The Electra Forums

OK, here's mine. I play sunday afternoon jazz at a local organic cafe nearby. It's perfect, instead of being onstage and having to 'entertain', I jsut ease in a groove and make a soundtrack for people's lives. The thing about soundtrack music is it can be way ore interesting and complicated and modern- look at all the Bartok in 'The Shining' etc. So I get into some Monk, Coltrane, and one of my personal favorites, Wayne Shorter.

Performing regularly has done great things for my chops, no mistake. And it's also done great things for my writing -- I've finished several songs now that I'm really happy with.

I've performed for years as a violinist and vibes player, but never on guitar. I got used to it by playing at a great local jam. It really got me used ot playing at stage volumes. FInally though, as usual, the thing was so poorly organized that it was too easy to be frustrated at not getting a chance to play. The answer when that happens of course is you need you own gig, so you don't care what they do... and the rest is history.

I perform exclusively these dys on an electric nylon- my #1 has been up to now a great Takamine, but I've jus found an old Alvarez (yes, SLM!) that i'm in love with, I'm paying off the keeper until I can take her home. For amps I use either a Fender Deluze Reverb (reissue) if I expect friends to sit in as it handles multiple intruments with aplomb. Or if I want to travel light I take my Princeton. I've recently picked up a Vox AC-4 retubed with a !2AU7 and that works great paired in stereo with a Vox DA-5. The deal is, I can carry both those amps on the back of my motorcycle to the gig and if they fall of and go smash I'll be sorry to waste the $$ but it won't be a loss like a vintage amp.

Recently I've picked up a Fishman acoustic reverb pedal. I thought my Holy Grail was all the reverb I'd ever need, but you know what? It's fine fo steel but with acoustic you really want precise control of the tone muting (low pass filter) in the reverbed part. It allows it to ring in a warm way while the bright notes are short and not shrill. SOmetimes when I want extreme steroe I patch in my Flanger Hoax, that is a hell of a phaser and a whole nother story.

So what about your gig? Got one? Got a band? Solo thing? Jams or Open Mics? Garage serenade?

I usually play "out" twice a year. I am a member of the Christian Motorcyclist Association and I play in the band for the rallies that they have. So, I play mainly Praise and Worship. My schedule and talent level wont allow for any more than that. The 2 times per year commitment are just enough to keep me motivated to practice and learn new things.
The winter rally is usually in a very large church. Its a silent stage setup, so in ear monitors and no amps allowed. So I run my 80's hair band style pedal board through a boss GT8 for amp simulation.
The Summer rally I use either a Hotrod Deluxe, or Im thinking this year I will use my Risson ETA-100.
http://rissonamplifiers.com/

Blessings, Paul

I am ashamed to say I have only gigged once since we shifted up here and that was at a 'blues' night at a local boozer; hardly the most salubrious gig I've ever played, and as an added insult, had to use my strat as my Matts are all in storage!

My last few gigs as a muso were on keys with a couple of acoustic guitar solo spots - I played 3 pieces on an acoustic; Roads to Moscow, The Boxer and Classical Gas; the last has the band joining as as the tune progresses - cheesy as hell but the punters seemed to enjoy it!

These days , I have no band and only my old strat and an Indonesian acoustic to play around with, and it must be said, I miss my 'proper' electrics - 1 Vantage, 1 Electra, 7 Westones - , and the camaraderie of a gigging band! I'll pretty much have a go at playing any style as I just like to play, but I do love to try and play the likes of Kenny Burrell-type stuff; I'm not really that good at it but at the moment that lights my candle!

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"... and on the eighth day, God created New Zealanders.

Because even the Australians need heroes."

I've been playing some bass with a friend of mine in what I guess you'd call a pop punk style, except he's playing a Taylor acoustic and there's no drummer. My gig bass has so far been my beat up old Westone Spectrum GT, which only set me back $50 and introduced me to SLM/Uncle Mat instruments! I've only played with him a couple times and I only know a couple of his songs, but we've gotten quite a few compliments on it! Moreso than his solo stuff actually, which is less bouncy and fun (and a lot more complicated). I'll be playing a show with him again on Thursday, but it's acoustic only so I'll be playing an acoustic bass. If you look up "Bo Coker" or "bocoker" on youtube, you'll find some of his songs. Voodoo Doll is the crowd favorite (I play bass on it, but there isn't a video of that online yet).

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Who needs a Fender Jazz when you can get a perfectly good Spectrum bass for $50?

...Spectrum GT's for the win!! I've got a GT bass and a GT guitar and love 'em to bits!! And they are, after all, Electras by another name!!

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"... and on the eighth day, God created New Zealanders.

Because even the Australians need heroes."

I haven't been in a band since the early 90's. We played a few shows here and there, but nothing really big. We, of course, split up. I moved away, the singer got married.....just like that Bryan Adams song I guess......

