Building a new rig, moving, and gigging

[markd21]

I stopped gigging in Spring 2019. It was kind of forced. I'm epileptic and had a seizure onstage. Luckily it wasn't serious, just an absence seizure, but it affected my ability to play. It was embarrassing, lol.

Anyway, I'm ready to get out there again. Thus, I'm building a new rig centered around my ME V. That guitar has really inspired me. It's quirky, and I'm still not digging the "tuned bass note" in HB mode, but I did find the perfect amp for the guitar. Together they make beautiful music, and every pickup combination sounds stellar....

I went with an AC15 loaded with a Bad Cat Celestion. To augment the guitar and amp, I added a couple of nifty pedals. I got a StarTouch ST2 AB+Y switcher to move between, or combine, the normal and top boost channels. To active the reverb and tremolo, I got a Loopi VFS2. It's very small, which I like because I want a small pedalboard.

For drive - the good singing kind - I grabbed a J. Rockett the Dude. WOW...is that pedal s KILLER. I like the natural drive on the Top Boost channel. It sounds great when bashing open chords and playing classic sounds. The Normal channel makes for a sweet clean sound, but when "the Dude" is engaged....holy hell does it sound great. Blending the TB channel with the driven Normal channel makes for a very unique tone.

I'll probably still grab a delay and a treble booster. I'm using a TC Poly tune. Debating my actual board now. I saw these neat ones on Reverb today. The company is Kentucky Hot Brown Pedalboards...but I usually use Temple Audio. Ahhh, decisions.

That brings me to the exciting part - moving!! I am going to be making my way to the Gatlinburg area before New Years. Looks like we're moving between Christmas and NYE. Our home base will be Sevierville.

I'm excited. One of the first things I plan on doing when I get there is integrating into the local music scene. Hopefully there's stuff going on. Covid may still be looking then, but hopefully not. If so, I'll just continue my sessions, but work on creating a web-presence to advertise. Currently I stay pretty busy through local contacts, so I never set up a website or portfolio.

Exciting times coming. Can't wait to get back on the stage!!

I'm curious...you gigging guitarists, what are you bringing out when you play? What music are you performing - style, etc?

 

[bodia]

Dude, happy to hear all of this! Stoked for you.

 

[markd21]

Thanks, man. I'm pretty excited. Not only is the new rig killer, but the place we're moving to is in the mountains. Having been around the beach my whole life, it's a welcome change.

I'm really hoping to find a musically diverse scene - a place where I can play multiple styles. Here in the Tampa-area it's still METAL!!! GRRAARRROOOWWWW!!!

Deans galore...

BC Rich nightmares...

Bottom of the line Jacksons....

Hoping for more "earthy" music, lol.

 

[markd21]

Dude, happy to hear all of this! Stoked for you.

On a side note....how are you hearing the ME V? Do you hear the weird low note? What are you using to amplify it?

 

[Alnus Rubra]

Best of luck with all the new stuff happening in your life.

 

[Mark Ray]

Hey man, I'm a hop, skip, and a jump from Gatlinburg. My band plays in Sevier County pretty regularly. Please give me a shout when you are settled in.

 

[markd21]

Best of luck with all the new stuff happening in your life.

Thanks!! Change is always a good thing...even though I resist it, lol.

Hey man, I'm a hop, skip, and a jump from Gatlinburg. My band plays in Sevier County pretty regularly. Please give me a shout when you are settled in.

Sweet!! Will do!!

 

[bodia]

Thanks, man. I'm pretty excited. Not only is the new rig killer, but the place we're moving to is in the mountains. Having been around the beach my whole life, it's a welcome change.

I'm really hoping to find a musically diverse scene - a place where I can play multiple styles. Here in the Tampa-area it's still METAL!!! GRRAARRROOOWWWW!!!

Deans galore...

BC Rich nightmares...

Bottom of the line Jacksons....

Hoping for more "earthy" music, lol.

Well, Dollywood will be in your back yard

 

[bodia]

On a side note....how are you hearing the ME V? Do you hear the weird low note? What are you using to amplify it?

Playing it through the Kemper, mostly with a MBritt Marshall profile. Not sure that I hear what you do. But, keep in mind, I’m just a hack sitting in his basement!

 

[WA Paul]

I hope your move goes well! I had to look up Gatlinburg, looks like a beautiful spot!

 

[dogrocketp]

Looks like there’ll be some fine music action in your part of Tennessee! Congrats! We all want the best for you and your honey. You may even be able to run into our man Scott in nearby Alabama at some point. My 509 and I are waiting till it’s safer to gig. I’m going stone blues with a 2 channel 30 and no pedals first time out, although I did put together a pedal board during Covid time. Gotta hear what my 509 and DC3 give me before I alter the sound.

