Bought myself some new strings for Christmas and just finished the strat, which is dead easy with the Fender Bullet strings. Sounds terrific and did a little maintenance on the fret board. Now to tackle the Taylor with those miserable pegs, but the D’Addario EXP16s will sound nice when done. Interesting how you pick up the guitar one day and it sounds okay and the next day it’s like “Wha happen?”
::hitches up jeans and spits:: Okay, I’m goin’ in.
Dude, why are the Taylor pegs an issue? There’s usually a notch on the end of a stringwinder handle that pops them out - just like that - and you insert the string with the string end under the peg and the string in the peg groove. EZ peazy.
ETA: or are you bitchen about the tuners being split across the peghead, vs on one side like a Strat? I admit that is a pain.
Seems like there’s always one that’s stuck and requires careful prying to get it out. Usually the #6. Went pretty well this time around. Both guitars restrung and sounding pretty.
A couple of days ago, I had the distinct pleasure of attending Micro(Pico?) Monterey Dopefest. Seats were sold out, and all attendees were present: myself, Wordman, and executive chairman and hostess, WordMom! WordMan and I have been corresponding, both on and off the Dope, for probably 10 years, and it was great to finally put a face with the username, and to meet his mother in the bargain.
WordMom was a gracious host. Articulate and intelligent, as you’d expect given her offspring, and just as given to extensive knowledge. In her musical case that leans toward ukuleles, and it was an honor to see her prized collection. In the front room of Word Manor there were at least 30 alone, with more in the kitchen and stuffed elsewhere around the house. Some dated back to the 19th century, and she could explain the history and importance of any of them, which was fascinating.
After, libations were broken out and guitar geekery shared with me by WordMan himself. Intimidated to find myself in his lofty shadow, he made me feel very welcome and I found his (and Wordmom’s) a kind presence to be with. The two of us broke out guitars and amps, me on my new Gibson SG, him on my prized 2008 American Deluxe Telecaster, a guitar that has always called me to play it more than any other.
W pronounced my Tele as “excellent, very articulate. Don’t change a thing,” and proceeded to play the shit out of it. It was really a pleasure watching him go while I tried to keep up, and we were soon trading licks (okay, he was giving them away like Christmas gifts stacked to the rafters of a big box store on Black Friday). I soon learned why his philosophy is “solos? who cares about solos!?” as he showed off an encyclopediac knowledge of dozens and dozens of song riffs, very much like watching on of those “100 greatest guitar songs in 4 minutes” YouTube videos. I can also see why Wordman likes chunky necks: dude has big mitts; clearly he’s not presidential timber, alas.
More seriously, it was impressive to see him play in that he approaches a song very differently from me and seems to take away more things from it: making up fills for two instruments where a song might do so but one of them isn’t a guitar, for example. Really nailing a groove in ways I might not hear from the original material but that really made sense to me when listening to him do it, making it sound like there were drums playing along almost. Using my Blues Junior, a pedal, and my Tele in a very different way than I might and getting great tone using a very simple setup. He even had a technique that I can’t even describe that emulated what an amp’s tremolo sounds like using only a guitar and a no-tremolo amp. Also a finger-picky constant-thumb drone string thing that I’m going to think about and try to woodshed once I have. Quite a lot of other things. Incredibly creative.
A few hours later, micro-pico-DoperFest Montery had to end, and with sore hands and a full heart, I bid WordMan & -Mom a fond farewell, and thanked them for the time and hospitality and world-class geekery. Thanks, Wordman and Wordmom for a great get-together!
Hey **squeegee **- yes, so glad it worked out. Not only do I get to spend time with my mom back out west over the holidays, but we got a Doper guitar jam in as well,
So fun to play - your Tele rocks. Great tone and feel all around. And once you set your SG setup it seems very cool, too.
My mom (who’s 82) came back in after we stopped playing and basically said we lit up the block. Fun times.
Thanks for making the trip to connect squeegee - we’ll do it again when I can get back out there.
Perhaps a Straight Dope band is next? 
Plenty of talent here.
Next time you Jam, turn on your phone’s recorder App.
Vince Gill invited the Constituting America’s song winners into his home studio.
He pulls out a 1942 Martin to show them and play. One of the guys quietly asks if there’s a guitar available that he could use. A reasonable request since Vince probably has 30 in that studio.
Vince immediately hands the guy his 42 Martin that he just tuned. That is one classy gesture. 
Fun jam session. A day these young musicians will never forget. First meeting Vince AND playing a 42 Martin.
I’d heard that Vince is one of the good guys in the industry. It’s definitely true.
I don’t listen to country music but I’ll listen to Vince Gill.
Vince is currently touring with the Eagles. He’s filling in Glenn Frey’s vocals.
https://www.rollingstone.com/country/news/vince-gill-on-joining-the-eagles-i-feel-im-a-great-fit-w488389
I remember him in Pure Prairie League.
A little trickery in that video. The guitar in Vince’s hands at 1:05 is not the same guitar he tunes up at 1:08. I’m thinking 1:08 guitar is not the 42 Martin.
You’re right. The guitar he hands the guy has a cutaway. I didn’t notice earlier.
I imagine the young guy will still remember that day for the rest of his life. Wishing he’d played a 1942 Martin.
I never have been able to tune with open strings like Vince. I still go to the 5th fret. Then I check the notes in my G and C chords. Vince just listens to the open strings and twists the tuning peg.
So, how is Vince tuning? I’ve seen other guys do this and always wondered how. It’s faster than going to the 5th fret.
Sounds like he hits two open strings and tunes. Is he listening to the interval between them?
E-A, A-D, D-G, B-E are 4th’s
G-B is a 3rd
Yes, that’s what he’s doing. To me, it sounds like the first two notes of The Mexican Hat Dance ;). I use listening for that interval to get in the general vicinity.
I’ll give it a try. Maybe eventually I can tune like that.
We all rely a bit too much on digital tuners. They are so effortless and accurate.
It’s good now and then to go old school with a tuning fork or piano. Then check with a digital and confirm accuracy.
It does take longer and I would never completely stop using a digital tuner or phone App.
I tuned my guitar using the A string. I fret the As on other strings.
See link to The Gear Page, which has a link to a guitar news website with all the pics: Fender Parallel Universe guitars leaked before NAMM | The Gear Page
Basically, Fender is jumping into the retro hybrid wave - following the parts-o-caster builds, and smaller batch makers like Fano and Giffin, where the features of other models and makers are blended. Tele-Strats, Strat-Teles. The Troublemaker Tele is a Tele Les Paul, kinds like the super high-end maker Gustavsson - fun.
They are nothing new, but I find many of them fun and I’ll look to check them out in a store.
So I’ve started doing a few lessons online via Steve Stine’s Youtube channel. I have to say I like how he instructs and being able to run back and re-watch is quite handy. I’m learning She Talks To Angels and Johnny Cash’ version of Personal Jesus. I just have to work on my speed for the riffs which has always been an issue for me. I haven’t picked up a guitar in a while so it’s going to be a bit of a slog to play clean.
Steve’s a good teacher. I’ve watched quite a few of his lessons.
His dvd’s are very good. I haven’t bought any yet.
I am seriously considering his course on unlocking the fretboard.
They’re sold at guitarzoom
I’d totally buy a troublemaker, very cool. Also the strat-tele: a hardtail with a proper pickup arrangement, not that weirdo shit that strats are about. And I’d be curious to play the TeleGretch at the bottom
I like the Jazz Tele. I’ve been jonesing to build a p90 Tele for a while now.