milod Posted December 7, 2010 Share Posted December 7, 2010 Bob... I'm with you on no guitar/bass amp and running thru the PA... But what kinda PA and what size speakers/monitors? m Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duende Posted December 7, 2010 Share Posted December 7, 2010 that is one handsome devil! not Milod above; the Parker!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milod Posted December 7, 2010 Share Posted December 7, 2010 Matt... I'll agree completely; the Parker is handsome, not milod. <grin> Hey, I've gotta see this mug every morning when I shave. It kinda ruins my self image as remaining forever at age 35. I begin shaving and see daily that where once I had a face, there now exists a 3D topographical map. m Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duende Posted December 7, 2010 Share Posted December 7, 2010 Matt... I'll agree completely; the Parker is handsome, not milod. <grin> Hey, I've gotta see this mug every morning when I shave. It kinda ruins my self image as remaining forever at age 35. I begin shaving and see daily that where once I had a face, there now exists a 3D topographical map. m You are handsome older man. If only you could visit my local pub, I could introduce you to at least two women who would be putty in your hands with that smooth American accent and sense of humour LOL I kid you not!! Matt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Notes_Norton Posted December 7, 2010 Author Share Posted December 7, 2010 Bob... I'm with you on no guitar/bass amp and running thru the PA... But what kinda PA and what size speakers/monitors? m The speaker cabs are Carvin LM15 - 15" woofers but each cab only weighs 32 pounds I have a QSC PLX 2400 power amp, also light for it's size I use 2 15W faux hot-spot monitors The main PA rack has a Samson 12 channel mixer, tc-helicon reverb/echo (I forget the model number), a BBE sonic maximizer and a Sound Canvas module (for Leilani's synth and my percussion controller and/or keyboard). Then I have another 4 space rack with sound modules for my wind controller. So there is a whole lot of schlepping to do ;-) Some times I think I'm carrying too much, but then I decide which instrument I would want to leave home, and the answer is none - with the exception of the keyboard synth. Since I started playing more guitar, I decided to take the guitar parts off my backing tracks (I make my own tracks) and put the keyboard parts on. For me (1) it's more fun to play the guitar (2) it's better show-biz to hold the guitar than tap the keys (3) keyboard parts are actually easier to sequence than guitar parts. So I schlep the gear and then have a bunch of fun on the gig. Notes ♫ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milod Posted December 8, 2010 Share Posted December 8, 2010 Matt... Thanks for the nice words. For what it's worth, I enjoy the more dry side of humor I've seen in Brit TV played over here. Hmmmmm. Maybe I should consider digging out my expired passport... <grin> m Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigKahune Posted December 8, 2010 Share Posted December 8, 2010 What a beauty. Glad you finally got this worked out. Congrats. B) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milod Posted December 9, 2010 Share Posted December 9, 2010 Bob... Been thinking how to put this.... No problem sounding "muddy" with the 15-inch woofers? I've used 10s and 12s, never had the courage for the big mamas... Of course, I gotta freely admit I haven't even looked at any in 30 years. Is it the brand that has materials that keeps them from being muddy with that much area on the speaker cones? m Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Notes_Norton Posted December 9, 2010 Author Share Posted December 9, 2010 Bob... Been thinking how to put this.... No problem sounding "muddy" with the 15-inch woofers? I've used 10s and 12s, never had the courage for the big mamas... Of course, I gotta freely admit I haven't even looked at any in 30 years. Is it the brand that has materials that keeps them from being muddy with that much area on the speaker cones? m No problem at all. The LM15s have a nice tweeter too. But the secret is the BBE Sonic Maximizer. I won't leave home without it. A layman's explanation: The voice coil in the speaker, like any coil, resists changes in current direction. The effect of this in a loudspeaker is that the high frequencies are actually delayed more than the low frequencies. So the lows arrive at your ears first. The BBE pre-delays the lows approximately opposite of what the speaker coils will do (there is a process knob to help you adjust for the variations between different speakers). The end result is that the highs and lows arrive at the listener's ears closer to what should if there was no delay. Many people try to pump up the treble on their PA sets to compensate for the delay, but the BBE does a lot better than that. The highs and mids really sparkle. Before I got the Carvins, I had a system with two 12" sub woofers, two 10" mids and two tweeter horns (also with the BBE). It sounded great!!! But the subwoofer cabinet weighed over 65 pounds, and we were planning to do some traveling, including a flight. So I started shopping for speakers. I tried Mackies, EON's, Peavey's, Samsons, and various other brands. Only the EVs sounded close to my old system, but they were much more expensive than the shipping weight would have cost me. Then I did a gig where the house PA had Carvins and during the setup I asked the sound person if I could try