10 Questions We Ask Everyone

noisepolluter · August 2013

1: What was your first guitar and when did you get it?
Hokada Classical - that and the accompanying classical guitar lessons lasted a couple of months before a mexi strat and Normal Guitar Lessons for Normal People.

2: The building’s burning down – what one guitar do you save?
Gibson ES-335

3: What’s the oldest guitar that you own?
Mid 90s mexi Squier Strat

4: And the next piece of gear you’d like to acquire?
Literally nothing on the radar for the next few years TBH - unless something important breaks. Everything except the really cherished stuff is up for sale.

5: What strings do you use?
D'add 10's on electric, D'add phosphor bronze 12's on acoustic

6: If you could change one thing about a recording of yours, what would it be?
Probably used less reverb and made the vocal louder.

7: What are you doing five minutes before you go onstage?
Tuning up obsessively. And drinking heavily.

8: ...And five minutes after?

Post-mortem'ing obsessively. And drinking heavily.

9: What’s the worst thing that’s ever happened to you onstage?
Any one of several occasions when I've started a song drunkenly confident that the 2nd and 3rd choruses 'will come back to me'.

10: What advice would you give your younger self about playing the guitar?

Stop buying all that crap. Decide what you really want, save up for it and in the meantime spend some time actually playing along to stuff.

Paul_C · August 2013

1: What was your first guitar and when did you get it?

A Telecaster-shaped Kay, it was rubbish

2: The building’s burning down – what one guitar do you save?

A Rickenbacker 330 that I have on loan from a mate.

3: What’s the oldest guitar that you own?

A Samick 12 string acoustic (for sale

)

4: And the next piece of gear you’d like to acquire?

I'd like to buy something special to celebrate my 50th (a couple of weeks away) but I don't know what it is yet.

5: What strings do you use?

Rotosound 30-90s on my basses - Elixir 10s (Nanoweb 80/20) on my acoustic.

6: If you could change one thing about a recording of yours, what would it be?

There was a drum track I did years ago where the ending of my part was edited to cover a fluff by the guitarist, I'd like the guitarist to come back from Canada and re-record his bit.

7: What are you doing five minutes before you go onstage?

Not much as a rule, unless it's setting up in a hurry - for big gigs I used to be so relaxed that I could almost go to sleep

8: ...And five minutes after?

Packing my gear away so that I know where it all is and then I can relax.

9: What’s the worst thing that’s ever happened to you onstage?

I remember breaking two strings at once back in the 80s, not sure if I've broken even one since.

10: What advice would you give your younger self about playing the guitar?

Nothing, I wouldn't have listened to some old bloke wittering on.

Skipped · August 2013

Paul_C said:

4: And the next piece of gear you’d like to acquire?

I'd like to buy something special to celebrate my 50th (a couple of weeks away) but I don't know what it is yet.

Paul - 350 ideas for you.
http://www.gbase.com/gear/find?gs=y&pageindex=2&fy=1963&ly=1963

TTony · August 2013

1: What was your first guitar and when did you get it?
A Columbus LP copy. It barely counts as a "guitar" though, my first real guitar was my Kawai KS12XL. That started something!

2: The building’s burning down – what one guitar do you save?
My first self-build from the Bailey course. It's not my best, but it was the most life-changing.

3: What’s the oldest guitar that you own?
That first Kawai. From c1981.

4: And the next piece of gear you’d like to acquire?
Nothing. I've been GAS-free for a while and would like to stay that way.

5: What strings do you use?
Whatever is in the cupboard. I got a load of Rotosound 10s because they had a spare top E. Now I've just got a load of spare top E strings..

6: If you could change one thing about a recording of yours, what would it be?
It's absence. It's a long held, but rather vague, ambition of mine to actually write and record something worth writing and recording.

7: What are you doing five minutes before you go onstage?
Probably just drifting off to sleep and starting the dream (about what it'd be like to go onstage).

8: ...And five minutes after?

5 minutes?? How long to dreams last???

9: What’s the worst thing that’s ever happened to you onstage?
I try not to have bad dreams, so nothing bad has ever happened

10: What advice would you give your younger self about playing the guitar?

