desertbluesman

I quit using modelers a long time ago. Pod XT, and Digitech GNX2 were the last ones I used for recording and live use. I also had a Tonelab Tabletop for recording clean sounds only, or with a tube distortion stomp in front. I do not miss any of them at all. I use only a slight touch of reverb on both clean and overdrive sounds. That is the only effect I use on top of my clean or overdrive guitar sounds. So I have absolutely no need for modelers or multi effect units. I use only tube amps for home practicing. I have no desire to perform out any more (unless the money would lure me out and it would have to be significant enough to get me outta the house late at night). I play only classic sounding rock, the blues based rock, and the blues. A nice tube amp with a reverb unit and my distortion stomps in front are all that is required.

The String Network Forums link above does not seem to work amigo......

I saw the dead 2x long before Garcia died. Probably the early 70's. I actually walked out on both shows early because I thought they kinda sucked at the time. The awesome (as advertised) sound system was the worst sound system I could imagine, it was a wall of speakers stacked almost to the ceiling of the stage, and it sounded awful. However I did buy the Working Mans Dead and a few other albums of theirs and enjoyed them immensely.

When I clammed in NJ the bay, mud was prevalent on the mud flats islands, and the surrounding under water earth was bay mud, I would sink in at least 6" with every step. That is how I was successful treading for clams. I had clammers boots which were locally available from the older island residents, they were made of a sturdy canvas, light enough so you could feel the clams with your toes, & the technique was to wrap your toes around the clams and bring them up the other leg without getting the hair wet. The boots also prevented the blue claw crabs from nipping your feet and drawing blood, although the nip always hurt a bit.

If I wanted any new instruments, I would build it myself with a kit from https://www.byoguitar.com/ You get the satisfaction of building your own and save a ton of money in the process. I would be particularly interested in this one https://www.byoguitar.com/Guitars/Electric-Guitar-Kit-JEM-Style__BYO-JEM.aspx also the Strat kits as well.

Nice work Mark.

We had clam rakes and clammer tongs which were like a big rake on both sides and two handles so you would open up the tongs, shove them down in the mud and close them and bring up whatever you grabbed with them. I never used them as I was definitely not going to make my living in the bay, (we lived on an Island 6 miles out to sea and 18 miles long and the bay was 18 miles long & 2 to 6 miles wide) so the bay was very well stocked with fish, clams, crabs, and mussels.

I used to tread for clams when I was a teenager. I had a speed boat and I would go to the mud flats and tread for clams, I would get a hundred and had gas money for the boat and lunch in the bay (opening the clams and eating them raw) I learned how to bring the clams up my leg with the other foot so I did not get my Fonzie jitterbug hair wet.

Beautiful guitars. I like the 2 on the left and the one next the last on the right (without the whammies however) My cheapo Ibanez RG321 looks similar has 24 frets also and that is the most versatile guitar I have ever owned.

I lived for about 9 years in my van (several of them). It had a double bed, a dresser, and under the platform I slept on I had my tools, both mechanics tools, and my masonry tools. I had a cooler and bought ice every few days, and a propane cooker that I used to cook with. I lived in that van and several others in Florida, California, and New Jersey as well as wherever I found work as a bricklayer. I traveled every state but Alaska (and Hawaii) in those vans. I stayed in campgrounds and in friends back yards, and wherever I could park it without upsetting the police. But I always had an acoustic guitar in those days. So I played almost every day sometimes for many hours. Finally I bought an RV one day. Once I got the RV I still traveled all over the place until I bought a deeded RV lot here in Arizona. But once I had the RV I could use an amp. Later on I bought a small mobile home to park on my RV lot, and have been dead in the water ever since I sold my Ford Diesel Pickup truck

I lived in Shell Beach for a few weeks around that time amigo. We used to go to Pismo shopping and touristing.Then we moved to a town called Lewistion Ca. way up north in Ca. near Lewistoin Lake, and later moved into a cabin in Weaverville. And we stayed there off an on for several years. Some of my hippy buddies from back east went to the Height in the late 80's and "went back to the land" in Northern Ca in the early 70's so when I heard where they were all staying in Lewiston I moseyed on up there and got familiar with that part of Cali. And I did steal the "clam" note name from your posts on GP mag forums.

