Members Queequeg Posted May 25, 2011 Members Share Posted May 25, 2011 An open case as a tip jar seems like an invitation to disaster. What do all you successful buskers use to wrangle the loot? These work pretty well, although being opaque, forget about seeding. You can cut a slot or a hole in the top. cover up the Folgers label with "TIPS" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members brewgoodbeer Posted May 25, 2011 Members Share Posted May 25, 2011 I don't know... I'm kinda Chicken S--T. Maybe the deal is to pick out a medium exposure kinda place, see how it feels then move on? I guess pick out a spot down town, Take the guitar out of the case, leave the case open with a little seed money, then start wailing away? Someone will recognise me, call my Wife, and she'll have me locked up. Crazy Old Man On The Lose! Ha,ha.I guess you take a beater guitar? Something nice may not look right? The Kay Resonator, or the Samik/Epiphone with the bolt on neck? Not the Martin or the Seagull.Dress nice or look kinda homless? Clean shave or a shadow?Oh Man! I'm getting close to doin it! I would stay out of Va Beach. I am pretty sure you need a permit. However the downtown Norfolk near the theaters, the scope, Chrysler, etc would be good. Dress in nice casual clothes and take a camping guitar. Do not look like a homeless person. You are not begging. You are performing. If people want to reward you for making their day a little brighter, then they can. You are not begging. I have never felt threatened when playing. At the same time, I am not going to the wrong area of town to do this. The object is to have fun. Make sure you have plenty of material ready. No one wants to the hear the same song over and over. If you are there for two hrs. have two hrs. worth of material. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jamesp Posted May 25, 2011 Members Share Posted May 25, 2011 Go to CP, and where it says Avatar, follow the instructions...you'll need a pic 100 X 100 or less. FWIW, I haven't needed to resize a pic since the vB 4.0 Update. Seems to do it for ya. This place runs great now. Here's a useful and handy thread on Tip Jars.http://acapella.harmony-central.com/showthread.php?2452115-Handy-performing-tip&highlight=Tip+Jar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Chordchunker Posted May 25, 2011 Members Share Posted May 25, 2011 I'd like to find a good used Crate Taxi like you've got, Terry. I've seen/heard the little 15w job.Not anxious to lay down $399 for the 50w though. I`ve been checking those out too.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Agitator Posted May 25, 2011 Members Share Posted May 25, 2011 Busking used to be huge in Boston and Cambridge, about 20-25 years ago. You still see buskers but not as many as the days when you would walk through Harvard Square on a Saturday evening, after the stores had closed, and every other storefront would have someone busking in it. There were guys with more gear on the sidewalk (e.g. running off of car batteries or generators) than I took to gigs. I had a roommate who was a busker and she typically made about $100 a day. That's nothing to sneeze at, and even less so in 1988. She was the only one of my roommates who ever paid her share of the bills on time. Around here, you definitely need a permit, though, which is good for one year, as I recall. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Agitator Posted May 25, 2011 Members Share Posted May 25, 2011 Also, as others pointed out, there were definitely rules (among the buskers) about where and when you could play. Back in the late 80s, they used to have people lining up in the early morning to get the prime spots (subway stations, etc); I think there was some sort of lottery or coin toss to determine who got the good spots, then they would turn over after a certain number of hours. So just be sure you're not stepping on someone else's toes, but unless you're within earshot of another busker, it probably won't be a problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Chordchunker Posted May 25, 2011 Members Share Posted May 25, 2011 I tend to leave the case closed and just play for the people. If you are looking to make money, seeding the tip jar is a must, and don't seed it with a $1. I've always heard that if you seed with change, you'll get mostly change. The couple times I tried making money at it, the wind was not cooperating. An open case as a tip jar seems like an invitation to disaster. What do all you successful buskers use to wrangle the loot? I use one of those Halloween plastic pumpkins that looks like an Aliens head. I take the base out of my Light Mug and put in the bottom of the bucket/head....Kids love to put money in there. A paint bucket works well too. Decorate the crap out of it with paint, stickers, so forth. I use fabric sometimes to dress up the tip bucket. If we are making lot`s of money I usually take most of it out as we go and only leave a certain amount in the tipping receptacle. We have a whole shtick on proper use of the tipping receptacle.. A friend in NOLA trained his dog to take dollars from folks and drop it in the tip bucket. That dog made my friend many, many dollars/fives/tens/etc.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Chordchunker Posted May 25, 2011 Members Share Posted May 25, 2011 I got one of these bad boys after reading a post by TAH on here. Great idea.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Stringbender11 Posted June 4, 2011 Members Share Posted June 4, 2011 Wow, really interesting thread. I've never tried busking but from some of the posts here it sounds like could be fun & help get you used to performing in front of people. It's funny here in the Portland OR area I've seen quite a few people doing it in the city. Some were I hate to say, absolutely terrible. Really awful playing. Then I've also seen a few people that were quite good. Might have to try myself sometime if I can get the cajones to do it. Anyway neat thread, I'd love to hear other's experiences as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Terry Allan Hall Posted June 4, 2011 Members Share Posted June 4, 2011 I'd like to find a good used Crate Taxi like you've got, Terry. I've seen/heard the little 15w job.Not anxious to lay down $399 for the 50w though. I paid $175 for one of my Limos and $160 for the other...found both on Craigslist. Might also check in on Daddy's Junky Music (http://www.daddys.com/), Ebay, and/or local pawnshops. Sold my Taxi a few months ago, but occ. see them for $75-100. