Here is the video for Hide Away. I released my arrangement and recording of Freddie King’s Hide Away last week, on July 1st and then worked on putting this video together. I wondered if “Mel’s Hide Away Lounge” which Freddie says he named the song after was still there, but apparently it disappeared long ago. I contacted the manger for Freddie’s brother, Benny Turner, to see if she knew about Mel’s Hide Away Lounge and she confirmed that it is indeed gone. But she told me that according to Benny, it was on Roosevelt Road (12th Street) near S. Halsted Street. By the way, in the process I found out that Benny has a book out titled, “Survivor: The Benny Turner Story“, which I bought and I am really enjoying reading about Benny’s life, along with stories about his big brother Freddie. Anyway, since the original Hide Away lounge is long gone I tried to find as many pictures of other Hide Aways that I could to include with my music. So here you go!
I thought I’d share with you that I successfully built a Guitar ¼ inch Adapter Cable for Roland GK 13-Pin connections! This is a cable that allows you to connect a guitar or other instrument with a ¼ inch output (bass, ukulele, etc.) to the Roland GR-55 guitar synthesizer. If you are on a gig using the Roland GR-55 the usefulness of this is that if you don’t have another amplifier and effects, you can access the Roland COSM effects and amp models within the GR-55 and use the same sound reinforcement system that the GR is connected to.
Below is a copy of my wiring diagram that was adapted from a similar diagram posted on Vguitarforums.com by “Elantric”. As the diagram indicates, the normal guitar (or other instrument) signal is transmitted to the GR-55 via pin 7 in the 13 pin plug. A voltage divider has been added to reduce the GR-55’s +7 vdc to +5 vdc to feed pin 8 which signals the GR-55 that a GK pickup’s volume control is set to 10. I tested it and, yes, it works!
I found a tune called Angeline the Baker in a book called “The Fiddler’s Fakebook” left over from my aborted attempt at learning to play the violin/fiddle. I never got rid of the book because I love a lot of the music in there and find it enjoyable to play on the guitar.
My recording of “Angeline the Baker” is an arrangement I created of an old time fiddle tune based on a song called Angelina Baker written by Stephen Foster for the Christy Minstrels, and published in 1850. The original laments the loss of a woman slave, sent away by her owner. The melody of the fiddle tune, Angeline the Baker differs from the Stephen Foster version.
In my arrangement and instrumentation in this recording I spiced it up and added a bit of country flavor! See my music page to buy a copy of Angeline the Baker.
Here is a demo of some sounds from my new Fender Marauder guitar using the neck pickup, the triple bucker bridge pickup and a Roland GK-3 and Roland GR-55 guitar synthesizer. The Marauder may be made in China, but no matter how much I gripe about it I am unfortunately restricted to a made in China budget. But Fender has done really well with this item.
Its construction was flawless and it sounds great. So for $399 I think it rocks. In this video you get a little taste of the Roland GR-55 guitar synthesizer tone machine. There will be more about that in the future. Anyway, this is, believe it or not, my first Fender guitar. A few years ago I was tempted to buy a Stratocaster, but being the budget conscious (cheap) person I am I was disappointed frankly in the quality of the Strats that I checked out back then compared to the price tag and ultimately decided upon an Epiphone Dot. I love my Epi and it will continue to get use. But I have never been totally happy with the one solid body axe that I’ve had: My Godin SD. It was my first electric guitar and it is a nice guitar, but the playability was always less that I wanted. When I tried out the Marauder it clicked with me right away and I knew I had to have it. Everyone has a Stratocaster…..so I knew this would be unique.
