This page is for you to post general comments, questions or discussion. I kept getting questions on random things in my posts on specific things, so I thought I’d make a place for you to ask questions.
nathanwright.org
This page is for you to post general comments, questions or discussion. I kept getting questions on random things in my posts on specific things, so I thought I’d make a place for you to ask questions.
MOVED:
Hey guys I just had a question putting velcro on your pedals..Like how much velcro did you put on each pedal? Did you cut small pieces and put it on or did you guys just cut one big strip and attach it to the pedals? Also how did you attach velcro on your volume and wah pedals? Did you guys take the rubber part off or did you just keep it on and attach? Thanks so much guys!
-Albert
it depends on the pedal, but i typically almost cover the bottom in velcro. if there are rubber feet, i’ll take them off. if velcro doesn’t stay on, sometimes i’ll glue it to the bottom of the pedal.
is there anyway to find out the two songs sung (one by chris tomlin and one by matt redman) that opened up the worship service at passion city church on 4/18
sorry…i wasn’t able to be there sunday and can’t tell you what they were. do you remember any of the lines or anything about them?
Hi Nathan,Im back here in Australia . Its nice to see your posts about gear and of course how much you passion you for God. Im as well a guitar player , Im attending hillsong church now , Im just waiting for God to let me use my talents for him here too.
I have a few questions regarding the guitars you had.
Im planning to get a Gretsch White Penguin, I havent had the chance to get a proper sound sample from the net, I thought you had one so I just want to know what you thought about it, Im a bit worried with the typical single coil hum it will have.. and of course the tone of the pickups, i I prefer fat sounding single coils but like the sound you thats not from a humbucker , I think you know what I mean
How can you relate it with your duesenberg starplayer TV?
thanks very much and God bless you
cool…nice to hear from you!
the white penguin was a great guitar…i ended up getting rid of mine because the tone was too crunchy for me, even when clean. however, if that is the case, i’d just try some other pickups with it. it sounded great with my tele…worked well on the same amp settings but had a different tone to it. it’s hard for me to compare it to the duesenberg. i guess the duesenberg sounds more like a les paul and the white penguin sounds more like the classic gretsch tone…closer to a tele.
Hey bro,
I have a guitar question. Now, I realize that most gear choices, if not all, are completely subjective to the player, but I’ve been cruising around here recently and you seem to really know your stuff, know it well, as well as some of the in’s and out’s involved in being a worship guitarist.
So more to the point, I am currently in search of “the” guitar, a main guitar for me (arent we all?). I was just going to get your input. I also do what you do, perhaps on a smaller level, in Chattanooga, TN. Kinda close to home. haha.
Anyway, Im looking for a guitar with some weight and heft to it, a big full sound, and one thats great to play and that makes you wanna play more (single cutaway prefered). Im usually the only electric player when we lead, so I need a thick warm sound. I currently have a PRS SC245, but I cant say its really doing for me right now. Feels… a bit “unreal” if that makes sense. So immaculately done. I recently played a VOS Les Paul, and it sounded killer, but Im still not sure. haha.
So do you have anything you recommend? Think modding the PRS would be worth it? Go for the Les Paul? Are those still even relevant in contemporary music these days, anyone still playing them? Again, I realize it’s all personal preference, but Id love some “advice” from someone in “my field”.
Sorry for the length. Thanks
Hey Reid-
I know where you’re at…and I think an LP would be a great choice for you. I’ve heard the VOS stuff is the jam. You could also look into an older LP or a 335 type hollowbody. A Gretsch might be another good option. It does depend on your preference and your budget, but either way, an LP, a 335 or a hollowbody Gretsch is a classic sound and worth looking into. Hope this helps some…
Nathan,
How do you like your Bad Cat? I found a good deal on a Cub II and was wondering your thoughts. Does it take pedals well? How does it compare to your AC15 and the Maz 18 you used to have? Thanks!
yeah…it was a nice amp! took pedals well and had a good amount of low end. it sounded more hi-fi than the ac15, but great. good luck with it!
Hey! I was wondering what advice do you have for someone teaching themselves how to play guitar?
(PS I met you Falls Creek we talked about donkey kong haha)
i remember that!
i would suggest getting a chord book from a music store and just work on learning chords and practicing playing them (and getting them to sound better) and work on switching between them. rhythm strumming comes later, but you have to work on chords first. stick with it! it’s tough at first, but you can do it!
