Brunch Report, Wednesday March 17, 2010

Howdy G&L faithful.
Posting the report early today as I have a block of meetings for most of the morning. Always a JOY!
Great reponses yesterday. Seems like most of ya'll fall in the median as far as strap use goes. Comfort above cool looks.

Ok....now onto the Lunch Report.

First, and this one is for those of us with significant others....and especially those with large guitar collections.

How does your wife/girlfriend/husband boyfriend deal with your G.A.S??? Are they understanding, or do you wind up in fisticuffs over every little gear purchase? Do they scream about all of those guitars taking up all of that room, or are they cool about it?

Secondly...
What type of pick do you use?....or do you fingerpick??


G&L Question:

Ok....Darth phones you up and tells you that you have been picked to recieve a one off custom G&L. You have full control of the specifications.

What do you choose??


For lunch today, I'm having leftovers. I've been trying to eat out less as it's taking a toll on my wallet, and my waist. My wife (who is an EXCELLENT cook) whipped up a kilelr roast last night. I'm having some of it for lunch today, along with rice and gravy, and a salad consisting of spinach leaves, blue cheese, walnuts and sunflower seeds. Yumm!

I look forward to your answers. Now...off to 4 hours of meetings!

Well, first meeting was short, so I'll go ahead an provide my answers.

My wife is cool with my guitar collection. Mine is fairly modest compared to some of my friends. I only have about 11 guitars right now. I pared it down a bit, as I had a lot of redundancy. She gets that the guitars I have are very different and aren't just the same guitar in different colors (not that there's anything wrong with that ) I haven't bought a new instrument in a while, the last one was my L2000 which was a stupid crazy deal. She's cool with me spending money as long as I can justify it, and usually I use gig money, or sell something I'm not using, so it's not coming from the general household fund.


As far as picks, I usually use Dunlop Tortex picks (the green or purple) I like a hard and thick pick as they seem to contact the strings in a more positive way and I seem to be able to pick faster with them. I do a good deal of fingerpicking as well, so I occasionally use a thumbpick. I've been using the Herco picks that are a combination of a flatpick and a thumbpick. They take a bit of getting used too, but work well.


Custom G&L!

I'd get this..

ASAT special Semi-Hollow body. (ASH)
Double bound.
Black (thin nitro)
12" radius
Maple neck, ebony fingerboard (lightly tinted)
Bone nut
No pickguard
Saddle lock bridge (black)
2 MFD's (black covers)
All hardware black

So...basically an hollowbody Asat Special in "none more black"

The wife/gear situation has evolved. She used to pretty upset over gear purchases because she had to dig money out of the family budget. Once I was playing out regularly she did not mind so much. These days I have a little better handle on the addiction and have a one out/one in policy so the number stays pretty consistent.

I use pretty heavy picks. I used Dunlop Jazz 205's for some time until I came across D'Andrea Vintage Pro Plecs. 1.5mm and super polished they have really warm sound
and smooth release. I've studied classical and played a lot of Leo Kotke kind of stuff in the past so I can play finger style but these days it's mostly with a plectrum or
maybe hybrid picking.

Custom G & L.....great question...
Spalt on mahogany hollow ASAT body with 'f' hole and tort binding on the top.
Bound mahogany neck with ebony board and side dots only, spalt headstock overlay
12 radius
Saddle lock bridge
Two Seth Lover style humbuckers with Les Paul style controls. no pickguard.

Alternate....
Hollow Mahogany ASAT body with 'f' hole. Spruce top with classic sunburst finish
Bound maple neck with ebony board and headstock overlay.
12" radius
ONE humbucker mounted at the neck with tone and volume control
Saddle lock bridge
The ultimate G & L jazz guitar!

I've studied classical and played a lot of Leo Kotke kind of stuff in the past so I can play finger style but these days it's mostly with a plectrum or
maybe hybrid picking.

Custom G & L.....great question...
Spalt on mahogany hollow ASAT body with 'f' hole and tort binding on the top.
Bound mahogany neck with ebony board and side dots only, spalt headstock overlay
12 radius
Saddle lock bridge
Two Seth Lover style humbuckers with Les Paul style controls. no pickguard.

Alternate....
Hollow Mahogany ASAT body with 'f' hole. Spruce top with classic sunburst finish
Bound maple neck with ebony board and headstock overlay.
12" radius
ONE humbucker mounted at the neck with tone and volume control
Saddle lock bridge
The ultimate G & L jazz guitar!

I've seen Leo Kottke in concert a number of times. I was lucky enough to catch him back in the late 80's when he was touring with Micheal Hedges. That was such a great concert.

Good call on the custom G&L's.

