Almost fell for the Katana hype

[GuitarAttack Forum]

Mar 12, 2020 21:22:18 GMT -6 dnic said:

John I couldn't help but notice you said "the shop you worked at" as in past tense. I won't name names but are you no longer where I met you for lunch?

I also play different though my amps then I do through my floor board and in ears. But I can't really go as far as to say it's better just more aggressive.

Dane -- not sure why I put it in past tense! I rewrote that section and my English got mangled.

John

[dnic]

John, good to know you are still on board there. You are a valuable asset for those folks. I thought I might be back in Nashville this summer but it's not going to happen now.

[Deleted]

I know a lot of people are using the ear monitors, I just don't like using them. I guess it's OK for voices, but I never could get use to hearing my guitar in them.

  But I had to rely on the sound people to set the sound in them. They would do the same thing and bury my guitar under key boards and turn the voices up super loud!

 Then going through the system I had no control of how I wanted my guitar to sound. It was up to the person doing the sound. It always sounded like crap. Turn up the mids, take out all the bass, and add a lot of treble is how they would set it. Would make the guitar sound like trash. It didn't matter if I was going into the system from the guitar or going into the system through my amp.

 So I developed a bad taste for ear monitors. I see a lot of people that take them out of their ears on TV. I think it was Kelly Clarkson I seen take them out because she could not get the sound tech to turn her up in the ear monitors. She kept pointing and giving the signal to turn it up, but she pulled them out. I see that a lot on TV.

 But, I know I am an old timer and I find myself not liking a lot of changes I see going on, mostly on the stage. I understand about getting the volume under control, but there is still something about getting on a cluttered stage and making the MOJO happen.

As far as guitar amps, you all know that I have the 2 tube amps that I like a lot. I really don't want to let them go.

  But of late I have been thinking of doing just that. I just don't see me playing on any stage anymore. I could really use the room that my 2 tube amps take up. I would keep my Yamaha C10 because it is small and has a cool big sound to it. It's probably all I need these days.

 I really can't seem to find anyone that wants to come by and jam with me, and I don't think my daughter wants me to have people over to play music in her house. Yes we live with my daughter and her family. Her house, her rules. LOL!

But like always, use the gear that you like and sing to you. Not all of us like or play the same things and that is a good thing!

EB

  

[dnic]

Eddie, I'm the guy in charge of things like what in ear system and so on at church where I play. So until I found something I thought was going to work for everyone and not bankrupt us I couldn't pull the trigger. So we ended up with a wired(Bummer)16 channel Behringer system. It allows 16 inputs from the board and each player/singer can adjust there own volume. I still have people that don't like it but they just haven't really tried to dial it in. Me, I love it. It really helps me vocally. The really nice part is monitor wars are a thing of the past.

[GuitarAttack Forum]

Mar 13, 2020 17:46:31 GMT -6 dnic said:

Eddie, I'm the guy in charge of things like what in ear system and so on at church where I play. So until I found something I thought was going to work for everyone and not bankrupt us I couldn't pull the trigger. So we ended up with a wired(Bummer)16 channel Behringer system. It allows 16 inputs from the board and each player/singer can adjust there own volume. I still have people that don't like it but they just haven't really tried to dial it in. Me, I love it. It really helps me vocally. The really nice part is monitor wars are a thing of the past.

I play in a band with a lot of players; we are a tribute for a popular 70s/80s prog rock outfit from England. Before we went to in-ears, soundchecks for live gigs were hours-long and extremely painful. By the time we got ready to play, everybody had just about had all they could take, and nobody was happy with the monitor mix.

The move to in-ears was deliberate. We started the process of rehearsing with our in-ears and dialing in our individual mixes with apps on our iPhones. The overall mix was saved on a Behringer X-32 with a USB drive, and recalled by the sound engineer when we did our live sound checks.

The "pros" were overwhelming: Same mix as rehearsal, no volume wars, good isolation, could turn down the sax player, and on and on. After the first gig I really realized the lack of "noise hangover" because the stage volume was low and my in-ears had great isolation.

The only "con" I saw was the goodness of rocking a Marshall stack at max volume, but that would have been overkill for this band anyway.

