I was sitting here this eveing with Allison. We had just finished cooking fried chiken in a cast iron fry pan(to give it that true southern vibe) I have been trying the last several years to perfect my fried chicken. I figured a close appoximation of KFC's 11 herbs and spices was simple. 2 packs of dry Italian salad dressing mix,powered tomato soup mix,paprika,both onion and garlic powder,a touch of cayanne pepper and along with the flour mix a tad bit of Masa corn flour. Once we got done we sat on our couch and heard thunder. Allison looked outside just as lightening was beginning to strike then came the down pour. For someone from Alaska this remains a trip to me. It was then I got sick again...couldn't eat a thing without throwing up..I will be happy when I recover. I've never been so sick. It truly sucks.
I sit here late at night some nights and wonder. All those years in AK. wondering what the future holds. When oh God when will I be released. Well here we are. NOLA. The most unique city I've ever been to let alone lived in..what adventures lie in store here?
The big question for an artist. How do you make money at this? I really have no clue. The music business has changed in ways I thought I'd never see. Technology has made that possible. Anyone with a shoe string budget can produce a good sounding cd and with that same cd can produce a video to go along with your music and put it on you tube. I started to paint My blog is in the process of becoming a book(I have a writer friend back in AK who is editing my stuff as I type this) the painting is something so new. Something I had been thinking of doing for a long time. All these creative things...I see the same gifts in my daughter Jessica. Honestly I think she has far more talent than I. My son Jeremy plays guitar so much better at his age than I did at the same age as he. All these things.I prepared for years for this on one level or another but I didn't take this into consideration. Age. I wasn't planning on getting old.Compared to many others I'm not "old" but if you are reading this it is coming from a middle aged musician in his 50's. One of my favorite movies right now is "The story of Anvil" a story of a heavy metal band that has been at it for 30 years and has yet to "make it" Music makes me happy. Getting on stage makes me happy. Much like them that was(and is) my story too. I'm one of those guitar players that "should have been" it is so hard to out run "Should have been"or should be. the reality is right now I'm not but this story is not on it's final chapter there is yet to be an epolog. Mine has not been written.
I have been thru love and it's loss. I've had nights of glory and moments deep deep sadness. I have felt lost and so utterly alone and lonely. I have moments filled with overwhelming love. There has been so much I have survived. So many times my life has burned down in front of me and I have somehow found the will to rebuild again.
Here is the struggle. I find at my age I don't want the struggles of a 20 or even a 30 something. I am alarmed at the loss of ambition and drive I once had. Yet I still live under the shadow of "Should". A therapist whose book I was reading once said "Should are Shame statements" shoulda,coulda,woulda,..screw it all. What will my history say? Screw my credit rating, screw my retirement,screw all the thingrthat 99% of the rest of the world worships...and they worship "SECURITY" if the fall out of the economy has shown us anything it's the people you trusted to care for your golden years were just plain crooks and stole your money. I passed on alot to "GO ALL IN" I walked away from a state job in AK where had I stayed I would have been covered for life with health benefits. Problem was I was no good at the job. A preacher I heard once said security is the enemy of faith...maybe that is the real issue here. This world or the other world.
The Bible says the just shall live by faith. Jesus said a lot on the subject of God caring for our daily needs. I have experienced miraculess times of God's provision. Truly amazing. My years in Southern California was a time like that. It is built into me thanks to those days to soilder on. Yet my feet arn't as fleet as they once were,my eye sight not as sharp and my energy not what it once was. So what do I have. Something only a guy with the time I have under my belt would. EXPERIENCE. and maybe wisdom. A few years back I spent 5 days getting reaquianted with guys I used to play with. I stood outside one night talking to one of them and frankly I was shocked at the almost lack of growth I saw in him. 20 years had gone by. I would have expected more. I have a few friends back in AK like that. They seem frozen. Suspended in time. I told my sister that I had been having the same conversation with a family member for 20 plus years. Some people just will never "get it". They never seem to "wize up". I have, so what do I fear? I am at a place in my life where if there is a real need I am confident God will supply it. I have become ( continue becoming) the guitar player I once dreamed of. after 3 tries I finally found a soul mate. A woman I share so much with and someone who has taught me so much. I have overcome morbid obesity. I now live in the city of my dreams. Some place where I can step outside my door and smile at the beauty I'm surrounded by. Why am I still afraid at times? I grew up in a family that was unstable to say the least. That fear that all can change in a moments notice has nipped at my soul my whole life. Getting sick like I have is a case in point. what started out as a coff turned into this. Still Allison and I were talking the other day how it was after I got sick she went to work. Had it been a day or two earlier she wouldn't been able to be at the hospital with me. All can change yet looking back over my shoulders I have been thru so much yet God has always been there.
