Ben Jamin

[quote name='phil.i.stein' timestamp='1340142494' post='1700018'] long live free choice. [/quote] By free choice d'you mean, a right to choose if you pay for something or not, therefore [i]a right to have something of value for free[/i]?

Wow I only went out for a rehearsal! I agree that illegal downloading may help artists get out there. But honestly, I have never streamed/downloaded a song, liked it, then bought the album. I have however streamed/downloaded a song and then streamed/downloaded the rest of the tracks from the same site. Convenience. And this is what I imagine most people do (as is supported by the statistics of sales etc etc). 'Spreading the word' seems a bit of a cop-out really to me really. If I steal a bass from a guitar factory, I'll just tell the Police that I was planning to play it at my gigs and at some point a couple of people might think 'Hey, cool bass' and buy one. The bottom line is the vast majority of illegal downloads hinder, not help, artists. The internet and all it's wonders seems to have given us a sense of entitlement/a right to free stuff, when in-fact we should never be entitled to anything for free. Why should we? I also don't see why musicians 'need to change' if they're not the offending party. Google etc needs a smack, downloaders (like myself) need to get a wider sense of responsibility as individuals and en masse, and these sites need to come down and people need to save a little longer and thus appreciate their music and the hard work that went into it more. It's just getting to that point! I guarantee I'll probably go on Spotify at some point by the end of the week... Yeah and sorry that article was looooong!

This article popped on my Facebook newsfeed from both Reverend Guitars and Dawsons Music and I thought I'd post it here for discussion and such because it hit me quite hard. I'm not an obsessive downloader/music streamer but I've used both services before (especially Spotify/Grooveshark for learning new songs/jamming along). [url="http://thetrichordist.wordpress.com/2012/06/18/letter-to-emily-white-at-npr-all-songs-considered/"]HERE[/url] (It's quite long)

[quote name='KingBollock' timestamp='1340052371' post='1698429'] I'm not going to look to find out, but that's probably already on Youtube. [/quote] Yep, my video hasn't got many views though so I don't know if it would come up

[quote name='billyapple' timestamp='1340053066' post='1698448'] I joined wittyretortchat, but they were all a bunch of f***ing ***** [/quote]

[quote name='charic' timestamp='1340051194' post='1698398'] PhotoShop geniuses where are you! [/quote] Nooo! That's like saying "wouldn't it be gross if someone excreted, urinated and vomited into a pot, boiled it, stirred it and served it as stew? Say, could the culinary geniuses conjure me up a sample just to try?"

[quote name='cloudburst' timestamp='1340046917' post='1698303'] PS: How about a roadworn 51 RI in mustard with an antigua scratchplate, complicated active electronics, a half fretted maple neck with black block inlays and LEDs and a reverse headstock. Sorry if you're eating your dinner. [/quote] Awww man! Now I've got to clean the sick out of my keyboard!

Guitarist's Reverend Double Agent II FM

I like Warwicks too.

Roy Mitchell-Cardenas of Mutemath attached P pick-ups to the end of his fingerboard and it sounds pretty cool! There might be an interview about it somewhere... Sorry that's not much help Anyway, here's what his sounds like: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ee85ItE5C_0&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Stingray - no good reason really, they just don't do anything for me. Warwick Dolphin - for obvious reasons. Basses with spikes - I'm clumsy enough knocking into band-mates with just my Corvette - nevermind impaling them on a BC Rich

I agree, I guess if punters haven't experienced any real kind of musical adventuring themselves then it's only reasonable that they'll be somewhat blissfully ignorant/maybe won't fully appreciate the all the effort and expense that goes into it. However, I have loads of fun playing and rehearsing with my band and seeing people enjoy our music, I find it really fulfilling, so I don't think they get the enjoyment part wrong

I'd buy custom without a doubt. My brother just took delivery of his custom guitar - it's beautifully made to his exact spec with some amazing woods, intricate details and hand-wound pick-ups etc etc - quite simply amazing. Cost him a few hundred less than your budget I don't see why you would go for a factory made instrument, like a Gibson Les Paul for example, when you could at the very least get a professional luthier-made guitar to the same spec for a bit less cash!

I wish I couldn't hear the difference either - these darn ears cost me so much money! Seriously though, the GT200 is probably the best sounding amp I've ever played through - vest start saving eh? Your red/black one looks awesome, bet it sounds better!

[quote name='daz' timestamp='1339335220' post='1686950'] Degree ? They're giving them away inside boxes of Cornflakes these days aren't they ? [/quote] Only in the big boxes now though - so I had to cash out/borrow money from my parents a fair bit more than previous years. But hey, now everyone wants to employ me.

For the moment though I'm pretty happy with this

If I could have any guitar... probably my brother's Strat. Owned from new - it's a '94/95 Japanese '54 reissue - back from the Fender Japan owner was a proper pre-CBS Fender fanatic - so everything's spot on apart from the pick-ups (and the finish, but that just looks cool), which had to be rubbish of course to make the USAs seem better. Swap the p'ups out for some Seymour Duncans and you have one very very nice Strat. The '54 neck profile on this is perfect.

Also, I've done the classic 'mute button' on my amp a couple of times...

Setting up for a gig - I was playing a bit o' bass before sound-check. Casual one-foot-on-monitor stance. Took my foot off just before the engineer plugged the monitor in, at which point a circle of blue electricity began to whirl around the speaker, which was going crazy and making the most hellish loud shrill screaming noise I've ever heard. I still have no idea how he managed to do that, but I'm pretty glad I took my foot off.