whitefang

Thanks, Caev..... Say "hi" to Rocky Rococo for me, eh? As I don't listen to a lot of radio that would advertise that type of entertainment coming 'round, and the local newspaper cut down to a three day a week delivery, I don't get "hep" to any tribute bands coming to town anywhere. The Canadian BEATLES tribute band The Caverners was the only "tribute" band I bothered to pay to see, and they were pretty good. But I haven't seen any others( so far ). Whitefang

And today is the 108th anniversary of ROBERT JOHNSON's birth! [video:youtube] Whitefang

Well PICKER.... I never knew the models either, and I'd spend a lot of time(and shoe leather) either walking the four or five miles to the nearest SEARS store(which sadly just closed it's doors this past Dec.) and listen for when my Dad would announce he was going to SEARS for something so I could bum a ride and once there, take off to the section of the store in which they kept those Silvertones on display. And if I was lucky, it wasn't too crowded with OTHER budding young guitar players, and I might find one with all six strings, or at least five! Whitefang

I seem to recall that for a time back in the '90's( according to a GP article) there was a "trend" of sorts, of Post-Punk, "new wave" artists hunting down "vintage" cheap axes( old Sears Silvertone and Ward's Airline and such) In order to obtain a "classic garage band tone". Frankly, I thought it was just mostly for appearances sake, a kind of "quirky" look for those guys. And I'll bet many of those old "cheapies" were at one time many budding guitar players' "first wants". I remember a buddy of mine lusting after some cheap-o Teisco del Rey job. With FOUR pick-ups! Only $59 in '67 at Federal's! Whitefang

That's a large part of the FUN of it all, ain't it? I know there's lots of folks here who don't like the idea of playing familiar songs "note for note", but I think that can come later. I mean, if it's a really "Cool" tune( IYHO) the feeling of accomplishment in learning it in original form can be quite personally satisfying. Like with my first foray into photography... I could have bought an "all-automatic" camera( like the Canon A-1) but based on a family member's suggestion( and also a long time photographer) I bought a Canon AE-1, and NEVER put it on "auto" mode( which when merely pressing the shutter would have automatically set the shutter speed and aperture). I would have never learned photography that way. Whitefang

Well, most of my "practice" (still working on dexterity and endurance after health issue 5 years ago) consists of finger exercises. And if the mood strikes me, I'll just run through a bunch of songs I already know, or think I remember( ) but y'know.... Singer/songwriter CHRIS SMITHER talked one time about doing a collection of BOB DYLAN songs, thinking, "I must know about 40 Bob Dylan songs." But when he sat down to run through them, confessed, "It turned out I just knew PARTS of about 40 Bob Dylan songs...." I'd say that's sort of true for me too. Of the 40 or more Bob Dylan tunes I think I know, I can probably play about 5 or six "end to end". Whitefang

Frankly, the first one I recall having a real "want" for was( didn't know what it was called back then in the early '60's) was some kind of "thinline" semi-hollow I saw in some catalog. Can't recall the maker or the catalog, but it was bragging that it was the thinnest of it's kind at the time. :idk But over the years(and thinking back), I'd have settled for ANY "real" guitar instead of that old all plastic EMENEE piece ' crap I had, and the first by brand name I recall( as an early SMOTHERS BROTHERS fan) would be that GUILD D-40 that Tommy was playing! And I suppose, because they were the first electrics I knew of by name, it'd be a toss-up 'tween the Fender( didn't know the model was called the "Stratocaster", and for some time, thought the Telecaster was an old, discontinued model ( ) and those "VENTURES" model MOSRITES. Whitefang

If the only quality issues with the newer LPs is electronics, that sounds like an easy( albeit not really all that cheap) fix. Then the problem becomes finding a good enough and reliable enough tech to help with it? Whitefang

All fine ideas, sure, but..... "LP like" isn't really an "LP". Whitefang

OK. Thanks, I think.... Whitefang

OK, so let's say... I wish to buy an LP, but don't wish to pay thousands of dollars for the supposedly "poor quality" newer instruments, so which year would any consider a good "cut-off" year for purchasing a "previously owned" model? :idk Whitefang

I might facetiously disagree with Fred in that Gibson cared SO much about shoddy craftsmanship that they seemed to make it a top priority! Whitefang

Stromberg seems to have had TWO headstock designs over the years. Sure, one reminiscent of the Hofner, and the other(and more familiar) looks like what TACOMA based their headstock on. As Hofner started 'bout 20 years earlier, but in Europe, and Stromberg in Boston, it would be hard to ascertain if the similarity was intentional or not. And Fred----with ya 100% on the HERITAGE thing. Whitefang

How about either one of THESE "old timers"? [video:youtube] [video:youtube] Whitefang

I'm confused.... Does that model make 7th chords sound better? Otherwise... Whassup with the bulletin board? ? :idk Or, another case of "message board ADHD"? Whitefang

Sure. The same with... VCRs, Flat panel TVs, digital watches... I remember my brother in law buying one of those early LED watches. Needed to push a tiny button on the side to see the time displayed by pinpoint tiny LEDs. Cost him $150! Whitefang

That's no doubt true. And to both their, AND our dismay, the money could have been better spent on the "guts" and the money saved in materials. I'm willing to bet the "average" guitar player, even( and especially) the novice, wouldn't really know, OR care about the wood used in making the body, mostly concerned with what's used for the neck and "finger board"(as the guy in the clip called it.). Whitefang

ROBBIE HOUSE of Snuff, 68; OLIVER REIDEL of Rammstein, 48; and TOM THACKER of Gob, 41 Happy one, y'all.... Whitefang

BRIAN SETZER is 60 today; KENNETH (Babyface) EDMONDS, 60 also; WARREN DeMARTINI of Ratt, 56; FELICIA COLLINS of Dave Letterman's show band, 55; MATT BARLOW of Ashes of Ares, 49; MIKE MUSHOK of Staind, 50; and CHRIS CARRABBA of Dashboard Confession, 44. Whitefang

HMMmmmm... I thought this thread was "pinned" to the top of the page..... Well..... HAL KETCHUM is 66; GERARD WAY of My Chemical Romance, 42; and ALBERT HAMMOND Jr. of The Strokes, 40. Whitefang

Today.... STEVE HOWE is 72; JEFF ISBELL( Izzy Stradlin, Guns'n'Roses), 57; JULIAN LENNON, 56; ALEXI LAIHO of Children of Bodom, 40; and MATTY HEALY of The 1975, 30. Whitefang

MICK ABRAHAMS, formerly of Jethro Tull, is 76; JOHN OATES( of Hall & ), 70; and JANIS IAN, 68. I'm STILL thanking her for introducing me to Dm7. Whitefang

DANIEL (Kootch) KORTCHMAR, James Taylor's sideman, is 73; WARREN HAYNES of The Allman Bros., 59; and MICHAEL GUY CHISLETT of The Academy Is...., 37. Whitefang

All I got today is... PAUL OSCHER of Muddy Water's band, 69; and MIKE McCREADY, of Pearl Jam, 53. Hope they both have a "happy". Whitefang

And today marks the anniversary of the birth of a long time forum favorite.... McKINLEY(Muddy Waters) MORGANFIELD whose 106th birthday is today. [video:youtube]