I would look to see G&L do a full on hollowbody jazz guitar. I know they really aren't tooled up for that, but man, that thing would be off the charts!

How does your wife/girlfriend/husband boyfriend deal with your G.A.S??? Are they understanding, or do you wind up in fisticuffs over every little gear purchase? Do they scream about all of those guitars taking up all of that room, or are they cool about it?

Somewhat to my (pleasant) surprise, my wife is very supportive of it. Initially there was some resistance, but I've explained so many times now why and how I (want to) do it and she has witnessed how incredibly passionate I am about it. I can point out several reasons for that. First, the transition really occurred after I started maintaining my own web site. She could read the little stories about the guitars. This has made a big difference. Second, I made 'THE LIST' of models I would go after. That list was initially quite long, but at least it was finite. So she could see that it would not go on 'forever'. And since every guitar I got over the last 2 years has complied with 'THE LIST', she hasn't objected. But then again, I also have to be honest that she, as recent as last week, has said that for her it is easier to say 'yes' than to fret over it all the time. She has witnessed that it hasn't bankrupted us (yet) and trusts that I make the right decision. So in that respect the onus is on me, and I don't take that lightly.

What type of pick do you use?....or do you fingerpick??

Since a year or 3 I have been using Herdim picks: the 3-in-1 big ones and the blue heavies. Yes, it is nylon, but I still love them because the seem to go well with my big hands and I like the sound. I'm not really into fingerpicks. It feels uncomfortable on my thumb/fingers, and I like the mix of flesh and nails a little better even though it produces less volume.

Ok....Darth phones you up and tells you that you have been picked to recieve a one off custom G&L. You have full control of the specifications.
What do you choose??

Our own Tim Page (Tim Buffalo Bros) has made it exceedingly hard to come up with something original. There is already a 'Esquire' type ASAT (ASAT '50), an ASAT Z-2, the Blues Boy, and the Trinity, which are all models I would have liked to come up with. So beyond saying that it would be another type of ASAT, don't really know what to say.

First, the transition really occurred after I started maintaining my own web site. She could read the little stories about the guitars. This has made a big difference.

Man....very nice site! I love your collection.
That spalted Bluesboy is awesome.

I no longer have a significant other. When I did, I rarely bought without conferring with her on purchases. However, it did happen once or twice. She never articulated a problem with my purchases, but that may not mean much. Since I generally bought/buy guitars for less than what I believe their market value to be, and the rest of the "nut" is covered prior to any purchase, it shouldn't be a problem to a practical person. Again, that might not really mean much as far as significant others. So far, my guitars, like my watch collection, have appreciated in value, despite the economic downturn.

For a long time I'd been using the Dunlop nylon 1mm picks. They are stout enough, and have a good gripping surface. However, recently I've been using these Dava picks, which have rubber grips built into them. That has really seemed to help me to hold onto them without being distracted when they shift or fly on me. I too, finger-pick a fair amount, but mostly in simple patterns. If I am shown a pattern, I can usually get comfortable with it pretty fast. I grow the fingernails on my picking hand a bit long, as it helps me get a more defined sound out of the strings. I do get some strange looks from people, upon introduction, when they check them babies out. If I sense someone is taking strong notice of my nails, I usually segue into something about playing guitar. I've thought about wearing a ring that has a guitar on it as a silent explanation.

My custom G&L: I'm happy with my stable of ASATs , so I'll go for something different.

The guitar that would get me to part with cash today is either an X-body Interceptor or Comanche. For a freebie, and something more doable, I'd get a double-bound Bluesboy in green burst, with body contours, maple board. That would work.
I'll change my avatar to show that just such a guitar got away from me just before I bought my first G&L. The buyer got this beauty for $750. That was in around 2006. I don't believe it had body contour/cuts.

How does your wife/girlfriend/husband boyfriend deal with your G.A.S??? Are they understanding, or do you wind up in fisticuffs over every little gear purchase? Do they scream about all of those guitars taking up all of that room, or are they cool about it?

First off, the collection isn't large by any stretch, though it's certainly more than I can play at one time. I don't get any grief from Marie. Not even for the El Toro, which won't see as much play time as the others. Fact is, she rather likes John Salcido & Tim Page because they include her in the conversation and make her feel at home and part of the process. For that and many other reasons, they have my gratitude AND my business.

Secondly...
What type of pick do you use?....or do you fingerpick??

I'm a bass player. I use the same pick on the bass as I do on my nose.

Ok....Darth phones you up and tells you that you have been picked to recieve a one off custom G&L. You have full control of the specifications.

What do you choose??

