Lunch Report Nov 14th monday

[louis cyfer]

i am new here at G&LPD. i would like to say thanks for the nice welcome, i have found a bunch of nice and knowledgeable people, very different from most forums in my experience. it follows that this is my first time doing the lunch report.

a few words about myself. i am originally from hungary, so please excuse my english, but now live in southern california. i attended pasadena junior college as a music major, then went to usc with a major in classical guitar performance and a minor in recording arts. also played water polo. after school i worked in tv production for a few years, but got tired of having bosses. currently people pay me to tell them what to do. i could not imagine it any other way anymore.
i have been bodybuilding competitively for 15 years, although i have not competed in the last 6. i am on my way back to compete next year, so you'll find out the boring diet of what it takes to get in shape.

non g&l question: have you ever significantly altered your diet, either being forced into it (health issues), or just wanting to lose or gain weight? how successful were you?

my biggest issue with the report is which meal do i consider lunch. i don't think in the traditional breakfast, lunch, dinner terms. i eat 7-8 meals spaced out 2-2.5 hours apart.
today first meal was a cup of oatmeal with 50 grams of protein powder mixed into it.
second meal is 18 ounces of lowfat greek yogurt, with some honey.
i guess what would be lunchtime i'll have 10 pieces of sushi, albacore and yellowtail with some ponzu sauce. 8 ounces of lowfat greek yougurt.

and it goes on like this. i started dieting at 315 lbs. i am down to 290 now, but keep in mind i was 255 lbs on stage last time i competed at 3% bodyfat.



i lived very close to a guitar store that was a g&l dealer for many years, and never even considered buying one, as i didn't like the headstock. didn't even play them. wasn't until years later when i played a few at a friend's house that i became interested in owning one. i was about to buy one over a year ago, an asat classic, loved the tone, but when i called my guitar tech to ask him when i could bring it over so he can look it over, i got a call that someone was selling a chris clem custom tele, and needed the money desperately. i ended up with a 3000 dollar guitar for 500. including a custom shop case.
i did finally end up with a g&l bluesboy (semihollow, no f-hole) this past june http://guitarsbyleo.com/FORUM/viewtopic ... 118&t=4968, only to have the body blow up in july. i contacted john toner and he said to bring the guitar down so he can take a look.
he could not figure out what happened to it anymore than i could. it was deemed that it would not be a warranty replacement, but they would make a replacement body for cost. 200 dollars. i said that is a fair deal, and after 3 months i had my body. he did put an f-hole on it, this way the same thing can not happen again. i actually came here because john asked me to come and post pics of the guitar, he really liked the way it turned out and the no pickguard look.

G&L question. have you ever had any issues with any of your G&L's that required working with the service department? warranty or out of warranty. what was your experience like? any other issues you've had with g&l guitars? they look like very well built to me, and i would guess people have far less problems with G&L than other (fender, gibson) manufacturer's guitars.

it looks like Chris Robosan has replaced John Toner after many years at that position? maybe craig can fill us in on that.

[Dave_P]

Hey Louis interesting start, I have altered my diet in the past to lose weight so I know how those boring meals go. I can usually do it for a few weeks before I can't take grilled chicken and brown rice anymore.
I did do it for an extended period of time in 2008, pretty much for the entire year to get ready for Ironman Arizona. I came within' 10lbs of my goal weight (190), the problem I had was when the race was over and that level of training ended I had a hard time adjusting cutting back my calorie intake so I gained most of it back. I used to get up and swim a mile+, run 6-10 miles, go to work then take a 2-4hr bike ride I honestly miss it, but with kids now it's hard to find the time. Anyway, good luck with your competition it sounds like you are on the right track.

G&L question: I haven't had any issues with either of my G&L's (knock on wood) Really strange what happened to you bluesboy

-Dave

[darwinohm]

Louis, great start!

Your credentials in your music work are very impressive. There is no doubt that you know you way around and I think that classical training would be especially helpful.

Good to see that you younger dudes are taking care of your bodies. I can tell you that I am on a downhill slope and have long ago seen a peak, if I ever had one. I do work on staying healthy and exercise is essential to good health. One of the problems at my age is sore joints. I recently had a knee problem and thought that walking a lot would correct it. The only fix was a shot of cortisone and that is already wearing off. More walking only aggravates it. I am better off with short spurts chasing Ginny.

G&Ls have not been a problem other than the truss rod nut which I talked about recently. This forum has helped a lot of people and it is a especially beneficial to have an interface like Craig to G&L. I have had warranty things with other companies, one of them being Ovation and they were terrific. Taylor is also outstanding and my only recent experience with Fender is that it is next to non-existent. I must also say that the G&L dealer that I go to is very responsive and that is most important. The factory should only be support if the issue cannot be resolved by the dealer or if the dealer refuses to. G&L is a world class product. I will also comment that I am on other forums and this one it the best in my opinion.