Hey Morgan, I started a YouTube channel to help out budding young worship guitar players, perhaps once you get the basics under your belt it would be of help to you. The link is http://www.youtube.com/worshipguitarcorner
Thanks, and God bless!
hey nathen does ben have a girl friend?
nope, he sure doesn’t…
how long have you been playing guitar?
hmm…about 5-6 years
I just stumbled upon your site when I was looking at some different guitar rigs, so I thought you’d be a good person to talk to about this.
I use a tc electronics nova repeater, mostly on the dotted eighth setting, and use the chorus mod that’s actually built into the pedal and I love it, but I think that the chorus mod actually has another mod on top of it. I’m wondering if you know of any good affordable pedals that could do that very same chorus/mod effect.
-Thanks!
hmm…not really sure man…
i think an old memory man delay pedal has the best chorus mod sound personally, but that’s not really what you’re looking for. good luck!
Hey Nathan,
I love your site! Just wanted to ask a few questions here… What volume pedal would you recommend? I am looking at anything under $75. I don’t really want to spend a lot on one.
the ernie ball is a great one, but take good care of it as it’ll break easily
I just bought a Boss FV-500H for a really great deal! $70 new! I really like it a lot… I am looking for a delay now. Would you recommend the DD-5 or the DD-20? Also, what does the extension tap do with those?
Thanks!
Hey Nathan. I was wondering what you think of the vox AC15CC? They are pretty affordable, but I have heard some complaints on the reliability of them. I was wondering what you know of them.
Thanks,
Austin Vermont
I never had any problems with mine when I had it (it was about 2 years). It was a great amp and they sound great. They don’t make them any more I believe, but the AC15 customs are even better. Good luck!
Hey Nate!
I have a Danelectro Fab tone pedal, and it’s great for songs that require a lot of dist! I just wanted to know your opinions on great overdrives (mild-medium) that are reasonably priced (under $100)?
Thanks!
the voodoo lab sparkle drive sounds cool and so does the blues driver by boss..check those out!
Hey Nate!
Thanks for the advice… However, I think that those are a little expensive for me. I did research a little and found one- DeltaLab TD1 Tube Driver. It is $40 so that is a good price. Now comes to the sound?
Do you know much about this pedal and it’s sound? I want a mild overdrive…
Thanks!
don’t know anything about that one…good luck!
Hey Nathan!
love your site… do you think you could ever post a demo of you using your pedals? I’d love to see you explain your whole board.
This is an older demo with some stuff I’m not using anymore, but I a lot of the stuff applies still…check it out below
http://nathanwright.org/2010/02/24/sound-demos/
I’m just wondering… what’s the difference between the mono and steroe outputs on a delay pedal?
Thanks!
unless you’re using a delay pedal that has a stereo delay mode, it’s only being used to split the signal. a lot of pedals have a ping pong delay mode or something that will make the delay pan between the amps. another use is to split the signal and have some pedals going to one amps and not to another.
hope this helps!
Nathan,
Looking at getting either an AC Booster or an RC Booster. Can you cue me in one some of there differences? Which do you recommend?
Thanks
Hey Nathan,
I just bought the DeltaLab Tube Overdrive…Love it! It sounds like the twin of an Ibanez Tubescreamer! Great tones for only $40! The unit is also all metal and has a very durable footswitch. This is something to recommend!
Hey Nathan,
Been reading your blog for a little while now and I have to say its cool seeing all the stuff you use and how you use it. I have two questions that you might be able to help me out on.
1. I have a fender blues deluxe reissue and I’m looking to replace the speaker in it. Ive been looking at the celestion vintage 30 but was just wondering if you have heard of any different speakers that would go well with fender amps.
2. I am getting a cheaper thinline tele that has single coils in it and I already know I will be looking to replace the PU’s in it. Wondering if you know of any besides duncans that might sound good in it.
Thanks for everything you do.
the vintage 30 is a cool speaker but my favorites are the blue and the g12h. the g12h does a great job with bringing out low end. not sure what would be your best bet with a fender, but it’s all how you dial up your eq on your amp and what speaker you use with that.
and very cool about the thinline! i’d go for some fralins…heard lots of good things about them and hope to replace my standard tele’s PU’s with some of those soon.
good luck and thanks for reading!
