Sheepdog1969

Sadly, it only is able to perform, when played by a female, for 15 min or less. It then requires a cigarette and a long nap before attempting to be played again.

I just had a hilarious vision of some ZW young underling sitting on the floor of the toy isle in a walmart/target with a peterson clip on strobe tuner amidst a pile of open hello kitty boxes and guitars desperately tuning and playing open strings and then 12th frets, trying to find just one or two of them that exhibited moderate intonation, (presumably with the crappy strings they came with). Geez, the poor kid probably re-boxed 99.99% of them, and then when through the checkout line with the two or three (at most) that barely made the cut, (probably while wearing black leather and denim like his boss Zakk.) I can see this poor soul restringing these pink monsters with $12+ Ernie Ball acoustic Paradigm strings, praying Zakk would find at least one to his liking. The "Behind the Music" episode of this misadventure would be more interesting than the clip of Zakk playing one. (not that Zakk didn't make that POS sound great.) Now I'm wondering how much a Hello Kitty guitar costs and how I can hotrod it! I think just found my next project. I can't wait to see the reactions to my NGD post, lol.

Sadly, A terrible boating accident in a very deep part of Lake Michigan claimed my very small firearms collection and all of my ammo! I was lucky to survive. 😉

Someone should explain that to the doctors in the US that kill, (on average) 251,000 people per year due to provable medical negligence/malpractice. PS - Thank you for your pursuit of perfection in your field, especially since anything less than perfection in your field would be undoubtedly lethal for countless people. Just as I stated before, learning from failure is no longer acceptable once someone reaches the point in their profession at which their failures go from personal life lessons to catastrophes that devastate others. Learning from failure implicitly demands eliminating failure in order to advance professionally.

Any guitar???? That's a bit of a stretch. What I do know is that I can make even the most expensive, most playable guitar, run through the best and most expensive peddles and amps sound exactly like the worst guitar you have ever played run through the worst peddles and the crappiest amp with a blown speaker. And that's when I'm really trying to play well. Think nails on a black board mixed with a "Baby Shark" extended cut. The point of this thread was to inflate my ego by convincing anyone who would listen that my Cheap Squire Strat whim purchase was actually a carefully planned genius move. (oh crud, did I say the quiet part out loud again?)

I specifically said "loss", not failure.

Since a 5.56 is a .22, (ok, a .223 but who's counting) that may add credence to that claim, maybe. If .22 LR is what they meant, I want to know how many .22 LR's, on average, were needed to result in death? Digest this number for a minute. The most recent estimate found that approximately 251,000 lives are claimed each year because of medical error (provable medical malpractice)- about 9.5 percent of all deaths annually in the United States. This staggering number is higher than deaths caused by stroke, accidents or Alzheimer's. Worse yet, despite this lethal Physician negligence, Health care companies associated with these doctors of death had no issues with sending bills for medical services provided to the now deceased patients and/or their insurance providers. In comparison, in 2021, there were a total of 48,830 people killed by firearms in the US. This number includes justifiable defensive uses of firearms in defense of life or grievous bodily harm by both law enforcement and legal civilian gun owners, murders by prohibited persons illegally in possession of a firearm, accidents, and suicides. ( More people in the US die from suicide involving a firearm than homicides or accidents, per federal data.)

February 1st, 1850, Edward Baker Lincoln, Abraham Lincoln's second son died at 3 years of age from "chronic consumption" , presumably due to medullary thyroid cancer. February 20th, 1862 William Wallace Lincoln, Abraham Lincolns third son, died at the age of 11 from typhoid fever at the White House in Washington DC. Just thought I would add to the massive list of loss Lincoln suffered without ever giving up. These two devastating deaths affected Mary and Abe far more than any other political/personal setback they ever experienced together.

