The Guitar Show (Show Yours)

[GaryM]

Here's a blast from the past. A pair of Teisco guitars. I no longer have the red one but I still own the yellow burst EP8T. The vibrato stays in tune through use and the sound is very funky. Different than any tone you can imagine. Note the zero fret.

 

Growing up, these things were like $29 at local shops like Thrifty Drug Stores. Everybody thought they were cheap junk. Now they are pricey, depending on model.  I believe Teisco became ESP guitars.

 

Edited May 25, 2014 by GaryM

[TapperMike]

I remember them well.

 

I'd always see guitars like that in the px at various bases growing up.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Base_Exchange

[GaryM]

Yes, a zero fret solves the nut slot binding problems as well as setting perfect string height on the first fret. First fret notes are not sharp and the tone of open strings is the same as fretted strings. I don't know why manufacturers no longet make a zero fret guitar or bass.

[Kaige Evans]

 

 

Thanks TapperMike, no, the circuitry is most definitely not nearly functional 

I pretty much just cut out the shape of the scratch plate from an old 386 motherboard.

 

People always ask me, why is your Guitar broken? 

[TapperMike]

Rob I apologize,

[Just1L]

And finally, ten points for the first to tell me what is special about this guitar. The only hint I will give is that this is a quarter inch pressed board cut out that hangs on the wall in my studio:

 

 

 

 

You won it at a Twisted Sister concert?

[Rudi]

Enjoying these guitars.

[Just1L]

lol.... nope. Okay then, I'll give one more hint, but this will likely give it away. I got it from a friend who runs (ran) a movie cineplex.

 

Rock of Ages photo op at the movies? 1 point to me, 2 points to you for the extra clue and 7 points to Google.

[Just1L]

Crazy but sucky story Rob. That must have been devastating with the trailer and Clyde. I lost a lot of childhood stuff when our basement flooded but not all my pictures. How was it living and working with the carnival? Both my wife and I always had the same dream since we were little to go and work for a carnival, or circus. Every 4th of July the carnival comes to town and by the end of the night, and quite a few trips to the beer garden, we laugh and joke about stowing away in one of the trailers. Sounds like you've done a lot of cool shit in your life.

 

Randy

[TapperMike]

A new contribution.....my Mexican-made Strat. Bought it 20 years ago & never regretted the decision.

Nice Axe Tom.

 

I'm embarassed to post my 28 yr old strat.

 

 

I have a small studio in my home, Randy, so when we entertain, I inevitably get asked about my past experiences. Most people don't really want to hear a lot of stories, per se, so I usually tell them that they will walk away, muttering "bullshit" under their breath long before I run out of true stories to tell.

Man, I know that one.

Years ago I put professional live playing behind me because I'd gotten into restaurant management. I've played jazz in bars for years, I've played rock in bars for years and I've played the blues in bars for years. Many overlapping

I'd still try to stay sharp with my chops and would sit in at a blues jam maybe once every two months when I could convince an hourly supervisor and my boss for a night off. So anyway. I'm a night kitchen manager/sous chef at a fairly large, slightly upscale is bar/tavern on a lake. Which in Michigan means busy from May through Sept slow as hell in the middle of winter. I had a kitchen staff of about ten people mostly between the ages of 16~24 working under me and many of them were guitarists. During down time I'd keep an old acoustic in the office and a lot of the young guys would bring in their guitars. We'd have a little jam time before the shift and a little jam time after work on the back dock which was basically about the size of a three car garage where the trash compactor, empty beer bottles and chemicals were stored. It also was our "smoke break" area.

I'd sit and jam with these guys and a waitress would come back, listen for a while "Wow you're really good. Ever think about joining a band" me back "Been there, done that" They'd ask then not believe a single word. So, I get extremely irritated when others have a credibility issue with my past life. While at the same time, I'm trying to leave it behind for a job with a future and benefits.

