I think you're probably right about no Experience. It's Europe's normal year, but I don't think there will be a chance of that happening, and I don't think things are going to clear up enough here to allow them to do the early-June time frame. Also think the precautions are still going to be a tad onerous for that kind of gathering this year. Still kicking myself for not revisiting my 2014 Experience page and posting pics of the empty lots covered with coronavirus instead of tumbleweeds.

Cool looking guitar! That guitar intrigues me, but the lack of a trem holds me back. Not that I'm dive bar crazy, but when I don't have one, I miss it. I should add to my previous statement - I don't have much GAS, but there is a pic floating around of John Mayer playing a purple Silver Sky, and that makes me a little hungry. I'd do a Dodgem Blue at the right price (coronavirus blocked me by about a week last year). I don't have any duplicate models, but if I get a second Silver Sky, my plan is to float the trem - I have the shims I need. Just have to get the guitar. And the courage.

Best band break up notice ever:

We were just discussing some of this on the PRS board. Back in the late 70s, I got a Hondo II Les Paul copy - cherry sunburst (wonder where I got that idea?). Played the hell out of that guitar, and worked on it like crazy trying to get the action low and eliminate buzzes and stuff. Never did get it set up that well. Compare to what you can get for that price today - even w/o adjusting for inflation - and it's almost night and day. I still have that guitar at my parents' - every couple years I threaten to get it and see if I can round it into decent shape. It also screwed me up for my first real Les Paul - the wiring for the middle position doesn't work the same as Gibson wiring. With both, the middle position is a blend, but with a Gibson, the middle position is silent if one of the volumes is off. On the Hondo, as long as one was turned up, you got sound.

Hey, drummers are a dime a dozen - ask Spinal Tap.

I hear he exploded.

My first electric was a second-hand 'Hondo Performer' Strat copy. It wasn't great, but compared to cheap guitars in the 80's the ones you can get now are miles ahead of anything I could've imagined back then. I now have only a Squier Strat and it's seriously the best guitar - for me - I've ever owned. I've had Levinsons, Daions, Fenders (American and Japanese), a Gibson, ESP's, a B.C. Rich and this Squier is my favourite of the lot.

Opened the box from Chicago Music Exchange and viola! my new PRS SE Paul’s Guitar and she is a beauty!
Just stunning, look at that flame top. Even the famous PRS birds are made from abalone. This is one solid guitar that feels expensive in the hands. That bridge is American made, the same bridge on their super expensive models.

The 2 greatest SE models are this one and the Chris Robertson.



And those CDs behind the guitar represent the core of the collection, some of my oldest CDs, my favorite groups like The Beatles, The Stones, The Who, Led ZEP etc. This is where I would reach first for a CD.
The collection has grown since the early days and most are now in 2 closets and many stored in my basement.
But I still love these core CDs.

https://blog.taylorguitars.com/taylor-t ... xtCT9eOWek

Taylor Transitions to 100% Employee Ownership Through an ESOP




Great news for the Taylor brand, damn good guitars. I have the 314ce and it is amazing!

I take it these are not Guitar amps.

Bluetooth speakers.

Coming soon in 2021.

Also coming soon...

As I posted on another board (a couple slight changes)...

The exact date is long gone from memory, but it was fifty years ago this month, January 1971, that I took my first guitar lesson. A loaner acoustic for a short period before I had my first guitar - a Harmony that’s still around somewhere at my parents’ house. I wanted to play guitar because Johnny Cash did.

Music has always been a big part of my life. Much like I don’t remember discovering a love of Johnny Cash’s music, I don’t remember when I realized that music was something special to me. Both have just always been.

Fifty years is a long time. A ton of music and artists that I’ve loved. A ton of songs that I’ve wanted to learn, and a fraction of those that I actually did learn. A lot of GAS over the years - my old guitar teacher used to tease me when I said I wanted something. He’d just smile and ask, “How about I just get one of every color, and you have your dad bring the truck up to take it all home?”

Eventually, I got my Hondo LP copy. That led to an Aria Flying V copy. I played the crap out of those guitars. In the early 80s, I found myself with a chance to buy a goldtop Les Paul. My first real guitar. A few others followed until I finally got my first PRS in 2004 (after a long time of wanting one).

All in all, this hobby has given me a lot - a lot of practice time, a lot of learning, a lot of frustration, a lot of satisfaction, and a lot of pride. I can still lose myself for hours when I’m working on something, and when the thing is finally done, a lot of satisfaction. It’s also let me meet a lot of wonderful people, including the people in this forum (and a couple others). I’ve talked to some wonderful craftsmen over the years who make the instruments and the parts of the instruments that I love.

My wife calls it my happy place, and I’m fortunate to get to spend time there. I’ve spent a lot of time and money on music, concerts, equipment, and instruments over the years, and I don’t regret any of it. It’s been a constant journey of learning and discovery. And after all this time, the only thing I can say is...

I thought I’d be better by now.

No, wait, not that. Well, that, but moreso - I love this stuff. What a fun ride it’s been.

That's a beautiful post, Alan...and we all thought we'd be much better by now.

Thanks, Simon.

Had one of those really interesting moments on Saturday. There's a Kiss podcast I listen to called Shout It Out Loudcast - couple guys from Boston. Last week's episode was a list of their top 10 picks of third tracks from albums. Figured I'd do the same and made a quick playlist on my iPod to listen to while I was in the shower.

Weekends have become the time when I spend a ton of time w/my music stuff, especially because I can't go anywhere. I don't like doing it during the week because it's too easy to lose track of time - as it is, I can start at 1 and blink and it's 4:30. But I digress - first thing I wanted to do Saturday was record an acoustic part for the tune I'm recording. Moved some mics around, did my stretching, was just idly noodling as I was setting things up, and then it hits me - I'm playing the third song from the Gene solo album, "See You Tonite". That's not the weird part - the weird part is I've never learned it. I have the sheet music book from 40+ years ago, but I never actually learned to play the song. But sure enough, there it was. And after I popped a capo on the fourth fret for the song I was working on, it sounded even cooler, so I took that as a sign and ended up recording that as well.

That kind of stuff doesn't happen for me very often. It's happened a few times, but it's rare - and I love it when it does occur.

I'm a fan of Mary Spender's YouTube channel and this video - a conversation with her guitar teacher - is genuinely interesting.

The story of my life.

I recently found this 12/7/78 edition of The Sider Press, the student run newspaper at Oceanside High School when I was there. In it is an article about “The Justice Peyton Band” which was our southern rock band while we were in H.S.. It’s written by one of or best friends, a guy named David Levine. He was in a competing band called “Eclipse”. We gave him endless friendly abuse over writing it. I was 17 at the time. The upcoming concert he mentions in the article was held in the school’s main auditorium. About 700 kids showed up for it.





Ahhh....those were the days!

The 70s were great for high school bands and what we would call the Battle Of The Bands. My high school had a nice band that played Steely Dan and more progressive rock of the day, pretty adventurous. Plus LI had many bars that featured live music with the local bands of that era like The Good Rats, Zebra, Rat Race Choir and LA Woman. Twister Sister was also one of those local bands playing the circuit. Some became nationally known.

Having spent the best part of a year playing my Squier every day, I've decided to get another guitar.

It's going to be one of these -

https://shop.fender.com/en-AU/electric- ... 12307.html



They're not available here yet but I'm going to get one and have it set up with 8 - 38 strings. The 9 - 42's on the Squier are still too heavy for my arthritic hands. I thought I'd adapt, but the Tele will need 8's on it.