Tag: Guitar

Two Amp Curse

I haven’t watched this week’s That Pedal Show but I know it’s going to mess with my head.

I literally just decided that November’s music is going to be recorded using one specific amp. I mean, I literally just said that! Now I go to youtubie and see that this week’s show topic is running a two amp set up.

It’s like they knew what I was thinking and released the exact video that can fudge up my head.

I’m still going to watch though. I’ll consider it a challenge to stick to my guns… and then go back to two amps again next month.

Right on.

A Couple of Pointless Musical Musings

I think I may have just broken the My Music page attached to this blog. Oops. I have a bandcamp.com page that I don’t promote. I just stick album-in-a-month type projects there. I haven’t updated it since finishing the bonus RPM Challenge thing from April 2020. Earlier today I set all of the projects there to private… forgetting that I had playlists embedded on the My Music page. Again, oops.

The reason I did it was that I am planning to put all of the re-recordings from the last year and a half or so up there and have those be the only thing visitors can see. That seems like a good move, assuming my attempt at having the new recordings be at least slightly better than the old ones. Better sound, better performances, and fewer crappy songs. I think it’s a good idea. I just have to do it.

The album-in-a-month internet challenge with the undisputed worst name of them all, NAtional SOlo ALbum MOnth (NASOALMO) is going to kick off on Monday. I’ll take it for another spin. I’m thinking of a gear swap. I’ve been using my Fender Bassbreaker 15 as my amp for the last four months or so. For November I am thinking of using my little Vox MV50 and it’s NuTube technology which is totally not a gimmick (wink, wink). I remember using it on an album-in-a-month once at some point, but it was paired with the Bassbreaker 15 and they were both using their direct out/speaker sims. I don’t think I’ve ever recorded anything with the MV50 through an actual speaker into a microphone. November seems like a good time to finally use it for reals.

Finally, Klon is going to start shipping the new KTR pedals in about three weeks. I absolutely do not need one. Still… let the Gear Acquisition Syndrome commence!

Granted, all of this depends on whether or not our furnace is working. They are still downstairs working on it. I have said it before (well, typed it) and I will say (type) it again… Heat my house!

I Even Remembered to Submit

The RPM Challenge’s Record Every Month challenge to record one song each month for the entire year started in March. For the first couple of months I remembered to submit a song so that it would be included in the listening party. Most months… well… I just forgot to submit… like a dope.

I didn’t forget this time! Here’s one crappy song, written and recorded this month! Oh, so crappy!

Clawing Back to Life

Just another one of those days where the brain doesn’t want to function and something that feels like what the rumors say is the blues tries to take over. I have three things that are helping me claw my way back to life.

First, Jen. As always. As far as my mental state goes, I really don’t know what I would do without her.

Second, nowhere near as important as item number one, the Bruins are kicking the shit out of the Sharks right now. It’s 4-1 about halfway through the third period. Thanks, Bruins. I appreciate it.

Third, probably more important than number two, but still nowhere near as important as number one, I spent the last hour+ playing guitar. I put leads on the three songs that got vocals this morning, and then put rhythm guitars onto two more from the current batch of songs to re-record for the 2015 re-recording yadda yadda blah. My playing wasn’t great, but it was okay.

Now I have to get some exercise in. Ugh.

Obligatory guitar pics:

What Was I Going to Say?

I was planning on writing something here this morning and I completely forget what it was. Getting old sucks, kids. Stay young as long as you can, said the 50 year old asshole who still plays in a cover band.

What was it that I was going to mention? I honestly can’t remember.

I did something this morning that I haven’t been doing but should probably do more. I did part of my daily exercise first thing in the morning. I have 15 minutes of my 30 minute goal done. I’ll probably do the final 15 minutes at lunch. I also did something else related that I don’t want to do if I can avoid it. I took some Advil. My back is killing me. I don’t want to get into the habit of doing that, but I also want my back to not be a problem during the work day.

This morning when I put my t-shirt on my left ring finger caught on something. Weird. I was pretty sure I knew what it was, but I stopped to investigate. Yup. It was a little piece of what is left of the callus on that finger, the finger responsible for most of my guitar string bending. It’s been so long since I’ve practiced that I have lost the calluses on my finger tips. When I do work up the energy to play again I’m going to have to start from scratch, and it’s going to hurt. Sigh.

Okay, time for the work day. Maybe I’ll remember whatever it was I was planning to write about.

Long Day

It wasn’t really a long day, but it felt like it. Do I sound like a broken record? I haven’t slept well for the last few nights and I’m just tired. Really tired.

Last night when I had time to play some guitar and didn’t I was pissed off at myself. Similar circumstances tonight, but I feel different about it. I’m just too tired. Nothing I do tonight would be worthwhile, it would just be sleepy nonsense. So once again, instead of guitar we have fun with zombies. I’m up to The Walking Dead season three episode two now. The rewatch continues while the current season goes into hiatus. We’re two episodes into the last season of World Beyond and sadly the seventh season of Fear the Walking Dead kicks off on Sunday. It can’t be worse than the last two seasons, can it? Can it*?

Here’s hoping we get me a good night sleep tonight. I don’t have any meetings scheduled at work tomorrow. Here’s hoping tomorrow becomes a productive day. Who knows, I might even play some guitar tomorrow. Fingers crossed, right?

*Yes, yes it can. Unfortunately, yes it can. May the gods of the TV have mercy on us, yes it can get worse. I don’t know how, but I fear it is possible.