[keep poppin pimples]

i don't really like most of the shred records i've heard but i don't find them particularly bad.

i hear alot of people that these kinds of guitarists just use their music purely to show off their technique and i don't think it's true, i've seen interviews with steve vai explaning where he picks up techniques and influences for pieces, talking about applying things from other instruments to his own and i can tell the guy finds his music interesting and loves what he does with it, i can respect that, and seeing how socially awkward he is drives home the point that this guy would rather stay home and practice trying to put new things in his music. of course whatever elements he's incorporating the final product often sounds exactly the same, but i guess if you're generous you could say that's the result of a strong musical personality

buckethead makes really fun,over the top music that i enjoy and not for the technique, i don't really give a shit about guitar technique as it's not my instrument but having mad skillz will always give you the ability to make cool sounds come out of yr instrument.

as far as shred stuff goes i find most of it is aesthetically quite close to metal, so i would rather listen to a good metal band who has shred appeal but is more well rounded

[Green_mind]

haha that video is freaking hilarious!

I don't think Mascis noodles around, but I know what you mean. Long live shred!

@ slice of ice

[Rob Instigator]

I have never heard of "shred" as a ganre. a dude my age thinks "shred" is what a guitarist ina heavy rock or metal band is SUPPOSED TO DO


EVH playing eruption
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUHhUy6sBiQ

EVH playin Cathedral. I think he plays this whole thing without strumming orplucking more than a few times
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUHhUy6sBiQ

[hevusa]

god I hate this shit

[Rob Instigator]

tis different shit for sure.

[atsonicpark]

Originally Posted by Glice

The Great Kat. One of the words in her name is misleading though.

Whenever I listen to Dinosaur, I always yearn for some proper shred. Planned out rather than noodly up and down bollocks. Another band I've never been able to tolerate.

Dinosaur just sounds like generic indie rock to me, but with the most boring vocalist ever. Sebadoh have better guitar solos.

I generally find guitar solos really boring EXCEPT stuff like Necrophagist, Dodheimsgard, various black/death metal bands. I really enjoy Mick Barr's guitar playing, which is sorta shredd-y. His endurance is amazing.

Awesome Octis shred over a drum machine = http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-SunbqL3zXk

Glice, do you like Necrophagist? By far the best current death metal band around, their "shred solos" are mindblowing, he will often quote classical songs in their soloing and whatever: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4jUGFAg2LA

Really love Racer X, too.

[Green_mind]

I love the YT comment on EVP's Eruption, "it's like his fingers have tourettes".

[Glice]

Originally Posted by atsonicpark

Glice, do you like Necrophagist? By far the best current death metal band around, their "shred solos" are mindblowing, he will often quote classical songs in their soloing and whatever: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4jUGFAg2LA

Yeah, some mates of mine did a tour with them (the mighty burning skies). I sort of like them, but like a lot of that stuff (Nile also), it's something I can't listen to too much. You might like the Skies' side project, UK Hate Grind. The singer's just finished a straight-up RnB album as well, that's really, really good.

I tend to think the metal sense of shred is a bit different to the EVH side of things - it's interesting, but it's more about... being dark rather than, essentially, fretwanking. It all has its place, obviously.

[Genteel Death]

Originally Posted by Glice

This is very similar to myself, as it happens. I'm much closer to the alt-rock mode of guitar (though I'd rather say I was closer to Derek Bailey or Keiji Haino than Moore & Ranaldo) so I try and avoid listening to too much that's similar to me. Something like shred fulfils a lot for me because it's so far removed from what I do but definitely brings new ways of playing

I've never really got the blues though. Some of it's alright (Son House) but a lot of it really doesn't do anything for me. I think it's all a bit to austere for my liking, not much in the way of relief. Whereas Malmsteen or whoever is at least preposterous.

Do you prefer playing using a standard or alternate tuning?

[Glice]

Always, always standard for me. Although my earlier years were mostly non-standard and I'm writing some variable-tuning stuff at present.

[Genteel Death]

Originally Posted by Glice

Always, always standard for me. Although my earlier years were mostly non-standard and I'm writing some variable-tuning stuff at present.

Same. I've tried a couple of different tunings a few times but I find I'm perfectly happy with standard. I have been doing a bit of research on how detune your guitar properly, though, because I was never aware there are more correct ways of doing it than others. Actually, I'm pretty much open to advice about this on this forum too, if anyone is good at it.

[Green_mind]

I like to tune to a few select tunings, nothing crazy though, I hate having to buy new strings. The only techniques I know with tuning strings is to tug them when yr in tune then fine tune them back up. This sax guy use to tell me when tuning up to slacken the string down a half step and then back up again.

[Glice]

Depends on what you want from 'detuning'. Urusei Yatsura used to be quite happy for it to slip out of tune mid-song. And there's plenty of people who use inappropriate string gauges for the timbral affect it has. The only proper piece of advice is that tuning up should be done with caution - going more than a tone or so up will warp the neck if you're using thicker strings, so it's worth going to a higher string or thinner gauge. Also, it's always important when detuning to tune to below the note, then wind upwards to the object note, because it'll be more stable then. And leaving a lot of slack string that coils around the nut, above and below the entry point, is important too, and the string is more supported, and putting less strain on the neck (this is true of standard tuning as well).

[Toilet & Bowels]

necrophagist, high rise, black flag, the amboy dukes/ted nugent, slayer, etc. surprised nobody has mentioned wayne rogers, and maybe this clip might not be fast enough to count as shredding but still, it's fucking awesome, there's something overwhelming about seeing such an unlikely looking dude letting rip in a way that most people can only dream of, he really gets going at the 1.35 mark
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USb2YH3eeK8

[Toilet & Bowels]

Originally Posted by Glice

And there's plenty of people who use inappropriate string gauges for the timbral affect it has.

what are different string gauges about anyway? i always ask for the thickest strings, but i have no idea what they're supposed to be good for.

[Glice]

In terms of standard tuning, there's a trade off between tone and how bendable a string is. Thicker strings give a fuller tone but break easier and aren't so easy to bend. Thinner strings are easier to bend and a little bit better for playing quickly.

In terms of alt-tunings, you want a string that's not going to break - so if you're tuning above the high e, a thinner string will hold out longer than the standard ones. There's a graph of 'best gauge to string' somewhere, I might look for it tomorrow.

[Toilet & Bowels]

Originally Posted by Glice

In terms of standard tuning, there's a trade off between tone and how bendable a string is. Thicker strings give a fuller tone but break easier and aren't so easy to bend. Thinner strings are easier to bend and a little bit better for playing quickly.

In terms of alt-tunings, you want a string that's not going to break - so if you're tuning above the high e, a thinner string will hold out longer than the standard ones. There's a graph of 'best gauge to string' somewhere, I might look for it tomorrow.

cheers, if i use alt tunings they're lower than standard. i usually tune to DADGBC

[EVOLghost]

EVH kicks ass! (guily pleasure)

[demonrail666]

Some country shred

[EVOLghost]

and...the Karate Kid is better than Steve Vai.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0QKbnCDW94