Musicians check in here. If you play, tell us about it!
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Holy crap, 4 pages to catch up. I have been gigging every weekend. I finally have a day off tomorrow/today. Reading about those tubes is way over my head. James I have the M audio monitors in here now. I have them dual purpose as my studio monitor and computer. Lots of inputs. Pretty impressed. And that song release had me thinking all kinds of melody lines
I was just installing a pickup into the newest toy.... a Dobro mandolin. I put a K and K in. What a job. It goes under the cone. The cone was sealed in with I think laquer or shellac. Took me 3 hrs with an exacto and adhesive remover sprayed in.
The gig schedule has truly been crazy. I am still waiting for confirmation on a few more. I am getting calls rather than soliciting which is nice. I'm going to be playing a music festival for the city. Today I played straight acoustic with 2 chefs from vancouver (gastown). They have a music venue downstairs. Posh place and handed me their card to book in. Latest Events
I broke down and booked 2 weekends in a studio next month. I want to do the drums there and one of the owners is a conga player and going to add to some tracks. Should be cool. I teamed up with a published author that has sent me about 20 lyrics/songs, maybe 30 lol. Everytime I check my email he has sent something. I say, I'd like a story about.... and 15 mins later he sends me the story. amazes me
here's the Dobro. it did get dropped and the headstock was professionally repaired. The ding on the back isn't bad. I didn't feel bad drilling it out for the plug
I was just installing a pickup into the newest toy.... a Dobro mandolin. I put a K and K in. What a job. It goes under the cone. The cone was sealed in with I think laquer or shellac. Took me 3 hrs with an exacto and adhesive remover sprayed in.
The gig schedule has truly been crazy. I am still waiting for confirmation on a few more. I am getting calls rather than soliciting which is nice. I'm going to be playing a music festival for the city. Today I played straight acoustic with 2 chefs from vancouver (gastown). They have a music venue downstairs. Posh place and handed me their card to book in. Latest Events
I broke down and booked 2 weekends in a studio next month. I want to do the drums there and one of the owners is a conga player and going to add to some tracks. Should be cool. I teamed up with a published author that has sent me about 20 lyrics/songs, maybe 30 lol. Everytime I check my email he has sent something. I say, I'd like a story about.... and 15 mins later he sends me the story. amazes me
here's the Dobro. it did get dropped and the headstock was professionally repaired. The ding on the back isn't bad. I didn't feel bad drilling it out for the plug
I joined your world today dude. sold my drum machine and bought a Yamaha DTX450 drum kit. I hated programming drums so much and I can play a bit. I will have to practice but I am good to go. I had bought an Apex drum mic set but trying to get a drummer when I am free was a chore. I tried to book studio time (They invited me finally this Friday) so I got a snake, headphone amp, mics... then my drummer started building movie sets 7 days a week. I advertised for drummers, contacted through bandmix. I actually met drummers without drums haha. Frustration... so I took 3 days off work and did 6 gigs this week. Near killed me but I made enough to buy the kit.
I finally plugged the dobro in tonight. I am going to have to open the thing up and try a new location for the k and k pickup. I tried without then with the lr baggs gig pro pre amp. I didn't like the sound much. rather disappointed to be honest. That was the most expensive pickup going and it sounds kind of like a piezo. Maybe I tightened it down too much. It's a lot of taking apart. I love the sound acoustically and am recording it Sunday in an instrumental jig I wrote; Duffy Lake. Mandocello, octave mandolin, mandola and mandolin. The drums are pretty cool. Sure enjoying being able to play when I want . I ordered another cymbal today so I can have a splish between the 2 toms.... I had to take a Traynor Travelmate 50 in for repairs. it wasn't charging. They said it had a loose solder connection. I got it back today and bought a second one. It is just so convenient for the gigs I do (we are playing in front of a Tim Horton's tomorrow for the New Westminster Arts Council). Steve and I rehearsed here tonight and the repaired Traynor died after about 4 hrs. I usually get 12. So I assume the battery is toast and I will have to take it back tomorrow. I only need one tomorrow but will take both and start with the repaired one
Pipeous, are there multiple music stores in your area? One of the best places I've found for musicians is at the local music store. The employees always know a few who are looking for a gig. Choose wisely, audition them, and pick the ones who fit.
