Getting ready; pedal content and NPD.....

[jdgm]

I borrowed the thread title from a Freddie King LP.

Tomorrow evening we have the 1st rehearsal for a year and a half for my blues band.   

So I put new strings on the guitar that needed them and assembled my pedalboard.  As the pandemic has focussed my mind (YOLO!) I will be using the best stuff I have from now on.

Pedalboard 1 is the rock/blues board and new pedal is a second-hand Boss TU3 in perfect nick.  At the moment I have it connected to the tuner out of the FV-50H so it's not in the chain.  This means I can't tune silently though (stepping on the pedal to tune mutes the output) so I might change that, in which case....it has a buffer. 

Apart from the TU-3 the chain is - Boss FV-50H (high impedance) vol pedal > Keeley Compressor > King Of Tone > Rat (3-way switch mod) > Boss GE-7 (modded) > Marshall Vibratrem >Ibanez DCF 10 > Dub123 Dark Cloud delay > Marshall Reflector Reverb.  Power supply is a Dutch-made Burkey Flatliner 6 which is high quality - 6 outputs, the pedals with blue plugs are fed off splitters.  No waste here - everything gets used in the set - I don't often have more than one pedal on at a time, but combinations of the 2 dirt pedals and EQ really can drive an amp.....     I am using some of my own interconnects with a thinner cable and pancake jacks.  If you look at the blue Ibanez pedal, you can see the power socket is too close to the input for a pancake jack to fit.   And I need some better Velcro....I think what I want is 3M Dual Lock.   If I add another pedal it will be a BBE Sonic Stomp.

 

Pedalboard 2 (lucky me) is the jazz group board.  Much simpler, powered by a cheap 'Caline' psu I got off Amazon.    Chain is - Boss FV500-H > Mosky Golden Horse OD > another modded Boss GE-7  > Ibanez Echo Shifter > another Ibanez DCF-10 > Mosky 'spring' reverb.   Again everything gets used.  The Caline psu (connected to the white coiled mains lead)  works fine so far - as I didn't get many jazz gigs anyway even pre-pandemic, I don't need anything heavy-duty.   The modded Boss GE-7 makes a perfect clean boost, I can really recommend it, and the Ibanez DCF-10 is my favourite chorus, one of their best pedals IMO - unique and sounds great in mono.   As the volume pedal also has its own tuner out I could connect my old Korg DT-1 which has been my companion on every gig since I bought it in the 80s.  

 

Old Korg DT-1, the 2nd tuner I have ever bought and still going strong, a mainstay.  The 1st cassette-sized tuner, probably about 35(?) years old; pic is larger than life-size.   I could connect it to the tuner output of the vol pedal and just leave it on, which I might do with the TU-3.  But the display on this is a bit small and not so easy to read, so it will probably continue to live on top of my amp as it always has done.  I'll be sad when this thing eventually fails.

 

Looking forward to tomorrow night! 🎸🎶

Pedals anyone?  What have you still got and why? 

Best wishes to all, stay safe out there.

 

 

Edited July 22, 2021 by jdgm

[Karloff]

Tuner, Wah, then 3 boost from JC "Surfpup" Moretta & a Bluesdriver I just added. the loop board - Uni-Vibe, MXR Delay, Keeley Reverb & Sonic Stomp.

I use the wah here & there, Hendrix & Trower stuff. seriously love JC's boost pedals. added the Bluesdriver for the Fender DeVille.  Uni-Vibe is for Trower & Govt Mule tunes, love a bit of Delay here & there. I like the Keeley verb. easier to dial in tyhan the DeVille reverb. Sonic Stomp stays on.

 

 

 

 

[brad1]

 

First pic is entire board (2 boards next to each other). 

Plug into a Fender FTN-1 tuner, Ibanez Weeping Demon wah, Keeley Compressor, Donner Stylistic Fuzz, ZVEX Fuzz Factory, Radial Tonebone Hot British distortion, MXR Ten Band EQ, Donner Noise Killer, BBE Sonic Stomp. 

