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They're great guitars, I had one many years ago that served me very well. It tipped over at a rehearsal the week I got it and cracked the lacquer on the front, I was distraught at the time! 😭🤣
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Tempted. Where’s it from? Wood? Also, in the pic from above, it looks warped? Is that just an illusion? Or a chamfer? Is it a 2 or 3 piece?
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I have most of the painting and nitro gear and do fancy putting an Esquire together this summer…
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I've been so fucked by work the last god knows how long, i've had no time to while away any time on here, much less do anything creative.
Anyway, had a week off this week and having had restrorative and rejuvenating few days of family time, i've been given the gift of a day to myself. Spent it finishing and releasing a new Elvers track that i've just posted here:
https://elvers.bandcamp.com/track/wait-for-the-light
I hope it will mark a bit of a creative reboot as I've got a fair few more songs I'm keen to finish and post. I'll write some guff about how i've been thinking about recording lately - or maybe that's best posted on the production thread (although what I do hardly seems to qualify and seems a better fit here tbh).
As a slight aside - I had a good conversation with a musican friend last weekend about the drive to keep doing this stuff in the face of overwhelming critical and commercial indifference, which was quite funny. He's a fantastic producer, guitarist and singer who makes a good living off TV, film and library music and has just reached a point of financial stability at the age of 50 having struggled to support his family for years. He said to me it was a shame I wasn't doing more and that he'd be up for supporting me to put together a live band to play a few gigs.
I said it would be great but then thought, buy why? Why would I do that? I'm never going to play the kind of local pub-band gig. Y'know, wanking for coins on a Sunday afternoon while everyone wishes you'd shut up so they can enjoy their roast in peace. So if I was going to so something it would be more of an "event" type thing at a local art space where i'd rehearse a set of my stuff, hand out flyers, sell tickets (inevitably to friends and family) in advance and try and pull of the air of someone artistically relevant. But to what end? Certainly not commercial gain or the hope of some sort of musical "career" boost (after 12 years of this project, I have eighteen followers on Bandcamp). So would it just be in seach of validation? A few people saying some nice things? Probably. We decided that was probably about as much as we had any right to expect. I weighed up whether or not that might be worth the stagefright, crippling fear of potential humiliation, stomach cramps and sense of general dread that I experiance before any gig - and decided that I'll probably pass for now.
But despite that and having no time and very little mental space to devote to creativity - i'm still utterly compelled to do it. Making the best music I can possibly make with my limited ability is as essential to my mental and physical wellbing. I simply can't conceive of a time when I won't be doing it, planning it, thinking about it and enjoying the process - and if i'm lucky - being somewhat satisfied with the outcome.
Perhaps the trick is just keep recording and releasing. Finishing stuff quickly so you let it go before the invetiable self-critic disuades you from making something as finished or good enough. I'm not sure, but I am happy to let this one out into the world this afternoon.
I've been to the edge of burn-out at work lately and this week off came just in time and has also coincided with a bit of self-refelction and recalibration. I've been re-reading Jeff Tweedy's How to Write One Song recently which makes a good case for creativity for creativity's sake. Another useful bit of bathroom reading has been the Desserter guide to slackerdom, Shirk Rest and Play. This may sound silly but it really isn't. There's a section near the start of this promotional toilet book which really caught my work-addled imagination. The book is really just a cash-in spin-off from a podcast, which in itself is a spin-off from a website based on all things South London (but mainly, beer, pubs, drugs and crisps) and it opens with a section of the top regrets of the dying, which features the following:
- I wish I'd worked less
- I wish i'd had the courage to live the life I wanted rather than the one that was expected of me
- I wish I'd kept in touch with my friends.
There are more (presumably about pubs, crisps and beer) but those three have rather stuck with me. It's possible I may be rambling now, but the point is. I want to make sure that I don't end up losing my way and drifting away from writing, recording and releasing music. I don't want recognition (which is lucky in the circumstances) but I do try hard to make everything I do to be as good as I can make it, and I'm going to keep doing it, even if life gets in the way to the extent that the time between tracks ends up being far longer than i'd like. Those eighteen followers are just going to have to be patient.
- I wish I'd worked less
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this is very similar to the place I've been lately with my band, especially immediately pre and post the most recent gig we played. i wish i had a good solution or something, all it really does is raise more questions for me!
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It's a tough one man. I have a complicated relationship with playing live. But I love playing with other people and I love making music si I'm sure i'll do it again. I play at home every day, I never stop learning, making stuff up, writing little riffs, chord sequences, phrases.
Sometimes they develop into an idea for a song that I just really want to finish. Even if no-one listens (as is almost inevitable) I have an urge to get stuff finished. I hate the thought of all that energy just dissipating into nothing.
These days I don't have the time to do much about it so it takes sometimes - always - actual fucking years for me to finish anything.
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I'm in a not dissimilar boat too I guess... I was in a band in my early 20s with some people who went on to be extremely successful without me (12.2m monthly listeners on Spotify successful).
