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JapanAxe

⭐Supporting Member⭐
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Everything posted by JapanAxe

  1. It’s not the guitarist, it’s a lot of things about (a) that band, (b) playing in pubs. And yes, it doesn’t matter how good the band is if the people are a-holes. I’ve heard it said more than once that there are three important things in a band: the music, the money, the craic. All three and you’re golden; any two is fine; just one and you’ll never be happy.
  2. I am a very experienced and competent guitarist and bass player with decent backing vocals and some lead vocal ability. I am comfortable in most styles (particularly Pop, Soul, Rock, Indie, Country), a sight-reader on bass, a fast learner, and I have a good ear. I am looking for quality gigs where a high standard of musicianship, organisation and presentation is called for, with fees to match - typically this would be in a function or tribute band (I am well acquainted with both). I have excellent gear and reliable transport. Area covered: M4 corridor, South coast to Birmingham; further afield for the right gig. https://guitarist4hire.wixsite.com/graeme-scott https://soundcloud.com/guitargraeme
  3. I am a very experienced and competent guitarist and bass player with decent backing vocals and some lead vocal ability. I am comfortable in most styles (particularly Pop, Soul, Rock, Indie, Country), a sight-reader on bass, a fast learner, and I have a good ear. I am looking for quality gigs where a high standard of musicianship, organisation and presentation is called for, with fees to match - typically this would be in a function or tribute band (I am well acquainted with both). I have excellent gear and reliable transport. Area covered: M4 corridor, South coast to Birmingham; further afield for the right gig. https://guitarist4hire.wixsite.com/graeme-scott https://soundcloud.com/guitargraeme
  4. Played a sea-front bar in Weston-super-Mare with a rock’n’roll band that I often work with. The positives: Nice location opposite the pier. Felt like I played well. My rig sounded great (‘73 P > Demeter amp > BF Super Twin). Paid gig. Second gig with Boss WL20 wireless setup - loving it! The negatives: 60 miles each way plus parking to pay for. Loading area near the venue full of parked cars - owners obviously read ‘LOADING ONLY’ to mean ‘FREE PARKING’. Never mind, just blocked them in while I loaded out. Guitarist’s DIY extension lead kept tripping the circuit breaker while we were setting up until I identified it as the cause. Very few customers in the bar. (New) lead guitarist hadn’t quite got his poop together. I’m fed up with pub gigs and looking for some better quality work next year i.e. function band or tribute act.
  5. I was playing on a rock’n’roll gig when a guy from PRS visited. He introduced himself to the landlord and then to us. We gave him a copy of the set list and he sat and worked on his laptop and scoffed a bar meal while we played the first set. So I got the impression that people other than Ed Sheeran and Paul McCartney might benefit from that.
  6. Ben bought a pedal form me. He paid promptly and let me know when it arrived safely. I'd be happy to deal again.
  7. Played rhythm guitar with a rock’n’roll band at a social club. It was the bass player’s last gig with them following some unspecified falling-out with the BL and you could have cut the atmosphere with a knife. When it came time to load out I had to dodge the pavement pizzas in the car park - how delightful!
  8. I used this in my country trio just to handle vocals and it worked a treat. I held onto it on the grounds that it was too useful to get rid of, but I realise I've only used it a couple of times at home since, and if I sell it I won't have to sell my Jazzmaster! Briefly, it's a line array PA system which is ideal for solo or duo acts, or vocals at rehearsal. The spread of sound is such that I used to use it without extra monitors, positioned to one side of the stage and facing the diagonally opposite corner of the room. I used it at an outdoor gig a couple of times and the vocals could be clearly heard at the far end of the field. The ToneMax mixer takes its power from the main unit and provides 3 mono and 1 stereo channels, each with its own assignable EQ and effects. You can save your settings for a given band or whatever. Alternatively you can use your own mixer and plug it into the jack input on the base unit (controlled by a master volume knob on the latter). The whole thing can be set up in under 5 minutes! The full spec is here, and the owner's guide here. The system comprises: L1 base unit and line array column (in 2 sections) 2x bass bins ToneMatch mixer All necessary cables to connect the elements Spare ethernet cable All cases and covers Paperwork A man bag for transporting the ToneMatch Original boxes if you want them (not shown - currently in the loft but easy enough to fetch down) Condition I would describe as 'gigged but good'. There is some scuffing to the 'foot' sides of the bass bins (see photos), and the 3 rubberised encoder knobs on the ToneMatch have become a little tacky to the touch (which I have improved somewhat by cleaning them up!). Everything works as it should. I am looking for £1,250 £1,100 by collection or meet-up. If collecting, I am happy to show you how to set up and operate it. The system weighs 50kg, which is light for an all-in-one PA, but too heavy to be sending at reasonable cost. NO TRADES THANKS.
