polished like a brand new diamond rings, while being very ornate in every fashion. They all had their own individual architectural look to them that when all put together, surprisingly did not clash at all.

The people, well they must have numbered in the 1000’s, they seemed to be walking around in all directions, looking up and gazing upon these very large temples of excess in awe, just like I was! The billboards were in a category all by themselves. If you think that time square in New York has great billboards then you have got to go to Vegas.

We then were let off at our hotel called the Imperial Palace. Before we even walked in the door, you could hear sounds and cheering like I have never heard on any CSI show or a documentary on this famous city. You could feel the sounds of the machines that everyone was on. There was a strange and unique buzz in the air to put it mildly.

After trying to navigate through the literal sea of gamblers and onlookers, desperately struggling with our bags of belongings, we finally reached the correct elevators. The people coming off them were all acting like kids in a candy shop! They were all of different ethnic backgrounds wearing smiles on their faces as wide as the desert which we just flew over.

After getting off the elevator and into the suite, we were on a this adrenalin rush like only the great city of Las Vegas could provide! I was in this dream like state of mind and was just waiting for something else to happen, this time it was not that much fun.

I’ll fill you in on the rest in another post! Stay tuned!

Keep on Jammin’

Filed Under: Culture, Entertainment, Home and Lifestyle, My experiences, Recreation Tagged With: airport, awe, belongings, billboards, buzz, cabbie, candy shop, casino, clash, diamond rings, disney world, elevators, ethnic backgrounds, famous, flight, gamblers, guitar, hotel, imperial palace, Las Vegas, luggage, New York, noise, onlookers, palm tree, people, RUSH, smiles, sound, sounds, temples, time square, traveling, tree, trip, vegas strip

A Lignum Vitae guitar pick

November 12, 2007 by Chris

woodguitarpick.jpg I have a pick made of gold, honestly I do, and I’ve used it too … but one made of wood – never heard of one.

They say the Surfpick Lignum Vitae is much denser then white oak, gives you a richer warmer tone and that it makes your sound free from the dreaded pick click sound.

The wood is rare so it’s no wonder they can’t ship out of the US.

The wood is so dense it will sink in even salt water.

It was also prized for use for fittings on tall ships hundreds of years ago.

You can even watch it burn on the video.

If you have one of these picks in your arsenal, will you get back to us on what your thoughts about this is?

Keep on Jammin’

Filed Under: Guitar Equipment, Guitars Tagged With: arsenal, click sound, fire, guitar, guitar pick, guitar picks, hundreds of years, jazz guitar pick, lignum vitae, Lignum Vitae wood, oak, oak pick, pick click, salt water, sound, tall ships, unique guitar picks, Video, wood pick, wooden guitar picks

My Fender Lead II

November 10, 2007 by Chris

I have been using my Fender Lead II as of late. I only have one guitar stand and I rotate the guitars that I put in it many times throughout the year.

I got this guitar off a exchange student from Japan around 1984-85. Oddly enough, this is a Student Guitar, meaning the body is smaller making it easier to play. He was a little low on funds and he wanted to know if I wanted to by it. At first I started to give him lessons and he was not that bad if memory serves me correctly.

While looking at my black Fender I started to wonder what year this baby was built so a Googling I will go!

fenderleadii.jpg

This site was the one that I ended up at. You can normally determine the age of your guitar by the serial numbers. Mine is “E0 09736” so it’s made in 1980, that makes it 27 years old! If you have a Fender guitar just sitting around the house, go and get it and find out how old your is. Get back us on that one if you have one.

I just love the sound of the X-1 single coil pick ups on this one. You can raise the pick ups by turning the 2 screws at either end of the pick up clock wise. This adjustment brings the pick up closer to the strings thus you get a stronger signal.

There is a phase reversal switch that works when you are in the middle position or using both pick ups at the same time. This switch is really nice to have at your disposal.

multiplefendlead2.jpg

I know I will try to get a picture of mine up here soon!It has 21 medium Jumbo frets with a 4 bolt neck piece. It has a “Soft V or C” profile neck, which means the part of the body which attaches to the neck section of the guitar. The neck itself is maple. The small headstock is a nice reminder of the past Fender guitars that were built between 1954-65. Oh, headstock is part where you tune the strings on the “head” of the guitar in case your unfamiliar with guitar terms.

The bridge, where you put the strings on the body of the guitar, is designed after a Fender Telecaster. Keith Richards plays this type of an axe.

As far as I know it was made at the Fender Fullerton California plant. It was also one of the last fender guitars to be made at this legendary location!

So hats off to my 27 year old gal and hope we’re together a lot longer!

Keep on Jammin’

Filed Under: Guitar Equipment, Guitars, My Equipment, My experiences, The early Years Tagged With: adjust, art, axe, c profile, design, exchange student, fender, fender guitar, fender guitars, fender lead, fender telecaster, fret, fun, googling, guitar, guitar stand, headstock, house, jammin, Keith Richards, legendary, lessons, middle position, Music, phase reversal switch, pick ups, picture, play, plays, screws, serial numbers, sing, single coil, sound, start, strings, Tim

General Information about Glenn Gould

November 8, 2007 by Chris

A little bit of Glenn Gould trivia for all of those interested.

