Lunch Report for Monday, August 19, 2013
Mon Aug 19, 2013 2:05 am
Step right up boys and girls…Boogie Bill is back in the official Lunch Reporter’s chair and I promise to amaze you this week with thought-provoking questions and deep insights into the world of the gee-tar!!!! I’d just like to say that it’s nice to be back, but please hold your applause until the end of the page.
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I have no ideas what I will have for lunch today. I have to get some blood drawn, so I may grab something after. I’m in love with my phlebotomist—she sticks me and I NEVER feel it, and never a bruise. Slick and quick!
One of my favorites for lunch lately has been a New Orleans-style eatery here in Portland call “EAT—An Oyster Bar”. The jambalaya is really good, but I just can’t seem to get enough of the oyster Po’ Boy sandwiches. Yummy!
Do you like seafood? How is it in your area? Do you have favorites, OR…are there things from the sea that you WON’T eat.
Seafood here in the Portland, Oregon area (and the Pacific Northwest in general) is pretty darn good. I love seafood: crab, shrimp, oysters, clams, scallops, salmon, halibut, cod, tuna, calamari, sushi—I love it all. Mussels though, are not a favorite—I got sick one time after eating them, which may or may not have been due to the mussels. But just about anything else is good.
How do you get along with seafood?
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Today, we are buying and selling, so get those checkbooks and Visa cards warmed up.
Review your purchases for 2013, and tell us the high points. What did you get; where did you get it? Are you happy with your purchases? Have they met your expectations, or…was the honeymoon over before the ink dried on the check?
When you’ve bought something that isn’t working for you, do you dump it right away? Do you tend to modify it to your needs? Does it become a closet queen or wall decoration? Or do you hang with it until you figure it out?
Do you think about potential resale value when you buy? Have you ever bought a piece with the idea that it would be a “good investment”?
Where do you buy? Do you use a big box store or a mom-and-pop music store? Do you search the Internet marketplaces like Craigslist, Ebay, Gbase, Harmony Central, etc.
What resources do you use in your buying decisions? Do you read magazine or Internet reviews? Do you scour YouTube videos? Are you checking out what other players are using? Where do you get your product information?
Have you ever bought a guitar, amp or effect—knowing that you didn’t really need it—but because it was simply too good a deal to pass up?
What is the most money you have ever spent on a guitar?
How much money is TOO MUCH to spend on a guitar?
What is the one piece you are really lusting for…cost no object?
What G&L would you like to add to your collection?
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Let’s look at selling….
What pieces have you SOLD this year?
Did you get your asking price, or something close? Did you make a profit, or get a fair value for the use you got out of the product—or did you have to take a loss?
Where do you sell your items? Do you use Craigslist, Ebay, Gbase, a forum marketplace, or place a Classified Ad in your local paper?
How about trades? Or have you done any trade-ins—your gear for a new item at a store?
Tell us about those pieces you REALLY wish you had back!
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Have a happy Monday. And remember to practice random acts of kindness—and let’s do it for this whole week. Promise me you will give someone a compliment, rescue a stray animal, help a little old lady cross the street, hold the door for someone infirm or elderly, etc.
Let’s make the world a better place, and let’s start today.
And don't forget to SMILE!
Bill
Re: Lunch Report for Monday, August 19, 2013
Mon Aug 19, 2013 5:50 am
Jeez Bill, save some questions for the rest of the week!
Seafood - I love it, especially mussels (but only the little black ones), fresh sardines and squid. And smoked peppered mackerel. The seafood in Melbourne is not very good, it never seems fresh. On a recent trip to my hometown on the west coast I was reminded how much better it is there. Both towns are on the water, so it's a fair comparison too. I don't think I've ever been sick from eating seafood, and I've eaten it from places where it might not have been the safest bet. This is making me hungry.
2013 purchases - My SC2 and LB100 have both come from the same dealer, and both are fantastic instruments. I see no need to add or change anything in the SC2, though I have my doubts about the longevity of the switch, its a very cheap feeling unit that already feels like its on the way out. I find it odd that G&L would scrimp on this part. Funnily, it's the same in the CCD Korina Jr too
The LB100 is getting a set of flat-wound LaBella's (as per Kens suggestion) and I'm adding a finger-rest and a foam mute (is that what they're called?) by the bridge. Not being a bass player its taken me while to find the way I like to play it, and it's with my thumb just in front of the pickup.
2013 sold stuff - I swapped a broke Peavey Classic for a case of beer on the weekend. I paid a $20 and a 6-pack for it, so didn't do too badly. I'm also trying to trade my 100W Twin clone for a decent bass head. I'd never do a trade-in at a store for anything, you lose waaaaaaay too much of the value.
What resources do you use in your buying decisions? Do you read magazine or Internet reviews? Do you scour YouTube videos? Are you checking out what other players are using? Where do you get your product information? Tried all those, and found them all to be a complete waste of time. Especially youtube vids. Rubbish.
