Off Topic: What is this thing...?

[GlassMoon26]

Scale The Summit recording "Carving Desert Canyons" Video by Scale The Summit - MySpace Video

At the 30 second mark, what is the thing the guitarist has on his JP7's neck, covering the lower frets? I've seen it before in a recording video, its a matter of great curiosity... :S

[bkrumme]

Probably just a polish cloth or something else wrapped around the neck. All it does is mute the strings so he can record clean passages without a bunch of extra string noise.

[Kaloyan]

+1
I guess it's the only 'invention' that mutes the strings

[Slingy]

It doesn't need to be so big, small hair scrunchie is fine. You need to be able to slide it back behind the nut easily.

[bkrumme]

For live performances, you definitely want to be able to slide it behind the nut, but in the studio I could see leaving it for that passage and then removing it completely.

I saw STS live with DT in August. They were pretty good, and he didn't use anything like that live.

[Adamr]

i use a hair scrunchie round the top of my necks. just above the nut then you can pull it down when u want to do a bit of legato , tapping, etc. just cleans it up nicely.

[agt]

Originally Posted by Adamr

i use a hair scrunchie round the top of my necks. just above the nut then you can pull it down when u want to do a bit of legato , tapping, etc. just cleans it up nicely.

I've seen this before too and wondered what it was. Thanks for clarifying.

[the24thfret]

here's another cheater's trick: if youre playing all fretted notes up high for a solo in the studio, capo a lower fret to lower the string height up high for speed and then combine with the scrunchie for muting. yay!

[That Guy]

I think Micheal Angelo Batio uses the same sort of thing to reduce feedback when he's playing with both his hands.

[marduke]

wow thanks id never heard of these guys before!! love it!!

[cm_17]

Cheating! lol

On the Systemic Chaos DVD you can see passages where John Petrucci has a shirt or something wrapped around the low frets, looks hilarious . Quite a common trick.

There is also the little bit more virtuoso version, like this:

YouTube - Joe Satriani Lesson "The Mystical Potato Head Groove Thing"

YouTube - Joe Satriani Lesson "The Mystical Potato Head Groove Thing"

.

[leftyguitarblue]

Originally Posted by marduke

wow thanks id never heard of these guys before!! love it!!

They opened for Dream Theater on the North American tour. Very talented bunch of guys, and very nice.

[jbhafner]

That would be a polishing cloth wrapped around the neck with a monster cable velcro wrap to hold it in place. I guess since they were recording with an 8 string guitar that it was necessary. Studio time is expensive. 1 take is definitely doable that way.

[Adamr]

Originally Posted by That Guy

I think Micheal Angelo Batio uses the same sort of thing to reduce feedback when he's playing with both his hands.

i believe he has his own product out for string dampening. it sort of a clamp on thing a bit like a capo but just for dampening. but i cant see why unless u purely play guitar passages like he does you would want a permanently fixed version.