Spring Is Here! LR 03-13-2014
Thu Mar 13, 2014 11:19 am
It is awesome here today, 47 degrees and sunny. We have had about 1 foot of snow melt since last Friday. Lunch was some trail mix as I was shopping.
The weather has been the worst in years, cold and snowy. Here is a photo off our deck in the back. The snow was above the deck rail not long ago.
Many people have had water coming in through the ceilings due to ice dams. I shoveled the garage roof about a month ago and the house roof last Saturday. It was a lot of work but I told Ginny i was taking a heart test. I survived but was soaking wet when done. Here is the picture of a neighbor behind us. I hope that he has had no damage.
Some of the ice dams have been 8-10 inches deep. My roof is completely bare so we are fine.
Not much today in the G&L fold other than our recording experience. I am about 95 % complete and plan to have it available by April 1. All of the guitar other rhan acoustic is done on G&L's. Steve showed up last fall with an American Tele that he had just put new strings on. He has always been a Fender guy but is gigging G&L's now. I had him rerecord the work he had done with Tele as it was so anemic and sterile. What a difference. I have also rerecorded a couple of the bass tracks with the L-2500 as I really like the tone for a couple of songs. I am glad this project is nearing completion. But all I can say for the G&L guitars is tone, tone, tone! The bonus is that they are special to look at. Any thoughts?????
I have been getting ready for a trip to west of Denver Colorado next week to watch my 13 yo granddaughter compete in Junior Olympic skiing. New tires on the van, Aligned and it is road ready. My daughter Kari asked if I would bring her baby Taylor along with me next week as they are already there and didn't have room. The dad and other granddaughter have to return here this weekend so I will be bringing my daughter Kari and granddaughter Haley back. It will be a blast. Ginny is staying home with the kitties and working. Yesterday was my chance to take a look at the Baby Taylor. This is one of the early ones made in America with a moulded case. Kari picked it up about 3 years ago for I believe $100.
The strings were older than dirt, the action high, so I decided to give it a good going over. I adjusted the truss rod, removed the neck and shimmed to lower the action and stringed it with new EJs. The action is perfect and the neck shimming was a breeze as it is mounted with two screws. This guitar has had some use but is good for much more. It plays pretty sweet now. What have you been doing for entertainment during this messy winter? Here are some photos.
Neck mounting screws
Very nice molded case.
Last subject today is something I have not seen discussed here and that is Guitar Insurance. It is obviously important to me and I have always checked with our carrier to make sure that mine were covered against theft, fire and comprehensive. They were but here is where it gets into the grey area. The limit on household articles is determined in you policy. Our belongings would have been covered up to that max but my guitars would have put it way over what they would have paid. I am not worried about coverage when I am gigging and my homeowners will not cover a guitar that is being gigged or away from home. I am okay with that as I keep an eye on them when gigging. I sat down a couple of weeks ago and added up the replacement value of my guitars. That is when reality sets in. What would you do if you came home from a weekend and they were gone. After talking to our agent I decided the increase the value of our personal property by $100,000 for an addition $60 a year. In my opinion, that is a bargain. Remember that this can vary from state to state but guitars do not require special riders like jewelry or guns at lest in Minnesota. What are you thoughts and concerns about this issue. What have you done? I am interested to see what others have done. Have a great day, the sun does it for me! -- Darwin
The weather has been the worst in years, cold and snowy. Here is a photo off our deck in the back. The snow was above the deck rail not long ago.
Many people have had water coming in through the ceilings due to ice dams. I shoveled the garage roof about a month ago and the house roof last Saturday. It was a lot of work but I told Ginny i was taking a heart test. I survived but was soaking wet when done. Here is the picture of a neighbor behind us. I hope that he has had no damage.
Some of the ice dams have been 8-10 inches deep. My roof is completely bare so we are fine.
Not much today in the G&L fold other than our recording experience. I am about 95 % complete and plan to have it available by April 1. All of the guitar other rhan acoustic is done on G&L's. Steve showed up last fall with an American Tele that he had just put new strings on. He has always been a Fender guy but is gigging G&L's now. I had him rerecord the work he had done with Tele as it was so anemic and sterile. What a difference. I have also rerecorded a couple of the bass tracks with the L-2500 as I really like the tone for a couple of songs. I am glad this project is nearing completion. But all I can say for the G&L guitars is tone, tone, tone! The bonus is that they are special to look at. Any thoughts?????
