Dammit. I wanted to have the first thread.

[nomadh]

Just went back and captured all the good mojo from when my wife had cancer and my dog was dying.
Very special to me.

[nomadh]

More history I'm copying over . Just some of my own diary that will be gone soon over there. I think this was my last gig with that lineup. Just did a final as that band witha few hired guns and as a birthday party for a guy that had our band 10 years earlier as our first gig. Very bookending feeling.
Seems everything is grinding to a halt. I'm no good at getting gigs. No one else is even trying. Sniping at practice. Differing song ideas. This is the last gig I have booked. Just bleh.
Too bad too. We just had our biggest and highest paid gig. Lots of kudos. Lots of fun. They want us back, although probably for free.
We sound better than we ever have and I think now finally better than many bands I see around. It's too bad because we do have some fun. And I'm unlikely to hook up with a singer this good again. It took me 6+ months to find him. It was crazy. I went through a dozen tryouts where I had to say "I was really hoping to find someone who could sing better than me." Because they couldn't
Just seems i could have a lot more fun and a billion times less hassle just rounding up a few people and doing a few open mics.
If anyone in san diego wants to see the end of an era I'm playing tonight in el cajon at the landing on main st.

nomadh, Jul 21, 2018
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stevebway
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nomadh said: ↑
Just seems i could have a lot more fun and a billion times less hassle just rounding up a few people and doing a few open mics.
no kidding...

stevebway, Jul 21, 2018
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jimilee
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The easiest way to get another gig is to book it before you leave this one tonight.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

jimilee, Jul 21, 2018
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nomadh
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jimilee said: ↑
The easiest way to get another gig is to book it before you leave this one tonight.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
This one little place has been great. I feel I'm picking on him. If he just had a pa setup I'd play a few for free to make it upto him. I know we rarely bring enough people to cover the pay to us. And whatever I make my wife pays double bribing friends to stay. Not that they hate the band. They like us. Just none of them hang out in bars listening to bands. A dinner crowd would be much better for us but they dont book or rebook. The last reasturaunt we played had everyone dancing all night.

nomadh, Jul 21, 2018
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Mr. Leyvatone
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Sorry to hear that. I'm experiencing a bit of band malaise myself, with a lot of the same symptoms you cite.

Our bass player has been flaky, and when he does show it's clear he's not been practicing.

We're diverging on song style direction, and I'm putting most of the work into planning and promotion.

In other words, pretty much what I expected getting into a band! lol

I'm not giving up, but it all may need to spend a bit of time on the back burner.

Mr. Leyvatone, Jul 21, 2018
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fullonshred
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Best of luck to all of you. I had two brief stabs at playing with others and neither came to much.

fullonshred, Jul 21, 2018
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DonM
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Man, no matter where live, we all have these same stories about bands. And it always seems that just when you finally get all the right parts and things start clicking, a wheel falls off. Very frustrating.

DonM, Jul 22, 2018
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nomadh
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The trick is finding people who just want to play and not worry about gigs. Maybe if you're good enough the world will demand to see you. If not fuckem.

nomadh, Jul 22, 2018
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OMB
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I used to do all the booking with my dad. Got a booking agent and really not much better but that is when everyone paid for bands.

OMB, Jul 22, 2018
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andrewsrea
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I hope you find your way to a band that fits what you are after!

andrewsrea, Jul 22, 2018
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Jaymo
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Sounds like a bunch of the members here just need to move to the same city and start a band.

However, I can imagine the fights over which city.

Jaymo, Jul 22, 2018
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voodoorat
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Jaymo said: ↑
Sounds like a bunch of the members here just need to move to the same city and start a band.

However, I can imagine the fights over which city.
also it'd be a band of like 12 guitarists and a bassist.

voodoorat, Jul 22, 2018
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needhelp
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nomadh said: ↑
The trick is finding people who just want to play and not worry about gigs. Maybe if you're good enough the world will demand to see you. If not fuckem.
I am fortunate to be in two of these -and we're all invited to each other's practices. I wish that I could say this for all the small bands in this small town, but there are some mighty douchy bands who take themselves way too seriously and Big Time the rest of us commoners. We even invited a few friends up last gig. If it's not fun, it's golf. Right?

Packing for San Diego now. See you around 2:00 tomorrow.

needhelp, Jul 23, 2018
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stevebway
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There are all kinds of legit collaborations , backing other performers, open mics, songwriter team ups. If there's a music community near you , become a part of it and observe the talent , meet people and over time things will just happen.