No, it doesn't come naturally, you don't have natural talent, and you won't get better just by buying another guitar. If you're doing it to get some girls, practice a little, and you'll get more choice. Or just more.

daveww · August 2013

1: What was your first guitar and when did you get it?

A 1960s Framus acoustic archtop with flatwound strings. Probably was a good guitar but not cool at the time.

2: The building’s burning down – what one guitar do you save?

My Bacchus Vintage series tele. Not the most expensive but it always seems to get the most use.

3: What’s the oldest guitar that you own?

Probably the vintage series bacchus tele - not that old early 1990s.

4: And the next piece of gear you’d like to acquire?

I'd like a nice Brian Setzer Gretsch

5: What strings do you use?

D'adario on my electrics and Newtone on my acoustics.

6: If you could change one thing about a recording of yours, what would it be?

Never done any serious recording.

7: What are you doing five minutes before you go onstage?

My band disbanded a couple of months back :-( but probably frantically practising the scariest bits so I wouldn't forget them

8: ...And five minutes after?

Buzzing

9: What’s the worst thing that’s ever happened to you onstage?

Completed forgetting how Flourescent Adolescent went.. My mind went blank and I had to get the singer to hum it to me..

10: What advice would you give your younger self about playing the guitar?

Put the hours in. Less widdling and more practising!

Roland · August 2013

1: What was your first guitar and when did you get it?
The first I played was a plywood box borrowed from a neighbour. The first I owned was a Hofner President bought from a school friend. It really was during the summer of '69 that I got my first six string.

2: The building’s burning down – what one guitar do you save?
Probably none of them: people, wallet, car keys and phone come first. If I still had a hand free then the Parker Fly because it's heavily modded, and the hardest to replace.

3: What’s the oldest guitar that you own?
The President. It dates from about 1958, but doesn't have a truss rod, and is no longer playable.

4: And the next piece of gear you’d like to acquire?
There's nothing on my list, but with significant birthday coming up I will find something.

5: What strings do you use?
D'Addario 10.5 to 52 on the Fly, 10 to 52 on the PRS and Les Paul, 11 to 52 on the Washburn SA2100, and Elixir Nanoweb 11 to 52s on the acoustic.

6: If you could change one thing about a recording of yours, what would it be?
Getting it issued. I've still go the un-mixed stems on a DVD somewhere.

7: What are you doing five minutes before you go onstage?
Looking for the singer.

8: ...And five minutes after?

Packing away

9: What’s the worst thing that’s ever happened to you onstage?
String breakage, not just one, but a whole batch of 11s that unravelled at the ball end.

10: What advice would you give your younger self about playing the guitar?

That Hofner is difficult to play, and will hold you back. Find some money for a better guitar.

Bellycaster · August 2013

1: What was your first guitar and when did you get it?
A Satellite Guitar for about £30 in Dec 1986, it was kind of S.G shaped and was Black bursting into dark red with a black pickguard. It had pick up selecters that were more like what you find on a Fender Jaguar(the square switches). I wish I had kept it for old times sake as it probably ended up as Firewood.

2:The building’s burning down – what one guitar do you save? My Ruokangas VSOP.

3: What’s the oldest guitar that you own? Kramer Striker circa 1984, it's completely dismantled and will probably remain so because I can't be arsed and really don't have the time to do owt with it.

4: And the next piece of gear you’d like to acquire? I really am happy with what I've got and don't GAS too easily, but if I had to pick it would be a Tele of sorts.

5: What strings do you use? Elixirs 9's (skinny E.T fingers)

6: If you could change one thing about a recording of yours, what would it be? To actually start doing one

7: What are you doing five minutes before you go onstage? At the time, long ago, I was probably having a Ciggie.

8: ...And five minutes after? Lighting another one!

9: What’s the worst thing that’s ever happened to you onstage? Once, I completely forgot the song we were playing, I didn't have any fear before we started the song, It just went after the first verse. Glad we were all mates and the crowd saw the funny side though.

