Lunch Report, Thursday, May 20,

Today's menu consists of something that I know all of you guys just love, as it's one of the Left Coast's favorite cuisines, some tasty, raw, ocean fish. Mmmmmm....

Up until about 3 years ago, I used to go out for sushi dinner at least once every two weeks. There are a couple of very good sushi bars around. While it is rather expensive, I'd usually end up feeling that I'd eaten just enough to keep this mortal coil mobile 'til tomorrow's breakfast. Today, I rarely indulge in going out for sushi, but I found a substitute, home-made sushi/sashimi. ( For the uninitiated, sushi is with rice, sashimi is served without rice.) There's a Korean store that's right across the street from my hair-stylist's shop. They sell what's called "sashimi grade" fish that's super fresh and therefore makes for good sushi or sashimi. So, I'll start off with a couple of nice slices of salmon sashimi, follow that with a few pieces of octopus sushi(cooked), and end up with a couple of pieces of albacore sushi. All of them will be dipped in a small bowl that has low-sodium soy sauce with wasabi (horseradish) mixed in, to make a tasty sauce that finishes with a big exploding fire in your sinuses from the wasabi. It's part of the charm. The spiciness of the wasabi only hits you once, unlike the fire from jalapeno peppers and the like. Since it's Thursday, and 5 O'clock somewhere, I'll enjoy a Kirin beer with lunch. After that, a Cliff Bar for dessert, followed by a sure siesta.

Music/G&L-related query:

If you are a comfortable, proficient, lead guitarist, how long did it take before you left scale-sounding riffs and acquired the feel for melodic soloing?

Since I'd probably be classified as much more of a rhythm guitarist, I still venture into the lead realm, albeit rather clumsily. What I'm learning is that it's probably best to play other people's music, in order to develop this feel, unless one is naturally gifted, which I am not.

What well-known lead guitarist would you suggest for a rather simple wading into lead playing? Style should be classic rock or blues. I've never been a metal head.

I have a friend whose guitar was once knocked off a high perch by his cat. He tells me that the neck actually got snapped. The guitar was also damaged.

Have any of you guys ever had an animal, friend, or loved one somehow damage your guitar or other instrument? How did you react?

G&L Porn: Here's a picture of my '88 ASAT III in either candy apple red or wine red. If it's CA Red, it's not anywhere near as metallic as I see in today's CA. I can also see where it looks like metallic silver was sprayed on the guitar before the red as applied, FWIW. I believe that it has a maple body, as my blue one does. I'm tempted to change out the control setup with that from a F. Nashville Tele. The tone seems to come alive (brighten up) a bit more with the Nashville change.

I voted "rarely" in the poll, but it's more often than that. I'd probably say once every week or two. And don't forget Music-Go-Round...that's actually where I found my Legacy!!

I'm no great lead player, but I can do a little and do work at it. I've been playing electric for about 12 years now, and have probably felt quasi-comfortable playing leads for the past 4 or 5, though I did some well thought out leads prior to that. But I'm still no natural and my "arsenal of licks" is pretty limited!! And I definitely don't know my scales like I'd like to.

As for solos to learn...I'm a big Rush fan and I like Alex's solos. With a few exceptions, he's not a speed player, but he's very toneful and has a great sense of melody...I find them fun to play, and I don't have to be a shredder to do it.

I also like Neal Schon...at least his classic Journey stuff. While his style is very different than Alex's, his solos have many of the same qualities...toneful, great sense of melody, not terribly fast. Though he does a lot more shredding on Journey's more recent albums.

I know there are others, but I'm drawing a blank right now!

I am partial to the squid when I go out for Sushi, have never tried to make it myself. Since I moved from Los Angeles area to rural Northern California the opportunities for good Sushi have been minimal, especially since the wife is not into it at all. I have also always thought there was a time-zone for any occasion.

I always think of David Gilmour of Pink Floyd to be a good starting point on soloing. Not too fast, not overly difficult, always seems to fit the rest of the song perfectly.

I had a Golden Retriever who as a puppy knocked my Les Paul Studio off its stand and snapped the neck about 3/4 of the way through, just into the headstock. The first person to repair it didn't do a very good job and it separated again about 1 1/2 years later. Finally got it fixed proper, but was expensive as they had to remove all the gunk from the previous repair. However, now looks almost good as new (slight crinkle in face of headstock because it is some type of laminate), but the neck shows no trauma at all.

