My name is Brian, and I've been on the GLDP for close to 7 years now, and formally joined prior to getting my first G&L in the Summer of 2005. This week will be the third time I've had the second highest honor, and the first time since the format change. Thanks to Lefty for passing the rock my way.
Lunch for me doesn't happen until 8PM since I work a second shift gig at a nearby machine shop, so inside the 'ol lunchpail today is:
Android Phone
Bag of bite-size Snickers
2 Pixy Stix a co-worker was handing out last week
Assorted other goodies swiped from my kids' Halloween stash
A container of Chicken Mahkani, leftover from a visit to an Indian restaurant
Bag of green seedless grapes
We work a straight 8 hour shift, and since it's a paid lunch break, we're stuck to the premises. Anybody else suffer from 'Brown-Bag Dilemma'?
I'm going to do a special food-themed LR Thursday, so get ready to share in some Pre-Thanksgiving treats.
Some quick background -
Really can't remember a time when I was not interested in music. I apparently made such a fuss after seeing the Beatles and other groups on the tube, that by Christmas of '65, I had a toy guitar.
Can't find the photo, but it's around somewhere. Typical kid by the tree shot. After that I was listening to plenty of radio or my dads Hi-Fi rig, calling requests to the local top-40 AM stations, etc.. Also started buying 45's that I would spin on a entry-level 'record player'. By the time guitars came along, I already had plenty of LP's and a decent stereo.
An Uncle lived in the downstairs flat, and he was a big Gearhead. He built a lot of Heathkit stuff and had some great muscle cars. I owe a lot of influence to him as well for things outside of music.
My folks tastes ran more into Jazz/Big Band/Lounge, and my dad played a basic drum kit in a little combo once in a while. Buddy Rich was his guy, and we ended up at plenty of Rich gigs, and many other shows at Milwaukee's Summerfest. Before getting a real instrument, I was practicing riffs on whatever was in the house. A concertina, my dads kit, and a mandolin with a few strings missing were amongst my gear. All this only gave me my first GAS pains, and I decided I had to have a guitar to express what was playing in my head. Of everything that caught my ear to that point, it was usually the guitar parts that stood out.
Not only did I not shock the world, I was lucky not to shock myself by going electric:
Silvertone Model 1468 'Bobkat'
De-Armond foil pickups, Bad bridge, Bad trem, Overall setup poorly. Who cares! I'm making noise! The Heathkit amp that came along with the Silvertone lasted a short time before getting my first real amp - a small '60's era Ampeg combo. Only had the guitar for a year or so, long enough to take some lessons on it before the teacher thought I might be interested in a guitar his friend was selling:
Epiphone Casino. First in a series of original Epi's traded away for some other guitar/gear. Not sure why I was not aware of the connection to the Beatles, and wanted a 'real' ES-335, so I ended up removing the pickguard and other parts with the Epiphone 'E' on them (kept that stuff in the case). Got good return in trade for it, but it's too bad the crystal ball wasn't working that day.
At this point, I was not in a band, but jamming with friends in a 2 guitar/drums power trio trying to play Hendrix, Cream, Pink Floyd, Rush, Foghat, Led Zep etc...
When another buddy, Greg, (who gets photo and Kustom amp credits for the above pics) joined a local Garage/Punk band, things got interesting.....
Soooo,
When did music first click with you? Are you an up-and comer, a late bloomer, or a grizzled veteran of the trade?
G&L Question:
You get an unexpected windfall with one requirement, you must order a new G&L with the cash. What do you get??
Hmmmmm
Enjoy your Monday, I'll be able to go thru in detail late tonight ,but I'll try to pop in before work too.
Ciao,
BW