In the FX Loop I have a Donner Jet Convolution (nice flanger), Digitech Digidelay,  Hardwire RV-7 Reverb.

I have a Truetone 1 Spot CS 12 which powers them all nicely.

I have a WOBO ABY pedal that I use to switch between 2 speaker cabinets and a Tascam 24 track recorder. And an AB Loop Master pedal I use to switch between 2 different amps.

It's a lot of pedals, but I use all of them to some degree.  I have at least 10 more pedals that I currently am not using. But I sometimes substitute pedals for others.

[SteveFord]

I've got one with one button, it came with an amplifier.

 

[brad1]

5 minutes ago, SteveFord said:

I've got one with one button, it came with an amplifier.

 

Pics or it never happened!  

[Rabs]

@jdgm Nice one and good luck with it man.. I bet you will have a blast  

[SteveFord]

31 minutes ago, brad1 said:

Pics or it never happened!  

My laugh for the day, thank you!

[brad1]

6 minutes ago, SteveFord said:

My laugh for the day, thank you!

👍

[merciful-evans]

Still using these exclusively

['Scales]

Gigs = Boss TU2  Tuner

Rehearsals = nothing

...guess I'm doing it all wrong 

[brad1]

3 hours ago, 'Scales said:

Gigs = Boss TU2  Tuner

Rehearsals = nothing

...guess I'm doing it all wrong 

Nope, that’s what’s so great about music. There is no right or wrong way. Just your way. And as long as your way makes you happy,  that’s all that matters. 

[NighthawkChris]

I shared a short while back my Digitech RP7 effects board and my 90s DOD Metal X pedal.  Had these since they were brand new at the time.  Another pedal I picked up a couple years ago was the Boss DA-2 pedal called Adaptive Distortion.  WOW!  It is a killer pedal.  The newer Boss pedal DS-1X is similar to it if anyone is familiar, but I tried both and the DA-2 is better IMHO. 

https://www.boss.info/us/products/da-2/

Good luck finding one today.  I had to scour the web for mine and got lucky to get it for what I paid.  But in sum, this distortion pedal is crazy because you can play some intricate chord and it sounds very clear somehow...  It's magic!  The DS-1X is similar in this regard, but the DA-2 has more balls - at least to my ears it does. 

As I said though before, not much for effects other than reverb and a high gain pedal.  I hardly use my effects board for anything else other than maybe EQ, noise gate, and reverb (distortion SUCKS on it).  Oh, it has a cab simulator that improves somethings a little, but it is a sim...  I heard that Boss is coming out with a Waza HM pedal that had the highly sought after chainsaw distortion.  Might give that a try one day...  Who knows 😁

[Rabs]

So how did rehearsals go?

[jdgm]

30 minutes ago, Rabs said:

So how did rehearsals go?

 

Some of it was ok but.......

Our bass player (bless him) is even deafer than he was.  He had an open string ringing in one number and I had to stop it and tell him.  He plays incredibly loud too as he's deaf, and he could not hear it ffs.

We've got the hall booked for next Thurs, it would have been ok  except today the singer has emailed us all to say he can't do it anymore after September and blah blah. 

I'm not too surprised, he's a nice enough guy - but it's always been on/off since he joined and he never gelled, so it's probably the final nail in the coffin.  

I can't really go on playing with the bass player and I truly do not want to play "Walkin' The Dog" yet again.    We'll probably have a meeting and all that but I think I'm finished.  

Nice pedalboard without a band to use it in now.   And I got another cool fx pedal too.....

Edited July 23, 2021 by jdgm

[Rabs]

3 minutes ago, jdgm said:

 

Some of it was ok but.......

Our bass player (bless him) is even deafer than he was.  He had an open string ringing in one number and I had to stop it and tell him.  He plays incredibly loud too as he's deaf, and he could not hear it ffs.

We've got the hall booked for next Thurs, it would have been ok  except today the singer has emailed us all to say he can't do it anymore after September and blah blah. 