stevebway, Jul 23, 2018
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nomadh
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Well I thought I should do a write up about sat night. I was dreading it. It was still hot as I was loading up equipment just hating the idea. While setting up my singer tells me he's just feeling down and in a funk too. I tell him sometimes that prejudged attitude can make a totally opposite experience on stage. We agreed to hope so. Another band was just loading out so we chatted. They made a joke saying sorry but they just played out setlist. Its funny because it would mostly be true I tell them we should tag team. We'll work as a set. I'll do the PA for us both next time then the time after they can do the pa for us both. Just ignoring my "last time" concept. They told me the owner had just bought a house PA so maybe it'll be an easier slog in the future. If i'm willing to trust a non moderated house PA.
Well it turns out the crowd was decent. Much of the time someone was dancing. We hit all the marks. Lots of "groove" and banter. Birthday girl loving it. Drummers husband was a sound guy so he hung around and made us sound great.
I think I can finally hear and do my harmony parts reliably without rechecking my note. Encore demanded. All the fun made the loadout easy. Really a nice time. Still had a few instances of vol creep. The other guy bounces between guitar and keys so his sound and levels are more complicated . Still the sound guy told us what sounded right including solos so why not stick to it. I think he would bump for a solo then forget to back off. I told the sound guy to call us on it mid song but he doesn't like to do that. Then near the end me and him were having fun and did a bit too much vol war but beople were still dancing. But it is indulgent and I know better.
So now I'm thinking why let something so great die? And once its gone it is so hard getting it all back together. Re agreeing on songs and scheduling. And all new dynamics and personalities.
Still though if I'm the only one wanting to fight for it then whats the point. I guess time will tell.

nomadh, Jul 23, 2018
#15

[nomadh]

I dont know how old you are but I'm 50+ now and I've been playing since I was 13. I got better than my friends faster but I was shy and didnt want to move forward and play with better people. Didnt want to risk criticism or "slow people down". So I clunked along being the best in my clique for 10 years. Mostly playing by myself or with a drummer that got good at adjusting to my crappy timing. Wasnt until I was 40 and joined a group of coworkers. Aside from the kid, "drumline" drummer I got better faster than them again. I joined because a few years earlier I was just pushing my very shy kid at age 15 to do a performance solo drum comp. Pushed him out there crying. It killed me but I was betting the old him would thank me. He went on to go to drum line world finals, jazz band special recognition and to say now he hates drumming. But the focus and dedication is making him his company's MVP. I figured after pushing him I had to push myself and not be such a pussy. So this new band started going on stage.
10 years later I'm the last man standing, do all the booking and managing and looking to push some member changes to get more dedication. Its been fun but it would have been sooooo much better to do all this at age 20. Or even age 30

[Bubba Zanetti]

WOW! My old avatar!

btw, here it is if you ever want it back. I'm still playing around with different ones.

LUM2.gif

2004 wants it’s avatar back

[nomadh]

Bass player sound/pa guy just told me Fri. He's tired of setting up every tuesday for practice and hauling equipment to not get paid much. The writing was on the wall when he figured out he could be other peoples sound man and get paid more. I've been in the band since we started gigging but along the way we added a singer then lost the harp player then that singer added a female singer and went more rock and less blues. Drummer moved away 2 years ago. Replaced him with an older guy who died a few months later. Got a temp to cover our last show of the year and then the founding guitarist left. Added a new guitarist and drummer last year but with new people getting up to speed and a year of horrible scheduling conflicts we only played out 1 time. So now he's out now and it looks like I have to finally step up. Cleaned up my downstairs and cleared enough area so we can get together. So I guess now "I" am the guy. Just a little trepidation. Its the first time this band wont be at his house with his PA or him. I owe the bass player a lot. He was the beginner in the band. It was he who got the first gigs just as soon as we didn't totally, completely suck. He was the only one without enough experience to know we didn't belong on stage. We never would have tried without that push. I'm a way tougher critic of the band than any audience and even tougher on myself.
So anyway the rest of the band says they want to make a go if it. We now need to decide on a few things.
Do we want to get a new bass player or switch out and cover it ourselves between the 2 of us guitarists. Or add a 3rd guitarist/bassist to swap out with.
1- Keeping just us 2 = Better for splitting money and keeping things simple.
2- 3rd guitar/bass = Better for the full sound and the guy I have in mind is better than me by a lot. Downside is I'll probably be the most time bassist upside is I wanted to play SOME more bass and the band will be way better. Downside is new better player may not stick around too long.
3- Add a real bassist. Obvious choice. ( I hate those)
4- Add a keyboardist that can left hand bass. Downside, I'll add him after I add a unicorn to the band.

I rigged up an old mixing board and piped it into my peavey classic 50 4x10 to use as a pa for the time being. I'd like to get a real PA but I want to get it big enough to cover decent sized outdoors events and maybe look into IEMs but I have no idea yet about what watts or costs to this.

Sorry this looks more like a dairy rambling than a post but here it is. Any comments welcome and if it wasn't too clear to you, Yes we are pretty bush league. But we have fun and we have some fans.

nomadh, Jan 20, 2015
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JeffBeck
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We fear change. That's just how we are. You can handle it. If it's fun keep after it - if it's not...move on.

I think the make up of the band will depend largely on what sort of music you want to play.

