Southside Irish Lunch Report

[JagInTheBag]

Thin sliced corned beef with mustard on rye with a garlic dill pickle. Vanilla yoghurt with peaches (canned in 100% peach juice). Beverage, New Glarus Brewing Coffee Stout.

G&L Topic: We have the Wil Ray Siganture Model and the Jerry Cantrel Signature model. By comparison here is the list of signature series guitars PRS has: http://www.prsguitars.com/artists/index.html Fender: http://www.fender.com/artists/ Heritage, http://www.heritageguitar.com/artists/artists.html and even Dean: http://www.deanguitars.com/electrics.php

Who else would you like to see with his own signature model? Doyle Dykes? Jimmy Vivino? Here is the list of artists who currently play G&L: http://www.glguitars.com/artists/index.asp Anyone who doesn't currently play that you would like to hear with a G&L?

Non-G&L Topic: Athought I hate to admit it, i love to listen to pop cover punk band Me First and the Gimmie Gimmes- owning every album on CD. What is your guilty pleasure?

[Elemeno P]

Lunch: Left over BBQ chicken.

G&L Question:

I'm not a huge fan and he's not know for his guitar playing, but G&L could probably get some good mileage with Tim McGraw



Non G&L Question: Sometimes I have to pop in some skate punk....Seven Seconds, Black Flag, Bad Brains....although I never skated, I had friends that did and that music always pumps me up.

[louis cyfer]

i think keith urban or brad paisley would be great as far as country goes to have a signature model g&l, it would get a lot of mileage. i am not sure it matters what gtuitar is hanging on tim mcgraw's shoulder.

[JagInTheBag]

i think keith urban or brad paisley would be great as far as country goes to have a signature model g&l, it would get a lot of mileage. i am not sure it matters what gtuitar is hanging on tim mcgraw's shoulder.

OMG! They can do a paisley Brad Paisley edition ala Fender 1968!

[JagInTheBag]

Black paislie is my fav.


Looks like he's up for it!

[louis cyfer]

a paisley g&l. most of his guitars are made by custom builders, like the one in the top picture. why couldn't g&l be his custom builder. g&l's are already well thought of in nashvilee, a paisly asat would make it explode.

[JagInTheBag]

a paisley g&l. most of his guitars are made by custom builders, like the one in the top picture. why couldn't g&l be his custom builder. g&l's are already well thought of in nashvilee, a paisly asat would make it explode.

Agreed, these are all Crook Custom guitars, http://www.crookcustomguitars.com/
Looks like they use Brad in their marketing. I agree it would be good, especially if Brad were to buy into a signature model. You have Wil Ray for the blue grass/rock people, Cantrel for the heavy rock dudes, they need a top shelf country boy.

Perhaps someone in the rock arena that is famous for his Strat-style guitar. Who comes to mind?

[Michael-GnL-Michael]

Lunch: Cheese quesadillas.

Why couldn't G&L be his custom builder? "G&L does not do that level of customization" is what I have heard for far less features when I spoke with a big dog G&L dealer.

IMO, the paisley looks very feminine with a white background. I think it might work better with either a complimentary color or lighter shade of the same color, black with gray background for instance. looking at the three guitars in that bottom image I think of women's lingerie and Brokeback Mountain looking at that top image with the baby blue over the shoulder...........not that there is anything wrong with that.

I know some people think he will endorse anything and it undermines his credibility but get Johnny Hiland. He is very articulate about the products he endorses and people love his playing ability. He is a very nice guy and he deserves a good guitar in his hands.

In the Strat arena Gilmour is king but a G&L in his hands would come off like a wounded sports hero looking for a new career in another field. Everyone knows his guitars have been almost 100% Fender. He is not forging new ground and is in the twilight of his career now.

Guilty music pleasures? Sort of a one-off, I liked that single Christina Aguilera and Ricky Martin released a few years ago. I bought it and listened to it. However, I have no idea where it is and have not seen it for years now.



.

[Elemeno P]

"Perhaps someone in the rock arena that is famous for his Strat-style guitar. Who comes to mind?"

Imagine Malmsteen with a Legacy.

[JagInTheBag]

John Mayer? Forget it, he already has a siganture Fender. WTH?!

[louis cyfer]

Lunch: Cheese quesadillas.

Why couldn't G&L be his custom builder? "G&L does not do that level of customization" is what I have heard for far less features when I spoke with a big dog G&L dealer.

IMO, the paisley looks very feminine with a white background. I think it might work better with either a complimentary color or lighter shade of the same color, black with gray background for instance. looking at the three guitars in that bottom image I think of women's lingerie and Brokeback Mountain looking at that top image with the baby blue over the shoulder...........not that there is anything wrong with that.

I know some people think he will endorse anything and it undermines his credibility but get Johnny Hiland. He is very articulate about the products he endorses and people love his playing ability. He is a very nice guy and he deserves a good guitar in his hands.

In the Strat arena Gilmour is king but a G&L in his hands would come off like a wounded sports hero looking for a new career in another field. Everyone knows his guitars have been almost 100% Fender. He is not forging new ground and is in the twilight of his career now.