I have learned so much in my life because I have always tried to be "Teachable"I have always looked at every situation I have found myself in rather I liked it asked for it or brought it on myself in this way. the Bible says the steps of a good man are ordered of the Lord then He had a reason for this and there is something here for me to learn. God has taken me thru many valleys many times of trials teaching almost all of it has been about relationships. In the 80's it was over coming being co-dependant and the son of an Alcoholic. Reading "Co-dependant no more"by Melody Beaty really changed my life. There has always been the music and it has taken me down many roads.But most of what God has taught me has been stuff someone called to be a therapist would learn. I would have gone down that road had I not been a musician. OK I think this is the deal with this blog tonight I have all the experience talent and training of someone who would be in a "Professional"field like a college professor or such. I chose to remain a guitar player.My love and devotion to the instrument has kept me frankly Poor.
I have all the trapings of success except this. The money that follows success. Allison is so good for me in this respect she never compares me to the Jones,she is not impressed with money and in her eyes she sees me as a very successful man. A musician who has continued to play when so many like me quit and went off to become successful in some other field. I found that back when I taught there were many my age who had regreted giving up music. It was like they were trying to capture something out of their past. Something I never gave up. I have it in me to be I believe an effective therapist but I don't at 54 ever see myself in school to earn a masters degree to be one. What I would like from God is this The money and the life of what I truly am. A world class musician. Guitarist singer song writer. What I want is this I want the life of an artist and be so successful that money is not a worry or issue. Another reason I love being married to Allison is she is good with money. I want the Valedation that money brings to a man for his work. That money to pay bills, buy a home, keep a car going the money to do that and money for my old age(coming from song royalties and works of art etc) for me the money is the pay back for a life time of sacrafice and sticking with music when there were so many other things I could have done...God will you bless the works of these hands after all these years? I pray you will.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Church
As much as I'm ashamed to say this it has nearly 15 yrs since I was involved in a church. I had some very bad experiences with church(to be fair I also had some very good one too) But when I was back in AK trying to rebuild my life after my divorce I simply had to work multiple jobs to pay off debt and I had had enough of trying to fit into small town churches who were a little to closed minded to what a guy with my call has on him like me does. Yet I have felt quilty as time has gone by. Quilty that I let a few idiots chase me away,when I could have been a profitable member of a fellowship and do my part to build God's kingdom. As a bar musician I had to be very careful about being a believer. I mean the bars are full of lonely bitter people who have been abused by the church and God's people. There many,many times in conversations I would hear people slag the church. I had to agree with them. I have had a growing desire to repair this breach and become an active member once again. Repentance is a one time act it is a turning. The process of restoration takes time. After my divorce I just went nuts and fell hard. and far. It has been a slow turning but I do want to be in a fellowship I feel comfortable and accepted and where I can add my 2 cents to the Kingdom. This morning Allison and I are going to a church. We had met the pastor while I was in the hospital. He seemed cool and his church interesting. It is a Methodist church that joined with a black gospel church after Katrina. So we'll see.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
A cloudless day.
I had a very ruff night last night. Lots of pain. I have been trying to be cool about the pain pills my doctor has given me. (she has been very generous knowing how much pain this has caused me). Today was a breath taking beautiful day. Moving here and spending most of my adult life in the snow I am still amazed at how beautiful a day in Febuary can be. So today I got cleaned up by myself(I am not as unsteady on my feet as I was) and we decided to go visit the Quarter. Parking there is always a nightmare. But we did nd a spot and got out and walked around. I love the art galleries there and we visited this one. It inspired me to want to paint again. Painting to me is such a new thing. I hardly know what I'm doing but when I'm painting it feels really good. I just wish I knew some professional artist that could look at my stuff and offer an opinion. We wandered about then sat down at the Market cafe ate some pop corn shrimp (I had a beer) and listened to some live jazz. The guitar player was one of the best I've heard so far. We made our way back to the car where I had to direct Allison in getting out of our spot cuz some nit had parked so close he all but parked on top of us. We were sitting in the car when Allison observed that I had walked farther today than I had since I came home from the hospital. I had noticed that at first when we would get out I would tire so easily and was short of breath. This is the sickest I've ever been. But today was a good day. We went to the store to pick up stuff for fried chicken(dinner tonight) I have been trying to perfect my version of KFC for quite a few years. I can get pretty close. The key(those 11 herbs and spices) two things, dry italian salad dressing mix and powered tomatoe soup mix. Another key is to liberally salt the chicken as it comes out of the fryer. We got home and realized we had forgotten oil for the fryer. So Allison made tacos. We never have tacos anymore without fresh cilantro. We discovered that to get the real Mexico taste you have to have fresh cilantro. Not a bad day. I may recover from all.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Guitar 101.3
Here is a basic set list or songs that are fairly easy to play and if you know some of these there are alot of people you can play with.
