FerretallicA

Sorry, my mistake... I meant the GR-20 is what I'm using. Even with that, I dare say you'd still have the same analog -> MIDI -> analog conversion happening, it just happens internally instead of spread over the signal chain.

I have been giving the whole MIDI thing a bit of thought lately and one thing doesn't make sense to me. I'm greatly disappointed with the tracking I'm getting from a GK-2 and GI-20 rig. For the most part it plays alright but if I pick the same note on the same string twice even fairly slowly it's ****-house. Forget trying to actually solo with it. I've read that rigs by Graphtech and RMC are far better and I haven't really questioned it much but now that it comes down to putting dollars on the line it has me thinking more. Unless I'm mistaken, the actual MIDI conversion takes place externally (GI-20, AX-100 etc). The only way I can figure that the pickup will make a difference is by providing a clearer signal (i.e. more range and picks up the initial attack more) but that still doesn't make much sense to me. Isn't half the point of modern piezo pickups that they provide a smooth response and eliminate 'quack', thus also eliminating the advantage it might offer when trying to track distinct notes? On the other hand if the pickup is not actually any clearer than a magnetic hexaphonic pickup like the GK-2 then the only way I can figure it possibly being better for MIDI tracking is if it's louder. Again, I can't quite see how that would actually help as if it's sensitive enough to pick up things like tapped notes already it should only raise the overall volume and increase the odds of chained notes not falling below the threshold at which it detects a note 'ending'? Sorry if I'm rambling or my thoughts don't seem to run in a coherent line. In short my basic question is: WHY are, for example, Ghost and RMC pickup systems able to offer better MIDI tracking if even at all? I don't want to throw money away on something which ends up disappointing and unused like my Roland pickup.

I am going through the motions of getting my ideal realistic ( ) custom guitar design together. At the moment I'm leaning heavily towards having no magnetic pickups at all (Variax-style) and just having a Ghost setup for the bridge. I'm quite happy with the sound of a GK2 pickup into a VG8EX (it's just the tracking which disappoints) so I can't see why I wouldn't be at least equally happy with a better pickup and a VG99. Being able to plug into a normal rig "just in case" is of absolutely no interest, if I want to do that I'll use a standard guitar. The first catch is that I am also very keen on a Sustainiac thrown into the mix. You supposedly need a separate pickup to feed the sustain driver with the most common (see: only) suggestion being to use a standard magnetic bridge pickup. If I absolutely have to install a bridge pickup to make it happen then fair enough but I'd much prefer not to. The Sustainiac web site has the following in their FAQ: The haven't updated that in quite some time... I'm pretty sure it said the exact same thing when I was tearing my hear out trying to make a similar idea happen only in 7-string form (no prizes for working out where that went and how much hair I pulled out in the process). That was years ago so I'm wondering if that was just based on generic piezos like you get in acoustic pickups. Has anyone tried using decent modern hexaphonic piezo based systems to feed a Sustainiac (or home made sustain driver for that matter)? Failing that, any educated guesses as to what I could expect? I tried emailing Sustainiac but that was a couple weeks ago and I still haven't gotten a response.

When I was first starting to experiment and branch out with the guitar I used to use the Ring Mod effect on a DOD Tech-4 pedal and a BOSS EQ pedal for pretty much that exact purpose. With modern multi-FX pedals where you can layer on even more effects (low-pass, fuzz and light chorus together with the ring mod?) I imagine the sound would be quite passable.

The masses are probably aware already but since this is the only thread on the topic I've found and it hasn't been updated in yonks... http://www.graphtech.com/products.html?SubCategoryID=28 GraphTech have released a drop-in Floyd replacement Ghost bridge. A tad on the expensive side once you factor everything in though...

I never said being on the internet made it "ok/correct/truth/bla bla" as you so articulately put it, however you might want to give some consideration to the fact that it's HOSTED ON THE PROJECT GUITAR WEB SITE! Considering the subject matter at hand and where this is being discussed, surely it holds a bit more weight than simply "bla bla".

