Lunch Report - Wednesday, May 12, 2011

Magical Las Vegas Meal
One of my most memorable meals was at the Caesar’s Palace buffet in Las Vegas. The food was amazing (some of the best smoked salmon I’ve ever eaten, incredible prime rib) and we had a view of the sports betting center, which looks like a more advanced version of NASA mission control. The previous night, I’d been best man at a wedding at the Graceland Chapel of Love (complete with a gold lame jacket 50s Elvis and white jumpsuit Elvis impersonator to bookend the ceremony) and we’d all gathered again for a farewell to Vegas dinner as we were all flying back to our respective homes the next day.

One of the members of the wedding party was a close-up magician in his seventies and he’d brought along his bag of tricks, to the delight of everyone in attendance. After showing off his chops, he sat down and we talked about the heyday of magic in Vegas. Or rather, he talked and I listened. He was a small man, with slicked back hair, a moustache and big brown eyes behind thick lenses and aviator rims. And he obviously loved what he was doing, interrupting his tale to produce coins from behind the ears of children that happened by our table, and going on at length about the history of magic.

He explained that once upon a time, magic shops were in out-of-the-way locations known only to magicians, in places one wouldn’t expect to find them: in warehouses, office buildings, industrial buildings shared with workshops and small-scale production facilities. I you weren’t a magician, you couldn’t just walk in and buy something. In fact, you wouldn’t even know where to find a magic shop because they didn’t advertise. If you were starting out, the way in was through another magician, who could vouch for you and introduce you to the shop proprietors. If you were an amateur or pro practicioner, you’d get a tip from another magician about the location. Not that it mattered. If a non-magician showed up and tried to buy something: the tricks didn’t come with instructions. You bought a trick and figured out how it worked or got someone else to teach you how to perform it.

While magic shops have gone mainstream, magicians’ societies and clubs still exist. One such club in Vegas meets every Wednesday. Magicians of all skill levels and styles gather to share stories, and trade tips and tricks. The greatest names in business, like David Copperfield and Lance Burton have dropped in to hang out with buskers and tables magicians. It’s pretty democratic, from what I was told. Everyone’s bound by a love of magic.

It’s a lot like our gathering here. Wouldn’t it be nice if a David Gilmour or an Eric Clapton posted here every once in a while.

Today’s lunch will be a lakeshore barbecue at a friend's. Not sure exactly what, as I’m posting this early to stay ahead of deadlines.


Double Whammy
I alternate between a plectrum and finger fingerpicking and I’d rather add vibrato on the fly as I’m playing rather than use a dedicated pedal. When I’m using a pick, it’s easy enough, but I have to interrupt my playing to hit the whammy bar when I’m using my fingers. Modifying a vintage whammy bar is easy enough, but the thicker dual fulcrum bar is more problematic.

G&L offers necks in a variety of radii, finishes and fret board materials to suit the playing styles and physiognomy of individual players. I would love to see whammy bars offered in different lengths and with different angles to better suit a wider variety of players. It would be doubly terrific if one could order such bars as replacement parts at the same $14.95 price point as the current ones.

Is this an option you’d like to see? What other options would you like offered as part of the standard mix of possible components/finishes/sizes on a G&L instrument? (My other wish would be a piezzo bridge pickup!)

ClearChannel Killed the Radio Star
Last night I was reminiscing about free form FM radio with my next door neighbor, who is also a guitar player. We were talking about the days when DJs were the hit makers and the taste makers, before conglomerates took over the airwaves and imposed formats on everybody. Free form radio meant anything went, and in a single evening, I’d hear everything from Led Zeppelin through Elvis Costello to Kraftwerk. It was all rock! If it wasn’t Top 40, disco, country, or elevator music and it was pop music, it was rock.

Now, we have websites and satellite radio, and services like Pandora and StereoMood that generate playlists based on what you’re already listening to. But who are the tastemakers? Who are the Johnny Fevers of the 21st Century. Where do you go when you want to discover new music that plays to what you already love while opening your mind to unexplored new territories?

Today's youtube content, in case you haven't seen it before, is the world's worst cover band:

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Last edited by CGT on Wed May 11, 2011 12:54 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Wow!!!!!! that's a terrible band. Reminds me of Steve Vai without the effects (only kidding....). Is it real? I must admit to being genuinely curious as the impending 'solo' approached.......

