Nathan of Brainfertilizer Fame 2,240 Posted January 25 For those who care. I'm finally getting off my ass and joining a band as a lead guitarist. I'm no Satriani, but I'm somewhat gratified to realize I am "lead guitarist" material, I guess. The songs I love playing the most? funk and funky motown. Wouldn't have expected that. But apparently I can groove, and groove well. Health is fine. work is fine. money is fine. Almost went completely bankrupt taking on a foreclosure and renovating it, but managed to avoid final disaster and am back on solid financial footing. I finally had to add a Hamer back in to my collection, and it's a Slammer Series. I know, I know: I suck. But I love those old Slammer Series strat/Daytona copies with the 2-point trem and roller nut. I wouldn't mind adding a Vintage S or Diablo back in, but I just don't see paying $1k+ for a Vintage S being worth it, and the sub-$500 USA Diablo is apparently a thing of the past that will never be seen again. My main axe for gigging is a Yamaha PAC 611. Check one out. Jumbo frets, splittable Seymour Duncan in the bridge, and a P-90 in the neck. You can get rock, country, twang, and even tele sounds from it. My secondary axe is a Vibracell Switch Innovo. Decent tone, low action, trem that stays in tune, and I don't have to worry about weather/climate/humidity/temperature at all. Other guitars are mostly higher-end Yamahas that can be found CHEAP in comparison to their value. And my sound rig is a Firehawk FX through a powered speaker. But the Peavey Vypyr VIP 3 with a Sanpera II pedal is growing on me. We'll see how it goes. 19 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nathan of Brainfertilizer Fame 2,240 Posted January 25 (edited) Oh, here's our song list: You have to click on the "Youtube" link to see the whole list of songs. Obviously, nothing challenging in the soloing realm. But you know, who cares? People dance to the songs, that's the important part. Edited January 25 by Nathan of Brainfertilizer Fame 9 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
killerteddybear 4,651 Posted January 25 Good for you! Enjoy the gigs! 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
diablo175 7,180 Posted January 25 Welcome back and enjoy your band time! The best part of being in a"working" band is the built in excuse/rationalization to buy more guitars. 5 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nathan of Brainfertilizer Fame 2,240 Posted January 25 I'm finding that playing in a band is clarifying, and helping me shed guitars that I won't use in a gig. 5 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gtrdaddy 7,916 Posted January 25 Good to see ya back! Been a while! 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nathan of Brainfertilizer Fame 2,240 Posted January 25 11 minutes ago, gtrdaddy said: Good to see ya back! Been a while! I stop by from time to time. I just don't have that much to say anymore, I guess. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
HAMERMAN 631 Posted January 25 2 hours ago, Nathan of Brainfertilizer Fame said: I'm finding that playing in a band is clarifying, and helping me shed guitars that I won't use in a gig. Glad to hear all is well and you will be gigging. You definitely think of guitars in a different way when you are gigging. Instead of 5 different guitars that nail 5 different sounds you start looking for one or two guitars that come close enough for several sounds! :-) 3 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cmatthes 17,800 Posted January 25 Tell us where you're gigging around DC - there are still a few of us out and about in the DMV... 3 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Travis 2,123 Posted January 25 (edited) Playing out in front of a crowd is living the dream. Keep on keeping on, man. Love your check in. And p90’s in the neck rule... Edited January 25 by Travis 3 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dutchman 1,424 Posted January 25 I’ve spent a lifetime playing for people! Large and small show’s huge ballroom’s and chicken wire around the stage dives. There’s just something about a crowd or single person getting into the noise your making!!! Enjoy it and to heck with the critic’s!! 6 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jakeboy 5,498 Posted January 25 Congrats and good to see you posting! Life is all about choices. I am glad you are gigging and in a funky band at that. What fun! And there is no greater thrill than playing live in front of an audience, especially when you fall into the zone and take them with you. I would love playing in a Motown band. I hope yo7 absolutely kill it! For me the only thrill greater than playing live is hearing a song I wrote and recorded on the radio. Because of that, I stopped gigging 5 years ago to concentrate on recording and releasing music. With a very demanding day job, I simply don’t have the time to do it all. It was my life’s dream to record, and it is happening. I still attend monthly jams to scratch the itch for being onstage, but it is not the same. I do miss playing live, but I just have so many songs that I gotta get recorded. So... It is awesome that your skills as a lead player are recognized. Also awesome that the near-bankruptcy didn’t occur. Let us know how the gig and band work out. Congrats again! 