Michael Nielsen (Big Hairy Guitars ) Ask Me Anything?

[Alex Kenivel]

Hi, do I live under a rock? I've never seen this channel. Don't answer that, I already know the answer...

 

[BigHairyGuitars]

Dill pickles or sweet pickles?

Dill. 100% no like sweet pickles and proper cucumbers are completely off the table, ick!

Hey man great to see you here! In the 50 times I owned a Kemper ; I used quite a few of your profiles and really dug them.

Didn't you offer Two-Notes cab packs at one time? I always thought it would be cool to grab some non-proprietary IRs from you but not sure if you ever had those available?

Always dig your channel and GAS is usually right around the corner with whatever "cheap now, but not going to be cheap 6 hours after the video drops" rack gear segment

Thanks! IMHO, putting together racks are SO expensive, and such a pain, and hard to get consistent tones, so the Kemper and other 'capturing' modelers is a great great way to get rack tones.
I did have a TwoNotes compatible pack but I think I only sold 2. haha It was kinda confusing that it was only for TwoNotes, and not a IR that works in many formats. It's much more straightforward going through the TwoNotes shop. I think.

Should I proceed with my plans to sell an organ for the Friedman SSv2?

How do you rate it, compared to the other Friedman offerings?

Yes??? It's phenominal. But then I went back to my BE100, and love that just as much. The SS is more vocal, and the BE100 is more Brown. But they're similar enough that it's hard to justify having two $4000 amps that are pretty similar. For me. But it's great, if I had room for tons of amps and was pouring money into that collection, I'd jump on it for sure.

Hi Michael. Thanks for stopping by! What's your favorite Synergy module? Any news on some new modules coming our way?

I really like the Vai module. It's great for leads, smooth but still rockin'. The Deliverance is killer. The IIC+ is super fun. The T/DLX is great for vintage vibes. Dave had modded a Plexi module into a Jose mod that was the coolest thing I've ever heard, I hope they do something like that. Dave mentioned something like a solid state preamp which would be SO cool. There's been a lot of really great solid state amps over the years

Alright! One of the only YouTube gear guys I trust. Your take on the F12-x200 was spot on. Great speaker for modelers for sure. Looking forward to your contribution to the forum!

Thanks Justin!

What/where are those other rooms you've been making videos in lately?

The recent vids have been from home. Back in Dec I got sick and had to stay home to work for a while. It worked out great, so I started putting together a home rig. I've tried little laptop scenarios before, and they never worked out. But this room is working out fantastically well. It's tricky figuring out the video / audio for YouTube though. I JUST got a handle on my studio room and now I'm starting from scratch again
.

 

[BigHairyGuitars]

badass. always dug your channel.

UCLA grad here (economics/business 1991).

but i have my MBA from USC.

Thanks! Nice! Split personality

Thanks for starting this! I love your channel :)
You represent 80’s Guitar Playing and Gear incredibly well…what is your history?

Thanks! I just love the 80's :) I was in some local bands in the 2000's but I was always more at home in the studio.

No questions, just wanted to say welcome and highlight that your Friedman OD pedal comparison is killer and prompted me to try a Marshall in a box pedal (not leaving my side).

Crazy Bio indeed!

Awesome. What are you using Smallbox? BE?

Are you going to come out with a shirt w/ your bitter beer serious guitar face?

I kid…sort of. Dig your YT vids. Like the old rack gear ones, the Dirty Shirley v Small Box, and the old guitar mag read throughs.

Thanks man!

 

[raunch]

One of my top 5 channels. I have way too many of your profiles, very worth the money.

My question: as a Gen X'er, rock music in general has changed a lot (for me at least). How has it changed for you, how have you adapted to modern times, what do you miss? Sorry if this is too much of a big question but I've been struggling with this lately.

Take care and looking forward to many more years of content.

 

[BigHairyGuitars]

In your opinion what’s the most cost effective method of getting a professional grade guitar tone into a daw?

p.s. incredible/awesome bio!

Hi zilla! Thanks. Honestly, a good DI and any number of software apps will get the job done, but if you're trying to record amps, I think the TwoNotes Capture around $250 is a great way to go. Then go with IR's.

