AC instrument Roll call- Name-Instrument-years playing it, etc...

eclein · « **on:** 4 Mar 2011, 11:57 pm »

Lets find out who plays what and for how long on each instrument...I'm thinking we put together a rough list of who plays what, where you are, how long played etc... and maybe folks that live near each other get a chance to jam...if you do please post about it here...

I'm putting the exclamation mark on thread ideas..I start or you guys start just so we have a fresh look and we know if its a recent idea etc...I've been dealing with a medical thing, andd I have to rely on a lot of pain medication to get by..we knew this time might come and now its here..so I play along to music and I think it sounds great and then I listen back and its pretty loose...anybody else experienced this phenomena??
I have to sit for several hours each day with my fee elevated above my heart to relieve swelling in my ankles which now look like thighs so I'm doing alot of listening and sometimes when the pain is bad I can't stand even listening to music..anybody else go through this?

drphoto · « **Reply #1 on:** 8 Mar 2011, 11:14 pm »

I play guitar, as evidenced by my avatar, my '57 Strat reissue. I've been playing for about 4 years. I'm not very good, but I enjoy the hell out of it. Several years ago, I decided not to worry about what sort of progress I was making and just have fun. I also have a set of drums, and can bang out a basic beat, but that's about it. I played piano as a kid, and may pick up a digital piano someday.

I do run live sound for a local band. I don't know a lot of the technical stuff, but the band leader wanted me because of my obsession w/ audio and sound quality. Things finally came together on the last few gigs. I run sound at generally far lower levels than most bar bands, but we still have a lot of 'punch'. I pay particular attention to making sure things are not too bright. Most live bands I hear drill holes in my eardrums, and I try to make sure that doesn't happen. It's kinda of cool when the venue owner tells the band leader "we love your soundman".

If anyone any the Louisville KY area wants to check it out, the band is 'Circus' and we're playing April 1 at Imperizzeli's on Main St. It's just cover tunes, but the band is good. The lead guitar player is really impressive. Not a flashy player, but a truly superb musician.

eclein · « **Reply #2 on:** 8 Mar 2011, 11:24 pm »

...and the good dr (drphoto) jumps in to start the ball rolling, you would have been my ideal sound guy, I always thought live music should sound like a good home audio system as far as clarity and definition but we don't need to remodel the interior of peoples brains in order to do that...keep enjoying it, and by the way thats the ultimate compliment you received, the owners employees can conduct business without yelling at the customer and fatigue will be less you shall see that little comment the owner made will pay off bigtime...the band will be offered a gig New Years eve, which is the highest paid night for any gigging musician, you can pretty much name your price...watch and see if that doesn't happen.

drphoto · « **Reply #3 on:** 9 Mar 2011, 01:16 am »

Thanks Ed. Yeah, my stratagy has already payed off for the band. We played two weeks ago, basically on spec and they booked us for the following week before the 3rd set. Now we've got the 4/1/11 date plus events during the Derby festival, which is Louisville's big party week. Of course, the guys in the band deserve all the credit. I just help them sound as good as I can.

BTW: I'd love to play w/ the idea of 'distributed' subs to even out bottom end response, rather than having them in the traditional stack. Has anyone else tried this. It would obviously add to the complexity of setup, and setup time is always at a premium, not allowing for much experimentation. (we run a pair of Crown powered 18" JBL's per side)

eclein · « **Reply #4 on:** 9 Mar 2011, 01:35 am »

Dr. your doing fine doing what your doing the buffer between band and management, art and theory come later, setup-play(keep the owner off your back)-get paid-tear down and get to the next gig..for now just do that because the day will come when a patron falls into your speaker stack or pukes on the board so ( get in-make them smile-get paid-go home ) success, time will come when you get to try stuff but for now I suggest you keep it simple.
Your doing fine so don't try and fix it if its working..follow me??
Anybody else care to share some live gig experiences he has to maybe look forward too??

Bob in St. Louis · « **Reply #5 on:** 9 Mar 2011, 01:37 am »

Trumpet and Piano as a kid. Maybe a year each. After that, I became proficient at air guitar and air drums. That was about the time "In the Air Tonight" was released. Then my full fledged desire to play sax kicked in. Now, it's bass I desire. The way I see it, I've almost come full circle.

Bob

p.s. My only "live gig" experience consisted of a piano recital where I sat at a HUGE piano that had more key than I'd ever seen. Of course the first key I pressed was a couple octaves off.

drphoto · « **Reply #6 on:** 9 Mar 2011, 01:52 am »

Ed, you're are probably right, as I'm not the most tech savvy person when it comes to live sound.

Part of why things are working now, after a few frustating attemps at this before, is we have greatly simplified thing like taking out separate monitor mixing. I now just send them the house mix. Before, there were way too many issues too worry about.

Being involved in live music is a blast. As I've posted before, my playing (or more accurately, attempting to play), gives me a whole new appreciation for what real musicians can do. For example, I've been trying to emulate David Gilmour leads. I now realize that most of his solos are based on basic blues licks (often in B) but the way he approaches phrasing, effects, etc lead to something completely unique.

Glenn Kuras · « **Reply #7 on:** 18 May 2011, 04:10 pm »

I have been playing for over 30 years and only play a Fender Tele. As far as amps I ONLY use Fender Hot Rod amps and own just about every series. My favorite one though is the Hot Rod Blues DeVille (not the reissue). The only pedal I use is a tuner.

