diablo175

In the absence of jaw dropping skill, I'll happily settle for heartfelt creative output. Bitter pill of reality: I'm never gonna get to where I wanted to be 20 years ago.

Apparently, my attempt at humor has fallen flat. The appropriate emoji has been added to clarify my intent.

Isn't it funny how guitars in the stable can fall in and out of favor and yet, nothing changes about them? One day, you barely even see it sitting there on the rack next to all the others, and the next day, it calls to you to be played and rewards your prudent selection with incredible performance. And you swear you'll be back the next day (or that afternoon, evening etc.) but when you do return, you pick it up and meh. But wait, there's that one over there that seems to be calling to you... Guitars sure are temperamental and fickle.

I'm changing Thanksgiving to Ax-getting. This is right around the time I typically go off the GAS rails on a crazy buying train.

I think there's more to it than that but it's a good place to start- the Japanese allude to it in their concept of Mushin or "no mind".

Well, with an attitude like that...

WOW! You'll have to tell me how that goes. If you succeed, I'll stop down for some help learning a few of the tunes...

If I could bottle and sell whatever it is that puts me "in the zone" while playing guitar, I'd be a millionaire- either by selling that shit to every bedroom guitar god in waiting or hording it to myself and becoming the internet's next bedroom guitar god. All BS aside, I really would love to know what unfathomable combination of variables make for those all-too-infrequent and fleeting moments when I get in the zone and tear shit up that I couldn't even hope to hit any other time.

Most times, taking a few days off from playing guitar typically improves my playing upon return.

I find that inspiration helps. Whatever inspires you to want to play is the secret to getting past the low point. It can come in many forms. For me, it's usually watching footage of other players I respect or admire. Sometimes, it's hearing musical items I've created in the past and now hear potential in for revisiting. Keep at it, Gorch.

I'm the last person anyone'd want to take amp advice/recommendations from but my Mesa Roadster 2 x 12 combo was a seeming half ton rubic's cube. And I don't have the patience. Jeffro is quite a fan of his Mesa.

D'ja ever have a brief period where you went through several phases of widely varying levels musical capabilities? Like, from "I'm doing okay here" one day to "holy shit, I totally suck today!" the next and back to "Wow, that's pretty cool!" the following day? I did. Yesterday, my playing sucked so bad and was devoid of inspiration and passion, I was poised to enter into the 2nd Great Guitar Dormancy of my life wherein I barely pick up a guitar, except in rare times of great inspiration and motivation. The good news is: I was re-inspired, by Face Book of all places, and I was carried to a new height on the wings of a couple of beloved Hamers. The C3 and my trusty Python of Love have brought me back to the place where I am transformed and reborn in the crucible of rawk guitar.

Gonna take that general theme and run in a slightly different direction, i.e. not a total derail but... ...drawing from recent posts concerning age and music, and opening it up to abilities on guitar, I've noticed that I'm finally reaching point in my playing where I am feeling moderately satisfied with my abilities. Not "I've reached the absolute pinnacle of my potential" satisfied, just really digging the place I'm currently in. Not sure how to gauge or quantify it. I just am. Call it measurable progress on a scale that I cannot fully articulate. LOL In short, I'm playing more of the things I've always wanted to and am closer to being able construct meaningful and appropriately challenging solos, off the cuff. To those who have thrown in the towel when you hit 50 (or whatever magical age); at 50, I honestly feel like I'm just getting warmed up. It feels good.

That's the thing- there are people who listen to technically proficient stuff and go YEAH.

Based on a segment of discussion over in the Marty Doesn't Get Hendrix thread, I was curious as to what defines music from the groin as opposed to more cerebral examples. Are we talking just in terms of technique and theory or is there some other criteria that defines both? I suppose taken to extremes, it's fairly easy to categorize and differentiate these. Sex Pistols vs. Malmsteen, for example. But what exactly is music played from below the belt vs. above the neck? Seems to me there is an awful lot of gray area as well as a HUGE variable in the form of subjectivity.

Damn, man. To think, I'm trying to get my herd down to a level where they will all fit on a 6 guitar rack and one hanging stand.

Battery? Active p'ups? On board booster? Do tell...

I've owned a few. My LP Axcess is heavily flamed. But I think it's safe to say that most everyone on here knows my tastes in finishes runs a bit to the graphic and tasteless side. It's a fucking instrument of rawk, dammit. Not a flippin' coffee table or other piece of furniture. Save the lovely wood grain for the cabinet you display it in. Poser.

Saw them on Moving Pictures 2011 tour. I'm good. Did read a funny article (can't remember where) that Geddy's been running his bass direct into the board and putting household appliances like fridges, washing machines etc out on stage and putting dummy mics on them. Just because people expect to see amps w/ mics on them. :lol:

Funny thing is, JB's Strats were set up to pull sharp as well as dive. It's how he got some of those wicked cool effects. I give JB credit for getting more out of his modified Fender trem than most can get out of a fully floating Floyd (say that 3 times fast!). Had I discovered how to do that back in my formative guitar years, I might be a Strat fanatic instead of a 80's Floyded Super Strat fanatic.

I remember being quite impressed with it's look as well, though JB just doesn't look right without a white Strat in hand....

I can only think of two new axes I'm gunning for- a custom Shishkov and another custom build by my co-guitarist . Add to that a new custom replacement neck for the Strat and a few re-frets and that's the best I can hope for.

You say that like it's a bad thing...

Well, I'm off to a roaring start. One of my 2015 resolutions was to thin the herd and all I managed to do was trade two Cali's for different guitars and buy a new MIM Jackson. Not doin' so hot on that resolution, folks.