kinglerch Posted September 15, 2015 Share Posted September 15, 2015 I am looking for a good custom tone for (goes by many names) 8-finger tapping, touch technique...Stanley Jordan. Since there is no picking, I need a tone that has a lot of sensitivity and sustain, but not a lot of distortion. Does anyone know of or have a tone like this they can post or direct me to? Apart from the HD500X, what is recommended on the pickups for this? Single coil, series, parallel, bridge, neck, distance to the strings, etc? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruisinon2 Posted September 15, 2015 Share Posted September 15, 2015 I am looking for a good custom tone for (goes by many names) 8-finger tapping, touch technique...Stanley Jordan. Since there is no picking, I need a tone that has a lot of sensitivity and sustain, but not a lot of distortion. Does anyone know of or have a tone like this they can post or direct me to? Apart from the HD500X, what is recommended on the pickups for this? Single coil, series, parallel, bridge, neck, distance to the strings, etc? There are basically 2 guys in the universe who use that technique (no, I'm not counting the Chapman Stick dudes ;) )...Stanley Jordan as you mentioned, and TJ Helmerich. Might help to research their gear...don't know how much help you'll get from those of us who have a more "standard" approach. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kinglerch Posted September 16, 2015 Author Share Posted September 16, 2015 It is an obscure technique, but there are others to varying degrees. Tony Keck and Hanspeter Kruesi have instructional videos but neither one describes their gear too much. Michael Angelo Batio uses a device that keeps his strings vibrating. Even Night Ranger have been known for 8 finger tapping, though with distortion it is a much easier thing to pull off sound wise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pianoguyy Posted September 16, 2015 Share Posted September 16, 2015 But, that is going to be the issue - Volume/distortion. I tap. Mostly because it looks cool on stage. But everything I do is going to be distorted. Tapping without distortion requires a lot of help with the volume. Whether you are tapping so hard that you bruise your fingertips, which is considered poor technique. Or if you are tapping and have to jack your volume up all the way. But then you better be prepared to to lower it when you start picking. So try to raise the volume before you try to make tone. Maybe even add a compressor to level out the soft stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kinglerch Posted September 16, 2015 Author Share Posted September 16, 2015 I've used reverb and delays with some success, and changing some pickup wiring but I will try the compressor. I just wondered if Line6 helped this in some way, or if someone out there worked on a sustainy tone to keep the sound going for a bit longer than normal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joel_brown Posted September 16, 2015 Share Posted September 16, 2015 Get a Sustainiac pickup and you're done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pianoguyy Posted September 17, 2015 Share Posted September 17, 2015 Distortion, reverb/echo, and a Sustainiac are all cheating. We can use them, but we need to make sure that we aren't using them as a crutch. First we need to get the volume situated, which includes taking care of your pickups. Then, and only then, since volume affects tone, can we start building tones. Which could include distortion, reverb. echo, and a Sustainiac pickup. I think the Stanley Jordan tone is just your typical smooth jazz tone. Probably a Fender or Vox amp. He uses Humbuckers, so that seems like a good place to start. *i just read a SJ interview. He said that most compressors may help level the volume, but will ruin tone. https://www.guitar.com/articles/stanley-jordan-interview-jammin-and-jazzin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kinglerch Posted September 17, 2015 Author Share Posted September 17, 2015 I found the same thing. The compression made the sound last longer, but the sound was not worth listening to. The sustainiac is an *option* but installation is a bear and not appropriate for all guitars, due to the intensive drilling/routing. I'm also not sure if that is exactly the effect I am looking for. I have been trying with the pickups and it is having a decent effect already. Pickup type, active vs passive, distance to strings etc. Stanley suggested moving the pickup closer to the strings for volume, but that does affect vibration and sustain so...lots of things to try. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joel_brown Posted September 17, 2015 Share Posted September 17, 2015 Eddie Van Halen and Steve Vai I guess are cheaters. I personally don't use a Sustainiac but if you want to do string tapping, nothing is better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duncann Posted September 17, 2015 Share Posted September 17, 2015 With Steve Vai at least, I never liked his sound when he uses a Sustainiac. It always sounds like a kazoo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pianoguyy Posted September 17, 2015 Share Posted September 17, 2015 I lost respect for Steve back in 1990 when he did an interview for Passion & Warfare, when he stated how computerized the album was. Every note was ran through a computer to make sure everything was perfect. Every note was tuned after the fact (auto tune). Every note was moved to the perfect timing (synchronizing). Bends were perfected by doing both tuning and timing. Sure, the guy can play. But apparently his albums are more fake than a Milli Vanilli concert or Pharell album. And ever since he got into 'mysticism', it has just gone down hill. Art rarely interests me. As I have said many times --- the audience is paying for a service, not to listen/watch you pleasure yourself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joel_brown Posted September 18, 2015 Share Posted September 18, 2015 Wow, tough crowd. You must really hate Electronic Dance Music (EDM) and RAP (people talking in rhymes and making scratching noises on a fake turntable). Not that I like it either but if you're busting on Steve Vai for touching things up, well atleast he's a great musician - not many people got to play with Zappa. Man, and I thought I was the grumpy old guy...lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlexKenivel Posted September 18, 2015 Share Posted September 18, 2015 The "grumpy old man" runs deep in this forum. I do two hand touch style on an 8 string. For me, a teeny bit of drive and a little compression is okay, but some of the comps are lacking in the HD. I know it's kinda cliche but with this technique, the tone really is in the fingers. Building finger strength is key and learning to be consistent in tapping velocity between fingers will get you farther than any effect or patch will. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pianoguyy Posted September 18, 2015 Share Posted September 18, 2015 You must really hate EDM and RAP. Not that I like it either but if you're busting on Steve Vai for touching things up, well atleast he's a great musician - not many people got to play with Zappa. Touch ups and punch in, even multi track and over dub. That is part of the business. Recordings need to be cleaner than live performances. But every note was run through his music computer. It wasn't just a couple dingers that needed fixed. It was everything. And as far as EDM, I actually like it for what it is. They aren't pretending to be anything. It is blatant what they do. I sometimes am a featured performer for an EDM troupe. Sometimes I get out the neon spiderweb guitar and dress like a zombie to play raves under the black lights (ala Babymetal and Here Comes the Mummies). And I have been the guitar player for a Rap label for years, both live and studio. Lol, I don't think I've ever hidden the fact that one night I am playing in a rock band, the next night country, and then pop. Which is the abbreviated list. But that is also why an Android EDIT would be nice, so I can swap files in and out without going home and hooking up to Microsoft. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruisinon2 Posted September 18, 2015 Share Posted September 18, 2015 Wow, tough crowd. You must really hate Electronic Dance Music (EDM) and RAP EDM is probably wonderful if you have a head full of ecstacy, or whatever club drug(s) is fashionable these days. Otherwise it's push-button noise. Don't forget your giant mouse head... Imho, the words "rap" and "music" should never appear in the same sentence. "Rhythmic entertainment" is a better description. One of my favorite musician interview moments was with Adrian Legg (wonderful acoustic guitarist for those who don't know him), commenting on his former label going to a mostly hip-hop roster...he said that they would have to re-name the company "Screaming Misogynist Records". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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