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I am sure “it” has happened to you.  “It” happened to me last month.

I was in the neighborhood of my local guitar store (which will remain unnamed) and I had some free time .  Whenever I get a chance to stop in and browse, I do.  It was the perfect “kid in a candy store” opportunity, and I wanted to see the newest candy.

For the record, I don’t just write about guitars… I also play the guitar.  For further record, I am still a beginner.  On a good day, I am somewhere between a beginner and an intermediate player.

(My challenge is the same as so many other guitar players I know.  I work full time and have to balance the remaining free time between family, household chores and sleep.  I practice and play guitar in the remaining time — which is not very much)

So… back to the candy store.  I mean… guitar store.  I walk in and do what I do every time I walk in that store.  I stand there and stare, gaze, dream, covet and drool. There is eye-candy everywhere and the first decision to be made is where to start looking.

Since I wanted to check out the new Taylor T3, I strolled over to the “high-end” guitar wall where the Taylor electric’s were hanging.  Sure enough, they had the guitar of my dreams — today’s dream at least — and I asked Ted (not his real name) to pull down the T3 so I could hold it.

It was a simple request, but that’s when “it” happened.

Before Ted could honor my simple request and hand me the guitar, he subjected me to a :30 second “Ted the Shred-Master” concert featuring Ted on lead guitar.  No offense, but I personally am not a shred-fan.  I can tolerate some of it, but not for long.  And :30 seconds was about :25 seconds longer than I cared to listen to Ted shred on a T3.

I just wanted to hold the guitar.  If it felt right, I may have wanted to plug it in to a Fender Twin Reverb and practice my 1-4-5 progressions.  Heck, I may even buy one some day!  But no, Ted had to show me what he can do.  He had to show off his chops.

The problem with that is that while I am not a shred guitar fan, Ted was clearly a better guitar player than me.  And when he did what he did, he intimidated me to the point that I was not going to play one note in front of Ted.

So when I came across this comic of Buddy & Hopkins, it reminded me of that Saturday afternoon in the unnamed guitar store… It also reminded me that I need to go back and play that T3 for myself…

OK… this post is bound to bend the E-Strings of a few guitarists, but for the life of me, I don’t understand the attraction to “relic” guitars.

To me, buying a relic guitar is like buying a beat-up car… or an old house with cracked walls and paint peeling from the ceiling… or a pair of blue jeans with holes in the knees. I know, I know… jeans with holes in the knees have been a hot-selling item for years… but I am talking about a guitar!

I’m a lot like Ed Roman.  I like SHINY GUITARS!  (No flames, please.)

I don’t gig (yet) thus most of my guitars are in the “excellent to mint condition” category.  I can’t imagine taking my Les Paul and etching, staining, dinging, bumping and cracking it – all in the name of creating a “Vintage Guitar” look.

There are dozens of books you can buy and videos you can watch that will give you step-by-step instructions on how to make your brand new Fender look like it has traveled with the Rolling Stones since 1962.  A simple Google search for “Relic Guitars” returned a few hundred web sites — all designed to transform your brand new Gibson into something my parents would toss in the trash if I wasn’t watching.

One of the most popular relic guitar sites starts out with this quote: “In our opinion, nothing is more beautiful than a vintage guitar that has been heavily played and has that “dragged behind a truck and through a fire” appearance.”

HUH?

To each his own. Some like blues; some like jazz. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

I actually take pride in wiping down my guitars after I play them.  I rub out the fingerprints.  I polish the finish.  I buff the humbucker covers when I change the strings.  I almost cried when I bumped the headstock of my strat against a music stand (and it didn’t even leave a mark). 

Just call me the “anti-relic” GuitarDaddy!

That’s my opinion, what’s yours??

“Every rock music fan has heard the war, every rock guitarist has fought in the battles.”

Starting with their conception and design in the early 1950s, Solidbodies, The 50 Year Guitar War focuses on the five decade competition of sounds between the two guitars that have been heard on more popular recordings than any other instruments during the rock era. The documentary features players, historians, instrument dealers and collectors expressing their views on the competitive influences of the Stratocaster and the Les Paul. The soundtrack and performance segments feature guitar solos played on those two instruments with styles of music highly representative of the time periods that are discussed in the documentary.

Among those contributing commentary are Joe Bonamassa, named Best Blues Guitarist by Guitar Player Magazine’s readership in their 2008 Reader’s Choice Awards; Derek Trucks, famed slide guitar virtuoso who leads his own group and played with Eric Clapton’s band during his 2006-2007 world tour; Henry Garza, guitarist and singer with the Grammy Award winning Los Lonely Boys; Gary Hoey, internationally acclaimed guitarist who has composed for ESPN’s Summer X Games; George Gruhn, the owner of Gruhn Guitars who is considered to be one of the world’s leading experts on vintage guitars; and Richard R. Smith, the author of “Fender: The Sound Heard ‘Round The World” which is often viewed as the definitive book about Fender guitars and Leo Fender.