A 5 string version of the JB-2. Hum canceling pickups along the lines of the Nordstrand NJ5FS, Gagon active 3-band circuit with separate battery box, lightweight ash body in honeyburst (front & back), production 5 string neck with a birdseye board and matching headstock, narrow tolex case.

Ken...

Secondly...
What type of pick do you use?....or do you fingerpick??

I'm a bass player. I use the same pick on the bass as I do on my nose.

My wife and I each get a small allowance that we can spend as we wish without consulting the other. It's pretty paltry, so it takes a long time to really be able to afford much, but the good thing about that is I really think things through before buying, pretty much cuts out the impulse buy. However, this is not to say I don't sometimes spend the money before I have it...a number of times I've had to borrow from the general fund, but it's always repaid before I buy again. But my collection is pretty modest...4 electrics, one acoustic, two amps and a few effects. OTOH, I truly enjoy each of them and use them all regularly.

For picks, I discovered the Dunlop Ultex pickups a few months ago and have been really impressed. I use 1mm and think I'm pretty well sold on these.

My custom G&L...hmmm, that's a hard one. Maybe a Legacy Deluxe with a one-piece quartersawn maple neck with maple fretboard (satin finish neck, gloss finish fretboard) in a Cherry Burst Finish with some additional p/up switching options, locking tuners and graphite nut.

Thank you! Thanks, everyone! Ah, thank you. I'll be here all week.

Ken...

Yay Ken! Those nose picks don't wear out! LOL

Significant other and my collection:

It's always a friction point.
I never buy new instruments and I usually purchase basses or guitars that would be considered basket cases or rough examples that need at least a good cleanup, sometimes a lot more.
Therefore, I don't spend a lot of money on any single item but the collection of items attracts the wife's attention. I often hear: "Well you can sell some guitars and we can get a (insert latest item desired)"

Picks- I use heavy nylon picks when I play guitar and on the rare occassion that I use a pick on bass.

Custom G&L- I would order a L-2500 just like the Centennial models.
That would be cool.

-bassman

WCustom G&L!

I'd get this..

ASAT special Semi-Hollow body. (ASH)
Double bound.
Black (thin nitro)
12" radius
Maple neck, ebony fingerboard (lightly tinted)
Bone nut
No pickguard
Saddle lock bridge (black)
2 MFD's (black covers)
All hardware black

So...basically an hollowbody Asat Special in "none more black"

I like this one, except I'd want a Spruce top in tobacco burst.

RickT

Combination, I am not self taught by any means.
The only time I made any progress was when I took lessons.
As soon as I stopped do to an illness, I forgot half of what I knew.
Now I'm back to square one.

You a collector too? Nice. For me: Piaget, Breitling, Rado, Geneve(only one, my graduation present) and Hublot.
Will

My wife got the only Piaget I had, although I did get it for her. It was an incredibly heavy 18k yellow gold w/diamond bezel. It had the most beautifully made band that articulated but there were virtually no gaps between the links. It was too dressy for me , otherwise I might have fought for it.

I am familiar with the Breitlings, some familiarity with Rado (older stuff), and little about Geneve other than that they exist. Is Geneve the same as Universal Geneve? My collection is mostly old American pocket watches. Before I got into playing guitar, I was very much into the watches. Since then, very little additions or collecting activities. I have serviced my own pocket watches and some of my wrist watches. I have just a couple of Swiss wrist watches from a company I believe is underrated, and under-priced, Girard-Perregaux. They're both vintage Sea Hawks, one stainless (Looks like a Patek Calatrava) and one gold. I have small wrists so it's hard for me to wear a large-cased watch. The Sea Hawks fit nicely (Pic.below)

If you made a note of the picture of the custom-painted guitar I had for my avatar yesterday, it was painted to look like the engraving on an Illinois Watch Co. Bunn or Bunn Special railroad watch. The paint-job was performed by the late Dr. Paavo Zakin on an S-500. I told him I wanted the guitar but he'd already changed its look by the time I became acquainted with him. Paavo was a longtime contributor here and G&L enthusiast who, as of last April, is no longer with us (RIP). I don't believe that you were around the G&LDP when he was. Anyway, Paavo was also a watch dude. I believe he liked to collect guilloche stuff. Watches are incredible little machines. I would think that George and Leo would have appreciated the craftsmanship involved in making them. Cheers.

The Sea Hawk

The paint-job was performed by the late Dr. Paavo Zakin on an S-500. I told him I wanted the guitar but he'd already changed its look by the time I became acquainted with him. Paavo was a longtime contributor here and G&L enthusiast who, as of last April, is no longer with us (RIP).

Ah Paavo....RIP my friend.
That was a beautiful S-500. I don't know what it looks like today, but I remember when it looked like your avatar.

