Wondo Posted July 24, 2008 Share Posted July 24, 2008 Well, with all the bad feelings about this guitar lately, I thought I'd post the guitar doing what it does best despite its short comings. This is me performing La Villa Strangiato. I don't know how the audio or video will be on your computers since YouTube compresses the hell out of these files. (scroll down the page a little and you will find the video). RareForm Guitarist Performs La Villa Strangiato Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Midnight Blues Posted July 24, 2008 Share Posted July 24, 2008 Just watched it Wondo, it came out pretty decent, nice job!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AL 028 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wondo Posted July 24, 2008 Author Share Posted July 24, 2008 Just watched it Wondo' date=' it came out pretty decent, nice job!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AL 028[/quote'] AL 028. Thanks. The video and audio is much more consistent and sounds much better with the original Mpeg that I have. I don't know what YouTube does to the data but in certain points chords jump put too loud and such. It is my first post on YouTube, but I wanted to hurry up and get a video of the guitar in action so people can see that despite some of the negatives that are mentioned about the guitar, it is still a really nice one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crappy Posted July 24, 2008 Share Posted July 24, 2008 That sounded good nice work=d> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enduroexpert Posted July 24, 2008 Share Posted July 24, 2008 Thats top stuff that is Bill..........nice one...and you play it a damn sight tighter than I do thats for sure....!!! Extremely envious of your amp & cab by the way.......now you've gone and re-ignited my interest in H&K..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wondo Posted July 24, 2008 Author Share Posted July 24, 2008 Thats top stuff that is Bill..........nice one...and you play it a damn sight tighter than I do thats for sure....!!! Extremely envious of your amp & cab by the way.......now you've gone and re-ignited my interest in H&K..... Thanks mate! I think that YouTube does not do justice to the sound I captured on video. The original video file I think was spot on. With the Lifeson rig and cabinet and the 355 it nails the tone perfectly. It really has that nice cutting semi hollow sound. Very full and has a bit of that flavorful mid range woody honk from that guitar that I would have expected from a Lifeson 355. I tried to keep the original Rush track low so that the tone of the Lifeson could come through. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VRob8 Posted July 24, 2008 Share Posted July 24, 2008 Great job, Wondo - some wonderful tone you're getting from that 355 through the H&K. I have to say that the AL volute position never bothered me from a playing point of view - couldn't even really feel it actually, the neck just felt really natural and comfortable to me (but then I have quite big hands). It does makes me wonder how many people have a problem with it strictly from a practical/playing point of view, as opposed to those who object to it on the principle that it's inaccurately placed for a replica. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Superdick2112 Posted July 24, 2008 Share Posted July 24, 2008 Wondo - great job on LaVilla! Like Enduroexpert, your video has me contemplating the acquisition of a H&K AL TriAmp, but I think I better let my wife have a few new toys first, seeing as I bought AL-073, a Ric 4003 (in JetGlo, of course) and a DW Snakes & Arrows snare drum all in the past 2 months. What a pain it is playing four instruments (I play keys, too) - I can't seem to make it through a music store without seeing something I want! Are you using a power soak? If not, your clip does a good job of showing that you don't need to run the H&K full up to get a great tone out of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staxman Posted July 25, 2008 Share Posted July 25, 2008 Very cool, Wondo, except for that crappy tone from that crappy amp! No really, for a U-tube sound it's a great tone so it must sound awesome in person. I always enjoy seeing someone else play Rush tunes to compare how they do it to my fingering positions. Yours are a little different to mine in a few spots. Do you go for the "exactly how Alex does it" approach or just do what works for you to get the right notes? I go for the latter, so I don't always end up playing it exactly as Alex does, I just find the right notes and do what's comfortable for my hand, which sometimes ends up being quite different from Alex's fingering positions. Not authentic, but I get good results! Thanks for posting, I really enjoyed your video and you've really got that tone down man!