Voting for Solo of the Month (SotM) #74

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Welcome to the voting thread for Solo of the Month (SotM) #74. Feel free to vote and comment in this thread.

Vote for your top 3 entries. If you're an entrant you can't vote for yourself.

1st choice gets 5 points
2nd choice gets 3 points
3rd choice gets 1 point

Voting will end at midnight 30th September 2021.

The top three will be announced after the voting closes. No prizes. It's just for fun.

You can find all the entries the playlist below.

https://soundcloud.com/thefretboard/sets/sotm74-2021-09

It's not a competition.
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Comments

  • 5pts @DrHungry ;
    3pts @stratman3142 ;
    1pt @Bellycaster ;

    Somehow all solo's had the same vibe to me. I liked the tone of DrHungry best with this backing. Stratman3142, very nice composition of the solo. Bellycaster, loved how you ended this piece.
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  • Thanks @jeroenvanhulsteijn ! I agree they all turned out to have a similar theme, probably testament to @digitalkettle 's evocative backing. Really enjoyed listening to all of these, something to learn from each one.

     @Bellycaster - my favourite intro out of them all. I don't know if you meticulously double tracked the second half of your solo or recorded it on some stereo set up but it sounds great, really built up the solo.

     @stratman3142 - tasteful use of the trem and I liked your choice of notes, sounded very musical.

     @fastonebaz - I'm afraid I can't vote for you as I'm bitter about not having a chance in hell of ever getting my fingers around those tapping licks.

     @Bennyboy-UK - I can never seem to think past the few notes immediately around where I'm playing at any given time when I'm improving. I like that you seem to use the whole octave in your phrases, I need to work on that.

     @ChrisRG ; - Really enjoyed the way this progressed, seemed like it was going somewhere and I thought it had a good story to it, for want of a better word.

    All in all, I'd probably go with:
    Bellycaster - 5 points
    ChrisRG - 3 points
    Stratman3142 - 1 point
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  • vizviz Frets: 10645
    These are HARD! Well played everyone. 

    I’ll go for FTBaz 5 points
    Chris RG: 3 points
    Belly: 1 point. 

    Soz otherz, I liked them all, truth be told. 
    Roland said: Scales are primarily a tool for categorising knowledge, not a rule for what can or cannot be played.
    Supportact said: [my style is] probably more an accumulation of limitations and bad habits than a 'style'.
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  • Wow, this is even harder to vote on that the photo competition :)



    Too much gain... is just about enough \m/

    I'm probably the only member of this forum mentioned by name in Whiskey in the Jar ;)

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  • Thanks @DrHungry ;

    I did properly double track the Intro and First half as well, but I didn't like how the first half sounded after the intro, so I turned one half down in the mix, it's there, but low. I agree, it did eventually give more impact to the 2nd half of the solo.
    Only a Fool Would Say That.
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  • This is impossible.  I might just as well put all the names in a hat a pull 3 out :lol: everyone is spot on.

    I'm going to have to go with

    5 points @DrHungry the tone was so sparkly and some really nice release bends in there adding pzazz 

    3 points @stratman3142 I can't work out how you get your tone and playing so smooth it's almost like a synth.  Ultra compression maybe,  I'm not sure but I like it

    1 point @Bellycaster I feel bad I didn't give this 5 points as I really liked the tone,  sounded honky, and the intro I felt was the best but I found the melody hooks in the others appealed slightly more to my tastes. 
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  • stratman3142stratman3142 Frets: 2177
    edited September 2021


    3 points @stratman3142 I can't work out how you get your tone and playing so smooth it's almost like a synth.  Ultra compression maybe,  I'm not sure but I like it


    I'm not really sure. All of my recent SotM solos are done with Helix Native. 

    The Helix ampsim I almost always start with is the US Princess amp with 1 x 12 US Princess cab. For this solo, within Helix Native, there's an LA Studio Comp and a Minotaur in front of the US Princess amp/cab and a Hot Springs Reverb after it.

    After Helix Native, there's a Fabfilter 3 timeless delay, which I started using since it was first released a few months ago. That's basically on the default setting but set to a dotted 1/8th delay, plus I cranked up the ducking to about 0.78. The other settings are as per the default, so the instability and wobble give a hint of modulation on the delay.

