My friend at work, Arnold, Gave me this today. It was a model of a stage set up for KISS but I converted it to a One Man Band and put it on my desk.
What a cool thing it is.
Thanks Arnold.
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Sunday, February 11, 2007
Austin City Limits
I usually dont watch Awards Shows but I am relaxing here at home watching the Grammys. They just gave the best pop vocal album to John Mayer.
I am not going to watch the whole show since I got stuff to do. I am thinking about heading over to the Shakespeare Pub to check out the Blues Jam with my old friend "Spare Time" Murray. We don't hang out or anything but he has been hosting that blues jam for quite some time now. I think it was around 1994 or 95 when I first went over there and checked it out. I didn't really have much experience playing in front of people and he was always cool about letting me get up and jam.
But back to the Grammys.
I can't figure out why the sound is so poorly done. When the Dixie Chicks sang the mix was terrible. Seems like they are trying to capture the feel of the big room and making it sound like there is an Echo.
They need to get who ever does the sound for Austin City Limits. I remember when Tracy Chapman was on that show. That is the way sound should be done.
Well, Thats my beef for now.
Later
I am not going to watch the whole show since I got stuff to do. I am thinking about heading over to the Shakespeare Pub to check out the Blues Jam with my old friend "Spare Time" Murray. We don't hang out or anything but he has been hosting that blues jam for quite some time now. I think it was around 1994 or 95 when I first went over there and checked it out. I didn't really have much experience playing in front of people and he was always cool about letting me get up and jam.
But back to the Grammys.
I can't figure out why the sound is so poorly done. When the Dixie Chicks sang the mix was terrible. Seems like they are trying to capture the feel of the big room and making it sound like there is an Echo.
They need to get who ever does the sound for Austin City Limits. I remember when Tracy Chapman was on that show. That is the way sound should be done.
Well, Thats my beef for now.
Later
Saturday, February 10, 2007
Get in the Road
I always liked that song. It may be called "in the Middle of the Road" The Pretenders were one of my favorite 80s bands & that song in particular. I love the lyrics and also the delivery.
Come on Baby
Get in the Road!
Oh yeah baby
in the middle of the road
Then she does the meow & breaks into the Harmonica Solo.
It is not a blues song but at the same time it is. To me anyway.
Last night I got to meet another cool person. Tre Ridings came out to the show at Molly's Pub to do what he does. He is a professional Photagraper & he is (professional). He had a job to do and it wasn't his first time to do it. When they want pictures of the big Rock Stars, He is a guy that they call. They also called him to take pictures of me.
The story and the pictures are for a "local bands" feature but I don't think he would have done it much different if I was a major rock star.
He took photos in two settings. Quite a few of me doing the One Man Band Show and also some out by the Street. That was his suggestion. Right next to the street in fact. He told me to bring a guitar and had me sit on the curb & also took some standing up. He told me where and how to stand and sit and also where to look. Being Saturday Night, Westhemier was busy and I really liked the idea of being out in the road. That is what the Blues is sort of about anyway. Or maybe not so much what it is about but it just kind of fits.
Again, I am not going to lie, It was cool experience.
Look for the pictures in the Feb 22nd Weekend Preview Section of the Houston Chronicle and also on thier Web Site. I will post a link when they get it on there.
Adios Amigos!
Come on Baby
Get in the Road!
Oh yeah baby
in the middle of the road
Then she does the meow & breaks into the Harmonica Solo.
It is not a blues song but at the same time it is. To me anyway.
Last night I got to meet another cool person. Tre Ridings came out to the show at Molly's Pub to do what he does. He is a professional Photagraper & he is (professional). He had a job to do and it wasn't his first time to do it. When they want pictures of the big Rock Stars, He is a guy that they call. They also called him to take pictures of me.
The story and the pictures are for a "local bands" feature but I don't think he would have done it much different if I was a major rock star.
He took photos in two settings. Quite a few of me doing the One Man Band Show and also some out by the Street. That was his suggestion. Right next to the street in fact. He told me to bring a guitar and had me sit on the curb & also took some standing up. He told me where and how to stand and sit and also where to look. Being Saturday Night, Westhemier was busy and I really liked the idea of being out in the road. That is what the Blues is sort of about anyway. Or maybe not so much what it is about but it just kind of fits.
Again, I am not going to lie, It was cool experience.
Look for the pictures in the Feb 22nd Weekend Preview Section of the Houston Chronicle and also on thier Web Site. I will post a link when they get it on there.
Adios Amigos!
Friday, February 09, 2007
Don't make friends with the band
I can't remember the name of the movie but I did like it alot. It was about a high school aged kid who became Rock & Roll reporter for Rolling Stone Magazine. One of the things that one of the other Reporter Dudes told him was "Do not make friends with the band" but he ended up kind of breaking that rule.
I always thought that would be one of the coolest jobs in the world.
Yesterday I met with the hip and cool Sara Cress who covers the live music scene for the Houston Chronicle. She recorded the interview and she told me that there will be a PodCast whre people can hear it on the Chronicle's Handstamp Website. The print portion will be in the Preview Section of the Thusday Paper on Feb 22nd. I will get back to you with the details as the become available.
I am not experienced and being interviewed and I was a little nervous about it but she seemed to know what she was doing. We shook hands and sat down at a table and she turned on the recorder and started asking questions.
It would have been what many people consider the perfect date. We just talked about me. Actually I did most of the talking and she never interupted. Seriously though I could tell that it wasn't the first time she had done this. I already knew that but it did make the whole process alot easier to have a real Rock & Roll Reporter asking the questions.
I am not going to lie. It was a cool experience.
