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JapanAxe

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Everything posted by JapanAxe

  1. JapanAxe
    1. Why you don't have any gigs? I didn't have any gigs in January, mainly because I managed to convince the pub band that I was depping with a lot that I wasn't going to be nearly so available as I had been- that was the band that prompted some rather grim posts from me in 'How was your gig last night?' 2. Do you rely on an agent? The tribute band that I dep with has a decent booking agent, and the tribute that I belong to really needs one! Otherwise the bands I play with tend to sort out their own gigs. 3. Who finds coordinates and confirms gigs? I don't care as long as it's not me. I have done this in the past, and found it a soul-destroying slog. 4. Are you or any band members in this for the money? Personally, I do it for the enjoyment, but I also want my skill and hard work to be suitably rewarded. The pub band folks I mentioned do it for a living - care homes mid week, pub gigs at the weekend. 5. How much do you want to gig? I love a good gig, but I won't do just any old gig. Yesterday I turned down a dep gig where the money was low, plus I knew there was nowhere to park legally within at least half a mile of the venue - just not worth it.
  2. JapanAxe
    Noah Guthrie supported by Roofman at the Louisiana in Bristol, last Tuesday 30th Jan. I found Noah via guitarist Rhett Shull, whose YouTube channel I’m subscribed to. He has an incredible voice and the guitar chops to accompany himself more than competently. Roofman is a Dutch guy who sort of reminds me of E from the Eels, except - completely different!
  3. JapanAxe
    Yes. Yes I do - right from hearing the demo version of Sultans of Swing on John Peel in 1977.
  4. JapanAxe
    Stood in with Dire Streets last night at Swindon Arts Centre - less than a 10 minute drive for me, which was nice. My direct-to-PA bass rig is now fully sorted, as is my IEM setup. I really enjoyed the gig, the only slight hitch for me was when the batteries in my IEM belt pack gave out halfway through the last number - Telegraph Road. I had to pop my earpieces out and work from the ambient sound, which was way louder than my nice IEM mix, especially the drums. Fortunately I was able to change the batteries before we came back on for the encore. I’m back out with them on rhythm guitar next Saturday - Artrix Arts Centre in Bromsgrove if you fancy a nostalgic night out!
  5. JapanAxe
    I use a Neotech Megastrap on each of my basses. The only time I get shoulder pain is if I tense up for some reason.
  6. JapanAxe
    Some more photos as promised: These illustrate the chambering:
  7. JapanAxe
    Nice stocking filler!
  8. JapanAxe
    That’s slightly worrying! I recently bought a WL-20 and have been using it live with no problems. I plug the two parts together last thing when setting up so that they can find a clear channel to work on.
  9. JapanAxe
    A useful tip that I picked up is to use Focus Mode and feed an output from your board into one input and the mix from the desk (minus your instrument) into the other. That way you can always be sure of hearing yourself, whatever happens to the monitor mix.
  10. JapanAxe
    I had a wide flat wedding ring and have somewhat ‘webby’ fingers so it was always a bit uncomfortable to wear. After about 6 or 7 years I started to react to the nickel in it so stopped wearing it. It never caused a particular issue with my guitar playing though. Also we’ve now been married for over 41 years!
  11. JapanAxe
    Every time I think about selling this guitar I get it out for a play and change my mind. I haven't gigged this one in over 3 years because I end up taking one of my P90-powered guitars instead. I'm a single-coil kind of chap at heart. My guitars are for gigging and I could use the funds for other things, so... It's a Gibson Custom Shop Chambered 1958 Les Paul Reissue VOS, bought used from Vintage & Rare in Bath in 2008. I believe it dates from 2007 but it came without case candy (although I have kept the VOS sticker from the scratch plate, which was still on when I got it.) This is the model that Ed King of Lynyrd Skynyrd chose as a working substitute for his '59 in terms of sound. Unlike LPs that are simply weight-relieved by drilling out loads of cylindrical cavities before applying the maple cap, this guitar has a substantial internal chamber rather like that of a Gretsch Duo Jet - hence the very manageable weight. Specs: Body: Chambered mahogany with carved maple top Neck Material: 1-piece mahogany Neck Joint: Long neck tenon Neck Profile: Chunky! Nut Width: 43.5mm / 1-11/16" Scale: 24.75in Rosewood Frets: 22 Fingerboard Inlays: Vintage trapezoid Binding: Single-ply cream on top and neck Machine Heads: Kluson Deluxe with tulip keys Pickups: Burstbucker 1 (rhythm) and 2 (treble) Controls: 2 volume, 2 tone, 3-way switch Bridge: ABR-1 bridge with lightweight aluminium stopbar tailpiece Weight: 3.368kg / 7lb 6.8oz (excluding scratchplate - I prefer it off!) Custom Shop fitted case The flamed maple top is very striking, and features a pronounced grain pattern. I would have been happy with a plain finish, but to me this was the best sounding LP in the shop at the time. I have set the guitar up to play comfortably (for me) and I am not aware of any issues with it. I believe it started out with some very mild artificial wear, to which I have added some genuine play wear. I'm looking for £3,695 collected from Swindon. I'm not willing to send the guitar by courier, and I would prefer that you tried it yourself through whatever kit you prefer before parting with your money. I am happy to consider trades. I am particularly interested in the following with cash my way: Trent Model 1 guitar Fano SP6 guitar Gibson SG Junior guitar ESP GL-56 guitar (Japan - not LTD) Strandberg Sälen guitar 1970s Precision in black or white Fender or Squier Mustang bass Handbox WB-100 head Zilla 1x12 guitar cab ThorpyFX Scarlet Tunic pedal The above list is not exhaustive - by all means contact me with details of what you have. Below are the photos that I submitted to chambered-reissue.org but I will add some more once the weather permits outdoor photography! These pics show Schaller strap-lock buttons but I have since gone back to the regular strap buttons and Grolsch washers.
