UGH! Yuck! Have you ever had one of those days? :(

Eywadude

Lunatic Member
I just picked up my guitar a little while ago and it was one of those days where my setup (not me) just sounded terrible. It's one of those rare days where no matter what you do to get a good tone out of your rig, you just can't. I wound up giving up about a half an hour into it and had to sit my guitar back down in frustration. Today was one of the worst and least inspiring tone days I've had in a good while. Everything just seemed so stiff, lifeless and soulless sounding. It seems about once or maybe twice a year I get a day like that where, for whatever reason, everything just sounds flat. I've wondered if varying voltage from the wall has anything to do with it? I've also heard theories about changing humidity/air densities and whatnot too. I've always wanted to try a voltage regulator with my guitar amp though.

Anyway, have you ever had one of those days where you just had to give up because it just wasn't doing anything for you?
 
yes, I don't know if it's psychological or what, actually I think it might be. I've had that just playing my acoustic guitar, some days I pick it up and and just say bleh and set it down. Other days I'll play for hours getting into it, and like how it's sounding.
 
yes, I don't know if it's psychological or what, actually I think it might be. I've had that just playing my acoustic guitar, some days I pick it up and and just say bleh and set it down. Other days I'll play for hours getting into it, and like how it's sounding.

Yeah, normally I would say it's psychological, but I was actually really excited and motivated to play. Once I started to play, the chops, the technique and the passion was there, but the tone just wasn't. It's funny too, because I was really looking forward to playing yesterday. :rolleyes: I'll probably play later today, so we'll see if the "tone remains the same". lol
 
I just picked up my guitar a little while ago and it was one of those days where my setup (not me) just sounded terrible. It's one of those rare days where no matter what you do to get a good tone out of your rig, you just can't. I wound up giving up about a half an hour into it and had to sit my guitar back down in frustration. Today was one of the worst and least inspiring tone days I've had in a good while. Everything just seemed so stiff, lifeless and soulless sounding. It seems about once or maybe twice a year I get a day like that where, for whatever reason, everything just sounds flat. I've wondered if varying voltage from the wall has anything to do with it? I've also heard theories about changing humidity/air densities and whatnot too. I've always wanted to try a voltage regulator with my guitar amp though.

Anyway, have you ever had one of those days where you just had to give up because it just wasn't doing anything for you?

While not precisely the same phenomenon as you've described it, I have had days where a particular "open" tuning I usually adore just isn't working for me, it's as if I am hearing every microtonal-level incongruity -- dissonance -- so nuanced that I'm trying to determine if it is real or imagined. BTW, this phenomenon almost impacts my main acoustic geetar, never one of the dozen or so electric. Weird.

So then I start "tuning tweaking" and things (as these things tend to do) go south and the dissonance(s) are no longer "imagined" but real indeed. My "remedy" is to walk away from the thing for a day or two, return w/ another geetar in the same "open" tuning, re-adjust the tuning of the acoustic and --- voila! -- all is well again w/ the world and my old Gibson J-45 until....
 
IMO, it's in your head. I don't play any instruments professionally but I do listen to my system fairly often and sometimes I just don't get much out of it. Later on, everything is good.
 
IMO, it's in your head. I don't play any instruments professionally but I do listen to my system fairly often and sometimes I just don't get much out of it. Later on, everything is good.

Oh, I know it's only temporary. It's just weird is all.
 
While not precisely the same phenomenon as you've described it, I have had days where a particular "open" tuning I usually adore just isn't working for me, it's as if I am hearing every microtonal-level incongruity -- dissonance -- so nuanced that I'm trying to determine if it is real or imagined. BTW, this phenomenon almost impacts my main acoustic geetar, never one of the dozen or so electric. Weird.

So then I start "tuning tweaking" and things (as these things tend to do) go south and the dissonance(s) are no longer "imagined" but real indeed. My "remedy" is to walk away from the thing for a day or two, return w/ another geetar in the same "open" tuning, re-adjust the tuning of the acoustic and --- voila! -- all is well again w/ the world and my old Gibson J-45 until....

Yeah, I actually wound up not playing yesterday. We'll see what it sounds like when I come back to it. Luckily this doesn't happen too often. lol It's just funny because I have been really enjoying the tone of my Squier '51 lately; playing it pretty much exclusively for the last month or so instead of my '68 SG Standard. I love that lil' Squire. I LOVE my SG, but I'd probably sell the SG before I sold the Squire '51. It has this extreme vocal "cocked wah" sound in the bridge humbucker that I just love when overdriven. I remember when I bought it I had someone offer me $500 because of the tone alone, even before he knew what it was. I bought the thing brand new for $220 in 2004. I've played other '51s, but they don't sound as good as this one, even with the same strings, action, pickup heights, etc. This is probably one of those "to my grave" kind of guitars. Still wish I had my old '65 SG Standard though. :( That thing was a tone monster.
 
