Spring Has Sprung LR 03/20/12

[darwinohm]

Thanks to all for the discussions and pictures yesterday. Nice porn posted. Spring has really jumped forward. We are having May weather and have had for the last two weeks. Another record breaking temperature today.

Lunch today will be leftover pizza. With Ginny being gone, I am good with leftover Corn Beef and Cabbage and leftover pizza to carry me over until she returns Thursday evening. Today is a hodgepodge of topics.

First off- Non G&L. Last week I went in to take a guitar off the wall and found a small piece of scotch tape on the wammy bar. Wed. evening Ginny and I went to Big Louies for dinner as she was leaving on Thursday. I told her that the grandaughters must have put this little piece of tape on the guitar when they were here earlier in the week. Ginny looked at me and replied " I did that". She then went on to say that she had marked the guitars and the ones that were marked were to still be here when she got home. So, she does pay attention and has favorites. Now a smart man would take notice here. She obviously expected some kind of a trade while she was gone. So what do you think? Was this a nod? There is a lot of wisdom on the forum and I will take heed. In fact, lets have a little contest with this. Show us your best excuse for buying a guitar and how you executed this plan with the CFO. That is the contest question and here is the prize for what its worth. The prize will be my Senior Class Cd and a DVD of Holy Grail in America, the History Channel video featuring the Kensington Runestone. I will announce the winner in Fridays LR and the winner can PM me with their address and I will send it out. I am always looking for new ideas for buying guitars.

G&L content has to do with an online guitar builder. Many of you have expressed a desire for this. My favorite G&L dealer, American Guitar and Band in the Twin Cities, has been developing a G&L guitar builder. I was there yesterday and asked if I could mention this on the forum today and they said "go for it". I have been involved in the testing of this product and it is awesome. It allows you to build a guitar from the G&L options that are available and shows you the guitar as you are building it along with the MSRP price. After building you can print out your build sheet.I believe it will be available by summer.
That brings up another question: Tell us about your dealer experiences.

This subject occurred to me last night.
Money Laundering, Are you guilty?

Yesterday morning I washed a load of clothes. Ginny fired me from this job a long time ago as I don't sort anything, but throw it all in one load. Later in the morning I stopped at a store and my money clip was missing. When I put this load in the dyer I would hear a "Clank" every time the drum went around. I assumed it was the metal button on my jeans. When I got home I emptied the dryer and sure enough, I had laundered my money clip and money. The money in it survived just fine and is germ free and clean. The US Gov. uses good paper.

Can't leave without some photos. This is a picture of the winter afternoon sun on some of the guitars.



I have to share a picture of who I am in charge of this week.

Magic


And Sam. My Gold Wing serves as a Kitty Couch during the winter months. They like to sleep on the subwoofer!


Have a great day and there are some tunes coming up later in the week.-- Darwin

[zapcosongs]

Great photos, Darwin!

I only have a sec. My reaction upon reading your little "marked with tape" anecdote was this: If my wife marked some of my guitars, and comment that these were the ones she wanted to remain upon her return, my assumption would be that she wanted the others gone.

Am I crazy, or did you just get the best wife? Ha! - ed

[KenC]

Darwin,

Those are some beautiful cats. Is Magic a Maine Coon?

I just got the nod for another bass. I simply told my wife that I had a shot at one that will soon become collectible (and never be available at this price again), and she gave the OK on the spot. Really, I think she has her eyes on a porch swing and sees this as a way to guilt me into buying it for her. This bass will be another project, which I am buying sight-unseen from Guitar Center. She's an "L-2000 Series E", and from the description she sounds like an '81 that's been abused but not modified. I almost took this opportunity to pick up a BBE-era ASAT Bass instead, but I was offered a great deal to compensate for a prior owner carving letters through the finish and into the wood. By the time I've paid a professional to fix the worst of that damage, it should still end up being a good deal for a first-year L2KE. I think she will go nicely with my other current G&L project, an '81/'82 L-1000 that had been reassembled with a wet coat of spray paint. I need to get some photos of that one up on the Projects page.

My worst justification ever was for the Skyhawk (one of the photos I posted yesterday). This was one of my first G&Ls, and I hadn't figured out how to sell her on the need for more yet. I told her something like "it's such a pretty shade of yellow", which understandably bombed. I guess I thought I could get her to appreciate the guitar as a work of art. She has eventually come around and admitted that some of my instruments are attractive in their own right. She definitely feels that way about the upright bass, which ended up as the focal point of one room in the house. She has also commented on the red SC-2 I posted yesterday.

Believe it or not, I have not been to a G&L dealer since before I bought my first one back in '99. It was pure chance that one of the local guitar shops in Maine was a dealer, right at the time I was getting back into playing. I keep meaning to track down my local dealership here in Maryland and pay them a visit.

Ken

[glvourot]

Lunch today was a Sandwich from the Bistro at work. Sounds like you have a good thing going at home. She will be surprised to find no new six string additions when she gets home I'm sure.

I seem to be at a low GAS level as far as guitars are concerned ( pretty happy with what I have at the momment ). But I hope to be looking for a new Bass sometime this year. Which leads me into dealer dealings. I bought my S-500 used from a big music store that does not sell new G&L's . They were a little bit clueless but I got a great guitar at a great price so I'm not complaining. There are three G&L dealers in my neck of the woods. The first one I visited had a Legacy and an Asat in stock. Understandable, since most people like to order the options they want. I was searching for an SC-2 however and when I talked to the owner he had never heard of an SC-2. Despite the big G&L banner hanging in their front window I had to explain what it was and suggested he might want to look it up online...

