Messages

1

Guitars / Re: Epi ES-339

« on: August 22, 2017, 02:05:09 PM »

https://media.sweetwater.com/api/i/ha-39b2481706278766__q-82__hmac-15d20e76a94b7e3b20cbc336e6bbd53f3cb09553/images/guitars/ET33CHNH/16121502054/16121502054-angle-large.jpg

This little bastard arrived a couple of days ago.  I gotta tell ya, Epi has really stepped up their game on this one.  Plays great, has wicked tone, and more sustain than what can even be legal!  SCHWEET!!!!!

Congratulations! I bet that is an axe I could love.

2

General Discussion / Re: Gee Roy, it sure is quiet around here!

« on: August 17, 2017, 09:23:20 PM »

Cool, don't be the nice guy and let them move in before you close.

They are living with the husband's Mom, 1-2 miles from me.  They are OK there, and can take as long as they need to move (after 9/15).  So, I don't see them wanting in early.  If anything, we might be in a position where we are not out in time, and would rent back from the new owners.  Working hard to make sure that doesn't happen.

We probably will not be out till the day before we close!  So much to do!   Hauled a load of old paint/solvents/herbicides/pesticides to our local Hazardous Waste dropoff site.  Selling my PA on Saturday.  For my next trick, I will be weaning off of my desktop computer!  Moving everything to my laptop, and a few big standalone hard drives.  Also, setting up a mail forwarding/scanning service and switching mailing address.  Changed to a portable email address earlier.  Lots of odd stuff to think about!

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General Discussion / Re: Gee Roy, it sure is quiet around here!

« on: August 13, 2017, 06:36:13 PM »

We just signed a contract to sell our house.  Closing Sept 15.  So, we will be intentionally homeless in a month!  Exciting times. 

We found a perfect buyer.  We are going 'by owner', not even a 'buyers agent'.  Better price for buyer, better proceeds for seller.  Also, they left most of their belongings behind in their last house, so they are perfectly fine with leaving most everything.  That eliminates our need to have a final 'estate sale' push to get rid of furniture.  Most everything else is already pared down.

We were excited while we were selling/giving away belongs in the early summer.  As we shifted to 'selling the house', we kind of got into the doldrums.  Then BAM, contract, closing date, etc.  Nothing is foolproof till closing has happened, but the deal looks really good, and both sides are very committed to making this happen smoothly.  They have already used our address when signing their kids up.

I am switching off my old ISP email address to a new gmail (rich.reavis.kc@gmail.com).  What a pain, to figure out all the places that I am connected to, via that old email!  Figuring out mail hold/forward services, banking without physical address, etc.  RV'ers work through these same issues.

A little later in the year that I thought.  But, the upside is Hurricane Season ends in October, so the scenario of becoming a new boat owner, then immediately facing a hurricane is very unlikely now.   And we have the freedom to stay south, as we choose.

Time to make a final push to unload the rest of my music gear that is not going.  A friend of mine opened a music store a few months ago.  He will gladly consign whatever I don't sell before I leave.  Just chewing through all the to-do's.  A bunch of little issues, but they are all very workable. 

Planning on taking my Traveler AG 450, and my strat.  That Traveler is a blast to play on.  Small pedal board (I still have to cobble together), and my Quilter mini head.  I think I am going to sell of my Epi 1x12, I've been using.  I had thought about getting a small Orange cab with an 8" speaker.  But, I think I will wait till the real need for a cab arises.  We will be living out of a minivan, and various motel/hotel/airbnb/etc.  Space will be tight!  Taking whatever clothing, tools, boat gear, that we will continue to own.  I find myself saying "no room on the ark for that!".  What a great problem to have.

I plan to keep in touch, but internet access may be spotty at best.  Not necessarily a bad thing!

4

Guitars / Re: Epi ES-339

« on: August 10, 2017, 09:00:25 PM »

I've bought several things from Sweetwater.  Always good.  Enjoy that new axe!