In terms of things for G&L to do - a mid-boost gain circuit might be nice for the guitars (like the Clapton special issue) as more and more of these requests are apparently being made to Fender (so I am told) - to upgrade existing strats etc.

Slightly off topic in terms of hardware - but i would like to see more USA G&L shipped to the UK to give us more choice off-the-shelf so to speak. I am seriously thinking of setting up a UK-based fan site for G&L guitars - but if I do, and it gets a following, people will want the guitars.....

I don't usually do vibrato with the bar, only occasionally. As I am usually hybrid picking I think I have probably gotten around the issues you are having. I do 99% of my vibrato from the wrist, usually in a circular method, or pull along the frets (not often push pull along the string). I practice with the bar just to keep it on par. One mistake I hope none of you hear make is when using vibrato, you don't want to cross the original pitch. You push off from it, then return to it and push off in the same direction as the first time, never reverse the direction (try it and listen, and you will see why if you have never thought about it.

We have Will Ray posting here now and then, I would take him over Clapton or Gilmour anyday. I frequent a 7 string forum (sso) and that is interesting with the amount of 'professional' players that are there occasionally. I guess as it is a lot more underground they remain a little less separated, not sure really.

Not to keen on DJ's, I grew up outside the age of radio. I also didn't do the much music/mtv crap. I found stuff I liked through friends, searching, oddities, etc and have gone from there. The best find goes to Arjen Lucassen. He writes some amazing rock/metal operas (under Ayreon) which have multitudes of talented singers (Fish was on Into Electric Castle for example), and his space metal project (Star One) has guys like Russel Allen (prog metal band Symphony X, great pipes) alongside.

We have Will Ray posting here now and then, I would take him over Clapton or Gilmour anyday.

Do me a favour.....I dont believe you, I just think you dont like the pop I had at vai.....even though it was tongue-in-cheek.

Gilmour and Clapton are by far two of the most tastful and influential players of the last 30 - 40 years. Thats not a point against any other guitarist - just at how objectively real your perception is....

Art is art and in the mind of the listener....but....sales are sales...and peer-recognition counts a lot too...

We have Will Ray posting here now and then, I would take him over Clapton or Gilmour anyday.

Do me a favour.....I dont believe you, I just think you dont like the pop I had at vai.....even though it was tongue-in-cheek.

Gilmour and Clapton are by far two of the most tastful and influential players of the last 30 - 40 years. Thats not a point against any other guitarist - just at how objectively real your perception is....

Art is art and in the mind of the listener....but....sales are sales...and peer-recognition counts a lot too...

Clapton is a man all to trapped by his own 'signature' licks. He does have a good solo, you know, the one he plays every song Clapton also stopped making art pretty much when cream ended, after that it was just more blues (to clarify pop music is never art, it is something different, business).

In all seriousness I ignored you (as I know you are screwing around), and would much rather get tips from Will Ray than Clapton anyday. He is a much more creative player, the B benders paired with his stealth slides and stuff has so much oppurtunity. At the end of the day I would rather talk ideas and approaches than techniques to boot. I take every instrument as a full instrument and use many many techniques to get everything there out of them.

Clapton is a man all to trapped by his own 'signature' licks.

Oh god...that old chestnut nonsense. You clearly read too much nonsense on the internet / magazines instead of going to live gigs and having your own opinion. Stock licks? Why have you not sold as much as him then - if its just a case of stock licks?

Every guitarist has them (nothing wrong in that) you have them (even if you think you dont), I do, so does eric, slash, etc, and your hero Vai (fretboard vomit is just a stock approach - boring if not doen tastefully). The point is Eric uses them with versatility and phrasing that makes them sound different - thats a skill and one many do not appreciate or even try. Playing faster or louder does not make you more musical.

There are many ways to play a blues triplet lick - but thats to miss the point. The point is how does it work in that piece of music - if its well placed, and touches you, if its tastefully done - i say "Play on".

He does have a good solo, you know, the one he plays every song

I think we established in another thread you have never seen him live.....nuff said then.

