Black Bar?

[RGGR]

Tonight I saw Maiden live in the Brabant Halls in Holland. Guess Bruce and it's gang are getting old, as show was okay, only Bruce's voice was not as strong as it's used to be. He had hard time topping the three guitars.

Still huge Maiden fan.....just I think the time has come the album stuff outpasses the live stuff.....and up to now it was the other way around.

Now comes my questoin. I saw Adrian Smith using little black bar in between the tremolo and the bridge p-up.

What is this little black bar (with wire attached) for?

Is it Roland electonic p-up of some kind?? What effects can be created with it. Just curious.

Edited November 28, 2006 by RGGR

[rsguitar]

Do you have a pic of this? Sounds like a roland midi pickup, but I would have to see a pic to be sure.If it is you can use this type of pickup for synth sounds of all kinds.

Mike

[Xanthus]

http://www.samplesmith.com/articles/Genera...n_Northwood.jpg

is that it? The GK-2A? I know that MIDI pickups can make yo' guitah go all funky funky (see: Muse), but honestly, Maiden's Em C G and D chords don't really call for funky MIDI effects.

I saw them when they came 'round to Boston this year. But god, I can barely listen to their new CD straight through on the CD, let alone in concert. Well, I'm just hoping they come around again; I love so much old metal it makes me kick myself for not having like... remembered the 80's, being just a wee lad and all.

More on topic, however: You must have had really good seats (or keen eyes), because I didn't see any black bars on the guitars, and I was 15th row floor. What I DID notice, however, is how Bruce sounds like he's about to die when he reaches for that high B nowadays.

Maybe they have a RoboBruce sing in the studio, because he doesn't sound nearly as strained...

[brian d]

Liike the black bar on this? (one of my guitars in progress)

It's a Roland Hex pickup connected to a GK2-a which I have mounted into the back of the guitar but you can get kits to have a "proper" built in system.

Apart from connecting to MIDI, you can also connect to the VG-8 or VG-88 (which do some nice modelling of guitars, amps and alternate tunings) or Boss GK effects which do some weird and wonderful things - one string at a time.

Regards,

Brian.

Edited November 28, 2006 by brian d

[RGGR]

More on topic, however: You must have had really good seats (or keen eyes), because I didn't see any black bars on the guitars, and I was 15th row floor.

There were no seats in this event......just standing seats......and those monitors/big screens on the side give a very decent close up. I know the new album has some funcky accoustic stuff interwoven with the metal electric stuff......but it's hard to tell which effect these guys are using at the time.

From little research so far I guess it must have been a Roland GK-3 or so. But reading up on the thing, I'm still don't exactly know what I could use it for. Maybe I have to check more into this Midi stuff.

What I DID notice, however, is how Bruce sounds like he's about to die when he reaches for that high B nowadays.

I was just bad seeing such an awesome metal voice giving in to the test of time. I think the new CD is great (after listening to it for a ocuple of time)....but yes, when they play their 80 stuff the roof just goes off the building.

Edited November 28, 2006 by RGGR

[RGGR]

I be darned if there wasn't a short clip of it already on youtube.

You can clearly see the black bar (Roland??) on Adrian's Fender.

Here is another one, but less visible.

Darn..... futher search showed even clearer one.

Edited December 17, 2006 by RGGR

[Simo]

It's a Roland... http://www.roland.co.uk/guitar_roomnews.asp?ID=106

I saw them live on the 12th, they were excellent

[Odin]

Maiden used some synth guitars on the Somwhere in time album.. it would surprise me if they used it live. But..what do i know

[biliousfrog]

couldn't it be both?.....after all a synth pickup is just a piezo pickup but processed differently so that it can send MIDI signals. As long as each string has a seperate pickup it can be used for either.