Not sure if this is Digital related. Or a rant. Or who knows what to be honest.

[JiveTurkey]

So second time in about as many weeks I have been having random issues at gigs. All of them a mixture of rig overcomplication and hardware failure. And maybe a pinch of PEBPAG



I think my GR55 is not long for this gigging earth, unfortunately.

Last night at the beginning of our second set (first of which was NUTS in the best possible of ways); the 13 pin cable stopped passing normal pickup audio. I did that thing where you look at every variable on stage (other than the GK pickup selector that in retrospect probably got set to GK only ) that could cause it and swap it all out in a calm panic to no avail. I think my Strat volume knob is also not long for this world as well



I've never had a guitar control be this scratchy and temperamental after just a few gigs out of the gate. It of course worked when I got home but the pot housing itself was rotating vs. the volume knob. Signal died out when I rotated it too far so that was that. I am probably going to end up pulling all controls off the guitar other than than pickup selector. Fuck it. I digress...

The GR encoder wheel no longer works so I couldn't select my Ibanez V GK set. The guitar which I almost didn't bring So I couldn't switch to that guitar and use my guitar synth sounds. Did I mention ugh? We'll see what the incoming GM800 brings. I tried out some new headwear last night as well and I couldn't help wondering if the tinsel would have shielded me from this gig pain...

 

[James Freeman]

Some days are just devoid of luck, that sucks.

 

[JiveTurkey]

Some days are just devoid of luck, that sucks.

Did I mention my guitarist broke a string as well I was SUPER lucky to at least have brought my backup which I haven't been doing for some time because StartTown has been so satisfying.

 

[ejecta]

Some days are just devoid of luck, that sucks.

Yep bad gigs happen and they suck hard especially when it’s gear related. It eats at you for days afterwards. Bad gigs due to not playing so well is like “we stunk it up tonight” and move on but when the gear gets wonky and that’s why… it’s stuck on repeat in my brain why and what possible fixes for days. Sorry to hear you had a bad gig JT.

 

[FuzzyAce]

I found your next rig JT --

 

[FuzzyAce]

I kid...
Hope you figure it out.

 

[SwirlyMaple]

Are you playing at the same venues as @Bob Zaod ?!

 

[Boudoir Guitar]

I found your next rig JT --

Overcomplicating things with that floating tremolo on the Strat, aren't we? :)

Sorry about second set woes, Jive. Volume pot/selectro switch woes for whatever reason have been my nemesis in non-gigging land the last year or two. Haven't broken a string in probably 10 years, but I can't flip to a neck pickup these days without uncovering some cold solder joint, or flakey pot somewhere....

 

[FuzzyAce]

Overcomplicating things with that floating tremolo on the Strat, aren't we? :)

Funny, if that was my guitar it wouldn't be floating.

 

[SwirlyMaple]

Overcomplicating things with that floating tremolo on the Strat, aren't we? :)

Sorry about second set woes, Jive. Volume pot/selectro switch woes for whatever reason have been my nemesis in non-gigging land the last year or two. Haven't broken a string in probably 10 years, but I can't flip to a neck pickup these days without uncovering some cold solder joint, or flakey pot somewhere....

I bought a Jazzmaster a couple years ago. The guitar overall is great, but it had an audio crackle and dropout issue that would only happen after playing for a while. I took the pickguard off, looked around, and eventually found a cold joint on one of the pots. You couldn’t even see it under magnification until you put pressure on it. Anyway, no big deal, reflowed the solder and reassembled.

The crackle was now gone, but after about 15 minutes of playing, the dropout would still happen until I put it away for an hour. Rinse and repeat. WTF?

So I took it all apart again, inspected the entire harness, and finally found the issue. There was a solder drip behind one of the other pot lugs that was just baaaaaaarely touching the case. When it was cold there was no electrical contact so it worked fine, but once the guitar got warm, it was just enough thermal expansion to create contact and short the lug to the case. Good times, lol

 

[quadgear]

Did I mention my guitarist broke a string as well

<NERD ALERT>
That's clearly digital since the string is either broken or not ... a binary value.
</NERD ALERT>

 

[SwirlyMaple]

<NERD ALERT>
That's clearly digital since the string is either broken or not ... a binary value.
</NERD ALERT>

Au contraire, some of us have had windings break on wound strings while the core stays intact. Analog.

 

[quadgear]

Au contraire, some of us have had windings break on wound strings while the core stays intact. Analog.

Tri-state (ternary) is also a discrete. Digital!

This is going nowhere fast. Time for a Ham Sammich.

 

[JiveTurkey]

Yep bad gigs happen and they suck hard especially when it’s gear related. It eats at you for days afterwards. Bad gigs due to not playing so well is like “we stunk it up tonight” and move on but when the gear gets wonky and that’s why… it’s stuck on repeat in my brain why and what possible fixes for days. Sorry to hear you had a bad gig JT.

Thank you sir. The hardest part for me is shaking that irritation of taking too long to figure it out while you are standing on stage. Band had to play 2 songs without me while I flailed around like an idiot trying to figure it out and get the V up and going Once I got past that hurdle and saw people were still having a great time; I just forced myself out of bitch mode and just tried to focus towards the end of the night without worrying about it.

I found your next rig JT --

I certainly like the looks of it!

Are you playing at the same venues as @Bob Zaod ?!

I have had some suspicions

Overcomplicating things with that floating tremolo on the Strat, aren't we? :)

Sorry about second set woes, Jive. Volume pot/selectro switch woes for whatever reason have been my nemesis in non-gigging land the last year or two. Haven't broken a string in probably 10 years, but I can't flip to a neck pickup these days without uncovering some cold solder joint, or flakey pot somewhere....

I am telling you; this guitar is going to be bald (on the onboard control front) once I am through with it

<NERD ALERT>
That's clearly digital since the string is either broken or not ... a binary value.
</NERD ALERT>

 

[la szum]

Your rig world is clearly falling apart, JT.

Can I send you some duct tape, bubble gum, and aluminum foil to put it all back together??

 

[JiveTurkey]

Your rig world is clearly falling apart, JT.

Can I send you some duct tape, bubble gum, and aluminum foil to put it all back together??

I'll take it!

 

[la szum]

Seriously! Don't beat yourself up about it too much. Shit happens, JT.

Pots are easy enough fixes. Can fix them faster than restringing a Floyd!


I will follow this with relish, and envy your deep dive into the GM-800 world.

Thank you for the ongoing entertainment value, and the reminder that little
about gigging is actually fun.

 

[JiveTurkey]

Ahh I have a great time, generally speaking. Even the parts that end up being work. If I didn't have cool bandmates; it would probably be a different story.

 

[TSJMajesty]

Pots are easy enough fixes. Can fix them faster than restringing a Floyd!

I see what you did there.

 

[mbenigni]

(other than the GK pickup selector that in retrospect probably got set to GK only )

Ugh, that switch. Only Roland could have taken something that could have/ should have been so simple, and made it so counter-intuitive. Oh well, I guess there's one thing to be said for having zero controls on the GK5: none of them will be wonky.