JeffBeck, Jan 20, 2015
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fullonshred
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Sorry to hear that bad news, best of luck in the new direction. Maybe this will end up being a good thing.

fullonshred, Jan 21, 2015
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stevebway
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The older you get the more of these you go through.
Bass player is pivotal. They are often behind the "changes" .
I would try all the above experimenting with what you can make happen first.
This the test of how much you want it.

stevebway, Jan 21, 2015
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cantthink0f0ne
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I'm assuming you guys are playing originals? If so, concentrate on getting the sound you want out of the band. Whether that means adding a 3rd guy to play guitar/bass when needed, the sound is what matters.

If you're playing covers, make it work with the two of you on guitar/bass, cuz you might actually get paid once in a while and its more of a cut for each guy in the group.

Either way, if its still FUN then keep doing it brother!

/2 cents

cantthink0f0ne, Jan 21, 2015
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RedLesPaul
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Similar happened to Jimmy Page, he wound up with the Yardbirds name after they'd all left.

RedLesPaul, Jan 21, 2015
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My son has had the same band for 15 years. I got tell Ya that is the exception not the rule. Through it all - record deals, tours, and recording sessions, the members have changed. Only two of the members have remained through thick and thin. I guess my point is - it's possible. As others have said - this is an opportunity to rethink the band, it's direction, and just exactly what sound you want.

I'm sure that if you love it enough (and I bet you do) you will make it happen. I sure hope so - I think live music can save us from an endless stream of no talent AutoTune pretenders.

pdcorlis, Jan 21, 2015
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jhull54
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If it's still fun--keep doing it. Whatever you decide to do bass-wise. If it's work...well, it's worth rethinking.

jhull54, Jan 21, 2015
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andrewsrea
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I am with your bass player.

I had a pick-up gig at a bar with some old bandmates, while visiting Pennsylvania a month ago. Since I was doing it for fun, I did not ask for $. Found out the band only got $200 for the night.

My memmory of it was: the band was on and 20 or 30 people in the bar appreciated it. At 4 AM after the gig, I was hauling equipment back to the practice studio, stinking of stale beer, sweat and cigarettes {to which, I did not drink and I do not smoke}.

Additionally, the bar owner was giving the bad the 'king-s#*t' attitude {I found typical of my last 10 bar gigs}. Pet peeve of mine to have someone I could buy-out 5 times over, stare down his nose at me - when I have been nothing but respectful. The good news is, he was the bar's best customer and I suspect will be bankrupt within a year.

Private parties, jam and recording sessions are way more fun and less work, compared to playing clubs.

andrewsrea, Jan 21, 2015
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nrussell23
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nomadh said: ↑
I'd like to get a real PA but I want to get it big enough to cover decent sized outdoors events and maybe look into IEMs but I have no idea yet about what watts or costs to this.
This will be the only part I'll weigh in on as I have experience in this. The rest all sounds like personal decisions you guys need to make. You can get a small'ish PA to cover your inside gigs that don't have a built in PA. We came out around $1000 after buying two used passive mains, 2 used passive monitors, and a Carvin powered mixer. If we would have bought new, it would have been over $1500. The mains are 15" Yamaha club series, and the monitors are no-name ones we got from a soundguy at a local bar.

This covers us for indoor gigs up to about 400 people.

For outdoor gigs, you will NEED subs. Which means big money, and big, expensive power amps to run them (unless you buy powered subs). I suggest going with something like the links I put below for your indoor gigs, and ONLY book outdoor gigs if the house is providing the sound system. It's not worth it unless you are doing it all the time and have a steady stream of income coming in to the band to pay for it.

After almost 3 years, we are FINALLY going to add a pair of 18" subs to our system, and upgrading our board as well.


For your mains (12"s are lighter, and better for vocals than the 15"'s we use like idiots)

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/pro-audi ... binet-pair

Mixer (this guy has worked perfect for us for every practice and over 150 shows in the last 2+ years)
http://www.carvinguitars.com/products/XP1000L

Monitors
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/pro-audi ... nitor-pair


Try to buy used if you can. You will save yourself a whole lot of money. Good luck.


This is what our system will look like in a few weeks once we add another light tree and get the subs. Except I believe those are 12" tops ...


nrussell23, Jan 21, 2015
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nomadh
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Thanks for all the advice and support. We aren't off to a great start. The other guitar couldn't make. He warned me it was tight. And the guitar/bass "friend" of mine waited to tell me last night about an eye injury so he didnt want to go out.
So the singer , drummer and me were there. So THEY thought that wasnt enough group to bother playing. I had to push just to get them to try out the drums and makeshift PA on a few songs. I need to clear out a bit more stuff but I think it was a good proof of concept.
Later the singer let me know she broke out because she is allergic to the room somehow? I've kept the cats out of there for 2 years now. There is a dog down there a few hours a week supervised and my wife snuck a baby rabbit and chinchilla down there the last few weeks.
I told her I would run a hepa filter and we can try again. I know its not the cleanest place being a sunken room that flooded a few years ago but the carpet was all pulled and floor cleaned. I play and work down there and my niece is living down there and we don't notice anything.
I do not want to have to rent a place to play. Especially when we have so many no-shows.

nomadh, Jan 21, 2015
#11



nomadh
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nrussell23 said: ↑
, it would have been over $1500. The mains are 15" Yamaha club series, and the monitors are no-name ones we got from a soundguy at a local bar.

