Greetings, whoever-reads-this! I know somebody's been stopping by in here, because the site lets me know how many folks- if any- stop in on any given day,.
Today's pic is of one of my guitars. It's one I've been playing a lot these days. I didn't know the model name or any other features, just that it's my Gretsch guitar. The only Gretsch guitar I own.
So my Gretsch guitar is actually a Gretsch Streamliner. With a laurel neck. The color is listed as Burnt Orchid. It's also available in Fireburst and Gunmetal. The Gunmetal model is a cool blue. One of its characteristics, on all models, is a V-shaped tailpiece. I don't think it has any bearing on the sound, just one of those things that look cool without serving any particular purpose.
I got it at the Rock Shop back in 2014 or so. A local entertainer named John Sweet was selling it on consignment. I remember being about 14 years old--which would've been 1968--playing my first jazz gigs in a place in a then-thriving Town and Country Shopping Center. The place I played in was called The Flaming Pit.
John stopped in to see us, spreading good will wherever he went. Kind of a Don Rickles. As I remember, he managed to offend a few people there at the Flaming Pit, most notably a waiter, who called him a hayseed.
According to the employee I talked to at the Rock Shop--46 years later--the jokes are still flying and still crude and usually insulting to someone or other. Nice to know some things never change..
Anyway! My first ES-style guitar. I've got two archtops, one Ibanez and the other a B. Cook model(for Billy Cook, a guitarist and luthier from Peoria), and love them both--especially the B. Cook model--but it's a lot of guitar to reach around.
So I've gravitated toward the ES-style guitars, having less girth and all. And I now have four of them: a cherry-red Epiphone Casino, a sunburst Epiphone Casino Coupe, a sunburst Epiphone ES-335, and my Gretsch Streamliner.
I should say here that I'm not a collector per se. I don't have that kind of disposable income. Just a player who likes to have a few options as to which guitar he feels like playing. So my purchases are “off” brands like Epiphone and Ibanez- all decent but inexpensive instruments. A Benedetto or Collings guitar would be doable, but it'd set me back aways…
Well so much for guitar talk. For now anyway. As far as any bona fide Music News, nothing much to report. I had a gig on the 4th of this month, out at Harvest Market. Much fun. The next thing I have on the books is November 1st at Boone's. Something will surely fill in between now and November.
I'm still pretty busy with family stuff, as well as keeping my own stuff together. It's almost a job in itself, particularly as you get older and things start falling apart. But I'm managing to get in some good practice time. And with that, keeping my YouTube page well-stocked with videos. Subscriptions are at 419 folks. I've got a few regulars, who drop me a line when I post something, It's always a kick hearing from them.
So that's it for now. All the news from my world that's fit to print. Thanks as ever for stopping in and reading. Much love.