I don’t have a band right now but I would like to form a band of my own. That way we can jam out some original hard rock songs and covers too! Since I don’t have a band as of this moment, I can figure out a way to make full band tracks through DAW software.

For DAW software, I have Mixcraft 8 which is great for that. With that software, I can program my own drums on it. For bass lines in the rock songs? I don’t have a bass guitar as of this moment but there is a little trick where I can play bass behind my songs.

I can create bass lines by just using a regular six string guitar. I can make it sound like a real bass guitar by lowering the pitch down an octave in my DAW ’cause a bass guitar is tuned down an octave. To make it sound like a real bass, I can lower the pitch down an octave, use compression and equalizer to make it sound like a real bass. I’ll figure it out somehow. I’m still learning and researching this stuff so it’ll take some time.

I definitely would like to make a full band rock demo or even a real album. Would be cool. I’ve always wanted to make heavy music and figure it’s about time to do that.

Kev

I’ve spent most of the day earlier today practicing on my new Mitchell HD400 guitar that I just got. Practicing and learning some new instructional stuff on lead guitar. Trying to become a better rock lead guitar soloist. My lead guitar playing has always sounded pretty bluesy but I don’t want to sound like that anymore. I’m studying Rock & metal lead guitar now. I want to learn how to shred and be able to play like a virtuoso which has always been my goal.

I was trying to find instructional books and DVDs and stuff that teaches you how to use a whammy bar but I just found out I already have an instructional book that teaches you how. I have an instructional book on my IPad titled, “Heavy Metal Lead Guitar” and there’s a pretty good chapter in it that teaches you whammy bar tricks so I’m all set.

I want to be really good at both rhythm and lead guitar. Will I become like one of the greats someday and become respected by everybody? Hopefully but I’m gonna take my time and stay humble. Who knows what may happen? Just keep playing and that’s it.

I want to play metal, I really really do. Headbanging stuff, big riffs and some growls.

A lot of guitarists out there don’t practice much or don’t practice hardly at all but I think practicing is extremely important. I practice guitar every day. It’s the only way to get better.

I already do get a lot of positive feedback on my guitar playing lately which is nice but I still have a lot of work to do, though. I’m working on ear training and improvisation mostly. Practicing guitar is awesome. I’ve gotten a better understanding of timing and rhythm and I play along with a metronome quite well now. So I’m all good with rhythm, I just need to get good at improv with lead guitar playing which I’m working on. Trying to have a better ear. I also want to start jamming with other musicians ’cause that helps make you become better too.

I love guitar playing. It’s in my blood and it’s pretty much all I want to do.

Kev

There are guitarists out there that like to criticize the whammy bar on electric guitar and I don’t know why. Many say don’t over do it and many just use it for certain things. They don’t use it all the time or none at all. Many even say ridiculous things that the “whammy bar” on guitar is just a tool as an excuse to show off. They think it’s a tool where you can be a fake virtuoso and all that shit.

If you really believe all that stuff then why don’t you try criticizing the whammy bar technique to guitar greats like Joe Satriani, Eddie Van Halen, Jason Becker, Steve Vai and even Jeff Beck.

You can come up with some pretty musical things with the whammy bar and the whammy can be a pretty expressive tool. Whammy is not just used in metal & shred, it can be used in pretty much any style of music.

I’ve always wanted a guitar with a whammy bar and finally got one; however, I’m a newbie at whammy so I’m gonna have to learn how to use it which seems pretty simple. In my opinion, the whammy is not used to show off at all. Once again, the too can be pretty expressive… you just gotta use your ear with it.

Jimi Hendrix used the whammy all over most of his songs most notably, his rendition of the “Star Spangled Banner”. The whammy is all over Van Halen’s “Eruption” and it’s all over Joe Satriani’s “Satch Boogie”.

I say fuck people’s opinions on the whammy bar and use it as much as you want to as long as you make it sound musical and make it sound interesting. The whammy can be a pretty powerful and useful tool.

Those that criticize the whammy are cowards, in my opinion. Just afraid to use it. I’m glad that I finally have a guitar with whammy. I’m going to learn how to use it for sure.

Kev

So yesterday, I went to my very first comic book convention. I’ve never been to one before. I went to Saratoga Comic Con yesterday and spent the whole day there pretty much. I made sure I had some spending cash on me so I can buy all kinds of cool stuff for myself and I did! You know those conventions. They are those type of places where you’ll hope you won’t spend all your money but you end up doing that anyways.

