matonanjin

Good luck to you Mike. Keep us posted on your progress.

Mine was a '54 Chevy ?

sounds like a Recording Challenge that should be for everyone @UncleHammy. I hope you get some participation.

Ben, congratulations on another beautiful guitar.

You didn't embarrass yourself at all. That point at which, after starting to learn, you feel like you are making music is great, isn't it?! Thanks for sharing this.

Not Trigger. But Willie Nelson Owned Guitar Signed by Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, and Others is up for auction. Opening bid is $2,800. Actually, I'm surprised the opening is not a little higher. But who knows what it will go for. From the description, " Willie Nelson Owned Guitar Signed by Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, and Others. A vintage Japanese-made Kor/Sonic acoustic guitar, serial number 222N, previously owned by Outlaw Country icon Willie Nelson, signed on the body in black felt pen by fellow legendary Country artists Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings (who signs "Ol' Waylon", Kris Kristofferson, Roger Miller, and Rita Coolidge, as well as P.J. Ryan (who inscribes "To Willie"), Ron Richardson, T.F. Micholson, and H. Leopold ("My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys" is written above Leopold's signature in an unknown hand). Guitar was gifted to Buck Jones by Willie, and was left to Buck's girlfriend after his passing. Though it's unknown if this guitar was played by Nelson, it exhibits playwear consistent with other guitars played by the Red Headed Stranger, most notably his beloved Martin, Trigger. Also included with the lot is a red bandana - much like those worn by Nelson - that was wrapped around the neck of the guitar upon consignment, and four color photos of Buck Jones and his girlfriend in the company of Willie and band. Guitar is in Fair condition, with very heavy playwear - including 1.5" x .5" hole below the strings, signatures show some fading, and some crazing to the finish. Hard case included. "

I don't know if that will be the case, Neil. But one question I had was answered in an article in Premier Guitar: “As a musician, I have always treasured my Gibson guitars and I have the utmost respect for the iconic Gibson brand and those who choose to play Gibson guitars,” said Curleigh. “Gibson has been a pioneer of craftsmanship and innovation in musical instruments and has been synonymous with shaping the sounds of generations and genres for more than 100 years. I am very honored to play a leading role with this iconic brand.” A business man, who is also a musician, is encouraging.

Triple-o, you have received some great suggestions and I couldn't add much to what has been said. I think most blues jams stick to the usual suspects when it comes to the set list, at least in the beginning: Sweet Home Chicago, Born Under A Bad Sign, Killing Floor, Further On Up On the Road, Tore Down, Shake Your Money Maker, etc. I don't know how much time you want to invest, but TrueFire has two course dedicated to preparing you for a jam. I own them both (of course I do) but haven't unpacked either one yet. Jeff Scheetz's Blues Jam Survival Guide and Andy Aledort's Jam Night Vol. 1 Actually this latter one is a 3 volume set and what I linked you to is Volume 1. I can't recommend either because, as I said, I haven't started either. But they looked interesting enough that I purchased them. At first glance perhaps Jeff's is a little more theoretical and Andy's slightly more song specific, but that appraisal could be wrong. I am so very spoiled because the two guys that I jam with Wednesday nights are dramatically better than I am. And a portion of each night is spent on their teaching me. So far they don't seem to be getting very frustrated with me!?? We're all looking forward to getting some reports back from your jam, @Triple-o.

Mike it seems like you were in absentia for a while. Great to have you back here posting. Your contributions here are always welcomed and appreciated.

Sorry, for being so late to the party. I don't know if this "list" will help you. You can put in any scale and then it will list the 5 boxes' position on the fretboard. You can click on the box you are interested in and it will highlight that box or you can click "all". It will work for minor and major scales. http://www.freeguitarsource.com/Minor_Pentatonic_Scales/A_Minor_Pentatonic_Scale.html

It looks like a great plan. If it were me I think that I would increase the amount of time on Lesson 4 a little bit since, presumably, that is your "core" lesson. If you need to rob from some area then do that from Speed and Agility. But that is such a trivial suggestion. The important thing is that you have a plan. So many people sit down to practice and a they do is jam or just putz around on a guitar. I am certainly known to do such. You have a plan that includes working on techniques to improve your playing. And, almost as importantly, your plan includes at least one area to keep it fun. I think this plan can do nothing but move you towards becoming an increasingly better player.