I must give you credit Louis, You must have been doing some hot licks to blow that Bluesboy up. I believe that could be a first. Damn, I wish I could do that!!-- Darwin

[sickbutnottired]

You have been a great addition to the board, and am looking forward to your lunch reports.

I have never participated in a sport that required me to cut weight. In high school I lost about 13 pounds between the end of football season and the end of basketball season, my sophomore year. (The last I played on the school team for either sport.) I basically quit strength during basketball season, and 2 weeks of two-a-days, took any baby fat right off!

G&L, I have never had any trouble with G&L's that you wouldn't expect with used guitars. That bluesboy was a strange case!

jeremy

[bword4]

Haha you don't even know your own strength man!

One of my ex's and I decided to go vegetarian one summer and I lasted about two weeks. I was working at a local music shop and the routine was basically fast food for lunch. I finally caved and ate a burger and felt pretty bad about it. I decided to tell my girl and it turns out she also caved that day at lunch. So I decided that I would just stick to being an omnivore. I do, however, feel that most meats (and other foods) are processed in a disgustingly inhumane, offensive way so I try to stick to farm raised, free range, grass fed etc. when I can.

My first G&L was shipped last Friday so I have yet to experience it.
Happy Monday to all!

[louis cyfer]

the goal is to go from this



to this

[louis cyfer]

Louis, great start!

Your credentials in your music work are very impressive. There is no doubt that you know you way around and I think that classical training would be especially helpful.

Good to see that you younger dudes are taking care of your bodies. I can tell you that I am on a downhill slope and have long ago seen a peak, if I ever had one. I do work on staying healthy and exercise is essential to good health. One of the problems at my age is sore joints. I recently had a knee problem and thought that walking a lot would correct it. The only fix was a shot of cortisone and that is already wearing off. More walking only aggravates it. I am better off with short spurts chasing Ginny.

G&Ls have not been a problem other than the truss rod nut which I talked about recently. This forum has helped a lot of people and it is a especially beneficial to have an interface like Craig to G&L. I have had warranty things with other companies, one of them being Ovation and they were terrific. Taylor is also outstanding and my only recent experience with Fender is that it is next to non-existent. I must also say that the G&L dealer that I go to is very responsive and that is most important. The factory should only be support if the issue cannot be resolved by the dealer or if the dealer refuses to. G&L is a world class product. I will also comment that I am on other forums and this one it the best in my opinion.

I must give you credit Louis, You must have been doing some hot licks to blow that Bluesboy up. I believe that could be a first. Damn, I wish I could do that!!-- Darwin

i must clarify, the bluesboy did not blow up while i was playing it. just saw the results from one day to the next. i guess the closest place for me is the g&l factory in fullerton. a 25 minute ride.

[Michael-GnL-Michael]

Just ran out of time so this is going to be fast.... Diets? A friend inspired me to try body building. I did not follow a diet in detail but part of it included a protein supplement. I preferred an upscale gym over the meat & potatoes warehouse space converted into a gym that he belonged to so that pairing up went south. A guy I worked with who belonged to the gym I liked wanted to start working out again but their two philosophies were so different and contradictory (I was the newbie student) that I lost interest. I wanted to gain weight but the supplement just gave me more to pass off (you know what I mean? )

No prob with G&Ls yet. Too new to me though I currently own three.

C Ya!

[Lefty]

Hey Louis -

Wow! You know a ton more about music than I do, that's for sure!! I'm still trying to learn the hard way - teaching myself..

Yes! I have significantly altered my diet. I started 2011 @ 193 lbs. I'm now down to 178, but I have seen 173.5 lbs this year - then I cheated too much! I emphasize protein and (try to) eliminate Carbs. I eat bacon & eggs, No toast. I also eat steak, sausage, cheddar cheese. No potato or rice or bread.
Eliminated all processed cerials, pasta (except when cheating.) Pretty much eliminate anything that is white! I am shooting for 170, which was my weight in high school. I've got a ways to go... I need to walk & exercise more..

You're doing pretty good - you've lost 25 !

Haven't had any problems with my G&L guitars.

[meowmix]

Hey Louis.

I have to eat right otherwise I can't focus. After working a 9-5 job, I need all the energy I can get to play guitar.

Steel Cut oats. 50lb bag. Stored in 5 different containers in the freezer.
http://store.honeyvillegrain.com/steelcutoats50lb.aspx <- this stuff is fresh, unlike health food stores.

