Z's Story

My short version is:

My parents got me acoustic guitar lessons when I was 8 -- HATED IT
(I'm still not real fond of 6-string chords)

Then I played trumpet in grade school and high school (band, marching band, jazz band).

Then, in college, I bought my first electric: A Peavey T-25 (dual humbuckers, huge heavy oak body, nice maple neck).
Dace has the knobs now
I played that for years through a car amp hooked to a car battery and a speaker I made myself
-- even under overpasses in New Mexico because I liked the reverb of the concrete tunnels.

In those days I was listening to Metallica and other metal bands, and reading Guitar For The Practicing Musician.
I wasn't doing any recording. Just jamming all the time. Played in a couple of gigs down there just for fun.

Then, in the 90s, when I was already in Minnesota, I picked up a Vesta Fire 4 track (a lot like the Fostex)
and started doing 4 track recording. All instrumental. I still have a lot of those tapes, but they might be
damaged from being in a box with a pickup or such.... I haven't had a 4 track for years so I'm not sure.....

I never started "seriously recording" until 2004. 2004 was a very very rough time for me. I was under so much
stress from many factors including alcoholic wife and a 4 year old kid I had to worry about while I was at work.
So I formed Divergent Future and started writing songs to help myself relax. They weren't really relaxing songs,
but just doing it helped me.

Joined Mixposure about Feb 2005? At that point I think I had already completed the first Divergent Future album
(Serotonin Scream). I was also using Acid Music Pro 2.0 and Cakewalk Home Edition at that time. Just starting to
use my computer (Windows) for all my recording.

Started meeting everyone on Mix. They helped me with my huge depression issues by saying nice things about
my music. Met Dace. We started listening to each other's tunes and just really understood each other.

Around that time I discovered Logic Audio Big Box by eMagic (a German company). I bought that because it
was cheap and did a ton of stuff. Then Apple bought it a few years later and stripped it down and released
Garageband (which is like Logic Audio's little brother).

I was on the original Mix until it went under, and then Dace invited me to Anubes, and the rest is history.....


Anyway, that's the short version....

I will have to post about all the albums I've released, the guitars I've had,
and the collaborations, and playing live with Dace too...


Z

GREAT IDEA Z!.. And you KNOW i love the Title of the thread. Tell them about that.

SO, The Peavey WAS your first guitar then. electric i mean...Killer..I just love having those knobs bro. Its strange what means so much to us some times.

You know, i found you thru Gill Whitehurst..Not sure i spelled that right?
Anyway, we talked alot, as you two did i think??. I was reading some of her reviews and found your music.. She was a great one to know, i miss her alot.

There was not ONE song we uploaded that we did share comments. Thats when you could go online at work. It was a great time Z. We both did a TON of reviews and met alot of cool people there. I miss them all so much. I miss what we had one that site. Never had it again either. YET...

I have many reviews from those times printed in my nootbook..next visit, lets read thru them together bro...

DACE>

This is a great thread Z......Yesterday was really cool......I could tell it helped DACE to lift from his depression and forged a new bonding by helping us all know a bit more about each other.
It would be good if everybody here would provide a similar bio......but only if they want to of course.

6 finger chords on a big old acoustic guitar at the age of 8 is enough to discourage anybody from the instrument for life
I am surprised that music teachers still live in the dark ages.....i'll bet that the strings were thick gauge too

Beginning guitar is best done with an electric guitar with a nice slim neck and light gauge RocknRoll strings ......09 is perfect. You can go to heavier strings later when your fingers get stronger but finding light strings as a beginner helps to master the techniques.

I still use 09's although people recommend 11's on the Jaguar because of its weird bridge and trem arrangement. I very rarely break a string so it's not a problem for me but I guess that heavier strings do give you more tone.

A few years agao I bought an Ibanez Classical guitar (nylon strung) with a cutaway and built in under the bridge PU. The neck is slimmer than a normal Classical so it works for an electric player.
I haven't recorded with it yet but it will come as it has that lovely soft Spanish sound that you can only get with nylon strings.
Technique has to be different though ......you cannot bend nylon strings
I have slowly learned to develop and adapt my technique to playing this style of guitar where I use a lot of finger vibrato and finger slides for expression.
It will be ideal for Chillout Ambient tracks and I do intend to use it sometime soon.

globaltrancemission wrote:This is a great thread Z......Yesterday was really cool......I could tell it helped DACE to lift from his depression and forged a new bonding by helping us all know a bit more about each other.
It would be good if everybody here would provide a similar bio......but only if they want to of course.

6 finger chords on a big old acoustic guitar at the age of 8 is enough to discourage anybody from the instrument for life
I am surprised that music teachers still live in the dark ages.....i'll bet that the strings were thick gauge too

Beginning guitar is best done with an electric guitar with a nice slim neck and light gauge RocknRoll strings ......09 is perfect. You can go to heavier strings later when your fingers get stronger but finding light strings as a beginner helps to master the techniques.

I still use 09's although people recommend 11's on the Jaguar because of its weird bridge and trem arrangement. I very rarely break a string so it's not a problem for me but I guess that heavier strings do give you more tone.

A few years agao I bought an Ibanez Classical guitar (nylon strung) with a cutaway and built in under the bridge PU. The neck is slimmer than a normal Classical so it works for an electric player.
I haven't recorded with it yet but it will come as it has that lovely soft Spanish sound that you can only get with nylon strings.
Technique has to be different though ......you cannot bend nylon strings
I have slowly learned to develop and adapt my technique to playing this style of guitar where I use a lot of finger vibrato and finger slides for expression.
It will be ideal for Chillout Ambient tracks and I do intend to use it sometime soon.

I just figured it would be nice to have some of our back story in one folder on here
I find it fascinating hearing about everyone's journey, and I'm sure we all have a lot to tell.

Yeah, Classicals have a nice sound. I agree they would be awesome for Chillout.
Never owned one, but I want to some day.

Part of my problem with lessons on music, is I'm not that great of a student. I would rather find my own way...


Z

Z..your a self tought kind of person, you learn well on your own. You look at what others do and learn it your way. Thats the thing, you say I tought you stuff, nope, (you) LEARNED from me. Its ALL your learning. You are VERY good at that. I do the very same, but i dont learn very fast. You learn fast. Its easy for you to look or listen to something and get it. I think thats why your good at you day-Job???
Anyway..know what im saying?
DACE>

Yeah, I know what you mean Dace.
I do pick up on stuff pretty quick, but I get a little anxious that I'm not learning fast enough
sometimes.

It took me awhile to "get" dropC. And longer to understand that I don't have to play all the
right notes at all the right times as long as I stay in the groove.

You are easy to learn from -- no pressure

Z

Z...you played perfectly the very first time in dropC...listen to the vids.
And as i told you, its NOT box-scale playing.,.you MUST go up and down the neck to get it to sound right. I will line you out ALL the way up and down the neck next visit.

Pretty much EVERY where on the dots...but UP AND DOWN the neck..the box thing wont give you much in Drop. Its the most OPEN tuning for guitar. theres SO much there its allmost ALL right, but it up and down. Like a keyboard id middle-C...You go up and down from the mid point of the neck. Its SO simple is the thing. But its opposes your lead style alot. We will work it out.
Also its minor figures (First,3rd, 4th) Or fret-wise (7-8-10) but on the small strings, you have to move up a fret. its real easy man.
Try this also...tune the big string to D..that way its standard down a whole step.
You will understand it better, but you wont get those killer heavy drop cords.
I tune it D when i do DropC-Clean stuff. (Like on Waiting 4U) lead part.
DACE>