Another of the blues greats, Otis Rush, passed away over the weekend. I had gone to Chicago to take a lesson from a blues guy, Paul Kaye, and he said if I want to learn to play blues I should study Otis Rush. From the Washington Post, " "A self-taught, southpaw guitarist who played a right-handed model upside down, Mr. Rush developed a quavering guitar sound and a throaty baritone voice that frequently burst into falsetto. Fusing rhythm-and-blues and the country blues of the Mississippi Delta, he exerted a profound influence on an entire generation of musicians. Among his chief acolytes were the British guitarists Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page, who recorded a cover of Mr. Rush’s 1956 song “I Can’t Quit You Baby” for Led Zeppelin’s debut album. Texas guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan named his rhythm section after the bluesman’s 1958 song "Double Trouble" in which Mr. Rush chronicled the economic anxieties of African Americans on Chicago’s South and West Sides"

Given the fact I am a huge Will rogers fan, I'm dissapointed I didn't know he is credited for this!

I'm not sure who it was. Maybe it was in some movie? But he said (something to the effect) "If it's the truth it's not boast". I'm coming to the realization that I struggle more with rhythm and strumming than anything. I'm working a "Licks" course and S14 bending and hammers ons and pull offs, etc., and moving right along. But I can't remember a strumming pattern to save my life. That I need to work some more "ancillary" rhythm courses is becoming increasingly obvious.

@Wim VD and @Bob63047 , keep us posted, will you? I bought the course (years ago) but haven't even taken the shrink wrap off yet. I'm going to progress a little more in L&MG and then join you.

Really nice looking SG, Cap! My first "nice" guitar was almost an SG. I looked at one at Chicago Music Exchange and told the salesman when I got home I would call him and have him ship it. Then I found a LP at home. I ended up selling the LP because it was too darn heavy. I have always wondered "what if". I look forward to hearing more from you and this guitar.

Congratulations on both the birthday and the beautiful new guitar!?

Neil, I hope to join you there soon. I'm looking forward to power chords. I will crank up the amp when my wife is out of the house?

Fun!

Randy, thanks for the reminder that I didn't share what I went with. I can't believe it's been two months! I ended up getting JBL 305P MKII monitors. I listened to a lot of them and they were the ones I liked best. And I am really liking them hooked up. And I went in with what I thought was a lower price from Amazon trying to get GC to match the price. The kid caught the fact that it was a previous model of the monitors. I wasn't trying to be sneaky; I didn't realize it was a previous model. But he still took $25 off per speaker. AND, best of all, my wife bought them for me for my birthday back then AND took me to lunch after we got them! Life is good. As I said, I'm really liking them.

Neil, you're absolutely correct. Thank you. Grandma's 57 Chevy was a 283 Power Pack. That darn Wally ended up with? The 327 was in a later Chevy I had which is a different story.

@Dave White, at no point in this conversation did I claim common sense. Especially during high school! Those are some gorgeous Chevy's! A quick, slightly related story. In 1956 or so, my grandmother's 1951 Ford died on her across the street from a Chevy dealership. Sh walked across the street to get help but when she left was the owner of a new 1957 Chevy. The one they had on the showroom floor was a coupe with what was called the "power pack": 327 with 4 barrel and twin exhausts. She would drive it all the time but every fall at the first hint of snow it would go in the garage and not come out until spring. It never saw salt. In about 1975 whne she passed away it had 27,000 miles on it. Of course every grandson in the family, including me, was stating his cause why he was most deserving of this car. Unfortunately for me my cousin got it and drove the wheels off it. One can probably stretch the analogy of that car today being, in guitar terms, a 59 Goldtop Les Paul. Or at least close. Ah yes, @Popeye and @Eracer_Team-DougH, cars and guitars.

These are not about guitar technique but rather knowledge you should have to survive in the session/jamming/band/business world. Some are about music but as it relates to performing with other musicians. Some are business sense. Some are common sense. But an interesting read from Guitar Player if one has any aspirations to ever play for the public. Guitar Essentials: The 25 Things That Every Guitarist Should Know

Try a luggage repair (or shoe repair) place if you have one in your area.

Friend of Guitar Gaathering 2017, Corey Congilio, tore it up on guitar on the Today show yesterday. Since I ended up not able to go last year (or this year) I didn't get to meet Corey. But he was at a local guitar store the week before last with the Martin Experience and I did get to meet him. And! I got to hold an $11,000 Martin Guitar in my hands. For a few seconds until my wife made me put it down! ? Corey yesterday on the Today Show with some smokin' soloing: https://www.today.com/video/singer-songwriter-lucie-silvas-performs-kite-live-on-today-1307177027791?v=raila