Another +1 on humidity a wet guitar will not resonate.
Knock on a wet (green) piece of wood then knock on a dry one ...day and night difference.
If there is high humidity it will also effect your speaker cabinet and the paper cone of your speaker.
Add in to the equation high humidity in the air also effects how sound waves travel.

Don't sweat it everybody has off days.. power thru it !
We are all our worst critics and it almost never as bad as you think..
Chances are 90% of it's in your head.
Funny thing is I have had shows that I thought "Tonight just sucked.. my tone sucked , my playing sucked, I had to force myself thru each song! Band wasn't locked in. (Total shit show in my mind!) And then 5 minuets after the show had multiple folks come up and tell me 'WOW it was the best show that they have ever seen us play! You guys were tight and on fire!"

Same thing happens sometimes in the studio I have had sessions that I thought "I am just not feeling it!" and even apologize and offer to come back and redo the tracks for free.....Only to have the producer send me the tracks a few weeks later mixed and be shocked thats not at all the trainwreck I imagined in my head.

All artist have ups and downs.
Not every painting is going to be a masterpiece not every song or performance is going to be epic your best ever.
Thats what makes the great ones special....Just because it was not your best ever doesn't mean it sucked or was even bad.
We all strive for the magic and when it happens you know it!
Just make sure that you enjoy it and don't beat your self up if it was pretty good.....but not great or magical.

I saw a documentary about Bill Withers when asked if he had advise for younger musicians..
His reply has stuck with me (I am parprasing but you will get the jest of it.)
"Learn to enjoy the pretty good in life" Everybody strives for perfection which is a fine goal.
But if you are hung up on perfection. You will miss out on the pretty good....And sometimes pretty good is as good as it ever gets...
Don't miss the best part of life chasing the impossible".... "So.. Yes my advice is learn to enjoy the pretty good in your life and music!'

Cheers
PQ
 
I have the same thing happen in my system at home. I’m lucky enough to live near one of the top audio shops in the country and know the owner fairly well. Also, one of AK’s better tech guys is part of this shop. I mentioned to them that different days sound different on my system and wondered if that was possible. Was told very much so. Everything from the quality of the power, temperature, humidity, etc would affect the sound I was hearing. I’m beginning to wonder if a quality power conditioner might help in my system, but just can’t quite get to rationaliazing spending the dollars for one that is top quality.
 
I have the same thing happen in my system at home. I’m lucky enough to live near one of the top audio shops in the country and know the owner fairly well. Also, one of AK’s better tech guys is part of this shop. I mentioned to them that different days sound different on my system and wondered if that was possible. Was told very much so. Everything from the quality of the power, temperature, humidity, etc would affect the sound I was hearing. I’m beginning to wonder if a quality power conditioner might help in my system, but just can’t quite get to rationaliazing spending the dollars for one that is top quality.

Furman makes decent quality power conditioners at a reasonable cost.
PQ
 
I too think much of it is psychological, specifically not feeling that emotional groove you did the day before. In a nutshell, "just not in the mood." Some days it's as though I picked up my guitar for the first time, "what is this thing?" If the settings and all are the same, it doesn't make sense that it literally sounds that different. Yeah I just go do something else on those days.
 
Well, hope the OP's back in his groove...

Lost one of my fav. ball caps.. only two places I keep it is on my head or a hook. like 'mystery of the inca's'... Been raining so much I've lost track of sunny days.. barimetric pressure really screws with my ears??.. but that has nothing to do with losing a cap.

Watched the Daytona 500 on internet and I think they 'neutered' it with stage 1,.2,3 racing and closing the pits.. killing the pit stop time strategy. What? These young drivers can't haul it for 500mi.?

Had a call early this week from a guy who wanted to look at buying my epi les paul.. apparently his wife took his away and started playing it for herself.. So he hints she says 'we have enough guitars' but he wants a LP.. So I don't hear from him to see it today...so talk about getting 'fixed'...no balls.

Well glory be... just found my hat under a stack of folded laundry.. :D
 
Maybe a good omen... LP guy will be here 'bout 1/2 hour.

Got the marshall valvestate set up and getting a hint of a radio station.. never had that before.. you guys ever get that? no louder than the standing marshall hum. sheesh.. prob. some frigging station exceeding their band or a skip.. lol
 
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