Sweet home Alabama
Give me three steps
Break on thru
Love me two times
Road house blues
La Grange
Tush
Sharp Dressed man
Cheap sun glasses
Tube Snake Boogie
Taking care of Business
Start me up
Honky Tonk Woman
Miss you
Beast of Burdon
I know it's only rock and roll
Satisfaction
Mary had a little lamb
Cold shot
The house is rockin
Couldn't Stand the weather
Lenny
All along the Watchtower
Purple Haze
The Wind cries Mary
Little Wing.
King Bee
Messin with the Kid
How Blue can you get
Rock me baby
The Thrill is gone
Calidonia
Mustang Sally
Midnight Hour
Sleepwalk
Jump Jive and Wail
Highway to Hell
Shook me all night Long
Back in Black
Black out
I feel good
Papas got a brand new bag
cold Sweat
Smells like teen spirit
enter sand man
Now I realize this is a very mixed bag but it is a starting point. All of the signature licks and chord patterns can be had on-line I use this site called "ultimate Guitar". if it ain't there your local music store should have it in book form some where..rok on!!!!
Sweet home Alabama
Give me three steps
Break on thru
Love me two times
Road house blues
La Grange
Tush
Sharp Dressed man
Cheap sun glasses
Tube Snake Boogie
Taking care of Business
Start me up
Honky Tonk Woman
Miss you
Beast of Burdon
I know it's only rock and roll
Satisfaction
Mary had a little lamb
Cold shot
The house is rockin
Couldn't Stand the weather
Lenny
All along the Watchtower
Purple Haze
The Wind cries Mary
Little Wing.
King Bee
Messin with the Kid
How Blue can you get
Rock me baby
The Thrill is gone
Calidonia
Mustang Sally
Midnight Hour
Sleepwalk
Jump Jive and Wail
Highway to Hell
Shook me all night Long
Back in Black
Black out
I feel good
Papas got a brand new bag
cold Sweat
Smells like teen spirit
enter sand man
Now I realize this is a very mixed bag but it is a starting point. All of the signature licks and chord patterns can be had on-line I use this site called "ultimate Guitar". if it ain't there your local music store should have it in book form some where..rok on!!!!
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Guitars 101.2 the wonderful world of the electric guitar
"Guitar 101.2 " the wonderful world of electric Guitars"
OK we have covered all the things it takes to get started to become a guitar player. We have also covered amps and stomp boxes. Now it is time to step boldly into the world of the electric guitar.
As with the world of amps the world of guitars is very much the same. Divided down the middle between Fender type and Gibson type guitars. It is always funny to me how several people can be working on the same problem at the same time from different locals.
Leo Fender and Lester Paul(Les). The Plank and The Log. Nick names you should remember. In the mid 50's these two guys were experimenting with instruments that would go on to revolutionize the music business. Part of the reason for the electric guitar was one thing, VOLUME. the guys wanted to play loud! They had an entire orcastra to compete with. The electric guitar had been around for years. A pick up stuck to the body of an acoustic jazz guitar ran into a 15 or 20 watt amp. The problem was turn it up loud enough to be heard above the rest of the band and you get howling feed back. Les Paul first took a guitar neck off a jazz guitar ,glued it to a chunk of wood, then affixed a primitive pick up to it ran that to a modified stereo amp and boom the electric guitar was born. The major guitar makers of the day couldn't seem to get past the idea that the guitar didn't need to have all the acoustic properties of prior models to be electrified. Mean while out in Fullerton in this dusty messy shop was this non musician named Leo Fender. Leo made guitar and amps. His greatest saving grace was that he would listen to the local working musicians that would visit his shop and explain what they needed. Let me explain something here. I am not a music historian but I have been at this a long time and have read extensively on the subject. Many of the inovations that Leo came up with came about from conversations he had with working musicians. Les Paul had this deal with Gibson and if you look at the early Les Paul guitars you can still see the "Jazz " mentality craftmenship in his guitars. The use of high end quality tone woods,fine binding and glued in necks as opposed to Leo's designs. Where Les used mahogony and birds eye maple Leo used less expensive woods such as maple, and ash. cheaper and more available in those days. In the early fifties Leo had designed his first pick up a single coil(I'll explain the difference later) and had taken a piece of wood and afixed it to the "plank". One pick up, one volume knob then he took a neck he had made and BOLTED it to the body(not glued) here we have the birth of the telecastor the Les Paul and the Telecastor two guitars that would set in stone all other designs that would follow. Pretty heavy considering the history that would follow. There are some artists whose image is forever intertwined with the guitars they play. Can you imagine Hendrix with out left a handed strat? Jimi Page with out his cherry sunburst Les Paul? Buddy Holly with out a maple neck strat? Angus
Young without a mid 60's SG?
