I don’t think, deep down, I am the type of person known for contradiction.

Okay; maybe I am. No, I’m not.

Certainly not to the extent where you may know or work with someone who is a chronic contradictor. I like to think that I am open to hearing all sides and changing my stance on any given subject.

That said, despite my recent pastime of tire-kicking in Guitar Center for the big year-end “Gift to Me”, I went ahead and pulled the trigger on an eBay item that clearly no one was interested in. I remember years ago a guitarist mildly chastising me for purchasing an instrument online that I couldn’t first have in my hands with “you wouldn’t marry someone without dating first?”, but when it comes to Fender’s American made guitars and basses, they are well made and hold their value if not abused.

And yes, it is used. I am completely okay with that. Why shouldn’t I save a couple of hundred dollars when someone’s spouse decrees “thin the herd”? Because my daughter thinks it’s icky?

The only emotional downside is that I find from the rare occasion of buying full retail off-the-shelf is that that instrument feels more like “mine”, having had no previous owner. I’m more inclined to keep her than to flip it, like others that have come and gone from the kind of detachment when the instrument had previous owner(s).

I could go on about how 24 hours after paying online – not a single email from the seller, but I noticed in the past big sellers on eBay don’t feel the need to keep in touch (“What are you worried for? This is what we do all day”) like the casual eBayers.

After fresh strings and likely a pearloid pickguard replacement (I always wanted one of those!) to stamp it as mine, likely debut is Sept. 22 with Native New Yorker at our favorite place: Tenampa Mexican in Croton, NY.

Best,
-T.

One of the criticisms I’ve heard around here is that I don’t share enough about who I am, or what I do for fun. There are are bunch of reasons for that:

• My musical hobby will probably never make its way into the comic. Why not? Guitars are too hard/time-consuming to draw.
• Byron was already weaving music into 1977 deeply, so I thought that was already done.
• Really, how much more do you need to know about me? All my thoughts are in every panel.

Nonetheless, I want to blog a little more and I’m too swamped to start one elsewhere. Let’s get back into it.

I’m playing tonight with Native New Yorker at an outdoor private party in Peekskill NY. Private parties feed you better than bar/restaurant gigs as well offering earlier hours. The gig tonight is kind of bittersweet (ugh, I have never seen that word used where it doesn’t make me throw up in my mouth a little) because, for the time being – it is my last on six-string guitar. I’m the bass player but volunteered to cover when our “real” guitar player was away on business all summer.

On a different note (yes, puns a’plenty around here) I have begun shopping for a new axe which will be added to the arsenal at the year end. Why is this interesting? When you are married with kids it becomes very difficult to simply drop $1,500 on a well made American instrument. Since it is green-lighted, you can bet I’m going to enjoy the tire-kicking.

Here is a pic of yesterday’s outing. While the Fender American Precision once occupied a place in my arsenal I traded it for the above-pictured Strat. I kind of regret that trade and have been pining to replace it. After about twenty minutes of running it through the paces, I currently question the inclination to replace something that I once deemed trade-worthy. The neck is kind of fat and makes playing any fast passages difficult. Great Motown sound, though. Have to give props to Alto Music for the unprecedented experience of pulling an instrument off the rack that was actually in tune.

See you soon!

-T.A.D.