Guitar FAQWhat strings do you use?What picks do you use? So, about your gear..... Who are your influences? What do you practice? How did you do that?!? What strings do you use?Krystel: Guitar Strings and Why I Hate Them: A Mini Review - I just haven't had any luck with guitar strings lately. I had a bad experience with D'Addario that almost cut my finger off, so I switched to DR and although they say DR is supposed to last three times as long the three sets I used all corroded within a week. And they break easily. They also refuse to hold tune (I can't imagine using these things live....) And they are a pain to wind if you have never installed them before, and are a pain to install every time after that, especially since all of my guitars have floyds and require both ends of the strings to be crimped so as not to pull the hand-winding off the core. I can absolutely not reiterate enough how much I am totally disappointed with and completely, with every fiber of my insignificant but opinionated being, loathe DR. GHS I have never liked. I'm also not that big of a fan of Ernie Ball. They're weird feeling, I think. D'Addario is just where it's at for me I guess. I always use EXL120 for six strings and EXL120-7's for my seven strings. That's .009 thru a .52 for the low B.Jimmy: I keep most of this stuff as simple as possible, for ten years I have used D'addario EXL120s they are 9-42. I have found they have a nice feel, and they last fairly long for me. I recently purchased a set of DR strings and I have to say they where the most overpriced peices of junk I have ever tried. They corroded on me within the week. Granted we both play allot, but I never had any problems with D'addario. They useually last me about three weeks. I will never waste money on DR strings again. What picks do you use?Krystel: I worked in a music store briefly a few years back, brought home one of every pick we sold. I sat down and played the exact same thing with every one, and slowly eliminated the ones I didn't like. In the end I chose the Jim Dunlop Nylon Jazz III. It's a fairly popular pick with most advanced guitarists, Eric Johnson and Shawn Lane to name two. John Petrucci uses the black Jazz III's. I like the tone it gets, and it's stiff but not unforgiving. Also, between the material, the shape and the way the writing is stamped on it, these picks don't slip out of your fingers as easily as some. Since they are flat they don't slide around on the string like some of the rounder jazz picks do, and they also don't wear away as quickly as plastic picks. It is also great for rhythm, which most people think they sacrifice when they switch to jazz picks (someone called them "those fast metal picks" the other day, which I thought was rather funny...) They are smooth enough that, with proper technique, you can easily adapt to playing rhythm like you would with a flimsier pick. Again, the more rounded, fatter jazz picks lack this ability.Jimmy: For years I have used Jim Dunlop 2.0mm jazz stubies. They are tiny little purple tear drop pics. They are also three dimensional, convex in shape. I have found they float over the strings very smoothly. They are more expensive than most picks ranging from 50-75 cents a piece and are a lott of times almost impossible to find, they are still worth it. Really I have a hard time using anything else. I have noticed the standard for advanced players are either stubbies or jazz III picks. I know Krystel and Shawn use Jazz III's along with Eric Johnson. I believe Vai uses stubbies if I am not mistaken along with Satch. It is mostly a matter of personal taste, I think smaller picks are much more efficient as you are not fighting with the strings. So, about your gear......Krystel: My gear has updated recently (August 2005.) Although I thought it would never happen, I have abandoned Digitech completely. When I was running through my Digitech RP21D, I also had to run through several distortion pedals, and I never really did like the sound I got anyway. I've ditched it all, and have gone straight for a Line6 POD XT Live. Now I used to swear up and down that I hated modelers, but after much friendly persuasion by my buddies at Guitar Center, I took home a POD and, just like they said, I fell in love. It's an amazing little unit, sounds absolutely great. It hooks up to my computer through a USB port, and I can do all my preset editing on my computer instead of having to mess with knobs. It also has tons of great downloads from Line6.com and customtone.com that just kick butt. It really is great. And I can't tell you how nice it is to finally have a unit that does both distortion and clean equally well.Guitar wise, I play whatever guitar feels right. Of course you can take two identical guitars and know which one fits you, and that is how I pick them. As far as pcikups go, I prefer weak, my favorite pickup to date is the DiMarzio PAF7 in my LTD. I have two main guitars right now. I'm teaching on my ESP LTD 7 string, and recording at home with my Cort Viva 7 string. Jimmy: My main guitar is a Paul Gilbert model Ibanez, to me then neck feels right, I also use an Ibanez RG, and the occasional V. I also play on a Gibson Night Hawk, a twisted version of a Strat, Franken Fender really, I hate Fender stock electronics, they are made to be messed