Lunch Report for Tuesday, August 20, 2013

[Boogie Bill]

Sorry for not getting today’s report out sooner. I simply stayed up too late and slept in. I was watching the first two episodes of this season’s “Hell On Wheels” on AMC, which I think is a terrific show, well into the morning hours.

I know a lot of you don’t watch much TV, but I’m addicted. There are a lot of good shows on that I like, mostly on the cable channels and not so much on the Big 3 broadcast networks.

And there are several good shows on cable that feature music. Palladia and AXYS TV are always showing concert videos, usually a decent mix of new and classic bands. Jools Holland is one that I enjoy watching, and I’ll turn on Conan, Leno, Fallon, Kimmel or Letterman to watch the their late-night band segments.

So, since I’m a night owl, my breakfast is my lunch: a small bowl of Cheerios and coffee.

Are you a morning person or a night owl? Morning is a good concept, it just happens at a bad time of day for me.

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Didn’t respond much to the posts from yesterday as I was running around all day. Here are some of my thoughts on the buying and selling questions from yesterday.

My big purchases this year have been pretty cool. In January I bought a new Martin D-18 that the guy had for less than a month. Martin is building some of their finest instruments these days and this one is a proverbial cannon—it is just so lively and resonant. I saved about $900 over a new one. Then when I heard the news that Guitar Center was blowing out their Mesa gear, I added a new Mark V 112 combo to my amp collection. I am in love with this amp, and totally confident in my tones. Every guitar sounds great through it. And then in May, I ran across a new Gibson ES-335 at the Seattle Guitar Center when Miss Leslie and I were up there for the Seattle Guitar Show. This one had a cracked headstock suffered in the store when it was dropped. The repair was solid, but not very good cosmetically. I made them an offer, and after a little bit of wrangling they took my offer. It is a vintage sunburst, and the color, playability, tone and workmanship on this guitar are excellent. It may be the best of the three 335s I own. I had a little bit of finish work done to clean up the appearance, and I am totally happy with this one. Heck of a deal, even sweeter because it turned out to be such a wonderful guitar.

I do try to “buy low, sell high” and I do keep an eye on my “investment portfolio”. But all of them get played—no closet queens. I have trouble letting them go, which is how I wound up with so many guitars, LOL; but I now have a few I should let go. I have a 2004 D-18 Standard that the new 2012 is going to replace, and that one should find a new home. I sometimes think I should sell my ASAT Deluxe, but I know I would miss it if I sold it. With the Mark V sounding so great, I’m going to let one of my Mesa Mark III combos go, too. I will probably advertise them on Craigslist.

I do a lot of looking on Craigslist; I have an app on my Samsung S III that let’s me check and search the listings. Bad, bad, bad!

I have a weakness for “stray cats and lost puppies”, like this new 335 with the broken headstock. I knew I could get it for a great price, and even though I didn’t need it, I wanted to give it a good home. I have to be careful about that; it could lead to a disastrous purchase, but so far my “Guitar Whispering” skills have done well.

I think the most I have spent on a guitar was just under $2,500 for my used blonde 335. That guitar is so perfect and beautiful it’s scary. I have several that I have bought in the $1,500 to $2,200 range, and most of those have all jumped several hundred dollars in value over what I paid. So probably around $2,500 is my limit, but I could see myself spending more on the right instrument.

My “Holy Grails” right now are the Martin 1941 D-28 Authentic, and I would love to have a flametop 1960 Historic Reissue Les Paul. I think that version of the D-28 is about $15K…so I will let you know when hell freezes over, LOL!

The G&L I’m lusting for would be my Comanche XII 12-string, but in a production instrument, I would love to have a Ruby Red Legacy Special with an ebony board, a MOTS pickguard and matching headstock.



++++++++++++++++++++++++


I talked a little about TV at the beginning of the Lunch Report, but let’s switch mediums and talk books.

I just bought Tony Bacon’s new book on Ibanez guitars. His books have a lot of information, but very little of the finer DETAILS…which sometimes drives me crazy. Still, I thought this one would be good to have. (I have five Ibanez instruments: an Artwood acoustic, and Artist 5-string banjo, an Artstar AS-120 [335 clone] and two of the GR-520 Ghostriders.) It’s an interesting read.

