Ponderings over an amp’s built-in distortion

I’m not talking about simple tube overdrive like so many people seem to love nowadays- and who can blame them when so many greats of the ’60s and early ’70s used it- I’m talking about distortion of the punk and metal kind. I’ve found that, within the types of music I’m most interested in, old-school overdrive can only really be used for more old-school genres. I dunno if any of you progressive or fusion or what-have-you players use it.

Anyway… I simply adore heavy distortion, although many of my guitars aren’t capable of it, and I certainly don’t limit myself to recent metal and punk genres. I guess I just like those wailin’ an’ screamin’ guitar gods too much- when I use heavy distortion, it feels as though I’ve been set free.
So recently, as my musical tastes have greatly expanded and I’ve been attempting to play a greater range of styles (not virtuosically, mind you) and testing to see whether or not I’ve absorbed them through osmosis, I’ve been playing around with my amp without the distortion on. I admit that I almost entirely have played my amp with its distortion switch on, although you wouldn’t know it sometimes because of the way several of my guitars refuse to respond as strongly to it, but know I think I can appreciate turning up your amp’s volume and having it “break up”, as so many people describe it for whatever reason.
So yeah. I’ve been turned on to the joys of “natural” overdrive.

Yeah, I know what you’re thinking- “It’s about time!” Pfff…

So the deal is that while I love the tone of my amp’s distortion channel still, I’ve found that without it, I can feel vibrations in the floor underneath my feet. I’ve never experienced that before- it has a resonance that feels like there are actual sound waves emanating from the speaker rather than some elusive tone trapped in a box. I admit that I would much rather have the distortion have that same resonance.
So… that explains why the amp hasn’t been loud enough. The distortion seriously cuts down volume, so I’m at a bit of a loss. I pray that once I get that Fender amp, the distortion pedal I picked won’t cause that same problem. Would it? I’ve tried Googling for an answer, but it would seem that my problem is too specific for an internet search. I’m guessing that it depends on the amp and the pedal in question…
Watching a YouTube demo of the pedal by someone other than a company employee who’s paid to praise it, I noticed a similar situation occurred when he first turned it on. As far as I can tell, it was solved by turning the pedal’s Bass knob up. It’s just as well, because those are the frequencies that are most audibly missing.

So that gives me hope. If it comes down to it, I may just have to turn up my amp when I use the pedal…

wtf

How the h*** did I lose to that c***?

http://www.seventhsanctumblog.com/2010/02/bmovie-contest-winners.html

If I’m going to be only runner-up, at least have the winner be, y’know, a better artist than me or something.

Velcome effrybody

Whoever came to this blog searching for “anti gay blogs”, you are welcome here! (Unless you’re pro-gay and was just looking for somebody to rag on.)

Whoever it was searching for “pyramid head”… um, don’t hate us too much.

Questionable Advertising: Kraft Singles

Fake cheese is patriotic!

*insert YouTube link here*

The difference

Conservatives judge you wrongly before getting to know you.

Liberals get to know you first, and then they judge you wrongly.

This is from personal experience.

Questionable Advertising: Imitation love

I wish I could find a copy of the commercial for “Pet Sitter Dora”. It’s probably the most disgusting thing I’ve ever seen on television. It just about sums up everything I hate about pet-replacement toys. I mean, geez louise, isn’t a cat doll or something like that enough?

“Hey kids! Do you want the love and affection of a living, breathing creature but without the mess and responsibility? Then why not buy a creepy robot that really ‘loves’ you? Those real puppies and kittens will be put to sleep soon anyway! New from Uncanny Valley Toys Inc.!”

My parents are weird

My dad is the only person I know who didn’t watch The Beatles on The Ed Sullivan show. He was too into classical at the time, and only became a fan until after they broke up.

Musings

True love is when you can hug and f*** at the same time.

At least that’s what I think it ought to be.

The Beatles and musical history: “You’ll Be Mine”

“You’ll Be Mine”, released on Anthology 1, is clearly not a song that’s not meant to be taken seriously. John and Paul sing in ridiculous operatic, falsetto, and faux-bass voices, and the songs ends in a burst of laughter.

Nevertheless, it does suggest some of what The Beatles were listening to- namely, doo-wop. Doo-wop is probably the oldest genre to survive through the ’50s, having beginnings in the early ’40s- in fact, the group that could be considered the fathers of the genre, the Ink Spots, are who “You’ll Be Mine” is often compared to.
Doo-wop is a somewhat loose term, having not been coined until the early ’60s when it had already been around for a while and making lots of hit records. Stereotypically, doo-wop groups are African-American vocal harmony groups whose consist of a lead tenor being backed by a baritone, countertenor, and of course, a bass vocalist, making frequent use of meaningless hum-like syllables like “shooby-doo-wah” and “ba-dum” and “wah-ooh”. It has roots in gospel and blues with pop thrown in for good measure, probably having its genesis in four or five guys singing at a street corner, to romanticize the genre’s image a bit. Of course, doo-wop does not necessarily have to have a twelve-bar form or consist of I-vi-IV-V chords, because doo-wop is a surprisingly flexible genre from what I’ve observed, having lots of moods, tempos, and chord structures available.
Of course, I don’t really know how easily The Beatles could’ve heard the Ink Spots’ records, since they didn’t really exist by the late ’50s, but I guess anything’s possible. Nevertheless, its a common facet of doo-wop music to have a middle where the bass singer speaks a monologue, which is what I’m guessing to be John sends up when speaking of his love’s “National Health eyeball”. I don’t see who else it could be, with such a nonsensical phrase.

So there you go- The Beatles were flavored with a sprinkling of doo-wop! Why else would they use “shooby-doo-wop” on “Revolution 1″?

By the way, since there isn’t really any other place to mention it, there’s an incomplete fragment of an unknown song from the 1960 home recordings. It’s a curious, somewhat jazz-ish number from what can be heard, with an unusual ascending chord structure utilizing diminished chords that makes me doubt that it’s one of their compositions, with a “ba ba ba” vocal by Paul. Then again, I did read an interview once where one of them said that they would learn a new chord and write a song around it, so who knows? It’s just that I don’t believe I’ve heard them use diminished chords any anywhere else, besides “Because” and “Old Brown Shoe”. Anybody got some examples?

The Beatles and musical history: “Movin’ and Groovin’” and “Ramrod”

As far as I know, these two are the only instrumental covers the Beatles performed besides “Raunchy”. All others from their early days I’m aware of were original compositions- “Cry For a Shadow”, “Catswalk”, “Hot As Sun”, “Winston’s Walk”, and “Looking Glass” are the ones I can name off the top of my head. But still, it just goes to show that instrumentals were a sizable part of their repertoire before they became famous.

Duane Eddy, as I mentioned before, is one of the biggest names in early instrumental rock. Because of his frequent use of low notes on his guitar, tremolo effects, and later baritone guitar, I think of him as the father of the spaghetti western theme. You know, that low twangy sort of sound you might associate with high noon duels and ghost trains? Duane Eddy released “Movin’ and Groovin’” and “Ramrod” on two separate singles in 1958.
The Beatles did their versions of these two songs in 1960. They seem to be played right after the other, which is why I’m putting them in the same article. Unfortunately, I can’t find any videos of their versions, so anyone who’s interested will have to search for a download of a bootleg. Try Demonoid, and look for Purple Chick’s Strong Before Our Birth.

In the meantime, here’s the original version: