Music Gear

There seem to be lots of other musicians here at The Raven! So what's your gear? How long have you played? What do you play, good bad and ugly? Which artists influenced you to pick up your instrument of choice and do you read music, or play by ear?

I play by ear, all the rock n roll basics, guitar/bass/drums, (some harmonica).
I've been practicing tin whistle which is easy because I've been playing the bagpipes for years now.

I picked up a violin while helping a family move, (they were throwing it out!)...I was so psyched to get it! I practice Marions theme on that by ear, easy to pick out. I have a rare banjo, but haven't really devoted any time to it. A flute is next, if I can find one inexpensively.

My one and only brand new store bought pride and joy is my Les Paul, Black/Silver/Pearl. I play through a Marshall Twin Valvestate,and sometimes a Trademark 10 from Tech 21.

Have a Wurlitzer Spinet which is being tuned by a kindly old man tomorrow and he will be playing Marion's Theme, (as posted) for me! That will be the VERY first song I will learn to read music for...then it's Great Gig in the Sky by Rick Wright, (RIP).

Gilmour, Stevie Ray, Page, Lennon McCartney all influenced my to pick up...Duane Allman to Kendall Jones of Fishbone, ANYTHING Dave Navarro from Nothing's Shocking back to James Taylor and Jack Johnson keep me going.

But Gilmour is was the first...

Any instrument you can make your muse *** with is worth while.


I first learned the recorder back in third grade, then played cello for a short while but had to giving it up, I then played the clarinet but found I had no passion for it. I play guitar now, I realize it's pretty generic, but I genuinely dig the instrument--not trying to insinuate you don't, but there are alot of posers out there.

Somewhere we have my great grandfather's accordion which he used to play in the streets. I'd love to learn to play one because of it's lovely, humble sound.

So far all I can play on the stringed board is "Jesus Don't Want Me For A Sunbeam" by The Vaselines. Other than that it's simply chords arranged in amiture architecture.

And, well, I look up to a few artists.



Did I mention I can play the kazoo?

Two of my babies...

With all this talk about Rockband/Guitar Hero I took a snap with the cell phone.

Got interested in music in the sixties. Beatles were my first influence. Wanted to play Lead Guitar, like George Harrison. Started taking lessons in 1966. Played in my first band at age 13 in 1971.

My teenage years were the 70's. Favorite band: Deep Purple, Favorite Guitar player, and biggest influence: Ritchie Blackmore.

Later I was hugely influenced by Eddie Van Halen.

Played in bands throughout the 80's.

I currently own two and a half home made Strats (one under construction).

Have had in the past Sovtek, Marshall, ....currently however I only have a Mesa Boogie Subway Rocket amplifier.

Biggest musical influences: Ritchie Blackmore, Eddie Van Halen, Yngvie Malmsteen, Scorpions, Dokken, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and oh yes, don't forget, Mr. James Marshall Hendrix!

I play drums, guitar, bass, and piano, although drums are my favorite and I've been playing for 11 years. I have an old Pearl Export kit and a newer Pacific set that I bought a couple years ago.

Piano, saxophone, and guitar.
My skills lie in that order.
I'm best at piano, and my saxophone playing is mediocre.
I just started guitar two weeks ago, so basically the full range of my ability lies is playing chords.

I play guitar and some harmonica.

I could hold my own with an acoustic guitar. I usually play by ear.

My first guitar...

...part way through the custom process!

...soon it will look like this, albeit with a more Gibson jack mount...

Piano, accordion, melodica, french horn, tuba. Never learned how to play the guitar although it's on my list of instruments to learn, in addition to the violin.

Ocarina

Thought I'd resurrect this topic, since it's a quality one.

Lately I've been playing a fair amount of synth and spacey melodies with a high-tech keyboard (in a studio, not my own--valued at about $15,000 too much for my material interest). Experimenting is an absolute blast, and I've developed several new melodies that have stuck (I play by ear, and so tend to play a different tune each time). A challenge I am finding, actually, is deviating from the influence that is Rick Wright. The temptation is so large to just jump into a "Dark Side of the Moon"-esque tangent. Some of Muse's work also comes to mind when I play, and so I feel slightly overshadowed.

Keeping it simple is the hardest part.

Other than the synth, I've been playing a fair amount of accordion, much to the detriment of my Korean neighbours, who can't stand live music.

I've played guitar for about 25 years now. My main axe is a sunburst American Standard Fender Stratocaster with a Kahler tremelo. I got it new around '88-'89. I also have a Fender Bullet Deluxe, and Applause acoustic, and a knock off Ovation that I got in Korea.

