Category: Guitar

Straps

Now that I have a new guitar, I find myself in the market for a guitar strap. There was a strap included in the case candy, but I am gigantically huge and it was too small for practical use. It’s actually fine for me to use if I’m sitting down because I like to wear a strap while I sit and I want it way up high. That works out. It won’t do for me if I’m standing though. I measured it at about 55 inches long so I’m guessing I need something that is at least 60 inches if not a little longer.

Amazon has some. I would bet if I checked musiciansfriend.com they’d have some too. All well and good. Normally I just go to a music store and buy the longest one they have. I’m still planning on trading my Strat in someplace, probably guitar center, but I might do some research and find if there is any place in the city with a better trade-value reputation. There probably isn’t. I might just pick one up when I take care of the Strat. Who knows. Maybe.

What about etsy? There is a surprising amount of homemade guitar gear on etsy, are there straps? Yes, yes there are. Quite a few of them. The selling prices are higher than I was really interested in spending, but there are a few that are interesting. One of them is made out of recycled seatbelts. That sounds like fun. I don’t see lengths listed on the sales page though. That’s a deal breaker for me.

However the strap journey works itself out, I want to play tonight. I kinda need to play tonight.

Rock on, my friends.

Dream Gig

I had a dream about a gig last night. I think that means I need to start playing with the band again.

I’m pretty sure it was a pizza joint. It wasn’t my band. Whoever they were, no one was paying attention. I walked up on stage, picked up a tobacco burst Les Paul Standard and started playing Living Loving Maid by Led Zeppelin. The rest of the band magically knew what I was doing and started playing with me. Unfortunately for the audience (all, like, six people) I think I was doing all the singing too. Sorry about that, but no one seemed to vomit. They loved our little Zeppelin tune.

Two minutes later the song was over and the crowd was itching for more. I figured a Jimmy Page song worked already so maybe I could challenge them with some Jeff Beck. I expected I Ain’t Superstitious to bomb but they ate it up. Next it was time for some Yardbirds. I’m a Man totally slayed. I then thought I’d challenge them with something down tempo but You’re a Better Man Than I brought down the house. Finally I brought it full circle. One Jimmy Page tune followed by a slew of Jeff Becks, let’s hit some Page era Yardbirds. Train Kept a Rolling rocked the pizza joint customers’ faces clean off.

And there you have it. I had a dream about a gig… and it might have been the best gig I’ve ever done. The Rock and Roll was rocking and rolling like you’ve read about. Awesome.

Guitar Specs

This is going to be a guitar nerd post. You’ve been warned.

Here are the specs for my new guitar. Most of this is obvious just by looking at it. I’m mostly concerned with saving the pick ups, the frets, the nut, the wood in the body and the fretboard, and the tuners.

Gibson Les Paul Standard 50s

Body
Body Shape – Les Paul
Body Material – Mahogany
Top – Maple
Weight Relief – None
Finish – Gloss Nitrocellulose Lacquer

Neck
Material – Mahogany
Profile – Vintage 50s
Scale Length – 24.75″ / 628.65mm
Fingerboard Material – Rosewood
Fingerboard Radius – 12″
Number Of Frets – 22
Frets – Medium Jumbo
Nut Material – Graph Tech
Nut Width – 1.69″ / 43.05mm
End of Board Width – 2.26″ / 57.4mm
Inlays – Acrylic Trapezoids

Hardware
Finish – Nickel
Bridge – ABR-1 Tune-O-Matic
Tailpiece – Aluminum Stop Bar
Tuning Machines – Vintage Deluxe w/ Keystone Buttons
Pickguard – Cream
Control Knobs – Gold Top Hats w/ Pointers
Switch Tip – Amber
Switchwasher – Cream
Jack Plate Cover – Cream

Electronics
Neck Pickup – Burstbucker 1
Bridge Pickup – Burstbucker 2
Controls – 2 Volumes, 2 Tones & Toggle Switch (Hand-wired with Orange Drop Capacitors)

While I’m at it, let’s save off the specs from my SG too. They are still available on the Gibson website under legacy models.

2018 Gibson SG Standard

Body
Wood Species – Mahogany
Finish – Gloss Nitrocellulose Lacquer

Neck
Material – Mahogany
Neck Profile – Slim Taper
Scale Length – 24.75″
Fingerboard Material – Rosewood
Fingerboard Radius – 12″
Number of Frets – 22

Hardware
Finish – Chrome
Bridge – Aluminum Tune-O-Matic
Tailpiece – Aluminum Stop Bar
Tuning Machines – Locking Kidneys
Pick Guard – Black 4-ply
Control Knobs – Black Top Hats
Switch Tip – Black
Switch Washer – Black (not mounted)

Electronics
Neck Pickup – 61R
Bridge Pickup – 61T
Controls – 2 volumes, 2 tones, 1 toggle switch

Best Birthday Ever

My wife got me a birthday present yesterday. Something so far above and beyond the call of duty that I was literally speechless.

It’s a brand spanking new Gibson Les Paul Standard 50’s (tobacco burst). The one with the big chunky neck that after one day I already love more than words can express.

I spent about an hour and a half to two hours just noodling and then recording some parts. My finger tips are killing me, and they are pitch black from the lacquer rubbing off. It’s so friggin’ cool I can’t get over it. What a kick ass birthday present. I had no idea. None. Zero. I am shocked and awed and very thankful.

What a way to kick off my 50’s! Let’s get the band together so I can show it off! Awesome!

Play Like Mr Johnson

I use the youtube to learn how to make new and exciting weird noises, but I don’t often use it to learn how to… you know… play.

I have no excuse for never learning how to play finger style guitar before. None except that I have no independence in the fingers in my right hand. For the lesson in the video, I can play the thumb part easy. I can play the non-thumb part easy. Can I play them both together? That would be a no.

