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Everything posted by gjones
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[quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1499560455' post='3332236'] Last time we saw him he was there at another of our gigs, he was completely drunk and fell asleep on the side... and it smelled like he had sh*t himself. We never saw him again... [/quote] Rock 'N' Roll!
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[quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1499541798' post='3332120'] Busy gig at Whistle Binkies last night in Edinburgh. Bittersweet. Sweet because it was (mostly) fun and people were really into it and dancing etc. We seem to have a group of Spanish followers who start sharing our gig announcements when we play in town which is awesome, as they are very highly energetic and very appreciative. However, yesterday a group of them showed up for our second set, already in very 'high spirits'. The thing is this bar is small... and it was already a bit crowded. I'm all for dancing and pushing a bit (lots of ska) but when it's so busy you need to be a bit considerate and watch what you're doing, so you don't just kick and punch people around you... You're not the only one dancing there. My girlfriend was there with a group of friends and they were very much pushed to one side. No great, but hey. But it wasn't enough apparently. I saw her being pushed quite hard a couple of times. The third one, she turned around and pushed the guy in question... I wished she'd just tell him, in first instance, to please be more careful. But she didn't. Well. The guy reacted by pushing her hard again. It took a lot of self restraint to not jump out and punch him. My girlfriend then just went to the far side and stood there, not dancing anymore. The guy, to his credit, moved away to the other side, clearly not wanting to escalate things. But I was very annoyed at his reaction. I carried on playing but I was just watching and trying to see my girlfriend. I didn't manage until the song was over. She looked at me. She wasn't happy and touched her back as if to say it hurt. I mouthed a "you OK?" which was silly as she clearly wasn't. She pointed at the guy. I knew who he was. But I saw him there laughing, and her in pain, and I snapped. As my singer was introducing the next song, I put my bass down and came off stage to the guy. I asked him if he was Spanish. She said yes... Perfect, so I could communicate very accurately in my mother tongue what I thought about his behaviour, and that if so much as grazes any one of that group again, I'll come out again and punch the lights out of him. Not my best moment. I would have achieved a lot more by at least initially offering him a nice way out: he was probably just not aware of how their aggressive dancing was affecting others that had been happily dancing there before in the same busy floor. I could have just asked him to please be careful, that I loved their energy and all that but that he had clearly hurt someone, who happened to be my girlfriend, and we want *everybody* to have a good time, and that I would not tolerate inconsiderate behaviour, or something along those lines... but unfortunately I was in 'seek and destroy' mode. So I directly threatened him. He didn't take it very well and said that we should go outside maybe. I laughed and I said that I'd happily do so once we finish our set, and warned him once more to stay away that group. Then went back onstage to the bemusement of my bandmates... and we launched into the next song... and all was ok. The guy stayed there, and after a minute he was again smiling and having fun. Cool. So was I. Then we finish. He was gone. Just as well. I really didn't want to get into that kind of thing. Although I did want to tell him that my approach had been a bit heavy handed and I regretted my manners, but not the message. A separate 'incident'... another guy leaned onto the stage and took the beer from one of the guitarists and drank from it. The guitarist was amazed and amused... "what are you doing? do you just walk into somebody's home, open their fridge and eat their food without asking???" They bought him another beer. They guy was a bit out of it and I guess he just saw a glass and didn't think. I like playing in bars, but sometimes... it's a test. [/quote] Mercy, the singer from Size queen, got dragged off stage by her hair at Binkies last month, by some crazy woman. We've never had any aggro from punters,while playing there, but had had the odd drunk attempt to get on the stage. We usually just boot them off and when they get smart call the door staff who escort them off the premises. It's worthwhile getting to know the bouncers, they can come in very useful when the audience gets a bit too high spirited:)
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I always felt it was a pain in the ass, juggling with two volumes live. I bought a VBT setup from the excellent Mr Ki0gon and have never looked back. I have no idea why Fender doesn't have this setup as standard?