So let me explain the difference between the two types of guitars. We'll start with string length. The distance the string travels from the nut on the neck to the bridge makes this difference. Ease of playing. Tension. On a Fender guitar the length is 25 & 1/4 oy n a Gibson 24 & 3/4 inches. Gibsons are easier to play. Fender are outfitted with "single coil" pick ups. These have a very distinctive sound but they are not a powerful as humbucking pick ups you'll find in Gibsons. Single coil pick ups have a habit of being noisy especially around floresent light bulbs. Humbuckers were developed in the late 50's and are more powerful(louder) than a single coil won't pick up "hum" of any sort, yet there are those who claim single coils have more personality to their sound. I started out on Gibsons but switched to Strats a few years later and have been playing strat type guitars
ever since. As you develop you will naturally lean one way or the other .
The thing I really want to stress about guitars is this. They are organic in nature,each one feels different,even the same model,each one will bring out a different side of what music lives in you,each one has a personality all it's own and each one can bring out a sound,feeling or vibe that may surprize you. I look at my collection more like friends these days than tools.
Ok you been taking some lessons, got your first guitar now you have built your first rig. You know a hand full of chords and you know a few songs, what now? Start looking for players to jam with. And a serious word here, Don't be afraid or intimidated. Even the worlds greatest virtuoso had to start some where.Looking for those at your skill level to play with helps. Most clubs have an open mic night. A great place to learn and gain experience is at church. Plus many are always in need of musicians to help out with the services. At church you will gain experience working with singers, playing with other musicians, as a guitar player you will learn to play in "non" guitar friendly keys because in all likely hood you'll be working with a piano player(they like the keys of F,Bb,C,Eb) so if you are not involved in a church go find one. Or lastly form a band of your own with guys of like tallent just to get together on weekends,grill something,drink some beer and play some music. Rok ON
Next blog and last on the subject.....set lists...songs you must know to play in a band.
OK we have covered all the things it takes to get started to become a guitar player. We have also covered amps and stomp boxes. Now it is time to step boldly into the world of the electric guitar.
As with the world of amps the world of guitars is very much the same. Divided down the middle between Fender type and Gibson type guitars. It is always funny to me how several people can be working on the same problem at the same time from different locals.
Leo Fender and Lester Paul(Les). The Plank and The Log. Nick names you should remember. In the mid 50's these two guys were experimenting with instruments that would go on to revolutionize the music business. Part of the reason for the electric guitar was one thing, VOLUME. the guys wanted to play loud! They had an entire orcastra to compete with. The electric guitar had been around for years. A pick up stuck to the body of an acoustic jazz guitar ran into a 15 or 20 watt amp. The problem was turn it up loud enough to be heard above the rest of the band and you get howling feed back. Les Paul first took a guitar neck off a jazz guitar ,glued it to a chunk of wood, then affixed a primitive pick up to it ran that to a modified stereo amp and boom the electric guitar was born. The major guitar makers of the day couldn't seem to get past the idea that the guitar didn't need to have all the acoustic properties of prior models to be electrified. Mean while out in Fullerton in this dusty messy shop was this non musician named Leo Fender. Leo made guitar and amps. His greatest saving grace was that he would listen to the local working musicians that would visit his shop and explain what they needed. Let me explain something here. I am not a music historian but I have been at this a long time and have read extensively on the subject. Many of the inovations that Leo came up with came about from conversations he had with working musicians. Les Paul had this deal with Gibson and if you look at the early Les Paul guitars you can still see the "Jazz " mentality craftmenship in his guitars. The use of high end quality tone woods,fine binding and glued in necks as opposed to Leo's designs. Where Les used mahogony and birds eye maple Leo used less expensive woods such as maple, and ash. cheaper and more available in those days. In the early fifties Leo had designed his first pick up a single coil(I'll explain the difference later) and had taken a piece of wood and afixed it to the "plank". One pick up, one volume knob then he took a neck he had made and BOLTED it to the body(not glued) here we have the birth of the telecastor the Les Paul and the Telecastor two guitars that would set in stone all other designs that would follow. Pretty heavy considering the history that would follow. There are some artists whose image is forever intertwined with the guitars they play. Can you imagine Hendrix with out left a handed strat? Jimi Page with out his cherry sunburst Les Paul? Buddy Holly with out a maple neck strat? Angus
Young without a mid 60's SG?
