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Taste, but don't swallow!

Posted on January 22, 2012 with 0 comments

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Today's Blog is Rated...

Yeah, I've done a pretty piss-poor job of maintaining the blog during this trip. Jetlag, sleep deprivation, busy schedules and lots of bad time management conspired to make it a lot more difficult than I thought.

Today is sight-seeing day for the SSG clan, so I think we might stop by the convention for a moment to say goodbye to some people, but no more heavy networking and meet-n-greets with the thousands of manufacturers who are here.

Last night we had an absolutely incredible and rare experience with Joe Carducci of Gretsch Guitars. That really deserves its own segment.

Boy, did I get an education here at the NAMM convention. In many, many ways, but none moreso than the private tour of the history of Fender Guitars in Fullerton, CA, hosted by the aforementioned Joe Carducci.

I always knew Joe was a really interesting and colorful guy. Within moments of my first meeting him, it was obvious to me why he is where he is and does what he does. I've never met a more passionate, knowledgeable, and genuine man in the industry. Considering his level of importance in the industry, the fact that you always know you have his undivided attention and sincere interest is a testament to his professionalism and just all-around awesomeness.

Following the convention hours each day, there are live bands in the hotel lobbies in the adjacent Marriott and Hilton. It's a wide variety of genres, talent, age and skill, and it's jam packed from wall-to-wall. After these after-parties last night, we were invited by Joe and Olive Anne Fuchs to be escorted through a "Leo Fender Tour" of the Fullerton area where Fender was born.

The first thing I learned was a history of Joe's affiliation with the company, which began in 1973. He worked as an inspector of the instruments during the CBS years and I got a very deep, firsthand look at why the quality issues notorious in that era existed. Unsurprisingly the result of corporate greed-driven efficiency and productivity demands, it was telling to get an account from the position of a dedicated guitar player like Joe.

Joe worked side-by-side with the architects of the first electric guitars, the actual people who developed the Fender Stratocaster. We were treated not only to stories of his interactions and observations there, but he also drove us to the actual buildings themselves. The first was a small strip mall where the production of the electric lap steel guitars began, then the move to the K&F building that's now a parking structure. (It does, however, bear a plaque identifying the landmark, as well as a beautiful mural painted by a local high school art department.)

And then, we went to 500 South Raymond, the first home of the Fender Musical Instrument Company, the name it bears to this day. It opened in 1954 which, for the other aficionados out there, is the birth year of the Stratocaster. Today it's a really dingy dive bar called "Jimmie's" but we got there just in time for last call. Joe was able to show us the door that led to his bench where he worked. Today it's a sink filled with dirty dishes.

But it was amazing to stand in the place where such a pivotal piece of music history had its beginning. I own two Stratocasters myself, and I think my appreciation level for them will be higher than ever now. Joe then took us to G&L guitars, which is still in operation, and is the place that Leo Fender started his guitar manufacturing business on the day his non-compete agreement with CBS ended. It was closed, but we could peek in the windows between the blinds to soo inside.

From there we looked at the first house Joe bought when he was 19 years old, and then he introduced us to Tommy's Burgers, which is open 24 hours a day and serves a chili-laden greaseburger that is fantastic. Joe told us that he went there to eat after nearly every gig he played in the area, and to prove it he treated us all to our own burger. And we totally understood why he loved the place.

All of us in SSG are overwhelmingly grateful to Joe for taking the time and attention to us, showing us an amazing history and being a gracious host and fascinating tour guide. We love our relationship with Gretsch and look forward to it continuing for years to come.

Here's to you, Joe!

Joe Paterno has died at the age of 85. That's the end of a great American legacy, and the outpouring of condolences from people all across the world is testament to that fact. He embodied what it means to be a coach and a mentor.

I have seen a few ignoramuses on Facebook cheering his death and proclaiming him to be hell bound with the rest of the child molesters. It's amazing to me that such an outrageous position could be accompanied by such stunning ignorance, but I guess it really shouldn't surprise me anymore.

(For those of you living under a rock, Joe did NOT molest anyone, was never accused of molesting anyone ever, and had been accused of nothing more than insufficient action based on the alleged acts of someone in his employ, a billion years ago.)

History is rife with great men suffering the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, and this is another page in that great book. God bless him, and may he rest in peace.

RULE #1: You can pretty much accurately judge people by the way they treat their pets.

RULE #2: People who don't have pets are not to be trusted.

RULE #3: There's absolutely no good reason to call that beanbag game "cornhole."

RULE #4: It turns out, blondes actually DO have more fun.

RULE #5: You always have the rest of your life.

RULE #6: Lettuce is basically a big waste of time.

RULE #7: Everyone over the age of 30 has had his or her life turned upside-down at least once.

