Karaoke Forums

Eewww- no, don't be piggy....

I mean equipment. KARAOKE equipment....

Stands, racks, facades, etc.- while still being in good physical shape- can get a little worn looking after awhile.

How often do you repaint, re-cover, re-whatever to make these items look new and fresh again? Or- do you just chuck/relegate to back-up the good but worn looking stuff and buy new?

Do you ever re-incarnate? Example: I took a very good mic that had gotten very worn-looking, re-painted it pink, added glitter and rhinestones and made it into the "Princess/Female Diva mic.

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"No Contests, No Divas, Just A Good Time!"

" Disc based and loving it..."

since i began many years ago and had one bad instance, and since that one bad time,...

I always replace things (buy new ones, not used) whenever they start to look worn, perform below par, or are starting to be questionable.

I refuse to be stressed out by the "What-IF it fails tonight" after knowing it MAY because it's questionable whether it's a mic, speaker, amp, player, or anything electronic. I have identical backups for nearly every piece of equipment i own.

It kinda irks me professionally when i see things that are starting to look "old or worn" on my stages.

As soon as a book gets noticeably wet or someone drops a shure mic and it dents the head, it's replaced the next day or two. (mic head)

Maybe it's OCD, , but, like my home,... my dj/ kj equipment HAS TO look new, fresh, and updated! CLEAN! CLEAN! CLEAN!

It is (OCD). I have it too.

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Music speaks to the heart in ways words cannot express.

i don't mind used equipment, but if it looks bad then it will get a makeover before it's used.

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It's all good!

I paid good money for my gear, so I like to keep it looking good at all times. I disinfect the mics after every show. I use a soft bristle paint brush to dust off my electronic gear (including speakers and subs) at least once a week. I also Amor-All my rack and speaker cases once a week. I even go as far as Amor-All'ing my extension cords and audio cables once a month.

Small units, components - sell it at ebay when it gets worn out or performance becomes questionable & buy a new one. Except savable ones: replace mic grill ball head, re-paint mic stands, etc. Don’t want my house guests eat off scratch plates & utensils. Not big items: Exterior speakers, if nothing’s wrong with the interior, re-paint or re-carpet with original material.

I still can’t picture the thought of OP upgrading his worn-out mic & on the table are pink paint, glitter & rhinestones to make it a “Princess/Female Diva mic”. (just kiddin’, Joe. hope you have a good sense of humor).

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To be fortunate enough to derive an income from a source as fulfilling as karaoke music has got to be as close to heaven as we can get here on earth!

All of our equipment is covered in custom (if necessary) bags/padded covers.

I have 10-year-old JBL powered EONS that look new because they go in padded covers when they are moved.

I'm not that particular about "disposables" like mic cords/video lines/extension cords because they are so inexpensive and easy to replace.

Wow.

Some misunderstanding already.

1) I am not talking about equipment in questionable OPERATING condition. I'm talking about excellent equipment that may LOOK worn.

Example: Speaker stands. In perfect shape, no dents, no loose bracing, nothing PERFECT- except the finish might be a little worn. A coat of black spray paint and it looks brand new again.

2) I am not talking about general maintainance such as disinfecting, or a wipe-down.

3) I didn't consider the re-incarnating of the "princess" mic an upgrade- just a way of making a perfect - and expensive- mic with a worn finish a little bit more fun to use in the show.

However, I think I got an answer- no cleanups. when it doesn't LOOK new anymore it gets thrown out and replaced?

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"No Contests, No Divas, Just A Good Time!"

" Disc based and loving it..."

I think it was more like, when it doesn't WORK anymore (like it's supposed to)...

The only thing I have that needs repeated "refreshing" is the TV stand. It takes a beating and every year or so, I give it a spray of black enamel.

Speaker stands go in a bag... no scratches and much easier to carry.

That's more like it. Although unless mishandled, I don't see why anything should be beat up.

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LIKE Lonman on Facebook - Lonman Productions Karaoke & my main site via my profile!

forget the paint, a black sharpie works great the beginning of every show, on all my black stands and speaker grills..... fast and less effort, especially for a dark dirty bar!

and i'm not currently working in a smoking bar so i don't have to douche my equipment to clean the tar & nicotine.

TIP:
anyways if your in a smoking venue, hot water and amonia 50% 50% solution is best for cleaning tar & nicotine off.

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It's all good!

Simple Green is what we use and it works great.

Thom used to work for a company that delt with anything that goes into a bar (ie jukebox, pinball machine, counter top games, etc) and the stuff they use for just about everything to clean them is Simple Green. Certain things like the playing field for the pinballs use something with wax but just about everything else is Simple Green.

that's funny so did I, I did all their electronics repair and alot of cleaning... we 2 used simple green, but the amount of cleaning amonia and water is cheaper.

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It's all good!

I don't sell audio gear unless it has failed and I can't repair it. So I hold onto just about everything but it gets removed from regular use.

DJ computers get replaced every 3 years.

Speakers and amplifers get replaced every 3 years.

Road cases get sold when the latches wear out.

All of my lighting is now LED if it breaks it will get replaced.

Mics, and All Rack gear Reverbs, Delays, EQ's, Crossovers, and anything else, get replaced at 1st sign of malfunction.

I never really pull thing out of service they just moved down the line. Main will go to backup, Backup will go to other uses in my house like my band system or things like monitors and stuff.

I refresh about 1 time a night, but i've had a couple nights if i go right before i start then i can make it through the entire show with out having to "refresh".

but if i crack the valve to early then it can be a lot more if i'm drinking....

sorry i couldn't resist, been biting my tounge the entire time.....

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It's all good!

, Good one!

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KingBing Entertainment C'mon Up! I have a song for you!!! [font=MS Sans Serif][/font]

Although this is a good idea, I'm am pretty sure it voilates Section 2.1, Article 4 of the man code. I'm not going to turn you into the man card police, but I wouldn't be surprised if you are already on their radar, so watch your back!

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C Mc
KJ, FL

It's only a violation if the aforementioned microphone decorations are not used to schmooz or placate otherwise high-maintenance wimmens into them believing that they are really as revered as any top-diva on the planet. (Sec. 23, par 15(c)) Also commonly known as "the brownie points rule."

Now your screen name makes perfect sense...