Robert Randolph rig rundown

RacerX · January 23, 2012, 04:32:10 PM

Hm. You using a plastic or a metal thumb pick?

VOLVO))) · January 23, 2012, 04:41:13 PM

I switch depending on the tone I want.

RacerX · January 23, 2012, 04:53:41 PM

How exactly did you mod the picks?

Pics?

I may give it a try.

VOLVO))) · January 23, 2012, 04:59:54 PM

When I play guitar, I have a really shallow hold on my pick, just enough to keep my fingers clear of the strings. It comes from playing death metal and shit, lots of speed picking and pinch harmonics. I just grind 'em down so there's less... pick. Less pick = less drag = less friction = less force exerted...

Chovie D · January 23, 2012, 05:25:36 PM

yeah that dudes got speed, but if you take even one of those hammeron licks and use it by itself? you'll have something resembling a chop

I made the decision to go with finger/thumbpicks right off the bat. It was/is one of the most difficult things for me to get used to, sometimes I feel like I got boxing gloves on..no control or finess and it gets WAY qworse after two beers for some reason, but there is a tone you get from picks, and also certain alternate picking techinique's where its required for speed.

The only well known player I can think of who doesnt use picks is Daniel Lanois.
whatever works for ya tho.

Pinch harmonics when your fingers are all wearing picks is a somewhat different beast..theres a coupe of ways to do it, including the "snapping" method Sunn))))) Mentioned.

VOLVO))) · January 23, 2012, 08:03:01 PM

I've got hard tips if you know what I mean...

Chovie D · January 23, 2012, 08:57:18 PM

I remembered a couple other no pick players.
Steve Cunningham

on steel pedal steel Lanois plays with no picks at all, very unorthodox style and tuning, beautiful tho

and of course Junior Brown, but he plays guitar and steel in the same song ...he uses a flatpick between thumb and finger like all guitarists do, but also has some finger picks on middle and ring it looks like. He must have a 6th tuning on his steel, sounds very western swingish.

point is you can do whatever you want. Id suggest tryin the picks tho, they are cheap and you can decide then if your missing something by not having em on. They allow me to play wide harmony grips and they do increase speed when your doing the clawhammerish or dobroish stuff. Theres a reason banjo pickers use em

neighbor664 · January 23, 2012, 09:06:27 PM

I've always had trouble using finger/thumb pics. I tend to play either with a standard pick or with none at all.
No pick seems pretty natural to me. Maybe it's my love of Jeff Beck. Maybe it's having some foundation in classical guitar (no nails) and and bass? I've always been in awe of the picking techniques of Flamenco players too and I figure there has to be some middle ground between all the different techniques. That being said, there is a certain tone that is hard to attain with out finger picks.

Chovie D · January 23, 2012, 09:12:24 PM

yeah i really enjoy fingerpicking on guitar and played classical guitar as a kid. I recently bought a nylon string and I love to fingerpick on that. i cant do it on steel tho, Im used to the picks now.

VOLVO))) · January 23, 2012, 09:34:10 PM

Andy from PGS plays pickless and he gets pretty much all great tones. I tried out the finger picks just now, and I play really loud, and almost without dynamics at this point, with them. If I'm playing acoustic, I'm not really playing what I normally do. Think more of a mellow math-rock band, as gay as that is. Something touches me about really intricate pretty guitar parts that sound like 2 or 3 guitars, but it's only one.

Chovie D · January 24, 2012, 09:49:19 AM

I didnt see the steel in that clip

yeah tons more volume with picks. the attack is just different. Sharp, more percussive. sometimes (alot of the times for country steel) you want that snappy sound.

I still fumble with the picks, i get em caught in the strings, they fly off, I miss strings or grab the wrong one...and this is after 5 years of practice every day

after a couple beers i get what i call the LOBSTER CLAW. Right hand has no control and feels like a clumsy pincer

shit.... I better get in some practice b4 work.*pops on picks

Chovie D · January 24, 2012, 10:06:02 AM

*pops off picks.

One thing I should add aboot fingerpicks. you have to shape them with a pair of needlenose pliers, you cannot just slap em on straight oot the box and expect them to be useable. Some people shape em so teh tip sticks way oot, some so that the tip is close to the fingertip. be sure you got em on the right way too. I ptake a small bandaid and wrap it around the parts that hug your cuticle. This keeps the picks from slipping off your fingers , keeps em snug, and prevent cuticle irritation. This aint my hand but its close ot how I have my picks shaped...I leave a little more length sticking out from the fingertip.

inductorguitars · January 24, 2012, 03:27:45 PM

Don't know if you've seen this....

http://guitarz.blogspot.com/2010/07/john-paul-joness-manson-custom-bass.html

Chovie D · January 24, 2012, 05:10:15 PM

Quote from: inductorguitars on January 24, 2012, 03:27:45 PM
Don't know if you've seen this....

http://guitarz.blogspot.com/2010/07/john-paul-joness-manson-custom-bass.html

I didnt know JPJ played steel. There is some pedal steel on zeppelin 3 but its Jimmy Page.
I see those melobar guitars for sale from time to time, bout $700 or so. There was one at a local shop a while back and the body was like this foam rubbery stuff. It was really weird. They are sort of like keytars.

