*enters guitar geek mode*

After my first string (high E4) broke from tuning it back from an Open D tuning, I decided to play around with the tunings. What about a guitar that had the chord sound of a piano? A regular guitar chord can span 3 octaves in open position.

I removed both E strings, and took the original set of strings from New Strings Attached, and arranged them like so:

DGBDAB (from 6th to 1st)

The underlined strings were from the old, thick set.

I then tuned them to regular B, or regular E up a fifth, taking the octaves of certain strings, so it became:

B2 E3 A3 D3 F#2 B3

To tune the guitar, the following chords should have the same note, same octave:

b |---------0-
F#|-5---------
D |-------0---
A |-----0-5---
E |---0-5---2-
B |-0-5-------

It feels funny, because the 2nd and 3rd strings are now wound, and the 4th and 5th ones are not. It makes low power chords sound airy and twangy, while high-pitched solos sound low, and unison bends on the 1st two strings will sound (somewhat) like 12-string guitars.

Regular open position chords, like the D major, sounds less high now.

And now, for the compulsory sound demo, with the song every guitar store despises, because every beginner plays it when testing their guitar:

Octave B Tuning Test, octavebtuning.zip, 365 KB (I don’t know what else to call it…)

Perhaps, when I get a new set, I’ll string it like EADGBe (where the EAD strings are dropped GBE’s, respectively.)

Oh, and I was walking past Central Market yesterday, to see two brilliant buskers – one with a regular green cheap Kapok with chipped off pickguard, and a Morris 12-string! Now I wouldn’t know the price of a 12-string Morris, but I’d think it would be beyond the range of a busker…

I was at a major music store, looking through the discounted section, to see a CD I had never seen before – The White Stripes‘ self-titled album! It was at RM9.90, so I bought it there and then, considering the usual price is RM35 to RM45 for a single audio CD, and a RM29 controlled price next year.

It had an original holographic sticker, but the guy at the counter said it was a CD-R reprint. He opened it up to show me that it was indeed a masquerade. To heck with it, I got it anyway because I loved headbanging to them. (Besides, their latest album, Elephant, looks very pirated-looking…)

Similiar rare, original albums can be found around the older part of town. At least they’re albums which just aren’t found anymore and not pirates of new albums. (I have never purchased a pirated Audio CD before this.)

Oh, and I’ve added the psychedelic-layout-owning Doey to my links section in my About Me! page.

My last big spending spree was on a set of electric guitar strings. Because I wasn’t intending on changing it anytime soon, and it was the first time I changed it since my mum and I got the acoustic guitar for my sister (who rarely plays it) I picked the most expensive Gibson Brite Wires. (0.09 to 0.42 gauge.)

The damage was RM25.

I slowly dropped each string by one whole step, starting with the lowest (so after the first string was dropped it would be a Drop D shape.) I dropped everything till it was one octave lower and it felt just like a bass guitar, just with smaller frets. It was just as slippery. (I don’t know about the sound, since I don’t have a bass guitar.)

I dropped it another octave and it was still playable, though the low E could barely be heard. Another octave and the strings were sliding off the fretboard! I soon got fedup of unwinding it slowly. At this point the strings were so loose I wouldn’t fear them slapping me in the face.

I took a pair of pliers and tried hard to pull out the white stubs at the bridge. I then put in the new wires.

As I wound in the low E string, I realized that I shouldn’t have put in the other strings just yet. Also, I needed to cut off a whole lot of string. Why they provide such long wires escapes me. The ideal length, I guessed, would be from the bridge to the nut plus the distance between two adjacent nuts.

I tuned everything into place, and it was a wonder to play! It was thinner, brighter, and it was easier to play barre chords! It was pretty, too, as all the strings were the same silver color, compared to the chrome/nickel-colored strings before. The best thing about this upgrade was that I could do full bends now! Before this I was playing half bends (while imagining it was a full bend in my head.)

However, a full bend on the G string, second fret, made it out of tune, repeatedly. I suppose when winding it in, I gave it too much slack at the nut’s hole. Something like this:

e|---------
B|---------
G|-2b4r2p0-
D|---------
A|---------
E|---------

Of course, I’d rather play it like this, if not for sonic accuracy:

e|---------
B|---------
G|---------
D|-7b9r7p5-
A|---------
E|---------

This was taken from Jimi Hendrix – Foxy Lady.

Why did I go out and get strings? Perhaps, it would be a consolation to failing two subjects and not being able to afford an electric guitar for the moment.

The following website is evil.

Happy Tree Friends

The first time I watched it, it was just plain sick, but I had to go on! The rest of the office started watching it, and after probably 4 public viewings, I have begun to laugh.

