Lunch Report, 2/3/12 Finish line Friday

[kakerlak]

Hey guys, week's been fun for me. Thanks to Jag for the honors!

Here's what's on my mind today:

First of all, I'm HUNGRY, but totally undecided on what to eat, plus it's been pouring rain all day. So I'm not looking forward to heading out in my car (well, the to-and-from part of the car-building equation at least).

Have any of you tried to turn somebody on to G&Ls? Was it successful?

My brother in law was hanging out at our place a while back and I brought out a bunch of guitars to show off, for lack of anything else to do. He's a heavy metal enthusiast and a very skilled player. He tends to accumulate limited edition Deans and their ilk from Musicians Friend...

Anyway, he seemed to enjoy most of my guitars, but especially dug the G&Ls, which he mentioned again a few days later. I found examples of a Superhawk, Invader and Rampage online to show him that G&L made some locking trem guitars, too. Long story short, he seemed pretty intrigued, but I have a feeling that nothing will come of it.

I also tried to talk a friend looking to upgrade from a Korean Ibanez back in highschool to go check out used G&Ls, but he never did. So, so far I'm 0 for 2.

Speaking of 0 fors, how are you doing on New Years Resolutions (if applicable)? My wife and I decided to give up smoking, but we've yet to start

As a total non sequitur, here's something that I think would be cool to see:

Hollowbody S-500s and ASATs in something around a 3" body depth. I'm thinking everything regular, just thicker, still with a flat top, same hardware, etc. The S-500s tremolo would be sitting a lot deeper inside the cavity, but I don't see a real problem with that. Might make stringing through the coverplate's holes a little tough, but I always end up taking that off when I change strings anyway...

Expanding the idea a little further, I'm envisioning the body routed with the solid-down-the-center section retaining the current depth from the top, then another inch or so of totally hollow/open b/w it and the back. I think this would require routing all the cavities from the top and making the back the flat part to glue on, but seems just as doable as doing the reverse like the current semis.

[kakerlak]

Damn, can't never get no action... not even on a Friday!

[meowmix]

Have any of you tried to turn somebody on to G&Ls? Was it successful?

Honestly, when someone looks for a guitar, I let them decide. Otherwise it might turn into a worthless Ford/Chevy type of debate/conversation that goes nowhere. Choose your battles wisely, so I have been told.


Lunch for today is......beans and rice.

[blargfromouterspace]

I don't think I've successfully got someone interested in G&Ls. The bass player in my band showed some mild interest in G&L basses at one point, but ended up getting a (frankly terrible) Mexican Jazz bass.

My resolution to actually lose weight has been kind of tough. We spent a week on the road a couple of weeks ago and there was no option but to eat pub dinners all week as the dinner was part of the payment. We had a lot of steak and chips...

Nice week of reports Colin, have a good weekend everyone!

[sam]

Hey Colin great and glad to see you back!

Have any of you tried to turn somebody on to G&Ls? Was it successful?
Good friend definately wants one but wont get trid of the strat and he is priamarily a drummer. Will get him converted soon.

Speaking of 0 fors, how are you doing on New Years Resolutions (if applicable)?
Diet and exercise resolutions for both me and wife are successful so far, hope to keep the trend! Now you can quit smoking, I did 12 years ago and much better off for it. Good luck

Hollow bodies? Yer thinking of your Gretsch. I could see an ASAT like that, maybe even with a Bigsby.

TGIF!

[kakerlak]

I don't think I've successfully got someone interested in G&Ls. The bass player in my band showed some mild interest in G&L basses at one point, but ended up getting a (frankly terrible) Mexican Jazz bass.

My resolution to actually lose weight has been kind of tough. We spent a week on the road a couple of weeks ago and there was no option but to eat pub dinners all week as the dinner was part of the payment. We had a lot of steak and chips...

Nice week of reports Colin, have a good weekend everyone!

Doesn't that just drive you nuts when you know there are used SB-1s/2s out there for roughly the same price? Especially when you have to listen to the inferior purchase night after night

[kakerlak]

Hey Colin great and glad to see you back!

Have any of you tried to turn somebody on to G&Ls? Was it successful?
Good friend definately wants one but wont get trid of the strat and he is priamarily a drummer. Will get him converted soon.

Speaking of 0 fors, how are you doing on New Years Resolutions (if applicable)?
Diet and exercise resolutions for both me and wife are successful so far, hope to keep the trend! Now you can quit smoking, I did 12 years ago and much better off for it. Good luck

Hollow bodies? Yer thinking of your Gretsch. I could see an ASAT like that, maybe even with a Bigsby.

