Sounds like it conforms to WordMan’s first Rule of Guitar: whatever keeps you playing. I love the thought of getting feedback on your technique so you can compress the time it takes to master basics and then move to a real guitar. If this helps AND is fun as a game - jeez, that’s a bigger deal, frankly, than Gibson’s big Firebird X mentioned upthread!
Totally agree - beautiful again.
I told the guy I know who worked at Harmonix (he now works for the people who make Splosion Man), to keep the prototype Squier he got his hands on. It’s going to go to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame one day, because this, I shit thee not, is going to launch a thousand thousand garage bands.
And, seriously, what separates this from a Tyler Variax, besides the robotuning?
I’ve heard of a Variax before, but not a “Tyler Variax”, so I went googling. Is this thing actually for sale? The only product info up on the Line 6 site is a sparse “tylervariax” blog. No feature sheets, no prices, no specs. It was announced on March 2010, and now in November there’s no real info on it. Am I missing something?
Off the top of my head, here’s what I know:
James Tyler is a small-production electric guitar builder. His guitars are known for their distinctive looks and great feel, which has led to cult-type following. His most well-known designis based on a Strat, but totally fugly - the pickguard looks off, his most famous finish is “burning water” (see pic), and the headstock is, well, look at it. But his guitars go for pretty big bucks - over $2 grand I think - and owners are rabid about how easy they are to play. They’d better be.
So Line6 Variax’s are known for being really versatile if you are into digital-modeling based guitar systems. But the actual guitars are pretty bad - low-line Made in Korea hooey without much attention to feel.
On some basis, they have contracted with Tyler for him to, I think, oversee the design and production of a Variax guitar - no idea if they are meant to look neutral like a Variax or distinctive like a Tyler, or both examples. Like he’d go to Korea and oversee their QC, maybe. I don’t get the impression he is building a small batch of his guitars loaded with the Variax system. Line 6 is all about volume. I don’t know the current status of the release, but could probably find out if I checked my usual online sources…
So if they end up with a Variax guitar with a feel closer to Tyler’s, seems like they might have something…
It’s for sale (out of stock now), and there was a kickass article about it in one of the guitar magazines. There’s three versions, one Les Pauly, one kinda Jazzmastery, one Stratish, if I remember right.
Ah, here’s the article. And there’s two variants of each version: American and Korean.
And, god knows, it sounds really, really wifty.
My wife offered to give me an inexpensive but not cheap acoustic guitar for Christmas. Something in the 4 to 600 usd price range. I have been looking at several Takamine models and also the Masterbilts by Epiphone. Any opinions either way or any other suggestions?
CBEscapee, we discussed inexpensive acoustics in here.
Davidm’s thread. I’ve heard nothing bad about the Ibanez Artwood, but I’ve not got my hands on anything else to judge.
Wordman, check that musicradar article out, it has a long video review with play demonstrations and comparisons. And yes, Tyler’s supervising, but not constructing.
Just read this book - The Music Lessonby Victor Wooten
If you aren’t aware, Victor Wooten is one of those bass players that are at the top of the list of “Best Playing Today” - up there with Stanley Clarke, Les Claypool and other freakishly talented players. Multiple Grammy’s, typically voted Best in Bass Player mag’s - you get the idea. His work with Bela Fleck and the Fleck-tones is scary good.
This book: worth reading if you are willing to put up with a bit of wacky-mystic hoodoo baked in. The basic musical insights are EXCELLENT - helping a player look past basic notes or technique challenges and really *listening *to themselves and the music happening is a wonderful, important insight to have. But Wooten frames it as a parable in the form of a dialogue between him as a student and some sage musician he envisions as his guide - a bit cute for me, but worth putting up with to get the insights, imho.
