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What’s new at Zystrix? Read on… December 9, 2024 Zystrix introduces… Guitar Pickups -- Third and Final Part. We started by covering the most popular humbucking guitar pickups in the first issue. To read it click here. Then it was about what makes a good guitar pickup good, and what to look for in quality and build when buying a guitar pickup. Click here to read part two. This third time it’s about the alternatives to expensive new pickups. And finally, as a special surprise, the band Dangerous Neighbors has a new neo-classical piano tune download called Pulling Out the Rug. So sit back and relax. Welcome to Zystrix, the heartbeat of the universe. Where creativity and free-thinking have more value than conformity. Background Artwork The colorful artwork that surrounds the edges of this website is invisible to many cell phone users. It’s included here for your enjoyment. Multiple copies are tiled together for a cohesive and seamless background seen all around this page. Enjoy. Introduction to Guitar Pickups Part Three In this section we’ll go over ways to improve the sound of your guitar with a new pickup installation, and we’ll also cover other methods that sound very good without modifying your guitar at all. Here we go... Alternative New Pickups That Sound Great Not all guitar pickups that sound great have a great big price tag. There are some very good pickups sold in the USA available online from Guitar Fettish in Florida. Their pickups range from about $30 to $40 each USA and sound quite good. Some names are the Fat Pat (their take on a vintage PAF pickup with Alnico 5 magnets), the Cruchy Pat (their take on a vintage PAF pickup with ceramic magnets -- similar to the DiMarzio Super Distortion), the Vintage Extra Hot (their take on a “brown sound” vintage PAF pickup with ceramic magnets), the Power Rails (their take on a DiMarzio DP102 X2N with ceramic magnets), and the Crunchy Rails (a tighter and more focused version of the Power Rails). Haunt their website and check out the deals. I especially like the guitar kits and associated parts there too. There are even alternatives to the above mentioned pickups (at least at the time of this writing pre- tarrifs) that sound just as good as well known brands like we covered in part one. And I know there are some guitarists who don’t want to hear this, but excellent pickups can also be had that are made in China. And to my ear there is no real audible difference between Chinese pickups and ones made in the USA. There are several videos that bare this out. And there are Chinese pickups that look the same as (or inspired by) many of the brands you are familiar with like EMG, DiMarzio, and Seymour Duncan. For an example, an active EMG 81 and EMG 85 pair sell for about $30 USA with shipping included. Donlis is a brand on Ali Express I would recommend for great pickups at a great price (about $20 USA each). The problem with Ali Express is the shipping time – often about two weeks or possibly more. On Amazon, which has much faster shipping, there are the brands Saphue, Wilkinson, Fleor, and Metallor, and these pickups all get at least 4 stars or better. And if they are passive pickups makes no difference, because next we shall explore... Alternatives to New Pickups I’ve used both passive and active guitar pickups (I built the circuit myself) and I have to say that passive guitar pickups are better. Why? It’s better to get the active electronics out of the guitar and onto the floor where it can be controlled by the click of a switch with your foot. And there’s no more batteries to change in your guitar. Also, the active part of the guitar pickups can be an always-on force-of-evil pedal. Or not. It’s your choice. Pedals like a simple 6 or 7 band EQ with the EQ flat (or not) and the volume slider increased by about 6dB is a great way to have an “active” pickup. Another way would be to use a one-knob type boost pedal like the DemonFX 66 to get the pickup output hotter. There are many other pedals that can be used for an active electronic pickup sound or to make it sound even better. Try a pedal with some boost and a little breakup like the Blues Breaker by Marshall (or a clone), or the MXR Duke of Tone, the Blues Crab by Mooer, or the Boss Blues Driver. Another great way for “active” pickups is a Klon or a great Klon emulation like the Mosky Golden Horse or Marksman. Another great option is a MXR Timmy, or a Vemuram Jam Ray pedal, or an even better sounding pedal like the Pure Sky by Caline (my favorite pedal that invisibly rocks). Or try an excellent combination pedal like the Analog Man King of Tone (a long wait time and expensive pedal) or the DemonFX King of Drive, or the DemonFX ‘83 (another favorite) . As