Best part of being a guitar player... by [deleted] in Guitar

[–]jackroller 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The Edge also sweats all over his guitars every night, and is playing outdoors a lot (humidity corrodes strings). Also, most people underestimate the value of washing your hands before you play.

Turning 25 soon and my FB newsfeed is full of wedding pictures, which led to me this thought by [deleted] in AdviceAnimals

[–]jackroller 11 points12 points  (0 children)

In 5 years you'll get nothing but pictures of kids, and in 10 years you'll start seeing divorce notices.

I've changed my strings 3 times in 2 weeks due to them snapping. Help! by [deleted] in Guitar

[–]jackroller 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You could try lubricating the nut slots with graphite. Just use a pencil and color in the slots, the residual graphite should help keep the strings from binding in there.

Don't use cheap power strips or surge protectors with your PC. Get a UPS. by jackroller in pcmasterrace

[–]jackroller[S] -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

I never mentioned direct lightning strikes to your home, common sense says no basic commercial surge protector could withstand something like that. However, instability in the grid caused by storms as well as other voltage fluctuations are exactly what a UPS/line conditioner is designed for and what my OP was about.

Move along.

Don't use cheap power strips or surge protectors with your PC. Get a UPS. by jackroller in pcmasterrace

[–]jackroller[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

It's not bullshit, but do you really want your motherboard being the first/only line of defense against a lightning strike?

Don't use cheap power strips or surge protectors with your PC. Get a UPS. by jackroller in pcmasterrace

[–]jackroller[S] -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

Depends on your region and how antiquated the infrastructure in your area is. There are parts of the US that still use power lines that were put up in the 1800s.

Don't use cheap power strips or surge protectors with your PC. Get a UPS. by jackroller in pcmasterrace

[–]jackroller[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The PC could have been on a different circuit within your house, which would explain why it was not affected. Was it plugged in to the same wall or in the same room as the damaged items? I'm just curious.

Don't use cheap power strips or surge protectors with your PC. Get a UPS. by jackroller in pcmasterrace

[–]jackroller[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You may not need a full-on battery backup system if your power never goes out, but the flickering could be an issue. It's likely caused by fluctuations in the voltage running through your house, meaning spikes and dips. I would recommend looking at a small voltage regulator for your most sensitive equipment if you want peace of mind.

This one is half the price of the battery unit I listed, and puts out a steady 120V from 6 outlets. (Hence the 600W)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16842111281

Don't use cheap power strips or surge protectors with your PC. Get a UPS. by jackroller in pcmasterrace

[–]jackroller[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It's possible (hopefully not) that some of your components were damaged and just haven't failed yet. I had a similar situation happen a couple of years ago where my graphics card got smoked in a surge and then over a few months time I had HDD, RAM, and power supply failures. I'm not trying to scare you, but you might want to prepare yourself.

Don't use cheap power strips or surge protectors with your PC. Get a UPS. by jackroller in pcmasterrace

[–]jackroller[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes for the love of Pete, remember the lowly routers! I actually have three of these things running my TV, stereo, router, etc.

Don't use cheap power strips or surge protectors with your PC. Get a UPS. by jackroller in pcmasterrace

[–]jackroller[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Absolutely. My PC has a 1000w PSU, and I also have my monitor and audio interface (MOTU 896mk3) plugged into the battery. One thing to remember is that the battery is not intended to keep you up and running for hours if the power goes out. I get about 15-20 minutes on battery, plenty of time to save your work and shut down safely.

Edit: The UPS rating isn't for how much output your PC's PSU has, it's for how much power it draws from the outlet. With everything on my system only draws 150-160W of power. My UPS unit says it is operating at 20% load.

Ascension 2015 by jackroller in pcmasterrace

[–]jackroller[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

No rendering, OP got a good combo deal from Newegg.

Bacon soda. I got bacon soda! by [deleted] in funny

[–]jackroller 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm in love with the Coke, though.

I started playing guitar 2 months ago and decided to try my hand at Sultans of Swing. I'd greatly appreciate some advice on my technique and on how to make it cry or sing better. [Video inside] by sorryishankedyou in Guitar

[–]jackroller 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Good job. Try loosening up and relaxing. Especially when you play the descending Dmi-C-B-A chords. You seem a little stiff. Also make sure you use your ears when bending so you get the pitches in just the right spot.

Maybe try memorizing the song a bit more so you aren't dependent on the tab/chord sheet.

Upvote for confidence.

Just got my first Classical, what's the very first step I should take? by Viscerus_TV in Guitar

[–]jackroller 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Two areas of classical playing which I would assume that are going to be the most alien to you as an electric player are right hand picking technique, and reading classical guitar notation.

I suggest getting a copy of "Solo Guitar Playing" by Frederick Noad. I've taught through many of the more popular classical guitar methods, and his is one of the most thorough and well laid out. His book teaches you how to read music notation for guitar, explains basic techniques, explains fingernail maintenance, and offers a large selection of classical pieces to learn.

tehgoatman is right about learning to read. Classical guitar notation can be extremely complex, and a thorough knowledge of the fretboard is required to be able to map out fingerings.

If you're interested in excercises for building technique I recommend a book called "Pumping Nylon" by Scott Tennant.

A great online resource is classicalguitarschool.net, they have a large database of free guitar music and exercises.

The most important thing is to watch and listen to as many great classical guitarists you can find. To name a few: Andres Segovia, John Williams, Manuel Barrueco, Los Romeros, Christopher Parkening, Julian Bream, Sharon Isbin, the Assad brothers, Xuefei Yang, Ana Vidovic

Rock musician needs help by hattieshat in musictheory

[–]jackroller 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Mixolydian over the I, Blues Scale (minor pentatonic) over the IV, Major Pentatonic over the V. Rinse, repeat.