Any shoegazers here????

StrangeDay

New member
What pick-ups do you use/recommend for shoegazing?? :scratchch
What's great for Slowdive, Cure, MBV, and Bethany Curve styles??
 
Re: Any shoegazers here????

It depends on the guitar you are using. Look for lower powered pickups not high gain. I have a set of 59's in my Tele and they are perfect.
 
Re: Any shoegazers here????

Benjy_26 said:
What exactly is "shoegazing" ?

I can't really explain it, but The Cure is a perfect example - kind of moody pop with an emphasis on songwriting and vocals.
 
Re: Any shoegazers here????

Benjy_26 said:
What exactly is "shoegazing" ?
The Cure is somewhat "shoegazy" but not the prime example.
The most reffered to bands in this genre are My Bloody Valentine and Slowdive.
The "shoegaze" term was coined when someone described the way certain European rock groups, in the early 1990s, would just stand still on stage and stare at their feet as they switched between pedals or just chose not to do the typical "rock star" poses.
The music is more like a "wash of sound" where the vocals do not particularly stand out, but get drowned out a bit more (in some cases a lot more) by all of the other noise going on, like the distorted guitars full of reverb and delay. Many times the guitars are very clean as well, but very lush in chorus and rhythmic delay.
 
Re: Any shoegazers here????

Benjy_26 said:
What exactly is "shoegazing" ?

It's the kind of music that makes you feel like looking down at your shoes as you shuffle along, walking slowly, on a cloudy cold and rainy day, kinda depressed but not really because that would mean you cared about something, which you don't since everything you have ever cared about has either:

a) died
b) left you broken-hearted
c) become something you hate and must leave
d) betrayed you in the end
e) been all for nothing since we all die young and jaded
f) commited suicicde because of something you did
g) been killed because of something you DIDN'T do
h) any combination of the above
i) all of the above

So now you don't care about anything...

...except listen to shoegazing music.

I've also referred to it (and heard others refer to it) as "navel-gazing".

Hope that helps! :dance:

For a good introduction to shoegazing, check out The Cure's "Disintegration" (perhaps THE definitive moment of shoegazing) or My Bloody Valentine's "Loveless" Some amazing guitar tones to be found...
 
Re: Any shoegazers here????

wildstar said:
It's the kind of music that makes you feel like looking down at your shoes as you shuffle along, walking slowly, on a cloudy cold and rainy day, kinda depressed but not really because that would mean you cared about something, which you don't since everything you have ever cared about has either:

a) died
b) left you broken-hearted
c) become something you hate and must leave
d) betrayed you in the end
e) been all for nothing since we all die young and jaded
f) commited suicicde because of something you did
g) been killed because of something you DIDN'T do
h) any combination of the above
i) all of the above

So now you don't care about anything...

...except listen to shoegazing music.

That is more typical of Goth music, which you appropriately mentioned 'Disintegration' with.

Shoegaze is ethereal music, with many happy blissfull dreamy moods. I have never heard a shoegaze song that mentioned commiting suicide.
The 'Loveless' album (which you also mentioned) has no depressing tone to it at all whatsoever.

Here are two bands you can listen to:
http://www.myspace.com/daysleepers

http://www.myspace.com/slowdivefans
 
Re: Any shoegazers here????

Well that's the trouble with labeling music, I guess. There's no one authority we can all refer to!

What you call shoegaze music, I (and others) call dream-pop, space-pop, bliss-pop, dream, etc. etc.

Yes, The Cure is often called Goth. But some people think that Goth only means Goth-metal!

Oh well, doesn't matter. It's all good music!
 
Re: Any shoegazers here????

I'm imagining you mean something good for "textures" and "atmospheric" music. I'm gonna guess something high output in the bridge to cut thru all the effects, like a JB maybe. Then something with good cleans in the neck, like a Jazz. I can see those sounding great with alot of chorus, delay, etc.
 
Re: Any shoegazers here????

My friend uses a JB/Jazz setup with his LP. He stuck a Bisby on it to add to his pallet of textures.
 
Re: Any shoegazers here????

Great thread! I love this music, as well as Love & Rockets, Cocteau Twins, Joy Division, etc etc.

I'm about to sell one of my PRS' and get a new guitar that would be primarily used to play this type of "atmospheric" rock. I was thinking of 1 of the following 3.

1) An SG with P-90's
2) Semi-hollow body
3) A Tele

What do you think?
 
Re: Any shoegazers here????

jonnymangia said:
Great thread! I love this music, as well as Love & Rockets, Cocteau Twins, Joy Division, etc etc.

I'm about to sell one of my PRS' and get a new guitar that would be primarily used to play this type of "atmospheric" rock. I was thinking of 1 of the following 3.

1) An SG with P-90's
2) Semi-hollow body
3) A Tele

What do you think?

Semi-hollow! Definitely! Slap a set of 59's, or any other "chimey" pups in there and you'll be in shoegazing heaven. Don't forget your delay pedal and reverb.
 
Re: Any shoegazers here????

I think the SG or Tele would both be great, simply because of the variety of stuff you could do beyond the one style. The semi-hollow would probably do well to, but i'm not real familar with what variety you can get out of them (except feedback at higher settings :)). Now watch me get blasted with pics of Robert Smith playing a Gretsch or something.
Best bet would be to try it out thru a Vetta or something at the shop and see what kind of atmosphere you can dial in-and of course the whole feel of the guitar, etc.
 
Re: Any shoegazers here????

jonnymangia said:
Great thread! I love this music, as well as Love & Rockets, Cocteau Twins, Joy Division, etc etc.

I'm about to sell one of my PRS' and get a new guitar that would be primarily used to play this type of "atmospheric" rock. I was thinking of 1 of the following 3.

1) An SG with P-90's
2) Semi-hollow body
3) A Tele

What do you think?

I think that would be great!! I want an Epiphone dot with a pair of 59's?
My Black Tele has a 59 neck (see below), but there's a Custom 5 bridge. Sounds good, nice and chimey in the bridge, but a little too much bass, and can sometimes sound too high gain.
 
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Re: Any shoegazers here????

blk_tele4.jpg
 
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