I use Line6 gear for my direct sound, and I always get compliments after the show. Being in a tribute band, dialing in the tones is very important, and being able to save all of the settings as "scenes" and recalling several during the course of a song is very powerful. It is also very calming knowing that the delay or fuzz isn't going to sound weird during the solo because all I have to do is call up preset 3A and there it is! I back up the presets on an iPad, and carry a spare effects unit with duplicate presets. I haven't had a failure, but I always prep for the worse.

Bottom Line: Stop the volume wars! Everybody, including the crowd, winds up suffering!

John

[Deleted]

yeah, I never had the chose of how the mix was going on. Like I said the ones I have used we didn't have any control over what we heard, it was up to the sound people. I also get it about the stage noise.

 I found that most times on the stage people get over the top with not just guitars, but all instruments and voices. I could tell a lot about people when on stage. It does not take long to find the one or 2 people that are large and in charge. They are always the ones that want to heard up and over everyone else.

 I can see the benefits of ear monitors. But, the ones I have dealt with were not comfortable to have on and they really did not sound all that good. I don't know if that was because the sound people didn't know what the heck they were doing or what.

 I have been to many churches of late trying to find one that I like.

  So far most of them have the ear monitors and the guitar amps are back stage in a box. I have to say the music sounds like a recording. Some play to or add sound tracks to the mix. It does sound good! But there is no life in it. They sound like a live Jukebox. All the people stand on the stage like stiff, and only the worship leader is moving on the stage. Not for me. I have seen this in more than one church.

  There was one place we went to where they had stage monitors 2 key board players, 3 guitar players and a drummer. They were not loud at all. The music sounded well balanced. You could tell that the people on stage were all pros!

 They really sounded GREAT! The music was alive and vibrant.

 But I know the wave of this kind of new Tech is here to stay. Maybe if I was younger I could get into it more. But now that I sit at home and play, I know I'll never have the chance to even try and go over to the dark side... LOL!

 

 I am glad it all works for you...

 Funny how this went from talking about an amp to PA Sound... LOL!

 I was wondering... If the ear monitors are such a big deal... how come I still see a lot of guitar amps on stage? I just watched a concert on TV. they had the ear monitors on, but the stage was full of guitar amps... Is that just for looks?

 I have also seen were on some stages that are putting guitar amps behind isolation shields like they do to drummers. I under stand why they do that. But again with all of the tech out there then why are they still using guitar amps at all?

 Could it be that the tube amps still have an edge over digital sound for guitars. But then if they go through a system, does that not turn everything into digital? Hum... I know in most places analog is almost a thing of the past.

 I just wish I has some people to play music with. It would be cool to through some amps on a stage and just play. Not worry about anything but playing. LOL

 Here is a story I just remembered... When I was in AZ a guy called me up and wanted to have a jam night in his home studio. He wanted me to bring my small orange amp that I had at the tine. Now have you ever been invited to a party and once you got there you found out you didn't dress right for the party? Well, I have...

 I get to the place and I take in my little amp in and start to set up. While setting up the rest of the people started to show up. Well, you know where this is going... Yep... Everyone else had brought in their big boy amps!

 But were they surprised later on that my little orange amp held it's own with them big amps. I was surprised as well... LOL! I wish I had never sold that little Orange amp, It did sound pretty good for what it was. Oh well...

EB 

  

[GuitarAttack Forum]

Mar 14, 2020 11:16:03 GMT -6 @eagleblues said:

yeah, I never had the chose of how the mix was going on. Like I said the ones I have used we didn't have any control over what we heard, it was up to the sound people. I also get it about the stage noise.

 I found that most times on the stage people get over the top with not just guitars, but all instruments and voices. I could tell a lot about people when on stage. It does not take long to find the one or 2 people that are large and in charge. They are always the ones that want to heard up and over everyone else.

EB 

  

The key to our setup is (a) being able to adjust our individual mix and (b) stopping the volume wars. You also find out how incredibly loud acoustic drums can be, and how dynamics can be a lost art!

John

[Deleted]

Mar 17, 2020 11:31:57 GMT -6 GuitarAttack Forum said:

Mar 14, 2020 11:16:03 GMT -6 @eagleblues said:

yeah, I never had the chose of how the mix was going on. Like I said the ones I have used we didn't have any control over what we heard, it was up to the sound people. I also get it about the stage noise.

