Heaping-Helping Serving of Crow?

Well...let's hope I am not eating Crow. Kelly Guitars are played by Lou Reed. But... aha... the ones that are supposedly good, do cost $1300 (for their 'Esquire-Style' guitars)... so my comment about under-$1000-Cabo-Guitars might be ok. I am also investigating TV-Jones pickups... when I can get a chance to 'snag' a Kelly Guitar I will... and maybe I will drop a TV-Jones pickup into it. Kelly did a nice job with their headstock logo for my mind... so maybe that means they will also sound great. On a note here... Harmony Reviews and on-line searches lead most people to comment that Kelly Guitars beat-out the average 'Relic' guitar by Fender... this may be true. I went to Guitar Center the other day, and played some of their $1900 Fender Relic Guitars. They are nice if you have never had better, but I don't think most of them would cut it on stage. Kurt Linhof mentioned to me that some older 50's guitars needed time to age well... and many improved over time..., but some also stayed just as dead... well... some of those 'Relic' guitars are dead wood for my mind... let's hope they come to life one day....Guitars I favor that I know are alive: Fender Masterbuilt Guitars from Fender, Kurt Linhof Specials, and Nash 60's 'T' Series guitars... if you have any amount of money between $1500 and $9000, there is something out there for you. (And if not, trade a few of the Harmony Guitars you don't feel you need right now?)

Beach Guitars ...

Pepi (my friend) wrote to me today... he asked what I thought about Kelly Street Guitars... ie. in this age of so many private guitar-makers, have I evaluated them? It would of course be cost prohibitive to buy and evaluate every one on my end. I know that Fender and their custom shop are putting out excellent guitars, period. I also know that Kurt Linhof is also putting out excellent guitars, and people like Keith Richards and Joe Walsh own them. (If you can currently find one, certainly consider buying one..they are hard to get right now though, until he makes his next 'batch'). I also know, that if you have $1600, Nash is making great guitars (for my mind, get his '60's 'T' series with the Rosewood Necks... ). How about an unknown maker though... how does one make the decision to risk a buy.... here are my own criterion:
1. Have respected players taken them into their 'guitar collections' as regular players?
2. What information do you have on the maker, from on-line blogs/ Harmony central reviews?
3. I have found out the hard way, if a guitar costs under $1000, it probably is the same as going to Cabo and buying a guitar.
Kelly Street says his guitars are made of 100 year old wood. I don't know if that means anything. If artists play his guitars, and feel it does, then it does.... However, should these guitars meet all expectations, I will certainly keep everyone posted if someone has one and wants to give their opinion... and if it truly rocks, I want to purchase one for my own 'stable'. Hope this has helped Pepi! Remember, I am a jet-pilot/ humble musician, not Keith Richards.. but I feel I do know something about guitars... at least let's hope so.

Wax your Pickups... Not Your Surfboard!

I just got a Yuriy Shishkov 'Twisted Tele'... ok... I got it on EBay... but I have become an EBay expert (not something to banter around). I was playing this Tele, with the Bigsby™ on it, and happened to notice some strange wax on the bridge pickup. It was smooth all the way around, and then had a lump of wax on the top, that looked like a candle that you might have dropped. The was was yellow-white, so it was definitely nothing I had seen before. My question was... had the guy I bought it from on EBay changed anything on it? Well... here is the answer; since this Guitar has a Bigsby™ bridge, there is a lot of metal around the pickup. This metal vibrates, and can cause microphonic feedback. Because of this, Fender coats these pickups in wax (yes... wax... candle wax, or paraffin with 20% beeswax...). Fender pickups, the vintage ones, used to be potted this way. It also protects the pickups from the elements. The wax is brushed on usually. Tape is sometimes also used to 'pot' a pickup, and prevent feedback problems. Another way pickups are potted is with epoxy, or thin laquer. This is not the way you want them potted... pickups done this way are 'shiny'...and you cannot unwind the winds after this has been done. The wax, however, is non-toxic, easy to deal with, and can be undone again for repair work or rewind. Fralin does their pickups this way. To recap... what is microphonic feedback? Well... get your un-potted bridge pickup and tap on it for an example.

Addendum

Apparently Jann Wenner of Rolling Stone is keeping the Monkees out of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Errol Flynn also never got an Oscar....