It’s been rock ‘n’ roll’s version of Coke vs. Pepsi, the Yankees vs. the Red Sox, almost since the music’s start. And the battle is still being fought every day in garages, studios, and music clubs across America. It’s the guitar wars: Fender vs. Gibson.
-The Boston Globe

You can visit the official site of the DVD release and view a video trailer by CLICKING HERE.

I love to travel… but I hate to be away from my guitar(s).

Three years ago my wife and I were making plans to visit Australia for 2 weeks. While I was excited to see the land down under, I was depressed thinking about spending 2 weeks without a guitar…

I had heard the horror stories of people who trusted their guitars to the airline baggage handlers only to arrive at their destination and recover their beloved axe with a broken neck.

I vowed to myself — that would never happen to me.

As for me, (and most guitar players who are honest with themselves), airline travel presents a dichotomy that must be resolved before the trip can be enjoyed.

Just how do you keep up with your guitar playing when a trip requires airline travel?

Everything changed when I discovered the Traveler Escape EG-1.

The Escape EG-1 is the most sophisticated travel guitar you’ve ever played!  It includes an onboard Pocket RockIt headphone amp with distortion & clean tones so you can plug your headphones directly into the guitar and rock out anytime, anywhere.

The Escape EG-1 has traditional guitar features like an American Hard Maple neck with an ebonized rosewood fretboard. With a full-size humbucker pickup, full 25-1/2 inch scale, and 22 jumbo frets, you almost forget that you are playing a travel guitar.  It’s sounds (and feels) that good.

The guitar comes with a very cool-looking padded gig bag that will fit in any overhead compartment.

Traveler Escape EG-1 Travel Electric Guitar Features:

* Full 25-1/2″ scale
* 5 pounds light and only 29-1/4″ long
* Built-in Pocket RockIt headphone amp with distortion and clean tones
* Fits in airline overhead compartments
* Alder body
* American hard maple neck
* Fretboard: Ebonized rosewood
* 22 jumbo frets

I will be taking another trip this week and my trusty EG-1 will be slung over my shoulder as I board the plane.  My EG-1 has been all over the United States, Mexico, France, Germany, Austria and Australia.  Next to my wife, it is my favorite travel companion.  No worries!

A new version of the Traveler Escape Guitar, the EG-2, will be released soon.  It sports a double-cutaway strat-like design with an input jack for your music file player so you can jam along to your favorite tracks through the guitar’s headphones!

(One last thing… I will be traveling this week and the posting to the blog will be minimal)

We all know that guitars are beautiful to look at. They offer originality, artistic expression and musical excellence, all in one package.

But did you ever think that a guitar could also be a little “strange” to look at? What other instrument offers a player the opportunity to express themselves via concert performance and tone as well as an innovative display of creativity in design?

Here is a fun video that is sure to spark a “what the heck” moment for every guitar player. Which one looks the strangest to you?

By the way… the song is titled “Souvenir” from the Brazilian band “Autoramas“…

Last week I started a new category to the blog titled “Guitar Art”.

The category was well received so I will make it a habit of adding more posts to it as I come across artists that focus their work, or a portion of their work, on our favorite instrument.

Today’s contribution to the “Guitar Art” category is a “Tribute to SRV”.

The artist’s name is Paul Chase.

Paul Chase is an internationally known artist, author, innovator, visionary and…you guessed it… a guitarist.

He is the founder and CEO of Graphicguitars Inc., fine art guitar paintings, prints and posters.

He received a Bachelors degree in Art and a Masters in Communications. He has taught art in high schools, vocational/technical school, and at the college level for over 30 years.

Paul is a distant relative of the “other” famous American artist Georgia O’Keeffe (and they are both developed their art “roots” in hometown Sun Prairie, WI) and his large close up guitar images reflect her large close up flower series.

These guitar paintings are also available as limited edition prints.

You can email Paul at: paul@graphicguitars.com or view his gallery by CLICKING HERE.

If you contact Paul please mention you saw his guitar art on TheGuitarBuzz.com!

I love it when the mainstream media publishes a guitar story.

It makes the story seem so… OFFICIAL!

Yesterday, CNN.com posted a video on the Gibson Dark Fire.  You know, the guitar that Gibson calls “The Most Versatile Tone Monster Ever Made”.

The feature list is over the top… it’s the “Gibson Robot” on steroids. Whatever you think the most amazing Les Paul guitar should have, this one has…and more. About the only other thing the guitar could do is play a rippin’ rock session all by itself with you just holding on to it…

Q: Does anybody out there own one of these? 

Q: Can any one guitar live up to the promise of the Dark Fire?

I am reminded of my guitar teacher’s favorite saying…”It’s not the guitar, it’s the person holding it.” That said, this LP sure is a thing of beauty… I want one!

Watch the Video:

Besides guitars, I have a passion for fine art. Maybe it is the creativity element that connects the two together for me in my head.