 I found that most times on the stage people get over the top with not just guitars, but all instruments and voices. I could tell a lot about people when on stage. It does not take long to find the one or 2 people that are large and in charge. They are always the ones that want to heard up and over everyone else.

EB 

  

The key to our setup is (a) being able to adjust our individual mix and (b) stopping the volume wars. You also find out how incredibly loud acoustic drums can be, and how dynamics can be a lost art!

John

as far as drummers go... there are those that play the drums and those that beat the drums.

 I have shared before that I got to play with a drummer that to me is an out right Pro!

I met him at a friends house. He had his drums set up and my friend and he had been playing. My friend had called me to come over. I did not know the drummer was there.

 So I had taken my acoustic guitar. I get there and we all got to talking and the drummer and he wanted me to play some music with him. I told him that I didn't bring an amp. He told me that's Ok I'll never get any louder than you. OK... I had to see this!

 So, I started playing some stuff on my acoustic. He never and I do mean never got any louder than what I was playing. He was doing all kind of cool things on the drums. I was blown away! Never in my life had I played music with a drummer like this guy. WOW!

 He is in the musicians union. He has played all over the world for a lot of top bands. He to me was the best I had ever been around. After that, I was always on drummers that beat the drums and not play them. A good drummer can control what he or she does. Just like anyone else that plays an instrument.

 As posted before... If you have people that know what they are really doing on stage there is no volume wars. I have played with people that understand the volume thing. I seen a jazz band a few years ago that really impressed me. They too had amps and a drummer with no cage around him. But, they never got loud or over bearing.

 I do under stand that the ear thing does a lot to keep overzealous people under control. But I know too that if you have people that understand about volume, that it can be tamed.

  I have seen people get mad and leave the stage when asked to turn down. You know what I learned... Let them! 

 I even had a drummer once get up and leave because people were complaining he was to loud! We had to finish the night without him. We just had to shift gears.

 The other thing I learned to is, having a good sound tech... A good sound tech can make you or brake you. I use to do sound and even would teach people how to do sound. I was hired to do concerts and set up sound system in Churches and other places.

 I know all to well about people not wanting to budge on how lowed they want their volumes. I also know the tricks that people pull on you. Like not singing lowed when setting up. Or the guitar player making it look like they turned down but they didn't.

 But I know how to set it up so that when people get to playing that I can control the volume on stage and on the house.

 But I have also played a lot of places that the people wanted things super lowed. Not much to do in that situation. Been in and at concerts where I told told to turn up. And went to concerts that were so over the top lowed! That every time the bass player hit a note you could feel it in your bones. Not good!

 But, for me I don't think at this time I'll be doing anymore playing out side my home. My days of playing out have come to an end. I have been playing since I was 9 years old. I was playing professionally at 15 years old. I was making a lot of money back in them days playing music. I worked in music for a long while. So I had my day in the sun. I have met a lot of cool people over the years. I got to at one time, to hang out with the Beach Boys. I even got to drive a corvette that one of them had. How cool is that?

 So these days. I no longer have to worry about stage noise and put up with musicians attitudes and egos. But I do miss the music and playing with some of them great people. The ones that I consider some of the best musicians out there.

EB

[dnic]

Well the up side to all that is your love for music and playing doesn't depend on others. You can pick up one of your herd of guitars and play your blues away whenever the urge hits. It does sound as if you have had some really amazing times in music and bands and those are some awesome memories.

[antares]

Too true. Some of us can walk the walk as well, clearly that includes you Eddie.

e&oe ...

[Deleted]

Yep! In my life I have done a lot. A lot more than most. I have been on TV, radio, and a whole bunch of concerts. Done tours all over CA. Played in another country, as well as play form the west coast to the east coast.

 I have met all kinds of people along the way.

In my life I have had the chance to build over 200 cars. I have gotten to build guitars. ( I never thought I would have done that) I have gotten to be an ordained pastor. I will soon be married to my wife for 47 years. WOW!

 We have 11 grand kids and one great grand kid. WOW!

