Volume pedal

[kipper]

see the main man jeff beck use his little finger on the volume knob magic pure magic. peter

[Rosemary]

Hi Ian and Peter
Thanks. I had a go at that last week but couldn't get a grip on the volume control - but then I can't even do palm muting yet - but I'm trying. The salesman where I bought my backup Strat showed me how to rest my palm on the bridge but I don't think I'm using enough pressure because silly as it sounds, I'm worried about damaging it.
Perhaps I'm treating the guitars too gently at the moment.
All the best
Rosemary

[Stratpicker]

Hi Rosemary
I wouldnt worry about damaging the bridge or the strings by palm muting. if my beefy old mitts don't hurt it, yours certainly won't.
PM is another of those 'black arts'. Once you've got it - you've got it forever. Basically its the flat blade edge of your palm that rests on the bridge. It naturally rolls forward cos you've got to get your pleck in contact with the strings and that soft part of the palm edge is what does the damping. In time you will find that you can alter the amount of muting from that 'dead as a doornail' clunk prevalent on many 60's records to the light PM used (say) on Wonderful Land etc just by rolling your hand back and forth. It all takes practise, my girl but you do seem to be the kind that sticks at it till you get it !
BTW - do the tiny grub screws on the bridge stick up all over the place because of the varying heights of the saddles and poke into your hand ? If so, you CAN buy a graded set of grub screws that your Tech can swap over and fit when doing a Service. I have them on my Strats and it takes the 'Pain' away! LOL!
cheers
Ian

[Rosemary]

Hi Ian
Thanks very much for that description. I thought I 'almost' had it once or twice the other day but most of the time the notes went totally dead. I didn't notice any pain factor so maybe they have the right bridge screws. Here's that link to the photos of the guitars.
viewtopic.php?f=21&t=3414&start=0
I'll have another try this weekend and see how I get on.
Thanks again
Best wishes
Rosemary

[Stratpicker]

I did take a look at the pics again before I posted. On the Mexi they DO look prominent and not so on the USA but the pics are from the wrong angle so its not easy to tell. However, if you can't feel them pressing into the soft flesh (steady!!! ) then don't worry about it.
cheers
ian

[ecca]

If you have long fingers you can cock the little finger round the middle tone control for a hint of wah wah, got to have the neck pick up on though.

[Rosemary]

Hi Ian and Eric
Thanks for those tips but I had another go at the Mexican Strat tonight and it seems like I take 100 steps backwards when I simply switch guitars so I think it'll be awhile before I can do anything like tweaking the controls when playing.
It seems that the slightest difference in string height, tremolo bar height or weight throws any technique I've developed with the American Strat which is why I'm worried about taking it for a service (in case they change something). On the other hand I remember having to learn how to play holding the trem bar when I first bought the American Strat and don't think that came naturally at first. On the positive side the Mexican has a really nice tone for the quieter pieces but I can't play the faster ones as well as on the American Strat if I hang on to the trem bar.
Oh incidentally I recorded my bash at palm muting "Apache' on the American Strat on the weekend to see how it sounded. Finally got it once (I think) the last time but then got such a surprise I stopped and messed up the timing in the next bars.
Best wishes
Rosemary