Christmas Music???

Ok, I am one of those guys who loves Christmas. I love everything about it with one exception...it is November 17th today....why am I hearing Christmas songs on the radio??? I am a traditionalist and believe that you don't put out Christmas stuff before Thanksgiving and you definetely don't start the Christmas music  before the Macy's Thanksgiving parade!!!
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Great North Country Telecaster Festival

Today, I was down in my studio going over a new song I had recorded when I had an idea. I see all these really neat festivals in the North Country, but I have yet to see one dedicated to our wonderful Telecasters. So an idea was born. Once I get back home I am going to see about starting one. This would be something which in my opinion really bring some great things to the players up north. More details will follow.
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Studio day

It is amazing how whenever I go into the studio to record I am excited. Today is a studio day. Later this afternoon I will go down into Indian River recorders and start to lay down the tracks to a new song that I wrote this week. What is so funny is that I own this studio...I can record up to 200 tracks and the possibilities are limitless. The fun part is even though this studio is mine..I still get that same thrill asI had the first time I ever recorded. I go down plug my guitar into my amp set all the mics up and get all levels set. Maybe it is the fact that I am creating music or just the fun of sitting in my studio and being in control. I make the decisions on what and how I will record my music. No producers, managers or bandmates to tell me that they don't want to be there etc. What a wonderful modern age we live in.
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Home

Today started out like any other day. I got up, got ready for work had a wonderful relaxing breakfast with my gorgeous wife A, and went to my office. The work day was good no issues to make the blood pressure rise and just a very productive Friday. When I got home there was a huge envelope waiting for me. It was the deed to our Lake front property in the North Country. This is the All American dream...we have several acres right on the lake. It is such a joy to know where we will build our dream log home. I felt very emotional thinking about how hard A and I worked to get to this point. A, grew up in Brooklyn so she never had land and a lake to live on. That was something of dreams for her. Now it is a reality, all the efforts on both our parts have paid off. Once we are up north again we will build and I will have the studio built to start my North Country recordings. The thing I am most excited about is to give my beloved A the dream home she so deserves! Thank you A for all you are, your love and just being you!

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Veteran's Day

Tomorrow is Veteran's Day. Originally it was Armistice Day to honor the end of the "War to end all Wars". Many people of  the teens in the last century thought and felt that we would truly never fight again in a war as brutal and wasteful as the Great War. We all know that history does repeat its self. Why..because we do not study and digest and really remember it. We are therefore condemned to repeat it. Of all days this is one that I truly dread. I think of my friends who I have marched off to war with I am here alive and well, some of them are not. Some were buried in Arlington National Cemetary with all the honors and fanfare of a deserving warrior who gave his life in defense of his country. One chose a quiet solemn burial of a simple Soldier high in the mountains of his beloved Idaho. Some wanted to have nothing of the Army associated with their final resting place. These are the men we should celebrate and honor and Thank. These fine young men are the ones who deserve this day in their honor. Those of us who have gone off to war and fought and came home have our reward, we have our lives to live. We have our families to love and we have endless possibilities for our future. All because of these fine men.

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How small is too small

As I sit here and think about the gear I have and playing out I wonder to myself how small is too small. I have several different rigs that go from a Fender M80 Bass 160 watts per side in stereo to a vintage Peavey Bandit 65 rated at 65 watts to a Marshall MG15 at 15 watts to my favorite amp, my Fender Super Champ XD. The Super Champ is a beautiful tube amp rated at 15 watts. It is loud...I am talking really really loud. The size clubs that I will be playing in ,this amp fits the bill. If for some reason I need more volume..well then that is what a mic was invented for..:) I like how it is only 25 lbs. The M80 weighs in at a nice 80lbs without any extra cabinets...add cabinets and you are talking around 200lbs of gear. The Marshall is a nice little amp at 20 lbs...and it too cranks for a nice vintage Marshall sound. The Peavey weighs in at a good solid 60lbs. So, in my opinion...I think that taking the Marshall for the harder stuff...and my Super Champ for everything else is perfect...so I guess in this case small is huge.

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Great Books for Teles

From this forum I am sure that everyone knows that I love Telecasters. In my humble opinion there is no better guitar out there. The Tele is a well rounded instrument that can cover all genres of music like no other guitar. Amazon.com carries  The Fender Telecaster Handbook: How to Buy, Maintain, Set up, Troubleshoot and Modify your Tele by Paul Balmer and Andy Summers, and is  to be released  in January. The forward is by Andy Summers of Police fame. I ordered mine and am incredibly excited for it to get here. The reason I chose to write about this book is because it covers what several different books do. So, instead of having to purchase a ton of books...you have this all in one volume. Hope that this helps.

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