Suddenly my Made in China guitars don't seem so bad. I mean sure my whole life I kept thinking about how one day, Onnnneee Dddddaaayyy I'll have guitars that are made in America. But I can never really bring myself to part with that much money for a single guitar.
But now China owns us. So suddenly my Made in China guitars seem down right American!
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Women and Food
I'm not trying to bash the ladies, I love the ladies. But I've noticed there's this weird thing about them and food. When a guy is hungry, he gets some food. When a woman gets hungry it seems like she talks about it for hours before she actually gets any food. Or she'll complain to her friends or significant other until they get them food. Not sure if it's some kind of genetic 'Hunter/Gatherer' thing, but it's weird.
I first noticed it when I was about 20 and playing in a band in Baltimore. I'd taken my girlfriend to practice and she starting complaining very loudly that she was hungry. To the point where we had to stop practice to go get her food. For a long time I thought it was a freak thing, but then I noticed more and more times where a woman would loudly complain about getting food. I would always think, "then go get yourself some food, jesus quit talking about it and do something."
and then today I overhear (because honestly I was trying really hard to ignore it) a 2 hour conversation on food. What do you want to get? IDK, what do you want to get? And then one of them loudly exclaiming, "I'm Hungry!" And I always think, "Then get some FOOD!"
I guess I'm sexist because I always thought women were better cooks, and while I'm not saying I expect a woman to serve me food I'd would tend to expect that more then I would expect a guy to serve me food. I can't picture a group of guys hanging out while one of them keeps loudly complaining about how hungry he is, because every guy knows that in a group setting like that it wouldn't be long before the complaining individual is told in no uncertain terms to, "Go fix yourself some f**king food and quit b****ing about it!"
But I submit to you that if you know a woman who is loudly complaining about being hungry, that now is not the time to tell her, "Go fix yourself some f**king food and quit b****ing about it!" because her anger over being hungry will now be directed towards you. And us guys have soft vulnerable spots that do not receive kicks very well.
So while todays posting may be a bit of a b****y rant offering no valuable solutions, I just thought it might be interesting to comment on the phenomena I've noticed.
When men in a group are hungry, we make or get food. When women in a group get hungry they have to talk about it for hours in the hopes that someone will make/bring them food.
I find the whole thing very odd, but I'm slowly learning that discussing food makes my brain shut off completely. Food is what we eat because we need to eat to fuel our bodies, I can't imagine people sitting around talking for hours about how they're out of gas for their car, so why do people sit around complaining about how their bodies are out of fuel? Go. Get. Some. Food!
I first noticed it when I was about 20 and playing in a band in Baltimore. I'd taken my girlfriend to practice and she starting complaining very loudly that she was hungry. To the point where we had to stop practice to go get her food. For a long time I thought it was a freak thing, but then I noticed more and more times where a woman would loudly complain about getting food. I would always think, "then go get yourself some food, jesus quit talking about it and do something."
and then today I overhear (because honestly I was trying really hard to ignore it) a 2 hour conversation on food. What do you want to get? IDK, what do you want to get? And then one of them loudly exclaiming, "I'm Hungry!" And I always think, "Then get some FOOD!"
I guess I'm sexist because I always thought women were better cooks, and while I'm not saying I expect a woman to serve me food I'd would tend to expect that more then I would expect a guy to serve me food. I can't picture a group of guys hanging out while one of them keeps loudly complaining about how hungry he is, because every guy knows that in a group setting like that it wouldn't be long before the complaining individual is told in no uncertain terms to, "Go fix yourself some f**king food and quit b****ing about it!"
But I submit to you that if you know a woman who is loudly complaining about being hungry, that now is not the time to tell her, "Go fix yourself some f**king food and quit b****ing about it!" because her anger over being hungry will now be directed towards you. And us guys have soft vulnerable spots that do not receive kicks very well.
So while todays posting may be a bit of a b****y rant offering no valuable solutions, I just thought it might be interesting to comment on the phenomena I've noticed.
When men in a group are hungry, we make or get food. When women in a group get hungry they have to talk about it for hours in the hopes that someone will make/bring them food.
I find the whole thing very odd, but I'm slowly learning that discussing food makes my brain shut off completely. Food is what we eat because we need to eat to fuel our bodies, I can't imagine people sitting around talking for hours about how they're out of gas for their car, so why do people sit around complaining about how their bodies are out of fuel? Go. Get. Some. Food!
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Guitar Hero VS Real Guitar
Yesterday another teacher and I were joking and talking about "the whiners," and it's always guitar hero kids going, "But this is hhhhaaaaarrrdddddd!!!!" And how some days you just wanna tell the kid, "then go back to playing guitar hero and quit whining and wasting my time!"
The whining gets so annoying. Seems like all the kids now want you to feed their ego and tell them they're doing awesome even when they're not. I've dropped students if they don't improve after a few months. If after 4 months you still can't move your fingers, play a chord or one scale, I don't even want to mess with you anymore.
And the lying gets to me too. "Did you practice?" "oh yeah! everyday, for hours!" "really?" "Yeah sure did." "Then how come you don't remember any of your chords, any of your scales, or anything at all? How can you have completely forgotten everything you've spent HOURS practicing?" "well I was really busy this week....."
This goes on for months with some students.
Quote from a board member at Strat-Talk: "He really thought that winning guitar hero took a lot of effort..."
I've seen that too. People all proud of themselves that they won a video game with a guitar shaped controller. It's an easy, and rather silly, game. My girlfriends friends love to play it, I don't even mess with it anymore.
Matter of fact I've gotten into arguments with my GF because we're at a friends house party which turns into a Rock Band/Guitar Hero party, and then she wonders why I'm suddenly bored out of my mind and just want to go home. I've told her a million times, "I actually play guitar, this is boring and stupid."
She does accounting work, I tried to tell her it'd be like going to a party where people plug in fake calculators and start playing Virtual BookKeeper. Would that be fun? Seeing your job turned into a dumb party game that people expect you to play because you can play an actual guitar? Then get mad at you when you're playing it on Hard because anything other then Hard puts you to sleep?
I've actually somewhat grown to hate that game. It was fun at first, and I thought it'd be great for guitar because more people would make the jump to a real guitar, but I actually see more people making the jump back to the fake plastic one once they realize a real guitar doesn't have 5 buttons that make everything happen.
The whining gets so annoying. Seems like all the kids now want you to feed their ego and tell them they're doing awesome even when they're not. I've dropped students if they don't improve after a few months. If after 4 months you still can't move your fingers, play a chord or one scale, I don't even want to mess with you anymore.
And the lying gets to me too. "Did you practice?" "oh yeah! everyday, for hours!" "really?" "Yeah sure did." "Then how come you don't remember any of your chords, any of your scales, or anything at all? How can you have completely forgotten everything you've spent HOURS practicing?" "well I was really busy this week....."
This goes on for months with some students.
Quote from a board member at Strat-Talk: "He really thought that winning guitar hero took a lot of effort..."
I've seen that too. People all proud of themselves that they won a video game with a guitar shaped controller. It's an easy, and rather silly, game. My girlfriends friends love to play it, I don't even mess with it anymore.
Matter of fact I've gotten into arguments with my GF because we're at a friends house party which turns into a Rock Band/Guitar Hero party, and then she wonders why I'm suddenly bored out of my mind and just want to go home. I've told her a million times, "I actually play guitar, this is boring and stupid."
She does accounting work, I tried to tell her it'd be like going to a party where people plug in fake calculators and start playing Virtual BookKeeper. Would that be fun? Seeing your job turned into a dumb party game that people expect you to play because you can play an actual guitar? Then get mad at you when you're playing it on Hard because anything other then Hard puts you to sleep?
I've actually somewhat grown to hate that game. It was fun at first, and I thought it'd be great for guitar because more people would make the jump to a real guitar, but I actually see more people making the jump back to the fake plastic one once they realize a real guitar doesn't have 5 buttons that make everything happen.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Apparently a young boy fell in the river last night
There's a small creek/river that runs right next to my apartment building near a park. Apparently a small boy feel in the water last night and the authorities haven't been able to find him yet. I feel bad for his parents. Though I also wonder why weren't they watching him so he couldn't fall in the fast moving water that's surrounded by fence. All last night we had the news people, the firemen, divers in the water, and helicopters circling overhead. Now the next day I see we've still got helicopters circling overhead. I hate to be rude, but if the kid fell in the water at 6pm last night I don't think the helicopters are really going to find him at 2pm the next day. That boy's been washed away I'm sure.
It's very creepy when there's helicopters circling your building for days. Really screws with your sense of paranoia.
It's very creepy when there's helicopters circling your building for days. Really screws with your sense of paranoia.
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Why I dig Squier and quit being a guitar snob.
