18.04.24 Up North

So this last week I have been galavanting about Lancashire and Yorkshire on a much needed break. Visiting Howarth, Hebdon Bridge, Skipton, and meeting up with Graham & his wife, and my friend Joe. It has been good for my health.

I also Intended to record some music, but did not get around to doing quite as much as I hoped on this front. However, I have enjoyed my time, and even managed to restring my old bass guitar.

I’m going to miss it up here returning to normal work, and it is a shame I could not be up here longer. Still, It was a much needed break, however small, and I much appreciate those around me that supported me to do this on short notice - my mum especially as she provided the means to book a place up here.

01.04.24 Working on New Recording

recent headaches aside, I have been feeling a bit better than I was in regard to health. I could really do with a week off, preferably up north!

Shoot You Sir is currently on hiatus, for those that have not seen. Both Graham and I have a lot on at the moment, and producing content consistently for the last couple of years means we need a short break. We do intend to return in a few months, but for now, please feel free to send us any reviews that you might want in the next issue of SYS!

I have started recording a track based on a riff I played with the most ‘recent’ jam band. I hope to have it completed within the next few weeks, but it requires a vocallist. So hopefully I can persuade Cameraface to put some punk vocals on it, otherwise I might need to put an advert out.

I have recently restrung the musicman, and have fallen in love with it again. Alas, I have missed out on opportunities to purchase one of my dream guitars ‘Yamaha SG2000’. Still, I want to be focusing in on being creative more than looking at equipment. I now have the means to record and edit, so I will make the most of this.

Now I am starting to get back on my feet again, I want to also create some more youtube videos around guitar stuff. Watch this space! - Sly.

Following on from recording Satirical Magazine readings, it’s been fairly busy. I decided I wanted a ‘different’ type of guitar for recording future clean tones. It doesn’t get much further away from ‘me’ than this 1998 Epiphone Sheraton. Although i liked the look of the Eastman T59VRD and the Rivolta Regata VIII, they were a bit too pricey for a guitar I may potentially use much less than say, the Musicman.

This Sheraton (1998), was made in the Samick Factory in Korea, well known for making quality instruments, and it shows, most specially in the neck. A lovely instrument for the price.

This kind of guitar I find restrictive, but sometimes that is helpful when writing, as it forces you to adapt. It can handle cleans up to hard rock, but it is not quite fast enough to play anything approaching a heavy sound. That’s just fine. It does clean well.

- Keep your eyes peeled for some upcoming content.

New Track: Satirical Magazine Readings

Well the new year is here, I’m finally feeling more myself, and certainly want to be more creative this year.

The above track titled ‘Satirical Magazine Readings’ I wrote the music to, and decided to satirically read random magazine ‘snippets’. It’s all a load of fun really, and was certainly a lot of fun to make. A homage to Crispin Glover, who wrote ‘selected readings from rat catching’. If he ever see’s this, I’ll be delighted haha.

Written and recorded in a week, let me know if you get the crossword words ;-)

It’s been nice driving the car around, and getting back into routine. I’m looking forward to making some more tracks, perhaps some more in this vein, before writing some songs- who knows.

Sickness, Christmas, and 2024

What an interesting couple of months it has been. Apparently I have had a chest infection that has gradually progressed since October and peaked in mid to late December. That is the most ill I have been for a long time, and I am still resting and recovering.

I have also finally got access to my ‘new’ car, after three months of being messed about. That is a story for another time though.

I was a very lucky man this christmas, and recieved 3 guitar pedals. Black Arts Tone Works Pharoah (black edition) - this is a pedal from the early 2010s that is a suped up big muff. It has both germanium and silicon transistors (or it can override both), and is great for solos or thick power chords. A handy tool for recording.

I also received a Wampler Plextortion pedal. I have wanted one of these for the last decade, another dirt pedal that has a specific sound that can be manipulated well for recording.