Clapton also stopped making art pretty much when cream ended, after that it was just more blues (to clarify pop music is never art, it is something different, business).

This is such ill founded nonsense, stock comemnts from the scenes that never made it into Spinal Tap . Actually, as much as I like the cream stuff - i preferred him when he matured and became liberated from the feeling of living up to 'God'. I liked him on the earlier Beano, but Journeyman is a classic album (1980s) as is Boulevard, and the Layla album(with Allman). No one doubts that 90% of what Eric and Gilmour do is minor / major pentatonic scales (and blues scales). I dont understand why this is used as an argument against the feel in the music. Its usually a comment by people that rarely play outside of their basements or bedrooms. Ask around - ask session players - as professionals. I dont over-rate Clapton. I have a healthy appreciation of his contribution and influence. His style (and that of the tasteful blues / rock players) speaks to me and that does not make them bad players. If you want me to take you seriously - you must stop using this internet drivel against artists.

Note - i have not said one bad thing againt Will Ray - and I would not dream of it. You see, you dont need to put artisits down in order to make an argument for why you like what you like. Give it a try!

In all seriousness I ignored you (as I know you are screwing around), and would much rather get tips from Will Ray than Clapton anyday.

You did not ignore me i can tell. But yes, i was just screwing around - but you took the bait. I am glad you enjoy Will Ray - great player.

That is the most unappealing lunch photo that has ever been posted to this forum. What did everyone else have?

I chewed on some Sirmyghin.....it has not agreed with me.....

I'm sorry, but I am not the one who opened that particular can of worms....

Perhaps this image is more lunch-friendly.



I am always amazed when seemingly intelligent people waste bandwidth engaging in the futility of arguing the merits of different guitarists.

I chewed on some Sirmyghin.....it has not agreed with me.....

Probably break your teeth on some rigid folk like me

I ate grilled cheeses (living large, or soon to be)

I ate grilled cheeses (living large, or soon to be)

I make my grilled cheeses with organic multigrain bread (from the Serbian bakery down the street) brushed with olive oil and a filling of sundries tomatoes and aged cheddar (or whatever cheese is handy). One can live large on grilled cheese.

I am always amazed when seemingly intelligent people waste bandwidth engaging in the futility of arguing the merits of different guitarists.

I agree - but with respect, that is not my take on the above. I've made the same point as you a number of times myself elsewhere here - and yes - futillity is the word that springs to mind. However, for my part I personally only pointed out why the particular arguments made above do not work in relation to EC. I never once argued that EC was 'better' than WR.....because as you rightly note - its futile and pointless.

Nonetheless, if I encouter people using 'nonsense stock arguments' as if its some great musical insight...I feel compelled to dig a little deeper.

I apologise to you - but my bull**** detector has a low threshold......

I ate grilled cheeses (living large, or soon to be)

I make my grilled cheeses with organic multigrain bread (from the Serbian bakery down the street) brushed with olive oil and a filling of sundries tomatoes and aged cheddar (or whatever cheese is handy). One can live large on grilled cheese.

This was with aged cheddar, and good old fashoined button. Can't eat whole grain wheat (well I can if they remove the germ but that doesn't happen often), so usually bread is white, sometimes rye.

I agree - but with respect, that is not my take on the above. I've made the same point as you a number of times myself elsewhere here - and yes - futillity is the word that springs to mind. However, for my part I personally only pointed out why the particular arguments made above do not work in relation to EC. I never once argued that EC was 'better' than WR.....because as you rightly note - its futile and pointless.

I never said he was better, I said I would like to sit down and chat with him a lot more. Careful reading what you want vs what I said. The best players are not the most creative players necessarily. Creativity is a token of musicianship, playing is a extension of being a player. Players and musicians are not always the same thing. Lets look, for example, at someone extreme. Michael Angelo Batio is an amazing guitar player, but one of the worst musicians you will ever hear.

I agree - but with respect, that is not my take on the above. I've made the same point as you a number of times myself elsewhere here - and yes - futillity is the word that springs to mind. However, for my part I personally only pointed out why the particular arguments made above do not work in relation to EC. I never once argued that EC was 'better' than WR.....because as you rightly note - its futile and pointless.

