Jam Class

Last week, when I was picking up the ES-225 from its tune up, Val talked me into attending a Blues Jam Class at King Amplification. I’ve only been playing guitar a couple of months, so I wasn’t sure I was ready to play at that level.

What a cool event. I was totally lost about 75% of the time – so was the guy next to me. I’ve got lots of homework to do. I think I’ve got the 12-bar 1,4,5 progression down – I just need to play the chords. Need to listen to more Blues Shuffles – Jimmy Reed style.

I’ve been trying lots of different pics. I started with really thin pics and as my playing has improved I find I want them thicker. I picked up a couple of the tiny Dunlop Jazz IIIs and really like them. The only problem is they are so small I drop them a lot. I have read that playing with them more may reduce this. 

I'm still digging the guitar and pretty much play every day. When Kathy and Jax are gone I crank up my little tube amp and fill the house with dirty Blues. I'm not sure where the cats stand on all this. 

Custom Chrome

Chrome runs a pretty good espresso
bar in the hub.

I took a big bag of motorsport patches to the Chrome bags hub in San Francisco and after a consult with Jessie we ended up with this. I think it ended up with 33 patches total. 

Customer and artist 

Bag open - shows front and back

Inside

Strapped

After seeing the crappy selection of guitar straps at local music stores I turned to the internet. Via Etsy.com I found Couch Straps -- hand made here in CA and reasonably priced.  I scored a Racer-X and a Seatbelt strap which arrived today. They are both awesome; made from quality materials, perfectly cut and assembled with absolutely straight stitching. I installed Schaller strap-locks on them and played the Racer-X for an hour. It's totally comfortable and plenty long.

Couch Racer-X  + Stratocaster

What I learned today

Don't just pick up guitar magazines and buy them without looking carefully at the price. I dropped almost $30 on TWO guitar magazines at Frys. The total at check out seemed a little high, but I bought enough other junk that I missed em until it was too late.  Granted, they are fine magazines. But, $15.99 for a MAGAZINE? I've bought books for less -- coffee table books!

Patches. We don't need no stinkin' patches.

I've been collecting motorsport patches for 15 years and after many false starts I finally did something with them. I took them here

25 Hrs of Thunderhill (2013 Edition)

Another December, another 25 hours race. and sadly another DNF. I think things will be different next year. 

Credentials - check, crew gear - check, espresso - check -- Ready for the 25

Them sure are some LIGHTS! 

This can't be good... electrical gremlins ultimately prove fatal for our #33

Our next-door neighbors -- They finished 3rd in E2. 

Getting Ready -- 90 Min to go.

Our Pit -- Easily the most equipment yet. Note that quick
fuel rig -- 25 Gal in 15 seconds. Whoosh.

#33 on pre-grid. It was about 40F by this point. 

Anonymous late night thrash 

Where I was when the race finished (50 miles south of the track)

Jax pics

Future Golfer?

Who is that guy?

More guitar

Now that I’ve been playing guitar regularly for a couple of months I’ve started to subconsciously hear guitar in all kinds of places. I notice riffs, hooks and licks in everything -- elevator music, TV and radio commercials, kid's shows, etc. The more I play, the more I hear. Is it Neuroplasticity (R)? Who knows. 

I’ve also started to listen to more blues – between Pandora, iTunes Radio, and SiriusXM I can listen to blues all day long -- Robert Johnson, Rory Gallagher, BB, Buddy Guy, SRV, Leadbelly, and Bonamassa. I've started to play it too. I even got another guitar so I can have one in drop-d tune all the time.

So ffar I’ve been playing through an Amplug AC-30 “pocket amp” or an iRig/iPad pair using ear-buds. This works pretty good for practice – but now I want to be able play without things in my ears.

SO now that my playing isn’t a total embarrassment (most of the time) I’ve started taking my guitar to the local shops and test-driving small tube amps. They sure do sound cool.