I always thought that would be one of the coolest jobs in the world.
Yesterday I met with the hip and cool Sara Cress who covers the live music scene for the Houston Chronicle. She recorded the interview and she told me that there will be a PodCast whre people can hear it on the Chronicle's Handstamp Website. The print portion will be in the Preview Section of the Thusday Paper on Feb 22nd. I will get back to you with the details as the become available.
I am not experienced and being interviewed and I was a little nervous about it but she seemed to know what she was doing. We shook hands and sat down at a table and she turned on the recorder and started asking questions.
It would have been what many people consider the perfect date. We just talked about me. Actually I did most of the talking and she never interupted. Seriously though I could tell that it wasn't the first time she had done this. I already knew that but it did make the whole process alot easier to have a real Rock & Roll Reporter asking the questions.
I am not going to lie. It was a cool experience.
Saturday, February 03, 2007
Endangered cranes also victims of Florida storm
http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/02/03/whooping.cranes.ap/index.html
MILWAUKEE, Wisconsin (AP) -- All 18 endangered young whooping cranes that were led south from Wisconsin last fall as part of a project to create a second migratory flock of the birds were killed in storms in Florida, a spokesman said.
The cranes were being kept in an enclosure at the Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge near Crystal River, Florida, when violent storms moved in Thursday night, said Joe Duff, co-founder of Operation Migration, the organization coordinating the project.
The area of the enclosure was unreachable by workers at night, and all the birds were found dead, Duff said.
"It's very traumatic to the whole team who put so much time and effort into these birds," he said Saturday.
He speculated that a strong storm surge drew the tide in and overwhelmed the birds or they were electrocuted from lightning strikes reported in the area. The official cause of the deaths was not immediately known.
The thunderstorms and at least one tornado that hit central Florida caused widespread damage and killed at least 20 people.
For the past six years, whooping cranes hatched in captivity have been raised at the Necedah National Wildlife Refuge in central Wisconsin by workers who wear crane-like costumes to keep the birds wary of humans.
Ultralight aircraft are used to teach new groups of young cranes the migration route to Florida. Then the birds migrate north in the spring and south in the fall on their own.
Duff described the loss as an "unavoidable disaster" for the whooping cranes project. Ironically, for the first time in six years, an entire group of young birds reared at the Necedah refuge had made it to the Florida refuge without the loss of a single crane.
The various groups and agencies working on the project had seen the size of the flock grow to 81 birds with the latest arrivals, but the loss of the young cranes drops the total back to 63, and there may have been additional losses.
Operation Migration is part of the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership. Partnership officials and Duff said the work would continue. Chicks are expected to hatch in two months, he said.
The whooping crane, the tallest bird in North America, was near extinction in 1941, with only about 20 left.
The other wild whooping crane flock in North America has about 200 birds and migrates from Canada to the Texas Gulf Coast. A non-migratory flock in Florida has about 60 birds.
Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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MILWAUKEE, Wisconsin (AP) -- All 18 endangered young whooping cranes that were led south from Wisconsin last fall as part of a project to create a second migratory flock of the birds were killed in storms in Florida, a spokesman said.
The cranes were being kept in an enclosure at the Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge near Crystal River, Florida, when violent storms moved in Thursday night, said Joe Duff, co-founder of Operation Migration, the organization coordinating the project.
The area of the enclosure was unreachable by workers at night, and all the birds were found dead, Duff said.
"It's very traumatic to the whole team who put so much time and effort into these birds," he said Saturday.
He speculated that a strong storm surge drew the tide in and overwhelmed the birds or they were electrocuted from lightning strikes reported in the area. The official cause of the deaths was not immediately known.
The thunderstorms and at least one tornado that hit central Florida caused widespread damage and killed at least 20 people.
For the past six years, whooping cranes hatched in captivity have been raised at the Necedah National Wildlife Refuge in central Wisconsin by workers who wear crane-like costumes to keep the birds wary of humans.
Ultralight aircraft are used to teach new groups of young cranes the migration route to Florida. Then the birds migrate north in the spring and south in the fall on their own.
Duff described the loss as an "unavoidable disaster" for the whooping cranes project. Ironically, for the first time in six years, an entire group of young birds reared at the Necedah refuge had made it to the Florida refuge without the loss of a single crane.
The various groups and agencies working on the project had seen the size of the flock grow to 81 birds with the latest arrivals, but the loss of the young cranes drops the total back to 63, and there may have been additional losses.
Operation Migration is part of the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership. Partnership officials and Duff said the work would continue. Chicks are expected to hatch in two months, he said.
The whooping crane, the tallest bird in North America, was near extinction in 1941, with only about 20 left.
The other wild whooping crane flock in North America has about 200 birds and migrates from Canada to the Texas Gulf Coast. A non-migratory flock in Florida has about 60 birds.
Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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Saturday, January 27, 2007
B.B. King Released, Back to 'Old Self'
By MONICA RHORThe Associated PressSaturday, January 27, 2007; 10:09 PM
HOUSTON -- B.B. King was discharged from a Galveston hospital Saturday following treatment for a fever and was "back to his old self," a spokeswoman for his management agency said.
The 81-year-old, Grammy-winning bluesman was "feeling fabulous," said Tina France, vice president of Lieberman Management of New York.
King had been scheduled to perform Thursday at the Grand Opera House, but was admitted to The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, said Paul McCarthy, a hospital administrator.
King still plans to perform Tuesday in Fort Worth, France said. Concerts that had been scheduled before then in Galveston, Orange and Tyler will be rescheduled for June, she said.