Have you ever bought a guitar, amp or effect—knowing that you didn’t really need it—but because it was simply too good a deal to pass up? Yes. The aforementioned Twin clone and probably several pedals I no longer own and have forgotten.
What is the most money you have ever spent on a guitar? $3300 on an ES335. Got $3000 when I sold it and bought a car. I only got $600 for the car it when I sold it. Oh well.
How much money is TOO MUCH to spend on a guitar? $1 more than you've got.
What is the one piece you are really lusting for…cost no object? Supro Tremolectric or one of the new Magnatone Super 59's
What G&L would you like to add to your collection? A reissue of the SC1 in satin black with white binding.
Seafood - I love it, especially mussels (but only the little black ones), fresh sardines and squid. And smoked peppered mackerel. The seafood in Melbourne is not very good, it never seems fresh. On a recent trip to my hometown on the west coast I was reminded how much better it is there. Both towns are on the water, so it's a fair comparison too. I don't think I've ever been sick from eating seafood, and I've eaten it from places where it might not have been the safest bet. This is making me hungry.
2013 purchases - My SC2 and LB100 have both come from the same dealer, and both are fantastic instruments. I see no need to add or change anything in the SC2, though I have my doubts about the longevity of the switch, its a very cheap feeling unit that already feels like its on the way out. I find it odd that G&L would scrimp on this part. Funnily, it's the same in the CCD Korina Jr too
The LB100 is getting a set of flat-wound LaBella's (as per Kens suggestion) and I'm adding a finger-rest and a foam mute (is that what they're called?) by the bridge. Not being a bass player its taken me while to find the way I like to play it, and it's with my thumb just in front of the pickup.2013 sold stuff - I swapped a broke Peavey Classic for a case of beer on the weekend. I paid a $20 and a 6-pack for it, so didn't do too badly. I'm also trying to trade my 100W Twin clone for a decent bass head. I'd never do a trade-in at a store for anything, you lose waaaaaaay too much of the value.
What resources do you use in your buying decisions? Do you read magazine or Internet reviews? Do you scour YouTube videos? Are you checking out what other players are using? Where do you get your product information? Tried all those, and found them all to be a complete waste of time. Especially youtube vids. Rubbish.
Have you ever bought a guitar, amp or effect—knowing that you didn’t really need it—but because it was simply too good a deal to pass up? Yes. The aforementioned Twin clone and probably several pedals I no longer own and have forgotten.
What is the most money you have ever spent on a guitar? $3300 on an ES335. Got $3000 when I sold it and bought a car. I only got $600 for the car it when I sold it. Oh well.
How much money is TOO MUCH to spend on a guitar? $1 more than you've got.
What is the one piece you are really lusting for…cost no object? Supro Tremolectric or one of the new Magnatone Super 59's
What G&L would you like to add to your collection? A reissue of the SC1 in satin black with white binding.
Re: Lunch Report for Monday, August 19, 2013
Mon Aug 19, 2013 9:03 am
Lunch - I have no idea, but I'm dreading it. I took the day off from work to spend with my sons, but somehow I've been roped into babysitting a couple of other kids. One is my oldest son's best friend, which I don't mind. The other is his 6 y.o. brother, who I expect to spend the whole day chasing after. They'll eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and I'll eat Tylenol for an impending migraine...
Seafood - I love it, but I'm picky about where it comes from. I grew up eating local oysters, blue crabs and shrimp on the South Carolina coast. As much as I love those, I've just never enjoyed other types of crabs or oysters from different parts of the world. When I lived in Maine, lobsters were plentiful and cheap. I don't care for them prepared at restaurants, but love cooking a pot of them when we go back to visit friends and family. Lobster rolls are a favorite of mine - all of the meat out of a 1.5 pound lobster, chopped up with a tiny bit of mayonnaise and served on a hot dog bun.
Local seafood - I live very close to the Chesapeake Bay, which is gradually starting to recover from decades of pollution. If they come back all the way, we should have world-class oysters and blue crabs. Striped bass (called "rockfish" around here) are another important local fishery that's doing reasonably well.
2013 purchases - I'm at four G&Ls for the year: '82 SC-1, '84 Cavalier-E, recent L-1500, and an inbound '85 (I think) SB-1. I'm happy with the first three, and have high hopes for the SB-1. The L-1500 came from Sam Ash; the others were from individuals (two at GbL, and one at TalkBass). I also picked up an analog synthesizer - and Arturia Minibrute - from Guitar Center during a sale.