The only review I actually believe is; when I test a product myself. If I like it then my personal reviewer says buy it. Simple really, I have a personal taste that is not necessarily the same as any reviewer out there.

I left New Jersey in 1989 for Florida, I kinda quit playing until I bought my Arizona property in 1997, I started practicing again around then. In 1999 I started recording again when some one sent me a copy of Cakewalks Pro Audio 9. I installed that and with it came a free composition program called Jammer. I installed that and re-birthed my audio recording production skills, switching from an all analog tape system which I sold in about 1990, to computer based digital recording. Once I learned how to create my own backing tracks using Jammer and Band In A Box, I started practicing guitar again in earnest. And I play every day while the wife is working. or out shopping.

I plagiarized that one from Larryz.

I might hit a few in each song during early practice sessions, after I get warmed up I hit fewer clams. Sometimes they fit, other times, oops.........

I generally think in sound to sound not note names or what interval they are. I simply create my solos using scales either full Major or minor scales or Major or minor pentatonics with a few notes added from the full scales. Plus there is always a few clams in the solo's here and there if my mind wanders a bit.

I learned about the modes from Emily Remler, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emily_Remler one of my three guitar teachers. She was the one who hipped me to the modes. In fact my first lesson homework plan was to create a chord progression in the Dorian Mode here is the result. https://www.soundclick.com/html5/v4/player.cfm?songID=8789159 the slow part is the chord progression in the Dorian Mode the fast part was a chord progression she taught me that interested me because it had a sharped fifth chord going into the turn around. I play the chords every day in my practice session. I called the song Emily By The Sea Floating By In Her Dory, later on I shortened that name to Emily By The Sea.

I learned long ago that many players are ego freaks. I gave up trying to do the band thing in the late 1960's, even though I was in two good band efforts (although they were short lived). Both happened in the summer of 68 or 69. My thing was to do all originals and try for a shot at the big time with new original songs. Most guys I knew wanted to play covers in clubs, which did not interest me a single bit. I tried the club scene with those two bands, but it was thankless work. Very little pay and no real interest from the boozers in the clubs. However I did start my musical odyssey singing a-Capella in a street corner doo wop group called The Soundmasters. The biggest thing we did as a group was a gig on the Steel Pier in Atlantic City NJ. However they were all my childhood friends and the ego's were not as prevalent as it was in the fully staffed instrument bands that I played in later on.

I have been to two different NAMM shows, one in Chicago in the mid 1980's and one in Anaheim CA in the early 2000's. Interesting stuff as always, I always had a friend in the music store biz that would get me free tickets, so I never paid the entry fee. I have no plans to attend any more of them, they were interesting however.

I use Band In A Box https://www.pgmusic.com/bbwin.htm and Jammer Professional http://www.soundtrek.com/index.maint3.html to create my own backing tracks. Jammer is pretty much out of business, but I still have the CD's and I can use that program even though it is older. I have an old XP Laptop set up as a DAW that still works so I can create the backing tracks render them to MIDI and import them into a newer OS computer for rendering the stuff to audio). Of course Band In A Box is still in business so you can purchase a newer version.

Neat post Larryz, I definitely use the half step notes by adding some of those from the full major or minor scale to my pentatonic scale use.

Have fun with the new gig amigo.

Writing songs is pretty simple stuff (for me) surfergirl. Songwriters call their inspiration "The Muse", as if it comes from somewhere else, and they say they are actually a conduit for something above us, and that something supplies us with hints. Just sit down and try it. Come up with a set of lyrics or a chord progression, and play the chords and try to write a story into a song. Or write the story first and try some chords with the lyrics. Easy. Just open yourself up for the flow of ideas. Believe in yourself and have at it......

I wish your mom and new partner a happy and long lasting marriage, I can't help with 90's songs, I still listen to the 60's and early 70's stuff. And have no experience with 90's songs at all.

Well A String best of luck in the future, it won't hurt to hang out with us as a normal poster like the rest of us here. Anyways I hope to see you around here from time to time.