Monday LR

[Jaystrings]

I'M POSTING THIS A BIT EARLY BECAUSE A SEVERE WINTER STORM THREATENS TO MESS UP OUR SHIRTSLEEVE JANUARY TONIGHT! SO, IF I DISAPPEAR OFF THE RADAR, IT'S BECAUSE WE'RE SNOWED IN WITH NO POWER IN THE WOODS ON THIS LAKE NEAR CLEMSON UNIVERSITY.

Hello, I'm Jay Wright. I love music. All kinds. I live in Anderson, SC. I retired here after a working career of 43 years, most of it spent in Atlanta, GA. My job took me to almost every state & around the world twice. Until the year 2,000, my only guitar was an Ovation that I'd bought in 1975. I'm a huge Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, Pink Floyd, Clapton, BB King, & Stones fan. My wife, Annie B, was a school teacher in Atlanta for 30 years. While there, she taught the kids of Percey Sledge, Curtis Mayfield, & some Braves & Falcons families. Atlanta was a musical town & we enjoyed it that way.

I was introduced to G&L back in the year 2000 while on a trip to Oceanside, CA to visit family for a week. By noon of the second day, I took someone's advice & called the G&L factory to see if I could tour it. I'd never seen more than one G&L in a Georgia store, & they were always used. I was told by G&L that they didn't do tours, but I would be able to see a lot of G&L guitars at nearby Buffalo Brothers Guitars. They gave directions, so I went. I met Tim Page there & just kinda hung out with him. Before the week was gone, I'd shipped 2 guitars back to GA after fondling every electric guitar in the shop. My wife went with me after I had bought the first one - I figured it was to keep me in bounds. She witnessed my GAS attacks. To my surprise, she was so taken with how Tim & the guys were set up and how well they treated her that she actually encouraged me to get the second guitar. Also, Tim suggested that when I got home to check out this forum to learn more about G&Ls. Well, I did & I've hung out here off and on since then. Oh, and I've now bought 20 guitars from BB's since discovering them. 19 were G&Ls.

I wrote a book as a result of hanging out here: "GAS - Living With Guitar Acquisition Syndrome", which has sold over 3,000 copies now. This is my 9th or 10th time to be LR, and it is indeed an honor. I'm going to keep it short this week, as I'm now working on writing some memoirs & want to convert one to a short story and a play. So, I'll keep it brief, question-wise, this week. But your participation AND your answers are very important. I'm always looking for more book material, so I'll make this interesting for you this week. I'll try to ask questions you've never seen here before.

Each day I'll pose a question. Give it your best answer, as usual. I'll choose the best response each day and send that person a copy of my book. I'll post the winner each day from the previous day. My decision is final. And I also urge you to post that same answer on http://www.gasexperiences.blogspot.com. Search around for the question. Over the weekend, I'll review the new posts on that blog & the person who posts the ones there that intrigue me the most will win a G&L deluxe gig bag. So, the prizes are 5 books & a gig bag. The winner of the gig bag may or may not have won a book. BUT, we're all winners on the GbL, because it will hopefully make for some good LR fun.

LUNCH: I started that new 17-day Diet on January 1st because I want to lose 28# plus 7 inches off my beer gut before Spring. It has been a breeze so far - 9.8# & 2 inches. I used to hate to quit eating & loved to snack. Now I have to work at it to eat all of my meals & never crave a snack. Today for lunch I'll be having a baked salmon salad, an orange, yougart sweetened with Truvia, & green tea.

MONDAY'S QUESTION: "If I'd known 5 years ago what I know now, how would my G.A.S. (guitar acquisition syndrome) attacks & my collection be different today?"

And hopefully you'll also post your answer on http://www.gasexperiences.blogspot.com & compete there, too. It's free & safe.

Jay

[Jaystrings]

My G.A.S. attacks are as frequent & as intense as ever, but they've become more directed towards custom-built guitars & something kinda ugly that plays good. If I'd known this 5 years ago, I'd have bought NO duplicates and eliminated all Gibsons. I'd only look at G&L, Cp Thornton, PRS, Taylor, & Martin; & that's what would be in my collection. I might allow another Heritage if I ran across it.... they're darn nice, too. The most recent G&L's would still be in my harem - my ASAT Trinity, my ASAT 20th Anniversary, & my awesome Spalted Maple Legacy.