Part 2

Anyway, so my initial reaction that it might have been a real Monkee driving me downtown was definitely offset by the fear that I had someone else. Michael mentioned a movie that came out a few years ago about a manufactured band, and I mentioned how obviously, the mainstream idea is that the Monkees were 'manufactured' by Hollywood. So was Clark Gable, Errol Flynn, and other notables for my mind, who couldn't sing or compose. What do you do... did you do it well? That is all that matters. Errol Flynn came up... because he used to live across the street from me, long before I moved here. He always wanted to be a writer...and was slightly ashamed that he was only a 'matinee idol', who never really (as he apparrently said) 'Won a war single-handedly'. If we all live to be 100, we should realize that what we are and what positive effect we have on the world is all that really counts. I told Michael I was a jet pilot, and he told me a story of how once he was taught in a matter of hours to solo a Sopwith Camel Biplane...and they are 'mushy' on the controls at slow speeds. We spoke of Robby Krieger... and how impressed I was that the other 'Doors' had wanted to 'sell out' to Cadillac with one of their songs, but Krieger wouldn't do it. Not even for millions. (The Doors signed a pact at one point that any one of them could 'veto' the sale of their songs). Krieger eventually must have given in though, because I heard a Doors song on TV the other day... either in a commecial, or in a series... I told Michael I found this was disappointing. He said the Monkee's had a song in Shrek, and it had really helped them. He brought up Video production, and how California was the biggest producer of Videos, in the Valley. I mentioned that I would have to explain to my wife that a 'Monkey had helped me put my bag into the limo'...(cliche, I know)...then felt badly...mentioning as an excuse that when I fly jets I also have to carry bags for the clients, (besides fly 5 million dollar planes safely)... I asked him if Charlie Manson actually tried out for the Monkees, and was corrected that in fact Manson had tried out for the Beach Boys. I also mentioned a house I had seen recently, belonging to either Jan or Dean (of Jan & Dean), and Mike said it had to be Dean, because Jan died...then when we arrived, and it came time to get the bags out, he got my bag out for me (I couldn't find the latch). He also had told me he still lifts amps with his Roadies when on tour. He's a 'cool' guy to meet....

Mike Nesmith

Met and spoke with Mike Nesmith yesterday. Also had Jury Duty. Live in LA, so rather than deal with the 1+ hour drive from West LA to Downtown the next day (for 7:30 roll-call)... I decided to get a towncar and stay overnight at the 'Standard'. Car came 8:15pm, and nice guy; 50-ish looking guy in a suit, tie, with short greyish hair, helps me get bag into car and drives me off. First off, I ask him if he has ever done Jury Duty... he says Yes... he did it four times, once only had to call on the phone only, another time had to go to courst, but not called on a panel, and twice more went in.. but not chosen...even though he really tried to get on a case, and be agreeable. He is driving, and we go by Mary J. Blige's house, and I happen to mention that the car outside waiting in the road is for 'Mary J. Blige', at which point he mentions he used to be in a band in the 60's. I say... ok.. which band (expecting the usual... sax player for 'Mountain'...actually, Mountain are great... try 'Blood of the Sun'). He says...'Have you ever heard of the Monkees?'... I say...'The NEW Monkees?'...he says... 'No, the old ones...'65,'66 etc. So now I am worried.. I am being driven around in a car by a man with a identity disorder. 'Which Monkee?' I ask... and he replies...'Mike Nesmith'. Ok, next great question from me (a man being driven around in a Towncar by Mike Nesmith)....'Why are you driving a towncar?'. As we all know, Mike Nesmith's mother was the 'Liquid Paper' inventor, so unlike other '60's bands, he has no need to drive a car for a living. He also invented 'MTV', is a great success in Video production, and is the originator of Country-Rock as a genre...etc, etc, etc. He replies...'My son lives in a Condo downtown, so my friend who owns the car company lets me take a car of his and do a run for him on the way downtown the same time'. Now I am becoming convinced it is Mike Nesmith...sure as heck looks like a slightly older version. Fit and healthy though for 65 years old... hmmmmm...old waves of doubt creep in again. Fate listens to you at all sorts of odd times... I prayed every night to get out of Jury Duty...still got it....meanwhile, three months ago, I told my session player friend on a whim (as we listened to Mike's song 'Joanne' on my iPod player)... 'Boy... if there is really someone I would like to meet..it's Mike Nesmith..but guess I never will.... I am still not telling him how he is one of my favourite musicians... because I am sure it is not really him. (Was there an episode of the Monkees/ Head, where Mike dresses up as a chauffeur). (I also later read about how he has been a prankster since childhood, and I also verified once I got done with jury duty, that this man was indeed Mike Nesmith). More tomorrow....and the end of the story...by the way... he is a really nice guy...