I'm not too surprised, he's a nice enough guy - but it's always been on/off since he joined and he never gelled, so it's probably the final nail in the coffin.  

I can't really go on playing with the bass player and I truly do not want to play "Walkin' The Dog" yet again.    We'll probably have a meeting and all that but I think I'm finished.  

Nice pedalboard without a band to use it in now.   And I got another cool fx pedal too.....

Ahh no... And after the wait for the last year..  Sorry to hear that man but I guess if it wasnt working out it wasnt working out..

You gonna look for something else?

[jdgm]

Just now, Rabs said:

Ahh no... And after the wait for the last year..  Sorry to hear that man but I guess if it wasnt working out it wasnt working out..

You gonna look for something else?

Oh yes!

[rct]

Sucks to hear jdgm.  I hope you find something fairly quickly.  Sucks.

rct

[merciful-evans]

Good luck jdgm. Are you thinking of forming another band with your drummer maybe? Or joining a new band?

[jdgm]

Thanks all.

I hope to (sooner or later) find something much more local to me.   At the moment it's 50-70 mile round trips just to rehearse.

But the live music scene in England for older guys....the ground is shifting under all our feet so to speak.   I just read the "no gigs" thread by @Mutha.

Edited July 24, 2021 by jdgm

[jdgm]

Reviving this thread as today we confirmed a gig with our 2nd singer (in band before the guy I mentioned above) on Sat Sept 11th.  They're talking about one more after this too.  Think  we have 1 rehearsal tomorrow week and I have something like 35+ tunes to relearn/remember.

Oh. 

F*uck.

 

2nd singer is also full-time carer for his badly disabled son, so won't play inside due to virus fears - do not blame him at all.  He also asks that we have Covid tests before we all rehearse - so I have just got a UK NHS kit of 7 tests; these are free in the UK. 

By Sept 11 it will be cold in the evening but we play in a covered area,  and the audience (it's a private party) have a marquee - there should be a couple of those big outside heaters too.  I've asked the singer if he wants me to bring my electric fan. 

What I should take is one of my big amps but I don't know how much room we have to play in - I usually assume 2 sq feet max and someone's elbow

Edited August 27, 2021 by jdgm

[jdgm]

Just to complete and finish off this thread:

I posted in the "WTH did you do today" thread last night when I got back.  As follows -

-------------------------------------------------

Booked to play a gig this evening 40-odd miles away. 

So I prepared (as you do); ate early, had a rest, bit of a warm up, loaded the gear in the car, checklist, all the usual things; started off in plenty of time so I didn't have to rush, and mentally went over what I was going to play during the drive.

We were due to play at a pub but outside  - in their garden, which has a nice covered stage and covered seating for the crowd.  I got there in plenty of time.

But.......

Problem.  Last night they had an Oasis tribute band who were so loud there were many complaints from local residents to the council, who this morning barred the pub from holding live music events outside.  If they do not comply as from today,  it's a £5k fine and they get their licence to operate taken away.  So we can't play outside.

But can we play inside?  NO.  The singer is adamant.  He (and his wife) are full-time carers for his heavily disabled son who is 33 with Down's syndrome, autism and lung problems.  If he catches Covid he could very well die from it, vaccinated or not.  They have been isolating for 20 months to protect him.   The singer made it a condition of the gig that we would play outside and so he will NOT play inside.  I understand his point of view.   But the drummer is really pissed off as he set up the gig.  If the pub had called him (the drummer) as soon as they found out they couldn't hold the event outside, he could have rung round and found another band for them who would do it.  But not at 7pm this evening.

I didn't even get my gear out, I didn't get any money (wouldn't have been much anyway but would have covered my petrol) and I didn't play.   About 3/4 hour after arriving, I drove the 40 miles back home. 

