MissouriPicker

Strange happenings this morning. Maybe the snake pictures and talk were an omen........Snakes don’t bother me much and I love reading about the big constrictors. Once got to hold a 12-13ft. Reticulated Python at a zoo and was very impressed by how strong it was for being a young juvenile. Definitely wouldn’t want to be near the big ones.....Anyway, this morning I found a copperhead in our backyard. 3-3 1/2 ft long. Acted pretty healthy and wasn’t threatening. We haven’t seen these near our neighborhood for the last twenty years, since our home edition was totally developed. Anyway, I gently picked him up and put him in a burlap bag and drove him out to Lake Jacomo ( about five miles away) and released him out in he woods. It crawled away and that was it. Got me a cup of coffee on the way home and been playing guitar for the last hour or so. .....Haven’t told my wife about the snake. I guarantee you that she doesn’t want to know.....lol.

I’ll be retired eight years in May, 2021. Was going to retire at 61, but waited until I was 64, because of some financial advantages if I waited three more years. Those three years were a pain...lol...but I’m glad I waited. .......I don’t think I’ve been bored at all. In many ways, I’m busier than at any other time in my life and I’m enjoying it more than ever before. The difference is that most of the things I now do are things I like doing and/or choose to do. I play more gigs than when I was working, spend more time with my family, my wife and I are always out doing something, we can get out-of-town pretty much whenever we want, I spend a lot of time playing guitar while I watch trains run on my n scale railroad, and I’m a lot more relaxed than when I was working. Life is good and it got better last week when I got my new J200 Montana Gold. So much better that I haven’t had a chance to record a review yet, but I will soon.

This post is not intended to criticize 12-string guitars. They are awesome sound machines............I had a Martin DX2 someting-or-other. Had the laminatied sides. Not a top end instrument, but a nice instrument for the money. Cost me around 525 on sale at the time. I'd been listening to a lot of Lightfoot and John Denver music and really like the ringng of their guitars. I had to have one. My only problem was that I'm accustomed to a very relaxed and even somewhat sloppy technique and that didn't fit too well with a 12-string. I had to concentrate on making chords that I typically make without even thinking about them----my fingers just go to the right place. Actually, I was too lazy to put in the effort of "learning to play a 12-string guitar." I gave it a shot a couple dozen times, maybe more, but always got buzzing strings because I wasn't getting them down all the way to the frets. I gained a whole new appreciation for the playing talents of Denver and Lightfoot and was even more in awe than before of folks like Glen Campbell. .....I wish I played a 12-string when I first picked-up a guitar, but I didn't. I sold it. Don't regret selling it, because all it did was sit in the case. Sometimes I do regret selling it, because I let it sit in the case.....lol....Anyway, I envey the folks who can reallyl make a 12-string sing.

With all the crap today, who knows what Volvo is doing? It's obviously all about marketing an expensive car and trying to make it attractive to "the average guy." Seeger was labeled as a radical by many, but he was patriotic as well. He didn't hate his county. .........I kind of thought that the Volkswagon/Johnny Cash commercial that aired during the Super Bowl last February was pretty cool. I believe it was chosen as the most popular commercial during the game and received a considerable amount of approving comments. To me it was celebrating unity as well as promoting Volkswagon. However, it practically disappeared in 10-12 days because some butthole group complained that the multi-racial families in it should have had another hispanic person in it to make it equal. I think even Seeger would approve of his music in this kind of commercial, but he likely wouldn't be extreme enough for today. Personally, I didn't count how many black/white/hispanic folks were in it. I just thought it was a pretty good example of getting a large family out-of-bed, fed, and into the car for a familly event......and a Volkswagon was the car................. Too many people are offended by anything and everything. They're not happy unless they can be a victim.

Yeah, I pretty much use them on everything. I started using them several years back when GC had them for $3 a set, so I bought a bunch and have kept buying them. Every now-and-then I use a pack of Martin Retros. I think I’ve got a set of Retros on one of my Gibson’s now, but not sure which one. For me, if the strings make my guitar sound like a guitar I’m good with it.

That is really a cool version! Swampy is a great description. Excellent!......I enjoyed this song when I first heard it in the early 60’s. Then, when I heard The Animals with Eric Burden’s gutteral vocals, I was hooked forever. ...

I typically change mine once a year (a few times sooner than that). My loosely followed “rule of thumb” is to change strings when I replace the battery. I’m pretty gentle on the strings. 99% of the time it’s just my fingers and a thumb pick on the strings. I mostly use Martin SP Lights.

I was born and raised in Kansas City, Mo. Almost 30 years ago we moved to Independence, Mo. (about 25 miles from Kansas City). I rarely ever go into the city anymore. Last time was a couple years ago. Everything I need and the places I play music are away from the city. My wife and I primarily exist in the suburbs of Independence, Blue Springs, and Lee’s Summit, Mo. No way in hell we would ever move back to a big city.

Here are some pics I took this morning, sorry about the glare on a couple of them. Tried to make them bigger, but medium size was too big.

