Megadeth: In My Darkest Hour

Favorite song/lyrics from my favorite guitarist & band (that's using my favorite guitars).



Really love the lyrics too.

* HAH! Edited the size to not upset my blog layout. Muahaha. 420*255 - 75% of its 'original' size.

All hail Buckethead

My third Guitar God. :o

I have read about this guy for quite a while but I never bothered to listen to any of his stuff. The wondrous sonic mayhem that I have been missing!

Wikipedia excerpt:
"Although a multi-instrumentalist, Buckethead is best known for his electric guitar playing. Guitar World voted him number 8 on a list of the "Top 10 Greatest Guitar Shredders of All Time". In addition to guitar, drums, piano, organ, mandolin, and banjo, Buckethead is adept in the art of nunchaku."

NUNCHUCKS?! WTF!

Well more on that later. Apparently (for those who don't know) he has a big list of credentials (including a 4 year stint with Guns N Roses). He plays a custom built Gibson Les Paul as well as a Jackson Flying V (haha two guitar types that I love).

Though interestingly, not a whole lot is known about him. He wears a mask and dons a KFC bucket (trying to send a message about the mass chicken genocide by fast food joints). While eccentric, his guitar skills are undeniable. Perhaps the thing that brought the most attention to him on my part was an interview with Dave Mustaine that I was reading about. He stated that Buckethead is a better player than him and Slash combined (Slash agreed in a seperate interview). So needless to say, I was curious!

And what did I find?

This.


Apart from this type of music, he is insane at 8 finger tapping (better than what I've seen before), he is really good with the kill switch, and well he can play his guitar like a banjo. A very versatile guitar player.

Oh yeah.



He's kicks ass at doing the robot and can probably stuff two nunchucks up your ass as your jaw drops.

I love my new Axe

Man...

I really love this thing to bits. So comfy, crazy sustain, distorts real well, sounds real good clean. Makes you want to just play all day (which I pretty much did - trying to figure out this one song).

I thought Vs sucked in the past but man I really love mine!

Welp, back to playing.

Choice has been made!

And the winner is......

The Dean Dave Mustaine VMNT1!

The Dean Dave Mustaine Signature VMNT1

Seymour Duncan Dave Mustaine Livewire

Dave Mustaine Signature V

Man this is such an awesome axe! The action (distance between the strings and the frets) is real low and it has a very slim neck. A real shredder's guitar right here.

The pickups are nice because even though they are active pickups, the range is very good (so it can play more than just metal!). :)

The sustain is GODLY! Man! I can just hold a power chord and it could go on almost forever (well good enough LOL!). I think it's a glued/set neck. Not a bolt on. It has a Mahogany body and neck and an Ebony finger board (real premium woods right there).

It comes with a very nice case (a case that I think is heavier then the guitar itself... o_0), strap locks (it has flush mount straplocks - so no pegs), and the latest Megadeth CD, United Abominations.

Me likies... Very appropriate for me to continue learning my favorite song - In My Darkest Hour (another favorite is A Toute Le Monde).

Rock on!

Choices!

Which guitar hero of mine should I pick?!

Dave Mustaine and Slash are my two Guitar Gods. They both have signature guitars that I can afford.

Should I go Dave Mustaine? Or should I go Slash?

Dean Dave Mustaine VMNT1 Signature Guitar.

This bad ass axe uses Dave Mustaine's Seymour Duncan Livewire Active pickups. From what I have read, this is a 'Active' version of the Seymour Duncan 'Hot Rodded' pickups (that I have installed on my Ibanez RG). The guitar is super light and somehow, playing with the 'V' design by holding it in between my thighs is remarkably comfy. The action is SUPER LOW!

Epiphone Slash Signature Les Paul.

This equally awesome guitar was built to Slash's exact specs. The maple top is always a nice welcome thing for me (I love the finish). It uses Seymour Duncan Alnico II pickups and with gain and some Overdrive, one can replicate the distinct Slash sound. This is a limited edition Les Paul and the local GuitarCenter has two of them.

Both of these bad-ass axes come with a case, straplocks, and a strap. Both cost $999. Dilemma!

But in all honesty, I am leaning heavily towards the VMNT1. I promised myself that I would buy a 'Gibson' Les Paul. The Epiphone Les Pauls don't use the Gibson pick ups. The Slash Signature is an exception though because it uses the awesome Seymour Duncan pickups.

I guess I will find out on Monday (when I sell of Ms Ibanez for either one of these - Memorial day sale?).

Argh!

Updates updates!

First and foremost, I have been away for the past 5 days visiting the family in KS. Good times. Did some DIY crap, gamed a lot, got a brother a new guitar (a freaking Les Paul at that - God dammit!), and bumpy flight back.