one. So I did an AB test with my old system on one channel and the Carvins on the other. They sounded almost as good, and I figured I could eq the difference. So I called Carvin and they sent me a couple of newer models, and gave me 90 days to decide. So I got them home, did my normal AB test and the Carvins had more mids and the mids were cleaner. The only thing they were lacking was a bit of the low end the subwoofers provided. A little tweak of the bass control fixed about 90% of that. All in all they sound much better than my old system. And the Carvins sound almost as good as the EVs and were half the price. Last night we did a new Country Club, the acoustics were terrible (square room with a pyramid ceiling) and they wanted a quiet dinner set before the dancing set. The 2400 watt PA amp was set to basically 1 (actually between -24 and infinity on the knobs) and the sound was still great. After dinner a bit of crank up and the dance floor was mobbed. When we do a sound check, Leilani goes out with a sound level meter. We find that if the "band" is at about 75db (A weighted, slow response) when the room is empty, it usually works out great for the dinner set. Then when dance sets come around, between 85 and 100 is right (depending on the age of the audience). At the end of the night the lead waitress told us that they people usually complain when bands played, but not only did she not receive a single complaint, but she said all the guests were delighted and asked me for about a dozen business cards. The guy who hired us gave us more money than we asked for and said we'll be back. Life is good. Notes ♫ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milod Posted December 9, 2010 Share Posted December 9, 2010 Bob... Besides great info... You're really reinforcing my thoughts that a smart pro doesn't need to blow people around the room with huge guitar amps to have happy customers - and that's what they are, customers of "our" services providing entertainment. And too... you're very obviously a pro in the best sense. Thanks! m Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Notes_Norton Posted December 9, 2010 Author Share Posted December 9, 2010 <...>You're really reinforcing my thoughts that a smart pro doesn't need to blow people around the room with huge guitar amps to have happy customers -<...> A smart pro should know his/her audience and play to the audience. That includes songs, volume (loud, soft or moderate), stage presence, amount and type of chatter on the microphone, and even dress (Hawaiian shirt, suit or tuxedo, I'm ready) A few years ago I played in another outdoor gig, that was full of people who wanted the music loud and rowdy. Mostly the "classic rock" set. We put the speakers far enough away and forward enough so that the volume on the stage didn't exceed 100db (with our 15 db ear plugs in we were safe from ear damage) and we cranked it up. We went back a few times, and then the owner decided to change to country music. While we do a fair amount of country, we don't do enough for an entire night, and we don't know the latest country "top40" hits so we declined the invitation to return again. That's another thing. Don't take a gig you can/t fulfill. Not much is worse than being mis-booked. You won't like it, the customers won't like you, and you will get a bad name. Nowadays we play mostly yacht clubs, country clubs and other adult venues for the "baby boomer" set. Normally they like the volume low if they are having dinner. I look at the heads and if they are leaning towards each other to talk, I know I have to back the volume down. Then louder after dinner from 85-100db (A weighted, slow response) is usually just fine. In these gigs, I try to keep it at 85 or under, unless they want it louder. I like these gigs because they pay well (2 or 3 nights a week pays what 6 nights in a bar does), the hours are short (usually 3 or sometimes 4 hours), they usually start and end early (home by midnight), the people are generally polite and appreciative, and most of all, I get to play a wide variety of music. I can do rock (50s through today, but mostly 50s-70s), pop, 'standards', Latin American (Salsa, Merenge, Rhumba, Cha-cha, Samba), Caribbean (Calypso, Soca, Reggae), country, disco, jazz (big band and modern), blues, R&B, Hawaiian, and even ballroom dance tunes. It's fun putting on different musical "hats" and expressing myself in different genres. Of course the selections are audience dependent. I even like the easy-listening dinner sets as much as I like the high energy dance sets. It's easier to sound good when you are extremely loud. The energy will drive the point home. It's more difficult, and takes more finesse to sound good at a low volume. If you can play a quiet, slow song and make it reach the audience, everything else is easier. At least that's the way I feel about it. Most people know that it's getting more and more difficult to make a living by being a musician. That's all the more reason to think about pleasing the audience more than your competitors. You are not an employee, you are not a "union man" even if you belong to the union, but you are an independent contractor to the venues that you perform in. The entertainment purchaser is going to make a choice and that choice will most likely be for the band that pleases his customers or guests the most for a price he/she can afford. If you are that band, you will be one of his/her first choices. We charge a little more than other duos, but we deliver a lot more. I'm solidly booked through the end