with and replaced, I also have and use an Alvarez scoop, they dont make the scoop anymore but they were incredible guitars, well neck wise, the tone stinks. Between the two of us we have quite a few guitars. The majority of my sound comes from my processor. I have a digitech 2101 Artist I useually bypass the preamp of any amp I use. Unfortunately they stopped making high end rack mounted processors, so if this thing ever fries I am out of luck. I have a Marshall stack loaded with 2 4x10 cabs for a brighter sound, plus I use a tall boy 4x12 cab with a randall head in stereo with the Marshall. I also have a vintage series crate that I use. For teaching and around the house I use 2 peavey Blazer 158s. Really I am tired of lugging around huge stacks so soon I will sell them and get either a stereo cab with a power amp or two 2x12 combo amps with an effects loop, we will get the same thing for Krystel so our live tone will not have any weird conflict. Really when it comes to gear, allot of people get wrapped up in what kind of wood it is made of, and how many tubes, and does it say fender, and all this other stuff. I try to keep things as simple as possible. There are people out there that really are not that good that buy extremely expensive equipment thinking they will be better, you all know who you are. For me if it feels right and it sounds right, I will buy it. I have bought guitars worth $80.00 and guitars worth $6,000, it is all a matter of the feel and sound, you can really set any guitar up if you like the neck. I either play a floyd rose guitar with 24 frets or a fixed bridge, I don't like other tremelo systems and useually put five springs in the back of them to keep them in tune. So it is basically locked. Acoustics, again it is all about sound and feel, not price, wood, and whether or not it says Taylor or Martin. I am not loyal to any specific brand of guitar. I don't like people that buy Fenders just because it says Fender and Les Pauls just because it says Les Paul, The one strat that I own is totally different than any other, well at least it is now after I got my hands on it. Don't get me wrong I like these brands just fine, but it is all about feel and sound. I don't want the same guitar everyone else has, that is cult style brain washing if you ask me. Don't be afraid to be original, be yourself, wow what a concept. Who are your influences?Krystel: My two earliest, and deepest, influences were Steve Vai (WhiteSnake and solo recordings) and David Gilmour (Pink Floyd). I think you can easily recognize these influences in my tone. Also some deep influences on me are Shawn Lane, Jonas Hellborg, Eric Johnson and the Vinayakram's. They are more technical influences; techniques, licks, styles, etc. They have opened me up to a higher level of music, and have changed my view of music drastically. My most recent influences are John Petrucci (Dream Theater), Nobuo Uematsu (Final Fantasy video game series) and Chuck Shuldiner (Death). I've been listening to Dream Theater for years, and just really dig them. I really like the whole progressive vibe, the rhythm is just cool, and I love the mix of jazz and metal, although I can do without the more pop based stuff they do. Nobuo Uematsu is probably the biggest influence I've ever had on a melodic level. His music is just the most beautiful music I have ever heard. My current favorite is To Zanarkand from Final Fantasy X, the piano solo from the intro movie. I love playing it on piano, it gets me all teary eyed every time. I think Death would have to be my favorite "band" right now. They are fairly technical considering the standard for their genre, and a lot of fun to cover. Schuldiner, their guitarist and singer, died recently from a brain tumor. He was 34.There are a lot of other people that have influenced me in one way or another, too many to ever list, but I'll ramble until I get bored: Jason Becker, Vinnie Moore, Steve Morse, Andy Timmons, Jeff Sipe, Craig Erickson, Joe Satriani, Trent Reznor, Roger Waters, Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin, Hendrix, Warren Haynes, Les Claypool, Tommy Priakos, Barry Bays, Sean Rickman, Chopin, Mozart, Rachmaninoff, Bartok, Bach, Paganini, Stu Hamm, Thomas McRocklin, Allan Holdsworth, Mike Stern, Dave LaRue, Neitzsche, H P Lovecraft, E A Poe, Stephen Hawking, Neils Bohr, DaVinci, Michaelangelo, Einstein, Brian Greene, my mother... Jimmy: My biggest influences groing up were Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughn, I later progressed I like Malmsteen, Vai, Vinnie Moore, Jason Becker, Eric Johnson, Steve Morse, Sam Phillips, Mini Elvis, Pat Martino, Mike Stern, Tony MacAlpine, Jeff Beck, David Gilmour, Nicolo Paganini, Bach, Beethoven,Chopin, Steve Kahn, John Scoffield, Mike Goodrich, Lannie Macmillan, Joe Stump, Timothy B Schmidt, Mozart, Vivaldi, Scarlatti, Carcassi, Rachmaninoff, Sor, Jascha Heifitz, Marty Friedman, Vogner, Brahms, Wes Montgommery, Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Jaco, Bill Evans, Tommy Priakos, Eliot Fiske, Nuno Bettencourt, Julian Bream, Chris Parkening, Segovia, Shakti, Ravi Shankaar, Paul Gilbert, Randy Rhoads, Focus, UK, John Petrucci, Duane Almann, Warren Haynes, Albert Lee, Stanley Jordan, Steve Cropper, Donald Duck Dunn,Gary Moore, Thelonious Monk, Charles