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Post by dnic on Sept 21, 2023 9:31:22 GMT -6
Okay folks, lets see how many of the myths or voodoos we can remember. I suggest we list list one per post to keep post shorter but also so everyone has an opportunity to list something. These also might be hot buttons for some folks. So lets talk about it.
I'll start with an easy one.
Heavier gauge strings make better tone. I'll make my case. Remember this about electric guitars. SRV used 13s right? So bigger is better? But wait a minuet, Billy Gibbons uses 7s. I don't think anyone can smack talk his tone.
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Post by antares on Sept 21, 2023 12:42:00 GMT -6
Rick Beato has a YT vid where he and a couple of others come to the same conclusion regarding string gauge. I don't think you can separate it from sound reinforcement as simplistically as that though.
Well I'll rattle a cage because I find string stretching to be a myth. Machine heads are already very effective at stretching strings so if tempted to stretch, why not simply crank instead? Moreover, if tuning a few tones higher risks breaking them, I really don't want to start yanking them up when they are by definition already up to pitch. I just get them up to pitch and press down each side of the nut and bridge saddles. All I do there is speed up what happens naturally over a longer interval as the strings transition from elastic deformation across to plastic deformation at those fulcrums. Oh well, it works without fail every time for me, but I appear to be in a very significant minority indeed.
でつ e&oe ...
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Post by Deleted on Sept 21, 2023 13:43:44 GMT -6
I feel about strings, like I feel about a lot of things. Use what you like. Me I use 11s. But I will be going back down to 10s. I don't play out anymore. I found that the 11s lasted longer and for me had a better feel. A long time ago I used 9s. I played guitar some time back and felt like playing hair. LOL!
But never did hear a huge difference in sound/tone. However, I had found out over the years that some string are better than others. Yep! Even in strings, they are not created equal.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 21, 2023 13:55:15 GMT -6
To me, there are all kinds of myths. How some set intonation. Is, a big one. Some people will chase their tails using harmonics. Your open and closed note should be all that you need. If those are right, then the harmonic is right. I see too many times when someone starts off with the harmonic. Only to get frustrated and spend hours in tying to get the harmonic to come into play. WOW!
I know you asked for one, but I want to add the other one is brake angle of the head stock. I see a lot of people get into huge arguments over head stock angle. I have made and worked on so many guitars by this time in life to say, that the angle of the head stock is a hug myth. 2%, 4%, and so on. Guess what, they all work! I hate to see a huge brake angle on any guitar. The softer, the better looking the guitar.
But what do I know?
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Post by Deleted on Sept 21, 2023 14:21:28 GMT -6
Guitar cables? Hum... Here is one I know a lot of people go on about. Now, I bet I have spent thousands of dollars in cables over the years. The cheap ones last a short time when on the road. So I wound up buying more expensive ones. I bought one cable that was like $200.00 for 10 feet. I had more problems out that cable than some of my $25.00 cables. It seemed to me, no mater what I spent on a cable, the 1/4" jack would always come loose at the solder points.
The one able I had that I liked a lot and lasted a number of years was a directional cable. You could only sue it in one direction. It was not cheap. But what I liked about it was, it was not a noisy cable. I never got outside noise coming through my amp.
But again, some will argue that they can hear a tone difference in cables. Really? I never could. Bet my dog couldn't as well.
The last cable I bought a few years ago. I spent $60.00 on it. So far it has been a good cable. Nothing real special about it. Just a will made cable and made with good wire.
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Post by antares on Sept 22, 2023 2:17:30 GMT -6
"Toan" capacitors. Capacitance is a measurable physical property. What do all the humble Coulombs think each second as they leap across the gap together?
でつ e&oe ...
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Post by GuitarAttack Forum on Sept 22, 2023 6:35:18 GMT -6
"Toan" capacitors. Capacitance is a measurable physical property. What do all the humble Coulombs think each second as they leap across the gap でつ e&oe ...Like when Gibson was camouflaging a humble green cap in a nice, “bumblebee” case for vintage-obsessed guitarists. The truth was exposed by an x-ray tech/guitarist with some time on his hands. John
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Post by Deleted on Sept 22, 2023 9:03:09 GMT -6
Here is good video on myth busting "tone"
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Post by dnic on Sept 22, 2023 9:20:05 GMT -6
Rick Beato has a YT vid where he and a couple of others come to the same conclusion regarding string gauge. I don't think you can separate it from sound reinforcement as simplistically as that though. Well I'll rattle a cage because I find string stretching to be a myth. Machine heads are already very effective at stretching strings so if tempted to stretch, why not simply crank instead? Moreover, if tuning a few tones higher risks breaking them, I really don't want to start yanking them up when they are by definition already up to pitch. I just get them up to pitch and press down each side of the nut and bridge saddles. All I do there is speed up what happens naturally over a longer interval as the strings transition from elastic deformation across to plastic deformation at those fulcrums. Oh well, it works without fail every time for me, but I appear to be in a very significant minority indeed. でつ e&oe ...I'd forgotten about that video. I guess they did disprove that myth. However, about string stretching. I find string stretching very helpful when I'm doing set up work. It's different than playing at home and re-tuning while things settle in. That's why guitar techs on tour with bands have a tool for stretching to make it go faster when they a lot of guitars to restring everyday. A pro can't go out on stage and have his guitar wonder off tune during the "normal" break in time. I think your system of pushing down at the nut and bridge is basically a low impact way to achieve close to the same results.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 22, 2023 9:23:23 GMT -6
A long time ago, I had a set-up so that people could hear the tone caps. The one I end up using in all my guitars now is the 033. I like it because it right in the middle and can be used in all my builds. I have always been a fan of the PIO caps. But I now use orange or a few others. As long as they are the .033 caps.