The couple of G&Ls I haven't bonded with are waiting for the right trade deal to come along. Both have Gold Flake finishes, which just aren't my thing. One is an ASAT Bass that was not described correctly by the seller. The other is a John Jorgenson Signature ASAT. The JJ Sig is the only G&L I've purchased with the intent to sell or trade later, but the price doesn't seem to be going anywhere on them. I always think about potential resale value, but only as far as making sure that I don't overpay for an instrument and lose money in the end. I fell in love with a late 90s ASAT Bass at a Guitar Center a couple of months ago, but when I went to buy it I found out it didn't have a case. The price was OK - not great, but not bad either - but having to pay an extra $150 for an SKB hard shell was a deal breaker.
I've bought a couple of things because the price was right. The '86 Lynx I bought from a G&LDP regular last year turned out (against my expectations) to be one of my all-time favorites. My Superhawk ($499 from a local store) and the inbound SB-1 ($450 from a seller on TalkBass) were other value-driven buys. It's been hit-or-miss on underpriced pedals. The one that exceeded my expectations was an Austin overdrive by Eden Analog. It sounds very nice IMO on guitar, and actually does a decent job with basses too.
The G&L I have perpetual GAS for is a G-200. I play a lot of chord melodies, so the 24.75" scale would give me G&L sound and feel with a bit less stretching. Aside from a G-200, my watch list are the student models and Leo-era basses I haven't played yet: three styles of SC-3s, second-style SC-2 and SB-2, and an '88-'91 ASAT Bass. I also really want something in Belair Green. Finding that on a Leo-era SB-2 or ASAT Bass would be a dream.
Selling: I rarely sell. The only G&L I've sold was an '88 ASAT last year, which went to a friend for the same price I had paid. I did that to fund an El Toro. I took an ASAT Classic to Guitar Center to discuss a possible trade-in, but the price they offered was insulting. The store manager told me their corporate policy was to get at least 100% profit on every used instrument. My favorite local shop buys back at 70% of the sales price. We just sold my youngest son's 70s-vintage Japanese short scale bass back to them a couple of weeks ago to help fund a better quality bass for him.
There aren't any instruments that I wish I could get back. The two worst deals I made were trading a mid-70s Strat for a $400 amp in '83, and a '65 Fender Mustang for a new Ovation acoustic in '86. That amp is still my go-to thirty years later and I have a lot of memories wrapped up in the Ovation, so I don't regret either deal. The ones I find myself still thinking about were the deals I missed:
- A clean, red 70s Precision for $200, when I was 16 and only had $100 to spend.
- A Fender Electric XII for $75, right around the same time ('81 or '82). I had the money, but my mother wouldn't give me a ride to the pawn shop.
- A fretless L-1000 listed in GbL back around '99 for $325. I didn't have the cash, and couldn't sell anything else in time.
Ken
Seafood - I love it, but I'm picky about where it comes from. I grew up eating local oysters, blue crabs and shrimp on the South Carolina coast. As much as I love those, I've just never enjoyed other types of crabs or oysters from different parts of the world. When I lived in Maine, lobsters were plentiful and cheap. I don't care for them prepared at restaurants, but love cooking a pot of them when we go back to visit friends and family. Lobster rolls are a favorite of mine - all of the meat out of a 1.5 pound lobster, chopped up with a tiny bit of mayonnaise and served on a hot dog bun.
Local seafood - I live very close to the Chesapeake Bay, which is gradually starting to recover from decades of pollution. If they come back all the way, we should have world-class oysters and blue crabs. Striped bass (called "rockfish" around here) are another important local fishery that's doing reasonably well.
2013 purchases - I'm at four G&Ls for the year: '82 SC-1, '84 Cavalier-E, recent L-1500, and an inbound '85 (I think) SB-1. I'm happy with the first three, and have high hopes for the SB-1. The L-1500 came from Sam Ash; the others were from individuals (two at GbL, and one at TalkBass). I also picked up an analog synthesizer - and Arturia Minibrute - from Guitar Center during a sale.
The couple of G&Ls I haven't bonded with are waiting for the right trade deal to come along. Both have Gold Flake finishes, which just aren't my thing. One is an ASAT Bass that was not described correctly by the seller. The other is a John Jorgenson Signature ASAT. The JJ Sig is the only G&L I've purchased with the intent to sell or trade later, but the price doesn't seem to be going anywhere on them. I always think about potential resale value, but only as far as making sure that I don't overpay for an instrument and lose money in the end. I fell in love with a late 90s ASAT Bass at a Guitar Center a couple of months ago, but when I went to buy it I found out it didn't have a case. The price was OK - not great, but not bad either - but having to pay an extra $150 for an SKB hard shell was a deal breaker.
I've bought a couple of things because the price was right. The '86 Lynx I bought from a G&LDP regular last year turned out (against my expectations) to be one of my all-time favorites. My Superhawk ($499 from a local store) and the inbound SB-1 ($450 from a seller on TalkBass) were other value-driven buys. It's been hit-or-miss on underpriced pedals. The one that exceeded my expectations was an Austin overdrive by Eden Analog. It sounds very nice IMO on guitar, and actually does a decent job with basses too.
