Willie G. Moseley

Best man at the Paul/Ford wedding: Steve Miller's dad? Seems like I heard Miller note such, and says he got his first guitar lesson from Les.

I have an autographed 8 X 10 from Mr. Polsfuss on my office wall, very near to the autographed one from George Fullerton. There's a phenomenon in the news business where many types of media have all sorts of obituaries "on ice" or in stasis, ready to publish or broadcast when somebody passes away. The one that got me interested in this concept was LBJ's passing in '73, when a startled Garrick Utley interrupted his regular/scheduled reporting on NBC Nightly News to announce the death of Johnson. Then the network went to Ray Scherer for a 15-minute historical retrospective (IIRC Scherer was just a narrator) that seemed to have been obviously "ready to go". Jeffro says electronic and print media have such instantly-available post-mortem stories on file for all Presidents (current and former), the Pope, others. Going to the Gibson site, the tribute there to Mr. Polsfuss seemed to have been already prepared, and how could they get that many comments from that many guitarists that quickly? However, the remembrance is done in good taste, FWMOW. It's not morbid, but it's fascinating, and it shows the amount of respect Mr. Polsfuss had, so it's a rather unique compliment, IMO.

+1 on hoping I don't leave anybody out: JeffR Kizanski kenjones Hamerica All of the above at guitar shows or the first James Burton Guitar Festival (and I' m hoping to go to Arlington in October) I also seen Jack Butler from a distance at his 20-year homecoming pep rally. Couldn't help noticing some dude w/ hair too long for somebody his age + a red SuperStrat-type guitar... Wrote a newspaper column a few months ago titled "Friends I've never met" and posted the text here. Text is still valid.

Favorite: the G & L bass bridge. Simplicity and sustain Least-favorite: The steel-deck truss type, a la the bridge on I-35 that collapsed in Minneapolis. The reason for this is there's a big one of that type that is reportedly the second-longest curved one in the world; it divides the small mill town where we live (city's actually in two counties divided by the river). Built in the late '30s, it was inspected thoroughly by a "snooper" on more than one occasion after the Minneapolis disaster. While safe, it's gonna needs replacement in the not-too-distant future. There's a dam right beside it, which means it's suspended some 200 feet over the river bed. There have been times I've had to walk out to the middle to take a photo of one of the old mills, and it's un-nerving for someone like me who has a phobia about being "on the edge" of something. It really shakes when an 18-wheeler rolls by...

+ 1 also on the Gittler. Avraham Bar Rashi (nee Allen Gittler) said that he stopped with his design when he reached a point where he could take nothing else off and still have a usable guitar. The one in the photo is one of the first 60, made in the US; they got serial numbers in sequential order. An additional 300-500 were made in Israel under name licensing but they had some add-on "parts" that were supposed to make 'em easier to play. A US-made Gittler is reportedly the only (stringed?) musical instrument in the Museum of Modern Art in NYC. I own #78, an early Israeli one.; BCR has re-strung it for me. Used to be my "airport guitar" (w/ headphone amp), but I got pulled aside by security folks almost every time it went thru X-ray...and this was BEFORE 9/11. I don't take it along anymore; don't need the hassle...or the body cavity searches.

Looks like it was designed for Marvel Comics superhero the Daredevil...but he happens to be blind, so what difference do the visuals make (including lack of fret markers)???

First I heard was "Memory" on YouTube. Never heard the first song. Her vibrato seemed about right RE the modulation, but seemed like it might not have been necessary for the whole tune. She has what sounds---to me, at least---a naturally-pretty voice as opposed to a classically-trained voice, but considering what she's singing, sometimes there's not much difference. The Missus is a fan. Stories like this are good human interest, Rocky-type episodes. Doesn't do any harm to hear about such an occurrence every once in a while. Could be worse; could be Mrs. Miller, ca 1968.

"I'm so old, to me, "shootin' up" means the enema bag..." ----Rodney Dangerfield HBD

The new TV GUIDE came in the mail today so I was able to determine who he was; didn't know before that perusal. "American Idol", as well as "America's Got Talent", is simply "Ted Mack's Original Amateur Hour" w/ fireworks and confetti.

METALLIC K.O.---Stooges

The different electronics were on selected Epis and were usually mini-humbuckers instead of full-size ones. Sonic, as for how I liked 'em, the '67 burgundy Casino I had (cool white pickguard w/ the half-circle E logo) had one of my favorite necks ever, on accounta it reminded me of a '63 ES-335 I also used to own (and note what Gibson says the neck profile on their current "block inlay" ES-335 is). I'm not much of a lead player, and have always liked thinlines that are fully-hollow. Granted, something like an ES-335 would have more bite, but that's the point of the center block. The lighter weight of Casinos or ES-330s was perhaps noticeable, but they weren't neck-heavy (not was/is an ES-335 a heavy instrument anyway). My favorite thinline now in the Robin Savoy; it's semi-hollow, but who makes a modern-day fully-hollow thinline-type guitar (Gibson and Epiphone excepted)?

SPACE RITUAL-Hawkwind NO SLEEP 'TIL HAMMERSMITH-Motorhead ARGUS-Wishbone Ash +1 on DARK SIDE OF THE MOON and THE WALL, also THE FINAL CUT (even though that album's theme and lyrics are annoying, courtesy of Roger Waters) AN EVENING WITH THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND (both sets) AUGUST AND EVERYTHING AFTER-Counting Crows SECRET TREATIES-Blue Oyster Cult PHAEDRA, RUBYCON, and RICOCHET-Tangerine Dream HERGEST RIDGE, OMMADAWN, INCANTATIONS, and EXPOSED-Mike Oldfield

Been thru two '60s US-made Casinos (both two-pickup) Gibson equivalent = ES-330. Many, if not most '60s Epis are rarer than their Gibson counterparts, and were made side-by-side in Kalamazoo, so the same quality factors and the sound is usually the same. Curious that the rarer of the two might usually sell for less if they're practically the same instrument.

