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. -- String Opinion Slight Return -- D'Addario has lost me in a lot of ways since I wrote that (back in 2004.) I'm really digging the DR coated Silver Stars lately. I'm into 10's lately, since most of the music I write and play is a whole step down or drop C. The great thing about these strings, they don't decay like most strings and as I switch from teaching in standard and drop D, to occassionally teaching and mainly playing and recording a whole step down and in drop C, they have performed beautifully, both with detuning and keeping up with my 6 to 12 hour seven days a week playing schedule. They make an amazing tech death metal string, but they also perform beautifully with jazz, country, rock, fusion, etc., like, you know, very versatile. I must say, I am in love with these strings. And if you want to add in the cool factor, the Silver Stars are silvery, but they also come in black, red, blue, green......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. Logan: DR's are my personal strings of choice. I use the DR Silver Star 9 or 10 gauge depending on the guitar. See, I rust strings very quickly. In fact, at one point I was having to change my strings once a week when I used D'Addario's. And let me tell you, that was no fun having to change the stings on guitars with a Floyd Rose bridge that often. But these DR's, they sound great, I actually kept them on my main guitar for about two months before I could tell a noticeable change in playability and tone. So, DR Silver Star 9 gauges on my guitars tuned to standard, and 10 gauges for my guitars tuned a whole step down. 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. I switch between the red and black jazz III's often, using the red ones for a warmer tone, and the black ones for more bite.Jimmy: For years I have used Jim Dunlop 2.0mm jazz stubbies. 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. Logan: Jim Dunlop Nylon Jazz III picks. Those are the red ones. I personally keep a better grip on them over the black ones, and I feel like they move across the strings a little better than the black ones. Plus I like the color red. 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. Not to mention the ease and cleanliness of recording with this little guy. It's just an amazing unit. I just wish it had more of the flashy cool insane Digitech effects, and had more versatility with layering and customizing the effects it already has.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 pickups go, I prefer very 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. ......And then she realized what hot really was..... haha.... flash forward to 2007...... My main guitar for a few years now has become my ESP LTD M10 6 string with EMG 85's in both the neck and bridge..... I cannot stress enough the beauty, clarity and precision of active EMG pickups. I still love my 7's to death, don't get me wrong..... I'm still a 7 string player at heart.... but my M10 has come into my life and completely owned my guitar playing soul. And not to mention this whole tech death metal player thing and need to be able to detune a lot..... thank you fixed bridge!! ... my sevens are floyds..... and passive... Anyway, this M10.... it's just..... mine.... I love all twenty-something guitars I have, but my M10...... I'd run into a burning building to save it. It's just mine. A fixed bridge may have its limitations, and my hands may have made the back of the neck pitch black, and it may be a satin finish that is wearing away, and maybe it doesn't have 24 frets... but damn it.... it's the best feeling guitar I've ever felt. And that's what matters. Remember that.. k? 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. Logan: Ah, gear. Well, when it comes to tones and effects, most of the tones you can create on the Line 6 POD XT Live are pretty good, while the effects of a Digitech 2120 are the best sounding to me. I love being able to make some of the amazing effects on the Digitech (my favorites being the whammy pedal, 15 second delay, and other ridiculous things that many other guitarists don't think about because they are so obscure) that simply don't sound as great on the POD. But the tones on the Line 6 are currently unrivaled. If only I could somehow smash the two together into some sort of Digi-Line 6 contraption.... Now when it comes to guitars, I am a Jackson fan. My two main guitars are a Jackson Dinky with a maple neck and fretboard, and a Jackson Warrior with a maple neck and rosewood fretboard. On the Dinky I have a stock Seymour Duncan pick-up in the neck and a DiMarzio Tone Zone in the bridge. The tone I get clean through my neck pickup is pretty good, and when I turn on the distortion and switch down to the bridge, the combination of the maple neck and fretboard with the Tone Zone provides an excellent, bright shred type of effect on the whole. Now on my Jackson Warrior, I use DiMarzio D'Activators which is the same pick up set up as guitarist Mohammad Suicimez of Necrophagist so I figured, heck, why don't I give it a shot. And I must say, that these are the single most active sounding passive pick ups I have ever heard. They are phenomenal. They have my favorite response, the pinch harmonics fall out with little to no effort, and they sound excellent both clean and with distortion. Clean, I get a very warm response, and on distortion there is no mud to them at all. Both guitars have Floyd Rose bridges which I swear by. Contrary to popular belief I do own guitars other than Jacksons. Most notably an Ibanez RG and a Fender Strat with a V'd neck made of bird's eye maple. Since we are talking about gear, I do own straps for my guitars too, one of which is Zebra print which I feel makes me play faster, while the rest are black. 