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FGJ

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Everything posted by FGJ

  1. I currently have an original 80's Floyd on my Cali and kept the black Hamer one in case I want to put it back on the Cali and use the original Floyd on something else someday. I personally don't care what color mine is, so if you want to swap the one you have with my black one, you're welcome to it. HOWEVER, I'm using the black arm from the Hamer Floyd on the 80's Floyd currently on my Cali because I preferred the adjustable collar of the Hamer Floyd to the one on the 80's Floyd, so you'd have to find a black arm with collar. Plus, the paint has worn down to the brass on some of the fine tuners. I know you asked for a black Hamer Floyd in 'good' condition, so if mine sounds too worn, no problem. I'll leave the offer open in case you can't find a good one elsewhere. Congrats again on the new Cali!

    1. diablo175

      diablo175

      Thanks, man!

      I've had a few offers of a black Hamer stamped Floyd, one of which is good for a long time. That said, I appreciate your offer but I think I'm good to go!

      How are you? How's the sea foam green Cali holding up? Still doing your illustration?

      -Jim

    2. FGJ

      FGJ

      Good to hear. I figured several people here would have them laying around, but thought I'd offer just in case. In fact, since you're usually modding you're Cali's with upgraded Floyds, I'm surprised you don't already have a drawer full of Hamer Floyds. Come to think of it, where are all those? ... Digging my Cali. It's my favorite guitar, though I only have three and dig each of them for different reasons. But the seafoam Cali is my island guitar. I wouldn't sell or trade it for anything short of one of Eddie's personal striped guitars (as if), and that would only be for fanboy/collectible reasons because the Cali would still be a better guitar (as you probably read in the forum, I seriously wanted an EVH Wolfgang, bought a beautiful one, and sold it a week or two later because the Cali just blew it away). You know, I actually have dreams (more like nightmares) of the guitar neck on my Cali falling apart (in my dreams, it sort of flakes apart and warps and bends like a piece of rubber. Yeah, it's weird), and then I freak out because the likelihood of finding another maple neck is slim to none. Yeah, it's stupid, but I have no control of my dreams. In any case, it's been with me since I bought it new, so my attachment to it is sort of like an attachment to a well worn pair of sneakers. It just fits me (or I've come to fit it), so everything else I pick up just doesn't seem quite right in my hands. Yeah, it's all in my head.... I'm currently working steady (thanks for asking) as a full time contractor for Storyland Studios, a design/fabrication/architecture studio here in SoCal that takes on just about any kind of project. I do a lot of spatial/entertainment design/storytelling/theming for them as well as any other illustrative work they may need, from comics to children's books to character design to iOS/VR apps. It's a great company and I get to work at home. The downside to being a contractor is having no benefits or retirement plan, but that's par for the course of working freelance. I think you probably have the ideal position, being able teach, so you can still do art and still have some stability and security. Heck, I should have gone to college and become an art teacher. But then the students might drive me so crazy, I'd be jumping off the back of planes, too. ;-)

  2. BTMN just shared your blog for your son with me and it came as a shock because I haven't been a member here long enough to know what you were referring to. I have to say, I almost cried reading that stuff because I have four children of my own, and I would be devastated if anything happened to one if them. 

    I know there's nothing I can say that can ease your pain, so I won't even try. Frankly, I would be lying if I pretended to know that the pain will ever go away. At best, I could only suggest there's hope of being reunited with your son someday.

    Honestly, my heart goes out to you, bro. I'm at a loss for words...

    1. Ting Ho Dung

      Ting Ho Dung

      Thanks FGJ. It's been nearly 7 years and I still feel the pain I felt the first day. This next week is really going to suck.

