About Live Musician Central Author – Matt Rushton

   My name is Matt Rushton, I’ve been playing live music for 29 years now. I got in my first live Rock Band when I was 14 years old. It was like a revelation, I knew that’s what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I’m not a label executive or an industry insider. I’m a working musician and I know how to fight it out in the trenches. I can tell you how to put a band together, get a show ready, market and play gigs. Now, I’m ready to share my experience with the world. A lot of wild stuff has happened to me and I hope reading about it will help some of you.

   I’ve been actively playing in clubs since I was 18 years old and I’ve concentrated on giving the best Rock-N-Roll show possible. A lot of the stuff on Live Musician Central is geared to Rock musicians but it easily translates to other styles as well.

I’m currently in two bands. “Shufflin’ Noah” is my all original band that has been together for about 16 years. “Bonne Nuit” is my cover band that I have put together with my three oldest sons. I never thought I would be playing music with my kids but I’ve had some of the most fun I’ve ever had in a band playing music with them.

    I’ve had the opportunity through my career to play some very big shows. Some of the artists I’ve opened for are: Sheryl Crow, Barenaked Ladies, Little River Band, Quiet Riot and Joan Jett.

 You can hear some of my solo original music on my Myspace Page.

On Live Musician Central I also discuss various pieces of musical equipment. The equipment I select to write about on Live Musician Central are pieces that I have used extensively in my live band or in my home studio. I am intimately familiar with almost every piece of equipment that I discuss here. The equipment that I discuss can be used with confidence that they will stand up to their intended uses. If I use something that I don’t like, you can count on me telling you what I don’t like about it. I post links to buy the equipment I discuss based on seller reputation and value for the dollar. I’m just like any other working musician and I like to save money any way I can. So if I find a good deal or a good sale, I’ll write a post about it.

   My current guitar main stage guitar is the 2010 Fender American Deluxe Ash Stratocaster with the wine transparent finish. You can check it out below and pick one up for yourself!

Fender American Deluxe Stratocaster Ash Electric Guitar Wine Transparent The ash Fender American Deluxe Stratocaster gives you the distinct grain pattern and spanking tone of an ash body, with all the cool specs of the new American Deluxe Stratocaster. A new compound-radius fretboard makes string bending exhilaratingly effortless anywhere along the neck. New Fender N3 noiseless pickups supercharge your sound with improved Stratocaster tones for sparkling bell-like chime with no hum. Reconfigured S-1 switching offers even more knockout tonal options. Other features include staggered locking tuners, a 2-point synchronized American Deluxe tremolo bridge with pop-in arm, and a beveled neck heel. Fender includes a molded Fender-exclusive SKB case with glass-reinforced latches and TSA locks, cable, and strap locks with the American Deluxe Strat.Fender N3 Noiseless pickups N3 Noiseless pickups deliver the best of yesterday and today, because they deliver landmark vintage Fender tone and response without the hum that can plague single-coil pickups. Using an improved stacked coil-coil design, N3 Noiseless pickups are specially tailored for each Stratocaster and Telecaster pickup position. The insulated metal core of each pickup position type differs in thickness and composition for enhanced tone, and Fender has fine-tuned the sized, shape, and wire gauge of the coils to balance the magnetic responsiveness essential to great tone. N3 pickups represent a welcome return to the warmth and clarity of alnico magnets. An Alnico 5 magnet is used in the bridge position, Alnico 2 in the middle position, and Alnico 3 for the neck position.