rich365
Ok, so this is my second thread. Don't know if I'm a bit outdated for the young generation but here goes.
I would like to know whether we have any real good tappers in South Africa. I love the sound of it and although I've watched Eddie Van Halen do it on their DVD's a 1000 times, when I try it it just sounds stupid.......and my sound is rubbish. I have the right gear, yet I suck!
So, how DO one get a good EVH tone?
And do we have good tappers anywhere in SA, I'm not just talking about the Jo'burg area.
I've seen a post on my previous thread by Floydoid which sounds very interesting.
Anyone else?
Rich
arjunmenon
Nice topic Rich.
There's quite a few of them on the forum (maybe not as recognizable)..namely, Andrew Bryson, Guy Onraet, Chad Browne, BMU, Dean Bailey. On acoustic, there's Keira Witherkay and Brent. These are names that sprung to mind, but there are loads more i'm sure.
As for the EVH sound, i can't really say much because i sorta grew out of it, but i suspect there's quite a few people on here who know how to get the "brown" sound.
These days, i much prefer guys who use tapping in creative ways (read fusion context - wider intervals, bigger chords, chords that have a piano-like quality), guys like Guthrie Govan, Richie Kotzen, Greg Howe etc etc
Jack-Flash-Jr
Take a look at the pups thread - nice description of how to get the EVH sound...
dan77
Rich,
If you ever get to Cape Town go visit the guy who owns the Tonerider store or check out his band late Final. He will wipe the floor clean with Van Halen tapping. Your hair will stand on end - he is a nice guy AND he has the sound down AND he'll show you how to do it, providing you can take it in - I couldn't! ?
singemonkey
One of my favourite South African guitar players - James Reynard who used to be in Nine - did some wicked tapping in his day. Alan said he was doing some work at Bothners Cape Town *edit: there are several branches. Alan was referring to the Claremont branch*. So if you are ever in town, try look him up. He used a Steinberger, was insanely creative at the time of Tom Morello, and there was little he couldn't or wouldn't do - and yet he never sounded like your common or garden shredder.
My buddy Ivan has played some pretty show-stopping solos with the tapping (so few people do it anymore), but I'm sure he'd agree he's not an expert.
arjunmenon
singemonkey wrote:
One of my favourite South African guitar players - James Reynard who used to be in Nine - did some wicked tapping in his day. Alan said he was doing some work at Bothners Cape Town. So if you are ever in town, try look him up. He used a Steinberger, was insanely creative at the time of Tom Morello, and there was little he couldn't or wouldn't do - and yet he never sounded like your common or garden shredder.
+1 on James Reynard. He's bloody good. Nine was awesome (think RHCP taken up a few notches). No one can say that James sounded like a run of the mill shredder. Very tasteful. He can also get very Holdsworthian. Last i met him, he was doing a James Bond tribute show (big band scenario) in town. He uses the steinberger often, but when we last spoke he said he's drifted more to a strat sound. And a very very nice chap to boot. He doesn't even look like a shredder (short grey hair + glasses).
[deleted]
Arjun Menon wrote:
Nice topic Rich.
There's quite a few of them on the forum (maybe not as recognizable)..namely, Andrew Bryson, Guy Onraet, Chad Browne, BMU, Dean Bailey. On acoustic, there's Keira Witherkay and Brent.
Fixed ?
I try... :-[ Not nearly what I would like it to be, but never spend enough time on tapping... I only have a handful of songs that I would do some 'tapping'
There are some monster players there... Im just an enthusiast ?
arjunmenon
Brentcgp wrote:
Arjun Menon wrote:
Nice topic Rich.
There's quite a few of them on the forum (maybe not as recognizable)..namely, Andrew Bryson, Guy Onraet, Chad Browne, BMU, Dean Bailey. On acoustic, there's Keira Witherkay and Brent.
Fixed ?
I try... :-[ Not nearly what I would like it to be, but never spend enough time on tapping... I only have a handful of songs that I would do some 'tapping'
There are some monster players there... Im just an enthusiast ?
? Nice try Brent, but you have a CGP (i think its the Chet Atkins abbreviation) in your name.
Jack-Flash-Jr
Third on James from Nine - saw him last week... apparently going to record with a new band soon!
rich365
Thanks everyone for your input. Thus it appears that all the best players are still in Cape Town ?
BMU
Thread revival alert. Just some thoughts from experience, I certainly am no expert.
You don't need the EVH sound to tap, just about any old gain sound will seeya right. (People worry too much about specifics and details...just do it. It's the hours you put in, far more than the sound you have, that'll make it sound cool. Eventually.)
The answer of how to do it is depressingly the same as the answer to every other guitar technique. Start slow, start simple, with that diabolical torture device known as a metronome. Depressing, toldya. Hundreds of Youtube vids will teach you how to tap. Don't watch them all. Just watch a few. Every hour you watch how to play guitar is an hour you spend not playing guitar HAHA.
Tapping especially, requires that regimented metronome approach, just a small lack of coord or unevenness and it sounds rubbish.
Two specific points with tapping:
1. Concentrate on getting the duration of the hammer-on and pull-off notes the same. Hard to do, the natural tendency is not to keep the tapping finger on the string long enough. Hence the need for a slow start and a metronome.
2. Open string noise is the bane of tapping. Very difficult keeping all the other strings silent, since your right hand palm is lifted off the bridge. Again, take it slow, concentrate on how it sounds, be prepared to invest the hours, days, weeks and months it demands.
Oh yes: thanks for the mention Arjun. Just the inspiration I need to go work on my tapping. (Maybe I'll work my way up to actually belonging in that list HAHAHA.)
