| Author | Message | ||
     Captpete |
Ain't much that bothers me in these golden years, Ferris. Mostly only when I do dumb stuff when I should have know better. (As you can see, dogs are some of my best friends.)  But while we are on the subject, I'm considering creating a photo-essay to try to bring the plight of Guam boonie dogs to the attention of the public out here. It's something about the culture on this island. There are thousands of stray dogs here. People feed them table scraps, and since there is no animal control program on the island, it just perpetuates their plight. Dewey, in the above photo, is a rescued boonie dog, and by far the greatest dog I've had the pleasure to be partners with. Smart as heck, and with a wonderful personality as a result of being raised by a caring host. But as much as I'd like to, I can't save them all. Yesterday on the way home from the boat, I ran across another sad example of what I’m talking about and I had my camera in the truck. I guess this is one thing that does bother me. This poor animal even had a collar. I want the photo-essay to basically compare some of these wonderful dogs that are taken care of with the shocking reality of others who aren’t. As I said: shocking! This mange is easily cured for a small cost, although this example may be too far-gone. Notice his tail tucked between his legs. Skin and bone.  | ||
| Captpete |
That's all from me this morning. Chores on the boat await my attention. | ||
| Whodom |
if you get a chance i'd like to see a few more pix of your Seagull. BluzM2 mailed me one of their brochures, which was very entertaining and informative. looks like a beautiful (and beautiful playing) guitar from the pics. Jerry, here are some more photos of the Seagull for you. I tried to catch some of the unique features Seagull touts.  Front shot, showing slightly non-standard "dreadnought" shape (compare the shape to a Martin for instance), and distinct tapered headstock. This one has a solid cedar top, supposedly from "old growth" trees in a Canadian national forest near the Seagull factory. I've been told that a new cedar top sounds like a well-aged spruce tops. (The sound of acoustic guitars improve with use and age.) The guitar has a thin, flat (not shiny) finish (the thinner finish theoretically "damps" the wood's vibrations less).  Back showing "wild cherry" back (sides are also wild cherry). The back and sides are laminated. The best guitars have solid wood tops AND backs AND sides, but the solid top is what's most important.  The headstock is actually cut from the neck blank and then reglued with the grain reversed, which is supposed to make it stronger and more stable (less likely to warp). The seam is approximately at the first tuner you see. The neck has a wide, flat profile. Guitar neck shapes is a whole field of art/science to itself.  Here's a photo of where the neck attaches to the body. The little rosewood cap on the neck heel is a nice touch.  In this shot, you can just see one of the two bolts that secures the neck to the body. This is very unusual in acoustic construction.  Finally, the Seagull logo seen through the soundhole. I particularly liked the plain, non-ornamented look of this guitar. I like fancy ones too, this one just appealed to me. To read what Seagull says about their guitars, read more here: http://www.seagullguitars.com/seagullstory.htm (Message edited by whodom on January 27, 2006) | ||
| Whodom |
Forgot one image.  The distinct tapered headstock. The idea behind this is that each string is pulled fairly straight across the nut, creating less friction compared to a typical acoustic in which the strings angle outward across the nut. I like the way it looks. | ||
| Pdxs3t |
Jerry...you have no idea what you have started here in the lair of Purple Dragon. You and others that have been posting on this thread have inspired 2 little ones to take things a bit more serious with their playing. I printed out the bass tablature for the song working man by Rush and gave it to Josh this afternoon. He has most of the song (but for the leads) figured out. Kyle downloaded the guitar tab for the song late this evening so he will be working things out at his birth mothers (Satan) house. Sorry, I slipped there for a moment. Knowing these 2 little yahoo's like I do, they will have the song dialed (for the most part) in a few weeks. Now I am going to have to get busy myself and actually learn a song. As soon as the 3 of us can get to a point in our playing where things are in time and on key, will get it recorded, dumped into the computer and get it uploaded to Digital Photo Northwest and post a link to the MP3 file. This is going to be fun! Josh was here next to me a few moments ago, we were browsing through the Guitar Center website. LOL..he already has his eye on a new bass and amp. He really needs to get a job!  Anyone out there looking for a really nice Oly E-10 DSLR camera. Jerry can vouch in its condition which is NICE. I just can't let Josh know what I am thinking.  | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