I never said he was better, I said I would like to sit down and chat with him a lot more. Careful reading what you want vs what I said. The best players are not the most creative players necessarily. Creativity is a token of musicianship, playing is a extension of being a player. Players and musicians are not always the same thing. Lets look, for example, at someone extreme. Michael Angelo Batio is an amazing guitar player, but one of the worst musicians you will ever hear.

Sorry - but you were the only one above with negative comments about an artist....go back and read it again and by implication you were putting one artist down relative to another. We all have our favourites and influences - of course we do - but concentrate on the positives of who you like and not the negatives of who you dont.

I read you clear enough my friend - you're busted!!!!!! Typical negative drivel by people ill-informed on the blues man......For those of us old enough to have been around the block a few times its easy to spot man.....

If I say something like 'I dont like Vai and that ilk' I always make it clear its just a taste thing and nothing to do with them (objectively) as artists or their work as legitimate art - its just not for me and thats all. You took the bait and went way over on that one......its all there in black and white and I can assure you - I can read it.

Just be thankful we all have our influences and they help us enjoy our playing...

Where do you go when you want to discover new music that plays to what you already love while opening your mind to unexplored new territories?

I just got this great new Michael Angelo Batio album where he Steve Vai and Will Ray do covers of Eric Clapton solos. It's produced by Geddy Lee and John Mayall. They're all huddled together, naked, on the sleeve.

Michael Angelo Batio is an amazing guitar player, but one of the worst musicians you will ever hear.

Not according to this guy. Read this ad this morning on a local musician site just after reading through this LR . I LOL'd.

I just got this great new Michael Angelo Batio album where he Steve Vai and Will Ray do covers of Eric Clapton solos. It's produced by Geddy Lee and John Mayall. They're all huddled together, naked, on the sleeve.

Pure gold Jamie. I just spat coffee on my desk (again).

To dig up a quote I read somewhere, 'guitarists are like snowflakes'.

I find myself with the Aussies. Again.

What was the question? - ed

Zap, like you I'm with the Aussies but not only do I not know the question but I've been lost since yesterday. I am over my head in Rune Stone issues. I will get back in sync tomorrow. Keep it commin' CGT.-- Is it time for a cold one?????-- Darwin

I just got this great new Michael Angelo Batio album where he Steve Vai and Will Ray do covers of Eric Clapton solos. It's produced by Geddy Lee and John Mayall. They're all huddled together, naked, on the sleeve.

It's all good clean fun until Keith Emmerson breaks out the Keytar, then people start getting hurt.

What a day! Awful video, but it makes me really sound good. A can of worms and a real dia-----, where you can put your preference of 'logue' or 'tribe', on the qualities of 'Slowhand' (or 'god' as he was called on a wall about 50 years ago). The can outdoes the album cover of the Spanish version of Sticky Fingers! Never seen or heard MAB but after checking him out he is quite the showman. And then the original author has me ROFL with his Keith Emerson remark! Great week CGT.

Now what were your original questions again? Oh right, differently angled tremolo arms. You can get that done with a vise and a piece of wood with a slightly oversized hole. Bend it your way. And format radio. Growing up in the Netherlands you never had such a thing. It is hard to find programs here with a similar kind of breath of music although KEXP does a decent job here. Guess it is why I make my own playlists.

- Jos

Ok... I will refrain from my preferred NON-politically correct response when this went off track, so respect CGT's original questions.

.....

I do have had a few memorable Vegas trips. Everything from "Uh oh, I was up 12k to, how I explain this to my wife, to who does Ed Roman think he's fooling with this place and these guitars." It all boils down to...is this buffet for real!!

Man do I remember the magic tricks and magic shops of yore. My middle child got a giant magic box last year he and tries a few tricks every now and then. Everyone support the arts! My brush with magic fame was actually meeting David Copperfield at a Kiss show in Savannah, GA in the late 80's. He shared a coliseum split venue and between his two shows came over to see Kiss. While standing on main floor of general admission I turned around and saw this small guy dressed in all black that I somewhat recognized, when it hit me who it was, I walked over and introduced myself. He was very polite and said he just wanted to see what he could between shows. I now know you have to be small and very thin to be a magician. He did say, "These guys are cool." Yet another brush with magic history and a Kiss fan. Where did the mystery and marvel of magic tricks go?

