First gig w/ the CG-LE
Oct 9, 2013 5:12:03 GMT -7
bluzman, Alan M (aka 'Milky'), and 2 more like this
Post by Surreal McCoy on Oct 9, 2013 5:12:03 GMT -7
First off - love it. I love the sound. I love the tone. I love the size. I love the portability. I just love it.
The first live opportunity w/ the CGLE was a gig in a local winery - Left Foot Charlie - last Friday. Easy-peasy stuff from 6-8pm. They usually have the bands outdoors on the patio, but we've been getting tons of rain and were forced to play inside. The hitch is the room is a cement floor, cement block walls and metal ceiling. Plus we got no sound check and had to run our small system w/ no micing of any of the amps, the bagpiper or the drum set. Just the vocals and the horn section through the PA.
Typical northern MI sound check.... bassist stands out in front, we kick into first tune and he listens while playing. After we're done he shrugs and says, "hmm, sound OK..." and we go.
I think my knobs were Vol - 10 o'clock, Tone - 11 o'clock, MV - noon. Guitar was a nash TK-54 w/ most of the night spent on the bridge Lollar. Tone control on the guitar back ed off a little. Signal path was tuner>Paisley Drive>Plexitortion>Golden Cello>BOSS Super Phaser>Analogman modded BOSS Trem>Clyde Deluxe> Ghia.
Songs ranged from quite/clean/trem like Grey Funnel Lines to full on plexitortion for Shipping off to Boston and Spicey McHaggis by the Dropkick Murphys. The other electric guitarist was unavailable, so I had to cover alot of ground both on rhythm and lead. Plus, between the horns/room acoustics and the bagpiper who plays w/ us on quite a few tunes and is really stinking loud, that little amp cut right through the mix without even breaking a sweat. Between the tone knob on the amp and the guitar, the bridge Lollar and the Seymour Duncan humbucker in the neck which I tapped, I had a whole bag of tone to monkey with.
The biggest surprise was the cabinet I found to go with it. I'd been keeping my eyes peeled here and on TGP for a good cab that was as portable as the CG. I hadn't found anything by the day of the show and headed down the the local guitar shop. Lots of consignment stuff in there, most of the gear is used and they give lessons in the back. There was a pair of carpeted closed back 1x12 cabs that looked thiele ported. I asked the owner about them and a buddy of his made them. After a quick phone call, I found out they were loaded w/ 8 ohm Emi Tonkers. This guy Phil did all the work himself. They looked like the old Mesa Boogie extension cabs. Except totally covered by carpet on the outside. Here's a pic of an older Mesa. My cabinet is nearly identical.
And all he wanted was $100. Hell, I think the speaker new is like $95 and the construction on the cabinet looked solid..... so why not. Well, it sounded great. I mean, it was just perfect. Walked right in with a tele in a gig bag, the little CG in one hand and the cab in the other. Didn't even break a sweat. AND - I didn't sacrifice on the tone side. Usually I'd roll in my Maz-38 1x12 in the flight case [weighs a ton] click up the brake light and go for it. This was so much easier on my aging back. After the show, I do some research on the Emi Tonker and lo and behold, the Emi website describes it as -
A hard-hitting 12" speaker with British flavor and harmonic balance. Coloration: Genre:
A very fat, clean and warm tone through the mid-range, smooth top end. English Rock, Southern Rock, Country (great with a Telecaster).
It was a pretty accurate description of the clean/dry sound coming through the speaker. If the other guitarist had been there [with his big pedal board and all his fun buttons], I could have easily run the entire gig with just the guitar and the amp. Anyway, I'm just in love with the CGLE. Too much damn fun in such a little box.
My next step is to call Susan at StudioSlips to get something so I can carry this little bugger on a plane and stuff it under the seat in front of me. [Thanks for the tip Milky, MarkT, dock66 and doc001] I've got 3 gigs at the end of the month in Washington DC. Bigger venues - Rock and Roll Hotel, 930 Club and the Gibson Custom Shop. The thought of traveling with my own Z slid under the seat in front of me and not having to worry about what kinda backline we're handed is re-assuring. The last time we were in DC I was handed a Fender Super Reverb that completely sh** the bed 1/2 way through the night. All I need is a good cabinet and some micing and I should be aces.