Um.... WTF is up with the lead singers guitar??? I'm not talking about the shape of the body, or the weirdly "hockey stick" looking head stock, (and defiantly not like the Gibson Explorer "hockey stick" head stock, btw. This guys headstock looks like the "before" picture from a Viagra commercial.) , I'm talking about the fret spacing. Can someone please explain to me what this fret positioning is all about??? I have never seen anything like this. At first I thought the "frets" were some kind of stickers used to create a visual illusion, with the real frets blacked out. (The video quality is pretty bad, so I can really tell.) Is this a gag, or a real thing? Maybe 'Scales can let us know if this is an Aussie thing? (is this fret spacing based on some type of Aboriginal instrument? Did a member of the Pitjantjara create this??) Check out the vid for "Rattle snake" below, where this guitar is featured prominently. The other guitarist has the same type of fret spacing too. (PS - Rattle snakes are not native to Australia)

Ha! The song, "Fat bottomed girls" somehow came to mind, based on the saddle size difference.

Ok, Joe Bonamassa didn't actually say MY newly purchased and hot rodded Fender Squire Stratocaster "rocks", but he did prove that a super low cost Fender Squire Strat (without mods run thru an inexpensive peddle set and amp) can sound amazing (in the right hands), even when compared to a top dollar Strat, peddle set, and amp. (Although I think you can hear him whispering about my amazing personal Squire, if you listen really close! lol) https://www.guitarworld.com/news/joe-bonamassa-vintage-budget-hendrix-gear-shootout

When you walk into your local auto parts store and tell the young kid behind the counter (who is staring at his cell phone) that you need "Points" for your 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle, AND (with a befuddled expression), he replies, "What are Points?".

Istanbul (Not Constantinople)- They Might Be Giants

Hey Phil, I was just about to say the same thing, but you beat me to it. The reason I wanted to respond to the Space-X comment was because my daughter wore this jean jacket to school today. (See below. Note the DM-2 patch!!! ) She is going to study Aerospace engineering in the fall @ BAMA, btw

Although I value your opinion brother, I felt compelled to interject a bit, if only to disagree and then get back to your most salient point which we both agree on. 99%+ of truly successful people, those with long term track records of success, have histories of failure, (some more pronounced than others). One important thing that differentiates successful people from unsuccessful people, is how each of these groups deal with failure. The successful group has learned from past failures, (especially the failures of others in similar situations). This group understands the ramifications of failure, is prepared for failure with contingencies, and mitigates the liabilities of failure with rational "make lemon-aid out of lemons" strategies. This group stopped wearing "Rose colored glasses" years ago, and will not tolerate statements such as, "Don't worry about that, everything will turn out fine.". Successful people actually worry about everything, but they do most of their worrying while crafting their business plan before implementing it, thus visualizing failure INSTEAD OF SUCCESS , at each step. Unsuccessful people tend to be defined by the paragraph above, but in the opposite. Failure is universal, common, and necessary. Human learning and advancement has been predicated by failing, understanding why we failed, and then eventually achieving success via failure's education. Better yet, as human communication abilities advance, successful members of our species begin to learn from the failure of others, far beyond the firsthand visual observations our ancestors were limited to. Far more has been learned from failure than has ever been learned from success. In my early twenties I decided to open my own bar in Chicago. At the time, Mayor Daley was making it almost impossible to get a new liquor license. He even denied Harry Carey a liquor license when he tried to open a second bar/restaurant near Wrigley Field. Undeterred, I spent months at City Hall scouring the pre-computer paper files in Chicago's Liquor License Appeals Office. I was NOT researching successful liquor license application appeals, I was studying every single reason that legit and qualified applicants were being denied/failing, for the second time, through the Appeals Process. Buy studying their failures, I found the "magic formula", and became the youngest new liquor license holder in the City of Chicago ever. (I was 24 when I was approved and opened for business.) So yes, successful people defiantly have failed. HOWEVER, truly successful people STOP FAILING IN REALLY BIG WAYS quite early in their careers. Repetitively failing while at the highest echelon of one of the world best guitar manufacturers, (if not the best guitar company), is not only unacceptable, but calls into question how they got into that management position in the first place. Gibson's corporate structure, like most big global companies, is designed to provide nearly infinite market data, tech data, material and production data, etc., to top corporate decision makers in order to insure sales success. Heck, Gibson set up this Forum specifically for sales and marketing purposes, and if you think otherwise, I have a bridge to sell you. (In my opinion, Gibson under utilizes this forum to advance it's business success, btw.). I just noticed that as I have been thoughtfully replying to BBP, this thread has gone NUTS, mostly with people saying kinda what I'm saying. So here's my take folks!