I had posted yesterday about my friend Bear on the Gretschpages, and his suprise visit from a rock and roll legend, Duane Eddy.

Here's some footage.....Yeah, I know this is a G&L forum, but check out this hot Gretsch action!

http://www.proteuspages.com/GDP&Gretsch/BearJam/BearJam2.mp4

How does your wife/girlfriend/husband boyfriend deal with your G.A.S??? Are they understanding, or do you wind up in fisticuffs over every little gear purchase? Do they scream about all of those guitars taking up all of that room, or are they cool about it?

My wife is pretty much cool with it. Heck she helped by buying a PRS Custom 22 for Christmas as she overheard me talking about wanting one the day before.

What type of pick do you use?....or do you fingerpick??

Dunlop Jazz IIIs mainly. Sometimes Dunlop Gator .88 or .77. I do fingerpick sometimes on Acoustic, and sometime it's called for on electric too. On Bass I mainly play with my fingers

G&L Question:
Ok....Darth phones you up and tells you that you have been picked to recieve a one off custom G&L. You have full control of the specifications.
What do you choose??

The Kodor Special would be a Legacy Body with a flame maple top, birdseye satin GOT neck, 3 Large MFD Pickups, S-500 Switching (7 combinations instead of 5) with an additional push-pull Coil-tap with a total of 14 combinations.
Oh yeah...here's a photoshopped pic I did...

The Kodor Special would be a Legacy Body with a flame maple top, birdseye satin GOT neck, 3 Large MFD Pickups, S-500 Switching (7 combinations instead of 5) with an additional push-pull Coil-tap with a total of 14 combinations.
Oh yeah...here's a photoshopped pic I did...

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Very cool! That'd be a beast.

It sounded like they've been playing together for years. Nice.

How does your wife/girlfriend/husband boyfriend deal with your G.A.S???
My wife has gone from saying I have too many guitars, to asking "Did you get a new guitar?" (BTW I always go to guitar shops on my work travels.) 18 years of this fun next Sunday.

Secondly...
What type of pick do you use?....or do you fingerpick??
Dunlops mainly. Blue, green and yellow. Fingerpick acoustic some and am using fingers more on 'lectric to get a different feel.

Ok....Darth phones you up and tells you that you have been picked to recieve a one off custom G&L. You have full control of the specifications.
What do you choose??
My own custom design Will Ray Studio VI - SH no F-hole triple bound black with matching headstock and mother of toilet seat p-guard, WR Z3 with Studio VI electronics built on a rear loaded ASAT Z3 body (maybe on a ASAT Jr chambered mahogany body), ebony neck, locking tuners, crinkle hardware on ssaddle lock, could put G&L inlay design instead of skulls but I love the skulls, and the secret part of this is a push pull on the tone knob (because expander is on the volume knob I think) put an out of phase switch here for an Andy Summers touch, then add a flame thrower that shoots fire from the nipple!! This guitar will rock.

For lunch today, I'm having leftovers.
Today I had lunch 1/2 mile from where I lived in socal in 1975/76! Had to take advantage of work trip. Where did all of this construction come from? Had parts of a killer fish taco and veggie taco where there used to be a Swensens ice cream shop. The Vons grocery is still there.

How does your wife/girlfriend/husband boyfriend deal with your G.A.S??? Are they understanding, or do you wind up in fisticuffs over every little gear purchase? Do they scream about all of those guitars taking up all of that room, or are they cool about it?

I've been married for 35 years, and the only time my wife has ever questioned a guitar purchase was when we weren't doing very well financially. I have something like 25 guitars now, but all is well. She has supported my habit day in and day out, so I can't complain whatsoever.

What type of pick do you use?....or do you fingerpick??

I use a variety of picks but, for the most part, I try to find standard picks that are between medium and heavy in thickness. I also fingerpick, too.

Ok....Darth phones you up and tells you that you have been picked to recieve a one off custom G&L. You have full control of the specifications.
What do you choose??

Not sure.....I'd have to take some time to consider all of the options. Although, I think a guitar based on the Trinity might be pretty cool.

I'm in recycle mode today:
Dream G&L:


Name: L-1000p

Specs: Mahogany body, maple bi-cut neck. Gloss finish. Piezo bridge saddles. I would take the upgrade to a 2Tek bridge, but the Saddle-lock is a nice bridge.

Controls: The sliders up by the neck control the Piezo (Bass/mid/treble), the knobs (left to right) MFD Bass, MFD treble, detented MFD/Piezo mix knob, master volume. The switch is standard OMG! L-1000 goodness.

Picks:

None. I even have wide spaced guitars so they don't need picks:


-Brock

Holy crap...that's a nice bass!