Mingus, Nusrat Fateh Ali Kahn, Vinakrim Selva Ganesh, Brett Garsed, Chet Atkins, Vince Gill, Ricky Scaggs, Marty Stuart, Danny Gatton I really could go on forever. Really the only things I dont like and I don't consider to even be music are (C)Rap, the whole grundge alternative thing, and pop. Rap is not music it is a loop of beats, they dont speak English, they prefer ebonics, slang and a whole bunch of cuss words while talking about shooting cops and smoking crack, to me rap is for the weak and feeble minded. Grundge again, these people can't even tune a guitar let alone play, what a mockery of such a great instrument. And pop, yes a whole bunch of puppets brought to you by those who know music best, big business. They don't write thier own music, they lip sing live and if you have heard one song you have heard them all. People who are weak minded listen to this stuff because their friends and huge corporations tell them to listen to it, they are modern day slaves to the corporate world. These are the same people that pull up their gigantic SUV up to Starbucks and Eat a tofu and spruot sandwich on a bagle while yapping away on a cell phone and sipping an overpriced latte that taste like spray paint. I have no interest in playing music for any of those people. Oh yeah and I hate accordians, bag pipes and those obnoxious Mariachi bands that come to your table at Mexican restraunts, and people that bring thier screaming babies out in public especially on air planes. I would much rather stay true to myself and play music in front of people who love and understand advanced music. My biggest influences are those who affected me directly and that is Barry Richman, Shawn Lane, Jonas Helborg, Jeff Sipe, Col Bruce Hampton, Jimmy Herring, Ben Cauley, Joe Gamble, Sid Woolfolk, Bill Hart, Shane Theriot, Randy Hoexter, Howie Bentley, Chuck Hughes, Gene Mason, nAndy Timmons, Craig Erickson, Brett Funk and Carl Cullpepper. After that I would have to say Allan Holdsworth, John McLaughlin, Ted Greene, V. Umamahesh, V. Umashankar, V. Selvaganesh and Trilok Gurtu. I love high speed fusion guitar. The word fusion alone tells you we are not limited by style. What do you practice?Krystel: Always have and always will say Practice What You Play. Licks, sequences, arpeggios, riffs, other peoples songs that I like, all WITH A METRONOME OR THE CD.Jimmy: I wrote an article a few years back for the Online guitar college on practice, I have recently revised that article, see lessons to read it. How did you do that?!?Krystel: Metal chick. Enough said.Jimmy:Ah yes my favorite question..... You see folks guitar is very similar to basketball, it is all in the shoes. You can't play basketball with any old shoes says NIKE, you must have special Shaq or Jordan shoes. Guitar is the same way. See boots make you play country or blues, barefoot makes you play down home blues, the old shred standard was Converse "All Stars" which yes use to be a basketball shoe, the all American shoe, untill they opend up a sweat shop in China to make them. During the Eighties you had your standard isssue "shit kickers" with all the chains and stuff, and the other folks were wearing high tops, which again where basketball shoes. Shawn wears black sandals live, so if you really want to rip you need to go with the sandals. Barry Richman and Steve Morse wear old moccasin type shoes, they really help with the improv and again if you can find those you will really rip at guitar. Me, I find the cheapest shoe they have that is comfortable, useually at Wal-Mart, I have this whole thing where I refuse to spend more than $15.00 on shoes, but you have to get the right cheap shoe or you will never be able to play. Whatever you do don't get loafers man, they are only good for throwing at Cats when they claw the couch, just avoid the loafers and everything else will be cool:) Are you related to Jason Becker?Krystel: So, this is, like, the main question I get asked. When people learn my last name it is always the first question they ask me. I can't think of a single guitarist that knew who Jason was and didn't ask me if I was related somehow. And maybe in some hamlet nestled quietly on the outskirts of some bustling German city long, long ago, maybe, just maybe, we had some minute genetic connection. But I doubt it....... And while we are on the subject, everyone who meets me thinks I'm related to Shawn Lane because we look so much alike. I've gotten quite the array of comments on this one, from sister to daughter, especially when he and I are around each other. But, again, we're not related.Jimmy:I, like Krystel am in no way related to Jason Becker, in fact my last name is Hudson, which is nowhere near similar to Becker, however on my Moms side of the family she comes from Bakers, which I have heard is the English translation to Becker, so like Krystel there may be some town in Germany where the lineage may be similar, but that would be gross because I would then also be related to Krystel, I may live in Memphis, but Damn I aint that Southern, on a seriuous note Jason Becker is a really good person and I really hate what happened to him, I have heard he has regained use of some muscles and I really hope one day he can be cured, if you want to help Jason out please buy his CD's available at his Web Site. |