$25 for TUBULAR BELLS III, an import. Was a big fan of the earlier Mike Oldfield stuff, and TUBULAR BELLS II ('92) had been a decent "sequel" (that term is printed on the cover of TUBULAR BELLS II, and is appropriate), but TUBULAR BELLS III was unlistenable---no catchy hooks, too much vocal material, and the signature riff was barely heard. The caveat is that this opinion is based on what I heard---I couldn't even make myself finish listening to it. Apparently I didn't learn a complete lesson, as I got the two-CD set LIGHT + SHADE a few months ago; it had been hyped as Oldfield's venture into techno, and it was a boring as the bulk of that genre is. Turned around and sold it for what I paid for it. Oldfield's a genius, but there have been times where he has outright made me waste my money.

Pawn shop prize acquired in '00 for $150---Some black solidbody US-made bass, no frills, three knobs, P/J pickups with a busted magnet inside the P pickup, replaced with a Fender pickup. I really gravitated to its feel as a utility instrument; it felt more...well, "solid" than some of my other (more expensive) basses that I would consider for utility. Let it go because it was too hard to see the fret markers and side dots onstage, even though I considered sticking on larger dots, etc. These days, due to my almost-60-year-old eyesight I have to have maple boards with black fret markers and black side dots, or binding and block markers on basses (and guitars) with rosewood or ebony fretboards. But Jeezus, when I think of all the Hamers I saw in the late '70s, '80s, and '90s that I passed on getting...(!)

...and for the sake of brevity, let's not count imported modern-day items like Squier Strats (no copies of a bona fide front line model, in other words). And yes, you'd probably be examined by other musicians rather than the audience, but so what? The guitars and basses should have been designated and/or marketed (or at least, had the, er, "vibe") of being a student/beginnners' model, or at the very least, an entry-level, budget guitar or bass in their respective time. Try to consider the instrument(s) in their original configuration, and unmodded. I've always liked the original style G & L SB-1s, SB-2s basses (and their guitar counterparts, the SCs). An original SB-1 I used in some recordings sounded great going directly into the board. Mosrite Ventures IIs were kinda cool. An original Fender Mustang Bass can be made to sound quite nice. A Gibson Melody Maker bass is rarer and cooler-looking than its front line counterpart, an EB-0. Others?

Musically: Lemmy, Jack Bruce Onstage aesthetics: The Astronauts (Boulder, CO), the Bushmen (Atlanta, GA). Both '60s bands. Real Life: My father; he'll turn 87 this year. Most honorable man I've ever known.

Influence-wise: What if you compose something, actually record it, then realize you'd heard it before; i.e., you "subliminally" ripped it off, not realizing you'd done such? Happened to me once; somebody pointed out a lick on an instrumental I'd done, naming the band who'd done the same lick (although mine had harmony notes with two different guitars), and it was even in the same damn key! And I even had the album in my own collection! But I swear I never realized the connection, at least, overtly. Still embarrassing, though...

Relic'ed cases should include rusted hardware, maybe a busted latch, and a stench of mildew for authenticity's sake...

More than one of the manufacturing veterans of the original pre-CBS Fender company with whom I conversed couldn't for the life of them understand "...why someone would want to buy a new guitar that looks beat up" (to quote one of them). Another likened it to buying a new car that looked like it had been through a demolition derby. Yet another reason why I considered those folks to be sages.

Michael Cartellone (ex-Damn Yankees and Ted Nugent) has been Skynyrd's drummer for about a decade. It's probably a contracted/salaried position but he appears in group photos and does his job quite well, IMO

What was intriguing is that the intro to "Freebird" as a studio track was on an organ, while the live version was on a piano. Worked either way...and back around the turn of the century, didn't Powell's onstage piano spin around (on a horizontal plane)? Might've been doing that for who knows how long. I saw 'em open for ZZ TOP in '99, but you could have easily switched the order and it still woulda worked. IMO the guitar triumvirate of Rossington, Medlocke and Thomason (RIP as well) was just about the best lineup ever in that band...seemed like those three distinctive guitar voices blended together better than any others. They were promoting the EDGE OF FOREVER album on that tour, and a song from that release, "Preacher Man" was one of the best Skynyrd tunes I've ever heard.

Import to import, the crown inlay and neck binding on a Hamer is a plus. I personally like the neck profile on the Standard better as well.

Interviewed both of 'em prior to a show where they opened for Motley Crue. Both eloquent, upbeat and courteous about their craft and their guitars, but Rudolf, as I recall, occasionally subbed German for an English word...and as for me, nicht sprechen sie Deutsch. Backstage, it was interesting to encounter roadies with given names like Horst, Ernst, and Heinrich. FMWOW, I thought Jabs' signature Strat made a lotta sense in more that one facet---2 volumes and one tone, for example, plus unique but not over-extravagant Saturn fretboard inlay.

Just about any group in the so-called grindcore/death metal sub-genre (I do not know what "black metal" is). The "singer" for Morbid Asshole...er, Morbid Angel fits the "Cookie Monster vocals" based on what I heard some 15 years ago (one song, and that was enough). Opeth did a live DVD which was split into two types of music, and the second part was more Cookie Monster schlock. Some of the Valkyrie-style vocals are irritating as well. King Diamond comes to mind. All too many metal bands, regardless of sub-genre, seem to end up parodying themselves, y'know? And any self-parody is indeed as irritating as the band's original intent...except the self-parody is validation and all too obvious.