The G&L I have perpetual GAS for is a G-200. I play a lot of chord melodies, so the 24.75" scale would give me G&L sound and feel with a bit less stretching. Aside from a G-200, my watch list are the student models and Leo-era basses I haven't played yet: three styles of SC-3s, second-style SC-2 and SB-2, and an '88-'91 ASAT Bass. I also really want something in Belair Green. Finding that on a Leo-era SB-2 or ASAT Bass would be a dream.
Selling: I rarely sell. The only G&L I've sold was an '88 ASAT last year, which went to a friend for the same price I had paid. I did that to fund an El Toro. I took an ASAT Classic to Guitar Center to discuss a possible trade-in, but the price they offered was insulting. The store manager told me their corporate policy was to get at least 100% profit on every used instrument. My favorite local shop buys back at 70% of the sales price. We just sold my youngest son's 70s-vintage Japanese short scale bass back to them a couple of weeks ago to help fund a better quality bass for him.
There aren't any instruments that I wish I could get back. The two worst deals I made were trading a mid-70s Strat for a $400 amp in '83, and a '65 Fender Mustang for a new Ovation acoustic in '86. That amp is still my go-to thirty years later and I have a lot of memories wrapped up in the Ovation, so I don't regret either deal. The ones I find myself still thinking about were the deals I missed:
- A clean, red 70s Precision for $200, when I was 16 and only had $100 to spend.
- A Fender Electric XII for $75, right around the same time ('81 or '82). I had the money, but my mother wouldn't give me a ride to the pawn shop.
- A fretless L-1000 listed in GbL back around '99 for $325. I didn't have the cash, and couldn't sell anything else in time.
Ken
Re: Lunch Report for Monday, August 19, 2013
Mon Aug 19, 2013 11:32 am
Just had lunch with the little granddaughter. She had Mac'ncheese and we shared some water melon.
How do you get along with seafood?
I like it but don't do it a lot. We frequently have Salmon on the grill. Lobster is great and I also like oyster stew.
Review your purchases for 2013
2013 has been a slow year for me. I picked up the Spalted Bluesboy in January, A Don Grosh T in Feb., G&L Asat Special EQ Mah with DFS in April and a Ric 360 Mapleglow in June. I have a Savanna Asat Bass coming in any day.
When you’ve bought something that isn’t working for you, do you dump it right away?
I generally make it work as I am quite certain that I want something before I buy. If it turns out later that it is not a fav, I will trade it.
Do you think about potential resale value when you buy?
Always, but I like to buy like new used and at least recover my money if I need to seel. That strategy hasn't worked as well recently as I have bought several new G&Ls and will not recover my investment on those. They are still worth it.
Where do you buy?
Generally from my favorite dealer, AGB or CL.
Where do you get your product information?
Manufacturers and forum research.
Have you ever bought a guitar, amp or effect—knowing that you didn’t really need it—but because it was simply too good a deal to pass up?
I did buy an amp ( Bogner Alchemist) which I never liked but did improve the sound. I had it less than a year
What is the most money you have ever spent on a guitar?
Actual out of pocket about $2000 and they were all used in like new condition.
How much money is TOO MUCH to spend on a guitar?
More than you can afford.
What is the one piece you are really lusting for…cost no object?
None at the moment
What G&L would you like to add to your collection?
Nothing jumps out at me but I will know when I see it!
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What pieces have you SOLD this year?
A Fender 62 Chambered Tele, A Clapton Custom Shop, G&L L-2500 and an 88 Tanquarey Strat (I had two of them). I bought the Clapton as an investment and it paid off. It was the most overpriced, underwhelming guitar I have ever owned but it paid off well.
Where do you sell your items?
I have done several trades on CL
How about trades? Or have you done any trade-ins—your gear for a new item at a store?
I really like dealing with AGB and they have treated me very well. If it isn't quite as profitable as selling outright it is certainly a secure way to deal and no surprises later.
Tell us about those pieces you REALLY wish you had back!
I would probably like the chambered Tele back and it hasn't sold yet. If it is there for some time I may get it back.
Bill, you didn't ask what has been our lucky shot this year.
Mine was last week when II found a 76 or 77 Fender Vibrasonic amp. Absolutely the best I have ever owned and it is cosmetically very clean. It has clean tone to die for and a reverb and trem to match. There will be a separate post on it later.-- Darwin
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How do you get along with seafood?
I like it but don't do it a lot. We frequently have Salmon on the grill. Lobster is great and I also like oyster stew.
Review your purchases for 2013
2013 has been a slow year for me. I picked up the Spalted Bluesboy in January, A Don Grosh T in Feb., G&L Asat Special EQ Mah with DFS in April and a Ric 360 Mapleglow in June. I have a Savanna Asat Bass coming in any day.
