tbonesullivan

George Mann didn't work for Gibson, he worked for Epiphone. There's even a court case between them around 1951: http://www.leagle.com/decision/1951832279AD553_5678 Maybe it was the strike that resulted in Epiphone employees moving to Guild in Hoboken.

The crowdfunding thing is always a possibility, IF they put the building up for sale. Does FMIC even own the building, or is it leased/rented? The equipment also may be leased, and they may just decide to keep it, move it, or auction it off. Fender may decide they don't want their latest "guild factory" to become another "guild factory." From what I remember reading, Guild was started by workers from the Epiphone plant, which Gibson closed after they bought it out. One of the biggest surprises I've always had is that when Gibson left Kalamazoo, they left the factory there, and it was able to be purchased. Now Heritage guitars and many other companies (like ProCo, the makers of the Rat and cables) are in the building as well. Currently there is a local charity trying to preserve the crumbling GIBSON smoke stack on the building.

I want to go paint 'FMIC SUX" on the floor.

Sir, you have impeccable taste. I don't understand why it's still there. The color is awesome, the build is awesome, it's a ONE OF A KIND custom issue, but not like a Miller guitar or something gaudy. And it's only $2500. That would be like 15,000 if it was from the G-brand.

Hmm.. now I'm really tempted to buy this: http://willcuttguitars.com/hamer-1/hamer-monaco-iii-limited-edition-grand-ole-opry-80th-anniversary-shiraz-red-931-1

This reminds me so much of the death of Buell motorcycles. They made AMERICAN MADE bikes that weren't Cruisers, Choppers, etc. They made sport bikes, adventure bikes, dual sport bikes, everything. Even the buell blast which got an amazing 72 mpg. They had tons of innovations, like fuel in the frame, etc etc etc. But sadly Eric Buell had sold the company to Harley Davidson, and a new CEO came in (who isn't even a rider) and basically said "why are we making these things?" as they didn't sell for as much as the Harleys, and they weren't any kind of "entry level" to get people to buy the more expensive bikes. So they killed Buell. What makes me sad is that with Hamer they got such a vast portfolio of guitars and workers. They could have REALLY launched hamer. Instead they decide to bring back Guild, whose name is somewhat more well known, but whose electrics were not really well known. If FMIC really wanted to go after Gibson's market share, Hamer was the only brand that could do it. And, they didn't see it that way.

dangit this is making me want a gold top.

He's clamping on another piece of wood to help strengthen the joint. Then it'll be rasped/sanded cut and molded, re-finished, and done. Like it never even happened. I love seeing greg's work. I'm not sure whether to be happy or sad that hopefully I'll never need this kind of work done to a guitar. I'd love to have it rebuilt like this, but I'd hate to break one like this in the first place. Bon Jovi must really like the guitar. Something like this could easily be replaced.

OUCH. I can say though, that the "classic" Les pauls are one of my favorite varieties. I wish they had kept making them. Nice hot raunchy pickups, snot green inlays. YUM.

learning all the different shapes of the pentatonic scales and also the standard modes is a very good way to lay a great foundation for improvisation. combine that with the standard arpeggios and you've got a pretty formidable amount of options there. Then you learn how to put them together.

Looks good! Not sure if the intonation is really set right though...

And yes, I have a half stack. And I've got combos. And I've got a fire-breathing marshall TSL122 that even as a 2x12 can blow up houses. It also can herniate discs just by proximity, so look out. But I've also got a Radial Tone Bone Hot British, a Boss OD-20, OS-2, MXR Dist+, and honestly I can get just about any overdrive or distortion sound I want with those. I have also played through a cranked plexi and a JMP something something at a meetup a year or so ago, and it was quite nice. but it was almost too loud even with earplugs, and everyone was running for the hills. So yeah, cranking a half stack can be fun but it's also REALLY FREAKIN LOUD.

depends entirely on what kind of sound I'm looking for. Also there are some pedals these days that have a ton more options than any amp overdrive/distortion, and you don't need to blow down walls to get it.

only thing about the wolfgange and other EVH guitars is that they are "only" 22 frets. If 24 frets is a must, they are out.

Yeah... diablos Mine have needed a bit of love to get back into playing shape but they are definitely fun guitars. Mine are definitely road worn, so I don't have to worry about taking them with me to strange places.

do you need the 24 frets and tremolo? Bolt on or neck through? there is a lot out there. Used Charvel San Dimas guitars are a pretty good deal.

way too many variables to make that kind of generalization. also depends on what you define as good or better. Above a certain level though, you are talking about diminishing returns.

dang... that would be more complicated than my EBMM steve morse, and that took me a week to finally remember how to work it.

one guitar. one bass. both some form of blue. Carvin PB4 with active electronics and J style bridge pickup: EBMM Steve Morse Signature slightly used:

Well, lately there have been efforts to really focus in on structures in the brain that are different in people with certain disorders. The question is whether it would be as simple as taking a pill, or whether it would require surgery. It also does bring back memories of earlier days when sticking a long needle into the corner of your eye socket, into the brain, and wiggling it around was considered "therapeutic". The old "prefrontal labotomy" that really just nuked people's brains when they had mental deficiencies or illnesses that were not able to be treated at the time. Another thing to think about is the victims, which I think is where the majority of attention (or lack of attention) should be directed. I have several friends who were abused as children, and one of the hardest things they have dealing with is society's perception of them as "damaged goods." Elizabeth Smart has been quite open with how one of the hardest things she had to come to terms with was how much her society now considered her "dirty" and "unpure". Everyone is all about outing the big time abusers, making a huge media frenzy complete with condemnations and such, but is that really in the best interest of the victims and their recovery?

This is also what's going through my head as well. How? and Why? But I guess that's part of the point: something is wired differently in pedophiles, at the brain level most likely. This is why they cannot be cured. There is however a difference between a pedophile and a child molester/rapist etc. A pedophile is someone who has a sexual attraction to children, and strictly speaking, it's pre-pubescent children. However that is not a crime, acting on those impulses is, which makes one a child rapist or child molester, etc. It's someone who cannot control their urges, which is what separates a normal person, from a serial killer, rapist, etc. The question then becomes whether it is really inborn, or learned. Psychologists/Psychiatrists who have worked with victims and abusers have known for years that many abusers have their own history of abuse. The assistant basketball coach at Syracuse who was outed as a child molester was outed by one of his victims, who had become a child abuser himself. Other therapists dealing with victims have watched victims turn into aggressors as they grow older.

11 months old?? something is definitely wrong upstairs. very wrong.

awesome pictures! I love the in progress ones. It's awesome to see how a guitar really takes shape. damn shame that with things they way they are, I'll never get a chance to have a custom build made. oh well.

ok, so what exactly does a Newman No.60 Jointer do? I found a picture, and even description, but I still am clueless.

Just curious, but what material do you usually use for your nuts? I got to talking with some guitarist friends about the various materials out there, like bone, brass, corian, tusq, etc, but seeing as we never cut nuts, I don't really know what the difference would be.