Cold Wednesday Early Lunch Report - 2-2-2011

Well, it's Groundhog's day, and it sounds like we're in for an early Spring! YAY!
Hope this morning finds all of you safe and sound, and not under too much snow.

I woke up this morning and felt horrible, so I called in sick. So here's the Lunch Report for today!

Thanks for all of the replies yesterday. We have some seriously talented people on this board! Really dug all of the songs ya'll posted. Keep up the good work.
We have to fight the good fight against the Katie Perry's and Lady GaGa's of this world!


Lunch

Well, I will probably be having some homemade vegetable soup for lunch. The missus has some red beans soaking for tonight, so some good old
southern red beans and rice are in the making!!!

G&L Topic

G&L seems like a company that is constantly testing and refining the guitars and basses it produces. A lot of that comes from the spirit of Leo Fender.
He didn't seem shy about revisiting his classic designs (well, his and his small army of incredible idea men)
G&L seems to keep one eye on tradition and another on innovation. Are you for G&L perhaps stepping more outside the box or should they pretty much
keep on the course they are on??
What would you like to see happen with the line? More metal style guitars to please the youngsters? Maybe some crazy body shapes...I mean they got pretty
wacky with the Interceptors!!

What are your thoughts???

General Music Question

How is the music scene were you are located? Is it thriving? Was it thriving but the economy killed it?
Do people seem to appreciate original live music, or are you a cover band kind of town?

General Music Question Part 2

Ok fess up.....are you anal about your guitars??
Do you fret over every little scratch, ding, smudge and general imperfection??
Or, do you view your guitar or bass as a tool, and take it for what it is?

Picture time

Alrighty....most of us seem to have a pretty good collection of instruments.
So what's your crown jewel?? Let's see a pic!
Doesn't have to be a G&L......just has to be "purty"

I look forward to your responses!

Avoiding work, avoiding work.....

I am having some soup today as well, I made it Monday for dinner. A cod and potato chowder thing I made from fish taco left overs.

Music scene in Helena? It's really tough. The people in the clubs are not very accustomed to hearing music other than the 40 songs they hear on FM radio. So it is hard to make them comfortable enough to get down. Then, a lot of bars got in a tiff with RIAA and are refusing to pay them. So they will only book original bands, which are few and far between--so cover bands are all rotating though about 5 places. It's a good opportunity for us to test our stuff on some unsuspecting partiers, but we will have to build a following to get paid much.

Guitars-- I thing G&L should make a guitar/turn table/mp3 player/midi interface for the kids, maybe call it a synthcaster. But I love their product line.

My guitars? I am a home for wayward guitars. I have no problem picking up guitars that have minor cosmetic defects, if the seller takes it into account in the price. I do think of them as a tool--but a precision tool that requires care. I have found that a little consistent maintenance is easier than big 'detail' sessions. Being a sweaty greasy guy, I have gotten in a pretty good habit of wiping my guitars off after I play them. And do a pretty good job cleaning/polishing them when I change strings, including cleaning and conditioning the fretboard.

Fun week of questions, 500...

jeremy

We have to fight the good fight against the Katie Perry's and Lady GaGa's of this world!

..............................Yeah, but Katie is a pretty hot looking babe!


Are you for G&L perhaps stepping more outside the box or should they pretty much
keep on the course they are on??

.......................Well, Shecters and Deans do sell like crazy but it doesn't seem like G&L has been able to tap that market

How is the music scene were you are located? Is it thriving? Was it thriving but the economy killed it?
Do people seem to appreciate original live music, or are you a cover band kind of town?

.............I wouldn't say it's thriving but it's doing allright, more origional bands then thier used to be.

Ok fess up.....are you anal about your guitars??
Do you fret over every little scratch, ding, smudge and general imperfection??
Or, do you view your guitar or bass as a tool, and take it for what it is?

.................I don't keep my guitars in cases and rarely put them on stands, I just lean em up against the amp and I don't care about dings dents or scratches, if they happen they happen. I do keep them all VERY clean, set up and ready to go with fresh strings, If I get the urge to pull something off the wall that I haven't played in a while I want it to be ready to go.


Alrighty....most of us seem to have a pretty good collection of instruments.
So what's your crown jewel?? Let's see a pic!
Doesn't have to be a G&L......just has to be "purty"

I've gone through a lot of better looking guitars over the past ten years but this one gets 90% of the play time. She has her share of dents and dings and the laquer is worn off parts of the fretboard from constant playing But It's got the tone, sustain and just the right feel for me I think you call it MOJO



I thought this one might become my #1 when I bought it last year, I'd been looking for a hog 500 for quite a while but alas, it just hangs on the wall most of the time.

Both of those are SAH-WEET!!!!!!!