The best band I was ever in contained the guys from bands of years ago who kept on playing. The rest married, got a day job, and quit playing. Our band was made up of players who refused to quit after "growing up". We all had days jobs and families, but loved to play so much that we kept music around as a hobby that paid good money.
The best band I was ever in contained the guys from bands of years ago who kept on playing. The rest married, got a day job, and quit playing. Our band was made up of players who refused to quit after "growing up". We all had days jobs and families, but loved to play so much that we kept music around as a hobby that paid good money.
I generally play solo acoustic now. Aside from recording and today doing 2 duos. There just isn't enough work for bands around here anymore. I just need cd's to sell at the gigs to help generate some revenue. I will add more cd's and merchandise as I go
It's funny how the music business has changed over the decades. Your best bet for performing the music you like is to find older crowds that like the music of their era. They'll pay to hear it played live again.
I started playing guitar right before the Beatles hit in 1963. By 1965, I was playing with friends at parties and building my chops. When I was 15 I played youth centers and parties and that progressed into more sophisticated gigs where we actually made good money for teenagers in those days. Playing in a band was my part time job in high school.
Once I was "legal" I was able to play the gigs that made really good money. I always had a mainstream career in electronics, but nights and weekends I was somewhere playing about 3 times a week.
These days things have changed in the U.S. music scene. Rock and Roll has slipped backwards in favor of Rap and the "New Music". The Rock and Roll beat has been lost on the young people of today.
This article is interesting.
2000s in music - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
I started playing guitar right before the Beatles hit in 1963. By 1965, I was playing with friends at parties and building my chops. When I was 15 I played youth centers and parties and that progressed into more sophisticated gigs where we actually made good money for teenagers in those days. Playing in a band was my part time job in high school.
Once I was "legal" I was able to play the gigs that made really good money. I always had a mainstream career in electronics, but nights and weekends I was somewhere playing about 3 times a week.
These days things have changed in the U.S. music scene. Rock and Roll has slipped backwards in favor of Rap and the "New Music". The Rock and Roll beat has been lost on the young people of today.
This article is interesting.
2000s in music - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
It is a funny business. Autotune drives me nuts. Both my harmonizers have it and I won't use it. Might was well just use mp3's for my performance too if that is the case. Might ... well call it the create talent pedal
I just booked a pub for August 5th. I thought pub days were gone for me but there aren't many markets in winter LOL. I play 8 to midnight and have to play 10am to 2pm the next day. I won't get home until at least 2am and have to leave by 8am. I got that morning gig from a guy that books some bigger named people around here, so I have to bring it and sell myself. it will mean a few more pubs and coffee shops (decent paid gigs)
this old fart is going full time musician next spring at latest. just building it up.
I just booked a pub for August 5th. I thought pub days were gone for me but there aren't many markets in winter LOL. I play 8 to midnight and have to play 10am to 2pm the next day. I won't get home until at least 2am and have to leave by 8am. I got that morning gig from a guy that books some bigger named people around here, so I have to bring it and sell myself. it will mean a few more pubs and coffee shops (decent paid gigs)
this old fart is going full time musician next spring at latest. just building it up.
I can usually tell which songs on the radio are using autotune. It sounds nasally and fake. Natural voice has inflections that add to the music. I'd rather hear a decent singer shift pitch a little here and there. It's a part of being human.
Good luck with going pro! I almost got that chance once with Phil Walden and Capricorn Records, but we were all under 21 and couldn't sign contracts. He signed and managed the Allman Brothers, and most of the blues rock groups in the late 60s and 70s and we were also playing a club that the Allman Brothers played while they were recording their first album. I'm glad we didn't get signed. Most of his musicians ended up with substance issues and road fatigue. Our keyboard player did a tour with Wilson Picket and got sent home for exhaustion, malnutrition, and alcohol issues. He spent a week in the hospital.