King, who has a history of diabetes, had a 100.4-degree fever following a bout with the flu, and monitoring was required because of his age, said France. Doctors treated him with antibiotics, she said.
He was kept in the hospital's elderly acute care unit as a precaution, said John Koloen, a spokesman for the hospital in Galveston, about 50 miles southeast of Houston.
With his trademark guitar that he named "Lucille," King is one of the nation's most influential and best-known blues musicians. His long list of hits includes "The Thrill is Gone," "Every Day I Have the Blues" and "You Upset Me Baby," and he was awarded a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1987.
He has become a spokesman in the fight against diabetes, and in December President Bush awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
HOUSTON -- B.B. King was discharged from a Galveston hospital Saturday following treatment for a fever and was "back to his old self," a spokeswoman for his management agency said.
The 81-year-old, Grammy-winning bluesman was "feeling fabulous," said Tina France, vice president of Lieberman Management of New York.
King had been scheduled to perform Thursday at the Grand Opera House, but was admitted to The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, said Paul McCarthy, a hospital administrator.
King still plans to perform Tuesday in Fort Worth, France said. Concerts that had been scheduled before then in Galveston, Orange and Tyler will be rescheduled for June, she said.
King, who has a history of diabetes, had a 100.4-degree fever following a bout with the flu, and monitoring was required because of his age, said France. Doctors treated him with antibiotics, she said.
He was kept in the hospital's elderly acute care unit as a precaution, said John Koloen, a spokesman for the hospital in Galveston, about 50 miles southeast of Houston.
With his trademark guitar that he named "Lucille," King is one of the nation's most influential and best-known blues musicians. His long list of hits includes "The Thrill is Gone," "Every Day I Have the Blues" and "You Upset Me Baby," and he was awarded a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1987.
He has become a spokesman in the fight against diabetes, and in December President Bush awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Friday, January 26, 2007
BB King
I played the gig last night & it was real busy.
I did a warm up set at 7 pm and we had quite a few poeple come in that were early for the BB King Show.
I played until about 10 til 8 & then I was going to wait till 9:30 & do my normal show & try to make sure I was playing when the BB King Concert ended so I could get some of those folks to come in. We had the doors to the club open so they could hear the music on the way to the parking lot.
After I played my warm up set, I walked over to Grand just to check out the scene & there was dude there holding a guitar. I asked him if he was going to get BB King to sign it and he told me that they had just taken Mr. King to the hospital. I checked the news today and am hearing that he is in good condition & they are expecting him to get realeased soon.
But at that time, It was kind of a drag. A real downer.
I went ahead and decied to go ahead an play some more since all the people were there and the place got packed. I did my best to put on a good show and be professional but I had this wierd kind of feeling. I normally am pretty happy if the house is packed but in this case it was hard to be happy when knew the only reason it was so croweded was because BB King was sick.
The other thing that kind of wierded out the vibe was that the a good portion happy Hour Crowed was still hanging around & I don't think they really appreciated the club being so busy. The happy hour folks (at any bar) can be kind of lould after a couple of hours of being happy and these folks were no exception. They provided a wall of noise that was not the exact backdrop of sound that I was looking for. I don't like to play loud and it kind of takes away the part of the show where you are able to bring it down and to more intracate things or play a slowers song with feeling type of thing. Still, They were spending money so I couldn't complain.
When I first drove up to the venue BB Kings Bus was parked in front of Whisky's Pub and the door was open. I was going to ask the dude standing there if he could get Mr. King to autograph the album cover I brought (Live at Cook County Jail) but he kind of gave me a look that made me feel like he wasn't in the mood to be aproached. I realize now that if BB was sick they probably didn't want to be chatting with folks. I can understand that. I want to be clear. It wasn't anything unfriendly but he just wasn't making eye contact when I looked at him & I didn't want to bother anybody just to get an autograph. I had been secretly hoping that with me being there all afternoon setting up that the opportunity might come up.
I did get to briefly meet James the Blueshound and his lovely wife Colleen. He came up the stage and gave me sticker & I did get to say hello and shake hands but I was pretty busy trying to do the show. They are nice folks. I know them from my email contact mostly. I had talked to James on the phone before. They do the concert caledar for KPFT and list all my shows as well as anybody elses who sends them in. They are really cool about it and do a great job. In the past three years I have come to really appreciate the work that they do. You can hear thier show "Howling the Blues" every Sunday from 2-4 on 90.1 on your fm dial or 89.5 in Galveston.
I did see a couple of other famiar faces in the crowd also.
The thing that hit me the most was the guy who brought the guitar to be autographed. He had a look of real disappointment on his face when he was telling me that BB King was sick. BB King is truly a blues legend. A guy that can bring more than just a blues show. He is a salesman of the blues and also someone who can reach out to people and get through. He makes em feel good.
I know he is 82 years old but I am hoping that he is out touring the country playing blues for several more years.
I wish him well.
I did a warm up set at 7 pm and we had quite a few poeple come in that were early for the BB King Show.
I played until about 10 til 8 & then I was going to wait till 9:30 & do my normal show & try to make sure I was playing when the BB King Concert ended so I could get some of those folks to come in. We had the doors to the club open so they could hear the music on the way to the parking lot.
After I played my warm up set, I walked over to Grand just to check out the scene & there was dude there holding a guitar. I asked him if he was going to get BB King to sign it and he told me that they had just taken Mr. King to the hospital. I checked the news today and am hearing that he is in good condition & they are expecting him to get realeased soon.
But at that time, It was kind of a drag. A real downer.
