I'm so frigging old . . .

[leftofthedial]

that I remember when my fellow musicans used to brag about how BIG their equipment was--Voice of the Fucking Theater PA cabinets, giant frigging guitar amps--STACKS of giant frigging guitar amps, more WATTS than your amp, more channels than your board . . .

Now all my buddies brag about how small everything is. It only weighs 7 pounds, it only has 7 channels BUT THAT'S ALL I NEED, it fits in the back seat along with my WHOLE PA!

Sheesh, I feel old.

[Ron Green]

1. I'm happy for the new technology that plays loud and small.

As a bass player, I was hauling massive things in the '60s and '70s, and now I have a 25-pound amp that rocks the house.

There seems to be a triangular relationship among size, sound and cost. If you pay enough, you can get a big sound from a small box.

:-)

[leftofthedial]

2. I was just struck by this the other day.

I'm rehearsing a new band and we were talking equipment. All the guys were SO proud of their lightweight stuff and complaining about their various physical infirmities.

About four years ago, a duo I play in regularly replaced our old Peavey SP-2's and a powered Yamaha board with a much smaller, lighter, better sounding set of JBL's and a Mackie head. Now my partner is already complaining about how heavy the JBL's are and planning to buy a newer, lighter set.

Bassists have it pretty rough with big gear over the years. I made a living as a keyboard player for a long time. In the day, I hauled an acoustic piano (tuned and repaired it every show), a Fender Rhodes, a B-3 and a bunch of synths. Plus, I had to haul basically my own PA to play through. It was absurd, but I was actually PROUD of all that stuff. Now, it's one (or maybe two) keyboards, a few modules and a little keyboard amp.

Times have changed. I wish the music had improved as much as the gear! LOL

[Ron Green]

3. In my case the music has actually gotten better! Here's how...

I was playing rock and roll throughout the 70's, and now I play jazz! The cool thing about jazz is that there's always more to get from it, more ways to do it and more to learn.

Too bad the masses of people don't want to pay for it, though. :-(

[leftofthedial]

4. I was mostly commenting on the sad state of popular music today

It's funny the last couple of bands I've played with recently have set lists that look almost exactly like what I was playing 25 or 30 years ago.

[icymist]

5. I don't think that makes you so friggin' old!

Maybe you're still ridding the wave, but don't recognize this. Take it from an oldie that got out.

[abq e streeter]

13. Hi leftof...

I'm assuming you're a fellow Nuevo Mexican by the Zia flag...I run into that with some of my bands too---the SAME DAMN SONGS year after year after...part laziness on part of musicians; let's just play what we already know instead of learning new stuff( even if its learning different old stuff if you truly enjoy a certain era of music). Also , as you have to have noticed if you are here in the Land of Entrapment, er, Enchantment... most (not all, but most) audiences are pretty unsophisticated and want to hear the same old stuff too. I've had bands that did very hip material , and all night long people would keep shouting for Mustang Sally, Brown Eyed Girl or "Stevie Rayyyyyyyy". Great songs, great artists, but lost their charm after playing them the first 3000 times, know what I mean (and I'm sure you do). Good to see another N.M. musician (again, assuming) on DU.

[B3Nut]

6. I still love to gig on Hammond

but lack the vehicular object suitable for doing so. I did borrow a minivan and lug my B-3 to a festival gig last summer though, it was so much fun except our singer was in full-on suck mode. :(

I keep my beater B-2 at my church gig, people look shocked when I heave it onto the platform (short stage, just one step between the floor and the platform) by myself...piece of cake with dollies. It's actually easier solo in that room, believe it or not...

The festival stage is another matter. My wife and one of her co-workers helped me hoist the B onto the stage. The sound crew was afraid of my wife after seeing that. :D

Todd in Cheesecurdistan

[leftofthedial]

7. you're a real man

:thumbsup:

My "B-3" is now a single-space unit in my rack.

[Swamp Rat]

8. "... teenage wasteland... it's only teenage wasteland...

THERY'RE ALL WASTED!!" ... TWANNGG!!


:D

[leftofthedial]

9. sweet

I'm glad you didn't reduce the photo size.

[Swamp Rat]

10. That would be sacrilegious!

:D

[leftofthedial]

11. have you looked into the Pod

and the Variax?

[Swamp Rat]

12. Yes, but I mostly play on nylon strings.

While I was studying classical and flamenco guitar I stopped paying attention to electronic gadgets, but more than a few years ago I broke out my old Gibson SG and began playing some bossa tunes and experimental tuff. So, I bought a Korg AX1000 for the guitar and began composing using computer programs like C Sound (ex. creating oscillators and FM synthesis via C+ programming - not for the faint-hearted). I had used Finale to print out my orchestrations for many years, but I was writing only for acoustic instruments at that time. Since then I have been playing mostly percussion - for the last few years I have not played the guitar so much. LAst year my samba group broke up due to Katrina (except for playing on Mardi Gras day when members return to New Orleans), so I have returned to classical guitar, though I am building an electronic set-up. I bought a Roland acoustic amp and I also have a Crate acoustic amp, as well as an Electro-Harmonix Freedom amp. I can use the Korg multi-pedal to run stereo channels to different amps, and to re-create a Leslie rotary speakers sound, control the volume with a pedal, etc. My main guitar for this set up is a Córdoba FCWE (thin body nylon with Fishman Pro-Blender electronics).