Our producer Alex figured that it’ll be much easier to market the band if we went with this name. I hated the name at first, as it invoked a more Disney imagery LOL!
I got over it already. I guess the box of chocolates analogy got me sold.
I haven’t posted in a while. I look back and just realized how it’s going to be 11 years that I’ve been away from home.
A lot of changes have happened since.
I joined a band called The Boy Destructs. It came to a point where I didn’t wanna play anymore. I was gonna audition for this other great band called Ink Dot Boy, but something came up on my end, so I didn’t go.
My best friend Barbara found Tony through Alex, and next thing I know, my name was mentioned. I met up with him, got the demo, and LOVED it. I showed up with my gear, and I got hired on the spot.
I’ve had enough after my sisters and I had soldiered on with The Velvet Ash. When it’s time to resurface, it will happen. We have great songs that deserves to be heard.
As for Black Memphis, I’ve wasted an entire year with empty promises. What’s even worse is that we’ve never even played one show. Focused entirely on recording moreso than getting the songs together.
I got a great feeling about this.
With the anticipation of the movie coming up, my eldest sister bought this for me as a Christmas present, knowing she’ll read it as well, being a comic book fan as well lol!
I read it immediately and finished it last Saturday thinking ‘wtf just happened?’. It’s really good, then you go to the last chapter and it got confusing.
So I reread it just earlier, slowly, and it all made sense now. This is what separated comic novels from the pack. Talk about being ahead of it’s time. Looking at the upcoming movies scenes, they literally took the dialogues and images from here. I’m glad, and so will you folks that will be watching, that they changed Laurie Juspeczyk’s and Ozymandias’ for the better.
Supposedly it’s a two hour movie. I wonder if it’ll do it justice if Zack Snyder can cram it up in that much time.
The only part that bothers me is the usage of the word Watchmen by Rorschach during the trailer. They’ve never used that word ever in the novel.
You should see a blog out there in the Internet regarding a blogger’s dismay of the Smashing Pumpkins song for the 2nd trailer that came out this year. A lot of people flamed her for it, for there were two versions of that song, the other being completely different in lyrical nature to the one used in the Batman and Robin movie.
In case most of you were wondering, the latest trailer’s song is Muse’s Take A Bow.
Now for those of you that know where this mall is, and what it’s been about, you’re aware since Westfield took over that this once great mall had gone downhill, and is supposed to be revamping, and crap like that.
Recently, there’s been reported cases of cars being broken in (just like what happened to my buddy yesterday), and even getting stolen. Sure, the mall can say that they’re not liable for your vehicle, and security’s not being paid well, but the bottom line is that how are you as customer for this mall would feel? Would you want to continue shopping to this mall?
Here’s two of several outrageous excuses that we’ve heard:
"If you only parked in the employee structure, it wouldn’t happen".
"You can sue the mall all you want, but you’re just wasting your time."
We even think that this is an inside job from some of the mall’s security.
If ever you’re gonna be in this mall, you better have an alarm system on it, or at least remove eye-catching items to these a$$holes.
Humbucker mode:
Clean, you can tell how high the output of this
pickup is (thanks to the P-90s). The sound is just the right balance,
like an ideal pickup should be, not too bassy, not too glassy, and no
annoying mids either. The neck pickup is just a joy to play with, as
it’s not muddy. Strum on it and it chimes nice. I’ve come to love to
middle position, as it sounds acoustic-ish by itself. Ran some effects
on it and it’s just present, and I love the middle setting for the
acoustic simulator, kinda sounded like the real thing.
Distorted,
it sounds big, and clean. I thought, my opinion, that the chords were
just clear and you’d hear the clarity and definition. I played some AiC
and Slayer on it, and it held its own. I thought it had it’s own
character. The neck just sings and it doesn’t fart out with high gain.
And again, the middle position was just pure rock and roll, I was just
playing in this position the most.
P-90 mode:
Now I’ve
come to love P-90s more because of this. Can you say Brit Pop? I was
playing some Indie Rock on this mode, bridge, neck and middle, and it
was just clear and snappy. So much output to last you for days.
Distorted,
it’s just tone heaven for me. I think I’m gonna start recording solos
with the P-90 mode, in any position. You have to play it to believe it,
I can’t describe it enough how much the P-90 mode rocks!
Single Rail mode:
Now
for this one, you have to be a Strat tone lover to appreciate this. If
you’re not big on the Strat tone, you’d skip this portion.
Technically,
and thanks to D-Rock for the Super Strat terminology, as that is what I
have most in my guitar collection. My N1, stock, can do a Strat tone in
the middle position, but I need more tonal options than that.
You’d
noticed the output drop once the Rail is engaged. Like Mr. Falbo said,
it’s like using a 2nd and 4th position in a Strat, and that is exactly
what I heard. The middle position is like the Strat tone in the middle
as well. It’s clean as a whistle, I can’t believe I can have a real
Strat tone in my Super Strat. All positions love effects, and it does
convincing (modeled) acoustic tones in the middle position.
