Real world gigging lessons

[Christian Miller]

This weekend

- the answer to ‘should I bring the ES335?’ for a dep gig with a band you’ve not played with before with unknown charts is always yes
- the answer to ‘should I bring my pedalboard?’ to the same gig is also always yes.

[itsmyname]

did something go wrong in your last gig ?



can you tell more ?

[dconeill]

... for a dep of unknown charts ...

What's a "dep"? I guess from context that it's a gig of some sort, but I don't know the word.

[David B]

What's a "dep"? I guess from context that it's a gig of some sort, but I don't know the word.

British equivalent of US "sub". You're "depping" or "subbing" (filling in) for another musician.

[DawgBone]

I would send you packing for showing up with that pedalboard. Gig was canceled. YOUR gig. LOL

[Litterick]

What is on your pedalboard, Christian?

[Christian Miller]

What is on your pedalboard, Christian?

Tuner, tube screamer, boost, distortion (jrad dude, great pedal, thanks ruger9), boss oc3 for errr… reasons, mxr carbon copy. Nothing fancy, what I think of as basics really, apart from the boss.

it was a gig where I’d been assured it was a ‘Freddie green’ thing. I turn up with my es175 (thank god it wasn’t a proper archtop) and a fender Princeton. Open the pad. First page - ‘heavy rock guitar sound’

fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu

luckily I did bring my pedalboard just because, so I went back to the car. Still put in the position of playing ‘heavy rock guitar solo’ on gauge .13 flatwounds. Could be worse…

Reminds me of big band gigs. Someone always waits for when you bring the authentic FG set up to call the Maynard charts.

335. Always bring the 335 unless you know the band. Lesson learned.

[Alter]

Yeah, for me it can simply be not knowing the place, even if I know the music and the band. You bring the 335, it can handle any room and stage setup, funky weather, humidity, etc ..

And if things are really unknown, the job falls on the tele! Which is also my airplane gig guitar!

[Paulie2]

I don't play my 335 too often these days and sometimes think about parting with it, but then I have one of these gigs you describe and love its versatility (not to mention how good it sounds) so it ends up staying. 335s are such a good tool to have to cover a lot of bases

[rpjazzguitar]

I also play a semi. But sometimes I play a Strat copy with a humbucker. And, I used to play a Les Paul or an L5S. Also, a D'A EXDC. They all worked fine for a wide range of music. Other players get even more mileage out of the Tele (neck is too big for me, or I'd have one).

The only thing they can't quite do is a classic Freddie Green sound. Close, but not the same sound.

[Christian Miller]

I don't play my 335 too often these days and sometimes think about parting with it, but then I have one of these gigs you describe and love its versatility (not to mention how good it sounds) so it ends up staying. 335s are such a good tool to have to cover a lot of bases

. There’s always the option of taking more than one guitar, but then you have to deal with the change over between tunes which is often not much time on theatre type gigs. Some (most) people are more coordinated than me though haha

[Paulie2]

. There’s always the option of taking more than one guitar, but then you have to deal with the change over between tunes which is often not much time on theatre type gigs. Some (most) people are more coordinated than me though haha

I recently played a theatre gig where the score requested I bring: an acoustic, a nylon string, a "jazz guitar" whatever that means, an electric, and a banjo. I only took my 335 and my J45 to cover it (not to mention I can't play banjo....) and was still cramped for space. Some of the switches with just two guitars were tough.

[unknownguitarplayer]

I recently played a theatre gig where the score requested I bring: an acoustic, a nylon string, a "jazz guitar" whatever that means, an electric, and a banjo. I only took my 335 and my J45 to cover it (not to mention I can't play banjo....) and was still cramped for space. Some of the switches with just two guitars were tough.

A friend of mine who plays a lot of pit gigs for national theatre touring productions recently told me that the MDs often specify exactly what brand effects to use, and in some cases, will even provide the guitar, amp and effects.

[RickyHolden]

Sounds like an interesting experience Christian, turning up to a Jazz gig and in-fact its a rock gig, or was it like some rock-jazz fusion thing, jazz with distorted guitars? U got the set list out of interest?

[Christian Miller]

Sounds like an interesting experience Christian, turning up to a Jazz gig and in-fact its a rock gig, or was it like some rock-jazz fusion thing, jazz with distorted guitars? U got the set list out of interest?

no it was a show gig. It’s a read, you play what’s written.

I turned up expecting a Sinatra thing with chords for guitar (mostly straight four swing stuff) and aside from the obvious Frank standbys there were also about 15 written parts for arrangements of Michael buble songs that I was expected to sight read.

I daresay anyone who worked on the cruise ships after college would have done such shows a million times. For me, it was a little scary, but fun.

