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Going to be a new arrival in the “family”
Before anybody gets the totally wrong idea, no, we’re not bringing another life into the world. Not exactly anyway.
I’ve been slowly growing my family of guitars for a the last 3 years or so. A couple months ago, my mentor and friend told me he was moving out to Canada’s west (or “wet” as it is affectionally known) coast in a job/life move for him. He has a gorgeous Paul Reed Smith S2 McCarty guitar that I was lucky enough to play last summer and I fell totally in love with it. The thing practically plays itself, it’s that good! So he’s selling off all his music gear before he moves and in his new music job, he can pick and choose any new gear he wants to set up his playing career again.
So long story short, a couple months ago he made me an offer I just can’t refuse. The guitar, a Blackstar tube amp (I only play through digital modeling combo amps right now) and a Line 6 control board for less than half of what it would cost me to buy new at a music store. Everything is in spectacular condition, the guitar is perfectly set up and ready to go with fresh strings. Given what I have seen of life in the last couple years (and with permission from a certain significant other) the whole kit is coming home to me next Thursday instead of the original March time frame. I figure life is just way too short to deny one of my dreams coming true.
Now I’m far from a great musician, might not ever be. But I play for the joy of it, and the occasional times I that I get to perform for small groups of friends and family gatherings might just bring some joy to others. If something more comes of it down the road so be it, but that isn’t the point really. Just like me racing motorcycles, I don’t do it to win or get accolades and trophy plaques, I do it because I love it. And I know too well how short and fragile this life is to say no to something that I would regret not taking a run at.
Don’t know if my “parents taught me well”, but damn the torpedoes…I’m doing it.
Merry Christmas all.❤ -
14 Replies
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Go for it!! A remember a day when i bought not 1 not 2 but 4 guitars on the same day!! I must admit I was between my 2 marriages so I was accountable to no one but myself. Of the 4 I only have one of them left. A G&L ASAT semi-hollow body.
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I’ve always been curious about those. Cool to have the Tele/semi hollow combo I think. Should be very interesting tone capability.
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Nice Daryl! I’m jealous. And props to the spousal unit for the understanding.
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Daryl, that is how one should live their life if they can, by doing the things they like to do. It’s tough when your younger trying to raise a family, pay bills and put food on the table but when you get the chance to enjoy life you should take advantage of it. Our creator gave us the gift of life and we should enjoy it. I’ve realized that a little late but it’s one thing I’m trying to teach some of the young ones I know. Life is too precious to waste it.
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Appreciate the boost guys. If you include my ukulele that brings my little clutch up to 9. But each of them are a different style and purpose for playing. And I don’t own a single Fender or Gibson. Not because I have anything against them really, I just find most of the ones I would have a desire for much too expensive. Same with my acoustic guitars, I can’t justify the coin for a Martin or a Gibson that compares in quality to my Yamaha and Seagulls. If I was filthy rich I suppose I might have them, but I’m far from that. Not that I’m cheap, but I am a bit em, spend conscious.
I would actually love a Rickenbacker or a Gretsch like the Twins have, but again, I can’t justify them and I refuse to part with my beloved PRS trio. I looked hard at a Gibson ES when I bought my Hollowbody, but they’re exceedingly heavy and large. I really don’t want a 12# monster hanging around my neck. PRS guitars are very light and the most comfortable fit of any guitar I’ve ever tried. I don’t like the necks and headstocks on Les Pauls, and I find the tone varies too much guitar to guitar on Strats. Some would say that each guitar is unique unto itself and I won’t argue that to a point. But too many times I’ve had friends buy Strats and be disappointed that it sounds way different than someone else’s. But I think maybe they don’t play them through the same amp they have at home and that’s huge. And speaking of amps, I’ve always wanted a tube amp just for giggles since I really don’t gig much at all. But again, it’s a lot of money to spend and be disappointed. There are a couple that I’d drool openly over (like the Vox that the girls have): A fender Deluxe Reverb, an EVH 5150, even a branded PRS Archon. But once you go down that rabbit hole… yikes.
And I’m not getting any younger. One day I’ll have to figure out where these things are going to end up too. I’d like to think I have 15-20 years playing left in me, but if anything I’ve learned, nothing is a given in this life.
So I won’t say I’m done, there are still a couple Holy Grails that call out to me once in a while. But it would have to be a smokin’ hot deal on a perfect instrument before I’d jump. -
Hi Daryl
That sounds just awesome. Do post a photo of your Baby Mine when it arrives, would love to see it. I think life is too short to put off your passions for later.
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I certainly will. I have a pic of one like it, but that just isn’t right. What I’ll have to watch now is the desire to get more pedals for that board, all I have right now is a Hotcake overdrive. Already I can see me “needing” a wah…😄
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Grown up toys make great Christmas gifts. Good for you Daryl. Sounds like this was a no-brainer.
