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What is the best low cost band equipment for small gigs and band practice?

I am only 13 years old and i'm definitely not ready for real band performances. I am looking for a nice and somewhat loud amp that would be perfect for playing in friends houses or backyards. I am not looking for large speaker cabinets or anything over 300 dollars per piece of equipment (ex. amplifier, amp heads, microphones, etc). Right now my plan for live performances is to have the drums without a microphone since they are loud enough for such a small place. Becasue of this i dont think i will need any gear for my drums. I have one guitar and just need it to equal up to the loudness of the drum set. Right now i have a Fender Frontman 15g amp and when i blast it on 8 or 9 on the amp and 8 or 9 on my guitars control it does reach the right level but the sound can get a little scratchy and indistinguishable differences between notes and chords. I was thinking a 35 watt amp or so would provide just enough power to get a loud enough sound at a lower level on the amp like at 5 or 6. That way the sounds will sound better at the right volume. Amp suggestions hopefully with links. For a bass guitar i currently dont have one but if that ddoes change does anyone have amp suggestions i can relay over to that bassist? with links like said before I do have an electric piano with a line out but its not a neccesity to include and would only be used if a VERY cheap way to amplify its sound is available. suggestions? For vocals i will have one main vocalist. also, it would be nice to have 1-2 exstra mics for backups on vocals from the bassists and guitarist. For the main singer i was thinking of a shure sm57 or sm58. i would also like to know if anyone has cheaper suggestions for mics. this is not as important though. i will need a way to amplifier the vocals. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT i currently have no way whatsoever to amplify the vocals. suggestions for mics and amps are what i need. Now with all of these parts covered and a may to amplify all of my instruments i have some questions about possible solutions. My school uses a combo amp with 4 inputs (one XLR, 3 line input) and it has one main speaker on the front and a bass hole in the back for my school jazz band which i'm part of. This amp seems to do fine and i'm wondering if this is a possible single step solution. Also, i saw a local blues band performing with a portable pa system and i'm wondering if this is a possible solution. Besides these major pieces i am not worrying about cables and stands. i can purchase these myself. Also, i forgot to mention the style of music and type of instruments so you know what to look for. I will probably be playing rock/metal with some other kings of music randomly thrown in like rap, alternative and other music related to this. The guitar is a fender squire stratocauster, the affinity series. It is low quality but it suits my needs. My drum set is a used stagg 5 piece (i think 5 piece means 5 drums-snare, bass, high tom, med tom, floor tom) also, it has a sabien b8 rockride cymbal 20 inches, a sabein b8 thin crash cymbal 16 inches, sabien b8 hi-hats 14inch. I am planning on getting a sabien b8 med crash 18inch as well to get another sound from by cymbals. The bass like said before doesn't exsist since i don't have a bass player. Key board also doesnt exsist yet. Vocal mic still has to be purchased but like i said i am thinking about a shure sm57 or sm58. Finally, is this equipment all i will need for a successful performance? Did i forget any crucial pieces? Finally, finally, for cost reasons please keep all amps for single instrements (like guiter only) under 200 dollars. for mics, under 110 dollars. for amps for multiple instrements (guitar and vocal, bass and guitar, all three combined, etc.) it can go up to 300 dollars, possibly 400 dollars if it can cover all of the instruments. Please give either full answers or really detailed answers about specific parts of my question. Don't get mad over grammer and spelling please. Remember i am looking for advice on specific pieces of equipment. Amplifiers, mics, pa system etc. Even if you just post a great amp for guitar that can be on par with the the drum set that would be fine. Or if you gave another way to amplify all the instruments in a PA system or something