    Note: Before I had Fabfilter Timeless 3, I often used NI Replika XT and tweaked the preset called "The Knife" as that includes some Wow & Flutter giving a subtle modulation. NI Replika XT is a great delay.

    On this particular solo I also added an NI Vari Comp compressor at the end of the chain and tweaked a preset called Dist Guitar Prescence.

    Plus there's usually quite a bit of whammy bar duck and wobble, probably owing to my obsession with Alan Murphy's playing in my younger days.

    All the recent solos are my AZ2402. Before that it was usually my HSS Strat or my PRS S2. I'm not sure the actual guitar is a huge factor in the sound (i.e. it's processed to death).

    It's not a competition.
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  • I thought this was so tough to choose. I've just re-listened to them all for half an hour!

    I enjoyed all of them and admire the playing greatly for all sorts of reasons - whether its nice note choice, polished production,  vibrato - stamina on shreddy bits - or often a combination of that stuff and more.

    • 5 Points - @DrHungry - nice slidey double stops - made be think about some of the later Hank Marvin tones, and which notes you kept short and which one you let sustain a bit. Nice dynamics between cleaner than clean and just that bit of grit on the lower strings when they get hit a bit more

    • 3 Points - @stratman3142 - nice motifs in there to create some themes - and that made it sound very 'written' - nice trem action as well which I enjoyed.

    • 1 Point - @fastonebaz - I really love listening to your playing, theres loads I'd like to nick off you particularly that descending run at 48 secs.

    There is stuff I like in all of them to be fair.

    @ChrisRG - there is a particular wicked lick at 20 secs in I'd like to cop at some point- its a nice burst in the piece to add some excitement - lets have the next verse!

    What the hell is that sound during the intro @Bellycaster? - some kind of Tremelo pedal over some harmonics? - The whole thing is so polished and sounds totally Pro!


    It was a really cool backing, and it made me have to think a lot about what the hell to try and play on it - nice one!
    I'm always looking for interesting USA Hamers for sale.

    At the moment I'm looking for:
    * Hamer Watson, SS2, Vintage S, T62.
    * Music Man Luke 1, Luke II

    Please drop me a message.
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  • Cheers @Bennyboy-UK ;

    Do you mean the part that starts at 8 seconds? If so, it's just me quickly strumming the E and B strings applying the 5th Fret Harmonic. Some Delay and Reverb on there of course.
    Only a Fool Would Say That.
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  • That’s it, I was half right then! I’ll be nicking that for sure :) 
    I'm always looking for interesting USA Hamers for sale.

    At the moment I'm looking for:
    * Hamer Watson, SS2, Vintage S, T62.
    * Music Man Luke 1, Luke II

    Please drop me a message.
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  • That’s it, I was half right then! I’ll be nicking that for sure :) 
    When I first listened back, I realised it could've easily been nicked from The Edge :)

    That wasn't the intent, of course.
    Only a Fool Would Say That.
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  • 5 points : @ChrisRG : Just seems to sit right with the backing
    3 points : @Bellycaster : Nice melodic ideas. Some neat licks
    1 point : @DrHungry : Clear tone and nice feel.

    It's not a competition.
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  • Really hard to split these.....

    5 points - @fastonebaz Epic skills.  Maybe we need a cap on the number of notes to give everyone a chance ;)  Love the nods to Bond and Mr Knopfler.

    3 points - @Bellycaster Enjoyed the melody a lot on this.  Great tones too

    1 point - @DrHungry Great tone.  Suited the backing really well.

    Sorry I couldn't give @stratman3142 and @Bennyboy-UK any points.  Enjoyed both the tracks and could have easily swapped things around on a different day.
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  • Yep...a tough call...

    5 points: @Bellycaster ;
    3 points: @DrHungry ;
    1 point: @Bennyboy-UK ;

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  • Voting ends tonight at midnight.

    It's not a competition.
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  • 5 Points @DrHungry - Loved that feel. Very Marvin-Knopfler-esque. Great tone and Melody.

    3 Points @stratman3142 - Love that warm tone, seems to melt in with track really well. Great phrasing and technique.

    1 Point @ChrisRG - Some great licks in there and nice melody building.
    Only a Fool Would Say That.
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  • stratman3142stratman3142 Frets: 2177
    edited October 2021
    Voting closed.
    It's not a competition.
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  • There might be a short delay before I announce the winners and start the next one. I'll try to do it by the end of Sunday.

    It's not a competition.
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