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I've played a few festivals, where I've felt crestfallen when I've see the backline I'm supposed to play through. Saggy old ashdown MAGs through, saggier MAG 4x10s and elderly looking, Laney heads through unidentifiable speaker cabinets. Weirdly though, maybe because I had low expectations of them, they never sounded as bad as I expected them to. And some sounded pretty good.
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The harmonica is definitely playing the G# note (probably to do with note bending on a harmonica), which confuses things, but the bass is playing the GAG. The single version was just the second take, so these little details probably weren't noticed at the time.
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[quote name='radiophonic' timestamp='1496739010' post='3313476'] I played a 60 minute gig with a brand new set last week and the E was absolutely wrecked. Sounded like a flat, only with no harmonics (although oddly, the other three survived on this occasion). [/quote] As somebody whose strings tend to last a long time before they go dead (I just put a new set of DR Hi Beams on my bass after the old set had been on for at least 4 years) , I'm curious as to how your E string could go dead after just one gig. What on earth are you doing to destroy a string so quickly?
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[quote name='Froggy' timestamp='1499287017' post='3330589'] I think maybe I need to learn a bit about eq after reading this thread! If this works it shows my current set up, however if someone has the time and inclination to explain to me how to get the most out of my eq, I would be eternally grateful. [/quote] Billy Sheehan might help you. He has the same amp. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6J1rxp_x5Rs
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As long as it looks like you're getting into it, smile occasionally, move to the groove, make eye contact and interact with other band members, that should be enough. Not everybody needs to be Flea.
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Fender are aiming for the 'Dentists' out there (ie people with more money than ability). *My apologies to any dentists who are actually very talented guitarists.
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The singer in my main band has a good range but sometimes the songs she sings sound better in one key than another. Usually her problem is that some songs are too low for her, in the original key, and she'll change the song to a higher key, so that she can get some power into it.
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My brother in law travelled to Norway for a gig recently by air. Both on his out flight and his return flight, his electric guitar got trashed by ground staff. Luckily he's handy with a soldering iron and managed to repair it before the gig. My niece, who has her own band, had the same experience when she travelled to Australia for a tour this May. It was in a professional flight case but somebody still managed to do serious damage to it. Luckily she had her dad with her (my brother in law) as her guitar tech and he managed to put it back together. I'd hate for my pride and joy to be damaged by neanderthal like, ground staff. Good luck......you'll probably need it.
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Just bought some ASC earplugs today, after some very loud weekend gigs left my ears ringing. I'd be interested in people thoughts too.
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[quote name='blue' timestamp='1498939710' post='3328175'] This is a tough one, now I'm thinking I should use pre eq option because I'm changing changing volumes from song to song. Blue [/quote] Have a chat with the engineer and make him aware you will be altering your gain occasionally. He can keep an eye on the signal coming from your amp.
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[quote name='blue' timestamp='1498897593' post='3327801'] Ill do that too, so, keep the post EQ button on the in position? Blue [/quote] Be aware that, with the Post EQ button selected, any tweaks to your EQ while you're onstage will affect the signal sent to the desk. So if you increase the gain on your amp, the signal to the desk will also increase. So it's a good idea to avoid making any EQ adjustments to your amp, after the band starts playing, if you can. With Pre EQ selected, your DI out just acts like a standard DI box and any tweaks to your amp EQ will not effect the signal to the desk.
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You can extend the life of a set of strings, and get the 'zing' back in them temporarily, by loosening them for 24 hrs and then re-tuning them. But if you're happy with the sound you have, and you have a light touch, I wouldn't bother changing them. I only change my strings when they start to get a bit dead.