this has sure been fun. Capt. Pete, thanks for being "shop broke," as JB2 would call it. Hugh, thanks for the great pix and captions of your Seagull, much appreciated. i will reciprocate once i get my hands on my Garrison. (tick, tock, tick, tock...) the wild cherry back and sides on your Seagull may "only" be laminate, but it sure is pretty! Jim, it's cool to hear about Purple Dragon, thanks for sharing. give the boys a big "thumbs up" from all of us. there seem to be a number of folks here feeding on the feel-good coming from your studio, including me 'n D, so please keep us all posted. as far as Jim's Olympus E-10, it is a very nice digital camera indeed. the fact that he would consider parting with it, for the reason he alludes to, is very, very cool. | ||
| Captpete |
Great picture essay on the Seagull, Whodom. I didn't know any of that stuff about the one I have. I've alreadey blathered on about how I came to own it. I fell into it, and went for it 'cause I liked the way it sounded, and it played ok. After I got it set up by a pro, it played great. Now I understand why it does what it does. (It's a bunch of bang for the buck.) Thanks for the enlightenment. Mine's cedar top also, but with mahogony elswhere. As laminates, I wonder if there would be any noticable difference between the two? If you aren't considering an '07 trip to the Rock, maybe I'll stop along the way and we could put 'em side-by-side for a few minutes. Shop broke? Haven't heard that one. Guess I'd better check w/ Jim on that. But to steal a line from Tony Rice (I think), "I ain't broke, but I'm badly bent." Capt. Pete | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
Cap'n, since you're up and it's too early to start chores on your boat, can we talk 6-string vs 12-string for a minute? what do 12 strings give you that six don't? are the strings in six pairs? a bitch to tune (and keep in tune)? etc., etc., etc. you mentioned earlier in this thread the idear of having Mr. Griffiths custom-build a 12-string for you next year while we're rocking the Rock, and the idea is wild enough that i'm considering it, too. but...why do i want a 12-string??? FB | ||
| Whodom |
Great picture essay on the Seagull, Whodom. I didn't know any of that stuff about the one I have. I've alreadey blathered on about how I came to own it. I fell into it, and went for it 'cause I liked the way it sounded, and it played ok. After I got it set up by a pro, it played great. Now I understand why it does what it does. (It's a bunch of bang for the buck.) Thanks for the enlightenment. Mine's cedar top also, but with mahogony elswhere. As laminates, I wonder if there would be any noticable difference between the two? If you aren't considering an '07 trip to the Rock, maybe I'll stop along the way and we could put 'em side-by-side for a few minutes. Capt. Pete, Glad you enjoyed it. I guess my paying all this attention to how it was built comes from me being an engineer (like Al). Good question about the difference in the back/side woods. I notice most of the new Seagulls are using big leaf maple necks (as opposed the the mahogany on mine). I believe big leaf is commonly referred to as "soft" maple (as opposed to hard rock maple as used on Fender necks and bowling alley floors). Seagull claims it sounds very similar to mahogany, but it's available locally in Canada and is plentiful. One other interesting feature I remember they touted at the time I bought mine: they supposedly copied the Martin pre-WWII bracing pattern. IIRC, they claimed that Martin had altered their bracing after WWII (possibly for ease of fabrication) and that the pre-war bracing sounded better. Man, I'd love to make the 07 trip to the rock (not sure I can strap the Seagull on the S3 though). Either way, it'd be cool to do a comparison of our guitars. | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