I went ahead and decied to go ahead an play some more since all the people were there and the place got packed. I did my best to put on a good show and be professional but I had this wierd kind of feeling. I normally am pretty happy if the house is packed but in this case it was hard to be happy when knew the only reason it was so croweded was because BB King was sick.
The other thing that kind of wierded out the vibe was that the a good portion happy Hour Crowed was still hanging around & I don't think they really appreciated the club being so busy. The happy hour folks (at any bar) can be kind of lould after a couple of hours of being happy and these folks were no exception. They provided a wall of noise that was not the exact backdrop of sound that I was looking for. I don't like to play loud and it kind of takes away the part of the show where you are able to bring it down and to more intracate things or play a slowers song with feeling type of thing. Still, They were spending money so I couldn't complain.
When I first drove up to the venue BB Kings Bus was parked in front of Whisky's Pub and the door was open. I was going to ask the dude standing there if he could get Mr. King to autograph the album cover I brought (Live at Cook County Jail) but he kind of gave me a look that made me feel like he wasn't in the mood to be aproached. I realize now that if BB was sick they probably didn't want to be chatting with folks. I can understand that. I want to be clear. It wasn't anything unfriendly but he just wasn't making eye contact when I looked at him & I didn't want to bother anybody just to get an autograph. I had been secretly hoping that with me being there all afternoon setting up that the opportunity might come up.
I did get to briefly meet James the Blueshound and his lovely wife Colleen. He came up the stage and gave me sticker & I did get to say hello and shake hands but I was pretty busy trying to do the show. They are nice folks. I know them from my email contact mostly. I had talked to James on the phone before. They do the concert caledar for KPFT and list all my shows as well as anybody elses who sends them in. They are really cool about it and do a great job. In the past three years I have come to really appreciate the work that they do. You can hear thier show "Howling the Blues" every Sunday from 2-4 on 90.1 on your fm dial or 89.5 in Galveston.
I did see a couple of other famiar faces in the crowd also.
The thing that hit me the most was the guy who brought the guitar to be autographed. He had a look of real disappointment on his face when he was telling me that BB King was sick. BB King is truly a blues legend. A guy that can bring more than just a blues show. He is a salesman of the blues and also someone who can reach out to people and get through. He makes em feel good.
I know he is 82 years old but I am hoping that he is out touring the country playing blues for several more years.
I wish him well.
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
BB King
Everybody knows who BB King is. He is known as the "King of the Blues".
I am not going to try to do some kind of review on him since it would be lame.
Tomorrow I will be playing next door to his gig. He is at the Grand Opera House in Galveston and I will be right next door at Whiskys Pub. I don't think there will be any competition since he is afterall BB King. Poeple have lined up in advance and bought tickets for his show.
His show starts at 8pm so I am hoping some of the blues fans will stop in and check out my show also since I will be playing until about 1:30.
I am going to bring the record jacket for "Live at Cook County Jail" Just in case I get the chance to ask for an autograph but I doubt I will get one since I am not big on bothering people. I know they get people coming up to them all the time telling the same things. Not that I wouldn't want to meet him but if I get the chance I will wave or say hello. That would be cool enough. BB King is now 80 years old and he is still traveling around the country doing what he enjoys doing. He is a true traveling blues man. I will probably bring my camera so I can take a picture of his bus.
Hopefully it will not be raining. The last three gigs I have done have all been on rainy days. It didn't keep the people from coming out Saturday Night but Sunday was slow and once again I found myself loading and unloading my equipment in the rain. I learned a couple of years ago that I need to bring extra clothes, socks, & Shoes so I can have some dry clothes to change into. A couple of years ago I was doing a gig at a place called Sports and More on Barker Cypress & I got wet when I was unloading my equipment for the gig and I ended up getting sick and staying sick for several weeks.
Looking at the clock I see that our time is up for today.
Thanks,
Marc
Saturday, January 20, 2007
Weather Report
Currently we have rain and drizzle with a a chance of catching a cold.
There is a low pressure system moving our way bring some cool air and a chance of continued precipitation. As the front moves in expect the moisture coming up from the Gulf to destabelize the atmosphere.
There is a 47% chance of rain for next Tuesday but we have no Idea if it is going to rain tonight or not.
Also, If you want some very important news that may save your life you need to tune in tomorrow at 4:00.
If you have to work tomorrow at 4 then it is just too bad. You are going to die.
Just remember that our News Team Cares about Texas. We love you.
There is a low pressure system moving our way bring some cool air and a chance of continued precipitation. As the front moves in expect the moisture coming up from the Gulf to destabelize the atmosphere.
There is a 47% chance of rain for next Tuesday but we have no Idea if it is going to rain tonight or not.
Also, If you want some very important news that may save your life you need to tune in tomorrow at 4:00.
If you have to work tomorrow at 4 then it is just too bad. You are going to die.
Just remember that our News Team Cares about Texas. We love you.
Friday, January 12, 2007
Hollywood Marketing
Have you ever been watchng a movie at a friends house & then all of the sudden they get to the Sex Scene. To me it is kind of wierd. You gotta pretend like everything is normal I guess.
Why the hell do they have to have the sex scene anyway?
Why don't they show when Angelina Jolie takes a dump?
Do all the Movie Stars use some kind of new colonics or something where they never have to take a dump?
How can you possibly just sit through a movie where the stars are not allowed to crap?
That is just cruel!
Why the hell do they have to have the sex scene anyway?
Why don't they show when Angelina Jolie takes a dump?
Do all the Movie Stars use some kind of new colonics or something where they never have to take a dump?
How can you possibly just sit through a movie where the stars are not allowed to crap?
That is just cruel!