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Chordchunker Posted June 4, 2011 Members Share Posted June 4, 2011 Amplification while busking is illegal here, which is really a good thing. Bought myself a Fishman Loudbox mini yesterday for outdoor patio gigs. This little sucker sounds great! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Queequeg Posted June 6, 2011 Members Share Posted June 6, 2011 I paid $175 for one of my Limos and $160 for the other...found both on Craigslist. Might also check in on Daddy's Junky Music (http://www.daddys.com/), Ebay, and/or local pawnshops. Sold my Taxi a few months ago, but occ. see them for $75-100. OK, I think I found one.Terry, what about the battery? If it is dead, is it possible to replace it at Radio Shack, or is this highly proprietary and cost more than the amp itself? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members wkendhacker Posted June 6, 2011 Members Share Posted June 6, 2011 A couple years ago I put busking in Key west on my bucket list. Went back to KW the next thanksgiving and busked both on Mallory square ( illegally) and legally on Duval St. I've since busked in my hometown a couple times, mostly to stay fresh and humble. Won't ever make a career out of it, but can see myself busking every so often. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Starrshine Posted June 6, 2011 Members Share Posted June 6, 2011 I did my usual monthly busking at an ongoing art show Saturday. It was a bit of a bust, froze my arse off, it was so cold! We can't seem to get rid of winter around here in these mountains Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Chordchunker Posted June 6, 2011 Members Share Posted June 6, 2011 I like busking when it`s busy. I try to play to the old saying.. "You ain`t {censored} if you can`t make `em dance".. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Terry Allan Hall Posted June 6, 2011 Members Share Posted June 6, 2011 Amplification while busking is illegal here, which is really a good thing. Bought myself a Fishman Loudbox mini yesterday for outdoor patio gigs. This little sucker sounds great! Sorta is here, too, but I don't turn my Limo up to "obnoxious levels", so never get hassled. And when I see a cop strolling by, I always announce "here's one for our boys in blue...help me thank 'em by giving them some love" (thus the crowd claps) and then I'll do Junior Brown's "Highway Patrol" and/or "Wind Beneath My Wings". Never hurts to make friends w/ guys w/ uniforms. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Queequeg Posted June 6, 2011 Members Share Posted June 6, 2011 Radio Shack sells a perfectly good 12v replacemernt battery for about $20...however, if the battery appears dead, plug the Limo in, via wallwart, for a couple of days...severely depleted batteries take a while to recharge, but often will. Did you find one with a wood cab or injection molded cab? I have one of each. ) http://www.daddys.com/detail.php?itemTitle=crate-limo&itemNumber=CRA0122 and thanks for the advice on Radio Shack 12 volt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Terry Allan Hall Posted June 6, 2011 Members Share Posted June 6, 2011 http://www.daddys.com/detail.php?itemTitle=crate-limo&itemNumber=CRA0122 and thanks for the advice on Radio Shack 12 volt. The pic is not of a Limo... This is a Limo: I'd call to verify what they have to sell...request pics of the front and back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Queequeg Posted June 7, 2011 Members Share Posted June 7, 2011 Glad I asked. Thanks Terry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Terry Allan Hall Posted June 7, 2011 Members Share Posted June 7, 2011 Glad I asked. Thanks Terry. It's possible that they put up the wrong pic, but it's a good idea to check for certain...OTOH, Daddy's is generally a good place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members OldGuitarPlayer Posted June 7, 2011 Members Share Posted June 7, 2011 If you don't want to buy an extra battery powered amp and want to use your exisiting acoustic or electric amp you could get a power/inverter battery pack. Duracell sells them. Here's one for $90: http://www.amazon.com/Duracell-DPP-300EP-Powerpack-300-watt-Compressor/dp/B000TKBLHM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Queequeg Posted June 7, 2011 Members Share Posted June 7, 2011 If you don't want to buy an extra battery powered amp and want to use your exisiting acoustic or electric amp you could get a power/inverter battery pack. Duracell sells them. Here's one for $90: http://www.amazon.com/Duracell-DPP-300EP-Powerpack-300-watt-Compressor/dp/B000TKBLHM Good suggestion; thanks. I think that the next larger unit might be a viable alternative based upon the chart below which is tied to this model. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members OldGuitarPlayer Posted June 7, 2011 Members Share Posted June 7, 2011 Good suggestion; thanks. I think that the next larger unit might be a viable alternative based upon the chart below which is tied to this model. Yes, they make the Powerpack 600 model as well which will power certain items longer. They typically sell for $120 or so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Queequeg Posted June 7, 2011 Members Share Posted June 7, 2011 OGP, do you have any experience with these (with regard to an amplifier)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Queequeg Posted June 8, 2011 Members Share Posted June 8, 2011 I just checked with the City of Ann Arbor, MI regarding busking. Hey, it's legal. They have an 8-page document. You have to submit: 1. Permit Form 2. Notification Form 3. Insurance Form and then pay a fee (which amounts to about $2.00 depending on how many days you want to buy, and how many square feet you will occupy on the sidewalk.) Then you have to seek permission from the stores/businesses around you and keep a copy of all these documents with you when you perform. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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