There are a lot of other things I have done as well. I have even owned a few businesses. I took a print shop that was only making $3500 a month. Took it to making over $80,000.00 a month in less than 6 months.

 For a guy that was labeled stupid/dummy in school, I think I did alright.

I try and show people what I have done not to brag, but to show everyone that if I can do it so can they. I have a learning disorder. This is why so many people have called me all kinds of names and would not let me hardly do anything. I was always told "You can't do that" or that is above you to understand.

 I have been turned down for a lot of things in life. But I never let any of it stop me. I figured out how to learn to do things without help form a lot of people. I learned that if I think on it, I can figure out how to make things work. It may take me a few min. but I will figure it out.

 In a lot of things i do I can see how to do thing faster than a lot of others around me. And a lot of them are smart people. LOL!

 But, I will always so grateful for the things I have done. I am not afraid to try and do things. I think that is because of my learning disability. I don't always think like others thing. I do not believe in "If I can't" or " I can't do it" I go for it and figure things out along the way.

 I hope I can pass that on to others... Do it! If I can so can you!

EB 

[stratpurist]

At least 80% of what we do is vocal oriented and IEMs makes a huge difference. The other leap forward for me was going wireless on guitar. We never had a full time sound guy so I can roam the club to hear the mix and make the necessary tweaks.

JOHN! you left out a big PRO (assuming you carry your own equipment like we do) we eliminated 4 floor monitors and their cables that we don't have to pack and set up. Only the drummer still has one.

AND, I still maintain that the Katana amps are WEAK.

[Deleted]

One of the best things I like about musicians is that we all don't like the same things. I tell people all the time, play what you like. Use the equipment that you like. Play the guitar that sings to you and play through the amp that makes you feel good. On stage or at home.

 

 Not everyone is going to like the same things. What I experience is not going to be the same as someone else. That is a good thing. I like all kinds of different things. But that does not meant I like everything.

 I have been playing since I was 9 years old. I was hired into a working band at 15. I have played more music and played in all kinds of bands in my life than most. I do think I know what works well for me. I started building guitars a lot of years ago. By now I think I know a thing or two because I have seen a thing or two. LOL!

 I turned 66 this year. And I am still a little old school in my sound. For me that's OK. It works for me. There was a time I was working in music doing 5 to 6 gigs a day at the age of 15. That was during summer time in CA. I loved it! I thought I was going to be a rock star! I was making a lot of money. But it all came to an end. My ego got in the way and I was upset over some stupid things.

 I got to were that I realized that music had become a job. It was not not fun anymore. I feel bad that there are people who play and do not enjoy what they are doing. I wondered how or why do they keep playing.

 I have seen people get so mad over stupid things like someone not hitting the note just right or not coming in at the right spot. If you play live things happen. Back in my early 20s music life had changed a lot for me. I no longer got angry or upset and other band members. Oh they would get mad at me, but I would let it go on the spot.

I said that to say this. We can always argue over things like what color should I paint my guitar to get the best "tone". But in the end it winds up being an argument. Same in amps or anything else in life as far as that goes.

 Again, we all like and dislike a lot of things. Play what you like and play gear that you like. Not what I like or someone else likes or not play gear because someone else had a bad experience with it.

 I can name a lot of guitars and amps that I don't like. I can also name the ones that I do like, and give all the reasons. I have my reasons why I don't like ear monitors. Most of that is based on having a bad experience with them. Plus the fact I have one ear that is messed up and I don't like anything that has to hang or be pushed into my ear. Not going to happen.

 

 So if it works for you then used it! But don't get angry at someone if they cant use the same thing or they don't agree with your outcome. I had a sound tech get mad at me because I did not want to use the ear monitor on my one ear. We are not all made the same, Thank goodness!!

 

[dnic]

Eddie, I'm glad we have the "mellow Eddie" here at Guitar Attack.

I agree there are thousands of different guitars and amps and gear. If we all liked the same stuff a whole lot of bands and guitar companies would be out of business.

[Deleted]

Jun 25, 2020 18:19:11 GMT -6 dnic said:

Eddie, I'm glad we have the "mellow Eddie" here at Guitar Attack.