@BigHairyGuitars

Great to have you here!

What’s your primary go-to setup tracking guitars for a film or game trailer?

You’re rack rig is killer, what’s your favorite rack preamp and power amp?

Hi! for work, I usually go with either with a Fender Princeton into a 4x12, or the 100w Dirty Shirley. Mostly because I use a lot of different fuzz's and drives. I'll sometimes use the Matchless preamp because it get's nasty in a very interesting 'different' kinda way. For scores I rarely get to go "Full chugga chugga" or play a lead. It's mostly textural or layers.

My favorite power amp is VHT 2150 or Classic. Also the 40w Dirty Shirley is amazing as a power amp (running through it's FX loop return). It's fat and warm and big sounding.

My favorite pres. I really enjoy pres. Hard to pick a favorite, here's some

ADA MP-1 - the ultimate late 80's hard rock / metal tones
X88R - mine has ch2 modded by Friedman, so it does all of the 80's Lukather stuff, but can kinda do anything now.
Matchless GPR - unique, and sounds amazing through a VHT. It's ultra harmonically rich, then into a VHT gives it the punch power
Mesa Studio - great great clean
Mesa Triaxis - great for leads and sounding like Images & Words
Demeter TGP-3 - not really for metal, but does everything else in an incredibly cool way.
Morin Preamp - it sounds really close to the Friedman Jake E Lee head. Super cool. 1 channel
CAE 3+ - Lukather Kingdom of Desire tones!
Bogner Fish - it's a finicky beast, but so pretty to look at, and has some great tones in it.
Marshall JMP-1 - pretty awesome
Peavey Rockmaster - super underrated

Thanks for joining, Michael! I was hooked to your channel after the SPX-90 video!

What are your go-to VST’s for sound design? Specifically for video games, if there’s any difference in choice.

I'm a plugin junkie. I have most plugins, at least the majors, and a bunch of the small company plugs. A couple that I really like for sound design specifically is:

SoundToys Little Alterboy - it's a pitch shifter and formant and drive. It's really great for changing pitch in an interesting way
Eventide Black Hole - this is legendary for the big epic deep reverb wash
FabFilter EQ - my favorite EQ, I use it like crazy
UAD Moog Filter - it's my favorite filter. It has a natural vocal like character to it, that VERY evident when you A/B with most other software filters. It makes most other filters seem stale and artificial.

Seriously love your channel!

Scoring was my dream, but I never quite got there. What programs do you use to score?

I know your channel is guitar-centric but I'd love to see some scoring tutorials.

Btw, loved your magazine vids.

Hi Michael. Thanks! I use Logic Pro X. I used ProTool in the 90's and 2000's, but then hit a point when I needed to upgrade and couldn't afford to stay in the ProTools ecosystem. I've been on Logic for well over 20 years. I don't really have to think when I'm working. The only bummer with it, is that it's SO configurable, that when you use Logic at someone else's place, it can be like using a completely different software. "How do I make this thing play!"

 

[BigHairyGuitars]

Hi Michael,

Love your channel, playing, Kemper profiles, the works really.

In an old video you talked about Suhr, Anderson and Tyler (I believe it was those 3 but feel free to chime in on any high end boutique brands!) and said that they all have a specific voice/vibe. I'm curious if you could elaborate on that a bit more. I've only had the opportunity to play a handful of those so I'm curious to get your perspective on them.

Thanks!!!

I think I've played enough different guitars and played vintage guitars, that I have a feel for how good a guitar can get. I think some of it really comes down to getting use to something. Everything is based on these tiny little fraction of an inch differences. As my playing changes, my relationship with the guitar changes and my requirements change. I'm basically trying to say, my opinion changes, and your mileage may vary.

Anderson might be the ultimate in super built guitars. He was instrumental in helping SO many of the other small builders get their shit together. I love love Andersons and their finishes in the past several years are amazing, but they have a very different tone from, say a Charvel with a JB. The Anderson, in comparison, would typically be more even and transparent. It can be difficult to get a handle on if you don't spend time to get use to it, or dial in your sound with the Anderson vibes. They're so easy to play though. It's like driving a supercar.