Time moves on and I have a good rapport with staff and the rest of management, aside from a bartender and a waitress who still aren't buying into it or are just being arses and always talking crap about everyone anyway. A buddy of mine that I've known since the 70's has a blues band that plays out locally. I get a set list from him, review / refresh the material and ask if I can sit in when he's playing in the area. Fine, got the songs down, Got the night off, got some of the staff interested (and the owners as well) in coming out and seeing me live. Sunday night comes around. Get a pretty good turn out from the staff. Great Show. My boss has a sit down with my buddy and they discuss bookings. The crowd has kind of a jaw dropping experience because they'd never seen me in my blues/performer element. Two people who had the night off and were my naysayers didn't show up. I even offered to buy them their first drink if they would.

Back to the grind. The two naysayers start talking bs again and the rest of the staff puts them in their place. So that's a plus. But it had a minus.

Two years go by, The chef leaves and I'm made "Acting" Chef while not allowed to fill the position of sous chef/ night kitchen manager so I have to take on both responsibilities. I handle it with grace, reduce food costs, reduces labor costs, increase guest check averages. Boom in 6 months I have a better track record then my three predecessors. Working 6 and 7 days a week 12~14 hours a day to make things happen. It's may. We open the deck on the lake business is good and getting better everyday. The numbers are looking good.

After nine months without an "Official Chef" as I'm only the "Acting Chef"

The owner sits down with me, thanks me for all of my hard work and announces that he has found a replacement chef (it's not me). That I'll have a decrease in hours but an increase in salary. I have to ask why some other guy and not me. "This guy is a certified chef" "So am "I" This guy is servsafe certified" "I'm not only certified I'm certified as a trainer" (one who can teach classes for serv safe certification) Basically it went down to "old boy network" And to cap things he reminded me of the blues gig. "Well I remember you playing that night and I remember how good you are on guitar and I don't think you can put it away and focus on this career" "You mean all the dedication that I've offered you in the past prior to that night and the two years that followed isn't enough?"

So I bit my lip and took the demotion. New guy shows up all friendly. We hit it off and I proceed to train him in specifics of day to day operations. Inventory pars, forecasting, budgeting, ordering, prep lists and pars scheduling on and on so he gets a lay of the land. The last chef was an arse would only be seen in the kitchen two hours a day and did a minimum of work. The new guy is talking me up about what a good system I have and wondering why they hired out when they had me.... He starts cutting all my staffs hours and brings in a crew of his own Because they recognize me more as an authority then him. He even brings in a night supervisor and has me demoted. To which I have a long chat about promises with the owner who replies "Well he's the chef now it's his kitchen" So I quit, last day was June 1.

Two weeks later the owner is calling me begging me to come back. "You know those vacations I never got to go on because I couldn't take time away from work. Well I'm having mine now."

July comes around and the owner calls me back. "Listen if it's about the money, I'm sure we can come to an agreement" me back. That's nice, but it really isn't your call. It's Chef Bob's Kitchen, it's Chef Bob's staff. I'm not Chef Bob, you made that abundantly clear to me the day you hired him and the day you agreed to my demotion.

August roles around and yet one last plea. "Come on Mike. I really need you to come in a fix this kitchen I'm losing my ass in sales and rep"

My Reply:

I can't really do that, .... I've got a job now, It pays pretty good and I'm really enjoying my free time. Do you still have that arse wipe bartender who always talked stuff about me behind my back. You know best friend of Chef Bob who baited you into hiring that guy? Well, why don't you three come to Frigates. My buddy has a blues jam on Weds. You know the guy you promised to book but never did. I can do a set with him. You can prove your right about me not having what it takes to be a Chef because I haven't given up on playing guitar. The bartender can try to call bullsh!t, while I get a standing ovation and trust me I will. Chef Bob can talk crap about how he could put together a better band. I won't be joining you at the table I've got better things to do.

So yeah Rob, I get that stuff too. Someone trying to call bs on me and me getting mad back and them getting upset when they are proven wrong. I too am sometimes leary about revealing my past because there's always that one person who doesn't want to believe you.

Edited June 4, 2014 by TapperMike

[TapperMike]

When it does, it does.

[Rudi]

I,ve had it.

 

Ive just spend 30 minutes preparing pics for this thread. I edited them down to small GIFs and pasted them in here, only to be told 'that extention is not permitted on this site'.