Jason

Question answered by Piano Joe

You are correct in wanting separate amps for guitar and bass, but on such a tight budget you might want to consider buying a PA system for everything instead of separate amps. See links for suggestions. I've always trusted Yamaha, Mackie, JBL and Peavey. Fender is a good name, although I've had no experience with their PA gear. With a PA for everything, you can hook up your keys too. The systems I linked have boards with plenty of channels, graphic eq and effects - really everything you need. SM58s are the right mic for sure. The 57s are the same, minus the windscreen. There may be cheaper mic's that are adequate, but I'm not familiar with mic's in the sub-100 price range. No matter what mic's you buy later on, you will always have uses for SM58s. They're great for vocals, mic'ing drums and amps, and they take a beating. As I said, it's better to have separate amps, and musicians should purchase their own. This being the case, your PA system is used only for vocals, which makes the overall sound much cleaner. The musicians will hear their own instruments better, so volume wars are less likely. You are right not to worry about mic'ing the drums. That's something you would consider later on when you're playing larger rooms, have a big quality PA, and have separate amps. I know very little about guitar and bass amps, so I can't help you there. I do know that you won't get a huge bass sound out of a PA system on your budget, and as a guitarist gets deeper into his craft, he will want his own amp, and he'll want more than 35 watts. Give Sweetwater.com a call. The salespeople know their gear and will help you find the best gear within your budget. They will match prices from other stores - Guitar Center, Musician's Friend, Zzounds - they will all match prices, so shop and haggle. When you buy a bunch of gear at one place, try to talk the price down. One minor tip: don't go too cheap on mic stands. There are some pretty awful ones out there, and you'll end up replacing them after a few gigs. Example: On Stage brand. Enjoy!

Which guitar should I put a Seymour Duncan Invader on?

I have an ESP LTD M-10 which is a cheaper model that you can get off Amazon for like $150 I think if I remember correctly. I also have an Ibanez RG3EXFM1 which is more around $400. The question is, does the pricepoint really matter? Cause both guitars feel good in their ways, and even sound similar except that the esp has more noise and the rg is too thing sounding but those are pickup characteristic since both of these guitars are basswood. (except RG with maple top) what do you guys recommend? So in reality how can an RG with a SD invader outperform an ltd with an invader? and vise versa! Or is it irrelevant as long as both guitars have a good feel and don't have like bent neck, bad factory setup, and such? yeah sure the rg is nice with that flat neck, but the ltd feels okay, like a guitar and should perform like one, and sound like it was sweet pickups with great tone either way right? (assuming the pickups are good to begin with) but really, what is the difference between a $1200 dollar guitar and a $200 guitar? cause I've tried everything at guitar center and sometimes the higher end models may feel awkward and some feel great and they're like $300 RG's... there's really good quality, and there's working quality.. I believe that a working quality guitar should "work" just fine and sound accordingly to the pickups, amp, and skill of the player. I don't believe the quality goes much beyond the feel... how accurate would you say this is?

rhythmguitarist90

Question answered by Walter

First off, I typically ignore most of the stuff that CrossTwn says. I think he builds Squiers. The correct answer for the question about how your guitar will perform with Invaders is, the same. Everything will function the same however the tonal output will be different. Pickups have a specific tonal balance and output depending on the magnets used, windings, pole pieces, etc. Personally, I love Seymour Duncans but don't really care for the Invader bridge pickup much. As for having to change both the bridge and neck pickup, well... thats up to you. Do you use the neck pickup now? Do you use both the neck and bridge pickup mixed? They make some guitars with just a bridge pickup and of course, some guitars with just a neck pickup. There is no point in spending another $80 on a pickup + labor for an install if you are not going to use it. As for which guitar will benefit from the pickup change more... well, I guess that depends on which guitar sounds more like crap now. If you want the Invaders because either they look cool or Synyster Gates uses them, you should give some of the other Duncan pickups a listen. There is a tone generator on their website. I also suggest the Duncan JB as a bridge pickup, its the #1 used pickup and one of the most versatile. Also, the hotter the pickup is, the less you will hear wood charachteristics. Solid bodies are the hardest to hear any differences. If you are playing both your guitars with distortion, chances are you won't really hear any difference between the 2 guitars if they both had the same pickups in them. What is the difference between a $1200 guitar and $200? There are some small things that come into play like both answerers stated. Using higher quality parts like a bone nut or a better bridge drive up the cost a little. However, builders buy in bulk. It may cost you or I $20 for a bone nut, but they buy a lot of thousands of bone blanks and probably pay pennies for them. Wood can drive up costs considerably, especially if the grain will show since you need a more appealing piece of wood. A bolt on neck is the cheapest to make and easiest, set necks and neck thru guitars will be more expensive. There are plenty of stages of building a guitar that will effect the quality as well as costs. How many coats of paint and what type of finish (nitrocellulose is more expensive than lacquer) are factors. Look at how much cheaper the Gibson faded series is... mostly a paint difference. The really big thing is the labor/craftsmanship. The difference in assembly and finishing touches on a guitar can drive the costs of manufacture up as well as the value and cost to a consumer. This is notable on many high end guitars. The extra work that goes into a Gibson Les Paul in comparison to a Gibson Les Paul Studio is huge. The binding, fretwork, neck sanding, balancing, etc. You will definitely feel a difference in the 2 guitars, and although they have the same pickups, you may hear a difference too. The Ibanez Prestige line and J. Craft/J. Custom all have a ton of extra work in them as well as the ESP line which differs from the LTD line. You can also look at Fenders line of guitars from Starcaster to Squier to MIM strats to Highway 1, American to American Deluxe or Custom Shop. Everything changes on the guitars from the cheaply made pickups with crappy magnets and the different fretwires, finish, tuners, pots, caps, wood selection, etc, etc, etc. A good guitar should also last a very long time with good maintenance, where cheaper guitars can fall apart.

