Help with PRS Bernie Marsden

[captdg]

Just purchased a PRS Bernie Marsden and I love it.. Is there an online owners manual? I did not get one in the shipment (I am a novice going through "Mid Life" didnt have the money when I was young HA!) have a Vox Valvetronix love it and a Slash Crybaby( not very much). My other question is How do I get a "Squeal" sound? Do I need different pickups? My Vox has a a ton of effects, and I understand a squeal has to do with the picking attack. Playing with Ernie balls extra Slinkys.. I really dont know much, but would like to hear from the people that do.

Thanks!!!



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[WEDGE]

Up the gain, pinch the pick so just a little is showing, dig int the strings.......squeal like a pig!

Seriously it is just hitting the string with pick and your thumb at the same time and is easier with gain and choking up on the pick. Much easier with practice.

 

[AP515]

Just purchased a PRS Bernie Marsden and I love it.. Is there an online owners manual? I did not get one in the shipment (I am a novice going through "Mid Life" didnt have the money when I was young HA!) have a Vox Valvetronix love it and a Slash Crybaby( not very much). My other question is How do I get a "Squeal" sound? Do I need different pickups? My Vox has a a ton of effects, and I understand a squeal has to do with the picking attack. Playing with Ernie balls extra Slinkys.. I really dont know much, but would like to hear from the people that do.

Hi captdg, nice to have you here.

I'm a mid-life kind of player too. I have played for years but could only afford a Squier Strat for most of that time. So sad isn't it?! To you rquestions:

No manual I know of. So, electric guitar 101...for dummies...(no insult intended). Your Bernie (great choice by the way), has a 3 way switch. In the up position, only the "neck" pup (the pickup closest to the fretboard), is active. In the middle psition both neck and bridge pup are on. In the down position only the bridge pup (the pickup closest to the metal thingy is active. It has two volume knobs and one tone knob. That is a great combination. You can blend the amount of signal from each pup with the volume knobs and flavor the signal with the tone knob (when your switch is in the middle position). In the other positions you just use the knob for each pup by itself. The volume knob isn't really for volume in the sense that you want to make the guitar louder or softer. That is done on the amp. Think of the volume knob as being for how much signal you want to send to the amp. If you have it full open you will be sending 100% of the pickup signal to the amp. If you roll it back you will be sending 50% or 30% or wherever you set it. So why do that to the singal? That is a secret that took me a long time to figure out. It is a trick that single channel amp users use a lot and even if you use two channels it is a great tool to modify your sound. You can set your amp to a dirty (distorted) sound and then roll back the pups to get clean up the sound. Then you can get just the amount of distortion you want just by turning the volume knobs. Very cool.

The other question; Squealies. You are on the right track. Squealies are producted with the picking hand. They are easier to draw out with lots of gain. Set the amp to lots of distortion and then practice them. You make a squealy by picking a string (high strings work better), and then lightly touching the string with the edge of your picking hand thumb at about the same time. The idea is to contact the string enough to muffle the main frequency (the note you are playing), but not so much that you also dampen the harmonic (the 2nd or 3rd frequency producte at the same note). It is the harmonic that makes it sound squealy...ish. It takes some practice to get the right amount of attack and then dampening with the thumb. Don't get depressed if you can't draw them out right away.

 

[Mikegarveyblues]

Just purchased a PRS Bernie Marsden and I love it.. Is there an online owners manual? I did not get one in the shipment (I am a novice going through "Mid Life" didnt have the money when I was young HA!) have a Vox Valvetronix love it and a Slash Crybaby( not very much). My other question is How do I get a "Squeal" sound? Do I need different pickups? My Vox has a a ton of effects, and I understand a squeal has to do with the picking attack. Playing with Ernie balls extra Slinkys.. I really dont know much, but would like to hear from the people that do.

Thanks!!!





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Extra Slinkys?! Are they the guage 8 ones? I'd honestly recommend at least guage 9's on the Bernie... I guess whatever feels right for you though.

Congrats on the Bernie, it's a fantastic guitar which i'm sure you'll love for many years to come.

PICS!!!!!!!

 

[docbennett]

You can learn to play "squealies" really well by using youtube and searching for "pinch harmonics". that's how I learned.....it will take awhile...it will be frustrating at first..but once you get the feel for "digging the pick into the string like a small spade into the earth" you will soon have to watch yourself overdoing it. They are fun, and make a great rock tone!


Try this one to start with! Nice easy tutorial and after some practice it will become second nature to you!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5I5O8P-r5Rk

 

[captdg]

WOW!!!Many many Thanks !!! Looks like I have come to the right place.. I dont know much about guitars but been a boat capt for 15 yrs.. If you are thinking about buying a boat....uhhh I just rent them.Thanks again Mike Garvey , WEDGE, and AP515!

 

[captdg]

And Doc Bennett!

 

[captdg]

WOW... The Thumb thingy and the u tube worked.. Learned "Squealies" in 3 minutes.

 

[docbennett]

WOW... The Thumb thingy and the u tube worked.. Learned "Squealies" in 3 minutes.

As I should have said....If I can do it....YOU can do it!!

 

[captdg]

Tanks again!

 

[captdg]

Now Im Brown nosing..and that is disgusting..I will refrain from this in the future.

 

[captdg]

Doc...BTW my Father in Law looks just like Eric Roeser..Like a Doppleganger.

 

[docbennett]

Doc...BTW my Father in Law looks just like Eric Roeser..Like a Doppleganger.

Don Roeser is Buck....Eric Bloom is.....well....Eric

Maybe your father-in-law knows something about "Flaming Telepaths" and "Cities on Flame (with rock and roll)"!