I was walking down the street choking on exhaust fumes. Cold, wet and hungry. I had just got into town, it was night and was exploring the area on foot to get a feel for the place, when I walked past a music store and saw a guitar in the window. It didn't call to me, but the store did, it looked warm in there. I knew I looked like a bum in my soaking wet insulated flannel and dirty jeans, but I didn't care. It looked warm and I figured I could at least get out of the cold for a few minutes by "trying out" a guitar. I knew I looked like **** when I walked in and was embarrassed by it, and the owner came over right away to try and shoe me out of his store. Looking back I don't blame him. I timidly asked him if I could try the blue Squier Strat that was in the window. I don't know if the guy had pity on me or just figured, "what the hell" but he let me sit down with a small POS practice amp (I think it was a silvertone or something pretty junky sounding.) I sat down, made sure the guitar was in tune and started playing. I hadn't even touched a guitar in over a year, I literally owned 2 bags of clothes at the time and that was it. But man, my fingers remembered and the muscle memory came flooding back. My fingers were tired almost instantly so I just jammed some slow quite blues. I didn't want to be obnoxious and kind of just wanted to disappear for a moment and let the bull**** of the past year go away for a little while. My brothers I tell you that moment changed my life. All the pain, the anger, the frustration and angst I'd been holding inside for that past year came out of me. I couldn't cry, I never cry. But that guitar cried for me. I screamed, I cried, I wailed, I played for the loss I felt over losing my family and everything I owned. I played like it was the last time I'd ever touch a guitar, because deep down I felt like it would be. What no one knew is that I'd seriously been debating jumping in front of a train. I just couldn't take it anymore. I was tired of being cold, tired of being hungry, tired of missing the ones I loved the most, and mostly just tired. You don't get good sleep if you don't have a bed and a door to close to lock out the outside world. I played, and played. Never opened my eyes. I played for the sadness and the joy I'd had in my life and I played for what was sure to be the last time. I was saying goodbye to my greatest lover (the guitar) and telling her how much I'd miss her and how I just wish things could have been different. I'm not lying when I tell you that my chest is tightening right now just recalling what was going through my head back then. When I stopped I opened my eyes and my hands were shaking. The owner of the store was standing a couple feet away from me and instead of looking at me with disgust he simply asked, "can you teach?" I told him yes I used to teach in another life but it had been years. He asked me to come back tomorrow early in the morning.
I got up early, went to a bathroom and got cleaned up, shaved, pulled my hair into a ponytail, stopped by the dollar store and put on some cologne and went to the store. Right away I got students. All I had to do was sit in front and play guitar and people would ask me for lessons. It was amazing really. I started making daily cash and hiding it away, not long after I was able to rent a couch from a guy in his living room for $50. a week. I finally had a roof over my head again. I spent a year on that couch, saving, saving, saving. Living off of Ramen Noodles and water. I was down to about 115 pounds by that point when normally I'm around 155. So I looked,....not that great. But by saving I was eventually able to get a very small apartment in the ghetto. It's not an exaggeration, it was the ghetto. I had hookers and drug dealers 10 feet outside my door. But I finally had a door to close and lock that I could call my own, all because of that Squier guitar. I kept saving and my boss was cool and let me take guitars home all the time so I could practice, I'd discovered Flamenco guitar and really threw myself into it and it wasn't long before I was making a tiny bit of money doing that style of music for people as well. The neighborhood was awful but it didn't seem so bad at the time, I was just glad to finally, finally have my own place. The people in the neighborhood didn't mess with me even though I'm white. They literally thought I was insane and no white guy in their right mind moves to the worst part of town. But because I played music and would sit on the porch and hang out with them sometimes I got treated pretty well, even made a couple friends. Eventually I was able to get better and better apartments moving up towards the better parts of town and closer to the music store. I'd made some good musician friends and was playing with them constantly as well. Music is my life, it's all I do. Now in this time I'd chewed through a couple electrics as well, some cheap sh**ty ones, a couple good ones. A Shector which was stolen, a Jackson which just wasn't for me, but I kept looking for "the one" the guitar that just felt right and felt like 'Me.' Now in this time I'd been teaching about a year with this truly beat up and punished Seafoam Green Squier, covered with stickers, just a dog of a guitar. Yet out of the ones in the store that was always the one I would grab, I just thought it was one of the best guitars in the store. I could teach all day with it and not really have to tune it, plus it was very Rock 'N Roll. One humbucker one volume knob. Finally one day I looked down at it and realized, "all this time I've been looking for The One, and I've been playing it everyday!" I guess I was being a Squier snob at the time, I just didn't really consider it. But it dawned on me that it didn't matter what name was on the headstock, THIS guitar was the one I was always reaching for. I went home that day and the next day brought in my Jackson Rhodes V w/ an original Floyd Rose on it. It was a pretty sweet guitar I suppose, just not for me. I told the boss I wanted to trade the Jackson for the green Squier. He thought I was nuts. The guitar looked like sh*t, covered in stickers, some peeling off. Dents, nicks, scratches, the works. But I didn't care I just knew it was the one for me. We traded even steven and the next day my Jackson was sold. I knew it wouldn't last long hanging up in the store. Some lucky guy got that V w/ F.Rose for probably less then $200. because the boss just honestly didn't realize what it was worth. I still didn't care. I took the Green Dog home and ripped and scrubbed, and scrubbed, and scrubbed and got all the stupid stickers off it and thought, "man this is kind of cool looking!"
I started playing out that guitar and bringing it to the studios to record with, I still do. I got looks, I got comments, I didn't care. The Green Dog was my baby and she was an underdog like myself. She'd been thrown away (sold to the store) and abandoned just like I had, but we were both fighters, and that guitar and I had each others back. I've played it everyday for years and years at this point, and she still keeps ticking and sounding great and staying in tune.
Realizing I wanted another Strat I started slowly saving a few dollars each week for months and months, and months. Using that time I started reviewing what guitar to get. I knew by then it was going to be a Squier. I just felt like Squier is a guitar for the people. Made by poor people, for poor people. Well,.....I'm poor people so that suits me just fine. I started reading the reviews on the CV guitars and looking at pics and just thought, "man there's no way the guitar can be that good for that cheap!" Plus deep down don't we all wish we could have a 1950's Stratocaster? I knew that the CV50's was gonna be the one for me. I'd been doing repairs and setups on Strats for awhile and really found them to be exceptional guitars even some of the copies were really good, so I figured as long as the CV is halfway decent I could fix it up, set it up right, and really make it a player. Turns out I didn't have to, She was perfect right out of the box, like she was made for me. She knew I'd love her and treat her like a lady. I noticed when playing her that the vintage saddles don't have a groove in them, the strings would literally kind of bounce on the saddles. I thought that was crazy, but I loved it. It gave a sparkly, jangly quality to the guitar. And that's when I knew she was to be called Mrs. Jangles. Mrs. because she's a lady who's married to me, and Jangles because that's what she does. So now I have Mrs. Jangles and Green Dog, both Squiers, both great guitars, and both guitars that I love dearly. Even on days when I don't play Mrs. Jangles I'll open the case just to take in her beauty and polish her a little bit. Just to give her some attention, to let her know I care.
And so concludes my love story. It's one I've wanted to tell for a long time but I guess I needed to find people that could appreciate it and in a way understand the very real love a man can feel for a guitar.
I love Squiers because a blue Affinity Squier literally saved my life, put love back in my blackened dead heart and gave me the strength to go on for one more day, which turned into one more day after that.
They say God works in strange ways, maybe he does. If I hadn't seen that blue Squier in the window I really believe I would have continued my journey to the train station.
I will always love Squier, no other guitar has affected me so deeply or moved me in such a way. I feel true love and loyalty to them. Which is why sometimes I get mad at the things people say about them, but I understand. Most people never go through what I went through and will never look at them the way that I do.
Music can heal you, but the right guitar at the right time can literally save your life.
