New set of strings

[ronws]

I got a new set of strings for my guitar, yesterday. A string broke earlier in the week but I've had that set on there for at least 3 years. By the time one breaks, it's time to replace the whole set.

I like the feel and sound of a new set because it's so bright and fresh. Earnie Ball Regular Slinkies. They put up with abuse for years.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/8750209/over%20the%20hills%20Led%20Zep.mp3

[gno]

Sounds good Ron. Yeah - fresh new strings are nice. For acoustic I've been using martin marquis with a wound G string. For electric: D'Addarios. When I got my first Les Paul they came with Gibson Brite Wires. Those were the best strings I ever played as they kept their tone for the longest time and were really hard to break. No corrosion. Unfortunately the brite wires didn't work well with the new tuners I put on the LP so I had to switch back to D/Addarios. What kind of guitar are you using?

[ronws]

D'Addarios, the cadillac of strings. I am using that old guitar I bought for $40 USD at a flea market in Kleburg, Texas (southeast of Dallas along hwy 175, past Seagoville.) I should have sprung for those strings. But, Ernie does well enough, in a pinch.

I have a Memphis Les Paul copy I bought in 1982 but I don't play that any more as the truss rod is out of alignment. It's got an action high enough you could drive a car through it. I also have a Hondo copy of Gibson Flying V and that is what I play through my Fender 85 200 Watt (rms) amp but it is jacked first into a Roland GS-6 digital effects rack unit and I brain the amp by plugging into the "power amp in" jack, so that it actually controls the amp. I used that on the solo I did for "Love of a Lifetime" by Firehouse.

But day to day, I hammer it out on this $40 dollar guitar, just to get a song down, now and then.

And because you are the first one to comment on this, I will let a secret out. No effects, not even compression. Straight mic, overloading and all. Just click on Audacity "record" and let if fly. Even worse, I haven't played this song in years. I ran through part of it before recording. And worse than that, this is the first and only take. But I really love the sound of fresh strings and wanted to share that.

And, to add insult to injury, my warm-up was in the shower with, of all things, a mezza voce of "Ave Maria" that morphed into "Black Dog" by Led Zep. Then, inspired to do "Over the Hills and Far Away." Sometimes, it's better to trust instincts than to overthink it.

And thanks, Geno. I wish I could record and mix half as good as you do. Mostly, I'm just an organic guy that finds a mic and lets go with whatever is happening.