I have been getting ready for a trip to west of Denver Colorado next week to watch my 13 yo granddaughter compete in Junior Olympic skiing. New tires on the van, Aligned and it is road ready. My daughter Kari asked if I would bring her baby Taylor along with me next week as they are already there and didn't have room. The dad and other granddaughter have to return here this weekend so I will be bringing my daughter Kari and granddaughter Haley back. It will be a blast. Ginny is staying home with the kitties and working. Yesterday was my chance to take a look at the Baby Taylor. This is one of the early ones made in America with a moulded case. Kari picked it up about 3 years ago for I believe $100.
The strings were older than dirt, the action high, so I decided to give it a good going over. I adjusted the truss rod, removed the neck and shimmed to lower the action and stringed it with new EJs. The action is perfect and the neck shimming was a breeze as it is mounted with two screws. This guitar has had some use but is good for much more. It plays pretty sweet now. What have you been doing for entertainment during this messy winter? Here are some photos.
Neck mounting screws
Very nice molded case.
Last subject today is something I have not seen discussed here and that is Guitar Insurance. It is obviously important to me and I have always checked with our carrier to make sure that mine were covered against theft, fire and comprehensive. They were but here is where it gets into the grey area. The limit on household articles is determined in you policy. Our belongings would have been covered up to that max but my guitars would have put it way over what they would have paid. I am not worried about coverage when I am gigging and my homeowners will not cover a guitar that is being gigged or away from home. I am okay with that as I keep an eye on them when gigging. I sat down a couple of weeks ago and added up the replacement value of my guitars. That is when reality sets in. What would you do if you came home from a weekend and they were gone. After talking to our agent I decided the increase the value of our personal property by $100,000 for an addition $60 a year. In my opinion, that is a bargain. Remember that this can vary from state to state but guitars do not require special riders like jewelry or guns at lest in Minnesota. What are you thoughts and concerns about this issue. What have you done? I am interested to see what others have done. Have a great day, the sun does it for me! -- Darwin
Re: Spring Is Here! LR 03-13-2014
Thu Mar 13, 2014 12:53 pm
Hey Darwin:
Great shots.
After our 12 inches of lake effect snow yesterday, that shut the niagara peninsula, we are in bright sunshine today, but windchill of -20........
Supposed to warm up tomorrow a bit, so lunch today was SOUP.
I have thought about guitar insurance, but haven't done anything about it. When I go away, I put them in their cases which are out of sight, out of mind, but thanks for reminding me that I should take care of it!!
I bet she's going to be really pleased with the Baby Taylor when she gets it, way to go!!
Alf
Great shots.
After our 12 inches of lake effect snow yesterday, that shut the niagara peninsula, we are in bright sunshine today, but windchill of -20........
Supposed to warm up tomorrow a bit, so lunch today was SOUP.
I have thought about guitar insurance, but haven't done anything about it. When I go away, I put them in their cases which are out of sight, out of mind, but thanks for reminding me that I should take care of it!!
I bet she's going to be really pleased with the Baby Taylor when she gets it, way to go!!
Alf
Re: Spring Is Here! LR 03-13-2014
Thu Mar 13, 2014 6:08 pm
I think we barely got above freezing today. The wind was so gusty that I literally chased my hat down the sidewalk twice!
Darwin, please be careful on the roof! Soon after I moved to Maine, my landlord fell and was paralyzed. After we bought our own place, I only raked it from the ground. That was a good workout.
I don't want to go too deep into guitar security in a public forum, but I do carry a separate insurance policy for the instruments as one level of protection.
Ken
Darwin, please be careful on the roof! Soon after I moved to Maine, my landlord fell and was paralyzed. After we bought our own place, I only raked it from the ground. That was a good workout.
I don't want to go too deep into guitar security in a public forum, but I do carry a separate insurance policy for the instruments as one level of protection.
Ken
Re: Spring Is Here! LR 03-13-2014
Fri Mar 14, 2014 1:24 am
Since you gig, and presumably make some money at it, you should have a separate policy for your guitar gear. There is a company that advertises in Vintage Guitar Magazine--you might check them out. If you are declaring any income from your music on your taxes...be careful.
Most homeowner's policies are written for PERSONAL PROPERTY. If you're making money, it becomes business property, and may not be eligible under your HO policy. And, it may not be covered in the van, by either your AUTO or HO policy.
