What about Bob?
Subject: Guitarist - Rock Bottom
Venues: Eddie's, Granite City, Il & Club 111, Pontoon Beach, Il
August 2007
Gigs have come fast and furious on the Rock Bottom front, and more are on the way! The calendar is getting solidly booked through the end of the year, which on the whole, I’m very happy about. Obviously, making some extra cash doing something I greatly enjoy is a real plus. I also love it because that means that I’m playing more, which means my playing improves, since I rarely practice. As I’ve blogged about before, I rarely practice outside of the gigs, because that really won’t do that much to help me. I know how to play, and I know what I want to play. The trick is doing it on stage, on demand, under the lights, and while flailing your head around like a lunatic. That precision only comes under fire, in the heat of combat, so to speak. The only way I can break through another “plateau” of learning is regular onstage experience. And, I think that’s working. I feel my playing has been pretty solid, though it can stand some cleaning up here and there.
There are some slight drawbacks to having such a full schedule. Working all week at the dayjob, and then working all weekend, no matter how enjoyable, still leaves little time for anything else. Sleep becomes a premium. I also have less time to spend with the kids, and what time I do have, I’m probably tired and hungover.
I’m taking one weekend off in October, however, and taking my beloved Rebecca to Cancun. That should recharge my batteries! She’s never been out of the country, nor has she been to a beach! I can’t wait to show her, and I know we’ll have a wonderful time. Greatly looking forward to that trip! Mas cerveza, por favor!
Past few gigs have been pretty typical. Eddie’s in August was C.J.’s birthday, and we had a hell of a time. Becca bought me a new guitar for my birthday; a brand spanking new Ibanez my kids have codenamed “Bob”. She’s a beaut. I needed to either have Violet fixed, or look for something else. When Becca got wind, she insisted on buying me something for my birthday. I figured will all the money I’m shelling out for our Cancun trip, I don’t feel bad if she really wants to kick in and buy me a new axe. I shopped around for days, visiting numerous shops. Nothing was to my liking or needs. Becca had no idea I’d be this difficult to buy for! But, I have professional wants, and I’m not about to let her waste money just to buy me something to “feel good.” I want to be able to use it. Basically, I need everything Violet is, and maybe a little bit more.
I happened into Mojo’s in Edwardsville, a place I don’t often visit, but we were in the neighborhood. Figured it wouldn’t hurt to give them a shot. I met “Bob”, a strat style guitar with a stunning white and red tribal paint job against a black background. The fretboard was bound like my Les Paul, and unlike violet. Much like an Ibanez Just Mr. Tommy has, that I’ve always liked the feel of. There’s a couple marks in “Bob’s” favor.
I decided to pick him up and put him through his paces. He shined. I tried a few more prospects, but more and more, I liked “Bob”. It was close to exactly what I was looking for and hadn’t found yet.
The paint job was cool, which was a bonus. The neck felt awesome, just like my Les! Only, it’s a 24 fret job, a bit different, and not my first choice. That’s taking getting used to. The Floyd Rose locking tremolo was very similar to Violet, so that was one necessary feature I was looking for. I’ll have to replace the neck pickup with a split coil humbucker like Violet, probably an EMG89 so I can get that sweet clean tone I love. But the main pickups sounded good, and seem to have more body than Violet, which was a big gripe I had with playing it. Violet has a much thinner tone compared to the Les. “Bob” has balls.
“This is it,” I told her, making up my mind on the spot. She smiled, and obliged.
Friday night I fired it up at Eddie’s, and quickly discovered I’d forgotten a disastrously important difference I’d overlooked; Bob is set up to standard A pitch (440hz)! We are tuned down to Ab! Well, I want to tell you, making that alteration on a floating tremolo is a real bitch, and extremely frustrating to make minutes before a gig! I managed to adjust it well enough to work, but the floating bridge basically tilted back to the body, sticking my whammy bar at about a 45 degree angle! Also, the strings felt much more slack, playing like spaghetti in my hands! Ick! Other than that, Bob played and sounded much to my satisfaction. Just need to make some tweaks when I get a chance, or let my buddies at J. Gravity handle it.
