Thread: Guitar Showdown Anyone?

Originally Posted by Oneiro

Hey.. come on LS..

What's up, man?

This thing isn't going to be the same without you, imo.

What gives?

Ditto. What's that about, LS?

I'm confused, what's wrong man?

Elaborate hoax.

I am cool, though if you want an explanation you will have to PM me, i can only link some to an appropriate place.

Do not worry, all is well and i will be continuing the guitar showdown as planned. Sorry if i mislead some of you guys

Let me compile the necessary information and i'll post it up. Your gonna love this one (i hope).

Edit - No need for challenge anymore.

aww man I already had a composition in my for what other people were talking about. but it wasn't blues.

Okay ranma, i don't want to mess you about or anything, so i think its better if we all just switch to the thing that you had prepared.

It will be better that way, saves you messing about and all.

I hope you revisit the Blues one too - that was well thought out and would be very challenging. There is SO much variety possible in the blues. Your challenge really got me thinking about novel ways to approach it.

Its best leaving it for another time, i won't be partaking in this weeks guitar war either, but i'll sort out all the arrangements. Oneiro if you want to take the honours and post the rules and challenge for this week, i will be happy to sort out all the details and thread etc.

Just get it up as soon as you can and i will sort the submissions and more, this week i'll get you sorted with some mp3 files so its easier on your bandwidth.

Ok. Since Ranma has already been working on something, we will keep it with pj's idea of the 30-second composition.

A genre of your choice. It can be rhythm, melody, or both.

I think we should get at least 5 days to complete and/or perfect our entries, because sometimes (especially for us newbies ) it may take a little longer than 2 days to get something "performance-worthy." So maybe we can run this until Monday, when voting will begin, and they voting will run until late Wednesday? Sound good?

Originally Posted by Oneironaut

I think we should get at least 5 days to complete and/or perfect our entries, because sometimes (especially for us newbies ) it may take a little longer than 2 days to get something "performance-worthy." So maybe we can run this until Monday, when voting will begin, and they voting will run until late Wednesday? Sound good?

I second that motion - getting something recorded by Friday isn't likely to happen with me, and I'd really like to do this.

sounds good O!!!

Originally Posted by Oneironaut

we will keep it with pj's idea of the 30-second composition.

You see, i thought it was Oneiro's idea, thats how out of touch i am with this thread hehe. Sorry pj, well i think this is a great idea.

The arrangements sound fine to me O, stick with pj's idea and we will escalate things from here. Sounds like a plan though O, we just need people to get their submissions ready.

I'll be ready to sort when people have submitted their pieces.

Okay..

Here's my first meagre attempt on mp3.. just two guitar tracks over 30 secs..

I hope this link works:

http://vibecat.com/oneiro

It's the only track there, so click on it when you get there.

And here's mine. I tried the vid thing, but the sound just kept coming out crunchy and I didn't have the patience to get that worked out.

http://theveryfew.net/30sec.mp3

Instrumentation - one track, one pass, Agile Cool Cat full hollowbody, straight into the E-Mu through a Blackface emulator I cobbled together.

Nice one pj.. very slick.

Nice job, guys. PJ, that sounds great. I really like the style, and it that you were able to squeeze in a good beginning middle and end, within the thirty seconds. Oneiro, I really like your use of the FX.

Alright. Here's mine. I didn't really feel it was video-worthy, so I just uploaded it to Putfile instead. It's two tracks. It's only 30 seconds, for the contest, but I may actually expand on it, sometime, because I do kind of like the arrangement. I had to actually do some songwriting research to get an idea of which chords usually sound good with which key, because I was pretty much flying blind, into this contest. Heh.

http://media.putfile.com/Guitar-Wars---30Second-Comp

Just give me six strings and a wammy bah.

Originally Posted by Oneiro

Nice one pj.. very slick.

