Yesterday, I was introduced to a "Boutique Guitar Manufacturer" in Walla Walla, Washington. They produce some gorgeous "one off" designer or "boutique" guitars that are, in a word: "Gorgeous." My Friend, Jim McGuinn, carries their guitars at his store, Hot Poop Records and Stereos. Also in Walla Walla, "A City So Nice, They Had To Name It Twice." Jim's been in Walla Walla since 1973. The same year I graduated from High School. We were Friends back then and remain so. We talk on the phone often. Usually while he's ringing up people's orders at his store and there are allot of "Hold on a second, I have to ring this guy up" moments. It doesn't bother me.
After I had visited the Guitar Company's Web Page, I was IMPRESSED. I own a couple of old guitars and am a notorious: "Tone Freak." After reading through some of the schematic specs. and whatnot, I was convinced that these are instruments worth plugging. The "Standard" line on guitars hovers in the $2,000 to $3,000 range but there are exceptions, The Wallacaster, for instance, which is down into the $500-$700 range. A Fender Strat Clone, it is straight forward in design and has all high(er) end stock spec. parts. I would choose a maple neck and fretboard, just because "That's Who I Am" in that genre. I'm also: "Not That Kind Of Customer Who Spends $2k On A Guitar. Mostly, because I can't. I'm more the weird niche market Teisco del Rey and Sears/Harmony/Danelectro/Wards Airline Futura/Streamliner kind of Guy. Show me a crappy old guitar from the '60's and I'm in Heaven with David Lindley. A "Coodercaster" would fill the bill, too. I could just as easily fall in Lust with a used Parker, but, that adds a whole new dimension. You can look those up for yourself. I tend to favor stock guitars and let The Rack and/or Pedals do the Modeling.
I currently own an Epiphone Custom Shop Les Paul Junior with a P-100 Pickup, Ebony Fretboard, Bolt Neck, in "T.V. Yellow," a Limited Edition Model made in Korea in 1996. It is a "Finish Blemish" Guitar. The Mustard Yellow finish is "streaked" Nitro over Maple. I don't care "what" guitars look like, just how they "sound." My other (working) guitar is a 1959 Magnatone Lap Steel in Emerald Pearloid, that stuff they cover sparkly drum kits with. Also referred to as: "M.O.T.S." or, "Mother Of Toilet Seat." I happen to like playing Lap Steel. It's "easy on the Old Guy hands" and makes HUGE chords with minimal effort. Sustain for days, weeks even. It's a good "Foundation Instrument." I write from that guitar, often. Laying down Primary riffs and then fleshing them out with standard notation. I also own a "project" Lap Steel, a 1949 Magnatone-Dickenson that is much more "ballsy" and lacks ANY sort of cosmetic appeal. A slab of Redwood with an Epoxy Twin Magnet Pickup, Hand Rest/Cover and a set of Grover knock-off keys. Slopped on White Out defines the "Fret Positions." I bought it in a Thrift Store for $10.00 with an Original Case, which, is worth much more than the guitar.
I am fond of using David Gilmour's approach to sound processing, i.e., "Digital Delay and Sustain" for almost everything. That and a bit of Overdrive and Compression. It's a BIG sound. In addition to using a Boss PS-3 Multi-Effects Stomp Box, I use a Roland VS-840, the first model, which acts as an effects bay and not a Recording Workstation. (I like Metal cassette tape better) There are few Effects Patch Bays better than Roland's. The worst thing about those early Roland Units is that the User Manual is like a backwards written Christmas Playboy. NOTHING makes any sense, whatsoever. So, I just "winged it" with my experimentation. Found some combo's that "worked" and called it good. I got the Roland Unit as part of a trade for music gear on a '77 BMW car I owned. He got the Beemer, I got the Roland, a Danelectro DC-2 and a '66 International Truck. I came out ahead. The guy totalled the Beemer and I still have the Roland. Sold the truck and Danelectro.
I digress... My next move was to contact my Local Music Store and let them know about The Walla Walla Guitar Company. Anthony Mantova, the Lead Buyer at Mantova's Two Street Music fired off an email to my Buddy, Jim and we'll see what happens. Mantova's is a GREAT store and I ONLY take them my instruments to be Techie'd upon. Their Guitar Guy is The Real Deal. I know, within about 5 minutes, whether or not I trust someone to work on my MOTR Instruments. They're (My Guitars) cheap but, I LIKE them and want all the stuff in them to work correctly. Regardless of the fact that I am a shameless Hack Player and consummate NOODLER. A WANKER. There. I've said it.
Anyway... http://wallawallaguitars.com/ Check it out. You'll thank me, later.
Love and Alien Blowjobs,
-Doc
Ernie (Cut Directly to "Satellite Farm." This Fucker was one HOT Guitarist):
Some history/back-story:
With Root Boy Slim and The Sex Change Band:
p.s.- "Root Boy Slim Owes Me Money." For the Non-Initiate: "Root Boy Slim," a.k.a. Foster McKenzie III, was a Fraternity Brother of George W. Bush at Yale. Georgie had Foster "permanently kicked out of" that Frat. Foster was "too weird" said Little George, when he wasn't snorting coke off of a Cheerleaders ass or drinking his way into a piss soaked coma and pulling a C Average GPA at Yale. Foster, on the other hand, was busy becoming an Authentic American Icon. A rebellious waste wad sometimes, at others a poignant reminder of the dangers of The Excess Of The Privileged. They both beat going to Vietnam. Georgie went AWOL from the Texas Air National Guard, Foster took drugs and made weird music. Foster also took a stolen D.C. Streetsweeper on a drug-fueled romp, ending up crashing through the fence at The White House, which, in turn, landed him an "Evaluatory Stint" at a local Mental Health Facility. This is but one "version" of the story. There are others, such as: "Root simply consumed a VERY LARGE DOSE OF LSD and was apparently 'trying to find the Center Of The Universe' when arrested for climbing the White House Fence." At any rate, Young Foster was "medicated" for the rest of his life, which ended in June of 1993. The rest is History. If you happen to be unfamiliar with this music, get your ass some good headphones and a BIG AMP and blow your ears out. You'll thank me, later. Watch a couple of YouTube Videos of RBSATSCB, etc., while you're at it...
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