C.J. had a big surprise too, one that I was kind of in on. After the first set, his girl barged into the bathroom where C.J. was “doing his business”, wearing a brand new Gibson Thunderbird! Happy Birthday! Needless to say, I heard he pissed himself! We all got new toys!
C.J.’s new toy suits him very well. All black, kinda flat black, it’s a stunning instrument! He’s been nothing but smiles over it. Nice job, Ness!
I also bought a nice new wireless, and it worked swimmingly. I didn’t roam too much; that wasn’t the point. I just liked to have the freedom of not tripping over chords on my side of the stage! It runs on AA batteries, as opposed to the older 9v. I tried using rechargeable ones, but I guess I bought the wrong kind. The technology is there nowadays, but I need the Lithium ones or whatever. I’ll find out. Regular ones seem to work fine for now.
Crowds were great at Eddie’s, and both nights were very enjoyable. Man, is this fun or what? Paul Joseph popped in for a visit (his birthday is in between mine and C.J.’s) and we forced him to grace us with a couple tunes. It was like pulling teeth, but Paulie granted us (me) the favor.
We whipped out Alice N Chains Rooster, an old Knucklehead favorite on Steve’s request. A little rusty. Not a disaster, but, not real sharp. Boozie wasn’t as familiar with that one. Then, Rush was in order. Anytime Paulie is in the house, I have a compulsion to play some Rush! Tom Sawyer suited us fine, and it passed off as slightly better than mild. Boozie nailed his parts, but without the keyboards, I guess we did it ok.
I wasn’t done, however. Let’s see. Ah! Triumph! Lay It On The Line creaked forward, and panic seemed to set into most of our eyes on stage! Eeek! Perhaps too ambitious? Steve, of course, wailed. That’s the important part. In all, good fun, but, not as smooth as I’d liked, or remembered the way we used to kick ass on it.
Both nights had good crowds filled with great friends. Saturday was a bit better than Friday, but that’s the norm there at Eddie’s, for some reason. In all, it’s always a kick ass party when we play there. And, no one was critically injured in any fracus that I can remember! Bonus!
We rolled into Club 111 a week later, and I tried to change string gauges to my preferred gauge. More frustration! And, I’d foolishly told Bec I’d pick her up after I got set up, putting more pressure on myself.
I struggled and struggled, and time quickly ticked down to show time, but eventually got the fulcrum leveled out, the tension right, and the feel as I want it. Boy, did it play and sound beautiful! I fired up the Blue Voodoo and pointed the amp towards Boozie, instead of out into the crowd as last time. Last time, the stage seemed very dead, and my amp was kinda dry up there.
Something in the acoustical ambiance of the stage in this new configuration made my rig boom, and it sounded monstrous! Right on! I basically used Bob the whole show, getting used to him, working out kinks. I barely touched Black! Bob sounds that good! Sorry to say, but Violet is a thing of the past. I still need to get that special pickup installed, but that’s just icing on the cake.
Friday night wasn’t exciting, and the crowd was a bit of a disappointment. I felt kinda bad for the new club, struggling to find a solid crowd and pay the bills. It’s a challenge with their location, and lets face it, summer time is kind of a down time for bars. Too many people out on vacation, BBQ’s, camping, what have you. They are just trying to stay afloat through these lean times, and hope by fall they have a good enough name that people come regularly. We’re here to help!
Saturday night was the complete opposite! The crowd rocked! More and more kept coming in, and we kept the ones that were all ready there. I kept a pretty tight reign on the setlist, making sure we played money songs when we had dancers, and that really kept the flow moving. It worked to perfection! Quite a show, and we really made the bar some money! “Can’t wait to have you guys back!” Denny told me. That’s what we want to hear.
That’s when we’re doing our job.
