matonanjin

Neil, I'm not in any way making a comparison because I have never downloaded ProTools, much less used it. It probably is the industry standard. But if you are looking for a "beginner's" DAW don't overlook Reaper. for us "bedroom" guitarists it will do everything you could possibly want and there are pages and pages of training videos on their website and all over YouTube. And you can try it for some number of months (I can't remember what that number is 3? 6?) before you have to pay for it.

Nice, Bob. Congrats! Enjoy it on vacation and elsewhere for a long time.

I'm glad you found it helpful. Keep us posted on your progress with these. Billy Gibbons, I'm sure I don't need to tell you, is a huge blues lover and much of his and ZZ Top's music is blues based. He just released a solo album, The Big Bad Blues, in September. We have a local PBS station that has a blues show every Monday afternoon and have been playing it some. And the satellite blues radio station has been playing cuts from it. It's pretty cool.

@Park Ranger, after that Live Lesson Steve suggested and offered two products for sale from his site, a book and a DVD "Play Along", both from Hal Leonard.: The book is "ZZ Top Guitar Anthology". It is huge. Complete tabs to 25 ZZ Top songs. If you are a ZZ Top fan, which I am and you apparently are, any favorite ZZ Top song has to be included here. Years ago someone on the L&MG forum taught me that there are two versions of tabs which can be trusted for accuracy. This book is "Recorded Version Guitar" which is one of the two. So the tabs, I believe, can be trusted for accuracy. The video is "ZZ Top Guitar Play-Along DVD". I'm a big believer of Hal Leonard's "Play Along" DVD's and think they perhaps make it a little easier to learn. The only thing I don't like about them is there is no tabs to print out. I'm a paper guy. The songs on the DVD are: 1) Cheap Sunglasses, 2) La Grange (my favorite ZZ Top song) , 3) Legs (my favorite ZZ Top video. Of course, it's the favorite video of just about every guy ?) , 4) Sharp Dressed Man, 5) Stages, 6) Tube Snake Boogie, 7) Tush, and 8. Waitin' For the Bus. I can highly recommend both of these. Of course, Steve wouldn't have recommended these if he didn't feel they would be helpful. btw, Billy Gibbons was just interviewed by Dan Rather in his "The Big Interview" series on AXS TV. It was very interesting.

Making a couple assumptions here, that at 60 you are not retired yet and, that you have a busy medical practice. Completing L&MG in 18 months is very impressive. Even without those assumptions it's impressive! Some of us, thinking in particular of one chubby , old guy in Nebraska, could not complete L&MG that quickly when retired! Thanks for sharing your journey, ShadowBoxer. Fair warning! going to Chicago Music Exchange can be very dangerous!

Hey Rock Guys and Girls, this is not going to improve your technique. But if you are into distortion (and if you are into rock who isn't?) you will probably find this brief history lesson of the granddaddy of distortion interesting. The History of the Tube Screamer.

Which is not an accurate description of this silly quiz because for each band you also get a clue! But , oh well, it's a fun way to waste about 5 minutes when you (we) should be practicing. POST YOUR RESULTS! I got 48 out of 49 which should give you a clue to how embarrassingly easy it is. I missed the last one and, in the interest of full disclosure, got another one correct with a lucky guess. Can You Identify These Bands From Just an Image?

And you had better get more active on here, Dan. If not, I'm throwing you overboard on the cruise! (Not that I could physically do that? See you and Diane soon!!!!!!

Sweetwater and Musicians Friend both showing the Korg Pandora as ""No Longer Available".

Thanks for posting this. I'll have to check it out. My roots on my mother's side (actually my mother's father's family) are from Sweden- Peterson.

I have seen this. It is really interesting. Thanks for posting the link.

I shouldn't have said "8 track". It wasn't the player but the "multi-track" recorder for studio recording that he came up with.

@SandyB53, I remember you from over at the L&MG forum. Welcome back! Please keep us posted on your progress.

I have mentioned in this forum before my appreciation of Video Surgeon so I won't repost that. It is, unquestionably, my most used tool or aid. I use it daily. It is more hardware but I also purchased a Boss Eband JS-10 very early in my learning. I just find it more useful for slowing down and/or looping audio files (think backing tracks and GL&MG jam tracks) than doing it on my computer. One can model amps and it has loads of effects in it but I never set those up. I use it daily as well. It is also a really handy portable amp when I travel or go jam. It is easily thrown on the back seat of my car or in the overhead. These two items are indispensable to me. ps.. @Plantsman13, Santa brought me a Ditto Looper and I haven't taken it out of the box yet!

Actually, Neil I think maybe someone else got this thread off course, off topic! Where in the heck are the moderators on this forum?!?! It's blatantly obvious Steve needs to get some better ones???

Well, Neil, it's closed for repairs. Actually, it hasn't been active for a while. I don't know if it will get going again. It was fun But here is the forum for you, @Plantsman13, and a few others of us on here. Old Farts With Guitars ?

Whoops. My bad math. but still very impressive progress.

Plantsman, I'm betting you know what a "Hurst" shifter is. But I'll also bet that other than you and I there are only a few others on here that do.

Oh my gosh, Herbie Hancock! I didn't even realize he is still around. I think I wore out his "Head Hunters" album. Thanks, Stefan. I need to see if I can find that vinyl record.

We should have a poll of how many of our current members can drive a stick shift! (That wouldn't meet the rule of musically related, would it?) But I'll bet of the 1500+ current members, other than some of us oldies, most can't! ?

Let me get this correct. You started L&MG 4 months ago and you are now in sessions 9&10?!?!?!? Do you have any idea how depressed that makes me feel? ??? Seriously, great progress.

Thanks for the link, @MisterLutherMan

Mandy, thanks for the positive comments.

A couple things. First off, regarding Billy I remember reading somewhere that he has some health issues and that is part of the reason he uses lighter strings. I don't remember where I read it and, let's consider the source, the interwebs. So this cannot be more nebulous. And very likely not true. But I'll try and do some checking. Secondly, since it's my thread, I'll give an update. All you guys have suggested, as do other sources I've read, at least 10's on a hollow body. But since I'm working on bending, and it seems I am playing this PRS HB more than any other guitar, the last time I had new strings put on I went with 9's, D'Addario NYXL's. I like them and I really don't feel there is a lot of tone drop off. My two guitars I play the most, this one and my PRS Paul's, both have 9's now. I'm getting close on the finger strength on the bends and very like next change I will go back up to 10's on the HB and will probably consider flat wounds. I'll decide on the Pauls. My other hollow body, my Gibson 325 (in my profile pic), still has 10's.

Perfect timing, @columbo. I just watched part of it on AXS TV. A lot of interesting guest interviewees on the documentary. As you say, " well worth documentary". You don't have to be a Gibson fan to find it interesting. The man was a genius coming up with other inventions besides the namesake guitar such as the 8 track recorder.