Things I found very cool - why I am mentioning in this thread:
[ul]
[li]His first insight is “the groove comes before the note” - i.e., getting a feel for the groove of the song is as important as getting the notes right. This ties to a recommendation I have hit a lot on this board: if you are starting out, play your favorite riffs on 1 string and rock out - get a feel for the groove of the song and enjoy the sheer pleasure of locking in, don’t just think you have to punish your way through chords until your fingers bleed. [/li][li]He discussed the importance practicing in front of the TV - to burn techniques into your brain in an auto-pilot sort of way[/li][/ul]
It was very cool to see a couple of basic rules I live by that I don’t see discussed that much get held up by such a respected player. I must be doin’ something right!! 
Wordman, did you read that article? And any advice on the acoustic for CBE?
In other news, the Mustang shape really is comfortable.
I’ve found I’m ‘playing’ it in front of the computer, without the game turned on. I might have to get a real one.
Skimmed the article; didn’t read it in-depth. Not surprised at what the relationship with Tyler is; but since it is a digital-modeling guitar, it isn’t really my cuppa…
As for **CBE **- I noted that you linked to a thread so I was thinking it covered some ground. I am not super-well-versed on guitars in that price point - sorry for sounding snobby; really not my intent. In my experience I have seen a few Takamines, a few Tacoma’s (I believe before they were acquired) and a Martin with a multi-ply neck - all of which I thought were solid guitars in that price range. Happy to weigh in with thoughts regarding specific questions but I don’t have a lot of familiarity with specific models…
It kinda covered some ground, but nobody really had experience in that price point either.
I would head to the Acoustic Guitar Forum: General Acoustic Guitar Discussion - The Acoustic Guitar Forum
And search on words such as specific brands and models and things like “$600” - there are a TON of threads where newbies are looking for advice…there’s also a lot of custom-build snobbery, so be prepared to sort through those…
I’m not getting this. Does that mean: Don’t just sit and do nothing while you watch TV, practice. Or, Practicing in front of the TV is better than practicing in a quiet environment with no distractions? And why?
BTW I have his Palmystery recording and the way you present the tone of the book syncs up with my impression of the music.
I think the ‘noodling away while watching telly’ has its place.
If you are at the stage where you can just about play your scales/arpeggios/Steve Vai licks without having to think about placing your fingers it can be a good way of putting it the miles and building stamina. You can do twenty minutes of *scale goes up – scale goes down – scale goes up – scale goes down * while watching The Big Bang Theory without getting bored stupid (unless you hate TBBT, choose something with a less annoying laugh track if you want).
However. I find that having done the fingerboard miles back in the day I don’t get anything out of doing exercises while watching telly. If it’s something that requires any concentration then I am missing the program. If I am paying attention to the program then I can only do things that I have already drilled in for hundreds of hours.
“Proper” practice for me these days is usually done sitting in front (or is it behind?) a music stand (Pink Floyd’s Dogs is currently sharing the stand with the theme from Thunderbirds :)).
That said, there’s a new episode of The Mentalist on tonight and I was struggling the other day playing the main riff to King Crimson’s Discipline – which is suitably repetitive – so maybe some constructive TV noodling later.
Work is slow today, can you tell?
Small Clanger lays it out and points out the ups and downs.
It’s not “boy, you should put that time to use” - instead, it’s just a good way to accomplish a couple of things based on two key facts:
Muscle memory is mechanical. In some ways you are quite literally “going through the motions” - doing scales or practicing chord transitions is not “music,” you are breaking your hands into the mechanics of technique. So - get your reps in. And since you aren’t trying to be musically, well, musical 
and parts of this can be boring, irritating, not sound great, etc. - having a little background TV is not a bad thing.
**The groove is subconscious **- if you are newish to guitar and taking some of my previous advice, you make time to have fun and rock out riffs on one string. Or if you are working on chord transitions, you have a pattern or two like D G A G or E A D A that you are cycling through, getting a feeling for the circularity of the groove. Watching something while playing grooves is good - it takes your conscious mind off the exercise and challenges you to let go and transition to your subconscious, where the groove and rhythm breathe. At that point, the fingering starts to become automatic and the groove feels locked in and solid - it has its own…presence…that almost feels outside you, like you can lean on it as you play. Help me out here, fellow groovemeisters - you know what I am talking about. This is what Wooten focuses on in his book.