The Seagull Artist Series 'Peppino D'Agostino' Signature Model "Peppino D’Agostino is known for his beautiful, understated melodies, as well as the explosive rhythms that he drums, taps and beats out of his guitar. Add to that a repertoire that requires a different tuning on almost every song and you have a man that demands a lot from his guitar. This is his guitar."  Top : Solid Spruce Back - Solid Rosewood Sides - 3-way laminate made from Rosewood-Maple-Rosewood Neck : Mahogany Fingerboard & Bridge : Rosewood Tusq® nut and compensated saddle Finish : High-Gloss Lacquer Fort EPP Case included to which i say, "Yummy!" | ||
| Captpete |
Cap'n, since you're up and it's too early to start chores on your boat, Not really. I was up, but too late. It’s the time zone/date line thing. Guam is GMT +10. I think the BadWeB logs post times @ EST, which is GMT – 4. So, to get my local posting time, you must add 14 hours to the BadWeB posting time. Or, since California is PST, which is GMT – 7, you must add 17 hours your time to get to where I’m at. Well, not where I’m at, but when I’m at it. But right now, it’s 8:30 Sunday morning, and since I’ve finally got all the major stuff on the boat working and am only looking at little chores, like things that will improve my standard of living at sea, I’m taking it easy today. I deserve it. Especially since this next week is shaping up to be a difficult one. I will have the boat iced and fueled and ready to sail by noon tomorrow. Here’s what it looks like: SYNOPSIS FOR MARIANAS WATERS...FRESH TRADE-WINDS AND ISOLATED SHOWERS WILL CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT FEW DAYS. THE COMBINATION OF A MODERATE NORTH SWELL AND INCREASING WIND WAVES WILL GENERATE ROUGH SEAS ACROSS THE MARIANAS WATERS. MARIANAS COASTAL WATERS- 600 AM LST SUN JAN 29 2006 ...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT... .TODAY...NORTHEAST WIND 20 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 7 TO 9 FT. NORTH SWELL 6 FT. .TONIGHT...NORTHEAST WIND 25 KT. WIND WAVES 9 TO 11 FT. NORTH SWELL 7 FT. .MONDAY...NORTHEAST WIND 25 KT. WIND WAVES 10 TO 12 FT. NORTH SWELL 6 FT. .MONDAY NIGHT...NORTHEAST WIND 25 KT. WIND WAVES 10 TO 12 FT. NORTH SWELL 6 FT. .TUESDAY...NORTHEAST WIND 20 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 8 TO 10 FT. NORTH SWELL 6 FT. .WEDNESDAY...EAST WIND 15 TO 20 KT. WIND WAVES 6 TO 8 FT. NORTH SWELL 6 FT. .THURSDAY...NORTHEAST WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 6 TO 8 FT. NORTH SWELL 4 TO 5 FT. Occasionally, one of those 12-footers will arrive atop one of the 7-foot swells running beneath the wind waves, so you can add them together for the actual conditions of that moment. That’s the bad news. The good news is that I’ll be trolling, dragging four lines behind the boat; the only type of fishing that can be done safely in those conditions. (The 70 to 90-foot oriental tuna longliners that work out of this port move all the way down to the equator, 840 miles, to get away from the weather when it gets like this.) The other good news is that the rougher it is, the better the fish are supposed to bite, and there will be zero other local boats fishing this week. And the demand/price for fish by Friday when I return will both be high. So, I’m resting up a little today, before getting my brains beat out for four days. So… 12-strings. Six double sets of strings. The extra strings for the bottom four (pitch-wise) are tuned an octave above their partners. The extra ones for the other two are identical. They used to be tough to tune back in the tuning fork days, before these new electronic tuning gizmos, but it probably just takes a little longer nowadays. They make bigger calluses. They are basically strumming instruments. More difficult to play than a six-string, but they have their own very unique sound. Once you learn a few chords on the Garrison, go to a music shop and try one out. A couple of minutes of that will tell you more about them than I could by writing all day. I’m not even sure that I could still play one today because of the minor damage to my left hand that’s happened since the last time I had one. (I might see you at the music store.) Or the next time you’re in the store buying strings, ask to hear one played. I think they’re cool. And BTW, about strings: You might consider using a brand called Elixirs. They have a light plastic coating, but still sound great. Regular strings go dead after a while. The stuff from your fingers, skin, dirt, oil, acid, etc., will cause them to deteriorate, even if you only play occasionally. If you’re not a pro and changing strings every week, these are a great alternative. I haven’t picked up the Seagull more than a dozen times in the last two years I’ve been out here, and they were six months old when I arrived. The Elixirs still look and play like brand new. OK, I’m coffeed up and ready to go to work. I’ve got a couple of drawers that won’t stay shut when the boat rolls past the extreme +1, and I’m looking at +1++ this trip, so I’ve got to fix that, plus stuff is going to start flying off the galley table, so I’ve got to build a little fiddle for it. Capt. Pete | ||