Back in the '90s when Gibson first started making flame top Standards again. I went into the San Bernardino store, played one and told them "I'll be back in a week with cash!"  They wouldn't let me put it on lay away because I didn't have any cash on me, which was wisdom on their part because when I showed up to claim it, they had let some little kid drop it on it's face, and put a huge dent in the front of the guitar.  Their solution?  "We'll give you $100.00 off!"   My solution?  "You couldn't run fast enough to give it to me!"  The pictures I posted of the cherry one are of the particular guitar I bought.  I love the way the grain looks all splotched!  I also get a lifetime warranty with this one!

5

Guitars / Re: Epi ES-339

« on: August 09, 2017, 07:55:33 PM »

Bummer!  GC seems to have a knack for f'ing up perfectly simple transactions.  It will look great in cherry!

So............................I went to the trouble of ordering a hardshell case, and taking it to GC, and putting the guitar inside of it, and they still managed to "F" it up.  Being used, the guitar wasn't going to clear until the 18th of this month.  I happened to be in the area, and took Beth in to have a look at it, as she hadn't seen it yet.  Sure enough, big old divot in the back of the neck!  That's shitty enough of these incompetent idiots, but it gets better.  "How do we know the dent wasn't already there?" when I told them they'd have to take some money off the price.  Let me see if I'm getting this all down.....After paying a guitar off that I can't even take out of the store, you're going to call me a liar.........I see....  Then the warehouse manager was having a hissy fit because after asking his boss if it was okay I brought the case in hoping that would be enough to keep this shit from happening, he starts demanding that I come get the case right away.  "Let me tell you something homeboy, I ain't on the F'ing payroll, you we're on MY payroll until just now!  Now that's over......."  I ordered a brand new cherry red one from Sweetwater (They don't make Pelham Blue ones anymore) and it will be here in a couple of days.  $20.00 a month........I'll pay it off somehow!  When my friend Tony was managing this particular GC, he managed to improve the store dramatically, so much that they moved him to another store, and gave this one to a chick named "Lindsey" who has managed to turn it back into "Do you want fries with that?"  Being incompetent is one thing, bad enough, but by the time we want to accuse me of lying, and start ordering me around like I'm on the payroll or sumpin' it's like I always say "I've always prided myself on being a fun date, and a fun date "F***S back!"  They just went to the drive-in with a DV8...........


https://media.sweetwater.com/api/i/ha-39b2481706278766__q-82__hmac-15d20e76a94b7e3b20cbc336e6bbd53f3cb09553/images/guitars/ET33CHNH/16121502054/16121502054-angle-large.jpg


https://media.sweetwater.com/api/i/ha-6ed89013555b61bb__q-82__hmac-d1e3622ed6001b1e5849cb8408bd0cbab715f021/images/guitars/ET33CHNH/16121502054/16121502054-front-large.jpg

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General Discussion / Re: You remember Edgar Winter's "Frankenstien", RIGHT?

« on: August 02, 2017, 02:33:33 AM »

https://scontent-lax3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/20376194_1815762771773291_8678462125341388063_n.jpg?oh=fa06b0070df7a72868bb281b59606ec8&oe=59FCD470

Gonna be a monster hit!

7

Guitars / Re: Epi ES-339

« on: July 31, 2017, 01:49:45 PM »

Congrats!!!  I think that 339 form is a great idea.  A smaller 335, or a lighter LP, however you want to look at it.

8

General Discussion / Re: Hey guys

« on: July 01, 2017, 08:20:31 PM »

I know sailing.

1. Figure out where you want to go.
2. Whichever way it is do NOT aim the boat in that direction.
3. Aim the boat in some other direction.
4. Trust me, this is the way sail boaters do it.
5. They are heavy drinkers

Well, #5 is right, anyway.  I am lucky to not have all that much love for alcohol.  After 1 or 2, I'm not digging the effect.  The cruising life is an 'opportunity' for anyone prone to being alcoholic in the first place.  Many succumb.

