A month on I'm still with the band. I've been to several rehearsals and learnt more songs. We're working through some punk classics at the moment as they are quick to learn and sound good. We still need to figure out arrangements for the other songs. Last week we played about ten songs, some several times. I've been recording sessions on my Zoom H4 and have burnt some CDs for the others. The problem with that is getting a decent balance so that you can hear everyone. This is another area for us to work on. It's not helped by the limited PA options we have there.
At least I found out the cause of my buzzing noise. It seems that the guitar lead I got with my first electric about twenty years ago has given up the ghost. I was worried that it was the guitar as I was using a Marshall Valvestate that lives at the studio last week. Once we sorted the buzz it sounded great. A nice chunky sound that made my Peavey sound distinctly weedy. I had been thinking that I need something beefier to cut through with the band. I reckon I need something with at least 50W with at least one 12" speaker. The power requirement will depend on what sort of gigs we play and whether I can go through the PA. As for the sound I think that valves may play a part. I'm not sure I can afford a full valve amp, so it would probably be some sort of hybrid. Marshall have various models, some with extra effects that may not be up to much. Another range that looks possible are the Vox Valvetronix that aim to model various amps whilst incorporating a valve. The Line 6 Spider goes all out with modeling. I really need to find somewhere that I can try several, but that will have to wait until I have the funds. I'll consider second hand if something crops up.
Playing live gigs is an unknown world for me, even though I've been to hundreds. I expect that finding the right set of gear is a long path for most guitarists, but I'm open to any advice. The web is full of guitar sites. Some even specialise in showing you famous players' rigs. I'm suffering again from information overload.
I ought to go and practice now.