Thanks man! Yeah i was thinking fralins just didn’t know if you knew of anybody else. Heard those things are pretty boss! As for the speaker the blues deluxe is a 45 watt so i dont think i can go G12H cause thats only 30 watt, even though it only depends how much you turn it up but still.
Hey,
So right now i’m using an ocd for my drive. i really like it but i would also like to get something i could use for a lighter drive. i’m thinking about getting a fulltone fulldrive II (everyone seems to have one) and the using my ocd for a higher gain stuff. any suggestions? is that a good combo, or is there something better?
Thanks a lot!!
I think a FD2 would be a great choice. the ocd will give you a much heavier drive while the fd2 will get less heavy, but is very versatile. go for it!
Wait… so the OCD is heavier than the FD2 Mosfet? I was actually thinking about these as well…
Hey Nathan,
I was wondering if you knew what Matt Melton and Kristian Stanfill have on their pedalboards. I know Kristian has a small rig for when he plays electric guitar, but what’s on it? I like the sounds his guitarist Matt Melton gets too. What’s he using? Thanks.
-Matt
Hey Nathan- don’t know if this explicitly applies to you, but you’ve probably had some experience with it, and at least have a little more connection to Daniel. With his new rig, he’s primary using his Tele- which tends to be pretty noisy with single coils. He doesn’t have any noise gates or the like on his board, so I was wondering if he had anything special in his tele modded/pick-up wise, or if he just lets the house control the noise. While listening to Passion I didn’t really notice it at all, but I’m sure with single coils he has some issue with it- Just wondering how he keeps it under control. Thanks for any info you have!
when i was teching for daniel, i know he wasn’t doing anything about it, but i know that the front of house guy did a lot for him, including panning his amps and i think even adding a little delay to one to get it to sound fuller in foh.
the foh guy could be doing something, but back behind his amps, it’s pretty loud and can get noisy, but never too much. sorry i can’t help more!
Hey Nathan! Your “Geartalk” posts have been a great resource for me! Quick question about your amp set up. Do you typically run them totally clean, or do you have some drive/breakup coming directly from the amp? Also, have you had any experience with Fender tube amps? I’m trying to decide if I should get a Vox AC15 or something Fender. I play the exact same kind of music you play. Thanks! David
thanks man…glad to hear it’s helped! i typically run it so that i can get it clean by playing lightly, but if i give it a good dig, it’ll break up like having on a light drive.
i have used some fender amps before haven’t ever owned any. you could go either way and be ok probably. they have a very similar sound until you get really deep into listening to them.
Fender blues series are great! Anything other than the “tweed” amps are not very good… I recently bought the Fender Champ 600. Horrible! So if you get anything tweed, you will love them!
Hey Nathan,
I know you previously owned an M9 and what you though of it? I’m trying to decide if it would be better to get an M9 or to get:
Boss RV-5 (modulate mode)
Another DD-5
Cusack TAW
EHX Micro POG (I already have one)
I know the M9 has similar stuff:
Particle Verb
Many Delays
Tap Tremolo
Pitch Glide (I know its more whammy based though)
I love the m9. Really convenient but good quality sounds. You can get more functionality over some patches too. Either way is good though!
Hey I’m having trouble deciding which amp to but, Vox AC15C1 or Vox Ac15CC1? Which one is better? They have the exact same price.
If that’s what I think it is, I’d definitely plan on the custom (one c) over the custom classic (cc). I’ve heard theyre a lot better.
Hey also can you get ben gowell’s (paul baloche’s guitarist) gear as of 2011?
Nathan,
Could you possibly do a post on some of your favorite IPhone/Mac apps?
Jordan
Check out http://www.davidsantistevan.com... he does a lot of stuff like that!
