Lunch Report - Friday 12 July

[Phooey]

Final lunch report of the week. Thanks for reading and responding, it’s been interesting.

Lunch at home today: quick toasted sandwich of salami, cheese and rocket on some kind of fancypants seeded bread. I was planning to top that off with coffee and a stroopwafel, but someone’s pilfered the latter, so just coffee. As the weather’s holding out, I skipped my usual lunchtime routine of digital window shopping and took a short walk around the neighbourhood.

To close the G&L week, I wanted to talk about how you all got introduced to G&L, and how you got interested enough in them to join this community? For me it was a small detail in an interview with Helmet’s Page Hamilton:

“I ask him which guitar sounds the most like Helmet. He smiles coyly and buckles the G&L up in its case.”

That was enough for me to be seriously interested in getting hold of one. As my SC-2 was a bit of a fix-er up-er, I guess I invested enough time and money in the thing that I really got to have a connection with it, more so than many other guitars I own(ed).

And finally... we’re all music nuts here, so what new music have you heard this year that’s really interested you?

I’ve been on a real mission to hear more new music, and especially in genres I’m unfamiliar with, so I’ve been listening to a lot of foreign, non-commercial radio. Great finds for me this year are Buke and Gase and Callers. Both really interesting sounding bands in my opinion.

[youtube]yJ4zfhzzvZE[/youtube]

[youtube]a7fnv2EXc_Y[/youtube]

[Fumble fingers]

I've been UG.com for years but was never on the UG forum , one day I got onto the forum and read a G & L thread by a guy called Justrooster , I always wanted a Fender strat my whole life , once I read about G & L's that was the end of Fenders for me and haven't looked back

good LR this week !!

[darwinohm]

Phooey, I haven't had time to post much but really enjoyed yesterdays LR when I looked at it this morning. There some interesting new people and that is what makes this forum fun. I have been on other forums but there are none like this one. I have really enjoyed your reports this week.

I had mentioned that I was introduced to G&L 5 years ago on a CL trade. I often will buy something that I really like and then do a lot of research. That is what happened with me and G&L. I am always on the watch in guitar shops for G&Ls. I stopped by Willies yesterday in St. Paul and they have an Orange Spalted Alder ASAT Bass that would have come home with me if I already did not have one on order. Their woods are so interesting. I have several guitars with spectacular woods but they are expensive compared to the G&Ls so the value in my opinion is outstanding. Thanks for the fun week. I am off to gigging. --Darwin

[ellengtrgrl]

I'm at work, and I'm taking a quick break to post this:

Darwin, how is Willie's these days? The last time I stopped off at that place, was in late 1990, when my boyfriend and I visited a mutual friend of ours, who living in the the Twin Cities area. Since I was looking for another guitar (as a backup and 2nd guitar for the band my boyfriend and I were playing in at the time), we went guitar shopping (I remember seeing tons of 70s Fender Telecaster Deluxes in the shops). Willie's was one of the places we stopped at. I couldn't afford any of the guitars, but I do remember trying out a Hiwatt Custom 50 amp. Willie's was physically, a pretty small shop.

How did I find out about G&L? From ads I saw in Guitar Player Magazine back in the early 80s (remember the ad with a photo of the guys from Spandau Ballet [a band that's never been my cup 'o tea] holding Interceptors?). I became more interested, when the Broadcaster, and the ASATs came out in the late 80s, but G&L's have never been very common around here. I did try out a Broadcaster at Dave's Guitar Shop in 1992, but being in my Gibson phase at the time, opted not to buy it (I'm kicking myself for not doing so).

