Casual Friday Lunch Report

[asphalt-abate]

Today for lunch I’m having ham soup. Yes it is the same ham. When you cook a ham, it’s not a date, it’s a commitment.

I’d like to thank everyone who posted to the lunch reports this week. I’m not a regular poster to this site but this week I really felt like one of the gang and I appreciate the support.

Today we do not have a contest. We have a poll. Of the songs offered which Elton John song do you like the best? I’m not a big Elton fan but during my, “informative years” he was huge. He is a talented individual and I appreciate this especially now when so many pop stars are propped up by technology not talent.

Here’s a picture of my first band. I believe that this is 1981. I’m the guy on the right.



This picture was found on the internet (a facebook page) by a friend of mine who now lives in New Jersey. He sent me an e-mail one day and it was attached. It had been 27 years since I saw this picture and it is the only picture that I have of my first band. It brought back some really good memories when I saw it and I feel lucky to have it.

If you have any old pictures of yourself or your bands please post.

G & L Topic:
I do not know the history of G & L much beyond what is provided in marketing materials. However, there used to be some individuals on this site with insight to the company (maybe they just passed themselves off as knowledgeable). From what I gathered, G & L under the ownership of George and Leo never made much money, if any at all. I’ve heard that BBE really turned the company into what it is today, a viable growing company. I’ve seen BBE take some huge hits (criticism) on this site. I was on this site when BBE decided to eliminate the bi-cut neck , which by the way is a Hartley Peavey invention not Leo invention. It was nasty. There were people accusing BBE of throwing Leo’s inventions under the bus in favor of cheap manufacturing. I know that the switch from the 3 bolt to the 4 bolt neck upset a lot of purists and I know that many people were against the Tribute line, which appears to be successful and very much appreciated by the dealers. In my opinion, Dave McLaren and his crew at BBE deserve a big hand for what they have done to keep G & L in the game. Thanks Dave!

Happy Lunching

[Dave_P]

Thanks for a great week Tom!

And a great picture too! I love coming across old photos and such it always brings back some memories or stories you had forgotten about.

I am one of the people who would have like to see the bi-cut neck stay. As someone who prefers an all maple neck the first examples I saw of the new necks didn't look as nice as the bi-cut. You could clearly see the fingerboard was separate and the area around the truss rod nut didn't look as finished. I will say that the recent examples I have seen have been much better and it doesn't bother me much anymore. Like a lot of things change doesn't always come easy and it's easy to criticize a decision you didn't have to make. None of the changes made would stop me from ordering a new G&L.
Dave and the folks at G&L have done a good job of moving the company forward, some things that appeal to the broad market out there don't always sit well with the long time fans here but sometimes they are necessary. As long as they throw us a bone every once in a while

Have a great weekend!

-Dave

[Ahryn]

Elton John, what no rocket man?...
[youtube]5hARDXYz2io[/youtube]

Never really been into Elton John but now I have some new songs to check out

Nice picture, kind of funny that all those styles seem to be coming back.

I am really into the history of things so I am always curious about not only the early days of G&L but the BBE era as well.

From what I have seen BBE have done some pretty fantastic things to keep Leo's legacy alive, even if they did get rid of some neat features and cull some of the more unique guitars...

[sam]

Hey Tom,

Great week, lots of fun topics!

Great picture of the band. Is that an old Electra LP copy? The four knobs in a row give it away to me. Had a band mate in high school with one and I thought the module concept was pretty cool. You can find them on ebay every now and then. No pics in my storage.

i agree that Darth Invader and the boys are doing a fine job. We would all like to hold to a few old aspects but I guess time moves on.

TGIF!!

[darwinohm]

Tom, Thanks for another fun week! You are right about cooking a ham. It can be used for a week for different things. No vote on Elton as I do not know most of the songs. Forgive me as I rode west with the wagons.

I like your band picture, a clean looking bunch of guys and a great looking gal. I was looking for our band picture from 1962 and discovered that it is on the other computer.

