Doctor J

As a standalone song, it's nothing special, though I can't say I disliked it. It reflects the restrictions under which it was made. It's ok. As an endeavour by a couple of friends to close a circle, so to speak, honouring another couple of friends, and what they did to finally complete a song using what sounds like little more than 30 seconds of abysmally recorded original material, I found it quite moving.

The Corabi album is the best thing they did by a long, long way. It's a banger.

All of my bands had the sense to call it quits before we ever even got close to being successful. You can't go on the slide when you're still going uphill.

No, there's some sort of plate. First I saw of ferrules was on Ibanez around 87, they made a sculpted heel for the new SR range and a plate simply would not work with that design. I'd imagine Tune or SGC Nanyo possibly beat them to the idea but SRs are where I saw it first. This is the first I've heard of a plate with magic tonal properties but, in the age of unlimited aftermarket parts which make everything "better" I'm not surprised it's now available, probably made of tonegainium.

https://www.thomann.de/gb/helpdesk_shipping.html "Duty We take care of the custom declaration so you will not have to pay any customs fees. "

Well done, SH73, top job!

Likewise. I last saw Metallica in 92 and knew I would never go to see them again in case they overwrote the memories of seeing them before that. Not that they weren't enjoyable, just that what I wanted from them was no longer there. Lots of people have enjoyed them since, more people than ever seem to enjoy them now. Who am I to say they're wrong? They're simply not for me anymore. More importantly, nothing they have done since diminishes what they meant to me at the time and the enjoyment I still get from the early stuff. We went our separate ways and that's ok. Saying you no longer like how a performer now performs and should stop is almost like saying your ex isn't as attractive as she was, she should no longer date anyone. Creepy 😂

Link to the magic plate

For anyone heroically taking it upon themselves to feel embarrassed on behalf of another musician, this is all you have to do to relieve yourself of the awkwardness which makes your day cloudy

No. Why should they stop if they still enjoy it? What a ridiculous thing to say. Would you stop doing something you love if some punter came up to you after a gig and gave you a pissy comment? If you don't like what they do, jog on. There's lots of other music out there which might not embarrass you, listen to that.

I hope the poor chap who modelled for the trophy didn't have to endure what looks like a very unpleasant skewering.

Amazing. That without the fancy wood layering as a production model would be very welcome.

Mozart weeps for you and dabs his eyes with Bach's handkerchief.

Your time here should have exposed you to the fact that not everyone plays music to satisfy a creative urge. I'd say most posters like playing someone else's music. It brings them joy. There's no need to get pissy and rattle your artistic sabre at them. I've no interest in playing covers, be they artistic expressions in my bedroom or straight down the line in a pub. I recognise that many do, however. So what if they do?

To satisfy demand

Your average punter down the Rat & Ferret is not there for Johnny Cash and his emotional renditions, however. They're there to have some beer, dance and sing along to songs they know and like. I'm sure the chaps in covers bands would agree that much of what they play is steered by the audiences they play to and, as such, sticking somewhat closely to the original, keeping the punters happy, thereby keeping the landlords happy and, by doing so, getting paid is the name of the game, rather than turning Good Times into an emotionally wrought ballad and sending everyone home in tears - however artistically meritorious that may be. There's a time and a place for artistic interpretations, down the pub on a Saturday night is not it, however.

Roll good!

I only want and need to be as good as the music I write and record requires. Sometimes, I need to do some practicing to be good enough but, in general, my chops are as good as I want them to be and have been for about 30 years. I listen to a lot of different styles of music but being a pop and slap master is of no interest to me whatsoever, for example, even if I might occasionally enjoy listening to music which utilises that technique. I used to use the Prove You Wrong album by Prong as my benchmark. If I could play along to that, I was a good as I needed to be. These days I just know what kind of shape I'm in. I play guitar and drums too and, generally, a similar policy applies in that I haven't really got an interest in compiling and array of techniques or skills I have no musical interest in utilising. However, having only restarted playing drums a few years ago, I'm not where I want to be on that instrument yet. I want to be a better drummer than I currently am, because the music I want to play requires it, but I must balance that with keeping my standard on everything else. Bottom line, I'll be as good as I need to be to get my musical ideas down but don't have the desire to be any better than that, in order to seek the approval of youtube or the fantasy of a megastar band picking me out of the audience because of an accident to their dude. I don't bring my boots to the match either, just in case, if you know what I mean 😉

Sounds good to me, I'm in.

Foxy 👍🏻

Based on my own experience, I'd say learn to play the music you like, first, by whatever means stimulates you. There is no right way other than the one which keeps you interested. You can move on the becoming the new Jancko Pansaurdius later, but start by finding the joy in playing music first.

Is the answer you're looking for that modern pop is largely unmemorable, repetitive sheeeeeiiiiite with no discernible sense of melody and it's hard to sell fast food or insurance over monotonous, monosyllabic self-pity/self-aggrandising?