  3. I think it's just a man's nature to tinker with things and be creative. It's like modding your car or improving something around the house. If we didn't satisfy this urge to "improve" things, I suppose we'd still be riding in a horse and buggy.
  4. I sometimes wish my Cali headstock were plain with a black logo. I think yours will look great like that.
  5. Not to be sexist or anything, but isn't it interesting we don't hear from women on the board explaining to us about how they have to sneak guitars into the house without the husband noticing?
  6. Just out of curiosity, are you looking for a variety of aesthetics? Because it seems there are only a handful of general guitar tones that can be had from several guitars, and after that it's all about looks (well, actually, there are different ways a guitar feels as well, but personal preference on what we look for in a neck is usually pretty narrow -- I think). In any case, if you've got room for it and the wife is okay with it, why not, right?
  7. Frankly, I don't get how anyone can inherit someone's name or image. I can understand a child or spouse inheriting royalties or intellectual rights to his music, but a cousin, father or adopted sister inheriting the right to his name? What's with that? If he had no spouse or children, shouldn't use of his persona be in the public domain, the sme way as it would be with, say, Mark Twain or something?
  8. We'll, I certainly don't plan on ever trading in my Cali for a Wolfgang. Just wondering how the two compared.
  9. Has anyone owned a USA EVH (Fender) Wolfgang and a USA Cali (not necessarily at the same time) and can give a comparison of, say, quality of build, playability, shape of neck, quality of Floyd, etc? I think we can see the differences aesthetically, so I'm really interested in knowing how they differ from a practical, players point of view. I realize they're different guitars, but since they're both presumably made for rocking and shredding, one would think they must appeal in similar ways. So can anyone address this? Anyone? Anyone? B.....
  10. I prefer a blocked Floyd. Makes dropping to D with a D-Tuna simple, and I only used the trem for diving anyway. Plus, set-ups are easier.
  11. "what it's worth" = whatever you're willing to pay to get your hands on it, or whatever you require before you're willing to part with it. Nothing has any intrinsic monetary value.
  12. That reminds me of that episode of Seinfeld when a valet stunk up his car and nothing could remove the smell.
  13. Well, variety is the spice of life and all of that. I don't think most would be happy settling on using only one pick forever. I'm sure there are a few people out there who can do that, but I think most people prefer to try different things every now and then.
  14. I just ordered some. I'm always on the lookout for that perfect pick (actually, the stainless steel Fender picks are perfect for what I like, but as I already noted, I'm tired of destroying strings so quickly)
  15. I dig metal picks, but they just shred my wound strings. While strings are easy to replace, I'm too lazy to have to change them that often.
  16. This: s1374.photobucket.com/user/Flooglemop/media/07_zps476313be.png.html] Like Han Solo says: "I've made some special modifications to her myself ... She may not look like much, but she's got it where it counts."
  17. I suspect it is going to be whatever best fits any particular person's hands for any given task. In other words, there is no "best" as far as specs go, because everyone will favor whatever specs fits their needs. I'm not even sure the same person wants the same neck on every kind of guitar. What fits my hands best for shredding may not fit my hand well for playing lots of chords, or may not works as well for playing slide. I guess you can either own several guitars, each able to do something really well, or you find one "jack of all trades, mastere of none" guitar.
  18. I tend to think the "ultimate" shredder is going to have less to do with the body wood or pickups (the former being entirely unnoticeable when covered in paint and the latter being replaceable), and has far more to do with the neck. If the neck has good action, fret-height that works best for you, and a shape that just fits your hands (which is going to be different for everybody), then that's probably going to inspire you to shred (if that's your goal) more than anything else. I realize tone is important, but so much about tone can be shaped by pickups, pedals, amps, and those things attached to the end of your arms. The only part of the guitar that you physically connect and interact with in regard to playing is the neck, and (for myself) a GREAT neck will sway my opinion toward a guitar more than wood or fancy paint. To be clear, I'm not suggesting I'd want a butt-ugly guitar with a great neck, because I still want to enjoy looking at the guitar to some degree. But playability is more important.