Tuesday, January 02, 2007
Whooping cranes make a strong comeback
The yearly migration of the whooping cranes has returned them to Texas's Aransas National Wildlife refugee with 237 of the birds returning.
These numbers combined with the number of birds currently in captivity brings the total population of the birds to a record 518, making it the first time in 100 years that their population has totaled more than 500, The Washington Post reported. The whooping crane is the tallest bird in North America and was on the brink of extinction 70 years ago when they numbered 20. U.S. wildlife officials call the birds' new population a comeback story that shows has a good conservation effort can save a species. "The whooping crane continues to mirror the success of endangered species recovery when man sets his mind to it," said Tom Stehn, the national whooping crane coordinator for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Copyright 2006 by United Press International
These numbers combined with the number of birds currently in captivity brings the total population of the birds to a record 518, making it the first time in 100 years that their population has totaled more than 500, The Washington Post reported. The whooping crane is the tallest bird in North America and was on the brink of extinction 70 years ago when they numbered 20. U.S. wildlife officials call the birds' new population a comeback story that shows has a good conservation effort can save a species. "The whooping crane continues to mirror the success of endangered species recovery when man sets his mind to it," said Tom Stehn, the national whooping crane coordinator for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Copyright 2006 by United Press International
Monday, January 01, 2007
Saturday, December 30, 2006
Last Gig of the Year
Tomorrow I will be headed out to Galveston to play at the Gravity Bar.
I am there from 2 to 8pm & then they have an open mic night.
I am hoping it will a busy sunday since the weather is supposed to be nicer & it is a 3 day weekend.
Who knows?
I will find out tomorrow.
I am there from 2 to 8pm & then they have an open mic night.
I am hoping it will a busy sunday since the weather is supposed to be nicer & it is a 3 day weekend.
Who knows?
I will find out tomorrow.
Friday, December 29, 2006
keeping up with stella
My guitar amp was sounding kind of weak. I thought it was being drowned out by the bass amp that I just started noticing the high notes were sounding really weak so I decided to swap out the tubes.
Not all the Tubes. Just the two power tubes which in this case woud be Groove Tube EL84s. It is a small amp and just has two power tubes and I think 3 pre-amp tubes. I left the pre-amp tubes alone but I had a set of Groove Tubes with a 5 rating. I had been using 4s but they were out last time I went to buy some so I went with the 5s.
They rate them between 1 & 10 with 10 being the cleanest. The lower numbered ones break up easier and provide a little better blues tone. The heavy meatal players would like the higher rated ones.
Groove Tube is a company buys a bunch of tubes and tests them and matches up the sets. I have been using the EL84-S version. They have some that are called R's also which are made in Russia and I like them in my Pre-Amp Section of this amp. The Russian made ones are a little cheaper but since I have been happy with the sound, I have been trying to stay with the same tubes.
I try to buy a set as soon as I replace them so I will have a back up set in case one goes out.
I know most people aren't going to be that interested in my tubes but so what. I got nothing else to talk about right now except maybe my bass amp cabinet that I just put togeather.
My Carvin 15" 600 Watt Speaker came in the Mail (UPS) and I put in in a Speaker Box. I had an old Radio Shack 15 inch PA Speaker but it was worn out so I decided to make a bass cabinet out of it & see how it s0unded.
I did put some strips of 1x2' wood in it to reinforce it and break up the midrage coloration & I also stapled some fiberglass filler on the walls to deaden it a little. I have a book about making speaker boxes that I bought at Radio Shack several years ago. It has all kinds of formulas for figuring out box and port size but I just decided to try this out and see how it sounds. If it doesn't work I can always build another box.
It sounds pretty good at home & I will find out how it works at the gig this weekend. I will keep my other bass cab sitting on top of it and experiment by switching back and forth to see how they compare & also try using both at the same time. The Gravity Bar is an open air type place so I can get away with it being a little louder at the source and still not blowing everybody way.
I am also experimenting with using my other Twin Reverb as a guitar amp & have been experimenting at home usine a dual amp set-up. I can use both amps or either one by itself and I like having the extra options but I may not do it at to many show since I already have alot of stuff to haul around. I will know more how I feel about it after I play a few gigs.
I wish my Blues Junior had the tilt back legs like the Twin Reverb. I am thinkin about making a stand for it so I can tilt it back. They sell em at the Guitar Store but I don't want to spend any more money than I have to right now since I have had to buy several things lately.
Is all this keeping you on the edge of your seat?
I didn't think so.
It is not good for your back anyway.
Well, I just made some pop corn so I think I will eat it now.
Keep the faith.
Not all the Tubes. Just the two power tubes which in this case woud be Groove Tube EL84s. It is a small amp and just has two power tubes and I think 3 pre-amp tubes. I left the pre-amp tubes alone but I had a set of Groove Tubes with a 5 rating. I had been using 4s but they were out last time I went to buy some so I went with the 5s.
They rate them between 1 & 10 with 10 being the cleanest. The lower numbered ones break up easier and provide a little better blues tone. The heavy meatal players would like the higher rated ones.
Groove Tube is a company buys a bunch of tubes and tests them and matches up the sets. I have been using the EL84-S version. They have some that are called R's also which are made in Russia and I like them in my Pre-Amp Section of this amp. The Russian made ones are a little cheaper but since I have been happy with the sound, I have been trying to stay with the same tubes.
I try to buy a set as soon as I replace them so I will have a back up set in case one goes out.
I know most people aren't going to be that interested in my tubes but so what. I got nothing else to talk about right now except maybe my bass amp cabinet that I just put togeather.