you can see, the active electronics flavor of the day can be easily changed without taking your guitar apart. Simply trading out a pedal or two does the job. Any of these options can sound as good or better than active pickups, and with a little experimentation the options are nearly endless. That’s something active pickups cannot do (at least not yet). Another way to do it is the Blue Cat Re-Guitar pickup changer software. This software emulates many kinds of electric and acoustic pickup tones, or you can create your own. So it’s possible to keep your same guitar and get other pickup sounds you like without the need to modify your instrument. Choose the pickup you are using and then choose from many other pickups for the output signal. Voila! Instant pickup change, or at least the sound character. It’s also possible to change the sound of a pre-recorded guitar with this software and make it sound like what you choose on the fly. You can also craft your own hollow body guitar tone using the body simulator. Another way to change your guitar pickup sound is with the Mooer Tone Capture GTR pedal. This one emulates the sound of a different guitar that the player captures into the pedal. Unfortunately this pedal has no “library” of sampled guitar tones, and for me that’s a deal breaker. But on the other hand, if you own several guitars (or if you know someone who does) and don’t want to take all of them to a gig then this may be your answer. It also doubles as a fancy guitar EQ pedal. Conclusion We’ve quickly covered a lot of territory in this three issue guitar pickup seminar. And the options offered here aren’t for everybody, but that’s the beauty of it. There’s a lot to remember and use at your discretion. Please do. The next time you decide to change your guitar pickups you’ll have more info at your disposal. And more information is always more better. Did I say more better? Naw. Pulling out the Rug by Dangerous Neighbors This 5-minute piano tune is about unexpectedly removing any opportunity from an enemy, thereby undermining and sabotaging any advantages they may have had, and leaving them in a much more difficult situation. This is a common theme in fiction. To download the solo piano tune Pulling Out the Rug click here. Don’t touch that dial… Stay tuned next time… And there you have it; we covered a lot of ground on guitar pickups. And there’s so much more to be explored. Next time in the Christmas and New Year issue (the last one of the year) we’ll talk about the gear needed to sound like Jimi Hendrix. But you can’t sound like Hendrix just by purchasing gear. Nope. His licks are do-able, but his feel is a serious challenge. Maybe I’ll see you next time. I’ve been told I should use glue instead of Chapstick. Knowledge, art, and music for all.

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ZYSTRIX POPULAR FREE DOWNLOADS The Best Free Synthesizers of 2024 It’s another epic issue, and there’s lots of FREE downloads here. And the Honorable Mention Synthesizer List might surprise you. This list is long, so prepare yourself. And if it seems like too much to take in, I warned you. Click here for the official list of The Best Free Synthesizers of 2024. The Best Free Mastering Plugins Your DAW (digital audio workstation) will be so happy. And so will you. Here are the best of the best for EQ, compression, limiting, tube and tape emulation, reverb, delay, and honorable mentions. This list is a must have with lots of downloads. Check out The Best FREE Plugins for Mastering 2024. Here’s a free download of almost one and a half hours of original neo-classical solo piano by Dangerous Neighbors. This full length album called Piano Top to Bottom consists of 18 original piano pieces with the final piece in two movements. There is a bonus track making 20 files total. This download comes in three format options: the first option is a single file MP3 containing all the tunes in one chunk similar to tape recordings. The second download option is a folder with all of the separate MP3 piano pieces named and arranged in album order similar to a CD or MP3 player. The third download option is similar to videos found on “ZooTube” with the names and times on the screen. There is also a fourth surprise version made only for “ZooTube” and it is edited down to less than 15 minutes long because of their telephone number required rule. Basically it just guides the listener here. To download any or all of these options simply click here. Enjoy. Free Guitar Cabinet Impulse Responses Introducing the next generation in guitar cabinet impulse responses. Try the new Djammincabs Maxxx 4x12. All of these cab IR files are based on old, new, and boutique 4x12 cab curves. All are recorded in beautiful 24-bit 48K mono and will work on most free and paid digital convolvers. 