EP636 : DIstortion madness.

[Geoff]

This was a great Chicago Blues lesson from Brian. Pretty standard pattern 1 and pattern 2 blues, i think. There is a lick in there where you play a note on the 6th fret and jump to a bend on the 9th fret with the third finger. As a classical guitar player, that always kilks me because my instinct is to reach across that spacing using the fourth finger but that doesn’t work when there is a bend involved with playing the note 🙄.

True to the title of this , i would say i threw too much distortion at this. In my defense , playing with lots of distortion is not my usual style and I am pretty rubbish at it 😁

[Garry]

Great lesson, this one Geoff and really well played. Loved your impro also. Distortion is definitely fun to play around with (and this definitely sounded cool) but I know what you mean. I sometimes try to add more overdrive or crunch or grit (or something) to give a harder edge but I reckon it’s difficult to find the sweet spot without it sounding like death metal! 🤣😂🤣 Anyway thanks for sharing. Rock on and all the best! 😎🎸😎

[Geoff]

Exactly Garry. It is really hard to find that tone between Death Metal and a nice crunch. I know people who spend a fortune on effects pedals in search of that elusive ‘somewhere in the middle’ distortion sound.

[Michael Krailo]

It almost had a 60’s fuzz sound to it. Nothing wrong with coloring your sound. I am familiar with that lesson, but the tone threw me off, so I had to go back and listen to that lesson again to see where it’s all coming from. There is some hybrid picking in this piece that really makes it shine if you play Brian’s version. I see you improvised it. That’s extra special.

Go slow and practice correct technique, and your abilities will dramatically improve.

[Geoff]

Thanks Michael, you are too kind. I don’t recall Brian using hybrid picking in this lesson but I got so caught up coming up with my ideas I probably forgot that he did that. I played something close to Brian’s version on the jazzmaster but the Guild part was completely my own drawing on some of the ideas from that lesson.

[charjo]

It’s fun to go a bit mad at times. Like Michael said, your distortion verged on fuzz. I find the nicest distortion is the sort of “edge of breakup” sound. It distorts when you attack the notes but sounds almost clean but a little fuller and compressd at low volumes.
Really well played Geoff. Just be careful on the quick bends to get up to pitch. It’s easy to under bend on those.
John

• This reply was modified 4 days, 13 hours ago by charjo.

[Geoff]

Thanks John, I will admit that bending has never really been my strong point especially when it requires a jump across three strings and a bend on that third finger. I tried the edge of breakup sound just like you suggested but then I didn’t get the sustain I wanted – sigh!

Generally I just prefer to play it safe and not bother with distortion at all but that’s just me.

• This reply was modified 4 days, 8 hours ago by Geoff.

[Sal]

Wow Geoff, that’s a long way from classic!! lol Loved the distortion and you had a lot of sustain from that great ax!! Again,great job!!

[Geoff]

Thanks Sal, i mentioned to John that I used more distortion that I would have liked because that is what gave me the sustain (..that combined with the compressor on my effects unit).

[JoeD1]

Great fuzzy tone Geoff. I have a difficult time with getting the right amount and have been trying to do as John suggested…distortion when I attack the string but clearer and lots of sustain when I lighten up a bit. It’s tough for me. I liked how you panned the 2 guitars to different sides.

Joe

The sight of a touch, or the scent of a sound,
Or the strength of an Oak with roots deep in the ground.
--Graeme Edge

[Geoff]

Thanks Joe, I live in a democracy and I try to give all my guitars equal rights. -:)

[Dieter]

Sounds great, with heavy distortion and “wild” improvisation.

Dieter

[Geoff]

Thanks Dieter -:)

[Author]

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