10: What advice would you give your younger self about playing the guitar? Give up, you're Shit!.........;-) Nah, only kidding, I'd say, "Learn the guitar properly and start young with theory, because you're going to hate your job and you'll be playing catch-up later in life"

TheOtherDennis · August 2013

Lixarto said:

This is diabolical behaviour. Pity the NGAS All-Stars weren't on hand to kick some arse :x

@TheOtherDennis

Thanks, Zap, I was bloody angry for a bit, now I just feel like a complete idiot for letting it happen, and I'm partly to blame for it. :-S

Lixarto · August 2013

Well, I know we've not managed it yet, but I promise you: next time, "Tumblin' Dice"

monquixote · August 2013

TheOtherDennis said:

Lixarto said:

This is diabolical behaviour. Pity the NGAS All-Stars weren't on hand to kick some arse :x

@TheOtherDennis

Thanks, Zap, I was bloody angry for a bit, now I just feel like a complete idiot for letting it happen, and I'm partly to blame for it. :-S

They sound like a right bunch of arseholes.

As Fletcher once said "Don't let the bastards grind you down"

meltedbuzzbox · August 2013

1: What was your first guitar and when did you get it?
13/14 Hohner classical guitar. I ended up painting it Green on the front and back and blue on the sides.

2: The building’s burning down – what one guitar do you save?
Thinline Jap Jaguar. Its so pretty

3: What’s the oldest guitar that you own?
1983 (same age as me) Ibanez Destroyer 2

4: And the next piece of gear you’d like to acquire?
Starcaster

5: What strings do you use?
D'Addario

6: If you could change one thing about a recording of yours, what would it be?
I'd sing more

7: What are you doing five minutes before you go onstage?
Tuning up and being asked if I am single :-) (last gig anyway)

8: ...And five minutes after?
Reocvering and drinking

9: What’s the worst thing that’s ever happened to you onstage?
Blown amp,

10: What advice would you give your younger self about playing the guitar?
in your mid 20s you will stop playing guitar for 2 - 3 years. Don't do it.

Deijavoo · August 2013

1: What was your first guitar and when did you get it?
An old nylon strung that my mum bought in America, she got it in the 60s/70s, I got it in the 80s (once born) and promptly destroyed it with stickers.

2: The building’s burning down – what one guitar do you save?
Gibson es339

3: What’s the oldest guitar that you own?
1996 Fender Jazz

4: And the next piece of gear you’d like to acquire?
Funds permitting; a HJ Williams Evo Pro. Less funds; a used Rasmus.

5: What strings do you use?
D'Addario 12s.

Deijavoo · August 2013

6: If you could change one thing about a recording of yours, what would it be?
My tone on an old ep. It sounded odd in the room on the day so I completely fucked about with the eq, turns out my ears were wrong that day.

7: What are you doing five minutes before you go onstage?
Watching the band before, if no band then maybe taking a piss.

8: ...And five minutes after?
Watching the band after, if no band then sleeping on a nice comfy floor.

9: What’s the worst thing that’s ever happened to you onstage?
Kicking off after a 5 hour drive because my gear wasn't working. Turned out you need to put the jack INTO your guitar for it to work. Strange that.

10: What advice would you give your younger self about playing the guitar?
Don't obsess. It'll only lead to horrific credit card bills in later life. Play more golf or something.....erm....

koneguitarist · August 2013

1: What was your first guitar and when did you get it Some Spanish thing, my mum bought back in late sixties for me.awfull, stuck fablon sunflowers on it ! 2: The building’s burning down – what one guitar do you save? My sigma DR28H 3: What’s the oldest guitar that you own? As above. 4: And the next piece of gear you’d like to acquire? A resonator of some sort. 5: What strings do you use? Earnie ball on electrics, 10-46 standard, 13-42 open G, Martin 13's for acoustic 6: If you could change one thing about a recording of yours, what would it be? Mainly Drums ! 7: What are you doing five minutes before you go onstage? Tuning my guitar, or still sound checking ! 8: ...And five minutes after? Talking to punters. 9: What’s the worst thing that’s ever happened to you onstage? Playing Abercarn rugby club, and doing a Jason Donovan song to a couple of hundred bikers was quite memorable ! 10: What advice would you give your younger self about playing the guitar? Learn to sing.

[Deleted User] · August 2013

1: What was your first guitar and when did you get it?
A Yamaha "Free Art" RGX121FP. I'd had others to share and on permanent loan previously. But this one was mine.

