Top tip: make sure you can fit any type of jack (esp various right-angle ones) through the gaps between panels. It sounds like you might want to do some under-board wiring later on and it is incredibly frustrating if the gaps are too narrow. You'd be surprised how big jacks can be.

Hi all,

I'm looking for a little guidance about getting into session work.

I am based in Cape Town and really want to know (a) if there is any meaningful market for session guitarists here, and (b) any pointers on getting myself out there as available.

As to the second point in particular: would you recommend simply contacting every studio, big or small, and saying "I'm here"? Presumably people would want to hear a portfolio of recordings, but I can imagine being on the receiving end of that and thinking "ok, this sounds great, but I don't know if this guy sat down and recorded these in one take or spent a year tweaking them". Any recommendations in this regard? Also, would you recommend a single medley-type track of snippets covering different styles or a different approach?

I think I am fairly well informed about what is expected of a session guitarist, but ANY other pointers or nuggets of advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks Ewald! Good solid advice.

I might take you up on the kind offer but up to my eyeballs at the moment so will let you know.

Where to start, guys?

What experience has anyone had with any of them? I know there are quite a few local builds around. Which ones are good and is there any reason to go a THD or other international brand?

I am primarily looking at attenuation, but I am also aware that some combine it with a high quality speaker simulator, which might be worthwhile too if they are any good.

Wow, that's pretty. Also want to know about the binding.

2 x acoustic 6-strings
1 x acoustic 12-string
1 x double-neck
1 x lap-steel
13 x electric 6-strings

? :-[

Surprised by the amount of Fin-love... ?

I like the Dunlop Ultex and Tortex picks. 0.73, sharp-tipped. Bloody hard to find sometimes, and I go through a lot of them because the tip does wear down.

My first was a 3/4-sized (I was 8 or 9) nylon string that I'm happy to say both my niece and nephew learned to play on.

First decent guitar was an Ibanez Vintage-series steel string I got about 2 years later. Still have it and it still sounds gorgeous, but it was only about 10 years ago that I finally had the action sorted out: I can't believe how determined I must have been, at 11, to have played with such high action. Pain!

First electric was an Ibanez EX-series entry level superstrat job. None more black. ?

Aha! Interesting. I hadn't come across that before.

Thanks for your time.

Wow. Love that. A hint of Pink Floyd's Dogs there too! Good work getting the video to line up so well too.

Peter, if you don't mind, I have a few questions about your boards (as per your website):
- first, who made them? Super neat.
- how do you use the EQ on the small board and why not on the big one?
- how do you use the A/B and line selectors on the big board?

Thanks!

That wasn't meant to sound like I was scolding you, Domhatch ?

Whatever you think of PRS vs anything else, I think it's crazy to ever think you're not "worthy" of the guitar you've got to the point where you should get rid of it.

I mean, I get it: I've had those moments of seeing someone absolutely amazing play on something I consider a bit crap right before I dawdle about on an expensive "oooooh" guitar, and I feel useless/guilty about it.

But ultimately, he or she is playing beautifully without needing the help, I am enjoying my playing more because I'm in love with my guitar, and he or she will get there, gearwise, if he wants to. I think we could all do with being less judgmental about other people's gear (I know, contradiction) and accordingly less defensive about what we play.

What Meron said. The one was mine and it took an age to shift.

Nicely made but you'd want a pickup upgrade if you need a versatile instrument. The other thing is that they are very headstock heavy, which ended up being the killer for me. Some people have no issue with that but it really bugs me: if it weren't for that I would have happily done a pickup change and would still have it.

Prettier than her cousin, too!

Biiiiiitching!

Wow, she is a stunner. ?

Its true worth finally recognised:

I can only hope that you put on your dungarees (the ones with the butt-flap) and spent the weekend on the porch, serenading an ever-growing crowd of feral cats ?

As someone who's been through several versions of pedalboard automation (and come out the other side), the one thing I'd want that this seems to lack is the ability to enable/disable loops within a selected preset. By this I mean you be in preset mode and select a preset but still be able to drop a loop in and out from that preset.

Bigg Juggs Volume 35 was safely stowed away.

Ha! I wondered what someone might see in the DVDs.

Sure. I'm away for a week but we can arrange something when I get back. PM towards the end of next week.