Tuning, Gluing

I'm a tad sick and tired of my Les Paul sounding out of tune. I know I seem like an infomercial but honestly, why doesn't everyone use the Earvana compensated nut system?
Confusingly there's a couple different kinds of nuts they have for the Les Paul. But I think that for all practical purposes the drop-in shelf nut is the one you want.
I mean good grief. That G# on the 3rd string always sounds terrible on a regular guitar. And if that doesn't suck the D chord (you know, that first D chord you learn) sounds like an out-of-tune mess. But with the Earvana I'm not cringing all the time.
Last time I brought in my Les Paul to Matt at 30th Street Guitars he didn't want to put the Earvana nut on. Instead he put a tiny sliver of bone on the nut where the G string touches. And yeah, that cleans up the intonation on that string a bit. But the problem is that B string also has issues. So this time I'm just gonna insist. I know it will decrease the value of the instrument. But I don't care. I don't have the guitar as an investment. I have it because I want to play it. Loud. And, hopefully, in-tune.

 Cytomic makes a well-reviewed SSL-style limiter called The Glue.

Dude

Dude.
Kids.
Playing Tool's 46 and 2.

Dude.
Excuse me, I need to go practice now.

Latest Tracklist

Here's the latest version of the Diatomaceous Earth tracklist.

1. Greg's New Song (The Undeniable Accuracy of Evaporation) http://diatomaceousearth.bandcamp.com/track/the-undeniable-accuracy-of-evaporation

2. Twilight of the Ice Nymphs http://diatomaceousearth.bandcamp.com/track/twilight-of-the-ice-nymphs

3. Magnetic Waltz http://diatomaceousearth.bandcamp.com/track/magnetic-waltz

4. Porcupine's Dream http://diatomaceousearth.bandcamp.com/track/porcupine-turbo-weasel-version

5. Spacy thing (Obsequious Terrapin) http://diatomaceousearth.bandcamp.com/track/an-obsequious-terrapin-commands-the-river

6. Imaginary Opera http://diatomaceousearth.bandcamp.com/track/imaginary-opera-2

7. Hieroglyphic Overdrive http://diatomaceousearth.bandcamp.com/track/hieroglyphic-overdrive

Not an actual comment on our band, just funny.

This is just the latest version of the set list. It's not definitive. It's just what we have right now. As far as I know.

My Two Things For Today

Sensaphonics ER earplugs are presumably softer.
The Mixo-blues scale.

Twin Fuzz Case

When I was a teenager my dad bought be a Fender Twin Reverb. My parents also got me my Hagstrom electric guitar.
In my advanced age I have finally come to understand that out of all the guitar players in the world I cannot make a Fender Twin sound good.
I did end up buying an MXR Distortion+ from a kid in high school.
Ultimately this was also a mistake. Basically I ended up with a guitar sound which was the Hagstrom (with flat-wound strings) fighting the Fender which was fighting the MXR.

I've since been indoctrinated into the religion that the P-90 single-coil electric guitar pickup is the One True guitar pickup. Also, that the Deluxe, the Bassman (and consequently the Marshall JTM-45), and similar amps are the right amps for me.
And that all distortion should be got and had by the guitar amp itself.
These are the words of wisdom I have revealed in the great prophecy (and over the course of the last couple albums I made).

But if, and only if, I wanted a distortion pedal to make life easier when playing live, I'd probably want a Mojo Effects Iron Bell.
Of all the distortion pedals I've heard via the YouTubes, it's the one which offendeth my delicate sensibilities the least.
I mean really, it sounds pretty good. And it is more of a "muff" than an overdriven amplifier emulator. So there's that.
But another thing is that I've learned from playing with City Samanas (and now Diatomaceous Earth) that when playing with this band I really should not play overdriven. I should play a clean guitar. So I don't know. Will there be a time when I need a bit of fuzz with Diatomaceous Earth?

A look at this case. I forget if this is number 2 or number 4. 

Before the Christmas break, somebody (I can't fathom that it was me but maybe I was drunk) actually packed this case pretty well. So I took a picture in hopes that it can happen again one day.

Don't Name the New Song!

This is what happens when Lou isn't at practice to keep us under control.


Note that the above-linked performances have no value to the public -- just to us in the band as a kind of "sketchbook" of ideas. We did indeed come up with a brand new song (I believe Greg had it almost entirely in mind when walking in but we use "we" in Diatomaceous Earth.)
Click through for the flying squirrel and the track list if you don't see it.

The Forsaken Gods

If I had a fantasy metal band we would play songs like "Ride the Night Worm" and "My Name is a Killing Word". The name of the band would be FORSAKEN GODS.

Here are the lyrics to the first song from our new album.

God is a robot
He takes my soul
God is a robot
Forty meters wide
God is a robot
Buried deep in the ground
God is a robot

God is a robot
With Ministers of Sound
God is a robot
Ripping Joy from your minds
God is a robot
500 poisons strong

God is a robot
He infects our flesh
A thousand tiny needles
Penetrate the sentients 

God is a robot
When he becomes aware
Death to Organics
Death to Organics!

The music itself, of course, pretty much writes itself.