Let's start things with a bit of gaming.

GTA IV
I finished the 100% completion on Saturday. Did not sleep that night at all. I arrived at 2am Saturday, bro's graduation started at 8am so we had to leave @ 7:15am (aka 7:30am Scott Standard Time), so I hooked up the Xbox 360 and started playing at 5:30am and I started. At 7am, I achieved 100% completion! Just in time for me to take a shower and get ready! Needless to say, I was a zombie but I have met the contest requirement. I rock! I have no life! WEWT!

Guitar
I now have this impeccable urge to buy a new axe... My youngest brother just got an Epiphone (Gibson's budget brand) Les Paul Studio. DAMMIT! I played on that awesome axe all weekend and weekdays (that I was there). Now I am dying for my very own Gibson/Epiphone. Though I am abandoning my previous desire to get a Floyd Rose equipped guitar (I down tune far too much and it would be a royal Pain In The Ass).

Lexus GS450h
My oh my. I love that hybrid. I drove from the airport. First thing I did, flip it on to 'Power' hybrid and 'sport' suspension (I know my way around the car as I have test driven the GS430 and IS350 previously). Needless to say, I floored it (aka Pedal to the Metal) onto the highway. WHOAH! Thats FAAAAST for a luxury sedan. Good job Toyota utilizing the 100% torque of an electric motor in conjunction with a V6! And just think! The cars I want to get have faster 0-60 times! I can't wait!

So yeah, I'm going to the guitar store....

Will it be an Epiphone Slash Signature or a Gibson Explorer or an Epiphone Les Paul?!

Who knows! Gonna bring Ms Ibanez and her coffin along for a possible trade in. Stay tuned!

A new guitar?!???

Argh. Damn it all. Why oh why did I have to try my friend's Gibson Les Paul studio? Why the hell do I go to Guitar Center at least once a week?!

But before you folks read on (laff not like anyone really reads right?), no, I have not bought a new guitar..... YET!

Muahahaha.

Yes, I love Gibson guitars. It is a fact. I absolutely completely want a Les Paul Standard with 60s 'fast' neck. Unfortunately, that would set me back 2.5k for the super pretty Cherry Sunburst one. So that will be for next year... :p

When I went out to get my Ibanez, I initially wanted a Floyd Rose tremolo. However me not knowing better (I insisted on Ibanez), I went with my current guitar because the Ibanez that came with a floyd rose was from their 'prestige' line at the time. So that would cost 800+. Screw that. I got my guitar and I'm pretty happy. All I needed was a pickup change. But even then, I really wanted to play with Active pickups. But they cost way more and I didn't really have a proper battery cavity in my current guitar.

Meet the Epiphone Futura FX. This is a metal machine is coming out next month (just in time for my planned half stack purchase!). It has a licensed Floyd Rose and EMG active 81/85 pick ups for sonic metal mayhem!

However, me being my over-analytical self, I do have some problems deciding.

1) My brother wants an explorer too.
I really don't want to make his future purchase anti-climatic. He has stated that he hates quilted maple finishes. He prefers solid colors (lol if that's what he likes).

2) Price
No, not really talking how expensive it is (because it is expensive). If i add $200, I can get an US made Gibson Explorer. Opportunity cost is certainly there but the cheapest Gibson version does not have EMG active pickups.

3) Ms Ibanez
What will become of her? I am tempted to sell her off but it would be kind sad. She's only a few months old, been babied like crazy, I just had her 'set up' as well as had new pickups installed.

But at the same time, I feel an attachment to it. I am learning how to play on it anyways. I could also give it to my youngest brother and sell of his current guitar (Ms Ibanez is WAY better). But then I would be out quite a bit of cash.


Nick told me today that he sees the Les Paul nicely for me and not so much an explorer body (though he concedes that it is one mean looking metal shredding machine). So I don't know. Still have a few weeks before that bad boy hits the stores.

Argh!

Pentatonics!

So I've been dabbling a lot in Pentatonic Scales lately. Prepping for some Solo-ing action! Wewt!

So far, I've been tinkering with the minor scales. I spent Saturday night playing with it (yes I lack social life) practicing it (even while watching F1 - go Ferrari!).

So as a result of that session, I have mastered 4 boxes of the minor pentatonic scales (I can blast thru them now).

Minor Pentatonic Scales

I just have to learn the final box (the right most pair) and I will be done with the Minor Scales. I think I've made strides. Fingers are a lot faster now in moving around. :)

I incorporate scales into my warm up and finger exercise regiments (paired with picking exercises).