Many thanks to Doc for putting together another great product that helps guys like me sound like a pro.
The first live opportunity w/ the CGLE was a gig in a local winery - Left Foot Charlie - last Friday. Easy-peasy stuff from 6-8pm. They usually have the bands outdoors on the patio, but we've been getting tons of rain and were forced to play inside. The hitch is the room is a cement floor, cement block walls and metal ceiling. Plus we got no sound check and had to run our small system w/ no micing of any of the amps, the bagpiper or the drum set. Just the vocals and the horn section through the PA.
Typical northern MI sound check.... bassist stands out in front, we kick into first tune and he listens while playing. After we're done he shrugs and says, "hmm, sound OK..." and we go.
I think my knobs were Vol - 10 o'clock, Tone - 11 o'clock, MV - noon. Guitar was a nash TK-54 w/ most of the night spent on the bridge Lollar. Tone control on the guitar back ed off a little. Signal path was tuner>Paisley Drive>Plexitortion>Golden Cello>BOSS Super Phaser>Analogman modded BOSS Trem>Clyde Deluxe> Ghia.
Songs ranged from quite/clean/trem like Grey Funnel Lines to full on plexitortion for Shipping off to Boston and Spicey McHaggis by the Dropkick Murphys. The other electric guitarist was unavailable, so I had to cover alot of ground both on rhythm and lead. Plus, between the horns/room acoustics and the bagpiper who plays w/ us on quite a few tunes and is really stinking loud, that little amp cut right through the mix without even breaking a sweat. Between the tone knob on the amp and the guitar, the bridge Lollar and the Seymour Duncan humbucker in the neck which I tapped, I had a whole bag of tone to monkey with.
The biggest surprise was the cabinet I found to go with it. I'd been keeping my eyes peeled here and on TGP for a good cab that was as portable as the CG. I hadn't found anything by the day of the show and headed down the the local guitar shop. Lots of consignment stuff in there, most of the gear is used and they give lessons in the back. There was a pair of carpeted closed back 1x12 cabs that looked thiele ported. I asked the owner about them and a buddy of his made them. After a quick phone call, I found out they were loaded w/ 8 ohm Emi Tonkers. This guy Phil did all the work himself. They looked like the old Mesa Boogie extension cabs. Except totally covered by carpet on the outside. Here's a pic of an older Mesa. My cabinet is nearly identical.
And all he wanted was $100. Hell, I think the speaker new is like $95 and the construction on the cabinet looked solid..... so why not. Well, it sounded great. I mean, it was just perfect. Walked right in with a tele in a gig bag, the little CG in one hand and the cab in the other. Didn't even break a sweat. AND - I didn't sacrifice on the tone side. Usually I'd roll in my Maz-38 1x12 in the flight case [weighs a ton] click up the brake light and go for it. This was so much easier on my aging back. After the show, I do some research on the Emi Tonker and lo and behold, the Emi website describes it as -
A hard-hitting 12" speaker with British flavor and harmonic balance. Coloration: Genre:
A very fat, clean and warm tone through the mid-range, smooth top end. English Rock, Southern Rock, Country (great with a Telecaster).
It was a pretty accurate description of the clean/dry sound coming through the speaker. If the other guitarist had been there [with his big pedal board and all his fun buttons], I could have easily run the entire gig with just the guitar and the amp. Anyway, I'm just in love with the CGLE. Too much damn fun in such a little box.
My next step is to call Susan at StudioSlips to get something so I can carry this little bugger on a plane and stuff it under the seat in front of me. [Thanks for the tip Milky, MarkT, dock66 and doc001] I've got 3 gigs at the end of the month in Washington DC. Bigger venues - Rock and Roll Hotel, 930 Club and the Gibson Custom Shop. The thought of traveling with my own Z slid under the seat in front of me and not having to worry about what kinda backline we're handed is re-assuring. The last time we were in DC I was handed a Fender Super Reverb that completely sh** the bed 1/2 way through the night. All I need is a good cabinet and some micing and I should be aces.
Many thanks to Doc for putting together another great product that helps guys like me sound like a pro.
?? That's where we spent a few days in May prepping for a show a Hill Country BBQ in DC. If that's the place, that's the Fender Super.