Cheers and Peace,
-M-
I got up early, went to a bathroom and got cleaned up, shaved, pulled my hair into a ponytail, stopped by the dollar store and put on some cologne and went to the store. Right away I got students. All I had to do was sit in front and play guitar and people would ask me for lessons. It was amazing really. I started making daily cash and hiding it away, not long after I was able to rent a couch from a guy in his living room for $50. a week. I finally had a roof over my head again. I spent a year on that couch, saving, saving, saving. Living off of Ramen Noodles and water. I was down to about 115 pounds by that point when normally I'm around 155. So I looked,....not that great. But by saving I was eventually able to get a very small apartment in the ghetto. It's not an exaggeration, it was the ghetto. I had hookers and drug dealers 10 feet outside my door. But I finally had a door to close and lock that I could call my own, all because of that Squier guitar. I kept saving and my boss was cool and let me take guitars home all the time so I could practice, I'd discovered Flamenco guitar and really threw myself into it and it wasn't long before I was making a tiny bit of money doing that style of music for people as well. The neighborhood was awful but it didn't seem so bad at the time, I was just glad to finally, finally have my own place. The people in the neighborhood didn't mess with me even though I'm white. They literally thought I was insane and no white guy in their right mind moves to the worst part of town. But because I played music and would sit on the porch and hang out with them sometimes I got treated pretty well, even made a couple friends. Eventually I was able to get better and better apartments moving up towards the better parts of town and closer to the music store. I'd made some good musician friends and was playing with them constantly as well. Music is my life, it's all I do. Now in this time I'd chewed through a couple electrics as well, some cheap sh**ty ones, a couple good ones. A Shector which was stolen, a Jackson which just wasn't for me, but I kept looking for "the one" the guitar that just felt right and felt like 'Me.' Now in this time I'd been teaching about a year with this truly beat up and punished Seafoam Green Squier, covered with stickers, just a dog of a guitar. Yet out of the ones in the store that was always the one I would grab, I just thought it was one of the best guitars in the store. I could teach all day with it and not really have to tune it, plus it was very Rock 'N Roll. One humbucker one volume knob. Finally one day I looked down at it and realized, "all this time I've been looking for The One, and I've been playing it everyday!" I guess I was being a Squier snob at the time, I just didn't really consider it. But it dawned on me that it didn't matter what name was on the headstock, THIS guitar was the one I was always reaching for. I went home that day and the next day brought in my Jackson Rhodes V w/ an original Floyd Rose on it. It was a pretty sweet guitar I suppose, just not for me. I told the boss I wanted to trade the Jackson for the green Squier. He thought I was nuts. The guitar looked like sh*t, covered in stickers, some peeling off. Dents, nicks, scratches, the works. But I didn't care I just knew it was the one for me. We traded even steven and the next day my Jackson was sold. I knew it wouldn't last long hanging up in the store. Some lucky guy got that V w/ F.Rose for probably less then $200. because the boss just honestly didn't realize what it was worth. I still didn't care. I took the Green Dog home and ripped and scrubbed, and scrubbed, and scrubbed and got all the stupid stickers off it and thought, "man this is kind of cool looking!"
I started playing out that guitar and bringing it to the studios to record with, I still do. I got looks, I got comments, I didn't care. The Green Dog was my baby and she was an underdog like myself. She'd been thrown away (sold to the store) and abandoned just like I had, but we were both fighters, and that guitar and I had each others back. I've played it everyday for years and years at this point, and she still keeps ticking and sounding great and staying in tune.
Realizing I wanted another Strat I started slowly saving a few dollars each week for months and months, and months. Using that time I started reviewing what guitar to get. I knew by then it was going to be a Squier. I just felt like Squier is a guitar for the people. Made by poor people, for poor people. Well,.....I'm poor people so that suits me just fine. I started reading the reviews on the CV guitars and looking at pics and just thought, "man there's no way the guitar can be that good for that cheap!" Plus deep down don't we all wish we could have a 1950's Stratocaster? I knew that the CV50's was gonna be the one for me. I'd been doing repairs and setups on Strats for awhile and really found them to be exceptional guitars even some of the copies were really good, so I figured as long as the CV is halfway decent I could fix it up, set it up right, and really make it a player. Turns out I didn't have to, She was perfect right out of the box, like she was made for me. She knew I'd love her and treat her like a lady. I noticed when playing her that the vintage saddles don't have a groove in them, the strings would literally kind of bounce on the saddles. I thought that was crazy, but I loved it. It gave a sparkly, jangly quality to the guitar. And that's when I knew she was to be called Mrs. Jangles. Mrs. because she's a lady who's married to me, and Jangles because that's what she does. So now I have Mrs. Jangles and Green Dog, both Squiers, both great guitars, and both guitars that I love dearly. Even on days when I don't play Mrs. Jangles I'll open the case just to take in her beauty and polish her a little bit. Just to give her some attention, to let her know I care.
And so concludes my love story. It's one I've wanted to tell for a long time but I guess I needed to find people that could appreciate it and in a way understand the very real love a man can feel for a guitar.
I love Squiers because a blue Affinity Squier literally saved my life, put love back in my blackened dead heart and gave me the strength to go on for one more day, which turned into one more day after that.
They say God works in strange ways, maybe he does. If I hadn't seen that blue Squier in the window I really believe I would have continued my journey to the train station.
I will always love Squier, no other guitar has affected me so deeply or moved me in such a way. I feel true love and loyalty to them. Which is why sometimes I get mad at the things people say about them, but I understand. Most people never go through what I went through and will never look at them the way that I do.
Music can heal you, but the right guitar at the right time can literally save your life.
Cheers and Peace,
-M-
I Like Poly! There, I said it.
I know that it at least seems like most people hate poly finishes on an electric guitar. But I must confess, I find myself really liking them. They stay looking new, scratches come right out when I polish them, and they feel durable and will keep moisture and acid sweat from seeping down into the wood and potentially rotting it out. I always use to dog out my guitars and beat the hell out of them, and of course had to set them up all the time too. But now I realize that taking care of them they work a lot better, they stay looking new and shiny and they keep working just fine. My CV50 taught me that poly and taking care of your guitar is not really the bad things I thought they were.
I've played and owned natural guitars and light finish guitars, and they're nice too I'm not knocking it. But I find just as much resonance and unplugged volume coming out of my poly guitars as I do out of any guitars I've ever owned. For example even in my youtube/Life gets in the Way video you can hear the strings on my Agile guitar very loud and clear even though the mic was 6 feet away from the guitar and the amp was on and turned up. That's a very loud, poly coated guitar. You can hear it unplugged on the other side of my apartment, it's ridiculous. (it's also become my #2 favorite because of it's resonance and volume.)
But I just don't get the Hate On that some people seem to have for poly. Not only does it not bother me to have a poly coated guitar, I appreciate the benefits it brings to the instrument.
I'm not trying to change anyones mind, and I understand that some people will never want poly on their guitar, but I thought I'd express some love for the benefits of the oft hated poly.
I've played and owned natural guitars and light finish guitars, and they're nice too I'm not knocking it. But I find just as much resonance and unplugged volume coming out of my poly guitars as I do out of any guitars I've ever owned. For example even in my youtube/Life gets in the Way video you can hear the strings on my Agile guitar very loud and clear even though the mic was 6 feet away from the guitar and the amp was on and turned up. That's a very loud, poly coated guitar. You can hear it unplugged on the other side of my apartment, it's ridiculous. (it's also become my #2 favorite because of it's resonance and volume.)
But I just don't get the Hate On that some people seem to have for poly. Not only does it not bother me to have a poly coated guitar, I appreciate the benefits it brings to the instrument.
I'm not trying to change anyones mind, and I understand that some people will never want poly on their guitar, but I thought I'd express some love for the benefits of the oft hated poly.
Act Your Age!
So at what point do you act your age?
When I was a kid I didn't like what all the other kids seemed to like. When I was a teen I was caught up in music and things like 'The Prom' and crap like that had no interest for me. As an adult I tried the 'be normal, get married, have a family' thing and that didn't work out at all. And now in my early 30's I have friends that are the same age that seem to act and think so old! They're talking about retirement plans and IRA's and fixed loans and stuff, and I'm just like, "yeah, I saw a cool movie, I'm gonna go play guitar now."
Either I'm just incredibly immature, or I just don't get it. They all seem so miserable. Hating their life, hating their job, never having any time to do fun things because they're working and saving all the time. It's like watching a hive of bees buzzing around inching towards their deaths, but they're so busy pressing their noses into grindstones they don't see The Reaper gradually starting to notice them. I just feel like life is too short to kill yourself working and worrying over every little thing. I know I have a screwed up view of the world because I even resent body maintainence. No I'm not a dirty stinking bastard who never brushes his teeth. But somedays I think about how much time I have to spend eating, showering, brushing teeth, making food, taking a dump, etc. And I think, "damn I have to waste a lot of time taking care of this flesh shell!"
Now I look in the mirror and I don't think I look my age, and people tell me I look pretty young, and I guess that's a good thing, but I suppose I never realized how immature I am. I don't have a checking account, I don't have credit cards, I just don't care. Everyone else says it's so important but I just don't get it. I pay for things in cash. If I don't have the cash I don't get it.
I'm scared I'm gonna wake up 60 and realize there was a lot of stuff I was supposed to do that I didn't do, but at the same time I don't even know what I should be doing or why it's important?
I see people go all through school never having fun, then they go through 4-8 years of college not having fun, then they get out in the world and they're working, working, working, and they're just miserable people. And then from what I've seen at some point they snap and realize they missed out on a lot and have affairs or do silly things that wreck their life anyway.
I just don't get this whole "Life" thing I guess. I know there's more to life then having fun, I'm not saying that. I'm not a 24 hour party guy by any means. But the things I study, music, instruments, history, sociology, religions, systems of governments. All that studying takes up pretty much all my time anyway.