So let me explain the difference between the two types of guitars. We'll start with string length. The distance the string travels from the nut on the neck to the bridge makes this difference. Ease of playing. Tension. On a Fender guitar the length is 25 & 1/4 oy n a Gibson 24 & 3/4 inches. Gibsons are easier to play. Fender are outfitted with "single coil" pick ups. These have a very distinctive sound but they are not a powerful as humbucking pick ups you'll find in Gibsons. Single coil pick ups have a habit of being noisy especially around floresent light bulbs. Humbuckers were developed in the late 50's and are more powerful(louder) than a single coil won't pick up "hum" of any sort, yet there are those who claim single coils have more personality to their sound. I started out on Gibsons but switched to Strats a few years later and have been playing strat type guitars
ever since. As you develop you will naturally lean one way or the other .
The thing I really want to stress about guitars is this. They are organic in nature,each one feels different,even the same model,each one will bring out a different side of what music lives in you,each one has a personality all it's own and each one can bring out a sound,feeling or vibe that may surprize you. I look at my collection more like friends these days than tools.
Ok you been taking some lessons, got your first guitar now you have built your first rig. You know a hand full of chords and you know a few songs, what now? Start looking for players to jam with. And a serious word here, Don't be afraid or intimidated. Even the worlds greatest virtuoso had to start some where.Looking for those at your skill level to play with helps. Most clubs have an open mic night. A great place to learn and gain experience is at church. Plus many are always in need of musicians to help out with the services. At church you will gain experience working with singers, playing with other musicians, as a guitar player you will learn to play in "non" guitar friendly keys because in all likely hood you'll be working with a piano player(they like the keys of F,Bb,C,Eb) so if you are not involved in a church go find one. Or lastly form a band of your own with guys of like tallent just to get together on weekends,grill something,drink some beer and play some music. Rok ON
Next blog and last on the subject.....set lists...songs you must know to play in a band.
Monday, February 15, 2010
guitars 101.1. stomp boxes,amps and guitars
"Guitar 101" amps stomp boxes and electric guitars
Ok last blog we covered the basics of guitars, the need for a teacher, and what it took to get started. This blog we cover different types of amps,electric guitars,stomp boxes and learning to jam. say guitar 101.1
Lets get started with the world of amplifiers. Since the 50's the amp world has been divided into to two worlds. FENDER and MARSHALL. Which I find funny because the basic design of James Marshall's first amp was based on a Fender Bassman.
But today despite all the hundreds of guitar amp companies in existence today, they are either a play off of either a Fender
or a Marshall. Then there are tubes or solid state and amp modelers. The computer has done marvels for equipment these days from live sound to recording. What would taken a fortune to record 25 years ago can be done today in a bedroom on a computer and a few other pieces that would cost less than1,000.00.
But for many when it comes to amps there are those who still perfer tubes. A thing that may go the way of the 8 track stereo,VHS and vynel records but for now tubes continue to play a big part of the amp world. Part of the reason is this, as the night goes on and the tubes get hotter and hotter the amps harmonic quailities start to sound even better. On many a night by the third set my Marshall sounded unbelieveably rich and full. Where as a solidstate amp the moment you turn it on what you hear is what you get all night long.