Mine arrived this afternoon. I let it sit in it’s case for about three hours before opening it up to the air-conditioning. Been playing it all evening. . Really cool workmanship. Real easy and smooth player. Has more overtones than I was expecting. Fits nicely with my style. I’m sure I’ll be using this guitar a lot. I’ll get some pics tomorrow and try to get a video by the weekend.

Call Wildwood Guitars! They’ve got several J200s. Very knowledgeable people. I bought mine there and it’s arriving tomorrow. Find a guitar you’re interested in, call them and ask them for their best price. You might be pleasantly surprised.

I’ve spent many hours ( as many here have) listening to Some of my favorite songs and wondering who was using what particular instrument. This is one of those times when we’ll never likely know all the details, but we still enjoy wondering about the “ifs and buts.” Good song and good discussion.

We did a frontyard concert today. After the rain cleared out, a couple of my friends came over and we set-up my Yamaha unit in the driveway and started playing some songs. I've done porch concerts quite a few times, but never at my own house. Anyway, we had a bunch of neighbors walk over and several cars stopped and they got out and listened. My buddy's wife said she counted forty-two people at one point. Of course, it's not like they stayed the entire time....lol....but once we'd been playing a half-hour or so there were always 20-25 people hanging around. Some folks came with their lawn chairs. It was fun playing. I may do that again. So far, the homeowners association hasn't contacted me.....lol....I figure if anyone bi tch es about it, it's because they don't play music.

We had the same kind of downpour here in Independence, Mo. at around 6:00am. I had just gotten the dogs inside and it started. No wind, but a rain that came down so hard it roared. Did it for about 15 minutes then turned into a gentle shower that lasted untill around 11:00am. We needed it. Been pretty dry for last few weeks. Also, it knocked the daytime temperature down to the low 70s. Sure beats the 90s.

Mad Dog was a higher percentage of alcohol, I think. 18-19% or so. And don’t forget Thunderbird and Bali Hi. Seems there were dozens of those cheap “party wines.” Then in a few years most of them were gone. Sweet and fruity. Drink it like soda pop, get yourself drunk, then vomit while doing stupid stuff....lol.....those were the days

Back in the day, a bootle of Annie Green Springs and a college gal equaled one-hell-of-a-good time.😎

Speaking of things to drink——-My wife and I still have two unopened bottles of cheap wine from our wedding (almost fifty years ago). A bottle of Annie Green Springs and a bottle Boone Farm. I think back then they cost something like $1.50 or so. After reading a couple of the recent comments I started wondering what they taste like now. Maybe we’ll open them in February, sniff them, then pour them down the drain....lol....

I think he’s a true Gibson fan.....lol.....And yeah, we are so spoiled that we ***** and moan about little things.

Around 2006-2007, I went to a Johnny Cash convention/Memorial gathering in Nashville. Marty Stuart was there and a bunch of us were talking about guitars (imagine that). He told us about his collection, which consisted of guitars from Cash and Dylan, Patsy Kline guitar, The Beatles, etc. But he said that his most played guitar on stage was probably an old Fender Strat that cost less than a hundred bucks when he got it as a kid.

I hope and pray that everyone is safe. Please pay attention to the warnings!

I’m glad it caught your attention. Maybe it wouldn’t sit in a UPS or FedEx lot, but maybe it would. I’m as anxious as you are, but like you, I can wait a couple more days.🤙

Today I returned to playing my weekly gigs at the sweetest coffeehouse around. Gusto’s. I’d been playing there every Wednesday for just over seven years when the shutdown began. I was very surprised when I got there to find that during the shutdown one of their patrons, who is also an artist, brought them a picture he had sketched of me a few years ago during one of my gigs. The owner had the picture framed and placed on the coffee house fireplace. I’m very fortunate to have found this gig and they’ve always made me feel welcome. It’s great to play somewhere and even the customers remember your name.

Wildwood called me and asked me when I wanted it to ship, for my convenience. The reason they were asking is because of the heat. It’s as hot up there as it is here. They said if it shipped Friday it potentially might sit in a hot trailer for up to two days over the weekend. I told them to ship it Monday and I’ll still likely get it before the next weekend. I’m anxious to get it, but it’s not as if I didn’t have other guitars to play.......Pictures when it arrives and video/audio shortly after that. I really like the way Wildwood does,things.

Today I bought a new Montana Gold J200 from Wildwood Guitars. Should get it early next week.

Bought a J200 Montana Gold Rosewood today from Wildwood Guitars. Called them and asked for their best price on three new guitars they have. Very knowledgable people. Detailed answers to my questions and they’ll play the guitars you’re interested-in right into the phone to give you an idea of their sound. I also called GC about a particular J200. I’ve always had pretty good experiences at their stores when I’ve bought guitars. Today, over the phone was a different experience. The guy on the phone was very nice, but he was there to take orders, not answer questions or give real opinions on an instrument. He could have been taking orders for kitchen utensils at Amazon. Wildwoods guy was really tuned-in to guitars. We talked for about 30 minutes and a good ten minutes was about how I played and stings I wanted and how they would do a setup. I’m not real confident on a big store’s setup, but maybe I’ll be surprised. If not I’ve got a good local guy......Should get the guitar early next week.