Welcome to my channel and thanks for watching my videos - I'm Matt and this channel is about guitars!
I originally created the channel as a place to share some guitar tuition videos for some students I work with in a music group I am involved with. We meet in person twice a week and have loads of fun playing together and I wanted to be able to provide some lessons and resources online for them and for new starters to see some of the stuff we have already done - if anyone else can benefit from the content that's even better!
I've had some challenges with my mental health and with substance abuse - I say this up front because I firmly believe that it's okay to talk, it's okay to seek help and there is no shame or stigma in that. As part of my healing and recovery I've been fortunate to become involved with the music group which was the motivation for creating my channel.
I am thinking of buying a used Fender (Squire) Stratocaster but I need to ask a repair question of someone as knowledgeable as yourself. The seller says, "the port where you plug in the cable unscrewed and fell loose inside" Could you please speculate how big of a repair this is and what's involved? Thank You
Hi there. Thanks for viewing my channel, I'll try to help as best I can. It sounds like a simple fix. There is a threaded socket (held on by a nut) that is attached to a metal part (called a jack plate) where you insert the guitar cable. From what you describe it sounds like the nut has come loose and the socket has pushed in to the cavity in the guitar. The basic repair would be to remove the "jack plate" (you need to remove a couple of screws), push the socket back through the plate, tighten up the nut that holds the socket to the plate and then replace the screws that hold the plate to the body of the guitar. If the nut has been misplaced then you will also need to source a matching nut to complete the repair. My only concern is why the seller has not made this simple repair themselves before selling the guitar - it is literally a 5 minute job and costs only the price of a nut (if the nut has been lost) - perhaps that is a question you may wish to ask them? You could also ask them to remove the plate to reveal the socket - the socket should work perfectly well even if it is not bolted to the plate - so then ask them to provide a video demonstrating that the rest of the guitar electronics work fine? Generally speaking the Squier Strat is a fairly solid guitar and a good used choice if you can get a good deal. Please feel free to message me back if you need any more help or advice. I don't have my Strat with me at this time (it is in my teaching room in another town) but I am bringing it back on Thursday to record some content with it. If you are able to wait until then I will be happy to do a quick video showing exactly what I mean if that helps? Thanks again for your comment and for supporting my channel!
@@mattsguitarchannel Wow! You brought up a powerful point; "why the seller has not made this simple repair themselves?" I must get to the bottom of this before buying it. They describe it as "like new" and they want $80. BTW, you have an exceptional channel. Thanks for your hard work.
@@FREEDOM-qb8db Thank you for your kind compliments - I try to share what I know to help other players as best I can. $80 sounds like a good price so long as the guitar is working properly with no major issues. If there are issues that end up costing a lot then it is no longer an $80 guitar right? It can be a gamble buying online because you never really know until you get the instrument - which is why it is important to learn as much as you can and ask some good questions - if they can't answer your questions there are plenty more guitars out there - Squier Strat is a very common guitar so you should have no issues finding another one. I don't know how much experience you have as a player but, of course, you want to buy something that works properly and you can enjoy playing right? Let me know how you get along with this guitar and - like I already said - I'm here and happy to help further if you need!
Hi, thanks for your comment. I'm not sure exactly which ones they were - I bought them a while ago and didn't save the packaging. This guitar is in one of my teaching rooms, I will be working there on Thursday so I will look to see if there is a S/N on them when I am there. Sorry I can't be more helpful at this time.
Had a look and I can't see a model number on the machine heads. I took the guitar to my local shop (who are great) and they matched them up for me. Sorry I couldn't be more helpful. Thanks again for your interest in my channel.
Your content is fantastic but your channel has very few subscribers and views. I noticed that you regularly upload videos on RU-vid. I checked your channel and found some problems. Your videos are not SEO optimized, videos are not using powerful tags, channels are not properly optimized and Channel tags are not used. As a result, your video doesn't reach the audience....
