The other day I was down in my studio, trying to lay down a solo for one of my songs. Every time I listened back it sounds out of tune and dead.

I changed my strings. Matter of fact I changed the strings on ALL of my guitars. It made a huge difference in the tone. The recording snapped and it sounded really great. I, of course, stretched the strings for a bit first.

It's amazing how a new set of strings breathes new life into your instrument. Change them often.

09-26-06

Some of my best tracks have just been built around just jammin' in the studio. I like to spend my free time trying to create new stuff. Most of the time I just plug in and hit record. If I like something, I'll keep it...but most of it gets scrapped.

But once in a while, just maybe...you might come up with something good. Something you can build on, layer tracks around or add percussion, etc. Try and be loose and open minded while playing. Sometimes it's a good idea to listen back a few hours later. You'd be surprised how things sound later on.  read more »