Musician pet peeves

I try not to be a judgmental person. Live and let live. But as a guitarist, I can’t help but have pet peeves about fellow guitarists. I’m not bagging on anyone personally and I’m sure I have some qualities that my rub others the wrong way but this is my blog so I’m gonna let my pet peeves be known.

1) ” Don’t touch my guitar” Ok… I know a man’s guitar can be like his woman but c’mon. Do you really think I’m gonna mess it up. I’m a guitar player too. Get over it, it’s just a guitar.

2)” I need to drink to play my best” I can totally relate to having a beer or two to loosen up. A few beers throughout the course of a gig is fine. If you need to get drunk before you go on stage, you will never play your best, regardless of what you think.

3)” I only know it in the key on the record” Ok, this is where the boys are separated from the men. Yes, you learn a song from the record. Maybe most bands play it in the same key. But occasionally, you will find yourself in a situation where you have to play it in another key. Learn to transpose, it’s part of being a professional musician.

4)“My amp sounds best when it’s this loud” I know we all want to be heard. Trust me, it’s a fruitless effort. While you may not be hearing yourself as well as you like two feet from your amp, the audience is getting more than enough volume twenty feet away. Maybe your amp does sound best at that volume but the band as a whole needs to sound like a unit, not a guitar player with a backing track.

5)” I just can’t get my tone” Translate to: “I’m playing like crap”. I know we all have an ideal tone and yes, there are times where things just don’t seem right with our rigs. This should not diminish your playing ability. You should be able to play just as well on a rented back line as you do on your own rig. Tone is secondary, capability is primary.

OK….I’m not trying to offend but after playing for many many years I have practiced a few of these and endured playing with people who practice some of these.

Scott

Focus on the playing forget about the gear

We all go through periods where the quest for tone becomes almost obsessive.  We think,rethink, and over think the signal chain. “If I had my XYZ box on the board I could get the (insert favorite guitarist here) sound. 

Maybe we think we need another OD just to round things out.  Maybe a speaker change would get us that tonal nirvana.  What about new cables for the board?

I have gone through this myself.  While chasing the perfect tone is fun, it can be counter productive.  You see, it doesn’t matter how good you sound if the sounds being made are not pleasant.  I’m not saying that trying to get a great tone is a bad thing, just make sure it isn’t the only thing.

I have done the past several gigs without even thinking about my gear.  I have a few pedals, wah,a booster, a chorus, and an echo into a Fender Blues Jr.  I stopped worrying about whether the OD I have is the right one or whether I should use another pedal for an extra layer of sound.  I have been enjoying just playing with what I have and it has been great.

I’ve tried to make sure the notes I am playing count more than whether of not the Leslie sound I’m getting out of the chorus pedal is convincing enough. I'm too busy making music to worry about my rig. I’m also trying to make sure I sell the song.  Really making sure that the audience sees the fun I’m having playing the gig.

I have had many last minute gigs and when I find out in short notice instead of worrying about the gear I need I just nodded my head and said ” I’ll be there”.  All I’m concerned with now is the set list.

Try to spend some time focusing on the playing and you’ll be surprised at how easily the rig comes together.

Texas Canyon Rocks and Cave hike

Santa Clarita has a lot to offer for the casual hiker. There are many maintained trails to visit for a nice safe hike. There are also many areas that offer a little more of a challenge and some spectacular scenery if your willing to venture out to less maintained areas.  For those who want to venture off the beaten path here is one location well worth visiting.

Rowher Flats is mainly known for off road, ATV, and Dirtbike trails.  There is one trail however that leads to an awesome rock formation with some small caves.  This hike is moderate to easy and the trail head is easily accessible by most vehicles.  (I drive a Toyota Corolla and I've done this hike twice).

Once you get to the trail head you'll be amazed at how secluded the area looks considering that you are only a few miles from condo's, apartments, and strip malls. This hike is best suited for Spring or Fall as the Santa Clarita Valley gets very hot in the summer.

Below are some pictures and video of  my adventures to this awesome site.

Name that tune

As a guitarists I always want to be in tune.  There is nothing worse than kicking off a song and being out of tune or being in the middle of that perfect take on a track only to realize that you're slightly flat.