  9. I thought about this and realised that the one time I used my ACS in both ears I was playing outdoors under a gazebo, and that was the bigger problem. Although I do have some hearing loss in the upper frequencies, I think the real issue is volume wars - if I turn my amp up to hear my guitar over the singer’s monitor, it will be too loud out front. And yes I have my amp up on a stand, not firing at my knees. IEMs would be the ideal solution - I have a good set but I can’t see the band splashing out on them (and I’m a dep so I don’t really get a vote).
  10. FTFY! Also it’s interesting how many posts in this thread are qualified by reference to the contributor’s own experience and preferences - which is exactly as it should be. If we want a barney we can always go to TalkBass…
  11. The trouble is, I won't be able to hear anything then - not through deafness, but because the earplugs are so effective.
  12. I have been using hearing protection at gigs for the last 20 years. I’ve mainly used Doc’s Pro Plugs which provide some attenuation without losing the definition (which for me is the big problem with foam plugs). I recently got a pair of non-fitted 16dB ACS. Earlier this year I realised I had tinnitus, which for me manifests as a high-pitched whistling. Fortunately it’s only really noticeable in quiet environments, and doesn’t cause me any bother. The on-stage sound level varies a lot depending on the band I’m playing with. I dep with a tribute band where no-one uses an amp on stage and although it has taken me a while to adjust to IEMs, this means much lower sound levels in my ears. At the other end of the scale is a pub band where the main vocalist’s wedge monitor is excruciatingly loud. I can cope with this by putting an ACS in my more sensitive ear and a Doc loosely in the other. I still need to hear my guitar amp without it being too loud for the room and the rest of the band. If we can’t come up with a workable solution then I’m minded to stop working with them, which would be a shame because it’s steady work and they’re nice folks.
  13. I’m on my third 5-string and I feel like I’ve finally found one that I can get comfortable with - but I’ll save all that for a proper NBD post. I probably would stick with 4s but there are songs that really need the range of a 5. However, to me a 5-string is almost like a different instrument from a 4 - it needs to be addressed differently, eg you can play further up the neck and across the strings.
  14. Welcome aboard Jess. We consider ourselves a friendly bunch, and we've all 'only been playing bass for about...' some period of time or other!
  15. If you fancy one of the boss RE pedals but find yourself strapped for cash, this is for you! With 7 delay combinations form 3 virtual playback heads, plus tap tempo and a looper, this pedal is hard to beat for value. If you want to edit the settings and bring in the onboard reverb, you can connect the pedal to your computer and download the free editor software. One small scratch on the base, hook velcro already fitted for installing on your pedalboard. Boxed with manual. Yours for £40 delivered in UK.
  16. Priority in my guitar rack tends to go to those guitars that earn their keep on gigs, and although I have gigged this one a fair bit, it's more for fun at home these days. I will particularly miss the nice wide neck above the 12th fret that makes the Mr Brightside intro at least somewhat feasible for my sausage fingers... This is a 2015 Mexican Fender 60s Jazzmaster in the short-lived light 'lacquer' finish, in luscious Surf Green. It has had the following upgrades: Mastery vibrato and bridge Mojo pickups New wiring harness Cavities screened with copper tape The Mastery vibrato is the earlier model, which can be prone to adjusting itself downwards as you play. I have locked the adjustment threads in the two posts with a dab of glue, at optimum height. This is easy to remove if you like, and you still have full height adjustment on the bridge saddle pieces. Weight is a well-balanced 3.6kg (7lb 15oz in old money). There is some light dinging to the body and neck but that was part of the idea of the lacquer finish and it certainly didn't put me off when I bought it. I have set it up to play easily, with a nice set of Elixir 10s fitted. These offset guitars are often too big for standard cases and gig bags, but this one comes complete with a light-weight fitted Rockbag semi-hard case. Price is £950 by collection or meetup. I'm in Swindon but quite often gig around Bristol and Gloucestershire. If I can obtain suitable packaging then I will add delivery as an option. No trades on this one thanks.
  17. Anyone playing in or around Dudley tonight? Staying in Kingswinford and Mrs Axe fancies a look out.
  18. It's tonight! And it's going to be HOT...
  19. In no particular order: Albert Lee: Albert Lee U2: The Unforgettable Fire Television: Marquee Moon Lionel Richie: Can’t Slow Down Roxy Music: Avalon The Dixie Dregs: Dregs of the Earth Oscar Peterson: We Get Requests
  20. I spend a lot of my time working on material that I need to know for upcoming dep gigs. Consequently I rarely have time to learn songs ‘just in case’ but I have done so for fun - mainly Steely Dan stuff.
  21. I've been playing for 45 years now and have never had a 'one' guitar or bass. For a time I tried to find a single do-everything skinny-string guitar that could cover all bases. The closest I got to achieving that ambition was a Yamaha Pacifica 604. I reached the point of thinking that a Precision would meet all my bass needs, but have recently moved away from that with my current brace of Dingwalls. So no - and why should there be a 'one' instrument? Here's to enjoying lots of instruments!
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