Need some quick beginner's advice

C

Core

Veteran XV
Beginner as in getting ready to play out for the first time ever.

I'm in a two-guy two-guitar set, getting ready to work happy hour gigs around town. So for the most part we are going to play the same old bullshit this type of gig plays that people drinking love to hear - Buffet, Eagles, etc. We will for the most part not be the focal point, more like background noise which is fine by me.

Two things I'm wondering about, equipment related.

First, for tuning in a noisy place, are these things any good:
IMT-500 INTELLI CLIP ON LCD GUITAR VIOLIN BANJO TUNER ! - eBay (item 370229672572 end time Aug-13-09 10:36:08 PDT)
Any like recommendations?

Second, I have a tendance to drop picks. What's the best way to combat that? Something like this?
Wedgie Rubber Mic Stand Guitar Pick Holder NEW - eBay (item 360178607581 end time Aug-16-09 17:44:25 PDT)

edit: new band name - 2nd Impression :)
 
Clip on tuners suck for the most part.
If you are clever you can get the audience to think your tuning up is a song.
Think Ravi Shankar at Monterey.

I keep an ashtray full of picks near me...let 'em drop.
 
Get a pedal tuner like a Boss TU-12 or a Peterson Strobostomp. That way you can mute. Clip on tuners are teh suck.

I drop picks too. You can try textured picks (didn't work for me), Gorilla Glue (works wonders for me), or just deal with it, like I do, most of the time. I keep a spare pick in my pocket as I usually play standing up. If I drop my pick - I just fish out another one. It takes 2 seconds. No one notices that I've stopped playing.
 
I second the pedal tuner advice given by old_skul, but I guess it depends on your setup, if you're using a pickup and amp or just a mic. I got the impression you're using an acoustic guitar? I recommend the Korg DT-10 tuner over the Boss TU-2 if you can find one. The Strombostomp is considered one of the best, but they're pretty expensive.
 
Last edited:
Core said:
I'm an engineer. I plan for contingencies. It's what I do. :)

Thanks o_s, I'll look into that pedal.
Click to expand...

In that case:
Have a jig ready to assemble a replacement guitar.
Design a new pick retention system.
Carry twenty complete set of strings for each guitar - all varying gauges.
 
Stilgar said:
In that case:
Have a jig ready to assemble a replacement guitar.
Design a new pick retention system.
Carry twenty complete set of strings for each guitar - all varying gauges.
Click to expand...

lol, touche.

and yes I'm mostly going to be playing acoustic amplified via Dean Markley pickup. some electric thrown in.
 
I suggest holding on to your pick better. :)

And getting a pedal tuner, I would feel shitty having to trust one of those clip-ons during a performance.
 
Ani, are the Korgs that much better than the venerable TU-2?

One bitch about the TU-2: they are not calibrated very well. I have two of them, and they are about 5 cents apart.

I got a Peterson off of Ebay for $110. Score. It's the best tuner I've ever used, but since it's true bypass, it does give a little "click" when you mute. Also, it can be noisy when used with an AC adapter.




edit: Fixed model # because Ani pointed out how stupid I am again.
 
Last edited:
old_skul said:
Ani, are the Korgs that much better than the venerable TU-12?

One bitch about the TU-12: they are not calibrated very well. I have two of them, and they are about 5 cents apart.

I got a Peterson off of Ebay for $110. Score. It's the best tuner I've ever used, but since it's true bypass, it does give a little "click" when you mute. Also, it can be noisy when used with an AC adapter.
Click to expand...
Nice score on the Peterson, gotta love eBay.

You mean the TU-2, not the TU-12 don't you? I thought we were talking about pedal tuners. Anyways, the Korg DT-10's detection accuracy is +/- 1 cent, whereas the TU-2 is +/- 3 cents. Not a big deal, but it also has a flat tuning mode that supports dropped tunings in a range from one to seven semitones, which can be handy. The DT-10 is totally transparent, no clicks or pops when used, no tone coloration that I can hear. I kick it on when switching guitars, since I don't use fancy cables or connectors. Totally silent. I've compared the 2 pedals side by side in the studio, and the DT-10's detection was slightly faster. The TU-2 does have that interesting stream/strobe mode which shows tuning discrepancy via speed and direction of LEDs. I personally hate it, but I have a friend who prefers that display. The DT-10 has been discontinued as far as I know, but they're not hard to find. There are a couple on eBay right now.
 
Last edited:
You're right, Ani, it's the TU-2. Honestly, since I got the Peterson, they've been gathering dust except for a couple of acoustic duo gigs. The Peterson has an accuracy of 1/10th of a cent at 110Hz, which is amazing.

I bought it because I wanted to get my instruments in tune for recording, and it's worked. It's also done a great job of intonating my instruments to the point where I can play pretty much anywhere on the neck of any of my guitars and still be in tune. Last, it's especially accurate for bass, which is tough to tune without a super-accurate tuner.
 
So tomorrow we have our debut gig - my first time ever playing in public. We're doing a two set happy hour gig at one of the bigger pubs in the heart of downtown. We've invited just about everyone we know so it's going to be a pretty big crowd. We've been practicing for 5 months and went through both sets twice last night with some encore practice as well.

Any last minute advice?
 
If you haven't changed strings yet, DON'T do it now. Nothing worse than super-bright strings on an acoustic through a PA.

That said - bring an entire pack of brand new strings for each guitar. It's a luck thing - if you bring them, you will not break a string.

Get plenty of sleep tonight. What the fuck are you still doing up? Also, tomorrow, drink a lot of water. Pee clear before you hit the stage.

Be in a good mental space. If you're in a shitty mood, feeling rushed or anything, remember - you're playing a fucking happy hour gig at a pub, not Madison Square Gardens.

Last but not least: It will sound WAY different up there where you'll be playing. Trust in the fact that what's coming out of the PA the people can relate to, understand, and enjoy. It doesn't have to sound like what it sounds like in your rehearsal space.

Also, I just recorded a bass track while fairly lit. Sweet!
 
good stuff o_s. i'm a bit stressed cuz i woke up congested as hell from allergies - waiting for claritin to kick in and i'm slamming waters. hopefully it clears up this afternoon. if not, it is what it is!
 
I actually sing better when I'm stuffy - I can hear myself better.

No worries mate, you'll do fine. You should set up a camcorder and tape some of it just to have for posterity.
 
ok so the night is finally over. we were a huge fucking success, which to be perfectly honest amazes me. mistakes were made but nobody cared. people were singing along, whistling and cheering like crazy. wtf? we got paid an extra $100 on top of the agreed price, free drinks all night, AND the chef loved us so much he cooked us prime rib with crabcakes, potato and veggies for free too. the owner insisted we start playing every other friday there. i think i could get used to this. :rocker:
 
Last edited:
Back
Top