Guilty music pleasures? Sort of a one-off, I liked that single Christina Aguilera and Ricky Martin released a few years ago. I bought it and listened to it. However, I have no idea where it is and have not seen it for years now.



.

hilland already had prs and music man signatures. he is incredible, that is for sure. i don't think he meant gilmour, or that it could even work. cantrell is not much of a guitar player, i never
quite understood his signature model. i think thomas blug would be a good strat style guitar guy if someone can wrestle away the 63 strat from his hands. i think a comanche would be great for him.

[JagInTheBag]

Just watched some video of Thomas Blug. Seems a decent fellow. How about an American?

[JagInTheBag]

Lunch: Cheese quesadillas.

Why couldn't G&L be his custom builder? "G&L does not do that level of customization" is what I have heard for far less features when I spoke with a big dog G&L dealer.

IMO, the paisley looks very feminine with a white background. I think it might work better with either a complimentary color or lighter shade of the same color, black with gray background for instance.

.

How does this grab you?

[repoman]

Lunch today was my old standby: a Boca veggie burger.

G&L - I'd like to see Tony Levin with a signature model L2000 or L2500.

I can't see myself ever buying one, but the black/yellow paisley guitar pic you posted looks kinda nice. And I image a black on grey might look OK too.

Guitly pleasures - when I'm in the mood for some lobotomy music I crank some Ramones. Hey! Ho! Lets' Go!

Jeff

[darwinohm]

This has been my week for leftover Chicken. Last week it was Pizza. I will hang in there to the bitter end.

Jag, I have thought a lot about the G&L content today. First of all, if you look at the list of G7L players, they have a pretty impressive list of artists. They have limited artist models and I would not buy a Cantrell but I think the WR is super. I have already owned a Fender B Bender and I am not looking for another bender. If I could play it like Will, I would probably have one of each color. I don't think the artists models are where its at. I own four artist models, Clapton Custom Shop, John Mayer Strat, Johnny Hiland Prs, and a Fender Mary Kaye 50th Aniv reissue. I didn't buy any of them because of the artist association. I bought each one of them way below market value and according to e-bay sell prices, I could make a fair amount of change on each one of them. Each one of them are awesome guitars. I hate to use the word investment but they are certainly an asset.

The other problem I see is that most of the people watching media clips and televised concerts see a Tele or a Strat style guitar and immediately assume they are seeing Fenders. At a distance very few would recognize the little protrusion on the headstock that makes it a G&L to we who know them. We who know them are buying the hell out of them. They look like a Fender to the person who doesn't know about G&Ls. Usually the headstocks are not shown close up in concerts anyway. What I think we have is an identity issue. When someone see's my Parker from a distance they know that it is an ugly Parker but is has an identity. We who are familiar with G&L are always looking to sight them. Most of the other people wouldn't recognize one.

For the reasons that I have stated, I do not see artist usage as the big solution. I think that G&L has to market carefully, I think that their import line can be a big asset with the younger people who cannot afford more expensive guitars. I also think that we owners have to talk about our guitars to other musicians that we know. I also believe that forums like this, especially this one with Craig's involvement is a jewel for G&L. I am concerned about their customer service and their dealer network. I just looked at their dealer list in the twin cities today and we have several dealers but only one that you could see the product line. They even have each neck, not attached to a body for people to feel. They are truly a gem in the dealer arena. We on the forum are lucky as things that are brought up on this forum are resolved. I see the same complaints about contacting G&L on the bass forum and things get solved there by Ken. Customer Service is king and so are the dealer networks. I have experienced outstanding customer service and it is the best thing in the world for sustaining product loyalty. Sorry for the long post but this has been on my mind and I am bothered when someone says they have contacted G&L and they don't hear back. -- Have a great evening everyone, I am, I was just in the house and looked at some of them-- Darwin

I got so wound up I missed the non G&L contact but musically, I am in a rut, so if it isn't old, I probably don't dig it!

Another after thought. G&L has the blingy-est flake finishes in the business and Fender doesn't have anything like it. When you see a WR in the light on stage, it lights. Maybe we need all the atrists to play flake models and then everyone would figure it out.

[JagInTheBag]

Darwin,

Your points are well considered and well taken. I have not experienced the customer service problem described by others. Every time I call with a question or concern, someone is on the phone who knows their stuff or they get back to me right away. As far as dealer network- I agree wholeheartedly. There needs to be better standards and better tools for the dealers to use to drive sales. The question is, does G&L listen to this board, or take the suggestions seriously? I am a sales and marketing guy who runs a small business that competes with VERY large ones. I think I have something of value to contribute and am willing to volunteer it if I know my input is heard. Perhaps that leads into tomorrows G&L Topic...

[Michael-GnL-Michael]

IMO, the paisley looks very feminine with a white background. I think it might work better with either a complimentary color or lighter shade of the same color, black with gray background for instance.

How does this grab you?

Well, it changes my mind a bit. I think THAT looks more feminine, more like lingerie and I might even wonder if a country musician playing it on stage was wearing such garments under his jeans. There is no getting around it, paisley patterns look feminine.