So as you can imagine… fine art pictures of guitars are right up my alley! There are several artists that focus their work, or a portion of it, on our favorite instrument. Today’s contribution to the “Guitar Art” category is a real gem for strat lovers.

The artist’s name is Michael Babyak. Check this out:

Michael was born in Cleveland Ohio and has lived in numerous places throughout the U.S. and Europe. He graduated from the University of Cincinnati, Conservatory of Music with a Bachelor’s degree in Ballet. He has exhibited work in several national shows, including Emerging Visions in Los Angeles, National Works on Paper at St. John’s University in New York and the 3 Rivers Arts Festival in Pittsburgh. He has numerous awards to his credit including the Critic’s Pick Award from Manhattan Arts International Magazine, winner of “Best in Show” from the South Miami Arts and Crafts Festival, and 1st Place Abstract Painting at the Allentown Art Festival. His paintings are a direct reflection of an exploration of feelings about both the physical and imagined, resulting in work that possesses an intangible aspect that somehow strikes a familiar note.

Michael currently resides in Austin Texas.

His guitar paintings are also available as limited edition prints.

You can email Michael at: babyakart@earthlink.com or visit his web site by CLICKING HERE.

If you contact Michael please mention you saw his guitar art on TheGuitarBuzz.com!

OK, I realize this title may be offensive to some of you. Please forgive me, I just wanted to get your attention!  There is a new web site service for guitar “lovers” that is totally cool.

The site is called GuitarAffair.

This new site will offer you the ability to enjoy a wide variety of high-end, professional quality guitars, delivered right to your door. At home, on a business trip, or on a vacation, you will have the chance to treat yourself to a truly luxurious guitar, if only for a short time.

From the Guitar Affair web site:

We call our rental experiences “Affairs” because we want each rental to be a positive emotional experience for you. Whether you are on a business trip, a family vacation, or just want an escape at home, we stock a variety of superb guitars that we can deliver to your location for you to enjoy. If you’re on a trip, our Road Trip™ option will deliver a guitar, headphone amp, headphones, cord, strap, and your choice of a variety of instructional items or backing tracks, all in a single road case. When you’re done, just slap on the return shipping label and send it back. What could be easier? All of our guitars are professionally maintained to give you the best experience possible.

How does it work? Enjoying a guitar from Guitar Affair is a simple process:

1. Join – You must be a member in order to rent guitars from Guitar Affair. Because a rental is essentially a credit transaction, they run a credit and background check on all members. There is a $50, one-time membership application fee. You can apply for membership by completing the registration form.
2. Select and reserve a guitar – Simply search their inventory to find an instrument that is available during the desired time frame. You can search the inventory by date, by manufacturer, or by genre.
3. Receive your instrument – Your instrument will be shipped via UPS to your destination, be it a home, hotel, or vacation home. Their guitars ship in custom made Guitar Affair Gig Bags inside a custom made CaseXtreme shipping container.
4. Have fun – Enjoy the guitar for as long as you have it reserved.
5. Return it – On the return ship date, simply put everything back in the shipping container and ship it back. A return UPS label will be provided to you inside the case.

It’s that easy!

So go ahead… have an affair… A GUITAR AFFAIR!

There is a new guitar magazine on the newsstand called Guitar Aficionado.

It is VERY different from all of the other guitar magazines. There is no tab or song translations.

There is no CD or DVD in a plastic bag.

This magazine is more like a “Robb Report” for guitar lovers. It’s all about the high life. The articles are about guitar collections worth millions and lifestyles that are typically only enjoyed by rock stars, CEO’s and celebrities.

Hey… there is nothing wrong with dreaming!

The publisher claims that every issue will include an inside look at the exotic instruments and wondrous collections of people who are passionate about guitars and life’s finer things — including expensive watches, delectable spirits, exotic cars and high fashion.

Like I said… there’s nothing wrong with dreaming!

The Premier issue featured:

• Tom Colicchio: The Top Chef rocks
• Five Blue-Chip Guitars
• At home with Aerosmith’s Joe Perry
• Superstar vintner Robert Foley
• Billy Gibbons’ new Fender Custom Shop Esquire

It also included articles on fine aged bourbons, The Harley V-Rod Muscle, The 2009 Lamborghini Gallardo and touring England like 007 .

Like I said… This is NOT your typical guitar mag!

So lest you think this is a bashing post on the new publication, let me say that I went to my local Barnes & Noble and bought one.  And I love it!

I found myself glued to the magazine for weeks — reading EVERY article. And I can’t wait for the next issue.

Here is a sneak peak at the cover of the 2nd issue… with articles about Jimmy Page, The first electric guitar, Eric Johnson and more…

Guitar Aficionado is not a clone of any other guitar magazine — it is a breath of fresh air. The cover price is $7.99 USD (remember… no cd included) and I recommend you skip the morning Starbucks and go get one.  Better yet, order a 1-year subscription (4 issues) for $24.95 or… put it on your Christmas wish list like I did!