Yet another Vinnie Moore impression by Tommo - happy with my playing, not so much with my tone

[tommo]

Can you stomach some more VinMan imitations from yours truly?

This is a recording I made a few months ago, but only recently managed to tab it via SoundSlice. I think it may contain some of the best alternate picking I ever recorded (see solo section), but listening back to it now I think the tone is so-so at best, kind of “plasticky” - I think it’s a bit of a shame and would like to perhaps find and reamp the DI tracks to do it more justice.

Here’s the video:

Vinnie Moore - Into The Future - Cover by Tommo. Charvel St Dimas + Chapman ML1 + Bias FX + TABS!

Here are the tabs:

Vinnie Moore - Into The Future - Tommo's cover transcribed

Technique-wise, it’s almost all alternate picking using my standard DSX (escaped downstroke) form - with the occasional rotation in the picking path to allow for some isolated upstroke escapes - pretty much the Batio system described in Antigravity . If you look at the tabs I made, it should be quite clear where these switches have to happen. I think I managed to keep things clean for the most part but there is an audible swipe around 1:49 during some of the more intricate patterns that have a single note on the E string - I think I can live with that! (And some phrases might not be 100% in time)

A notable exception are the diminished sweeps at 1:40, where I used the good old Yngwie system. In this section Vinnie plays some crazy-stretchy diminished legatos that are beyond my capabilities, so I hope that replacing them with an Yngwie citation has done the job without ruining the spirit of the track (I tried to keep the target tones the same).

Recording-wise, this is a mix of four different takes for the first guitar. From the start until 1:52 it’s a single take where I have re-done some small sections that I didn’t like (in correspondence with the changes in camera angle), while the ending is a single take with some double tracking at the beginning and end (and a second guitar that is not shown on film).

Well that’s it, what do you think, is it worth finding and reamping the DI tracks? Does anyone want to fiddle with the DI tracks?

• Yes reamp away!
• Na, leave it as it is and move on!

[JonJon]

very nice as usual.

I think your mechanics are very close to mine…then again ive never been filmed face on like that so im not exactly sure what my hand looks like but the wrist motion seems the same etc

That one guitar reminds me of mine when the vol knob came off and I just left it off for numerous years just out of sheer laziness

[jfrega]

I think the tone’s great, tommo. I really like the amount of pick attack you’re getting, either from the pick material or your picking angle, amp settings, or whatever. You could maybe use a tad of mixing/EQ, but it sounds really good.

Those Charvels are really nice; they’ve done incredible things with those instruments in the past several years. Every one I see/hear sounds excellent.

[aliendough]

Sounds good, Tommo. I don’t think it sounds plasticky, sounds like you maybe have a very short slapback delay on there and that could be where your perception of that is coming from?

With regards to EQ, I always cut anything above 63khz and cut below 80hz. YMMV.

[tommo]

@JonJon

I think your mechanics are very close to mine…then again ive never been filmed face on like that so im not exactly sure what my hand looks like but the wrist motion seems the same etc

Thanks JJ, yes I also recall your technique critique video where your hand looked similar to mine If that is the case (and if you like this style of music!) you could check out my Vinnie transcriptions on Soundslice, in many places I rearranged the fretting hand to minimize the need for ‘upstroke escapes’!

Oh and I voluntarily unscrewed the volume pot, I kept lowering the volume by accident by brushing it with my picking hand!

@jfrega

I think the tone’s great, tommo. I really like the amount of pick attack you’re getting, either from the pick material or your picking angle, amp settings, or whatever. You could maybe use a tad of mixing/EQ, but it sounds really good.

@aliendough

Sounds good, Tommo. I don’t think it sounds plasticky, sounds like you maybe have a very short slapback delay on there and that could be where your perception of that is coming from?

Cheers both, I think I may have fiddled too much with amp simulators recently, seeking the prefect tone like a madman - the current result is that I don’t like any of my tones anymore -probably time for a break hehe.

But I definitely should learn some basics about mixing and EQing, there’s only so much you can achieve by fiddling at random!

[kgk]

Your recording sounds nice, what makes no sense is how electric guitars are wired.

One would think that a HH guitar (like yours) would send a stereo pair of differential outputs (neck, bridge) along with a ground, and that all of the knobs/switches would send MIDI events for downstream processing… but no, it’s nothing like that.

Regarding tone, I think that the most significant factor is how far from the bridge one picks, as this dramatically changes the frequency components of the plucked string.

[Bill_hall]

Great playing, Tommo! I think it sounds really nice! I love Vinnie’s playing and you really nailed this song…great job!

[Skye]

Wow, impressive!! Excellent playing.

[Gtrjunior]

Jeez…I haven’t logged in, in a few months and you go ahead and grow into a flippin’ Monster.
I can’t even put into words how jealous and simultaneously disappointed in myself I am.

[tommo]

Welcome back @Gtrjunior! Keep in mind this is a very cherry-picked recording (I probably made ~100 or so attempts in the space of 1 month), and it’s not done in a single take! It’s not like I get up in the morning and I can play like this

My intention was definitely not to discourage people, more to show my progress after 4 years of practicing obsessively with “CTC knowledge”. In any case I only seem to be able to keep one song at a time under my fingers - now I am practicing other stuff and can’t play this one any more

@Bill_hall, @Skye thank you!

[JUAN_Z]

It’s awesome. Leave as it is. I don’t find anything bad about it.

Keep doing awesome things you already have the means man. Thanks for the tabs. That is a very nice detail.

[aliendough]

What DAW do you use? I got a new Windows 10 computer a few months ago and would like a DAW.

Do you use any IRs?

[tommo]

Recently I started using Reaper and I like it a lot. It’s probably one of the cheapest DAWs (if you don’t need a professional license), but it does everything you need.

In terms of guitar plugins, the video above was done with Bias FX, which I now realised is not great. In my more recent videos (e.g. the erotomania solo) I used Overloud THU which sounds slightly better to my ears. I am now leaning towards the Mercuriall products - in particular their SS11-X preamp is very good and very cheap, and it seems there’s nothing it can’t do with the appropriate IRs.

And IR-wise, I am just starting to tinker with them, but haven’t used them in a recording yet. A good starting point is the free sorta “taster” pack from Seacow Cabs.

[Twangsta]

Incredible playing Tommo, love the way your right hand blitzing at 1:45

The IR’s and the amping situation is just fine here. I’d love to hear you do this track on a YJM sig with YJM Fender strings, I think you ought to try one, it’ll bring out picking dynamics humbuckers tend to mask.

Please please try a YJM sig at a store near you. All you’ll need is that one guitar.