I like the blue elk most. I forgot their names but heck. Wouldn’t you want to poke their heart-shaped noses and then take sharp objects to their faces?

The tune is so ridiculously catchy that its end credits are something to wait for. Do not be sad, be happy again! Especially so if you have a Nokia phone!

Tempo: 180 beats per minute seems right…

32d3 32#d3 16.e3 8e3 8.c#3 16d3 8e3 16e3
8g3 8- 16- 8e3 8e3 8.c#3 16d3 8e3 16e3 8g3 8-
16- 4e2 8.e2 16e2 8e2 8d2 16#c2 4- 16-
8e2 8.e2 16e2 8e2 8d2 16#c2 16- 8- 4d2 8.d2
16d2 8d2 8c2 16b1 4- 4d2 8.d2 16d2 8f2
8e2 8.d2 32#c2

I removed the bass-only parts because I didn’t have space. 🙁

Looks like I beat them to making their ringtone, hope they don’t sue. Yes, I cheated. I opened their downloadable MIDI file and took the higher-octaved channels for the tune. 🙂

I was bored again.

She’s building a stairway to heaven!

Here’s a Nokia monophonic ringtone I did while downing a teh tarik.

8a1 8c2 8e2 8a2 32#g1 32b2 32#g1 32b2 32e2
8c2 8b2 32g1 32c3 32g1 32c3 8e2 8c2 8c3
32#f1 32#f3 32#f1 32#f3 8d2 8a1 8#f3 32f1
32e3 32f1 32e3 8c2 8a1 4c2 8e2 8c2 8a1 32b1
32g1 16b1 32a1 16c2 32- 32a1 8c2 16- 8a1
32b1 32#c2 32#d2 8f2 8.e2

It’s supposed to be 80 beats per minute, but I prefer it at 160.

I absolutely love to play certain parts of the song, like the “ooh it makes me wonder” part, where I just whack the Am7 (xx2213) with total disregard to the rest of the beautifully arpeggiated song.

Bad news and criticism comes but nothing seems to bring me down today. Maybe I’m too sleepy to notice.

Two days ago, I just handed in all my college projects. Hopefully I will pass and it will all be over. Freedom? Well, not completely. I still have exams on the 20th and 22nd of August 2003. 🙁

If you see me online on the nights before then, tell me to go back to the books or something. If you are an operator for a chatroom I am in, kick me!

Anyway, I was bored, as my brother was at the computer all night. This was sparked by Malaysia’s national anthem having its name changed from Negaraku to Malaysiaku. Patriotic, am I not?

Negaraku/Malaysiaku by Albert Ng
5th August 2003

Standard EADGBe tuning, maybe put a capo because I’m not sure if it’s at the right notes, it’s just easy to play at its location.

——-|—————–|——–|————|——–|——–|——–|————-|
——-|—————–|——–|0——-0—|——–|——–|——–|0————|
——0|-0-0-0———–|——–|0—2p0-0—|–0—0~|—-0-2~|–2-2p0~|0-0———-|
—-2-2|-2-2—2——-0~|——0~|2h3—–3p2~|–2-2—|2b2b—-|0-3—–|2—-43—–|
——3|-3-3—-b3r2b3—|–2h3—|————|–3—–|——–|——–|———2/3~|
3-3—-|—————–|3——-|————|3——-|——–|——–|————-|

Note: 0~ uses the Tony Iommi^TM behind-the-nut bend

Improvements/improvisations anyone?

Oh yes, it’s a small world when you know the bigshot hot hoochie mamma who won’t let you touch her much less bump her knees Rocket Queen.

Oh yes. Right after the last project was handed in, I celebrated by spending lavishly. Dang those upper and downers, those misguiding bomb droppers! Uh yes, the fruit better taste good.

Out of more boredom, I made a ringtone from an interesting arpeggiated riff from Metallica – Fade To Black. I didn’t bother with proper timing though. 🙁

Tempo to fit in message ringtone: 160 bpm, though it really is a lot slower.

32a1 32e2 32a2 16b2 16c3 8a2 8e2 8e3 16g2
8a2 8c3 32c2 32e2 32g2 16c3 32- 8c3 8e2 8e3
16g2 8a2 8b2 32- 32g1 32b1 32d2 32g2 32d3
16g3 16d3 8g2 8g3 16g2 16a2 16g2 32- 32e1
32b1 16e2 32- 32g2 16b2 32a2 16c3 32#a2
16#c3 16b2 8d3

Yes, it is not pleasing to Dide‘s ears but heck. I like it, and I will let it ring to irritate everybody. 🙂