Lets talk guitars for rhythm playing

[ChickenScratch]

With the thread about Scott Ian leaving Jackson and my coming to the realization that my playing is severly lacking in that area I've decided we should get into talking rhythm guitars.

It seems many people seem to think that Gibson Les Pauls, Explorers and Flying Vs (and guitars made similar) are thought of as the ultimate rhythm guitars. I on the other hand don't think so, sure they have the great tune-o-matic bridge so your not going to make it go out of tune by palming the bridge but it does have that short scale that bothers me.

Shorter scales make the strings have more give when you pick and to me that's exactly what you don't want when your playing really fast thrash type rhythms. For me I need the longest scale I can get and as much string tension not only for my leads but for rhythm so the strings are not all wobbling around after I pick.

For me I practice my rhythm playing on my Carvin DC 125 and it's fantasic for me. Sorry, Gibson scale instruments just can't work for me. But maybe I'm just spoiled because I started on Jacksons.

Throw in your 2 cents, I've very interested in hearing about rhythm guitar for once.

[DJROBA]

Re: Lets talk guitars for rhythm playing

The key to a great rythmn guitarist is that you should use very heavy strings. 11's would work well. The heavier the string, the fuller the sound. As far as guitars go, it really depends on the type of music you are playing. A strat with a humbucker in it is about as versatile as you can get. Of course you could always modify a double humbucker with split coils and add a tone of options to make it more versatile. And a Vox amp will give you just about every tone you wish, with the help of some effects.

[markD]

Re: Lets talk guitars for rhythm playing

my favorite guitar for straight rhythm when I'm recording is my Hamer Vector flying V. It's loaded with Duncan Custom Custom and Alnico 2 humbuckers. I like it because it has a TOM bridge, and it's really stable tuning-wise. To my ears using a floating trem guitar sounds thinner. So sometimes if a song needs a weaker guitar part, I'll grab a floating trem guitar. I'll blend them also, the fat-ass sounding Vector on one side, and say a Di'Marzio loaded Charvel 5a on the other.


Live, I'll use whatever guitar I'm fancying at the moment. Usually a Floyd equipped Jackson (soloist, strat, PC-1).

[ChickenScratch]

Re: Lets talk guitars for rhythm playing

I use 10's on a couple of my guitars and 11's on others, I pretty much use the heaviest sets I can get my hands on. But all my guitars do have floating floyds so that might take away from the "ultimate rhythm tone."

On an interesting side note. I have a friend with a telecaster that's he's put 2 humbuckers in and it's such the monster rhythm machine you would not imagine.

[jgcable]

Re: Lets talk guitars for rhythm playing

I think that the best recorded rhythm tone I ever got was from a Les Paul with stock 498T pickups recorded thru a Mesa Studio 22+ turned way the F%^k up.
Currently my favorite rhythm tone comes from:
Clean-- 1989 Rickenbacker 360MB
Crunch-- 1994 Ibanez USRG20TP with a Steves Special and a Norton
Heavy-- 1994 Washburn N4 with a Lawrence L500 and a 59 in it.
For rhythm I prefer 10-46 or 10-52 gauge D'adarrio XL's and heavy Dunlop picks.
I also prefer Floyds for rhythm playing because I like the personality that the Floyd brings when you bend and use heavy vibrato on chords and triads because of its nature to detune the strings on heavy bends.

[shreddermon]

Re: Lets talk guitars for rhythm playing

My personal opinion is that there's practically no such thing as a "rhythm guitar" vs. a "lead guitar". What you're really talking about is a role to be played by a person in a group. The guitar is a tool, plain and simple.

Most modern guitars are versitile enough that, with the right amp and effects settings, they will give you nice rhythm crunches or soaring leads, and everything in between.

In any event, this subject is all perception and opinion anyway.

[zeegler]

Re: Lets talk guitars for rhythm playing

Shreddermon is right. It all comes down to preference. Some people prefer Les Pauls for lead playing (Zakk Wylde), but some people prefer Strats (Yngwie) or superstrats. Rhythm is the same thing. I personally prefer a Gibson scale guitar, and use 10-46 strings. I have no problem at all with them being too floppy. I am for the most part, a rhythm player, and only play the odd solo.

[VulfgangPfuck]

Re: Lets talk guitars for rhythm playing

Originally posted by shreddermon:
My personal opinion is that there's practically no such thing as a "rhythm guitar" vs. a "lead guitar". What you're really talking about is a role to be played by a person in a group. The guitar is a tool, plain and simple.

Most modern guitars are versitile enough that, with the right amp and effects settings, they will give you nice rhythm crunches or soaring leads, and everything in between.

In any event, this subject is all perception and opinion anyway.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Amen to that brother! [img]graemlins/toast.gif[/img]

[DJROBA]

Re: Lets talk guitars for rhythm playing

There really is a difference between the two. A rythmn players is focused on the rythmn. No fills, no string bending, nothing. A lead player, no matter how good they are will always throw in fills. It is in our nature to do such things. A real rythmn player cares not for those things.

[ChickenScratch]

Re: Lets talk guitars for rhythm playing

Originally posted by DJROBA:
A real rythmn player cares not for those things.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Danger? Excitment? A Jedi needs not these things. - Silent Bob, Mallrats.

[shreddermon]

Re: Lets talk guitars for rhythm playing

Actually, dude, he was quoting Yoda from The Empire Strikes Back...

"Adventure. Heh! Excitement. Heh! A Jedi craves not these things. (turning to Luke) You are reckless!"

I suppose that statement might apply to many lead guitarists, though. [img]graemlins/images/icons/tongue.gif[/img]

[toejam]

Re: Lets talk guitars for rhythm playing

Maybe Dan Spitz should relearn his technique. [img]graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] There's been a lot of people on this board, though, who complain about Floyds going out of tune. They're the ones that need to learn to set it up properly and differentiate their palming technique.

[1trussell]

Re: Lets talk guitars for rhythm playing

Rhythm playing for me is not determined by the guitar or scale, but by the strings. I have all of my guitars strung up with 11's. I have a pretty heavy hand, so the extra beef gives me better results. I tend to knock the smaller guage strings out too much. As far as scale length, I have 25.5 tuned to E flat and 24.75 tuned to standard. They feel very simialr so that is a non-issue for me.

[lerxstcat]

Re: Lets talk guitars for rhythm playing

Originally posted by ChickenScratch:


For me I need the longest scale I can get and as much string tension not only for my leads but for rhythm so the strings are not all wobbling around after I pick.

For me I practice my rhythm playing on my Carvin DC 125 and it's fantasic for me. Sorry, Gibson scale instruments just can't work for me. But maybe I'm just spoiled because I started on Jacksons.

Throw in your 2 cents, I've very interested in hearing about rhythm guitar for once.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">My 2 cents is that the Carvin DC125 came in 24.75" (Gibson) scale,or 25" (PRS) scale, only 1/4" longer. This makes me lean toward the theory that your scale length preference is pychosomatic. Go on, measure the scale on your DC125.

Heavier strings = more tension if that's what you need. I like a hardtail Gibson SG for rhythm myself. It's also true though, that you need a trem to vibrato power chords for those cool rhythmic effects too, one reason I like Kahlers as well as Floyds. Kahlers have some tuning stabilty traits in common with hardtails
that I like.

[DJROBA]

Re: Lets talk guitars for rhythm playing

That's all I'm saying [img]graemlins/notworthy.gif[/img]