Musician Network

I have been thinking about this as I sit here in our home longing to be back home in the North Country. How do musicians find bands and vice versa? I think one of my projects when I get back home will be to establish a no cost forum where musicians in the North Country can link up and find a band. I will also include places that want and like to have live music. This should help bring more opportunities for the players up in the North Country.
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Long Weekend adventure...sort of....

Today started out really well. I am off for a nice 4 day weekend so we decided to go up to north Georgia to pick up the antique 1936 Zenith Radar eye Console Radio we found a month ago. The drive up was fast uneventful and really relaxing! A and I were talking and laughing and just totally savoring the thought of a long weekend with no agenda...no place to be and only each other to be with. We pick up the beautiful piece of Americana and then decide to have lunch at Cracker Barrel(one of our favorite restaurants) and then just cruise on back home. Everything was going well...we were enjoying the changing foliage against the lead gray sky as we were making out way back to the green of south Georgia. Well...the adventure...traffic on a Friday afternoon at 3:20pm during football season in Atlanta. Now, I have lived in NYC...both in Manhattan and in the greatest borough, Brooklyn....a city of 12 million people...you would think that traffic was bad right? WRONG...it is smooth and rather fast considering. Now Atlanta...a small city of only 1 million..easy drive...SO VERY WRONG!!! I was amazed at how backed up the traffic was...all because a car broke down and everyone had to rubber neck. The adventure...not get in an accident...:) Well, during that time we were listening to some Brad Paisley and Keith Urban as noted in a previous post...my two Tele guitar heroes...and my gorgeous wife was listening to me expound on the virtues and quality of the Tele sound on their recordings. Marriage to A is such a joy....normally I would have been impatient and furious about such horrible traffic at that time of day. A makes it a great time because we are together and just loving every moment of our time. It is also an amazing feeling to know that she appreciates my guitar playing and how much I enjoy to play. I have a charmed life!!!
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It's Friday...well for me it is

I love fridays...A and I have our rituals and our traditions that we so savor. I am on leave from the 30th until 2 November...so for me it is friday. I am looking forward to this long weekend. We will be picking up our antique Console radio, shopping and of course...playing my Tele. I am excited because it is a long weekend with A, one which will afford us the oppotrunity to just relax and do some of the things we have been too busy to do. I also have to add that today A ordered my new Tele for me. The 2009 Fender Highway 1 in Honey Blonde with maple neck. But, that is not the reason why I am so excited for this weekend. I am excited because I get to spend time with A and our dog Holly! I have a good life!
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Options

It never ceases to amaze me at the options that there are for our guitars. I remember when you had your basic colors...a few different pickup choices etc. Now  buying a new guitar is a really complicated decision process. Do I get a nitrocellulose matte finish, do I go with a polyurethane finish, do I just go with a plain old fashioned raw finish. Do I get brass barrel saddles, or modern saddles, do I get compensating 3 barrel bridge or a non compensating 6 barrel saddle bridge or do I go with the modern bridge. Then comes colors...thankfully I am color blind so I don't have to see all the different shades to further complicate the decision process. Then there are the wood choices...ash, alder, swamp ash, rosewood, maple etc.....This could take months to decide. Well...tonight A and I were going over the next guitar I am going to get...what color wood etc...well...Fender has made it simple..the Highway 1 Telecaster color Honey Blonde maple neck ,3 barrel saddle compensating bridge. The best part..it is the stock model...no changes necessary. I am a traditional simple guy and this is right up my alley. Imagine if I was an indecisive person..:)
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A little yellow Lab named Holly

It is funny how life works. I have a wonderful life. A wife who is fantastic in so many ways, more than I can count and well...someone I still can't believe is mine. I have a profession I truly enjoy. I am able to play and record my music on fantastic equipment. We have our home up in the North Country. Last but not least...our little Yellow Lab named Holly. We are unable to have children, so we got Holly. She is a fantastic dog. She is loving and sweet. Holly never lets us argue...she will walk over to both of us look up at us and do something that makes us both just start laughing. Holly is a great companion. She follows us around and just is. Today was a rather difficult day because we had to take Holly to the vet. She had stepped on something in the back yard and cut her paw which in turn is infected. To see her limp around is more than I can take. The vet had me put her up on the table and started the exam of Holly's paw. Needless to say the vet had to try and numb Holly's paw so she could work on it and make her more comfortable. The worst thing in the world...the yelp she gave when the needle was inserted and the Lidacaine was injected. It made me sick to my stomach, like I had hurt my little one. After some time the vet said that it looks like there could possibly be a splinter somewhere in the pad of her paw. The long and short of this Holly is doing fine, she is on antibiotics and is fast on the road to recovery. I know you are probably thinking what does this have to do with playing music...nothing...but it is important to me and this is my blog so...he who owns the blog gets to write about what they want.
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My Inspiration