What protein drink do you buy that doesn't make you gag?
When you do squats, is the butt suppose to go lower than the knee?

No issues with any of my G&Ls.

Great start. Glad to have you aboard.

Peter

[Philby]

Hi Louis,

I admire your discipline! I try to keep fit and watch what I eat but have never had the motivation to train for competitive sports. I run 10-15 km per week out of guilt but OMG running is BORING.

Re. diet, I'm with you on eating small portions of food spread throughout the day. I firmly believe that the Western World is eating itself to death through the (over) consumption of chemically processed foods. A lot of the nutrients and trace elements that our bodies need to function properly are extremely rare in modern food due to over processing and over storage. I think once people wake up to this, processed food will be regarded in the same way as tobacco. Hopefully that will see a resurgence in local, fresh food production and an end to the dumb practice of carting food to centralised distribution centres then carting it back again for sale just before it 'expires'.

Re. G&L service, my only low-level gripe is that the on-line store doesn't work if you live outside of the US, so you have to rely on EBay for any spare parts. I've never had any major problems on my G&L's that required direct support thankfully. Don't get me started on Fender Oz. What a hopeless example of customer service.

I have a theory on why your guitar exploded. Any solvent vapours from the finishing process may have become trapped in the hollow cavities of the guitar during manufacture and curing. As the guitar did not have an f-hole, the vapours could easily have been sealed in. All vapours have what is called a flash point - a temperature at which they can ignite if a spark or 'flash' is present. The flash point is often surprisingly low i.e. not much higher than room temperature. A small spark from something like a static discharge would be enough to make the vapours ignite. Having a guitar move around in a case could easily cause all the static you need to ignite the gas e.g. through an earth point like a screw. In a guitar it wouldn't cause an explosion as such, more a fast expansion of gas that could easily punch a hole in a thin layer of wood. Maybe it's job for the Myth Busters crew?

[zapcosongs]

Gotta make this quick. Need to leave soon for a Cub Scout Den meeting where I will be teaching Geology (of all things) to snotty-nosed brats (G-d love 'em!). So....

I too wish to welcome you warmly and agree that you have been a great addition to the board.

Can't imagine what happened to your Bluesboy. Maybe go solid-body next time? Heck, mine's solid and even I can pick it up and wear it comfortably for a couple of hours. Should be a piece of cake for you! ;+)

Never had a problem with any G&L. Only when I'm trolling for our favorite brand guitars on eBay after having a couple of drinks. Then me and my wife both have problems.

Special diets: After learning I have high blood pressure, I cut way down on sodium intake - which has helped. The problem now is that when I go out to eat now, almost everything tastes much too salty. In an unrelated dietary modification, I had gained 15 extra pounds as I came to enjoy beer more and more over the years. Well, I am happy to report that I've lost those pounds plus a few more by eliminating beer and switching to (straight) vodka for my nightly behavioral modification experiments.

What was I saying ;+) ??? Nice start! - ed

[blargfromouterspace]

I knew that when I read 'body builder' it would only be a matter of time before the underpants pictures came out! Sure is big business these days, there are entire shops dedicated to selling protein powder which I find boggling. A friends son does a lot of that sort of training, he's making a very good business out of it too.

My girlfriend and I started a diet yesterday. Her brother recently lost about 50lbs in 50 days doing this 'vegetable juice only' diet and has inspired us to do something so that we aren't the fat ones at xmas time. No way in hell I'm just drinking juice for two months though. Did some exercise yesterday and I'm aching all over today. I agree with Phil's assessment of running.

[Sean Clavin]

no lunch today...just wasn't hungry.

I've done a few diets to keep my cholesterol down, just basically cut out dairy. I lost weight as well doing it. Then I'll start eating like I normally do and go right back to my weight before the diet. For long term weight loss, you have to change the way you eat for more than a few weeks or a month or so. You have to change your lifestyle. I guess I'm not just that ready to give up my quesadillas.

As far as issues with guitars, I never have had any real issues with any guitar I've owned that would require me to contact the manufacturer. Now I don't really baby my guitars either. I've always done my own work on them, but never had any big issues.

[Dave_P]

I admire your discipline! I try to keep fit and watch what I eat but have never had the motivation to train for competitive sports. I run 10-15 km per week out of guilt but OMG running is BORING.

I firmly believe that the Western World is eating itself to death through the (over) consumption of chemically processed foods. A lot of the nutrients and trace elements that our bodies need to function properly are extremely rare in modern food due to over processing and over storage.