Radio...that's my history for sure. I grew up listening to AM radio and now it's Sirius/XM and bad local radio. We w nohave everything from a Dead channel to Lady Gaga channel and local attempts. How does Casey Kasem manage these hurdles!?

I do recall the final countdown video, very funny.

To discover new music I am forced to follow new tunes on the internet and look for recommendations here, what say you?

An option I would like to see with G&L guitars (or at least ASATS) is being able to order custom wound pickups like 25% overwound for more overdriven crunch like the bridge pickup of the new SC-2s or 25% underwound for that more early ASAT sound. As for the radio I find that the songs that I like best on an album are usually the ones they don't play on the stations, I have had the luck of working with someone who used to be a college DJ so he has actually introduced me into some interesting music like Plumtree and Sharon Jones and the dap-kings. other then that I find bands through friends and YouTube. speaking of YouTube as I have only really been paying attention to music for the last 4 years it looks like I am going to be scanning YouTube for some decent vids of Steve Val and Eric Clapton, although I know who they are I must admit I haven't given them enough of a listen to form an opinion of them. Also that may be a butchering of the final countdown but at least it is not Rebecca Blacks Friday.

A couple of options for G&L?

would love to see a compound radius neck. Not that I have tried one or believe that they are better, but it seems like a wonderful option. Suhr does a lot of them now.

Being a techie, its seems to me, that having to solder all the joints seems stone age to me, so 60s, ha. I saw that Seymour Duncan have come out with a plug and play pot and connection system. Seems to me that it should have come out in the 90s (in other words, how come this hasnt been invented before?)

So, as an option or change, I think it would be cool if G&L leapfrogged the competition with new plug and play technology so you can swap out electronics without having to dismantle everything and get the soldering gun out. Just a thought.

All I can say about the comments above is: I went to the Eric Clapton Blues Festival in Chicago last year. 12 hours of music, 24 bands and Eric played with the first band, Sonny Lambreth (sp?) and many others right until the end of the show with BB King.

Seeing that I am a guitar hack, I was blown away by many of the artists, John Mayer, Joe B., Buddy Guy, Johnny Lang, Sheryl Crow, Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeshi, Albert King, Steve Winwood, Ronnie Wood, Robert Cray, ZZ Top, and many others that I can't remember right now, but EC really impressed me more than I was expecting. I had heard that his shows were boring, not true that day, he was in his element.

Great show.

We love to see live music. I am constantly amazed by the talent out there. Went to a local restaurant last night in Naples Florida and there was an unassuming three piece band setting up to play from 6-10 pm. They started playing covers and we were blown away. At the break, we talked to the piano player and he said that he was doing this for fun while they waits for their real gig, backup band for Aaron Neville......................................guitar player had some sort of very custom Gibson, looks amazing and sounded outstanding....

Astutzman: Wow! Aaron Neville's backup band! You never know who'll turn up when you see a live band, or who they know. Went to see Jesse Malin last year at the Horseshoe Tavern and his guitarist was Todd Youth of Danzig fame, we chatted briefly about his on-stage Telecaster (a work in progress), which at the time was a late sixties body routed for twin humbuckers (thus purchased on the cheap), an Allparts or Warmoth Neck (don't remember which one he mentioned) and a pair of late 50's PAFs. He called it his Les Paul Killer and I absolutely loved the way it sounded.

@Ahryn: At least Rebbeca Black's Friday has half-decent sound. If you do look up Vai videos on YouTube, look for his best effect: The twin fans that keep his flowing locks billowing like a supermodel's. As for finding bands on YouTube, I have to say that I don't really discover them that way but when I feel like listening to a song or artist that is not in my music collection it's my first stop.

@Sam: I haven't sprung for XM because I don't drive a lot. If I did, it would be in my car. You're right about local radio. It's awful and the only time I'm listening to it is when I have to take the car to run an errand and then, I usually end up hearing one or two songs and then flipping the dial to avoid the ten minutes of non-stop commercials. Do people in the radio business even think about their audience? I'm pretty sure that the one demographic that still listens to over the air is motorists.