playing on a dark stage

Dan Klotz · Post by **Dan Klotz** » 18 Sep 2014 10:44 pm

I've played a total of 5 gigs now. The last one was on a very dark stage. I hard a hard time seeing what I was doing, especially when one of the other band members stepped into the path of what little light there was.

Does anyone every bring some sort of light to gigs? Or is that just a rookie thing?

(I have tried practicing with the lights out, but I'm not quite there just yet)

Lane Gray · Post by **Lane Gray** » 18 Sep 2014 11:00 pm

I usually just deal with it.
MSA sells lighted fret systems that mount to other guitars

John Greene · Post by **John Greene** » 19 Sep 2014 12:22 am

its one of those things that add up to the difference between playing at home and playing live !

You will find a lot more but you will also find a way to deal.

The old adage that you learn more on one gig than you do on a hundred rehearsals is proved once again

Micky Byrne · Post by **Micky Byrne** » 19 Sep 2014 2:02 am

Hi Dan...from the picture on the left, Square & Compass,I'd thought you'd be used to dark places

Over here in U.K. and I'm sure in the States too, you can get bassball caps for fishing with tiny LED lights on the front of the peek, which work from a little button on the peak of the cap. The tiny watch type batteries are well hidden, and the led's are very discreet on the front of the peek. I guess that would work, or keep practising in the dark...it really works

Micky "Scars" Byrne ..... U.K.

Micky Byrne · Post by **Micky Byrne** » 19 Sep 2014 2:12 am

Dan...another thought. Some music stands have a small flouresent tube on the top,to read charts if you have any. The audience wont see it but you will, and you can just position it to where it suits you.

Micky "scars" Byrne U.K.

Billy McCombs · Post by **Billy McCombs** » 19 Sep 2014 2:37 am

I use one of these. Can get it at Guitar Center.

Micky Byrne · Post by **Micky Byrne** » 19 Sep 2014 5:49 am

Billy...where do you position that??? on your head?? lol..

..beep beep...beep beep

...only kidding...on your amp or somewhere else?

Micky "scars" Byrne ....U.K.

Billy McCombs · Post by **Billy McCombs** » 19 Sep 2014 6:42 am

I have a Strobflip clamped to the Steel leg and the light clips on it. I position one at the changer and one toward the neck. Works good and there's a dim and bright switch on each light.

Micky Byrne · Post by **Micky Byrne** » 19 Sep 2014 6:50 am

Good idea too to focus on the Changer too in case of string breakage

Micky "scars" Byrne U.K.

Adrian Wang · Post by **Adrian Wang** » 19 Sep 2014 6:55 am

Micky Byrne wrote:Billy...where do you position that??? on your head?? lol.. ..beep beep...beep beep ...only kidding...on your amp or somewhere else?

Micky "scars" Byrne ....U.K.

will look like a butterfly if mounted on the head LOL

Will Cowell · Post by **Will Cowell** » 19 Sep 2014 7:25 am

I use little clip-on LED lamp pods with a gooseneck so I can put light on the changer area and the neck.

Billy McCombs · Post by **Billy McCombs** » 19 Sep 2014 10:35 am

You can pull the lights down low so that there not so obvious. This light works real well. Great for out side gigs where lighting is low.

Alan Brookes · Post by **Alan Brookes** » 19 Sep 2014 10:35 am

This highlights, once again, the usefulness of illuminated fretboards. They're easy enough to make. Get a sheet of perspex, preferable the opaque sort, stick strips of masking tape where the frets are to be, spray it black, remove the masking tape, install little lights under it connected up to a battery and ...bingo.

Dan Klotz · Post by **Dan Klotz** » 19 Sep 2014 8:00 pm

Thanks for all the input. I do have one of those dual LED "war of the world space ship" looking lights around here somewhere. Just have to figure out where and how to attach it.

John Peay · Post by **John Peay** » 20 Sep 2014 6:37 am

I have also experienced some bright stage lighting that turned all my (colored) fret markers the same reddish color! So during a song all of a sudden I've got B/E at every fret marker !

As mentioned above, it just takes some getting used to for us less experienced players...

John Billings · Post by **John Billings** » 20 Sep 2014 12:21 pm

You can get stick-on jewels at a hobby store. They're tiny. In different colors too.. Danny Gatton used zircs as the side dots on his Tele. He said you could see them from the light of a candle across the Potomac. Use clears for each fret, and different colors for , 3, 5, 7, etc..

Herb Steiner · Post by **Herb Steiner** » 20 Sep 2014 1:15 pm

Stage lighting is problematic, and there's so many variables that affect your eyesight; I've had fretboard problems with the old style, high gloss Emmons fretboard that reflected overhead par can light right back into my eyes, and the white Sho~Bud fretboard that created shadows of the strings and so looked like I was playing a 20 string guitar.

Jim Eller · Post by **Jim Eller** » 21 Sep 2014 5:28 pm

Perhaps this is one of the reason the Big E said in an interview that he use to practice in the dark.

Billy McCombs · Post by **Billy McCombs** » 21 Sep 2014 6:54 pm

I used my Mightybrite Light last night at the VFW and it did the job.

Ken Byng · Post by **Ken Byng** » 21 Sep 2014 7:33 pm

Another clip on light user here. Only rarely needed it, but there have been occasions when playing on shows with lighting guys who like to spotlight the singer and blackout the rest of the stage. I just have a dual LED light head clipped to my boom mike stand and shining down over my fret board. Works a treat. I also have a light on my music stand for my chord charts & music sheets.

James Jacoby · Post by **James Jacoby** » 22 Sep 2014 12:02 am

Why do some people want to be in the dark so much, especially on the band stand! I play a six string bass gig, every Friday, and the band leader always turns out most of the stage lights. Last Friday, he made it even MORE dark, and the side markers on the neck almost totally disappeared, and what little light that still remained, was reflecting off the ends of the frets, making them look almost identical to the position dots! Talk about "a needle in a haystack"! It's much easier to play my steel in the dark. I often practice, playing along with tapes, and on some of them, the speed is slightly off, so I end up playing with my eyes closed, to keep from being distracted by the frets while making adjustments to keep in tune with the tape. I think it's very useful to practice in the dark, or with one's eyes closed, at least it is for me. I do it for a while, with every practice session. Now where do I get some of those "Zirc" dots, that John was talking about?

-Jake-

Roger Davis · Post by **Roger Davis** » 22 Sep 2014 8:14 am

I picked mine up at JoAnn's craft store. Cost about 4.00$

Ken Byng · Post by **Ken Byng** » 22 Sep 2014 8:36 am

MSA's Lfrets anybody? A semi-permanent and innovative solution to this problem.

John Billings · Post by **John Billings** » 22 Sep 2014 9:09 am

Hi Jake!
Any hobby/craft store will have them!
JB

Ruth Iseli-Dahler · Post by **Ruth Iseli-Dahler** » 23 Sep 2014 2:36 pm

I use the same lamps as Billy
It helps when the LED Spotlights turn red ---and the fretboard colours become blurred

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