| Captpete |
Oh, and one more comment about strings: They come in different weight, or thicknesses. Some are labeled by their actual diameter, but basically the choice is light, medium, and heavy. Lighter is easier to play, and heavier is louder. Maybe start with light until your calluses form, and then decide if you want to try some mediums. Heavy are not very popular at all, but I did use them for a while in my serious framming days. Heavy strings on that D28, which is a cannon to start with, coupled with a resonant voice, let me play without an amp in a lot of situations when I would otherwise have needed some help to keep from overshooting the guitar. (Big campfires with lots of drunks) As an aside, I learned a funny thing about playing for drunks when I started playing in barrooms. The front row of tables is always occupied by people who didn’t come to listen to the music. They came to drink and bullshit. And you can’t beat ‘em. If you turn the volume up a notch, so will they. If you keep trying to compete, they’ll end up four feet in front of you literally screaming at each other. You learn to play for the table in the back that’s making eye contact with you. Sometimes you get ‘em and sometimes you don’t. I’m far from being a pro. My gig was to do a twenty-minute set while my buddy was on break. (New meaning for “brakeman.”) You always get ‘em for a few seconds when you start your first tune. Something new is happening up there. Every now and then, you can hold on to ‘em for most of the set, and that’s the thrill of performing. You feed off of it, and your best comes out. It’s a true high. But most of the time, they go back to their conversations, and you have a table or two. Sometimes, you lose them all, and that’s when your ego crashes when you’re still a beginner. The natural tendency is to lose confidence, and your music gets worse and worse. I’ve even seen some newbies quit in the middle of a tune and walk off with tears in their eyes. But part of learning how to play on a stage is dealing with that. Stick your ego in your back pocket. Consider the rest of the set as practice. Or even start to have a little fun with it. Sing the same verse three times in a row and see what happens. But sing it the best you can for those three times. Damn… Sorry, Jerry. I’ve got this thing about writing. Sometimes, it takes me away. But if you are interested in playing for others, maybe the above will give you some insight into the path I went down. I was lucky. I had a mentor, Davis Turner on Scoops website, who helped me learn how to get over the stage fright hump. When I fist started under his tutelage, no one would listen, but he’d stand at the back of the bar and at the end of every tune, he’d go crazy clapping and whistling. (Kept me from crying.) (Watch out for the old bald guy in the back when you finish Little Brown Jug at Newfie’s.}  | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
Capt. Pete, thanks for the ongoing edumacation, some of it guitars, some of it a better understanding of the widespread global nature of our little online pub slash Buell hall. i have a deep (baritone?) voice, and virtually no upward range at all. when i was a pup i used to sing in the church choir, and was told i had a clear, beautiful voice. once, when i was in my early teens, i was at a weekend Boy Scout camp-out and me and a couple of buddies got high on hot chocolate and s'mores on Saturday night and thought it'd be cool to scream our brains out all night so we'd lose our voices. it pissed our camp neighbors off something fierce, and pretty much netted us agonizingly sore throats for the next couple of days, but we never "lost" our voices. however, between that weekend and puberty, my voice went right down in the gutter (along with the rest of me, some would say), and has stayed there ever since. i've been told at least a dozen times over the years that i have a "TV weatherman" voice, which, i guess, might be a good thing. too bad i don't have the looks, drive or smarts to do anything about it. i love to sing along to music, mostly classic rock, but the lyrics have