After all the years touring and recording, the Allman Brothers books say that not one of them was worth a million dollars at the end of it all. Management, touring costs, and wild living ate up the profits. They all needed personal managers and attorneys instead of letting one agency handle them all as a group.
This is an interesting read if you liked American Southern Rock back then.
Capricorn Records - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Phil Walden and other artists, including Otis Redding.
Phil Walden - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Good luck with going pro! I almost got that chance once with Phil Walden and Capricorn Records, but we were all under 21 and couldn't sign contracts. He signed and managed the Allman Brothers, and most of the blues rock groups in the late 60s and 70s and we were also playing a club that the Allman Brothers played while they were recording their first album. I'm glad we didn't get signed. Most of his musicians ended up with substance issues and road fatigue. Our keyboard player did a tour with Wilson Picket and got sent home for exhaustion, malnutrition, and alcohol issues. He spent a week in the hospital.
After all the years touring and recording, the Allman Brothers books say that not one of them was worth a million dollars at the end of it all. Management, touring costs, and wild living ate up the profits. They all needed personal managers and attorneys instead of letting one agency handle them all as a group.
This is an interesting read if you liked American Southern Rock back then.
Capricorn Records - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Phil Walden and other artists, including Otis Redding.
Phil Walden - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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I love reading about the industry. I have been spending countless hours looking at ways of making it. I am no virtuoso by any means, but a lot of my musician friends have been telling me I am one of the hardest working. I do crap gigs, good ones, I do charity stuff (loved doing the fund raiser for the Earthwise Society a couple weeks back). I will play for free if it is to help a worthy cause. Those freebies have almost always turned into a good contact. Those places that are making a profit off my free performance can kiss my .....
I have run a few successful business and I understand the first couple years are always tough. I became single in February because of my commitment to this as my lady had trouble with me putting so much time into it. We still talk and she sees I am getting so much closer. I am looking into recording some cover song cd's too. I want to be on the up front and make sure I don't get sued. I think artists deserve their share. Discmakers staff have been awesome to deal with and have helped me get software for the album cover creation. The agent I have been dealing with has called me a couple times to help out, and answers all emails within a day.
I do a lot of the recording myself but I do have talented players adding their 2 bits. I give them artistic license. I think it is cool letting them add their flair rather than me dictate. I find the songs I write end up with new life from things I never considered. The bass player I work with plays in Church every Sunday and is a school teacher. He is super talented. 3 different lead guitarists are adding solos (I know I am not that guy). I will lay some tracks down to get an idea, then bring in players to do their thing. see what unfolds. it sure is a fun journey
I have run a few successful business and I understand the first couple years are always tough. I became single in February because of my commitment to this as my lady had trouble with me putting so much time into it. We still talk and she sees I am getting so much closer. I am looking into recording some cover song cd's too. I want to be on the up front and make sure I don't get sued. I think artists deserve their share. Discmakers staff have been awesome to deal with and have helped me get software for the album cover creation. The agent I have been dealing with has called me a couple times to help out, and answers all emails within a day.
I do a lot of the recording myself but I do have talented players adding their 2 bits. I give them artistic license. I think it is cool letting them add their flair rather than me dictate. I find the songs I write end up with new life from things I never considered. The bass player I work with plays in Church every Sunday and is a school teacher. He is super talented. 3 different lead guitarists are adding solos (I know I am not that guy). I will lay some tracks down to get an idea, then bring in players to do their thing. see what unfolds. it sure is a fun journey
I posted the thing about promoters as an example of what can happen if you aren't represented by someone who is loyal to your career, as opposed to a promoter who is about lining his or her own pockets. It's probably a good idea at some point to have your own agent who works for you, not the booking agent, or the recording rep.
Charity gigs can get you exposure that you would otherwise miss. We did a few here and there and many times we'd have people come up and talk to us about playing corporate parties or backyard society parties for the locally rich and famous. That's how we entered the doctor/lawyer/corporate gigs. Those people have huge parties in large venues where there can be 500 to 1000 people, many who've never heard you before. We always picked up other paying gigs that way. Any time you set up and play for 1000 people there's another gig in the crowd waiting to be booked.
