*********** Thursday Lunch Report *************

Welcome to Thursday's edition of this week's Lunch Reports!

Thanks to all who responded... some great posts & stories esp re Death - how cool is that?
And Robbie, you must be psychic brother b/c that is one of the today's topic.

But first, - the answer to yesterday's Trivia Question - 2 of you nailed it - yes, early DF bridges only had holes for only 2 springs!
The 2nd thing nobody got but it was a bit tricky b/c it was something I did to it. When I got the bridge it didn't have the trem arm bushing. I had a late 80's one so I attached it - the early ones have smaller diameter holes and later ones were bigger.


I appreciate folks taking the time to respond and post stuff.. i know it takes time - I'm finding these reports are taking longer to compose tho I'm having a blast doing them... I'll play catch up this weekend on replies.

Oh, before I forget... - a bit of a last minute shout out. - Can someone lend a hand? - I've a couple audio clips I want to share for tomorrow's LR but being more than a little Old School I'm unsure the easiest way to go about it. One is a Sony wavefile and is on our computer (Mac iBook G4) and the other was on cassette but I was able to put it into my Korg ToneWOrks PXR4 (it has a USB port on it but I don't have a manual for it - and unsure how to get transfer it onto the computer - I DO have a USB cord)
Is there free software or website where I can upload them and how would I go about doing so? We have Quicktime player and VLC as well as iTunes. Please help a brother out - Thanks!


So coming back to...

Death They say it the ultimate trip and perhaps in more ways than one...
Definitely a subject that's not talked about much tho it occurs all the time and its a natural part of life.
Its viewed for the most part as something that happens to other people... but as George Carlin said, Yes, you're all gonna die - I don't mean to remind you of it but it is on your schedule"

Remember, friends, as you pass by,
As you are now so once was I.
As I am now, so you must be.
Prepare yourself to follow me.
--Common eighteenth-century epitaph

Imagine strolling by and reading that ... Kinda grim but puts things in perspective - eh?

That's from a book I'm reading called A Year to Live. Basically it talks about living this current year as if it were your last.

Seriously, if you knew that in a year's time you'd be dead, what would you do in the meantime?
There's the movie Bucket List starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman that deals with this very scenario and there was this story featured here earlier this year -
http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/australia/ ... fe-on-eBay

2 reasons for all this grim talk...the first, my Dad passed on 3 months ago today... I say passed on b/c I believe there's something else... Energy is neither created or destroyed - right? Anyway his was a Long Goodbye - he had slow onset Alzheimer's/dementia for the past 8 years or so. I'm not a fan of sudden change so while it wasn't still wasn't easy, it was gradual and for that I'm grateful. I flew back to Seattle for his memorial service and to say my final Good-bye to him. His passing has had an interesting affect on me and one I can't really put into words.
The second reason is I've heard a lot of folks say that visting NZ is on their bucket list...
So - do you have one? Yes? What's on it? Do you think about such things or have you come up with alternative solution/work around procedure to this final exit thing? Any Secrets??? Do you want your body buried, burned or... after you've left it. Btw, did you know a human body weighs 21 ounces lighter upon the onset of death... Strange.

On to a lighter and tastier subject - namely G&L SC guitars & Distortion...


Probably the Coolest G&L endorser - well, aside from Will Ray and Carl Perkins....
If you don't know their story - check it out online. This article which was in the Oct '89 of a certain Guitar magazine... I'm unsure about copyright laws re posting articles... hence just a portion of it.

i've been lucky to have own a hard tail SC-1, an early mustang style SC-2 body and few late model SC-3s.
Both the SC-1 and SC-2 were highly modified and only one (SC-2) had the stock pu's - Best sounding G&L pu's I've heard.
I don't know what Leo was onto but it was good!! If anyone at G&L is listening.... find out what it was exactly and start making them the same way.
So here's my latest acquistion - '84 SC-3

2nd body style - slab back, no body contour... been refin'd and/or stripped.

Maple body... not the original case but a bit similar to a G&G case....



There's what looks to both faint traces of red and blue paint...



The guy I bought it from here in NZ said he got it about 10 years ago but didnt say where from... the control plate and neck plate both were heavily worn so he bought NOS parts from eBay over the years. Some minor stuff -the neck pu cover is worn and cracked so it can't be adjusted lower... half of the high E tuner post is missing and the frets are about halfway through their life.
He had an extra set of pu's and a partial DF bridge + a few other parts which he included in the deal. I put the stock ones back on it but swapped out the stock nut with a bone one made by Mike Lull.
I checked the registry and it has been logged already and was owned by G&L_Fan at one time.
That's all I know about it . I really dig it and it sounds great - haven't had a chance to play it out loud yet but that's in the near future... That brings us to our next topic but first - do you own a SC-1,2 or 3? Any Cool pics and/or stories?

