Originally Posted by
JeffD
I knew this would happen and you are probably correct, but I am going to resist. Or is it the only route? With acoustic mandolin, once you have chosen the mandolin you want and it is set up and tuned, you work on technique. Everything you want to fix in your sound is already in your hands. But even in this thread, which I thought of as an emando technique thread in a sea of equipment threads, even in this discussion there is the refrain - fix it by buying something else. And for an electric newbie it is hard to sort out. The fellow with the hammer says that every problem is a nail. My guitar buddy says that every problem I have will be solved with a Mesa Boogie. That said, I am trying things. I played through my brothers large tweed vintage (1957?) Fender amp, in his huge music room, and he played with his pedals. Great awesome fun.
As I said simple is best. No effects work as well as having effects work. Don't use them if you don't want them.
So raw techniques:
Getting the fretting right. Just behind the fret. You can move it further back (when you have space) for what I'd call a microtome effect.
String bending. Very hard on a 8 string. Light strings and gentler than a guitar.
Get used to volume and tone swells.
Practice sliding into notes. Semi tones. Whole tones. Minor thirds. Major thirds. Stopping is important. Continue up till the octave.
Playing above the twelfth fret. You'll need to work on your precision. Try not to use your middle finger as some of those high frets get very hard to access
Mute palming. Lean your palm lightly next to the bridge. A different effect to lifting your fingers.
Build your speed slowly.
If you have more than one pickup, don't be scared to experiment with all of them.
And the tone and volume don't have to be on 10 all the time. Winding both back has different and useful effects.
Jazz chords become nice. A #9 chord has a nicer timbre. Even a 9. Play one at 5 -3 -5 to get a sense.
Pick scrapes work.
Pick near the near middle of the body.
JBovier ELS; Epiphone MM-50 VN; Epiphone MM-40L; Gretsch New Yorker G9310; Washburn M1SDLB;
Fender Nashville Deluxe Telecaster; Squier Modified Vintage Cabronita Telecaster; Gretsch 5420T; Fender Tim Armstrong Hellcat: Washburn Banjo B9; Ibanez RB 5string; Ibanez RB 4 string bass
Pedalboard for ELS: Morley Cry baby Miniwah - Tuner - EHX Soul Food Overdrive - EHX Memory Toy analog Delay
Fender Blues Jr Tweed; Fender Greta;
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