Posted on 05/04/2007 4:13:21 PM PDT by Bean Counter
My wife made a mistake. For my birthday in February, she bought me a calendar from the Fender Custom Shop. I hung it on the wall directly behind my desk, right in my range of vision, and I have been gazing longingly ever since at beautiful guitars. My longing stayed within reason until I turned the page to April, and saw the Engraved Thinline Telecaster in flame maple. The clumsy copy below the calendar proper says "both nice to look at and a dream to play."
"A dream to play" has been ringing in my head ever since, the way a phrase from ad copy will do. And two weeks ago, I drove to the nearest Guitar Center and sat down and started playing electric guitars for the first time in 30 years.
Beautiful Telecaster notwithstanding, I played only Stratocasters on that first visit. I have always been a Strat man. Here is a picture of a very nice one, from the current Fender website.
MY PARENTS BOUGHT ME MY FIRST STRATOCASTER when I was in junior high school, in about 1961. Those of you who know the marque will share my chagrin that I do not still have that model, now known as a "vintage" Stratocaster, and much desired. It had belonged to a country western musician, whose big belt buckles had torn up the sunburst finish on the back. I got a Fender Concert Amp with it, and instantly became a popular guy with the two other serious guitar players in my school, Roger Johnson and Bob Cohen. They used to invite me to play with them, mainly so they could use my amp, which was bigger and better than the ones they had.
**SCHNIPP**
(Excerpt) Read more at spectator.org ...
Thank you, got a strat copy, and 2 fat strat copies,
I perfer to have only 1 volume/1 tone so
the knobs are not right under the rear pick-up as the Fender strats have,
can’t seem to play well with it there,
kinda started on an Ibanez that I got rid of
because I realized it was distracting,
and my playing wasn’t nice.
Marking this for later, thanks to all for a fun read.
I’ve seen that before and each time I do I think “That’s Amazing”.
Once, while shooting the breeze with Dr. Stan, he grabbed me by the arm and gave me a tour of his office - he had leaning in a corner one of Harrison's electric guitars (..and I don't know a Fender from a Freddy). I imagine it became worth a buck or two when the Beetle died.
It was fun seeing his high profile patients come in and out, and sometimes exchanging a word with them. The one that impressed me most was Nicole Kidman; I'm just shy of 6 feet, and she stood at eye level with me. Beautiful complexion and stunning eyes.
Least impressive was Bob Dylan - I didn't talk with him, but he was unmistakable - looked like a homeless druggie who'd found his way to ritzy West Los Angeles.
I’m sorry, and I know I’m just a knuckle-dragging drummer, but I always found the tone of tele’s and strats.....thin. I can think of maybe threeorfour guys on the planet who could wring an even DECENT tone outta those pieces of furniture and 3 of those four are dead.
I’m with you on that DW....and David Gilmour is one of those four, and still alive and well...
Eight miles high. Those were the days.
There is very little I enjoy more than playing eight miles high on the 12-string. Maybe I enjoy Ticket to Ride a bit more. :)
I saw the Beatles in Houston, Texas in 1964. Also got to see the Byrds, Beau Brummel, The Yardbirds, Rollin Stones, The Kinks, and the Zombies. I was dissappointed in the venue with the Beatles,...the women and girls were screaming so loudly I could not hear the music. The Byrds....well all of the others, except the Stones, you could hear the music very well. Lord, it has been over 40 years. I still love that music. These days I have moved to Alan Jackson, George Strait, Haggard, Joe Nichols. But the Beatles moved me into music forever.
Niiiice....
Thanks for the guitar porn thread ... :-)
Used to bang the skins. Far more difficult than playing guitar: 3/4 with stops and five-stroke rolls, etc. And you can’t emote as easily, if at all.
“In My Time of Dying”, Led Zeppelin, is a song essentially performed by John Bonham.
Here is my custom built Warmoth Jazz Bass. Brazilian rosewood neck, one piece alder body with flame maple top, custom made Vintage Vibe pickups, anodized gold customized Titanium bridge (with strings strung through the body), custom made anodized gold titanium ferrules in the back, and a 1963 vintage Fender "tropical fish" 05uf capacitor for an awesome tone! A thing of beauty. ;^P
Jimi at Woodstock
Played goofyhand with the strings still configured right-handed. Sublime.
Regal Dobro
Ibanez V-300 Acoustic
Stella Harmony Acoustic
Rogue Acoustic
Rogue Bass
Homemade Toilet Seat Electric {complete w/ fake turd)
Crate Vintage Club 30
Epiphone Valve Jr
Crate CR-112
I love my Nashville Tele. Best of both worlds between a tele and a strat, but my favorite guitars are my cheapies.
My Epi has a SD Pearly Gates at the neck and a SD Screamin Demon at the bridge (sweet sweet sweet).
My Oscar Schmidt is set up for slide and its tone is classic thru my Epi Valve Jr 5w Tube thru 2 12s.
I am a blues fiend.
Gosh, that looks like something Hillary would ride!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.