Lunch Report for Wednesday August 21, 2024

[DanDoulogos]

Happy Hump Day all!

Lunch today is a couple of scoops of protein powder in some cold water, with a bit of instant decaf coffee to kid myself that I'm having an iced mocha. Trying to get back in shape and lose some weight without losing too much muscle. So it's a boring lunch, but it serves a noble purpose - me looking and feeling better.

Hope y'all have a tastier lunch that that.

G&L Topic for Discussion: Do you think G&L should sell guitars directly to the public via an online presence?
You're probably already aware that most of the big brand names in guitar still sell the bulk of their guitars via dealers - but now also sell directly to the customer via their online stores. Gibson, Fender, Suhr, etc. are all fine examples of companies that sell directly to the customer as well as through dealers.

Traditionally manufacturers did not sell to the public directly because they didn't have factories in every community. It made more sense to contact "dealers" in major urban centers and have them buy the guitars from you, since they were already situated. This (simplified) model was used by most manufacturers.

But the Internet changed the way people buy things - especially post COVID. Today (according to Statista) more than 20% of -all- retail is done entirely online. Said another way, one out of every five purchases made in the world today will be an online purchase.

Said another way, anyone who does not sell online is going to lose 20% of their potential business.

I think it is a crying shame that G&L isn't selling guitars directly to the public like other major manufacturers are doing. I am sure they have their reasons, but I think those reasons aren't good enough. I want me some G&L guitars that I can buy with a mouse click and solid credit.

Who thinks I am wrong, and why?

Music Topic What other instruments do you play? How did that come about?
Like most of us, I've played some ukulele, Mandolin, Harmonica, and drums. But the only other instrument I've really played seriously was the Bass. I was a big Led Zep fan back in the day (still am), and I wanted to play the mandolin so I could play certain Led Zep tunes. I've had 3 mandolins in the past, but sold them or gave them away. I have a pretty nice tenor Ukulele - which I picked up to play some 21 Pilots tunes. I can play it well enough to be just slightly better than recognizable. I love the blues the best, and so I have a dozen or so harmonicas - all of which I play rather poorly on. I still love 'em though. Like any musician who has been in a band, I've sat in and beat out a rather uninspiring 2/4, 3/4, 4/4. 6/8 and 8/8 beat, complete with lamest fills and simplest cymbal accompaniment. I don't have any drums, but I wish I did, I enjoyed tinkering with them back in the day, but you can't tinker with what you don't have, so I've never progressed as a percussionist. I mean, I've played a Djembe for about a year, but that's not much more than playing a Cahone (which I have and do play from time to time). I guess the only other instrument I've played, "pseudo-decently" is the bass. which I played every Sunday for four or five years when our church bassist was not allowed to come play base because of his wife's bizarre fear of catching COVID.

Finally - Post a music video from the 80s you still like, and tell us why.
I'll give you a two for one:

First up: Don't you want me baby (the Human League)
I like this song more as the year go on. When I first heard it, it was just another dance tune I had to endure as I'd hang out in the local dance bar (hoping to catch the eye of some like minded and pretty young lady). The lyrics are quite out of touch with today's sentimentalities - even a bit cringe-y in places, but I won't apologize, I still like it even though it is, as the french say 'plus qu'un peu passif-agressif'.




The other 80s choice is actually from '77 - Pshycho Killer (Talking Heads)



I can even begin to guess why I like this song. I guess I like the line: "I hate people when they're not polite" that seems to come out of nowhere, and the French lyrics don't really reinforce the English, hence the "what is this?" lyric (fr: Qu'est-ce que c'est?). The whole thing seems like it was just an irreverent kick at the musical cat, as it were.

In defense of my music selection, I spent way too much time trying to pick fun videos. I wanted to post Candy-O (The Cars), or Black Cars (Gino Vanelli), or Maybe Addicted to love (Robert Palmer). Not the sort of music I listen to nowadays, but certainly milestones in my musical listening history.