of April and have turned down gigs and referred them to my competitor friends (they return the favor when they have a double booking). Even though my first thoughts are "what does the audience want to hear next" I have a lot of fun on the gig. And having fun is important. An agent once told me "Nobody want's to look at a sober faced musician." I guess if you are playing "death metal" a good scowl means you are having fun. I'm disappointed, our outdoor marina gig got rained out today. No musical joy (and no money). So I'm typing on the Internet and working on new styles for Band-in-a-Box. Friday, Saturday and Sunday are all indoors so I'll still get my music fix. And to get back on topic, playing with my new guitar is a lot of fun. I'm getting used to the longer scale and wider bridge and not making as many mistakes that need covering up. My shoulder is thankful for the light weight, my ears are happy with the variety of sounds, and the light wood looks good against my dark clothes. Insights and incites by Notes ♫ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Notes_Norton Posted December 11, 2010 Author Share Posted December 11, 2010 The more I play this guitar, the more I fiddle with the knobs and switches, and the more I get to know it, the more I'm liking it. What a variety of tones. It will go from rock to country to jazz with a couple of flips and twists. Plus: We did 4 hours without a break last night, and my shoulder thanked me for it. I'm a happy camper. Notes ♫ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badbluesplayer Posted December 11, 2010 Share Posted December 11, 2010 Looks really nice!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Notes_Norton Posted December 12, 2010 Author Share Posted December 12, 2010 Last night I discovered the coolest jazzy sound. Neck pickup only, tone control all the way down, a little extra volume to compensate, Twin Reverb amp simulation on the Digitech RP355 with just a touch of 'verb. Blew both me and my bandmate away. I can't wait to go to work again today!!! Notes ♫ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dub-T-123 Posted December 12, 2010 Share Posted December 12, 2010 I think those guitars are pretty cool but then I saw the back. No offense but all that plasic and that battery hatch really turns me off. It's just not my thing. I'm not really a fan of the "super Strats" in the first place but I can definately see how it works well for you. And yeah tone down on the neck pickup into a twin reverb is pretty much the jazz standard. Now just sell that other guitar and get a real twin reverb and it will blow your mind (not fun to carry around though). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dub-T-123 Posted December 12, 2010 Share Posted December 12, 2010 Jokes aside, if you ever decide to upgrade to an amp, something tells me the Roland JC-120 is the perfect amp for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milod Posted December 12, 2010 Share Posted December 12, 2010 Dub... Actually ... I think he's got an exceptional "playing for a living" rig with the PA and emulator. Just my opinion. I've got a big tube jobby and it sits. The little solid state acoustic-electric that has separate inputs for a mike and guitar gets the heck used out of it - and I think the little PA will be getting more soon along the lines Bob uses his. BTW, my old 120-watt dual-12 speaker tube amp nowadays almost could be considered a "boutique" amp. Even has wheels on it. Yeah, it still sounds wonderful. It just doesn't make sense for anywhere I've played the past 7 years. The little acoustic "works," but is just one sound source. Ditto the mike-guitar separate input sectors on the big tube jobbie. The PA and a multi-effects box weigh far less in pieces than the big tube amp and mostly I'm either doing a solo gig or with an ensemble where the other guy has a decent PA and I just take the little amp. I think "we" pickers hear the diff no problem. An audience likes a good sound but doesn't have the "ear" to hear as much difference as we do; the farther from the stage, the less they hear in terms of what we think we sound like from a guitar amp anyway. That's why all the discussions on miking amps or feeding direct into a PA mixer... So... And... at my age and music I play nowadays, I don't care to schlepp a 90-pound amp even with wheels or a cart. I still can do it, but don't see that it makes sense for a literal physical risk, especially in winter around here, especially also when I have options at less than half the weight one piece at a time. Obviously in my 20s and early 30s I thought differently. <grin> m Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heymisterk Posted December 13, 2010 Share Posted December 13, 2010 That is one sweet guitar. I love the "naked" quality of the wood. Bravo! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dub-T-123 Posted December 13, 2010 Share Posted December 13, 2010 Milod- you're right. The Roland JC-120 is solid state by the way. I don't know if you're familiar with it but it would kill Notes and it's right up your alley too. Obviously Notes has figured out a setup that works for him. I'm just sayin.. There's nothing like the real thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milod Posted December 13, 2010 Share Posted December 13, 2010 Dub... I won't argue from a guitarist's standpoint. I really wish in ways I had that old DR back. But... as a performer at my age and stuff I do? It just doesn't make sense at this point in time. m Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Notes_Norton Posted December 14, 2010 Author Share Posted December 14, 2010 I think those guitars are pretty cool but then I saw the back. No offense but all that plasic and that battery hatch really turns me off. It's just not my thing.