I actually did do some of those…
check out:
http://nathanwright.org/2010/10/07/apps-to-live-by-things/
http://nathanwright.org/2010/10/26/apps-to-live-by-evernote/
http://nathanwright.org/2010/11/29/apps-to-live-by-dropbox/
I use Evernote and Dropbox……Thinking of updating to the Evernote premium account….do you think that it is worth it?
not sure…never done it myself. everything i need to do, i can do for free with evernote…for now
Hey Nathan, I’m wondering if you could recomend me an overdrive to compliment my fulltone mosfet 2… Right now my pedal board has…
Ernie ball Volume
Boss tuner
TC Electronics nova Delay
DD5 with tap tempo
Mxr Dyna comp
Fulltone Mosfet 2
and I’m looking for something to compliment the fulltone or give me another overdrive flavor…. Thanks
P.s. Will you be at the lift conference next weekend??
Isra-
Wished we could’ve connected at LIFT. I’d suggest something like a RAT for something heavier or a RC/AC Booster for something lighter. My personal favorite drive is a Timmy…you can find them at thegearpage.net so you don’t have to wait for one to be built, but they’re a little more expensive. Hope that helps…
Hey Nathan,
I just got myself a Standard MIM Telecaster, and I was wondering what you’d suggest to upgrade the pickups to. I was looking at the Fender Noiseless pickups, but I was wondering if there are other good options. I wonder if Alex Nifong or Daniel Carson swapped out their pickups in their teles too.
don’t know that either has…i’m considering changing out my tele pickups too, so that’s an interesting question to ask.
Hi can anyone help me I’m trying to get a good delay set up. I currently have a dd7 and i’m wondering if i should get a dd20, a nova delay, or a timefactor. I know they are all great pedals. I do a lot of dotted 8th and quarter notes and tap tempo. Im looking to stack delays as well. Thanks for your help!
i honestly loved my dd-20 the best of all those (never had a dd-7 though). i say go for the dd-20 or timefactor though. nova delay just couldn’t do it for me. dd-20 was the easiest to dial in good sounds.
Nathan, How do you power your EvenTide TimeFactor (when you had it on your pedalboard)? I have a Voodoo Labs Pedal Power 2 and want to power that pedal off of it…any suggestions?
i just used the courtesy outlet on the back to power it…i might have gotten away with using the 5 & 6 outputs set like it was powering a line 6 pedal.
You actually have to contact voodoo labs and have them send you a special connector that takes up both the 5th and 6th power spots.
Hey Nathan,
Can you please tell me exactly what a compressor does and what you use yours for? I’ve found that many guitarists have a compressor in their rig and I was just wondering exactly what they are used for. Are they meant to be left on all the time or just for leads, or is it just a personal preference? Thanks for your help!
great question…i’ll write a post about that this week and will post it. i’m no pro on it, but i’ve had the same question before so i’ll do what i can.
Hey nathan,
I was wanting to know what would be the best way to run my pedalbroad to my amps. I have a true bypass looper made by T1M and its in stereo. I want to run my amps off stage somewhere between 30 and 50 feet away no more than that.
Can I just run cable that far or do I need to get something like the Radial SGI?
I’m wanting to know what would be the best and cleanest way to do this.
Thanks
hey seth-
you definitely could get a long cable to run that far, but will probably lose some signal and lose some tone too. i’ve heard that running any 1/4″ cable over 20′ will start causing signal loss (not sure how true that is). the radial sgi is the best thing to use for doing that, but it’s expensive and not necessarily something that you want to purchase yourself if you’re playing around. when we travel, i never know what i will have there, so i just always pack a longer 1/4″ but typically run it on stage facing backwards and covered as much as i can. when i fill in at churches around my area on sundays, most of the places i play at have an sgi. it’s expensive, but it’s the best and cleanest way to do it.
where would you be needing to use it?
Hey nathan also, im looking for a clean boost to stack with either my ts-808 or ocd and also just have on by itself to get a louder clean tone. I also want to have the option to add a little bit of dirt so would the keeley katana be best for this because of its push/pull knob, or the rc booster, or fulltone fat boost? Or would i be best off going with a low gain od like the sparkle drive? Thanks for your help.
i love my rc booster. can’t say i’ve used the other ones very much though. but i love it’s versatility…clean, highs, lows, more driven…
Nathan,
What would be the best compressor to purchase? I’ve been looking at a couple as of late: Diamond Compressor, Strymon OB-1, MXR Custom Comp, Keeley (4-knob), and MXR Dyna Comp. Which would be the best investment for my money?
