Being Prepared or Live and Learn or........

Jon Light · From: Saugerties, NY

.....something...

Just got back from a benefit picnic for some guy who's dying but I don't know him so it's ok. I'm actually a few dimes poorer out of pocket but the cause was righteous and I wanted this to be sort of a bartender's buy-back for the bandleader---she's out of pocket for everyone else.
I get thru life by worrying, fretting, angsting etc. I'm a mess of 'what ifs'. This can make/has made me old before my time but it also usually ensures that I am ready, early, and more than adequately equipped.
The band is one that I play with maybe once a month at best. Always very small rooms. I use my Fender Deluxe Reverb and it's the sweetest thing with this diciplined band in small spaces. Well I knew there would be a full sound system so this is the rig I brought to the fairgrounds figuring that a mic on the amp would sound great and it's nice & light. Turns out the stage was huge and the sound guy couldn't or wouldn't give me much steel in the monitors. This meant that in order to hear myself I needed to turn the Fender up well into the gravel tones. It can't have sounded good out in the 'house'.
I could have easily toted heavier artillery but I was concerned with the 'what ifs'----what if I have to park far from the stand and there's nothing but cow pasture to roll my cart on.....what if....blah blah.

Bottom line is that for piss poor reasons I didn't have the right tools for the job, I didn't do my best job, and I'm really annoyed. Live and learn.

Bob Carlucci · From: Candor, New York, USA

Jon.. I know where you are coming from partner. I've done it more times than I can even remember.

However, I think you are selling youself short...
While you may have been "down in the mix"on stage, its a good possiblity the sound guy had you "hot in the house".
Yeah that Deluxe may have been crankin, but they are sweet when cranked.. even with a steel..

I remember I used to know a guy years ago .. He used an Emmons push/pull and a Deluxe and played country and swing.. It WAS a little gravelly, but was still pretty sweet sounding.

Give yourself a little credit Jon... I can guarantee no one but yourself was down on your sound!!.. Head high !!... and besides, you did a good ,kind, and decent thing for a hurting human being. You did good.... bob

[This message was edited by Bob Carlucci on 18 June 2005 at 08:28 PM.]

Charles Dempsey · From: Shongaloo, LA

Jon,

Bob's got the straight goods, so hop up there and soldier, soldier Smile

.

Charlie

Larry Behm · From: Mt Angel, Or 97362

In the old days I would not take my "A" rig, I would just use what was there etc. That was the old days, today I never leave home without it. You can always turn down the "A" rig, you may not always be able to turn up the "B" rig.

But JL you are the only one who knew, get them next time.

Your friend
Larry Behm

Tom Gorr · From: Three Hills, Alberta

Hah ! At my opening gig in my home town, the sound guy changed my amp mic at the last minute, forgot to turn it on, and then as everyone complained they couldn't hear me, cranked the channel wide open. Then after my amp fell over backwards in the third set I noticed the mic was off - turned it on and then all hell broke loose.

Tony Prior · From: Charlotte NC

Larry..thank you for that...

My B rig is another A rig !

JL..what if the Cows were still "IN" the pasture ?

just another chapter..add it to your book....

t

Jon Light · From: Saugerties, NY

Larry--yep, you got it. Point was, I ended up with a choice--hear myself and sound bad or don't hear myself and sound worse (but never know because I can't hear it). I chose the only real option which was to turn it up. Consequently there is no maybe. I heard it and it was rough, raw and gravelly. Great blues sound. Not what I needed for this music. I played well enough and nobody complained. There was no disaster and I'm not hanging my head. But I made a real mistake and I hope to use better judgement in the future. I've got three rigs that would have done the job much better and I'm asking myself why on earth I've got them if I'm going to leave them at home?! I've been in a minimal mindset lately--that's why I bought that Crate micro head--to see how light & pared down I can get for urban travel. Seems I carried this thinking over to a major non-urban show without applying much brain wattage.

--Tony--now you've given me yet another thing to worry about.

[This message was edited by Jon Light on 19 June 2005 at 05:09 AM.]

mike nolan · From: Forest Hills, NY USA

Jon,

There is the big venue situation, the small venue situation, and the unknown situation.... I almost always take the Deluxe Reverb for the unknown situation. I know that I can get it to and on the stage and even if it distorts, it is good distortion. Good job.....

Mark van Allen · From: Watkinsville, Ga. USA

This is one of the reasons why I'm so happy with my Walker stereo rig. Small, light enough for any venue. And it has a volume knob. A volume knob that really works well...

