LUNCH REPORT - Finally Made It - TGIF 28 SEP 18

[WitSok]

Finally made it! Happy Friday!

Lunch TBD

G&L Topic

Earlier in the week, we talked about your first G&L guitar. Today, I thought it would be good to discuss the last G&L you acquired. The latest G&L I acquired was the ASAT Z-2 I mentioned on Monday. I have been really happy with this guitar. There is the limited nature of the guitar that is very appealing. It is very light being a semi-hollow. But what really make the guitar a joy is the z-coils really work splendid with my pedals. Overall, I like the tone of the large MFDs best, but the z-coils work best with pedals and are great for distortion. Thinking about it makes we want to go play some Social Distortion now! What was your latest G&L? What are your impressions? Does it still have the magic?

Non G&L Topic

Any of you acoustic players? I would assume yes. Typically, acoustic playing for me is at home for my own enjoyment. I personally only have one acoustic, a Guild AO-5CE. Fender had sold off Guild and I believe Cordoba was trying to inventory. I got a deal that was too good to pass up. Basically got it 50% off retail or about 60% off MAP. Originally, I was looking at getting a Breedlove (I don’t remember the exact model). To be honest, I liked the Breedlove better, but because of the ridiculous discount the Guild was much lower cost. I tend to like the concert or orchestra size acoustics. I like there more balanced tone. I also found I really like D’Addario Nickle Bronze wound string on the acoustic. It gave the guitar even more balance and silky tone. So what acoustics do you have? What are your impressions? Any particular strings you like on your acoustics?

Music Topic

Are there artistic or acts that you would like to see, but they have passed away? There are artists I’ve seen that have passed away so I cannot see them again (RIP Country Dick Montana!), but at least I got to see them. Then there are the one I wanted to see but didn’t for one reason or another and now they are gone. I had tickets to see Lou Reed at Alpine Valley, but he broke his leg. Violent Fems replaced him on the bill. It was during his New York tour. I really wish I could have seen him. Is there someone you wish you saw but can no longer?

This one is not from the New York album, it is from Magic and Loss. An amazingly powerful album! Enjoy and have a great weekend!

[video]https://youtu.be/ZcLLMfuBhFo[/video]

Cheers, Dan

PS – I wrote all but Tuesday report in advance (last Friday). I tried to keep the topics unique, but as the week progressed, I could see lines getting blurred day to day. So, it was a bit more challenging than I had expected. Next time, I think I need to massage the topics based on how the previous day(s) discussion progressed. Never the less, I hope you enjoyed them. Peace!

[guitar_ed]

HI,

The last G&L I got was my Fallout. Still have it, not planning on parting with it.

Acoustic guitar wise, I have been playing a lot of tenor guitar lately, using a fairly new NatReso. I have a new tenor from Eastwood, their version of a resophonic. And I have 2 pre-war tenors from National Guitars. They are both playable, and they both show their age. I have also been playing slack key on a Gibson acoustic, and I am trying to translate slack key to a tenor. That's a challenge.

As for musicians I wish I had seen..... Louis Prima & Keely Smith would have been awesome.

[mutts]

Lunch- as usual... nuts, apple.

Last G&L was a Bluesboy 90. All in all very happy with it. The only negative is that the tuners don’t feel as nice as my pre BBE guitars but they function fine. A nice guitar though.

A few years back I bought a new Martin hd-28v. I had always wanted a Martin. I still have an older Yamaha too. Strung it to open G recently but don’t use it much. String wise I have been experimenting... lots of good choices around. Last set on was some Santa Cruz strings; nice but pricey. Been pretty impressed with DR Sunbeams. GHS L Jubler signatures are nice too. Dogal Live are good and reasonably priced; they may become my go to set.

Off the top of my head- wish I would have gone to see Prince at some point.

Cheers, Eric

[Danley]

Lunch
About to walk across the street with some co-workers to check out a noodle place.