I hope to get good as fast as I can by working and practicing as hard as I can (though not too hard so I will not get a repeat performance of my tendinitis).

I will keep at it some more and master the Major scales. After that, onwards to Modes!

Muahaha. Heading down the path of shredding!

My Ibanez RG has been Hot Rodded part 2!

After installing the new pick ups, I felt that I needed to have some who actually has an idea wtf to do in terms of adjusting it so I hauled it off to the local Guitar Center here in Kirkland to be 'set up'.

Little did I know, I left it in the loving care of Dagna Barrera of Parsons Guitars. This lovely (and super nice) lady took good care of my guitar real well (I are teh guitar n00b - only played for less then 3 months). She recommended that I change string gauge to a higher one (10s) and took care of the fret buzz crap I was having and also fully adjusted my new Seymour Duncan pickups. She even gave my RG a good cleaning (I forgot to polish the frets when I changed strings) and it looked brand new when I cracked my case open. In my hands, it felt even better than brand new! :o Such fine attention to detail too. The lower knob that my strap locks hook on to was a bit loose and I half assed tried to fill it up (so it could be tightened). I checked that and it was as tight as can be (she fixed it for me!). Fingerboard seems to have been treated/cleaned as well.

I'm so glad I trusted my RG to such caring and able hands. I know its relatively cheap and not the best guitar in the world, but it is my first guitar and that will always have a special place in my heart. It's perceived value far out numbers it's actual monetary value. But with that said, it's not exactly a piece of shit either. ;) (Hey its a Legendary Ibanez RG guitar - now with hot roaring Seymour Duncans).

I will definitely recommend this wonderful Luthier to anyone who needs it. :)

Check them out for all your guitar needs up here in Seattle.

Lastly a pic of my cherished RG:

All set up!

My Ibanez RG has been Hot Rodded!

I've been wanting to change the pickups on my Ibanez RG (annoyingly called Ms Ibanez ;) ) for quite a while now.

I've been battling between Seymour Duncans VS EMGs for a while. Finally decided to bite the bullet and stopped by my local Guitar Center (didn't want to wait for it to ship) and got myself the Hot Rodded set (SH-2n and SH-4 humbuckers).

Seymour Duncan Hotrodded

SH-2n (left) and SH-4 (right)

Old (left/bottom) New (right/top)

Man what a world of difference! My distortion is WAY more crunchier and everything sounds a LOT tighter. Metal Distortion = ROARING!

SH-2n sounds real tight and really pitchy. The SH-4 is a roaring thunderous high powered pickup. The hum canceling is also real good. Minimal resonant sounds.

I probably need to send this in for fine tuning though (no one to really teach me right now).

Jam Session Round 2

So last night we had another jam session. This time minus the Bass Player (Nick) who I jammed with last week. This time around, I jammed with 2 other co-workers. One has both Electric and Acoustic, the other one is a newbie (like me) who plays on Acoustic.

We had tons of fun. Rotated through various parts of various songs like Megadeth - In My Darkest Hour, Soundgarden - Black Hole Sun (WIP for me.. :D ) and we played some blues progressions. I taught them the Spider Riff and Metallica's Enter Sandman riffs. In all it was tons of fun. They couldn't believe that I have just been playing for 2 months plus (that is a huge compliment to me). I tell them I practice all the time and work on scales and faster songs to improve finger speed (they in turn are calling me Mr Pentatonic - as I just started learning them and I'm totally into it). They gave me pointers on stretching (like hitting the 3rd, 5th, and 7th fret with your hand at once - FREAKING HURTS lol).

Also, my friend introduced me to his "Ms Gibson", a Les Paul Studio (I in turn reciprocated in introducing him to "Ms Ibanez"). WEWT! I've been itching to pick one up and try it (I have settled on having it as my next guitar). MAN! I really want one even more so now! The pickups sound AWESOME! The string action is so low (~half what mine is). So super fast to play. I WANT ONE!

I also tried a Fender Stratocaster. First time I ever played on a Single Coil guitar (has a more 'twangy' sound). It was nice playing it. However, I really did not like the center pick up. My pick would get caught on it all the time... :\

I kinda want a strat later on but I don't know. I think it's pretty much well established that I love to play rock/alternative/metal and Humbuckers are pretty much the way to go for this genre.

Still fun times...


AND I WANT A LES PAUL!

Playing Guitar

I bet some people wonder why I love playing so much.

For me, it's the same reason as why I game, or why I was into Amateur photography, and why I am heavily into Computer Hardware, and why I am into Hobby grade R/C. It is a release.

