Jim Wilson

Several years ago, in Austin, Ray was playing a show in a venue that held about 75-100 people. A couple came in with a little boy in a wheelchair and sat down on the very front row, with the wheelchair in the center aisle....dead in front of Ray. Ray closed the show with "SCREW YOU, I'M FROM TEXAS"....except, without explanation, he sang "THE HECK WITH YOU, I'M FROM TEXAS." Everyone of us in the audience knew exactly why he did it. Old outlaws mellow, too.

Two things....first, I'd go with the one that sounded best to me. Second...if at all possible, I'd want a qualified luthier to look it over before I plunked down the cash. Also, I know my own limitations, so I have a luthier do the set up for me.

I put mine on the floor in front of me. As the years have gone by, I've learned to print REALLY BIG.

Someone called him the Mark Twain of our times. I can't argue with that.

I've got a 1965 J50. Would they have still been using hide glue when this guitar was built? If so, would it have been on just the neck joint, or on other parts of the guitar? Thanks.

Good job, Mister. Clean picking!

I DON'T MIND GUITARS WITH A FEW WHISKEY BUMPS...BUT THAT'S GOING TOO FAR!

So what's everyone's opinion of these Richlite fingerboards? I've not tried one yet, but for some reason the idea just doesn't appeal to me. Am I being an old fuddy-duddy?

Guitar & vocals, Billroy.

I've been spending time with a '65 J50 that a friend in Arizona was nice enough to sell to me. I'm currently working on some old Ian & Sylvia songs...mainly WILD GEESE.

I've got a black J45 that is a couple of years old. One of my favorite Gibsons.

I don't have any gigs lined up until the end of April....quite a few from then until the Fall. I sure hope this crazy pandemic is history by then. I guess, in the meantime, it wouldn't hurt to work on my chops a bit....maybe even learn some new songs....try to turn a negative into a positive.

There is a national bluegrass association and I'll just bet they have a web site. You might check there for festivals that are near you or of interest.

The K&K Pure Mini is my pick. I've got it in two J-45s.

I appears to me that your situation is not much different from a guitar shop with a big showroom. I'd suggest you call a few shops and see what humidifiers they use. I'll bet the folks at Carter's Vintage Guitars, in Nashville, would be happy to share information with you.

They should call it Willie Wood.

I read where they are making lumber out of hemp. I wonder how long it will be until someone builds a guitar out of hemp wood. If the boys at Bozeman will jump on this, Willie might get rid of that Martin and buy a Gibson!

There's nothing to worry about when you buy from a reputable dealer who allows you to return the guitar if it doesn't suit you. I've bought two that way and have been lucky both times...but felt good, knowing I could have returned them if I wasn't satisfied. Good luck!

I have the K&K Pure Mini in two Gibsons….a J45 rosewood and a J45 mahogany...and really like them. The most natural sound that I've gotten with a pickup. I also have the K&K preamp...but rarely use it. I just go directly into my Fishman Loudbox Professional and get the kind of sound that I want. I've never had a feedback issue, but I don't play real loud.

I have 3 J-45 guitars. The last one I bought was from Carter's Guitars in Nashville. It was used and I figured it would make a good campfire guitar. Wouldn't you know it? It has the best sound of all three and is now the one that I usually play in concerts.

While I've always thought that Gibsons, in general, were good looking guitars, it was the sound that got me. I owned several different brands before I bought my first Gibson, so I kind of had an idea of what I didn't want. Right now, I have six guitars...……..five of them are Gibsons.

It's worth a try. And, from now on, it wouldn't hurt to have a witness present when you talk to him.

In some locals, you can file a small claims case in your Justice of the Peace court....but I don't know about New Hampshire. You can also file a complaint with your Better Business Bureau. But, to really get anywhere with it, you are just about going to have to lawyer up. Of course, you can also spread the word among musicians in your area and hurt his future business. Frankly, I'm not sure that any of that will get you back to the quality guitar that you had before the fool got hold of it. If life was fair, he'd at least be stoned....or tarred & feathered.

Where do you live, Rambler?

That's got to be on of the prettiest songs of all time!