Two years ago, out of curiosity, and as a means of getting away from some of the bright tonality that Teles can sometimes have, at the suggestion of another guitarist (who had one), I bought a Tribute ASAT Classic used from Guitar Center's website. It turned out to be a very nice guitar. Like an idiot, I got rid of it (within a few months I was regretting that decision). So, a month plus ago, I decided to get another ASAT (I like Tele-style guitars), but wanting to give the larger MFD pickups a try, I bought a Tribute ASAT Special Semi-Hollow (I also like thinline-style Teles). I'm glad I did! It's my go-to guitar nowadays - a great playing neck, and beefy tone, without sounding muddy when I pile on the gain. The fact that along with SC-2s, Page Hamilton also has played ASATs over the years, is plus for me, since I've always thought that he's had great guitar tone.

Well, I'd better get back to work. Luch for me today - I don't do brown bag lunches on Fridays. So, I'll probably hit the drive through ar Mickey D's or Wendy's for a burger, or Subway for a sub.

[darwinohm]

Ellen, I stop at Willies and have purchased several instruments from them. The have changed with the times and there isn't that much vintage stuff available anymore. They have a lot of vintage amps sitting around. They do have some cool stuff. I think that there marked prices are high but they do negotiate so in the end you can get a good buy depending on the item. They also have some used G&Ls so they are aware of them. It is a smaller store and everything is sitting around and that even makes it seem smaller. I will say that if you get to the cities, a stop at AGB is a must as I think they have a fantastic stock of boutique guitars and a lot of Gibson for Gibson fans. They are also one of the best G&L dealers around. Have a great day.-- Darwin

[lesdavaz]

I had never heard of G&L's when I answered an ad for a vintage Super Reverb. The kid selling it had an 80's ASAT, and I tried the amp out with it. I had owned a Super before and never heard a Telecaster sound like THAT through it. I also bonded with the neck instantly. I now own four unique USA G&L's and no other guitars. I can't wait to play them everyday. I have had 'em all at one time or another over the past 40 years.

I initially got on the forum for information regarding serial numbers, setup, specs and wiring.

I saw the Decembrists on ACL a couple of weeks ago. I thought they were very tight and creative. I had never heard them before; maybe they're an old band, I don't know. My other "discovery" this past year was the now-defunct, Civil Wars. Very sexy girl with a pretty voice. Now you're gonna look them up, right?!

You are a model LunchReporter. Hope you report again soon.

[ellengtrgrl]

Ellen, I stop at Willies and have purchased several instruments from them. The have changed with the times and there isn't that much vintage stuff available anymore. They have a lot of vintage amps sitting around. They do have some cool stuff. I think that there marked prices are high but they do negotiate so in the end you can get a good buy depending on the item. They also have some used G&Ls so they are aware of them. It is a smaller store and everything is sitting around and that even makes it seem smaller. I will say that if you get to the cities, a stop at AGB is a must as I think they have a fantastic stock of boutique guitars and a lot of Gibson for Gibson fans. They are also one of the best G&L dealers around. Have a great day.-- Darwin

Thanks for the info Darwin. If I go back up to the Twin Cities, I'll check out AGB. Like you, I also have access to a cool indie guitar shop. In my case, the shop is Cream City Music in Brookfield, WI (a western 'burb of Milwaukee). They are a major Gretsch, Gibson, Fender, and Godin dealer. They also sell tons of vintage guitars, and do get in used G&Ls on occasion (at the present time, they have a 1984 SC-3, and a 1998 ASAT Z-3). I only live about 5 miles from the place, so it's been a bit hard on my finances at times.

[gitman001]

Hey Phooey,

Just wanted to pop in and let you know that I really enjoyed your lr's this week!

I found g&l a number of years ago... I was playing an American strat and a student of mine had just bought an s-500... He plugged it in and we both strummed a G - his s 500 had completely blown my strat out of the water! I order one the next day. Current count is 11 (actually 10 as I write this, and one on a FedEx truck in upstate New York somewhere!!!... Keep an eye out for a NGD post this week)

Again, great job! Have a great weekend
Scott

[Miles Smiles]

Just wanted to pop in and let you know that I really enjoyed your lr's this week!

Yep and for me, living in the almost same time zone, they where placed right in time too.

[Phooey]

Thanks for the kind words all. Have a great weekend.