Monday the 26th of November

Hello again everybody – if you don’t know me, my name is Jamie, I live in Melbourne, Australia and am at university studying electrical engineering. I’m currently on summer break – 3 months of it! However, I have a complex project that will be taking up most of my time, so its not all relaxing. After these holidays I’ll be in my final semester.

Thanks to Elwood for taking last weeks LR duties and for getting some cool pictures up around his busy schedule.

Seeing as I’m home most days by myself my lunches will be leftovers from whatever we eat the night before, so I’ll be delivering these reports after dinner. Tonight’s dinner was home-made burgers – minced beef patty we mix finely grated carrot, grated onion and oyster sauce into the beef before grilling them), Swiss cheese, tomatoes, home-grown lettuce and home-made tarragon mayo. Sounds like a bit of effort but it really isn’t, and premade stuff is way overpriced, unhealthy, comes with an obscene amount of packaging, generally tastes bad AND has a bunch of chemicals masquerading as "ingredients" that you’d never use at home.

I was holidaying in Singapore last week with my girlfriend, where we ate some fantastic meals, saw some cool stuff and caught up with some of my extended family. I love the place. While there I did a bit of browsing in the guitar shops, many of which are in the same shopping complex to make shopping around way too easy. They always have some very interesting stuff. This was by far the most ridiculous thing I saw there, made by ESP (of course!!!)



I love that this has a Floyd Rose on it! It has a full neck underneath the sculpture, so it is playable. While I can appreciate the skill of the person who carved it, I personally think it’s a waste of good wood. I didn’t ask the price but I would imagine it is extortionately expensive.
Seen any ridiculous guitars/other ridiculous instruments recently?

G&Ls - Todays poll is based on a post by a member of another forum who commented that he was disappointed that G&L would put a pornographic image on the guitar. What do you think about that? Do you think G&L have crossed a line?
I think its great

the output jack (it would be input as well in this case is in the wrong place.

Jamie, glad you could take a bit of vacation and also that you are nearing the end of your degree in electrical engineering. Maybe you can design some cool pickups for us or a trick amp!

There isn't much I cold use on the trick guitar you are showing today. I don't even think is would make a parts guitar for me. I have owned a v guitar only to repair and sell and to me it was about as outrages as one could get. They are uncomfortable and there is nothing handy about them. Most of them have damaged lower points from setting them down.

We had a very cold morning in Minnesota with snow still on the ground from Thanksgiving. We went from hot to cold in almost no time. I have had more than enough hot weather this summer so this weather appeals to me for now. Great time to work on the guitars. The necks are changing again and need adjusting and the humidifier is back on. The cats sleep a lot and I play more guitar on the couch in the morning. A sign of changin' times. It is getting close to the time of the year for eggnog, brandy and rum, a great diet drink! The caloric count of eggnog is obscene but this is only a month long ritual. Maybe I should stock up a week early!-- Darwin

Tough crowd!!!

Louis - I know what you mean
Darwin - care to share your recipe for egg-nog? The stuff they sell here is just like milk with a mild custard flavour to it. I want the real thing!

Jamie, thanks for taking a LR duty for the week.

That guitar looks heavy. Though I have seen other crazy guitars, I don't know where they are on the web.
Not sure what I can make of the art. IT is not something I will play often, but the maintenance on it alone must be time consuming. Guitars are meant for playing.

The food that is in season right now is cranberry. Good stuff. Cranberry jelly is simply awesome.
Went to the store only to see it sold out. Will have to try again later this week.

Jamie, I use a mix. There is a thick mix that comes in a tub but I prefer the mix that comes in a carton. It is thick and Land O Lakes and some others make it. I use equal parts of rum and brandy, mixed with the eggnog, then heat it to a boil in the microwave and top it off with nutmeg. Boy is it tasty but loaded with calories. A couple of those really get me in the Christmas mood. Now we get almost a months worth of this and this is when you realize that life is good.-- Darwin

Howdy mate,

While it is getting colder over here, I hope you're able to enjoy at least part of your summer over there.

As ar as 'outrageous' guitars are concerned, yours is by far the weirdest. To play the upper registeres you have to to do ... what? Tickle her armpits?
I have always though that the trophies PRS designed were weird:

but at least you can take the guitar out of the 'guitar stand'.

For your second question, I wouldn't necessarily call a pin-up pornographic. Erotic: yes, pornographic: no. Histprically correct as far as Jerry's guitar is concerned: absolutely! The picture looks a bit 'fresher' on the new guitars though. And it is darn old: it was published in the June 1973 issue of 'Oui'. In that context, it is funny that on first look, the face of the lady in the picture reminded me of Sigourney Weaver with curly blonde tresses:

But she made her first movie only in 1977 ('Annie Hall').

- Jos

Winter hit me on Saturday, as I drove through snow flurries from Cincinnati back to Maryland. It was right at freezing in Cincinnati and in the 40s in the DC area, but it was down in the low 20s in the mountains. I'm not ready for this.

My wife wanted to stop at some antiques shops along the way. One of them had a misguided attempt to turn a recent MIM Stratocaster into "art" by tiling the entire body with broken pottery and shards of a mirror. It must have weighed thirty pounds, and of course it was far beyond playability. Even as "art", it was selling for a couple of hundred dollars less than the guitar cost new, and a bit less than it would sell for in playable condition. Hopefully the "artist" learned a lesson about the economics of destroying instruments. If that had been an old G&L I would probably have broken down in tears on the spot...

Ken

Darwin - Im going to give egg-nog a try this year. I can't imagine drinking more than one here, given that it's usually swelteringly hot on xmas day down here. Its so much easier to eat too much in the cold

Meow - I agree that cranberry jelly is awesome. One day I'd like to try fresh cranberries. I saw a TV show once that showed them being harvested, its a very unusual method.

Jos - That is a strange trophy - is it for a Nascar race? Wonder what the connection is there?

Ken - Mosaic can be beautiful in its right place: on a wall. A mosaic guitar is a totally crap idea. Case in point:

Thanks to Elwood for taking last weeks LR duties and for getting some cool pictures up around his busy schedule.

Glad to see you at the helm Jamie...I'm looking forward to your LR's this week.

I agree that sculpture as a guitar is a waste of fine wood...as it is I would get more use out of some gawd awful
creation like this:

I'd have to repaint the eyes.



ebay link

G&Ls - Todays poll is based on a post by a member of another forum who commented that he was disappointed that G&L would put a pornographic image on the guitar.

um...sounds like that guy has never really grasped the roots of Grunge / Rock for the sake of FUN !!

I would recommend that he quickly run (don't walk) away from anything that isn't streamline and clean.

Mosh pit anyone?

Elwood

Seen any ridiculous guitars/other ridiculous instruments recently?

No, other than the usual eBay home-made travesties...


Cheers,

Will