  19. I totally believe you. My Cali may never be voted prom queen, but I wouldn't sell or trade her for anything. I just like everything about it, and I'd have no problem if it were the only guitar I held or played ever again. I'm not suggesting there aren't a bazillion prettier guitars out there, but my guitar has become so much a part of me (as far as guitars go) that I never even dream of replacing it with something else. And if I were a gigging musician and were asked what I'd want to gig with, it'd be with my Cali and nothing else (assuming the fantasy criteria of not having to worry about breaking a string applies to me, thus my not requiring a backup guitar).Come to think of it, if EVH continued gigging with his trademark guitar which looked like a POS, even though he clearly had the lettuce to play any beautiful guitar of his choice while on stage, then I'm not sure why anyone with a favorite guitar would gig with anything else, even in a fantasy scenario. My gigging fantasy involves actually being able to play my favorite tunes really well, but the guitar I imagine playing is always what I already own. Certainly can't fault your choice for the ultimate ax! I do have one perspective that will totally unhinge your otherwise laudable and admirable position: How do you KNOW there isn't another guitar out there that might bond as well as, if not better than your current flame, while offering you something different in the way of options and aesthetics? It is that very question that keeps me (and I suspect hundreds of thousands of others) ever vigilant for another possible addition. Yes, you're entirely correct. I don't know that there isn't something better, and, in fact, it's quite likely that there is something better or at least as good as what I have. But since your OP question asked what we'd gig with if we had our druthers, and I since can only go with what I'm familiar, I'm happy to stay with what I own. (Incidentally, the only guitars that I've ever played whose neck I felt was as nice as my Cali were a few Suhr guitars I've tried. But I don't have Suhr-envy or a Suhr budget, so I'm not looking to getting one. Plus, I'm biased toward Hamers.) To be perfectly clear, if you're question had been: 'What else would you like to own in addition to your current stable if money, space, and the disapproval of the wife were not an issue?' In such a case, I could certainly make a rather large list, but it would be entirely based on aesthetics, not really on wanting something that plays differently. Like I noted earlier, there are a whole lot of pretty guitars out there; real works of art. I wouldn't mind having a few just on that basis alone. But as far as playing is concerned, I'm quite content with where I'm at. I only own my Cali (with which you're familiar) and a U.S. '94 T-51, and those two get me most anything I want for a guy who only plays as a hobby. Finally, if your question had been about amps, I would have jumped on the wish-list bandwagon with things I don't own but would like to try out. I guess I'm not so loyal to any one amp. I think the reason is that one's interaction with an amp is only audible, whereas interaction with a guitar is largely about overall feel and playability. Bonding with a good guitar is physical which is absent with an amp --- just my ignorant opinion. what do I know.
  20. I totally believe you. My Cali may never be voted prom queen, but I wouldn't sell or trade her for anything. I just like everything about it, and I'd have no problem if it were the only guitar I held or played ever again. I'm not suggesting there aren't a bazillion prettier guitars out there, but my guitar has become so much a part of me (as far as guitars go) that I never even dream of replacing it with something else. And if I were a gigging musician and were asked what I'd want to gig with, it'd be with my Cali and nothing else (assuming the fantasy criteria of not having to worry about breaking a string applies to me, thus my not requiring a backup guitar).Come to think of it, if EVH continued gigging with his trademark guitar which looked like a POS, even though he clearly had the lettuce to play any beautiful guitar of his choice while on stage, then I'm not sure why anyone with a favorite guitar would gig with anything else, even in a fantasy scenario. My gigging fantasy involves actually being able to play my favorite tunes really well, but the guitar I imagine playing is always what I already own.
  21. The tailpiece is perfectly straight. It's the rest of the guitar that is crooked. How they failed to align it correctly with the tailpiece is anyone's guess.
  22. I live near L.A. and we've been expecting ""The Big One" any year now. Then again, I've been hearing all of my life that a giant quake is going to dump the state into the Pacific and Vegas residents would end up with beach-front property. I suppose that's a textbook definition of "hyperbole".
  23. I'd like to hear "Wango Tango" on Mango.
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