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Rocking on a budget
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So, we all know there’s a recession/depression going on. Like everyone else, musicians are hurting, so what I’m going to do is point out the many ways we can perform to the best of our abilities on a limited budget.
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Resources: Craigslist is your best friend. Buying new instruments/equipment is as foolish as buying a new car; the value goes down immediately, and you don’t get your full money’s worth. I know many people like to create a bond with their instrument, but I fail to see why being the second, third, or fourth owner changes anything. Your money is better spent buying used, and spent on upgrading the instrument with aftermarket parts. I suggest Guitarfetish.com for all your needs. They offer a wide variety of high quality equipment at great prices. You can mod your guitar for a fraction of the price many boutique makers would charge. Craigslist also offers great prices on f/x pedals, PA equipment, recording equipment, essentially anything music related can be found on this wonderful website. Yes, there are some scammers out there, but some due diligence and knowledge on your part will go a long way.
Guitars: One of the greatest marketing companies on earth is Gibson. They actually fool people into spending thousands of dollars on guitars that just aren’t that well made, simply because people want to buy a “Gibson.” You can buy one of their lower level “Epiphone” guitars, and occasionally that guitar will sound better than its $3,000 counterpart, and occasionally it will sound like mud. My suggestion to everyone is a Fender American or Mexican Standard guitar. They can be bought used for prices well below $800 (or as low as $200) and offer great value, tone, and playability in addition to the ease of which they can be modified for your liking. There are many other great guitar makers out there that offer high quality instruments at lower prices, but aren’t an established name. Check out: Indie, Heritage, and Hammer as a few who make fantastic instruments.
Amps: I don’t work for Fender, but it is hard to argue with the amps they have been putting out for 50 years. The old ones still work just fine, the new ones work perfectly. The Fender Hot Rod series (the deluxe in particular) is a fantastic series of amps that provide great clean sounds channels, adequate drive channels, reverb, low cost and reliability in one package. I can’t imagine that a wise person will claim any amp in that series does not provide enough volume. They routinely go for less than $300-$600used. Learn to use a club’s PA to your benefit, or else everyone suffers. If you want a cleaner sound, the silver face twin reverb is impossible to beat, and more than loud enough for any venue you’ll be playing. They are routinely selling on craigslist for less than $700. A trip to an amp tech will run you a little to get it running in tip top shape, but you’ll still be well under the cost (almost half) of what a new twin reverb would cost.
We’re all hurting in the down economy, but your sound doesn’t have to as well.Support the bay area music scene. Peace.
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