TGIF!

Yeah, originally I was thinking of a deep-body ASAT, specifically with binding, but then I got to wondering what a strat, with all its rolled edges and curvy bits would look like with an extra couple of inches front-to-back. I decided it'd look pretty cool, so now I want one really bad. (Which is bad, b/c, to my knowledge, no such instrument exists.)

[Kit]

Colin, thank you for your imagination on the hollowbody. It got me thinking and I don't think I've ever seen a single coil-equipped guitar in a thick semi-hollow body. I am intrigued about how it would sound.

Kit

[kakerlak]

Colin, thank you for your imagination on the hollowbody. It got me thinking and I don't think I've ever seen a single coil-equipped guitar in a thick semi-hollow body. I am intrigued about how it would sound.

Kit

Thanks, Kit. I guess, if you bought two cheapo unfinished thinline bodies online somewhere, then sawed the top off one, flush with the plane of the neck pocket and routed out the center block so it's roughly level with the hollow wings, then sawed the back off the other and then glued the pair together, you'd be in business, but that's more skill than I possess.

[zapcosongs]

Hey Colin. Great week. Thanks so much for stepping up!

I thought I had posted yesterday, but when I checked back, it wasn't there. I thought for a moment I was being punished for the Brittney thing

Anyhow, I made a healthy dinner this evening for the family. A tofu and broccoli stir fry. Ever notice how sesame oil can make anything taste great?

Regarding your questions, I've never tried to convert anybody to G&L, but the folks who have given mine a go have all been impressed by them. These folks weren't really in the market for new instruments, though. Mostly middle-agers who are set and happy with what they have.

Regard your thicker-bodied G&L idea, I think it's interesting. I'm sure it would sound cool but whether or not the depth is something that might take a bit of getting used to. Heck, I'd give it a go!

Have a great weekend! - ed

[louis cyfer]

new year's resolution are a failure by definition. people make things they don't really want to do into new year's resolutions. whenever you put something off to start after a certain date, instead of starting when you think of it because if it is something that you really wanted to do, you are not gonna keep it up, you are only doing it because you think you should, or other (external) reasons. resolutions are a great business for me, but i know, they have failed before they start.

[louis cyfer]

Hey Colin. Great week. Thanks so much for stepping up!

I thought I had posted yesterday, but when I checked back, it wasn't there. I thought for a moment I was being punished for the Brittney thing

Anyhow, I made a healthy dinner this evening for the family. A tofu and broccoli stir fry. Ever notice how sesame oil can make anything taste great?

Regarding your questions, I've never tried to convert anybody to G&L, but the folks who have given mine a go have all been impressed by them. These folks weren't really in the market for new instruments, though. Mostly middle-agers who are set and happy with what they have.

Regard your thicker-bodied G&L idea, I think it's interesting. I'm sure it would sound cool but whether or not the depth is something that might take a bit of getting used to. Heck, I'd give it a go!

Have a great weekend! - ed

ed, remember tofu and soy in general is not good for men. great for women though. it increases your estrogen levels, and as men get older, the testosterone is already getting too low, no need to make it any more difficult on you. most tofu is also very high in fat. not a very healthy thing actually.

[desertrat07]

Have any of you tried to turn somebody on to G&Ls? Was it successful?

One of my best buddies is a DIE HARD Fender Strat guy who plays in a blues/rock band. I'd been raving about my Legacy for a while but every time he'd say, "is it a real strat?" Then he'd pick it up every once in a while and say it was too heavy without really playing it. Then I got an S-500 that I let him "borrow." Well, after playing strats for 25 years the S-500 is now his #1.

Speaking of 0 fors, how are you doing on New Years Resolutions (if applicable)? My wife and I decided to give up smoking, but we've yet to start

I learned years ago that NY resolutions are a complete waste of mental energy for me. I never make it more than a week. A friend did send me an outline to write out personal and professional goals that I may try to complete if only to help plan my year. We should all strive every day to be better, more compassionate people.

re: hollow-bodies. meh. Too much competition out there for them to jump in those waters without a reputation for them. (Think of the poor the Fender Coronado - I actually played one last year that sounded killer but nobody really talks about them). However, I would LOVE to see a new offset guitar design from G&L. With MFD's.

[zapcosongs]

Have any of you tried to turn somebody on to G&Ls? Was it successful?

One of my best buddies is a DIE HARD Fender Strat guy who plays in a blues/rock band. I'd been raving about my Legacy for a while but every time he'd say, "is it a real strat?" Then he'd pick it up and every once in a while and say it was too heavy without really playing it. Then I got an S-500 that I let him "borrow." Well, after playing strats for 25 years the S-500 is now his #1.