(1) Glenn Gould’s mother played the organ at St. Andrew’s Church, 73 Simcoe Street, Toronto. Central Presbyterian church in Toronto

(2) His childhood home was32 Southwood Dr

(3) His summer home in Uptergrove Ont., near lake Simcoe/Orillia.

(4) Buried in Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Toronto Canada in the Eastern part, section 38, plot 1050 row 1088

(5) His apartment was at 110 St. Clair ave W.

gouldspiano1.jpg

Keep on Jammin’

Filed Under: Glenn Gould, Musicians Tagged With: apartment, art, Canada, central presbyterian church, childhood home, fire, General Information about Glenn Gould, Glenn Gould, Glenn Gould lived at, Glenn Gould s summer cottage, Glenn Gould trivia, guitar, interest, lake simcoe, mother, mount pleasant cemetery, mount pleasant cemetery toronto, presbyterian church in toronto, Simcoe, simcoe street, st andrew, street toronto, Toronto, toronto central, where glenn gould was buried

Practice random acts of kindness and senseless acts of beauty

November 6, 2007 by Chris

randomactsofkindness.jpg

Now if that isn’t the greatest saying of all time, then I don’t know what is! It’s a phrase that the Grateful Dead use to use.

Keep on Jammin’

Filed Under: Entertainment, Health and Fitness Tagged With: grateful dead, grateful dead lyrics, great sayings, kindness, practice, random acts, senseless acts of beauty, words of wisdom

My new fingernail experiment

November 5, 2007 by Chris

Well good readership, I have been going on for a while about fingernails. Let’s make things clear, I’m talking about the ones on my right hand only!

I envy people with finger nails that they could use as screw drivers! I just wish that there was a product that really made a difference on mine. The only thing that I found on line is the Guitarist Guide to Fingernails.

At work in the surgical area, there is a new finding that acrylic finger nails trap germs on them and that we are told not to use them. Ahhhhhhhh, but I need mine to play at the level that I am accustomed to. So, I have decided to go a different root this time. I am forgoing placing the regular acrylic tips on and just placing the hardener right on to the nails themselves. This totally eliminates the tips that are causing the problem.

In order to pull this off, I had to let my nails grow a bit longer then I would have them praying just to have a larger surface to work with. You know just in case things went south very quickly.

I am now back from my secret manicurists hide out and we’ve successfully applied the above mentioned hardener right onto the nails on my right hand. To the axe cave I go! I then picked up the axe and started to put my experiment to the test!

At first, I tried a bit of Bruce Cockburn’s If I had a Rocket Launcher and it was not that bad. I then began to adjust the length and shape of the nail to my specifications with my handy dandy file.

Now it was time for tougher challenge, playing Blackbird at warp speed! They are holding their own so far. Finally, the acoustic version of Neon from John Mayer, perfect!

Now let’s hope that it will continue this way!

Keep on Jammin’

Filed Under: Health and Fitness, Home and Lifestyle, My Equipment, My experiences, Playing Styles, Recreation Tagged With: Acoustic, acoustic version, Acrylic nails, acrylic tips, axe, blackbird, Bruce Cockburn, fake nails, finger nail, finger nails, fingernails, guitarist, If I had a Rocket Launcher, John Mayer, manicure, nails, neon, play, playing, readership, rock, rocket launcher, secret, shape, warp speed

The Dream Theatre Rock experience

November 1, 2007 by Chris

I first heard of this band by my buddy Tony when we were standing next to the speakers at the Saga concert that I was at recently.

He had told me that his son that has his own band, loves this type of Rock. He quickly described it as a hybrid of RUSH, Saga, Yes and Heavy thrashing metal. These guys I had to check out!

I first headed off to what in the world is that obscure site called … oh ya, youtube and listened to a few of Dream Theater’s tunes.

This is the one song that really caught my eye. It was everything that Tony had told me about all wrapped up into one song.

The keyboardist sounded like a young Rick Wakeman near the beginning and the bass player sounded a bit like Chris Squire. The guitarist had that Alex Lifeson sound that he had on A Farewell to Kings album one minute then a hint of Permanent Waves the next! The vocalist at first sounded a bit like Jethro Tall then Michael Sadler from Saga.

Todays music in my mind, sometimes lack the feel of musical diversity. There is so much influence out there that bands just don’t tap into. Remember, there is no such thing as a completely new style that has never been heard of before. We may use multiple approaches/styles to create these new sounds but we all use outside influences to create our own individual stamp of music.

I now think that it’s time to let Rick be exposed to this style and see if he can incorporate some of this into his unique approach!

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Keep on Jammin’

Filed Under: Entertainment, Music, Musicians, Video Tagged With: Alex Lifeson, amp, band, bands, bass, bass player, chris squire, concert, dream theater, Dream Theatre, farewell to kings, guitar, guitarist, heavy, hybrid, keyboard, keyboardist, metal, michael sadler, Music, music in my mind, musical, musical diversity, new sounds, new style, permanent waves, Progressive Rock, Rick Wakeman, rock experience, RUSH, Saga, sound, sounds, speakers, todays music, vocalist, YES

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