9

General Discussion / Re: Hey guys

« on: June 29, 2017, 03:28:25 PM »

Hi Rich, the pic shows up on my PC but not on my Cell. its a pic with my feet up lookin at the new big screen.

Cool.  If you get YouTube videos, there are lots of great sailing videos you can watch on that big screen!

10

Promote your music / Re: Grasping Straws Production

« on: June 28, 2017, 04:10:02 PM »

Thanks. Me and studio equip are are like this Jerry Clowers joke :

One time Marcel Ledbetter (rip Jerry Clower) went to the local hardware store to get a new saw. He told the clerk that he was cutting up some fire wood for the winter and his cross cut saw just wasn't cutting good enough. Well, the ambitious clerk said, "what you need, Marcel, is one of the Pooland (Poulan) Chain Saws and it will cut your wood cutting time down to almost nothing."

Well, Marcel bought the chain saw and headed home. About a week later he came in the store and told the clerk he wanted to return the saw because it didn't cut worth a darn. The clerk was puzzled so he picked up the saw, choked it a couple times, pulled the cord and it cranked "Brrraaawwww Brrraaawwww Brrraaawwww" went the saw. Marcel jumped back and hollered "What's dat noise?"

 In my case it was the quantize feature. I didn't reailze you can use this on the bass and rhythm guitar tracks, I always thought it only applies to digital instruments like the drum and keys for some reason. Recorded the acoustic into 2 mics and used the quantize feature on both and also on the bass.

It's great that a laptop and an interface and the right pc of software is all you need these days.

Originally, in Sonar anyway, Quantize was only for midi stuff.  But through the years, they made an audio quantize, as well.  Sometimes quantize messes things up for me.  If I set it up wrong, or the notes are too far off, it moves them the wrong way.  Sounds like you got it dialed in! 

11

General Discussion / Re: Hey guys

« on: June 28, 2017, 04:06:19 PM »

Are you guys going permanently to the sea or are you going to have a home base close to the coast ?

We are the opposite,My son helped me hang this the other day and I have 2 more to go.
 I'll be piloting my ship mostly from the recliner.

Can't see the pic, BH.  Shows up like a broken link.  What is it?  BTW, I read that there was a drug bust, and potentially a 'golf cart' chop shop discovered at The Villages!

Going to sea as our only home for now.  We are committing to sticking with it at least 2 years.  And if we still like the way things are going, we will continue as long as our health permits. 

No house/home base.  We originally had planned to have a home base coastal somewhere.  I was never too keen on that idea, as it required leaving a house behind when we cruise.  I have no interest in being a landlord, and didn't want to be leaving a vacant house sitting around.  The coastal house was mostly a concession to my wife.  And it always complicated things.  My idea of our 'coastal base' was someplace inexpensive.  Maybe even an hour or two from the coast.  Her idea was 'waterfront', with a canal and a slip behind the house.  So we could keep a boat at our house.  I saw all this a money drain, and would leave me with a 50k 'project boat'.  Rather than a 100k-200k, nearly ready-to-go boat. 

Anyway, she came around.  We've had some fairly young deaths (late 50s), in our circle of friends.  She wants to make this happen ASAP, and realizes that taking the 'house' out of the equation makes to much simpler, and very doable.  She also has soured on her job-- she is an administrator at a medical facility and there is not to do, which absolutely drives her crazy. Her facility is about to be bought by a hospital, and her job will probably be eliminated anyway.  It would be nice if they would lay her off, as opposed to quitting.  She is keeping her planned departure secret from her employer, for now.

So, the short version is the boat will be our sole residence.  We plan to rent while we seriously shop for 'the' boat-- Extended Stay hotel, airbnb, condo rental, whatever.  Something we can do week-to-week, or month-to-month.   No leases.  I think one month will do it.  From the rental/hotel, we will move aboard the boat we buy.  So, we don't know exactly where we will start from, until we pick the boat.