Have a great day everyone and take a few moments after reading to join and and share.

[SUaPYG]

Hey, Dan.
Like you I am attempting to loose some poundage. I have been running my Woodmizer sawmill this week and don't stop for lunch. Just drink water throughout the day. Slow process but I have managed to drop one or two pounds a day.

G&L Topic:
I do like the convenience of shopping online for a number of things but when it comes to guitars I much prefer working with dealers. I am not as knowledgeable as many here when it comes to guitars and a good dealer is very helpful. Plus I have been rotating my guitars through the most excellent luthier who works through my main dealer's shop. I support the shop so I have access to the knowledge and skill I would have a hard time accessing otherwise. I am considering ordering a BTO ASAT Special in a particular configuration and the G&L rep at the shop (actually interned with G&L for a summer) has been very helpful.
As a practical matter I think G&L is not in a position to serve the demands an online selling service would require. There are online retailers that you can place an order for a stock G&L through currently. Secondhand instruments are also available online at a click of a button.

Music topic:
Improving my guitar playing consumes so much of my available time that I cannot even think of learning another instrument at the moment. Part of my guitar learning journey includes a dive into music theory. I guess I could say I am spending some time learning a basis for a lot of instruments. I do have a desire to learn to play a piano. Compared to guitar, piano is a much simpler instrument so I may eventually give it a go.

Never watched a lot of music videos so can't come up with a fave. Sorry.

[sam]

Hey Dan!

Thanks for the Lunch Report, reply is a day late.

G&L Topic for Discussion: Do you think G&L should sell guitars directly to the public via an online presence?
I am not sure G&L would benefit from more online sale options than currently available. By looking at the run rate of sales through clearance guitars/basses on online catalog would gauge some viability. I understand the "custom" aspect but I bet most true purchases would go to clearance link before custom build. my .02

https://g-l-online-store.myshopify.com/ ... ce-guitars

https://g-l-online-store.myshopify.com/ ... nce-basses

Music Topic What other instruments do you play? How did that come about?
What I play and attempt to play are up to debate! Played bass in a band with high school friends who were looking for a bass player. Traded a guitar for a bass, bad choice 20-20 hindsight but life goes on. Still have a bass vis my son's basses, but rarely pull one out. He has an unbelievable L2500 I get to see on occassions. I do play some ukulele however. After a business trip to Hawaii years ago and exposure to top quality ukes at Koaloha and Kamaka (did both factory tours highly recommended) and learned what a difference in tone and playability these are versus low cost ukes. Have two Koaloha's that are phenomenal to play. Always wanted to learn piano but probably not going to happen.

Post a music video from the 80s you still like, and tell us why.
These are first ones that came to mind, and just because I loved these videos back in the day for visual effects and fan of artist.

Tom Petty fan and just a cool video


How can you go wrong with this one? This is where I learned Mark Knopfler was all fingers.


Saw this late one night on MTV and became a Grant Lee Buffalo fan right then. Still a Grant Lee Philips fan now.


Thank you sir for the Lunch Report!

[john o]

howdy dan!

lunch was a bowel of cereal and some more coffee. "it keeps you runnin"...

direct from G&L sure would be nice. i'm sure they're not tooled up for the customer service that would be required for that gig.
i like sweetwater (for example) but they are an expensive middle man

it has been nice to see the enthusiasm that Anderton's in UK has for G&L guitars, i like some of their videos, they seem to have a genuine appreciation for the quality of the instruments

i started piano lessons at age 6, classical mostly, after my parents noticed i was playing single note melodies from "The sound of music" by ear, my 1st lesson in music theory from Julie Andrews. I did that for about 5 years, took up trombone in school band, loved that, taught myself trumpet but my lips were too big for that little mouthpiece, learned baritone - bigger trumpet with a trombone mouthpiece. started guitar in the summer of '74 (50 yrs this yr), took my mom's little Kay gtr down to my grandmom's house at the jersey shore with a mel bay chord book and learned a bunch of chords, then started playing all those beatles songs i loved with the help of a song book. 1st electric gtr was a '60's hagstrom, played it daily. formed a band with my brothers and some friends and were playing gigs by the Fall of '75. learned drums since we had a set in the house, mostly playing to the Guess Who's clap for the wolfman album. i've acquired a bunch of harmonicas, and various uke, mando and a cigar box gtr for amusement. still play some keyboards, have a roland and an alesis, but my passion is in the 6 string.