2: The building’s burning down – what one guitar do you save?
I couldn't possibly condone such action. I must urge everyone, on discovering a fire in their home, get (everyone) out, stay out, get the fire service out.
3: What’s the oldest guitar that you own?
My 1996 Gibson SG Special

4: And the next piece of gear you’d like to acquire?
A resonator of some sort for bottleneck blues noodling

5: What strings do you use?
Acoustic: Elixir nanoweb 12s. Electric: Ernie Ball Skinny top, heavy bottom.

6: If you could change one thing about a recording of yours, what would it be?
To get my finger out and start doing some

7: What are you doing five minutes before you go onstage?
Shitting a brick

8: ...And five minutes after?
Talking 10 to the dozen, wishing I could do it all again!

9: What’s the worst thing that’s ever happened to you onstage?
In 1994 being forced into playing a song (Kid Ego) I didn't know all the way through and floundering to a halt after a couple of verses.

10: What advice would you give your younger self about playing the guitar?
Get some lessons early doors.

Grunfeld · August 2013

1: What was your first guitar and when did you get it?
1977, punk is in full bloom, I get a Columbus SG. This is the secret weapon which will get me girls. It works!

2: The building’s burning down – what one guitar do you save?
Gibson Flying V. Got it second-hand in 1980. Still gig it occasionally.

3: What’s the oldest guitar that you own?
That 1979 Gibson Flying V.

4: And the next piece of gear you’d like to acquire?
Something pointy, like a high-end Ibanez RG. Or a Jackson, never had one of those. Maybe something with active pick ups, never had those either.

5: What strings do you use?
D'Addario 9s on the RGS , 9-10s on everything else, 10s on the Jazzmaster

6: If you could change one thing about a recording of yours, what would it be?
Alcohol.

7: What are you doing five minutes before you go on stage?
Nothing much, probably chatting to the bass player.

8: ...And five minutes after?
Collecting wages, breaking gear down, and heading home!

9: What’s the worst thing that’s ever happened to you on stage?
A surreal loop where the set list and my head said “play Blink 182” but my hands kept on playing the riff to “Burn” by Deep Purple.

10: What advice would you give your younger self about playing the guitar?
You know when you were around Gillzie's in 1979, and you both had the broken legs, and he put on that album and said, “Listen to this...” Well if only you could have felt that it was a great chance to learn how to do that and get excited by playing, instead of becoming overwhelmed and giving up learning for 20 years or more cos you believed you could never be that good so it wasn't worth trying.

[Even now it's impossible to convey how it felt to hear EVH playing “Eruption” for the first time.]

kelvinburn · August 2013

1: First guitar - the usual cheap as fook strat copy with horrible action. Mine was a black CSL blazer with rosewood neck. To me it was identical to the one Hendrix played at Monterey. It was 1988 and I was 13.

2: 1980 Ibanez Blazer. Not valuable but its the best ash bodied maple necked strat I've played. Light as a feather and lovely neck.

3: 1975 CMI Les Paul copy. A gift from a friend at work who had it in his loft for years. It has some early Super Distortions in it and rocks like a goodun. The neck is like half a baseball bat. The fit and finish are (ahem) questionable.

4: Something Jooky and one of the small bodied all mahogany Guild acoustics to acknowledge I'm getting old.

5: Ernie Ball Hybrid Slinkys

6: I wish I was / could be more assertive over my guitar sound in the mix.

7: Watching / supporting other bands, forgetting why I'm there and getting a bit tipsy.

8: Trying not to be a dick

9: Blown amp before I'd played a note. Next bands guitarist still loaned me his custom Cornell for our set. Top Bloke

10: Instead of trying to play as fast as Paul Gilbert, try to play as well as him!

Kebabkid · August 2013

[Even now it's impossible to convey how it felt to hear EVH playing “Eruption” for the first time.][/quote]
I get this completely Grunfeld and at the time, wondered how the hell it was played. At least now there's less or probably no mystery in how something's played/achieved. It's just whether you can play it

guitarfishbay · August 2013

1: What was your first guitar and when did you get it?

- Black Squier Affinity Strat in 2000.

2: The building’s burning down – what one guitar do you save?

- Whatever is closest!

3: What’s the oldest guitar that you own?

- 1994 Patrick Eggle Milan IV bass.

4: And the next piece of gear you’d like to acquire?

- Wireless

5: What strings do you use?