Right now, our focus is on getting our house sold.

12

General Discussion / Re: Hey guys

« on: June 26, 2017, 03:03:29 PM »

JK Jonny, sounds good.

Rich, congrats on getting your Captains license!

Quite a process!
- USCG physical-- kind of a fitness for duty exam, color blindness, hearing, arm and leg movements, some lifting/twisting/walking tests.  Kind of a weird physical.
- Drug test.  Studied for 6 weeks, and passed!
- Self studied my ass off for the coast guard test.  Once at Sea School, I found out that about 30% of what I had studied was for the next couple of levels.  I would have stayed on done the Masters 100 ton class, but had to be home.  Easy upgrade, later on.
- 6 consecutive 7:30 - 17:30 class days in Alabama, followed by a day of 4 tests.  Pulled a 98%, 86%, 84%, and 80%!  The rules of the road test, are what wash out lots of guys.  That was my 98%.
- CPR/First Aid class
- Transportation workers credential (TWIC) through Homeland Security.  Required for anyone getting a USCG credential.

I am waiting on my school certificate to arrive.  Then I need to fill out my 'sea time' documentation, and get the whole application package off to the coast guard.  Once I passed the test, the rest are not challenging, but tedious.  Lots of hoops!

I am ready to be living it for real, rather than in my head!

13

Promote your music / Re: Grasping Straws Production

« on: June 26, 2017, 03:02:04 PM »

Sounds good.  Good, tight, and balanced!   

I am putting together a 'boat studio' of Reaper on a laptop, and a Focusrite Scarlet interface.  A headphone amp, headphones, a few mics.  Already sold off my teac 1641 recording interface, and my condenser mics.

14

General Discussion / Re: Hey guys

« on: June 22, 2017, 02:27:35 AM »

Sounds good Jonny!  Great to hear from you.  I am busy selling off stuff to go cruising in a sailboat full time.  We are having an open house Saturday, to officially kick off 'putting our house on the market'.  Once the house sells, we are going to rent some place near coastal for about a month, while we pick a boat.  Completed course and test for my captain's license last week.  Stuff's happening fast!

15

General Discussion / Re: Gee Roy, it sure is quiet around here!

« on: June 20, 2017, 02:46:01 AM »

Hope you all are doing well.  Kinda quiet around here.  I just got back from a 10 day trip to Sea School in Bayou LaBatre, AL.  Passed my captain's license test.  Pretty cool experience.  Stayed in dorm, as there were no motels/hotels nearby.  The dorm was free, and they feed you three hot meals a day.  Most of the guys there were working on barge/tug/tow jobs, looking to advance.  Some worked on supply boats for oil platforms.  And others were getting set up to do fishing charters.  Instructor spent 30 years in the navy, as skipper of a lot of big vessels.  Lots of sea stories.  Class of twenty two guys, and most of us were staying in the dorm.  So, 10 hours class (7:30 - 17:30) lunch and dinner.  Then we were all studying in in ad hoc groups.  Big screened in patio with picnic tables (90% smokers).  Drove there and back from KC, 14 hours each way.  On the way there stopped in Mobile, AL.  On the way back, spent the night in downtown Memphis.  Had dinner down on Beale St.  Got to love it when all the waitresses call you sweetie, darling, etc.

Just before my trip, I picked up a Traveler  AG-450 EQ travel guitar.  This little thing is a blast.  The neck is absolutely full size.  Headless with screw tuners at the far end of the body.  Built in tuner, headphone jack, input for play-along music.  And the acoustic volume is huge.  I swear it is louder than my full dreadnaught size Breedlove.  It has the punch-you-in-the-chest thing like my old J-45.  And it visibly resembles the J-45 a lot.  I got to play it on my trip a lot.  At home, it is becoming my go to.