I kinda went on a guitar hiatus then for about eight years. I got married myself, sold most of my equipment, had a couple of kids, yadda yadda yadda. Both my wife and I went back to school, and times were very tough. I just couldn't stay away completely though, and I did manage to keep a couple guitars through those 'bad years', and now am in a position to enjoy my most beloved hobby once again.

These days, I hit the occasional open mic with some friends and noodle about recording some stuff, but most of my time is being spent instructing. Last November I started a small business selling instruments that I have salvaged and repaired, and doing guitar lessons. Mostly beginners right now, as I need to get my feet wet teaching before tackling some of the more difficult theory concepts and my improvisational skills are weak to say the least, but I have really found a lot of enjoyment in this. I was kinda leery about doing it at first - if I could teach, if people would respond to me, if I had the patience, etc. etc. but it has turned out to be fantastic, and I wish I had started it years ago. I am forced to play things outside my comfort zone now, depending on what the student is interested in. I'm getting all kinds of practice transposing songs into different keys to make them easier to play for beginners, and also expanding my own knowledge dramatically. It's funny, but I have learned sooo much just trying to look through the beginners' eyes and learning it for the first time. It really is quite fascinating. To be honest, I think I'm getting more of a kick out of the teaching than I did playing live. I do still need to play with people that are more skilled than I am now and then, but the teaching gig has really put music squarely back into my lifestyle again, and that is very ,very cool.

So - that's pretty much my gig right now. I really want to start having some regular 'performance' shows with my students in the future, but nothing is planned just yet.

I have 10 in the next three months. in the marysville yuba city, CA area

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Well.....
Austin lp Copy w/ emgs
custom made fender strat
epiphone lp with emg
81 electra phoenix x130b
76 electra omega x210
takamine acoustic
westbrook nylon

Stik, What do you play? solo, band? style? Do you really play the chapman stick?

Redeye, I share 100% your feelings about teaching. I used to teach and I miss it tremendously! There's another thing you didn't mention -- teaching makes you learn! LIke nothing else in the world! Think of it, you have all these talented smart students asking you questions constantly. They'll absolutely plumb the depths of what you know and ask for more. If you're one of those good teachers (like I can tell you are) then it motivates you to go do research constantly. Looking at it another way, your students are paying to make you smarter by constantly challenging you, like Kato and the Green Hornet.

Warnn, I like the idea of guitar and bass, no drummer. Wehn I play solo I'm always doing things, making string noise, etc. to kinda fill that gap and if there were a bass player also doing that... cool stuff.

RoDr, isn't it funny how a gig and a venue will galvanize your playing even if it's far away? It's strange actually, but now that I know that, I realize that many smart musicians always keep a gig on the horizon even if it's a small thing long time away. Performing can purify your playing by making you concentrate, even when you're not onstage at the time!

rhythm/lead guitar. here is our site www.myspace.com/mudstone09

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Well.....
Austin lp Copy w/ emgs
custom made fender strat
epiphone lp with emg
81 electra phoenix x130b
76 electra omega x210
takamine acoustic
westbrook nylon

oh cool! Man, I need to get a myspace page up. Mainly I need to get some recordings. I've been meaning to record gigs, but I keep forigetting to do that.

This isn't me, but my teacher. You can see where I've got lots of opportunity to learn.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eywOVhT6 ... r_embedded

Superchief has a few shows coming up in July and August. We are planning a midwest tour for sometime in late October/early November, but nothing is set in stone yet. In the spring we are doing a run out to the east coast and hooking up with our Boston friends, Township.

Feel free to check us out on Myspace (link in my sig) or you can do a search for us on Facebook.

Just got done playing a show last night and my neck feels like an elephant took a junk on it...

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"Well, I'm sure I'd feel much worse if I weren't under such heavy sedation. " ~ David St. Hubbins
http://www.myspace.com/hailsuperchief

"Welcome to the Turquoise Room" would be a killer album title for us.

Yeah, the Sante Fe line was part of the inspiration for the name. We sort of sound like tons of metal rolling down a track, so it is fitting.

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"Well, I'm sure I'd feel much worse if I weren't under such heavy sedation. " ~ David St. Hubbins
http://www.myspace.com/hailsuperchief

Played almost every weekend last year which lasted up through September 2008; even made some decent money;

That has since gone with the wind;

Right now just jamming with the Spring Street Garage Band;

I just met these guys recently, did not know them; had out first 3 hour practice and jam on June 26,2009;

They say they have never performed anywhere, but let me tell you they are as good as anyone I have ever played with;

I just have to convince them that they ARE good enough to play in public.

Stay tuned ...............

RCSBlues

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RCSBlues

I've got two gigs tomorrow, but unfortunately I'm stuck on an acoustic bass for both (very hard for fingerstyle, there's no thumb anchor!). If any videos come of it, I'll be sure to link them.

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Who needs a Fender Jazz when you can get a perfectly good Spectrum bass for $50?