Power tubes,preamp tubes Both Fender and Marshall use 12ax7 peramp tubes what gives them their distinctive sounds are two things. Marshall uses EL34 power amp tubes and Celestian speakers and Fender uses 6L6 power tube and either Jensen speakers or stock Fender speakers. On Marshall the midrange knob turned all the way up really gives it that true Marshall sound. Fenders are known for their cleaness and lots of "headroom".It is why certain country/blues artists perfer Fenders either a Twin reverb or a Deluxe reverb. Classic rock,Metal heads perfer the Marshall. (my self included) There are new amps hitting the market place every year but most remain a play off these two. Then there is the whole amp modeling phenom. With a computer program they have been able to sample the best of all these including what could be called boutique amps. Amps that are all hand made in a small shop by just a few techs and the price usually run 2 to 3 times what a production model cost. Still even these are a play off the Big Two. A working guitar player will own one of each. me
Now that we have more or less covered the amp world. lets talk about the other stuff you may need.
Stomp Boxes, Effect peddles,Peddle boards,multieffect units etc. Ok you got an amp what do you need beside a chord and an electric guitar?(we will get to guitars presently) effect peddles. These are like herbs and spices to the proper gumbo. Without them your sound will come out a bit flat. Over do it and everything loses definition. Some of my favorite guitar players have very simple rigs with just 2 to 4 peddles. Then there are guys like the Edge of U2 whose rig looks like something out of Star Trek..a guy like him is 80% sound engineer and 20% guitaroom. player. But let me give you a basic working"cover most of it" peddle rig. First off multieffect units are great if you have both the time and smarts to figure out. I have neither. I perfer to bend over and tweek a knob if something doesn't sound right.I run a three channel Marshall channel one is clean most o crunchf my night is spent there and it is there that I use my boxes the most. So I want a good sounding clean channel with lots of headroom. I perfer to combine reverb and a bit of delay. the reverb and delay also covers the other channels as well. Channel two is my crunch rythum channel. I call it my "Angus Young" channel. For songs like Shook me All Night long,High Way to Hell, La Grange Start me up. Then there is Channel three. Solo. I use alot of my stomp boxes here.delay,wah, chorus.
So lets look at your average peddle board. (mine at least) .The first in my chain is my channel changer(where I can easily switch channels)next is my Cry Baby Wah then we go into a very old boss peddle board. First in line is a DS1 orange colored distortion peddle I use this occationally like when I'm doing "Star Spangled Banner" or I want long controlled feed back. Next
is a yellow overdrive. I use this one a lot for the blues type solos Stevie Ray stuff. Then comes a dark blue compressor. I use this one constantly. I have very light strings and I have this set so when I'm in my clean channel it will "Fatten" up my clean
sound and it works quite well with my chorus peddle(the next in line) this is how I get my "Eric Johnson" lastly all this goes to a red box that powers all of them and my tuner here is where One side goes to the amp the other the guitar(or my chordless should I decide to use it). So there you have it a working guitar players amp and peddle that will get 99% of what you may need done, done well.
Next blog....the wonderful world of Guitars!!
Ok last blog we covered the basics of guitars, the need for a teacher, and what it took to get started. This blog we cover different types of amps,electric guitars,stomp boxes and learning to jam. say guitar 101.1
Lets get started with the world of amplifiers. Since the 50's the amp world has been divided into to two worlds. FENDER and MARSHALL. Which I find funny because the basic design of James Marshall's first amp was based on a Fender Bassman.
But today despite all the hundreds of guitar amp companies in existence today, they are either a play off of either a Fender
or a Marshall. Then there are tubes or solid state and amp modelers. The computer has done marvels for equipment these days from live sound to recording. What would taken a fortune to record 25 years ago can be done today in a bedroom on a computer and a few other pieces that would cost less than1,000.00.
But for many when it comes to amps there are those who still perfer tubes. A thing that may go the way of the 8 track stereo,VHS and vynel records but for now tubes continue to play a big part of the amp world. Part of the reason is this, as the night goes on and the tubes get hotter and hotter the amps harmonic quailities start to sound even better. On many a night by the third set my Marshall sounded unbelieveably rich and full. Where as a solidstate amp the moment you turn it on what you hear is what you get all night long.
Power tubes,preamp tubes Both Fender and Marshall use 12ax7 peramp tubes what gives them their distinctive sounds are two things. Marshall uses EL34 power amp tubes and Celestian speakers and Fender uses 6L6 power tube and either Jensen speakers or stock Fender speakers. On Marshall the midrange knob turned all the way up really gives it that true Marshall sound. Fenders are known for their cleaness and lots of "headroom".It is why certain country/blues artists perfer Fenders either a Twin reverb or a Deluxe reverb. Classic rock,Metal heads perfer the Marshall. (my self included) There are new amps hitting the market place every year but most remain a play off these two. Then there is the whole amp modeling phenom. With a computer program they have been able to sample the best of all these including what could be called boutique amps. Amps that are all hand made in a small shop by just a few techs and the price usually run 2 to 3 times what a production model cost. Still even these are a play off the Big Two. A working guitar player will own one of each. me
Now that we have more or less covered the amp world. lets talk about the other stuff you may need.