Mr Johnson and I share a birthday. The least I can do is learn to play more like him (ie: steal from him*). Now that I’m 50, why not? I mean, Mr Johnson died at 27** so it’s really the least I could do, right?

*Is “ie” used correctly? Should it be “eg” or “re” instead? I didn’t sleep last night so I can’t do grammar.

**No one knows for sure how Robert died, but the most common theory is that he was chasing after a married woman and her husband poisoned him.

10 Hours to Go

It’s 2:00. I started lunch a little late today because I had a couple of meetings and my company officially announced the new post-Covid telecommuting policy. So I’m writing my lunch post at 2:00pm instead of 1:00pm.

Harry found his keys! WOOHOO!! They were in his backpack all along. Sweet. We still have to get him a spare, but for now all is well. We can get a spare at our leisure.

I haven’t played guitar in two weeks. The facebook mind reading last night had me inspired for some searching of the Google for some absurdly expensive vintage Les Pauls and now I just want to play and play and play. I made it worse by reading an article about the new Gibson Murphy Lab were Tom Murphy brings his aging process to Gibson Custom Shop guitars and, while I really don’t love the idea of artificially aged guitars, they look awesome. Maybe I’ll get some playing tomorrow.

Speaking of tomorrow. It’s now 2:15pm which means I only have nine hours and 45 minutes left in my 40’s. Shit. When I turned 40, Jen got a bunch of my family and friends together and we all went out to a fancy restaurant and had a great night. My 30th birthday was a shit show. I started freaking out about turning 30 on my 28th birthday. The idea of only having one more 20-something birthday left really screwed me up. I spent my 30th birthday… at Larry’s, I think. Pretty sure it was Larry’s old place on Chandler street. I think I was nursing a little heartache over some forgotten woman that I was much better off without. 30 was a bad time for me, but without it I wouldn’t have been where I needed to be for 36. My 36th birthday came about a month after I started dating Jen. They’ve all been pretty good since then. I have Jen and Harry and Bellana to thank for that. 50 will be fine too. It’s just that existential dread that comes from knowing, as Captain Picard once said, that there are fewer days ahead than behind. Harry has teasingly dropped the words “half a century” a few times. I’m fine with the reality of that, but the idea is pretty disturbing. Back in my late teens I convinced myself that I wouldn’t live to see 40. I don’t know why. Suck it, teenage self, how do you like me now?

It’s 2:30 now. 9.5 hours left in my 40’s. Oh well, what can you do, right?

Marketing Fun

Jen sent me a text today asking if I had made an appointment to have work done on my beloved 1978 Gibson Les Paul. Her message used the exact phrase, “Les Paul.”

Fast forward to bed time and she tells me that her Facebook feed is filled with ads for Les Pauls. Including some custom shop models. She was surprised by the high prices. I was not. I told her about a ‘59 I saw for sale online today for $400,000.

That doesn’t matter though. What matters is she typed and Facebook tried to sell.

Surprised?

Thoughts on a Tuesday

I spent my whole afternoon so far looking through a customer’s database for an example of a piece of data that I am now pretty convinced does not exist. Le Sigh, as the French (don’t) say.

The Bruins moved into third place in the division with a win over New Jersey last night. The win also clinched a playoff spot. There will be a post season for the Bruins in this Covid Season #2. There are still a few more games to play but if it ended today they’d be matched with Pittsburgh in the first round. Le Yikes, as the French (don’t) say.

I tore the cellar storage apart twice and that little purple knock off uni-vibe pedal is still MIA. Before the great cellar disaster clean up (I’ll give the details someday, but the wound is too fresh for now) it was in a cardboard box on top of the table next to the bulkhead door under one of the last remaining functional fluorescent lights. All of that stuff was packed up and moved into the storage area just to the left of the washer/dryer. Everything else is there, but the little purple knock off uni-vibe pedal with Jimi Hendrix painted on it is not there. (It’s a Moen Shaky Jimi, if you’re curious). I did have a thought as to one place it could be… it could be over Mike the Bass players house. I have an amp (my beloved Fender Deluxe Reverb) and a small board there that have been off limits to me since Covid. I know my Wampler Tumnus is on that board as well as an MXR Phase 95 and a Seymour Duncan Vapor Trail. I have no memory of putting the Shaky Jimi on that board, but there is a chance that it’s there. Waiting for me. Taunting me. Le Lame, as the French (don’t) say.

I’m going to see my father in the rehab hospital tomorrow. I haven’t been there yet, you need an appointment to visit patients, but my brother has. I talked to him a little today. He said I am going to have to take a Covid test before I can see my dad. He suggested I bring my vaccination card with me. Well, I bring that little cardboard bastard with me everywhere I go. I am willing to pull it out and flash it for all the world to see at the slightest moment’s notice. Hell, most times I leave the house I have to stop myself from stapling it to my forehead on the way out the door. I want everyone to see that little guy. I am vaccinated. Two shots plus two weeks, babie. I am up-to-date. Le Groovy, as the French (don’t) say.

I Admit Defeat

I told myself I wasn’t going to mess with the band pedal board, but here I am wanting to put vibe on a new song idea and I can’t find my cheapo backup vibe pedal.

So I pulled this dusty little guy off the band board.

Insert frustrated, yet musical, sigh here.

Vibe-Free

Somewhere in this cellar storage nightmare is a little, purple, cheap, vibe pedal. There’s also a foot switch for one of my amps, and an isolated 9volt plug that I can use with guitar pedals.

I went in there looking for the little, purple, vibe pedal. If I found the other two things, that would be nice, but I wanted the vibe pedal.

I found the other two things.

I didn’t find the little vibe pedal.