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It's not much worse than the flu. The news media is portraying it to be so. People who have had the vaccine are faring worse and so far close to a million Americans have already died after getting the poke. Let's stop obsessing over this disease and use the space to communicate about music and music related topics.

I had two shows here in Texas. Covid isn't a factor here and the first show was a private party for two hours in the afternoon in north Dallas. I found out later it was a wedding from the groom himself! I only brought my Breedlove nylon string and my little Mustang amplifier which worked perfectly with the backing tracks. Played most of my classical guitar repertoire and everything else instrumental. Everyone enjoyed my performance even though it was background music. The second gig was a corporate show at an Italian restaurant by Love Field. This was my typical "play everything I can think of" show and the audience loved it. Interestingly, there were several other musicians in the audience who were off last night and they were very complementary. I was thinking as I drove the 5 minutes from the first gig to the second how blessed I was in a year that was quite off in many respects to have two performances in one day. I saw some older people in masks at the second gig in tables elsewhere in the restaurant. The owner who I remembered from my last shows there was very nice and I hope to get back there again in 2022.

Judging from the specs, your speaker should be just fine. Even if your setup becomes more elaborate, a mixer and speaker should do the job nicely.

I don't use mp3 files since I am on a Mac. A longtime friend and professional musician who saw me live said that MP3s sound compressed through a big system and recommended I use AAC files. I made the switch about 2012 and never looked back. I also run my entire show off my iPhone and before that, an iPod touch. Like Jay, I use a rubber mat to stand on. One of my friends here in Dallas brings a heavy rubber mat to his shows and he says, "it's not even an option these days." My new system is the Evolve 30 and it works unbelievably well. The newer lighter technology is a real blessing to my back! I've been doing solo gigs exclusively for several years now and while I enjoyed performing with other musicians, playing solo means the only errors in the show are mine!

I just plugged in my EnCore 300 and wow! While I didn't see a phantom power switch, the unit does power my favorite mic. Thanks, modulus man!

I had a 125 years ago and it's a pretty strong sounding amp. Record your shows and listen back to how your voice and guitar mesh together. I have an EnCore 300 and it's wonderful! Compared to a dynamic mic, I don't have to stay right on it all the time and can work it back and forth with my background vocals which allows me to blend with my harmony parts live. Here's an example-

I got the Evolve 30 last month and what a game changer! I've done about a dozen shows with it within the past five weeks and it sounds clear, powerful and makes setup and knockdown much faster. Best of all, no one has complained about volume even though this has included performances at a memory care facility, several 55 and older venues as well as two outdoor shows I could play almost as loud as I wanted. The built in mixer is fabulous and allowing me to tweak things from a smartphone during the performance is excellent. It also has a output I can run into a portable recorder to record myself. The resulting audio sounds terrific, too!

I'm intrigued by the new Mackie SRM-Flex but it looks like a hot commodity. The local GC doesn't have any although they are a Mackie dealer. Heard and saw the EV Evolve 30M which looks good but is pricey compared to my Turbosound IP-2000. Neither manufacturer is honest and reverted to the old '60's approach of peak power ratings instead of RMS which is incredibly misleading. Anyone using either one? Comments? Thanks.

It's getting busy here in Texas. I did four shows the past two weeks and am booked the next two weekends. I did a nine hour marathon corporate show in central Texas yesterday! That's a new record for me.

I'm glad I don't play bars any more. It feels like the "soundman" deserved to be El Cabonged over the head with said iPad.

If I could only have one guitar it would be a Line 6 Variax. They record wonderfully and sound excellent live as well. To have more than 40 modeled guitars in one instrument is something I would have a hard time living without. The JT Models also allow alternate tunings which is a game changer for players who use that. http://guitarmadesimpler.com/

I had total knee replacement March 1 and blood clots in the same leg 48 hours later. I was back performing in early April although my wife had to set up and carry mysmall rig to the first 2-3 shows. I've been using a stool for the first time regularly in my career and hope to be standing later this summer. I see a friend in Atlanta is also using a stool for solo guitar/vocal shows. Sadly one of the concessions to old age.

As a guitar player, performer and teacher for more than 40 years, this is something I've dealt with for an extended period of time. I usually avoided teaching children below the age of 10 years of age, only because it was impossible for a long time to get a short scale guitar that was a quality I could even recommend. I tend to prefer medium scale guitars myself because I have an average to slightly larger than average hand size. The Gibson Byrdland was invented by Hank Garland and Billy Byrd specifically to play the extended reach chord fingerings typified by early 50s jazz legend Johnny Smith. It's easier to make a longer scale guitar playing tune than a short or medium scale instrument. Because I have long arms I've got most comfortable playing either a 335 style, a jazz box or even an explorer shaped guitar. I had a couple of dean Z guitars which are wonderful instruments and very comfortable to play either seated or standing. If the guitar case wasn't prohibitively large, I'd still play one on shows. Gretsch's are often 24 1/2 scale length which also work very well.

Daddymack, I can't tell much about the neck angle. It feels very balanced on gigs just the way any decent 335 wood. It does sustain nicely and sounds really fat when necessary. I wish it had coil taps but I have less than $300 in it so it really doesn't matter. The cosmetics on it are beautiful! The tuners do slip a bit but all in all, it's way more than I expected from a Chinese guitar. I should have some online videos later in the year to share with everyone so you can hear for yourself. This is what I was using last summer at a private party near KC. I sold it after playing it for about four years.

I picked up a Peavey JF-1 the first of the year and man, what a great guitar! I've owned three or four 335s over the years, ES 175s etc. and this guitar is is good in the playing department as any of them. I've recorded my shows with it and it sounds excellent on tape. Or I guess digital now…

Let's talk about your recording method. There are many great records with a D-18 that sound incredible! What's your recording setup and how are you EQ'ing it?

I got the IP-2000 after reading all the reviews and seeing a friend here in DFW with the same unit raving about it. I had a Bose L1 Model II with Tone Match before and I did an indoor dance with about 150 people and heard complaints it wasn't very loud. The Bose sounds good but it really doesn't cut through like a conventional speaker. The 2000 has a 12" sub and it sounds musical while moving a lot of air. It's smooth when played at almost all levels and it's quite loud when it needs to be. I've had Yamaha MS 400's, JBL 315's, the Bose, Line 6 Stagematch L2T and even a Fender Passport for my gigs during the past two decades. If you aren't running a drum machine or tracks and don't plan on it, the 1000 will probably work well, too. One more thing- when running tracks, I prefer the bass to be below ear level. Like many who have been playing for decades, I tend to get louder as the gig wears on. With a sub on the floor, my ears tire a bit slower. The L2T was wonderful but on a stand, it was right at ear level and tough to take after a couple hours.

I've have great results with a Turbosound IP-2000. It's quite loud and sounds excellent with a balanced sound for my show, using tracks, guitar and vocals. I added a mixer to have reverb for my voice and acoustic guitar but it's worked quite well. I doubt you need two systems. I run mine mono and it sounds terrific on all my gigs. It works well for crowds up to 200-300 people. I might steer clear of the IP 3000 as it sounds problematic. A friend who does a similar act in Georgia likes the new E V system although it's not cheap. I prefer a system with a sub over a pair of full range speakers for better projection with low end bass, drums, etc. Riley Wilson www.guitarmadesimpler.com