Originally Posted by Oneironaut

Nice job, guys. PJ, that sounds great. I really like the style, and it that you were able to squeeze in a good beginning middle and end, within the thirty seconds. Oneiro, I really like your use of the FX.

Thanks, guys! Oneiro - love the mystery. Are you doing that with an amp setup, a pod, or what? Your rhythm track almost sounds like you're using an E-bow.

It's cool that you guys are tracking - or are you using a loop station there, O? I just picked one up used... I'm not very adept at it yet. If a few of us have loopstations, it might be fun to have a little side competition some time using them.

Another idea for L.S. to consider is to mandate, say, three or four tracks or something.

Originally Posted by pj

Thanks, guys! Oneiro - love the mystery. Are you doing that with an amp setup, a pod, or what? Your rhythm track almost sounds like you're using an E-bow.

Cheers pj.. Its my G&L Comanche into a GK 250ML into the PC. The ebow effect is backwards tracking. The whole lead track is reversed.

Originally Posted by Oneiro

Cheers pj.. Its my G&L Comanche into a GK 250ML into the PC. The ebow effect is backwards tracking. The whole lead track is reversed.

Kewl. That's one of those things I can easily do with the Loopstation but haven't played with much yet. Haven't quite got the knack of thinking backwards long enough to do anything that would make musical sense yet. Haven't quite got the knack of anything with that thing yet, actually.

Oooh - I could do something symmetrical, couldn't I?

**EDIT**

By the way, Oneiro - I gave yours a few more listens... I still "hear" what you are calling the lead part as the rhythm track, and that (what sounds like) artificial harmonic thing you are doing as the lead. It's pretty cool that it's open to interpretation like that!

I must admit this challenge was inspiring. The only problem I had was taking the riff and cutting it down to it's bare essencials to fit it into the timeframe. I'm impressed so far with all your entries and like how there's not too much repitition (think I tried to hard to establish a rhytm or pattern in mine so there wasn't much room to improv )

Prescence of Change (QuickTime).

I assumed layering wasn't allowed, but I'll definitely have more fun on the next one!

Originally Posted by Tornado Joe

I assumed layering wasn't allowed, but I'll definitely have more fun on the next one!

Actually, both Oneiro's and Oneironaut's are two-tracked, unless O used a loopstation. He hasn't tipped his hand yet.

My goodness, but your tone is delicious, TJ. Sweet little composition too. I'm going to have a hard time following the rules again this go with all the great entries so far!

Have you mentioned what guitar you are playing there, and how it is being jacked in?

I'm resolved to use the Taylor on the next competition so I can compete with you tone-wise. Heh. I may even break out the condenser mic. Wouldn't a competition judged just on tone be interesting?

When I was young, I fell in love with a guitar owned by a young lady I also happened to be in love with. The guitar was an original Ovation Balladeer - the first flat-top acoustic I ever heard that sounded GREAT plugged in. I have wanted one ever since.

A few months ago, I found one on Craig's List - original Kaman Helicopter plant Ovation Balladeer with case, for $50. The catch? The face was smashed to smithereens.

I've been very slowly restoring the guitar ever since. I just flush-cut the binding filler this morning. Next is to scrape that flush, then route the new purfling channel in. I figure by mid Summer I may be playing this beauty. It came with all the original electronics, all working.

Very nice, TJ. Pj's right: I really love that tone. Sounds great.

Originally Posted by pj

Actually, both Oneiro's and Oneironaut's are two-tracked, unless O used a loopstation. He hasn't tipped his hand yet.

It's two-tracked. I recorded the arpeggio set first and then, playing that file on media player, I improv'd over it, and recorded them both, simultaneously, with Audacity.

I wasn't sure that layering was allowed either, but after Oneiro did it, and pj didn't protest, I took that as my cue. Lol.

(BTW, if anyone else wants to participate in this week's contest, please let me know soon. I will be posting the poll maybe by the end of the day, if no one else informs me that they will be taking part.)

I will have mine in, in a few hours.