6 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nathan of Brainfertilizer Fame 2,240 Posted January 25 45 minutes ago, Jakeboy said: Congrats and good to see you posting! Life is all about choices. I am glad you are gigging and in a funky band at that. What fun! And there is no greater thrill than playing live in front of an audience, especially when you fall into the zone and take them with you. I would love playing in a Motown band. I hope yo7 absolutely kill it! For me the only thrill greater than playing live is hearing a song I wrote and recorded on the radio. Because of that, I stopped gigging 5 years ago to concentrate on recording and releasing music. With a very demanding day job, I simply don’t have the time to do it all. It was my life’s dream to record, and it is happening. I still attend monthly jams to scratch the itch for being onstage, but it is not the same. I do miss playing live, but I just have so many songs that I gotta get recorded. So... It is awesome that your skills as a lead player are recognized. Also awesome that the near-bankruptcy didn’t occur. Let us know how the gig and band work out. Congrats again! That's amazing! I can't imagine what it must feel like to hear a song you wrote/recorded being played on the radio. About my "skills". I'm not a great lead guitarist. If I had my way, I'd just be a rhythm guy, but the lead singer provides the random guitar noise. I just can do credible solos, not all that creative, but I don't think anyone but another guitarist would notice or care. I still can't play any SRV, for instance. But I've got the solo down in Shake it Up, and that's nothing I thought I would ever try to master before. I've still got a ways to go to be considered "good". But I'm having fun, that's the important part. I haven't actually gigged yet. Next (my first) date is in late Feb. 4 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dutchman 1,424 Posted January 25 4 hours ago, Nathan of Brainfertilizer Fame said: But I've got the solo down in Shake it Up, and that's nothing I thought I would ever try to master before. I've still got a ways to go to be considered "good". Unless your playing in back up band for the original artist or it’s a solid part of making the song “Real Close” is good enough. The average listener/ bar patron/ dancer isn’t gonna notice. I couldn’t tell you how many times I had no idea how the exact lead line went on a song, never rehearsed sitting in with a band cuz the regular lead players at a wedding or whatever. Just kept it in key and did what I could. Sometime’s I was told I did better than the regular guy and got offer a gig!! So smile and just let it fly!! 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FGJ 1,495 Posted January 25 David Lee Roth used to say, "You play music, you don't 'work' music." So as long as you're playing, you're having fun, and ain't that what music is all about? Good to hear from you, Nathan... By the way, whatever happened to your Nugent Cali? 3 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nathan of Brainfertilizer Fame 2,240 Posted January 25 In chasing my Guitar Lust, I sold pretty much everything, always trying to try something else. While there are some exceptions in my collection, I pretty much have centered on non-locking trem and fixed bridge Super Strats. Hamer seems to be more on the Gibson side, and the super strats are mostly double locking. The handful of double-locking trem superstrats are higher-end Yamahas, which I like a little better than Hamer, and are anywhere between 1/3 and 1/4 the price. But, of course, without most of the figured wood and boomerang bling. If I ever stumble on a Diablo for really cheap, I'll get one. And I have a Vintage S on the way, so I think that will do me for Hamer. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DBraz 3,988 Posted January 25 Welcome back Nathan. Great that you’re playing and that life has taken a positive direction. I hope 2020 is a good one for you all round. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
specialk 2,594 Posted January 26 Hey Nathan, good to see you around here again! Who are you rooting for in the Super Bowl? 😁 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
scottcald 2,439 Posted January 26 Good to hear the update. Hey, to me, holding down the whole song is at least "good". What use is a lead if the rest of the song isn't bringing it? 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
crunchee 4,691 Posted January 26 23 hours ago, Nathan of Brainfertilizer Fame said: In chasing my Guitar Lust, I sold pretty much everything, always trying to try something else. While there are some exceptions in my collection, I pretty much have centered on non-locking trem and fixed bridge Super Strats. Hamer seems to be more on the Gibson side, and the super strats are mostly double locking. The handful of double-locking trem superstrats are higher-end Yamahas, which I like a little better than Hamer, and are anywhere between 1/3 and 1/4 the price. But, of course, without most of the figured wood and boomerang bling. If I ever stumble on a Diablo for really cheap, I'll get one. And I have a Vintage S on the way, so I think that will do me for Hamer. Welcome back! It kinda sounds like you need a Tele in the mix, too. 1 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nathan of Brainfertilizer Fame 2,240 Posted January 27 11 hours ago, specialk said: Hey Nathan, good to see you around here again! Who are you rooting for in the Super Bowl? 😁 Chiefs fan ALL THE WAY It's about damn time we made it there. 3 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nathan of Brainfertilizer Fame 2,240 Posted January 27 2 hours ago, crunchee said: Welcome back! It kinda sounds like you need a Tele in the mix, too. Actually, I think the PAC 611 gives me some good tele sounds between the P-90 in the neck and when I split the Seymour Duncan Custom 5 (TB-14) I mean, it doesn't have the look, but I'm okay with that. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Shark 4,698 Posted January 27 I'm with your Chiefs. And I'm playing more than I have in twenty three years (since my youngest was born). Enjoy yourself. 3 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LucSulla 5,508 Posted January 27 On 1/24/2020 at 8:53 PM, Nathan of Brainfertilizer Fame said: I'm finding that playing in a band is clarifying, and helping me shed guitars that I won't use in a gig. It's good for that and making you appreciate a good workhorse over fancier stuff. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
burningyen 1,636 Posted January 27 Glad to see you back in the game! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
