JP getting worse?

[mikeyd23]

JP definitely needs to go back to Mark amps. Not digging the Triaxis tone at all recently. The 2011/12 tour with the Mark V, it felt like his palm mutes were punching me in the face.

The Majesty guitar would sound enormous live through the V.

I really loved his Mark V rig, but honestly when I saw them play on the DT12 tour, the Triaxis rig sounded fantastic. It just hasn't been captured well on a live recording yet, as good as BtFW was, the guitar tone was flubby, especially the palm mutes, like you mentioned above. But in the room, actually hearing the Triaxis rig live, it was big, heavy and punchy.

It sounded to me that on BtFW they didn't capture much of the room sound (how the guitar sounded more than an inch or two off the speaker cabinets). The tone sounds digital and a little too effects laden. I feel like it was missing the body that it has when you hear it in the room. Makes me wonder how they captured the sound for the DVD, if they used the mic feed that they use for the house sound live, or if they went directly out of the Triaxis rig. Either way it sounded like it could have used a couple extra mics that night sitting a foot or more back off the cabs to blend with the mics right up on the speaker grills.

[Voices]

JP definitely needs to go back to Mark amps. Not digging the Triaxis tone at all recently. The 2011/12 tour with the Mark V, it felt like his palm mutes were punching me in the face.

The Majesty guitar would sound enormous live through the V.

I really loved his Mark V rig, but honestly when I saw them play on the DT12 tour, the Triaxis rig sounded fantastic. It just hasn't been captured well on a live recording yet, as good as BtFW was, the guitar tone was flubby, especially the palm mutes, like you mentioned above. But in the room, actually hearing the Triaxis rig live, it was big, heavy and punchy.

It sounded to me that on BtFW they didn't capture much of the room sound (how the guitar sounded more than an inch or two off the speaker cabinets). The tone sounds digital and a little too effects laden. I feel like it was missing the body that it has when you hear it in the room. Makes me wonder how they captured the sound for the DVD, if they used the mic feed that they use for the house sound live, or if they went directly out of the Triaxis rig. Either way it sounded like it could have used a couple extra mics that night sitting a foot or more back off the cabs to blend with the mics right up on the speaker grills.

This! I thought I was the only one who loved the Triaxis rig.

[mikeyd23]

This! I thought I was the only one who loved the Triaxis rig.

You definitely aren't the only one. I'd be curious to hear what the Triaxis rig would have sounded like on BtFW captured and produced with the audio quality of LaB or Score. People's opinions may be different then... It's certainly a little different of a sound, but its a great sounding rig, IMO.

[efx]

I don't really have much of an opinion on whether he is more or less sloppy than he was at another point in time but I will say that if he hypothetically was it could be a million other factors than just "age". Playing an instrument isn't analogous to say playing sports in that there are so many examples out there in many genres where people play late late into their years with the same skill they had earlier. This is very evident in many classical musicians for example. And of course as stated earlier in this thread, MM and JR have been extremely even over the years.

In this case, maybe the relentless practicing he did when he was young took a backseat to other priorities in his life as they appeared (family etc)?

Considering the evidence based on others I don't think he couldn't play as well now as he could at any other point in his career.

[gabeh1018]

I' d like to preface my post, by stating this is by no means a knock on JP considering he is by far my favorite  guitar player
but compared to the likes of the steve vais, paul gilberts and marty friedmans of the guitar playing community it seems as though JP has to work harder to   replicate what he has laid down in the studio
that being said it always amazes me how he is able to faithfully reproduce the end if this dying soul and the in the name of god unison but on the same token have difficulty reproducing certain leads that seem inferior as far as their technicality  goes
anyone else agree?

[Skeever]

I don't think it's really a loss of ability, but I wouldn't be surprised if he spends less time practicing his parts than he did in his 30s.

[DebraKadabra]

JP getting worse?

I dare you to say that to his face. Da Bear will rip it off as you say it LOL 

ON topic - No, I don't believe so. Everyone is human and has good days and bad days, regardless of what they do to pay their bills. Cut the guy SOME slack at least - he's not a robot.

[Darkstarshades]

Yeah don't say that.
JP's arms are powerful enough to shred with your pubic hair.

[rumborak]

I don't think it's really a loss of ability, but I wouldn't be surprised if he spends less time practicing his parts than he did in his 30s.

I don't know. He plays the same tunes and solos day after day, for months on end.

[efx]

Playing is different that practicing though.

[?]

I don't think it's really a loss of ability, but I wouldn't be surprised if he spends less time practicing his parts than he did in his 30s.

I don't know. He plays the same tunes and solos day after day and night after night.

FTFY.

[Tomislav95]

ROOOOOAAAAAR!
Seriously though, it may be he is not practicing playing older songs note by note. But I think it's ridiculous to say he's getting any worse.

[gmillerdrake]

Seriously though, it may be he is not practicing playing older songs note by note. But I think it's ridiculous to say he's getting any worse.

The entire thing is silly. Sure, there are a couple clips here and there where he's missed a note or didn't nail a solo exactly....but it's still incredible playing. The guy has produced a quadrillion notes of the utmost difficulty and in the rare instance he misses one of them or changes them he's lambasted as 'getting worse' 


As far as the sound or whatever that whole discussion is....I'm so thankful not to have that level of knowledge about the music and can just appreciate how awesome it is.

[Podaar]

JP getting worse?

I dare you to say that to his face. Da Bear will rip it off as you say it LOL 

ON topic - No, I don't believe so. Everyone is human and has good days and bad days, regardless of what they do to pay their bills. Cut the guy SOME slack at least - he's not a robot.

Hey this is DTF! Next month someone will start a thread saying that JP plays too robotically. They will hold up as evidence that he doesn't play live solos differently than in the studio and that he rarely makes any mistakes.

[gmillerdrake]

More evidence that JP is not getting worse. The Wachen Set that is now on YouTube. Theory....destroyed.

[gm5k]

More evidence that JP is not getting worse. The Wachen Set that is now on YouTube. Theory....destroyed.

Yep.  Not much to discuss IMO after that performance 

[ResultsMayVary]

More evidence that JP is not getting worse. The Wachen Set that is now on YouTube. Theory....destroyed.

While you could make an argument about James (he had a bad show unfortunately), you can't for JP. He (and the rest of the guys) fucking nailed it.

[CDrice]

I'd like to to play guitar as bad as JP does...   

[Podaar]

I couldn't help but think of this thread the whole time I was watching JP tear it up on the Waken video. The solo and ending riffs of BTV was absolutely incredible. I'm grateful I'm not sophisticated enough to detect his errors.