Oh, and I know I've posted this in a past LR but I love this tune and some good shots of the band's axes...
[youtube]G9fF91Tif9Y[/youtube]


I'm a big fan of tasty highly distorted tones and 90's Pop/rock groups... Power Pop bands like Matthew Sweet, Material Issue, Fountains of Wayne and heavier bands like Boston's Urge Overkill and Seattle's Love Battery and Hammerbox.
THere were heaps of these bands back in the early/mid 90's and I'm still 'discovering' more...
Here's a band out of Sweden who's Bagsy Me album I just scored for $1. Pretty outstanding distorted tones to be had...
[youtube]8ixQOl6LSTI[/youtube]
I'm also a fan of vintage stomp boxes - this has to be my all time favourite -
Early 80's PROCO Rat... I've posted this a few years back but since I've found the instruction sheet that came with it.

Its darn versatile and sounds Fab but the last Fuzz you'll ever need?!? Where's the fun in that?
I've had heaps of cool pedals over the years and quite a few I wish I still had but as many of you know half the fun is trying different one out. Having said that my Rat is one pedal I will never part with.... well until I depart then its up for grabs

Any current or vintage favourites? What piece of gear won't you part with?

Here's another band from the 90's that i just got hep to - in line w/ one of yesterday's theme I read in a guitar mag that the guitarist's favourite fuzzy tones came about b/c he could only afford cheap gear - he found using his tascam 4-trk as a f/x pedal yielded some outrageous tones... much like the Beatles did - take a listen, sounds somewhat similar tonewise...
[youtube]-RUCbvONYCI[/youtube]

Any favourite bands or artists you dig that offer up some sonic candy???

Hometown Heroes -
In keeping with yesterday's Washington theme and seeing how its the 3 month anniversary of my Father's death I thought this would be fitting.

My was an avid and adept mountain climber back in the day. He climbed regularly with Fred Beckey who's considered a moutaineer legend who has made several first ascents. My Dad was very modest so he didnt talk about it much. He did say, "Fred had trouble find guys to climb with" - here's why -
http://www.mountaineers.org/history/notes/movie/mtneers-1949-lighthouse.html
In the film clip my Dad is the last man in line walking and the first up the moutain. He quit climbing after he married my Mum.

Beckey is pushing 90 these days but apparently is still climbing.
Here's a feature on him from a few years ago...
http://kickinghorseculture.ca/art-gallery-of-golden/the-bugaboos-a-celebration-in-story-image/cheryl-goodwin/

Next up -

A highly influential tune - covered by heaps of bands from The Yardbirds to Alex Chilton of BIg Star fame...
Here's an early version by Johnny Burnette & Co...
[youtube]girZE7m2KZw[/youtube]

That brings us to Today's Trivia Question -

Who played the dueling lead guitar solos on Aerosmith's version's from Get Your WIngs...
Here's the clip if you want to hear it -
[youtube]_EvGn22Mplg[/youtube]

Who was it?

A) Joe Perry / Brad Whitford
B) Michael Bruce / Glenn Buxton
C) Steve Hunter / Dave Wagner
D) Jimmy Crespo / Rick Dufay


Finally... here's a clip from this years NZ Comedy Gala -- *** F-bomb Warning ***
[youtube]XZAI4NJGiJM[/youtube]

See ya tomorrow!

Cheers,
KF

matter is neither created nor destroyed. and our matter stays behind. but that is about it. until evidence of the contrary, this is it, nothing after it. nobody that has died has come back so far to tell otherwise. the living brain that makes us who we are only stays like that while the cells still live. after that, what made the person is no longer around. as much as it is wishful thinking, and comforting to think that there is something after this, there is just no evidence that points to that.

here is the band death, the real one.

[youtube]-KTK0MbOobQ[/youtube]

great week Jason, your shot of NZ is just making me want to go there again, even more.

Sorry to hear about your dad, sorry for your loss. I lost mine 8 years ago and my mom 6 years ago, wow where has the time gone.

I do remember that when my dad went, I was obsessed with death and dying for months and perhaps you are still in that mode. Time will heal all.

One day at work, we had a team meeting and we had a motivational speaker talk to us for 90 minutes............he started his speech with this:

"You know, all of you are going to get old, get sick and then die....................................., would you rather do it another way, like get sick first or die first? No, so you are going to get old, get sick and die"

Over the course of the next 90 minutes he turned it around and was quite motivational. The message being, live your life to the fullest now, cause later is too late........