The buble stuff tends to be me more ‘contemporary easy listening’ which means more modern guitar sounds (well rock/pop elements.)

I should really have known better, but I don’t really know Bubles stuff haha. Ah well, now I know. Good experience. Bang up for more if they’ll have me..

[Christian Miller]

A friend of mine who plays a lot of pit gigs for national theatre touring productions recently told me that the MDs often specify exactly what brand effects to use, and in some cases, will even provide the guitar, amp and effects.

Crazy. Actually I would expect Axe FX across the board these days for these types of gigs, which is what I’ll get if I get into this game - ease of DI’ing etc. depends on the show too I would imagine. A lot of people use in-ears now too.

The sound guy was like ‘Mike an amp? Quaint.’ And went off to find an SM57… (Princeton sounded great tho, of course.)

This was just a small show touring provincial theatres.

im sure if you have the chair it’s a bit more organised. I do wish I’d been given the MD’s number though haha.

[AaronMColeman]

Crazy. Actually I would expect Axe FX across the board these days for these types of gigs, which is what I’ll get if I get into this game - ease of DI’ing etc. depends on the show too I would imagine. A lot of people use in-ears now too.

The sound guy was like ‘Mike an amp? Quaint.’ And went off to find an SM57… (Princeton sounded great tho, of course.)

This was just a small show touring provincial theatres.

im sure if you have the chair it’s a bit more organised. I do wish I’d been given the MD’s number though haha.

I was going to post my unpopular opinion that they should all just go digital at that point. In fact, I kinda think digital is the way to go in general. It sounds so good now, no fussy amps that have weird power demons, they weigh less, and they sound so good now! I'm a simpleton so I use an Iridium which is basically just an amp replacer...no effects. Works great for simple jazz stuff: archtop -> deluxe reverb (which is what I'd play in real amps anyway).

[DawgBone]

I was going to post my unpopular opinion that they should all just go digital at that point. In fact, I kinda think digital is the way to go in general. It sounds so good now, no fussy amps that have weird power demons, they weigh less, and they sound so good now! I'm a simpleton so I use an Iridium which is basically just an amp replacer...no effects. Works great for simple jazz stuff: archtop -> deluxe reverb (which is what I'd play in real amps anyway).

That would definitely simplify things for me. I could finally make an easy decision to never play publicly again.

[Christian Miller]

I was going to post my unpopular opinion that they should all just go digital at that point. In fact, I kinda think digital is the way to go in general. It sounds so good now, no fussy amps that have weird power demons, they weigh less, and they sound so good now! I'm a simpleton so I use an Iridium which is basically just an amp replacer...no effects. Works great for simple jazz stuff: archtop -> deluxe reverb (which is what I'd play in real amps anyway).

the main thing holding me back aside from the sheer enjoyment of playing through a proper amp is the idea of being buried in more screens than I am already; whenever I see a tutorial for the (absurdly powerful and cheap) Line 6 HX stomp it kills my enthusiasm right away. I’m a dinosaur. Iridium is nice, it has knobs.

Fender tone master is starting to tick boxes I must say. Amp and DI! What a world. Of course Peavey have had this for ages on real tube amps.

Tbh it really depends on the gig. commercial stuff has a very low tolerance for failure or inconsistency.

[RickyHolden]

no it was a show gig. It’s a read, you play what’s written.

I turned up expecting a Sinatra thing with chords for guitar (mostly straight four swing stuff) and aside from the obvious Frank standbys there were also about 15 written parts for arrangements of Michael buble songs that I was expected to sight read.

I daresay anyone who worked on the cruise ships after college would have done such shows a million times. For me, it was a little scary, but fun.

The buble stuff tends to be me more ‘contemporary easy listening’ which means more modern guitar sounds (well rock/pop elements.)

I should really have known better, but I don’t really know Bubles stuff haha. Ah well, now I know. Good experience. Bang up for more if they’ll have me..

Interesting, I get the kind of theatre musical vibe, show songs can literally span all genres in the same night. So go on, spill the beans, how many clangers did u drop?!

[Christian Miller]

Interesting, I get the kind of theatre musical vibe, show songs can literally span all genres in the same night. So go on, spill the beans, how many clangers did u drop?!

two or three obvious (to the players) ones. I think most of it I got away with

[RickyHolden]

well props for pulling it off and I hope u had a stiff whiskey or 2 afterwards to chill out!

[Christian Miller]

well props for pulling it off and I hope u had a stiff whiskey or 2 afterwards to chill out!

thanks! Teetotal at the moment. Had a bag of crisps and drove home. The glamorous life of a musican!