So, here's the deal. I've been playing guitar for nearly two years and I'm very pleased with my progress. There are some things I need to work on, but other than that, I think I'm nearly ready to 'jump in' And that brings me to my questions...
Before I actually join a band, what is the bare minimum of equipment that I need? I play electric, and I have a teeny tiny practice amp that I'm sure won't work for gigs. So, I'll need something new. What should I look for in a new amp? Besides that, what else will I need? I can also sing, so will I need any extra equipment for that?
I'm sure I'll have more questions later, but if someone could help me out with this for now, I'd appreciate it.
Thanks!
In joining a band, though gigs are the goal, there's usually a pretty good period of rehearsal before the band is ready to play in public. Unless of course, the band already is established and have gigs, and you're just replacing a member. In the first scenario, you might not need that big of an amp - just something that can be heard during rehearsals. And a lot of times, first-gigs are in smaller venues, and you still don't need a huge, powerful amp. And even when you get to big venues, then there's sound-reinforcement PA systems and they can mic your amp, and you still don't need anything really loud and powerful.
Your amp is maybe 10-15 watts? Probably 50 watts would cover everything you'd need to do, from rehearsal to medium sized venues. And even if you're a younger person with a good back and all, it's sometimes a hassle to transport something like a 50 watt amp head and a 4x12 speaker cabinet; you might want to stay with a combo (speaker and amp together) format - just for convenience sake.
And if your present amp is tiny like you say, it probably has an 8" or 10" speaker. For guitar combos, you might want to look at something with a 12" speaker, just to get a little more meat in the sound. 10s are fine though. I have an old MusicMan 50 watt combo with a 10" speaker and that thing is almost 'too' loud.
Anyhow, there's a whole bunch of combos that have a 12" speaker and are around 50 watts (40-65 maybe), and that might be your target. Then just go down to a music store and try out the different brands. Then either buy one there or check out the local free papers to see if something like you tried is for sale. Used is not too bad.
What else would you need? If you have pedals, you might build yourself a pedalboard using an old suitcase that will fit it. It just takes the hassle out of setup - even for rehearsals. You already have cables and picks and a guitar stand and some of these can go right in the case along with the pedalboard. A good 3 prong AC cord is good to have - maybe 15-20 feet, and it's not a bad idea to have a little power strip with a surge protector built in.
As far as singing, you should get yourself your own mic; whatever you can afford, and maybe a mic stand of your own. If you have a pedalboard you might have to get a boom mic stand so it'll reach over the board. Along with this maybe your own mic cable too. Just mark everything with colored tape and permanent marker so it doesn't get mixed up with other band members' gear and there's no argument over that.
Earplugs are good to get used to early on, especially in tight rehearsal spaces with a drummer who loves the new ChinaBoy he just got. :)
And why not stick a small notebook or pad and mechanical pencil in your pedalboard/gig bag, along with some extra strings and a 3-2 prong adapter and maybe even a small toolkit with phillips, allen and blade screwdrives and a pliers/cutter?
Anyhow, the amp and mic is the main thing; all these little things will just accumulate after awhile.
Oh! That's right. It's nice to have a circuit tester - I think they sell them, but it's basically two leads with a lightbulb in the middle. After you're all setup for rehearsal or a gig, touch the guitar strings with one lead and touch the metal ball screen of the mic with the other and see if it lights up. There's nothing worse than playing the guitar and stepping up to the mic to sing and getting a bolt right through your lips!
Polarity checker, I think it's called.
Other than that you should be good to go :)
