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I'm a bit blown away!


craigb

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This is Jim, someone I met through our local psychedelics group (yes, there are such things! ???).   He's the ex-CEO of a software company, so that's what we usually talk about when we're not chatting about our favorite fungi.  It was only at the Halloween party that I found out he's a musician (we both had songs that got played during the party).

This is his first YouTube video!  I'm blown away at how effortless he makes things look and can't wait to ask more about his gear!  This wasn't even meant to be a set, polished piece either (as you can tell by when he gets up briefly and, later, you hear a laundry buzzer go off twice five minutes apart later - lol! ?).  Now, I'm not a keyboardist, but just watching him looking away to set up the next part while he continues to play (without mistakes that I could hear!) impressed the heck out of me.  I also really like the tones he's getting out of everything; especially the piano (and the Spanish guitar interlude was very nice as well).

But that's just what I think, what do you guys think?

 

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 To be honest, I didn't watch the whole thing, I skipped ahead several times.

He does have some great gear. He knows how to play the keys and navigate his work flow.  It is a melodic and ambling piece that builds to a climax.

I would like to hear the finished product because the volume was quite low on my speakers. 

My biggest crit, and this is just a personal thing, I don't see a lava lamp anywhere. What's up with that?

Also, when can I hear the song of yours that was played at the party?

 

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50 minutes ago, Jesse Screed said:

Also, when can I hear the song of yours that was played at the party?

I actually had two, but nothing close to new (and both linked here before!).  The first was Mushroom Farm a song done as a collab with a guy in London and a singer from Belgium (who had only sung Country - I spent a lot of time trying to help him lose the twang! LOL... ?).  Needless to say, the song name (which became the name of our band) was why it was played at the party.  It was a funny arrangement where the guy in London would come up with a song title and I had to write the lyrics for it.  Then we both came up with the guitar parts.  Fun times!

The second song is something I wrote back in the 70's.  Here's a recorded version of Carefree but I actually played it live (first time I've played for anyone in many, many years!).

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54 minutes ago, Jesse Screed said:

https://www.nwdreamer.com/download/MushroomFarm.mp3

very excellent!

https://www.nwdreamer.com/download/Carefree.mp3

excellent!  what synth is that?

Thanks for sharing those.  I have never heard your music before, and it is a pleasure, especially the mushroom farm.

 

Thanks!

The synth I used was either a Korg N5 or a Korg MS-2000 (I had both the keyboard and the rack versions).  I don't recall which I used because I would often play the MS-2000R (rack version) using the N5 as a controller.

Heck, the "acoustic" guitar on Carefree was actually one of my other custom guitars ("Raspberry Twist" - see pic below) that has Variax guts in it! ?

RaspberryTwist1.jpg

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Oh, and, most importantly, thanks for the feedback on Jim's video!  I noticed a few things I can help him with (which included the sound levels as well, but definitely did not include any recommended improvements to his playing, tone or compositions! ?).  I'd love to find out if he's actually recorded any of his stuff because I'd really like to have it playing in the background while I'm doing other things.

He texted me that he had forgotten to mute his mic which accounted for the dryer buzzer sounds! LOL. ?

I also have some tips he could use for better use of his two cameras.  I'll probably talk with him either later today or tomorrow (need to do some intense mathematical calculations for a program I'm writing first! ? ).

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He has excellent tone. Love the way he softly strikes the lower notes on the keyboard and just let them softly ring out while he plays with his right hand. 

I agree I would like to hear his music in the background while doing stuff. BTW, he is a very capable player.

 

Your music sounds good too. Listened to 'Carefree' first. Then I listened to 'Mushroom Farm'. I wasn't expecting MFarm to be anything like the name suggests.  Ends up being a pretty nice song. Well played solos there!! Gilmore-ish in tone and style. 

 

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1 hour ago, craigb said:

Heck, the "acoustic" guitar on Carefree was actually one of my other custom guitars ("Raspberry Twist" - see pic below) that has Variax guts in it! ?

RaspberryTwist1.jpg

Really nice looking guitar!! I mean.... really nice! Beautiful  even!!

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47 minutes ago, Grem said:

He has excellent tone. Love the way he softly strikes the lower notes on the keyboard and just let them softly ring out while he plays with his right hand. 

I agree I would like to hear his music in the background while doing stuff. BTW, he is a very capable player.

 

Your music sounds good too. Listened to 'Carefree' first. Then I listened to 'Mushroom Farm'. I wasn't expecting MFarm to be anything like the name suggests.  Ends up being a pretty nice song. Well played solos there!! Gilmore-ish in tone and style. 

 

 

44 minutes ago, Grem said:

Really nice looking guitar!! I mean.... really nice! Beautiful  even!!

 Thanks for the replies!  I wish I could take credit for the solos, but that would be Jon Gill (the guy in London).  I did all the lyrics except for the break, helped create the melody and song structure, then played some of the rhythm guitar (along with trying to teach our singer, Bouke, how to sing in English! ?