G&L Topic

G&L seems like a company that is constantly testing and refining the guitars and basses it produces. A lot of that comes from the spirit of Leo Fender.
He didn't seem shy about revisiting his classic designs (well, his and his small army of incredible idea men)
G&L seems to keep one eye on tradition and another on innovation. Are you for G&L perhaps stepping more outside the box or should they pretty much
keep on the course they are on??
What would you like to see happen with the line? More metal style guitars to please the youngsters? Maybe some crazy body shapes...I mean they got pretty
wacky with the Interceptors!!


Well....I think if G&L started to get too crazy, like say go for the Dean or ESP market, it'd be a mistake. I would welcome an Interceptor reissue, but no pointy
guitars with crazy graphics that the teens seem to gravitate towards. I love that they started to utilize the old style bodies and head stocks, while retaining
the more "Fenderesque" shapes for the Fender fans.

I appreciate the R&D that goes into the guitars, and the tweaks like with the new DF trems. That's awesome!



General Music Question

How is the music scene were you are located? Is it thriving? Was it thriving but the economy killed it?
Do people seem to appreciate original live music, or are you a cover band kind of town?


The music scene here in Baton Rouge is okay. It's very fractured. There's a blues scene, and a 80's/90's cover bands scene.
There's also a large hipster scene, and a constant flow of bands coming in from Austin. The clubs around here are fairly receptive
to live music, but try to pay you as little as possible. We do okay in town, but find ourselves playing in New Orleans more and more.
We have a nice string of festival gigs coming up which is great. The music scene here in the 80's and 90's was GREAT...I really miss it.
General Music Question Part 2

Ok fess up.....are you anal about your guitars??
Do you fret over every little scratch, ding, smudge and general imperfection??
Or, do you view your guitar or bass as a tool, and take it for what it is?

I am somewhat. When I get a new guitar I tend to fret over it more so than my older ones.
Once it gets the first ding, I tend to relax. I treat them well, keep them in the case most of the time.
I keep a couple out, and rotate them every couple of months. I keep them clean, and give them a deep cleaning after a gig.
When all is said and done, they really are just a tool, and were meant to be used. I hate to see a guitar being treated like it's a rare work of art.


Picture time

Alrighty....most of us seem to have a pretty good collection of instruments.
So what's your crown jewel?? Let's see a pic!
Doesn't have to be a G&L......just has to be "purty"


Ok...pretty guitar time.
These are my current Ginger and Mary Ann..



I love my G&L's, but those Gretsches just take my breath away everytime I see 'em.

Great topics today. G&L is doing a good job in my opinion. Their website could be better and they could start sponsoring events, etc. It's not my business so I'll leave it at that. The music "scene" in the Twin Cities is good. Although I rarely take advantage of it. Here are two pieces of wood that I treasure and fit this forum:









Cheers,

Will

Last edited by willross on Fri Feb 11, 2011 12:08 pm, edited 2 times in total.

Man Will...that's a lot of FLAME!
Beautiful instruments for sure......

Not sure what I would like from G&L, except SS frets to magical teleport to my ASAT as I had intended in the first place...
.

I am not overly anal about my guitars, they will get dinged, I don't go out of my way to do it, but am long past being upset when it does. In the spirit of fair competition I will refrain from posting my ridiculous flame

Those Gretsches are beautiful Shawn. What a handsome couple!

I hope that G&L doesn't make crazy metal guitars. I have a Washburn Dimebag Darrel that I got as a kid, it has lightning bolts all over it. There's no way I could take it to a gig, and that's my problem with metal guitars - you can't use a B.C. Rich Warlock at a country gig. The crowds have enough trouble with the Flying V my fellow guitarist uses. The Invader should keep the little headbangers happy.

I wouldn't mind seeing a set neck G&L, something to take a bit of the Gibson market, but at a reasonable price. I don't think guitarists should have to pay a premium for a set neck guitar in this age of CNC cut bodies and necks.

Music Scene - Melbourne is the best city in Australia for live music. There are a hell of a lot of clubs and pubs where you can see bands of any genre on any night of the week. I haven't seen a top 40 cover band since I've been here. There is a lot of original music. The scene took a blow last year when our government made a rule that venues must employ security guards whenever there is live music being played in an effort to reduce violence. There were a series of serious bashings, stabbings, machete attacks etc. at venues in the city which brought that law about. The government got it completely wrong. The venues where the violence is occurring are all dance music super-clubs full of drunk 18 year old kids, many of whom are out of their minds on designer drugs. I've never once seen a stabbing at a gig. A few of the venues that had live music were forced to do away with it because they, as small places, couldn't afford to have a security guard there.

Dings - I'm not anal with my guitars once that first ding happens. It's inevitable. I'm careful with them though - they get kept in their cases and I polish them before a gig. I like them to look their best when out in public. I have put a small amount of buckle rash on my guitars, it doesn't bother me because.......

Pretty things
.......my belt buckle is one of the prettiest things I own!






I think all my guitars are beautiful, but this one gets the most remarks






My parts-o-caster

Hope you're feeling better soon Shawn.

