Musicians check in here. If you play, tell us about it!

[KettleGirl]

I play the ukelele. I used to play the six-string guitar, but have pretty much 100% switched over to the ukelele.

I play and sing ---- yes, some songs written by others ---- and some songs of my own.

 

[Hypnophone]

More Trilok for string-wangers....

 

[suspectK]

I suck at guitar.

 

[DaveP]

Anyone have a horrible addiction of trading in their guitars ?

This year Ive went from an epiphone casino, to a yamaha acoustic, back to the casino, then for an american strat, traded for an SG, missed the strat, so traded the SG for another one, put that in for a partial trade for an ES335, and then that es335 was traded for my current D28 which I promise I will never let go of.

I haven't traded much over the years other than trading one I didn't particularly like for one that I did. In my early days as a teenager trading in was the only way a starving musician could operate! Once a career materialized I could suddenly afford the equipment I wanted. Still, when I compared Gibsons to Epiphones I realized that all an Epi needs is new pickups and a fret dressing to be a great axe. You don't need to pay $3600 for a "real" Les Paul, although it's a nice status symbol.

I have a 94 Gibson Les Paul Studio and a 79 Fender Anniversary Strat (blonde ash) that I will never trade. I recently bought an Epi SG with the push pull pots that lets you go from single to dual coil. It's at least as good, maybe better than the one I bought new in '78 and traded for the 79 Strat. The '78 Gibson had absolutely no sustain. The Epi will sustain almost as well as my Les Pauls. Go figure. It's a thin, low mass body.

 

[DaveP]

Hey there Dave, i have no guitars. I have a 1962 B-3, a 1974 Rhodes 73 Stage, a bunch 'o drums and some very rare Zildjians.

Well, I titled the thread "Musicians Check in Here!". Drummers are definitely allowed ... and appreciated! Who else could tie the rest of the band together? Once the bass player is locked into the drummer's right foot, the rest of us can create something meaningful.

 

[DaveP]

I suck at guitar.

YouTube is a great teacher. Learn the chords and scales, practice using them, develop the finger memory until you can do it without thinking about it, and play! We all went through a period where we had to use our right hand to move the fingers of our left hand into chord positions before we could strum the chord!

Seriously, think of some songs you want to learn and search YouTube. There's someone out there with a tutorial video that will show it to you in slow motion and real time. It's a great learning tool.

 

[xena222]

I have been singing since I learned to talk apparently...I was in chorus and the college chorus then I did karaoke for a couple years then was in and all guy and me rock band - just playing local bars mostly - I love to sing - but pretty much gave up a few years back from the smokes (I had a pretty good range until about 5 years ago) I sang anything from Danzig to Zep to Sinead O Connor, LOL!!

Having more trouble singing since I starting vaping though ...just hope I can someday be able to get up there again and not hate myself...I play keyboard too - not very good, I just love singing a lot more

 

[DaveP]

I have been singing since I learned to talk apparently...I was in chorus and the college chorus then I did karaoke for a couple years then was in and all guy and me rock band - just playing local bars mostly - I love to sing - but pretty much gave up a few years back from the smokes (I had a pretty good range until about 5 years ago) I sang anything from Danzig to Zep to Sinead O Connor, LOL!!

Having more trouble singing since I starting vaping though ...just hope I can someday be able to get up there again and not hate myself...I play keyboard too - not very good, I just love singing a lot more

Vaping and not smoking will eventually restore your voice. Vaping can dry your throat so stay hydrated. The crud will clear and the throat will heal from smoking.

 

[xena222]

Vaping and not smoking will eventually restore your voice. Vaping can dry your throat so stay hydrated. The crud will clear and the throat will heal from smoking.

That has been the hardest part for me is drinking more water...grrrr, I really hate water and I REALLY love coffee - I need to find a way to drink more water I seem to be having a control problem with my voice I didn't have when I smoked - so hoping I am able to work through it - I miss singing so bad....but after all those years of 1-2 packs a day, even my lungs couldn't do it anymore

 

[suspectK]

You could vape more VG.. PG and nicotine is what causes that...but there are pros and cons to everything.

Having a lot of great jams lately, solo and with others..music shop is going out of business... going to stalk a line 6 amp.. only have a tube for guitar.

 

[DaveP]

You could vape more VG.. PG and nicotine is what causes that...but there are pros and cons to everything.

Having a lot of great jams lately, solo and with others..music shop is going out of business... going to stalk a line 6 amp.. only have a tube for guitar.

I went through the combo amp search several years ago. I got tired of lugging a 4x12 cab. I spent hours over days trying out amps. I first bought a line 6 75 watt 12" amp with a 12AX7 preamp and SS output stage, and it was OK. Then, I bought a Vox Valvetronix 2x12" amp and it was a good amp, but I finally settled on a Peavey Vypyr and sold the Line 6 and the Vox on consignment at a local shop. The Vypyr was the best choice and it's now about 5 years old and still sounding great. I also have a Roland Cube 60 for home use. The Vypyr stays at the gig. What I like about the Vypyr is that the dual 6V6 output has great feel and touch sensitivity. The harmonics are absolutely great.

I swapped out the tubes after 3 years or so and installed Tung Sol KT66 output and Tung Sol 12AX7 preamp tubes from Tube Depot. The difference was pretty amazing. Those tubes expanded the dynamic range and opened up the sound noticeably. Picking dynamics and feel really became fun over the stock 6L6 and 12AX7 tubes that came in it. I began to get the woody sound I was looking for.