IME, in the insurance biz, agents often don't really know the subtleties of coverages. If he says the gear is covered just by adding another $100,000 of coverage for $60--I'd get that IN WRITING. Seriously. And if something happens and then he says, "Ooops...coverage denied," you can go after the agent under HIS Errors and Omissions coverage. (Be sure to ask if he and his agency have E&O BEFORE you sign on the dotted line.)
I have been burned, by this very issue. One of those not-so-joyous "Learning Experiences".
Best of Luck,
Bill
Most homeowner's policies are written for PERSONAL PROPERTY. If you're making money, it becomes business property, and may not be eligible under your HO policy. And, it may not be covered in the van, by either your AUTO or HO policy.
IME, in the insurance biz, agents often don't really know the subtleties of coverages. If he says the gear is covered just by adding another $100,000 of coverage for $60--I'd get that IN WRITING. Seriously. And if something happens and then he says, "Ooops...coverage denied," you can go after the agent under HIS Errors and Omissions coverage. (Be sure to ask if he and his agency have E&O BEFORE you sign on the dotted line.)
I have been burned, by this very issue. One of those not-so-joyous "Learning Experiences".
Best of Luck,
Bill
Re: Spring Is Here! LR 03-13-2014
Fri Mar 14, 2014 5:22 am
Boogie Bill wrote:IME, in the insurance biz, agents often don't really know the subtleties of coverages.
I agree. When I lived in Ohio, I asked my agent about coverage for instruments. She asked what I had, I said guitars, and her immediate response was "don't worry, they'll be covered under your homeowners policy." No questions at all about value. I pressed the issue, and found out that she only recommended separate coverage for orchestral instruments. She had it stuck in her mind that guitars were all worth $200-$300, and a claim would never be for more than one or two.
When I discussed the topic with my current insurer, they said that a single instrument would probably be covered against theft or acts of nature without any questions. The adjustors would probably balk at a claim for multiple instruments under a homeowners policy, though. For me, the separate policy costs the same as an increase in homeowners would have.
Ken
Re: Spring Is Here! LR 03-13-2014
Fri Mar 14, 2014 7:23 am
I am glad that I brought this insurance issue up. I do not worry about coverage on my gigging instruments when I am at gigs or if they are stolen out of my van. They are never left in the van out of my sight. I am only concerned about coverage in our home. I only use a few of them and the rest are never gigged. I will have a discussion with my agent again. Ken, I am interested in your solution and if you don't mind, can you pm me some more on what you are doing? Thanks folks! -- Darwin
Re: Spring Is Here! LR 03-13-2014
Fri Mar 14, 2014 9:10 am
I have a separate insurance policy on my musical equipment. The policy is very reasonable at just over $100 a year.
That is a true statement! A friend of mine lost a million dollars worth of farm equipment a few years ago when his machine shed burned to the ground. One of the items he lost was a new Dodge truck with a hydraulic bale bed on it. They covered the truck, but told him the bed should have had its own policy.
Boogie Bill wrote:IME, in the insurance biz, agents often don't really know the subtleties of coverages.
That is a true statement! A friend of mine lost a million dollars worth of farm equipment a few years ago when his machine shed burned to the ground. One of the items he lost was a new Dodge truck with a hydraulic bale bed on it. They covered the truck, but told him the bed should have had its own policy.
Re: Spring Is Here! LR 03-13-2014
Fri Mar 14, 2014 10:50 am
Darwin,
I've sent you a PM.
Ken
I've sent you a PM.
Ken
Re: Spring Is Here! LR 03-13-2014
Sat Mar 15, 2014 9:30 am
Hey Darwin,
These Baby Taylors with thermoplastic cases are great travel guitars. Mine comes along about everywhere I travel to especially camping trips. I have the same quandary as you have and think I have to increase the value of coverage too. Or look into a separate Musical Instrument policy as Sprinter suggests. Funnily enough I had one in the Netherlands covering stuff that wasn't worth more than maybe $500 in equivalent currency and never bothered to do it over here while the collection was ever growing.
- Jos
These Baby Taylors with thermoplastic cases are great travel guitars. Mine comes along about everywhere I travel to especially camping trips. I have the same quandary as you have and think I have to increase the value of coverage too. Or look into a separate Musical Instrument policy as Sprinter suggests. Funnily enough I had one in the Netherlands covering stuff that wasn't worth more than maybe $500 in equivalent currency and never bothered to do it over here while the collection was ever growing.
- Jos