I agree there are thousands of different guitars and amps and gear. If we all liked the same stuff a whole lot of bands and guitar companies would be out of business.

HA! HA! You really would not have like to of known me back when I was younger. When I tell people my life story and what I came out of, I always get... you don't look or act anything like your story.

 There was a time when I was not afraid of anyone or anything. I was super angry, and would not hesitate to fight.

I was meaner than mean. But in my late 20's all of that changed. Do I still get upset? Yes. But today I try and get people to see that there is more going on than it looks on the surface. A lot of people think that we all think a like. But we don't. A lot of people don't see past what is in their bubble of life.

 I have been down so many roads in my life. So many twist and turns.

A lot of times I have turned and walked away form things.

Now that I am older, I try to help people to stop and see things another way. Guitar building has though me a lot of that. In music I have seen so many people get so upset over someone not getting the song quite right. To the point of name calling and causing the person to walk off the stage.

 A few year ago, I was playing in this band. It was the first time I played under this so called leader. We were going through the songs that most was my first time playing them. I did not know the way that this person did the songs. I was reading from the charts he provided. We got to this one part in a song and I played the notes there were on the chart. He went off on me! WOW! Some leader. I told him I played what was on the charts that he had given me. He said I was not playing the right notes on the chart. So I handed the charts to him and told him to play the notes that are on the chart. Well, you know where this is going. I was right he was wrong.

 He never said sorry or nothing to me. He was red in the face when he handed the charts to me and told me to play by ear. WOW! What a jerk! I did stay and play the set. But everyone could tell he did not like me. He never thanked me or said by to me.

 But I didn't back down from him. He was not going to get to me no mater how great he thought he was. Some of the band members told me that they had never seen someone stand up to this person like I did.

 So if nothing else I hope that these band members learned that you don't have to put up with people and their egos. I am pretty easy going for the most part. Yes there are things that still get me. That will probably never go away.

 People are people, and we all think on different levels and see things different. There are people that are leaders that need to learn that someone may not catch on right away. Or that some people have a learning disability, like myself. I have had to learn how to do things in a different way than most. So, because of that I see and think in ways that most people don't.

 Sorry if I come across at times a little curt. I don't meant to. Again, if there is nothing else I can pass on in my life is that people need to stop for a second and think of the other person.

  I have seen too many people get hurt over some stupid thing by someone large and in charge. Yes, I know sometimes people in charge have their bad days as well, but when it happens over and over again and they take it out on others, you know that there is something not right. A lot of people not all but some, in charge are control freaks. LOL!

 I too have been in charges of managing businesses, putting bands together, building churches, owning my businesses, played in a lot of bands, Leading in worship teams, I have done tent revivals, But together events, and so on and so on. I never asked anyone to do anything that I would not do myself. If I didn't want to do it then what right did have telling someone else to do it?

 If I didn't know how to do something, I would tell people I didn't know. ( I rather be honest and say I didn't know, than to make something up"  I would also seek out people that did know to help me to learn and to understand.

 Old school ways of being a boss was to rule with an iron fist. That never works!

 I lead people, I don't force people. I don't make demands. I show people how to do the job. I always listen to advice. Even from people that I employed. I made people feel they were a part of a team. Not me against them. Out of that I got a lot of good people that would be willing to go the extra mile for the job at hand.

 I learned in life that someone may not be having a good life. They come form a non happy home, of they have been bullied all their lives. Some people that I have mentored in my life come form being told they are nothing, that they stupid, that their lives mean nothing. I mentored a guy that way was ready to take his life. Because he had been told by his dad that he was worthless and would be better off dead. Today he is a changed person. You would not know he the same guy that I met several years ago. Due to, I took an interest in this person and showed him that he is worth something.

 If someone dose not like what they are doing, then change. I know it's not easy to make a change. But I have done that in my life a few times. Find what make you happy. But, try and not tear someone down, because you are having a bad day. Remember they don't know anything about you or your day. (and I am preaching to myself here)

 When my pain levels are high, I become super grumpy. My wife gets on to me for it. LOL! But she knows me. After 47 years of marriage I would hope she knows me...

 Well, I went on to long again.

 My eye is getting better. Still not 100% but getting better every day.

Thanks for putting up with me!

EB