Distorted,
it has a biting tone. Jimi, SRV, you know, the Strat guys. I just
couldn’t resist pulling out my Vox wah and playing Voodoo Chile, and I
swear it nailed it.
Parallel Mode:
Even greater nailing
acoustic tones, when I engage my acoustic modeler it sounded like an
acoustic with a preamp. It seemed to love my Echoplex and (David)
Gilmour’s Delays presets. I love playing 90’s music on this mode.
Distorted, I have to turn the mids up on this one, but it’s worth the tone.
Overall,
I must say that I’ve come to love playing guitar all over again. I’ve
never loved playing the middle position as I do now. Very usable tones
for any given situation. And I must say I bought this with the
intention to use this so I can whip out tones for whichever the song
calls for.
Like I mentioned earlier, if you’re not a big fan of the Strat tone, just have a push-pull knob for the humbucker and P90.
I hope this was detailed enough. Let me know if you have any other questions.
Honestly, I’ve been bored with standard dropped-D for the longest time
since ’95, but since that’s the tuning that Black Memphis is using, I
can’t help being stuck in a rut from time-to-time.
So…
I
pulled out the Jackson DKMGT, which was tuned to D Standard, and for
some reason I found a set of Ernie Ball Beefy Slinkys (.11-.54), and
then tuned the f?!ker to B! S?!t, it sounded awesome! I was worried
that the .54 was not gonna fit on the slot where it comes out through
the body (it is a string-thru type of a bridge), and the thing kept on
popping out (the term escapes me at the moment).
I’ve never
tuned to B before, this is fun! The neck seemed fine, the top three
strings (.11, .15 and .22) seemed a tad thin, I wonder if a set up
would nail it on this one. I’m thinking it’s best left to a baritone,
but I gotta work with what I have. By far, the bottom three held their
tuning pretty well.
————-
Open D is fun, but it’s
limiting. Although I’ve written a bit on it, I get antsy that I have
my John5 in a weird tuning. I got myself a EB Skinny Top Heavy Bottom
Slinky that I can do a Soundgarden -inspired tuning on it (ha! you’re
waiting for me to say that huh?). That will be (low to high) C G D G B
E.
I’ll probably use the Open D tuning when I have a nice American Standard Tele.
I think it’s time I bring back the chrome pickguard on the John5…
————–
You
gotta love independent music stores. The people at Jim’s at Irvine are
cool guys. Sean brought me to Pro Music Exchange and the people there
are cool as well.
It was so slow at work the other day, so I
went to Pro Music Exchange and attempted to find screws for my Ampeg
logo (which I found on eBay after a whole year!). They just gave me
the screws for free and we chatted for quite a bit, not realizing that
time had gone by. I bought a set of acoustic Martin strings (.10-.47),
since the Elixirs I got last time was too heavy (.11-.52).
——————
WTF happened to my other pair of Armoured Cables???
Ugh, I can stand not going to work. Wednesday night, I had a bad headache on my way to
Sean’s, I thought it would go away when I got home, but unfortunately
it was there even the next day. I was just vomiting acid, which really sucked.
So
I just slept the Thursday. Woke up around 4, bought some crackers
and 7-Up, slept again, didn’t wake up around 7-ish.
I dunno what happened.
SPOILER ALERT: If you’re planning to watch this: I’d say stop reading now.
I’ve finished both Seasons I and II. I must say that this is one interesting show.
It’s a shame that Doakes had to die. In a way, you’d know the inevitable yet so predictable.
Why the producers of this show allowed it to go on primetime is beyond me. Censorship sucks, and it’ll ruin the essence of the show. It is just meant for cable a$$wipes, so lock your preferences so your kids can’t watch it. Or better yet, watch your kids period.
I can’t wait for Season III. Surely, Dexter’s not gonna get off easy. Somebody will be sniffing for more dirt in the Forensics department.
Ah, bored as usual, so I ripped the neck and middle pickup of my Floyded Washburn, and left an un-F-spaced DiMarzio Tone Zone in there. That’s my Jerry Cantrell guitar, since it’s tuned to Eb, and I have a D-Tuna in the low E string so I can detune it whenever I feel like it.
Feels liberating to play it without that blasted single coil in the middle. After getting that guitar, I know now not to own a guitar with three pickups. If I can afford a strat, I’ll rip that middle pickup (most likely).
That is all…
After reading this article days ago, I’ve totally lost all respect for these a$$hole$. I’m not gonna apologize to any of you fans out there.
They did not invent the word. They have not learned of what Metallica did years back? Pressing lawsuits for petty reasons? Aren’t they making enough money already?
For the producers, grow a pair and defend your show, it’s way better than the Peppers’ legacy, or if you must say, music.
