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Post by PistolPete on Nov 11, 2023 18:43:38 GMT
I do teach harmonica - it was my primary instrument for many years, but I've never really got on with a rack so I don't know how much use I am for you. I usually point students at this book: The Complete How To Play Harmonica Manual by Peter Gelling, for it's comprehensiveness, although it can be a bit on the dull side. A lot of good harmonica playing comes down to getting a good seal around the harmonica, creating resonance with your mouth and breathing from your diaphragm in a very controlled way.
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Post by PistolPete on Nov 8, 2023 10:12:07 GMT
I've been working on a few soul numbers for my covers set recently & I find that just playing the guitar part never sounds like the 'song' as often the recognisable hooks are played on bass/keys/horns. I quite enjoy the intellectual challenge of working out what the most important aspects of a song are, and the technical challenge of playing as many of them on guitar at the same time.
I wondered if anyone has any tips on how they approach playing things on the guitar that aren't really meant for it?
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Post by PistolPete on Oct 13, 2023 16:32:14 GMT
Dan Walsh is based in Shrewsbury & teaches in person & online. Lovely chap & a truly spectacular player www.danwalshbanjo.co.uk/
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Post by PistolPete on Sept 22, 2023 11:16:31 GMT
Can anyone confirm that the Eric Roche guitar bible has ringbound binding? I've come across a few potentially good books which have been let down by having normal book binding- useless on a music stand! This is what clothes pegs are for. Well, they are for stopping your clothes from blowing away, but they also work pretty effectively for keeping music books open on a stand.
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Post by PistolPete on Sept 1, 2023 10:54:37 GMT
My experience of non-K&K soundboard transducers like the JJB is that the disks themselves are larger than the ones on the real K&Ks and are often encased in quite chunky plastic, so that might be a giveaway if it's another brand.
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Post by PistolPete on Aug 29, 2023 16:08:04 GMT
... apart from the Fishman Rare Earth Blend- anyone use this one? I could in theory use this in any guitar then. I have a Rare Earth Blend in my 12 string. It sounds pretty decent, although I think still more "electric" than the Baggs Anthem SL I have in my Blueridge. I think if you like the sound other people have got from it you'll probably get on with it fine. For me sound hole pickups (even cheap ones) can sound pretty great, but they do have their own sound. The mic on the Fishman hides that to some extent, but there's still a bit of it going on and it really comes down to whether you prefer a bit of 'magnetic-soundhole', or a bit of 'piezo' mixed in with the tone of your acoustic when you plug it in.
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Post by PistolPete on Aug 24, 2023 14:48:27 GMT
I don’t gig but my electric setup is a Joyo American Sound pedal that goes straight into an audio interface and then into my computer, speakers or headphones as I need. I understand it’s designed to go straight to a PA. They also do other variants: e.g. British, California, Oxford all designed to simulate specific amplifiers. Not sure if that’s what you need? Not sure what I need tbh - possibly just to dust off my old Peavey Classic and get it serviced, but I thought there might be an easier-on-the-back option available. You have just reminded me that I have one of the Behringer gdi21 Sansamp clones kicking around somewhere, which in theory works as a DI box and amp sim so I might see if I can find that and get it working!
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Post by PistolPete on Aug 23, 2023 17:42:09 GMT
Anyone got any good set ups for getting a nice electric sound through the PA? I'm considering taking my electric out for a few solo gigs to try and channel that Lightnin' Hopkins vibe!
I thought an inexpensive but decent small solid-state amp with a line out would be an easy find but they are rarer than I expected.
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Post by PistolPete on Aug 23, 2023 5:53:41 GMT
1) The payment of bar staff. A well run business should be a money making machine. No element in isolation will create this. So for the case in point, the bar staff should be paid. The pub takes money because the drinks are served. The customer doesn't help himself. The profit arises as a result of this transaction, so in the same way as the futile argument as to whether rates should be suspended for the duration of the event, or whether a proportion of the rent should be refunded by the landlord, the success of the event is achieved by generating money after overheads are paid. I don't think anyone is arguing that bar staff shouldn't get paid, but rather pointing out that no one expects, or asks them to work for free because an event is for charity. As you rightly point out, bar staff is an overhead - but so are musicians.
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Post by PistolPete on Aug 22, 2023 17:00:48 GMT
Thanks PistolPete . Can I just ask where you purchased the red eye from? It keeps coming up as a recommended preamp for the k&k. I had to check my email history, but it looks like I ordered it from Thomann in 2018. The model I have is the "twin". I think Wild Violet uses one as well. As does Ray Wylie Hubbard!
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Post by PistolPete on Aug 22, 2023 9:28:29 GMT
I would suspect the impedance issue is what causes the K&K to not get along with your amp's preamp. Do you know anyone with an official K&K preamp so you can A/B it with & without to check? The most basic version of the official preamp isn't break-the-bank money, so I'd probably look at that first.
I use a RedEye Twin with my K&Ks & I'm pretty happy with it. I bought it mostly because it was the only K&K-specific one that let me do 2 into 1. I used a Fishman Platinum Stage when I first got them installed which was usable but underwhelming, mostly because of the impedance thing, I think.
Never used a James May Ultra Tonic, but after Googling them they seem to be a similar price point to a dual-source pickup, so I might be more inclined to look at those if I were in your shoes, but it does all come down to taste (I have Anthem SLs in two of my guitars and a Rare Earth Blend in another and IMHO they all give a more 'natural' sound than a K&K - though at greater expense and with more intrusive installation requirements)
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Post by PistolPete on Aug 21, 2023 15:27:11 GMT
I used to get invited to play charity events a lot. A few years back I started responding that, although I would love to play I couldn't afford to work for free but I would be very happy to offer a 30% discount on my usual rate, and interestingly enough I've never yet had anyone confirm the booking.
Without knowing the ins & outs of your local event. The way it usually works is that the pub spends money on some promotion, the bar staff and a sound engineer then keep the bar take. The charity gets whatever is put into the bucket (I assume for most punters that's probably less than they put behind the bar) and the musicians get nothing but a 'thank you' if they're lucky*
A friend of mine who does one every year at a pub where he is friends with the landlord told me that one weekend a year puts enough in the till to keep the business afloat during the lean months. I'm sure that's not always the case & I have heard of these events where the pub has made a loss after the advertising and stage hire, in spite of not paying the musicians.
*Once, I even got a telling-off that I wasn't donating my CD sales to the nominated charity from the landlord. Who was keeping all the money spent on beer.
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Post by PistolPete on Jun 27, 2023 9:43:48 GMT
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Post by PistolPete on Jun 23, 2023 15:12:06 GMT
... oooh, just a quick plug - Pete's CD is a great listen - you need one! Keith Thank you!
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Post by PistolPete on Jun 23, 2023 13:52:01 GMT
Good stuff Pete. I didnt realise you were from the Midlands (then I see it says so on your bio here, duh me) I grew up in South Staffs! Btw, I'm gonna add your site to my music blog Well, I'm not sure if I'm *from* the midlands, but it's where I've been for the last 16 years so I suppose I'm a naturalised citizen these days Where abouts were you based when you were here?
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