Just one last thing to add to those who refuse to come down from their high horse- http://projectguitar.com/tut/phs.htm I don't know if that's an original Jem or not in that tute but it sure as hell indicates to me that vinyl decals of the Ibanez and Jem logo are available and that their use isn't at all discouraged. Buckethead if you still want to do that maybe try emailling the author of that tutorial to find out where they got their decals from.

I think this topic has been saturated enough with opinions. The same two arguments just keep coming up ad nauseum- 1) It's illegal 2) It's for personal use and doesn't affect anyone else No-one is getting convinced in either direction away from their existing stance and the guy who started the debate doesn't even care any more, so how about just closing the thread.

It has no less personal benefit than a lot of the stuff people do to their guitars on here I suppose. Who cares if it's finished clear-coat, matte black or chromalusion? How is the tone or playability improved by having LED fret markers? It's all about PERSONAL benefit. The closest thing to a guitar project of mine is an RG7620 which I refinished in harlequin, made up a perforated steel pickguard for, and coloured the pick-ups on. It's still an Ibanez RG, it's not my guitar. Purely for personal satisfaction though, I have my own "Ferret Custom Shop" logo on the headstock. If anyone asks I'll happily tell them it's still an RG and I didn't make it from scratch, but it's something I just wanted to have on there just so it feels more personal and more like my own. I wouldn't go labelling mine a "Jem" when it's not or anything because I don't believe in brand-whoring but if this guy's dream is to own a left-handed Jem but he can't afford one (or they don't exist) and having that logo will give him more satisfaction from that guitar then so be it. It's almost as pathetic as someone buying a Toyota and decking it out with Lambourghini badges- I can't say I agree with it but I wouldn't assume it's purely for resale scamming either. As for fraudulent... only if he tries to sell it under the pretense that it's an authentic Jem. It was established it was just because he wants a left-handed Jem. I say leave people to their dreams so long as it hurts no others. You're just jealous because he didn't want to get an Ormsby decal for it

I've tried way too many to bother listing them all in detail here but in general I've found the VST-based plugins to be the most useful for me. IK Multimedia's "Amplitube" was one of the first major commercially-available software-based amp modelling programs and still remains one of the better ones. Native Instruments' "Guitar Rig II" is similar to Amplitube but offers different enough options to warrant looking at separately and it has a rack-based interface which some people might find more appealing as opposed to Amplitube's fixed-sequence interface. Green Machine Amp II looks very confusing and amateurish at first compared to the two afore-mentioned products but it is cable of a very cool sound of its own once you've spent 5 minutes or so poking around all the dials on offer. If you really just want something straight-forward there's Nomad Factory "Rock Amp Legends" which offers a very basic interface resembling a simple Marshall head and still produces a fairly nice sound. reFX's "Slayer 2" is an attempt at a digital guitar which sounds rather poor but there is a separate "SlayerFX" package which basically acts like a set of effect pedals with a very easy-to-use interface and you can chain up to 8 (?) effects in any order you want. No amp/cabinet/etc modelling though. My most higly recommended one is "WarpVST" though. It doesn't have the complexity or flexibility of "Guitar Rig", doesn't have the extreme simplicity and ease-of-use of "Rock Amp Legends", doesn't have any built-in effects, but the amp modelling is simply the most realistic and sonically pleasing of any software solution I've ever tried. The best thing you can do is use multiple of them since no one product is a one-size-fits-all solution. For most of my demo recordings for my solo CD I've used a VST chain as follows- -direct input -Amplitube (only for the overdrive mostly, sometimes for the wah chorus and stereo delay effects. I don't use any of the amp/cab/etc modelling) -parametric eq -WarpVST (awesome amplifier simulation) If I could justify the cost of Guitar Rig II for the room simulation alone I'd add that to the end of the chain but it's just not worth it for what little I'd use it for. Once I pull my finger out and buy a rackmount V-Amp I'll be scrapping Amplitube and WarpVST from the chain too though. Behringer's V-Amp is an astounding hardware solution with awesome connectivity and sound quality which rivals (and in my opinion) exceeds even the pricey Line 6 Pod Pro XT, all for the cost most software-based plug-ins. I'd generally steer clear of stand-alone solutions. Amplitube has a stand-alone version but as far as I'm aware it's only available for Mac so I haven't been able to try it. Programs like "Guitar FX Processor" offer very poor results not only in sound in general but in terms of things like latency and interoperability with other programs. If you want a software solution, go with VST plugins (or DXi if that tickles your fancy) and a decent VST host. Even though I mostly compose and perform hard rock and metal I still use Fruityloops which is intended as a dance/trance/techno/etc platform. Why? Because it's simple and it works, and it's a breeze to knock up backing tracks in a hurry for playing around with ideas in my head. I've tried Cakewalk, Audition etc and they always seem to need a minor diploma to do anything productive with. So *deep breath* sorry for the long post. In summary if you want a software solution I'd recommend- CoolEdit Pro (for recording raw tracks. Simple and it works) Fruityloops 5 (for arranging and mixing or just for running plugins while you jam away live. Powerful, supports VST and DXi, easy to use, tonnes of features) Amplitube (for effects and amp simulation. Great range of sounds, many downloadable presets of famous guitarists' rigs, easy to use) ...and if you're still not happy, throw in WarpVST as well (GREAT sound quality. Most I've shown can't tell it apart from a real amp)