I guess I'm not sure what the point of all this is, I've just been thinking on it lately about how what seems to be so important to everyone else I couldn't give a rats a** about. I just want to live and learn and grow, not stifle myself into a system that seems to me to be nothing more then oppression.
I keep thinking human beings were not supposed to be living like this, but then again I'm not sure how were supposed to be living. Shouldn't we be evolving as a species? We've kind of been spinning our wheels for awhile now. Sure our technology gets better all the time, but the people don't seem to. We're always 2 seconds away from, "Burn the Witch!" type behavior.
I've been reading a book by Konrad Lorenz and he talks about how in humanity aggression is instinctual and we haven't evolved enough yet to to have any inhibiting mechanisms to curb our aggression and ensure the survival of the species. And that because of this man is the most dangerous animal.
anyway it got me thinking so I thought I'd share some of my psychosis.
When I was a kid I didn't like what all the other kids seemed to like. When I was a teen I was caught up in music and things like 'The Prom' and crap like that had no interest for me. As an adult I tried the 'be normal, get married, have a family' thing and that didn't work out at all. And now in my early 30's I have friends that are the same age that seem to act and think so old! They're talking about retirement plans and IRA's and fixed loans and stuff, and I'm just like, "yeah, I saw a cool movie, I'm gonna go play guitar now."
Either I'm just incredibly immature, or I just don't get it. They all seem so miserable. Hating their life, hating their job, never having any time to do fun things because they're working and saving all the time. It's like watching a hive of bees buzzing around inching towards their deaths, but they're so busy pressing their noses into grindstones they don't see The Reaper gradually starting to notice them. I just feel like life is too short to kill yourself working and worrying over every little thing. I know I have a screwed up view of the world because I even resent body maintainence. No I'm not a dirty stinking bastard who never brushes his teeth. But somedays I think about how much time I have to spend eating, showering, brushing teeth, making food, taking a dump, etc. And I think, "damn I have to waste a lot of time taking care of this flesh shell!"
Now I look in the mirror and I don't think I look my age, and people tell me I look pretty young, and I guess that's a good thing, but I suppose I never realized how immature I am. I don't have a checking account, I don't have credit cards, I just don't care. Everyone else says it's so important but I just don't get it. I pay for things in cash. If I don't have the cash I don't get it.
I'm scared I'm gonna wake up 60 and realize there was a lot of stuff I was supposed to do that I didn't do, but at the same time I don't even know what I should be doing or why it's important?
I see people go all through school never having fun, then they go through 4-8 years of college not having fun, then they get out in the world and they're working, working, working, and they're just miserable people. And then from what I've seen at some point they snap and realize they missed out on a lot and have affairs or do silly things that wreck their life anyway.
I just don't get this whole "Life" thing I guess. I know there's more to life then having fun, I'm not saying that. I'm not a 24 hour party guy by any means. But the things I study, music, instruments, history, sociology, religions, systems of governments. All that studying takes up pretty much all my time anyway.
I guess I'm not sure what the point of all this is, I've just been thinking on it lately about how what seems to be so important to everyone else I couldn't give a rats a** about. I just want to live and learn and grow, not stifle myself into a system that seems to me to be nothing more then oppression.
I keep thinking human beings were not supposed to be living like this, but then again I'm not sure how were supposed to be living. Shouldn't we be evolving as a species? We've kind of been spinning our wheels for awhile now. Sure our technology gets better all the time, but the people don't seem to. We're always 2 seconds away from, "Burn the Witch!" type behavior.
I've been reading a book by Konrad Lorenz and he talks about how in humanity aggression is instinctual and we haven't evolved enough yet to to have any inhibiting mechanisms to curb our aggression and ensure the survival of the species. And that because of this man is the most dangerous animal.
anyway it got me thinking so I thought I'd share some of my psychosis.
Oh Guitar Catalogs,...you tease me but make me laugh
I like reading guitar magazines and catalogs, especially the catalogs. Delivered free to my mail to make me drool and pine for new guitars. And I've found the best place to keep these catalogs is in the bathroom. Nothing like sitting on the john flipping through some guitar porn.
But I find myself laughing at the oddest times while reading it! For your amusement I've collected some of the things I've seen in the catalog that made me laugh.
So I'll list some of the things that made me chuckle and maybe you'll chuckle too.
"The maple fingerboard and jumbo frets are very finger-friendly"
(that's good, I hate it when guitars try and bite my fingers off. If it's safe for fingers I bet kids and little pets are safe too!)
"Nitro finish lets the Alder breathe and age gracefully."
(nothing's as ugly as Alder that hasn't aged gracefully. A glass of scotch in one hand, cigarette hanging out it's mouth, talking 'bout what 'might have been.' It's just ugly.)
"Thin nitrocellulose lacquer lets all that tone shine through."
(Ha ha h-....wait....what??)
"The distressed finish and hardware create the look of an axe that's weathered lots of gigs yet performs flawlessy."
(the 'yet performs flawlessy' cracks me up for some reason. This is like telling people if you gig with your axe it's going to get beat to sh*t, but if you're really lucky, it'll still actually work.)
"The thicker bridge block increases sustain with a more stable point of contact with strings."
(the hell? More stable contact? What does that even mean?)
"The synchronous twin-pivot tremolo give you authentic whammy bar action."
(Authentic whammy bar action. What exactly would "un-authentic" sound like?"
"The tremolo bridge arms you for wild note bending fun!"
(I can't decide if I want to be armed, or authentic. Armed sounds so manly.)
"Go Wylde without going broke!"
(Hmm, I think there's a slight dig there about Gibson prices.)
"The Goth Les Paul Oozes dark vibes!"
(Can I order the one that doesn't have the oozing problem? That gets messy.)
"Armed with 2 Alnico Classic humbuckers for spellbinding riffs and solos."
(Damn now I'm armed and I'm casting spells. This is clearly a guitar of magical properties.)
"mini-humbuckers deliver bright and focused output without the buzz."
(Since when do humbuckers ever buzz? Strings yes, humbuckers? I think no.)
"Alnico II magnet humbuckers go from rich, sweet lightning to warm, tingling waves of sustain."
(I'm armed, I'm casting spells, I'm shooting lightning out of my guitar and attacking the ladies with "tingling waves of sustain." I. Am. Awesome!)
"reveals the splender of the certified environmentally sound curved swamp ash top and body."
(Damn tree's have to be certified to be environmentally sound? It's tough being a tree these days.)
"Offers distinct looks."
(Really? Cuz I'm looking at like 20 guitars on this page that look just like it!)
"Add $520."
(For any color other then worn red or brown? So you're showing me 7 guitars listed as $799. each but in reality they're actually $1,320. for the guitars you're showing me that aren't faded brown or red. So making the Studio guitar white or black seriously costs another $520.?? Are you out of your (*&^%$#%& Minds!!?!?!?)
"A gigging musicians Les Paul" (for $1,900.)"
(No gigging musician I know could afford that, and if they could they sure wouldn't be gigging with it.)
But I find myself laughing at the oddest times while reading it! For your amusement I've collected some of the things I've seen in the catalog that made me laugh.
So I'll list some of the things that made me chuckle and maybe you'll chuckle too.
"The maple fingerboard and jumbo frets are very finger-friendly"
(that's good, I hate it when guitars try and bite my fingers off. If it's safe for fingers I bet kids and little pets are safe too!)
"Nitro finish lets the Alder breathe and age gracefully."
(nothing's as ugly as Alder that hasn't aged gracefully. A glass of scotch in one hand, cigarette hanging out it's mouth, talking 'bout what 'might have been.' It's just ugly.)
"Thin nitrocellulose lacquer lets all that tone shine through."
(Ha ha h-....wait....what??)
"The distressed finish and hardware create the look of an axe that's weathered lots of gigs yet performs flawlessy."
(the 'yet performs flawlessy' cracks me up for some reason. This is like telling people if you gig with your axe it's going to get beat to sh*t, but if you're really lucky, it'll still actually work.)
"The thicker bridge block increases sustain with a more stable point of contact with strings."
(the hell? More stable contact? What does that even mean?)
"The synchronous twin-pivot tremolo give you authentic whammy bar action."
(Authentic whammy bar action. What exactly would "un-authentic" sound like?"
"The tremolo bridge arms you for wild note bending fun!"
(I can't decide if I want to be armed, or authentic. Armed sounds so manly.)
"Go Wylde without going broke!"
(Hmm, I think there's a slight dig there about Gibson prices.)
"The Goth Les Paul Oozes dark vibes!"
(Can I order the one that doesn't have the oozing problem? That gets messy.)
"Armed with 2 Alnico Classic humbuckers for spellbinding riffs and solos."
(Damn now I'm armed and I'm casting spells. This is clearly a guitar of magical properties.)
"mini-humbuckers deliver bright and focused output without the buzz."