I don't really have a bucket list, but I do want to go back to NZ, back to Europe (italy, the alps). I also would love to ski in europe, in south america and also in NZ, down in Queenstown" Maybe.


You have some amazing guitars, great collection. I'm sure that's even harder living there. Wow, very impressive.

I'm GASing for a 335 style guitar. Yesterday, I was in buffalo so I looked up the Guitar Center and went in. First off, I'm a lefty and they had 6 lefties in the store, all crap..............best guitar they had was a Gibson LP standard that they wanted $1700 for. I picked it up and after a minute, gave it right back.........................................

What a crappy store and the sales guy was all over me. I thought the stores in toronto were bad, lol.

Now that G&L are making guitars that are resembling gibsons, should they make a 335 style???

Alf

Audio clip hosting. Take a look at http://www.soundcloud.com. I haven't used it myself but a few friends do and speak highly of it. Wav files are pretty big and may be a pain for some to download so conversion to MP3 maqy be more user friendly (albeit at some loss of quality). Unfortunately I'm not familiar enough with the Mac world to recommend any free software for converting wav to MP3, although it should be doable in the itunes software (this or this might help). Can't help with the Korg though.

Mortality. I suspect this is it but who really knows. As long as when the day comes I can look back and think that if this is it then I made the most of it and at the same tme if there is more I can go forward with no baggage that I'lll pay a price for.

Bucket list. Maximise time with family and friends ... nothing more, nothing less.

SC3. Nice! The body looks in remarkably good shape given that the neck and fretboard suggest it's been a player.

Gear thats a "keeper". A guitar that my father bought new the year after I was born.

Distortion Clean is definitely not what local lads Tame impala are known for ...

[youtube]zfcHq0hhFWg[/youtube]

cheers, Robbie

Death, I'm gonna try and postpone it as long as I can!, lol, bucket list, since I live in FL, I would like to see the westcoast before I'm
gone? never been to Sturgis south Dakota but wan't to ride my Harley all the way from FL to the West!
PS, love the comedy show! Thanks for posting it as I'm 50+ and it was very funny!!

Entertaining, thorough lunch reports KF, great week.

The pics from NZ are awesome.

Yep, we are all on a countdown clock ticking away. I have been aware of that for years and live accordingly. A good friend of ours died on Mon night. Ginny had been with her this weekend. We have to give it hell when we still can. Last weekend, it was bedtime at 4:15 Am on Sat and 6:30 Am on Sunday morning. You have to take advantage of the fun when it is there.

I haven't viewed the videos due to poor response time but the SC-3 is a sweet one. You have some very cool guitars. I like the refinish in satin, it is a clean look. Beautiful naturally reliced neck. You cant buy the like that. Thanks KF.-- Darwin

That's Band Of Susans song is really cool, and in a Velvet Underground/art rock sort of way. I like it a lot. Of course, an SC-1 is possibly the coolest guitar G&L made....

I agree with you on the Rat. Very nice distortion pedal, but it aint a fuzz! I use a cheap clone of a Keeley modified Rat for my dirty rhythm sounds, unbeatable.

Mortality - The idea of paradise is nice but I'd much rather have it when I'm alive
[youtube]Q9zzUEHt-5E[/youtube]

Great topics, KF, but I'm exhausted from work this week and can't get to them all.

Mortality: I'm with Louis - "to die, to sleep, no more...". I had a very religious upbringing, but as I tried to get back into it in my mid-30s the dogma and theology started to fall apart the more I focused on them. I don't believe in an individual, eternal soul or an afterlife, but I firmly believe (or maybe "recognize" is a better word) that everything that I'm made up of now and have ever been made up of will continue on, as will anything I've set in motion through my actions. My mental activity and point of view will fade away, that's all. It was a bit distressing as I came around to this perspective, but I'm good with it now. Sometimes I think it would be easier to explain in terms of Newtonian physics than spiritual belief.

Anyhow, I'm sorry to hear about your Dad. I lost mine in '99, without ever really having the chance or inclination to get to know him closely. Even still, I'm surprised how much I think about him.

Happier topics:

My '82 SC-1, in Viking Blue:








My '82 SC-2, in Fullerton Red:






And let's not forget their four-stringed brothers and sisters:





All of mine are completely unmodified, and three have their OSHCs. The only question about mods is the SB-1, which does not have a standard finish or headstock decal. This leaves three possibilities:

1. It was an employee guitar that left the factory this way;

2. It was refinished with sanding sealer and had the decal stripped by a previous owner; or,

3. It was the prototype.

I hope to learn which of these is the correct answer, when the '82-'84 production logs can be checked.