In a life full of crap on a daily basis (dollops and dollops of it), it is one of the few things that I have absolute control over. What I play, how I play, when I play. It is very therapeutic (though Metal isn't). Real relaxing. Helps keep me chill and happy and it occupies my free time in a constructive way. It is also a form of venting I suppose. Also it's another thing I can pass on to future people too (One is always remembered with what they left behind right?).

Which is why I devote so much time to it. I love playing, I can't stop playing and I really want to get better at it. I push myself very hard (true in everything I commit myself to). But I have to remind myself, that I have only played it for just over 2 months now (effectively).

But I think I have come pretty far and will continue to do so. That is once this stupid injury fully heals up. It really doesn't help that I'm a klutz (caught my thumb on a hook yesterday behind my door.... tell me about it.... ).

Songs I know how to play (even partially - no solos yet though):
Megadeth - Symphony of Destruction (partially)
Coldplay - Yellow (partially - hard to get the sound right)
Coldplay - Sparks (partially - pretty hard)
Black Sabbath - Paranoid
Metallica - Enter Sandman
Nirvana - Come As You Are (partially)
Guns n Roses - Patience (part of the solo only - like the first few lmao).


Songs I wanna learn:
Killswitch Engage songs
Soundgarden songs
More Megadeth songs
Some blues.

My first time

Jamming that is (what the hell were you thinking? ;) ).

I brought my guitar with me when I left for work yesterday because a buddy of mine (Nick) wanted to go play some songs after work over at his place. Apparently, he is a Bass Guitar player. He has an uber cool Old School Peavey Patriot bass guitar. He takes pride that the bass guitar is as old as the both of us (haha!). He also has this sweet ass sticker on his bass guitar case (Do it in chainmail!).

He also introduced me to his new dog, Teja. I'll add pics on Monday (so I can get the link from him to his web album). Super overly friendly (and most of the times baby-ish) Pitbull/Great Dane mix.

But back to the playing, we kinda winged it but we did make decent progress on Paranoid by Black Sabbath, and Enter Sandman by Metallica. We also did some Come As You are by Nirvana. Apart from that we just played around. Nick played some System of a Down bass lines and various others. I played around with Symphony of Destruction by Megadeth (Mustaine FTW!).

In all it was tons of fun. I enjoyed playing immensely. Though I did take good care of my wrist. ;)

Bass looks so much easier. No fair.. :p

I was all out of sync until Nick had to take Teja out again and I did some quick scales and exercises. By the time he got back, I was already recalling how to play Enter Sandman and my picking and fretting were completely in tune... :P

Teh Slash book!

Well I didn't buy it from Borders though. :p I got it from Barnes & Noble (they are running a member's hardcover discount right now).

Slash is one of my favorite guitarists ever (him and Dave Mustaine - the front man of Megadeth). He also uses the guitar I want the most (Gibson Les Paul!) though he naturally has a 'custom' one (that costs ~$4+ Grand). I will hopefully spring for just a 'normal' Les Paul Standard (that costs just over $2K) but that is in the distant future. For now heal wrist and practice more! :)

Dave Mustaine is my favorite metal guitarist (duh). I recently reinjured my thumb/wrist trying to learn Symphony of Destruction as well as practicing his Spider Chords for 15 minutes.

For Slash, I really like the Bluesy scales he uses as well as his rock scales (like Pentatonic scales). I'm really trying to learn (well was trying to) some of his scales and warm ups. I do this to increase finger dexterity (I have come a long way since I started on the Blues Scales that I know) but man, Slash flies through them haha!

Both Slash and Dave Mustaine (my guitar gods haha) uses Seymour Duncan pickups but I am considering using EMGs. Tough one there. But both use Marshall Amps (with Slash being the only person to have a signature model Marshall Amp).

I really look forward to reading this book but only after a certain someone finishes through it (she's definitely a bigger fan than I am haha!). ;)

EDIT: Holy crap, after looking at those vids and listening to guitars play, I have a crazy urge to pick mine up and play! NOES! Get it away from me! :(

Mental note to self

If I have the slightest inclination to try and play my treasured electric guitar again, DON'T FREAKING PLAY METAL! Well at least until this stupid injury boils over.

What did 15 minutes of 'playing' get me? A right hand thats wrapped up once again. Jeez. I thought 2+ weeks of R&R was enough. Guess not dammit.

Now here I am, hand wrapped up, popping Ibuprofen already and probably going to go to Walgreen's on my way back to pick up an proper brace. This bandage wrap is handy dandy but not cutting it anymore.

I mean how the freaking hell could I get injured playing guitar. I only did multiple 8 hour straight sessions?! That's weak! BAH!

I just want this stupid tendinitis to be over with. Godspeed.