I think G&L has stayed focused. As some have mentioned the necks have changed a bit. Satin necks are not my favorite and I think the gloss necks are still killer but the satin necks can almost appear unfinished. The overall quality of the build continues to improve. I think the forum has been instrumental in quickly resolving some issues that people have had that may not have been solved as efficiently by some dealers. We are also lucky to have a very knowledgeable dealer in our area. Thanks again Tom and best rest of the year!-- Darwin

[bassman]

i just found and old picture of me from 1975 but I have to scan it to make it available online.

G&L stuff: I own some old G&Ls that were pre bi-cut and some that have the bi-cut neck. I can see why G&L abandoned this feature if they were having problems with the necks and truss rods. There is no way around a neck that cannot be adjusted, bit-cut or not and I think that happened way too often with the old bi-cut neck design.

What we forget about the original version of G&L was that it was apparently Leo's love and he financed the company in spite of it losing money. We can't expect BBE or any owner to continue to operate in that manner. They would be out of business if they did.

I agree cudos should go to Dave MacLaren and all who are at G&L keeping the place running. I am for whatever they see as nec. to keep the lights on.

[blargfromouterspace]

Great photo Tom. The chick is suitably pretty!

I haven't heard any of those EJ songs, apart from Benny and the Jets. I should really listen to his early material, I do like that song.

Old band photo - This was taken in 2006. Not that long ago, its black and white because it's arty, not old. Thats me in the stripey shirt with the banjo. We'd play Irish drinking songs at the bar in the local markets, it was a great fun gig. No PA to set up and it was within walking distance of my house. Got paid in tips and beers. The other guys in the band were good mates before the band and remain so now.

[Boogie Bill]

As far as Elton john, don't forget the other half of the equation--Bernie Taupin's lyrics.

My EJ list would include:

Daniel
Tiny Dancer
Crocodile Rock (Elton's "American Pie")
Rocket Man (Elton's "Ground Control to Major Tom")
Harmony (Perhaps the best song on "Yellow Brick Road", amazing changes at the end of the song.)
Candle In The Wind (A hit TWICE, re-written for Princess Diana and just as poignant and heartbreaking as it was for Marilyn Monroe.
Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me

On your list, my favs are "Bennie", "Saturday Night" and "The Blues" in no particular order.

I'd have to include Davey Johnstone in my list of most under-rated guitarists.

I think BBE has done a very good job--all of my G&Ls are from the BBE-era--and I know about the company from the start.

My only comments for improvement would be in the area of customer service. It seems to be getting better, but there are still complaints of, "I sent an e-mail, and haven't heard anything for three weeks..." A company's Customer Service can NEVER be good enough.

The other thing I would like for BBE to do is set up some Warranty Repair Stations. Having to send a guitar back to the factory for warranty work in my mind, makes the warranty almost useless. I don't want to be without my guitar from 3-6 months--I'd rather take it to a local tech.

Knock on wood--I've never had any problems with any of my G&Ls.

Great job on the LR this week--sorry I couldn't participate more.

Bill

[zapcosongs]

Elton John: Very talented. Love many of his songs, especially those penned with Bernie Taupin. But I cannot stand "Saturday Night" for some reason. Love Funeral, Daniel, Philadelphia Freedom and lots of others.

Old photos: Yours is great!

These are the only old "band" pictures I could find. I posted them several months ago, I believe in response to a L/R by willross:

I was the guitar player in my High School Stage (Jazz) band. This was 1977. My '66 Jag was stolen from the band room shortly after this was taken:



I think this was 1981, my brother and I doing a coffeehouse while attending the same University in the Midwest. We played original songs which were actually well-received. I'm the bearded wonder. :



G&L: I agree with you and many others that Dave & Co. are doing a fine job all in all. The future of G&L is bright and in good and able hands.

Fantastic week! - ed (still hoping to see a photo of Boogie Bill one day.... ;+)

[cmguitar]

Great Lunch Reports!