RULE #8: The best music has the worst distribution, but it also has the most sophisticated fans.

RULE #9: Listening to fat, sweaty potty-mouths laughing obnoxiously at their own stupid jokes on the radio is no way to start your day.

RULE #10: Nobody in Europe has ever heard of Grey Poupon. Dijon is just a city in France to them.

RULE #11: Sales forecasts are a funny little blend of optimism, desperation, and fiction.

RULE #12: When you get really pissed off, go ahead and write the email, but then delete it.

RULE #13: There's nothing unlucky about the number 13. Get over it.

RULE #14: In the end, we all have the same amount of luck.

RULE #15: No sane person ever admits to being a bigot. That's why bigotry exists.

RULE #16: The odds of any given event occurring are exactly 50%. Either it'll happen, or it won't.

RULE #17: The path to anyone's heart is through your own.

RULE #18: American Idol is the single most compelling example of why the electoral college is important.

RULE #19: Too few people understand the difference between an automatic and semi-automatic weapon.

RULE #20: Polls serve no purpose other than to fraudulently skew election results.

RULE #21: You don't have to give up your own beliefs in order to tolerate someone else's.

RULE #22: It turns out that pretty much everything can give you cancer, and also prevent you from getting it. The studies prove it.

RULE #23: It turns out that most "studies" are crap.

RULE #24: Believe it or not, the acceleration lane is for accelerating.

RULE #25: AC/DC saved us from disco.

RULE #26: Nirvana saved us from hair metal.

RULE #27: No-one who mocks Buddhism understands Buddhism.

RULE #28: Learn art history.

RULE #29: Find out why your "check engine" light is on and get it fixed. It's cheaper than a car.

RULE #30: No-one's cruise control is getting enough use these days. It's a surprisingly good stress reliever.

RULE #31: The Golden Rule is the most important rule in heavy traffic.

RULE #32: Harvey Keitel's only real objectives in his movies are to cry, and show us his penis.

RULE #33: The death penalty is the most perfect example of irony.

RULE #34: Punk rock brings needed balance.

RULE #35: What happens in Vegas, stays on the Internet.

RULE #36: Trusting your government to take care of you is like trusting your car to drive for you. Remember who's really calling the shots and suffers the consequences.

RULE #37: "Clerks," "Mallrats," and "Chasing Amy," right now, in that order. Go.

RULE #38: When roommates/coworkers/family members appear to have reached their maximum tolerance, give it one more push. You win. Submitted by Anonymous

RULE #39: Girls are scared of bugs. Boys like to kill things. Humanity reigns.

RULE #40: A cat can get his head stepped on 50 times, and still fail to grasp that stairs are a dumb place for a nap.

RULE #41: We should be able to fire the U.S. President as easily as NFL teams can fire a head coach.

RULE #42: Never challenge David McLean to anything. You will lose.

RULE #43: Rule #44 will be a true statement.

RULE #44: Rule #43 was a false statement. Take your time.

RULE #45: Musicians all need to help and look out for each other. Because no one else really will.

RULE #46: You can't really live each days as if it's your last. But you can live each day as if it matters.

RULE #47: Anything that isn't impossible has to happen eventually. Million-to-one shots are hit every day.

RULE #48: Always looking at the bright side is like looking at the sun. It's tempting, hard to do, and eventually you realize you're blind.

RULE #49: If you can't say something at all, don't brush with your mouth full of dirty looks when I'm talking to you.

RULE #50: Murphy's Law is no joke. That shit is real.

RULE #51: Billy Corgan. Willie Nelson. Bob Dylan. Janice Joplin. Kurt Cobain. You don't have to be a great singer to sing great. Sing away.

RULE #52: Sleep is the most important stupid thing in the world.

RULE #53: If two or more people are deciding where to eat, and all parties say "it doesn't matter to me," the first person to reject any suggestion is 1) a liar, and 2) now responsible for making the decision.

RULE #54: Decide who you are, and be that person. It really is that simple.

RULE #55: If you're part of the majority, you're probably part of the problem. Solutions are rarely popular.

RULE #56: People make decisions based on incentive. Figure out what someone's incentive really is, and you can predict his behavior.

RULE #57: If you elect a career politician, expect his or her politics to be focused on his or her career.

RULE #58: Just because something is inevitable or true, doesn't mean yo have to like it.

RULE #59: Self-worth, like any valuation, is always relative.

RULE #60: We need more pirate radio stations.

RULE #61: Be you.

RULE #62: It's okay to share a bed with a man of you are a) female, b) gay, or c) in a hotel room with the rest of your rock band.

RULE #63: In the end, you are your own best coach.

Alright, we're off to see the Wizard.

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