Riff-Off 1.1: Gear?Check-Skills?Meh vs. Cookie Dough

[Pink Unicorn Horsey]

PLEASE READ THE ENTIRE POST BEFORE VOTING!​

You are voting for your favorite riff in Round 1 of the December 2009 Riff-Off. More information about the Riff-Off can be found here. In this round, there are eight head-to-head matches. Be sure to check out and vote for your favorite riff in the other seven Round 1 matches, also found in the Tips and Clips room. To view the bracket for this month's Riff-Off, go here.

Because not all contestants have access to the same quality of recording equipment, your voting decision should be based first on the actual composition, second on the player's execution of the riff. Try to look past recording quality. Some questions you may want to ask yourself while considering which way to vote: What is the emotional impact of the riff? How original is the riff? Does the riff inspire me? Would I want to hear a whole song built off this riff?

Note that each contestant has chosen a battle name for the Riff-Off; their identities have been hidden from all other contestants and the voting public, and will be revealed at the end of the Riff-Off, when a champion is crowned.

Lastly, while comments are strongly encouraged, please realize that each contestant put personal time and creative energy into his or her submission. If you have any critique to provide in this thread, give the contestants the courtesy of making it constructive. This competition is built on the premises of fun and musical growth.

Here are the links to each clip in this head-to-head:

Gear?Check-Skills?Meh

Cookie Dough

If you run into any technical issues or have other question regarding the Riff-Off, contact me via email (kgmessier at gmail dot com).

Have fun!

- Keith

 

[DrNewcenstein]

Re: Riff-Off 1.1: Gear?Check-Skills?Meh vs. Cookie Dough

Nice job, fellas.

 

[Markk]

Re: Riff-Off 1.1: Gear?Check-Skills?Meh vs. Cookie Dough

Gearskills has a sound that could lend itself to a song.
Cookiedough is good, but sounds like something an equipment tester would play as a quick shot to show something off. The transition from the power chord part to single notes sounds maybe a little too forced? I'm having a hard time envisioning it with a band (drums, bass).

 

[DrNewcenstein]

Re: Riff-Off 1.1: Gear?Check-Skills?Meh vs. Cookie Dough

As a counter-point, I'm hearing just a bit too much Unchained in GearSkills', but Cookie's reminds me favorably of AC/DC, and I'm slightly more of a VH fan than AC/DC.

 

[misterwhizzy]

Re: Riff-Off 1.1: Gear?Check-Skills?Meh vs. Cookie Dough

As a counter-point, I'm hearing just a bit too much Unchained in GearSkills'.

This is one of the reasons I voted for Cookie Dough. I felt like GearSkills' riff was not very original, and I don't think it's really fair to pit Cookie Dough against Eddie Van Halen. Maybe I'm wrong, though, I can hear almost EXACTLY what the song built around GearSkills' riff would be...

 

[sosomething]

Re: Riff-Off 1.1: Gear?Check-Skills?Meh vs. Cookie Dough

voted.

 

[guitfiddle]

Re: Riff-Off 1.1: Gear?Check-Skills?Meh vs. Cookie Dough

vote in

 

[Fresno Bob]

Re: Riff-Off 1.1: Gear?Check-Skills?Meh vs. Cookie Dough

Voted

 

[tone4days]

Re: Riff-Off 1.1: Gear?Check-Skills?Meh vs. Cookie Dough

voted - tough one - about even

 

[elscorcho]

Re: Riff-Off 1.1: Gear?Check-Skills?Meh vs. Cookie Dough

voted

 

[Blue Calx]

Re: Riff-Off 1.1: Gear?Check-Skills?Meh vs. Cookie Dough

Cookie Dough, that first little 4-note legato thing just rolled off!

 

[Jake]

Re: Riff-Off 1.1: Gear?Check-Skills?Meh vs. Cookie Dough

voted

 

[ratherdashing]

Re: Riff-Off 1.1: Gear?Check-Skills?Meh vs. Cookie Dough

I too immediately heard "Unchained" in GCSM's riff. It is well played to be sure, but so is Cookie Dough's.

Well done to you both!

 

[crusty philtrum]

Re: Riff-Off 1.1: Gear?Check-Skills?Meh vs. Cookie Dough

Voted. It's hard to try to listen through those sounds, as they hurt my ears. But i bravely listened through the artificial sounds to find the actual riffs.

 

[GoDrex]

Re: Riff-Off 1.1: Gear?Check-Skills?Meh vs. Cookie Dough

Voted. It's hard to try to listen through those sounds, as they hurt my ears. But i bravely listened through the artificial sounds to find the actual riffs.

oh what a trooper

 

[B2D]

Re: Riff-Off 1.1: Gear?Check-Skills?Meh vs. Cookie Dough

Voted. It's hard to try to listen through those sounds, as they hurt my ears. But i bravely listened through the artificial sounds to find the actual riffs.

Because not all contestants have access to the same quality of recording equipment, your voting decision should be based first on the actual composition, second on the player's execution of the riff. Try to look past recording quality.

 

[sosomething]

Re: Riff-Off 1.1: Gear?Check-Skills?Meh vs. Cookie Dough

Gear?Check-Skills?Meh

Unchained-esque chord flourishes aside, this is a pretty cool riff. I actually found it to sound more reminiscent of something like an early-90s Pearl Jam or similar grunge-era vibe than Van Halen.
The tone is a little buzzy and saturated for my taste here, but I'm capable of listening past it and not letting it affect my judgment.
I can hear the drums coming in over this in my head and there's a nice groove coming from the right hand.
Nice work.

​

Cookie Dough

I'm digging the EQ curve on the tone here, but the OD character is sounding a little "preamp"y to me and the vibe might have benefited from less gain. That said, it's a cool riff. Remember, also, that I am NOT basing any portion of my vote on tone - I just find it impossible to ignore in my comments.
Case in point - if tone mattered in this tourney, Cookie Dough would win. In this case, however, I have to give my point to Gear?Check-Skills?Meh based on the better (to my ears) groove and intensity.
​

 

[Redmist]

Re: Riff-Off 1.1: Gear?Check-Skills?Meh vs. Cookie Dough

Voted

 

[LesStrat]

Re: Riff-Off 1.1: Gear?Check-Skills?Meh vs. Cookie Dough

Votiferated!

 

[exnihilo]

Re: Riff-Off 1.1: Gear?Check-Skills?Meh vs. Cookie Dough

Voted. Very close.

cg