- D'Addarios. 10-46 on electric, 12-53 on Acoustics, 45-105 bass

6: If you could change one thing about a recording of yours, what would it be?

- Probably bass guitar tone.

7: What are you doing five minutes before you go onstage?

- Making sure everyone is in tune and that we're ready to go!

8: ...And five minutes after?

- Packing away.

9: What’s the worst thing that’s ever happened to you onstage?

- Going through drum skins.

10: What advice would you give your younger self about playing the guitar?

- Stop worrying about trying to play shred licks and focus on songwriting.

ICBM · August 2013

jaygtr said:
9: What’s the worst thing that’s ever happened to you onstage?

Playing with a drum machine when the drummer was ill, we should have just cancelled .

Done that too - on purpose as the band had no drummer at the time. Never again.

failed_astronaut said:

9: What’s the worst thing that’s ever happened to you onstage?
big band gig - the arsehole of a band leader knew my gf and her family were in the audience, so in the big "introduce the band" section of Mack the Knife he gets to me, shushes the band and asks "Where's [failed_astronauts'] girlfriend then?" when she sheepishly raises her hand, he looks at her, pauses for a beat and goes "Bloody hell mate, she's alright!" I could've died, and almost did when I got home and got an ear full from the (now ex-) gf

I would have packed up my gear and left the band before the end of the song. Seriously. Leave the arsehole to explain to the audience why the rest of the gig was going to be a bit dull.

TheOtherDennis said:
9. What's the worst thing that's happened to you on stage?
Other than booting a solo, nothing really bad happened on any of the four times I've taken the 'stage'. The worst thing that's ever happened to me in relation to live playing was this year when I did a Rock Experience course at The Stables at Milton Keynes. Went every week for six weeks, every time I suggested something, someone else suggested a different way and they all went with that instead. Learned 7 songs I wasn't really fussed about, not one of my suggestions made it through. Fair enough, it's not that important, so I just went with it. Then on the last day, we were getting ready to go onstage in a couple of hours in front of a proper audience when the band spotted that a kid from another band who'd been stood up by the rest of his band was wandering about with nothing to do. So they gave him my place and left me out. Haven't touched my guitars since. Don't want to either. Surprised I'm even on here, tbh.

Don't give up. Put this one down to experience and be thankful you found out what a total bunch of c***s they were before you invested too much time, effort and money in the band.

Not all musicians are like that.

vasselmeyer · August 2013

1: What was your first guitar and when did you get it?

White Hohner Arbor Telecaster copy. After I upgraded I kept it for slide for ages. Finally junked it a few months ago, with no regrets.

2: The building’s burning down – what one guitar do you save?

Surprised myself by deciding on my Michael Messer Resonator rather than any of my electrics. Didn't see that one coming.

3: What’s the oldest guitar that you own?

1997 Honeyburst LP standard

4: And the next piece of gear you’d like to acquire?

The first decent guitar I had, a '62 reissue Tele that was stolen from me years ago. I'd love to get it back. Other than that, I do fancy a Jet City JCA22H and a 2x12.

5: What strings do you use?

Ernie Ball "Power Slinky" (11-48) for Electric and Ernie Ball "Not Even Slinky" (12-56) for slide. Newtone Resonator for my resonator 15-58.

6: If you could change one thing about a recording of yours, what would it be?

I probably shouldn't have insisted on contributing to the backing vocals on this http://vocks.org.uk/jtm/dontneedyour9to5.mp3.

7: What are you doing five minutes before you go onstage?

Trying to get my fellow guitarist to tune his guitar and get the spare out of its case ("I never break strings")

8: ...And five minutes after?

Trying to get my fellow guitarist off the bloody fruit machine so we can start packing up.

9: What’s the worst thing that’s ever happened to you onstage?

Indifference from the audience. We once played virtually a whole gig to an entirely empty room. Soul destroying.

10: What advice would you give your younger self about playing the guitar?

You're not quite as bad as a burning pet shop, but leave the vocals to other people. You're a guitarist, not a singer.

RocknRollDave · August 2013

1: What was your first guitar and when did you get it?

A couple of unbranded 3/4 size classical type jobbies, the second of which I learned the basics on and then progressed to a Squire Strat as my first "proper" guitar,

2: The building’s burning down – what one guitar do you save?