This makes me smile, but surprises me not a bit! - ed

[zapcosongs]

Louis - I appreciate the information. I'm aware that soy products contain chemicals that mimic estrogen. I'm actually a bit concerned since my boy was allergic to milk early on, and drank a lot of soy-based formula in his first couple of years. Still, tonight's meal wasn't a life-altering event, and I'm not aware of any evidence that occasional soy consumption is harmful (though I must admit that I went out this evening for a bit and had a strange urge to coordinate my outfit and accessorize fashionably. ;+) - ed

PS: The fat content of tofu - though not negligible - is likely less than the beef or pork or chicken that it replaced in tonight's meal.

[gitman001]

Hey Colin,

Super stuff this week, it was a lot of fun.

G&L

ave any of you tried to turn somebody on to G&Ls? Was it successful?

I am in a unique position as an instructor..... i primarily teach on my G&L's so my students have a lot of exposure to them. I like to arm the students with all of the information they need when choosing a new guitar, and if they happen to choose G&L its up to them. Just about every student comes in already owning a guitar so most of the time it is students whom after a few years are outgrowing the guitars they have originally learned on. In fact a guy placed an order for an s-500 just before christmas and it showed up this week! (in like less than 6 weeks) Here is a pic i took with my iPhone



Mine is on the left - mid 90's s-500 in clear blue, creme guard.... His is on the right 2012 s-500 clear blue, creme guard.

Speaking of 0 fors, how are you doing on New Years Resolutions (if applicable)?

My was to limit my GAS to 1 instrument per year..... so far so good! The last few years have seen multiple instruments find their way into my possession, so it was time to slow down
However, nothing was mentioned about pedals... I have already added a Diamond Compressor and an Xotic BB to the board in 2012! I can see next years resolution now.....

Scott

[JagInTheBag]

Hey guys, week's been fun for me. Thanks to Jag for the honors!

You've done well my son!

Lunch yesterday was I don't remember. So much for living consiously.

I do not attempted to proselytize G&L, or anything else for that matter. I live my truth- those who see virtue in it, ask. Then I tell them. Sometimes I share my enthusiasim but always own it- "I found this works for me because" rather than "you should likewise consider this superior for the following reasons because."

Here is what I found in searching for a guitar that fit me; If I wanted the brand of Fender, I'd buy into the marketing machine message of Fender. What I wanted in an instrument was the spirit of Leo Fender, I found it by playing a G&L.

Sadly, most will buy the brand and not take the time really learn the quality of the instrument. But isn't that most things in life?

[Michael-GnL-Michael]

Enjoyed the week though I wasn't participating much nor even keeping up with reading them.

I don't think G&L should be looking to expand into other types of guitars or extreme hybrids like a deeper hollow body ASAT. G&L needs to focus on what it has. It should be working on getting deeper into the trenches where it already is. It is not a question of needing to broaden horizons because they have saturated the market. They have not saturated the market and broadening the horizon would only leave them with a thinner veil. Going into other styles of guitar takes a lot of advertising to inform the public. It is a gamble especially during a weak economy. They already have a strong product line. Sell that instead of trying to convince people they have something new that is worth buying while it is only their first venture into the territory, (i.e. deep hollow bodies, shredder guitars, and the like). One of the strongest selling points has been the legacy of Leo Fender. Leo is gone. The time to introduce new guitars ended with Leo. Step up selling the quality and evolution of Leo Fender to the public.

I do not make New Year's resolutions so I have been successful by not failing the moment I made a resolution. I have already changed or started before thinking of making a goal or plan. When ready it is already past tense.

I have not sold G&L on anyone. I am fairly new to G&L myself.

[JagInTheBag]

G&L needs to focus on what it has. It should be working on getting deeper into the trenches where it already is. It is not a question of needing to broaden horizons because they have saturated the market. They have not saturated the market and broadening the horizon would only leave them with a thinner veil.

So, to understand, G&L is plenty girthy, the problem is penetration...[insert G&L Bomber Girl logo here]

[zapcosongs]

Oh, hold me back! ;+) - ed

[darwinohm]

Colin, I am a couple of days late, but just got home with all the band gear and put it away. Two nights of gigging in a row are tough. My body and mind are out of sync. My mind thinks I'm 21 and my body isn't cooperating.

I am very happy with the current offerings of G&L but an American carved top ASAT Special would be high on my list.

No new years resolution with this kid, I know better. Thanks for the fun week!-- Darwin