BigWheeledWagon

While SBS may be a "lesser" album, I think it's awfully premature to start talking about a decline -- at least until we hear the new album. Even if the new one is the worst thing the band has ever done, I can't see a reason to call it quits while they are still such a dynamic live band. I'll admit that "SBS" is perhaps my least favorite Wilco album (which doesn't mean I don't love it), but seeing them tour in support of it was amazing. All bands tend to have a peak period after which the quality of their albums become less consistent (see the Stones from Beggars Banquet through Exile), but

I will also give my standard response on this one (and likewise apologize for not really answering the question). I have never found a pickup or other acoustic accessory that sounds as good as just using a microphone. I know Jeff likes the LR Baggs, but I really don't like the sound he gets live -- it just doesn't sound natural (sorry if that amounts to blasphemy around here). The sound of most, in not all, of these devices leaves something to be desired to my ear. I know that using a mic on an acoustic guitar can be hassle and is very much limiting to on-stage movement (with the exception

I couldn't agree more. I have a '67 Gibson Dove, and it has some serious booming bottom end, and I've found that strings make no real difference in this regard. I have found, however, that I have adjusted my technique not just to compensate for the intense low end but also to utilize this facet of the guitar. For recording, there are numerous ways to deal with the exaggerated low tones. Also, a guitar with a powerful low end sounds great high strung (also known as Nashville tuning)

Yeah, I'm trying to go easy with the "wrong forum" responses since they often lead to 1) complete freak-outs and a stream of insults from the person who posted in the wrong forum to begin with even though the correction was meant only to educate/help and 2) a digression of the discussion into forum etiquette by those who witness the spat with half the posters taking the position that folks should go easy on new posters so as not to discourage them and the rest advocating absolute adherence to the rules. Sometimes someone even gets upset at the suggestions that they are new to the boards, even

I went to college just down the street and around the corner from Neil's. I've got some memories of that place (a few of them even good). Anyway, sounds like a good cause. Oh, and I absolutely have had the same experience with learning several songs from an artist. I find myself writing songs in the style of that artist for a while after. Good luck. I hope you get a good turnout.

Sorry to take so long to respond to your post -- especially your first post. My radio station problem is not limited to my guitar; in fact, it's worst in the headphones of my recording rig (but only through the phones) The station does increase with volume, but on my guitar it is independent of whether I am touching the guitar. I'll let you know if I figure something out.

I also had an evil teacher named Ms. Pugh in middle school -- I can't remember what subject she taught, though. Funny.

When I worked at a music store in my youth, we used to sell his Peavey model (the red one with all the random stripes). What a piece of crap that was. We had a guy that hung out in the store and kind of worked there at times who was a guitar player in Buddy Guy's band (and is now a pretty talented solo blues guitar player in his own right), and I did enjoy hearing him demonstrate it to all the goofy kids by playing "Eruption." Kids would buy that thing thinking that the guitar would somehow make them able to play like that. They would often come in later complaining that it didn't sound th

I finally gave it a listen, and I don't think that Prunes n' Custard is the effect used. It does indeed sound like some sort of rotary or vibrato-type effect, unless, as has been suggested, that's bleed over from the keyboard part. Univibe or similar pedal (rotovibe, micro vibe, others already mentioned here, etc.) maybe? Perhaps a (very) little chorus mixed in? Sorry I don't have much new to offer -- my ears have a trouble separating the part out from the other tracks.

Fittingly enough, the director of the film is from Jeff's hometown of Belleville, Ill. I came across this little tidbit in a recent NY Times Article: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/01/movies/01roch.html In fact, spotting Belleville in the article is what drew my attention to it. I became somewhat less interested when I realized what movie was involved.

I don't have any ideas about this yet, but I'll give it a listen when I get a chance. I felt compelled to post despite not having an answer since this is your first and I hate to see it go without a reply for several days. Welcome to SST. Hopefully one of us will be able to help you out. If it were a Nels part you were investigating, this would be a little easier since a great number of threads have investigated his various pedals. Still, I think there may be a thread or two dedicated to Jeff's gear -- you may want to do a search. Looking over his pedals may give you a clue to what he

No, it seems to be picking up a radio station -- a really crappy station at that. I just can't figure out why this is just now happening, but I'm going to try plugging the amps into a different circuit and make sure all the cables in my recording rig aren't crossing. Not too long ago, my audio interface (a Lexicon) went dead, and I ended up just going with my older M-audio interface (which isn't that much of a step down) while waiting to upgrade. Perhaps when popping it into the set-up, I crossed some cables or left a loose connection. I'll let you know how it works out. It should be a bu

Yeah, the guitars are shielded. Also, I'm picking up the same interference when using headphones (yet strangely enough, not through my monitors). My wah is currently not hooked up to my pedal board, and there are no lights with faders. There is, however, a ceiling fan. Also, the interference is relatively new -- I've had the same setup for a while, but the interference just started a few months ago. Weird. I'm also not using a CRT computer screen (which, in my experience, can really create serious noise through pickups). Anyway, the house was built in the early 60's, and thus the wiring

I can remember my dad playing "Blackbird" on the Gibson Dove he eventually gave to me, and it was a nice moment when I was able to play it better than the old man and he actually seemed pleased instead of bested (at least I could "beat" him at something -- I never had that moment when I was able to school him at basketball. At least not before his knees gave out).

