Define "Note Definition & Articulation"

[Mike Sulzer]

Yep, that sounds about right

Another idea of mine is that anything that has lots of bumps and dips in its frequency response ought to have poor "articulation", "definition", "separation" or whatever. According to all that Fourier stuff, a frequency response with lots of fine structure implies a lot of ringing and muddled behaviour in the time domain.

Some bumps and dips are necessary to give the sound character. Musical instruments are not flat in their response in general. In an electric guitar much of that comes from harmonic emphasis/de-emphasis resulting from pickup placement.

[Mike Sulzer]

Boomy too much low end. Dull is lack of top end. You can have boomy and still have top end.

Pickup placement affects the amount of bass, but other than that, I do not think there are any actual variations in magnetic pickup bass response. They all have almost the same frequency response in the low end. There are perceived differences, however, which is interesting.

[Jim Shine]

Sometimes these elements are not desirable. The samples of the neodium magnets featured in a recent post on this page show examples of just this. The examples feature a player that is sloppy, so the pickups amplify the nuances of what is being played, putting the flaws in your face. The samples with the standard magnets smooths out the passages and makes it sound a little more fluid. So my point here is defined articulation is only really good in the hands of a player that has an articulate approach that doesn't get picked up with conventional pickups. These days it seems to be a universal term used to say "the guitar isn't muddy".

[David Schwab]

Sometimes these elements are not desirable. The samples of the neodium magnets featured in a recent post on this page show examples of just this. The examples feature a player that is sloppy, so the pickups amplify the nuances of what is being played, putting the flaws in your face. The samples with the standard magnets smooths out the passages and makes it sound a little more fluid. So my point here is defined articulation is only really good in the hands of a player that has an articulate approach that doesn't get picked up with conventional pickups. These days it seems to be a universal term used to say "the guitar isn't muddy".

That's a good point, and probably one reason why the Gibson Les Paul recording guitars weren't so popular. You have to play cleanly; you can hear every nuance in your playing, mistakes and all.

[tedmich]

I am pretty sure the distinction is covered here:
alexander dumble coments on the tube amp - YouTube

[salvarsan]

I am pretty sure the distinction is covered here:
alexander dumble coments on the tube amp - YouTube

Hoo boy. Dumble made a great amp, but his glib misuse of a few buzzwords betrays a shallow knowledge.

No wonder he covered his circuit boards in epoxy -- he didn't quite understand why it worked.

[David Schwab]

-- he didn't quite understand why it worked.

Kind of like pickup makers?

[tedmich]

regarding Dumble, I find this funny
http://www.math.fsu.edu/~trogers/dat...e_contract.pdf

[FunkyKikuchiyo]

regarding Dumble, I find this funny
http://www.math.fsu.edu/~trogers/dat...e_contract.pdf

Good thing semi-colon usage doesn't affect amp tone...

[tedmich]

Good thing semi-colon usage doesn't affect amp tone...

Do NOT "analize" his amps!!

[CRU JONES]

I am pretty sure the distinction is covered here:
alexander dumble coments on the tube amp - YouTube

Yeah, but... Kinda makes me think it would be cool to hang out with that dude. Know what I mean? Its like, who would you rather hang out with Possum or Mike Sulzer? Technically correct advice that I don't understand or technically incorrect advice that I don't understand. Either way, probably pretty cool dudes

Ethan

[David Schwab]

Yeah, but... Kinda makes me think it would be cool to hang out with that dude. Know what I mean? Its like, who would you rather hang out with Possum or Mike Sulzer? Technically correct advice that I don't understand or technically incorrect advice that I don't understand. Either way, probably pretty cool dudes

Is that hang out, or talk shop? I like both of them even if I don't always agree with them.

They say Dumble makes great amps, and even if he doesn't exactly understand how tubes work, he seems to understand how to use them.

Henry Kaiser on the other hand....

[FunkyKikuchiyo]

Is that hang out, or talk shop? I like both of them even if I don't always agree with them.

They say Dumble makes great amps, and even if he doesn't exactly understand how tubes work, he seems to understand how to use them.

Henry Kaiser on the other hand....

Hang out, talk shop, or jam? Possum lays down some decent blues from what I understand....

Me, I EXCEL at bad blues licks.

[tonedeciple]

Me thinks a Sticky titled "Pickup Makers Glossary of Terms" might be useful.

[ken]

I thought we had a glossary around here somewhere, and I seem to remember a thread on that once.

ken