Working Title

Month: December 2012

  • The Guitar guitar

    It’s time to tell the story of the Guitar guitar. And then give it away, as it’s time it moved on. Read this then if you want it* let me know.

    (UPDATE: the guitar has been claimed by Jim from Stuporhero.)

    In early 2002 I was in a band of sorts with a couple of dudes including Scott Schickler on drums. I knew Scott from a very short-lived Delusions side project that we’d both been in, and of course Scott was the drummer in seminal Sub Pop signee Swallow.

    About the time our band broke up Scott gave me this guitar:

    and then told me what happened.

    The guitar had once been black and belonged to a Tom W, who kept it in his dorm room at Terry Hall in the early 80s. Scott and future rock star Mark A. would visit and rock out on it. Then Tom stripped and shellac’d it, so now it’s shellac’d. Very much so. The original make and model are no longer discernible, it has been rebranded “Guitar.”

    I used to think it was a Harmony Meteor from the early 60s, and it might be, or a Silvertone of some sort, or who knows. Do you know?

    It came to me with a ratty nut so I cut and installed a replacement. It was dirty and the strings were rusty so I cleaned it and replaced those. And the rear strap button was broken off. The only major flaw I can see in it is that the fretboard has split from the neck a little and someone tried to fill the gap with wood glue (probably me).

       

       For a minute there I thought this would be my main squeeze instrument, but I think I gigged with it exactly once.

    You can see I’m really feelin it there. After that I recorded it for one song on my first album. I recall micing it while also playing it through an amp and micing the amp.


    I recorded it again for bits of another song on the next album. Probably miced it the same way because it just seems like the thing to do.


    Then later I thought I’d try improving the Guitar so I swapped out the Bigsby with a stationary tailpiece. Not sure why I thought that would help.

    And now years later it’s today, and I don’t ever play it, and I don’t feel like finishing the restoration (remounting the fretboard). I don’t even have a case for it, it’s just waiting to fall over onto something hard. I asked Scott if he wants it back, and he doesn’t. So who wants it?

       

    * and you live nearby, and you’re not crazy, and I know you already

  • Pinback, Deep Sea Diver, etc.

    I work at a music radio station, possibly the best one there is. I’m not as big a music fan as most everyone there, which is a bit weird what with being a musician and all, but there it is. Actually the two facts are related, as being a songwriter and recordist has ruined me as a music fan, because it’s made it harder to be a passive listener, and/or an active listener not distracted by minutia.

    So actually, working there is perfect, because I hear everything, songs are constantly playing in the background even if I can’t put a name to them. Consequently I’ve developed a process where if I notice something on the air I like enough to look it up on the playlist, and it’s the same band/album/song twice or more, then I’ve found what may become my next thing.

    Sadly, I don’t get into nearly enough next things. End of the year is top ten list time, I’ve got maybe.. Four? I don’t know.

    Regardless, I’ve added at least Grimes this year via the above method, and now Pinback‘s new album Information Retrieved. I’m listening to it now, on vinyl, natch, because our yearly bonus is at a music store and I may as well get the vinyl. Lost Lander was also great this year, but I know that guy and contributed to the Kickstarter so it doesn’t count.

    Grimes - Visions Pinback - Information Retrieved Lost Lander - DRRT

    In almost related news, I saw Deep Sea Diver on Friday at a packed Neumos and they were great. Jessica Dobson is decidedly badass.

    Finally, I had a run of indifferent luck with most of the shows I mentioned in my last post. The Kennewick gig was canceled earlier in the week (for good reasons, butstill), then I had dumb last-minute car trouble and missed my Portland show, and finally Centralia was, uh, how to put it. Not great. I’ll try again, certainly, but it’s real hit or miss there.

    That said, the show at the Copper Gate a couple of Sundays ago was great — many thanks to Kubby Casual for inviting me and then playing drums for my set. After taking so much time off from consistently playing solo I forgot that it’s a lot of ups and downs. I’m remembering now.