I Shopped!

 After 8 weeks, I finally got to go guitar shopping. I call it guitar shopping, but let's face it - the likelihood of finding an acceptable lefty at a local store is similar to the likelihood of Michael Jackson returning, doing a hip duet and dance number with Jesus. I haven't been shopping since the Flying AIDS hit.  [shock!]

We hit Sam Ash. Unfortunately they are following Guitar Center's lead and reducing their inventory by 50%. I'm sure it's the Flying AIDS. To give you an idea, I'd never seen so many new, varied pedals anywhere, short of a guitar show. Last weekend, there were precious few.

As usual, the guitar guys were nice and knowledgeable. And as usual, they didn't have much over the Player grade Fenders. How am I supposed to check out the features on the higher-end guitars if I can't find any in the Philly metro area? 

Fender's Mod Garage recently reopened. This is where you can literally put together your own guitar. They have about 4 different neck shapes, none of which you can touch in stores to find out if that's what you like. Unlike last time, there are no 7.25" radius or chunky necks available. I think a 7.25 to 9.5 compound radius would be nice. It's odd... whenever anyone plays my older Fenders, they love them. Yet the majority of new Fenders all come with one annoying (to me) 9.5" C-shaped neck. The most important thing is the Mod Garage added the best paint option: pukeburst!  (aka antigua).

So for arguably $2k, you can put together your own Strat.

You decide if that price is ok.

So I've got a backlog of effects box kits to build. And when I say backlog, I mean I stopped most of the way through the first one and never went back to it.

But I'm having a blast with my living room setup. It's taking quite a while to get the reverb and delay set correctly (mostly volume) but I'm not short of gain... by far my favorite is the Lovepedal Superlead. It stays on most of the time. I'll have to try it with the larger tube amps (that are not well-suited for the living room).

If you're bored and want to torture your friends with perfect pitch, you need a 12 string fretless guitar.

Sweetwater sent an email with the subject 'What makes the Big Muff so great?'

That it's not on my pedalboard?

I'd like to see a 'Where are they now' on the musicians on Jeff Beck's Blow by Blow. Max Middleton (keys) is an MVP across the Jeff Beck Group albums, as well as these. To date, nobody can tell me what they used on his Rhodes on "Cause We Ended as Lovers'.

The League of Distinguished Gentlemen