TrailblazingArtist

Nicky Healey
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Already passed 10K, and a storm is brewing on the horizon.

I'm back (sort of). Now, I just need to reach 20K for my mind to hit mental degradation.

Madness is life, it is absolute.
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So, many of you know me for my writing (if that wasn't obvious enough), but when I'm not writing (which is the default setting that I'm on right now), I noodle around with my guitars. I figured I would explain my guitars, the setup, and whatever nook and cranny that I can.


1. Main Guitars:


    1. Epiphone Riviera P-93 Semi-Hollow Electric Guitar:

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This guitar became my main guitar the moment I got it (which was about a few weeks ago). I've been interested in semi-hollow bodied guitars the moment my eyes feel upon its design (that, and being a fan of 生形 真一 (Ubukata Shin'ichi)). Unlike the normal ES series made by Gibson (and by extension, Epiphone), the Riviera uses three dogeared P-90 pickups instead of the usual two covered humbuckers. This allows the guitar to have more twang while still sound "fat", but it lacks the same sort of punch that you would get from a humbucker. This Riviera has a wine red finish (burgundy, just to simplify), gold hardware, and a Bigsby tremolo to top it all off.

Strings used: .10 - .46

    2. 1994 Epiphone Les Paul Standard Solid Body Electric Guitar:
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This guitar I had for a few years now and it really hold up for a used guitar. A nice cherry sunburst finish to accompany the two humbuckers. I replaced the tuning machines on the headstock to something larger and more suiting for this guitar (not to mention, the added stability for the strings). This guitar used to be my main go-to guitar, and it still is... for drop-tuned songs. Don't get me wrong, I do play certain songs with it for standard tuning, but it's only for specific songs that would make sense with the guitar. The way it is now, I rather use it for J-Rock bands like Pay money To my Pain and SiM, and for USA bands like Tool, Mastodon, and Soundgarden (they are the worst offenders =P (Razz) ).

Strings used: .10 - .52 (Ernie Ball Slinky Top, Heavy Bottom strings)

    3. Ibanez Gio GRX 170:
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To be honest, I rarely use this guitar, but this is the third guitar that I would primarily use since it challengers me to be creative while also cautious. When it comes to down tuning, the bridge makes it complicated as all the strings will get thrown out of whack, so it primarily stays in E standard. It also came with a tremolo arm, but I rarely use it unless it's necessary, as it could complicate how the strings stays in tune. By all rights a "super-strat", this guitar has shark-tooth inlays, HSH (Hunbucker - single-coil - Hunbucker) setup, 24 frets (which is something I enjoy because with the other two guitars, bending up from the 22nd fret is a bitch), and a slanted heel where the neck connects with the body, which helps for access to the upper frets.

Strings used: .09 - .42 (Ernie Ball Super Slinky strings)

2. Practice Guitar:


      Yamaha EG 112C Electric Guitar:

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   Yeah, I primarily use this guitar to practice songs before playing them with my first two main guitars. It's pretty much a Stratocaster copy, but it has a HSS setup along with a Master Volume and Tone knob. Honestly, This was my main guitar for a while before I got the three up above. This guitar was also fixed up a few times, from replacing the jack plate, to swapping one of the tuning machines on the head stock with a large one (in a weird alternate version of Rory Gallagher). It still works, but it just still feels a bit too "stock". Maybe I should replace the neck and pickups sometime in the future? Devilish

Strings used: .09 - .42 (same as the Ibanez Gio)

3. AMP:


      Marshall MG30DFX Purple Limited Edition:
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I couldn't believe my eyes when I first saw it; I knew I needed to get it. This was a complete step up from my old amp, which was a dingy stock Epiphone practice amp that comes along as a package with a Special II (which was my first guitar, and the one that got away from me due to fucking store owners (but my '94 Les Paul makes up for it)). Aside from your basic clean and OD (overdrive) channels, you also got four digital effects built into the amp: Reverb, Delay, Chorus, and Flanger. I rarely use the clean channel (but that's changing), so for my OD channel, it's setup is like that:

  • Gain: set between the the 9 and 10 o' clock position (2.5).
  • Bass: Set at the 11 o' clock position (4).
  • Contour: Set at the 12 o' clock position (5).
  • Treble: Set at the 5 o' clock position (10).
  • Volume: Set at the 8 o' clock position (1 (It get's loud if I go any further)).


I keep the effect on delay as certain songs that I play to uses delay, plus, I like trying to sustain my notes with it (but again, it's changing soon).

Also, don't always believe the specs for this thing, it's 80 watts, so yes, I can blow out your ears if you go any further than 1 for the OD volume (don't know about clean).

4. Effects:


    1. Mini Mod Fuzzer
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One of the first effects I bought, this fuzz is designed to produce, well, fuzz. No, not the kind of fuzz you get when the TV or Radio signal is going haywire. Rather, the fuzz is one of the effects that Jimi Hendrix uses (and just about everyone knows about Jimi). I got this effect because there's songs that require it, and I do like trying to broaden my horizons when it comes to my sound.

