Wednesday Lunch Report: 17 April 2013

Tempura is a dish I think everyone who's been to a Japanese restaurant has tried at least once. If you come to Japan, you'd probably then be as excited as I was to learn that there's a Japanese franchise that specialises in tempura, called Tenya, where you can eat this for about $5.



For my G&L topic, I want to talk about preamps. Recently I installed a $35 Artec booster in my Legacy so when I go to public jam sessions, I don't have to bring pedals with me. Taking pedals to jam sessions and the setting them up just feels wrong to me for a few reasons. First, it's a hassle. Second, it takes time away from playing. Third, takes up stage space. And personally, it's just embarrassing for me.

IMO, jam sessions should be spontaneous and challenging, and bringing a booster pedal becomes the focus of my comfort zone, like a panic button. Still, there are those times when it's your turn to solo, and everyone is just too loud. So I though an onboard booster would be nice secret weapon for "when you absolutely need kill every mthfka in the room."

Without going into too much detail here, the booster did exactly that and did it well, but I still didn't like it -- I just didn't like it. Musicman and then G&L guitars have occasionally had preamps. Many modern basses and acoustic guitars have preamps. However most electric guitarist don't seem to take to them. Has anyone else had a preamp in their G&L? What was your experience?

For the non G&L topic, I'm going to continue the theme of preparing for a gig because everyone's advice on how to sing/play simultaneously have been so varied and helpful. So how do you memorize lyrics?

The lunch looks tasty!

As for preamps, I have guitars with preamps but they are for Piezo pickups only. I had a Clapton mid boost also pn a Clapton CS but never used it. Bass guitars and acoustics are another story. The thing I like about the L-2500 preamp is that it can be bypassed if the battery goes dead as is true of my Carvin. The Fenders I had were dead if the battery gave out. I did have a volume pedal to accomplish what you are talking about.

Lyric memorization is much like guitar playing. Repetition and burning into the brain. Them you don't even think about it. I do not know of any shortcuts. One of the things that I think that bands sometimes over look is backup for gear. I now have backup for everything including the PA head. What do you do when something fails. It happens and is perplexing when it does. If the power fails we will take a break! -- Darwin

i don't think those are valid reasons, a pedal is very quick to set up, and takes up almost no space. those artec boosters are pretty crappy, like everything artec makes. an xotic ep booster woud change your mind. otoh, when it's time to solo, the other guys need to duck under, not for you to blast on top of them. when i play at jams and people are unable to manage their dynamics, i start unplugging their guitars.

Nice looking tempura, I dig the tea cup too. I've often thought about installing a boost in my guitars for that exact same reason. If you're handy with a soldering iron then the AMZ Mosfet boost is one to try. It sounds better than any other I've used and costs pennies.


Whenever I choose songs to sing they're the kind that have multiple repeated lyrics and the last verse the same as the first. I suck at remembering lyrics and often forget them - making something up on the spot is usually fine as long as you don't sing "something.....yeeaaaahhh...."

I don't have any electric guitars with pre-amps (yet...but that will change soon!). I do have five G&L basses with pre-amps, but that's a different animal. The bass pre-amps do give a volume boost, but more than anything they add one more tonal option to already versatile instruments. They differ a bit from one model to the next, but overall I'd say they give a tone that's a notch below an L-1000's OMG switch in terms of fullness.

For my G&L guitars, I have gotten into the habit of rarely running the volume wide open. Typically it is around 8/10. It sits even lower on the SC-1. That leaves some room for a boost if needed.

Ken

For my G&L guitars, I have gotten into the habit of rarely running the volume wide open. Typically it is around 8/10. It sits even lower on the SC-1. That leaves some room for a boost if needed

That works too. Often at rehearsals I just take my amp and a guitar and where I usually set my amp up for loud and clean, I set it up for loud and dirty. Back off on the volume and hey presto, clean sound. Never tried it at a gig though, will have to give it a shot sometime soon.

a pedal is very quick to set up, and takes up almost no space....when i play at jams and people are unable to manage their dynamics, i start unplugging their guitars.

LOL!

Unfortunately, space is a premium on typically small stages here, which makes even just getting to the amp to plug in look like a sexy mating ritual. Ironically, the times I did bring a pedal to jam sessions, I didn't really use it.

Whenever I choose songs to sing they're the kind that have multiple repeated lyrics and the last verse the same as the first. I suck at remembering lyrics and often forget them - making something up on the spot is usually fine as long as you don't sing "something.....yeeaaaahhh...."

Yeah, I've gotten away with improvising new lyrics a few times, and sometimes liked what I came up with better.

Thanks for the schematic. I was tempted to get an old Fulltone Fat Boost, but couldn't stand the idea of paying $150 for what's basically the circuit above, or so I've heard.

The bass pre-amps do give a volume boost, but more than anything they add one more tonal option to already versatile instruments.
For my G&L guitars, I have gotten into the habit of rarely running the volume wide open. Typically it is around 8/10.

Yeah, I think that's probably the way to go after my experience. That means I will probably be tweaking the treble-bleed in my guitar a bit.

For my bass, I'm thinking of trying a Artec preamp to bring it up to the same level as the guitar when I plug in direct to a mixer or my Boss Loop Station, and boost the bottom, of course. The preamps made by Sadowsky, EMG or Bartolini are 5x the cost of an Artec, though I doubt whether my ears would notice if it sounds 5x better.

For my bass, I'm thinking of trying a Artec preamp to bring it up to the same level as the guitar when I plug in direct to a mixer or my Boss Loop Station, and boost the bottom, of course. The preamps made by Sadowsky, EMG or Bartolini are 5x the cost of an Artec, though I doubt whether my ears would notice if it sounds 5x better.

What kind of bass are you playing? Do you play fingerstyle, slapped, picked, etc.?

Ken

What kind of bass are you playing? Do you play fingerstyle, slapped, picked, etc.?

I inherited a "Bill Lawrence" brand bass from a friend, but I think the pickups are probably Gotoh. Apparently Bill Larwrence had a falling out with the Japanese company making them. I hardly play it, but when I do it's with my fingers or a big rubber pick my friend gave me when I start to get blisters. My favorite bass players are James Jamerson, Paul Jackson, Paul McCartney and Jaco. I seldom slap.

I inherited a "Bill Lawrence" brand bass from a friend, but I think the pickups are probably Gotoh. Apparently Bill Larwrence had a falling out with the Japanese company making them. I hardly play it, but when I do it's with my fingers or a big rubber pick my friend gave me when I start to get blisters. My favorite bass players are James Jamerson, Paul Jackson, Paul McCartney and Jaco. I seldom slap.

I use a Fishman Pro-EQ Platinum for my upright bass, and have not had a single bad experience with it. I haven't gigged with it on electric bass, but I have run my Lynx through the upright setup (Pro-EQ Platinum into a GK MB-150 with extension cab) and really liked the result. It didn't change the sound of the Lynx (which doesn't need changing , but it did fill out the bottom end a bit.

Ken

I've use the Alembic Stratoblasters and they sound pretty good.
I'm putting one in an old SG , it works well, there is an internal trimpot that you can adjust for gain.
(on the SG I tapped into the circuit with a 50K pot so I can adjust the gain on the fly).

Though, if your using an amp with a SS pre ...it might not overdrive as intended .It does help to preserve high overtones ,makes for a beautiful clean sound...even with a soiled state amp.




elwood