My wife has recently invaded my music room. You see, the music room is really more of a man-cave with multiple purposes. I have my meager studio set-up: computer recording system using Sonar and a midi input keyboard, my guitars (rebuilt strat, '52 tele reissue, '67 Gibson Dove, and Epiphone ES-335), bass, banjo, and mandolin hanging on the walls, and my lap steel, and amps/pedals set-up and miked. I'll try to post some pictures at some point. The studio has to share space with my tv/xbox360, a little area for painting (I'm a pretty horrible painter, but I find it relaxing), and, unfortuna

Very nice -- totally blows my bonus room studio out of the water.

Another thought on the matter -- I know 30 watts isn't exactly ridiculously powerful, but its still a pretty loud amp, so you're probably going to have to crank the sucker to some bother-the-neighbors levels get the tone you're after. That is, unless you grab an attenuator, but that's a whole different can of worms . . . If volume is an issue, I'm pretty sure there's an older thread about getting that overdriven tube sound at lower volumes, because I had that particular issue before I got hold of a smaller amp and brought it up here. EDIT: It looks like deepseacatfish was thinking along th

In my experience, that "warm" sound is most often the result of the amp more so than a pedal. I can typically get a nice warm overdriven sound without using a pedal, though when I need an extra boost, I enjoy the classic tube screamer 808 (I know boutique overdrive pedals are all the rage, but I've found that it's been all the overdrive I've ever really needed -- though two of them chained together can be pretty fun). No pedal out there, however, can get that warm sound through a solid state amp. I think the key for you will be messing around with your amp and guitar in combination to fin

I agree that comparing these two classics is indeed an apples/oranges comparison. For the most part, the two aren't interchangeable, and I always tend to know exactly which one a song demands. I love them both. Since I only use keyboards for recording and don't play live, I've found that some of the computer emulators out there are pretty darn good -- I use a couple of programs from Native Instruments run through Sonar. I'm able to get pretty good Wurlitzer and Rhodes sounds. I can also get a nice Hammond organ sound. It's been a lot cheaper than trying to find vintage gear and takes u

Agreed. Happy New Year. Oh, and speaking of the good people here in SST -- Rowboat, I received the vintage tube you sent my way over the holidays. Thanks so much. It sounds great in my Champ. Hopefully I can return the favor some day.

Well, I guess we now have the answer to the question posed in this thread: http://forums.viachicago.org/index.php?showtopic=38048 Wow. I'm really glad they're using the Ryman show as one of the performances in the DVD. It was a great show, and I also have a selfish reason to be excited about it -- my wife and I were sitting very near the front and encountered the camera-people several times. Then again, I'm not sure I would want to see a shot of me with eyes closed and singing along. That's not a pretty picture. Anyway, I'm thrilled that Wilco will be sharing this show with all of th

Ah, that makes much more sense -- I mentally switched the two names, largely I suppose, because I forgot about Jay's series of (reportedly) disastrous solo shows following his ouster from the band. I recall some folks posting stories of those shows and telling of Jay being quite drunk and making bitter and rambling comments about his departure from Wilco. I know that some folks around here were more than a little concerned for his well-being and hated to see someone who made valuable contributions to much-beloved Wilco albums reduced to such behavior. I've enjoyed some of Jay's solo records

I had a much different experience seeing Jeff solo back in January of 2007 in Nashville (the first time he announced he title and release date of "Sky Blue Sky"). Of course, you complained that he seemed unhealthy when you saw him, and that may have been the case at that time -- especially if it was during that time where Jeff was, by his own admission, suffering from various health issues. In January of '07, however, he seemed quite healthy, and the show was amazing -- he bantered with the audience (he was quite funny), and the show had a wonderful, intimate feel. He even played a game wit

I'm pretty sure it's possible to hear Jay's most recent album and still not like it. I, for one, have heard it and don't particularly care for it (though I do enjoy most of his other solo efforts to varying degrees). I agree, though, that it sounds like that particular poster isn't quite willing to give Jay much of a chance. Still, sometimes an artist's voice or style grates at certain people -- there are some singers that I just can't stand no matter what they do or how many times I try to give them a chance. I've often wondered as well what direction Wilco might have gone musically had

Again, my comments in previous posts about how friendly and helpful the regulars in the "SST" forum are justified. Rowboat, I've sent you a PM with my address -- thanks so much. As for the speakers, I'd been wondering if the difference between the two is noticeable. The price difference is only about $15, but there's no reason to waste the money of I can't hear the difference.