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March 2002
Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | Autumn in New Jersey.
Now despite the "bad rap" that NJ constantly gets, the vast majority of it is really quite pretty. From the vast expanses of pretty beaches in the Summer, to the picturesque mountains and lakes (where I live) in the Fall. Quite nice.
Now, for some strange reason, 'round this time every year, New Jerseyans (and some New Yawkers) get this bizzare migratory impulse to head "North" and "see the fall colors'. Now mind you, we HAVE trees (with leaves) of our OWN, and they are quite beautiful when they change, and all we really have to do is WAIT another week or two and we can enjoy them in all their splendor, but NO!, there is something engrained in our DNA that compels us to make that annual "Scenic Sunday Drive to New England".
So . . . after four hours of sleep after the Sat. nite gig, with mug o' caffeine in one hand and a big CD wallet under the other arm, Jeanette pours me into the Cruiser for a day of "leaf peeping". After a nice drive through Northern NJ and parts of NY state, we stop for lunch and meet this really nice couple in a quaint CT town.
Now the guy I can't quite figure out. He said he used to run some gas station in Florida, but he doesn't do it any more. Now he has SOMETHING to do with golf courses, but I couldn't get the whole story as the more he talked about golf, the more his eyes glazed over and he just drifted off. His wife could be summed up in two words: "Absolute Sweetheart". A pure joy.
Turns out that this guy also plays guitar.
FINALLY!! . . . a topic I could relate to!
After much discussion of guitars, guitarists, and the music business in general over lunch, they graciously invited us to their home.
Now this guy lives at the very absolute TOP of a mountain and spends his time collecting and noodling with a collection of some of the most strangest instruments I'd ever seen. Now, . . he DID have a couple of REALLY nice Ovation roundbacks . . . but the vast majority of his collection were these big ol' METAL things that he had hanging all over the walls like those old colonial "bed warmers". And talk about LOUD!! Not a saddle pickup or a pre-amp to be had, but these things just filled the whole house with big, loud, BALLSY bell-like tones!
The "girls" sat in the living room playing with the "Security System" (a Bassett Hound that sleeps in front of the door to trip you if you tried to sneak in . . . . and a pair of eyes that'll steal your heart) while he and I randomly pulled these metal beasts off the walls and noodled away. He even had ONE that was a strange amalgam of guitar and various "trim" parts of a '59 Caddy (and weighs about as much as the engine block of the same)!
Coincidentally I had my SlotHead with me, and as he played it he said that the guitar was "strangely familiar" but was obscured by about 28 years of time (I personally think that the dude just spent too much time at the "gas pumps :-)
Weather-wise, the "leaf-peeping" aspect of the trip was hindered by passing clouds, mist, fog & showers, but the company MORE than made up for it.
Even though this cat had some rather "strange" tastes in guitars, I don't think that I could've found a better way to spend a Sunday afternoon.
Nice folks (and dog)!
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April 2003
Posts: 2503
Location: Fayetteville, NC | Cliff,
Great Story!Is it just me or does the other guy look strangely familiar? CWK2??Nahh Could'nt be... I must be Lost in a haze of my own after looking at The Adamas Slothead!
Then again...... |
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March 2002
Posts: 15654
Location: SoCal | You mean there are people in that picture??? All I saw was the slothead. |
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March 2002
Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | "CWK2" sounds like one o' them CB-Radio, "ten-four, g'buddy" call signs.
Nah, this guy was just a really good guitar player, and an all-around nice guy. |
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March 2002
Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | Moody;
I NEVER thought that I'd EVER say this, but:
". . . SCREW the SlotHead! . . ."
That "Caddy" machine playin' behind it is pure TITS!!!!
In all honesty:
When "my friend" there sat in his Pick n' Glide Chair playing the SlotHead, he looked at it for a while, looked up at me and said with a smile ". . It just doesn't sound like ANYTHING else! . ."
yeahbuddy!! |
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November 2002
Posts: 1300
Location: Madison, Wisconsin | Please excuse my ignorance on this as well as many other topics, but what's with the metal guitars? |
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December 2001
Posts: 10581
Location: NJ | Cliff
I have a ton of beautiful leaves in my yard. The tradition is to have friends come over and assemble them in large piles in front of my house. I will expect you on Sunday!! |
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March 2002
Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | Y'know Al, if I wasn't gonna be in Colorado on Sunday (they got Aspens out there!), I'd GLADLY come over and help with the "piling" project!!
Maybe next Fall?!?!?
(Remember the days when you used to be able to rake 'em into a big pile and BURN 'em?) |
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March 2002
Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | ". . Please excuse my ignorance on this as well as many other topics, but what's with the metal guitars? . ."
It's all about "SOUL". |
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Joined:
February 2002
Posts: 5750
Location: Scotland | Willard, they're National resonophonics. Loudest nastiest sounding guitars ever (and I mean "nasty" in a good way) There's loads of info about National guitars & resonators in general on the web, try here for a start
http://www.mphase.com/planetd2.htm
Looks like like a few nice old ones on the wall. The Cadillac custom-job is stunning.