Is it just me, or do English saddles look more feminine than Western saddles? Any thoughts? (Western saddles pictured below)

Just getting one saddle on a mustang is hard enough, simply due to their ornery nature. I reckon the talk here, about the differences between putting three or six saddles on one mustang, should result in bans for overtly discussing animal cruelty. This thread has turned to horse sh!$. 😉

When you start associating the word "Shingles" with a painful viral rash, as opposed to the things on your roof.

When you occasionally develop some sort of skin rash, and never (even for a second) think it might be a Sexually Transmitted Disease.

My daughter and I travelling that morning down to Benton, IL, (just over four hours south of me), and plan on watching the event outside of town on an open country road. Since the eclipse only lasts for just over 4 minutes, I don't see the need to pay for anything other than lunch, the gas to get there and back, and the 5 bucks for two pair of appropriate viewing glasses. Thought it would be a fun day trip to experience the event with my kid. I'm still waiting for my invite from Murph to attend his massive viewing party, lol!

My go to set up guy told me about "polishing/cleaning" Gold hardware. Obviously, cleaning will be easier if the Gold plated parts to be cleaned are removed from the guitar and placed on a soft towel to avoid scratches while cleaning. However, I chose to leave my hardware in place, save for the stop bar, and cleaned them during a string change. Be aware, this process is a bit weird, but it seems to work. (This method is intended for use on 24K Gold, and is generally effective on 18K Gold. Lesser quality/purity Gold may require different "solvents" (such as baking soda, for example), to remove tarnish/oxidation. Using baking soda, or any solvent on Gold, may permanently damage the material and should only be applied by a professional! Please read all instruction before attempting this method, including the metallurgical specifics outlined below.) First, wash your hands well, making sure to dry them with a new/clean towel. He then told me to use a dry microfiber cloth to gently wipe down the Gold hardware, just to remove and oils, dust, etc., from them. He warned me not to "scrub" them with the dry microfiber cloth, just use light pressure to wipe them off a bit. He said not to expect this "wipe down" to do very much. He even said not to even try to remove gunk, (like sticky spots left by mystery fluids like beer, soda, sneezes, etc.), at this stage. Once this first wipe down is completed, he said to get a new/clean microfiber cloth, and not to reuse the first cloth on your guitar until it has been cleaned/washed. Now this is the weird part. He said to go wash your hands again and brush your teeth and tongue thoroughly. Yup, he wasn't kidding. Then he said to rinse your mouth thoroughly with water until you cannot taste the toothpaste you used anymore. Then, while keeping the new/clean microfiber cloth handy, he said to choose a pickup cover, or a single tuning machine, etc., (just one small part of the Gold hardware at a time), to start with. Next, touch the pad of your index finger (where your finger prints are), to your tongue to slightly wet it with saliva, (not to much), and then gently rub the surface of the Gold hardware you chose to start with in little circles, like waxing a car. He said to think of your finger prints (the ridges and swirls), as the "abrasive", and the saliva as the lubricant and the cleaning solution. Apparently, saliva has a pH that is not overly harsh (corrosive), when used on Gold, yet is just strong enough, (when used as directed), to remove gunk and tarnish. He indicated that I will want to have a clean rag nearby that is dampened with bottled/purified water, to wipe the debris removed the Gold hardware that will build up on your finger pad each time it begins to "get dry" and needs to be remoistened. He said I should expect to be able to polish with my little finger swirls for about 3-5 seconds before the saliva needs to be reapplied. (More than 5 seconds means you are using to much saliva.) So, about every 5 seconds, wipe your finger pad on the wet cloth to remove the build up of transferred gunk, then dry your finger pad on a clean cloth (not the /new clean microfiber you set nearby, btw, as it needs to stay clean to buff the hardware shortly.), then touch the finger pad to your tongue and repeat. (I assure you, you will only forget to wipe off and dry your finger pad once, prior to touching it to your tongue again, since it doesn't taste very good.) On parts like pickup covers, he recommends doing a light initial pass, focusing on any sticky areas and/or surface gunk ( foreign contaminate), and not the tarnish. Your finger will defiantly feel this irregular build up, if it is present. The goal is to use the saliva in combination with gentle swirls of your finger pad, to loosen and break down this contaminant before using the new/clean microfiber cloth to easily wipe off said, without using the cloth to