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mikeitup

Veteran
Location
Walsall
Well, I have to say that MAB has impressed me greatly.

I have been trying to play guitar for 20yrs or so and I have improved greatly the last few months thanks to MAB's instructional dvd's. I am not yet able to tackle his stuff or Yngwie's for that matter :wacko: But I can play the solos to Megadeth's "Hangar 18" and have just polished off Van Halen's "Eruption" two songs I thought I could NEVER master.

I was of the opinion that MAB was a one trick pony. I remember his pics in the US guitar magazines advertising the "Metal Method" courses. (Which I have found very useful :biggrin:) but I purchased his debut " No Boundaries" and I have to say it does contain lots of shred but quite a few tracks surprised me with really soulful melodic playing. So much in fact I have ordered 2 other albums (his latest "Hands Without Shadows" I have on Itunes at the moment). It rocks ;)

I have to agree that there is a lot of SHITE on youtube. I wouldn't upload me playing if I was that bad.

Can I redress the balance with Ms Katrina Johansson?:


View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6AXZ1Effx_Q
 

tdr1nka

Taking the biscuit
Cranky said:
When I worked in FE colleges, I was very used to what we referred to as "bedroom guitarists", some of whom had developed very good technical skills but were hopeless at holding down a basic part in any band. A clear case of running before they could walk and very difficult to remedy later.


+1.This has often been my finding.

The thing I find with shred guitarists is that they veer toward only being about technique and emulation and very little about soul and originality.

As a working guitarist of some years I had to develop a range of playing styles to suit the occasion and left 'fret w*nk*ge' to the 'bedroom boys'.
As a youth I had wanted to play like Gary Moore:rolleyes:;), I probably would have done with more effort but I got out and played in bands with the skills I already had.

A quote I heard that changed my mind about wanting to become a 'flash' lead guitarist was that 'it is not about the notes you put in but the space you leave between them.'.:wacko:
 

mikeitup

Veteran
Location
Walsall
tdr1nka said:
+1.This has often been my finding.

The thing I find with shred guitarists is that they veer toward only being about technique and emulation and very little about soul and originality.

As a working guitarist of some years I had to develop a range of playing styles to suit the occasion and left 'fret w*nk*ge' to the 'bedroom boys'.
As a youth I had wanted to play like Gary Moore:rolleyes::wacko:, I probably would have done with more effort but I got out and played in bands with the skills I already had.

A quote I heard that changed my mind about wanting to become a 'flash' lead guitarist was that 'it is not about the notes you put in but the space you leave between them.'.:biggrin:

That's a very valid point but I do like a wide range of guitar players (not just MAB, Rusty Cooley types) from Gilmour to Malmsteen but I do appreciate those with exceptional technique.
Two players I rate highly most people have never even heard of:ohmy:

Andy Timmons & Geoff Whitehorn ;)

They both demonstrate feel, phrasing and technique (Timmons can shred a bit too!)
 

Radius

SHREDDER
Location
London
Andy Timmons, very good player, although live he has his slips into widdly too :ohmy:

One of the best videos I've seen is one of Joe Satriani and Andy Timmons having a duel over the track House Full of Bullets' backing (Satriani), that's very cool.

I think Paul Gilbert really meshes fast 'neoclassical' and slower and rhythmic very well, along with his more standard rock-y type stuff with Mr Big. I rate him very highly, he's a really nice guy too, although very deaf in one ear so when you speak to him he turns his head sideways :sad:
 

mikeitup

Veteran
Location
Walsall
Radius said:
Andy Timmons, very good player, although live he has his slips into widdly too ;)

One of the best videos I've seen is one of Joe Satriani and Andy Timmons having a duel over the track House Full of Bullets' backing (Satriani), that's very cool.

I think Paul Gilbert really meshes fast 'neoclassical' and slower and rhythmic very well, along with his more standard rock-y type stuff with Mr Big. I rate him very highly, he's a really nice guy too, although very deaf in one ear so when you speak to him he turns his head sideways :laugh:


I saw Andy Timmons at a guitar clinic a few years back. Really nice down to earth bloke. He played requests from his albums (including some Danger Danger stuff) and finished with "electric gypsy" and "cry for you". I then put my hand up and said "Groove Or Die". He wasn't planning on playing that but he did. After everyone took their jaws off the floor he got a standing ovation!
Saw Geoff Whitehorn at a guitar show on the Marshall stage. Not a widdler but fantastic player anyway.