My Gretsch is probably the trickiest to replace, as it was a ltd edition...so probably that. I'd want to save my LP though, to be honest.

3: What’s the oldest guitar that you own?

Squire Strat, brand new for Christmas 1989, if memory serves.

4: And the next piece of gear you’d like to acquire?

Realistically: Some new tuners for my PRS
Dreamland: I would LOVE a nice valve combo, and also lust after a Gibson ES 335.

5: What strings do you use?

D'Addarios. 10's

6: If you could change one thing about a recording of yours, what would it be?

I've never done a single recording I was even remotely happy with other than a couple of nice live ones we have done, so really I'd like to scrap them all and redo them!

7: What are you doing five minutes before you go onstage?

Sticking my ear buds in place with some bandage tape from Boots.
Drinking the first few sips of a pint that will from that point on sit untouched in my clear view for the next hour or so.
Desperately checking the chords of the first dance.
Switching my phone to silent.

8: ...And five minutes after?

After the first set: Checking in with my other half by phone, searching for the food...
After the second set: Trying to pack my gear up as quickly as I can whilst trying to dodge requests from the laptop for our "DJ" section at the end of the night.

9: What’s the worst thing that’s ever happened to you onstage?

In my old band, during a gig where my ex-Mother in Law was present, the singertwat got her to identify herself to the crowd and then went on to tell her, and the entire room, that I had a "thing" for her.
Trust me, nothing could have been further from the truth (unless by "thing" he meant "deep-seated loathing").
Amusing though it is, it actually could have caused me a lot of trouble and I was decidedly not impressed.

My most recent car-crash-onstage was launching gungho into Mr Brightside this last weekend only to find my guitar was mashooooosively out of tune, to the point where the band carried on in a different key to normal in an attempt (unsuccessful) to find a key at least one string was in tune with. Thankfully we finished the song ok with little (read: no) contribution from myself and order was soon restored. No-one bar the band appeared to notice a thing.

10: What advice would you give your younger self about playing the guitar?

Play with other people sooner.
Buy a better amp sooner.

stonevibe · August 2013

1: What was your first guitar and when did you get it?
Some Encore Super Strat thing in the mid '80s all black and chrome. I ended up doing all sorts of weird stuff to it and 'selling' it to a girlfriend...
2: The building’s burning down – what one guitar do you save?
Nearest one. I have kids so they take priority over inanimate objects. Done the rescuing guitar from burning building in real life already when in my teens, so not risking that one again as I'm not as nimble these days.
3: What’s the oldest guitar that you own?
1969/70 Jazzmaster
4: And the next piece of gear you’d like to acquire?
I'll tell you when I see it.
5: What strings do you use?
D'Addario 10, 11 & 12s depending on the guitar.
6: If you could change one thing about a recording of yours, what would it be?
Nothing really I like all my recordings (I just delete anything I don't like) and as I engineer I can always change anything as I have all the original masters.
7: What are you doing five minutes before you go onstage?
Smoking, drinking & generally telling obscene jokes.
8: ...And five minutes after?
Drinking and using the loo (not always in that order, sometimes at the same time)
9: What’s the worst thing that’s ever happened to you onstage?
Pulled amp stack down with guitar cable, and that yanked out power socket off stage. Just before a solo.
10: What advice would you give your younger self about playing the guitar?
Lay off the women and the weed 'or' maybe a 100 watt JCM800 and matching 4x12 isn't an ideal 'bedroom amp'.

grungebob · August 2013

1: What was your first guitar and when did you get it? - A Honher Strat copy in 1994, played it to death and still have it, badly needs a refret and a new nut but that thing has spot on intonation all over the board,in fact has ruined some far more expensive guitars for me!

2: The building's burning down- what one guitar do you save?- In all honesty probably that Honher strat, so many memories the rest can all be replaced, plus the Duncan JB I butchered into the bridge is really old.

3: What's the oldest guitar you own? -Sounding like a broken record but that Honher strat from 94 ( how sad!)

4: And the next piece of gear you'd like to acquire? - There's several but today its a Fender Billy Corgan strat or a G&L Fallout

5:What strings do you use? - Ernie ball 12's or Beefy slinky or heavy top dependant on guitar

6: If you could change one thing about a recording of your, what would it be? - I cant mix for sh*t so that I guess?