Hey Bill, I can see a "Torch" inlay next to the Collings, what's that guitar? |
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Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | ". . .The Mississippi Delta was shining like a National guitar . . ." - Paul Simon |
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January 2002
Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | The torch is a 1/98 (NAMM show gitter) OO-42 Collings, AA Brazilian with an adarondak top, natural. My current favorite. It makes you play with your fingers although sounds good with a flatpick too. The other one on the wall is my fathers 1934 C-2 Martin that used to have an arched top that got stepped on one night when it was very drunk out back in the summer of 71. TJ Thompson did the conversion last year in the 42 style.
McGregor Gains and Don Young are the two guys who run National guitars and they are some of the nicest people in the biz. Great guitars too. There is something magical about playing a 70+ year old guitar. All three of those Duolians on the top row that old. Think of the blues they've play in their lifetimes! Check them out at www.nationalguitars.com
So Loraine and I go out for a nice casual lunch and we're at this restaurant and in walks these people. I figured him for a guitarist right away. There's no room cause the place is packed for lunch so our friend, the restaurant owner sits them down at our table. They're nice and friendly and one thing leads to another and before you know it we're talking guitars and we all know how those conversations go, don't we?
Al, we'd love to come help you with your lawn project this weekend but we're packing clothes and gitters in preparation for the great migration soon to come. Sorry, maybe next year?
Cliff, great to see you and Jeanette again. Ya'll come see us in Florida and we'll go to Chowder Ted's for the best Talapia sandwiches you ever did have. |
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February 2002
Posts: 5750
Location: Scotland | Bill, C2 with a flat-top? Didn't David Bromberg do a similar conversion back in the 70's which was the inspiration for Martin's M-36 & M-38? I've only ever played one Thompson guitar & it was killer. Is that the guy who works out of Nova Scotia or somewhere around there & apprencticed for Schoenberg?
Duolians, you just gotta love guitars made outta tin. |
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February 2003
Posts: 2177
Location: the BIG Metropolis of TR | Al,
I'd love to come help you with your rakin' & pilin' also but can't get away right now, so maybe next year?
. . . .
Mike :rolleyes: |
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December 2001
Posts: 10581
Location: NJ | OK so don't help with the leaves.
ONce I get someone to put down a foundation and pad. I will expect you all to come over with your hammers (not hamers) and saws and help put up my garage/studio.
I have had so much trouble trying to hire someone that I decided to do as much as I can myself.
Miles actually came over one day this past summer and helped rip some siding off the side of the house. He even had fun...or at least that is what he told me.
CWK maybe I will give my new pickup a break in ride and visit you down in Fla. |
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Joined:
September 2003
Posts: 171
Location: Indiana | Great timing...
I was driving home from work tonight listening to Mellencamp's new cd Trouble No More. There are a few tracks with Andy York doing his thing on his Nationals (as well as some great acoustic work).
I bet all those guitars could sure tell some stories. Nice post....thanks! Between the music on the way home and this post, I forgot what I was pissed about at work. ;)
Mark |
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January 2002
Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | Paul T, TJ works out of Boston Mass, Concord actually. He's done quite a few conversions. In his shop the old F hole tops are lined up like hunting trophies! Not sure where he was before. The other guy whgo works with him is Ken Fallon and he's quite good as well. Bormberg was the first I heard of doing the conversions. People had been telling me for years to do this one, I just finally got around to it. I don't think I could do it to a nice archtop, but one that was smashed was an easy decision. It sounds 90+% as good as a OOO from the same time period, and that's with the new top. Should be great in another 50 years! |
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Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | ". . . used to have an arched top that got stepped on one night when it was very drunk out back in the summer of 71 . . ."
Hmmm, . . that ain't eggzackly d'way I heard it ;)
David Bromberg:
For those of you who may not know . . .
David's alive and well, still performing, and runs a high-end violin dealership in Wilmington, Delaware. Evidently, he'd been living in the Chicago area and his tour manager (who lives in Wilmington) booked him at a venue there, and they fell in love with the town. He and his wife (who is a sculptor) decided to relocate. The city of Wilmington GAVE him a four story building in the historic district of town, gave him low-interest loans for renovations, and in return they have to stay there for like seven years and become the town's "Arts Council". David's got the violin shop in the first floor storefront, his wife's got her studio on one floor and they live with their kids in the remainder of the building.
NOT a bad deal!!!
Hey, Al!!!
What say we meet for lunch sometime in Wilmington??
Hell, that's almost your backyard! |
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February 2002
Posts: 5750
Location: Scotland | Bill, The Thompson guitar I played belonged to a Nova Scotian who was on tour over here & he said he'd bought it locally, but I guess Boston isn't too far away
There was some concert footage on the tube a week or so back with Bromberg (playing a D45) and John Sebastian on guitar and harmonica. Pretty damn good. Bromberg's "Midnight On The Water" album is a classic |
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Joined:
December 2001
Posts: 10581
Location: NJ | cliff
Wilmington is about 40 minutes away.
Stop over do some work on the house and i will buy you dinner LOL.
funny how few friends you have when you need to get work done. |
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Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | Al;
All you gotta do is gimme a specific date in advance. If I don't have a gig, just set aside for me a hammer, pencil, level, box o' nails, a couple "cold ones", and I'll BE there! |
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wet leaves
