Monday Open Mic Lunch Report 4-22-13

[Kit]

As it is open mic, and I haven't done lunch report for quite a while I thought I'd steal the mic for a day.

Lunch today will be left-over pad thai. I tried making pad thai for the first time yesterday. It was not altogether successful: it was too salty and the noodles were too sticky. I think I can do better if I make it again.

I first joined the old GuitarsByLeo board in 1999. I have been snooping on that board for months while the planning of the LE was going on. I ended up buying LE #22 and then officially joining the board. I have been around these parts off and on since then.

I don't buy guitars to start a collection, I buy when I find something I want to try out or I believe the instrument fills some part of the sound spectrum I'm missing. Since my LE I have only added 2 G&L instruments: a 1990 SC-3 that I found locally, and a L-2000 to upgrade a $170 Fernandes bass that I bought to record with. I have also sold several instruments when they proved to be inferior to something else I already own. Between guitars and bass I have around 10 instruments.

So my first question is: On what basis do you buy and sell?

Although I started guitars decades ago, I've only been involved in bands a few times. I am currently playing in a hobby band because it is fun. We don't play out very often; the reason our previous drummer left was because the rest of us will not commit to playing out as often as he wants. We also recently replaced our female vocalist.

Even for an hobby band we have our share of drama, so I'm wondering for those of you in a band, to what extent would you go to keep everybody happy playing together?

I picked Open Mic week to do a lunch report as it happened that we played an open mic on 4/14. In practice we started to sound decent so we thought that we would play for audience to see how they react. For our drummer of 4 months this is the first band he's been in, so he was game to give it a try. Our new singer did karoake but had not sung with a live band either, although we all know she can handle it. The G&L content for this gig are my SC-3 plus the bass player's SB-2.

[youtube]UeimjRRBIyI[/youtube]

The following link will take you to all 6 videos from the half-hour open mic:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-lHL ... ture=watch

Kit

[louis cyfer]

you've got to shore up the rhythm section. both the drummer and bass player are struggling. also, might want to think about the entertainment portion of live playing, there is more to it than just standing and staring at the instruments. the singer is good, she stays on it even when things fall apart behind her. you won't keep her long if the rhythm section doesn't improve.

[bassman]

Hi Kit, It's good to see you posting a Lunch Report.

Bands are always full of drama. I think you guys have a good sound to work with and I like your singer.
BTW- I think your bass player has a G&L JB bass. That's a diff. deal than an SB-2.

I know that deciding on how often to play is as divisive as deciding what songs and type of music to play.

What would help your rythmn section the most would be a good tight rythmn guitar part to help out the bass and drums.
Finger-picking chord changes removes all rhythmic emphasis from a guitar part. Some short upbeat chords in a guitar part can tighten up a group's sound like nothing else.

[y2kc]

Kit,

I sell stuff in order to fund new stuff. It is an endless cycle.

I have always dug that sc-3 of yours. I have the exact same one except with a black guard. Wish I had folks to play with,looks like fun!

y2kc

[Greenblues]

The bands sounds very pleasant!

Keep everybody feeling appreciated, and you should be able to keep this unit together. However that's easier said than done, isn't it. I could write a list of reasons people quit bands (for starters: no time, different styles, too much/not enough confidence) before a list of reasons why people commit, though I would imagine your singer would be a pretty good reason to commit. As long as everyone is listening for what the other members want to hear on stage AND off stage, you should be able to manage any drama. If you can do that, I'm sure this unit will start sounding real good real soon.

As for buying/selling guitars, the bottom line is whether the instrument is letting me achieve my musical goals. With my G&L Legacy, I've always felt the only limitation was my own technique and imagination. So I never sold it, and probably never will. Why did I get it in the first place? Because I wanted...no, NEEDED something that could do hard rock, jazz, funk, reggae, whateva. A strat type guitar was the obvious choice for me, and the Legacy offered some features that set it apart from the big-F; like the PTB circuit, DFS tremolo, pickups, etc. I've since modded most of all of that stuff, but the guitar just feels too familiar to sell now.

Guitars I've sold recently were a Tacoma Archtop, Godin Multiac, and vintage Gibson ES-125. Both archtops sounded and looked great, but I just didn't feel comfortable playing them. The Godin was something I bought for a specific musical project, so I sold it when that finished. Wish I hadn't, but I need the $$$!

[gitman001]

Hey Kit,

Good to hear from you. Thanks for sharing your project with us.

As far as buying goes, I usually can't pass on a great deal! Anything less than 1/2 price i am usually all over. However, there have been very, very few of those deals in the last year or so. I have not sold a guitar in a long time and i don;t think that will change in the near future.