7: what are you doing five minutes before you go onstage? - Not gigged since 2001 but back then its downing a pint, smoking a cig and trying hard not to hurl.

8:...And five minutes after?- Thanking people for their pity claps

9: What's the worst thing that's ever happened to you onstage? - crowd knocked mic into my face breaking my nose, luckily I was drunk enough to brush it off and continue, next day hurt like hell.

10: What advice would you give your younger self about playing the guitar? - Learn a bit of theory - its ok it wont make you a muso wanker , stop swapping guitars all the time its not the guitar thats shit its you! oh and keep having fun whilst you can.

EricTheWeary · August 2013

Lixarto said:

TheOtherDennis said: 9. What's the worst thing that's happened to you on stage?
Other than booting a solo, nothing really bad happened on any of the four times I've taken the 'stage'. The worst thing that's ever happened to me in relation to live playing was this year when I did a Rock Experience course at The Stables at Milton Keynes. Went every week for six weeks, every time I suggested something, someone else suggested a different way and they all went with that instead. Learned 7 songs I wasn't really fussed about, not one of my suggestions made it through. Fair enough, it's not that important, so I just went with it. Then on the last day, we were getting ready to go onstage in a couple of hours in front of a proper audience when the band spotted that a kid from another band who'd been stood up by the rest of his band was wandering about with nothing to do. So they gave him my place and left me out. Haven't touched my guitars since. Don't want to either. Surprised I'm even on here, tbh.
This is diabolical behaviour. :x

@TheOtherDennis

just skimming through the discussion and this caught my eye. That's terrible.

EricTheWeary · August 2013

1. My brother's cheap acoustic which I tuned to open G. Probably 30 years ago but I didn't pick up another guitar or learn anything for another 5 years after that. 2. My MIJ strat. 3. My MIJ strat, without checking it is about 25 years old. 4. Anything. Quite possibly a better tremolo pedal but I have been hankering after a new amp for years, just can't justify it unless I earn the money for it from gigging. 5. Brand varies but 10's. 6. Very few recordings of me. Quite a nice live clip on youtube but the guitar is too low in the mix, so I'd change that. 7. Trying to find the toilet. I need a ritual pee just before going on. If I have it and then the band don't start for some reason I will have another pee before starting even if the delay was only ten minutes.8. Packing up, being annoyed that the rest of the band aren't packing up. 9. usual equipment failures and stuff. Very fond of this story which I told back on MR. Professionally awful as I just stopped playing and fell on the floor for no apparent reason from the audience perspective. We played a tattoo convention , supporting a group of exotic dancers ( honestly). Whilst we were playing the dancers appeared at my side of the stage and flashed their bosoms at me.As far as I know nobody else saw this but it did lead to my slightly hysterical behaviour. 10. Use your ears you dimwit and don't give up playing every time you fall in luuuv.

jaygtr · August 2013

EricTheWeary;22122" said:
Lixarto said:

TheOtherDennis said: 9. What's the worst thing that's happened to you on stage?

Other

than booting a solo, nothing really bad happened on any of the four

times I've taken the 'stage'. The worst thing that's ever happened to me

in relation to live playing was this year when I did a Rock Experience

course at The Stables at Milton Keynes. Went every week for six weeks,

every time I suggested something, someone else suggested a different way

and they all went with that instead. Learned 7 songs I wasn't really

fussed about, not one of my suggestions made it through. Fair enough,

it's not that important, so I just went with it. Then on the last day,

we were getting ready to go onstage in a couple of hours in front of a

proper audience when the band spotted that a kid from another band who'd

been stood up by the rest of his band was wandering about with nothing

to do. So they gave him my place and left me out. Haven't touched my

guitars since. Don't want to either. Surprised I'm even on here, tbh.

This is diabolical behaviour. :x

@TheOtherDennis

just skimming through the discussion and this caught my eye. That's terrible.

Indeed, it's an awful story.
Get your guitar out tonight and move on.

gusman2x · August 2013

jaygtr said:

EricTheWeary;22122" said:
Lixarto said:

TheOtherDennis said: 9. What's the worst thing that's happened to you on stage?