It is amazing what an individual finds as inspiration. For some it is love of God, for others it is love of country and so on and so on. For me it is my wife A. We have been together for 6 years. In those 6 years my life has only imporved more and more. Sometime, I have to pinch myself to make sure that the life I live is not a dream. A supports what my chosen profession is...a Soldier. It is a profession that has taken me away from her for 18 months, put me in harms way and is not the easiest to support. Never once has she complained. She has always accepted these trials with a grace which amazes me. Where is this going??? Well, the other thing that I truly enjoy is music. In this A has been once again totally supportive. Today, I arrive home after a rather frustrating day...Dr said my rotator cuff is torn so under the knife i will go...:( but as I walk in the door what do I see my gorgeous A with a mischevious grin on her face. The grin was because the brand new Fender Super Champ XD amp we ordered arrived. She knows how much I have been looking forward to this. Nothing like the sound of a really good quality tube amp...so...we unpacked it and I plugged my favorite guitar in the world..my Fender Telecaster named Brooklyn (in honor of A who is from Brooklyn). I strummed a D chord...all I can say is incredible. It is so easy to be inspired when you have someone who loves you as A does me. It makes life so fantastic, so joyful. I find inspiration everytime I look at her. With this new amp...I can translate that inspiration into some really beautiful music..but it will never be as beautiful as my inspiration...A. I hope all of you out there are as lucky as I am and find your inspiration.
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Modding your gear

I have always felt that Guitars and Amps are alot like cars. As any other red blooded American guy I love to use my hands and work on my cars...the same holds true for my gear. I love setting up my guitars and working on my amps. I replaced the speaker in my Marshall combo with a Celestion G8 Vintage 8 recently. What a difference. The stock speaker that Marshall had added was...ok...not bad but not great. Fortunately my wife A is great about supporting my obsession with my gear and was like...get the new Celestion if you want it. So before I replaced it I let her hear what my amp sounded like with the stock speaker in it. I then installed the gorgeous Celestion into my Marshall. With great anticipation I fired it up and to my surprise...the amp sounded incredible...even better than I imagined. The thing that was so much fun...I installed it myself and saved about $50.00. The same holds true for setting up and working on my guitars. In many ways...the similarities with working on your own car and your gear is really the same. Thanks A...the Celestion rocks!!!

Opinions, Tremolos, Bigsbys and effects

I am generally a traditionalist. I have my opinions on things. That said I am always searching the forums on the Telecaster forum, and the Fender community forums. I can't help but laugh at how some people think that their opinion is the answer to everything and if you don't agree with them then you are so very wrong. In my opinion and taste..I feel that a Tele is best without a tremolo or a Bigsby. That is my opinion. I think that a tremolo should be on a Strat...again my opinion. Does that mean if you decide to put one on a Tele I think you are wrong? Nope...it just means that you have your preferences and opinions as I have mine. I also have to laugh at the folks who think that if you use effects you are somehow "cheating" as a player. Once again..that is an opinion. I prefer to have a little bit of overdrive, chorus and a touch of reverb when I play. That is how I defined my tone. The best of all this...it is my opinion..:) Have a great day all!
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The joy of playing a Tele

I have been playing guitar now for the better part of 35 years. I have played everything from an acoustic to a Les Paul to a Strat. The one guitar that has truly  had an effect on me like no other has been the Fender Telecaster. from the first timne I can remember hearing a Tele, to the first time I ever played one, there has been this bond I have felt for the Tele. Some would call it mojo, some would say the twang of a Tele....I say it is that tone and sound that a guitarist looks for, dreams about and in many cases never finds. For me the Tele is an instrument like no other...it bonds with you and fits perfectly in my hands....it truly is an extension of me.

Arrogance and insecurity

I normally try to keep my blog positive...afterall we are talking about playing here, but tonight I have to vent. I am on several forums and there is one guy we will call Jay who is just such an arrogant individual. He is always putting people down and thinks that he is the end all know all to Teles. To me it shows insecurity. I just hate when people are like this. If you have nothing positive to say then please just be quiet. Sorry, I just had to get this off my chest.
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Smaller is better

Ok...I like to think that I am in decent shape. Well, today I was down in our basement and organizing things so everything is in order. I grab a bin and slide it...POP goes my shoulder. Darn.....now I suspect that I have blown out my rotator cuff. I am so glad that I no longer have the need to have a huge rig to play through. For my harder side I have a nice small Marshall MG15CDR amp...this gives the hard rock tone. For the normal guitar tone sound which I have made for myself I have my nice new Fender Super Champ XD. Both amps rate 15 watts and both amps weigh less that 25 lbs. Thank heavens...if I had to lug around the rigs I used to...4X12 Cabinets plus the heavy heads...combined weight around 100lbs...man I would tear the other rotator cuff. The point...I am so glad that I have mellowed and learned that to play good I don't have to be loud..:) Have a great weekend all!
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Joys of marriage and tubes