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Djammincabs for Guitar Free Guitar Impulse Responses This is the original Djammincabs guitar cabinet impulse response collection that started it all. Click here to download over 200 Free Guitar Cabinet Impulse Responses. Djammincabs for Bass Guitar Download Free Bass Impulse Responses Click here to download over 200 Free Bass Guitar Cabinet Impulse Responses. Best Free Guitar Impulses. The Top 11 Best Free Guitar and Bass Cabinet Impulse Responses for 2022 (in alphabetical order…) Find, download, and test the best free guitar cabinet impulse responses for 2022. FREE BASS LOOPS SAMPLES DOWNLOAD ROYALTY FREE BASS LOOP SAMPLES FREE BASS LOOPS Over 200 samples are included in the collection Download the complete collection of 24-bit bass loops here. NOTE: This download size is approximately 369 Megs. Free Pendulate Synthesizer Presets Original Newfangled Audio Pendulate synth patches/presets Click here to download over 240 Free Pendulate Synth Presets (patches) Synapse Audio Dune Synthesizer Download Over 200 Free Synapse Audio Dune 2 and Dune 3 Synthesizer Patches and Presets Click here to download over 200 FREE Synapse Audio Dune 2 or Dune 3 synthesizer patches or presets. NOTE: This synth patch download is slightly over 1 Meg in size. Free Reverb Impulse Responses Choose from hundreds available in 48K 24 bit WAV format including new original reverbs. CabSpace Over 400 Guitar Isolation Booth Reverbs Download over 400 Free Zystrix Original Reverb Impulse Responses, and over 200 Free Zystrix Original BONUS Reverb Impulse Responses. Download all the Alesis MIDIVerb 4 reverb impulse responses. Download all the Lexicon MPX-1 reverb impulse responses. Download all the Alesis Wedge reverb impulse responses. Download over 50 Reverb Relics from the past. Click here to download free reverb impulse responses. Free Drum Samples Only Available from Zystrix Free Gong Samples and Sounds Free Snare Drum Samples and Sounds Free Bass Drum Samples and Sounds Free Oriental Cymbal Samples and Sounds Free Oriental Bells Samples and Sounds The Ultimate Original Drum Sounds List Download over 2000 original slammin’ rock bass drums. Download original Gongs, Cymbals, Broken Cymbals, and Bells. Download Over 200 Free Original Bass Drum Sounds and Samples. Download over 200 Original Free snare drum sounds. Click here to download Drum Kit Sounds. Dangerous Neighbors The SW Michigan Rock Band Power Trio. Free Rockin’ Music Downloads Download tunes from the 80s to today. Use the special codes on the Embalmed for Life page (see the DOWNLOAD FREE AUDIO BOOKS link below) and get free downloads for the complete album and the free horror audio book The Fluid - Embalmed for Life. Click here to download various music from the rock band Dangerous Neighbors. Download Free Synth Samples for Intros, Interludes, and Endings Listen to example #01 by clicking here (MP3 Sample) Download FREE professional quality stereo sample packs that slowly evolve over time. All samples are in 48K 24 bit WAV format and are about 20 seconds long or more. If you like suspense, psycho, outer space, or terror then this collection is for you. These range from paranoia to sci-fi, cinematic gore to strange industrial horror, and creepy creatures to insane laboratories. Click here to download all the synth Intros, Interludes, and Endings. DOWNLOAD FREE AUDIO BOOKS The Fluid, Embalmed for Life There are Free Audio Book codes for Audible downloads (must sign up). There are also free sample downloads of the book reading. There are free downloads of music samples. There is a free “Look Inside” download of the paperback. There is a free glossary of the largest list of mortuary slang in the world. The Free Dangerous Neighbors Album The Fluid, Embalmed for Life comes included as part of the audio book and parts are available here as a free download. The paperback book is available for sale at Amazon dot com. I have no control over these sales; because of the Amazon agreement I cannot offer complete paperback or complete audio books here. And for some reason most book sales go to Japan. Who would have thunk it? Click here for free audio books, book reading samples, music samples, etc. Take me back to the top of the page. Zystrix Privacy Policy THE FINE PRINT: Zystrix is a world leader in personal privacy and we take your privacy very seriously. We do not store, sell, give away, or barter with any of your personal or private information including your email, IP address, links clicked, location, habits, tastes, online activities and behaviors, or anything else considered personal or private information. We never have. 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