My GE-7

 A had posted earlier that, having played in a large venue and having had problems with amplification, I needed to do something. I offered some alternatives which all cost money. Quite frankly, I'm not that good a guitarist to deserve something like this. So, I looked at what I had and how might I improve my situation.

As it turns out, I already have a Boss Equalizer GE-7 foot pedal...

...which I bought so long ago I can't remember how. I don't know if it was a new purchase or something from Craig's List. It looks new but that could just mean the previous owner took great care of it.

I do remember I'd bought it because I was having trouble with my acoustic guitar using its internal piezo pickup. I wanted something to fix the way it sounded - to make it more guitar-like. I could have bought a device specifically designed for this for a couple hundred, but I probably opted for the GE-7 used for far less thinking it would do the job.

So, yesterday, I decided to test my setup to see if I could better understand how this pedal will work with my guitar and its magnetic pickup. As it turns out, I have a ZZYZX guitar cable that my friend Mark Lammi got me one year for Christmas (well over a dozen years ago). It's a weird two channel cable with lots of different magnetic heads and one in particular was designed for plugging into the USB port of a computer...for recording. Perfect.

I hooked this all up, connected to an audio editing program, and started playing and messing around. It turns out, the GE-7 is a fantastic booster that, had I had it for the gig last week, would likely have resolved any issues. I could have used it off for strumming and on for leads.

Now I know.

My Acoustic Guitar Quandry

This past Saturday, Ken and I (of KenCasey fame) were a sort-of opening act for a brass band from Springfield. We were at a Toys-for-Tots gig in Chicopee and we played the before-dinner time slot. It turned out to be about 45 minutes and when we arrived, we didn't know how much gear to bring. We brought it all. In fact, I bought a used microphone mixer a day or two before so we could use Ken's PA speaker. We were ready for anything.

Why did this matter? We were told that there would be around 400 people in attendance. (I'm guessing it was closer to 200, but I could be wrong.) The small amps we normally use are enough for a lounge, but not a dining hall. Fortunately, the Brass Attack of Springfield were already set up and they let us plug into their PA. Nice! ...and thank you very much...

The Gig We Did Last Night

The Portuguese American Club in Chicopee held an event to support Toys for Tots. It was a large crowd and KenCasey (Ken and I) were asked to play an early set as folks were milling around getting ready for dinner to be served. We were lucky to have a fine band there already set up as we were allowed to plug into their PA system. That meant we could use leave our amps in the car. At my age, that's a good thing.

But...

Although the microphones worked out well, my guitar and its pickup didn't. I could barely hear my playing and I need that to be able to do it well. So, I'm going to have to come up with a new strategy for this kind of thing. That's because, I thought I was the only one who couldn't hear and it turns out Ken, standing next to me, also couldn't hear me. So, the instrumental parts were at best, "eh". He told me later that he just looked over to see if my fingers were running over the neck frets and, if yes, he assumed I was doing a lead. Ugh. That's not a good way to do this kind of thing.

We hadn't played for such a large crowd before and, at the onset, opted not to plug into our own gear. We thought the venue might be too large for that. There were several hundred people there. Now, we either have several hundred new fans or, worse, the exact opposite. Ugh. 

Next week, we do a gig as a much smaller venue, The Crest Room, in West Springfield. We've played there before and the room is smaller and our gear fills the room quite nicely. So, a reprieve of sorts.

TSO - Better Than Every!!!

Yesterday, we went to see the Trans Siberian Orchestra, or TSO, at Mohegan Sun. I have been a fan of theirs ever since seeing a YouTube featuring their song, Wizards in Winter...

...which is likely to have happened 25 or so years ago. After watching the video about a hundred times, we managed to see them at one of the arenas. (Lee says it was Hartford.)

The Day After Black Friday

I usually don't do anything on Black Friday. My family takes advantage of the sales but I hunker down with my odd and ends projects. This year, it was organizing the music I'd be playing with my friend Ken and next week's Toys for Tots event at the Portuguese Club in Chicopee. We compared song lists and then songs to make sure we were in sync on keys and whatnot. I think we're in good shape. FWIW - we'll be opening for the Brass Attack Of Springfield band. Opening is a bit strong in that we'll be playing during the events less busy times (just before dinner, for example). Anyway, that was my Black Friday activity for this year.

I did manage to actually buy a couple things. I needed a hand vac and opted for a corded Dirt Devil. I'd used a Dyson in our staircase but, apparently, it's only good for 15 minutes per charge. That wasn't enough and I had to use our large corded vacuum cleaner, which is awkward on stairs. So, the smaller one should do the job.

No Photographs For Thanksgiving

It's Black Friday as I write this. I have no need to go shopping so I'm just sitting around doing the normal stuff I do. I realized that, this year, I did not make a single photograph for Thanksgiving. Usually I'll at least shoot some food that's laid out in front of me. Nope. This year, I just ate it. Or I photograph the people who've come to visit. Nope. I just enjoyed myself and them. Maybe that's that Thanksgiving is about in the first place.

I'm thinking today may be more photographic. I hope so.

My Favorite Fall Leaves

I have been posting foliage photos in various places online and I notice that many have been taken in my own yard. I guess I'm lucky to have this. I suppose, though, that many can say the same and all it takes is to be aware as you go out and about. This time, as I was walking across the front of the house to retrieve an Amazon package, I looked down and saw the interesting patterns that the dead leaves created. The light was diffuse so I didn't have harsh shadows to worry about. It won't be long before these will be snow covered and yield even more photo ops.