Glenn Kuras
GIK Acoustics

AVnerdguy · « **Reply #8 on:** 18 May 2011, 04:31 pm »

Guitar - been playing about 40 years (yikes!). I no longer own any gig equipment and have only 2 remaining guitars. A Gibson SG and a Strat. I have a simple twin amp that I drive the wife nutz with. Occasionally jam with some old friends but for the most part i just plunk around for my amusement and to keep my chops intact.

Daedalus Audio · « **Reply #9 on:** 18 May 2011, 04:47 pm »

fun idea for a thread, lets get more input,eh?

I've been playing about 45 years, main performing guitars are David Webber 6& 12 plus National tricone. also Froggy Bottom 6 &12 and others. oh yeah electric is 80's reissue strat ('62) funny thing is I had a '62 strat in 1970 and this is identical! last year I put a new neck on it that I shaped with a fat V and is 1 3/4"... beautiful tone from that extra wood! it goes through a Fender Blues Delux that Wayne @ Bolder COMPLETELY rebuilt and hot-rodded. the acoustic amps are obviously Daedalus

btw Drphoto, have you been mixing in stereo? I've found that I can get more life and clarity in the mix when I can do that. doesn't always work in the room but when it does wow.

keep playing,
lou

Hank · « **Reply #10 on:** 18 May 2011, 05:18 pm »

Played clarinet through high school, then 15 years later, I discovered a brand new symphonic band here in Austin and said what the heck and sat in. That was 32 years ago. Today, we are about the best volunteer symphonic band in the nation and have quite a rep. Also play in a newbie reading Dixieland band.
http://www.austinsymphonicband.org

Big Red Machine · « **Reply #11 on:** 18 May 2011, 08:34 pm »

Drummer since 8 years old. Took 2 years of piano as well but was a natural at the skins. Played senior band when I was in eighth grade, still have the first real set of Pearl's I bought in 1975 new, we won a high school jazz fest in my junior year and went to play in Italy the next year as a reward for our prowess, I've played every kind of music and taken lessons from Frank Aeillo and Jay Wanamaker (Yamaha staff drummer), even been in a band with our own school bus roadie vehicle. Made alot of cash and closed a lot of bars in the day.

Blackmore · « **Reply #12 on:** 18 May 2011, 08:40 pm »

45 years of Trumpet. I play in the St. Louis Wind Symphony, Compton Heights Concert Band and play taps for off-site military funerals. I also teach high school band (27 years)

Devil Doc · « **Reply #13 on:** 18 May 2011, 09:07 pm »

I've been playing drums for 48yrs. Formed my first band when I was 15. The Navy put the kibosh on any professional aspirations, but I managed to keep playing with pick-up bands whenever possible. When I retired in 1990, some other fellas and I formed a Blues band and played damn near every dive in New England until I got tired of hanging around bars until O'dark thirty. My hands kind of gave out as well and I haven't been on a stage in 5yrs or so. I have two kits. A set of Gretsch with 5mm maple shells that I played on stage along with a Rogers Dynasonic snare from the early '70's (Gretsch makes lousy snares), and a custom built Eames 6 1/2" x 14" with a 3/4" Maple ply shell that I used in studio gigs. My second kit is a Rogers Holiday model from 1957. Same kit Buddy Rich used to play when he endorsed Rogers. That set has always stayed home and I still play it every day until my fingers go numb from carpel tunnel. I still jam with some guys on a fairly regular basis. My chops ain't what they used to be, but my strength was always my time.

Doc

rave959 · « **Reply #14 on:** 19 May 2011, 01:04 am »

I've been playing the guitar for 16 years. I have a Takamine acoustic/electric guitar.

ian

dflee · « **Reply #15 on:** 19 May 2011, 02:43 am »

I've been messin around with the guitar for forty years off and on and a mandolin for around fifteen. I love music and wish I had the time and money to improve but alas I am just a hacker.
Instruments include a 73 Martin D35, a Gibson 92 reissue of a 36 L00 (solid mahogany) and a 1918 Gibson A4 mandolin.
My wife who is an accomplished musician has a Roland Harpsichord and a Mason and Hamlin 1923 grand piano.

Rocket · « **Reply #16 on:** 19 May 2011, 11:08 am »

Hi,

I'm a comeback Trumpet player and have been playing for 3 years. I didn't play for 29 years and I'm progressing well and playing in 2 jazz swing bands and having a ball.

ps the US makes great trumpets currently playing a Kanstul 1537.

Regards

Rod

SteveFord · « **Reply #17 on:** 2 Jun 2011, 12:04 am »

I started on piano back in the 1st grade and worshipped Brahams, moved onto clarinet for a bit and then discovered my mom's old Chuck Berry 45s so it was guitar for me.
That was about 40 years ago and I play sporadically and am getting back into it again. Selling a couple of Gibson Firebirds really made me miss my guitars again.
Currently I have an assortment of Gibson electrics, a 100W Marshall 1/2 stack which is too loud to use where I live (tubes, of course!) and two Guild acoustics.
For what it's worth, my favorite guitar is my ES-335.
There are two guitars that I really want to get before they shovel dirt on me: a gold top Les Paul and an ES150TD.

eclein · « **Reply #18 on:** 2 Jun 2011, 12:52 am »

Steve you gotta check out the Carlton, Lukather CD I posted about...that'll get your juices going!!!!

Wayner · « **Reply #19 on:** 2 Jun 2011, 11:55 am »

Guitar since about 7. currently have 2 Fender Telecasters, a Martin D1 acoustic, Steinberger Spirit, and a Washburn mandolin.

Keyboards since ????, currently using a Korg Microstation as part of my MIDI based home studio.

Wayner