gotta be wayyyyyy downnnnn lowwwwwwww for me to reach 'em. i'm about the most introverted person you'll ever meet, despite my outgoing online "persona." the thought of getting up on stage in front of a roomful of people and singing and playing guitar is wildly fascinating in a perverse "Man, that's gonna be a bad wreck!!!" sorta way, but...i'd prolly have to be whacked on hot chocolate and s'mores to have enough courage to try it. in one of my past lives i spent two long seasons bobbing around the waters of SE Alaska, the first on an old wooden tender, the second on an old wooden troller, both seasons mostly for salmon. my skipper both years was my oldest brother Lonnie, a hard-charger if there ever was one. we prided ourselves on fishing "no matter what," and there were many times, in particularly gnarly weather, that we were the only boat on the grounds. i've been in some bad, bad conditions at sea, and have, i bet, a little idea of what your world can be like. you be careful out there, sir, and ping us when you can. as far as your "thing" about writing, no apologies needed or accepted. it's a gift -- to you, and to us -- and it's much appreciated here in these hallowed halls. damn, looks like i'm gonna have to learn the lyrics to "Little Brown Jug." nobody ever said there would be homework. FB | ||
| Pdxs3t |
Cap'n, Thanks for giving that tip on Elixirs strings, will be trying to find a set of those next trip to the music store. | ||
| Pdxs3t |
tuning suggestions alternative tuning electric guitar - style of playing, hard rock (older sabbath, older rush, older judas priest) alternative tuning electric guitar - style of playing, progressive rock (yes with trevor rabin, new rush) alternative tuning electric bass - style of playing, hard rock (older sabbath, older rush, older judas priest) | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
our new copy of "Cream: London May 2-3-5-6, 2005 Royal Albert Hall" showed up in the mail today, purchased (at list) on account of Bomber's props. we are, so far, digging every creamy minute of it. Bomber, the following are your words, from earlier in this thread, and we can do no better. thank you. FB&D btw -- just a little off topic (if a Badweb thread does stray a bit, would it still be a badweb thread) I received the DVD of Cream's 5 night stand at the Royal ALbert Hall -- if you are anything approaching a fan of the band, or of any of the individual players, rent it, borrow it, see it -- While it may have been a far amount of time since Eric Clapton pushed the bounds of guitar heroics, expanded the planet's understanding of what the blues may be, or just knocked the walls down with ferocious playing, he is still a master (and exactly why is it that the concept of the Lion in Winter is so appealing to me lately?) -- he plays these songs, not note for note the way they were orinigally recorded, but as if they were written last week, and new Jack Bruce looked a bit frail, had a high architect's stool to lean against, and, to be honest, as I watched his image walking on stage, I wouldn't have bet against him collapsing mid-show -- as soon as he began to play, any doubts disappeared -- he played his bass as if it were lead all through the show, and reminded me why Cream was a group, not Clapton's backup band -- we deffinately need for jazz bassists in our rock As for Ginger Baker, what's to say -- he played melodically, liltingly -- he swung, he kept metronome-like time (not always the case with drummers), and pulled the other two back to the tune when they wandered a bit far afield -- again, proof that some jazz would greatly help the musicianship in our rock -- all in all, knowing what I do, if I'd not received the DVD as a gift, I'd buy the sucker -- at list | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
 Jack Bruce  Ginger Baker  Eric Clapton | ||
| Captpete |
Yea, three cheers for the old dudes! What's the list? Oh, never mind, that's absurd right now. Jerry, just to keep anyone (like Blake) from correcting my erroneous integers, I gave you the adjusted GMT time zones for daylight savings time. Add one hour to all zone #'s except Guam. (Whew! Got in under the wire on that one. Blake must be out Buelling for the weekend.) | ||
| Pdxs3t |
 The Fender Custom-Built Eric Clapton Stratocaster is an exact Custom Shop representation of Eric's personal axe made by the same craftsmen who made the actual Clapton guitar. Refinements include a special neck shape, Noiseless pickups, and active circuitry. Standard features include an alder body, bone nut, vintage frets, and chrome hardware. | ||