Pics from my first band gosh they are in a box somewhere.
I need to pull them out.

BBE I am not going to dis them this economy has been tough they still have G&L going.
Bi-cut necks has never made any difference to me.
G&L Three bolt necks do I prefer the three bolts. It may be me.Just my preference.
I don't like 3 bolt neck Fenders.

Chet

[asphalt-abate]

Thanks guys for a terrific week.

My Elton John poll wasn’t designed to be scientific, there’s no hidden meaning in the song options I just wanted to mix it up a little so I threw in a few hits, a few somewhat obscure numbers (but not too obscure), a later and more poppy number. I was just trying to mix it up. Obviously he had many number 1 hits that are not in the poll. I am surprised that we have members too old to know his music and members too young to know his music. Elton was huge in his time. I thought his popularity would carry across generations. Good thing I didn’t pick Kansas or some band less popular to feature in the poll.

Dave_P – I like my bi-cut neck too. Were you involved in the bi-cut controversy postings on the old forum? As I recall it was the lack of notification from G & L about the change that upset most people. And if I recall correctly Dave McLaren came on the forum and acknowledged that G & L had made a mistake by not announcing the change. Sometimes I miss the old forum. There were some pretty rowdy times back then.

Ahryn – Elton John is definitely worth digging deeper into. He was pop but it was well done, great song writing, very musical and with very talented musicians.

Sam – Bingo. You are Sherlock Holmes. It is an Electra MPC. I believe mine is an X-340. It’s a beautiful guitar. I still have it, although it never comes out of its case. The irony is that if I would have bought a 1976 Fender, it would be worth much more than the Electra even though it would still be an inferior guitar.

Darwin – A picture from 1962 would be a treasure. If you can find it please post it. The keyboard player in my last band played keyboards in a band with Ann Wilson (of Heart fame) back when they were in High School. He remembers the band posing for a professional photographer. Unfortunately he does not have any of those pictures. Bummer!

Bassman – Thanks for coming along. It’s good to see the old timers still on board. My brother lives in Chevy Chase and my niece may go to American University Law School next year. I’ll try to get out your way sometime.

Jamie – See what I told Ahryn above. Elton John is worth a second look. His music is a good insight into the 70’s. His recordings at the time were state of the art. All done in analog. There was much more “magic” involved in the recording process back then. I know an old sound engineer and he has some good stories about, “the magic.” All in all, “the magic” was really just luck. Analog tape was a difficult medium to work with. Elton was a star and the record companies were behind him. When he recorded money was not an issue.

Bill – Great to hear from you. How’s Leslie (please don’t tell me I got her name wrong)? Are you still playing out often? I’d like to come see your band when I’m down visiting my sister in law. Like I explained above, Elton has a lot of great songs but I didn’t want to put all hits as the options in my poll. Do you guys play much Elton John?

Ed - Fantastic pictures. You were a stud in High School! Matching shirts in the coffe house, nice touch. Thanks for posting the pics.

Chet - I agree, the economy must be tough on all guitar manufacturers. At least from the oustside G & L seems to be surviving o.k. All my G & L's are three bolt, even my L-1000 bass. I like the three bolt neck too but the four bolt doesn't bother me.

Thanks Everyone. Have a nice weekend.

[Ken Baker]

Thanks guys for a terrific week.

Thank you! I haven't dropped out of cloak this much in a long time.

My Elton John poll wasn’t designed to be scientific, there’s no hidden meaning in the song options I just wanted to mix it up a little so I threw in a few hits, a few somewhat obscure numbers (but not too obscure), a later and more poppy number. I was just trying to mix it up. Obviously he had many number 1 hits that are not in the poll. I am surprised that we have members too old to know his music and members too young to know his music. Elton was huge in his time. I thought his popularity would carry across generations. Good thing I didn’t pick Kansas or some band less popular to feature in the poll.