------------------
Stop by the Steel Store at: www.markvanallen.com

Donny Hinson · From: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.

It's in the past now, forget it. You did the best you could do with what you had at hand, so get off the "guilt wagon".

Emmons wasn't there, neither was Eric or I, so your reputation's still safe!

Larry Bell · From: Englewood, Florida

Don't be so hard on yourself, Jon

Any of us who have more than one amp or guitar may have to make the decision going out the door which rig to carry. I have two guitars and I play them both. The push-pull usually gets the nod for retro stuff and the Fessy for everything else. I have five amps and when I play out, one of them is usually a Standel. But it may be by itself, and maybe with any of four other amps -- everything from a '65 Bassman to a Nashville 112.

As far as power goes, you have to predict what a given room will require. Sometimes one doesn't predict well. This 'one' has certainly misjudged what to play through in a given room but, honestly, I'm usually the only one who ever even notices.

I've had surprises when taking combinations of equipment that I don't use together often, but I don't think of anything I have as being A or B. Everything is A or I wouldn't own it. (That's what 'Buy / Sell' is for)

Pete Burak · From: Portland, OR USA

Jon, you might want to throw an amp stand in the car for the "what if's".
You possiby could have put the Deluxe on a stand angled up right in front of you, with a mic on it.
Myself... at Fair gigs I always unplug the house monitor that is placed in front of me.

I followed Larry onto a stage last weekend and went stereo as usual, but this time with a '76 Vibrosonic (mic'd... first gig for this amp... thanks Craigslist!) and a Nash 112 (it's a personal "surround sound" thing).
I lucked out and got a good parking spot.
'Good thing cuz I over inflated a tire on my Costco dolly and it literally blew the wheel off, (breaking the plastic rim).

I know the feeling. I get the same feeling when I am in the middle of a gig kicking myself for not changing to a new set of strings (like I told myself I was going to a few days before).
~pb

Jon Light · From: Saugerties, NY

Gennelmens, thanks. I'm not kicking the cats or myself or anything. I'm cool. I am still at a novice stage re: playing with sound systems, let alone playing a good sized outdoor soundstage. I'm only just learning that it's not just either/or---either you have no sound system and you need the big-watt rig to fill the house or you mic the amp and all your monitoring needs are covered via the system. There's the in between stuff such as this gig. Pete--if I'd had my wits about me I would have moved my amp to a much better location. Unfortunately it turns out the headline band played before and after us, they played too long, thus cutting our set short with no time to sort out our setup, and they had all their gear totally in the way. My amp started 8 feet behind me, then after the first song I moved it much closer but alas, I had no stand so it sat on the floor. Hey, this is the name of the thread--Live and Learn. I'm doing both.
BTW--this other band is a bunch of guys called Stir Fried who frequently play with Buddy Cage. The good new/bad news was that Buddy wasn't there--good that I didn't have that to add to my nerves, bad because I could have maybe used his rig and also listened to some kickass picking.

Bob Carlucci · From: Candor, New York, USA

Jon.. I can't speak for Buddy Cage of course, but I've never seen a "local act" use the main/national acts equipment..

Its just about unheard of, so I doubt you could have used the steel players equipment if Stir Fried had a steel guy .. Maybe someone else here has, but usually its taboo to even MENTION it... bob

Mike Pace · From: O.S. CT. USA

Was this a benefit for Vassar Clements or something?!?

I dont think you'd have been any better off playing thru Buddy's amp had been there~ It's a modified twin "head" driving a 2x12" cab..... quite possibly the antithesis of pristine-clean tone.

Jon Light · From: Saugerties, NY

That would have been great--very close to my A rig that I was wishing I had brought--Dual Showman Reverb & 2 x 12" cab--pristine is not my cup of tea. No, not Vassar, just some local Rockland county guy--very large turnout for a $50 admission--obviously someone of local significance. And by the way, this wasn't really primarily a music event--just a big old picnic with a soundstage.

Since you mention it, I was jawing with the Stir Fried leader and he told me the Vassar has taken a definite turn for the better! As bad as things were looking for him not long ago, this was a great piece of news.

basilh · From: United Kingdom

Two point occur to me..
1.Why can't you play without hearing yourself predominantly ?
(most of us can manage to get by when the chips are down)

2.Outdoor gig = large amp required.

Jon Light · From: Saugerties, NY

Thanks for sharing, Basil. Your guidance inspires.

basilh · From: United Kingdom

John..Being Prepared or Live and Learn or........

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