I dabble in the bass guitar a bit and have a frankenstein bass that is pretty much a piece of crap.

I played in two bands at the same time while in high school, one was a hard rock/metal band and the other more of a blues/classic rock band. I plyed bass in the first one and rythm guitar int he second. After graduating and, moving to Texas, I played in another band that was kind of punk/hard rock. None of these bands ever got real serious but it was a lot of fun.

Since joining the military, I've kind of just noodled on my own. My oldest son has picked up the guitar and also plays violin, so I jam with him every now and then. He's got an Epiphone SG and a Fender Acoustic.

I'd love to get serious about playing again, but just never seem to have the time or opportunity.

My primary instrument is one that's been in the family for a while, a Steinway Grand Piano. I absolutely love the thing, and it can get loud, as evidenced particularly by every time I perform the Raiders March on it.

My number 2 is an E11 Buffet Clarinet. I recently picked up a new mouthpiece for it, a Fobes Nova. It's really allowed me to make the thing sing with a sound that's described as "old time dixie" by my band conductor.

I've recently also picked up the acoustic guitar, a Fender Starcaster. Learning to play it though has very much been a work in progress.

I got myself a 1967 Gibson G101 combo organ last month... it's the organ that The Doors took with them on tour (mostly) and used extensively in their last four albums. Sounds beautiful. I'll have to put up a video or something later. I'm a proud papa.

I own a Roland E-86 Keyboard I've owned for almost twenty years. I also own a Mini-Korg Keyboard and an M-Audio Keystation that hooks to my computer and controls several digital keyboards on my computer.(Pro 52, Pro 53, FM-7, B4Xpress, Virtual Bass, LM-7,VSampler) I work with Acid Pro, Cubase for recording, they work as a digital studio. I also run all my analog equipment though an Alesis Multimix USB Mixer that also runs to the computer. A couple years ago I showed interest in learning the guitar and my brother bought me a Gibson Special Model Epiphone and I purchased a Digitech F/X pedal. I also own a Oktava microphone.

*snicker*

Ya wanna know my gear?


A cheap, steel string, 1970s Sears catalog acoustic student guitar, a FirstAct Strat., Firebird Gx108 amp, a microphone confiscated from the videogame "singstar", and my wobbly, cracky, voice. And I'm happy with it all!

I developed a band recently called "The Terrorist Niggers".

Gear said:

*snicker*

Ya wanna know my gear?
a microphone confiscated from the videogame "singstar"

Click to expand...

Nice score on the microphone!

Anyway here is what my Gibson G101 organ sounds like. Please excuse the quality of the bootleg and the music itself as it was done a few weeks ago after we all had more than a few adult beverages. Also the volume turned out somewhat lower, so you may have to turn it up.

<span><a href="http://soundcloud.com/chad-bronder/love-me-two-times-multiple">Love Me Two Times (multiple track bootleg)</a></span>

Gonz, sounded good to me.

Mickiana said:

Gonz, sounded good to me.

Click to expand...

Agreed. Organ has a nice vintage sound and it sounds like you know how to play it.

@Gonzo: That sounded great! Now that you have the organ, you guys could be a Doors cover band. The singer does a fine Morrison impression, by the way.

Since I've never weighed in on this thread, here's my gear:

-Fender Telecaster sunburst '52 re-issue (my baby)
-an imitation Rickenbacker 330
-50 watt Peavey amp
-Boss DS-1 distortion pedal
-Hondo bass (yeah, I know, it's a Hondo but it's sounds O.K.)
-Takamine EF 340 acoustic electric (single cutaway)
-12 string acoustic
-5 string banjo
-a harmonica, tambourine and a pair of maracas
-Shure microphone
-a voice!

In the past:
-1st bass was a secondhand homemade job that sounded like crap. Gave it to a charity organization.
-1st acoustic was a Yamaha but it was stolen at a gig.
-2nd acoustic was a Fender but the fretboard seperated from the neck and the cost of repair wasn't worth it.
-small organ that was given away.

Can't read music. Play by ear or with tablature. Was in 2 bands (1 punk as singer + 1 alternative rock as singer/guitarist). Have done solo gigs. Some of my best friends were in popular bands who toured internationally. One band received 2 Juno awards (the Canadian equivalent of a Grammy) and an album of theirs sold Canadian platinum 4 times!

Inspirations: Pete Townshend, Eddie Van Halen, Syd Barrett, Simon & Garfunkel, Everly Brothers, The Jam, The Sex Pistols and Black Flag.