When you’ve bought something that isn’t working for you, do you dump it right away?
I generally make it work as I am quite certain that I want something before I buy. If it turns out later that it is not a fav, I will trade it.
Do you think about potential resale value when you buy?
Always, but I like to buy like new used and at least recover my money if I need to seel. That strategy hasn't worked as well recently as I have bought several new G&Ls and will not recover my investment on those. They are still worth it.
Where do you buy?
Generally from my favorite dealer, AGB or CL.
Where do you get your product information?
Manufacturers and forum research.
Have you ever bought a guitar, amp or effect—knowing that you didn’t really need it—but because it was simply too good a deal to pass up?
I did buy an amp ( Bogner Alchemist) which I never liked but did improve the sound. I had it less than a year
What is the most money you have ever spent on a guitar?
Actual out of pocket about $2000 and they were all used in like new condition.
How much money is TOO MUCH to spend on a guitar?
More than you can afford.
What is the one piece you are really lusting for…cost no object?
None at the moment
What G&L would you like to add to your collection?
Nothing jumps out at me but I will know when I see it!
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What pieces have you SOLD this year?
A Fender 62 Chambered Tele, A Clapton Custom Shop, G&L L-2500 and an 88 Tanquarey Strat (I had two of them). I bought the Clapton as an investment and it paid off. It was the most overpriced, underwhelming guitar I have ever owned but it paid off well.
Where do you sell your items?
I have done several trades on CL
How about trades? Or have you done any trade-ins—your gear for a new item at a store?
I really like dealing with AGB and they have treated me very well. If it isn't quite as profitable as selling outright it is certainly a secure way to deal and no surprises later.
Tell us about those pieces you REALLY wish you had back!
I would probably like the chambered Tele back and it hasn't sold yet. If it is there for some time I may get it back.
Bill, you didn't ask what has been our lucky shot this year.
Mine was last week when II found a 76 or 77 Fender Vibrasonic amp. Absolutely the best I have ever owned and it is cosmetically very clean. It has clean tone to die for and a reverb and trem to match. There will be a separate post on it later.-- Darwin
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Re: Lunch Report for Monday, August 19, 2013
Mon Aug 19, 2013 6:14 pm
Seafood: I like shrimp, Halibut and Salmon. I love BBQing Salmon because it has the oil to stay moist. It has gotten so expensive though. I am avoiding a list of fish after reading where some of it comes from and the conditions involved.
I think I bought my Taylor Mini this year, within the past 12 months and a digital piano to use as a controller with sampled piano software.
I hope to buy a new guitar, either an S-500 Deluxe or ASAT Deluxe. It will be the most I ever spend on a guitar. If I can get it the way I want for under 1350 I will sleep better but it could approach $1700+ and $2000 is too much. $1350 is too much but I know how things will probably go slowly adjusting to get what I want. I like new guitars and it would be limited circumstances to buy used. I was going to get one of the flame/honeyburst/Comanches used but by the time I started looking I had just missed two of the best deals I have seen since looking. I would only buy one of those used. They are just too much $$$ for my situation. The ASAT Del and S-500 Del are going to as close to perfect as I can get. The Comanche had a different objective.
I tend to hang onto things to see if I can get over obstacles before finally getting rid of them. Sometimes selling things is too painful. Sometimes the pain of keeping something justifies the pain of getting rid of it.
I have not made plans to or sold anything this year..
I think I bought my Taylor Mini this year, within the past 12 months and a digital piano to use as a controller with sampled piano software.
I hope to buy a new guitar, either an S-500 Deluxe or ASAT Deluxe. It will be the most I ever spend on a guitar. If I can get it the way I want for under 1350 I will sleep better but it could approach $1700+ and $2000 is too much. $1350 is too much but I know how things will probably go slowly adjusting to get what I want. I like new guitars and it would be limited circumstances to buy used. I was going to get one of the flame/honeyburst/Comanches used but by the time I started looking I had just missed two of the best deals I have seen since looking. I would only buy one of those used. They are just too much $$$ for my situation. The ASAT Del and S-500 Del are going to as close to perfect as I can get. The Comanche had a different objective.
I tend to hang onto things to see if I can get over obstacles before finally getting rid of them. Sometimes selling things is too painful. Sometimes the pain of keeping something justifies the pain of getting rid of it.
I have not made plans to or sold anything this year..
Re: Lunch Report for Monday, August 19, 2013
Mon Aug 19, 2013 6:49 pm
Howdy, Mr. Boogie Bill. Good to catch up with you. Thinking back, you were the GbL'er I most wanted to meet & have a beer & lunch with.
Seafood here in the upstate of South Carolina is pretty good because we get it fresh from Charleston, just a few hours away. I love scallops & lobster best. Nothing fancy, just steamed & add some butter. Restaurants around here are pretty good. Gotta stay away from buffet lines, though.
