The Music Store Revisited

It's been a while since my last post. That's because the guitar has a new home. I neglected to post that in a timely manner.

What's going on now? I'm now working at Guitar Center in the Pro Audio department. I have to thank my old bosses. The music store I worked at could compete with the big-box music stores with inventory and price. I worked in the guitar department, but we were allowed to sell items out of any department in the store. As a result, I learned enough about pro audio to qualify for the job at Guitar Center.

Pimping my own guitars or other people's instruments on this site would constitute a conflict of interest. Therefore, I will no longer be updating this site. In the mean time, I noticed that the site still gets some traffic, so I will leave it up for now.

More Details

The eBay auction is being watched by 34 people as of Sunday afternoon. Only 3 days left before bidding closes.

There are no bids as of today, but that doesn't mean anything. Experienced sellers on eBay know that bidders often wait until the closing minutes to place their bids. Experienced sellers also know that no matter how many pictures you post of the guitar, someone will always want more.

Today's photos include the undersides of the Gibson Patent Number pickups and some pings and dings.

Weight Watchers

A few people have asked how much the guitar weighs. In my excitement, I forgot to include this spec.

It weighs just under 9 pounds, which is an ideal weight for a Les Paul. Another "Burst Aficionado" acquaintance of mine likes to say the ideal Les Paul is "8 and 8," meaning 8 pounds and 8K resistance on the pickups.

eBay Hiccup

A trigger-happy eBay user clicked on "Buy It Now" by mistake. When he told me this, part of me was annoyed. Especially since I saw the email come in telling me the guitar was sold, only to be followed by "Sorry dude..."

I knew he was truly sorry because he promptly sent me the listing fee and final value fee via PayPal. I have since re-listed it here.

You'll Find it on ebay

Several people have expressed interest in the guitar, but "expressing interest" and saying, "do you accept 'cash?'" are two different things. I want to see a little less talk and a lot more action. ebay creates a legally binding contract between myself and the winning bidder.

This Blogger.com site is free. I would love to keep the fees that ebay and PayPal would charge me. But it's a business decision to move inventory faster by investing some money up front. 

See the ebay auction listing here.

While My Guitar's Previous Owner Gently Weeps

 

Having worked in music stores, I've seen hundreds of guitars cross my path. Some as pedestrian as a beginner's toy-like instrument to near-mint condition Strats, Teles and Les Pauls from the 50's, and one-off instruments made for stars. 

I've seen and played some of the best instruments ever made. When you're selling an instrument, of course, you're going to talk it up. This instrument is exceptional in every way a guitar is measured - beauty, tone, collectible status, condition and playability. Considering my history and experience, I do not make this statement lightly. The next owner of this guitar will be very happy and I will be a little sad. A part of my heart will break, but it's time for this fine Gibson guitar to find a new home.

The Les Paul Neck Joint

Let's light up this joint... with some professional studio flashes.

The neck joint is a huge contributor to the tone recipe. Bolt-on and glued joints each have their own unique characteristics.

A neck-thru design eliminates the joint. We learned our lesson from Aerosmith about what happens when you eliminate the joint. It doesn't sound as good. ;-) The glued neck joint is a key part of the Les Paul's tone recipe.

Just In Case

Gibson provided a variety of cases during this era. The Gibson Protector Case is an absolute tank! I always treated my instruments well (without neuroses) and the original hardshell case is included.


Oh $&*! is that a cigarette burn? Appears to be. Eddie Van Halen made it cool to smoke. Like many others, he would put that cancer stick under the strings. He upped the cool quotient by rigging it so he could tilt the neck up toward his face and take a drag without having to remove the cigarette.

I used to smoke, so I'm not going to get self-righteous on you. But think about it for just a second. What you're essentially doing is incinerating a substance and breathing in the fumes.

Here's another view of the interior. That blue lining has the most luxurious texture!



I enjoy writing. I like to turn everyday objects into colorful metaphors. This time around, all I'm going to say is, "Look! There's a Gibson guitar sitting in its case.