Stomp Boxes, Effect peddles,Peddle boards,multieffect units etc. Ok you got an amp what do you need beside a chord and an electric guitar?(we will get to guitars presently) effect peddles. These are like herbs and spices to the proper gumbo. Without them your sound will come out a bit flat. Over do it and everything loses definition. Some of my favorite guitar players have very simple rigs with just 2 to 4 peddles. Then there are guys like the Edge of U2 whose rig looks like something out of Star Trek..a guy like him is 80% sound engineer and 20% guitaroom. player. But let me give you a basic working"cover most of it" peddle rig. First off multieffect units are great if you have both the time and smarts to figure out. I have neither. I perfer to bend over and tweek a knob if something doesn't sound right.I run a three channel Marshall channel one is clean most o crunchf my night is spent there and it is there that I use my boxes the most. So I want a good sounding clean channel with lots of headroom. I perfer to combine reverb and a bit of delay. the reverb and delay also covers the other channels as well. Channel two is my crunch rythum channel. I call it my "Angus Young" channel. For songs like Shook me All Night long,High Way to Hell, La Grange Start me up. Then there is Channel three. Solo. I use alot of my stomp boxes here.delay,wah, chorus.
So lets look at your average peddle board. (mine at least) .The first in my chain is my channel changer(where I can easily switch channels)next is my Cry Baby Wah then we go into a very old boss peddle board. First in line is a DS1 orange colored distortion peddle I use this occationally like when I'm doing "Star Spangled Banner" or I want long controlled feed back. Next
is a yellow overdrive. I use this one a lot for the blues type solos Stevie Ray stuff. Then comes a dark blue compressor. I use this one constantly. I have very light strings and I have this set so when I'm in my clean channel it will "Fatten" up my clean
sound and it works quite well with my chorus peddle(the next in line) this is how I get my "Eric Johnson" lastly all this goes to a red box that powers all of them and my tuner here is where One side goes to the amp the other the guitar(or my chordless should I decide to use it). So there you have it a working guitar players amp and peddle that will get 99% of what you may need done, done well.
Next blog....the wonderful world of Guitars!!
Guitar 101
"Guitar 101"
OK so you want to be a guitar player. Let me guide you here and maybe save you a little money in the meantime. The guitar is the only instrument in the grand scheme of things that can act as both a solo instrument or can accompany singers or other parts of a combo. It shares these qualities with the piano,the harp and the mandolin. With the exception of the mandolin the guitar is the most portable. The great thing about the guitar is you don't have to be a virtuoso to make real music and start having fun.
First order of business; Lessons or no lessons? With the music store well stocked with graduated beginner books and the internet there is a lot a person can do on their own long before they have need of a teacher. When I used to teach I always felt my"Stone Beginners" were really not getting their money's worth because it could take a student a half an hour just to form a simple "C" chord.
As a beginner there are seve!ral things you will be dealing with. Mechanical ability (the skill just making a chord) learning the language of music(it has terms all it's own) and the pain of developing your first set of callous. As well as learning how to use a pick.
Let me explain the difference in what type of guitars and their price range you'll find at your music store.
1) Electric 2) Acoustic 3) Classical. The price range of each of these can run from 200.00 to the price of a new car!
Lets start with the electric. For one it requires a totally different touch and approach and you have to have a lot of other stuff to go along with it just to make sounds.( an amp,chords,tuner etc) I would not suggest starting out on an electric
The Acoustic. Most people start out on one of these. Beginner models usually begin around 150.00 to 250.00 to get one that has a decent sound and a straight neck. With countries like China, Taiwan and South Korea and the cheap labour they have there the availability of well made inexpensive guitars has increased considerably in the last few years. The problem with the acoustic guitar is the strings are made of past very course brass and depending on how much you play this can cause a certain amount of pain while your fingers toughen up. I have met some who could not get past this and gave up.
The Classical, These guitars are made with a much wider neck, a slotted head stock and a wider body. The are made for classical music that is mostly solo. One of the differences between the classical and these others mentioned is that traditionally classical guitar is played without a pick. Another difference is the strings are softer .I have never seen a classical guitar suggested as a good beginner guitar but I will make that suggestion here and this is the reason.
