Golden Smoghead

Having done this many times, I'd just advise to try to sing the vocals as clean as possible. I usually change SOMETHING in the vocals when I am performing live -- which I think is a good thing for shows -- but those really annoy me later on with these projects. Alternate concept: I'm just not a great singer and can never make a great-sounding vocal take live.

Huh. I had no idea that is how that sound is produced, thanks for spelling it out.

Oh come on. You don't know a song that has D / A / G? That's literally all it takes to try out the five-string capo at the second fret. The only, only thing different is strum the bottom string when you play the D. I promise, that is exactly the only thing you have to do different ... but it might get you hearing slightly different. This is why I started the thread, because some of the ideas in here don't sound too hard but get me thinking. (and i do think of this as basically the songwriting / gear forum on the site) Like I've never messed with harmonics other than tuning, but Moss

I like the entry you got! (OK so just another vote that you seem like a good dude doing good things and keep it up.)

A long time ago I was watching a video of Guy Clark playing and saw him use a capo for just five strings. I just copied him, thought it was cool and didn't think much about it. But then in a music store a few weeks ago I was doing this and the instructors there all gathered around to think about it. I was a little surprised, so I am wondering if you guys do anything you thought everyone knows about, but you've gotten questions on. The technique I assumed everyone knows about: It only works with those alligator-clip type of capos, you basically would capo five of the strings at the secon

FWIW, I strongly prefer "bluegrass gauge" strings when I can get them for my acoustics. I seldom strum the top strings (will strum middle or bass sets) so I like how they ring out (sharper with less sustain) when I reach for them with the lighter gauge up there. Also I like having more sustain on the lower strings, especially the E and D strings end up having to hold down roots while I noodle around sometimes. I DO think that different body types / tonewoods / whatever do sound better with different string-types though. So for me I have owned some cheaper guitars that sounded like total g

Just in case folks aren't on their mailing list... There's a presale on for some May and June dates if you join. I will be catching them the Monday after Bonnaroo (in Columbia, MD).

Thanks for those links, very helpful. I didn't realize the M1A was active (duh from the name) hence the confusing DI question. So yeah sounds like you could run the same setup on the post-pre-amp DI since it's just for color. On that note, I am not super-impressed with the Fishman Aura in my Martin as far as sound-shaping goes. I know all electronics are going to sound fake to a degree, but the Aura is just unsatisfactory to my ears, even with all those settings to mess with. I have been wondering if it might be because the Aura is linked into the piezo (and it's really piezos I don't li

Thanks for the tips, man. I don't play solo very often these days, for that part of the question. I play a Marting D-18 with on-board Fishman Aura pickups (where you can blend Aura with piezo) for the most part. However, my second acoustic guitar is a currently-uninmic'ed Seagull which I like a lot. I'm thinking about playing it as my second guitar and installing the Baggs you mentioned. Mostly with it tuned DADGBD, for about four speciality songs I have in that tuning. So I guess what I'm looking for is mostly what you mentioned / what I saw on your soundboard (xciter / how many lines

I'm currently in the final stages of refurbishing (gently) my granddad's 1961 Les Paul (really an SG body type). Had to re-wind one of the humbucker coils and a few other bits of this and that, will re-post when I get some pics ready. I find the toughest thing for me when it comes to gear is really more on the acoustic-guitar side of things. I go back and forth in shows (probably 3/4 electric, 1/4 acoustic) and I always find that my acoustic gear is just so shit-tacular as to sound much worse by comparison. Do you guys have any tips for what are sort of must-have electronics to use for ro

Another vote in favor of this album. I disliked a lot of their previous work, this is very solid to my ears. I think because it's more consistently roots-based. Their old stuff sounded very indie-rock -based and that wasn't a good thing to me.

I'm with those who say "better than their last and let's hope they keep with this trajectory."

The video did in fact claim they were volunteers.

I just wanted to go back and visit a topic from a couple pages ago. Coming to Bruce relatively late in his cycle (after 9/11, in my 20s), I actually found BITUSA a lot better than you guys give credit. I had heard the tracks a few times as a kid but thought the song BITUSA was some kind of jingoistic deal and didn't care much for Dancin' in the Dark, so I was surprised by how good that album is overall. I also find Nebraska a bit boring. I know that's sacrilege, but face-to-face, I'd rather listen to Devils & Dust any day of the week. Dunno, different strokes for different folks, b

This is a great track, thanks for pointing it out!

Good stuff, thanks for the links!

I think you're right that it suffered from the comparisons (it was also after the Crazy Train / Peace Train bit, right?)... But honestly I don't think it was good anyway. I was stoked when they announced who was playing, but that was not a performance for the highlight reel. I mean, do you think anybody who'd never heard of Mavis Staples or Jeff Tweedy went rushing out to find them after that one?

Is there a walking bass line for the "under New Madrid" part as well? I kinda hear C - B - A (that initiates the Am for "Madrid")

BTW, my favorite track of yours is "Monsoon Season." The rest of it is potentially "grower" material for me, but a bit slow for my tastes. I think at your best points here it's reminiscent of Jay Farrar, which is a good thing. I can see any of these songs fitting well on a soundtrack or something though, good stuff and good luck. fwiw my shitty demo is here: My link

I think it depends on what phase you're at in the process. I like to finish to "Outta Sight (Outta Mind)" -- I think that's the rocky one and not the wussy one.

I have the cheapy version of the boss pedal, and I don't like it. Basically it always feels to me like there's a slight delay with the triggering, so the only loops I can really do with it are on songs with slower tempos (or slower LINES vice tempos) so I can compensate / cover for the delay. It works OK if I'm playing solo, but my drummer fucking hates that shit and some songs we would like to use it. In hindsight I wish I'd saved my money and bought one of the better loop stations discussed in this thread. Just my opinion though and probably other people can use that pedal to good eff

Everyone's different. For me, usually playing a show actually HELPS this feeling. Especially if I play more of my upbeat / crowdpleaser crap. That's when I sort of circle around to "people just like a good hook" and it makes me feel better about my lyrics. When that doesn't work, then I tend to write a couple new very-different songs to sort of work out the angst. A couple years ago I wrote half of a rock-opera about what if Jesus and the disciples lived in present-day Washington, D.C. I only still like one song out of that batch, but it was good to get away from my normal writing voi

This is just a vote for sticking around here. I have a band, but all we have available right now is a crappy demo we recorded six weeks after getting together (it's been a year now). We're saving up money to go into the studio this fall and do a more full-range demo / album.

+1, more substantive and less dreamy-boring

Sold out = boooooo (I mean the album is sold out / unavailable, not RA, that's too old an argument to bother randomly throwing around)