(Since when do humbuckers ever buzz? Strings yes, humbuckers? I think no.)
"Alnico II magnet humbuckers go from rich, sweet lightning to warm, tingling waves of sustain."
(I'm armed, I'm casting spells, I'm shooting lightning out of my guitar and attacking the ladies with "tingling waves of sustain." I. Am. Awesome!)
"reveals the splender of the certified environmentally sound curved swamp ash top and body."
(Damn tree's have to be certified to be environmentally sound? It's tough being a tree these days.)
"Offers distinct looks."
(Really? Cuz I'm looking at like 20 guitars on this page that look just like it!)
"Add $520."
(For any color other then worn red or brown? So you're showing me 7 guitars listed as $799. each but in reality they're actually $1,320. for the guitars you're showing me that aren't faded brown or red. So making the Studio guitar white or black seriously costs another $520.?? Are you out of your (*&^%$#%& Minds!!?!?!?)
"A gigging musicians Les Paul" (for $1,900.)"
(No gigging musician I know could afford that, and if they could they sure wouldn't be gigging with it.)
Tone and Mods:Improved or just Different?
Been thinking a lot about tone and mods this week. Since getting the Epiphone really. And I keep thinking about what mods are a real improvement and what's just different sounding.
Pickups are a great example. You can drastically change the sound of your guitar by changing the pickups. But have you Improved it? Or just made it Different?
I remember the guy on the board who said he didn't like his hardtail Strat because it didn't sound like his regular Strat and I told him the hardtail sounds good, it just sounds different. Now I find myself in the same position.
When I first played the Epiphone I thought the sound was kinda "Blah!" because it didn't sound like the Agiles. The midrange in the Agile really honks, possibly because of the AlNiCo V pickups I assume. The Epiphone has more of a scooped midrange and a bit less treble. I keep thinking I should replace the wires and pickups on it, but when I'm playing it for awhile I realize it sounds good, just different.
So I almost wonder if all the mods that people do on their guitars aren't really an improvement as much as just a difference. All our ears work differently and what sounds good to some of us might not sound good to others. To me a Squier Bullet sounds a bit harsh and trebly, but Pesky makes them sound great, and I bet if SRV picked up a stock Squier Bullet he could make that puppy scream and sound amazing. Then people would wonder how he got that amazing sound and be convinced it must be expensive mods made to the guitar.
You can't argue that better tuners, better volume controls, etc. are an improvement because it makes the guitar work better. But when it comes to changing things that pertain to the actual sound like the pickups themselves I wonder how much each pickup is really an "improvement" over the next pickup?
I mean it'd be awesome to have one guitar and be able to afford to pop 10 different pickups and brands into it to see how it sounded, but who can afford that? I sure can't. And I wonder how much of it is psychosomatic in the sense of, "I just spent $200. on these pickups, they ARE GOING to sound GOOD!" But do they really sound good? Or just different? And would someone else with a completely different set of ears agree that they're "better" or just "different?"
I find with the guitars I have now depending on my mood I reach for a different one. The Epi for the scooped out, softer, warmer tone. The Agile for the harsher honking chunk, and the Squier CV50's for the treble, clarity, and response (it's immediate.) And I'm starting to think that none of these guitars sound better, just different. And they're all stock nothings replaced except some cosmetics. If I want to do a rock song or a chunky blues song the Strat is great for that. If I want a softer metal type song with shredding and stuff, the Epiphone is great for that. When I need something kind of in the middle the Agile is awesome because it can do heavy chunky stuff or I can play the bridge pickup, turn my CryBaby pedal on and use it like a treble booster and get a very, very close sound to a Strat. It doesn't sound like a Strat don't think I'm saying that, but I can get close to the sound of one.
So lately I'm starting to think I really don't need to change anything on these guitars, they all work very well and they're fine at what they do. None of them are better, they're all just different. And I guess I'm just comfortable with working with what I have instead of wondering what I could do to "improve" the tone when really maybe I'd be better served improving my own skills and techniques?
Anyway just thought I'd share the thought because this is a heavy modding board so it seemed an appropriate venue for discussion. In no way am I trying to flame-bait anyone or start an argument or anything. I do not look down in the least on people that mod their guitars. In a way I'm jealous of how fast some of you guys dismantle a guitar install new wiring harness's and pickups and have the guitar back up and running so fast. It's a very impressive skill, and one that I definitely do not have.
I'm always scared I'm going to make the guitar worse, or somehow change the sound or something and it won't feel or sound the same and I won't be able to get it back to where it was. I think a lot of people have this fear too which is why not everyone is quick to take their guitars apart.
But anyway.... Improved? or just Different?
Pickups are a great example. You can drastically change the sound of your guitar by changing the pickups. But have you Improved it? Or just made it Different?
I remember the guy on the board who said he didn't like his hardtail Strat because it didn't sound like his regular Strat and I told him the hardtail sounds good, it just sounds different. Now I find myself in the same position.
When I first played the Epiphone I thought the sound was kinda "Blah!" because it didn't sound like the Agiles. The midrange in the Agile really honks, possibly because of the AlNiCo V pickups I assume. The Epiphone has more of a scooped midrange and a bit less treble. I keep thinking I should replace the wires and pickups on it, but when I'm playing it for awhile I realize it sounds good, just different.
So I almost wonder if all the mods that people do on their guitars aren't really an improvement as much as just a difference. All our ears work differently and what sounds good to some of us might not sound good to others. To me a Squier Bullet sounds a bit harsh and trebly, but Pesky makes them sound great, and I bet if SRV picked up a stock Squier Bullet he could make that puppy scream and sound amazing. Then people would wonder how he got that amazing sound and be convinced it must be expensive mods made to the guitar.
You can't argue that better tuners, better volume controls, etc. are an improvement because it makes the guitar work better. But when it comes to changing things that pertain to the actual sound like the pickups themselves I wonder how much each pickup is really an "improvement" over the next pickup?
I mean it'd be awesome to have one guitar and be able to afford to pop 10 different pickups and brands into it to see how it sounded, but who can afford that? I sure can't. And I wonder how much of it is psychosomatic in the sense of, "I just spent $200. on these pickups, they ARE GOING to sound GOOD!" But do they really sound good? Or just different? And would someone else with a completely different set of ears agree that they're "better" or just "different?"
I find with the guitars I have now depending on my mood I reach for a different one. The Epi for the scooped out, softer, warmer tone. The Agile for the harsher honking chunk, and the Squier CV50's for the treble, clarity, and response (it's immediate.) And I'm starting to think that none of these guitars sound better, just different. And they're all stock nothings replaced except some cosmetics. If I want to do a rock song or a chunky blues song the Strat is great for that. If I want a softer metal type song with shredding and stuff, the Epiphone is great for that. When I need something kind of in the middle the Agile is awesome because it can do heavy chunky stuff or I can play the bridge pickup, turn my CryBaby pedal on and use it like a treble booster and get a very, very close sound to a Strat. It doesn't sound like a Strat don't think I'm saying that, but I can get close to the sound of one.
So lately I'm starting to think I really don't need to change anything on these guitars, they all work very well and they're fine at what they do. None of them are better, they're all just different. And I guess I'm just comfortable with working with what I have instead of wondering what I could do to "improve" the tone when really maybe I'd be better served improving my own skills and techniques?
Anyway just thought I'd share the thought because this is a heavy modding board so it seemed an appropriate venue for discussion. In no way am I trying to flame-bait anyone or start an argument or anything. I do not look down in the least on people that mod their guitars. In a way I'm jealous of how fast some of you guys dismantle a guitar install new wiring harness's and pickups and have the guitar back up and running so fast. It's a very impressive skill, and one that I definitely do not have.
I'm always scared I'm going to make the guitar worse, or somehow change the sound or something and it won't feel or sound the same and I won't be able to get it back to where it was. I think a lot of people have this fear too which is why not everyone is quick to take their guitars apart.
But anyway.... Improved? or just Different?
Frets and Fretwire
Why oh why do the frets wear down so? Why can't fretwire be made of sterner stuff? What about iron or steel fret wire or something that wont wear down so fast?
And the inconsistencies? One guitar wears down so fast it's like the frets are made of solder, but another guitar wears down slower. I sold my Green Dog weeks ago because I'd worn the frets down so bad. And I was looking at my bass players Strat last night and every fret down to around the 15th has deep, deep grooves worn into them from the top 3 strings.
Is it something about the manufacturing where they need a weaker metal to install them? I just don't get it.
Why do the frets wear down, and why do they wear down so fast on some guitars? (admittedly less expensive guitars.)
I feel this is a design/engineering flaw that should be corrected on future guitars. Forget installing computers into the guitars and all that stuff, just make a guitar that doesn't wear out and fall apart. That's all I ask.