O know some will say they can hear no difference in caps, but a bet to differ. Even the same value of cap made from other manufactures can sound different. But in a lot of cases it not that big of a change to off on. I have made a lot of guitars that have no tone caps in them, and I tend to like the sound much better. But that is what I like.
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Post by dnic on Sept 22, 2023 9:26:40 GMT -6
To me, there are all kinds of myths. How some set intonation. Is, a big one. Some people will chase their tails using harmonics. Your open and closed note should be all that you need. If those are right, then the harmonic is right. I see too many times when someone starts off with the harmonic. Only to get frustrated and spend hours in tying to get the harmonic to come into play. WOW! I know you asked for one, but I want to add the other one is brake angle of the head stock. I see a lot of people get into huge arguments over head stock angle. I have made and worked on so many guitars by this time in life to say, that the angle of the head stock is a hug myth. 2%, 4%, and so on. Guess what, they all work! I hate to see a huge brake angle on any guitar. The softer, the better looking the guitar. But what do I know? When I first started working on guitars, IDK close to 25 years ago now. I bought some videos from stew mac with Dan Erlwine doing fret work and other stuff. He demonstrated intonation using only open and fretted notes. It's worked well for me all these years. However the fretted note and the harmonic is a good quick check ti hear if it' out.
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Post by dnic on Sept 22, 2023 9:34:03 GMT -6
Guitar cables? Hum... Here is one I know a lot of people go on about. Now, I bet I have spent thousands of dollars in cables over the years. The cheap ones last a short time when on the road. So I wound up buying more expensive ones. I bought one cable that was like $200.00 for 10 feet. I had more problems out that cable than some of my $25.00 cables. It seemed to me, no mater what I spent on a cable, the 1/4" jack would always come loose at the solder points.
The one able I had that I liked a lot and lasted a number of years was a directional cable. You could only sue it in one direction. It was not cheap. But what I liked about it was, it was not a noisy cable. I never got outside noise coming through my amp.
But again, some will argue that they can hear a tone difference in cables. Really? I never could. Bet my dog couldn't as well. The last cable I bought a few years ago. I spent $60.00 on it. So far it has been a good cable. Nothing real special about it. Just a will made cable and made with good wire.
Yep I honestly could never hear a difference. I always say my ears aren't good enough to hear the difference but I think my ears are way better than I give them credit for. I'm thinking of Buddy Guy Before wireless systems. He had a hundred feet of cable maybe more and a guy to follow him around as he went through the crowd to keep it from getting tangled up. The resistance in that cable should have have made hid tone sound like crap. IDK maybe there was a booster in line somewhere.
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Post by dnic on Sept 22, 2023 9:37:27 GMT -6
Here is good video on myth busting "tone"
Jim's whole series on where the tone comes from was great!
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Post by dnic on Sept 22, 2023 9:44:25 GMT -6
A long time ago, I had a set-up so that people could hear the tone caps. The one I end up using in all my guitars now is the 033. I like it because it right in the middle and can be used in all my builds. I have always been a fan of the PIO caps. But I now use orange or a few others. As long as they are the .033 caps.
O know some will say they can hear no difference in caps, but a bet to differ. Even the same value of cap made from other manufactures can sound different. But in a lot of cases it not that big of a change to off on. I have made a lot of guitars that have no tone caps in them, and I tend to like the sound much better. But that is what I like. I wish he would have played the set with the two different types of caps. I been using .033 and 300k pots in my builds and have been very happy with the results. especially with sc and hummer combo guitars.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 22, 2023 10:35:21 GMT -6
Guitar cables? Hum... Here is one I know a lot of people go on about. Now, I bet I have spent thousands of dollars in cables over the years. The cheap ones last a short time when on the road. So I wound up buying more expensive ones. I bought one cable that was like $200.00 for 10 feet. I had more problems out that cable than some of my $25.00 cables. It seemed to me, no mater what I spent on a cable, the 1/4" jack would always come loose at the solder points.
The one able I had that I liked a lot and lasted a number of years was a directional cable. You could only sue it in one direction. It was not cheap. But what I liked about it was, it was not a noisy cable. I never got outside noise coming through my amp.
But again, some will argue that they can hear a tone difference in cables. Really? I never could. Bet my dog couldn't as well. The last cable I bought a few years ago. I spent $60.00 on it. So far it has been a good cable. Nothing real special about it. Just a will made cable and made with good wire.
Yep I honestly could never hear a difference. I always say my ears aren't good enough to hear the difference but I think my ears are way better than I give them credit for. I'm thinking of Buddy Guy Before wireless systems. He had a hundred feet of cable maybe more and a guy to follow him around as he went through the crowd to keep it from getting tangled up. The resistance in that cable should have have made hid tone sound like crap. IDK maybe there was a booster in line somewhere. When doing the closed note... Ever move your finger between the two frets? I have. You can change the pitch or sound of the sting. Then you can also change it by how much pressure one puts to the string.
I had a guy over a few weeks ago. He played on of guitars. He tole me it was out of intonation. I told him he was wrong, that he was pushing down on the string way too hard. So I played the guitar to show him. I was right, he was wrong. There was nothing wrong with the guitar. But one must take care when setting up a guitar. Not all of us have the same touch.
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