EVH 'Frankenstrat'

I just watched a middle-aged guy on youtube™ take a 25K Frankenstrat and rip on it... I mean, he does sound great... all the way down to the harmonic notes like Eddie. He sits cross-legged, with athletic socks on, with little movement, apart from a cool, calm and focused attention to his playing. It occured to me you can do a lot with very little energy expended...I guess all the extra-Eddie jumping on stage and train-wrecking into David Lee-Roth (the better version of Van Halen...ok, now I am going to get 300+ arguments on that one) was not necessary to the sound so much. These guitars are officially at 25K each. You might EBay one for 23K. If half of the profits go to the artist, and they made 300 of them (officially)... and...cost to build them in parts is around $300 (give-or-take). I guessed 3-days build time (if they do them in batches)...that's 27 hours of the Masterbuilders' time, at $175 per hour... we have a cost to build them of around 5K. So thats 9K (let's say) to the artist from each one... artist-being-Eddie... 300 X 9K = 2.7 Million dollars....this of course is all beer-talk... I have no idea... but part of me needs to work out how my world spins... I know these guitars DO sound GREAT (as a PLAYER speaking)... could I go into a pawn shop and find one as good...it would take 30 pawn shops, and lots of time, and the guitar would cost me around $900. It might not look as good though. Now...let's see... ten pawn shops, walking...3 weeks...5 hours a day..at $12 and hour...including Starbucks on the way.... ..... ....

New Masterbuilders....

The newest Masterbuilders are Jason Smith and Stephen Stern... how many names have since left the custom shop, that allowed the 'new guys' to come on....I just found out that Elliot Easton used to use Alan Hamel and Ronee Pena...remember them? This was around 2000-2001. Christopher W. Fleming is the only 'Senior Master Builder' listed on Fender's site... so I guess he is the one currently in charge. Yuriy Shishkov is born in Russia. He studied under John English, and has a site in Russia, and many followers there. You can tell he studied under Mr English... his style of 'relicing' a guitar is identical for my mind to John English and Fred Stuart's style. Of note is that when John English made the 'Blackie' guitars (along with a couple other Masterbuilders), he conformed completely to the style everyone there used to do the Blackie's... Yuriy's guitars (at lease the one I have played) have a lot of punch, the kind Rich Robinson of the Black Crowes seems to like. I have owned 3 guitars from the collection of Rich Robinson... he seems to like fairly heavy guitars (8lbs), with a '70's type of finish (thicker), and a real punch in all positions (listen to the Crowes for the sound). Rich would like Yuriy's guitars....

Guitar Chef...

Installment#2: I Want to Be A Luthier.
I once bought all the parts to a 1963 Strat on EBay... neck was $1700, Body Cost $1800, Original Green Pickguard was $700, Original Pickups were $1300, Bought all-original pots, and electronics. One guy told me the truss rod was shot, but then another said it was ok. I then took all the parts down the hill to a guy who used to work assembling guitars for Fender. He put all the pieces togther, and it rocked. vs...
I go to the grocery store, buy steak, vegetables, gravy, 'taters, etc. Take them all to Wolfgang Puck, and I get him to make me dinner.. guess what.... it probably rocks!
Any similarity? Not to push a point... we all have our specialties in life, and practice will make perfect (or as my Tae Kwon Do instructor used to say...'Will make you better than what you were yesterday'). It takes work...lots of it (not to sound like Mr Cleaver in Leave it to Beaver™) to get good at something... unless you are born gifted or something. If you want to buy all your parts on EBay (and take some risks there), and then have an EXPERT assemble them, that is one good way to enjoy 'making' your own guitar! Good news....I kept the 1963 'parts' Strat for a year, enjoyed played it a lot (it had major SRV mojo too), and then sold it for exactly what I paid for all the parts and the 'putting together'.

Build Your Very Own Guitar!!!

Recent google info has suggested to me that there is a new sphere of 'homebuild your guitar' info being posted... apparently, one of the 'Best parts' of 'building your own Stratocaster' is 'you can make it your very own'. Here are other things I have done: 1. I replaced my own car brakes, after being quoted a lot of money. They actually worked. 2. I went to the museum and decided I could paint like Basquiat... result...my 'hazardous items bin' became full of 'paintings'. 3. I decided to 'customize' my own leather jacket... result... I think I saw it on a homeless man last week. All joking aside, I want to save everyone lots of wasted money, parts and also time. Also the severe disappointment that follows failure. Eddie Van Halen is the ONLY person I know who put together his own guitar, and pulled it off. Ok, maybe Bruce Springsteen too... but I don't know the full story, and whether he might have had his 'tech' do it for him. People who spray guitars at the Factory have had not only training, but also years of practice... one hour in our garage is unlikely to yield happy results, except more wood for the fire later... sorry... I know this is tough news... the idea sounded so good. I will finish with the story of a 'friend' who tiled the floor of his own kitchen... he got all the right materials, tiles, little 'plastic bits' for spacers... he measured twice and cut once, then called my brother the contractor over to gloat. My brother simply took a metal ball bearing out of his pocket, placed it on the tile floor, and let it roll to one corner....sorry guys...