Sam posted the Tom Petty vid i like, I also liked Peter Gabriel's "big time" vid

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBAl9cchQac (rt click, open in new window)

[DanDoulogos]

Hey Dan!
I am not sure G&L would benefit from more online sale options than currently available. By looking at the run rate of sales through clearance guitars/basses on online catalog would gauge some viability. I understand the "custom" aspect but I bet most true purchases would go to clearance link before custom build. my .02

Hey, Dan.
I do like the convenience of shopping online for a number of things but when it comes to guitars I much prefer working with dealers. I am not as knowledgeable as many here when it comes to guitars and a good dealer is very helpful. Plus I have been rotating my guitars through the most excellent luthier who works through my main dealer's shop. I support the shop so I have access to the knowledge and skill I would have a hard time accessing otherwise. I am considering ordering a BTO ASAT Special in a particular configuration and the G&L rep at the shop (actually interned with G&L for a summer) has been very helpful.
As a practical matter I think G&L is not in a position to serve the demands an online selling service would require. There are online retailers that you can place an order for a stock G&L through currently. Secondhand instruments are also available online at a click of a button.

howdy dan!
direct from G&L sure would be nice. i'm sure they're not tooled up for the customer service that would be required for that gig.
i like sweetwater (for example) but they are an expensive middle man

Awesome feedback on the G&L topic. Thanks guys.

My nearest G&L dealer is 460 miles south of me in Minneapolis ('m in Canada!), so there are no dealers near me, and I can't even buy the clearance guitars advertised here when they come up because they will only ship (and sell to) parties in the USA (I think that is just the continental USA too).

So my interest is entirely selfish. I do believe that this sort of evolutionary step is inevitable though. I remember when paying using "the tap" was still brand new. Only stores on the bleeding edge of technology had them, and only the geekiest nerds would buy a phone that allowed you to link you banking info to phone so you could "tap" and pay. But once it became a thing, it wasn't long before it became a thing that people expected.

We should dig this topic up in five years and see how it has aged.

Sam: That third video was hauntingly surreal - loved it. Loved that Tom Petty video from the day it came out - for the same reasons - musically and artistically awesome. Still one of my favorite vids. When I wrote the lunch report, my original plan was to post the first two noteworthy videos that made use of computer animation (Dire Straits: "Money for nothing " / Aha: "Take on me") both came out in 85 and were directed by Steve Barron (who also directed Thomas Dolby's "She blinded me with science"). I changed my mind because my son had been listening to some eighties tunes on Amazon music, and these two came up in that mix and stuck in my head, so I popped them in instead.

So I wa quite please to see Dire Straits in the lineup. I swear, if that Tom Petty song had even come close to wisping through my mind in the last week, I would have posted that one also.

SUaPYG: Music theory is the one thing I wish I had embraced far earlier in my musical journey. Keep it up, sounds like you're on a great and stable road.

John: Thanks for your comments. I wish I had a store like Andertons here in Winnipeg. I'd be there every week. I wanted to be in band so much when I was in school but my Dad's attitude towards band was that it was just another expense he didn't want to pay for. I would have played the Saxophone - as I thought that was the sexiest wind instrument - either that or the violin. My eldest son (27 now) plays piano, violin, mandolin, and guitar. I shouldn't be upset that he like piano more than guitar... but I am.. a little.

Peter Gabriel is one of my favorites.