actually dislodge contamination by "buffing". The cloth also is used to remove any remaining remnants of saliva upon completion of the part/section of the Gold hardware being cleaned. I tend to be overly cautious, since I had neglected by Gold hardware for so long because I had no idea how to clean it, so I worked very small sections at a time. I would do half a pick up cover at a time, a quarter of the stop bar at a time, etc., until that section's surface felt like I had removed all the non tarnish gunk/crud from the Gold. The idea is to get the surface to the point where it is only Gold and Gold tarnish, and then lightly wipe off the section with a dry microfiber cloth to remove the remaining saliva & filth film completely. At this point, you will defiantly see a difference. The next step is to repeat this process again to reduce tarnish. If your guitar's Gold hardware has just oxidized/tarnished, and has little to no oil and crud build up, this first pass will have already begun to restore the Gold's luster considerably. Even filthy hardware like mine will show quite a shine after the first pass. The next step simply repeats this process again, but this time in an attempt to reduce the dark discoloring tarnish on the surface of the plating. In this process, less is always more. This tends to be a long process, especially for hardware that has been neglected. But, the results are amazing, and the cost is near zero, (save for your time). This process is not intended to be used repeatedly, and should only be used to restore neglected gold plated hardware. As detailed below, it is possible to inadvertently remove Gold plating if caution is not employed while utilizing this method. It is important to gently and completely remove any and all saliva, oils from hands and body, and/or any other material that may be in contact with the Gold plating upon completion of this process. Do not use water, purified or otherwise, on Gold plated surfaces, unless specifically directed to by a qualified metallurgist and luthier. Lower karat Gold will be nearly impossible to restore completely, and "pits" cannot be restored/eliminated with this process. Be warned that areas of Gold plated hardware that have begun to show/expose the underlying base metal, prior to this cleaning method, should be addressed with extreme sensitivity, as this method will undoubtedly accentuate these "bare/extremely thin plated" areas. Gold plating only creates a thin layer of Gold, measured in microns (micrometers). Every time thin plated Gold surfaces are touched/rubbed, Gold (atoms) are dislodged/removed/transferred. Gold is quite soft, especially as it's purity increases. 24K Gold is considered "pure", yet is far softer, (mailable) than 14K Gold, which is less pure since it is an alloy mixed with other metals. Additionally, Gold tarnish (oxidation) actually is a myth, as Gold atoms do not readily react with Oxygen and/or Sulphur, the main causes of metal oxidation. (Gold is one of the least reactive chemical elements known to man.) Another myth about Gold relates to purity. 14K Gold is 58.5% pure Gold, 18K Gold is 75% pure, and 24K Gold is 100% pure Gold. Tarnish/corrosion (oxidation) happens to the percentage of metal(s) that make up the remaining percentage of Gold alloys like 14K and 18K, yet lower karat Gold is harder than higher karat Gold. 14K Gold will eventually tarnish (oxidize) and pit, quite quickly if not maintained, but it is far harder to scratch/damage due to contact. 24K Gold should be nearly impervious to oxidation, but it is soft (like Lead), so it is easily marred, scratched, deformed, and impossible to be worn as jewelry and/or used as plating. Save for Gold bars and bullion, 24K is NOT used for Jewelry or electroplating guitar hardware, regardless of what labels claim. (hence the myth). Said Jewelry and plating actually are Gold alloys that are nearly 24K pure, and as such, will tarnish (but to a lesser degree). 24K Gold plating (non coated) may become/appear "dull" in areas that receive repetitive contact, despite not exhibiting signs of tarnish (oxidation). This typically is due to the soft metal incurring micro scratches from said contact, thus reducing the reflectivity of it's surface in those areas. In order to maintain the luster of Gold plated materials, it is imperative that all said surfaces be gently "wiped down" with a clean, soft, microfiber cloth after each use, with special attention given to any areas that came in contact with skin, hair, or other materials or substances. These surfaces, regardless of use, should be "wiped down" in the same fashion every few months as a preventative measure. Worn Gold plated hardware can be re-plated, with out stripping the remaining Gold. (No need to have to buy new hardware). It is also possible to request the replating to be applied "thicker" than the original plating, in terms of microns of thickness. Be aware that these increases in plating thickness will effect tolerances in critical areas of your guitar. Consult with an experienced luthier before modifying plating thickness.