    2. Ernie Ball Wah:
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This is the second effect that I got along with the Fuzz, and despite it not being a Crybaby, it still does what I need it to. This pedal allows you the manipulate the sound of the guitar by placing your foot on top and moving it up and down, which causes the sound to get caught in this envelope like sound. It's hard to explain, so I suggest listening to Isolation by Nothing's Carved In Stone (particularity the second half of the solo which uses the wah effect) to get a better understanding of what it does.

    3. BOSS SD-2 Dual Overdrive:
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This effect I just got today to replace the on-board OD on my amp. Honestly, I didn't know that this was discontinued, and I don't know why it isn't still manufactured as this is a good effect that gives you options with your OD effect. The crunch can give you that nice OD effect that you normally would get from an amp, but it add a bit more for me considering how it's set. The lead channel, after adjusting it that is, gives me and aggressive, bluesy sound that I'm enjoying, plus, it sounds close to Shin'ichi's OD/Distortion sound, so I'm grateful for tinkering around with it.

    4. TC Electronic Flashback X4

...

What, you expect an image? Right now, this baby is on layaway, but next week, I'm definitely paying it off. If you want to know about, just "Google it".

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That's pretty much it. As it is, I'm working on building my pedal-board, and I go a good idea of where it's going, but it will still be a while till it all comes together.

さよなら。

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I'm done, HBS is finished, night folks.

..:: [-----] ::..

[Hollow Black Shadows]

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Latest Chapter:
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Blame :iconarsenicallady: for this, and I highly doubt anyone is gonna pay attention to this. It feels like a catch-22, it looks like, one, but it definitely isn't. I'm not going over the rules, you can check my Kouhai's journal entry for them, so let's get this over with:

FACTS:
  1. I'm a mulatto (75% Portuguese, 15% African, 5% Italian, and 5% Jewish).
  2. I hate the world. I could go more in detail about it, but I rather not make this into a rant.
  3. I'm a realist who leans a bit more towards the pessimistic side of the scale.
  4. I can play the guitar, but I'm no virtuoso (I'm merely above-average at best).
  5. My first ever crush with a fictional character (yes, it's possible) was Ryoko from Tenchi Muyo.
  6. I'm a Sonic The Hedgehog nerd (I know a lot, doesn't mean I own a lot).
  7. I'm kind and respectful, but it's probably a ruse to cover my sinister, nihilistic, a-hole side (it's hard to tell which came first, like the chicken or the egg).
  8. You can compare me to Edgar Allen Poe... or Ren Höek if you want to be generous.
  9. I don't dream, and if I do, it probably just about emptiness.
  10. I think you're probably an idiot for reading this, but I'm grateful that you did (even if it was forced upon me by a mischievous, no-good, sugar-addict Kouhai).


Now I got to answer some questions...

QUESTIONS:

    1. What is the weirdest dream you've ever had?
    Please refer to fact #9 for the answer.

    2. Do you believe in the supernatural?
    No, not really.

    3. Where are your shoes?
    Either in my closet or in the corner of my room.

   
4. You're stuck in Russia during the harsh winter season with only a little money in your pocket. You have a choice between paying your heating bill and not freezing to death, or paying the loan shark who threatened to break your spine if you were late paying him again. What do you do? (If you can think of a third way out, please share~ ;) (Wink) )
Is that a trick question, because I rather freeze to death than get killed by a loan shark, besides the guy obviously being Russian and all that.

    5. What is your attitude towards public media?
    Don't really care about it.

    6. What's one thing you can remember from age 3?
    The house that I used to live in.

    7. Have you ever been out of the country?
    The closest is Martha's Vineyard (which doesn't even count), but no.

    8. When I say the name Marie Antoinette what do you immediately think of?
    Nothing, because I do not know anything about it/her.

    9. What's the most important thing you've ever forgotten?
    My house keys in December 2011 or 2012 (can't remember the exact year). The back door's locks got frozen, so my family and I had to wait for the locksmith to come and drill through the locks so we can get in.

    10. Weighing both it's social and economic values, what is your opinion on cabbage?
    It's food. You will eat it or not, depending on whether you like it or not. Honestly, it's there and people buy it, so I don't care.


Now I would do the questions, but this is where I break off and share my personal thoughts about this to you readers. To me, it's stupid and all it does is just let other users learn about you, which seems more commonplace on something called.. oh, I don't know.. Facebook (I should also state that I don't have one, will never have one (along with Twitter), and you can burn me at the stake and you still won;t get me to do it). Honestly, it's wasting about a good chunk of your time on this when you can do something else, like exercising or going out and hanging around with your friends. The internet has a lot of drivel and this seems to be one of them. I only did this to just get through the misery, hell, I would take having Dick Cheney working at Wal-Mart, saying "Go fuck yourself" to me over this.

So, I will end this like Joel Heyman from Rooster Teeth, after everyone else said "We love you" to the many users and subscribers on YouTube: Fuck You! :D (Big Grin) 
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Just one more chapter!

..:: [-----] ::..

[Hollow Black Shadows]

Start:
[link]

Latest Chapter:
[link]
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Featured

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[Hollow Black Shadows] Chapter 12 Is Up by TrailblazingArtist, journal