Recent content by Mr. Bert

I have embarked on a great study of music lately. The modes seemed very intimidating at first, until I started thinking of them as a 'mood' as opposed to a 'mode.' They are nothing more than a series of scale patterns that project a certain feeling or mood in a musical sense. This has unlocked...

Jackson offers a variety of 7 stringers. One of the first I ever saw was the Randy Rhoads V with string-through-body. They pop up from time to time in Musicians Friend Catalog...Robert

Yeah, John had a unique sound. No one could do his material because it was written for him. I liked his approach to music. He kept things simple, basic and added a certain mystique to everything he did. In a genre of limited talents and whining songs about 'poor me,' John made country music...

One of the best sounds I ever heard on a recording was through a Marshall 20 Watt Amp. When you listened to the sound and then looked at the amp, it was unreal. As I recall, Brian May also played through small amps in a live situation and mic'd them through the PA for presence and volume. I...

Phyl, Thanks for the tips. You know, I like to play along with some of the classical and jazz stations and the technique, as you stated, does wonders for your ability to improvise. The only problem is many of the songs are in non-standard tuning. Grinder, I remember those days as a...

I am not sure any kind of music 'sucks,' but I am sure that everyone has certain likes and dislikes associated with a certain style. In my case, I don't really dig Rap or Hip-Hop, but when I heard Pink's songs 'Get the Party Started,' I really liked the beat. I thought it was a cool dance...

Grinder, Truss rods were standard equipment on all Stratocasters starting with the very first ones released in 1954. Some of the very early Esquires (the father of the Telecaster) first released in 1950, did not have truss rods. They can be identified by the traditional 'Telecaster'...

I spent years in cover bands and learned to play most of the leads note for note, with no knowledge of scales and their progressions. I could play the song, but I couldn't tell you what the notes were. I believe this greatly hampered my lead playing and creativity because I bypassed so many...

I think my favorite Rhoads leads was in 'Flyin' High Again,' especially the live version from the 'Tribute' album. It was very melodic and graceful. I was really into Angus Young and Rhoads when I was growing up. I greatly admired the lead work of Mathias Jabs of Scorpions. I saw them live in...

What gauge strings are you using? Maybe if you went with something like 10-46, you could add a little relief that way? It's hard to explain to someone else what you see with your own eyes, but I think I understand what you have and how you plan on using the guitar. If you don't have a...

Dethska, Is this a bolt-on neck? If so, maybe a replacement would solve the problem???...Bert

I read this post with great interest and decided to write a response. I started playing in '78-'79 and watched a great deal of changes take place in the music scene. Back then, we placed a lot of value on having a very skilled lead guitarist. These days, it seems that music has become more...

I think that spring guage is a matter of personal taste. I have always used 10-46 on my electrics and I have the nuts and neck tension setup especially for this string guage. I started out using GHS Boomers because they were cheap back in the 1980s. I tried Dean Markely for a while, but the...

Dim, I see your point about your use of a Wah to give you a different sound, but I am very basic in my approach to effects and equipment. I don't like to 'color' or otherwise alter the sound of my guitars, except for certain cover songs. I haven't changed my amp settings in 5 years or more...

Richard, I think you have the idea I was looking for. A way to switch sounds during a live performance. Nice...Bert