It's taken me a decade to get over it and actually get a band together and write some songs I actually love, I hate that I didn't do this years ago... we're self-recording an EP now and I don't think I've ever felt so excited about music, even when I was previously in a band playing sold out shows in some really cool venues.In terms of progression from here I think the four of us are all confident that we're actually going to release something that we're really, truly proud of but we're also conscious that we're in our mid-thirties with careers, businesses, mortgages and family obligations so we're not going to get into a van and go and try to "make it".
We're definitely planning to play shows but I think they'll likely be to assorted friends / family and maybe some small number of "fans" (if the music is as good as we think it is) and honestly I'm happy with that thought for the act of art alone.
I've always felt like the place I feel most comfortable is on a stage playing music for people and I'll die a lot happier knowing I've done more of that and have left behind some sort of musical things even if I never win that Grammy :)
That new track is extremely pretty by the way.
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That’s amazing man! Good on yer! Looking fwd to hearing what you get up to.
Grammys are for losers anyway. I think, you’re right. It’s about finding the balance between self-indulgence (playing your own music because you want/need to), being objective enough to recognise its appeal and finding an outlet for it that suits.
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This also resonates with me a lot - there’s a disparity in my band in terms of career paths, so some are less keen to chip off early, use holiday etc for gigs.
We also have this thing where most of our friends are not remotely interested in the style of music we make, so gigs can be a bit stressful and when they don’t go so well for a range of potential reasons, it really sucks. Plus the outlay of travel, time off, etc. We’re considering ditching live stuff except for rare occasions, but then those occasions are even less likely to pull a crowd.
First rehearsal next week with a new project though, with me on guitar so more appropriate for this thread. I’m testing out doing a band that I don’t give that many fucks about, as opposed to the other one which is the purest form of soul-baring and can be a bit more heavy duty. Looking forward to pretending to be Clutch.
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Making music is such hard work, eh? I decided a while ago that I CBF to put together a new band making original music, it's just so hard. I'm not a natural bandleader, not when it comes to doing my own stuff anyway, and I don't wanna tell people what to play, but I haven't been able to find like-minded musicians out here. And where do you find the time?? I'm working a six day week over five days so I'm too tired to do anything must of the time.
I've put a little electronic project together in the last twelve months which has scratched the itch but I'm already starting to tire of it and we haven't even played live yet. Not sure if that's just me being self destructive or I'm just bored with it. We released a couple of tracks last week, I know they're not earth shattering but it always seems to be such an anti-climax. It's an attitude I struggle to overcome, yet another symptom of undiagnosed ADHD I reckon.
I'm super self critical which only stops me making stuff. This new project has been an exercise in me getting out of my comfort zone and just making work to get out there. I even put up all my half finished instrumental tracks on SoundCloud as a way of getting comfortable with putting stuff out. Not that anyone cares but it's a way for me to feel okay about letting stuff go.
Anyway, making music is hard and stressful and where do we find the time?? I haven't even got kids, dunno how the fuck you guys do it.
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Sorry for the late response I’ve only just seen this. I got it on eBay but can’t remember the brand or anything. Although if you look on eBay they all seem to be routed and drilled in the same way so don’t know if it’s all done in the same factory. It has a contour on the front, hence it looks that way from the side. That’s the purpose of that photo at least but was quite hard to capture. Pretty sure it’s 2 piece but I don’t know what type of wood I’m afraid. Probably ash but I’m no wood specialist.
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It shouldn't be stressful tho should it? Not being able to make it is stressful for me. I dunno man, I feel like my thoughts on this are all over the place at the moment. Need to cogitate a bit and come up with a direction. One thing I did solve this evening (whilst at the circus - tru story bro) was that the backing under the acoustic guitar solo was too messy in that track i posted today. Have just got home and experimented with a bit of targetted muting and i'm waaaaay happier with the outcome.
Here - have a repost with the fixed mix:
https://elvers.bandcamp.com/track/wait-for-the-light
EDIT: yup. much better.
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Hey man, sorry for bomarding you with questions. Thanks for responding and clarifying about the contour. That's a deal breaker for me i'm afraid. I'm sure somene else will snap it up tho.
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FWIW - that track ^^ is what I hope will be the first of a few that result from a conscious change in approach to recording for me. I haven't really defined it yet but broadly things I want to adhere to are about getting back to recording live takes, doing more preperation, trying to get good sounds going in, getting good takes, concentrating on feel and to let imperfections pass in deference to the overall thing. I want to bring back the sponetenaity, lightness and fun that i think is easily lost in adherence to the click, the tuning grid and the endless tweakability of DAW recording.
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All the above really resonates - I've always love making music and the whole creative process but been struggling for years to make anything concrete or finishing anything, simply recording ideas and demos. It doesn't help I've never written lyrics and hate the sound of my own voice. I would say I'm just a band member, not a songwriter and find it hard to meet and connect with people and not been in practice room with the feeling that something good might naturally come of it in too long.
Plus, if I were to make myself try and make some kind of record, I'd forever struggle with the whole "does anyone even need to hear this?" thing, but I can also 100% see I'm missing a huge part of something I really love.