<...> Ah, but it keeps the back of the guitar from getting scratched :) I wear a mechanic's belt, but sometimes my sax strap gets behind the guitar and those darn buttons on my shirt can't be removed. I actually like the plastic for that reason. I remember a friend of mine had an old Gretsch that had a snap-on pad on the back. This reminds me of that guitar. <...>I think "we" pickers hear the diff no problem. An audience likes a good sound but doesn't have the "ear" to hear as much difference as we do; the farther from the stage, the less they hear in terms of what we think we sound like from a guitar amp anyway. That's why all the discussions on miking amps or feeding direct into a PA mixer... So...<...> m As long as the tone is 'in the ball park' for the genre of music you are playing, the audience doesn't care about the finer points of tone. They do care about what you are playing and how you express yourself though. That's why singers with lousy voices like Dr. John, Stevie Nicks, Rod Stewart and plenty of others have huge audiences. And of course, we should think about tone, because we are the professionals. But then, what is good tone anyway? Hendrix? Slash? Kath? Richards? Page? SRV? Beck? EC? ___? and on which guitar or which amp and in which song? What is perfect to you is personal, and chances are something different will be perfect to the majority of the audience. So I make compromises. I am not going schlep an amp to the gig, even though I know I will get better tone with it. The PA, sax, wind synth, sound modules, speakers, and everything else I'm carrying is more than enough. But on the plus side, the new guitar can sound like a Fender, a Gibson, a Flat Top Acoustic and much more, so I only have to bring one guitar to the gig. <...> Obviously Notes has figured out a setup that works for him. I'm just sayin.. There's nothing like the real thing. I can't find anything to disagree with that statement ;) That is one sweet guitar. I love the "naked" quality of the wood. Bravo! I've always preferred naked or stained wood guitars and never went into the bookmarked flamed tops or anything like that. But it's personal taste. I thought I would have preferred a gloss rather than satin finish, but after gigging with it, I find the satin finish doesn't show fingerprints and seems to be easier to care for. I found one minor flaw in the guitar. The toggle switch that chooses either magnetic, piezo or both pickups is a little difficult to get to when the vibrato handle is in place. But since I have no need to switch that in the middle of a song, it's no big thing. Also, this is the first guitar I've owned with an ebony fretboard and stainless steel frets. What a joy string bending is with this setup. I never want to go back to rosewood and nickel steel frets. Last night I found a great, thin, tele like sound by tapping the humbucker and using the RVRW middle pup and humbucker with the treble all the way up. Thin and twangy. I used it for a solo in "It's 5 O'clock Somewhere" and it put a great big grin on my face. I'm still discovering things and having a blast. Day off today :( but tomorrow we get to gig in another country club!!! I can't wait. Insights and incites by Notes ♫ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milod Posted December 14, 2010 Share Posted December 14, 2010 Bob... Thumbs up on the protection for the back of the guitar. I had one of those Gretsch guitars with the pad on the back and loved it for reasons you mentioned. Then it got swapped for something else. Dumb. m Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Notes_Norton Posted December 14, 2010 Author Share Posted December 14, 2010 I've never owned a Gretsch, but always wanted one. And the pad on the back seemed like a great idea, especially if you could replace it. If I remember correctly, it was done with snaps. I suppose it could be done with a little Velcro today. Perhaps there is a market for someone who wants to take a chance on a start-up. Well that GAS is going to have to wait a loooooong time. This year I bought a new Saxophone AND a new DragonFly guitar - Plus I bought Leilani a new guitar for her birthday last year. It's about time to spend more time playing and less time acquiring. Besides, the honeymoon isn't over yet with the new Parker. A new country club today (referral from another one) so it's fun time in a few hours. Notes ♫ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Notes_Norton Posted February 2, 2011 Author Share Posted February 2, 2011 Well, to follow up on this story: It's been two months, I'm absolutely delighted with the Dragonfly, and I decided to sell the Mojo MIDI Fly that was shipped to me by mistake. Summary, details, price, free shipping restrictions, and lots of GAS inducing photos can be found here: http://www.nortonmusic.com/parker_fly.html Of course, I'm not going to go without a couple of teaser photos... If you know anybody who is interested, please send them my way. Thanks, Notes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silenced Fred Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 That thing looks like an XBox controller... Glad you are getting what you really want though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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