Economic Downturn and Stimulus Plan

How many sales pitches and advertisements have you seen that include phrases like "during these tough economic times...." They even lead off with it.

What really happened? The banks got greedy and loaned money to just about anyone.

In the shred-happy 80's, Shrapnel Records gave a record contract to just about anyone. Well, anyone spending the majority of their time past the 12th fret. There's no money here. How many times did you hear "he's sicker than Yngwie!!!" before you realized that all these guys sound the same?

In the name of total transparency, I'm parlaying this guitar into my own economic stimulus plan. Without the requisite skills to go out and play paying gigs, here is an asset doing nothing for me. I admit it. I'm operating on a shoestring budget.

Being such a new blog site, the Google AdSense isn't serving up relevant ads, enticing you to click on them. I'm in no hurry for Google to serve up guitar-related ads. An ad offering to show (or sell) you "Shania Twain bikini photos" was in the sidebar earlier today, just begging you to click. I bet you were tempted.

There Ain't No Money Past The 5th Fret

Just a reminder here guys and gals. You can click on the photos to see larger versions.

The Music Store Chronicles

I used to work in a music store many years ago.

"What do you do?"

"I work at a music store."

"Cool! You get to sit around and play guitar all day!"

Uh... no. It's a job. It's a real job with real bosses, W2's, an employee manual, and dealing with moro the general public.

The reality is, the last thing I wanted to see, hear, feel, or touch when I got home from work was a guitar.

I got to see a good cross-section of the people who call themselves guitar players. Their skill range varied. It was always gratifying to see a young boy or girl get their first guitar, especially if they had saved up their money for a long time.

The Seven Levels

A photography equipment site breaks down the seven levels of photographer. The seven levels are applicable to guitar players as well. I saw my share of guys who got excited discussing the subtle nuances of flame vs. quilt vs. birdseye maple. Mention Brazilian rosewood and suddenly you remember why the boys in middle school liked to put their backpacks in their laps... especially if the teacher was like the one described in that one Van Halen song. I brought my pencil. Gimme something to write on!

Now if these guys spent nearly as much time practicing as they do drooling on their keyboards while looking at the Paul Reed Smith Guitars website, they might actually improve their guitar playing skills.

The best guitar players hardly hung out and noodled away. They were so busy between gigs and their day jobs, they barely had time to run in, say hello and buy the 10 sets of strings they'll eat through in 2 weeks.

Bud Light should salute these real men of genius. We salute you, talentless middle-aged male PRS Santana Model guitar owner!

The New Guitar Smell

Another subset of the music store customer is the guy who neurotically keeps his gear in brand-new condition. Skill level runs the entire gamut. Neuroses increases proportionate to price of gear.

Burst Boy

There was a customer I'll call "Burst Boy." He had enough Gibson Custom Shop Les Pauls to be featured in 2 years worth of calendar photos. All of them were kept in pristine condition.

For the money he spent on these vintage reissues, he could have several authentic vintage Gibsons! I guess he just liked the fresh-off-the-assembly-line look. Maybe the 40 year old virgin would rather not mess with other 40 year old versions.

For Sale - 1987 Gibson Les Paul Standard

It's time for this Gibson guitar to find a new home. I still like to pick up a guitar once in a while, but can't justify the overhead of owning such an instrument for the rare moments I do get to sit down and play poor approximations of Gary Rossington licks.

My life has changed dramatically since I last declared "I'll never sell this guitar." I've said that about 5 times over with various instruments. In the past, a liquidation resulted from coming to a crossroads where cashflow constipation and gear lust meet. This time around, it's, uh, a long story. The short version is, I have another expensive hobby I'm enjoying immensely.

Why did I decide to make a Blogger site about this guitar? Think of the eBay or craigslist ad as the "Quick Start Guide" that comes with consumer electronics. This Blogger site is the actual manual. The main difference is, you'll read this manual, unlike the manual for your newest gadget.

As I update these pages, you'll see the story behind this guitar and get to know the current owner a little better. Thankfully, I am not including audio clips. You'd much rather see me showing off my photography skills rather than my lack of guitar playing skills.