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Things I have
Learned From Other Musicians |
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1) A keyboardists' count-in isn't necessarily a reference to tempo, nor is it a clear indication of where the first beat of the next bar is. 2) If your guitar-strap keeps falling off the pin on your guitar, due to the hole in the leather stretching, take the little square plastic goodie from a bread-packet and slot it over the pin, wedging the strap into place. My little bread-tag has lasted for months already, with not a single dropped guitar. 3)Also, a few years ago I had some earplugs made at an audiologist. Her name is Hazel Bonaretti. At the time, a complete aural examination PLUS fully-moulded earplugs WITH industrial-strength sound-filters cost around R300. I had my earplugs made just before the Musicians Filters were being imported from the USA. The new earplugs are even smaller, made from latex-kinda rubber and fit snugly into the earhole. The musician’s filters cut out only the harmful frequencies generated by - for example - the clanging of crash-cymbals and some of the damaging lower-frequency sounds. By all accounts, one should still be able to pitch easily if one sings as well, and these musicians' filters offer clarity that no other earplugs/cottonwool/muffs have been able to do. Lord knows us poor bass-players need all the ear-protection we can get! (4) If you are a Marshall Amp fan, the person to take it to for servicing is Sean Madden. He worked for Marshall in England and has fingers in all the right pies when it comes to getting parts. Servicing amps is not, however, his real job, so when taking your gear to him, please be sensitive to the fact that he actually works in the morning. He is also a bass player. He can be contacted at work on (011) 791 6000/ 793 1286. (5) If you are a heavy metal fan and are looking for a great and keen guitarist, his name is David Callaghan and he's the newest face at Marshall Music.I met him in Durban at the beginning of the year, just before he moved to Jozi, and heard him play "Flight Of The Bumblebee". My God! Give this man some work!!! (6) If you want your guitar serviced, modified etc, try Grant. The last phone number I had for him was (011) 768 7689, but I think he has since moved. Try his brother, Heath, on 082 901 3743. Grant did a fantastic job turning my Aria Pro with its kak passive pickups into an Aria Pro with pumping active Warwicks. He also gets good deals on strings - something we can all appreciate. Hey, speaking of which...can we get a donation box going at the next meeting for all our old and boiled-to-death strings? I know I've given up on a few of my old strings, but they're heaven to players in Madagascar and Mozambique...Anyone know how to get them there? |