Contracts can be fair or one sided. I'm sure you know that. It's just probably better if you have a lawyer look at any major booking or promotion contract before signing it to see if there are gotcha clauses that can put you in a corner down the road. It's a given that any promoter has an attorney that writes contracts and those will be in the promoter's favor.
Our drummer did all our booking and was pretty good at keeping us working at our pace with good money out of the gigs. Of course, we weren't trying to make a career out of music. We just loved to play and enjoyed the extra money from being weekend warriors. We never though about leaving our day jobs and becoming musicians as a primary career.
Amazon has lots of books written by or ghost written for major artists. I've read several about the Allman Brothers, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and others. I find it fascinating how they all got together and built a band that toured the nation. You also get the down sides and lots of that is over work from touring to exhaustion under a contract that demands that you do it despite the consequences. I picked up some of them used through Amazon for a couple of bucks each.
Charity gigs can get you exposure that you would otherwise miss. We did a few here and there and many times we'd have people come up and talk to us about playing corporate parties or backyard society parties for the locally rich and famous. That's how we entered the doctor/lawyer/corporate gigs. Those people have huge parties in large venues where there can be 500 to 1000 people, many who've never heard you before. We always picked up other paying gigs that way. Any time you set up and play for 1000 people there's another gig in the crowd waiting to be booked.
Contracts can be fair or one sided. I'm sure you know that. It's just probably better if you have a lawyer look at any major booking or promotion contract before signing it to see if there are gotcha clauses that can put you in a corner down the road. It's a given that any promoter has an attorney that writes contracts and those will be in the promoter's favor.
Our drummer did all our booking and was pretty good at keeping us working at our pace with good money out of the gigs. Of course, we weren't trying to make a career out of music. We just loved to play and enjoyed the extra money from being weekend warriors. We never though about leaving our day jobs and becoming musicians as a primary career.
Amazon has lots of books written by or ghost written for major artists. I've read several about the Allman Brothers, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and others. I find it fascinating how they all got together and built a band that toured the nation. You also get the down sides and lots of that is over work from touring to exhaustion under a contract that demands that you do it despite the consequences. I picked up some of them used through Amazon for a couple of bucks each.
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Right now I m doing everything. I found how to ensure royalties are paid properly for cover songs just now.
I don't plan on touring. I work around here. I should be getting a deal worked out with the seniors centres soon. There are 9 in one group that have entertainers come in. That will be fun and doing a service. I am not looking to be rich, just a sustainable income enjoying life. That is fun. I can sell cd's at the markets. I have made a lot of friends that I can make deals with to sell them at their tables when I am not there. online sales etc. I'm 52 now and just doing security. I am lucky my friend works my days off and he can cover me days off any night but monday. I don't know any monday night markets LOL. I love performing live. I truly love it. Seeing these ladies a week ago Sunday dancing to black velvet band, or the kids out grooving having fun... Like this little lad. he comes out near every sunday I play and grooves. He is autistic, and just full of energy and kindness. Him and his sister were dancing last weekend. This video is was pouring rain. last market last year. I grabbed a couple friends and did something different for last day. Yes guitars went out of tune. I had water pouring down my face often... haha
I don't plan on touring. I work around here. I should be getting a deal worked out with the seniors centres soon. There are 9 in one group that have entertainers come in. That will be fun and doing a service. I am not looking to be rich, just a sustainable income enjoying life. That is fun. I can sell cd's at the markets. I have made a lot of friends that I can make deals with to sell them at their tables when I am not there. online sales etc. I'm 52 now and just doing security. I am lucky my friend works my days off and he can cover me days off any night but monday. I don't know any monday night markets LOL. I love performing live. I truly love it. Seeing these ladies a week ago Sunday dancing to black velvet band, or the kids out grooving having fun... Like this little lad. he comes out near every sunday I play and grooves. He is autistic, and just full of energy and kindness. Him and his sister were dancing last weekend. This video is was pouring rain. last market last year. I grabbed a couple friends and did something different for last day. Yes guitars went out of tune. I had water pouring down my face often... haha
Enjoyed your videos. YouTube seems to be having some issues and I got a jerky start and stop in the video. It finally came up and played fine. It's probably local. I ran a speed test on my connection and it reported my normal 17ms ping, 14.5 mbps speed on a 16mbps connection.
