Hi all!!
I'm Dave, from Ireland. I'm 35, close on 36, and have been playing guitar since I was eight. It's depressing how many years that is now!
Where to start? I'm a recording and mastering engineer, acoustic consultant, and full time music teacher. On the recording front, I've recorded many small projects, nothing anyone would have ever heard of, probably, and I don't master anything I've recorded if I'm being paid for it, and vice versa. I've designed the internal acoustics for a small cinema, a couple of venues and been involved in a couple of legal cases in a consultative capacity. I have an ALCM from the London College of Music in instrumental teaching, Grade 8 in Electric Guitar from the same body, and am currently studying for my ABRSM Grade 8 in classical guitar (hoping to get it in the summer).
I teach guitar, bass, banjo and mandolin full time, although guitar is the first and foremost love. Banjo, however was my first instrument (Irish tenor 4 string, not 5 string, of which I haven't a clue!
). Teaching keeps me extremely busy, not leaving me much time for anything else apart from work and my wife.
I've played in many bands since my first when I was 15 (a metal originals one). When I was 17 I got a job playing with a rock and roll band, and realised the value of loosening up my playing. I gave up for 2 years in a silly attempt to streamline my life more towards the engineering side. It quickly turned very depressing, and was only balanced out by the joy I had when I started to play again. I broke out my old 1960's AC15 head, splashed out on an AC30 and started to gig again. This was followed by a Marshall JVM stack (after living abroad for a couple of years).
I've always believed that digital was the way to go, hearing all the hubub about things sounding 'digital' and consigning such phrases to the bin ever since I heard the first gen pod through the power stage of a Marshall 100 watter. So far, I've played in metal covers bands, a grunge style originals band, numerous middle of the road rock covers bands, a ZZ-Top Tribute, a Kings Of Leon tribute, and an Abba tribute. Yup, I have no musical snobbery!
Good music one and all!
I invested in an Ultra in 2010, and haven't looked back. I sold my JVM and AC30, finding the Ultra an adequate replacement. 8 months ago I bought an Axe 2, and found it not only to be a replacement, but it surpassed everything I had experienced in amps.
Since my amp journey has finished, I have started to invest in guitars. I find that there are gems everywhere. I have an old Hohner Les Paul copy with Gibson burstbuckers and a revamped custom paintjob that resonated like nothing else. I have a 1994 Jackson Soloist Pro (recently replaced the pickups with a Bareknuckle Aftermath, DiMarzio ProTrack and Air Norton), a 2006 Parker Fly Deluxe (which needs a paint repair job - gig worn), a custom superstrat (Ibanez ZR Trem, Duncan pickups), a custom double cut (Duncans and Kent Armstrong pickups), a self-built 8 string (Kahler tremolo, Blackout 8s), an Eko 1960s 12 string, a Takamine acoustic, and a Santos Martinez classical. I currently have a custom baritone 6 string on order. I'm not a fan of Fender or PRS guitars, finding that I can get very similar sounds out of the ones I have without the exorbitant pricetags (and yes, I've played top notch ones.... fine guitars..... fine price too though).
In everything, I believe the goal can be lost by concentrating on the minutiae..... from over-focus on technique over passion or vice versa, or on equipment rather than the goal. Guitar heroes are Tommy Emmanuel, James Hetfield, Joe Bonamassa, and the reason I play guitar at all, Mark Knopfler. I've been known to shred, but dislike the shred culture. Yup, I've bough Passion and Warfare, Rising Force, and Surfing With the Alien, and yawned through most of the tracks (except Midnight). Amazingly skilled guys, don't get me wrong, but it's like a little like giving a quantum mechanics lecture. Interesting ideas, but I just don't spark that way, musically. Give me Floyd over Satch, and Marbletown over Paganini any day!
I listen to everything, and can appreciate most styles. Lately, it's been Meshuggahs 'Koloss', Infected Mushrooms 'Converting Vegetarians', and Steve Reich that have been blowing my hair back.
Anyway, Hi everyone!