I feel like this is the story of my life / career in bands, in a nutshell.  I do all my homework, practice, preparation (2 rehearsals for this gig for which I drove a total of 160 miles), I buy, maintain and use the best gear I can afford including a nice Gibson, and it all comes to nothing; and there's nothing I can do about it or get the time and effort invested back.  It's happened so many times now.

If you are in a decent band and you have gigs - any gigs -  with an actual audience that likes your music, you are far, far luckier then me.  I've tried since the 70s and tonight I feel utterly defeated and despondent about the whole thing.  It's just hopeless.

-----------------------------------------------------

And that's that.   We are meant to play one more live set, for free at Southampton 'Music In the City' on Oct 2nd.  I won't be surprised if the drummer refuses and we cancel.  I don't even care any more either.  Band is finished and has been for the last 3 years, really.  We've had 3 singers and....they've all eventually worked against us in some way or other, accidentally or not. 

So much for getting ready, big amps and new pedals.  Stupid jdgm and my stupid ideas.

As noted earlier;  sometime in the future I will try and find something nearer home that is actually worth pursuing.  Maybe.

Thaanks everybody and best wishes to all.

Edited September 12, 2021 by jdgm

['Scales]

R'n'f'n'R!!!!

What a bummer, but then seriously - if a pub's going to put on an Oasis tribute band outside in late English summer wtf do they expect? polite clapping? no vomit?

I hope there's a mature and professional jazz band somewhere in your near future to rekindle enthusiasm and avoid such unpleasantness.

[sparquelito]

19 minutes ago, jdgm said:

And that's that.   I/we are meant to play one more live set, for free at Southampton 'Music In the City' on Oct 2nd.  I won't be surprised if the drummer refuses and we cancel.  I don't even care any more either.  Band is finished and has been for the last 3 years, really.  We've had 3 singers and they've all eventually worked against us in some way or other. 

So much for getting ready, big amps and new pedals.  Stupid jdgm and my stupid ideas.

As noted earlier;  sometime in the future I will try and find something nearer home that is actually worth pursuing.  Maybe.

Thaanks everybody and best wishes to all.

I can only offer words of support and encouragement, jdgm. 

A lot of us are in the same boat. Or a similar boat for sure. 
My band is in a flux, and it feels like we've hit the iceberg and are sinking. 

I may have spoken of it before. 
Our drummer spends as much time as he can with his father, who is being treated for cancer. Dad is immune-compromised, so Joe is understandably reticent to get together and practice or play in closed spaces.  I literally went and got vaccinated back in the spring, mainly out of love and respect for Joe and his dad.
We have had practices, but it's been a challenge. 

We were confirmed to play a big outdoor sports fest gig on September 24th, and we even had a backup drummer lined up, but because of the recent spike in new covid cases, that event has been cancelled. We now only have a tentative gig lined up for early December at this point. 

To top it all off, our bass player and girl singer don't particularly get along any more, and tensions run high. 

As for myself, I have been paring-down the number of guitars that I keep and maintain, and tightening-up on my gear, amps, pedals, and accessories. 
I have been practicing with a couple other guitar players, and had a fairly productive practice session with a local drummer. 
Things look promising as far as making music with these other guys, but none of these other guys sing, and I really need at least one more harmonizing voice if I am to proceed in any new musical direction. 

But proceed I must.
Writing songs on our own can be fun and artistically rewarding, don't get me wrong.  But it's not enough.  
Noodling at home with no tangible performance expectation is flat and unsatisfying. 
I need to make music with a band, and to rock for an audience. 
It's something that gets in your blood, and won't go away. 

High hopes for you, me, and everyone else in this boat. 
Fingers crossed that things get better, and we will find ourselves playing fun and rewarding gigs. 

🙂

 

[rct]

I am sorry jdgm.  I hope you are able to find something closer to home, something you can at least participate in with way less time and distance involved, and I hope soon.

rct

['Scales]

Seems you are not alone in such R'n'R dramas jdgm....the similarities here are uncanny!!!    (albeit with more of an Australian approach to working through such issues )

(hope it brings you a smile - you are not alone)