Other

than booting a solo, nothing really bad happened on any of the four

times I've taken the 'stage'. The worst thing that's ever happened to me

in relation to live playing was this year when I did a Rock Experience

course at The Stables at Milton Keynes. Went every week for six weeks,

every time I suggested something, someone else suggested a different way

and they all went with that instead. Learned 7 songs I wasn't really

fussed about, not one of my suggestions made it through. Fair enough,

it's not that important, so I just went with it. Then on the last day,

we were getting ready to go onstage in a couple of hours in front of a

proper audience when the band spotted that a kid from another band who'd

been stood up by the rest of his band was wandering about with nothing

to do. So they gave him my place and left me out. Haven't touched my

guitars since. Don't want to either. Surprised I'm even on here, tbh.

This is diabolical behaviour. :x

@TheOtherDennis

just skimming through the discussion and this caught my eye. That's terrible.

Indeed, it's an awful story.
Get your guitar out tonight and move on.

Yup, definitely don't give up. Put an ad up on joinmyband.co.uk, asking for other musicians of a similar level of experience to jam/form a band. One lot of cunts doesn't mean everyone's like that. And playing with others is THE best way to improve. It drives improvement through necessity, and is also motivational (in a good way). Countless guitarists site not really beiong able to play when they formed their bands.

Moltisanti · August 2013

1: What was your first guitar and when did you get it?
Electric was an Aria Pro II soloist clone with sharkfins et al, it actually played really nicely, had a Kahler trem and a funky faux lightning paint job, would love to have it back. Must have been 1991/92
2: The building’s burning down – what one guitar do you save?
Easy, only got one at the moment - Charvel San Dimas hardtail
3: What’s the oldest guitar that you own?
My original 3/4 classical that i learnt on when i was 10, which makes it a 1988...
4: And the next piece of gear you’d like to acquire?
Gibson Explorer Pro, but i'll change my mind next week to a Les Paul, then back again

5: What strings do you use?
D'Addario 9-46, perfect blend of light top heavy bottom, enough beef for drop D and still bendable on a 25.5 scale on the dusty end
6: If you could change one thing about a recording of yours, what would it be?
The drum sound on my old band's last demo, i could have got a better drum sound flicking a piece of paper...
7: What are you doing five minutes before you go onstage?
Warming up my hands, doing geeky runs up and down the neck to loosen up the joints, oh and always have a pre-match piss

8: ...And five minutes after?
Packing up my gear sadly - i'd love to say something more rock n roll, but i'm pretty anal about tidying away my stuff when in the wild
9: What’s the worst thing that’s ever happened to you onstage?
My DSL100 head going down 30 seconds into the first tune of a 5 tune set, then getting my backup Laney GH100L head up and running somewhere in tune 3 only for that to go tits up too!
10: What advice would you give your younger self about playing the guitar?
Use less gain!!!! EQ for the room you're in, put the overall sound of the band before your ego, put the hours in on the technical stuff when you're young and learn some theory!

mart · August 2013

1: What was your first guitar and when did you get it?
A twenty-quid POS from a pawn shop, but assuming I can gloss over that, it was a Black Squier Strat bought in November 1987 from Rockbottom in Croydon. £175 I think.

2: The building’s burning down – what one guitar do you save?
My recently acquired 1969 (YOB) Strat.

3: What’s the oldest guitar that you own?
That Strat.

4: And the next piece of gear you’d like to acquire?
Another Squier: A bass VI when my local shop finally gets one.

5: What strings do you use?
A different set each time. For bass I'm settled on TI jazz flats, but for guitar I'm still deciding.

6: If you could change one thing about a recording of yours, what would it be?
Play better, sing better, ...

7: What are you doing five minutes before you go onstage?
Going for a wee.

8: ...And five minutes after?
Having a drink, strength determined by how well/badly things went.

9: What’s the worst thing that’s ever happened to you onstage?
For my first gig I borrowed someone else's amp. It had a standby switch, unlike any amp I'd experienced at that point, and someone had switched to standby before I hit the stage. The intro for the first song was just me and the drums. Except my amp was on standby, so it was just the drums. Cue very puzzled looks from the drummer.

10: What advice would you give your younger self about playing the guitar?
Buy less, better kit, and worry more about the playing than the kit.

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