Cool Guitars Blog

Introduction:

I’ve been a working musician since 1965 when I played at the McCall Donnelly High School Science Club Halloween Dance.  The guitar I played at that gig was an early sixties refinished Fender Duo-Sonic through a borrowed Silvertone Twin Twelve amp.  Guitars and amps have been a major part of my life ever since.

I like to read and hear stories about guitars, amps and equipment in general.  I also like to reminisce about the good ol’ days (which probably weren’t all that great if you get right down to it). I also like to collect and play a variety of guitars.

While I always made my living doing something else--mostly in education--playing in a dance band has always been a good part time job for me.  It still is.  Sometimes I get paid, sometimes I don’t but I still play several times a week.  Currently I am in a Cajun Band (The Nu Acres Gators) a rock-a-billy band (Billy and the Barn Cats) a Lawrence Welk style swing quartet (The Swinging Four) a big swing Band (The Treasure Valley Swing Band, aka Ed’s band) and a Dixieland Band (the Ontario Dixieland Society).  Other bands come and go. I also make it to various jam sessions in the Treasure Valley.  Every month I try to make it to the Guitar Solutions Jam in Ontario.  Most Sundays you can find me at the jam at the Mirage in Adrian.  I also sometimes go to the one at Fisher’s in Homedale.

I also collect guitars and amps.  My collection is fairly motley in nature.  I don’t have --can’t afford--many of the really desirable pieces (I don’t have a fifties strat or a 1960 Les Paul Standard for instance), but I do have a nice group of guitars and amps that I enjoy playing and learning about.  Pretty much all my guitars are ones that I think are cool for one reason or another.  Most are “players guitars” or utility instruments, though most are in very good shape. 

I started collecting in about 1980 and since then have managed to get quite a few.

This blog will be about some of my guitars and probably a few random thoughts about music as well.  Hope you enjoy it.