Elton John IS huge. I don't care for all of his stuff, but he is without doubt a great talent. Of the choices you presented, I like Madman Across The Water. His Disney collaborations have also been nice.

Dave_P – I like my bi-cut neck too. Were you involved in the bi-cut controversy postings on the old forum? As I recall it was the lack of notification from G & L about the change that upset most people. And if I recall correctly Dave McLaren came on the forum and acknowledged that G & L had made a mistake by not announcing the change. Sometimes I miss the old forum. There were some pretty rowdy times back then.

I was knee deep in that one. Other than to say that I'm surprised that Dave puts up with me, I'll just let it go at that.

Ed - Fantastic pictures. You were a stud in High School! Matching shirts in the coffe house, nice touch. Thanks for posting the pics.

Those are good. Here's one from 1971. I don't recall ever being that young.



Ken...

[Michael-GnL-Michael]

It has been 12-hour days this week. TGIF At this time in the LR I am probably talking to myself...

Tom, you were a great LR host.

I found Elton John boring when he first became popular with Levon but after a while he released enough songs that I liked and I would listen to those. My favorites are Someone Saved My Life Tonight, Don't Let the Sun Go Down and Sorry Seems the Hardest Word. There are a bunch of others. He had a great voice back then. Very clear pitch. I really cannot take his deeper worn out voice and altered vocal style these days. Like many older singers he now has to perform all of those songs in a lower key yet Paul McCartney of The Beatles still sings those Beatles songs in their original key, last I heard at least. I recently saw an old clip of Elton John performing Sorry Seems the Hardest Word live on Johnny Carson's Tonight Show. He sounded so fresh. Tom mentioned Kansas in his wrap update. Their vocalist, Steve Walsh, is a good example of how a road worn singer's voice is like a worn out sock. Like the sock's stress points at the heel, toe points and ball of the foot, the power notes can no longer be sung in full voice and these people have to cover this up with flourishes that change a familiar song's character.

Growing up in my family was a b!tch. I hate having my picture taken. There are not many around. In my life there was one school portrait of me that I liked. It wasn't that I thought I looked handsome or anything like that. It was the one moment caught on camera when I did not feel affected by my family of critics. Years ago my nephew had a video camera and happened to film me playing my old Les Paul. I don't know what I was thinking letting him do it. I had completely forgotten about it. The little rat-bass-turd surprised everyone at Christmas giving each of us a DVD with the footage a couple of years ago. Talk about giving the wrong gift. He thinks it is "awesome!" It makes me cringe. Don't I have a vote in this being that it is me in the video? Should I think of him? He can watch it in private. I realize he did not know how much I would hate it but he does now and does not care. The little rat-bass-turd just thinks it is awesome. Needless to say I am not uploading so much as a still from the video.

It is about time in this thread for a Devil's advocate. Dave and the gang need a few lessons in organization and planning. Infuse the factory with some real obsessive-compulsive whippersnappers.......not bean counters but organizers. Line those ducks up and get that place in order. As for not responding to customers in a timely manner, it seems that the boys at G&L do not like to be accountable. Keep a thick wall of ambiguity in place and you are free. Whether it is the non-sequential serial numbering, the random parts grab bag, slow response to customer inquiries or coming up short on the parts to meet specs well into production of a series, all of the symptoms are indicative of a desire for unaccountability. On the other hand, I like most of the newer G&Ls I have seen in person. The general build quality is high. Any criticism of the instruments has been comparing every one of them to the best of out of them. I do not recall seeing any in person that were defective. The construction has been nice. The woods and finishes, also nice. Some felt and played better than the others but they were all nice. I have not seen any true duds in person. The newer G&Ls look, feel and sound like a high quality product. They just need to organize, plan accordingly, answer their mail routinely and confine whimsical activity to breaktime jam sessions.

[louis cyfer]

a litle trivia, elton's old guitar player, kaleb quayle (spelling worng?) is living near me. we have the same guitar tech. nice guy, great player, but he is off his rockers. looney tunes. a little too much good times i think.