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The Ramblin’ Mike

Guitar Sounds, Cafe’ Allegro and Other Ramblings
by Michael Guthrie

In December of 2003, I wrote my first “Ramblin’ Mike” column for this fine publication. Having just noticed this, I am finding it hard to believe – two years gone – in a flash. So with this new year comes the start of my third year of ramblings.
Writing for the Victory Review Magazine has been a very rewarding experience for me. I have met a lot of great folks who have shared their stories with me, and ultimately with you, the reader. A good story is usually not very far away. I suppose writing this column has turned me into a story catcher of sorts.
I would like to thank all of you, who read this magazine, for your support of Victory Music and your interest in this magazine. The Ramblin’ Mike is eternally grateful.
A couple weeks ago, I went to Cafe’ Allegro to check out a new open mic on Sundays. Barbara Buckland had invited me to come play in this cozy loft style room, upstairs, above the main part of Cafe’ Allegro. At first I was taken back by the smoke but soon most of the smokers left (now of course it will be a smoke free room). The open mic portion of the night is from 6 -7 PM, before the featured artist takes the floor and performs their 45 minute sets. Bill White started off the night with a soulful set of his own songs, well crafted, with gritty vocals and social commentary. I could hear the blues style of Lightn’ Hopkins in White’s guitar work – which backs up his vocals. He’s a modern blues man singing about the times. I haven’t been too many open mics lately, due to playing gigs regularly, so it was nice to get out and cover some new ground. Every venue has it’s own character and community base to add to the whole. While playing music around these different venues, it is hard not to see their importance. Cafe’ Allegro is like a community living room. Every venue offers a connection to a new community.
Buckland and White co-produce this venue under the graces of Cafe’ Allegro. Norm Johnson, who runs music at Pegasus, was kind enough to donate a small PA for sound. The room has a lot of potential. Through the sliding door is a covered deck you can hang out on and look across at the UW campus while you listen to live music. The layout of the room is right for a come to hear the music type venue. Wooden walls, tables and floors give the room a natural feel with very good acoustics. Downstairs you will find Cafe’ Allegro which is located in an alley on ground level, between University Ave. and the UW, with brick walls and the smell of fresh ground coffee. Pick up your favorite coffee drink and some Allegro treats and head up the stairs to the loft for some local music, or to play the open mic. This is a popular spot for students or anyone seeking an alternative to the cookie cutter coffee company. You can find out more about this open mic at www.barbarabuckland.com.
Guitar Sounds
About 3 years ago I joined Victory Music and volunteered to be a sound man for the open mic–which is now at Ravenna Third Place Books. This open mic runs for 2 1/2 hours with everyone getting 5 minutes to play. Most of the musicians play guitars of various sound qualities, since they are all built a little different and have different people playing them. I get many different requests to make their guitar sound a certain way like; warm, bright, louder etc. In an ideal world, the sound system is a transparent one which reinforces the sound you give it but it does not change the sound. Although most mixers have tone controls which can alter the guitars sound some, all too often the guitar sound that the mixer is getting is already distorted or lacking any volume. The better you sound, the better your system will sound, assuming the system is used correctly. EQ is only used to tune a system to a room and to fix or change a certain sound. Sometimes a guitar player will plug in a guitar with an on board pre-amp that has the gain set so the guitar sounds very crispy and metallic sounding. Some guitar pick-ups are very sensitive and require very little gain set for a natural sound. If the pick-up is to sensitive then the guitar is going to sound distorted, some of this distortion is hard to hear and some of it is easily heard. Some people intentionally add distortion to the sound. If you send a distorted sound to the mixer the mixer won’t be able to correct the distortion. The same is true of someone who sings with a gravely voice, the mixer can’t make it smooth and clean. Some guitar pick-ups give off a very weak signal, which can be difficult for the mixer to use. Microphones are similar to guitar pick-ups in that they can be victims of to much gain or too little sound from the performer. If someone plays their guitar very quiet it’s hard for the system to do much with it due to the limit on the amount of gain the system has before feedback. If someone gets up and plays their guitar with a lot of volume then the microphone doesn’t have to have as much gain and the sound man has more to work with. To sum it all up; the reason some people sound really good is because they are. The sound persons job is to reinforce what you sound like, the system can only go so far to make someone sound better. The next time you play at home see how many different levels you can get out of your guitar just by playing with more feeling. Think about playing loud enough so other people can hear you. Then, when you play into a mic on stage, play with that same intensity.
Michael Guthrie is a singer/songwriter who regularly plays venues in the NW. , is a Victory Music sound volunteer and produced his own CD. He ran his own coffee house/cafe, The Village Green Cafe, in Kaslo, BC. ’73-’79.
He studied sound engineering and recording at: Sound Master Recording Studios in North Hollywood, CA in ’87.
contact: moorafa@mindspring.com
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