| Prior |
Cap't Pete, I've really enjoyed the stories you've posted here, and I know you and Dewey are busy fishing, but when can we expect a new log on your website? I rolled through them all with a few Guinnesses a month or so ago, and enjoyed the hell out of them all. I know guys who can tell stories, but you have epic tales, mate. Keep 'em coming! Pics too! Ferris, Never knew you were a fisherman, an introvert or a Boy Scout, figured you'd be a baritone. I'm an Eagle Scout, spent many fond days at Camp Rodney on the Chesapeake Bay fishing for blue crabs when I was a counselor there. More great things to add to our conversations... Wait, you're an introvert??? Ferris is Ferris... | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
Pdx, it's very cool to wake up this morning (GMT – 7 ... or is that -6 ... oh, never mind, that's absurd right now...) and see Eric Frikkin' Clapton's guitar. i've got a LONG ways to go before i'll be ponying up the dinero for an electric, but watching the concert last night i fell absolutely in love with Eric's axe. most electrics i've seen are flashy, flaming and bright (including the one he plays in "Concert for George") but there was something about his black and white Fender last night, all elegant, subdued and understated, that REALLY turned me on. so much so that i told Denise, "That is the electric guitar for me." the thing is, i had no clue what manner of axe it was (i've got a ways to go before i can indentify a guitar from 30 paces), and i'm genuinely gobsmacked to get up this morning and see my newest lust object (no, not you Alex) staring back at me. i'm skeered to ponder what it costs, but it doesn't matter - this one's gonna be mine. a little hot chocolate, a couple of s'mores, a few more lessons from Capt. Pete, and "Fast Hand" is hitting the road. maybe i could open for Purple Dragon... | ||
| Captpete |
The Elixirs come in a pretty box, too. I’ll put this set on when I head for Newfie’s.  Your low-pitched voice problem is solved, Ferris. Make your first three chords G,C & D. Pick a simple (3-chord) folk/country song; listen to it until you memorize the words and melody. Then start out with a G chord. That’s the key you will be playing in. I have almost zero musical aptitude (pisses me off at times), and I had a lot of trouble hearing the chord changes when I first started at this. It may be easier for you, but I’m proof that you can learn over time. Start singing and strumming that G chord. At some point, it’ll sound wrong. Ah, ha! You’ve come to a chord change. Try one of the other two. One will sound right. Pencil that in at the right place on your double-spaced lyric sheet you’ve typed up. Proceed with the proceedings until it sounds funny again. It might go back to G, or it might go to the other one you haven’t used yet. Pencil that one in. And keep going until you get all the chord changes. The rest is easy. Just play it over and over for about 100 times. At some point in there, maybe at # 25, you’ll have the chord changes memorized. You’re not performing yet; just learning, and you’ve been going as slow as necessary to make the chord changes. At first, every time you change a chord, you’ll have to stop and make the chord one finger at a time. But eventually, maybe when your calluses are starting to form, and the pain is letting up a little, you’ll start making those chords with all the fingers dropping into place at the same time. Or maybe two out of four for a while. But you’ll get better and better. When you get to the point where you can make the chords fast enough, you can start thinking about singing the tune. Slowly at first, but as you continue to practice, you will get faster until you are finally doing everything at the tempo the song requires. Then, you can start thinking about singing the song. The rest will start coming automatically, and allow you to do this. I can distinctly remember the first time I arrived at that point. It was the Grateful Dead’s Ripple, and a buddy was patiently teaching me that tune so we could eventually do it as a duet. As I look back, I have to admire his patience. First, I had to learn the song, and then I had to learn how to stay with the melody while he was singing harmony right into my ear, and then learn how to keep up the rhythm while he played a lead break. If I listened to what he was playing, I lost my place, and missed the chord changes. The only way I could do it was to sing one verse to myself while he was playing that break. (I still do that