Doing Things Wrong

It's All Bullshit

Here is a series of videos from a guy who has done the most scientific testing of electric guitars and amplifiers that I have yet to find. His results surprise even me. I have always felt that "tone" is mostly imagination, but these carefully constructed tests show that it is entirely imagination.

Sustain comes from feedback. It's that simple. No, it's not your $10,000 Les Paul.
Notice how he is using recordings to test the amps. This is the first time I have seen this done. Most 'tone' experts do this by playing the same lick differently with each amp, and then claiming the difference is the amp.

This guy is too smart to be a musician, he should go to MIT.


image
Don't get caught in prison with one of these​

After making a muddle of things with a razor blade and several other implements that proved to be less than satisfactory, I decided I needed to have the right tool - something roughly pencil-sized that can be handled with precision and ease, with a proper scraper edge. I took a look at StewMac, and found their binding scraper - exactly what I was thinking of. But with shipping, it would cost $15, and I'd have to wait a week for it, and after all, it's just a piece of steel. So I started thinking and remembered I have some 1/2" steel binding strap material. This is the stuff that is used around very large heavy boxes. It is a fairly hard and springy type of steel that would probably make a good tool. So I got busy in the shop and made three scrapers.

Printed from luthierylabs.com