Lunch Report : 2013-08-28

Lunch
Homemade pizza rolls with homemade tomato sauce. Tasty! Why? I didn't make them. I'm still out of Brooke Bond tea. I need to fix that.

General
I rode my bike on a errand this morning. It was the quickest way to get where I needed to go. Problem: Nasty wildfire air! Smokey nasty! My throat isn't happy, and my right eye isn't happy*. Normally that would be a fun trip. Today it was a fun trip with a price. Glad I'm not bike commuting these days.

Some of the riding was on the Boise Greenbelt system. Here's a look at the Greenbelt from an old episode of TV Cycle:
[youtube]7MmTv46xH70[/youtube]

G&L
I asked the GbL what one Leo Fender book to read. The collective answer was Fender: The Sound Heard 'Round the World [Richard R. Smith]

It was a nice book and a great suggestion. Glad I read it. For me, it was really light on the CLF Research and G&L years. Any other suggestions out there for the later years? A George Fullerton book perhaps?

Notes
* I'm guessing since I look over my left shoulder when I ride, the right eye gets more air than the left eye. All speculation, though.

I like George Fullerton's book- "How Leo Fender and I started G&L guitars"
and I like Bill Carson's book, which I think is titled just "Bill Carson."

He has a very interesting perspective on the early Fender years. He says he dreaded Leo coming into a club while he was playing and adjusting the controls on his amp!

Hey Brock,

The 2 books George has written are OK, but no more than that. The first, "Guitar Legends, The evolution of the guitar from Fender to G&L", also has G&L somewhat as an appendix at the end, but tells a lot about the life of Leo. The second, "Guitars from George & Leo: How Leo Fender and I Built G&L Guitars", is much more focussed on G&L and the models that it produced. My guess is that George received great help (editorial or otherwise) from Tim Page. And when not talking G&L, it is way more a book about George. Which is nice too! But I must add that I have heard from different corners the book is not very accurate in certain aspects.

In short: Must have? No. Good read? Certainly when you are a Fender and/or G&L fan.

- Jos

Be patient . Gabe will write the definitive G&L Book .I am expecting it to be one of the best guitar history books. I am sure of that

Be patient . Gabe will write the definitive G&L Book .I am expecting it to be one of the best guitar history books. I am sure of that

Yes, Gabe and Greg Gagliano's G&L book has been in the "works" for several years now. Sure hope it see's the light of day in my life time.

Brock, I haven't read any of these books and probably won't but if Gabe & Greg ever finish it, it will probably be a good read.

It has been hot here in Minnesota, bike riders are pretty scarce in this weather, the state fair attendance is down because of the heat and it is too hot to ride my Gold Wing. I finally have the paint for my Stingray 5 and it is too hot to paint. Cycle TV in this kind of weather would be 50 ways to mop up sweat. I have been working on guitars inside and life is still good! Whats up with Cycle TV. Can't you come up with a way for you and your Banjo picking friend to play songs while riding your bikes? Have a remote control servo on the steering and have someone steer for you from the sidelines. Just don't get out of range!-- Darwin

I want the GregG + Gabe book big time. I actually bought my first G&L from GregG. Here it is (this exact one):
http://www.ggjaguar.com/sb-2-84.htm

I can't add to the book club, here's something else:

About 60 years ago if you saw one of these cruisin' up and down the road -



...and full of mid 50's Fender guitars and amps.
It just might be this guy behind the wheel -
Namm Dale Hyatt oral history