As you incorporate that quality into your playing it opens up many horizons, but as **Small Clanger **said, it is especially important at the beginning. Although these days as I am trying to keep a walking-bass groove going while alternative between partial chords and lead licks, there is still a rub-your-tummy/pat-your-head basic coordination I am trying to improve on that still benefits from a bit of subconscious time in front of the TV…
Post snipped.
Back when I was first learning I did a ton of practice in front of the t.v. It is great, as WordMan points out, at getting your hands to just do it. I find that when I am really on, I don’t even think. I just play and my hands take care of the rest. Practicing in front of the t.v is a great way to get your hands to automagically do what you need them to. However, there is one huge draw back if that is the only time you do scale work and that is timing.
Play in front of the t.v. to get your hands used to moving correctly. Then *practice *with a metronome. While the groove is subconscious, timing is not. If you play too much with out a timing device you are probably going to have a hard time if you play with other people. The biggest mistake new players I have taught make is ignoring the metronome. It is easier to get your hands working and in time rather than getting your hands working and then going back to get the timing down.
Working with a metronome is hard. It takes a bit to get the groove on while being in time.
Slee
Agreed. I hated those goddamn metronomes at first
Rock Band updates: Finally got time to put some serious work in. Wow. What a bastard. Apparently, I’ve been fooling myself into thinking I wasn’t looking at the fretboard. That, combined with playing out of First Position, and a few other things (Okay, apparently my fingers don’t stretch like that, thank you, B5 power chord), this has been pretty rough.
Which is awesome. And yes, I picked up the strat again afterwards, and I could flail around pretty much exactly as I did on the plastic guitar. Except that my low E is buzzing like heck, which annoys me. Might be time for new strings.
The point is, yes, you can learn stuff off this.
Edit: And it’s way better than a metronome. Or at least more fun.
Sounds like you should practice mechanics in front of a TV
Good stuff **E-Sabs **- keep at it!
Google is not my friend tonight - I can’t find a cite for a single one of the following anecdotes. Take them for what they’re worth…
Jeff Berlin supposedly wrote Joe Frazier while watching a boxing match on tv. The rhythm of the bass line reflects the movement of Joe Frazier’s feet.
Glenn Gould allegedly watched tv while he practiced.
When you practice while watching tv, the analytical and visual parts of your mind are engaged elsewhere, which helps to get the tactile, aural and intuitive parts of your mind engaged in the music. That helps to develop your musical ear and your touch without the interference of your eyes.
It’s especially useful for groove, but it’s also good for classical pieces. ‘Rubato’ is 19th century fancy talk for ‘groove’. It’s also really good for memorizing.
I prefer sports, myself - regular tv will have music I don’t necessarily want to play along with interspersed with the show. And the mute button gets hit all the time for commercials.
Something I do all the time with singing - I will sing softly along to recordings of my coachings and rehearsals while I do various physical tasks, ranging from dishes, vacuuming, laudry to taking long walks to working out. I haven’t read any proper studies about it; I just find that it helps me to memorize into a deeper place.
If that sounds too newage for you, let me try putting the idea this way - onstage, I will have to perform from memory while doing other tasks. I can’t drop a line just because I’m carrying a large prop, or tying my shoes, or any other thing a director asks me to do in the course of a show. So I might as well memorize while having to pay attention to other tasks - this phrase repeats twice (there’s still a bit of schmutz on the carving knife.), now sing in thirds with the tenor (take the compost out.), now we’re into the stretto (take the other pants out of the drawer and fold the works.) Practicing while dealing with a secondary physical life makes it easier when I’m onstage dealing with the music and a secondary physical life.
Another good exercise with the metronome - set the tempo for half the target metronome mark and play along with it as if it’s the snare drum on 2 and 4. So a piece at 120 gets practiced at 60, but it helps to keep the groove and the tempo at the same time.
And now, I have to crash - the kids and the dog have completely worn me out on this PA day…