As far as I know you have to use the controls on the amp to make changes - there is not a way to do it using a footswitch if that is what you are asking? I like to be able to switch effects in and out remotely as well as switch amp channels (especially for live use) and that would be an awesome feature to have. I'm guessing (I don't know for sure) that because it is a 10w practice amp it's probably designed more for beginner players practicing one part at a time - it's probably not loud enough for live use with a band. Thank you for watching my channel and for your interesting comment, I hope I've given a good answer for you, please feel free to ask if you have any more questions.
I already have the original ID Core Stereo 40 which I bought used for under $100USD a few years ago.. It's pleant loud just as it is.. but I can get even more out of it when I mod it with a pair of switched 1/45" extension speaker put put jacks to drive the pair of 4X12" vertical/tower speaker cabs I plan to build for that purpose....the amp size makes it just right as a head when the switched jacks are in use the disable the internal stereo speakers and driving the external cabs that each will have an internal power supply and mini amp board to get even more power over whqt the amp itself has. the heavily modified Strat based Stellarcaster with it's 3 quad rail/coil humbuckers wired like a 50's Les Paul with coil splits using a third pair of pots. making the total of 3 P/P vol. pots for the coil splitting and the 3 tone pots with the bridge pot also a P/P to activate the bridge and neck P/ups together regardless of any other controls all of which are loaded in the hand made custom extended Brushed Stainless Steel Pick guard all of the knobs are Tele style chrome and the 5-wat switch tip chrome as well and a kill button just for fun. the space theme stars and planets custom paint job on the body and headstock done with spray cans and airbrushed detailing finisher in 2K semi gloss clear coat makes for a cllo looking and great playing guitsar that really rocks the cosmos.....Wanna Play???
Sounds like you have an awesome custom set-up going on there my friend, and you got a great price on the Stereo 40. So you have amps in your external speakers (like active speakers) to get the extra volume levels and using the 40 like a preamp? Do you have any pics / vids you can share? it sounds really interesting. I'm using a HT Club 40 as my 'big amp' right now and the power output is amazing, as well as the sound, but IMO you always get more power from a valve amp for the same watt specification. I'm not paid or endorsed by BlackStar in any way but I think they are a great product for the price - I've always loved Boogie amps - if I'm honest my Dual Rec was better for a flat out metal sound (but only slightly) and was 5x the cost without a cab! I've found my Club 40 much easier to 'dial in' and I'd actually say the non-metal sounds are better to my ear; of course that's only my opinion. Thank you so much for viewing my channel and for taking the time to write such an interesting comment!
Спасибо за ваш добрый комментарий. Я не говорю о политике на своем канале, но у меня есть свои личные убеждения. Я люблю Россию как страну и выступаю против позиции своего правительства - я приношу вам извинения за поведение моей страны. Удачи и сил вашему прекрасному гордому народу.
Hey Brian - great to hear from you 😁 Thank you for your kind comments, I'm doing a full series on explaining TAB - it's something I find myself doing with every new student I get so I may as well put it out there for everyone. Hope you're doing great man 🤞How is your music and your world going???
Hi Xavi, sorry for the late reply. Thank you for your lovely comment it means a lot to me. I'm trying to explain all about TAB and there are a lot of videos to make and edit!
I hope you enjoy your amp when it arrives, honestly it's maybe the best amp I ever bought (for the price) - I used to own a Boogie Dual Rectifier but that was £3k plus / and was impossible to play at home because of the volume. I never mentioned in this video series about using the MK2 for recording (I have been doing that a lot recently) the D.I. output (with speaker simulation) on XLR is brilliant and means I can record without amp volume at night without disturbing my family etc. I'd love to know what you think about the amp when you get it, could you please leave me a comment or DM me?