--recluse

As for solos to learn...I'm a big Rush fan and I like Alex's solos. With a few exceptions, he's not a speed player, but he's very toneful and has a great sense of melody...I find them fun to play, and I don't have to be a shredder to do it.

Thanks for the suggestions, Muleya. Coincidentally, the same book on scales and modes that I picked up the Randy Rhoades riff from has an example by Alex Lifeson. It's written in E Major. Now if I can find my CD for this book, I'll be able to hear the kind of subtleties that I should to play it passably. I think that CD is in my storage unit somewhere. If I can't locate it, I'll have to wing it.

Thanks again.

I always think of David Gilmour of Pink Floyd to be a good starting point on soloing. Not too fast, not overly difficult, always seems to fit the rest of the song perfectly.

Thanks for the suggestion of David Gilmour. I'll see what I can find online to check it out. Being 53 years old, I am, of course, familiar with Pink Floyd. However, when I listened to their work years ago, it wasn't in the context of playing it.

I had a Golden Retriever who as a puppy knocked my Les Paul Studio off its stand and snapped the neck about 3/4 of the way through, just into the headstock.
--recluse

That's a bummer. Goldens aren't small dogs, and are a bit rambunctious as puppies, eh? I believe that I have seen more broken necks on Gibsons/Epiphones, with their mahogany necks, than on any other guitar. They do seem to be a little more vulnerable than others, perhaps because of weakness at the truss-rod adjustment "tunnel". It's great that it was fixable.

My ex-wife did not eat "real" sushi. Even though she was Korean-American, and born in a fishing/farming village in Korea, she didn't eat the raw stuff. She claimed it was because she knew better. However, she loved the tempura, cooked yellow-tail collar, scallops, shrimp, blue-crab roll, salmon skin handroll, etc. Damn, now I'm hungry and might have to really eat some sushi tonight. Thanks for your response.

You've got some Beatles records, right? I would suggest trying to learn the guitar parts by ear. This is very helpful in developing your ear as well as your playing. Try to cop Clapton's solo in "While My Guitar Gently Weeps." It's slow and tasteful --- in other words, easy to play. Cop all the guitar parts in "I Want You (She's So Heavy)." There's great stuff in that song guitar-wise. If you get stuck trying to do it by ear, look it up online. Their early records are chock-full of really cool guitar parts.

I love sushi. There are superb sushi joints in LA --- and I've been to many of the top ones. But you're right, it can get ludicrously expensive. Especially if you go to Urusawa. I can't afford that kind of fare anymore so I rarely eat sushi --- only on special occasions.

I enjoy sushi and sashimi, but I only get it a few times a year.

One of the most interesting things I've ever witnessed is a fish auction in Hilo on the Big Island of Hawaii. My wife and I saw it about 20 years ago when we were on vacation in Hawaii. The fishermen go out over night for their catch, and at 7am they hold a fish auction in a fish market. For tuna they lay out their fish on wooden planks on the ground, then they take a "plug" from each fish using a hollow needle and place it on a piece of paper on the fish. Restaurant and grocery store representative come and sample the fish from the "plug," then an auctioneer auction off each fish. A small group with the auctioneer and the bidders will move from fish to fish and go through a pretty rapid bidding round. I believe the bidding was done in Japanese, but it is so long ago I don't remember that detail any longer. We were told that the fish auctioned will be served in various restaurants that day. They auction off other kinds of fish also, and these are all fish that are used for sushi.

I started playing guitar by learning surf tunes and Beatles songs, but I was unable to play much of the lead at all. Some of the earliest attempts at learning lead years later were from players like Dave Mason and Santana. I actually learned minor pentatonic from Dave Mason songs, except that I did not know that's what it was until years later when I learned some theory.

I am typically very careful with my guitars, but even then every once in a while I would bump into a mic stand, or an amp. But I have never causes significant damage to my guitars, just the occasional chip and scratches, that's it. One time, when my son was about 2 or 3 years old, I was playing my koa Carvin electric when he started fussing about something. I reached down to put the guitar back into the case so I can tend to him. As I was reaching the guitar into the case the lid came down and one of the latches took a rice-grain size nick off the edge of the body. I was upset until I realized that I really am more responsible for the damage than my son.