I’ve also been going over Neil Young’s autobiography. I’m not engrossed in this one, just reading a few pages or a chapter every now and then.

So what MUSIC RELATED books have you been reading? Do you read the biographies of the classic rock artists? Do you get the gear books (like my new Ibanez book) to build a reference library? Do you keep track of prices with the latest yearly edition of the “Vintage Guitar Price Guide”? Or when was the last time you bought a sheet music or tab folio?

I’ve read a few of the biographies, like Eric Clapton’s book, but I have a slew of the gear books. Several are by Tony Bacon, but the one that is most thumbed is Iwanade’s book on Les Pauls, “The Beauty Of The Burst”. I’ve drooled on that one so much—I may have to buy a second copy! LOL!

And I just picked up a used tab folio songbook of James Taylor’s greatest hits, cheap, figuring that would give me some finger-picking practice. And I love his songs.



++++++++++++++++++++++++


In reading the books by Clapton and Neil Young, I realize how damaging the drug and alcohol abuse must have been to the careers of many of these artists. Clapton certainly went through a long period of abuse—to the point where I think he’s lucky to be alive. While I can see the argument that certain drugs might actually lead to some inspiration, in the grand scheme of things, I think it has to have a negative influence.

I was lucky in many ways in that I never saw the need or even the point of doing any drugs. I have never been interested in smoking cigarettes—of ANY kind. I’m a cheap drunk, and I don’t like to play when I’m sloppy, and one drink affects my playing. I can enjoy a drink or two in my off hours, but alcohol is something I’m just fine without. When I’m playing—that’s my WORK, my JOB—so I never drink when I’m working. And I don’t need a couple of shots to “relax” me before I go on stage.

So tell me what you think about music and drugs/alcohol. Was Keith Richard’s lifestyle a role model for you? Have you dropped acid with the Maharishi, ala The Beatles? Do you have a seat of honor on Willie Nelson’s tour bus? Or perhaps you were drinking buddies with Hank, George and Waylon?

What role has alcohol or drugs played in you music?

I’m not being judgmental—I want to know what you think.



++++++++++++++++++++++++


Tell me what you think about the new Fallout model. I know a couple of you have them. While this is not a guitar that I’m really interested in being hooked on the Legacy-bodied guitars, it is certainly and interesting piece. I’ve seen a couple and they are beautifully done and play great.

Are you digging the looks and tones of the Fallout? And what do you think of the name?

Have a good one!

Bill

[LeoFThe Champion]

Hey Bill,
I am currently addicted to the following - Breaking Bad, its in it's final series and has maintained the rage. The Sopranos, I love it. Game Of Thrones and Mad Men.
Like you I am a night owl . I love the modern technology record it and watch it when you want. How did we ever survive the old days when you had to watch a tv show when the Broadcaster (snuck that one in) put it on.
Like you I am night owl and yes the morning always comes around too quickly.
I like the sounds of the app. The seller will be in a weaker position of the item didn't sell. Kinda dangerous app though, sometimes its best to not go looking.
Last model 2 tone Interceptor(preBBL) is what I am is what I am lusting for or a Commanche VI.
Love "The Beauty Of The Burst". I am currently reading The Road Less Travelled and The Power Of Now.
I'll quote Sinatra for you Bill, this sums it up for me. "I feel sorry for people who don't drink. When they wake up in the morning that's the best they'll feel all day"
I have half the week alcohol free but I let loose a bit on the other days. Luckily I was sensible not to like drugs. Otherwise I would have been in a bit of trouble. I always play and sing better after 1 or 2 drinks but anymore and you think you are better but in reality you are not.
Great week
Anthony

[Elwood]

Hey Bill,
I am currently addicted to the following - Breaking Bad, its in it's final series and has maintained the rage.

+!

gobs of talent , I still am slave to the broadcaster's schedule. I was using the old black rotary western electric up until a couple months ago.

Unfortunately most have no clue what they put in their bodies ,catered meat and alcohol seems to kill day after day...sucks.
( I'm being very judgmental BTW...bastids!...I'll temper my french for the kids, but I'm gonna let my Skyhawk cry for y'all so my neighbors can hear once I get offline.)