Ok, go ahead and say it..joys of marriage and tubes??? Ok here is the premise of my post today. Marriage to my wife A is the greatest thing in my life. I have a wife who is incredible in every way. she supports what I do for a living and never complains, she totally encourages me to play my guitar and she actually has a genuine interest and appreciation of my guitar playing. A, supports this by letting me get whatever guitar gear I desire...talk about a really huge motivator to be a good player...:) Tubes...well...there is nothing like the sound of a tube amplifier, or for that matter and old tube radio, We are both huge fans of old school radios. A appreciates the sound and the warmth of their sound. This also translates to her appreciation of tube amps. Being in such a great marriage is awesome...having a soulmate who appreciates vintage tube sound like I do equates to the joys of marriage and tubes.
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AMPS Revised

I wrote an earlier post about the Deluxe VM.....well change 2, tonight I ordered a Fender Super Champ XD. Talk about an incredible amp. It is 15 watts, tube, with different modeling effects. Lets face it...I don't need a huge rig anymore. I don't envision playing to huge crowds like I used to when I was younger and in a rock band. I am more in the country vein now and well...in this case less is more. I will let everyone know what the sound is like once I have had a chance to really give this amp a go.
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My Tele Heros

I love my Tele...it is the ultimate guitar in my opinion. I have always loved the way a Tele sounded in Rock, but lately I have really delved into country music and the two Tele players who have really got the sound I love and try to emulate are Keith Urban and Brad Paisley. I love how they are true guitar pickers. I appreciate the fretboard gymnastics of Eddie Van Halen, but...in my opinion these days there are just too many effects that players use on their guitars. Both Keith and Brad us minimal effects...they don't use tremolo bars and they are so readily available that it is a joy to learn their music in order to improve my own chops...man it is a gift to be able to play!
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Central Plains

The last couple days I was in America's heartland...Fort Leavenworth Kansas. The long empty fields all harvested and in their mode for a winter's sleep to rejuvinate for the next growing season gave me a chance to reflect on how lucky I am to live the life I do. I was listening to get this...country music on the car raido...not like there was much choice, when I realized how simple life is in the rural communities. The music, the way of life, the simplicity of life. It made me think of the North Country and how life is so similar. I so treasure that life, the peaceful rhythm that is so enticing. I look so forward to those days.
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Adirondack sound

I have been sitting around here thinking about what is the Adirondack sound? Is it Country, Rock, Punk, Classical?? Who knows. The thing that is so great is that the whole North Country is so large and diverse you can have a multitude of different styles and sounds. That is what is so awesome about music. I look forward to when we finally get back home and bringing my own style back home with me...kind of a rock/country mix that is my own style. It will be great to play with other folks from the North Country and see what we can do!
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Crisp Saturday Morning

Greetings all. It is saturday morning and the sun is out the air is crisp and cool and I am hanging out with our dog Holly while my bride sleeps in. I have always enjoyed moments like this when I can just noodle around on my guitar in the quiet hours of the morning. Not looking to do any serious playing, just doing scales or finding new chord progressions that sound neat. There is nothing like the morning. The promise of a new day, no mistakes have been made yet..:) and everything is fresh. I hope everyone has a great day and later on we will talk shop.
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Friday Night Coffee

Well, it is friday night. The work week is over and now it is time to relax for a few days. I love friday nights because my wife and I have our rituals. We relax put on the shows we like to watch and I noodle around on my Tele. I love these nights. Tonight is especially nice because we closed on our own little piece of heaven this week...5 beautiful acres of land on a lake in the North Country. The second reason we have some cool(by southern standards) weather. It is in the high 50's right now. I am really excited for friday nights in the North Country once our log home is built and we are living there permenantly. Have a great night.
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Home from the North Country

Well, I ventured up the the North Country the last few days for business. How wonderful it was. I was able to walk the land where we will build our dream home and the future home for all our dreams. I couldn't help but get excited as I was looking across the lake our property is on and think about all the wonderful times that are ahead for us. I also imagined sitting out on the deck with my Tele and playing some really great music for my wife. Life is good!
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Time Away

For the next couple of days I will not be posting. I have to head up to the North Country on business and to be quite honest...I hate dragging a laptop with me when I have to travel so...I am leaving it at home. Keep playing and be back posting soon.
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Joy Of Playing