I haven't got chance to try the Mk3 yet but from what I've read it's only a few tweaks here and there & not a whole lot different. Had my Mk2 about a year now and still loving the sound and the features - hope that you enjoy the amp as much as I am doing. The range of tones is amazing, the clean channel is crystal sparking clean and the overdrive (mode 2) is ridiculous gain. Thank you for watching my channel 😀🎸👍
Have to say I'm not an expert on speaker building - your ears are the best judge - if you can replace the cone / driver in a way that is cost effective that would probably be the best thing to do? Would need to be the exact same speaker driver otherwise the sound would not be balanced. Never needed to strip mine but they appear to be front mounted so should be an easy thing to replace. Sorry for the delay in responding (been really busy the last few days) and thank you for your kind comments about my video 👍
The best "speakers" you can get are flat, aka studio monitors. If you beLIEve that coloring the sound gives better sound, you are delusional and being fooled yet again. Btw, I have owned these Mackie Tapco S8 for many years (15?), used them in studio when I produced music and now they are in my living room. Everyone that comes to me and listen to music are always blown away by the sound, also the bass and punch, they have bought "high end" speakers where "experts" go and now have a hard time realizing they have been fooled (again). These S8 are awesome for everything, including movies and games but you need a bit of space and proper placement.
Thanks for your comment, and for watching my channel. Personally I prefer to listen to music using my monitor speakers because I enjoy the same clarity as for music production. I do think we agree on the main point - perhaps my explanation could have been better - I feel that many people are looking for an easy solution and are accustomed to the 'commercial' sound they are used to hearing. You are absolutely correct about the set-up and placement; of course that might have a different focus depending on if you are monitoring in the 'prime' position or setting up more generally for an entertainment system. Personally I wouldn't spend more on speakers than what I have with the Tapco at this price point - if I had more money to spend I would use it for acoustic treatment. Thanks again for sharing your experience.
@@bond6915 Для прослушивания музыки дома и наслаждения музыкой я рекомендую всегда выбирать то, что звучит лучше для вас, потому что это личный выбор. Мне нравятся студийные мониторы, я часто ими пользуюсь, поэтому знаю, как они звучат, но они могут звучать иначе, чем динамики музыкальной системы, если вы с ними не знакомы. Мониторные колонки отлично подходят, если у вас правильное положение и вы хотите сосредоточиться на музыке - поэтому вы образуете треугольник из головы и двух динамиков. Если у вас вечеринка с друзьями и вы передвигаетесь, то, может быть, это невозможно? Если это возможно, вам следует послушать много разных песен и выбрать те, которые делают вас счастливыми. Спасибо за просмотр моего видео - если хотите, с удовольствием поделюсь дополнительной информацией - удачи в выборе колонок!
@@bond6915 Трудно сделать выбор, если не можешь прослушать разные варианты. Тогда советую посмотреть обзоры на каналах, специализирующихся на спикерах. У моих колонок есть элементы управления на задней панели, позволяющие регулировать звук по вашему вкусу - возможно, в моем видео это неясно. С наилучшими пожеланиями.
Thank you for such a kind comment Kevin, it is much appreciated. I noticed that you're barre exercise is coming along really nicely last time I saw you - and like I said it's harder on acoustic guitar so you'll be flying on your electric. This shape (and the Major shape in the next lesson) will enable you to play both Major and Minor chords in all 12 keys using only 2 shapes. Keep up the practice and hard work 👍🎸🔥
Thank you Xavi 😀- I like to try and teach things one step at a time (I mostly work with beginner students) so don't want to make it too complicated or confusing - this way they can develop a little stamina for playing the barre before worrying about the chord shapes 🤞🎸
It will help make all your chords and riffs feel easier. It's not about speed but if you want to use the metronome (for consistent timing) set it to 3/4 or 6/8 👍🎸
Hi Don, thanks again for your lovely comments and for watching my videos. I was super excited to get this amp because I've been using quite basic practice amps for a few years since my last valve amp. Happy that you found it helpful 😁🎸
That JP wah definitely sounds amazing, recently my 13 year old gcb95 wah had problems with the pot, fortunately I managed to repair it (here in Mexico it is very very difficult to get a replacement), but if I had to buy another wah it would definitely be the JP wah
The JP is a great pedal but it's very aggressive on the factory settings - especially with the gain boost - I found it produced unwanted overdrive on my clean tone so had to roll off the volume a little to compensate. With that being said it is fully adjustable so you can set it up however you like it; it is basically the rack mounted wah but in a pedal that comes with JP's settings when you buy it. Sorry to hear you have problems getting replacement parts there - I'm in the UK and it's fairly easy to get most parts. Happy playing 🎸
Whats up Matt? I recently bought a pedalboard with a case included, same size so my pedal layout is almost identical to yours, including the two-way footswitch. Thanks for the videos, you gave me good ideas to distribute and arrange my pedals and cables.