This covers us for indoor gigs up to about 400 people.

For outdoor gigs, you will NEED subs. Which means big money, and big, expensive power amps to run them (unless you buy powered subs). I suggest going with something like the links I put below for your indoor gigs, and ONLY book outdoor gigs if the house is providing the sound system. It's not worth it unless you are doing it all the time and have a steady stream of income coming in to the band to pay for it.

After almost 3 years, we are FINALLY going to add a pair of 18" subs to our system, and upgrading our board as well.


For your mains (12"s are lighter, and better for vocals than the 15"'s we use like idiots)

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/pro-audi ... binet-pair

Mixer (this guy has worked perfect for us for every practice and over 150 shows in the last 2+ years)
http://www.carvinguitars.com/products/XP1000L

Monitors
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/pro-audi ... nitor-pair


Try to buy used if you can. You will save yourself a whole lot of money. Good luck.


This is what our system will look like in a few weeks once we add another light tree and get the subs. Except I believe those are 12" tops ...
View attachment 12450
Click to expand...
So you suggest about 1000+ watts for a basic indoor club PA? Seems similar to the mackie 808 my ex bass player likes but he is known for overkill. I'm being offered someones 300 watt samson. Probably great for practice but I question its gigging ability.
And you automatically figure on subs for outdoors? Even smaller bar patios and such?
Thanks for the help. Love your band.

nomadh, Jan 21, 2015
#12

[nomadh]

Here I am in my 40's. Supposed to be getting ready for my first solo gig. Just background music at an art show. My Mom suckered me into it. No, I don't still live in my Mommies basement, I never was a professional musician I started as a teen jamming to 8 tracks in my bedroom. 8tracks are still the reason I don't really do note for note. No rewind. Anyway always loved it always wanted to get better but lessons were expensive and I always knew I was too chicken to play out anyway even though I dreamed of it. Always played with people not as good as me because I didn't want to "waste" anyone's time so I never got very good. I played for 30 years. Not practiced but played so I never got any better. Now that I have kids I did make them take lessons and play in school band. Because I think that's what my parents should have done to/for me. They can sight read at near pro levels now.
A couple of years ago I got into a band with some guys from work and been having a blast. One of the guys wanted us to start gigging. It was rediculous but the fear of making a fool of myself made me double my ability in a short time. I would have never even considered playing in front of others except I had to send my own kid up to do a solo drum comp sobbing and begging me to let him out of it. He did fine and hasn't had much problem since. There was no way I could not kick my own chicken ass up on stage after doing that to/for my kid.
Its criminal how much time I wasted getting nowhere. It is so much harder to learn and specially remember now. It just dont stick so well but I can play stuff from 30 years ago like yesterday. Unfortunately playing badly is also 2nd nature now. Even when I can play better my default way still sucks.
Now I waste time here and shopping/buying guitars instead of good practice. Not practicing is a very hard habit to break it seems.
I guess the good news is you can have fun no matter how bad or how much time you waste but do the work specially early on and you could have soo soo much more fun for the rest of your life.
Well back to not practicing for my looming first solo gig

nomadh, Jul 23, 2011
#45

[nomadh]

https://www.aguitarforum.com/attachment ... pg.187986/

[nomadh]

nomadh said: ↑
AL 2500 albino. I arrived on a tues and by that Sat I was playing it on the biggest stage of my gigging career . And I sounded good It sounded good too. :\ View attachment 187640
View attachment 187639

Had another pic wit ha furrian thinline burl ash top but I cant find it now.
That's a nice HoB you got there...I saw Social D and Killswitch Engage there, and I gotta say the SD HoB is my fav one of the 3 I've been to.

despiadado, Aug 4, 2017
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nomadh
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No more Rondo regalia? Agile in action? Stage SX shots?

[nomadh]

more crap i wanted over here
Saw SoundGarden and NIN last night

da hy
@nomadh
2014.08.22 4:54 PM
Posted on
Great seats great sound great shows. I'm a huge SG fan and although only 1.5 hours it was jam packed and really amazing to finally see them live. Cornell ripped it up and hit all the highlight songs. Turns out no encore so he had to get them in. Ended with "Beyond The Wheel" from the early days. Just to prove he still can. And he did.
I was in the 9th row. Best seats I've ever sprung for and this time worth it. I 'd say SG completely met my expectations +20% except for the shorted time.
NIN I was having trepidation over. I knew and liked a few hits. I have downward spiral and was into it somewhat but I have heard some of his other mixes and some live bits and didn't like a lot of it. So I figured I'd give it a few songs and see how it went.
Well is started very stark just trent on synth doing something vaugley noiseish. Then this kid kicks in with a brutal wicked bass line and I'm getting sold. The groove runs for awhile and I'm digging it then the kid with the crazy spaz hair disappears, bummer.
Suddenly these amazing drums kick me in the chest and its the same kid. Fing unbelievable. Never had a drummer hit me like that. I was sold. Even with all the synth and noises going on Rezners voice and the killer rhythm kept it organic. I was loving most of it and I really didnt know many of the songs. That really an uphill battle at a live concert but they pulled it off.
For me its all about the music and I hate to think a bunch of dumb lights would sway me but I got to admit the whole thing was mesmerizing. The show was really in all senses a SHOW! I suppose for the full effect I should of had some ecstasy. They did F you like an animal, head like a hole and finished with a stunning the hurt. I forgot about that one. Goosebumps.
Sometimes something will have the biggest effect on you when you expect the least from it so maybe thats why NIN so impressed me.
Any thats my report. If you get a chance go see them both.