And the inconsistencies? One guitar wears down so fast it's like the frets are made of solder, but another guitar wears down slower. I sold my Green Dog weeks ago because I'd worn the frets down so bad. And I was looking at my bass players Strat last night and every fret down to around the 15th has deep, deep grooves worn into them from the top 3 strings.
Is it something about the manufacturing where they need a weaker metal to install them? I just don't get it.
Why do the frets wear down, and why do they wear down so fast on some guitars? (admittedly less expensive guitars.)
I feel this is a design/engineering flaw that should be corrected on future guitars. Forget installing computers into the guitars and all that stuff, just make a guitar that doesn't wear out and fall apart. That's all I ask.
Being a guitarist is like being a Kung-Fu Master!!!
I know it's nuts, but hear me out, it's my weird theory and view but it's logical.
When I was a kid I loved (and still love) Kung Fu movies. My grandfather was a 5th or 6th degree judo black belt and a golden gloves champ when he was younger. My uncle was in the military and into hand to hand, and my uncle and my mother both were taught by their father (my grandfather) in judo as well. So a good chunk of my childhood was being taught fighting and getting flipped around. Until I was about 8 or 9. Then my grandfather being the "Head of the Family" decreed that I wasn't allowed to learn anymore, because I was an angry kid and he thought I was going to roam the streets and kill somebody. So I had been taught discipline and dedication to an art that I was no longer allowed to practice. And more then anything I wanted to learn Kung Fu, but wasn't allowed to take lessons. Man I was pissed. Then I discovered guitar.
For whatever reason I just "got" guitar right away, maybe it's because I was young and my brain wasn't cluttered with life stuff yet and it was easy to just sponge up info about guitar and music. I realized I may not be able to turn my body into a weapon of destruction, but I could train my hands. So all the discipline and ideals I had I channeled and focused into just my hands. It's a viewpoint really. In Kung Fu you learn styles, shapes and patterns that you move your body in. You all have heard of it. The Tiger, The Dragon, The Snake, The Eagles Claw, The Crane, etc. I realized guitar was exactly the same. You're training your hands these patterns and shapes. The Blues Scale, The Minor Scale, The Major Scale, Modes, Arpeggios, Chords, etc. You're training your hands to be ready, fast, and adaptable to any situation. You're training your ears to be alert and hear when the group/song has changed keys, gone from minor to major, and your hands are there, in shape, ready to adapt to this new situation on the fly. Like a martial artist you're looking for the holes to fill, the weakness, the spot to change styles and whip out something unexpected. There are moments you don't have a guitar in your hands, but you're holding one in your mind. You're meditating on the art of guitar, and you're actually practicing it in your head. You're visually picturing a guitar, and practicing on it.
Years go by.
You realize other people are coming to you for lessons, other people consider you a "Master," but you're not. You still think you suck. The more you learn the more you realize there is to learn, and then you learn more, and the reality sinks in that you'll never, ever know all there is to learn. It's an endless journey, you will never be a Master and always be a student.
One day you realize you've dedicated your entire life to an art form. You've lost friends, family, moments that you can never have back because in your discipline you excluded them in pursuit of mastering the instrument. Your teen years are gone, your 20's are gone, friends and family is gone, and it's just you and your instrument. It can be lonely, but that's the price you pay for your dedication to this art form. One day you look at your guitar and you hate it, you despise what it's done to you and your life. You realize you're completely incapable of feeling complete or being able to express yourself unless you have this piece of wood in your hands. Your tongue feels clumsy and stupid while your fingers feel fleet and nimble. Your tongue speaks one language while your fingers speak many. You realize you're chained to the guitar, and it's chained to you. Neither one of you are complete without the other. You are ying and yang, the circle cannot be complete unless you are both joined.
Your friends go up, go to college, start a life, start a family, and you're still studying and practicing your art, because it's what you do, it's who you are, and after 20+ years you don't know how to be anything else. You wander around the country studying from other masters, and teaching others when you get the chance. You dream of opening up your own school one day where you can teach your own unique style, settle down, and maybe start a family.
There's no retirement plan, there's no insurance for you. You've given yourself to a thankless art really. Unless you're lucky enough to make it big and make a ton of money, there's really no money in it either. There's self satisfaction and the feeling of working towards a goal, but you know it's a goal you'll never really reach, because it's impossible to be "The One" and know and be able to do everything. Even if you know 10 styles intimately, you can't practice them all all the time, so 1 or 2 styles always suffer while you learn others. And it becomes a balancing act to juggle and stay proficient in all the styles, while still pursuing new ones.
Other people go to college for 4 years and get a sweet paying job. You "put yourself" through self imposed schooling for over 20 years and you still can't get a "real job." And other people will actually look down on you as being a loser, or a musician. Some people will even assume you must be a junkie or a drunk because why else would you play music for a living? It's a vicious circle, and non-musicians are pretty evil and don't understand. They're caught up in the rat race of working and getting more "stuff." You don't see the need to worry about "stuff" because you think, "I'm going to die one day anyway, and this is all just stuff, in the meantime there's more to be learned." The gap between you and "normal people" grows wider.
At the end of the day you've trained, you've studied, you've become everything (almost) you'd ever dreamed of as a kid. Everything you want to do, you can do. Other people respect your skills but it can be hard to respect yourself. When you see other people having a normal life, children, growing up and moving on, and you're still chained to the instrument that you'll probably be buried with, because it's such a part of you.
And then one night, deep in meditation it hits you. You HAVE become a Master. NOT because you're the greatest player, because you know you will never be the greatest player. You're a Master because you realize what all Masters before you have realized.
You've totally surrendered and given your entire life to an art form.
This is why we mourn Randy Rhoads, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Jimi Hendrix, Dimebag Darrell.
Because it's only after the Masters have left us, do we really appreciate them, does it really sink in that these people truly and totally gave themselves and their lives to the art.
That's when we truly miss them, and that's when we truly, truly wish we could thank them for giving their lives to advancing the art we love so much. That's when it really hits you that these people did not live a normal happy life, and in a way sacrificed themselves for us and our art.
So now I pose a serious question. How much do you truly love guitar? If the answer is, "not enough" then for gods sake, please live a normal, happy, healthy life and don't throw it away for an instrument that will not, can not, ever love you. Hug your children, tell your woman how much you love and appreciate her, grow old and die happy.
The secret to guitar, is that there is no secret. To be really good at comes at a high price, and it can be a price you don't realize you paid, until you've already paid it.
Peace my Axe slinging brothers.
-M-
When I was a kid I loved (and still love) Kung Fu movies. My grandfather was a 5th or 6th degree judo black belt and a golden gloves champ when he was younger. My uncle was in the military and into hand to hand, and my uncle and my mother both were taught by their father (my grandfather) in judo as well. So a good chunk of my childhood was being taught fighting and getting flipped around. Until I was about 8 or 9. Then my grandfather being the "Head of the Family" decreed that I wasn't allowed to learn anymore, because I was an angry kid and he thought I was going to roam the streets and kill somebody. So I had been taught discipline and dedication to an art that I was no longer allowed to practice. And more then anything I wanted to learn Kung Fu, but wasn't allowed to take lessons. Man I was pissed. Then I discovered guitar.
For whatever reason I just "got" guitar right away, maybe it's because I was young and my brain wasn't cluttered with life stuff yet and it was easy to just sponge up info about guitar and music. I realized I may not be able to turn my body into a weapon of destruction, but I could train my hands. So all the discipline and ideals I had I channeled and focused into just my hands. It's a viewpoint really. In Kung Fu you learn styles, shapes and patterns that you move your body in. You all have heard of it. The Tiger, The Dragon, The Snake, The Eagles Claw, The Crane, etc. I realized guitar was exactly the same. You're training your hands these patterns and shapes. The Blues Scale, The Minor Scale, The Major Scale, Modes, Arpeggios, Chords, etc. You're training your hands to be ready, fast, and adaptable to any situation. You're training your ears to be alert and hear when the group/song has changed keys, gone from minor to major, and your hands are there, in shape, ready to adapt to this new situation on the fly. Like a martial artist you're looking for the holes to fill, the weakness, the spot to change styles and whip out something unexpected. There are moments you don't have a guitar in your hands, but you're holding one in your mind. You're meditating on the art of guitar, and you're actually practicing it in your head. You're visually picturing a guitar, and practicing on it.
Years go by.
You realize other people are coming to you for lessons, other people consider you a "Master," but you're not. You still think you suck. The more you learn the more you realize there is to learn, and then you learn more, and the reality sinks in that you'll never, ever know all there is to learn. It's an endless journey, you will never be a Master and always be a student.