I’ll list my setup just so you know how I’m trying to run things: RC Booster > Fullton Fulldrive > BBE Sonic Stomp > Erine Ball VP JR (TC Electronic Polytune from tuner out) > Eventide TimeFactor ( w/ T1M E3) > Boss DD5 > Line 6 DL4 > Boss RV-5
And another question: where is the best place to put the BBE Sonic Stomp in the chain of pedals (someone told me to put it after the Overdrives but I’ve seen other guys have it at the beginning or very end)?
Thanks
Christian,
I went through this process about 6 months ago. I tried the boss, both mxr’s, and tone press. I went with the tone press because it had that old dyna comp tone, but It has a blend knob. If you have the money and time you should look into the analogman mini bi comp. It has two compressor’s in one. It has a wait list though.
The Pigtronix comp is really good!
love my diamond. great flexibility in the tone knob. but the dyna comp is classic and you can’t go wrong there.
Can someone please help me decide which clean boost. I’ve narrowed my search to Xotic RC Booster or Keeley Katana. I want very clean volume boost with little to no tone coloration and the ability to add some gain and also as a solo boost. My setup is keeley ts808 (use for mid gain od) > fulltone ocd (used for high gain od) into clean vox ac15c1. Also, where in the chain would i put it: before 808 or after ocd? thanks!
hey eric-
i love my rc booster. it’s a lot more versatile than the katana to me. i’d either put it before the drives or after them. not really sure there’s a right or wrong place to put it but it depends how it sounds to you when you use it. hope that helps…good luck!
So if you put the rc booster right before the drives, and let’s say you had one of your overdrive pedals on already, would it still give you a clean volume boost when you stack it with the other od?
basically, it would boost whatever you put it after. if you put it first, it’ll boost cleanly, otherwise it’ll boost whatever you already have overdriven. i think the best place is to put it up front, but that’s just what i like personally.
Nathan,
I am about to acquire a true bypass looper for my board. I want to be able to use my volume pedal after the drives. How to i manage to set that up if I want to use the 6 looper channels for it’s each individual channel. In essence, where in the chain do i hook up my VP jr?
i would put the volume at the end of the chain or in a loop itself that you can always leave on. or a loop in a pedal that you’ll always leave on. otherwise you’ll only be able to use it when you’re using that pedal…does that make sense?
Hey Nathan,
I would love to find a Vox AC30 TBX, but they are hard to come by. Any recommendations, tips or places to find them? Lastly, any major difference in why you would switch between the AC15 & AC30 besides the db level? Do you find that you need to have a good amp tech to keep it running pristine? I would love to get one and am just debating if it’s a good investment or can it just be pricey to keep it going… Looking for advice and your opinion. Great blog and resource. Keep it up.
hey fred-
honestly, the biggest thing is patience. i found mine on craigslist and it ended up being a friend of mine’s after i emailed him (small world i guess). another good place is thegearpage.net forums. I buy almost all my stuff from there used by someone. obviously, an amp is harder to ship, so i’d watch craigslist and even search it for nearby cities within an hour+, depending on how far you want to drive. the other big factor between the two amps is honestly whether or not the venue has an amp box that would make me lift the amp into an isolation box. i know…i know…but lifting an ac30 multiple times a day wears me out! so the ac15 is nice for that. i change the tubes myself and other than that, the amps take care of themselves (so far…). i try to fix as many problems as i can without going to a tech (google is amazing for searching symptoms), but it’s nice to always know of a place to take it if it gets out of my league. i don’t think i’ve had to take either amp in for repairs since i’ve had them…though it might be good to get a tune-up soon.
hope this helps…
I have a AC30TBX. Shoot me an email or find me on facebook.
mauby1230@hotmail.com
Jonathan Randall
Hey nathan I was just looking at the loopmaster true bypass strips because I need a 4-loop switcher and he has one with a tuner out option, one with a master bypass switch, and one with both options. I noticed that your t1m looper has neither of these options and you use the tuner out on your volume pedal. I have the same volume pedal so should I just use the tuner out on that? And is the master bypass necessary? Thanks for your help!
Hi! I’m not sure if you get asked about “making it” in CCM a lot but any advice would be very appreciated.
