Nathan of Brainfertilizer Fame

There are many good people on this board. I feel extremely fortunate y'all haven't gotten around to kicking me off yet.

Now that I have a virtually perfect shredder stable, replete with ebony fretboards, stainless steel frets, extended fret quantities, great tone, some rarities, and trems that stay in tune for weeks, I suddenly feel the need to start working on jazz chord shapes, comping, and chord-melody standards.

The inspiration for my comment regarding "bonding" was the fact that I'm buying back a Cali Elite that, at the time of selling, I claimed I didn't bond with.

For me, at least, "didn't bond with it" actually means "there's some other guitar that has attracted my attention and I've talked myself into letting this one go to get the cash for the other one".

I can't remember. Quite possibly was. I certainly don't remember it being Maryland. For that matter, it could even have been Florida or Texas, I see those all the time in the area, among other out-of-state plates, due to Andrews AFB being right across I-95, and Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling being close by, too.

It was over by the Suitland Federal Center, pretty early in the morning. Silver Hill and 5 or Silver Hill and 414....On an SUV if I remember correctly. Actually, I don't remember if it was even on a Maryland license plate. There are enough military folk working here it could have been any state, so it might not actually have been you.

Seriously?!? Sweet. We should get together for lunch sometime.

I'm actually more into learning licks/fills than learning solos. Those little two-/one-/half-bar passages can be devilish, fun, cool-sounding, and can make the song. Think: Stone In Love.

I prefer to make simple stuff sound tricky. Usually through rhythm, accents, etc...

Send your wife to China for 3 months. That helps.

But much, much cheaper. No shipping time involved, either.

Well, I have a Kemper now. After 3-4 days of noodling around, I'll be honest: I have discovered 53+ different settings that all sound like a good distorted amplifier. Pick one. Any one. You'll be happy with it. It will sound good. Guaranteed. And that's just the settings I've tried. There are something like 200 installed, plus hundreds out there you can download. So why did I spend $2500 to get 53+ (actually 314+, probably) near-identical distorted amp sounds? Well, because at some point that slight difference might make a difference. Even among the 53 distorted amp settings I've tried, I can pick out some that are more appropriate for "Don't Fear the Reaper" and some that are less appropriate. So there is some slight difference! Yay! Maybe the most important thing to me is: I don't ever have to worry about tubes going out. Or if the sound will be slightly different if I replace a tube with a cheap Chinese tube, or a high-end US tube. If I find a sound I like, I know have that tone until the end of time. Plus, there are some other aspects I will eventually get into. Cabinet differences, gain differences...I'm sure that of the 53 distorted amps I've tried out, they would sound much different if I backed off the gain or volume a little. Then there are all the built-in effects. So I guess what I got for my money is something that will grow with me. I know I can never be held back by the Kemper...I couldn't say that about the Peavey Classic 30, as good as it sounded, as good as it made all my guitars sound.

...which can all be handled by a Telecaster. -- A telecaster can't whammy. Fail. The only guitar that can do almost anything is a whammy-equipped guitar loaded with P-Rails.

They don't *all* have to have 24 frets. But some should. Just in case I need 'em.