@kungphugrip

05:30 PM
AWESOME!

i would love to catch this show!
i have seen SG in the past but not NIN,im sure they are an amazing live band!


@vertigopulse

05:30 PM



My wife and I saw them in Houston this last weekend. We had a chance to check out NIN and SG doing sound check. Cornell was super on key with his vocal performance and I was very impressed. As a huge NIN fan it was amazing to see this performance. We'll worth the HOT wait in line before gate opening. We've seen NIN several times and this last show might have been my favorite performance. Always a different show when I see them.
Cheers!



06:27 PM
Glad you liked it. My kids have bugged me all summer to take them to that show last night. I should have gone.:thumbup:
To much work lately.
I took my daughter 2 weeks ago to see the Arctic Monkeys at SDSU.


da hy

12:06 PM
I Wonder How Much Of The Impact Was The Great Seats. I Think Farther Away Can Still Sound Good But It Isnt Really Very Live Anymore.
If I Went To 2 Or 3 Shows Like This A Week I Wouldnt Have To Worry About Diet Or Exercise.

Just Hearing




New crazy LP day

da hy
@nomadh
2014.09.01 2:17 AM
Posted on
I've been going crazy over the 2013 gibson lp studio deluxe closeout thats going on. So I went to my local GC and they did nt have any but they ordered 2 from L.A. The guy in LA sends me a few pics amd one seems to have decent flame. in the mean time I found they did have a HSB at the north county GC 30 miles away. They sent me pics and it had a more subtle quilting that appealed to me. So I went up to check it out. It was very nice and it played well but I just wasn't sold. The fingerboard was very dry and it seemed a bit dead acoustically and possibly the frets just weren't as polished maybe. I have a standard 2013 studio plaintop ( emphasis on plain) and I didn't think this one quite measured up. As a lark I grabbed a 2014 standard studio and it seemed to immediately pop out to me. And then I noticed that even though it wasn't a gloss finish it had a nice moderate flame top. It also has the new maple neck unstained which makes for a jarring visual at first but I love the feel of it and maybe the look too.
Anyway I walk out with a 2014 without the fancy electronic boost or the gloss finish or the hsc. I was able to use my coupon to take 15% off the $950 but the salesman said the deluxe could use the coupon also even though the other store said it didn't apply. So I ended up paying $200 more than I did for my 2013 just to get a lighter finish and a little flame. Crazy since just 2 years ago I already had so many guitars I liked I would only pay $200 for any new guitar and many I like just nearly as much as this new one. I guess the heart and ear wants what it wants

Heres the one I went to look at



Here is my plaintop that I'll need to sell now. I think it plays just as well maybe just a hair darker tone unplugged , (maybe the maple neck in the 14 does make a difference)



Heres the 2014 studio I bought





I'll post the pics from LA if I can shake them out of my txt msging app.
Anyway to sum up I liked the playability more, the looks were a tie nearly depending on the lighting. The 14 looked better from the player POV but the deluxe looked better from the front sometimes., I'm ok with the maple neck somehow. I liked the sound or the 2014 better both plugged and unplugged.
New crazy LP day
×
September 1st 2014


02:37 AM
wow like it


@2manygeetars

03:19 AM
Nice. HNGD.


@Spike

04:37 AM
Very nice. Congrats!


@tonebender

04:54 AM
That's a nice looking Studio you got there. Congrats, nothing like getting a brand new Gibson LP. As good as it is, I bet it can really be honed in with a good set up too. I got a new 60's Tribute and was disappointed in the way it played and I kept messing with it until finally I figured it out and I got the set up right. It is a great player now and I love it.


@harp1146

05:22 AM
Very nice indeed.
HNGD!


Mike Hawksmall

05:27 AM
Congrats, I like the flame on the one you got vs. the one you went to look at. I also like the look of the Maple Neck. Congrats!



05:47 AM
Happy NGD, like the top on the one you got Better as well. You should have any problems selling the 2013 either, plaintops are nice too


@tlarson58

06:23 AM
I have a Joyo Sweet Honey OD on the block if you are willing to trade the old one straight up. Ha! HNGD!


Tim Laine

Looks good -keep both!

This past year GC had a studio-maple neck on promotion that I looked at. It was a orange stain mess. Come to think of it I found the stain job on the studio deluxe wine models to be horror shows as well. The bursts looking fine, but not the wine flame.
It would be nice if Gibson put a stain on the maple necks to blend them somewhat.