Hi Ramon, hope you are doing great? That size is ideal for me - I almost bought the smaller one but I wanted to leave a little space spare in case I added another pedal or two in the future. I find the 'velcro' tape really useful because I can change them around easily if I wish to. My next project will be to tidy up the cables between the pedal board and the amp - I have 5 cables including the amp footswitch and power supply! Thanks for watching my videos and taking the time to comment, I'm glad that you found it helpful 😀👍🎸
Thank you Xavi, it's a very strange technique lol. Happy holidays to you and thank you for all of your kind words and support on my channel. Peace to you and to all!
@@mattsguitarchannel of course my man you're my brother you're a good dude I'm always here for you and vice versa and that's why I appreciate you as well
Matt, I've just read through some of these comments... First I wanted to say thanks for a very informative channel. Lots of good content! Secondly, I have to say I cant't stand the "shorts" video trend, it seems designed for mobile devices, and is wasted on a laptop screen... I personally never watch shorts, so unsure if you would gain views or not? Lastly, time has moved on... do you have an a clear opinion, regarding the Spark type modelling amps, at the bottem end, such as the Spark Go? I really appreciate the simplicity of the ID Core V3, BUT do you think the Spark Go edges it out now, in a home practice setting? Thanks you RAWK!
Hi, thank you so much for your kind comments - it's always rewarding to get positive feedback and I appreciate anyone that takes the time to comment. I totally agree with you about the shorts - I don't enjoy watching (or even creating) them - like you said they seem to be for the mobile market and specifically perhaps for people with a shorter attention span. With that said (from my experience) they do tend to get more views, I guess that is something to do with the YT algorithm and their desire to push them, of course I'd be lying if I said I didn't want more views and subscribers; but I set my channel up initially to provide extra content for students I work with in person; my aim is to make helpful content, however long it happens to be, and I don't plan to change that. I'm sorry I can't help you with the question about the Spark Go - I've never used one - so my opinion would be based only on what I have read or watched. They do seem to get mostly good reviews (like most of PG products) and the specification is definitely better than the ID Core 10. The only negative that has been mentioned a few times (and you mentioned it too) seems to be 'the bottom end' but I imagine this might be a common limitation on amps using smaller speakers & also depend on the type of music you play. I like metal and notice this the most with fast, muted, syncopated riffs (especially with down/drop tuning) - the smaller amps tend to lose a little definition or 'tightness' in the low end. I'd always recommend trying before buying if that is possible (preferably using your own guitar). Hope this helps!
🤣@@homeofomfilms no you're not looking forward to seeing me dance - it looks like a drunk man trying not to spill his kebab whilst looking for a taxi 🤣
Thank you Xavi, your comments are always kind and give me much support! I'm still trying to tidy it up but I'm sure you know - these things are always work in progress lol
Sorry for the delay in replying. It's not battery powered as standard but, as far as I know (I haven't tried this) is can be powered from an external battery pack such as the Blackstar PB1 - it may be possible to power it from other devices but I don't know. Hope this is helpful and thank you for your comment.
What's your thoughts on the effects, the onboard delay, reverb, etc.? I have been trying out reverb and delay pedals (Flamma, Donner) and think they sound better than what's built into the Blackstar.
