Archive for the ‘Tips and Online finds’ Category

I posted this diagram on a different blog page ages ago, but I had so many emails about it that I wanted to post an update and some new pictures of a smaller enclosure.

The original was posted on January 5, 2009 and I think I did this mod (if you can call it that) during Christmas 2008. This is the original video I posted on youtube back then.

and this is the materials I used:

POT: 16mm B10K
DPDT switch
1/4 in stereo jack open

Of course some wire, soldering iron and a small gold enclosure (a used box of candies!)
It’s basically a volume pot in a box where the switch inverts the external tags of the pot and allows you to double the amount of presets on your Line6 MM4 and DL4 ( and should also work on AM4 and DM4) using the ‘Expression pedal morphing’ feature that already exists on this series of pedals. For the switch to work together with the pot, the pot has to be at ’0′ or ’10′.

I did use an external enclosure as I did not want to ruin the original box, but I have seen on youtube some guys that did this mod by drilling the enclosure at the top and placing the footswitch directly onto the case. Other further mods include adding a Status LED (you need a battery and a 3PDT switch for that. If you drill the case you should be able to take the power from the unit itself).

This is the rough diagram I uploaded a while ago, still valid:

I am still using this box with my MM4 but as I need more space in my pedalboard I am now using a smaller enclosure:

Not the cleanest wiring job, but it has been working flawlessly for over one year, so I am going to leave it as it is…if it is not broken, don’t fix it!

Disclaimer: I am in no way affiliated with Line 6, I did this for personal use and enjoyment. If you decide to do this, I will not be held responsible to any damage to your equipment or injuries.

I was lucky enough to study with Vic Juris in the early 90′s. Today I stumbled into a couple of great lessons on youtube  and I wanted to share them with you. He is a great jazz guitarist, if you don’t know about him, check out his music: http://www.myspace.com/vicjuris

In this lesson he talks about some very cool (and incredibly easy) applications of the standard box pentatonic shape:

Here he talks introduces his book Modern Chords: Advanced Harmony for Guitar (Mel Bay’s Private Lessons)

I cannot recommend enough to check out this incredible musician!

I wanted to share a couple of tracks from a hard to find record By Allan Holdsworth and Gordon Beck. The Things You See . This album is absolutely a must for Allan’s fans. He plays mostly acoustic on this album and the musical level is second to none. Just listen to the first couple of seconds of ‘Diminished Responsibility’ and you’ll know what I mean.

I love viral video stunts from companies that look into different ways to advertise their product. This is from the company that makes Powergig, a game like Guitar Hero, a game that uses a real guitar as a controller instead a plastic toy with five buttons.

The last lesson I posted was about the Diminished scale…I stumbled onto this great video where guitar player guru Larry Carlton Talk about the diminished scale. He is one of my favourite guitarists of all times …if  had to suggest any records, just check out ‘Sleepwalk’ or ‘Strike twice’ or any of his work with Steely Dan. Notice not only the notes he plays, but HOW he plays them…notice how sometimes he put a much more dramatic accent on notes that might sound ‘out’, like a b9, to make them stand out. Just listen to how he plays in the next video and notice the dynamic (soft/loud) and the way he attacks each note.

Not too long ago I posted this guitar exercise video: the never-ending chromatic scale. find the original post here:

http://www.playgtr.net/never-ending-chromatic-scale/

Just yesterday I found this video of a clinic by Pat Metheny. Check out the video, what he’s doin at the very beginning is exactly what I am talking about.

Wow, I don’t think this needs words…

Herbie Hancock – piano

Derek Trucks – slide guitar

Susan Tedeschi – lead / backup vocals

Oteil Burbridge – bass, backup vocals

Kofi Burbridge – organ, backup vocals

Mike Mattison – backup vocals

Vinnie Colaiuta – drums

I usually do not post stuff like this, but this is just such a great gadget, and when I saw it posted on facebook I could not hold myself from sharing it on here. It’s basically a tshirt that you can play like a real gutiar…just look at the video and you’ll see what I mean.

Check out the video to see it in action!

Click on the tshirts to be redirected to the Think Geek site that makes them.

Electronic Rock Guitar Shirt

there is also a kid’s tshirt option which is great:

Kids Electronic Rock Guitar Shirt

Great stuff…I want to see more like this.

Product Features from the site.

• Belt out your favorite rock tunes on this t-shirt based real playable electric guitar
• Great real rock sound
• Play all major chords
• Strum by waving the included magnetic pick over the strings
• Mini guitar amp speaker clips to your belt
• Volume goes to 11
• Adjustable tone knob
• Electronic components are easily removed from the shirt for washing
• Includes two magnetic picks
• Picks stick to speaker grill for easy storage
• Requires 4 x AAA Batteries. Not included

A new set of backing tracks has been added to the MrG Blues Tracks series, Vol 2 Funk and Soul.

‘Inspired by the golden era of the Motown and the classic 70’s funk grooves these tracks are guaranteed to get you moving while you improve your instrumental skills. Like Vol 1, 12 tracks to cover all keys, a range of tempos from very slow to very fast, going through 12 of the most popular blues styles, keeping he quality level of the overall product very high…’

All tracks are available at www.MrGCentral.com and at CDbaby.com (soon on iTunes and Amazon.com).

After all these years I think Clapton still got it…great performance at the LG arena in London with Steve Winwood (you can see Steve Gadd on drums as well). Killer stuff!