Hmmmm.... This year I have sold an Ibanez PM-10 Pat Metheny model that I got from Buffalo Brothers some time ago. Sold it on eBay.
Then I sold my CpThornton Improv, a jazzbox built 2 years ago by Chuck Thornton in Maine for me. It was his first jazzbox & he has build about 25 since. He let me name the model. I had a friend in Illinois who hounded me until I sold it to him. I only agreed to sell it because Chuck is making an even bigger jazzbox - his 10th Anniversary model which is going to be bigger than the Improv. About the size of a Gibson L-5. It will be completed next May. It will be THE MOST I have ever spent for a guitar. It has a price tag of $10K. Is that too much to pay for a guitar? Who knows? Up until I ordered that one, the most I'd ever paid was for the Improv, which has a price tag of just over $5K
Back in May of this year I got a goldtop CpThornton Legend Special - which is just about my favorite guitar. Looks exactly like a goldtop Les Paul, but about 4 pounds lighter & better tone & neck.
In about 3 weeks Chuck will have a Classic ready for me. That is his version of a Telecaster. It is going to be a glossy '62 Fender vintage cream color with white pickguard & birdseye maple neck. I found the paint for it & he let me name the color: banana pudding, which is exactly what it looks like to me. He was supposed to be putting the pickups & strings on it today.
To help fund all this, I also recently sold one of my 87 ASATs. I advertised it in the Marketplace & a guy just outside London bought it. I got $1100 for it.
I also sold an old Gibson bass on ebay to a guy in Isreal. Shipped it USPS & he got it today.
The only other gear transaction this year has been to get a Little Walter tube amp. What a joy. I think half the pickers in Nashville own one. Just 2 knobs, Volume & Tone, that's it. I got the 22W, which is more than enough for my music room picking. The Vince Gill model which he used at the Crossroads event this year is 50W plus a separate 22w. Way too much amp for me. They had an endorsee jam in Nashville 4 weeks ago & I went to that and NAMM the following day. Got to finally meet ole Vince Gill. One of my singer/songwriter/picker heroes. Love that amp. Reminds me of a Carr Rambler.
What's too much to pay for a guitar? Don't ask me. Nothing makes sense to me when it comes to music. It's all emotion. And life is short. Turning 70 brought a lot into focus. Lots of great gear out there. I ordered a Tribute Fallout today. Can't wait to get it.
Now, that's all the news that's fit to print.
Seafood here in the upstate of South Carolina is pretty good because we get it fresh from Charleston, just a few hours away. I love scallops & lobster best. Nothing fancy, just steamed & add some butter. Restaurants around here are pretty good. Gotta stay away from buffet lines, though.
Hmmmm.... This year I have sold an Ibanez PM-10 Pat Metheny model that I got from Buffalo Brothers some time ago. Sold it on eBay.
Then I sold my CpThornton Improv, a jazzbox built 2 years ago by Chuck Thornton in Maine for me. It was his first jazzbox & he has build about 25 since. He let me name the model. I had a friend in Illinois who hounded me until I sold it to him. I only agreed to sell it because Chuck is making an even bigger jazzbox - his 10th Anniversary model which is going to be bigger than the Improv. About the size of a Gibson L-5. It will be completed next May. It will be THE MOST I have ever spent for a guitar. It has a price tag of $10K. Is that too much to pay for a guitar? Who knows? Up until I ordered that one, the most I'd ever paid was for the Improv, which has a price tag of just over $5K
Back in May of this year I got a goldtop CpThornton Legend Special - which is just about my favorite guitar. Looks exactly like a goldtop Les Paul, but about 4 pounds lighter & better tone & neck.
In about 3 weeks Chuck will have a Classic ready for me. That is his version of a Telecaster. It is going to be a glossy '62 Fender vintage cream color with white pickguard & birdseye maple neck. I found the paint for it & he let me name the color: banana pudding, which is exactly what it looks like to me. He was supposed to be putting the pickups & strings on it today.
To help fund all this, I also recently sold one of my 87 ASATs. I advertised it in the Marketplace & a guy just outside London bought it. I got $1100 for it.
I also sold an old Gibson bass on ebay to a guy in Isreal. Shipped it USPS & he got it today.
The only other gear transaction this year has been to get a Little Walter tube amp. What a joy. I think half the pickers in Nashville own one. Just 2 knobs, Volume & Tone, that's it. I got the 22W, which is more than enough for my music room picking. The Vince Gill model which he used at the Crossroads event this year is 50W plus a separate 22w. Way too much amp for me. They had an endorsee jam in Nashville 4 weeks ago & I went to that and NAMM the following day. Got to finally meet ole Vince Gill. One of my singer/songwriter/picker heroes. Love that amp. Reminds me of a Carr Rambler.