Suhr. I feel like Suhr is a little more like if Anderson's were heading more into the traditional direction. Still super built, but a little closer to the "normal" guitar tones. Still I find them sometimes a little hard to bond with. Imagine playing a 100k elite level grand piano. If you're not a "player" it will sound amazing, but it's as if it's waiting for you to play something good. The crappy playing will sound out of place and MORE crappy. Whereas if you played crappy on a Epiphone SG, it might come off more as "Oh, this dude has vibe!!!" Alternately, sometimes great playing on that same SG might just collapse because the guitar will mush out and won't hold tuning and intonation precise enough.

Tyler's are a little in the Suhr zone too. They don't play for you, but if you can play something good on them, they'll sound amazing. I like the contrarian attitude that the Tylers have with the crazy headstock, and crazy paint. And forever burned into my head is images of Landau playing them.

 

[BigHairyGuitars]

Learned a lot from your channel over the years, thanks for doing this. I am on a journey to achieve the best bedroom guitar playing experience possible. Right now I'm playing through a Marshall Plexi (SV20H) into a Suhr Reactive Load, into a DAW, and using Two Notes DynIRs for the cabs, and various plugins. I'm listening with Kali LP-8 monitors, in a smallish untreated room. Besides getting new guitars, from your experience, what would be the best next step to make my playing experience more delightful? Acoustic treatment? How much better would the experience be with upgraded monitors (like using 3 ways instead of 2 ways?), or using some "FRFR" cab? Any in particular you recommend? Sorry for the long, broad question, happy to hear any advice you have to offer, thank you.

Oh nice! Sounds like you're in the right direction. Room treatment could be OK, if you're finding that the room is too echo-y. Spending thousands of dollars on room treatment is the most boring thing in the world. I'm sure the Kali's are cool, I haven't heard those, but I've heard similar ones. 2 ways are perfectly cool. 3 way won't necessarily sound more pleasing for guitar. Actually, the monitors I'm on are elite level for mixing, 3 way ATC's, but they don't really flatter anything. It was much more fun to play guitar through my 2 way ProAc monitors.
I would only recommend a "FRFR" cab if you can handle more volume. If you're staying at lower volume, then the studio monitors are the way to go.

Michael. Best channel on you tube man. Thanks for doing all you do and posting all the killer videos. Your IRs changed my whole opinion about the tech and I use them pretty much exclusively now.

Awesome! Thanks John!!! I was really frustrated with IR's before I got into it. They can still be touchy, but I'm generally very happy now.

I dig your YT channel. Your vids even got me to buy the Friedman cabs for 2 notes WoS even though I don't care for or use 2 notes products lol. With that said I do like your ear for things, do you think you or Dave would ever sell IR packs that are not tied to 2 notes? Just IR's, not a billion IRs in a folder(s), just like maybe 10 of your favorites? Glad you are here.

Hi! Thanks! Yes. All I can say is "yes, I think so".

 

[BigHairyGuitars]

Which of the first 2 Lynch Mob albums is your favourite and why?

Every time I see your avatar I hear, "Pet the hot kitty" from Steve Steven's Atomic Playboys playing in my head!

I'm like 90% Wicked Sensation, and 10% "Lynch Mob"
I think on WS the tones are more nasty, it's a little heavier and biting. I prefer One Logans voice. The 2nd album is great when I want more classic Lynch Mob, but it's a rounder tone, and more pop. But the clean riff for "Tangled In Web" is one of my favorite. Then the R&B brass comes in and it's like, "oh man, what the crap is this!?!" I'm 1/2 joking, it's a great tune.

One of my top 5 channels. I have way too many of your profiles, very worth the money.

My question: as a Gen X'er, rock music in general has changed a lot (for me at least). How has it changed for you, how have you adapted to modern times, what do you miss? Sorry if this is too much of a big question but I've been struggling with this lately.

Take care and looking forward to many more years of content.