Philby, As a member of the western world I completely agree. It's really sad actually and has made me an incessant label reader. It boggles my mind why the simplest things like peanut butter have 5 or 6 ingredients That's obviously not the worst of it but a good example. I also try to avoid corn derivatives now, my theory being they use corn to fatten livestock and there is some form of corn in almost everything on the shelves, too much of any one thing is not good.

I'm with you on running, but still some days I crave it others I'd do anything to avoid it.

-Dave

[zapcosongs]

I used to run, and never found it boring. It gave me time to think and to sort things out.

The jury is still out on corn. It feeds my sense of humor - and often the main course of my family's meals.... - ed

[KenC]

Great start, Louis!

I was living alone for about three weeks out of every month from August 2010 through April 2011, due to a new job in a different city. Being by myself after work I felt no external pressure to follow a regular meal schedule, so I usually ended up eating a small dinner (a whole lot of tomato soup for the most part) late in the evening. Over the first two months I dropped from 245 down to 225. My family moved out here in May, and with regular meals and my wife's cooking I've long since put the weight back on. When I travel for work I usually fall right back into a small dinner late at night and little or no lunch. It's never for long enough to see a drop in weight though.

I keep telling myself I'm going to get back to running in the evenings, but now it's dark by the time I get home and I also don't want to miss that time with my kids. It doesn't help that there isn't even a ten foot stretch of horizontal road within three miles of my house.

The only problem I've had with a G&L was a neck that wouldn't straighten on a used Legacy. When I realized it needed a lot more than a setup, it went back under the store's warranty. Considering the average age of my G&Ls is 25 years and the "youngest" is thirteen, I think this says something about their guitar building tradition.

The blown-up body reminds me of my first bass. It was a Kay hollowbody from sometime in the 1960s. I bought it for $75 in '81. I lived on the South Carolina coast, where the temperature stayed over 90 degrees (32 Celsius) all summer, in a house without air conditioning. The first time I really dug into that bass I sat in the living room playing for hours. I was sure I had found the perfect instrument and was headed straight to rock stardom (I was 16, after all), when I noticed something felt wrong with the bass. Looking down, I saw that my sweat had dissolved the glue holding the top on, and the string tension was lifting the the top right off the body. That good feeling went straight down the toilet!

Ken

[Michael-GnL-Michael]

I was in a hurry earlier and neglected to mention that I was at 197lbs in April and saw 168lbs in August. Sometimes I think about portions but the main thing that changed is that I bought a guitar in May and started playing again after 25 years away. Honestly that is it. It just shows that I was eating for recreation. Even though my pants are not as tight it is hardly noticeable. I am 6' 2". Now if I was working out during this time the element of toning would factor in. Just dropping weight is not going to show up. When you drop weight you are not in control of what goes and what stays.

My jaw was wired shut for about 2 months 15 years ago. I did not lose the amount of weight you might expect. My dentist encouraged me to eat as much as possible because it is much more difficult to get calories in liquid form. So I used a food processor and liquified stew and TV dinners. Yes, TV dinners and yes they were gross. When you can't eat solid food you will try many things after you are tired of soup and juicing. Anyway, my point is that a liquid diet will take pounds off but you need the solidity for good health and stamina, I think.

I have a friend who has the rare talent of looking like he has added muscle when he puts on weight. The fat goes to the area over his biceps and pecs. Ironically when he is actively working out he looks less muscular.

[darwinohm]

Ed, if you are teaching geology to scouts you should be involved in the Kensington Runestone. -- Darwin

[Philby]

Philby, As a member of the western world I completely agree. It's really sad actually and has made me an incessant label reader. It boggles my mind why the simplest things like peanut butter have 5 or 6 ingredients That's obviously not the worst of it but a good example. I also try to avoid corn derivatives now, my theory being they use corn to fatten livestock and there is some form of corn in almost everything on the shelves, too much of any one thing is not good.

I'm with you on running, but still some days I crave it others I'd do anything to avoid it.

-Dave

Dave, on about 10% of my runs I manage to enter a kind of detached meditative state that is really quite enjoyable. The other 90% are a battle of will. But it's the 10% that keep me doing it.

I'm impressed that the USA has plain language food labelling. In Australia nearly every ingredient is coded - it's like they don't want you to know what kind of junk you're eating.

[zapcosongs]

Ed, if you are teaching geology to scouts you should be involved in the Kensington Runestone. -- Darwin

Oh, but I am! It's just that I'm frequently taken for granite.... ;+) - ed

[Ledergeist]

louis,
Great start. Pretty cool that you were able to get your guitar looked over by the factory, plus you have something unique now, nice.
I could probably be fine with sushi for dinner for a while, but please don't bother to ask me over for breakfast......

Thanks again for stepping up.
BW