What's too much to pay for a guitar? Don't ask me. Nothing makes sense to me when it comes to music. It's all emotion. And life is short. Turning 70 brought a lot into focus. Lots of great gear out there. I ordered a Tribute Fallout today. Can't wait to get it.
Now, that's all the news that's fit to print.
Re: Lunch Report for Monday, August 19, 2013
Mon Aug 19, 2013 9:29 pm
Howdy Bill,
Lets pipe in before the day is over.
I love seafood and there are lots of good places here in Seattle to eat it. Faves are Toyoda Sushi in Lake City, McCormick & Schmick in several locations, Aqua on the south end of the downtown waterfront, and most notably Ray's Boathouse near Shilshoal. Wonderful places all.
Can't tell you too much about my 2013 purchases because that would use up all the material I want to use for my LRs in a week or 2. So you'll have to wait.
The most I have spent on a guitar is $6,500 but it was worth it. I'm always looking around on eBay, CL, etc. etc. to see if there are some instruments that are worth having in my collection and fit in my budget at that time. Have been able to get a lot of interesting models in that way and many for a relatively low price. I'm with jamie on what's too much: the one buck more than you have at that moment. But I also always check the Blue Book and the Vintage Guitar Price Guide to get some feeling on what is reasonable for an instrument in a particular condition. These guidelines have been enormously helpful in several aspects: being able to make a fair offer, knowing what is ballpark number, and not feeling bad if you miss out on something that goes for more than your max (I'm thinking of an October '91 triple-bound ASAT Classic here that recently went on eBay for appreciably more than my price).
What am I lusting for? Any guitar from the Dale Hyatt Collection but particularly an ASAT called 'The Rembrandt' and Lacewood #1. But my ASAT collection is still missing a handful of models: a Will Ray, Z-3, and ASAT Classic Custom. And those are beyond all the recent new models mind you. Like I stated elsewhere: can G&L at least give me a fighting chance?
Never have sold a single piece and this year is no different.
Hope you have still some ammo left.
- Jos
Lets pipe in before the day is over.
I love seafood and there are lots of good places here in Seattle to eat it. Faves are Toyoda Sushi in Lake City, McCormick & Schmick in several locations, Aqua on the south end of the downtown waterfront, and most notably Ray's Boathouse near Shilshoal. Wonderful places all.
Can't tell you too much about my 2013 purchases because that would use up all the material I want to use for my LRs in a week or 2. So you'll have to wait.
The most I have spent on a guitar is $6,500 but it was worth it. I'm always looking around on eBay, CL, etc. etc. to see if there are some instruments that are worth having in my collection and fit in my budget at that time. Have been able to get a lot of interesting models in that way and many for a relatively low price. I'm with jamie on what's too much: the one buck more than you have at that moment. But I also always check the Blue Book and the Vintage Guitar Price Guide to get some feeling on what is reasonable for an instrument in a particular condition. These guidelines have been enormously helpful in several aspects: being able to make a fair offer, knowing what is ballpark number, and not feeling bad if you miss out on something that goes for more than your max (I'm thinking of an October '91 triple-bound ASAT Classic here that recently went on eBay for appreciably more than my price).
What am I lusting for? Any guitar from the Dale Hyatt Collection but particularly an ASAT called 'The Rembrandt' and Lacewood #1. But my ASAT collection is still missing a handful of models: a Will Ray, Z-3, and ASAT Classic Custom. And those are beyond all the recent new models mind you. Like I stated elsewhere: can G&L at least give me a fighting chance?
Never have sold a single piece and this year is no different.
Hope you have still some ammo left.
- Jos
Re: Lunch Report for Monday, August 19, 2013
Mon Aug 19, 2013 11:48 pm
Hi Bill. Welcome back to the mic. That's one heck of a LR.
Seafood: I eat seafood at every available opportunity. My faves are fresh prawns (shrimp) fried with garlic butter, scallops, sardines and nice, oily Atlantic salmon done on the barbeque. I've had excellent seafood all over Australia, especially in Tasmania where I grew up, but the stuff we get here in Melbourne is sub-par for some reason (and hideously expensive).
Purchases this year: I've only bought a Mexi Fender FSR telecaster off Ebay for $500. I didn't need it, but it's really pretty and seemed cheap for what it was. I initially thought it was a lemon, but once I figured out it needed a neck shim it plays superbly, and I hate to admit that it might sound and play better than my other T-style guitars which were more expensive. I don't tend to dump things without having a red hot go at getting them to work for me. In fact I haven't sold off a guitar yet.
How much is too much: I haven't spent more than $1800 on a guitar (my Larrivee acoustic), and I don't like to go over $1500. If something really spoke to me I might drop $2K, but then I'd find myself sleeping in the garage.
I'm really not lusting after any particular guitar right now, but would like something in surf green or sonic blue with P-90's or Filtertrons to broaden my range of pickups.
