Guitar

[shindig]

I've got Gibson semi-hollow body electric guitar that is cherry red that I can play a few notes on. It's left handed. It's pretty much just a conversation piece now, I occasionally mess around with it or watch a few videos. I just never committed to it, maybe I'll pic it up again.

You’ve mentioned this before, sounds like a sweet axe...is your real name Marty McFly??

I still need to re-string it after my niece messed around with it. Problem is, I've never re-strung a guitar, so I'll probably just take it to somebody that knows what they are doing. Or I could learn (nah)...lol

[ousdahl]

Stringing a guitar is pretty easy. The only thing to really worry about is getting the right amount of wraps around the tuning pegs so the strings don’t slide.

Pull the new string tight in the saddle, then loop it through the tuning peg hole and start turning until it’s tight. Leave more slack than you expect to make sure you get enough turns around the peg. Or just Google it.

Or, worst case, I’m always down for a good reason to go spend the afternoon at guitar center. There will be some friendly long haired rocker dude who will be happy to tell you more than you ever wanted to know about guitars.

[ousdahl]

I enjoy perusing Craigslist classifieds for guitars, among other scores. Good place to get gear on the cheap, and with a little patience, you can usually even find the guitar you want.

The listings themselves can be hilarious too. Delusional sellers and such. “It retails for a $500, and I once saw one on eBay buy it now for $350, so I figure I’ll ask $1200, price firm, NO LOWBALLS! I think the price is fair cuz if you hang onto this axe for 40 years maybe it’ll be collectible!”

[ousdahl]

Or just people you wanna contact just to ask if they’re serious, like this gem:

https://denver.craigslist.org/msg/d/den ... 79144.html

Great guitar requiring minor repair - $375 (Denver)

Great guitar for sale - sounds wonderful and has really opened up with age.

One small issue - the neck and body broke off. However it is an easy fix - you just need to find a body and neck which is missing the head stock and get a little glue. Then you can enjoy some vintage guitar sound!

This is a great deal and won't last long!

[ousdahl]

This is the kinda ad that’s fun to reply with, “hi, not interested in the guitar, but how much for those blue jeans?”

[jfish26]

Break up with her.

Oh..."guitar". Nevermind.

[ousdahl]

My electric is named Daphne and my acoustic is named Minnie.

[shindig]

Stringing a guitar is pretty easy. The only thing to really worry about is getting the right amount of wraps around the tuning pegs so the strings don’t slide.

Pull the new string tight in the saddle, then loop it through the tuning peg hole and start turning until it’s tight. Leave more slack than you expect to make sure you get enough turns around the peg. Or just Google it.

Or, worst case, I’m always down for a good reason to go spend the afternoon at guitar center. There will be some friendly long haired rocker dude who will be happy to tell you more than you ever wanted to know about guitars.

Yeah, I think it's the high E string. I removed it because it was broke. I'll probably just take it in. The front plug to the amp also came loose and fell inside the body, not sure how that happened, probably my niece again, she picks it up every time she comes over and strums on it. I bought her a small electric guitar for her birthday, my brother and sister-in-law are thrilled with the gift...lol.

[Walrus]

Bands with decent music but singer you cannot stand:

Rush

[ousdahl]

but how you feel about his guitar?

[Walrus]

but how you feel about his guitar?

I like his playing. Maybe not my favorite, but still very fun.

David Gilmour is probably my favorite guitarist.

[Wiff]

I wouldn’t say I’m good, but I can at least strum through a few dead tunes well enough to get in grandma’s pants.

I played rhythm guitar/backup vocals in a metal band all through college. I practically lived in grandma's pants.

[ousdahl]

So one of my fave musicians is Robbie Robertson, guitarist from The Band.

After 16 years of touring, including the infamous “Dylan Goes Electric” tour during which they were booed every night, Woodstock, etc., they decide to hang it up with one last big show, aptly named “The Last Waltz.”

They played for over 5 hours, guest musicians included Dylan, Eric Clapton, Muddy Waters, Neil Diamond, Van Morrison, Ringo Starr, among others; Martin Scorsese produced the video doc, it was kind of a big deal.

So to commemorate the big deal, Robbie wanted to do something special with his guitar. He had this one he had toured for years with, and somehow came up with the idea to bronze it for the final show. Like literally dip it in bronze!

The guitar was a ‘54 Fender Strat, serial 0234, and a red one at that. Nowadays, vintage and collectible guitar market is insane. Consider for a moment that Fender had produced 12 million guitars since the 50s, so anything with an early serial number or a unique (for the time) color like red would be worth who knows how many $80000 lobster deposit receipts, even if it didn’t happen to also be the guitar a famous musician used on tour for years. The handful modern replicas Fender built as a tribute will run in the tens of thousands, if you can find one.

But this was the 70s, and there was no collectible guitar market yet. Old guitars were just old guitars. So Robbie dipped it in bronze. It looked super cool and unique, and he thought it even improved the tone too...except that covering it in bronze made it twice as heavy - so much so, that halfway through the show he switched to a lighter guitar anyway, go figure.

The original bronze strat now resides at the rock and roll hall of fame. Maybe we can snatch it once we also break in to claim the pick of destiny.

But anywho, if we can segue the discussion another angle, what’s some other things that weren’t necessarily collectible back in the day but totally is now?

[ousdahl]

Other fun facts:

On the electric tour, Dylan wondered why they were booed every night if all the shows kept selling out. The drummer, Levon Helm, got burned out at having to be booed every night and quit the band to go work on an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico.

Clapton tried to join The Band, but never really got the nerve to ask. He went up to the big pink house where they recorded “Music From Big Pink,” and said, “hey can we jam?” and the band replied, “we don’t jam, we’re a songwriting outfit.” He was blown away with their focus and perfectionism, and was afraid to even ask if they’d want him to play rhythm guitar.

after Neil Diamond played at the last waltz, he allegedly went back to the backstage, passed Dylan, and said “top that.” Dylan replied, “what am I supposed to do, go out there and fall asleep?”

Joke’s on you Bob, cuz guess who has a tribute every Saturday night at the Sat Shack now!

[Mjl]

What are your three favorite songs to play?

[Mjl]

Not just by The Band, by any band.

[ousdahl]

By The Band: the weight and Ophelia

By any band: U.S Blues by the Dead, Drown by the Pumpkins, and Straight no chaser by Monk...at least the head, then kind of pretend to jazz solo

[ousdahl]

Everybody knows this one.

this one might be more fun. I haven’t figured all of Robbie’s exact licks, but found some chords that work and it’s a good time. Not many bands can just seamlessly integrate a full horn section, either...pretty much just the band and reel big fish

[ousdahl]

The other ones:





I can’t find any good recording of U.S. Blues tho. Maybe see if you can like borrow a cassette tape from gutter or something.

[jhawks99]

Not Geeetar, but I just finished listening to this. Good stuff, Maynard.