Peavey tried something similar a few years back. I dont think it as well received, Ive never seen one IRL.

clockwork green · January 24, 2012, 07:08:30 PM

I saw John Paul Jones play a solo show a few years back. 1, it was heavy has hell, he's got some super cool basses 10-string stuff and he plays some really heavy riffs. 2, he played a lot of Zeppelin songs on pedal steel and made them way more bad ass then any cover band I've ever seen.

RacerX · January 24, 2012, 10:52:16 PM

Looks big enough to be a pedal steel, but...

neighbor664 · January 24, 2012, 11:10:59 PM

Great clip. leave it to the guy named RacerX to post a clip with Paul Gilbert.

Chovie D · January 25, 2012, 12:12:06 PM

well, hes no david lindley...but he's better than Page

anyone here could be playing like that in a couple months
he's just doin the single string and hammer-on stuff we've been talking about, cept he doesnt have that fluid vocal quality that a Randolph, Campbell, Lindley or Trucks has. Sorry for the critique, he sounds great, and Im no better at it than he is.
btw the WORST steel player Ive seen in a big band situation is Ronnie Wood, egads..and hes been "playing" for over 25 years!
Pages pedal steel on songs like "Thats the Way" is charmingly bad..."hit chord..mash pedals"..but it still works. Im a rank amatuer myself so ...not much better.

Looks like a custom made 8 string lap steel with a palm bender on the 3rd string, on a keyboard stand.

inductorguitars · January 25, 2012, 12:44:48 PM

Quote from: RacerX on January 24, 2012, 10:52:16 PM
Looks big enough to be a pedal steel, but...

Wait what bass is that? 4003 with a P-pass pickup?

Mr. Foxen · January 25, 2012, 12:58:55 PM

Quote from: inductorguitars on January 25, 2012, 12:44:48 PM
Quote from: RacerX on January 24, 2012, 10:52:16 PM
Looks big enough to be a pedal steel, but...

Wait what bass is that? 4003 with a P-pass pickup?

Think is 4000, dude is Linus of Hollywood (provided I recognise him purely from the bass correctly) and there's a bunch of discussion about that bass under the topic of the video for Scarified on various forums.

VOLVO))) · January 25, 2012, 01:18:48 PM

It is indeed Linus of Hollywood, It's a 4000 with Pbass pickupssss.

grimniggzy · January 25, 2012, 05:24:31 PM

I've seen at least a couple other guys with P pickups in Ric's/copies. The dude form Earthless and the one dude from BB & the Bros immediately come to mind. Never really understood it but w/e floats.

Mr. Foxen · January 25, 2012, 05:32:00 PM

Keep eying this rick copy armed with a P pickup. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/150740177866?ssPageName=STRK:MEBOFFX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1432.l2649

My favourite thing is the screwdriver in the strap button, but I basically hate the shape of Ricks and only like fake ones because they seems to personally massively wind up John Hall.

Mr Neutron · January 25, 2012, 07:05:58 PM

Quote from: RacerX on January 24, 2012, 10:52:16 PM
Looks big enough to be a pedal steel, but...

Did Gilbert just come from his other gig...working at an airport?

RacerX · January 25, 2012, 08:15:24 PM

Mebbe fighter pilot?

Quote from: Chovie D on January 25, 2012, 12:12:06 PM
well, hes no david lindley...but he's better than Page

anyone here could be playing like that in a couple months
he's just doin the single string and hammer-on stuff we've been talking about, cept he doesnt have that fluid vocal quality that a Randolph, Campbell, Lindley or Trucks has. Sorry for the critique, he sounds great, and Im no better at it than he is.
btw the WORST steel player Ive seen in a big band situation is Ronnie Wood, egads..and hes been "playing" for over 25 years!
Pages pedal steel on songs like "Thats the Way" is charmingly bad..."hit chord..mash pedals"..but it still works. Im a rank amatuer myself so ...not much better.

Looks like a custom made 8 string lap steel with a palm bender on the 3rd string, on a keyboard stand.

The most impressive thing to me about Jonesy is how many instruments he's able play. Dude's a natural musician.

Of course, on the bass or keys, he's a master, but I'd wager he could pick up just about any instrument and make music of some sort.