I can't stand being around people who have lost the ability to communicate clearly, that includes speaking through your instrument . Like Anthony mentioned ...one or two...but after that you'll see me loading up the amps.

It's funny , most bands seem to be beer-centric or open to other things. I watched a Deep Purple doc. recently,
they mentioned they were fueled by alcohol, and looked down on other substance ingestion ( probably while eating a corndog).
I have a little less respect for the band as a band. John Lord will always be king of hill as rock hammond playing goes,
hitting the leslie switch and tipping the console back and forth. That guitarist ain't too bad either

I'm a night owl and a day eagle. You might catch me napping on a branch once in a while .

elwood
(Clapton is not god by the way...just a bloke who plays well at times)

[blargfromouterspace]

I enjoy music biographies. Best one I've read is Etta James', I forget what it's called but it is fantastic. There's another person that suffered from substance abuse for a long time.

So tell me what you think about music and drugs/alcohol. Was Keith Richard’s lifestyle a role model for you? Have you dropped acid with the Maharishi, ala The Beatles? Do you have a seat of honor on Willie Nelson’s tour bus? Or perhaps you were drinking buddies with Hank, George and Waylon?

What role has alcohol or drugs played in you music?

I used to play in a heavy, psych-rock band. That should answer that question! Did it help? Absolutely not. We used to record everything we did and almost all the time the stuff we played before getting wasted was better than after. I no longer do any of that stuff, nor do I smoke cigarettes regularly, but do enjoy 'gig-cigs' when I'm out playing, much to the annoyance of the girlfriend. I might have a pint or two before going on stage, but it's more to do with hanging around in a bar for a couple of hours before starting than a need. More than three pints and it starts affecting my performance.

Fallout - Meh. I am dead keen on the SC shape, but to me the Fallout is cluttered and clumsy looking. I'm yet to see one in a colour scheme that I like. Also, I'm very surprised to see a Tribute version being made available so soon after its launch. I have a feeling that the LE-2, should they ever go into production, will look better, but think that the pick-guard is a mistake, as is the smaller headstock. As for the name, it's a bit silly, but so are several G&L model names, and to me it never fails to conjure up an image of an "emo" band.

[Fumble fingers]

I love pallidia too !! .... one of my favorite shows along with jules holland , Daryll's House , story tellers , we also like some of the crime shows like "Unusual Suspects" ..... I'm really a night owl but job dictates otherwise


My top gas is a Buck Owens ASAT Deluxe with Bigsby , I feel privelidged that G & L decided (took them awhile to give in too!! ) to do one more and Im honored that James at The Seattle Guitar Store was able to make this happen , I'm also excited to be part of the LE-2 ...... my new guitars are because thats what I want and I know they aren't investments , I purchased my used G & L's because they are what I wanted and are a good deal , hopefully hold the value although my Cavalier E is probably all ready worth more than I paid , the LE 2 and Buck Owens will probably hold there value but thats not why I wanted them


I can't play while drinking , I'll become Fumble fingers (pun intended)


I like the Fallout !! , I could see getting one in the future , a big blue flake with black or clear pick guard , matching head stock and locking tuners , yummy yummy yummy or happy , happy , happy

[jdavies]

I was led to a fallout via an SC2. I found I need a forearm cutaway as the top of the body digs into my arm on a standard shape and causes issues with the blood flow in my forearm. I also love the sound of both of them and find the neck very comfortable. The more I play the fallout the more I like the range of interesting sounds available although I tend to use mostly the front pick up and combined positions. The lighter weight and compact feel of them also feels comfortable although one of my students just couldn't come to grips with them for some reason. I enjoy watching Game of Thrones but have little time to find other shows I like although I appreciate the skills and artistry of the dancers and the choreographers on So You Think You Can Dance.

cheers
Jeremy

[darwinohm]

Bill, I am not a TV guy at all. I do like live music concerts on video. I really dislike the music videos that the artists are doing today. They are so phony.

I am a morning person, always have been and it is only when we have gigs that I stay up all night. It always takes me a couple of days to recover.

I don't like to drink when I play. It does cut you mental sharpness and like others have said, you may think you sound better but you most likely don't. We didn't even know what drugs were when we were playing in the 60's. We did like alcohol and I was fortunate to never have a desire for drugs. It is a shame that so many of the talented musicians wasted so much of their life on drugs. Many of them could have been so much better. I have never understood drug addiction as I have always felt it was a choice but one never knows unless they've been there so who am I to judge. The overdoses and deaths of the young are tragic.