Venues: Eddie's, Granite City, Il & Club 111, Pontoon Beach, Il
August 2007
Gigs have come fast and furious on the Rock Bottom front, and more are on the way! The calendar is getting solidly booked through the end of the year, which on the whole, I’m very happy about. Obviously, making some extra cash doing something I greatly enjoy is a real plus. I also love it because that means that I’m playing more, which means my playing improves, since I rarely practice. As I’ve blogged about before, I rarely practice outside of the gigs, because that really won’t do that much to help me. I know how to play, and I know what I want to play. The trick is doing it on stage, on demand, under the lights, and while flailing your head around like a lunatic. That precision only comes under fire, in the heat of combat, so to speak. The only way I can break through another “plateau” of learning is regular onstage experience. And, I think that’s working. I feel my playing has been pretty solid, though it can stand some cleaning up here and there.
There are some slight drawbacks to having such a full schedule. Working all week at the dayjob, and then working all weekend, no matter how enjoyable, still leaves little time for anything else. Sleep becomes a premium. I also have less time to spend with the kids, and what time I do have, I’m probably tired and hungover.
I’m taking one weekend off in October, however, and taking my beloved Rebecca to Cancun. That should recharge my batteries! She’s never been out of the country, nor has she been to a beach! I can’t wait to show her, and I know we’ll have a wonderful time. Greatly looking forward to that trip! Mas cerveza, por favor!
Past few gigs have been pretty typical. Eddie’s in August was C.J.’s birthday, and we had a hell of a time. Becca bought me a new guitar for my birthday; a brand spanking new Ibanez my kids have codenamed “Bob”. She’s a beaut. I needed to either have Violet fixed, or look for something else. When Becca got wind, she insisted on buying me something for my birthday. I figured will all the money I’m shelling out for our Cancun trip, I don’t feel bad if she really wants to kick in and buy me a new axe. I shopped around for days, visiting numerous shops. Nothing was to my liking or needs. Becca had no idea I’d be this difficult to buy for! But, I have professional wants, and I’m not about to let her waste money just to buy me something to “feel good.” I want to be able to use it. Basically, I need everything Violet is, and maybe a little bit more.
I happened into Mojo’s in Edwardsville, a place I don’t often visit, but we were in the neighborhood. Figured it wouldn’t hurt to give them a shot. I met “Bob”, a strat style guitar with a stunning white and red tribal paint job against a black background. The fretboard was bound like my Les Paul, and unlike violet. Much like an Ibanez Just Mr. Tommy has, that I’ve always liked the feel of. There’s a couple marks in “Bob’s” favor.
I decided to pick him up and put him through his paces. He shined. I tried a few more prospects, but more and more, I liked “Bob”. It was close to exactly what I was looking for and hadn’t found yet.
The paint job was cool, which was a bonus. The neck felt awesome, just like my Les! Only, it’s a 24 fret job, a bit different, and not my first choice. That’s taking getting used to. The Floyd Rose locking tremolo was very similar to Violet, so that was one necessary feature I was looking for. I’ll have to replace the neck pickup with a split coil humbucker like Violet, probably an EMG89 so I can get that sweet clean tone I love. But the main pickups sounded good, and seem to have more body than Violet, which was a big gripe I had with playing it. Violet has a much thinner tone compared to the Les. “Bob” has balls.
“This is it,” I told her, making up my mind on the spot. She smiled, and obliged.
Friday night I fired it up at Eddie’s, and quickly discovered I’d forgotten a disastrously important difference I’d overlooked; Bob is set up to standard A pitch (440hz)! We are tuned down to Ab! Well, I want to tell you, making that alteration on a floating tremolo is a real bitch, and extremely frustrating to make minutes before a gig! I managed to adjust it well enough to work, but the floating bridge basically tilted back to the body, sticking my whammy bar at about a 45 degree angle! Also, the strings felt much more slack, playing like spaghetti in my hands! Ick! Other than that, Bob played and sounded much to my satisfaction. Just need to make some tweaks when I get a chance, or let my buddies at J. Gravity handle it.