[blargfromouterspace]

Hi Jay. Congratulations on selling so many copies of your book

I'm intrigued with this 17 day diet, I'll google it and see if I can shed some flab too!

"If I'd known 5 years ago what I know now, how would my G.A.S. (guitar acquisition syndrome) attacks & my collection be different today?"

I'd still have my G&L's - they're the only instruments I truly get along with. I wouldn't have bothered with the Fenders and Gibson, I have sold the ones I owned at a significant loss, c'est la vie. Instead I would have Heritage guitar, a Gold Top with P90s. I'd still have the Mesa F30 I once owned too, that was a cool little amp.

My latest G.A.S. attack ended with me buying a solid state amp - something that I wouldn't have guessed I'd be wanting so badly only two weeks ago! In short, I found myself with the need for a loud, clean amp for a large outdoor country music festival I played on the weekend. Being short of the money for a Fender Twin and with very little desire to move things that heavy around, I ended up with a ZT Club amp. They're very inexpensive sound damn good, weigh 22lbs and put out 131dB of ear bashing volume, which is just over the threshold of pain. Yesterday, at the festival, the Club proved itself to be one of the best gear purchases I've ever made.

[Philby]

Hi Jay, hope that snow storm heads somewhere else! Meanwhile much of the east coast of this continent is flooded, waterlogged or just plain wet.

It's a good question you ask regarding G.A.S. I'm generally pretty happy with my collection. Maybe I should have passed on yet another strat or tele style guitar and added a quality humbucker guitar instead, but that's about all.

If I'd known what I know now 5 years ago, I would not have bought any guitars at all. The Aussie dollar was worth ~US$0.50 to 0.60 back then and all the guitars I bought were horrendously expensive. These days the exchange rate is 1:1 and I almost shed a tear when I think how cheap some of my instruments would be to buy now.

[RickT]

LUNCH: I started a 17-day diet myself. But only because a friend of mine made lasagna for me and it is going to take that long to eat it all.

MONDAY'S QUESTION: "If I'd known 5 years ago what I know now, how would my G.A.S. (guitar acquisition syndrome) attacks & my collection be different today?"

I would have kept my Lowden acoustic guitar.

Hey Jay, when is the next SC Jam?

RickT

[Ches]

Well . . . lookie what the cat dragged in! (Same goes for me!)

I'M POSTING THIS A BIT EARLY BECAUSE A SEVERE WINTER STORM THREATENS TO MESS UP OUR SHIRTSLEEVE JANUARY TONIGHT!
Wow. What'd you guys get? A half inch of snow and a slight breeze from the north?

My wife went with me after I had bought the first one . . . To my surprise . . . she actually encouraged me to get the second guitar.
I have no idea what that must be like.

LUNCH: I started that new 17-day Diet on January 1st
I started one of those in 2005. Still waiting for it to kick in. Any day now . . .

MONDAY'S QUESTION: "If I'd known 5 years ago what I know now, how would my G.A.S. (guitar acquisition syndrome) attacks & my collection be different today?"
My collection may not be much different, but the path I took to get here would be a bit shorter and I'd have several grand extra in the bank. On second thought, I'll take that second part back. The path would be shorter, but my wife would have spent the savings on crap I don't care about! I had SEVERE GAS in the past and my AmEx card had a hair trigger. I try not to think about it much because it makes me want to kick my own ass. I still have GAS to a degree, but I try to trade for anything new - one comes in as one goes out. I leave the personal AmEx card at home and try to stay out of guitar stores. My goal is to only have gear that goes to gigs. I'm getting closer.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Nice start to the week, Jay.
Brian

[yowhatsshakin]

MONDAY'S QUESTION: "If I'd known 5 years ago what I know now, how would my G.A.S. (guitar acquisition syndrome) attacks & my collection be different today?"

Five years ago, my G.A.S. lacked focus. I wanted and Collings, and G&L, and PRS, and Ovation, and etc. Only about a year and a half ago I started to focus on G&L's and ASAT's in particular. I am exceedingly content with the Collings and PRS models that I do have, but I love the ASAT's. Still affordable and interesting history and variations. The only excursion outside ASAT land are G&L's Limited Edition guitars although the Rampage models, both the 2000 model with gigbag(!?) as well as 'Blue Dress', will definitely not be added to my collection. They just aren't my thing.

My one regret is I didn't keep "one of everything" that I designed.

Same for me Tim! Also still looking for that elusive Z-2 That model is in my top 3 together with the ASAT Classic III and a GbL LE.

