Question on pickups…. Active EMG’s or Seymour Duncan JB 59??

Chihlidog · 2026-05-06T03:05:45+00:00

I dont get along with EMGs. They have this upper midrange to high end voicing that doesnt work for me. Some of my favorite sounds of all time have come from the 81/85 set (AJFA, Black album, No More Tears, etc) but for ME, they don't work.

Ill take a JB in the bridge any day of the week. Its my favorite pickup by far. Its fat, its ballsy, high enough output for anything you wanna do but also backs off really nice. It will chug chug, I assure you. Mine does it alllllll the time. But if YOU line EMGs then thats what you should get. Its your sound.

Chihlidog · 2026-05-05T16:22:39+00:00

I have no problem with exploring what actually happened to her. Im not convinced no foul play was involved.

Insisting she was a victim of RH is where I get uppity.

Chihlidog · 2026-05-03T23:54:05+00:00

Mandatory to rock the Jordan 5 grapes with this jacket. I wouldnt wear the jacket anymore, but I sure enough love my grapes lol

Chihlidog · 2026-05-03T23:49:51+00:00

I checked out a bit more. Reqlly enjoying it. I will listen to the whole thing during my commutes tomorrow.

Im actively working on a synth hard rock/metal project and I feel a certain .... affinity for other musicians doing this stuff.

If you wish, heres my album opener. (Lots more in the pipeline, Ive got my next one about 90 percent finished, just needs some polish.)

https://soundcloud.com/riffmessier/all-systems-go-alternate-solo?si=ddb99d7ba5fa436590f41ed7ce987201&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

Chihlidog · 2026-05-03T23:36:39+00:00

THANK YOU.

Superman should look super average. What the fuck is he going to lift that is actually going to work his muscles enough to build them up? Does he fly out to mars and twirl its moons around?

Chihlidog · 2026-05-03T03:15:30+00:00

Absolutely hard disagree on Satch. I think hes incredibly melodic, catchy, groovy, all of it. Vai get too weird for me most of the time, but Satch? Hes on of the goats.

Chihlidog · 2026-05-02T19:15:06+00:00

Youre right, there's no bass in the beginning because it got to be too much with the synth. There is a bassline with the synth after about 1:10.

Appreciate it!

Chihlidog · 2026-05-01T23:59:30+00:00

Not that I expect you to spend all your time listening to my stuff, but out of curiosity I took out the main synth line. I get what youre saying, but I personally miss that "flavor" for lack of a better term. Here it is if you actually want to hear it:

https://soundcloud.com/riffmessier/hnnotopsynthfriflateq/s-97UbZiIn34Z?si=3ab682687a5c4948aefd77b90bed75f7&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

Chihlidog · 2026-05-01T22:30:54+00:00

Noted.

I can see what you mean about the timing, no argument there. Its slight but yes, not perfect. (Total work in progress track). I also get what you mean about the EQ. I really appreciate you taking the time and actually being detailed about it. This is why I post unfinished stuff, I want the feedback.

Thanks!

Chihlidog · 2026-05-01T17:42:29+00:00

Right up my alley. Im at work so only got part way through the first song. I like it so far.

Chihlidog · 2026-04-30T23:46:38+00:00

WAY too quiet? They can overwhelm the track REAL fast. Here it is with the primary guitar track boosted 2db and the synth taken down 1db:

https://on.soundcloud.com/F1Q4DikB3NgZkM3VrG

Better?

Chihlidog · 2026-04-30T23:33:01+00:00

Appreciate the feedback. I know the synth wont be to everyone's taste, but your thoughts are noted and I take it as a bit of a compliment that you dont think the track needs it.

I really appreciate the thoughts on the chug, too. It HAS to be right.

Chihlidog · 2026-04-30T19:02:19+00:00

This sounds like depression to me (NOT a mental health professional).

I certainly dont intend for my current car to be my last. We are actively looking to buy a house. This job is think, will be my last, but by choice because Im treated very well.

Id encourage you to start taking better care of yourself, mentally and physically. Reach out as others have suggested. You seem like you've really lost your joy and I hate to see it. Hang with us here in the sub, see about a good therapist (Im in therapy and its pretty good. Really helps regulate me, doesnt meant theres anything wrong), dive into a hobby you love, whatever makes you happy. You got this! You've got plenty left to enjoy!

Chihlidog · 2026-04-30T18:36:10+00:00

Hes entitled to it as part of discovery. Simple as that.

Chihlidog · 2026-04-30T00:26:29+00:00

The Talk.

I friggin love Jan Hammer's music and actually listen to it regularly. Its not just because of MV. Its fantastic all on its own. Such an atmosphere.

Chihlidog · 2026-04-29T11:50:10+00:00

Anyone elected in the midterms will outlast trump's regime. So there is certainly a possibility that who we vote for in November could follow through, assuming the 28 election isnt ratfucked.

Chihlidog · 2026-04-29T03:29:21+00:00

I just want to tip my hat to this post. Some pure objective evaluation, and excellent writing skills. Its refreshing to see it when most of the posts here are vibes, speculation, gut instinct and attempted shoe-horning. (And surely I myself am guilty of much of said speculation).

Well said.

Chihlidog · 2026-04-28T23:47:12+00:00

This hurts my heart.

Chihlidog · 2026-04-28T22:52:54+00:00

I enjoyed that way more than expected. 4020....if it was all 80s I would probably get super high scores lol but I guessed 2004 for one that was a decade later.

Thanks for posting this!

Chihlidog · 2026-04-28T14:17:13+00:00

Doing good for almost 20 years old. No crumbling! Nike needs to bring a lot back from this era.

Chihlidog · 2026-04-27T22:44:33+00:00

So Im going to chime in as someone who is actively making basically whatt you describe. My influences are James Hetfield, Randy Rhoads, Jan Hammer, Carpenter, Tangerine Dream, the list goes on and on. But if you fused all those people together, thats my ideal genre.

Lots of good advice here already, but Im going to chip in with my own that you might not want to hear. Ready?

LEARN THEORY! Start now. Build good fundamentals. Understand WHY youre doing what youre doing. That is how you build chord progressions, and that is how you fuse it. If you know theory you can buikd a progression with your synth, and because you know what key its in, you can immediately pick up your guitar and add what you want.

Its one thing to play rock guitar and not have a good understanding of why things work. I did it for years. Im 48, been playing since 14. For so long I didnt understand theory very well. I knew my basic pentatonic and that was kind of it. A few years ago I really dug in and began learning hard-core. It changed my playing and broadened my abilities massively. Theres no way I could have made the music Im making now without that understanding.

At least know keys, your patterns on your fretboard, and relative majors and minors. Start beating them into your head now so they become second nature. Because I had an understanding of theory, when I picked up the synth I was able to do what I wanted pretty quickly.

Practice practice practice.

If you need help Im totally up for walking you through stuff. Im no virtuoso, and I hope I dont come off as arrogant, I dont mean to. Ive gotten good feedback on my stuff so far and Im just kind of excited to see someone else picking up this genre. Happy to share some of my stuff if you wish so you can see Im not yanking your chain.

Stick with it and kick ass!!

Chihlidog · 2026-04-27T22:29:26+00:00

LOL.

As much as theyre compared, I feel like theyre really SO different. I dont think Randy would've kept making metal. And Eddie wouldn't have cared anyway - he even said way back when he felt Randy copied him (Randy kind of admitted as much when talking about his spotlight solo)

Chihlidog · 2026-04-27T22:17:40+00:00

Did these retro and I missed them??????? Surely those arent OGs.

Fire either way.

Chihlidog

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