One day you realize you've dedicated your entire life to an art form. You've lost friends, family, moments that you can never have back because in your discipline you excluded them in pursuit of mastering the instrument. Your teen years are gone, your 20's are gone, friends and family is gone, and it's just you and your instrument. It can be lonely, but that's the price you pay for your dedication to this art form. One day you look at your guitar and you hate it, you despise what it's done to you and your life. You realize you're completely incapable of feeling complete or being able to express yourself unless you have this piece of wood in your hands. Your tongue feels clumsy and stupid while your fingers feel fleet and nimble. Your tongue speaks one language while your fingers speak many. You realize you're chained to the guitar, and it's chained to you. Neither one of you are complete without the other. You are ying and yang, the circle cannot be complete unless you are both joined.
Your friends go up, go to college, start a life, start a family, and you're still studying and practicing your art, because it's what you do, it's who you are, and after 20+ years you don't know how to be anything else. You wander around the country studying from other masters, and teaching others when you get the chance. You dream of opening up your own school one day where you can teach your own unique style, settle down, and maybe start a family.
There's no retirement plan, there's no insurance for you. You've given yourself to a thankless art really. Unless you're lucky enough to make it big and make a ton of money, there's really no money in it either. There's self satisfaction and the feeling of working towards a goal, but you know it's a goal you'll never really reach, because it's impossible to be "The One" and know and be able to do everything. Even if you know 10 styles intimately, you can't practice them all all the time, so 1 or 2 styles always suffer while you learn others. And it becomes a balancing act to juggle and stay proficient in all the styles, while still pursuing new ones.
Other people go to college for 4 years and get a sweet paying job. You "put yourself" through self imposed schooling for over 20 years and you still can't get a "real job." And other people will actually look down on you as being a loser, or a musician. Some people will even assume you must be a junkie or a drunk because why else would you play music for a living? It's a vicious circle, and non-musicians are pretty evil and don't understand. They're caught up in the rat race of working and getting more "stuff." You don't see the need to worry about "stuff" because you think, "I'm going to die one day anyway, and this is all just stuff, in the meantime there's more to be learned." The gap between you and "normal people" grows wider.
At the end of the day you've trained, you've studied, you've become everything (almost) you'd ever dreamed of as a kid. Everything you want to do, you can do. Other people respect your skills but it can be hard to respect yourself. When you see other people having a normal life, children, growing up and moving on, and you're still chained to the instrument that you'll probably be buried with, because it's such a part of you.
And then one night, deep in meditation it hits you. You HAVE become a Master. NOT because you're the greatest player, because you know you will never be the greatest player. You're a Master because you realize what all Masters before you have realized.
You've totally surrendered and given your entire life to an art form.
This is why we mourn Randy Rhoads, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Jimi Hendrix, Dimebag Darrell.
Because it's only after the Masters have left us, do we really appreciate them, does it really sink in that these people truly and totally gave themselves and their lives to the art.
That's when we truly miss them, and that's when we truly, truly wish we could thank them for giving their lives to advancing the art we love so much. That's when it really hits you that these people did not live a normal happy life, and in a way sacrificed themselves for us and our art.
So now I pose a serious question. How much do you truly love guitar? If the answer is, "not enough" then for gods sake, please live a normal, happy, healthy life and don't throw it away for an instrument that will not, can not, ever love you. Hug your children, tell your woman how much you love and appreciate her, grow old and die happy.
The secret to guitar, is that there is no secret. To be really good at comes at a high price, and it can be a price you don't realize you paid, until you've already paid it.
Peace my Axe slinging brothers.
-M-
Can people hear your influences in your playing?
I've had people tell me that my music reminds them of Alice in Chains mixed w/ Megadeth/Metallica, and that's cool, it used to bug me that people compare but I'm pretty over it now. But yesterday someone told me they hear Creedence Clearwater Revival in my playing/songwriting and that really surprised me. Because I DO listen to Creedence (deep down I think John Fogerty is THE MASTER song'smith.) But I never realized you could hear it in my playing or anything. You know, "metal guy!" roar, roar, roar! Up the Irons! *Fist Pump!* Etc. So I was really surprised when the guy said he heard Creedence.
Well actually at first he said country and I was like, "No way man, I've never listened to country." and he followed with, "well more like CCR actually."
Just kind of surprised me. I didn't realize I'm wearing my influences on my sleeve like that.
Then again, I guess being a mix of Creedence/Alice in Chains/Megadeth isn't such a bad thing.
Can people hear YOUR influences when you play?
Well actually at first he said country and I was like, "No way man, I've never listened to country." and he followed with, "well more like CCR actually."
Just kind of surprised me. I didn't realize I'm wearing my influences on my sleeve like that.
Then again, I guess being a mix of Creedence/Alice in Chains/Megadeth isn't such a bad thing.
Can people hear YOUR influences when you play?
Technique VS Composition
Technique VS Composition (or) Who's the greatest guitar player in the world, and does anyone care?
There comes a point in your playing where your quest for technique can actually start to actively work against you. What I mean by this is that your hand will actually start to fall into patterns of behavior, you hear something a certain way in your head but then you go to play it and your hand starts doing what you've been doing the most of. Maybe you've been working scales or practicing pentatonic licks a lot for the past couple months, and then you find your hands almost automatically playing those licks. In a way this is a good thing, the muscle memory has been so ingrained into your hands that they do it unthinkingly, but at the same time this is a bad thing because in a way you're just repeating an exercise you've done many times, not actually creating music.
The two biggest examples I always use are at opposite ends of the technique spectrum. On one side you've got Michael Angelo Batio, an incredible monster of a guitar player with technique out the wazoo. He plays right handed, left handed, both handed, one hand plays rhythm while the other does leads, he harmonizes with himself live. It's incredible. He's like the gold winning athlete of the guitar world. I'd argue that he's probably THE BEST guitarist on the planet and probably always will be. So why is it torture to actually listen to him play? Because it lacks rhythm and dynamics, it doesn't tell a story, it sounds like 1,000. exercise executed flawlessy and set to a drum machine. Then on the other end of the spectrum we'll take Kurt Cobain. Arguably a pretty awful guitar player who seemed to know one chord (the "power" chord Root/5th) and one scale, the pentatonic. And yet with one chord and one scale this guy was able to make multiple cd's, sell a ton of singles, rally an entire generation of pissed off kids, and kill glam/hair metal dead seemingly overnight.
So why is that? Why did one chord and one scale trump playing 2 guitars at once with billions of scales and chords?
And that's when we come down to what I think of as "Technique VS Composition."
When I was a kid I practiced non-stop, hours and hours all day everyday. I was determined to be the most bad ass guitarist on the planet. I learned every technique I could and practiced it until I could whip it out without even thinking about it. I prided myself on being able to do "impersonations" of other guitar players. Vai, Yngwie, Michael Angelo, Satriani, Wylde, Dimebag Darrell, Mustaine and Hammett. The shredders of that day. I'd go into "Yngwie mode" and start busting out diminished runs, sweeping arpeggios, shredding through a harmonic minor scale. Basically taking the stereotypical licks of those players and stringing them together. Then I'd joke with my friends, "Here's Kurt Cobain" and I'd butcher a chord and sound out of tune and nasty. Ha! Ha! Big laughs. Turns out the joke was on me.
One day it hit me like a ton of bricks. There's nothing "out there" I can't impersonate, yet I felt unfulfilled and terrible. I'd invested 100's of hours of practice and emulation into the guitar and I had nothing to show for it really. I couldn't write a song. So I stopped playing guitar, I felt like I had conquered that mountain and there was nothing left to learn. I didn't hear any other guitarists that inspired me or made me want to play, so I just stopped playing for awhile.
I also discovered girls, Alice in Chains, TooL and Soundgarden, and drinking beer with my friends in the woods around this time.
Suddenly I realized I loved Soundgarden. The drums were awesome, the singer was awesome, and holy crap the lyrics are really good! I started actually hearing "The Song" instead of just hearing the guitar player and hearing his technique, or lack of. I discovered how cool "The Riff" is, and how the riff and the song are way more important then a solo and technique. People honestly just don't care about how good a guitar player is, they just want a cool song to listen to. I was inspired, I wanted to play guitar. I went home and picked up my guitar and right away started shredding, sweeping, all that crap. I was bummed. I wanted to write music by my hands kept doing Yngwie type stuff. So I quit. I didn't touch a guitar for over a year. I just listened to music a lot, hung out with my friends, and let my hands get good and weak, slow and clumsy. One day I picked up the acoustic out of the closet and started just strumming an Am chord. I thought, "oh, I'd forgotten how beautiful just strumming a chord can be!" Then I switched to a Cmaj, "oh that sounds nice!" Then to an F then a G. Then I just repeated those four chords over and over for about 10 minutes while I started humming along to the guitar, making up little melodies and just strumming my guitar. I was finally actually making music, something had changed inside me, I'd grown up some. I realized it doesn't matter how awesome you are at guitar because for one, there's always going to be someone much, much better then you, BUT (and it's a really big BUT) that doesn't mean you can't be a better musician. I've met lots of people that can tap with 10 fingers and do all kinds of really bad-ass stuff on the guitar, and I always present them with the same question/challenge, "What songs have you written?" Most of the time I find they haven't written any, or if they have, it tends to sound like Michael Angelo type stuff. It's a composition of "impressive stuff" linked together and called a song, but has no real passion, rhythm, or dynamics. It's strung together exercises. It might impress a guitar player, especially a beginning guitar player. But to someone who doesn't care about guitar, it's wanking. And it doesn't sound very good. This is why shredders never truly get popular. Sure you could argue that Vai, Yngwie, Angelo Batio are popular, and in a sense they are, but really they're much more popular with guitar players then the average person who wants to listen to music.