Pablo is just scary. I remember seeing him and Billy Sheehan when they were in Mr Big playing harmony solo's using cordless drills!!

I am currently learning Pablo's "Technical Difficulties" and that's what I am having.
 

Radius

SHREDDER
Location
London
Love those two tracks, Electric Gypsy is great, so is CFY actually ;)

I don't really 'get' Groove or Die but it's still cool.
Incidentally I can play most of Technical Difficulties, but yeah it's got some Gilbert moments in there, which are hard to get hold of. Saw Billy Sheehan play live at the London Guitar Show this year (along with Satch, Guthrie Govan, Paul Gilbert, and Yngwie Malmsteen), he is a very skilled bassist. Some people don't like his distorty tone though.
 

mikeitup

Veteran
Location
Walsall
Radius said:
Love those two tracks, Electric Gypsy is great, so is CFY actually ;)

I don't really 'get' Groove or Die but it's still cool.
Incidentally I can play most of Technical Difficulties, but yeah it's got some Gilbert moments in there, which are hard to get hold of. Saw Billy Sheehan play live at the London Guitar Show this year (along with Satch, Guthrie Govan, Paul Gilbert, and Yngwie Malmsteen), he is a very skilled bassist. Some people don't like his distorty tone though.


There you go, another superb guitarist!!

I have 2 of his books. They have been some the best guitar books in my collection. Have you seen the tracks of his offered on bluesjamtracks.com (some Jan Cyrka stuff there to. Another underrated player IMO).

What guitars and gear do you play?
 

Radius

SHREDDER
Location
London
He's great, and thankfully not ashamed of admitting his influences (he teaches some of PG's techniques in his picking videos etc., and doesn't call them his own).

My main axe is a 1991 Ibanez Radius 540R LTD limited edition if I am correct. Also have a Vintage V6 strat copy, and a Vintage V4 p-bass copy, both of which are good for the money. I've got 7 guitars in all, including another Ibanez (GRX) which was my first guitar, and two acoustics (one spanish, one classical).
I was using a Vox Valvetronix AD50 but it's conked out so need to look at getting it fixed or replacing it...
How about you?
 

tdr1nka

Taking the biscuit
Now, I wish I could play like this guy!;)
 

mikeitup

Veteran
Location
Walsall
Radius said:
He's great, and thankfully not ashamed of admitting his influences (he teaches some of PG's techniques in his picking videos etc., and doesn't call them his own).

My main axe is a 1991 Ibanez Radius 540R LTD limited edition if I am correct. Also have a Vintage V6 strat copy, and a Vintage V4 p-bass copy, both of which are good for the money. I've got 7 guitars in all, including another Ibanez (GRX) which was my first guitar, and two acoustics (one spanish, one classical).
I was using a Vox Valvetronix AD50 but it's conked out so need to look at getting it fixed or replacing it...
How about you?


I have a Jap '88 Squier Strat, a mid 1990's Ibanez X-Series, and my baby a 1989 Ibanez RG550 in bright orange. (with an EMG 81 in the bridge)
Had a vox AD30VTcombo for xmas ( am very impressed with the sounds. very valvelike) and have a dunlop crybaby. Been looking the Vox Satchurator pedal and the T-REX MAB o/d for a bit more tonal variety but they are both about £90!!;)
 

Radius

SHREDDER
Location
London
mikeitup said:
I have a Jap '88 Squier Strat, a mid 1990's Ibanez X-Series, and my baby a 1989 Ibanez RG550 in bright orange. (with an EMG 81 in the bridge)
Had a vox AD30VTcombo for xmas ( am very impressed with the sounds. very valvelike) and have a dunlop crybaby. Been looking the Vox Satchurator pedal and the T-REX MAB o/d for a bit more tonal variety but they are both about £90!!;)

Nice guitars, specially that orig 550. The reissues are nice but they're probably not up to the QC of the old ones. Not sure about actives without true valve tbh, especially not EMGs, and even more in a non-mahog body, but if you say it sounds good...
I have 2 crybabys, the standard, and the 535Q which is cool because of the modification of the sound you can do (wide / short sweep, adding gain etc). Was looking at the satchurator, but again I think pedals the drive the tubes aren't worth it without a full tube amp...
 
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