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Why is there still no authentic funk guitar library a la Cory Wong?

T

toneage

New Member
I own almost all relevant libraries that can do funk rhythm patterns/licks (Shreddage series, Orange Tree series, Prominy SC2, Pettinhouse, Antonov Samples, Ample Guitar etc.). While some of them get the job done more or less, they are all just not on point and for the final production you always have to get a real guitarist to make it sound realistic.
I'm really wondering why no company has created such a library yet, it should very well be possible with nowadays technology. Compared to the existing libraries, funk guitarists will strum the strings a lot more heavily/aggressively and also have more stages of muting (anyone who listens to Vulfpeck or knows Cory Wong, will know what I mean).
If anyone here is doing custom sample libraries for a repsective payment or knows another good solution, please help!
Click to read more...
 
String muting happens in right as well as left hand. Such fast coordination on a library would be cumbersome to play and worse to program it and won't just work. Besides how will you combine with bends, slides and hamner ons? Now add to all that a wah properly played during execution. It's like you'll have to program almost every note with an articulation plus drawing dynamics and wah.

That's why non guitar players use loops and there are still new libraries regarding this.

If you have good ryhthm chops, hand coordinatio and get a Squier, you will be there in no time. Like if you're good at percussion, it won't get that cumbersome.
 
Have you tried AAS Strum GS-2? It excels at funk, and because it's modelled you can really sculpt the tone before it goes into the fx, rather than relying on the fx to shape the fixed tone of samples.
It also has, IMO, the most intuitive way of creating your own patterns, and even licks. No matter your skill level, you're never going to coax Parisenne Walkways out of it, but that's not what it was built for. As long as all you ask of it is strummed and picked parts, it's very, very good.
The cheapest way to get it is buy the Session version (only available individually at PB, I think) and then upgrade.

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It's not difficult on principle, just need the right kinds of muting, a few velocity layers and slides. But to not make it take forever to program would take a good strumming engine that has the "right" patterns. Just seems nobody's gotten around to making that yet, even though this is (in theory at least) a much more commercially viable guitar style than metal, for which we have dozens of libraries.

I mean, Cory Wong aside, there's Nile Rodgers...
 
I mainly use scarbee funk guitarist and authentic soundware's the commodore for my funky guitars, the scarbee interface is terrible and I wish they'd make a v2 of it with easier customization, the commodore is great

 
LinusW said:
Cory Wong has his own loop library at Splice.
Click to expand...

For Logic & Garage Band users he also created a whole producer pack too.

To @OP's question about a VI, Scarbee's Funk Guitarist is gonna get you in that wheelhouse for sure, it has a lot of the bread and butter techniques used by the likes of Cory and Nile Rodgers etc. NI's Electric Mint has a few decent funk presets too.

Cory has a certain style of right-hand playing which is super fast and a couple tricks of his sleeve. I've taken his guitar course actually (still working my way through it) and while he's incredibly talented and can play some crazy stuff, 85% of what he does is solid rhythm playing with muting techniques, which ultimately isn't the hardest thing in town. My point being shouldn't be the hardest thing to pull off with any one of these libraries and a lot of smacky compression which I know he loves.
 
wing said:
Cory has a certain style of right-hand playing which is super fast and a couple tricks of his sleeve.
Click to expand...

The Helicopter Hand which he defines as a disgusting to see technique :grin: . I have arthrosis in both elbows and always loved to play such rythyms but I can endure that long, or can't have short bursts without pain. So it's indeed a technique that needs you to relax your whole body and transfer all energy to both hands. Jack Gardiner has the next step chops, have you seen him?

Anyway, keep going before age hits is my recommendation.

On the One!
 
toneage said:
I own almost all relevant libraries that can do funk rhythm patterns/licks (Shreddage series, Orange Tree series, Prominy SC2, Pettinhouse, Antonov Samples, Ample Guitar etc.). While some of them get the job done more or less, they are all just not on point and for the final production you always have to get a real guitarist to make it sound realistic.
I'm really wondering why no company has created such a library yet, it should very well be possible with nowadays technology. Compared to the existing libraries, funk guitarists will strum the strings a lot more heavily/aggressively and also have more stages of muting (anyone who listens to Vulfpeck or knows Cory Wong, will know what I mean).
If anyone here is doing custom sample libraries for a repsective payment or knows another good solution, please help!
Click to expand...
The challenge here is to accurately recreate the playing character and style of a specific musician such as Corey Wong.
 
Yeah, loops are more human-sounding but it's so limited when composing - you're bound by the style, tempo, guitar sound ala Wong, key signatures, adding a bridge, chorus, etc.
It's a breeze for us who can play funk. I can sympathize with you that available samples are not yet as versatile and complete to match Corey Wong's style
and technique. It's a niche market but hopefully you can make do of what's out there at the moment. Otherwise, hire a real player. All the best!
 
EanS said:
The Helicopter Hand which he defines as a disgusting to see technique :grin: . I have arthrosis in both elbows and always loved to play such rythyms but I can endure that long, or can't have short bursts without pain. So it's indeed a technique that needs you to relax your whole body and transfer all energy to both hands. Jack Gardiner has the next step chops, have you seen him?

Anyway, keep going before age hits is my recommendation.

On the One!
Click to expand...
I'm turning 40 in two months and already feeling finger/wrist pain from years of playing piano, guitar, and now cello + daily computer work ;) RIP

Yeah his helicopter hand is pretty crazy. I've watched some videos in the course in slow mo and he has freakishly long yet flexible fingers too, like almost alien. Looks like there's an octopus attached to his hand 😂
 
toneage said:
sound realistic.
I'm really wondering why no company has created such a library yet, it should very well be possible with nowadays technology. Compared to the existing libraries, funk guitarists will strum the strings a lot more heavily/aggressively and also have more stages of muting (anyone who listens to Vulfpeck or knows Cory Wong, will know what I mean).
If anyone here is doing custom sample libraries for a repsective payment or knows another good solution, please help!
Click to expand...


It’s because guitarists are literally around every corner. There might be one under your couch right now if you check. My current lady came with a minimum of three guitar players that I can think of, including her father lol. If you throw a rock in a crowd of people, you’ll probably hit a guitar player. If you play an instrument that the guitar player does not, perhaps a trade can be reached.
 
DSmolken said:
It's not difficult on principle, just need the right kinds of muting, a few velocity layers and slides. But to not make it take forever to program would take a good strumming engine that has the "right" patterns. Just seems nobody's gotten around to making that yet, even though this is (in theory at least) a much more commercially viable guitar style than metal, for which we have dozens of libraries.

I mean, Cory Wong aside, there's Nile Rodgers...
Click to expand...
I totally agree, it should very well be possible nowadays. I really don't understand why other guitar VSTs don't have more "pop" and more different muted articulations. If you're an experienced musician, it's no problem to play the basic groove on the keyboard and then edit the articulations accordingly.

I thought the name "Cory Wong" would get some more people involved to the thread. Nile Rodgers aside, there's also the incredible Paul Jackson Jr. :) .... or so many other great guitar players from that era.
 
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