@warped

08:41 AM
You really can't beat that deal. Beauty as well. HNGD!


@Bad.Seed

12:03 PM
They're putting maple necks on LP studios now? *drool* I've been thinking about selling an ltd and an agile to get a Gibby back in the lineup and this may have sealed the deal


@kungphugrip

01:33 PM
i have the very same guitar,the look is what sold me
but after playing the guitar for a few hours it was the neck that blew me away!
love the feel and profile.

they also sound great to my ears,they are well built and very very lively guitars
with incredible sustain.

play the heck out of that BadBoy!



01:47 PM
Happy New Gibson Day! The maple neck really looks unique.


da hy

03:30 PM
On many or maybe all the other colors they do stain them and they blend in very well. This may be the only color they leave natural. I wonder if using maple will help the broken headstock problem. Could be a smart move for gibson and it could work that the purists will just have to pony up for a std.

[hr]


The deluxe could have used a bit but this and my last yr studio are near perfect. [hr]


Really? I think the pictures make the deluxe look stunning but I found it more hit and miss in person. The new studio is very likable but seems camera shy to me.[hr]
Thanks guys. I have 30 days to see if it all sinks in or I realize I just spent an extra $200 on just a touch of flash. Silly since my al-3001 hsb is a stunning flametop. If it had even just 1/2 the flame but a solid maple cap and a nitro finish I never would have bothered with a gibson.[hr]


Yea, it has a something to it. The feel is what kept pulling me in. I got over my gloss neck hatred from years ago but I think more raw is still my pref. It has a snap or pop to it the deluxe didn't have and my 2013 may not have either.

[nomadh]

? A tale of two Pauls

da hy
@nomadh
2014.09.22 11:57 PM
Posted on
Been Paul shopping. Have 2 new HSB ones at home one (or more) has to go back. While waiting on my 2013 studio dlxII to arrive I really fell for a 2014 studio at GC. Outplayed a lot of other guitars and almost as pretty a flame top as most upper end LPs. I was pretty sure I'd just send back the dlx when it came in. Well I gave it a shot and its beautiful and it sounds great. Too.
Now the studio was $825 has the matte finish, maple neck, 490 pups, sexy little inlay tatoo at the 12th and an abotion of a split coil system thats best to just ignore although I hear its easily fixed. Oh and mocha plastic that I surprisingly don't hate but also is easily fixed if neeed.
The deluxe is perfect except a small dig in the back of the finish. Stunning gloss finish and flame top. Its the more traditional finish and mahogany neck. Has the 490 and burstbucker, Boost circuit and true coil splitting through push/push pots.
Last night the dlx was sounding glorious and the studio seemed flat and was giving that sort of ghost note on the E string up near the 12th. Today The dlx is woofy and undefined and the studio is easily at hand and the tone with both pups seems right within the zone.
The dlx is a "real" lp with the mahogany neck and a real gloss finish. The studio has the maple neck that I always felt made for a "pretend lp" even though I love maple on my fender and generally think it the superior practical neck. Then again the studio was $150 less and my innate feeling is that a good guitar is only worth a few hundred and anything more is truly stupid. $500 or $650 more than my already perfect al 3001 hsb just to get the solid maple top with a little real flame, a nitro finish and a sticker on a headstock. Truly if Gibson didn't have 12 moth 0% financing through retail would they sell another single guitar again? Its the only reason I'm in this situation.
So how do I decide here? Maple just doesn't feel traditional to me and could really kill the resale. The dlx must certainly be more marketable and is more a real lp but I wonder if its actually too pretty for me. If one was truly superior playing of feeling then it would be easy but I'm not getting a consistent feel and they are both great but neither is "magical" either. Probably because there is no magical. I wouldn't be in any big hurry to get a gibson lp except the price only keeps going up. And It looks like maybe way up and no studio models soon.
And to be real practical I already have my 2013 studio in vintage sunburst that although plainer is an outstanding guitar and I have the hsb al3001.
Or do I just need an OCD medication?

And I know, Pictures or I couldn't be this dumb.
? A tale of two Pauls
×
September 23rd 2014

@MichaelR

12:26 AM
I could be wrong but it would seem that if the rumors are true and the lp models go away then they should be a good investment for a year or two down the road. Most people don't have the money to do that though so you gotta decide how important it really is to own one right now.


da hy

12:27 AM
Really 1st world problems huh. Yea thats the ticket "I bought them as an investment". $200 a month for a year in payments would be a tough one to swallow but thanks for helping to feed my addiction


@Bender4Life

12:48 AM
get a friend to hand you each, several times in a true blind test, have said friend keep up with which guitar is being called "A" and "B" at each handoff....go with the one that feels and sounds best the most often.
or
let both go back & get 2 or 3 top end Agiles !!!


@squierfanboi

01:25 AM
return 'em both at get another 3001 or 2
the 3100m's are on sale still :baddevil:


@Fernand

01:49 AM
Hmm. I think you said it. Neither is magical.