My Carvin 15" 600 Watt Speaker came in the Mail (UPS) and I put in in a Speaker Box. I had an old Radio Shack 15 inch PA Speaker but it was worn out so I decided to make a bass cabinet out of it & see how it s0unded.
I did put some strips of 1x2' wood in it to reinforce it and break up the midrage coloration & I also stapled some fiberglass filler on the walls to deaden it a little. I have a book about making speaker boxes that I bought at Radio Shack several years ago. It has all kinds of formulas for figuring out box and port size but I just decided to try this out and see how it sounds. If it doesn't work I can always build another box.
It sounds pretty good at home & I will find out how it works at the gig this weekend. I will keep my other bass cab sitting on top of it and experiment by switching back and forth to see how they compare & also try using both at the same time. The Gravity Bar is an open air type place so I can get away with it being a little louder at the source and still not blowing everybody way.
I am also experimenting with using my other Twin Reverb as a guitar amp & have been experimenting at home usine a dual amp set-up. I can use both amps or either one by itself and I like having the extra options but I may not do it at to many show since I already have alot of stuff to haul around. I will know more how I feel about it after I play a few gigs.
I wish my Blues Junior had the tilt back legs like the Twin Reverb. I am thinkin about making a stand for it so I can tilt it back. They sell em at the Guitar Store but I don't want to spend any more money than I have to right now since I have had to buy several things lately.
Is all this keeping you on the edge of your seat?
I didn't think so.
It is not good for your back anyway.
Well, I just made some pop corn so I think I will eat it now.
Keep the faith.
Thursday, December 21, 2006
More Amazing News
That's what you want so that's what you get.
The first big news is that I built a cart.
Excieted?
Well, There is more.
It is collapsable. The walls will fold down so I can load it in my truck.
Keep your cool here. I know that is alot of news but Somebody has to live in my world.
It should make it much easier to load up my equipment and since I used hinges for the sides, I can more easily fit it in my truck.
I started thinking about it when I played at the Balinese and the actual club is a long walking distance (Relatively) from where I Parked (on land).
I bought one of those furniture movers with four caster type wheels. They swivel and roll. I took the wheels off and put them on some 2x4s and put a piece of plywood on top of that. Then I used hinges from Home Depot to connect the side walls. I connected the front and back walls with hinges so that when you fold the side walls down then the front walls fold down on top of them.
I will keep you updated on this exciting information. Email me if you have questions.
Since I had bought a more powerful bass amp I decided I needed an additional Speaker Cabinet for it & I purchased a 600 Watt Speaker from Carvin (carvin.com) I am going to put it in a PA speaker box that I already have and see how it sounds. I will probably use it and the speaker box that I already have. At least in bigger venues anyway. My current speaker is rated at 400 watts so I will be a little less worried about the 600 watts speaker getting fried by the 450 watt amp. Probably wont happen but if it did I would be dead in the water and you know we don't want that.
I also stopped by Radio Shack and bought some connectors to make a new speaker cable. I already have some speaker wire so I will probably solder that tonight depending on how I feel.
There you have it. Enough Exciting news to keep you going for weeks.
I am playing my third anual Eve of Christmas Eve (Dec 23rd) Concert this Saturday night at the Stag's Head Pub. Stop on by if you get tired of the corporate hype and have an ale or soda pop. They make some good food also. It is an authentic English Pub with barstools and everything.
The first big news is that I built a cart.
Excieted?
Well, There is more.
It is collapsable. The walls will fold down so I can load it in my truck.
Keep your cool here. I know that is alot of news but Somebody has to live in my world.
It should make it much easier to load up my equipment and since I used hinges for the sides, I can more easily fit it in my truck.
I started thinking about it when I played at the Balinese and the actual club is a long walking distance (Relatively) from where I Parked (on land).
I bought one of those furniture movers with four caster type wheels. They swivel and roll. I took the wheels off and put them on some 2x4s and put a piece of plywood on top of that. Then I used hinges from Home Depot to connect the side walls. I connected the front and back walls with hinges so that when you fold the side walls down then the front walls fold down on top of them.
I will keep you updated on this exciting information. Email me if you have questions.
Since I had bought a more powerful bass amp I decided I needed an additional Speaker Cabinet for it & I purchased a 600 Watt Speaker from Carvin (carvin.com) I am going to put it in a PA speaker box that I already have and see how it sounds. I will probably use it and the speaker box that I already have. At least in bigger venues anyway. My current speaker is rated at 400 watts so I will be a little less worried about the 600 watts speaker getting fried by the 450 watt amp. Probably wont happen but if it did I would be dead in the water and you know we don't want that.
I also stopped by Radio Shack and bought some connectors to make a new speaker cable. I already have some speaker wire so I will probably solder that tonight depending on how I feel.
There you have it. Enough Exciting news to keep you going for weeks.
I am playing my third anual Eve of Christmas Eve (Dec 23rd) Concert this Saturday night at the Stag's Head Pub. Stop on by if you get tired of the corporate hype and have an ale or soda pop. They make some good food also. It is an authentic English Pub with barstools and everything.
Sunday, December 17, 2006
Return Policy
Hey,
It's me again.
Marc.
I took it easy today except for unloading my equipment and also driving over to Guitar Center.
Last night at the Balinese in Galveston my new bass amp went out again. Just went dead.
Luckily it was when I was setting up and checking my sound so I had time to go out and get my back-up amp. It is a guitar amp but I can use it to power my bass cabinet in a pinch. And I was in a pinch. I was playing as part of a presentation that included a Photoagraphy Slide Show by Jon Steele and also a live performance by Herb'nPipeline, a rockin Reggea band from Corpus so I had set slot of time and no time for major equipment failure.