Although I technically still own that Raspberry guitar, it's currently in Ohio with the luthier that built it.  I should be getting it back sometime in the near future.  I had three customs built by this guy (Jeff Miller) and Bo (Space Cowboy) bought one (called the Gaudy Paul) back when I got wiped out.  Unfortunately, Bo has passed away so I have no way of knowing where that guitar went to! ?

GaudyPaul-02.jpg

 

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12 minutes ago, craigb said:

 

 Thanks for the replies!  I wish I could take credit for the solos, but that would be Jon Gill (the guy in London).  I did all the lyrics except for the break, helped create the melody and song structure, then played some of the rhythm guitar (along with trying to teach our singer, Bouke, how to sing in English! ?

Although I technically still own that Raspberry guitar, it's currently in Ohio with the luthier that built it.  I should be getting it back sometime in the near future.  I had three customs built by this guy (Jeff Miller) and Bo (Space Cowboy) bought one (called the Gaudy Paul) back when I got wiped out.  Unfortunately, Bo has passed away so I have no way of knowing where that guitar went to! ?

GaudyPaul-02.jpg

 

nice guitar  there

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2 minutes ago, Jesse Screed said:

nice guitar  there

Yep. That is a fine looking geetar. That quilted maple top is so beautifully done. Quality work there. 

And the fretboard... wish I could zoom in more to see the detail better.

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2 minutes ago, Grem said:

Yep. That is a fine looking geetar. That quilted maple top is so beautifully done. Quality work there. 

And the fretboard... wish I could zoom in more to see the detail better.

Here are the original images I used when selling the guitar on ebay: https://www.nwdreamer.com/pics/Sold/GaudyPaulGuitar/

Each of the three guitars shared the following characteristics (and replaced 14 other guitars! LOL!):

  • All hand-built by Jeff Miller
  • Les Paul Studio Double-Cut style
  • PRS 25" scale
  • Music Man Axis neck radius (14" if I recall correctly)
  • Beyond Master Grade curly maple tops
  • Other, probably illegal now, custom woods for the neck and body (?)
  • Pickups from Bare Knuckle pickups in the UK (www.bareknucklepickups.co.uk)
  • Custom necks from Soulmate Guitars (www.soulmateguitars.com) and inlays from Bryan England (www.custominlay.com).
  • Custom electronics from Deaf Eddy (www.deaf-eddie.net)

The idea was, like a good set of golf clubs which should all feel the same, they would all just do different things!  The Raspberry Twist guitar had the Variax guts inside with Classic Rock passive pickups.  The Gaudy Paul had custom electronics, an Original Floyd Rose tremolo and a set of pickups that provided more of a Gilmour sound (plus it was made of Wenge and weighed a ton!  It could sustain for over three and a half minutes!).  The one in my member icon (called the Aqua Rocker) was the last built.  I had paid for it before getting wiped out by all the illegal stuff back in 2009 but, since I hadn't taken delivery, the bankruptcy court didn't know about it and force me to basically give it away.  It also features custom electronics, but with more modern-sounding pickups and a Wilkenson tremolo.  It's also made of Korina (a.k.a., Black Limba) and is less than half the weight of the Gaudy Paul!  Unfortunately, life being what it is, the Aqua Rocker is also back up for sale on ebay...   Yay, life! ?

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What a story Craig. 

I was reading the tone options... man-o-man...  that is some seriously numerous tone options!! Each of the three had all those tone options? Or just the Gaudy LP?

The back of the headstock is a thing of beauty!! Seriously real nice work he did. I hope the person that got it is playing it. 

Those inlays are beautiful.  The wood bonding on the front and back of the body is a touch of class.

Seriously nice work. Really. I can't express that enough.

 

I looked at it on my phone. Can't wait to get home and look at it on a bigger screen.

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29 minutes ago, Grem said:

What a story Craig. 

I was reading the tone options... man-o-man...  that is some seriously numerous tone options!! Each of the three had all those tone options? Or just the Gaudy LP?

The back of the headstock is a thing of beauty!! Seriously real nice work he did. I hope the person that got it is playing it. 

Those inlays are beautiful.  The wood bonding on the front and back of the body is a touch of class.

Seriously nice work. Really. I can't express that enough.

 

I looked at it on my phone. Can't wait to get home and look at it on a bigger screen.

Yep, all three had extended tone options!

I just replied to your other request and... my reply is hidden until it can be approved by a moderator!  (Really? ?)

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I really like the vocal on Shroom Farm I couldn't hear a twang at all, well done??

Carefree is cool, it has the mellow Emerson, Lake & Palmer thing going on which I love.

My biggest crit, both songs need a lot of cow bell..?

Jim's video is awesome, amazing control, great style??

Edited by Old Joad
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