today.) It took hours and hours and hours of practice. I know I sang that tune hundreds of times before we had it down. But I think I mentioned before that we walked into a little bar where we knew not a soul one night, toting our guitars, ordered a couple of drinks, and opened up the cases. There were lots of quizzical looks from the other patrons, and when my buddy slammed that G chord once, we had ‘em all for that few seconds. He looked at me and whispered, one, two, three, four, and I sang, “If my words did” acapello, and the guitars came in on, "glow." Lead and rhythm guitars with two-part harmony, and we blew that place away. We put our axes back in the cases as they were clapping, slammed the last of our drinks, and walked out. I was walking on air the rest of the night. Knocked 'em dead, and only knew one song. But I remember that very instant as we were practicing when I realized that for the first time, I was thinking about how I should sing that song. Not just going through the motions, but putting myself into it. I still today have to sing a new tune a bunch of times before I get it to the “perform” point. But it’s way easier than it used to be. But I can’t improvise, I can’t play lead, I can’t hear a harmony part in my head. I have to be taught a harmony part to be able to sing it. The aptitude just isn’t there. But in spite of all that, I can make simple music, and because of the practice and the gift of a decent voice and the ability to sing on key, I can play for others beside myself. And it’s very gratifying. So, my point is, Jerry, unless you’re just tone deaf, and/or you give up, you will eventually make some good music. If you’ve got the aptitude, you may make some great music. And you will be rewarded. But I caution you to not get discouraged. Keep in mind that what you are about to embark upon is some serious multi-tasking. You are going to learn how to do two things at the same time, singing and playing an instrument. That little epiphany with Ripple I mentioned? That’s what it was all about. For the first time, I was able to think about both tasks at once. Yeah, man… if you stay with this long enough, you’re going to cop some great buzzes along the way. Your first big one may not come as soon as mine did, unless you can find a buddy who is a pro with the experience and patience to teach you and the confidence and know-how to walk into a bar cold like that and pull it off. I still wouldn’t dare try that stunt on my own today, but it lit the fire that kept me going. You’ll find your own fires along the way. Ha! As soon as I read, “Hard Chargers,” I knew what was coming. Common fishing term on the East Coast, too. All other things being equal, you’ve got to be saltier than the other guys. You gotta stay snuggled right up against that line, but without crossing it. The drawer’s fixed, the galley table’s fitted with a new bungie cord, everything on deck is lashed down and secured, all objects in the house are stowed properly, and anything not needed is off the boat. Oil’s topped off, Racors are drained and free-flowing, and final fuel filter cartridge is new. I even borrowed a safety harness – first time ever in my fishing career for that. I know I’m getting older. Who knows? Maybe smarter, too? I’ve used them a lot in heavy weather sailing off shore, but this little pee-pot ain’t no 75-foot dragger. I might use it, or I might not. But it’s just going to be Dewey and me, and he doesn’t know how to drive the boat. I don’t want any excuse to break the trip. Thanks, Prior. I’m a little behind on the website. I’ve used up most of the weekend’s keyboard time blathering right here. I’ve got a mass mailing list of friends I send website updates to. That’s how it all started out. I began by emailing stuff to a few friends back home to keep them up to date on my progress (or lack of) out here. At one point, I decided it would be easier for everybody to put the stuff on a website, and then just send them an email when I posted something new. It was intened as a fairly private thing for friends who asked to be on the list. (I didn’t want to jam anything down anyone’s throat.) But Blake sort of outed my website here on the BadWeB, and it started getting passed around a little. I didn’t really mind, and if folks were enjoying it, why not? I’m not really trying to get famous or sell anything (until the book comes out). Anyway, if you, or anyone else, would like to get on the update notification email list, ping me with the address you’d like it sent to, and I’ll put you on it. See y’all next weekend. Capt. Pete | ||
