PRS Amp With Cleanest Tone.

[NBW]

I haven't been playing that long and I've never really thought about a PRS amp. But I really only play clean. The amp that made me sound the best was a Trace Elliot Velocette. I couldn't find one at what I thought was a reasonable price so I bought it's big brother a Gibson Goldtone Super. A very cool amp and way, way too much amp for me. But I would say any of these el34 (Goldtone or Velocette) amps will give you great cleans.

There's a fantastic video on the forums somewhere of a PRS Archtop though a skylark, which sounded like a tone I would give a limb for, but those skylarks cost 3 to 4 times as much as I spent on the Goldtone.

 

[Deleted member 5962]

The Mighty Archon is known for it’s gain channel. But I played it tonight through 4 different cabs, and the clean channel sounded GREAT on all of them. Using the NF3 though, so it may not be fair to comparing against normal guitars.

 

[László]

A very cool amp and way, way too much amp for me.

The good news is that there's no such thing as too much amp! 'Cause even if you're only playing one note, you want that note to sound as good as it can.

But there is such a thing as not enough amp, for which the only solution is to replace the first amp that's no longer enough.

Therefore, congratulate yourself! You've simply thought ahead, acted on it, and avoided the dreaded 'I'm not worthy' pitfall.

 

[NBW]

Therefore, congratulate yourself! You've simply thought ahead, acted on it, and avoided the dreaded 'I'm not worthy' pitfall.

I feel better already. I’d feel even better if my chord voicings didn’t sound like crap.

 

[László]

I feel better already. I’d feel even better if my chord voicings didn’t sound like crap.

I am a complete ignoramus when it comes to knowing anything about chord voicings, other than occasionally landing on a different one by complete accident, and I also couldn't tell you the difference between a Mixolydian scale or a Phrygian whatever-it-might-be. In fact, I'm not even sure I spelled those words correctly.

I play the simplest stuff imaginable. I have no idea what I'm doing, I just make up little riffs and melodies. And yet I make my living creating music and playing on some pretty good ad campaigns.

Never feel bad about your playing. If you're playing music, you're doing more creative thinking than most. Enjoy the process and just let it flow.

"Les, who the hell do you think you are, Yoda?"

"No. I don't have a light saber."

"Then ixnay on the 'just let it flow' stuff, K?"

"Can I borrow your light saber? I'm nearly as old as Yoda, and I feel like with the right light saber I can give better advice."

 

[NBW]

I can noodle around a bit and amuse myself. I have been studying jazz for probably two years, I’d say I’ve forgotten more than I’ve retained.

About two months ago I started lessons with an old friend, he’s a real pro, we keep it simple, we haven’t been talking about scales, just playing chords and arpeggios in rhythm. He is vey encouraging, but now I haven’t got the confidence to play songs I could play 20 years ago.

I do know I’m getting better, but I still can’t translate what I hear in my head to the fret board. However, I am a much better player than I ever was.

 

[László]

I can noodle around a bit and amuse myself. I have been studying jazz for probably two years, I’d say I’ve forgotten more than I’ve retained.

About two months ago I started lessons with an old friend, he’s a real pro, we keep it simple, we haven’t been talking about scales, just playing chords and arpeggios in rhythm. He is vey encouraging, but now I haven’t got the confidence to play songs I could play 20 years ago.

I do know I’m getting better, but I still can’t translate what I hear in my head to the fret board. However, I am a much better player than I ever was.

No doubt you're a fine player - but I totally get how difficult it is to learn certain styles. I write orchestral music, and there's been a very, very long learning curve.

 

[NBW]

I don’t think I’m a good player, yet. One I never took it nearly as seriously as I am taking it now. But more importantly, all the players I know now have been playing a long, long time.

My friend Joel has been playing for at least 40 years, when we were 14 he could play the Led Zepplin songbook, learned by ear. I also have a weekly session with a former colleague, who is a metal and classical guitarist, he has been playing at least 20 years has a self produced album, and can play Randy Rhoads from memory.

this is to say I really only have great guitarists to compare myself to, that’s not a recipe for confidence, which I most certainly lack. I am getting better, but I would never play in front of anyone, never. I have made a video or two for my close friends and family, but that’s it and even those are very hard for me to do.

 

[László]

I don’t think I’m a good player, yet. One I never took it nearly as seriously as I am taking it now. But more importantly, all the players I know now have been playing a long, long time.

My friend Joel has been playing for at least 40 years, when we were 14 he could play the Led Zepplin songbook, learned by ear. I also have a weekly session with a former colleague, who is a metal and classical guitarist, he has been playing at least 20 years has a self produced album, and can play Randy Rhoads from memory.

this is to say I really only have great guitarists to compare myself to, that’s not a recipe for confidence, which I most certainly lack. I am getting better, but I would never play in front of anyone, never. I have made a video or two for my close friends and family, but that’s it and even those are very hard for me to do.

I get it. I've been playing since 1967, and I have a few session friends who blow me away whenever I hear them play. I used to be embarrassed about my chops when doing sessions with these players, but it turns out, they were fine with it. Now I just hire them to play the more difficult stuff, and I'm easier on myself.

One of the guys I work with regularly tours with The Moody Blues, and does recording sessions for Kid Rock and others. At some point I've realized that it's fine to have a different skill set. If I write a part that I can handle, I'll play it on an ad. If it's beyond my skills, I bring someone in who can do a better job.

But...I can play simpler parts and make them sound good, so I write parts for myself that I'm able to play well. And it turns out, there are plenty of ideas that make a track interesting that are very easy to play. I've developed a style that works for me, and I work on constantly refining that.

There have been studies that show that the brain's ability to master an instrument fades around the time of puberty, and falls off sharply as you get to 20 or so. The theory is that the neural pathways that make it easier to master instruments seem to be less open, and the same is true for learning a language! So if your friend was able to master the instrument at 14, you can play for the next 1,000 years and not be able to do what he does. It will never be as natural for you.

Even after playing guitar for over 50 years, I still consider myself a piano player, because I started music lessons on the instrument at four years old. I'm much better on it, and feel more natural playing keys because I started so young.

So my thinking is that it's better for me to concentrate on simpler things, and just use them in interesting ways. I recognize that we're all different and have different experiences and goals, however, and you have to do what works for you. Just explaining here what works for me, and I'm not saying you're somehow 'wrong' to be doing what you want to!

 

[NBW]

I get it and what you say about learning makes sense. I must say that I am not bothered about my progression as a player these days. Certain things click and others don't. One of my teachers was probably 20 and I don't know that he understood how hard it was for me to make sense of things.

The way I think about playing jazz is it's like trying to line up seven old view graph sheets at once. I can tell you that I have identified my weaknesses and I try with varying levels of success to in some way address them. Joel is a super patient teacher and he doesn't overload me, he is all about sounding the best you can no matter what you're playing and as such playing clean chords and left hand consistency have been things I am workings on. But I am really working on the rudiments, it's perfectly fine with me as long as I am making progress.

 

[László]

I get it and what you say about learning makes sense. I must say that I am not bothered about my progression as a player these days. Certain things click and others don't. One of my teachers was probably 20 and I don't know that he understood how hard it was for me to make sense of things.

The way I think about playing jazz is it's like trying to line up seven old view graph sheets at once. I can tell you that I have identified my weaknesses and I try with varying levels of success to in some way address them. Joel is a super patient teacher and he doesn't overload me, he is all about sounding the best you can no matter what you're playing and as such playing clean chords and left hand consistency have been things I am workings on. But I am really working on the rudiments, it's perfectly fine with me as long as I am making progress.

Right on!