The cherry ontop however was the Boss CE-2 Waza. I previously sold my CE-2 from the 80’s over a year ago, and it was replaced by the wonderful Past Fx Chorus Ensemble, a lovely re-creation of the original Roland (boss) CE-1. However, as it was based on the original, it was made mainly for keyboards. Although guitarists have used it, it’s been mainly single coil guitarists. And despite the switch inside, I have found it is not ideal for medium hot- to compemporary humbuckers. So I have relegated this to being a recording piece of gear, and it has been replaced on the board with the CE-2W. It is the CE-2 pedal, but also settings for CE-1 chorus and CE-1 vibrato, but works with humbuckers and distortion well.

So, the end of 2023 was rather difficult, but it was tinged with some positives in the regard to gear. Going forward, in 2024 i want to start focusing on recording. This will involve upgrading my rather dated setup. I also want to find a project or band that I can contribute to, as I really miss playing with other musicians and writing with other people. Having just been very ill, it makes you appreciate the small things, and I would also like to generally be doing more this year.

Stay tuned - Sly.

So many things, such little time

So much has happened in the last couple of months. The main one being my parents got married after 40 odd years together - congrats!

I have Sold 3 guitars - Fender reissue ‘62 strat (fiest red), Patrick Eggle Berlin Pro, & my Ibanez AZ2402L. All lovely guitars, all play well and sound great. The reason for this is I had to destroy my old car - thanks to the Mayor of london- and needed to have some funds towards a new car. A long story un-to itself - more on that in the coming weeks.

I went to Cardiff, but was ill for the entire week and so did not do anything but watch all of the Mandalorean and the bulk of the Orville - both great shows.

I’ve also been missing playing in my old band milarkey (vid attached - see also instagram). Although I have spent times with musicians in the last few months, we have not been very good at getting together in one room and just clicking. I think sometimes men are terrible at communication! haha. Anywho, I’ll check in soon.

-Sly.

Past FX Chorus Ensemble: 'Buckers, Dirt, Reverse Delay trailer

I finished the first video I’ve been working on over the last week or so. I am quite happy with it, and I released the trailer above, which was shared by Past FX on Instagram.

It’s a great pedal, and has replaced the Boss CE-2 on my pedalboard.

I look forward to making more interesting videos in the near feature, I have 3 more in the bag I will release over the next month and a half. Watch this space!

Pushing on through 10.08.23

So the last two weeks has flown by. With some Frustrating and low times, however there has also been some fun and positives happen. Namely, playing a decent amount of guitar, and I have a video I am really happy with.

So I managed to work around the issue I was having with editing, although it is not ideal I managed to finish the video. I have a couple more I need to edit for the future, and I am hoping not to run into any issues with them.

I have been listening to a lot of John Frusciante interviews, and his podcasts with producer Rick Ruben. I always find these sort of things rather inspirational, hence the upcoming videos featuring a Fiesta Red ‘61 strat haha.

The weather has been very British the last two weeks, but today looks like it is going to be nice. I need to record a long dialogue to autocue either today or tomorrow (preferably today! I am writing this as I am enjoying a cold coffee). This will be a larger video/ project, and something that is fairly close to my heart.

The above video is me recording for the Laney Foundry video, and I was interrupted. I was under bright lighting recording and a figure/ face emerged from the dark hallway and made me jump - that is my genuine reaction in the video haha. Enjoy!

I have had a friend contact me about a proposition - I’m guessing a musical one. I am missing playing in a band, and the jam band I was a part of seems to dissipated into nothing. I really want to get back into recording tracks, but I have found the issues I am having editing transpose to recording audio as well, as my macbook pro is just too old now to handle the latest software updates. Still, maybe I need to invest into a more modern macbook.

Shoot You Sir is still going fairly strong. I am out of games to review at this point, but hopefully can remedy this in the near future. I am focused on guitar and guitar videos at the moment, which is where any spare cash I have is going (and that’s very little!). I have some equipment up for sale, hopefully it will sell in the next month or so.

Onwards and upwards. Have a good one!

The Woes Of Editing

I love making videos, syncing audio and video, creating thumbnails, and making interesting content. In fact, sometimes I watch my older videos to learn from previous mistakes, and to see the journey from the old shakey videos to using green screen and high quality videos.