  12. JapanAxe
    Having thought about this a bit more, it’s something of a stretch from her saying what she said, to announcing she is ready to play one or more numbers from beginning to end. The ball is in her court!
  13. JapanAxe
    At least insist she brings her own bass so that she’s familiar with it. Then slyly detune it before her star turn [optional].
  14. JapanAxe
    Most people seem to have missed this. Can the OP please elucidate? Or just tell us a bit more if you prefer.
  15. JapanAxe
    Depped on bass last night with Dire Streets at Bingley Little Theatre. A longer-than expected journey and sound-check meant there was little time for secondary activities such as eating, but the gig went very well and all the tech worked. As usual though it took me half a set of actual performance to get used to the sonic environment of IEMs.
  16. JapanAxe
    I settled on my Demeter (model details in signature) as the answer to this question but it’s not an especially practical solution for the OP considering price and scarcity. Like the GB Streamliner which I owned immediately before that, it has a valve preamp.
  17. JapanAxe
    Well I got my licence, downloaded it, and printed off the relevant pages to put in the case with my IEM setup. This Saturday I have my first fully cable-free gig - wireless IEMs and Boss WL-20 wireless link from bass to pedalboard. Now to strut freely around the stage like the true rock god that I am!
  18. JapanAxe
    As per my recent ‘Three auditions’ thread, it’s often the personal contacts that bring the best opportunities.
  19. JapanAxe
    Same here. I found the cab sim took out too much top end so I am running the amp output into a Radial passive DI box. If I need to knock back the treble I tend to use the tweeter switch. And yes there is some hiss, but the tone is stellar. I’m using a Cali76 Compact into it so that if I dig in hard I can get a little bit of break-up. Next gig with this setup will be with Dire Streets at Bingley Little Theatre on 16 December. The whole thing fits neatly into a laptop bag.
  20. JapanAxe
    Further to Friday’s ‘abysmal gig’ post, I played with the same band again last night. BL’s missus cried off so I played (mainly) rhythm guitar as well as singing a few numbers. I made sure my wedge monitor had plenty of my guitar (went direct to save space) and my vocal, and no BL vocal. Despite this his voice was definitely the loudest element in the mix from where I was stood at the front. The bass slot was filled by one of their regulars, a chap who plays bass like the guitarist he is - what especially grinds my gears is that he often plays 1-3-4 arpeggios instead of the 1-3-5 that the R’n’R idiom requires. He also plays with a pick and has a dreadful honky tone. A couple of numbers in, BL started complaining to him that he was ‘too bassy’ and he couldn’t hear his own vocal. As before this would have been clearly audible to the audience. I declined to become involved in the argument. During pack-down BL said he thought the lead guitarist was improving and did I agree. I pointed out that said guitarist was only a few feet away - otherwise I might have been tempted to disabuse BL. *sigh*
  21. JapanAxe
    oops wrong thread
  22. JapanAxe
    To be fair, this is a depping situation so I don’t have to take any of the gigs, but BL is very persistent and Mrs Axe has become good friends with his missus.
  23. JapanAxe
    Ok then. A lot of it comes back to the BL. I can live with him being a fairly basic drummer but he clearly doesn’t sit down and listen to the song so that he has a clue what to do. One song starts with everyone coming in on 3 big chords and then there’s a simple drum pickup before the rhythm proper kicks in. I even counted the song in, but the drums came in wrong and caused a train wreck. Most pub bands I’ve played with take no more than a 20 minute break in the middle of a 2-hour slot, but BL insists on ‘two 45s’ like some kind of cartoon 70s shop steward. In that half hour break you can lose an audience. To make it worse, he and his other half (also in the band) were arguing (audible through PA) about how long we had left to play. This was on top of the obvious friction between them whilst setting up and packing down. Overall it’s very sloppy and unprofessional, especially for someone who makes their living as an entertainer. The vocal monitors are set painfully loud, even when I wear earplugs. The lead guitarist is a recent addition to the band. He still seems very unsure of what he’s doing and is forever losing his place in his folder of chord sheets - bear in mind 90% of the set is 12-bar sequences. I’ve put up with this for too long, simply because of the relatively easy money if I’m honest. But I’ve already flagged myself as ‘unavailable’ for the venues which for various reasons I don’t want to play - crap travel, dodgy parking, or just a $h!t-hole.
  24. JapanAxe
    Just got home from an abysmal gig with a band I frequently dep with - so many issues I can’t bring myself to start listing them. I’m going to be far less available next year!
  25. JapanAxe
    Yes it was! How did you get on?
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