ML Rocky Jones's Page

"These days I use D'addario Pro Steels 40-100 - bright & bouncy. Used to use Ken Smith Round Stainless Steel, but are not easy to find. Prior to that, Rotosound Round Stainless Steel."

"The suitcase kit would be a good way to go. If you have a little more space and want a better kick sound, then get a TV (or a UHaul) box and pack it all into that. All that's really needed are the essentials: Kick, Snare, High Hat, Crash/Ride,…"

"Dittos to the other comments... Although there may be familiarity with some of the members of the closing congregation, there's still the matter of their integration into the new congregation w/ differing leadership, style, vision, etc. Placing…"

"While intonation's, of course, important, I've heard players make an intonated guitar sound out of tune. Usually it's a combination of uneven finger pressure when fretting, taller ("modern") frets, and heavy-handed…"

"How a pickup is mounted definitely makes a difference with tone: 1) Suspended w/springs (typical Fender & Gibson) 2) Suspended w/rubber tubing (some Fender) 3) Suspended w/plastic or metal spacer (custom) 4) Mounted directly to the body…"

"I like the 3-barrel saddles because of the tone - more solid & punchy, preferably the big brass barrels. That said, comp'd saddles (Barden and Wilkenson styles) can be implemented to make intonation setup easier. However, the standard…"

"I like the Elixir PB, but the G & D strings always break (usually in the middle of a worship service) - never broke a string in two decades till I started using Elixirs. That said, I switched to EXP PB and have been really pleased with the tone…"

"The mic's where it's at for tone, but for a loud worship band... it can get ugly very quickly! That said, if a loud band isn't an issue, then go with the mic - they're more natural and intimate sounding."

"Boss Flanger, Chorus, or Phaser... swirling ALL the time! :D Other than some eq (to fix things) and reverb or delay (for depth), I keep it pretty simple. When I'm on flattop, it's an airy, woody, acoustic tone I'm after. Now when it…"

"Sure... cables make a difference, but it's a matter of whether it's a better difference or not. For me, I'm looking for consistency, which is where a particular 'brand' of cable can become important (for instance, if I need…"

"I'm all for a good quality stomp tuner w/ a silent tune feature. I've used the Boss TU2 for good results, but have gone w/ the TC for my electric pedalboard since it's true bypass. But both work great/well enough for…"