Dealer #two had more guitars in stock but no SC-2's and actually nobody but a receptionist there to answer questions. She didn't lnow what was going on and I didn't hang around to wait for somebody who might. I called dealer #3 and they were the most knowledgable. They also only took orders and had no guitars in stock. I ended up buying my SC-2 online without ever playing one first. So it ended up being fine and I am really happy with the guitar. I'm not sure I want to buy another that way though. So when the Bass search begins in earnest I will have to be patient in order to play an actual SB-2 in the flesh. Otherwise I will look at some Fenders. ( but I really like the looks of those SB-2's)

[suave eddie]

There are three G&L dealers in my neck of the woods. The first one I visited had a Legacy and an Asat in stock. Understandable, since most people like to order the options they want. I was searching for an SC-2 however and when I talked to the owner he had never heard of an SC-2. Despite the big G&L banner hanging in their front window I had to explain what it was and suggested he might want to look it up online...

Give Bone Rattle another shot...talk to Phil, the owner. I don't know if this is standard operating procedure for him, but when I placed my order, he did not ask for any deposit, and I was under no obligation to complete the purchase if I was not satisfied upon arrival of the order. I know exactly what you mean about the one in Deep Cove...worthless. I'm not sure which other one you are talking about but the small mom and pop store in Coquitlam carries very little in stock--maybe one U.S. and one Tribute.

[gitman001]

Hey Darwin,

Another late check in after a long day

So what do you think? Was this a nod?

I think you have the green light for sure! Just make sure you leave the ones with the tape at home, and you will be fine.

I am really lucky that i so far have not needed an excuse... "Its a business expense" 4 words that have served me really well the last little while. The CFO has capped me at one a year, but i am okay with that

I am always looking for new ideas for buying guitars.

Start giving a few lessons Darwin, and i will loan you those 4 words

I would love to have access to an online G&L builder. I hope that it is made available to the public soon - wait, what am i saying! I already have this years guitar - maybe they won't have it ready until 2013

Money Laundering, Are you guilty?

I have washed my fair share of money, the worst is cheques... i have a bad habit of sticking them in my back pocket when i receive payment from students. There have been a few times that i have had to CSI these tiny little pieces of paper back together after they have gone through the wash - I always feel so dumb having to ask for the cheque to be rewritten

Have a good night
Scott

[glvourot]

I think I may have related my dealer story before and if not, good deduction Suave Eddie ! I would give Bone Rattle another shot, in that we are agreed.

[yowhatsshakin]

Hey Darwin,

Still a wonderful wall of guitars you have!

My wife is (mostly) trusting me with me collecting ASAT's. What gets her more nervous is a potential burglary then me buying a lemon. And once in a while she points out a potential candidate or even gives me one for my birthday. The weakest excuse I've ever used was many, many years ago when I bought a Tacoma Papoose P-1 for $150 under the pretense it was a present for her. Once in a while she is still reminding me with a big grin on her face that that is her guitar

Would be great to have a G&L 'guitar builder' app. Too bad there isn't anybody at the company putting some time in but I guess one has to make choices. But if their choice is to actually build these customized designs, I'm all for it!

As far as money laundering is concerned, same here but more like loose bucks in miscellaneous pockets. We should be happy they use high quality paper ...

- Jos


P.S. Sincerest regards from Mocha (left) and Leila (right) to Magic and Sam

[sscandyman]

i recently purchased a superhawk off the marketplace and tried to explain the significance of the fine tuner vibrato to my wife ( to which i got a blank stare) and told her not to worry ill sell off my superhawk project to pay for it .... this now seems unlikely .

i have not come up with a plan of how to break the news that both hawks are staying and it looks like the working dog head i ordered is going to beat me home.... i guess this is a post on how NOT to justify a purchase

[louis cyfer]

i try to wash some money every day, usually it comes out clean enough that it's hard to tell where it's been. never tried the washing machine though.

monkey sends her regards to magic and wants her spot back.



the best reason i ever gave for buying the guitar is "i want it". i told the cfo, "it's my money i use it when i need it, or i go to j g wentworth". the cfo said, that is the best reason you could ever have or need, enjoy it. of course, it is a very simple thing guys, it's called wearing the pants. try it sometimes.

[zapcosongs]

of course, it is a very simple thing guys, it's called wearing the pants. try it sometimes.

You know, Louis, you are an extraordinarily talented fellow, but sometimes you really get my skirt in a bundle! ;+) - ed

[darwinohm]

Thanks all for your Ideas and photos. Cats are the most beautiful and interesting creatures.

Ed, hope you parents are doing okay and I know that time is short fro checking in.

Ken, Magic is Tortoise- Show us your Bass stuff today!

GLV, I feel badly for many folks as they do not have dealers for G&L in close proximity. There are only two in the twin cities that I am aware of and only one really pushes the product.

Suave, With a name like "Bone Rattler" how could you fail as a dealer?

Scott, you are right in the business angle. I thought about it but it would have been a stretch for me as we have our own business but decided to not include the music part. I am too old to give lessons but could benefit from a few myself!

Jos, Beautiful kitties and Magic and Sam say hello back! As for the on line builder, I think that G&L is aware and may be participating but I do not know at what level. This is a builder covering all possible available options for each model. It is impressive. The colors of everything is beautiful.

SScandy, It sounds to me like you got the "look" while trying to explain the fine tuners. This is when a guy realizes that his sales job needs fine tuning!

Louis, Monkey looks a lot like Magic, thnks for posting that!

Am going to get todays post ready- Thanks all.-- Darwin

[JagInTheBag]

Enzo says "hi"!



As does Buttons.

[darwinohm]

Enzo and Buttons are cool cats! Thanks-- Darwin.