That's definitely insane, but you can expect no less from Paul Gilbert If you want complete and utter craziness though, have a listen to Rusty Cooley's solo album or his work with Book Of Reflections. Before anyone starts slagging him (or me) off, I'm not saying speed alone is the true measure of a guitarist, but you seriously have to respect such insanely fast chops executed with laser-like precision at least from a discipline point of view if not a compositional one. Be sure to check out Paul Gilbert's instructional videos if you really want to put that kind of speed of his into perspective and see how it's actually done. There are many other instructional vids out there but Paul Gilbert is one of the few who approaches it in a way which is entertaining even for non-guitarists.

Have you sold it yet? I'm still interested in the complete body (+bridge etc) if you haven't.

I wouldn't use fanned frets at all. To get them done by someone else would be too expensive, and to do it yourself would be just too damn hard. It's hard enough getting straight frets done properly Plus I'd probably only go 25" to maybe 26" which doesn't really make the exercise worth while.

Malmsteen also has a fat head.

Heh if the CAN$ is anything like the AU$ that's about US$280 right? Bloody exchange rates... US$400 is going to be about AU$620. How does a country like England end up with one of the world's strongest currencies... bah.

If you'll take $400 for the whole kit (body, trem, electronics/hardware) consider it sold, assuming it would work with a 24 fret, 25 1/2" scale neck. If you still haven't gotten any significant interest in the body for the price you're asking let me know.

<< damn man are you from the states? cause that is one BRUTALLY jacked up sentance >> It's "sentence"

I thought I'd add my own templating technique which I haven't seen anyone mention anywhere else before. I print up whatever body design I want on an ordinary piece of paper and put it on an overhead projector which I then use to project the outline of the body onto a piece of wood. I'm fortunate enough to be able to borrow the projector from the local primary school for free whenever I need it however even if you don't have access to one you can pick one up from eBay second hand for under AU$50, which is a lot less than what many places sell their templates for. Just remember to include a measurement on your print-ups otherwise you won't know where to place everything to get the projection at the correct size for tracing which would screw up the scale amongst other things.

I've only ever seen this effect on a restaurant/cafe table before now, and certainly never on such a tiny scale. Does anyone have any examples of this technique being put into practice on other guitar parts? I like the effect but can't really visualise how it would fit in on a guitar design. Great tutorial!