 

bollox

 

I have uploaded them to gallery, but the cropping that occurred is awful.

[tomcollins]

my 10 $ guitar , lol found this today at an antique shop , no name or markings but does have a fine tone to it , figure it is a kit guitar or something

[TapperMike]

@Rob, I read that.

On the web it's a different world. Try to have a conversation about something you know about from first hand experience and there is always a troll. A troll who will invariably incite one to rage for self amusement. Hen't my "When it does it does reply" Suffice it to say there are forums I no longer frequent.

Edited June 9, 2014 by TapperMike

[Rudi]

Tom (tunesmith)

Thank you.

 

They are:

 

Jackson Soloist (gigging guitar)

Yahama Silent (electric classical)

Camps (spanish classical)

 

  

Edited June 10, 2014 by tunesmithth
No problem Rudi !

[TapperMike]

Nice collection.

 

My Godin is the only nylon string guitar I have. I'm thinking of unloading it.  I take it out of the case once a year, restring it, play it for four hours then back in the case it goes.

[TapperMike]

Nice Setup.

 

Downtown Ft Myers or across the river in Cape Coral?

[TapperMike]

I'm sure much has changed since I lived there.

 

The only thing Cape Coral really has going for it is the canal's if you are a boater.  The two big minuses of Cape Coral.. Monitor Lizards and Alligators.

Don't even get me started with Ft Myers.  I used to live in what was then "Dunbar" which has now been incorporated into Fort Myers.  Hell of a lot rougher then Detroit.

 

As I recall Lehigh Acres was actually a really nice safe place.

 

Pine Island is kind of strange.  It's so safe many a resident will leave their keys in the ignition and the window rolled down when they head into work or shopping  I lived and worked on Pine Island for a while. Don't even think about getting loud. A Lee County Deputy will come a knocking. Second visit your spending a night in jail. I wasn't that loud, honest but after the little visit I chilled out and never used that amp in my apt again..If you go to a bar do it late and expect to be hit on.  Most of the male population are fishermen. They leave early in the morning and come back in a fighting mood. For them fighting is the best entertainment in town. (Like about every sailor I've ever met) The women folk like to stay up late.  Your and their marital status isn't that important to them.  And they love to gossip.  Everyone knows everything everyone else is doing all the time. It's a soap opera fishbowl existence.

 

I always liked Ft Myers Beach. It's more campy then flashy.  Although I can't say anything of what it's like now that the Casino is there. It was great for sitting at a beer garden and watching the world go by. And the bars / hotels would have all these different acts.  Hair metal act at one place walk a little further and you might run into a new wave act. There was one place that I gigged at more then a few times with a piano jazz bar inside (told that story) and a folk rock act on the roof.

 

If you haven't yet... Drive out to Sanibel/Captiva.  The trip across the causeway is worth the toll alone.  Stop in at The Lazy Flamingo.  You'll never develop "a' favorite at that place, They all will be.  When I worked on Captiva that was my watering whole.  They didn't have a regular menu instead the specials of the day were the menu. They don't like to stamp out everything they like to mix things up.  The people on Captiva and Sanibel are really nice warm, friendly folk.  It kind of through me for a loop when I first moved there.  If you want to take your wife out for something different take her on a day cruise... But if you do there is something you should know about visiting Cabbage Key 

http://www.captivacruises.com/sched_cruises.html#CabbageKey

 

Don't drink the water or have the ice tea.  Stick to Beer.  The islands water is reverse osmosis so it has that rotten egg/ sulfur taste to it. 

[TapperMike]

Two years since my last visit but it was literally just Captiva for a wedding (my niece)  and back the next day.  Prior to that I'd lived there from 85~91

My Brother in Law has an investment firm (he's rich, I'm not) He just got done having a house built in Ft Myers Riverfront area (i'm guessing 3mil)

[GaryM]

NGD!

 

A week ago, I went to the local big box store to look at acoustics with my son. I had $400. Checked out several and my son spotted this for $99 over my butget. Couldnt pass it up. The setup was horrible but I knew it was a diamond in the rough. New strings and it plays and sounds amazing.