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wondo Posted July 25, 2008 Author Share Posted July 25, 2008 Wondo - great job on LaVilla! Like Enduroexpert' date=' your video has me contemplating the acquisition of a H&K AL TriAmp, but I think I better let my wife have a few new toys first, seeing as I bought AL-073, a Ric 4003 (in JetGlo, of course) and a DW Snakes & Arrows snare drum all in the past 2 months. What a pain it is playing four instruments (I play keys, too) - I can't seem to make it through a music store without seeing something I want! Are you using a power soak? If not, your clip does a good job of showing that you don't need to run the H&K full up to get a great tone out of it. [/quote'] No power soak, but the amp does have half power and that is what I used when I recorded it. The Master Volume was actually pretty low so that I could hear the song to play along with it. It sounds good a low volumes. Great amp! I love it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wondo Posted July 25, 2008 Author Share Posted July 25, 2008 Very cool' date=' Wondo, except for that crappy tone from that crappy amp! No really, for a U-tube sound it's a great tone so it must sound awesome in person. I always enjoy seeing someone else play Rush tunes to compare how they do it to my fingering positions. Yours are a little different to mine in a few spots. Do you go for the "exactly how Alex does it" approach or just do what works for you to get the right notes? I go for the latter, so I don't always end up playing it exactly as Alex does, I just find the right notes and do what's comfortable for my hand, which sometimes ends up being quite different from Alex's fingering positions. Not authentic, but I get good results! Thanks for posting, I really enjoyed your video and you've really got that tone down man!!![/quote'] Well, I tried to get it exactly how Alex does it. I think with this song I get pretty close. I played it like that for the video so that I could pretty much match everything he does. Although when I play it live I like to do it like he did at Pinktop in 1979. There are some sublte differences but I think it has a bit more energy than the studio version. The Exit Stage Left version is also a really cool version and is a bit easier to play. Thanks for the kind words. Here is the Pinktop video (I am sure you have seen) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crappy Posted July 25, 2008 Share Posted July 25, 2008 You have to try it with a power soak, you get some great singing feedback with the AL and that amp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ron2112 Posted July 25, 2008 Share Posted July 25, 2008 Super job Wondo!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AL201 Posted July 25, 2008 Share Posted July 25, 2008 new here. my name is jeff. and i'm a rush geek. i have to say wondo you did a great job on la villa. actually i registered just to tell you that as i've been a lurker for several years. i'm actually a bass player but i play guitar also. i play along with rush tunes alot. anyway, again great job. peace, jeff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Envirotech Posted July 25, 2008 Share Posted July 25, 2008 Hey great job Wondo! That amp setup made me drool. Dunno if it'd fit in my room though, and of course after getting the guitar there's not much more I'm wishing to spend on gear for a while. I thought the sound quality was great, very clean and not muddy like what youtube does to some videos. There was even this 'watch in high quality' that made it sound even better. Pretty good playing too, that sounded just like Alex Lifeson playing. I just got done on Xanadu tonight after hounding over it last night and warming up for a few hours tonight. It's probably not even close to as good as the quality of yours, and Youtube made me slice it in half cause it's 11 minutes long, so it'll be like an 8-track switch lol. I'll have to get a better, full version at least, video on my picasa gallery later. I call it, Xanadont. The backing track for the intro before the drums was made by me with sound clips and the rest of the band was off a Guitar Pro file but processed so it didn't sound all midi file like. XanadontA XanadontB E_t oops, I edited Part B wrong and left out the final 1 minute.. Made the correction and reuploaded it, the new link should work to the end of the video this time.. I can never seem to get that final chord right, in practice it's easy, but after the whole thing my finger seems to get too sloppy.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wondo Posted July 27, 2008 Author Share Posted July 27, 2008 new here. my name is jeff. and i'm a rush geek. i have to say wondo you did a great job on la villa. actually i registered just to tell you that as i've been a lurker for several years. i'm actually a bass player but i play guitar also. i play along with rush tunes alot. anyway' date=' again great job. peace, jeff[/quote'] AL 201, Thanks for the compliments and welcome to the forum! ron2112, Thanks mate, I appreciate the feedback. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evilmusician Posted July 27, 2008 Share Posted July 27, 2008 If you seen Alex play live you'll notice how he changes up the voicing ,and positions that he plays parts at ,so when I learn a Rush tune I try to put some of my own into it! Great job wondo! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wondo Posted July 27, 2008 Author Share Posted July 27, 2008 If you seen Alex play live you'll notice how he changes up the voicing ' date='and positions that he plays parts at ,so when I learn a Rush tune I try to put some of my own into it! Great job wondo![/quote'] Exactly, I know three different ways to play this song. If you notice, right after the first solo I play it open in the first postion and Alex has done it this way and at the fifth fret as well. I do it this way to get a bit of a break after the solo. Also, the solo has been done several different ways by Alex. My attempt here was to get it just like the studio version as close as possible since it is my favorite version, although I usually play it like he does on the Pinktop video. A Show Of Hands is an almost completely different approach with more of a fusion jazz kind of feel. Thanks for the feedback. This is really a cool guitar despite some of the shortcomings of the Custom Shop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Midnight Blues Posted July 29, 2008 Share Posted July 29, 2008 Hey Envirotech, Nice job on that all around!!!!!!!!!! AL 028 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wondo Posted July 29, 2008 Author Share Posted July 29, 2008 Envirotech, Cool! That beginning was flawless. I liked it. Looks like we started a nice thread here. Let's see some more Lifesons in action! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Envirotech Posted July 31, 2008 Share Posted July 31, 2008 Hey Envirotech' date=' Nice job on that all around!!!!!!!!!! AL 028[/quote'] Thanks!! Envirotech' date=' Cool! That beginning was flawless. I liked it. Looks like we started a nice thread here. Let's see some more Lifesons in action![/quote'] Yeah I've been practicing since before Red Rocks, the first show not the make up date, Xanadu has always been one of my favorite 'epic' songs of theirs. Yeah these guitars are awesome.. Mine really seems to put out a vibe of bluesy stuff; I can just sit down, warm up, and then stuff comes out that I don't normally play.. It's gotta be this guitar being 'hand made' in a great music town. My other guitars never gave me the same vibes, and after playing the Alex, the other guitars feel more like toys too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canon_mutant Posted July 31, 2008 Share Posted July 31, 2008 RELEASE THE McCRACKEN . . . CLASH OF THE TITANS FLASHBACK, SORRY! Really nice job Bill and Adam. Despite now 4 problems with my AL-230, it's hard to complain to Gibson CS because I absolutely love this guitar. Fixed 3 myself and am simply waiting on a replacement tremolo deck plate that actually has some threading in the rod hole so I can actually use it if I choose. It's supposed to be on the way. Sadly, I've been playing very little Rush on the axe since I got it. Easily the most versatile guitar I've bought to date. Have been playing mostly clean but have gotten some classic David Gilmour [my personal hero] sounds out of this ES-355 and was even playing some Robin Trower earlier tonight. Classic Strat stuff. Truly amazing how diverse of sounds you can get out of this instrument if you mess with it enough. You've inspired me to start Rushing it up a little. Thanks for posting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canon_mutant Posted August 20, 2008 Share Posted August 20, 2008 For those that are Pink Floyd freaks [like me], put your AL ES-355 on Varitone 5, put the reverb on about 5, get a good bluesy crunch sound on a mostly clean channel [i use the crunch channel on my Ultra Peavey with the preamp turned down to 3] Base at 7, Mid at 5, Treb at 5, and try the entro to Shine on you Crazy Diamond and see if you don't find yourself sounding an awful lot like Dave's Strat. I know I can play it and pick up my DG EMG equipped Strat and I can't tell the difference between the two. Of course, YAMV [your amp may very]. I hated this Varitone when I first got this guitar because you go half volume on anything beyond 1. But, if you mess with it and have a way to compensate for the volume drift, it's really quite functional for all different types of sounds. Wish I had a way to record it . . . your ears could then tell me whether I'm full of it or not Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staxman Posted August 21, 2008 Share Posted August 21, 2008 For those that are Pink Floyd freaks [like me]' date=' put your AL ES-355 on Varitone 5, put the reverb on about 5, get a good bluesy crunch sound on a mostly clean channel [i use the crunch channel on my Ultra Peavey with the preamp turned down to 3'] Base at 7, Mid at 5, Treb at 5, and try the entro to Shine on you Crazy Diamond and see if you don't find yourself sounding an awful lot like Dave's Strat. I know I can play it and pick up my DG EMG equipped Strat and I can't tell the difference between the two. Of course, YAMV [your amp may very]. I hated this Varitone when I first got this guitar because you go half volume on anything beyond 1. But, if you mess with it and have a way to compensate for the volume drift, it's really quite functional for all different types of sounds. Wish I had a way to record it . . . your ears could then tell me whether I'm full of it or not You're definitely not full of it, the varitone sounds on the AL-355 are very cool. Makes me wonder if Alex ever used any on any Rush records, I can't really tell from the albums but I've never noticed him using the varitone live. I like to record some jazzy and bluesy stuff sometimes and I see lots of possibilities for new sounds and textures with the varitone. Not a huge Floyd fan but I do love David's sounds so will have to give your Gilmour setting a try someday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wondo Posted October 3, 2008 Author Share Posted October 3, 2008 Bringing this thread back to have some useful discussions of the AL, how we are using it, enjoying it, technical info, etc. Thought I would start by posting the man himself playing the AL on the S&A Tour Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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