Tman

Thanks for the well wishes everyone. Indeed things are looking up. Refrigerator tomorrow! No more camping coolers. Eventually I'll let you know of some stories of surviving calamity from the last 9 months. Here's one: In the beginning of May when we finally received permission to temporarily move back onto the property and I was able to stop commuting from my wife's office in Torrance (2 hour, 15 min one way), I rented a small trailer. No water and the generator didn't work (turns out someone put oil into the gas tank and it clogged it - since we were forced to have insurance I thought it was scam). No one came to fix it and they even accused me of putting oil into it - I didn't and I know the difference. Last storm of the season, the wind was strong and the trailer rocked back and forth and woke me up at 02:30 when the awning ripped (which they also charged me for). I couldn't retract it because the generator didn't work (in spite of many texts to come and fix it - I should have gotten my own). I abandoned ship and walked down the hill to our 500 sq. ft. concrete in law unit that only had the garage burned out. My father in law lived there when the fire happened. No electricity or water. It was rat infested (I even had myself tested for hantavirus - 40% fatality - luckily negative). On my way down the hill I slipped in the mud and landed on my arse. I looked up to the pouring sky and started crying. My dog came out of the building where she was sleeping and came and licked my arm. I knew then I was going to make it. I will take some snaps of the guitar outside of the case. One of the things I love is the contoured heel. Contoured like the HP but not a wide neck, it has a standard 60's thin tapered profile.

To quote another great American, Jethro Bodine, “ Uncle Jed, I decided I ain’t gonna be a brain surgeon.” I can tell you guys one thing. A flushing toilet should not be underestimated nor under appreciated. In all seriousness.

Thanks guys. Things are looking up. Running water restored 2 days ago, new LP today! Now I can go home, play it and take a shower all in the same building! 😎

Hi everyone, on November 9th, 2018, I lost 11 guitars including 5 Gibsons (SG Custom, LP Standard Gold Top, J-200 5 star quilt, J-45 Acacia, and a hummingbird 12 string) in what is now known as the Woolsey fire which claimed ~800 homes in the Malibu area. Unbeknownst to me a group of colleagues of mine got together and took up a guitar fund and donated it to Guitar Center so I could (would have to) use it for guitar replacement. I have always wanted a Les Paul Custom with my specs so I went through the Made To Measure program and did just that. The colleagues came from an Online forum that I started in 2003 called OCAD (One Case A Day and has to do with diagnosis of musculoskeletal disease). Here is the OCAD guitar! Modern Axcess Gold Top with Custom trim and chrome hardware (with stop tailpiece). Custombuckers with coil splitting 60's thin profile neck

Mark worked at Norm's rare guitars. I bought my 335 from him/Norms last November (it's a used guitar shop). I asked for a 60's thin profile neck and he said they didn't have any but I should play the 63 reissue and I might like it. 63...... 60's thin profile...duh He struck me as an acerbic kinda guy. I'm sure he went solo in his new position, made the video then the higher ups at Gibson said wtf?

My wife works in Torrance and lives in PV (I commute down there on weekends now). If you drop by Malibu I could show you around although admittedly there is a lot less to see nowadays.

J-200

It is incredible. Enjoy the trip Steve! If you come by So. Call I’ll treat you to a beer. Thanks Drog, love it Thanks rct. When the fire happened you offered to send me your Strat (or Tele, don’t remember). What a cool thing to do. Not too many people like you in this world. Rabs very best of luck. I really want a Rabswood. Especially the smallerbody one that you showed in a thread a few weeks back where you were at a show. Great stuff.

Thanks Sal and thanks for listening to the album. I've been kind of scarce on this forum but particularly enjoy your posts. Thanks FP. I find it much better than sitting around feeling sorry for myself. That's been old since about January.

Thanks guys! Thanks Dub! I have never seen them here like this either. When I took a walk around Westlake on Saturday while getting my car washed I saw thousands. They were coming from the south in waves. Bad news is, like you, I ended a few lives and ruined my new car wash that evening.

Thanks FP, very happy with it! Thanks jdgm, I could move to England. There are things that can be done and will be done. Our neighbor, a military pilot who stayed through the inferno, had a fire suit on and sat on the edge of his opened well water tank with a hose and fought it off. His house was concrete though. Our little inlaw unit was concrete and the structure mostly made it, internal contents partially burned. So we won't build the new house out of wood that's for sure. Also insurance will kick in more money to come up to code from what the last house had and finally we are going to put in an external sprinkler that can be controlled by a phone app. Last fire in my neighborhood was 1978. If we wait that long again I will in all likelihood not be on the planet.

Thanks Kelly, I am loving it. It was set up really well. It is actually in tune from open strings to fretted. Rock solid. I was blown away by it. I went in to G.C. looking for a J-15 and landed this one. Not sure I've seen flamed walnut before.

Thanks J45Nick. Yes we will. The permitting process is a bear in spite of the fact fact that it is expedited. The second photo is the guitar leaning up against the trailer that is on the property. Hopefully in a year I can show a photo of the J-45 leaning against the rebuilt house.

Finally getting some replacement guitars! This is a really fantastic guitar. The Gibson J-45 Studio. Also as a symbol of good luck and rebirth, I took a photo of a Monarch sitting on a fuschia colored flower (I think a poppy). Thousands have been migrating the last few days.

OK I looked at this post and thought holy moly. A lot of stress. Pretty simple. New guitar day, J-45 Studio. It’s fantastic. Set up well from Gibson. Also Monarch migration time in So. Cal.

L.A. Traffic by Black Squirrel.

Stairway to Heaven. I'll play an annual Alzheimer's benefit concert in 2 weeks. Have been practicing.

What are we talking about.

Just what I needed - The Cars

Grilled intestines with garlic sauce and lemon. Amongst other more mundane stuff like pork belly and sesame noodles.

Grilled brined pork chops with roasted broccolini and asparagus and a baked sweet potato. My wife worked late and I had dinner for her when she arrived. She was thrilled.

I just put Optima gold 12's on my Acacia J-45 and Rosewood custom. I think they are phenomenal. Long lasting and sound different on each guitar because of the wood difference and really amazing. I had D'addario on the Rosewood and the stock Gibson strings on the Acacia which sounded great for about 2 months. Optima's are more expensive though.

Yes. I wrote a song about my Dad who died 29 years ago called Jealous of Angels. When I was in the studio recording it I started crying. Jeeze Louise, 29 years later. My wife said, "You have some unprocessed grief. I said "Do you think?".

Sweet Child of Mine. I'm playing it in 2 weeks at an Alzheimer's benefit gig in Arkansas. Started learning it tonight. Not easy. Please wish me luck.