As for the Fallout , I will probably not be a taker. I really dislike the pickguard and wish they didn't have one. In the end I think that was the show stopper for me on the LE-2. It would have been much cleaner looking without one. The name doesn't bother me but I don't see it as that creative. I have a Special order SC-2 with options that were not supposedly available that I really like in Fullerton Red. I wouldn't trade it for either the Fallout or the LE-2.

I have read a couple of books on the history of guitars and they are interesting. I have not read books on some of the famous rockers as I don't even want to know. There were several country stars that were great but let drugs rule their lives and died young by todays standards. Jeez, this is depressing. I think I will have a cold one.-- Darwin

[blargfromouterspace]

I have a Special order SC-2 with options that were not supposedly available that I really like in Fullerton Red

Tell us more!!!!

[KenC]

I only watch TV if my sons ask me to watch with them. By default, that makes Spongebob Squarepants my number one show. There are actually some very entertaining cartoons on Nickelodeon and the Cartoon Network. Advertisers seem to have figured out that the best way to sell to kids is to have their parents see the commercials, and that the best way to get parents to watch is to make the shows entertaining for adults. I laugh harder than my kids at some of them, but at entirely different times.

"Night owl" comes close for me, but "insomniac" might be more accurate. For years I just haven't felt tired before one or two in the morning. I thought it was due to caffeine use, so I cut my intake by over 90% this summer. I did it cold turkey, and was falling asleep by 9:00 PM. Unfortunately, that didn't last. I've stayed off caffeine, but after a couple of weeks I was back to my old sleep schedule.

I don't drink when I play, and saw enough bad outcomes from drug abuse as a teenager to make me want no part in it. A couple of years ago I was in a band with a percussionist who thought of our sets as an occasion for major beer consumption. He would get halfway through a show, and then wander off the stage to talk with friends - often right in the middle of a song. His wife had started the band, so we had no way to fire him. Instead, a couple of us ended up heading out on our own.

I'm not a Fallout fan. I agree with Darwin that the pickguard isn't a good feature. If G&L wanted to go back to top-mounted controls (that's the only reason I can think of, since it apparently doesn't have a bathtub route), I would have been all for putting them on a metal control plate like the original SC-2 model and calling it an "SC Classic" or some such. It's also what's kept me from ordering an LE-2. I just don't find them attractive. I also don't see how the name relates to vintage G&L lore. OK, maybe if the Cold War had ended up with the US using all of our military's F-100s, Skyhawks, Nighthawks, ASATs, Interceptors and Lynxes we'd be dealing with nuclear Fallout now, but that's stretching it a bit...

I recently finished David Byrne's book "How Music Works" and would recommend it highly to any musician who even thinks about gigging or recording. He spends a lot of the book delving into the influence performance space and audience expectations have on live performance, and how recording technology has influenced the art and business of music. My current read is Ted Gioia's "Jazz Standards". I'm finding it very interesting. Each chapter is the history of a single song, and covers it's origin, it's entry into the jazz repertoire, and reasons why it has remained popular with musicians. It's probably not for the general reader and has little to interest most rock and blues guitarists, but what it does it does well. One guitar-related tidbit that surprised me was the fact that Django Reinhardt's "Nuages" was the unofficial anthem of the French Resistance during the Second World War.

It's time to try to get to sleep...

Ken

[louis cyfer]

i love spartacus, game of thrones and franklin and bash. as far as book, stravinsky's poetics of music is a great (but difficult) read.
i don't care for the fallout. by far the ugliest g&l. the pickguard really ruins it.
i don't enjoy music that was written, recorded, or intended to be listened to while drunk or high. i have never drank, and never been drunk. i hate to play with people who are drunk or high. they only think they sound better.

[Boogie Bill]

Anthony:

I feel your lust for those Leo-era models. I’m happy with my BBE guitars, but the Leo-era models have the mojo.



Elwood:

Can’t say I’ve explored Deep Purple much beyond “Machine Head”, but that band ROCKS!