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Japanese Squier (JV?) Cardiff - Bargain
gjones replied to PawelG's topic in eBay - Weird and Wonderful
[quote name='PawelG' timestamp='1498732379' post='3326615'] [url="https://www.gumtree.com/p/guitar-instrument/fender-squier-precision-bass-in-sunburst./1251728798"]https://www.gumtree....rst./1251728798[/url] [/quote] Now this one is dodgy. I don't see any '[color=#3C3241][font=Castledown, Arial, sans-serif][size=4] growling single-coil Jazz Bass bridge pickup with ceramic magnets.' on this Precision.[/size][/font][/color] [color=#3C3241][font=Castledown, Arial, sans-serif][size=4]When something is too good to be true......it usually is.[/size][/font][/color] -
Setlist refresh - song suggestions please...
gjones replied to solo4652's topic in General Discussion
Some muse stuff might be a refreshing challenge for you. [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dm_5qWWDV8[/media] -
I have a friend who supported Wilko a few years ago. He said he came across as a pretty grumpy guy. But this was before his cancer scare and miracle recovery. I would assume that whole experience, has meant he probably has lightened up considerably since my friend met him. I listened to an interview with him, on R2 recently, and he sounded proper cheery.
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Congratulations to you both.
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For a long time I was in the same position. Then my financial position improved and allowed me to experiment with different gear. But I well remember the unwieldy bass guitars and heavy, farting, bass amps, that I had to endure for years. I always recommend buying secondhand, because you get more bang for your buck. But if needs must there is always finance deals to be had if you buy new from big music stores, like GAK or Guitar Guitar.
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I would recommend turning the bass down on your amp and rolling the tone off. Maybe add some mid. That should get some definition back in your sound.
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[quote name='musicbassman' timestamp='1498290197' post='3323630'] Well, boo hoo for the guitar dealers and mass manufacturers – decent guitars (and basses) aren’t an ever evolving product with a limited life - like a family car that is worn out and obsolete after 10 years. You’re selling musical instruments, not refrigerators. Decent guitars, with a few exceptions, usually play just as well (or better) at 20 or 30 years old than when new. Unless they are physically damaged or subject to extremes of heat or humidity they still play perfectly and any minor electrical or fret problems can be quite easily fixed. So there is not just an ever decreasing customer base amongst the young, as the article explains, but most older players already have several guitars, and unless they have chronic GAS maybe rather wish they had a few less. Mass manufacturers can’t keep on churning out millions of guitars a year into an already saturated market, no matter how cheap and well made they are, so maybe their days are numbered. [/quote] True, guitars don't have a built in obsolescence like other consumer goods. To many people, the older a guitar is, the more desirable it becomes.
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Interestingly, the mix for The Pretenders gets better as the gig goes on. Which is usually what happens with live music, as the sound engineer adjusts stuff on the fly. I also notice that the BBC mixes sound better with time (a week or two later). What I suspect is that the raw recordings, for the live videos, are remixed at a later stage.
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My niece is in her mid twenties and she would disagree. She and her friends love guitar, based, bands. She loved Johnny Marr, and John Mayer (very different styles), when she was growing up. She also loved Courtney Love and her band Hole, which were very guitar based. She loved guitars so much that she stole her dad's and formed her own band. Her band is doing pretty good and she plays to sold out venues in the UK and Europe (she's toured the US too, a couple of times). She's now one of the 10 acts that have been shortlisted for the Scottish Album Of The Year awards 2017. Hopefully she'll inspire a whole new generation of kids to get themselves an electric guitar. I know it was the best decision, the 16 year old me, ever made. This is her...........guitar bands rule!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1Jx2iXgYCM
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Squier SIlver Series; all kinds of wrong?
gjones replied to ead's topic in eBay - Weird and Wonderful
Only Japanese Squiers were Silver Series. They have Silvers Series written on the headstock. This one doesn't. This one has a grounding strip. Only the Japanese Squiers had the grounding strip going from the bridge to the back pickup, like the Jazz basses in the early 60s did. The Korean models didn't (as far as I am aware). The serial number, which starts E10, shows that the neck was manufactured in Korea, in 1987/88