There are many things I look for: Functionality Rarity/collectibility Historical significance Prettiness Functionality itself is complicated. Pickup configuration...my favorite is H/S/S, with a splittable humbucker. But what about having the option of the bridge humbucker being series or parallel wiring? Okay, the EBMM Reflex Game Changer fully takes care of that. But what about P-90s? But it lacks a trem and only has 22 frets. Gotta have some 24 fret guitars, gotta have trem guitars. The Mercury Head has P-Rails and a trem, so scratches that itch. I also got my choice among some limited colors, but it was exactly what I was looking for in colors, so it is pretty to me, too. So for 24 fret guitars trem guitars, I have a Diablo. But I love the sound of swamp ash bodies. Okay, Centaura w/ swamp ash. But I need a Sustainer, no? Okay, a Chap w/ Sustainer. But then I pick up my crappy Dean Z and the neck just feels *perfect*. I don't have a problem with most necks, but there's something about it that fits me like a glove. Can't let it go, right? But when I play the Fernandes I just got, it has the sweetest neck position single coil tone of all my guitars...hard to let go. And then, when I pick up a Yamaha Pacifica PAC 721, the combination of thin neck, loose trem, low action, and good tone just lets me play wild but good...seems to make me play better. But I also need non-locking trems so I can tune down to play Winger songs without having to deal with detuning a Floyd Rose system, so the Vintage S, Yamaha Pacifica PAC 612 or PAC 604w come in handy. And then Steinberger has the transtrem out, which lets you bend chords in tune and change the tuning of the guitar up *or* down 1 or 2 halfsteps...fixed bridge when changed, but still useful. And all this is fine, but what about a scalloped neck guitar? They help you play faster, if you play light (and I do). Okay, the Virtuoso checks that box. ...but what about ebony fretboards? Stainless Steel frets? The only way I could have one guitar is if they made a Virtuoso with scalloped ebony fretboard, stainless steel frets, aqua-burst flamed maple top over swamp ash, with a trans-trem, piezo saddles, and 2 P-rails run through an EBMM Game Changer system. That might satisfy me.* And then there's rarity/collectibility/historical significance. Only approximately 20 Chap 12 strings were made, maybe less (I can't remember). Rare, but for some reason, not that collectible...not many people want 12-strings? Also a Westone x390 Pantera, and its follow-on a Trevor Rabin signature. More than 100 of the Panteras made (legend is 96, but I feel like I've accounted for more than that bouncing around), no idea how many Trevor Rabin signatures. Collectible, to an extent, in that they are pursued by those who know about them, even if not heavily pursued. Historical significance might include the Steinberger ZT3, or an Alvarez Scoop, or a Peavey Vandenberg, or a guitar with a Modulus Graphite neck...not rare and maybe not even collectible...but something that changed the game in the guitar world, had an impact, made a splash...something piece of guitar history that could be in a museum if they ever have a definitive museum anywhere (like there are for pistols of the Old West, say). The historical significance slot has become less important. I sold both Scoops, sold my Vandenbergs, sold my Modulus Graphite necks...just not enough space. Another reason I hold onto guitars is based on a subjective assessment of the price to capability. A $1500 guitar that plays like a $2500 guitar is good right? Okay, now what about a $150 guitar that plays/sounds 99% as good? Best example of this is the Vintage S vs a Yamaha SE 350. I got the Vintage S for $1300; some have said that was a steal (although not an incredible one, since the EQ is missing). But I got the SE 350 for $50 from a pawnshop. Both guitars are HSS. Advantage: Even Both guitars trems stay in tune. Advantage: Even Vintage S non-locking trem vs SE 350 double locking. Advantage: Vintage S Vintage S w/ flamed maple vs SE 350, plain black. Advantage: Vintage S Both have excellent single coil & notch tones. Advantage: Even I don't like the humbucker tone on the Vantage S. Advantage: SE 350 Humbucker splits on the SE 350. Advantage: SE 350 Clearly, I should sell the Vintage S. The SE 350 was a fraction of the cost but is very nearly as good...and in 2 significant ways, it's better! But I think I just gave about 1/3 of the HFC a heart attack by saying the SE 350 is in some way better than a Vintage S. And I cannot deny: the flamed maple of the Vintage S and its sleek lines make me want to pick it up much more than I want to pick up the SE 350. Moreover, the weaknesses of the Vintage S are fixable. It is with Jay (murkat) right now, and I'll probably get a Parallel Axis Trembucker put in, can probably have it splittable, as well as having an EQ installed. But that just makes it more expensive, too. It becomes 34 times the price of the SE 350 vs just 26 times the price. And when it comes right down to it, if I owe the family several thousand dollars, it will be difficult to get there selling $50 guitars. Much quicker selling $1300-$1700 guitars, right? So that's where my struggle comes in: Urge to simplify warring with the urge for a wide range of playability and capability. Urge for really rare, cool, collectible guitars warring with the requirement to not be a net drain on family finances. Urge for the unique, cool, special warring with the urge for reasonable focus on the only reasonable outcome: good music So I've kind of ended up with the standard: if the guitar makes me happy, I'm keeping it. No "should keep" due to other people's opinions. A guitar might make me happy due to appearance, or tone, or rarity, or functionality, or any combination. There are going to be some keepers that don't make sense, and some sold that some will think I'm crazy to let go. *but probably not. I'd still something else I want...like carbon fiber, or flamed maple, or different trem...

Although to be completely honest, I might well have 6-7 guitars tied for #1. Lets' just say I just hope I never have to choose between the Virtuoso and the Mercury Head.

So the fact that the B-Way Mercury Head is still, by far, my favorite guitar really says something, eh?

Making this thought music-related: http://youtu.be/UhVCEvgkkFs That was not only freaking hilarious, that was a pretty good song!

When I think of Hamer and shredders, I think of what consider the Big Four: Californian Centaura Chaparral Diablo That ignores the Steve Stevens, the Vintage S, the TLE, the Virtuoso, and the Scarab. I guess some might consider the Jeff Watson a shredder. I've heard the Prototype and Phantom also called shredders. From a certain perspective, the quality of Hamer guitars is such that you can shred on just about anything. Not sure if the presence of a trem is required to be a shredder, or 24 frets, or a single coil in the neck, or a variation of a Superstrat, or pointy protrusions, or what combination of those attributes, exactly, make a shredder guitar. I think the reason I think of just those four, though, is because those are the only clear/obvious shredders on the "Hamer Guitars A to M" webpage that I referenced constantly for a few years. It left me the impression that those are the Hamer shredders, because those are the ones I saw the name of so often. But since those aren't the only shredders, what should we call them to refer to that group? They gave the last one the name "Diablo" instead of another C words like Creation or Counterpoint or Cadenza or Capriccio or Coloratura*, so I can't call them the 4C shredders. C/D shredders? 1st Page shredders? Hamer's Classic Shredders? Any ideas? * which makes me think: you could do worse than having a line of guitars named for Italian musical terms

Is this becoming just a brainfertilizer + LucSulla thread? C'mon, doesn't anyone else have any random musical/guitar thoughts anymore???!!??!

I can appreciate that the Lennon half-brothers exploited their connection to their father. However, I would respect them more if they had set their own musical style and hadn't exaggerated a similar vocal/musical style. Music is not genetic, to the best of my understanding...

The Chap is over on the single stand at the right side of the window, between the 2 3-guitar stands and the TV table. That's a 100% keeper. Love the neck, need the Sustainer, need to complete my Big 4 of Hamer shredders. Or, 5 w/ the Virtuoso. The Squier Standard is standing on the floor leaning against the brown couch, but is turned string-side toward the couch. The Squier Standard is over in the 7-guitar stand. Probable keeper. Not sure. It probably needs new pickups/pickguard to keep, and I'm trying to decide if "needs no additional work" is a good cut-off point for keepers.

Parties.

I took care of *that* by buying the Kemper!

Well, I cover a little more ground than you do. But still, I can't imagine how anyone can do that. There are just too many cool guitars out there.