 

[markd21]

Looks like there’ll be some fine music action in your part of Tennessee! Congrats! We all want the best for you and your honey. You may even be able to run into our man Scott in nearby Alabama at some point. My 509 and I are waiting till it’s safer to gig. I’m going stone blues with a 2 channel 30 and no pedals first time out, although I did put together a pedal board during Covid time. Gotta hear what my 509 and DC3 give me before I alter the sound.

Thanks man!! Yeah, Alabama doesn't seem to far, not do the Carolinas. It'll be cool to move forward and experience new things. I've always been a FL boy. Looking forward to seasons and snow, among other things!

Yeah, I'm usually a straight into the amp guy, too. I do love the straight up sound of the AC15 - it's gnarly. It just needs help if I'm gonna play singing, fusion-esque leads. That Dude pedal puts me nicely into Robben Ford territory.

What did you plop on your board?

 

[garrett]

Wow, big news! Congrats, buddy. Hopefully we can squeeze in a hang or two before you take off.

When I was doing cover gigs, I started with a pretty full board with tuner, wah, Rotovibe, chorus, couple of overdrives, delay, boost. After a while I realized I really didn't need all that so I downsized to a Blackbird Feather Board. With some careful choices I fit a tuner, boost, compressor, two overdrives, and delay. It was fine for four-set cover gigs going from country to 80's pop to rock. I throw it in a duffel bag with a folding stand and my power cables.

Good call on the AC15. Will fit on any stage, easy enough to carry around, and plenty loud.

I was always happy with a PRS or two, since they're so darn versatile. Or, I still love my Strats.

With a small cart, I could bring my 1x12 combo, board 'n' stuff, and two guitars in gig bags, all in one trip. I'm not into big load-ins.

 

[markd21]

@garrett Cool. Thanks for the details! Heck yeah we can hang a couple more times. I'd love to do a PRS demo video of our guitars for the YouTube channel. Get your 594, the ME-V, the 57/08LTD, the S2...pass them back and forth, play them through multiple rigs... Go grab some lunch, lol... it'd be a killer time.

 

[dogrocketp]

Thanks man!! Yeah, Alabama doesn't seem to far, not do the Carolinas. It'll be cool to move forward and experience new things. I've always been a FL boy. Looking forward to seasons and snow, among other things!

Yeah, I'm usually a straight into the amp guy, too. I do love the straight up sound of the AC15 - it's gnarly. It just needs help if I'm gonna play singing, fusion-esque leads. That Dude pedal puts me nicely into Robben Ford territory.

What did you plop on your board?

The board is as follows: Route 66 (compressor / overdrive) EH B9 organ pedal, Boss phase shifter, Boss enhancer, Ernie Ball VP jr, Gamechanger audio plus pedal, digitech Digiverb. I also keep a Tech 21 Flyrig RK5 2.0 in my gear gig bag in case of amp failure.

 

[RickP]

Glad to hear you’re not letting challenges keep you down. People are itching to get out so I think the music scene will be good once this passes.

We’ve formed a small vocal trio, just backed by our two guitars, so we can play in venues that are still operating. I’m not a “I play this kind of music, and refuse to play anything else” sort of guy, so mutating to fit into what’s out there was not a question. It’s still making music, and I’m enjoying it. We played at a outdoor market and crafts thing today, made a decent bit of cash, and had some good human interaction. I, for one, loved it.

Like what you’re doing, the choice is to adapt and flow with life, or to live in fear and never step out. I commend you, brother. Go get ‘em!

By the way... to the original post, I’m using an Axe Fx III along with an RJM Mastermind GT22, and a couple of PRS guitars. It’s portable, sounds great every time, and I have all the amps & FX I need. I love my amps, but you just can’t beat this for a working player.

 

[vchizzle]

Congrats! Best of luck on your move/transition. Great to have anything to look forward to right now. Our last gig was February with few sparse rehearsals since in which we were able to keep decent distance because our space was good sized. We’ve been homeless on the band space the last few weeks and looking for a new one.

Trying to wrap up some recording, but that hasn’t been easy either.

 

[GADonis]

If you haven't already made up your mind on the treble boost check out Rockett's Lemon Aid. It's a pretty cool and versitile boost/preamp pedal. it's "full sized" so it may take up more room than you want if you are aiming for a small pedal board.

 

[Bill SAS 513]

Awesome...just got back from that area for vacation. Absolutely loved the mountains...Gatlinburg was a little crowded, but had some really nice spots (Howards Restaurant),
and Pigeon Forge, fuggetaboutit!!! Its like if Ocean City mated with Dismal World...AAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaHHHH!!!! Shoot me now!!!

If you haven't done Cades Cove Loop, (western side of Smokies), we did a couple long hikes just off the parking lots at the entrance and came across a Mama and her 2 cubs...highlight of trip.
We drove the loop on the weekend and people were nuts...impatient, beeping, yelling and crap. Perfect way to see a bear in the wild...NOT!!!!
So, yeah, we drove to our rental cabin and had fire pits each night...Gin n Tonic were my friend.
Oh, and check out the Tuckaleechee Caverns, if that's your thing...Cool story, great caverns.