All posts by Dennis Green

Canadian Chef Dennis Green, a 20 year veteran of the Vancouver culinary community and author.
Music, Original Songs

Beginnings

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Beginnings

This is the first recording I did following setting up my studio in 2006, an easy jazzy groove to test out my recording setup.

Projects

The Mine Project

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Tuesday is my regular jam night with my friends. We have a collective of fellows from various walks of life and ages, who are brought together by a common love of music. A great group, lots of fun, and always a few hours of improv. All of us play more than one instrument, so it’s pretty common for us to switch places, taking turns playing bass, keys, and guitar in addition to our drummer, who likes to sing on occasion and play percussion.

We like to listen to the record and select ideas to work on either together or individually, and this weekly musical therapy has been a great source of inspiration for me over the last number of years. Our host, Mo, makes flight cases and does live sound under the M.I.N.E. audio brand name, so hence the project nickname. We have a web site, posting raw and edited jams from a catalogue of over 1400 jams recorded over the last few years. Please have a visit, and let us know what you think: www.themineproject.caWatch Full Movie Online Streaming Online and Download

I post the occasional live jam here on the music page as well, especially if it is the source of inspiration for a more polished tune.

Gear, Guitars

Guitars

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My collection consists of a number of instruments that I have collected over the years. Every one has a story.

Ibanez AF95. Was poking around and saw this sitting on the floor of a guitar shop at a ridiculously low price since someone had stripped the hole that the strap pin attaches to, leaving a small hole in an out of the way place. Otherwise immaculate, had to bring it home. Such a full sound, tons of harmonics that create some really cool feedback, and gobs of sustain. Strung with semi- flats, great for bluesy, jazzy melodic stuff.
Ibanez AF95. Was poking around and saw this sitting on the floor of a guitar shop at a ridiculously low price since someone had stripped the hole that the strap pin attaches to, leaving a small hole in an out of the way place. Otherwise immaculate, had to bring it home. Such a full sound, tons of harmonics that create some really cool feedback, and gobs of sustain. Strung with semi- flats, great for bluesy, jazzy melodic stuff.

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Ibanez EWC30. Spalted maple, abalone trim. We were in Las Vegas on my birthday in 2008 and were debating which of the top restaurants to try for dinner. Walked into the Guitar Center that afternoon and saw this lovely creature sitting in the corner. Dropped the dinner money on this instead and ate at the buffet in the hotel for $25. Plays like a dream, great sound acoustically and plugged in as well.
Ibanez EWC30. Spalted maple, abalone trim. We were in Las Vegas on my birthday in 2008 and were debating which of the top restaurants to try for dinner. Walked into the Guitar Center that afternoon and saw this lovely creature sitting in the corner. Dropped the dinner money on this instead and ate at the buffet in the hotel for $25. Plays like a dream, great sound acoustically and plugged in as well. I use this for most acoustic guitar in recordings.

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70's Yamaha FG-210 12 string. Picked this up in Grade 8 for $60 second hand. Never play it enough, but great around a campfire.
70’s Yamaha FG-210 12 string. Picked this up in Grade 8 for $60 second hand. Never play it enough, but great around a campfire.

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Hamer Sunburst Quilttop. Quilted maple top, mahogany body, all abalone inlay. Made in China but beautifully put together and lovely to play. An eBay find, picked it up brand new in 2006.
Hamer Sunburst Quilttop. Quilted maple top, mahogany body, all abalone inlay. Made in China but beautifully put together and lovely to play. An eBay find, picked it up brand new in 2006.

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1986 Kramer Baretta. After losing my first good guitar to thieves, I spent the insurance money and the rest of my life savings on this beauty brand new! EVH was promoting these at the time as "simply the best guitar money can buy" off the shelf. My main axe for 26 years, I'm inclined to agree. No muss, no fuss, perfectly intonated and always in tune!

1986 Kramer Baretta. After losing my first good guitar to thieves, I spent the insurance money and the rest of my life savings on this beauty brand new! EVH was promoting these at the time as “simply the best guitar money can buy” off the shelf. My main axe for 26 years, I’m inclined to agree. No muss, no fuss, perfectly intonated and always in tune!

