Y'all ever bought a refinished guitar? Someone on Canadian Reverbhas a JPX7 for salewith the neck refinished in satin (stock version is poly gloss) which actually makes me want it more, coupled with it being a good 500-750 under the usual price. Can't put my hands on it before buying though. Too risky?

I always liked this one. Sounds like he just free styled it.

Have you guys discussed Guthrie Govan yet? His playings a little spastic sounding to me sometimes, but is still amazingly talented.

The "cheese" factor you alluded to happens over time as something transitions from groundbreaking to passé after many people copy it and it becomes overplayed or even those artists milk a style to death to pay the bills. Rest assured whatever you think sounds cutting edge or fresh now will one day sound dated.

There's definitely some nostalgia attached to this music which influences our responses. Hearing Satriani in the late 80s and older fans than me who experienced EVH in the late 70s or Hendrix in the late 60s, etc. know the impact those albums had when they dropped. You hear it today 30+ years on recycled, rehashed, and reheated many times over and it's a giant cheese fest to you. I get it. But then you'll probably feel the same way in a few years as you reach old fart status and guitarists born in the last decade are telling you the stuff you like is "vanilla sounding" and "pure unadulterated cheese."

Unlike the cavalcade of older artists anointing today's guitarists as better than ever to get social media cred I'm not entirely sold. I don't think there is more talent today. I think technology and the reach of social media simply creates that illusion. Is Plini sitting in his home studio with the luxury of thousands of takes, layering, and editing more talented than Jason Becker who got a few hours of studio time on Mike Varney's dime to nail his solos? Then you've got guitarists who can play faster than ever but have extremely questionable vibrato, bending, and overall phrasing.

There are a lot of people walking around who talk a good game, act like they're smarter than previous generations, but take away their phone and Google access and they'd struggle. I see parallels there with music. The cream rises to the top. I suspect Eric Johnson and Satriani's music will be played and revered long after this current crop runs out of ideas.

He's rad. Check out this solo he did on Jason Becker's latest. starts at 2:51:

Entitled to your opinion even though you'd be in the minority.Guthrie is nearly 50 which hardly qualifies as "modern." Technically he's well ahead of Satriani and Vai but then with one solo album to their 20+ you could say he's avoided rehashing and pumping out "cheese" and filler material by only doing the one album.

"Stephen Taranto, Sergey Golovin, and Josh Meader are objectively superior on a technical level"means nothing other than they have better technique. More people would rather listen to David Gilmour.

My point was I don't think guitarists today as a whole are more talented unless you're simply using metrics like picking speed and that's about as meaningful as saying the best drummer is the fastest when they'll never be 5% of Vinnie Colaiuta. In terms of creativity, note choice, phrasing, tone, etc., no, I don't think they're better. Allan Holdsworth developing his approach without Berklee, music lessons, Youtube, or instructional videos speaks volumes for his talent. Show me someone "modern" e.g. born in the last 30 years or so who's anywhere near that level. And without being spoon fed all that instructional content how close would they be?

It's like you could look at today's athletes and say they're superior because they're faster and jump higher courtesy of advances in drugs and nutrition but are today's best players in the NBA more talented than Olajuwon and Jordan 25-30 years ago? I say no. Back to the subject at hand I've seen some incredible displays of technique by the current generation but I haven't heard a lot of music from them that is as memorable and moves me like the guys I grew up listening to. We'll see if it stands the test of time.

EoR posted a song from Andy James which I liked a lot but then he's about 40 and he'd be the first to acknowledge Satriani's influence and how he pushed him to become a better player which is good because I can hear his influence in the first few notes. Joe "The Situation" Satriani's legato technique can't hold a candle to Tom Quayle and Tim Miller and his alternate picking is pedestrian by today's standards but then there's more to being a complete guitar player than those two techniques. His bending, vibrato, phrasing, time feel, note choice, ear for melody is well beyond the level most people will ever reach. I'm absolutely certain of that.

From now on Joe will be called The Satchuation.

Did you listen to any of the songs I posted or were your cheese senses fully satchurated after EoR's greatest hits collection?

How about this one? Give it a cheese rating out of 10. I'll bet if this was a Plini track you and Kirk to the Wahmett wouldn't be triggered and actually listen to it.

Let's see if we can get 3 wins on the board withCrushing Day. I won't link to the album version because that Surfing with the Situation cover artwork might trigger you so how about watching someone else play it. Solo starts around 2 mins in.

Bit harsh mang. It was 1987 so I'd cut him some slack on those robotic beats. Favorite songs on that album are Crushing Day, Circles, Lords of Karma, and Echo.

I do agree about the drumming. He's always liked that drum machine sound. I love the drumming on the song Time Machine but he fired that guy. There's a video of him making an album with Peter Gabriel's drummer Manu Katche where he's about to cry because the guy was injecting too much feel.

He did an album with Vinnie Colaiuta but the material was pretty bland and after that Marco Minnemann but he was in rehash mode and still heavily reining him in to stick to the formula which was a shame.

Anyway that's my biggest criticism of Joe. His songwriting back in the good old days made up for it.

Rate this local band here in my city? My friend told me about a website/mobile app called Bandmix where you could meet other musicians.

They said they’re interested in jamming with me, they’re looking for a drummer and bass player. I play guitar but I told them I’d be open to playing bass.

I really think they have a great sound, if anything it’d be cool to make some new friends to make music with. I need experience actually playing with people instead of riffing out by myself all the time

https://flowerchurch.bandcamp.com/album/jelly

I usually play more Sabbath, Stoner Rock type of music. But I actually do think they sound pretty good.

I've been out of the loop. Marty Friedman guest solo on a Kiko album.



"For the last five years, I've always been compared to Marty Friedman, and Marty Friedman is a great musician – not only a great guitar player but an amazing musician.

“And I'm a big fan of his solo work and Cacophony and, of course, other Megadeth years, and I had a chance to meet him two times and have great conversations about music and about life with him.

“I have some guest musicians, guest guitarists on my new album, and guess what? Marty Friedman is one of them.

"I'm so happy to have Marty Friedman. He did, of course, an amazing solo on one of my songs. So, thank you, Marty."

Should i get helix native or amplitube 5 max?

I only play through my computer nowadays, and pod farm 2 is sounding dated.

There's a $50 difference between the 2 packages.

I play metal and country, so i like variety

I really like the engl powerball clone on A5, but havent played around with helix too much.

That's pretty rad. Marty's use of that thingie he does where he pre-bends a note a little flat from the target, slowly to pitch and then that vibrato..... gawdddd...

Getting some major Protest the Hero vibes from the song itself.

It's 12:41 AM here in San Diego.

Had a meeting with the kids ( 7, 10, and 12 ) earlier tonight about how we are putting our 18 year old cat to sleep this Monday December 7. Massive invasive soft tissue sarcoma..tour is over. Pretty chit night. They are all asleep. How is this relevant to this thread?

Listening to Joe Satriani's 'Friends'. Ah sweet clarity. 80s legends always pull you through.

Finally starting to get my first pedalboard together. Not a fan of amps sims and working through a DAW but maybe my recording setup just sucks idk

I bought myself these pedals

Black Russian Big Muff V8
EHX Ram’s Head Reissue
Boss RC1 Looper
EHX Holy Grail Reverb

My brother and my friend got me guitar pedals as an early X-Mas present so now I also have

EHX Electric Mistress
Dunlop Echoplex Delay

Excited to mess with the stuff I went to guitar center yesterday and bought a pedal power supply and some patch cables. Was thinking about getting rid of the Holy Grail for an Earthquaker Avalanche Run

Any suggestions on pedals? Overdrive? Treble Booster?