I used to buy comics when I was a young kid but thinking about getting back into it after all these years. I want to start comic book collecting full time. A new hobby I want to pick up. Something new and different, ya know? I want to get into comic book buying, not only to have as a valuable collector’s item but also I just like reading the stories ’cause some of the stories in those superhero comics can be really amazing stuff. I’ve been getting into reading comics and graphic novels more.

As you can see in the pics above, I picked up a bunch of comics for myself. Mostly Superman comics since Superman is my favorite. I also picked up a few Batman comics, a couple of Punishers and Wolverines. In the DC universe, Superman and Batman are my favorite superheroes. In the Marvel Universe, The Punisher and Wolverine are my favorite. So I’ll probably buy comics of mostly those 4 characters. I’ll try reading comics of other superheroes too.

Saratoga Comic Con was interesting and I’m definitely gonna go next year. Will go every year. I may be late getting into the comic collecting bandwagon but late is better than never. It was a fun day yesterday. Got to see and do a lot of interesting things. Check out my instagram page for more pics of me at the event if you want.

Kev

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Well it came! It came here pretty safely and unharmed too. My new Mitchell HD400. I ended up getting the black one. It not only looks badass, it sounds badass too. The guitar costs $399.99 but I bought it on sale at Musician’s Friend for $279.99 which is a good deal. So technically this is the most expensive guitar that I’ve ever owned!

The Mitchell guitar has got a great sound… just the right sound for playing hard rock & metal ’cause I’ve been messing around with some riffs on it. Been messing around with lead guitar on it and it also sounds great playing lead! What I love about the guitar is that it has two humbucker pickups and one single coil. I never had a guitar like that before. The guitar sounds really great using overdrive and distortion effects. The guitar sounds pretty heavy and hard rocking. Just the sound that I want! Perfect!

Along with the guitar, I also bought the Rogue Analog Delay pedal which was about $50. I messed around with it a little bit today and that sounds really cool too. I’m definitely gonna start a pedal collection ’cause I’m planning on creating different sounds with my music when I start writing original songs again.

One thing for sure though, I’m definitely noticing the difference of sound between a full hollowbody electric to a solid body electric.

The Mitchell HD400 feels great too. The neck is thinner than a hollow body which makes for easier playing and the fretboard feels nice too. Feels comfortable and much lighter. It’s a perfect guitar for me so it’s definitely a keeper!

I’ll post videos of me playing it soon.

Kev

I love buying guitars and musicians gear when I can! It’s so much fun! I’m gonna try to do that more often but do I really need expensive music gear that would break the bank? No, not really. I don’t really need to buy expensive gear that would cost over a couple of thousand dollars ’cause I don’t really play music professionally. I’m not in the industry or anything like that so I don’t need expensive gear at all so for now, I just buy musicians gear that are around $300 – $500 price range, that’s good enough.

I do want to play hard rock & metal and trying to get all the sounds for it. I didn’t get my new Mitchell HD400 guitar yet but hopefully it gets dropped off tomorrow. I just want to have a good metal sound. I do love my Ibanez Hollow Body Art Core guitar but the thing is too damn big and kind of heavy. It’s another reason why I wanted a new solid body guitar… I needed a guitar that is light weight and smaller. The Mitchell guitar seems like the right fit.

There’s a myth going around out there that the more expensive guitars sound better and louder than the inexpensive ones but not always. There are expensive guitars out there that I’m sure sounds kind of crappy but the $300 – $500 guitars sound even better. You don’t need to be fancy to play rock n’ roll & metal. I want to play metal and learn to shred which is what I’ve been doing.

I don’t need expensive gear at all but don’t get me wrong, though, one day I will get a vintage guitar someday. My dream guitar is that I’ve always wanted a vintage Gibson Les Paul made from the 60’s or 70’s and someday I’ll get one of those just to have as part of a collection. I’m thinking about starting a guitar collection. Probably will. Already have started a guitar collection. So far I have 4 guitars and have a 5th one coming my way if that delivery van ever gets here. Hopefully tomorrow!

Kev

I just watched a video review of this guy talking about the Mitchell HD400 guitar. The guitar is perfect for playing metal and shredding which is what I wanted the guitar for. I’m planning on playing more metal and hard rock music so I needed a certain guitar that would have that sound. Looks like I picked a great guitar. The guitar sounds good from what I hear in this video so I can’t wait to get it. I didn’t get the guitar today but definitely tomorrow!

This is the kind of music that I want to play… metal and shred. Play similar music like all of my guitar heroes. The Mitchell HD400 looks like a badass guitar to me. I’ve been looking up instructional videos on whammy techniques and using the whammy seems pretty simple really.

Can’t wait to get the guitar tomorrow and I got the color red by the way.

Kev