Seafood: I eat seafood at every available opportunity. My faves are fresh prawns (shrimp) fried with garlic butter, scallops, sardines and nice, oily Atlantic salmon done on the barbeque. I've had excellent seafood all over Australia, especially in Tasmania where I grew up, but the stuff we get here in Melbourne is sub-par for some reason (and hideously expensive).
Purchases this year: I've only bought a Mexi Fender FSR telecaster off Ebay for $500. I didn't need it, but it's really pretty and seemed cheap for what it was. I initially thought it was a lemon, but once I figured out it needed a neck shim it plays superbly, and I hate to admit that it might sound and play better than my other T-style guitars which were more expensive. I don't tend to dump things without having a red hot go at getting them to work for me. In fact I haven't sold off a guitar yet.
How much is too much: I haven't spent more than $1800 on a guitar (my Larrivee acoustic), and I don't like to go over $1500. If something really spoke to me I might drop $2K, but then I'd find myself sleeping in the garage.
I'm really not lusting after any particular guitar right now, but would like something in surf green or sonic blue with P-90's or Filtertrons to broaden my range of pickups.
Re: Lunch Report for Monday, August 19, 2013
Tue Aug 20, 2013 12:25 am
Boogie Bill wrote:Have you ever bought a guitar, amp or effect—knowing that you didn’t really need it—but because it was simply too good a deal to pass up?
I didn't think I needed the '88 L-2000 , I was wrong .
I've been trying eat more,spend less ...still I'm skinnier than I am fat.
This would have been a dinner or three, almost eleven dollars plus shipping !
I'll put it to good use:
Boogie Bill wrote:What is the one piece you are really lusting for…cost no object?
I lust after the S-500 deluxe's . Every one of them ! even the lefties
elwood
Re: Lunch Report for Monday, August 19, 2013
Tue Aug 20, 2013 1:13 am
seafood. i don't eat scum sucking bottom dwellers. (only date them). love fish, sushi is my favorite food.
2013 in: just the two rock custom reverb signature v3, but i didn't actually pay for it.
2013 out: nothing yet, but i am about to sell some stuff. about 20 pedals, my heritage kenny burrell signature, the 59 bassman reissue from 96, epiphone epitar valve 30, and maybe the 40's anniversary twin. keeping the 57 deluxe, the ampegs and the two rock and the ots50. probably sell my pedal train pro in a flight case as well. likely the epiphone 335 dot, and maybe my american standard strat. also a 48 track automated 2480 roland recording console. just not using any of this stuff. i'll probably will sell a bunch of pups as well, as i am pretty settled on the ones i want to keep, and they are just sitting around.
what to spend on a guitar: i was thinking about spending 4-5k maybe (i have bought classicals back in the day for more), but my guitar tech talked me out of it. he said the really expensive fancy custom guitars are not for great players. he said those are for the weekend warriors that are so so players and mostly play at home. according to him spending around 2k is about as much as you need to spend, after that the playability and tone doesn't get better, just the woods and finishes get fancy. i'll be deciding between a g&l asat special (if they will make it for me the way i want it, likely as an employee guitar though) or a ron kirn custom spec'ed one of a kind. the contours, especially the neck heel and the lower horn are very important to me, as well as the finish. the g&l would run around 1200-1500, the ron kirn is 2200. i'll be getting a neck from musikraft to finish my g&l asat classic partscaster, i already have the body and all hardware.
2013 in: just the two rock custom reverb signature v3, but i didn't actually pay for it.
2013 out: nothing yet, but i am about to sell some stuff. about 20 pedals, my heritage kenny burrell signature, the 59 bassman reissue from 96, epiphone epitar valve 30, and maybe the 40's anniversary twin. keeping the 57 deluxe, the ampegs and the two rock and the ots50. probably sell my pedal train pro in a flight case as well. likely the epiphone 335 dot, and maybe my american standard strat. also a 48 track automated 2480 roland recording console. just not using any of this stuff. i'll probably will sell a bunch of pups as well, as i am pretty settled on the ones i want to keep, and they are just sitting around.
what to spend on a guitar: i was thinking about spending 4-5k maybe (i have bought classicals back in the day for more), but my guitar tech talked me out of it. he said the really expensive fancy custom guitars are not for great players. he said those are for the weekend warriors that are so so players and mostly play at home. according to him spending around 2k is about as much as you need to spend, after that the playability and tone doesn't get better, just the woods and finishes get fancy. i'll be deciding between a g&l asat special (if they will make it for me the way i want it, likely as an employee guitar though) or a ron kirn custom spec'ed one of a kind. the contours, especially the neck heel and the lower horn are very important to me, as well as the finish. the g&l would run around 1200-1500, the ron kirn is 2200. i'll be getting a neck from musikraft to finish my g&l asat classic partscaster, i already have the body and all hardware.