Bracelet making help!?

I would like to know how to make bracelets that are not beaded ones....if you know any sites which have instructions on, or know any yourself then that would be very helpful! Thank you!

scrumdidleyumpshush

Question answered by Mommiedearest

These should be different beads as my search was for jewelry type bracelets. Over 50 Free Bracelet Patterns Over 50 Free Bracelet patterns at AllCrafts.net - Free Crafts Network Free Crafts projects! Your guide for all types of crafts. Holiday crafts, Kids crafts, crochet ... http://www.allcrafts.net/jewelry/bracelets.htm - Cached Beaded Bracelet Patterns and Homemade Jewelry | FaveCrafts.com We have free beaded bracelet patterns for beginners as well as those who are ... Beaded Bracelet Patterns and Homemade Jewelry; Angel Charm; Beadalon and Suede Necklace http://www.favecrafts.com/Jewelry...Bracelet-Patterns-and...Jewelry - Cached Free Jewelry Making Ideas and Bead Patterns for Bracelets ... Free jewelry making ideas for bracelets. Lots of different patterns for making bracelets out of wire, beads, memory wire, and more. http://www.eebeads.com/Ideas_Bracelets.htm - Cached Jewelry-Making Ideas, Free Patterns, Necklaces and Bracelet ... FREE Jewelry Ideas - Stay up to date on the latest trends in beaded jewelry with our free design instructions! Whether you want to learn how to create a specific idea or ... http://www.artbeads.com/learning-center-ideas1.html - Cached Bead Bracelet, Bead Jewelry, Free Patterns, Bead Store Bead Bracelets - Find all the free bracelet designs you could want right here at the Artbeads.com bracelets section. From elegant to playful, we have the inspiration for ... http://www.artbeads.com/bracelets.html - Cached Friendship Bracelet Patterns - How to make Jewelry for Everyone Free, detailed friendship bracelet patterns with lots of pictures. http://www.how-to-make-jewelry.com/friendship-bracelet-patterns... - Cached Free Crochet Jewelry Patterns Find free crochet jewelry patterns including necklaces, bracelets, chains, and an amulet bag. http://www.crochet.about.com/.../tp/Free_Crochet_Jewelry_Patterns.htm - Cached Free Beading Patterns - Free Jewelry Patterns and More Make your own jewelry with the free beading patterns you'll discover here! ... you to shop for supplies so you can start beading necklaces, bracelets ... http://www.freepatterns.com/list.html?cat_id=460 - Cached Necklace, Bracelet & Earring Set | Free Vintage Crochet ... Printer-friendly version. This free pattern originally published in Star Book of Crocheted, Knitted, Tatted, Book No. 15. Buy the digitally restored eBook for $2.49. http://www.freevintagecrochet.com/free-jewelry-pattern/star15/... - Cached Free Bead Patterns for Beaded Bracelets - Welcome to About ... Free bead patterns for beaded bracelets using a variety of bead stiches ... and different, this square stitch bracelet will stack up well against anything in your jewelry ... http://www.beadwork.about.com/od/bracelets my search was for jewelry.