C.J. had a big surprise too, one that I was kind of in on. After the first set, his girl barged into the bathroom where C.J. was “doing his business”, wearing a brand new Gibson Thunderbird! Happy Birthday! Needless to say, I heard he pissed himself! We all got new toys!
C.J.’s new toy suits him very well. All black, kinda flat black, it’s a stunning instrument! He’s been nothing but smiles over it. Nice job, Ness!
I also bought a nice new wireless, and it worked swimmingly. I didn’t roam too much; that wasn’t the point. I just liked to have the freedom of not tripping over chords on my side of the stage! It runs on AA batteries, as opposed to the older 9v. I tried using rechargeable ones, but I guess I bought the wrong kind. The technology is there nowadays, but I need the Lithium ones or whatever. I’ll find out. Regular ones seem to work fine for now.
Crowds were great at Eddie’s, and both nights were very enjoyable. Man, is this fun or what? Paul Joseph popped in for a visit (his birthday is in between mine and C.J.’s) and we forced him to grace us with a couple tunes. It was like pulling teeth, but Paulie granted us (me) the favor.
We whipped out Alice N Chains Rooster, an old Knucklehead favorite on Steve’s request. A little rusty. Not a disaster, but, not real sharp. Boozie wasn’t as familiar with that one. Then, Rush was in order. Anytime Paulie is in the house, I have a compulsion to play some Rush! Tom Sawyer suited us fine, and it passed off as slightly better than mild. Boozie nailed his parts, but without the keyboards, I guess we did it ok.
I wasn’t done, however. Let’s see. Ah! Triumph! Lay It On The Line creaked forward, and panic seemed to set into most of our eyes on stage! Eeek! Perhaps too ambitious? Steve, of course, wailed. That’s the important part. In all, good fun, but, not as smooth as I’d liked, or remembered the way we used to kick ass on it.
Both nights had good crowds filled with great friends. Saturday was a bit better than Friday, but that’s the norm there at Eddie’s, for some reason. In all, it’s always a kick ass party when we play there. And, no one was critically injured in any fracus that I can remember! Bonus!
We rolled into Club 111 a week later, and I tried to change string gauges to my preferred gauge. More frustration! And, I’d foolishly told Bec I’d pick her up after I got set up, putting more pressure on myself.
I struggled and struggled, and time quickly ticked down to show time, but eventually got the fulcrum leveled out, the tension right, and the feel as I want it. Boy, did it play and sound beautiful! I fired up the Blue Voodoo and pointed the amp towards Boozie, instead of out into the crowd as last time. Last time, the stage seemed very dead, and my amp was kinda dry up there.
Something in the acoustical ambiance of the stage in this new configuration made my rig boom, and it sounded monstrous! Right on! I basically used Bob the whole show, getting used to him, working out kinks. I barely touched Black! Bob sounds that good! Sorry to say, but Violet is a thing of the past. I still need to get that special pickup installed, but that’s just icing on the cake.
Friday night wasn’t exciting, and the crowd was a bit of a disappointment. I felt kinda bad for the new club, struggling to find a solid crowd and pay the bills. It’s a challenge with their location, and lets face it, summer time is kind of a down time for bars. Too many people out on vacation, BBQ’s, camping, what have you. They are just trying to stay afloat through these lean times, and hope by fall they have a good enough name that people come regularly. We’re here to help!
Saturday night was the complete opposite! The crowd rocked! More and more kept coming in, and we kept the ones that were all ready there. I kept a pretty tight reign on the setlist, making sure we played money songs when we had dancers, and that really kept the flow moving. It worked to perfection! Quite a show, and we really made the bar some money! “Can’t wait to have you guys back!” Denny told me. That’s what we want to hear.
That’s when we’re doing our job.
posted by Deron at 11:52 AM
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