As far as band stuff goes....... Ohhh Boy... If i had the time i could write volumes. The way i see it... It is basically a marriage between 4-5 people. Be it Pro, Semi-Pro or hobby band it is a pretty intimate relationship between all members involved. Sooner or later the honeymoon stage is over and everyone needs to be on the same page in order for it to work (It sounds like you have already faced that reality with your drummer!). Just a few weeks ago we had to fire our singer after 4 years of really hard work and friendship.... It was a really tough decision, but it had to be done - unfortunately we all were not on the same page anymore.

I would suggest that to stay happy as a band you certainly need communication, wether it be from you or encourage band mates to speak honestly at rehearsals. I know that no one in my band are mind readers, and if something is on our minds (from set lists to structures to gigs) we know we have to speak up.... We are all grownups, and although somethings we don't want to hear, it gets done for the better of the band. I am sure you guys can work through it, it looks like with a little more rehearsal and communication you guys can start to really have some fun up there!

Have a good one
Scott

[darwinohm]

Kit, thanks for the report and the videos. I listened to all of them and it is fun to start a band but it takes a lot of work to develop. Others have suggested some technical aspects but my impression is more what attracts crowds to bands. My impression is that the songs all sounded very similar. To be a successful cover band, variety is the key. After our gig on Sunday, a lady stopped afterward and commented that she had been a singer for 30 years. She thought we were outstanding technically but what really made it for her was the variety. She said that it was unusual to hear that kind of variety. We had a hard time packing up on Sunday evening as people wanted to talk to us. Many of them were musicians and they had a lot of questions. So, you will get better as you go and your singer has it! That is a real bonus as good vocalists are hard to come by.

Keeping a band on the same page is difficult. Someone has to take charge to ultimately make it happen. Everyone has to contribute and be part of a team but someone has to make sure the right things happen. It was a struggle keeping our group intact initially. Every time we had a gig, someone would try to hire some of the band members into their own band. That can be flattering but also destructive in the developmental process. We should have recorded a year ago but I was reluctant to invest the time and effort until I was sure that everyone was committed. We are starting the recording project shortly because we now seem to be committed as a band and some of our members have worked with other groups and didn't find it very rewarding. They have become connected as we say. Nothing is forever and bands seem to be a poster child for that. We are lucky to have three old dudes who have long left the egos behind and are having fun. The two ladies really get it and no one is in it for the money. We all have our own things that are successful and love the band thing as fun thing to do.

I have sold or traded about 30 guitars in the last 5 years. If it is American, pristine, and a good buy it may come home with me. I keep the ones I really like and it is probably a blessing that Ginny puts the squeeze on me for the space I take or I would still have all of them. I am not good at selling. Hang in there Kit, if it is meant to be it will work as long as everyone works at it. -- Darwin

[Kit]

I checked in this morning and read all your input. What a great set of insight and advice. I thank you all.

I know that our band members may not be up to snuff, but I'm in it as a hobby so it is not critical to me. I know I'm not perfect. If we work on it I'm sure we will improve. I hope to report some day that the band is fun for us and fun for an audience.

Kit

[darwinohm]

Kit, you guys will be up to snuff if you keep at it! You sound good now and will only have more fun as time goes on. It is hard to just keep it a hobby as it is a lot of fun. Keep it up!-- Darwin

[JagInTheBag]

Kit, you guys will be up to snuff if you keep at it! You sound good now and will only have more fun as time goes on. It is hard to just keep it a hobby as it is a lot of fun. Keep it up!-- Darwin

+1 Keep up the progress. If you're having fun, so will the audience!

[bassman]

Howdy:

Y2KC said it best..................an endless cycle!

I've bought instruments because I like them, I have an emotional attachment, it calls to me (yoo-hoo Tim! come here!), or just has some vibe. I've sold them out of boredom, no longer play it, a friend wants it, and once was sell it to pay for a trip to Japan!

PS to Bassman: I love your "buy a drum for each of children" by-line. Hilarious!


Regards,
Tim

Hi Tim, I wish that I could take credit for it but that line is from a long gone music store called Smith's Drum Shop in Wheaton, Md. which is where I started taking bass lessons in 1969. That was the store motto that was on their business card. I also worked there as my first summer job in 1970-71. It was a magical place. I took bass lessons from a sax player in a drum shop! LOL
bassman Bill

[Brock]

So my first question is: On what basis do you buy and sell?

I've only sold one personal instrument, which was a 2002-era USA P-Bass. I bought it dirt cheap new and sold it cheap used, so I made a little money off it. It was an okay bass but suffored from lack of MFD pickup, which can be remedied, but I didn't need another 4 string bass fretted bass guitar, so when someone wanted it, away it went.

Had that bass not been dirt cheap, I wouldn't have bought it to begin with.

-Brock