What I am not so keen on is when my macbook struggles with the editing software. Alas, I am at a point now where I am fighting against the macbook in order to edit. Making the process a bit more outdrawn. This means in the near future I will need to get a new one that can handle modern laptops. It is a shame, as my current computer works very well for everything else. It is a shame this must co-inside with the ULEZ expansion, meaning I have to pay to drive so the mayor of london can get his name in the history books but expanding to poorer outer boroughs of London. Still, I must Endeavour to create!

Above is a rough snippet of what I am currently working on. There’s no polish, but it allows you see what I am doing. The pedal in the video is the Past FX Chorus Ensemble, which is a beautiful re-Imagining of the Boss CE-1. I will make a video with single coils in the future, but the video I’m currently working on is around using it with humbuckers and other effects.

I look forward to getting this one out - Sly.

New Vid recording sessions starting

A quick audio check for the upcoming video recording sessions. I need to add low/ hi pass filter, and adjust the EQ, but the basic setup is working.

Whilst I am away, I want to work on making a number of videos for my youtube channel. Watch this space for some more regular updates.

I’m really enjoying the Ernie Ball Musicman Axis Super Sport, despite having to get a re-fret, it is probably one of the main gutiars I have gelled with in the last 5 years. I’m looking forward to having it in more videos, other than instagram that is!

New guitar project on the go

So I am selling off a large amount of gear, and I have decided to have a custom guitar built very slowly over time. It has been a long time since I have had a specific guitar project, and this is something I am looking forward to starting. Doing it over time keeps the costs low and spread over time. It will also allow me to sell equipment to fund it over time.

Starting out with the above image, which is of a Warmoth Velocity body. Being left handed, it is quite difficult to find guitars that aren’t a very basic plain colour or a natural finish. So it is nice to start with something rather pretty.

I plan to contact feline guitars to see if they would build a neck for it, and obviously put all the parts together once it is completed.

I also keep changing my mind around what type of pickups and bridge/ trem to choose. But I am leaning towards a Gotoh trem, as I have had this on two guitars and it works really well.

Pickups wise, I am enjoying the DiMzario custom in the neck of my Musicman. So I think the closest Equivalent to this is the Air Norton. So the neck pup is pretty much down. Struggling to find a bridge pup I want, so watch this space to watch the project evolve over time!

Seymour Duncan '59 Custom in the Neck Position

I made this video because there is not much on the internet in regard to sound clips or videos/ demos of this pickup in the neck position. There’s a lot of speculation, but here it is in the Charvel 24DK Pro. There’s an SH5 in the bridge for context.

I’m going to try and make some videos where there is not a lot out there around what is being covered or demo’d - watch this space.

Past Fx Hot For Flanger

Past FX Hot For Flanger video is live and now on the toob. I will be doing a lot more gear demos going forward. Looking at release once a fortnight at first, and then going on from there.

2 New videos in the works

So I have been recording a couple of extra videos, I’m hoping to get to about 5 or 6 before I start releasing them, to give me a bit of time to continue to get them out in a timely fashion - probably once a fortnight.

I also have a surprise in the works, although it has been made difficult by a large guitar company in the UK… perhaps more on that down the line. I have been working on some different scales as well, and I have put a couple of guitars and pedals up for sale.

I have been planning to do more music this year, and although some things are not progressing as I’d hoped, moving towards making more guitar videos is certainly going to happen.

Watch this space.

Silent Reboot happening

So I have been getting into guitar equipment more and more again, and writing and playing a hell of a lot more. In that vein, I am going to start building up some videos around guitar gear on youtube to release fortnightly, with the eventual aim of releasing weekly.

I have Also found my love again for the Ricoh GRIII, and will be intergrating this as a secondary camera, and one for thumbnails.

I have dropped my Charvel 24DK Pro into guitarguitar to get the pups changed as the stock ones are not agreeing with me. I will likely demo the new neck pup as I have not seen it about on youtube/the net in that position.

Anywho, my first jump back in is here only for now, but will be released on youtube in the near future:

Bring on Summer!

I am reminded of my old band before I moved abroad, and how 10 years ago we played a number of really memorable gigs. I recall the summer of 2012 and 2013, and just how much fun they were in terms of music for me.

Last weekend I took a trip to Brighton and traded in 3 pedals for a Laney IRT Pulse, a mini hendrix wah, and an acoustic pedal. The IRT pulse is a great piece of equipment, and I look forward to writing about it in my 10 years with Laney Ironheart review. The other two pedals are hit and miss.