G&L
Already talked about in my post on 'first G&L' The ones I inherited from my Dad he owned around two years even if I received them in my possession only in June or so (I felt bad to even move or touch them for a while, but now apparently I'm fine disassembling them completely,) and I only bought the SC3 myself which was December. I don't need another but I check online for F100s in particular with great frequency. Almost talked myself into one at a local store.

Non-G&L
I don't prefer acoustic, at all. They're uncomfortable on my forearm, tough to get a decent sound out of amplified, fragile/finicky to keep and store, limited in adjustability, tougher to play overall due to stiffer strings/higher action... I own half a dozen Bought two new Breedlove Discoveries a couple years ago after not being able to decide which to keep. They're great guitars except one was a lemon- an internal brace detached, two tuners broke, all replaced under warranty. I have a '76 Takamine that was my Dad's, and a sixties Yamaha 12 string from him as well, with a caved-in top. Also have a Mitchell 12 string and a bunch of cheap ones laying around various places.

Musicians
Feel cliche for my generation saying it but- Scott Weiland, Layne Staley, Kurt Cobain, Chris Cornell. For some reason I had a very personal reaction to hearing Scott Weiland died. STP was always one of my top ten favorite bands, but more than that it just seemed as if despite the guy having obvious troubles he lived through so many of them it didn't seem as if anything could kill him. On any given week he was on the top of the list for 'people most likely to overdose & die,' but for 20 years he didn't. When he died it was a shock.

Also- Glen Campbell is on the list, as are Dennis & Carl Wilson, Brad Nowell and Nokie Edwards.

[john o]

Hey Dan, nice run this week. Thanks for your efforts on the LR's. Interesting topics.

lunch: more leftover bean soup

most recent G&L: ASAT Classic Bluesboy "special", 2015, nat gloss over black limba over ash/rosewood/modern classic neck-9.5 radius/duncan seth lover hb at neck/rear mounted controls. i wasn't "in the market" for another gtr (lie: aren't we always in the market?) but saw it on reverb for amazingly low price, figured something wrong with it but there wasn't so i pulled the trigger. Needed some set-up, including a neck shim and realignment, but once done it is amazing. not an ounce of wear. gives the kind of tones you'd expect, a dream to play, and light (not chambered as far as i know). the jumbo frets are speed-bumps, but not unpleasant once you get used to them. definite looker, too! got lucky.

acoustic: i use a Martin DC15-E. all mahogany. big box, mellow sound. i use 13-56 phospho bronze, piano wires and a challenge to bend, but sounds best with these. fishman preamp system. sounds and plays better as it gets older. martin just makes them so well. I also have an old epiphone PR-5E with a spruce top and cutaway from the '90's that has really sweet tone, is aging well and is a pleasure to play.

the ones that got away: had tix to pink floyd animals tour, got in trouble and the parents grounded me, had to sell the tix. ouch! can't remember what i did. had tix to Led Zep late 70's, tour cancelled re: one of Robert Plant's children died. tragic.

[sam]

TGIF to you as well Dan, and thank you for a fun week!

Lunch was a good ol' PB&J.

My last G&L was an ASAT Super, which is pretty super for sure. Still in honeymoon and has the same magic but have been so busy lately playing has not been as much as I would like. But the weekend is here so will pull her out and get a good run through.

Have a few acoustics, like you an old Guild D4-NT made in USA and still plays well. My favorite and lifer acoustic is a Martin D-41 that is the best sounding, best feeling acoustic I've had in my hands. A Santa Cruz OM I played in passing once was very nice as well, but this Martin is the acoustic for me. Martin lights are usual strings for Martin. Got a Little Martin on a Musicians Friend Christmas sale a few years back, great for grab and go.

Like you I missed Lou Reed. Missed him in 1996 with Set the twilight reeling tour, closest I recall living near a tour stop. There's a few I wish I had seen: Roy Buchannan, Merle Haggard, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Queen, and Kurt Cobain. Like the John, had ticket in hand and got grounded and missed Queen News of the World tour, would have like seeing that spectacle. Had opportunities to see all but Roy Buchannan, but chose not to for one reason or another. Will try not to let that happen again if there is a player that I like or catches my attention.