We had a thunderstorm outage on our cable the other day and internet went down. It came up an hour later and when the local cable internet guy got it back up the speed was down in the 5mbps range. I suppose he replaced a part with a slower model to get things running again. The next day all was back to normal. We still may be experiencing some issues.
The ittle guy in the rainsuit was pretty cute!
We had a thunderstorm outage on our cable the other day and internet went down. It came up an hour later and when the local cable internet guy got it back up the speed was down in the 5mbps range. I suppose he replaced a part with a slower model to get things running again. The next day all was back to normal. We still may be experiencing some issues.
The ittle guy in the rainsuit was pretty cute!
The generator Tom was plugged into made his amp buzz something fierce. The kids make it fun. I am buying a bucket of shakers and such to get a group of them into a jam session.
I do read through all that stuff. internet here works but videos are not easy to get going. I just saw the kid in the beginning and knew he was there. The day I met that lad was priceless. I had my case out and it was a good day for tips. He came running over while I was playing ukulele and grooved then saw the money. Mom was buying some vegetables. He looks up at me and his eyes went really wide, like it was pirate treasure. I giggled and missed some words, then he reaches in both hands to grab some and he holds it up to show me. I broke out in laughter. That caught mom's attention and she came running over... he dumped the money back and was picking up more. She was apologising and I was telling her it was fine. My girlfriend was there too and I said go shopping we will keep an eye. He has been hanging out for 5 minutes anyway. And I gave him a personal show. We became friends that day
I do read through all that stuff. internet here works but videos are not easy to get going. I just saw the kid in the beginning and knew he was there. The day I met that lad was priceless. I had my case out and it was a good day for tips. He came running over while I was playing ukulele and grooved then saw the money. Mom was buying some vegetables. He looks up at me and his eyes went really wide, like it was pirate treasure. I giggled and missed some words, then he reaches in both hands to grab some and he holds it up to show me. I broke out in laughter. That caught mom's attention and she came running over... he dumped the money back and was picking up more. She was apologising and I was telling her it was fine. My girlfriend was there too and I said go shopping we will keep an eye. He has been hanging out for 5 minutes anyway. And I gave him a personal show. We became friends that day
Well, since the FDA is putting a serious crimp in my spending in a few weeks, I figure I gotta find something else to spend on.
Just did:
Amazing price too, $549 with the Bigsby.
Just did:
Amazing price too, $549 with the Bigsby.
So guys, gigging has really gotten crazy. I have added many more better paying gigs to replace the lower paid ones. Been doing pretty good. Even started doing pubs again here and there. I joined songtown usa to learn some better writing techniques and joined up with an artist in Texas to write her instrumental tracks for original music. That led to me buying another bass. I got a Yamaha because it had both a jazz and pre style pickup to give me a wider range of sounds. I like the little gold tone but it sounds like a stand up. and 2 days ago I put a deposit down on my first custom built instrument. Hovington Instruments is making me an archtop guitar body octave mandolin. 21 inch scale. All blond, master spruce top, figured maple back sides and neck, cocobolo bindings (and if available a cocobolo fretboard)
Wow, nice to see such an old thread still alive and kicking.
Life got real busy over the last few years and I recently decided to drop back in for a visit now that I have a bit more time on my hands these days. At least it has given me a little more time to play guitar and now I get to flog an amp that I purchased a year ago that I never really had much time to play.
Hope everyone is doing well and look forward to hanging around a bit more.
Life got real busy over the last few years and I recently decided to drop back in for a visit now that I have a bit more time on my hands these days. At least it has given me a little more time to play guitar and now I get to flog an amp that I purchased a year ago that I never really had much time to play.
Hope everyone is doing well and look forward to hanging around a bit more.
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