String Dampeners

This topic has 20 replies, 13 voices, and was last updated 14 years ago by ShadyDave.

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- January 1, 2010 at 11:00 pm
TheAngusBurger
Member

Wasn’t quite sure where to put this, it would fit equally well under gear I suppose. Just curious about everybody’s view on using string dampeners? (IE tying cloth around the neck or using a hairband to mute strings) I’ve started using one a bit, getting into 7 and 8 finger tapping, I find it helps a lot to clean things up.

However, I can’t help but feel I’m cheating a little, but that said, if the tools are at my disposal, why shouldn’t I use them?

Opinions? This seems to be quite a touchy subject.

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- January 1, 2010 at 11:25 pm
Jack Gardiner
Member

I asked Andy James about the hair band at Music Live this year. All he said was ‘I don’t give a **** what people think. I’ll use it.’
I get people saying it all the time, that it’s a ‘cheat’, but as Daniele said in an interview (http://www.metallized.it/articolo.php?id=690), it’s impossible to dampen efficiently when playing 8 finger arpeggios with distortion.
I think if it’s there, use it 🙂
I doubt people would say that Greg Howe, Guthrie or Andy James are ‘cheats’ for using the bobble!

If it makes it sound and feel better, then use it man 🙂
- January 2, 2010 at 11:24 am
Rick Graham
Member

Totally agree with Jack and Andy, if you want to use it, use it! Forget about what other people think.
- February 5, 2010 at 7:17 pm
Jad Diab
Member

+1
- February 7, 2010 at 12:35 am
rubislaw
Member

I absolutely agree with all of this, but I did notice that when Herman Li announced the winners of the Strings on Fire Competition a few months back he said that he was not in favour of people using them, and so did not vote as highly for these people… Just another angle I suppose 🙂
- February 7, 2010 at 6:20 am
TheAngusBurger
Member

I think I value the opinions of Rick, Guthrie, Greg Howe, Alex Hutchings, Damjan Pejcinoski etc. over Herman Li!
- February 7, 2010 at 8:55 am
rubislaw
Member

Oh absolutely!
- February 7, 2010 at 3:26 pm
Steve Hubbard
Member

I don’t use mine any more, for the most part.. Mainly because I don’t do much tapping, especially in a contemp. christian rock band! Hah.. I personally believe that there is no ‘cheating’ in music, as long as you’re expressing what’s within..
- February 7, 2010 at 7:41 pm
Jack Gardiner
Member

I had a chat with Herman Li at NAMM and he called Damjan Pejcinoski a cheat and that was the reason he wouldn’t give him 1st place ;|
- February 7, 2010 at 8:28 pm
Conor4049
Member

Seriously? That’s pathetic…
I wouldn’t like to know what kind of things (or “cheats” as Herman would probably call them) he and Sam Totman get up to when recording in the studio…You only have to look at a few old performances to realise something wasn’t quite right.
His opinion i suppose.

Props to them for cleaning up their live act now though – Big improvements!
- February 7, 2010 at 8:32 pm
billmeedog
Member

@TheAngusBurger 10389 wrote:

I think I value the opinions of Rick, Guthrie, Greg Howe, Alex Hutchings, Damjan Pejcinoski etc. over Herman Li!

Hey AngusBurger, 🙂

Well put my friend…Well put!!! Those exact words went through my mind as I read what he said. IMO, Herman Li, although a pleasant enough chap, and far more succesful than I suppose I’ll ever be, will probably go down in “guitar-based musical history” as a sort of modern-day version of Kirk Hammet (NOT that they sound alike, because they don’t!) in that the success of their bands’ will likely have much more to do with catapulting their perceived levels-of-excellence as rock/metal-guitaristsfar more than their actual individual skills will!!! 😉

Admittedly, I’m FAR from a fan of EITHER of these guys’ styles (although I AM a big fan of Hetfield’s rhythm-playing in vintage-Metallica – LEGENDARY!) I feel like I am still being objective in my analysis anyways. I guess my beef is that I find both of these guys to be disappointingly un-musical a lot of the time?!? Perhaps I should say that I find their hands far more impressive than their ears/minds! To each their own, right? Just an opinion…;) I’m sure I LOVE some guitarists that others would find AWFUL…That’s cool too! 😎

~Bill Meehan~ 😀
- February 7, 2010 at 8:48 pm
TheAngusBurger
Member

I neglected to mention you in that list Jack! You’re certainly included!

And I know what you mean Bill. Tapping for the sake of tapping, sweeping for the sake of sweeping etc. just irritates me. Players like Herman Li don’t seem to be able to grasp that techniques such as these should be used as a means to play music, not something to override the compositional aspect of music – the most important aspect.
- February 7, 2010 at 8:52 pm
Mosjem
Member

@Jack Gardiner 10395 wrote:

I had a chat with Herman Li at NAMM and he called Damjan Pejcinoski a cheat and that was the reason he wouldn’t give him 1st place ;|

How can you cheat at music???? Seriously……people should use whatever equipment they need to to get the music in their head to their instrument. Saying that Damjan is a cheat because he uses a string dampner is like saying Marco Sfogli is a cheat because he uses AxeFx. I didn’t care for Herman Li before……and now I have even less respect for him.:mad::mad:
- February 7, 2010 at 8:59 pm
TheAngusBurger
Member

I think this is pretty accurate… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8K4At4mU7SM&feature=related
- February 8, 2010 at 5:10 am
Steve Hubbard
Member

Jack Gardiner;10395 wrote:

I had a chat with Herman Li at NAMM and he called Damjan Pejcinoski a cheat and that was the reason he wouldn’t give him 1st place ;|

WOW.. what a thing to say about a talent like Damjan.. I’ll keep my opinion on Herman’s playing to myself.. 😎
- February 8, 2010 at 12:55 pm
JMinoia
Member

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GALsQRi24hw

This one is for Herman Li……No dampener needed and he still plays some nasty licks ! 😀