[DanDoulogos]

Usual lunch: Kale/Jalapeno crisps/3 (diced) boiled eggs/salsa (for dressing).

Latest G&L: A tribute ASAT special in blueburst. Still pretty new - I've had it for a couple of months now. Haven't got around to setting it up yet, but it won't require much, so I'm not overly motivated to do that yet. I love how these big MFD pickups sound!

Acoustics: I've had a lot of acoustics over the years. I've had a high-end Takamine (fp series) for the past 27 years or so. It cost a bunch at the time, and has aged well, but I couldn't take it to the beach, and didn't want anyone playing it in the house but me, so it's been a case queen for most of those years. I picked up another Tak - this one a "cheapo" - second hand (mint) G-series for a few hundred CDN. It was my go-to guitar for doodling around the house the last couple of years. For a lower end guitar, it didn't sound all that bad. It didn't measure up to previous acoustics I'd had (my old Martin that I wish I'd never sold comes to mind), but it was okay, and good bang for my buck. The latest acoustic was a brand new Taylor 214CE Deluxe that I traded my first G&L (Legacy) for (along with another acoustic, a CW Seagull with flamed maple back and sides). I bought the seagull off reverb, it looked stunning, but I just didn't jive with the feel of it. I took a chance, and it didn't play out, so I didn't mind trading the two for that Taylor - which sounds so rich and flavorful across the whole spectrum. It made even my expensive Tak sound cheap and weak. I really, really couldn't give higher praise for an acoustic. This guitar through an amp, and even better unplugged. Loud, with so much tone and a wonderfully rich timbre.

I missed Stevie Ray Vaughan's soul to soul tour when it came through Canada in '86. I will regret that forever.

[WitSok]

The last G&L I got was my Fallout. Still have it, not planning on parting with it.

The Fallout still intrigues me still. It was what I was considering before deciding to jump in on the LE-2. I think I want to complete the MFD collection first. But someday...

A few years back I bought a new Martin hd-28v. I had always wanted a Martin. I still have an older Yamaha too. Strung it to open G recently but don’t use it much. String wise I have been experimenting... lots of good choices around. Last set on was some Santa Cruz strings; nice but pricey. Been pretty impressed with DR Sunbeams. GHS L Jubler signatures are nice too. Dogal Live are good and reasonably priced; they may become my go to set.

Martins are usually pretty frequent in my window shopping for acoustics. Would like to try a OMC-16E.

the ones that got away: had tix to pink floyd animals tour, got in trouble and the parents grounded me, had to sell the tix. ouch! can't remember what i did. had tix to Led Zep late 70's, tour cancelled re: one of Robert Plant's children died. tragic.

Well they say we learn best by our mistakes... If we never got in trouble, what did we learn???? Zep would have been epic!

most recent G&L: ASAT Classic Bluesboy "special", 2015, nat gloss over black limba over ash/rosewood/modern classic neck-9.5 radius/duncan seth lover hb at neck/rear mounted controls. i wasn't "in the market" for another gtr (lie: aren't we always in the market?) but saw it on reverb for amazingly low price, figured something wrong with it but there wasn't so i pulled the trigger. Needed some set-up, including a neck shim and realignment, but once done it is amazing. not an ounce of wear. gives the kind of tones you'd expect, a dream to play, and light (not chambered as far as i know). the jumbo frets are speed-bumps, but not unpleasant once you get used to them. definite looker, too! got lucky.

Love the black limba guitars G&L is making. They are absolutely stunning in my opinion. Congratulations!

Hey Dan, nice run this week. Thanks for your efforts on the LR's. Interesting topics.

Thank you for joining in!

Like you I missed Lou Reed. Missed him in 1996 with Set the twilight reeling tour, closest I recall living near a tour stop. There's a few I wish I had seen: Roy Buchannan, Merle Haggard, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Queen, and Kurt Cobain. Like the John, had ticket in hand and got grounded and missed Queen News of the World tour, would have like seeing that spectacle. Had opportunities to see all but Roy Buchannan, but chose not to for one reason or another. Will try not to let that happen again if there is a player that I like or catches my attention.