- Jos

[sam]

Howdy do Mr. Jay,

Yep, looking at 6" of the snow in my yard today north of Atlanta and south of you. The kids are having a ball and I am taking advantage of working from home as roads are not passable. Roads are supposed to be worse tomorrow as more sleet and cold temps roll in tonight. Just makes for good BCS football watching I guess.

17 Day diet? will look that up as this past year has been a heavier year than in the past. This is not a 17 day and $1700.00 supplement diet is it?

Ain't it great to have a wife who supports your habit. I supported one of my wife's last week as well, pics will come for fun.

MONDAY'S QUESTION: "If I'd known 5 years ago what I know now, how would my G.A.S. (guitar acquisition syndrome) attacks & my collection be different today?"
My attacks would probably be more refined and fewer impulse buys that I am still figuring out how to unload.

[Legasat]

I'M POSTING THIS A BIT EARLY BECAUSE A SEVERE WINTER STORM THREATENS TO MESS UP OUR SHIRTSLEEVE JANUARY TONIGHT! SO, IF I DISAPPEAR OFF THE RADAR, IT'S BECAUSE WE'RE SNOWED IN WITH NO POWER IN THE WOODS ON THIS LAKE NEAR CLEMSON UNIVERSITY.
The Company I work for in Atlanta is closed at least today. Good luck with the storm!

I was introduced to G&L back in the year 2000 while on a trip to Oceanside, CA to visit family for a week (Oceanside? Sounds like a nice place).

By noon of the second day, I took someone's advice & called the G&L factory to see if I could tour it. I'd never seen more than one G&L in a Georgia store, & they were always used. I was told by G&L that they didn't do tours. (Of course, it didn't take you too long to get that tour... Kind looks like YOU at the G&L Factory holding up one of Leo's proto-types...)


And who is this you are standing with? A V.P. and another G&L fanatic???


"If I'd known 5 years ago what I know now, how would my G.A.S. (guitar acquisition syndrome) attacks & my collection be different today?"
If you could extend that back to 8 or 10 years ago, I would have many more of the real vintage G&L's, when they were going for a few hundred dollars!

Nice to see you back here, and so many new faces!!!

Still love my G&L's!!!

[westsideduck]

I don't get gas anymore, when I'm out I always carry my blingmeter and when at home I keep the talent boost control on my amp m mset at 11.

gary

[darwinohm]

Jay, Nice collection of guitars that you have. What's great is that we have the opportunity to change them and in five year snapshots they can be totally different, and, like fine wine, as we age, our tastes change. Very much like you I started by picking up a guitar in 2000. A Fender American Deluxe Jazz Bass. I remember telling Ginny that this baby will never go down the road. It was down the road three years ago. Like you, I have retired and am enjoying life to the extent.

Unlike many of you guys, I don't have GAS. I just like guitars. In my case this is normal and what retirement offers is more time to peruse guitar shops. I have explained to Ginny many times that his is simply staying on top of your game, and nothing to do with GAS. If I would have know five years ago what I know now, I would have had a hell of a lot more guitars and possibly more RED ones. I have changed my sights a bit, and like you, no longer own a Gibson. My daughter has been good about accepting the overflow and some, I just trade. I can tell you that things change though as I have stared to seriously bond with some of these instruments. Those will have a permanent home with me and I now see very few that I would like to add. It is becoming more difficult to find the right one but I will still work at it.

Sounds like an interesting book Jay and if Ginny finds out about it she may order a few. I am very cautious that she doesn't hear about GAS even though I don't have it. I don't want to make her suspicious. -- Darwin-- Jay, we had about three feet of snow here in December. Hope you can beat that!

[asphalt-abate]

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[quote="Jaystrings"]MONDAY'S QUESTION: "If I'd known 5 years ago what I know now, how would my G.A.S. (guitar acquisition syndrome) attacks & my collection be different today?"[/quote]

Jay:

Having a young family I never had the money to pursue any serious GAS. But I have been doing a lot of bottom feeding, buying and selling from Craigslist, pawnshops, even a little e-bay. I can speak to the GAS issue, but only from within this context. I've learned that buying quality buys confidence, buying name buys resale and the classics are classics for good reason, but there are still treasures to be found, the guitar, bass, amp or pedal that compliments your style, is a reflection of your personality, inspires, that has that, "mojo". So keep looking and have fun, but be smart about your purchases.

Tom