What you're really saying is you don't want either, and the only reason you're messing around here is because of the Gibson name.

Since neither really gets you inspired playing, we're out of real value. Of the two, the studio is not a real anything. It has no more reason for being in your home than a decent AL-2000. If you loved playing it, it would be worth a little more than an Agile. And apparently you have some other guitars that you love playing?

At least the dlx is what we might call a genuine "low end Les Paul", you know those "les pauls" they made on the cheap, no binding, weird woods, etc. Unless they have cork-sniffer appeal, and can hook the interest of some rich collector, mid-tier stuff like these have no more investment value in a tight economy than a New Jersey casino. I mean who would buy it? Somebody with little money but good taste will hunt for something special. Or get and tweak an Agile. Somebody with good taste and some disposable income will go straight to a real standard Les Paul, used or new. The buyers with weak taste and flat wallet are IMHO flooded with thousands of offerings, so why should they come knocking on your door.

I'd say get rid of both of them. If you want a Les Paul that you can easily resell, and that will make you happy playing it, this make believe stuff is a waste of money and a sure invitation to buyer's remorse.


Mike Hawksmall

04:27 AM
I have heard some shit in my day, and this is right up there.^^^^^^^^ yeah, get rid if this make believe stuff and go get yourself a nice al2000:puzzled:


Put all 3 of them in the cases and hide them for a week. The first one you take out after a weeks time is the keeper.



05:59 AM
You need to decide what you really want the them for. If you are buying them as an investment, then the Studio Deluxe will most likely hold it's value better. Having said that all 3 of them are guitars that have been mass-produced and sold at clearance pricing, so it's not likely that any of them will have a notable increase in value over the years.

If you are buying them to play, keep the ones that you feel sound the best.

What a guitar is "worth" to you is a question only you can answer.


da hy

08:39 AM
I want to go the opposite direction. If gibson had stainless and ebony at earth prices I'd skip the agile. If rondo would catch on to the huge market niche potential of nitro I'd probably skip gibson, maybe. Right now I have 5 les pauls I need that to be 2 tops or I'm checking myself in somewhere for rehab. I have almost 30 guitars. Really only need 3 or 4 but for art and fun and because they are cheap I'll be happy with maybe 12 or so. Part of the reason I got you in here is for an internet group therapy session. I have got to get over the idea of just because there are so many great guitars now at bargain prices or more expensive guitars that I can afford and even deserve doesn't mean I need to own them all. I like wood but I also like trees I don't want to wipe them from the planet to make guitars. Maybe I should invest a few bucks into lessons so I suck less



09:24 AM
Other than perhaps a professional musician, no one really NEEDS more than one guitar. That doesn't mean we dont WANT them though.

You also bring up a good point that a lot of people miss - there is a massive glut of new guitars available on clearance pricing each and every year, and there are many more companies producing very good quality guitars overseas for a fraction of what the domestic producers charge. There will always be a good deal around the corner because the market is totally flooded. One of the reasons that vintage guitars are so expensive is because they are rare - far fewer were produced, and many have been lost or destroyed.

It's a balance that's hard to achieve. I have 5 guitars and I sometimes think I have too many. But I can afford to have them and I like them, so I still have them.


Mike Hawksmall

09:30 AM
And that, my friends, is the key to owning however many guitars your little heart desires.


da hy

09:30 AM

I have heard some shit in my day, and this is right up there.^^^^^^^^ yeah, get rid if this make believe stuff and go get yourself a nice al2000:puzzled:


Put all 3 of them in the cases and hide them for a week. The first one you take out after a weeks time is the keeper.

He only owns 5. He is not a hoarder. I am on my way to becoming a cheap guitar museum curator. I don't need another job. My heart desires too many guitars.
Have you seen my $1000 guitar collection?


My new $1000 collection includes only 1 or 2 guitars. If the 2 patterns merge, I'm bankrupt


da hy

11:00 AM
So you are saying go big or go home. Maybe a real les paul only has nibs? Even the 2014 standards stopped some of that so even a new '14 wouldn't do. Maybe a real Gibson needs ebony fb or inlaid headstock and full binding. Well ultimate Gibsons maybe but not nice gibsons. Also at a certain price I'm afraid to touch it myself or even own it. I see what you mean but I think there's room for an amateurs players market. Theres more of me out there than pros. Its why the studio was invented.
Neither is magical because a guitar cant be magical. If someone can show me the guitar that makes me play like mike Schenker and SRV I'll sell every guitar I have and hock my house. Really, I'd do it. Some guitars are dogs, most are perfectly playable to very nice and a few have just a bit more something. Probably just a special resonant note or 2 that you can make a special song if the right guy plays it. So I had my magical guitar moment 25 years ago when I bought my strat without ever even plugging it in at the store and not looking at another guitar for 20 years. But I was also pretty ignorant then.
The dlx will be at practice tonight then home to compare the 2 or even the 3rd. Tomorrow is Rival sons. Then hopefully some time fri and weekend then I should make a decision.