This weekend I re-strung a couple of acoustics and my Ibanez AZ2402 Prestige. It’s been a while since I have re-strung the Ibanez, and I forgot how fiddley it is!

I’ve dropped my pink Charvel 24DK pro in at guitar Guitar in Epsom to have the pickups change. My beloved SH5 in the bridge, and a 59 hybrid in the neck, something I am not 100% sure on. There does not seem to be much info or videos on this on the internet, so I will have to do a video on my findings.

Back to my memories of 2012 and 2023, this is inspiring me to want to create more guitar related equipment videos, something which I was also doing around that time, before I jumped into photography. So expect a lot more content around guitar stuff in the near future!

Time Flies

It’s amazing how quickly time has past since my last entry. It’s been really busy, with lots of interesting things happening in between.

Christmas has come and gone, I had a nice meal with the family. Guitarwise, I picked up a Charvel 24DK Pro - pink. I have since decorated it with a Vegeta sticker.

I purchased a steam deck, to allow me to play some more obscure games. I intend to be added content more frequently to the site again, and I have been writing material for future videos. I just need time to source another editing software, as Adobe’s subscription platform is not economical.

I have written a script review of Laney Ironheart series - a decade review. Laney also recently released an Ironheart pedal, which I have been enjoying.

Shoot You sir is still going, although we need some more review material to stock up on. Keep your eyes on this space!

October End

So for the last few weeks I’ve been very ill, and have only just returned back to work this week. I haven’t been that ill for a long time, and hopefully won’t be again for a long time!

Now I’ve got the chance to be back on the computer again, and playing guitar once more, I can post more about the progress of my board. I was hoping to do this a few weeks ago, but did not have the energy whilst I was ill.

Since the last image, I’ve recruited a KMA Machines Pilons and Digitech ricochet. The pilons is a very modern noise gate, and the ricochet is just a whammy pedal without the treadle. You step and hold down the foot switch to get the effect - very cool.

However, last night there was a terrible noise coming from my gear, and everything was sounding very brittle. I had to plug directly into the amp to finish the session I was doing. This evening I have been messing around with the pedals trying to find out what the issue was - it turns out it is the KMA Machines Pilon making a lot of noise - not something you want a noise gate to do haha. This was a new purchase from Andertons in Guildford, so hopefully I can exchange it for a working one!

Aside from this, I have been enjoying playing guitar. My Patrick Eggle Berlin Pro is back from Feline Guitars workshop. Sounds great with the new pups in (BKP Black Dog Neck, Seymour Duncan SH5 bridge):

Guitar & Doom

The above video is me playing along to ‘Maggie Rose’ by punk band The Razor Part. This is a great song, and I ad-libbed the solos are it went along.

Looking forward to creating a lot more musically in the coming months. I’ll have my Patrick Eggle Berlin Pro back from Feline guitars workshop and it should be up to scratch.

I’ve also played a lot of Doom & Doom II on the Switch recently. I’ve played the original before, and the third one. I didn’t think much of Eternal, but the original Doom from the 90’s is pure class. I’m struggling to get the add ons for it - anyone know how this works on Switch? EDIT: I have now downloaded these - it was easy. Looking forward to these add ons both community based and the romero Sigil!

SG back up and running

So i cleaned, oiled, lubed, and re-strung my Gibson SG Special (N:BKP Black Dog/ B: SH5). After going through a bunch of Ernie Ball and D’Addario and other big names that have just not been reliable, I looked up the supplier for Feline Guitar strings, and decided to order a pack. The guitar is playing and sounding great at the moment.

These crappy vids taken on my phone are a cheap Klon clone from amazon into a Sinvertek No.5 into a Laney IRT Studio clean channel. This gives a bit of bite, which is rather nice, and not too disimilar from the amp dirt channels.

Lots of things going on musically at the moment, I will reveal more in time, but suffice to say I am enjoying playing. I’ve put my Patrick Eggle Berlin Pro into the workshop to have the same pup combination put in. It makes sense to have two guitars that sound the same, but play slightly differently. Always need a back up!