Yep, I think if the opportunity presents itself to catch a player or group that is really interesting me that I am going to find a way to make it happen. Life should be enjoyed and celebrated.

My last G&L was an ASAT Super, which is pretty super for sure. Still in honeymoon and has the same magic but have been so busy lately playing has not been as much as I would like. But the weekend is here so will pull her out and get a good run through.

Good to hear... Now find some time for break and play!

Latest G&L: A tribute ASAT special in blueburst. Still pretty new - I've had it for a couple of months now. Haven't got around to setting it up yet, but it won't require much, so I'm not overly motivated to do that yet. I love how these big MFD pickups sound!

Overall, I haven't found anything that sounds better than the jumbo MFDs!

Acoustics: I've had a lot of acoustics over the years. I've had a high-end Takamine (fp series) for the past 27 years or so. It cost a bunch at the time, and has aged well, but I couldn't take it to the beach, and didn't want anyone playing it in the house but me, so it's been a case queen for most of those years. I picked up another Tak - this one a "cheapo" - second hand (mint) G-series for a few hundred CDN. It was my go-to guitar for doodling around the house the last couple of years. For a lower end guitar, it didn't sound all that bad. It didn't measure up to previous acoustics I'd had (my old Martin that I wish I'd never sold comes to mind), but it was okay, and good bang for my buck. The latest acoustic was a brand new Taylor 214CE Deluxe that I traded my first G&L (Legacy) for (along with another acoustic, a CW Seagull with flamed maple back and sides). I bought the seagull off reverb, it looked stunning, but I just didn't jive with the feel of it. I took a chance, and it didn't play out, so I didn't mind trading the two for that Taylor - which sounds so rich and flavorful across the whole spectrum. It made even my expensive Tak sound cheap and weak. I really, really couldn't give higher praise for an acoustic. This guitar through an amp, and even better unplugged. Loud, with so much tone and a wonderfully rich timbre.

I like the tone of Seagull guitars and they use interesting woods. I also like that they are made in Canada. However, I have never been able to bond with them. There is something about the neck profile that I don't like. If it wasn't for that, a Seagull would definitely find a home with me.

[yowhatsshakin]

That was fun to have a week with regular LRs! Thanks again Dan.

Last G&L:
A ASAT Special 'Cabronita' prototype.

Acoustics:
Have a 2 Collings guitars, a Harmony Buck Owens American, National Tricone, 2 Ovations, 2 Tacoma instruments, and aTaylor Baby. The Collings OOO is the only one I have never played with a guitar pick. It is just an exquisite fingerstyle guitar. The D-2HA is a booming dreadnought. My wife is a big fan of Ryan Adams which inspired me to get the Buck. The Tricone is in open-G and played using a Rockslide brass large slide. The deep bowl Ovation Elite is in open-E tuning and at times played with a Rockslide large glass slide. The other is nylon string guitar. These Ovations are indestructible and the only ones consistently out of their case. They are n the living room ready to be picked up. The Tacoma fall a bit outside the category, being a mandolin and a Papoose. And finally the Baby is my favorite travel guitar. Fortunately I have an early version that came with a thermoplastic molded hardshell case. I use D'Addario strings on them and without exception the factory recommened gauge. It works and never had the desire to e.g. try a heavier set on the open tuning guitars as I do with some of my ASATs.

Acts I would have liked to see live:
The list consists of two big names, David Bowie and Jimmy Page. I came to Led Zep a little late but could have attended a concert in the "No Quarters" (I think it was) tour of the mid-'90s that brough Jimmy and Robert back together. John Paul I saw play with Heart of all acts. If I could have been at the O2 concerts in 2007, oh boy ... Bowie is my biggest regret. Now his albums are being rereleased as (very interesting) box sets, I am even more reminded of this omission.

- Jos