@kungphugrip

11:22 AM
Far to much thinking going on here.
slowdown,breath,relax(meaning blaze)
take the guitars, plug them in, close your eyes and play for awhile
maybe play something your not great at at see which one makes it easier
just pick the one that feels best and moves u the most.

btw they both look beautiful!


@Fernand

04:19 PM
I'm not saying go big or go home. I'm thinking the medium tier Gibsons probably aren't good investments. So you have to go for the magic. I don't know why that is, but IMHO some guitars bring out more, call it "soul". Maybe that practice tonight will tell you something.

If you can afford it, then who cares. Money paper is worth less than a good something. I just got an estimate on repairing my son's car. $2800 to fix a broken door handle. You bet a guitar that makes you even just a little happier is worth its price. Maybe start a long term hunt for a great used instrument that really turns you on? Maybe spend many hours just concentrating and playing each of the guitars in turn: get to know them again, and sort into keepers and junkers?

If each guitar you have is in its own way special, you're doing something right. But if you're feeling overstretched, with in a pile of who-cares instruments, adding more to the pile probably isn't going to make you happier, and could make you miserable. You're sincerely asking for input. I don't know what the best solution is, but if you're not earning money with them, and not all that happy either, I'm saying it's time to rethink it. What's working for you and what exactly isn't?


@tonebender

05:29 PM
I too kinda like the tannish plastics. At first they were a little disconcerting then the more I see them the more they grow on me. Between them I would keep the one that plays the best. I would lean towards the Studio if they are equal on playability.


da hy

11:17 AM
I agree. My prob is figuring out what is the best one. They are both very good. The '14 maybe has a bit of ghost noting above the 12th on the low E unplugged. But it seems brighter and I thought it would cut through the band better. The dlx seemed darker and higher gain even on the same 490 pup. In practice a few weeks ago it seemed the 14 got lost and last night the dlx seemed to drop right into place. Special points to the coil tap that seemed to be helpful and the push/push pots that were very functional. I still think the '14 didnt get a fair shot that day as I think it was just me or my ears feeling off. Still it makes you think. And truth is I'm really a "feel" guy. If one really jumped out at me by feel then the tone can be dealt with later.
They both play and look so nice its why I'm down to the more esoteric points of tone, coil taps, price diff, resale after I'm dead, is it too pretty for me or would it be nicer to have 1 matte guitar, etc.
I tried another very sexy dlx against this '14 when I got it and the '14 was such an obvious winner in comparison and against a few other dlx' from memory.
At this point I just need the head to snap off one so I know which to take back.
I'm going to do some more unplugged feel testing then run them both in front of my tube amp at gig level awhile. Hopefully something will shake loose.


da hy

12:40 PM
Thanks so much for the feedback. Yea investment is silly to try and predict. I have a few old guitars that have become fairly valuable but its fickle. You've helped me get over that idea. Both these guitars have a lot of the soul but it seems bringing it out can't be pushed too well. Practice with the dlx went very well. Better than the '14 but I think that was just luck and mood so far.
Actually most of my guitars are special to me in one or more ways. But I get attached to easily to things and want to keep too much. I'm pretty sure I'm a half step away from being on one of those tv shows.
So I need to get more selective. I've also proven that my playing style just isn't that picky. Higher action, bigger frets and I can make any tone work. Much of my collection is for unique looks. No collection of LPB teles for me. But aside from 1 that I still have hopes for, they all play well to excellent and have at least some fairly unique voice and hopefully feel. I also demand they have beautiful wood. A few are a holding place until I can strip them of find a pretty wood version of it.
My 2013 Studio is like that. Its vintage sunburst vintage gloss. It was a killer deal ordered online. Still it has to play and feel great and minimally show some skin. Well its a great guitar but just hint of birdeye. If it was black or white or had lousy frets I'd have rejected it at even half the price. But at the current prices its worth a few bucks to get some interest in the top. Assuming I can sell the 13 at break even. I just don't think I have any interest in $2k+ guitars. I'd just feel stupid. I know most $1000 strats feel dumb to me. Plus I would be too paranoid to take it anywhere. And if I caught anyone taking it there would probably be a death involved. I guess value is just too ingrained into my psyche to enjoy, "waste". Its why the government makes me so pissed off sometimes I can't see straight. I work hard for my money, I can't waste it and won't have it wasted by force. I've never bought into the higher price = better. /rant
But then at one time is was highly unlikely I'd buy a $1000 guitar but here I am. Like I said point me to the guitar that makes me play like MSG or SRV and I'd dump everything I own. So I'm not miserable with my collection. Many I bought to try a certain feature or concept. Or just because it was pretty, had good bone structure and was crazy cheap. Many have grown on me but I do need to cut back. I could be happy just with my old $200 strat or even my newer $89 callisto jr or my $700 '13 lp or my $160 '04 sg. But I'm happier with all of them.



03:20 PM
they both look like studios to me?


da hy

03:30 PM
They are actually. The one on the right is a studio deluxe II with