 Watch Full Movie Online Streaming Online and Download

1986 Kramer Pacer Deluxe. When I bought my Baretta I was torn between it and the Pacer, essentially the same body and neck but the first of the real "super strats". Was fortunate to find this one a few years ago, which plays exactly like the Baretta but with more tonal options. Currently has 4 Seymour Duncan mini humbuckers (hot and cool rails) in it, but I have the stock pickups as well, and am planning on returning it to original.

1986 Kramer Pacer Deluxe. When I bought my Baretta I was torn between it and the Pacer, essentially the same body and neck but the first of the real “super strats”. Was fortunate to find this one a few years ago, which plays exactly like the Baretta but with more tonal options. Had 4 Seymour Duncan mini humbuckers (hot and cool rails) in it, but I put it back to stock last year.

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Hot Rod #1. Started its life as a kit guitar my brother Brian gave me for my birthday. 4 cans of spray paint, $100 in upgraded electronics, and the neck off a Squier strat later, it's a fun beater that plays pretty well. 3 mini humbuckers, great clean sounds, and a whole lotta mojo!
Hot Rod #1. Started its life as a kit guitar my brother Brian gave me for my birthday. 4 cans of spray paint, $100 in upgraded electronics, and the neck off a Squier strat later, it’s a fun beater that plays pretty well. 3 mini humbuckers, great clean sounds, and a whole lotta mojo!

 Watch Full Movie Online Streaming Online and Download

OLP MM5 5-string bass. Boxing Day score, $150 on sale. Classic stingray bright sound, narrow neck for a 5-string, which is nice to play. Good utility bass for recording, if I was using it live I'd probably upgrade the electronics to something with active EQ.
OLP MM5 5-string bass. Boxing Day score, $150 on sale. Classic stingray bright sound, narrow neck for a 5-string, which is nice to play. Good utility bass for recording, if I was using it live I’d probably upgrade the electronics to something with active EQ.

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Hot Rod #2. A couple of years ago I spotted a 20th anniversary Squier affinity strat on Craigslist for 40 bucks, and couldn't resist as the starting point for another project. Decided to go with the '67 Camaro as an inspiration, and stripped it right down. Used gloss auto spray paint for the body and pick guard, stripped the neck down to natural finish. Found matching DiMarzio pickups, Air Norton in the neck, Fast Track 1 in the middle, Tone Zone in the bridge. Tons of fun to play, great tones for a shredfest!
Hot Rod #2. A couple of years ago I spotted a 20th anniversary Squier affinity strat on Craigslist for 40 bucks, and couldn’t resist as the starting point for another project. Decided to go with the ’67 Camaro as an inspiration, and stripped it right down. Used gloss auto spray paint for the body and pick guard, stripped the neck down to natural finish. Found matching DiMarzio pickups, Air Norton in the neck, Fast Track 1 in the middle, Tone Zone in the bridge. Tons of fun to play, great tones for a shredfest!

 Watch Full Movie Online Streaming Online and Download

Amps and Effects, Gear

Live Rig

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Live I run a custom built head inspired by a classic wood panelled station wagon (“woody”) to hold my rack gear, which consists of a Carvin Quad-X (a great 4 channel tube preamp), a Rane SM26 Line mixer, and a Marshall 8008 Valvestate power amp.

This runs into a set of 4 single 12 inch speaker cabinets using 2 vintage early 60’s Jensens and 2 80’s Eminence that all came from old Fender cabs.

I add effects and midi control for channel switching with a Boss Gt-8 floorboard. All in all it’s a very solid sounding rig live with all the flexibility I need in terms of sound ranges.

At home I have a 1979 Roland JC-120 for when I’m not recording direct and just want to make a bit of noise.

Gear, Recording

Recording Setup

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For home recording hardware, I run through Behringer V-Amp Pro and Bass V-Amp Pro rack gear into Rane SM26 line mixers and a MOTU 2408 mk2, into a PC, and record with Cubase (currently running version 5).

Keyboard tracks I input via my old Korg M1 in midi, quantize to make up for my imperfect keyboarding, and then convert to audio back though the M1 hardware  or a variety of VST softsynths.

Drums are either input using the M1 or an Alesis Control Pad, or using VST drum synths.

I  also have one of my guitars set up with a Roland GK2 midi pickup for use with a GR-20 guitar synth.