Jamie:

Had a good laugh when Miss Leslie read your post and told me that most of the Aussies she’s ever seen drink would consider three pints merely “hydration”. I kinda remember partying once with a bunch of guys from Tasmania—don’t remember much about it, but I’m pretty sure I had a good time!



Fumble Fingers:

Did you know I was born in Hamilton? I’ll always be a Buckeye. I would love a chance to though the Air Museum at Wright-Patterson again—haven’t been since I was a kid.

The Buck Owens model sounds great, and let me tell you—I met James back in April up at the Seattle Guitar Show, and his shop is amazing—a super G&L toy store.

And "Darryl’s House" is a terrific music show, too.



Jeremy:

I’m another one who enjoys the forearm cut, like on a Legacy. The ASAT style isn’t very comfortable for me.

We like watching “Dancing With The Stars”. The athleticism is great and the costumes—of lack of them—is “exciting” for an old guy like me, LOL!



Darwin:

Your views on the drugs and alcohol mirror mine. Tragic. I get tired of the press glorifying the latest antics of these people like Lindsey Lohan and Amanda Bynes. Silly.



Ken:

Have you ever done a sleep study? I have sleep apnea, and using a CPAP machine has pretty much saved my life and my sanity.

Byrnes’ book sounds interesting. Have to see if I can find that at my Barnes and Noble.

Not into Sponge Bob, but my mother always said that the cartoons were funnier for adults than for kids. I’d love to have a collection of the old Looney Tunes cartoons!



Louis:

“Franklin and Bash” is another show I enjoy. A lot of folks have mentioned “Game Of Thrones” but I haven’t seen that one. It gets great reviews.

I have a lot of experience entertaining in bars, and being the only sober guy in a room full of drunks. It ain’t fun, that’s for sure.



Thanks to all for joining in!

Bill

[Elwood]

Can’t say I’ve explored Deep Purple much beyond “Machine Head”, but that band ROCKS!"

"Boring Alice" ..LOL , I learned that's what he says in space truckin'

This is a nice one to go to sleep by or to play with (sorry no Hammond through a Marshall , maybe a Harmonium in there).
[youtube]bg8uoepX4OI[/youtube]

[LeoFThe Champion]

Hey El, I like it but I have more chance going to sleep with Bridget Bardot in her prime next to me than that tune . I have just tried but my brain was just tuned in to the next sound . It's like any experience its never had before. I can however hear awesome fuzz tone over it . Yeah )

[Elwood]

I can however hear awesome fuzz tone over it . Yeah )

+1 dial in a little echo , crank it up ..it's a fun one to 'jam' with .

[Elwood]

Hey Bill,
I am currently addicted to the following - Breaking Bad,

I wonder if WW would be in the same light if it wasn't for Bryan's gig as Hal in Malcolm in the Middle.
Like hearing 'Spoonful' after ' Anyone for Tennis' .
[youtube]MB2f6-U72Zk[/youtube]

[youtube]-_nuGeF1kak[/youtube]

Did you see this on Conan the other night?

[youtube]79PgEURr1Js[/youtube]

[tomanche]

Last model 2 tone Interceptor (pre-BBE) is what I am lusting for or a Comanche VI.
Anthony

I share your lust for a Comanche VI but they are few and their prices, though a little more sane than before the meltdown, are high.

***EDIT: But see today's PSA!!***

My solution was to buy the Comanche Studio VI that the Custom Creations team released in 2007. Six years later, and I still LOVE this guitar. It can do dang near anything. I still watch and search for a vintage model, but I encourage anyone who wants what this multi-switch Comanche can do to consider buying a Studio VI. Two or three appeared at Guitar Centers this spring/summer at attractive prices, and there have been two or three on eBay that the buy prices have become realistic. For $1100 or $1200 you could pick one up---much less than a vintage one. One finally sold last week for a best offer of less than 1300. Another sold for less than $1400. The third one...well, that seller has had to adjust his expectation, but it hasn't sold as far as I can tell. (Heck, one reissue went for less than 1K on an eBay auction last August---a shame but a screaming deal.) Then if that vintage baby comes along, snap it up and sell the reissue. I'm just sayin'...

[tomanche]

See PSA section for a Studio VI on EBay. At $1050 BIN, much less $ than the Interceptor/sickle one in a music store in August.