 

[KenD]

Anyone have a horrible addiction of trading in their guitars ?

This year Ive went from an epiphone casino, to a yamaha acoustic, back to the casino, then for an american strat, traded for an SG, missed the strat, so traded the SG for another one, put that in for a partial trade for an ES335, and then that es335 was traded for my current D28 which I promise I will never let go of.

I promised myself several years ago to never again trade in any equipment, I've ended up regretting the trades too often. I still miss the drumkit I sold in my teens, though the money got me a Marshall jcm800 and cab. I have several guitars that I've lent to friends indefinitely (some of which I don't even remember where they are), but I refuse to sell them. The money I'd get is not much, and I might want to revisit those crap guitars in a few decades. I'm considering selling one of my Gibson Flying Vs though. I have seven, and this would be to a friend so it would have a good home.

 

[KenD]

I went through the combo amp search several years ago. I got tired of lugging a 4x12 cab. I spent hours over days trying out amps. I first bought a line 6 75 watt 12" amp with a 12AX7 preamp and SS output stage, and it was OK. Then, I bought a Vox Valvetronix 2x12" amp and it was a good amp, but I finally settled on a Peavey Vypyr and sold the Line 6 and the Vox on consignment at a local shop. The Vypyr was the best choice and it's now about 5 years old and still sounding great. I also have a Roland Cube 60 for home use. The Vypyr stays at the gig. What I like about the Vypyr is that the dual 6V6 output has great feel and touch sensitivity. The harmonics are absolutely great.

I swapped out the tubes after 3 years or so and installed Tung Sol KT66 output and Tung Sol 12AX7 preamp tubes from Tube Depot. The difference was pretty amazing. Those tubes expanded the dynamic range and opened up the sound noticeably. Picking dynamics and feel really became fun over the stock 6L6 and 12AX7 tubes that came in it. I began to get the woody sound I was looking for.

The Vypyr is great, I have the 60w tube power amp model though so it's still quite heavy. Still, wouldn't trade in my Peavey 6505, it does sound that much better. There's usually no need to take it with to gigs. The 6505 is a pretty standard backline amp at metal venues. In a worst case scenario I'll need to bring the amp head, but not the cab.

 

[GolemGolem]

Never had the cash for expensive gear and rarely had more than one of anything...so other than thrift shop organs, reject mostly broken synths or ancient mostly broken amps after years of punk and worse that went between friends basements nothing really to trade.
Did lose my favorite guitar to a pawn shop though. My first somewhat decent guitar too, a 1964 fender Mustang painted over black, played to hell almost all of that time, had to have it re fretted a couple times in the 15 or so years I had it, never did get all the rust off of the bridge, the strap holders stripped, so I just screwed bigger screws into the holes...but it always sounded beautiful. Took forever to adjust after playing that shorter scale neck for so long.
Drank too much after my first wife left and was short on the rent, and well those things never end with you keeping the guitar and/or the girl. I hope the guitar is still getting whiskey spilt on it or at least getting knocked over in a fit of exuberance more nights than not, or at least comforting some sad sack who has to let the neighbors hear.
Not as much fun as I used to be, but still starting to do tasteful bedroom only damage to my Ibanez Artcore I play these days.

 

[DaveP]

I traded in far too many guitars over time. As a young musician I could only afford one at a time. The only one I regret trading is the Cherry Red Mosrite Ventures model. Those are now selling for $4000 to over $5000 at vintage dealers. I traded mine on a Hagstrom triple pickup that turned out to be less guitar than I expected.

That said, my all time favorites are my Les Pauls and my 79 anniversary natural ash Strat.

 

[suspectK]

I don't think I'll ever trade my current guitar, schecter c1 classic...the first one I bought, diamond series schecter, I actually gave to my dad, cuz a friend took his Austin to fix up, and had it painted and stuff, and he didn't want to give it back.lol.. whatever.

I really want an active guitar though..

But bass is way more fun to play...

But I don't have to be "in the mood" to play drums..and I can just use a few notes and wiggle the cutoff, resonance, and eg all day with a bass patch on a synth..

I really have to be down to play guitar to play guitar, is essentially the gist I'm trying to give off here..

 

[GolemGolem]

Lol, I think I'd like jamming with you SuspectK, esp if you like ambient, doom, and or the more altered and electric side of jam bands.
With guitar I love making a big pitch shifted, harmonized, fuzzed, delayed mess of a sound on a bone simple melody and then play around with wah like I used to knob twiddle when I had synths to mess with. Maybe I can talk my wife into getting me a better volume pedal for Christmas so I can do those nice even volume swells like Stars of the Lid, while still having a wah to play with. Also wish I could get pedals that controlled the resonance and frequency like all the tabletop synths have knobs for...that would be sick.

 

[KC1BLE]

I bought a fiddle a few years back and learned on my own to scratch some chords, but I soon learned without someone to teach me, I will never really learn, so its collecting dust right now, maybe one day before I'm too old, I can find a teacher.

 

[Tranquility Base]

How about some Retro and a beer?

 

[DaveP]

Anyone who can actually play a Moog is a contortionist! Too much patching and tweaking!

If I ever get tired of guitar (and I haven't yet), I've always said I'd like playing bass. I'd probably be too riffy at first and have to show off, then I'd learn to lock into the drummer's right foot and left hand and groove. Those two are the foundation of it all. They lock in the beat and let the rest of the band loosen up and show off.