It is funny how life works that way.
Looking forward to a pic of this beauty.
JP
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Yep, “Sinter Klaus” came early to my house.
The amp is “only” 20 watts, but it’s incredible! Too many players think that if it’s not 100 watts it’s no good. I can’t even use my Katana 50w on anything over the 25w setting and usually when practicing in my room I’m on .5w. This one thankfully has an attenuator that drops the output to 2 watts. But the two channels (Clean and Overdrive) are more than I need in my little cave. The board is going to take some real getting used to, there’s so much in it already, that I think maybe a “wah” and a “delay” are all I’ll ever need really. Totally gig-able if I want to. And I used my Katana outdoors this past fall and that was plenty, this being a tube amp it’s plenty powerful enough for just about any hall around here. I can do Marshall sound, Mega Boogie, and the clean channel with the IFS is (I think) better/sharper than a Fender Twin Reverb Unless you’re in an arena setting.
As to the guitar itself it’s an almost new Paul Reed Smith S2 Mc Carty 594 Thinline. The Humbucker pickups are individually tap capable for single coil (think Stratocaster) and in humbucker mode they are very close to Les Paul territory. Not that there is anything wrong with my Custom 24, but this is just a big step up. It’s made in the Maryland factory so it’s in between the mega expensive “Core” line and my SE Custom/Hollowbody import builds. Even better when you consider it was way less coin than my Hollowbody was new. Josh bought it slightly used, and it certainly hasn’t been beat up in the year he’s had it. The amp he found on a crazy price too, had like one weekend of stage use on it, and it’s spotless, as is the effects board. If I was a good enough player, I could easily gig this setup with zero holdbacks. Why the bejeebers I didn’t take this up 50 years ago when I played keys with the guys I’ll never know. Youth is so wasted on the young…
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Daryl
That black beauty looks magnificent, and you got it just in time for Christmas too, how special.
It sounds like the Amp is perfectly matched for the guitar and your place, perfection. Have you thought of what song to play on it for the first time, or have you taken it around the block already? Thanks for sharing the photo of it, so happy for you! 👍🙂
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Jung, I just sat down and started playing after the livestream. I warmed up the guitar a bit with some noodling along on some blues backing tracks playing clean with the voicing dialed up for some extra gain and then switched the amp over to the overdrive channel. Started off with “Cocaine” (hadn’t played that in over a year), then “Smoke on the Water”, hit up “Mustang Sally” (Commitments version) since I hadn’t played that in ages, and then “Mississippi Queen”. Got a bit more Canadian based and played Could Have Been A Lady, then American Woman (hey, the Guess Who are Canadian…). Then I tuned down to double drop D and hammered on Cinnamon Girl to see the difference from the last two days with the new axe and amp. God, I was in rock-out Heaven! I LOOOOVE this rig!!!
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Hey Daryl
Wow, some awesome songs you christened that guitar with. Guess Who “American Woman too!!! I wish I could have been there to hear it all! 😀 Let your music passion explode with your new rig! 👍
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Jung, I really haven’t decided yet. But it will be fun just trying out the nuances of both the guitar and the amp. The board is a whole other animal. I have played the guitar at Josh’s place more than once, and it has a different neck profile and feel than either of my other two PRS guitars, but none of Paul’s creations are difficult to switch back and forth with. There’s less difference between this and my Custom than either of them to my Hollowbody. It has a hardtail bridge (no tremolo arm) so I’ll have more reason to rely on bends and vibrato technique. Not that I use the arm a whole lot, messes with tuning stability if you get stupid with them. They are fun though.😆
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And then there were three. My latest addition plus my two previous Paul Reed Smiths. I thought I was stepping outside the box when I bought my first PRS, now I know I’m hooped. My first one (the sapphire blue Custom) I got three years ago. Then I got the bug for the Hollowbody late 2021 for the combination of acoustic and electric tones it produces. But I had to factory order that and the wait time of 10 months was horrible. Then I played Josh’s S2 this past spring and OMG what an amazing instrument! Similar in many playing respects (feel, neck, fit) to the other two, but still so very different tonally.
I almost went for a brand new S2 in a stunning dark cherry color, and had pretty much justified the cost of another brand new guitar, at least in my own feeble mind. Then thankfully (?) my missus contracted COVID and gifted the darn pox to me before I could pull the trigger on the red one….I had the trip to the city and the buying visit to the store all planned for two days after I tested positive.
But a different kind of color, and a far more beautiful one comes from the sound in a guitar far more than the finish. I think Josh has ESP or something, he offered the deal on his the very same day I told him I had COVID. And then there is also the kind of ‘tuxedo’ appeal of the black too. Not to mention a black guitar is just somehow gnarlier when you’re playing a hard driving rock lick. 😉
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