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Fahey's
Best
QIs the
book The Best of John Fahey still in print? If it isn’t,
do you know who the publisher was?
John M. Tereniak
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
A That out-of-print songbook
shares the title The Best of John Fahey (1959–1977) with
a recording of the same name on Fahey’s old Takoma label. The book
was published by Guitar Player Books and distributed by Music Sales.
It can be located at libraries and even pops up in used bookstores
from time to time.
––Matthew Kramer
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Busker
Dos and Don'ts
Q Is
it acceptable to busk playing cover songs? I don’t have any completed
originals, but I do know cover songs that I enjoy playing.
Antoinette Lindbergh
Poulsbo, Washington
A Busking
is a murky area as far as performance laws and regulations go. Strictly
speaking, public performances of cover songs require a standardized
fee to the royalty collection outfits: ASCAP, BMI, and so forth.
Venues with live music licenses––not the performers themselves––pay
a monthly fee to cover these royalties. Because there is no discernible
venue when you are busking, there is nobody to pay that fee. Unless
your local ASCAP agent is unusually attentive, I don’t imagine that
this will be a problem for you. As far as I know, there is no law
against singing cover songs in informal settings where no exchange
of money is involved. The tips are, technically, taxable income,
but that’s an issue between you and the IRS.
Many municipalities have no laws about busking. Others do but don’t
enforce them. Some cities with popular tourist destinations, such
as Seattle’s Pike Place Market and San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf,
have strict guidelines for buskers and enforce them diligently.
You may be required to obtain a license, perform only in designated
locations, or sign up for specific time slots. Failure to comply
with local ordinances can result in a fine or banishment from performing
for a period of time. Get the scoop before you break open that guitar
case.
Finally, please be sensitive to other busking musicians in the
area. Check out the local customs and etiquette before you stake
your performance territory. Make sure that your patch of pavement
isn’t encroaching on some other busker’s established turf and that
the local merchants are comfortable with your spot.
––Paul Kotapish
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Amps
and Blenders
Q
I use a Fishman Blender on stage and am looking for an
amp to use with my rig. Many acoustic amps will take a mic input
but are not designed for the small Crown soundhole mic mounted in
my guitar. Do you know of any acoustic guitar amp that will take
a stereo input and split the signal so I can eliminate the Blender?
J. Schway
Dell Rapids, South Dakota
A
The only amp I know of that has a stereo TRS input is the
SWR California Blonde (www.swreng.com).
Another option would be the AER Acousticube (www.aer-amps.de),
which can be special-ordered with a TRS input. You could also try
to find a used Fishman Performer Pro, which has this feature but
isn’t produced anymore. However, I’d recommend using your Blender
with any standard acoustic amp. There are many inexpensive options,
and most of them will benefit from a preamped signal. Since the
Blender has EQ, you could even use something like Ultrasound’s powered
extension cabinet (www.ultrasoundamps.com)
or one of JBL’s powered EON speakers, which might save you some
money and still give you a good sound.
––Teja Gerken
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Beginners'
Tip: Finding a Teacher
When searching for a teacher, the better you understand your needs
as a student, the better equipped you will be to make the right
choice. What styles of music interest you? What are your goals—to
accompany yourself, sing with your family, play instrumental music,
join a band, follow along at a jam session? What kind of commitment
of time and energy are you ready to make to the guitar? As a beginner,
you might not have the answers to all these questions––you might
have a burning desire to play but not be sure exactly what
you want to play. That’s fine––the answer will emerge over time.
But think about why you are learning the guitar and what you already
know about your own tendencies as a student before you meet prospective
teachers.
––Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers
Send Questions, tips, or observations to Acoustic Guitar’s online
discussion forums at www.acousticguitar.com
or write to Dear A.G., Acoustic Guitar, PO Box 767, San Anselmo,
CA 94979-0767.
Excerpted
from
Acoustic
Guitar
magazine, August 2001, No. 104.
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