Before I shove off to bed in my Imperial Suite, I thought I's share a summary of tonight's rehearsal and a pic or two. I'm sure I come across pretty nerdy because the majority of you people have more gigs in two weeks then I have in a year, but fun I had tonight just the same. For you bedroom players who wonder if it's worth finding a musician or two to see what it's like playing with humans and not just your computer, the answer is a resounding YES! I was like a crazed meercat tasting his first Big Mac! These folks play all the time so it was no big deal, but after the third song I said, "I promise I'm not blowing smoke up yer hineys, but I think this sounds fantastic!"
The music is a mix of secular and worship, and I know that playing Americana stuff is what I want to play in the future. I enjoy the worship music as well, but our folk stuff was, IMHO, really good tonight. From John Denver tunes to Simon & Garfunkel, the Rogue bass running through the Stage 800 was what my brain has been trying to explain to my ears what it wants forever! Yeah, I had fun this evening.
Speaking of the combo, your first thought is with 400 watts it'll be the rock band with a vocals-only PA system, but it's a lot more than that. I'm running between 8:30-9:00 (sometimes 9:42 if I'm feeling really frisky) on the volume and not only is there excellent tone, I've got headroom up the Andrew Yang! Dig in a little and the sound blooms right out the two tens and into the waiting ears of the audience. Yeah, gobs of watts is a good thing and this is not a loud group with two acoustic guitars and a uke. Oh yeah, Rev. John's flute, but a thousand watts isn't gonna quiet that baby down...
And for you Stage/Studio fans who haven't tried this, the sucker can cop a fairly decent hi-fi tone (not PBJ, but not bad) too. One of my presets uses the Fender acoustic amp with reverb and only the combo's tens and it is clean, smooth, and sweet. Playing a D or E on the G string was like eating a delicious grape. (sue me, I'm trying to paint a picture for ya). I have the gain set low so it's a model you have to run the volume up a bit, but if you're looking for a tone that sits with your two acoustic buddies (one of these guys plays a 12-string), it's perfect to me.
Click two presets up the line and it's a terrific fuzz tone for Spirit in the Sky. That one received the best compliments of the night which tells me these people need to get out more often. I know modeling amps can be a pain in the neck and I do like the simplicity of plugging in and playing but with a little patience and effort by your ears, this amp has converted me into a total believer that the technology is out there to create a satisfying dining experience while sitting on a stool. I'd really like to play through the Studio 40 now to see how close it'd compare to the 800 in overall vibe. What a wonderful alternative for a lightweight carry.
That's about it. Two hours of magic and then it was time to head out. Some of the members worked a hot week and were ready to relax at home. I felt sorry for them. Not. Don't worry, they'll be laughing when I'm staying up until midnight in October correcting written assessments. Tomorrow, the expected hottest day of the week in Columbus, we'll arrive at 3:30, start at 3:45, go to about 5:15 or so and then be the music for the Saturday worship service at 5:30. Somewhere in there, I think we're supposed to eat, but I'll leave that up to the details people. In honor of GP, I'm donning my blue Hawaiian shirt and will try to get a pic of it for his bulletin board. I shared a few setup pics with ya. We're far from Three Dog Night, but dang, there's an awful lot of music stands and stools, isn't there?
Goodnight, my bass brothas and sistas. I'll be on before liftoff to Dreamlans tomorrow night. Rock on!
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