Rock 'N Roll Pilgrimage

I finally made it on October 11, 2013!

71161 Twentynine Palms Highway, Twentynine Palms, California

EMG HZ Pickups

I bought the used Fender Jaguar bass for my son from CL and it looked relatively new.  The protective plastic on the pick guard had not been removed and for $275, it was what I was looking for.  However, within a week, he realized that his Shecter bass -- which had active EMG pickups sounded way better across the entire range.  We ended up going to Guitar Center auditioning various pickups and EMG is definitely the sound he was looking for.  Only problem is the Jaguar is not built for active pickups so the choices were limited at best.

He eventually settled for the EMG HZ passive pickups for PJ bass configuration which Amazon carried for about $100.  The actual swapout only took about 30 minutes and did not require removal of the pickguard -- just the potentiometer plate which is on a separate chrome bezel.  The fit is perfect and the sound has the presence that the kid is looking for.

Still not sure what to do with the stock pickups (below).  They are typical of the electronics that are on guitars manufactured in the Far East -- fully functional but lack the gain and dynamic range of the EMGs.  This little exercise did reminds me of what I've always known about electric guitars -- the quality of the sound is only as good as the pickups installed.  Overall, EMGs are more than a third of what I paid for the instrument.

CL Search Words

Some are colors, some are specific brands, some are models.  But all are Craigslist search words I've used in the past 6 months.

Stratocaster, Strat, Jaguar, Jag-Stang, Mustang, Jazzmaster, Surf, Daphne, SC300T, Talman, Jazz Chorus, Tube, Fiesta, Parker, Ultra, MIM, MIJ, Japan, Japanese, Delonge, Olympic, body, neck, v-neck, Jazz Bass, Vox, Anniversary, Reissue, Gretsch, Pedal, Pedalboard, Flextone, Tweed, Lake Placid Blue, Italia, Danelectro, Tempest, Wilshire, Pelham Blue, Tokia, AC15, AC30, Midtown, hollowbody, hollow-body, Mosrite, Seafoam Green, Stargazer, Telecaster, Tele

Not What It Used To Be

A visit to Guitar Center isn't a simple as it used to be.  A couple years ago, the kids would just grimace as soon as I announce that I will need to do a quick stop to pick up guitar strings or parts.  Now that I have a full rhythm section formed by both kids, Guitar Center had moved from category of something-only-dad-likes to yes-we-want-to-go.  Even on vacation, Sam wanted to find the local GC because he gets this sudden urge to play some drums.  And yesterday, after dim sum in Arcadia, our planned GC Pasadena pit stop turned into an all-afternoon West Hollywood expedition -- hitting the Sunset Blvd GC, the Sam Ash Drum Shop just to the east and the Sam Ash Guitar Shop across the street.  Although we didn't find the EMG PJ bass pickups we were looking for, we did find some drum practice pads -- both items in the shopping list of my rhythm section.  I walked away without buying anything for myself but with the satisfaction that a visit to Guitar Center is more fun than it used to be.

Rationalization Of An Acquisition

Guitar Acquisition Syndrome (G.A.S.) starts out innocently enough.  About the only thing that doesn't qualify as a G.A.S. purchase is probably that very first instrument -- that one that you will learn how to play on.  Just about every other rationalization is one step closer to G.A.S. at an epidemic pace.  Here are some thoughts on how I got here.

Rationale #1: I need to acquire a backup guitar.  In most cases, the new instrument replaces the previous one as the primary instrument.  A backup guitar, a backup electric, a backup stratocaster, a backup HSS strat. You get the point.  Except at some point, both guitars become primary and you therefore, need a "real" backup.  Another guitar, that is.  And it goes on and on and on.

Rationale #2: I need to get a different guitar for playing a different kind of music.  Remember that first hollowbody?  Why?  I need to play jazz comps properly on a jazz guitar.  Of course, it's easy to lose interest in playing that type of music once the guitar is in hand.

Rationale #3: I need to find another guitar with a slightly different sound or tonal quality.  Different pickup combination, different acoustic body shape, different neck construction.  I needed a set-neck guitar to get a better sustain when playing solos.  Right, Carlos Santana.

Rationale #4: That guitar would pair up perfectly with one that I already have.  A matching Lake Placid Blue Stratocaster would sure look nice next to my Lake Placid Blue Telecaster.  Aesthetically, a pair that is meant to be deserves to be together.  A good argument to use with our spouses -- not that we should compare guitars with spouses.  I'm just saying.

Rationale #5: I am buying this guitar because it is an upgrade to my current model.  Who wouldn't replace their MIM strat with a Made in USA strat?  I, for one, wouldn't think twice about replacing my 5000 series Gretsch with a 6000 series.  There is a school of thought that says if you get the most expensive model you can afford, you will not want to upgrade.  I did this with my Taylor 414 Grand Auditorium but somehow, I needed a Taylor dreadnought after a couple years.

Rationale #6: I need that guitar because I don't have it.  Probably the worst case.  When we get to this phase, all bets are off.  A 12-step program is in order.  But then the trade is "Do I pay for that 12-step program?" or "Do I spend the money on a Gibson Midtown Custom?"

Mighty Mite V-Neck

I've always wanted a v-shaped neck Strat but haven't found a guitar with the right price.  Enter Mighty Mite necks licensed by Fender available from Amazon.com.  This one is beautiful hard maple with a 50s style sharp v-neck.  The holes for the tuners are pre-drilled but I will need some precision work to align the neck heel to the body -- that of course, is still to be identified.

Pedal Board V201301

No self-respecting player has a static effects pedal board.  What's in and what's out changes with mood, playing style and of course, technology.  This is the current layout of my pedal board.  Starting with the GIG-FX Chopper (which I use for Audioslave solos), an MXR Super Compressor (which I use to overdrive a tube amp ever so slightly), a Danelectro Dan-Echo box and my trusty Dunlop Crybaby Wah Wah.

I got the MXR Comp brand new from Amazon but the other 3 are used.  The board itself is an SKB and has accommodations for eight 9-Volt DC power sources.  I actually used the space just below the MXR for any amplifier footswitch.  Nonetheless, these 4 pedals can give me an endless set of combinations from rock to rockabilly to reggae to punk.