cmatthes

Aimee Mann is in town for 2 nights this week. Fred Armisen (SNL) is hosting. He's also a fantastic drummer, by the way if anybody remembers his early-90s band stuff.

Good things happen to good people. You guys deserve all the happiness in the world. That made my morning - great to hear, and congrats!

Without a doubt. Nothin' like 'em.

Very cool, but that sure looked like a live vocal over a recorded (studio) instrument track!

Here are some gems: The inspiration for my B-4M custom order: Message of Love Here's a custom Graphic Cruisebass (and what is that in James' hands? Peter? Hamerica?! ): The Adultress Red Prototype and check out that strap... Louie Louie Johnny Marr w/the Pretenders My favorite Red Sunburst in action: TLB - the Video So many of my rock icons/idols in this clip: Rockestra (off Back to the Egg - '79) One of my all-time favorite bands with the original lineup. Good stuff!

---> Tech 21 BassDriver (into PA)

My 12-year-old asked for a Yardbirds CD for Xmas - I have no idea why, honestly, but in light of that post, maybe it's for torturing his little brother!

So you just have to take the guy's word for it that they will function?

I guess if you're going to rip something off, you should go all out, eh?! For 99% of the people watching any CT Tribute band, that would make the show. (Hey PAM!!??)

Don't tempt me, sir!

Stonge - Make sure to give me a call if ya do!

Waaaahhhh!! It's Mahn, and yew'all ain't gittin' it back! Waaaahhh!

That red Marshall micro stack IS oddly cool (and damned cheap!). If I didn't already have a white one...

Just remember that in 1981, a BRAND NEW Les Paul Custom sold for @ $600-$650. Les Paul Standards and Deluxes were cheaper, so there may not have been a great demand for an early '70s model at that time. I know that when I bought mine back then (I still have the receipt and the Gibson pricelist), the only stuff people cared about as "Vintage" was the '50s stuff and some of the really early '60s stuff. Check out the old Guitar Trader catalogs if you want to see what stuff was going for before things took off in the '80s.

Well put, Kilroy. The one factor that seems to hold well here is the Japanese market. With the exception of one real minor softening (while the US Vintage market was on a massive uptick and the yen took a nice dip), they've been more than willing to purchase for sometimes more than the going rate for certain things. Anything Gibson from the '50s seems to qualify, so if the US Vintage market slides, dump it to an overseas buyer before theirs does! The obvious factors like recession, etc. will always be a factor in any investment item, but let's face it - you will probably never LOSE money on that guitar, and get to enjoy it while you own it. Can't beat that.

Darc: I'm not sure that the T30 will cut it. Not saying it isn't a nice amp, but I think you'll strain to compete in a band situation. Are you talking about plugging straight in w/conventional pedal assortment or running some sort of high tech marvel and looking for transparent projection? If the former, I'd recommend looking into an old Boogie Studio 22+ (1x12 combo) or maybe even a newer VOX AC15. Both are plenty loud and have decent headroom for cleans if you're looking for that. The Studio series are relative bargains and you can typically find them out there. I have heard great stuff about the Riveras as well. Not sure if it helps, but I'd opt for a 1x12 over a 1x10 for a band setting - I think you'd get lost in the mix with the smaller format speaker. Of course it depends on what kind of stuff you're playing too - a Variaxed Parker doing Frippertronics v. a Les Paul bashing out power chords would probably require different amps!

I have been very tapped into the vintage market for over 20 years, and have seen the price trends. Sure there are spikes and fads - the "Strat Mania" of the early 90s, the Gretsch bubble of the late '80s, but Gibson stuff from the 50s/early 60s has remained the gold Standard. Sure, LPs have gotten crazy, but the same 50s Goldtops that were going for under $5k less than 10 years ago are in the $30s now...and SELLING. There is still a huge demand for that stuff. I'd hold, at least for now - even if that market slides a little, you won't see it go back to the prices of 6-8 years ago.

The market has NOT topped on those in my opinion. I'd hold - at least for now. Seriously.

The only thing is, most of the disaffected kids that many bands appealed to or grew up from have now gotten past all that anti-establishment teen angst and now are holding down jobs, paying mortgages, raising kids and becoming the parents/adults they rebelled against in the first place. The music still resonates, but times change, people change. Most of the rock icons who were angry, lean and mean have mellowed with age and relatively fat bank accounts as well. They may still be a tad miffed about some things, but they have a lot less to complain about!

Great thread, Willie! I saw the WHO's "Farewell Tour" in '82. Same year as the Doobie Bros. "Farewell Tour". Oddly enough, neither one was able to really say goodbye for whatever reason. I'd definitely see the Townshend/Daltrey "WHO" one more time, but it really isn't the same with 50% of the band there for me - more like two great artists playing WHO covers all night (yes, even if they DID write and originally perform them!). Part of the problem is that many of these acts have priced themselves out of my interest level. I've seen pretty much everybody I've wanted to see, so wouldn't shell out $300+ for a seat to see anybody, with McCartney being the sole exception.

That's actually how I first learned how to play a harmonic - touch the string 12 frets up from the fretted note and pluck with your thumbnail of your right hand as you pull away. Some late '70s Guitar Player article or something had that technique in it - probably the late Tommy Tedesco or somebody like that. George Van Epps and Jimmie Webster were also doing the "true" tapping (a la '70s EVH) in the 50s. Of course, those guys were the "Van Halens" of their day, I guess. Merle T. was cool...

Who's Baker? ~Chris Gene Baker - the guy who made those "Keebler" Les Paul replicas.

Chris: If you can get the headstock back/reattached (!!!!), you should plug up those nasty holes, rout for a 3-coil and make an opaque finished Electraglide. C'mon - you know you want to!

Welllll... Guess what Premier has just come out with! "Pictures of Lily" kit Wow, Steve! That's really cool. Sadly, I think that'll be like the GC Neil Peart kit, the GC Clapton "Blackie", etc... My son will have to make do with his cool Gretsch kit. I don't think he'll mind at all!

My lord, I love the WHO... My 8-year-old son has a big B&W pic of Keith with the "Pictures of Lily" kit, just bashing the hell out of it framed in his room.