I'm not familiar with those pedals you mentioned but I do also own some individual effects pedals and multi-effects etc. In my opinion (I think I'm agreeing with you) I think the effects pedals and dedicated multi-effects I have do sound better than the built in effects on this amp. But, with that said, all the pedals I have (except maybe my tuner) each cost more than this amp. I think that the effects on the amp are great - considering it is a practice amp and probably something a lot of people might consider for their first amp - they give you a chance to have play with basic chorus/delay/reverb effects when you're just starting out and for a reasonable price. I do prefer effects pedals for quality / adjustability (and am fortunate enough to afford them) but for a beginner or someone on a more limited budget I genuinely believe these built in effects are fine to get going with on this amp or other similar ones (I've no connection with Blackstar - I have a little Vox practice amp that is similar - there are lots of brands out there). So, yeah, I totally agree with what you're saying - and thank you for your comment 👍🎸
Thank you Xavi 💌I think it sounds great and is really easy to use 🎸some delay pedals feel really complicated to use? This one is so simple to use and the MOD switch is great to have too 👍
Thanks Xavi for your kind words. I'm actually planning to use it in the effects loop as a simple volume boost - the amp has 2 voicings for each channel so I can easily get a gain boost with the amp.
@@EliteParadox Great advice, I agree. I've done almost all my videos using Windows Editor so far - but I am now learning some better software so that I can improve my presentation going forward. Thanks for the feedback 👍
Without a doubt an excellent sound without the need for pedals, personally in this amp I use an overdrive pedal in front to tighten the low end even more and a 7-band equalizer in the fx loop to control the frequencies of the 100hz and 800hz, i got a super super tight low end and controled mids without sounding "muddy" or "thin".
Totally agreed my friend, you really don't need much else to get a great sound from these amps. Graphic EQ makes a lot of sense on the full gain settings - makes me think of the EQ on the 'Mark series' Boogie amps? . . . do you have any vids of the amp with the EQ? I'd love to hear how that sounds! 🎸🔥👍
@@ramonespinoza7661 I'm looking forward to trying the USB recording out because I use a lot of software - apparently I can record the dry signal as well as the 'emulated' out so I can use that for re-amping in Amplitude 5. As well as the great sound, this amp seems to have some great features for the price!
@@mattsguitarchannel I always use USB recording for my projects since I don't have microphones or audio interface and I use the full signal, I've never tried re-amping
@@mattsguitarchannel i recorded a little demo with the overdrive and the eq, I hope you find it useful. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-_RiuWPUSGrg.html
Hi Ramon, thank you for such a lovely compliment and for taking the time to watch and comment on my channel. Much appreciated. Congratulations to yourself on your own amplifier - we are 'Blackstar Brothers' lol. It's great to know that your amp has been so reliable for you; they seem like a really solid and well built amplifier, they guy I mentioned that inspired me to buy one uses his regularly in a working band. The -10 / +4 switch will make an audible difference but it's not designed for that - the reason is to match the signal level with the effects that you are connecting through the loop. If you're using ordinary guitar foot pedal effects you would normally choose -10; if you are connecting 'pro audio equipment' e.g. a lot of rack mounted gear you would normally use +4. There will probably be some exceptions to this rule so it's always worth checking the info on the equipment you are trying to connect. Hope this helps. Thanks again for your great comment and really good question 👍
To begin with, an excellent video, one of the best explanations about amplifiers that I have seen on RU-vid. Second, CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR NEW AMPLIFIER. I bought a blackstar ht club 40 mkll on holydays in 2019. It's a great amp, it sounds great, and it's very sturdy. Mine has suffered from translating and gigs more than I'd like to accept, and it still works like the first day. Lastly I have a question, is the -10/+4 bd switch supposed to make any audible difference?
It sounds awesome! I'm awaiting some new cameras and then I'll be doing some detailed videos on it so please check back or subscribe. Thanks for your comment.
It's an amazing amp mate, I'll be doing more vids on it once my new cameras arrive so be sure to keep your eyes open for the updates! Happy to let you play on it - but be warned - you will definitely want one! lol
The key to this is your fretting hand tilt. If you look at how he tilts his fingers you should rest the neck right where your index finger meets your hand. curl your index and reach with your ring or pinky finger. I use my ring finger. I learned this on my own. It did take a few weeks of practice but I can do it now in my sleep. Once you get it you'll want to show everyone! have fun!
Sorry for the late reply Stan. Thanks for the message and for taking the time to explain these tips, hopefully anyone watching this can now benefit from your generous information too. Much appreciated & thanks for watching my channel!