I have really only heard good things about the GK amps but after the same thing happening two times in less than 3 weeks, I decided to return it and get another brand. I went with a Behringer 4500 which is a 450 watt model. More power than I need but hopefully not more power than my bass cab can handle.
I will keep you up to date on how it all works out.
The gig at the Balinese turned out to be a good one. They moved at the last minute to the Casino Bar which is where there used to be a casino and I think Howard Hughes even hung out there.
Everybody was very cool. Jon Steele is a very positive guy and did a great job putting the event togeather as well as bring a hell of a slide show of his photagraphy. He travels the world and takes pictures of Surfers and waves. His work is featured in the Surfing Magazines.
The band Herb'nPipeline turned out to be some cool guys also. The bass player even offered to loan me his amp when he found out that mine had just gone kaput.
They played good music and all were very supportive.
It was an overall great event and I thank Jon Steele for inviting me to participate.
The only drawback to playing at the historic Balinese Room is that it is a long way from the Seawall out to the end of the pier where the clubs are. It is a long hallway or you can take the outside route and walk just above the crashing waves. It was foggy out there last night and too wet to go outside.
I need to build a cart that I can carry my stuff with. I used a furniture mover cart last night and just set a large plastic tub on it and threw stuff in that.
OK . I am starting to ramble.
The time has come to be gone.
It's me again.
Marc.
I took it easy today except for unloading my equipment and also driving over to Guitar Center.
Last night at the Balinese in Galveston my new bass amp went out again. Just went dead.
Luckily it was when I was setting up and checking my sound so I had time to go out and get my back-up amp. It is a guitar amp but I can use it to power my bass cabinet in a pinch. And I was in a pinch. I was playing as part of a presentation that included a Photoagraphy Slide Show by Jon Steele and also a live performance by Herb'nPipeline, a rockin Reggea band from Corpus so I had set slot of time and no time for major equipment failure.
I have really only heard good things about the GK amps but after the same thing happening two times in less than 3 weeks, I decided to return it and get another brand. I went with a Behringer 4500 which is a 450 watt model. More power than I need but hopefully not more power than my bass cab can handle.
I will keep you up to date on how it all works out.
The gig at the Balinese turned out to be a good one. They moved at the last minute to the Casino Bar which is where there used to be a casino and I think Howard Hughes even hung out there.
Everybody was very cool. Jon Steele is a very positive guy and did a great job putting the event togeather as well as bring a hell of a slide show of his photagraphy. He travels the world and takes pictures of Surfers and waves. His work is featured in the Surfing Magazines.
The band Herb'nPipeline turned out to be some cool guys also. The bass player even offered to loan me his amp when he found out that mine had just gone kaput.
They played good music and all were very supportive.
It was an overall great event and I thank Jon Steele for inviting me to participate.
The only drawback to playing at the historic Balinese Room is that it is a long way from the Seawall out to the end of the pier where the clubs are. It is a long hallway or you can take the outside route and walk just above the crashing waves. It was foggy out there last night and too wet to go outside.
I need to build a cart that I can carry my stuff with. I used a furniture mover cart last night and just set a large plastic tub on it and threw stuff in that.
OK . I am starting to ramble.
The time has come to be gone.
Friday, December 15, 2006
Howdy
Hey,
I don't know who is reading this but I hope you are doing fine.
It has been a while since I typed antything out and posted it here. I have been busy mostly with stuff & also some things. Not to mention other stuff also. So you can see how busy I have been. Right?
I went and saw the Casino Royal James Bond Movie. I liked it OK. It is a good movie but I was disapointed that they didn't have that many gadgets. They had a car but didn't really show too much in the way of cool buttons or switches. Also they didn't have a cool watch or a briefcase. No special Shoes. Nothing like that.
My new bass amp that I wrote about in the post just below this one went out on me about a week ago. Last Sunday, I played one song at the Gravity Bar and then it just died. No smoke, Sparks, or anything else dramatic. It just went dead. The light would not even come on.
I went over to Guitar Center on Monday and found Jeremy, the dude who sold it to me, and he swapped it out for another one. I think it was just a fluke. Everybody says that Galian Kruger makes good products so I am just thankful that they were cool about it. I had bought about 32 days ago and the return policy listed on the receipt sad 14 days. It does have a 2 year warranty but I would have had to buy another one while warranty work was done and then I guess just return that one. Luckily I had an extra Twin Reverb that I used as a back up and it worked very well. I am not sure that it doesn't sound better than the GK but I don't want to use it for a bass amp. I like having it as a back-up for my guitar amp, bass amp, and PA. I had hooked it up to my Bass Speaker Cab and there was no problem.
I am headed over to Mollys Pub later tonight and then tomorrow I am playing a set at the Balinese Room in Galveston as part of a Presentation by Jon Steele, a Well known Surfing Photographer. I am not sure what to expect but it should be fun. I am opening for a Reggea Band called HerbnPipeline (Urban Pipeline) which is somewhat of a rocking Surf type band. I will find out more when I get there.
Thats about all the news I got for now.
Except last night I was outside on my driveway and the geese were flying over. It was foggy so I couldnt see them but they were low and honking quite a bit.
I don't know who is reading this but I hope you are doing fine.
It has been a while since I typed antything out and posted it here. I have been busy mostly with stuff & also some things. Not to mention other stuff also. So you can see how busy I have been. Right?
I went and saw the Casino Royal James Bond Movie. I liked it OK. It is a good movie but I was disapointed that they didn't have that many gadgets. They had a car but didn't really show too much in the way of cool buttons or switches. Also they didn't have a cool watch or a briefcase. No special Shoes. Nothing like that.