Kit

I rarely craigslist for instruments, but I look more often (still way less than daily) for bikes. Here's my score from December:
http://www.rickshawseason.com/coker-monster-cruiser/



I did buy a bass from craigslist locally once, and my L-5000 was listed on craigslist in another state, but the seller had a great reputation in guitar forums so I bought anyway. No problems. (I don't recommend buying from craigslist outside of a local area, though)

[youtube]y4sALru9IJk[/youtube]

I voted in the poll as once daily, but it could be twice a day on craigslist, if I am stuck at my desk and in front of my computer-there are rarely G&Ls on it but I just like to see what's out there. I also enjoy the guys that seem to sit in front of craigslist all day and point out bogus or overpriced guitars and gear..Glad I have more to do in my day...or do I? ebay is a morning ritual while enjoying my coffee..mostly window shopping, so to speak.

I've been playing for 15 years with a four, five year break in there..just more recently am I feeling better about "soloing" or lead style playing. For me, it's about finger strength and dexterity and getting my hands strong enough to do what I hear in my head. I don't play along to records but have been listening to music (rock, jazz, metal, etc.) almost every day for the last 20 years, it has paid off. I am more interested in tone and feel over speed and flashiness. For me, less notes are always better. if you have some scales down, try playing just four or five notes of it all over the board. I used to worry too much about cramming notes into a bar, it's good to let the notes hang out and breath. thinking about phrases helps. and having a beginning, middle and end.

I don't eat raw animal protein. I do like a good California Roll. I like smoked eel. I like octopus.

I'm not a lead player. But as an amateur songwriter, I play a bit of melody and such within the chords I'm using, or something like that.
I cannot recommend much to anybody.

I've never had a guitar damaged by another being. Stolen, yes. Damaged will come with two kids and a dog running around, someday.

eBay has been good to me with only a single exception. Lucky man I am. I have several saved searches (such as "vintage G&L" and G&L NOS) that feed me items to drool over from time to time. I have more guitars (and basses) now that my lack of ability can justify, so I'm on the sidelines now watching the game. - ed

MM sushi, had some good experiences with it recently, finally got the wife eating it sometimes. We go out rarely however, generally good home cooking, being country folk originally (currently city folk). I like eel, and as for raw animal protein, no better way to do it. Raw animal protein has the least breakdown (aka none) as cooking destroys amino chains to some extent, and animal protein spectra are much more usable (diverse, % for tissue building) than anything except dairy and eggs.

I don't really look at ebay unless I am trying to buy something, too much anticipation otherwise. I am currently saving for a goal (amp, Mark V) so I don't look at anything at all for the moment.

I do some lead playing, sometimes I stick to around the roots and vary. I have had some success on a funk tune using pentatonic blues scale, that was fun. Some tunes I choose to be dissonant. Whether my songs are a success is in the ear of the listener. They are definitely interesting and non standard. The problem is I rarely write down what I do, and very very rarely do leads rehearsed. I think I did Tenderness in Em, or Bm, (forget which haha). Brittleness, i wrote the leads. Flight of the Kiwi is said funk tune. Through the breach I was going for a mindset (its in the song notes) and play some parts disonantly. Dreamscape there is nothing but bass and a lead guitar over it. I am no super talent guitar player, and will likely never shred (although I try to get faster all the time just for airiness in flow) Roadside is an experiment in my being very new to country leads and country style playing. I am by no means anything but an amature, but I like to believe I have created some interesting ideas and melodies. (I am also a bass player not a guitarist , not that most of those will tell you that, next tune is either a 3 piece instrumental, or a all bass song with 2-3 layers, feel the need to stretch my bass muscles a bit more in the creative process) http://www.soundclick.com/bands/default ... dID=963521

All guitar damage has been done my me, my dog has always been reverent of my instruments, thankfully.

Wish I could respond to these around lunch but have been running long cyclic tests in the soils lab all week while teaching myself FORTRAN. go fun...

Thank you all for some very interesting and insightful answers. I'll be keeping this page for reference. Great stuff to work on. Have a great night folks.