I will need to watch the videos tomorrow evening. I am a BoS fan. The only power pop band you mentioned that I recall hearing is Fountains of Wayne. Despite the fact that one of my childhood friends is in the band, I've just never been able to get into them.

I don't use a lot of distortion in my own playing, but when I do a PROCO Rat gives me just about everything I could want. I will sometimes pull out an EHX Microsynth or push a Moogerfooger to the brink to get a really harsh square wave distortion when that mood strikes.

I have three pieces I won't part with for sentimental reasons: a Fender bass I cobbled together from trashed instruments in high school, the Fender Bassman Ten amp I bought my senior year, and an Ovation acoustic I bought in college (to this day the amp and the Ovation are the only pieces of major gear I've bought new). If I had to go down to one G&L, it would be a very painful choice between the SC-1, SC-2, Nighthawk, '86 ASAT or early production L1K and L2KE.

IMO, the best sonic candy in the past twenty years came from Sonic Youth, with some of Jim O'Rourke's solo work coming in a close second.

Fading fast...time to crash now...

Ken

(Edited to fix picture orientations)

Hey Louis - I'm fam with that concept - I've heard it called the "God part of the brain". You may indeed be right tho I have a feeling death's just the beginning...

Thanks for the clip - I read up on the group and lead singer... Interesting story esp how he didn't dig being pigeon-holed in the whole death metal scene... but he pretty much got the ball rolling.

Hey Alf - Thanks. Losing both my Mum & Dad in the past few years and being in my mid-40's has definitely put things in perspective for me.... time does fly by. +1 on the speaker's msg.

Cool. I've only ski'd once but I had a blast. Yeah, apparently, the south island is Fab for skiing.

Thanks - not too many US models have shown up locally and the few that have were priced dearly... Once I spotted the SC-3, I quickly sold my refin '82 strat and snatched it up.

Interesting re GC... I've never been a fan on them... I did snag an '88 ASAT w/OHSC for $350 out the door... it had been sitting there for quite a while and had some horrendous action due to the tilt feature being adjusted wrong. They thought it was stuffed so hence the deal.
I've never been bitten by the 335 bug but its a Ford -Chevy thang for me....

Hey Robbie - Cheers for the info.

Mortality & Bucket list - I like your take on things...

Yeah, I'd like to know more on its history.... funny, this is the 2nd refin maple bodied SC-3 I've had and both were refin'd natural... This one is heaps lighter tho!

Cool clip! Yep.

Hey Huck, I hear ya... good plan. Definitely check out the Best Coast -er, I mean the West Coast
Yeah, that make for one sore bum...
Cool - glad you dug it - the man speaks truth!

HEy Darwin - Thanks, glad you dig em.
Sad to hear bout your friend... I agree tho I'm noticing the older I get the more stayin up really late kicks my arse... just sayin.

Thanks - I dig the refin satin fin too. +1 on the natural relic mojo - I happily pay more for a guitar that has that going on...
CHeers.

Blarg - Glad you dug the BOS clip and I'd have to agree with you. I esp dig Poss's p/g addition...

Yeah - extremely versatile but Fuzz it aint... I just found out this AM from Craig that the classic fuzz isn't available this round... so for me its between the buckshot & the double barrel... I'm leaning towards the latter. Do you have either?
THe cool thing re wanting a fuzz pedal is Sunday I scored a Boss HM-3 Hyper Metal pedal in the box for $5! A lot of folks say its Boss's unintended attempt at a Big Muff and I can see what they mean... I'm digging it. I think D. Gilmour uses one too.

Nice clip!

Hey Ken - Thanks, yeah it all takes time...
Interesting your take on things... I've known alot of folks who have had a strong religious upbringing tend to swing the other way so to speak... if you think about it tho we all come into this world with an adopted view of things - mainly our parents or primary caretakers...
As we get older I think its only natural (and important) to come to terms with our own beliefs and live accordingly...

Thanks... sad to hear that - that sucks. Unfortunately, you're not alone.

Yes - Thanks for taking the time to post those pics - I dig em all but your Viking Blue SC-1 IMO takes the cake! DIg that aged colour!!

FOW - I hear you - folks seem to either love em or hate em....
Yeah, PRoCO got it right the first time -eh?
Some cool gear you got there - I think painful is the appropriate word there if one were to have to choose... for me I'd keep the '86 ASAT.
Never was a big fan on SY but like their ethos.... havent heard O'Rourke's solo stuff but I've seen he's rocking a MM Stingray these days!
Thanks again, Ken for chiming in -
CHeers!

1. It was an employee guitar that left the factory this way;

2. It was refinished with sanding sealer and had the decal stripped by a previous owner; or,

3. It was the prototype.

Those are the big questions. I'm fascinated by that SB-2 big time.