Hang out with some chicks and try playing some Yngwie cd's and watch how fast they turn the stereo onto some simple minded hip-hop that makes their booty move. They don't care about how good a musician they were just listening to is, they just want that groove.
Which brings me back to Technique VS Composition. No one cares about technique other then another guitar player. And even then he really only cares in the sense of, "Is this guy better then me? Or am I better then him?" He's not listening with a critical ear for music, he's listening with a critical ear for his own ego. Which is why I sometimes have a really hard time hanging out with guitar players. Too many of them value technique over music.
To wrap it up I'll say this. I use to practice all day every day, I wont anymore. I like keeping my hands a little bit sloppy, a little bit loose. I like the struggle of trying to pull off some cool run instead of being able to effortlessly whip through a run and have it sound clinical. But most importantly I find that by limiting my practicing I never lose sight of how beautiful it is to just sit there and strum an Am chord.
in short: play music on your guitar, instead of just playing with your guitar.
I hope this long winded observation makes sense to some of you and helps someone who's maybe feeling like they're in a rut or they're fingers want to keep playing the same licks and runs. Sit down, chill out and just strum some chords. Hum along to it, make up a little song. You'll feel a million times better. People just don't care about technique, they just want to hear a nice song. When you remind yourself of that it makes it easier not to be frustrated that some super hard "betcha can't play this!" lick is not going as well as you'd like.
Would you rather play to 300 people all moving and grooving to a fun to play song? Or would you rather impress that one jaded and bitter guitar player in the audience and bore to death the other 299 people? Me personally? I say, "Screw that guy!" play the hell out of a "simple" song and rock out with the 299 other people that just want to have some fun and listen to some cool music.
Peace my Axe-Slinging brothers.
-M-
There comes a point in your playing where your quest for technique can actually start to actively work against you. What I mean by this is that your hand will actually start to fall into patterns of behavior, you hear something a certain way in your head but then you go to play it and your hand starts doing what you've been doing the most of. Maybe you've been working scales or practicing pentatonic licks a lot for the past couple months, and then you find your hands almost automatically playing those licks. In a way this is a good thing, the muscle memory has been so ingrained into your hands that they do it unthinkingly, but at the same time this is a bad thing because in a way you're just repeating an exercise you've done many times, not actually creating music.
The two biggest examples I always use are at opposite ends of the technique spectrum. On one side you've got Michael Angelo Batio, an incredible monster of a guitar player with technique out the wazoo. He plays right handed, left handed, both handed, one hand plays rhythm while the other does leads, he harmonizes with himself live. It's incredible. He's like the gold winning athlete of the guitar world. I'd argue that he's probably THE BEST guitarist on the planet and probably always will be. So why is it torture to actually listen to him play? Because it lacks rhythm and dynamics, it doesn't tell a story, it sounds like 1,000. exercise executed flawlessy and set to a drum machine. Then on the other end of the spectrum we'll take Kurt Cobain. Arguably a pretty awful guitar player who seemed to know one chord (the "power" chord Root/5th) and one scale, the pentatonic. And yet with one chord and one scale this guy was able to make multiple cd's, sell a ton of singles, rally an entire generation of pissed off kids, and kill glam/hair metal dead seemingly overnight.
So why is that? Why did one chord and one scale trump playing 2 guitars at once with billions of scales and chords?
And that's when we come down to what I think of as "Technique VS Composition."
When I was a kid I practiced non-stop, hours and hours all day everyday. I was determined to be the most bad ass guitarist on the planet. I learned every technique I could and practiced it until I could whip it out without even thinking about it. I prided myself on being able to do "impersonations" of other guitar players. Vai, Yngwie, Michael Angelo, Satriani, Wylde, Dimebag Darrell, Mustaine and Hammett. The shredders of that day. I'd go into "Yngwie mode" and start busting out diminished runs, sweeping arpeggios, shredding through a harmonic minor scale. Basically taking the stereotypical licks of those players and stringing them together. Then I'd joke with my friends, "Here's Kurt Cobain" and I'd butcher a chord and sound out of tune and nasty. Ha! Ha! Big laughs. Turns out the joke was on me.
One day it hit me like a ton of bricks. There's nothing "out there" I can't impersonate, yet I felt unfulfilled and terrible. I'd invested 100's of hours of practice and emulation into the guitar and I had nothing to show for it really. I couldn't write a song. So I stopped playing guitar, I felt like I had conquered that mountain and there was nothing left to learn. I didn't hear any other guitarists that inspired me or made me want to play, so I just stopped playing for awhile.
I also discovered girls, Alice in Chains, TooL and Soundgarden, and drinking beer with my friends in the woods around this time.
Suddenly I realized I loved Soundgarden. The drums were awesome, the singer was awesome, and holy crap the lyrics are really good! I started actually hearing "The Song" instead of just hearing the guitar player and hearing his technique, or lack of. I discovered how cool "The Riff" is, and how the riff and the song are way more important then a solo and technique. People honestly just don't care about how good a guitar player is, they just want a cool song to listen to. I was inspired, I wanted to play guitar. I went home and picked up my guitar and right away started shredding, sweeping, all that crap. I was bummed. I wanted to write music by my hands kept doing Yngwie type stuff. So I quit. I didn't touch a guitar for over a year. I just listened to music a lot, hung out with my friends, and let my hands get good and weak, slow and clumsy. One day I picked up the acoustic out of the closet and started just strumming an Am chord. I thought, "oh, I'd forgotten how beautiful just strumming a chord can be!" Then I switched to a Cmaj, "oh that sounds nice!" Then to an F then a G. Then I just repeated those four chords over and over for about 10 minutes while I started humming along to the guitar, making up little melodies and just strumming my guitar. I was finally actually making music, something had changed inside me, I'd grown up some. I realized it doesn't matter how awesome you are at guitar because for one, there's always going to be someone much, much better then you, BUT (and it's a really big BUT) that doesn't mean you can't be a better musician. I've met lots of people that can tap with 10 fingers and do all kinds of really bad-ass stuff on the guitar, and I always present them with the same question/challenge, "What songs have you written?" Most of the time I find they haven't written any, or if they have, it tends to sound like Michael Angelo type stuff. It's a composition of "impressive stuff" linked together and called a song, but has no real passion, rhythm, or dynamics. It's strung together exercises. It might impress a guitar player, especially a beginning guitar player. But to someone who doesn't care about guitar, it's wanking. And it doesn't sound very good. This is why shredders never truly get popular. Sure you could argue that Vai, Yngwie, Angelo Batio are popular, and in a sense they are, but really they're much more popular with guitar players then the average person who wants to listen to music.
Hang out with some chicks and try playing some Yngwie cd's and watch how fast they turn the stereo onto some simple minded hip-hop that makes their booty move. They don't care about how good a musician they were just listening to is, they just want that groove.
Which brings me back to Technique VS Composition. No one cares about technique other then another guitar player. And even then he really only cares in the sense of, "Is this guy better then me? Or am I better then him?" He's not listening with a critical ear for music, he's listening with a critical ear for his own ego. Which is why I sometimes have a really hard time hanging out with guitar players. Too many of them value technique over music.
To wrap it up I'll say this. I use to practice all day every day, I wont anymore. I like keeping my hands a little bit sloppy, a little bit loose. I like the struggle of trying to pull off some cool run instead of being able to effortlessly whip through a run and have it sound clinical. But most importantly I find that by limiting my practicing I never lose sight of how beautiful it is to just sit there and strum an Am chord.
in short: play music on your guitar, instead of just playing with your guitar.
I hope this long winded observation makes sense to some of you and helps someone who's maybe feeling like they're in a rut or they're fingers want to keep playing the same licks and runs. Sit down, chill out and just strum some chords. Hum along to it, make up a little song. You'll feel a million times better. People just don't care about technique, they just want to hear a nice song. When you remind yourself of that it makes it easier not to be frustrated that some super hard "betcha can't play this!" lick is not going as well as you'd like.
Would you rather play to 300 people all moving and grooving to a fun to play song? Or would you rather impress that one jaded and bitter guitar player in the audience and bore to death the other 299 people? Me personally? I say, "Screw that guy!" play the hell out of a "simple" song and rock out with the 299 other people that just want to have some fun and listen to some cool music.
Peace my Axe-Slinging brothers.
-M-
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