OH thanks raunch!!! From a work perspective, it's super important to be away of era's, and have a strong understanding of what is "cool" at the moment. The YouTube channel is where I don't have to worry about that. I started it because I had gone years and years barely playing any guitar. But now, It allows me to be very critical of the guitars I do include in my scores because I have this other home for my passion. If I tried to stick in some brown sound guitars with H3000 micro pitch into a Marvel movie trailer, I'd get murdered. It's all good. I'm happy going with some 60's fuzz, or modern clean keyboard style guitar like Harry Styles. A lot of modern music really stinks, but there is some great stuff out there. Guitar or no.

 

[the-trooper]

proper cucumbers are completely off the table, ick!

 

[DrewJD82]

View attachment 203

Yngwie's son was gigging down here for a while. His name is Antonio, seems all the YouTube vids have been taken down. He was basically playing his dad's rig and looked like a mini Ritchie Blackmore. Kid could play, too, like Yngwie has clearly been teaching him. Maybe he had a little growth spurt and outgrew his dad, had the videos taken down so he doesn't have to live in that shadow to the same degree. He was only 15 or so in the vids.

 

[loowood]

AMA, The right power supply (wall wart) for the A/DA MP-1 / MC-1 MIDI Foot Controller? The one I was trying to fix is beyond repair. Can you spare a link to one that will do the trick? Peace and you rock man!

 

[woody]

Hey Michael,

you alluded to "era" sounds further up, and having a big palette of sounds to pick and choose from.
Are there any "pivot sounds" for you that took a while to figure out, that opened a new perspective on things?

 

[Los-D]

Thanks! Nice! Split personality


Thanks! I just love the 80's :) I was in some local bands in the 2000's but I was always more at home in the studio.


Awesome. What are you using Smallbox? BE?


Thanks man!

BE OD, but your Smallbox pedal video is still my favorite overdrive video to this day.

 

[Whizzinby]

Dave had modded a Plexi module into a Jose mod that was the coolest thing I've ever heard, I hope they do something like that.
.

Dave keeping all the cool stuff for himself.

That would be a killer release.

 

[Whizzinby]

BE OD, but your Smallbox pedal video is still my favorite overdrive video to this day.

How are you running that BE OD, into the loop or in front? (Deluxe or standard version?)

 

[Los-D]

How are you running that BE OD, into the loop or in front? (Deluxe or standard version?)

Still in front, and it’s the Standard version. It’s my fun / quick rig. Modelers still rule for live / recording for me, but at home I really like the immediacy and rawness of pedals + amps. Sold my last tube amp in 2018… may be looking to get one again for home use.

 

[Johnny Kemper]

Hey Michael. As promised I have joined up. I’m still trying to navigate myself around here in my spare time. Such a great forum.
I have put my name down for overtime now. I want a Tyler also but I can’t afford a USA. So I’m looking at the jap options.
Thanks for your inspiration dude.

 

[BigHairyGuitars]

AMA, The right power supply (wall wart) for the A/DA MP-1 / MC-1 MIDI Foot Controller? The one I was trying to fix is beyond repair. Can you spare a link to one that will do the trick? Peace and you rock man!

Oh man. Power supplies are a nightmare. I went through 4 supplies trying to make something work with my Aphex Exciter. The best solution is to take the MC1 to an electronics shop and get it sorted on the spot. Otherwise it’s likely you’ll be ordering and returning power supplies until you find the right one.

 

[BigHairyGuitars]

Hey Michael,

you alluded to "era" sounds further up, and having a big palette of sounds to pick and choose from.
Are there any "pivot sounds" for you that took a while to figure out, that opened a new perspective on things?

I wouldn’t say that. If you look at the guitar as just a component of the big picture, it changes things. We get super nerdy about guitars, but that’s like a chef being really nerdy about the wine that pairs with the dish. There are other major elements in a mix that dictate how the guitar will be received. So the figuring out has always been about arrangement, and learning how the other instruments work. If the rest of the instruments sound great, it’s almost impossible to have a bad guitar sound.

 

[BigHairyGuitars]

Hey Michael. As promised I have joined up. I’m still trying to navigate myself around here in my spare time. Such a great forum.
I have put my name down for overtime now. I want a Tyler also but I can’t afford a USA. So I’m looking at the jap options.
Thanks for your inspiration dude.

I think that one could argue that Japan Tylers have better finishes than the USA ones. The pics that they post out of the Japan shop are insane level finishes!