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. .... Now, lately... with metal.... Necrophagist, Cryptopsy, Spawn of Possesion, Job for a Cowboy, Origin, Decapitated, Sleep Terror.... etc., etc.,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, Jimmy Herring, Jeff Sipe, 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, Vic Wooten, Steve Bailey, anyone that sounds good... and then there is H P Lovecraft, E A Poe, Stephen Hawking, Neils Bohr, DaVinci, Michaelangelo, Einstein, Brian Greene, Johannes Kepler, Wheeler, Michio Kaku, Steven Weinberg, 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. Logan: Having lived in Memphis my entire life I was earliest influenced my many delta blues musicians one of the biggest being BB King. Later I discovered such musicians as YoYo Ma, John Williams, Nobuo Uematsu, John Phillip Sousa, Chuck Mangione, J.S. Bach, and Bela Bartok whose compositions (be it in a solo ballad or a fully orchestrated march) will always have some sort of influence on everything that comes out of me musically be it on a guitar or trombone. Sticking specifically to guitarists, the guitarist that made me want to play guitar was Kerry King (Slayer). He opened the gateway for me into metal and I have expanded since to Spawn of Possession, Necrophagist, Death, and others of the like. I also have a deep appreciation for jazz, mainly because I played it all through school on trombone. When it comes to jazz I lean towards Mike Stern and Jaco Pastorius. Other guitarists I really respect and enjoy are Eric Johnson, Brett Garsed, Shawn Lane, Steve Vai, Andy Timmons, Yngwie Malmsteen and Michael Angelo Batio (the last two I can only really take in small doses, though). 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. Logan: Well, first I pick up my guitar and place the strap over my shoulder. Then I plug my guitar into an amplifier, and turn it on. I then decide whether I would prefer to sit or stand. Then I pick the desired piece of music or technique I want to work on. I play whatever I am working on a bunch to work out the kinks. Then I put it to a metronome. When I am finished, I remove the guitar from my person, place it on a stand, turn off the amp, unplug my guitar, turn off the light in the room, and quickly exit. How did you do that?!?Krystel: First of all, female technical death metal guitarist.... and if that doesn't say enough..... Practice, technique, practice, technique, practice, technique, repetition, technique, repetition, technique, repetition, technique, metronome, technique, metronome, technique, metronome, technique, metronome. Exercises, both physical and mental, learning songs, writing songs. Learning, explaining, understanding. Practice. Technique. Repetition. Technique. Metronome. Technique. Learn guitar, learn bass, learn drums, learn whatever instrument is in your style, keys, flute, sax, trumpet, trombone, harp..... Learn, practice, play. Give it your all, no matter how big or how small that is. Set your goals, look at your life realistically, decide what you can do, and if you take lessons from me, expect to go above and beyond that, so long as you give it everything you have, no matter how big or small.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 "sh*t 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:) Logan: Are you sure I really did do it? If so do you have tangible evidence? Because sometimes I ask myself how I did it too. 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...... I'm just not that lucky or that gifted. And to clarify, in my humble opinion, Jason was the single most beautiful guitarists to ever hit the scene, he is one of the most beautiful souls alive today, and his music, both at tempo and slowed to a painfully slow tempo, is some of the single most beautiful music I have ever heard. He shone so bright when he could, and shines just as brightly today. ALS aside, he is just as strong and amazing as ever. In my opinion he was the definitive neoclassical and tradidtional classical composer of our time, and I could not be more proud of him for continuing to compose and to be a part of the musical community inspite of his debilitating disease.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. On a serious 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. Logan:Well, long story short........No. But I did descend from Arabic royalty. |