Electonic tuners have been around for many years now but are constantly evolving. No longer is the guitar player limited to one tuner that hopefully has a fresh battery or better yet, is actually in their gig bag. 

From rack tuners to the standard handheld tuners to pedal tuners to clip on tuners to tuner apps there is no reason for any guitar player to ever be out of tune.

Obviously some are much more accurate than others so using the correct tuner for the job is key. 

Rack or desktop tuners:

Strobe tuners or rack-mount tuners are best suited for professional situations such as recording studios or high end live gigs. These tuners allow for extremely accurate tuning.  That said, a pedal tuner or clip on tuner are good backups for this situation.

Handheld tuners: 

The long standing standard tuner for hobbyists or working man guitar players these tuners offer good accuracy, reliability, and affordability.  The portability is a big win for this category.  These easily fit in a gig bag or a case. 

Pedal tuners: Pedal tuners are a must have for those who use a pedal board, heck even if you don't use a pedal board you probably should have one.  They're accurate and will mute your signal while you're tuning.  Also, the mute function is awesome as a kill switch in the case that something is going horribly wrong in your signal chain.

Clip on tuners:

The past few years have seen a rise in the availability of clip on tuners. These tiny devices clip on the the headstock of your guitar and register the vibrations through the neck. While not as accurate as the rack or desktop tuners, the clip on tuners just might overtake pedals and handheld tuners as the ubiquitous option for the every man guitar player.

Tuner Apps:Everyone has a smartphone these days. There are plenty of free tuner apps and some really good paid ones as well.  It's worth having at least a free one on your phone as a last ditch effort if you find yourself without any of your other tuning options. I wouldn't rely on one as my main means of tuning my instruments but they prove useful as a backup or just a quick tune.

My Guitar Collection

Guitarists are a strange breed. Some of us only have one or two guitars. We find that special instrument and never look back.  Some of us are obsessive collectors needing one of each kind in every color.   Some of us are players and collectors who cherish both the special one that you always come back to but still have a few on the side for some variety.

 While  you can only play one at a time, each guitar does have a unique voice.  Some are dark, some are bright, some just look cool, but all of them are part of the family.

Each one has a personality of it's own that requires  special attention. Some are easy to play, some are challenging.  Some are versatile, some are very specific, but all of these are mine and I am going to share with you my weapons of choice.

Here are the guitars I use in my various endeavors from recording to gigs to just sitting around the house noodling.

What's not to like?

The below post is from many years ago on my old guitar blog but still valid today.

Enjoy

 The BUM syndrome

Guitarists are a strange lot. We are quirky,superstitious, and neurotic at best. These traits lead us to exhibit some pretty strange behavior. One of these behaviors is the BUM syndrome. No, not being an out of work bum like your dad said you would be playing guitar but BUM as in Blind Urge to Mod.

Why is it that no instrument is good enough? I have seen countless posts out there stating things like “ Got a new super duper wanko master 3000, What do I need to change to make this thing killer”. How about,” just picked up a drive-o-matic 6000 pedal for $300 on flea bay, talk to me about chip swapping”

I have several guitars, a few amps, and a good selection of pedals. I too have been guilty of this condition but only to the extent that the mods help the instrument do something it didn’t previously do well. Sure I have a hacked frankenstrat but for the most part, all the rest of my guitars are stock. Maybe a pickup swap here or there but not all of them and only after the instrument was run through it’s paces as purchased.

I can get behind a few mods right out of the gate but these are practical mod’s rather than a mod just to mod. Strap locks are a must. A $20 investment can save you a hefty neck repair. Better tuning keys, sure. If they improve the tuning stability then go for it. After that I just try to live with the gear a while to see what it will do. Remember, all mods make it different, but different isn’t always better.

  

Soledad Cannyon Movie Sets

The Santa Clarita Valley is full of great sites. There are plenty of naturally stunning locations that have caught the eye of the Movie industry.  Due to the remoteness of many parts of the area there have also been plenty of sets built as well.

On a recent adventure up Soledad Canyon me and my son stumbled upon a few of these sets. These were visible from the road but I can only imagine what else may be hidden out of sight.

Check out some video and a few pics from the adventure.