Everytime that I sit down and play I can't help but think of how lucky I am to have the ability to play. It is often overlooked the simple act of playing. I love how after a stressful day at the office I can pick up my Tele, plug in and just play. This simple act takes away so much of the things in life that make me tense. I love how by playing I am able to create something that is beautiful, and fulfilling. It is amazing how this joy, takes away all the stress and makes me feel better. How lucky we are!
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Tone

Often in the guitar world people talk about getting a certain "tone". I am a big fan of Brad Paisley and Keith Urban's tone for their Telecasters. Tone is a very complex and subjective thing. I have found in my experience as a musician and an engineer that there are so many variables to "tone" that it really is a individual taste. I know some folks who really don't care for the Telecaster's twangy "tone". Then if you ask a dedicated Tele player...we all live for the tone. To sum up my thoughts...go for the tone you like and want...and most of all enjoy the gift of being able to play.
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Home Studios

I posted a picture of the current home studio I have. It is the Boss BR1200CD. I can't say enough about this fantastic studio. Having worked in the Nashville studios I am able to do the same quality work on this desk as I could there. I have so far recorded 13 original songs and am preparing to finish the final overdubs and then master them and burn them down to CD. The great part of this desk is you can do it all right there. No need to spend your hard earned dollars anywhere else, once you own this masterpiece of modern technology you can do it all in the comfort of your own place.
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Disclaimer...:)

Ok...now I will finally add my disclaimer. This is my blog and when I post on here about a product or a company I am getting nothing from them..:) I mention Fender because I use Fender...I believe in good quality deserves good praise. As for companies I mention and use are because of superior price and customer service. I prefer to use American Musical Supply...fantastic prices, free shipping..they will beat anyone's price and great customer service. The other company is Music 123. They will call you and offer you a substitute product if the order you have placed is seriously delayed. To sweeten the pot...they will generally offer an upgrade at their expense and overnight the product to you. So that said....those are the products and folks I like to do business with.
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Joy of effects pedals

Greetings all. I have to say, I have been very lucky. I have a wife who is not only my soulmate but my best friend, a career I truly enjoy, and the Digitech RP355. For years I looked for the perfect effects unit that met the following criteria, a)under $500, b) had the flexibility to let me change parameters and make my own effects chains c) was user friendly. Digitech has answered the call. The unit can be purchased from either American Musical Supply or Music 123 for under $200 US, there are over 130 different effects you can choose from and you can make your own settings. This is a fantastic unit and having the ability to make my own settings and then put them in the order I want for when I am playing is a really great option. Hope this helps anyone who is possibly looking for a new unit.
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Amps

Today my wife and I went out amp shopping. I was leaning towards one of two models...either the Fender Frontman 212R or the Fender Deluxe VM. The 212R is a Solid State 100 watt amp into 2 12" speakers. It has a nice set up with reverb and gain...and is very very loud. The Deluxe is a Tube amp 40 watts into a 12" Celestion speaker. It has Reverb, Delay, Chorus, Virbrato. Great amp...vintage tube sound and of course that classic Fender tone. After some discussion of how much power I need and sound for the types of gigs I will be playing...the Deluxe VM won...It will be great to play up in the North Country with this amp...I can't wait.

Long Weekend

Greetings to all Tele players out there in the North Country. From down here in the steamy south I find my mind wandering back to the North Country and the change of seasons. I think of how I used to love sitting out on the deck with my guitar playing in the cool fall air with a hot cup of coffee and the changing colors to inspire me. soon we will be back up north and I am really looking forward to that. Especially on long weekends like this one. Hope everyone has a great weekend and has a chance to play and have some fun.
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New Book on Telecasters

I am really excited about this...I just ordered mine here is the link  http://www.amazon.com/Fender-Telecaster-Handbook-Maintain-Troubleshoot/dp/0760336466/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1254996524&sr=1-3

It is in a pre order status.
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Open Mic Nights

Greetings to all. I was just thinking that this might be a great place to list bars that you frequent that have open mic nights. It might be a great way to meet fellow Tele players and who knows....a new band might get formed. I know that Herrings Inn in Herring does occassionaly have them. So if anyone knows of another place...just post away. Cheers!
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Welcome to ADK Telesound

Hey all you Fender Telecaster fanatics. I have created this blog for those of us who call the North Country home. I am currently in the Army and stationed down at lovely FT Benning GA. The purpose of this blog is to discuss/help and network for all Tele players up here. As an addicted Tele player here are some ground rules...there is no such thing as a bad guitar...there is a thing as bad players. If you like a certain type of Tele that is great...a Tele is like your wife, girlfriend etc...a personal choice so please be respectful of everyone. That said...jump in tune up and lets all enjoy!
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