...I have not experienced the customer service problem described by others. Every time I call with a question or concern, someone is on the phone who knows their stuff or they get back to me right away. As far as dealer network- I agree wholeheartedly. There needs to be better standards and better tools for the dealers to use to drive sales. The question is, does G&L listen to this board, or take the suggestions seriously?....

Another question is, does G&L provide an efficient and prompt response when dealers contact them for information? A business is sticking more than its neck out by carrying a product. When that business is responsible for being the middleman and the point of sale for custom orders they stand to invest a lot of time and labor($). The custom order option can be a monster to manage. They will also take a hit if a transaction goes bad for some reason.

I already have enough direct experience to know G&L customers would be better off working with G&L factory representatives instead of the typical music store owner. For a wide range of valid reasons, very few of them can become experts. G&L would have to be much better at providing information to everyone than the evidence suggests. If they are unable to provide a source for accurate and up to date information to the consumer they probably are not doing a great job of supporting the dealer network. G&L would have to build a team of well-trained representatives to serve as agents for orders and problems, perhaps separate teams, perhaps all-inclusive.

I have contacted several G&L dealers and would not feel as comfortable working through any of them as I would working directly with an agent, much like an insurance agent. Unlike Apple Stores there are no G&L Stores. All dealers sell other products and rely on everything to keep their doors open. I'd rather work with someone who has a job description that is exclusive to G&L.

Kind of an aside, I know of a store that maintains a large inventory of USA G&Ls. However, they do not promote the custom order option. When asked about anything in this regard, they do not even have a polished response. They seem unaware that the custom order option is used so much and is common knowledge among G&L fans. The owner speaks from the perspective of a store acquiring merchandise to sell not from the viewpoint of providing the ordering service to customers.

[Michael-GnL-Michael]

...hilland already had prs and music man signatures. he is incredible, that is for sure. i don't think he meant gilmour, or that it could even work. cantrell is not much of a guitar player, i never
quite understood his signature model. i think thomas blug would be a good strat style guitar guy if someone can wrestle away the 63 strat from his hands. i think a comanche would be great for him.

Hiland is not widely known to listeners of music. Although he probably grabs the attention of everyone within hearing range, his fame is limited as he is mostly known to other musician types. He is not as good of a suggestion as I originally thought. It does not matter that he had PRS or Music Man signatures. There could be a musician's model in 10 brands if the musician were great enough and they set up the licensing for it.

I did not think Jag had Gilmour in mind if that is what you believe. I only suggested Gilmour as a Strat icon. Just about any known Strat player becomes disqualified because the ship has already sailed out of the port if they are known as a Strat player.

As an endorsement, I think you have a better chance targeting a musician known for their tone and playing ability if an image does not pop into your imagination when you think of them. These would be musicians who are not associated with a specific type of guitar. Allan Holdsworth has come up recently on this forum. He is best known for his unique style. He has a specialized tone. You cannot pin down a guitar type or brand by listening to his music. He has produced his sound using many different guitars. He is not nearly famous enough with a wider audience to be ideal but he could be one of several to add. Again it does not matter that there already is a Carvin Holdsworth signature. Get him in enough photos and live shows with a G&L and people will associate the two. Like many musicians, he may be able to do what he does on any brand of guitar but people will accept whatever he is using currently because it shows them he is using that brand after trying all of the others.

I think of Cantrell as a rhythm guitarist......a grunge rhythm guitarist at that...........I do not think there is any grunge musician worthy of a signature model instrument. Part of the grunge genre is the lack of technical virtuosity. Grunge is essentially a garage band played often enough on the radio to imply a momentum popular enough to catch on.

[cmguitar]

Most miles with a name.... Tim McGraw. He has been playing one for years.
You gotta look at marketing not how good of a player he or she is.

[louis cyfer]

i think chris cornell is worthy of a signature microphone but that is about it. i think my current favorite player, matt schofield would be a great s style endorsee.

[Michael-GnL-Michael]

You gotta look at marketing not how good of a player he or she is.

This is a false dichotomy. Both are important. Who cares that so and so hangs a G&L around their neck if they do not produce something people are interested in duplicating? It is not the image alone.



Matt Schofield is an awesome musician.

The band fits together well.

[Boogie Bill]

I would love to see Henry Garza of Los Lonely Boys with a signature Legacy. And of course, I should have my own Boogie Bill signature Comanche 12-string.

Ah, so many guilty pleasures; where do I start?

How about my CD of Madonna's Greatest Hits? Afterall, I AM still a virgin!

Bill

[Lefty]

I would love to see Henry Garza of Los Lonely Boys with a signature Legacy. And of course, I should have my own Boogie Bill signature Comanche 12-string.

Ah, so many guilty pleasures; where do I start?

How about my CD of Madonna's Greatest Hits? Afterall, I AM still a virgin!

Bill

+1 on the "Boogie Bill signature12 string Comanche."

[sam]

A few Signature models that might give G&L some exposure even if they have a sig model, I would like to hear play G&L would be John 5, Greg Howe, Eric Johnson, Brad Paisley, Keith Urban and the Limited Release hand signed Boogie Bill 12 string Commanche.

What is your guilty pleasure?
Gotta go with Harry Belafonte or Bob Marley.