Right now, I am a undergrad at the University of Washington studying Psychology and Communications. I’ve been playing lead guitar for my church for a few years and by no means can I even shred or play the sickest blues or jazz licks. But I am a pretty good rhythm guitarist and can copy guitar lines off of albums in a matter of minutes.
So in short, I am not a fantastic musically brought up guitarist…but I can lay down good rhythm and can copy most guitar lines. Also, I’m pretty good with effects and can play decent piano.
My biggest dream ever since I started picking up the guitar in high school is to be able to serve God with my guitar… Not through Psychology or Communications (my college major)… I really want to be part of a Christian backing band like those musicians that stand behind Chris Tomlin, Hillsong, Phil Whickham etc… Do you have any advice or direction on how I can get to that goal? I’ve been praying about this non stop for the last few years but never really got anywhere…
I have thought about music school like “Musicians Institute” in Hollywood or even the music program at my school in Seattle, but I have heard many sad stories of music major students who can’t find a job anywhere.
Also, if I do become a touring guitarist for say….Chris Tomlin, etc… I wouldn’t mind having to serve coffee for the rest of my life at starbuck’s to make ends meet as long as I am able to serve God with my guitar around the nation, or even around the world… Anything will help. Even if its a slap to my face for a reality check if it isn’t possible. Thanks!. I love your blogs btw!!!
Hey Derrick-
Just sent you an email.
Hey Nathan,
Would you still recommend a Vox AC30 tbx as one’s “go to” amp, with its old age, reliability concerns..parts fixed and how loud it is for most church events? Or a Morgan AC20 (deluxe or Top boost, whichever is closest to the ac30 tbx) with its lifetime warranty, hand wired, simple controls, power level or master volume? Or a london 65, master volume and the works? I love that original korg vox top boost sound, but I’m afraid about an old amp breaking or overheating once I come to love it, I’ve read the London can be not as chimey and a shade darker than that vox “chimey” sound and I just recently heard about Morgan Amps and being based off that Ac30 tbx design, tone and sound. I don’t have any place to A/B them. You seem to have a lot of experience and peers in the area that know this amp topic of argument. If you had all three choices, the money and had to make a final purchase today with your current set up, which would you choose and why?
Hey nathan would it be possible for you to post the lead guitarist of The Museum, Geoffrey Ashcraft’s gear? I really dig his tone and I was wondering if you could find out. Thanks!
i know geoff…i’ll try to get something from him about it.
thanks man that would be awesome!
Any word from geoff yet?
actually jeff isn’t with the museum anymore…my friend loyd is playing guitar for them now. he also plays with christy nockels…i’ll try to get his stuff to post soon!
Nathan,
Got a power question. I am trying to figure out the best way to power my pedals (Line 6 M9, TimeFactor, RV-5, Fulldrive 2, RC booster, T1m modded Volume with buffer, Micro Pog, Barber Tone Press, Polytune, and looper). Based on the pedals and their power needs, what would be the best power supply to go with? I know you once ran an M9 and TimeFactor at the same time….how did you run that?
i used a pedal power with a wall wart on the outside courtesy jack for the m9. you could possibly daisy chain one of those though. or use a juicebox…there’s very few it can’t power.
Nathan, I was at PCC this past week and was wondering if you knew what kind of head the guitarist was playing through? I believe it started with a t and ended with flex. Thanks!
that was ashley of unhindered. he’s playing through a couple of trainwreck amps. the guy who made them only made a few, but they’re really nice!
Hey man, wanted to say I stumbled across your blog this morning and I am enjoying what I’ve been reading. I just started blogging myself so I thought I would see who else is out there doing the same sort of thing.
Keep up the good work, God bless!
Jason
Nathan,
I have a question that I thought maybe you could help with. I have been playing in a church setting for going on 7 years. I have always wanted to try playing or if nothing else, tech for some of the bigger guys to try and get my foot in the door. This has always been a dream of mine. However, I am not from a big city area (like Atlanta) and do not attend a mega church (only because I have conflicted views with the ones around here). I have a decent background in music as I can read chord charts and played jazz in high school. I also have a good knowledge of effects and am working on the mandolin and piano. Any advice you can offer would be appreciated. Money is not an issue to me as this is the only thing that I have really succeeded at and I just don’t want to feel complacent anymore. I feel like God has called me to bigger things and I just don’t know how to put those things into motion.
Jordan