My new bass amp that I wrote about in the post just below this one went out on me about a week ago. Last Sunday, I played one song at the Gravity Bar and then it just died. No smoke, Sparks, or anything else dramatic. It just went dead. The light would not even come on.
I went over to Guitar Center on Monday and found Jeremy, the dude who sold it to me, and he swapped it out for another one. I think it was just a fluke. Everybody says that Galian Kruger makes good products so I am just thankful that they were cool about it. I had bought about 32 days ago and the return policy listed on the receipt sad 14 days. It does have a 2 year warranty but I would have had to buy another one while warranty work was done and then I guess just return that one. Luckily I had an extra Twin Reverb that I used as a back up and it worked very well. I am not sure that it doesn't sound better than the GK but I don't want to use it for a bass amp. I like having it as a back-up for my guitar amp, bass amp, and PA. I had hooked it up to my Bass Speaker Cab and there was no problem.
I am headed over to Mollys Pub later tonight and then tomorrow I am playing a set at the Balinese Room in Galveston as part of a Presentation by Jon Steele, a Well known Surfing Photographer. I am not sure what to expect but it should be fun. I am opening for a Reggea Band called HerbnPipeline (Urban Pipeline) which is somewhat of a rocking Surf type band. I will find out more when I get there.
Thats about all the news I got for now.
Except last night I was outside on my driveway and the geese were flying over. It was foggy so I couldnt see them but they were low and honking quite a bit.
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
If I only had a Brain
I decided to practice a little last night for the One Man Band Show & I went to turn on my Bass Amp & It made a clicking noise but no sound. It would work for a second right when turned on but then something inside it would click & it would go dead.
I can't afford to worry about things not working so I decided to buy a new amp to replace it. I can still use the Cabinet from my Carvin Amp but will power it with this thing I bought today at Guitar Center. Jeremy over there in Guitars at the Westheimer Location helped me and was real cool about everything.
I took it home and plugged it in and it seems to sound pretty good. It has a button to push for active pickups & I like that & it has more tone controls than I had before. It also has a direct out that I can run to a PA System if I play in in a large venue that has it's own sound.
From what I could tell today, It does sound better than my Carvin. The Carvin was a good amp though. I bought it 3 years ago and it has seen quite a bit of work. Nearly 200 gigs & also used it to practice on also. It was a good value and I am not mad that it wore out. I may send the chassis to them and see if they can repair it.
The new amp is also slightly more powerful & has more effects. I don't know if I will use them but it basically has more features and was a good match to my existing speaker Cab.
Thats all I got for now. I will know more better how it sounds after the gig Saturday but I am pretty optimistic at this point.
Thursday, November 02, 2006
2 votes for Kinky
I had the day off today from work so I decided to go ahead and vote early.
I heard the Repulican Radio DJs all talking about John Kerry but for some strange reason I didn't see his name on the ballot.
It felt good to vote so we celebrated by heading over to Katy Mills Mall and buying a couple of slices of Cheese Pizza. I have eaten there a few times before going to the movies & I know the trick is to ask them to stick it in the oven for an extra minute or two and burn the cheese a little.
We went over the the Movie Theater but I didn't see anything that was starting anytime soon that I wanted to see. We walked around the mall & went into the SPCA and looked at some cats & that was about it for our voting celebration festivities.
I also took a few minutes to fill out my KPFT listener ballot to elect board members. That was a little less fun. They had a statement from each canditdate and it didn't sound like any of them are hugely big on music.
All that voting has made me tired.
I guess I better take a nap.
Maybe I will eat a peice of chocolate.
No, I think I will wait til after I wake up.
Maybe I could have one peiece now and one when I get up.
Now you know what it is like to be wired into my brain.
If you gotta know all my business, I am planning to practice a little & then load up the equipment for tomorrow's gig in Conroe.
I heard the Repulican Radio DJs all talking about John Kerry but for some strange reason I didn't see his name on the ballot.
It felt good to vote so we celebrated by heading over to Katy Mills Mall and buying a couple of slices of Cheese Pizza. I have eaten there a few times before going to the movies & I know the trick is to ask them to stick it in the oven for an extra minute or two and burn the cheese a little.
We went over the the Movie Theater but I didn't see anything that was starting anytime soon that I wanted to see. We walked around the mall & went into the SPCA and looked at some cats & that was about it for our voting celebration festivities.
I also took a few minutes to fill out my KPFT listener ballot to elect board members. That was a little less fun. They had a statement from each canditdate and it didn't sound like any of them are hugely big on music.
All that voting has made me tired.
I guess I better take a nap.
Maybe I will eat a peice of chocolate.
No, I think I will wait til after I wake up.
Maybe I could have one peiece now and one when I get up.
Now you know what it is like to be wired into my brain.
If you gotta know all my business, I am planning to practice a little & then load up the equipment for tomorrow's gig in Conroe.
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
The Space that Belongs to Me
Hey,
I opened up a MYSPACE Bands Page.
I never thought I was a MYSPACE kind of dude but they allow songs to be posted for free & I thought I would try it out.
If you want to check it out go to www.myspace.com/marctwymanonemanband
I have four songs on there from the CD if you want to hear em.
OK,
Now get back to work!
I opened up a MYSPACE Bands Page.
I never thought I was a MYSPACE kind of dude but they allow songs to be posted for free & I thought I would try it out.
If you want to check it out go to www.myspace.com/marctwymanonemanband
I have four songs on there from the CD if you want to hear em.
OK,
Now get back to work!
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