New Boots

   What should I write about today? I could write about buying a panel van and converting it to an RV complete with solar panels, but I didn’t do that this week. I could write about new and exciting music prospects which have come into my lap, but none have. Oh, I could write about reading any new books, but I’m not finding time to read with all the goals I’ve set for myself. What if I wrote about those goals? Oh yes you’re right I already have.

I could and do wish you all a very merry unbirthday unless it’s your real birthday in which case eat some cake for the rest of us.

    We could and should talk about the weather.

    

    Today’s weather in Minnesota on the 28th of March (the day this is written is different then the day it’s published) is wonderfully pleasant. The temperature is 56 F or 13.333 C it’s mostly sunny and thankfully the planet is starting to angle correctly so our snow will melt. Soon the tree’s will be green and the water free to move.

    Well that was quick now what else to write about.

    Boots. I love boots. They are so cool and I always thought that it would be fun to have a pair of boots made just for me. Fitting my feet’s little quirks and weirdnesses. Now that’s not to say I don’t like the idea of having my feet bare naked in grass or squishing in the mud because I do love it. I also love boots. What kind of boots would you have made for you? Cowboy, hiking, the sexy ones with the zipper up the back, how about a Winter boot, my wife just had some handsome moccasin boots made for her. They fit her feet perfectly, and I am jealous. They did cost her a bunch though, but they fit her feet because they were made to. Wouldn’t that be cool? It would be super cool. What about other things like shirts. I’d love to have shirts made to fit, or how about underpants? Well, I guess that would just get weird.

Homework: Today, I suggest you take your shoes and socks off and step outside into the cold with your bare feet. Why? Well, just to feel alive that’s why.

Gear for a show

An entry about the gear I use on stage…..sometimes.

     The other day I read a blog from a man named Adam Rafferty his entry was all about the equipment he brings to his gigs. I really enjoyed reading what he used and am interested in what other people bring to their gigs as well, and now that I think about it I remember reading another entry from someone else doing the same thing. Well, not to be left out of the fun here’s mine.

First, I almost always bring two guitars, and I use both of them. I have a Taylor 210-E which was made in 2000 (if I’m reading the serial number correctly), 

Photo credit: Trevor Marty

and a Republic Guitar Duolian which was made in 2010. I have used both of these at almost every gig I’ve had since I’ve gotten them. They are troopers. 

Photo credit: Trevor Marty

     I’m not super particular about the cables I get; although, I probably should be. I’ve heard tons of bad recently about Monster cables. I am however very particular about how they are gathered and stored. That could be another blog post for a different time.

     I haven’t used pedals all that much throughout my gigging career. Sure, I've used an EQ and/or a DI or some kind, but I’ve mostly just had one ¼ inch TRS going into a board and a pencil condenser microphone pointed at the 12th fret. I mixed those two sounds alternately ether 80/20 (condenser-TRS) or 60/40 (condenser/TRS) depending on the song and what I liked it to be. This worked fine for years and still does; however, recently I’ve gotten into using pedals a bit more. I really enjoy experimenting with sound and life in general. It brings me great joy to try something new out. Below is a photo of my pedal board. 

Photo credit: Trevor Marty

1. Boss 7 band EQ- I use this to take some of the tinniness out of the TRS and try and make it a bit more acoustic guitar sounding.
2. FK CNCR - this is a reverb pedal as you can see it either goes with a spring verb or a hall verb. Both are glorious
3. Soul Food - I wanted to try out a little dirty and tone for a couple of blues tunes that I do.
4. Ditto - The newest one which I have yet to use at a show is a looping pedal. I think looping is super cool but if it’s not done right it’s just icky.

That’s my pedal train and it goes from signal entrance at 1 to signal exit at 4.

     I have a couple of different options as far as sound reinforcement is concerned. The gigs I get are smallish. They are either small clubs, riverboats, dinner type of environments, and sometimes I’ll get a bigger gig and need to bring bigger stuff. Most of the things I use have to be versatile. Today, we’re just going to focus on two things. The one I use the most is my two channel Fishman Loudbox. 

Photo credit: Trevor Marty

Photo credit: Trevor Marty

Photo credit: Trevor Marty

This is a great amp and will cover a smallish club or a dinner place easily. It even has a post mix out for those bigger places with their own PA. You can go direct out from your amp (vocal and guitar) and right into their PA. I’ve heard of folks doing this so they can run their own sound. For bigger environments and small environments this next couple works equally well.

Photo credit: Trevor Marty

An Allen & Heath ZED 10FX mixer into an RCF art series 310A powered speaker. It’s a very quiet set up perfect tone. I love it. My only regret is that I didn’t save up more and get two of those speakers. 

Photo credit: Trevor Marty

     Well, this is my setup. All of it fits in my little Ford Focus Wagon and we toodle down the road.

Thanks for popping by and having a look at my blog, and now for your homework.

Blow bubbles. Go and get some bubble making stuff and blow some bubbles.

Banjo's, Fenders, & Coffee.

Hey Gang-    How are you doing? Okay? I hope you’re feeling super-awesome.  I’ve got a surprise. I’ve bought a banjo!!! Here it is.  

The banjo I’ve bought is a Recording King RKS-06-YE Starlight Series 5-String Banjo. It’s yellow as you can see.
Why a banjo?

A very good question. Well, I have wanted to learn to play the one for a few years. I enjoy the tonal quality and how it works as a solo instrument and an ensemble one. I’ve taken the resonator back off and decided to paint a design on it. The design with be a tree in the center surrounded by a celtic knotwork. I’ll show you after its finished.

    I started to learn not just the chords of this new instrument, but the style of playing. It’s been challenging because it’s slightly different than playing either a fingerstyle or finger-pulling thing. The main difference as I understand it and please note that I am just learning so I could be wrong is where the 1 in the beat is. In a fingerstyle guitar the 1 is on the bass note or the thumb strike, but on the banjo’s claw style the thumb strikes the 5th string (the tiny thin one) on the ‘and’.

1,and,2,and,3,and,4, and…  which seems to me to give the rhythm a syncopated thing. It’s sort of challenging. I find myself switching back and forth all the time because of my guitar style. Time and practice will help things out and I will get better. 

Here's a video to accompany the blog post. 

 http://youtu.be/sQk_YRxLUhc

Keep coming back and see how I’m doing.

Thanks

 Trevor