Spending some time back in my hometown and hanging out with friends currently recording albums and songs has definitely made me feel somehow left behind and lacking - the ironic thing is that one of them is a musician and general muso I greatly respect who recently called me "the best guitarist in town here", which has never felt flattering but just baffling, seen as I've never made anything of my own in well over a decade. But at the same time, it reminds me I SHOULD be trying to make something because it might end up not being so bad after all.
So yeah, apologies for the rambling post...!
and @Dooks-Fatberg that's one really lovely track, well written and performed - chapeau! You say you simply want to do your thing the best you can, and the best you can is clearly by far better than the vastest of majority of stuff out there.
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We released a couple of tracks last week, I know they're not earth shattering but it always seems to be such an anti-climax. It's an attitude I struggle to overcome, yet another symptom of undiagnosed ADHD I reckon.
Completely this. After I released my EP last month I haven't wanted to touch my gear.
It was a pretty traumatic experience making those tracks, but I’m really pleased to have got them across the line. Between my inner critic/undiagnosed ADHD/imposter syndrome/intrusive thoughts/technical issues and looming deadlines at one point I was intent on scrapping everything, selling all the gear and going to a mountain hut somewhere to meditate on the meaningless of existence.
It should be fun but all the fun was completely sucked out of the process somehow. I used to be able to knock a track out in a week, now I'm fucking around with everything for so long, I just kill the vibe.
However playing live is still where it's at for me. Improvised and not giving a fuck.
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Lots of stuff echoing with me. I'm terrible at lyrics and don't push myself anywhere near hard enough to write them. I've got the bones of (IMVVVHO) a great noisy guitar pop album in the can but it'll probably never see the light of day because I'm too lazy/blocked up/overwhelmed/ADHD to write the words.
Losing weight, getting back on the bike and writing some fucking lyrics so I can make an album are the three boxes I want to tick the most at the moment. Hope I get there before I croak!
And I hate playing live now, I find writing and recording music super easy. I should do it more, but too lazy and self critical, etc, etc.
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Mate, lovely! But obvs crying out for some harmonica and mellotron overdubs. 🙃
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Very similar for me - did lots of gigging and touring throughout my 20s/30s, always seemed to be rehearsing for something. Now I can't really imagine doing another gig, I much prefer the recording process to playing live.
Like you say, as you get older priorities change - despite my last band being moderately successful (within our very specific niche) we had a divorce, a cancer diagnosis, several kids being born etc. On top of all that stuff, the hassle of having to play the odd show just seemed a little 'why bother?' and we ended up becoming a band that mainly existed via WeTransfering stems to each other to work on.
The hassle of promoting your output here in 2024 kind of outweighs the gain for me - I have enjoyed making a few 'artefact' releases on nice vinyl or whatever over the years, but don't really feel the need / get the same buzz about pumping material out there any more.
I'm slimming down the amount of gear I have and will probably try and get it to a 5w guitar rig with a few pedals and a couple of acoustics for home recording. Ditching random gear that's followed me around for nearly 30 years is also quite cathartic.
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^I’ll send you the tracks! Have at it!
*googles Mel9 prices again.
It’s really touching how much my rambling seems to have resonated. For me I think it’s related to having been to the brink of having some sort of career in music, and either having it slip away or choosing to step away - but still being consumed with wanting to make music. What’s the dignified, satisfying, non-soul crushing outlet for that place in life? I have friends way more talented than me who just stepped away completely, or who only play at home. I find that unfathomable and upsetting. But it seems to work for them.
Anyway, thanks for the kind words on the tune. I lay awake last night planning my approach to recording another song that’s been kicking about unfinished for oh… 8 years. See you back here in 2028 yeah?
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Very much this. I can’t and won’t be doing any online promotion. I made that vow years ago - then broke it and put loads of effort into a project around decade ago, and it was all for fuck all.
Some time after that, I recall getting brutally knocked back from a shitty “unsigned” type folk night (one of these twee collective type cliques of posh kids that host faux pastoral happening upstairs in North London pubs.) Maybe I was a bit vulnerable and tired at the time cos it didn’t motivate me. It was just crushingly disappointing and hurtful. I called time on the live band not long after that to try and keep afloat and focus on kids, work, family, health etc.
The above tune is effectively that same “band”. It I won’t be plugging owt or booking any gigs I don’t think.
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I wanna know who everyone’s successful/nearly successful previous bands were btw! C’mon!
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I played bass... It shouldn't take much sleuthing to figure out who went on to greater things...
Dancing Under Red Skies
I always wished we had a better recording of this track.
RonAsheton
Dogtemple
Dooks-Fatberg
jackbepablo
Nahguavkire
alex_s
EB
honk-
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About
Guitar Nerds Anonymous
Posted by
@dooks
Did a little one-take noodle vid the other day to show how nicely my old Sigma is playing and sounding after I set it up. Inevitably got a bit of red light fever and the new strings are still a bit bright and clangy, but hopefully the general vibe comes across. One day I’ll own a D18 or a J50 but oh me oh my oh, I’ll always have a place for this old knock-off box. https://youtu.be/FAdGZ2PwOTI?si=KbVoQVKdQ16skiFY