Norm

By day, I’m a Financial Systems Manager and by night/weekends, I’m a husband to a beautiful/wonderful wife and dad to two cute/terrific girls.  I also play some music on the side, dabble in the latest geeky tech stuff, and explore foodie establishments (the latest in food trucks/restaurants).

I have an iPhone 12 Pro Max =)

I shoot pictures with my touchscreen Nikon D5500 dSLR…

…usually with a Nikon SB-600 AF Speedlight Flash mounted (for bounce flash with diffuser)…

…and one of two lenses (AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR II zoom lens or AF-S DX NIKKOR 35mm f/1.8G fixed/prime lens) attached.

I also learned my lesson the hard way by accidentally dropping the camera, flash, and zoom lens trying to shoot a family picture.  This required me to purchase a replacement for the zoom lens and a tripod sturdy enough to hold this entire setup.  For a tripod, I use the JOBY GorillaPod Focus with Ballhead X (holds up to 11 lbs.).  I position it in the regular three-footed triangular position or can wrap it around anything sturdy.

I carry all of this in a LowePro SlingShot 102 AW sling camera bag.

Rambling about music gear, I usually play my acoustic at church: a 2003 Taylor 714ce-LTD Summer Strummer.  317 of these were made.  I use this in a band situation when I primarily strum and occasionally flatpick.

• 14-fret long (regular)-scale Grand Auditorium body
• Premium Cocobolo 3-Piece Back and Sides with Flamed Maple Center Wedge
• Sitka Spruce Top
• Abalone Purfling and Soundhole
• Flamed Maple Binding
• Snowflake Inlays
• Expression System 2 Electronics with TaylorSense
• Upgraded Bob Colosi West African Hard Ivory Nut & Saddle
• Upgraded Antique Gold Gotoh 1:21 Ratio Tuners

For songs using mostly fingerpicking/flatpicking (or playing outdoors or at camps/retreats), I acquired a RainSong Shorty SG-FLE (Forum Limited Edition).  Only 35 of these were made.  It’s my secondary guitar and also Joyce’s guitar.

• 12-fret OM (short-scale Orchestra Model) body
• Carbon Fiber/Glass Hybrid Body
• All-graphite unidirectional carbon soundboard crafted using Projection Tuned Layering technique
• Abalone Soundhole
• Abalone Bridge Pins
• Abalone Shark Inlays
• Fishman Prefix Plus + T Electronics
• Custom TKL Limited Edition Hardshell Case (fitted specifically for a RainSong Shorty)

I also play a lovely little blues box when I’m playing acoustically: Martin 00-15SM Custom.  This was ordered from LA Guitar Sales (the same place I got the RainSong).  Ted supposedly only ordered 4 of these.

• 12-fret, short-scale 00 (Grand Concert) body
• Satin Finish
• Solid Genuine Mahogany (top, back, and sides – all hog)
• Full Tortoise Binding
• Diamond & Squares – Short Pattern Inlay
• Bone Nut and Saddle
• Slotted Headstock with 3-on-a-plate nickel open-geared tuners with ivoroid Butterbean knobs
• K&K Pure Mini passive acoustic pickup installed; used in conjunction with LR Baggs Venue DI
• Upgraded 500 series Geib-style Hardshell Case

I have a Taylor GS Mini Holden Village (limited to less than 2000).  There’s an interesting story about the limited edition guitar here.

 

• 14-fret, short-scale GS Mini body
• Satin Finish
• 250 year-old Engelmann Spruce Top/Laminated Fiddleback Maple Back and Sides
• Holden Village Mountains Inlay
• Bone Nut
• Ebony Bridge Pins with Abalone
• K&K Pure Mini passive acoustic pickup installed; used in conjunction with LR Baggs Venue DI
• GS Mini Hardshell Soft Case

I play the four acoustic guitars above (although not at the same time) through a Fishman Loudbox Mini acoustic amplifier.

I also have a discontinued Baby Taylor Rosewood for dinkering around with at home with the kids.  It’s currently high-strung in Nashville Tuning with a set of D’Addario EJ38H Phosphor Bronze (.010-.027) made specifically for Nashville Tuning.

If I feel like visiting Hawaii (that’s almost all the time), I spend some time playing my Kamaka HF-3 Tenor ukulele.

• Solid Hawaiian Koa Top, Sides, and Back
• Mahogany Neck
• Rosewood Fingerboard and Bridge
• Kamaka Ukulele Brand Tenor-Size Hardshell Case
• Fitted with a Fishman AG-Series Ukulele Passive Undersaddle Pickup

When I go electric, I play this sunburst Fender Classic Series ’72 Telecaster Custom.

My Pedaltrain PT-2 with ATA Hardcase (powered by Voodoo Lab Pedal Power 2) looks like this:

DAISY CHAIN ORDER:

1. Boss TU-3 Chromatic Tuner
2. Diamond Compressor in Custom White/Chrome
3. Electro-Harmonix Micro POG
4. Fulltone Custom Shop Fulldrive 3 – 20th Anniversary Edition
5. Ernie Ball 6166 Mono Volume Pedal
6. JHS Pedals Emperor V2
7. Strymon Timeline
8. Strymon Flint

It’s backed by a Fender Princeton Reverb tube amp, upgraded with a Celestion Gold speaker.

I also play one of the best passive jazz basses out there: Lakland Skyline DJ4 (upgraded with Chi-Sonic pickups).

It’s backed by a Mesa Boogie Walkabout Scout 1×12 Combo tube bass amp.

When playing in a band setting using keys, I use a Roland JUNO-Di synthesizer.  It’s great because it can go mobile by running on batteries.

It’s backed by a 50-watt Roland CUBE Street EX amp (mini PA) that can also be battery-powered.

If I’m really short on space, I use a mini synthesizer/vocoder: the KORG microKORG XL.

And finally, on the percussion side of the house, I have an electronic-layered Roland El Cajon that can layer in different percussion and SFX sounds and also be battery-powered.