Most times people make plans to watch something turn on. Millions of people across the US, (and other parts of the world), make plans to watch Christmas tree lightings. In Chicago, it is a tradition for many to watch Buckingham fountain turn on each spring. But this spring, millions of people are planning to watch the Sun "turn off". April 8th, 2024 is the date many US States will experience a Total Solar Eclipse. To be clear, the Sun is NOT "turning off", it is just going to be blocked for a few minutes by the Moon, (for those in the specific path of the moon's shadow). Simply put, a total eclipse of the Sun is the most beautiful sight you will ever see in the sky. Nothing can prepare you for the amazing sight when the sky suddenly darkens and the Sun’s corona shines in the sky. No photograph can capture the stunning beauty of a total solar eclipse, you must see it for yourself. Learn about the basics of the solar eclipse at greatamericaneclipse.com/basics and find out more about the wonder of eclipses at greatamericaneclipse.com/splendor. Maybe you too can make plans to go and watch something huge "turn off"!

Seeing how Slash is the Gibson record label's initial premier artist since 2021, it shouldn't be surprising that he would be held to the same demanding contractual standards that the majority of other artists who are contracted with Gibson, or other record labels, are. Suffice it to say, if Slash had enough money to create his own label, or fund his own tour, he defiantly would have done so. Yet, just like when he was with Geffen, he is now at Gibson's mercy. Sadly, I feel that his personal choices are contractually subservient to Gibson's rule, at least until his contract with them expirers. Boy, would I just despise being "forced" to play incredible Gibson guitars, and get paid to do so. Oh, the horror!

I really wasn't "watching" at first, and was just listening, so I dismissed the first glimpse of Slash playing what looked like a Gibson ES-335. I'm old and blind, so I chalked it up to mental trickery. I didn't pause or rewind to confirm what I thought I saw, mostly because I was enjoying the track. "No way would Slash publicly play a 335, even on a Gibson promo, if only because it would throw a wrench in the marketing message he and Gibson had established promoting his signature LP.", I naively thought. But as I watched closer, I eventually saw clear shots of him rocking a Gibby ES-335. What took him so long??? He must be maturing into a refined player who now gets the 335 "truth". Or, maybe Gibson is beginning to feel the financial realities of the successes their less profitable, yet awesome, Inspired by Gibson Epiphone ES-335 line's booming sales numbers have had on the 10x more expensive Gibson ES-335's? Seeing as how the Epiphone Dave Grohl ES-335's were just released, (even at $1k+), Gibson may have wanted to pimp their 335's a bit to offset the consumer swing to their Epi line, with this "shocking" Slash 335 advertisement. Or am I being to cynical???

A kid looks at his mother and says, "I want to grow up and be a drummer". His mother replies, "Silly boy, you can't do both.". 🤪