Thread October 24, 2015 editorial: comments

Dancing with a Stranger 

Until recently, I used my ESP 400-Series Strat, which I’ve had for something like 20 years, for 95% of all my gigging and recording. I didn’t quite realize how accustomed to it — and dependent on it — I had become until I recently bought a Fender Telecaster. The new guitar plays great and sounds great, but the first time I used it in a band situation — at a rehearsal and then a gig — I felt like I was dancing with a stranger.

Somehow, I expected the transition to be seamless (I’m still using the ESP Strat for some projects, BTW), but I realized that I was so used to the sounds on the ESP, and so unfamiliar with the different pickups and pickup combinations on the Tele, that I didn’t have the same comfort level and wasn’t really sure what I’d get when I switched the pickup selector on it to another position. I’m still kind of struggling with it after a few weeks.

Who knew I'd need a transition period for a new guitar? Have you run into similar issues when you started using a new instrument?

Speaking of instruments, you won’t find many on display at the upcoming AES show in New York City (except possibly a few synths), but there will be plenty of new gear and software, and yours truly will be there, along with the Audiofanzine team, to cover it.

I’ll be doing what I always do at trade shows: Running around the show floor all day with a video camera shooting new products, and then spending the evening, and sometimes into the night, editing and posting. It’s exciting, but exhausting. AES starts on Friday October 30, and runs until Sunday November 1. Keep an eye on our news section all of this week — even before the show starts — because there are usually product announcements made in advance. And, of course, look for videos once the show is in progress.