| Captpete |
Jim, I don't know if Elixir makes flat wound strings for electrics. Actually, I don't know anything about electrics. I tried to play one once. I tried to bend a string, which I don't do much of on an acoustic, and darned near wrapped it around the whole neck. That was enough for me. But the packaging is dead on for the Purple Dragons. Yikes! The weather man just upped the ante to 30 knots and 12 to 14' C's for the next two days. I guess we'll at least go see what the little girl can do in that crap. She'll be fine, it's just about the stability of the work platform. Gotta go find out where that line is. | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
y'all be careful, Capt. ping us when you can. | ||
| Kevyn |
http://www.fender.com/products/search.php?partno=0117602806 Fender price is $1999.00 with case. There are more expensive guitars out there...looks like a bargain Strat. Expect to shell out less than MSRP or maybe around $1400-1500. Well, there it is for a measly $1,399.00 at Sam Ash Music... | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
i bet "Little Brown Jug" would sound AWESOME on that sucker. wonder if Al would build me an amp for it... | ||
| Pdxs3t |
Cap'N That's OK if the don't make em for an electric, will pick up a set for my acoustic and have them at the ready for the next string change. | ||
| Pdxs3t |
Jerry, Maybe you could just join Purple Dragon! Are there any drummers out there too? We could also use a keyboardist! The Eric Clapton Stratocaster is listing $2059.00. If you start the piggy bank account now, by the time your ready to make that leap to the next level you will have more then enough saved up! | ||
| Pdxs3t |
Shel and I were in a music store we had never been in before here in Vancouver, WA picking up Josh some new bass strings. Before going in, I had no clue that this store was an authorized dealer for Schecter Guitars. I was very surprised when I walked in to see an entire wall filled with my chosen manufacture of axe. Then I seen it, hanging behind the counter, it was if it was calling out to me...hey you, ya you wearing that Buell hat. I looked around to see if Shel had also heard what I did. I think she had because she said go ahead, touch it but you can't bring it home.  A true rock machine, the Schecter Damien FR Electric Guitar features an arched basswood body, bolt-on rock maple neck, and rosewood fretboard with extra-jumbo frets. An EMG H4 bridge and H4A neck pickup crank out monster tone, and the Floyd Rose locking trem will take your leads to new levels. Black hardware and black pearl bat inlays give it lots of attitude. So after I fondled the guitar a bit, I reluctantly gave it back to Patrick, the very kind sales person that let me touch it for those few brief moments. We started to check out what else the store had to offer and happened across this beauty that also whispered into my ear.  Beautifully figured maple over a composite oval back sets this gorgeous axe apart from the pack. 25-1/2" scale mahogany neck with a rosewood fretboard and diamond inlays. Sports a Diamond piezo bridge pickup with EQ and gold Grover tuners. Ah, its nice to dream. Wish I could have been born rich instead of being so damn ugly. Once again, Shel was rolling her eyes at me, tugging at my arm giving her best attempt to move me along. She, after a few moments was sucsessfull. We then happened across what I have been looking at for our young bass virtuoso.  Active electronics, 6-bolt neck attachment, solid basswood body, deluxe tuners, and diamond bass pickups. 2 volume and 2-band EQ, maple neck with rosewood fretboard and jumbo frets. This is an absolutely killer bass for the price. and the amp to go with it  The Gallien-Kreuger Backline 250/115BLX Half -Stack includes Backline 250 Head/115BLX speaker cab, head cover, cabinet cover, speaker cable, and instrument cable. Since Shel nixed my idea of offing my OLY E-10 on EBay, I had to give more in-depth (these days, that is very hard for me to do) thought of what other treasures lie buried in our garage. Then it dawned on me, all of my reloading equipment that has been sitting around in boxes for the last 10 years doing absolutely nothing. So now I am currently watching specific items on EBay that relate to what I have buried in the garage and with any luck in the next several weeks, Josh will have a very big surprise when he comes home from school. | ||
| Pdxs3t |
Link to Elixirs website. Sounds link some good stuff. http://www.elixirstrings.com/whyelixir/index.html |