With the softer strings it will be easier to form "clean" sounding chords and there won't be near the discomfort as with an acoustic.
That all being said. Try to buy as much of a guitar as you can afford. There is nothing more frustrating than trying to learn on a guitar that is just over the hill. All guitars can be adjusted and "set up" to play comfortably. The term "action" is something you'll get to know well. Action is the space between the strings and the fret board. the lower the action the more ease in playing.
Let take an inventory of what we are going to need to get started. Guitar,books,a good comfortable strap,picks(try several gauges and stick with the gauge that is the most comfortable) something called a capo(this is something that staps over the neck to change the key) a decent music stand. Ready to rock. Here is a crucial rule. BE PATIENT. Rome wasn't built in a day. Practice forming chords cleanly and moving from one chord to the next..example from "C" to "F" back to "C" then to "G".(F by the way is one of the most difficult chords to learn to play cleanly when you first start out)
When you can do this and do this thru the keys of D,G,A E and begin to use the relative minors to each of these keys.
then you are ready for a teacher. You have nimble enough fingers and a basic understanding of music and you also have something the teacher can work with. Rather than a over wet pile of clay now you are a ball of clay ready to be formed.
Next chapter: electric guitars amps and learning to jam
OK so you want to be a guitar player. Let me guide you here and maybe save you a little money in the meantime. The guitar is the only instrument in the grand scheme of things that can act as both a solo instrument or can accompany singers or other parts of a combo. It shares these qualities with the piano,the harp and the mandolin. With the exception of the mandolin the guitar is the most portable. The great thing about the guitar is you don't have to be a virtuoso to make real music and start having fun.
First order of business; Lessons or no lessons? With the music store well stocked with graduated beginner books and the internet there is a lot a person can do on their own long before they have need of a teacher. When I used to teach I always felt my"Stone Beginners" were really not getting their money's worth because it could take a student a half an hour just to form a simple "C" chord.
As a beginner there are seve!ral things you will be dealing with. Mechanical ability (the skill just making a chord) learning the language of music(it has terms all it's own) and the pain of developing your first set of callous. As well as learning how to use a pick.
Let me explain the difference in what type of guitars and their price range you'll find at your music store.
1) Electric 2) Acoustic 3) Classical. The price range of each of these can run from 200.00 to the price of a new car!
Lets start with the electric. For one it requires a totally different touch and approach and you have to have a lot of other stuff to go along with it just to make sounds.( an amp,chords,tuner etc) I would not suggest starting out on an electric
The Acoustic. Most people start out on one of these. Beginner models usually begin around 150.00 to 250.00 to get one that has a decent sound and a straight neck. With countries like China, Taiwan and South Korea and the cheap labour they have there the availability of well made inexpensive guitars has increased considerably in the last few years. The problem with the acoustic guitar is the strings are made of past very course brass and depending on how much you play this can cause a certain amount of pain while your fingers toughen up. I have met some who could not get past this and gave up.
The Classical, These guitars are made with a much wider neck, a slotted head stock and a wider body. The are made for classical music that is mostly solo. One of the differences between the classical and these others mentioned is that traditionally classical guitar is played without a pick. Another difference is the strings are softer .I have never seen a classical guitar suggested as a good beginner guitar but I will make that suggestion here and this is the reason.
With the softer strings it will be easier to form "clean" sounding chords and there won't be near the discomfort as with an acoustic.
That all being said. Try to buy as much of a guitar as you can afford. There is nothing more frustrating than trying to learn on a guitar that is just over the hill. All guitars can be adjusted and "set up" to play comfortably. The term "action" is something you'll get to know well. Action is the space between the strings and the fret board. the lower the action the more ease in playing.
Let take an inventory of what we are going to need to get started. Guitar,books,a good comfortable strap,picks(try several gauges and stick with the gauge that is the most comfortable) something called a capo(this is something that staps over the neck to change the key) a decent music stand. Ready to rock. Here is a crucial rule. BE PATIENT. Rome wasn't built in a day. Practice forming chords cleanly and moving from one chord to the next..example from "C" to "F" back to "C" then to "G".(F by the way is one of the most difficult chords to learn to play cleanly when you first start out)
When you can do this and do this thru the keys of D,G,A E and begin to use the relative minors to each of these keys.
then you are ready for a teacher. You have nimble enough fingers and a basic understanding of music and you also have something the teacher can work with. Rather than a over wet pile of clay now you are a ball of clay ready to be formed.
Next chapter: electric guitars amps and learning to jam
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