I think G&L are doing OK with the range of instruments they support. Will mentioned the ad hoc quality of the website and I'd have to agree with that. G&L are a rare company in the modern world in that the quality of their product exceeds the quality of their marketing. It's usually the other way around. I believe the Tribute models should be selling by the shipload based on their quality to price point, but they seem virtually unknown.

The music scene in Melbourne is extremely healthy. You can see virtually any genre on any given week, and the number of talented musicians around is quite inspiring (or demoralising depending on your point of view).

I'm not particularly anal about the appearance of my guitars - as others have said dings happen and I'm not against guitars having a bit of 'character'. I am pretty anal about the way a guitar plays and how it is set up. I'm always amazed how little effort mainstream Australian stores put into setting up their axes before they go out on display, particularly high end instruments.

My purty-est instrument is my Washburn jazz guitar, a flawlessly put together instrument.


Even though I love my G&L's, the very first guitar that I bought as a 15 y.o. is the one that still inspires me to play. It was made in the famed Matsumoko factory in Japan in the early 80's and I think of it with the same affection normally reserved for my first car.

I'm pretty anal about my guitars, at least according to some people. I keep them clean and polished; and wipe off the grime after each gig. I just wipe them with a damp cloth after the gig and buff it dry. They get polished two or three times a year, and about the same for fretboard conditioning. And when not in use, they're stored in their cases. Yeah, I cry at dings--especially when acquired by doing something stupid, but it's part of the game.

I don't consider it anal--I'm just taking good care of my investments!!!!

I don't see why G&L shouldn't build a pointy guitar for the metallurgists out there. Hey it's just one more program on the CNC for the body shape, and you can do the same control routes as the standard guitars.

Pretty good mix of music here in Portland, Oregon. Original music is easily accepted here. A few Country music clubs, a few Jazz clubs. Lots of Blues clubs, and some Hip-Hop and Metal clubs in the downtown area. Some good venues for Classic Rock cover bands too. Lots of Festivals and Farmer's Markets, and a good variety of jam sessions and open mics for singer-songwriters.

Here's that wayward ASAT Deluxe that I never play. I think I will put it up for sale one of these days. Notice the VERY rare DF Vibrato option.






When I want 2HB tones, I tend to use one of my Les Pauls, a 335 or clone, or one of my MIK Ibanez GR-520 Ghostriders. They only made these in 1994-95. Pretty rare. This one in Orange Sunburst has a nicely figured maple cap over an alder body. Slim fast necks, 24-3/4" scale, and deluxe appointments. The Infinity pickups have a nice thick tone; and slightly higher output than a PAF. Very light weight, compared to a LP.





And this Les Paul is from Gibson's 2008 Guitar Of The Week Program. I have two GOTW guitars. They were built on the now discontinued "Classic Antique" chassis, if you will. They are semi-hollow, and this one comes in at a svelte 7.6 lbs. My other one is a Fireburst finish. This one has a top done by British graphic artist Tom Morgan. Most guys think it's ugly, but the girls just FLOCK to it--it is really amazing!!! Uncovered '57 Classic pickup in the neck with the hotter Classic Plus in the bridge for great rock tones. All night comfort, because of the light weight. Good sustain, with an airy resonance--it does sound slightly different than the solid LPs. I get a lot of razzing from the guys, but it is a GREAT guitar.




I'm out.

Bill

Those Gretsches are beautiful Shawn. What a handsome couple!



My parts-o-caster

Thanks!...Yeah, those are my bread and butter guitars.
That's a killer Telecaster....love it.
My parts Tele is my go to guitar when I'm practicing, or just sitting around noodling...

Here it is with a real Tele-Master.....(the one on the left BTW)

Are you for G&L perhaps stepping more outside the box or should they pretty much keep on the course they are on??

I hope that G&L keeps doing what it is doing best, building Leo designed instruments. This includes any and all of the models of the early '80's which even should please the younger metal crowd. But their true forté is building more traditional instruments with these fantastic pups called MFD's. This question always reminds me of the cafeteria in a building I once worked in. They only had about 6 things (with a changing daily special) on the menu; all of them prepared really well and tasty. Then ownership changed and the menu was extended to 30+ items. All prepared like crap. You can figure out yourself what happened ... Let PRS diversify up the wazoo but I rather wish they didn't

How is the music scene were you are located?

Certainly not the same as 20 years ago, or even 16 years when I moved to this 'grunge' town. Lots of clubs have closed, changed ownership and/or music format. Even the famous Crocodile was lost for a couple of months. But the 2 Showboxes are thriving and have great line-ups with up and coming acts, the (no longer) Key Arena or Qwest field service the mega stars, and the Paramount and Moore handle the acts in between. The same people running the latter 2 venues will open up a new stage in the U-district in the old Neptune movie theater. So I cannot complain. Especially not because since there is always this other nugget called Jazz Alley.

Ok fess up.....are you anal about your guitars??

No, they are there to be played. It's why I am not too endeared with relic'ed instruments. Especially not when you have to pay extra for 'damage'.

- Jos