KC GUITAR WORKS - EAST NASHVILLE'S MOBILE GUITAR REPAIR

SXSW 2010 BLOG!!

admin — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 01:07:55 +0000

Codeine Velvet Club

I’m heading out an EPIC road trip to SXSW Tuesday SUPER early! I’m really excited to get to check out the city of Austin, enjoy all the great music and work with some great bands! Keep checking back here for updates on what’s happening at SXSW, some band reviews if I have time and other nonsense. Look for lots of pictures! Can’t want to get there and get started.

I’m teching for the UK band Codeine Velvet Club at all of their SXSW shows, which I’m really fired up about! If you don’t know about them, check them out. They have a great sound, and there’s a ton of buzz surrounding them right now. Definitely one of THE bands to check out at SXSW, and I’m excited to be a part of that fresh new energy.

I’ll be working with lots of other bands and musicians while I’m there, and will of course be available for my house call service while I’m in town. Check out http://kcguitarworks.com/sxsw-2010 for details on that front!

HERE’S CURRENT SXSW SCHEDULE WITH CODEINE VELVET CLUB:

MAR17 (10PM) – The Parish – S.A.C. Showcase
MAR18 (4PM) – The Day Stage Cafe – KCMP Showcase
MAR19 (11PM) – Rusty Spurs – The Musebox Showcase
MAR20 (1:50PM) - Cedar Street Courtyard – Filter Party
MAR20 (TIME TBA) – Mellow Johnny’s Bike Shop – Pablove Foundations Ride for Life Charity Show

Where do all the guitars go?

admin — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 08:32:57 +0000

A Rosewood Tree Marked For Death

The Guitar Manufacturing industry, being the beast that it is, isn’t what you’d call the Greenest industry. Think of the countless trees needed to build the thousands of cheap guitars in just one “Guitar Super Store”. Or what about this fact – in 2006, 2,991,260 guitars were sold in the US alone. That’s an astounding amount of wood. That doesn’t mean that 2,991,260 guitars were sold to new guitar players… That just means that of the millions of guitars manufactured, 2,991,260 of them were purchased by guitar stores to hang on their walls with the hope of attracting buyers. Some, of course, were bought by consumers. The vast majority, however, sit in stores unsold. You know the ones, the guitars that have been in your local shop for years that no one seems to want. Where will they eventually end up?? Landfills?

You might be saying, “the stores are still in business so they must be selling guitars”. Not so, a guitar store stays in business by luring you in with beautiful and expensive guitars that you probably won’t buy. In reality, guitar stores are museums where you can touch the art. Most people have a look around, eyeballing and drooling, saying “No thanks, I’m just looking”. Then they head towards the door… right past the accessories counter where you are likely to pick up those strings they needed at practice the other day. Shops stay in business by selling guitar strings, picks and other items at a high mark up. Most guitars simply aren’t very profitable, except the super cheap models. The rule of thumb – the more expensive the guitar, the less a store will profit by selling it. This is why there are rarely sales on any guitars that any serious player would actually want.

: Stacked Bodies

The whole industry is cranking out guitars that the corporate big wigs know will never make it into the hands of a musician. And they don’t care, because the average music store NEEDS guitars in their inventory in order to get you, the musician who lusts after all things gear related, to come into their store. They are clearing entire forests to make really expensive musician bait.

One more thing that most people don’t realize – some manufacturers, like the “Big G” for example, routinely destroy perfectly functional guitars due to cosmetic issues. They BURN them. So in other words, trees are cut down (some illegally), fuel is used to chop them up, fuel is used to ship the wood here, energy is used in the whole manufacturing process, paint is applied, it’s assembled and then someone may the guitar has a funny wood grain and send it off to the slaughter house. To me, that’s just crazy. Give them away to charity, give them to schools. Don’t BURN them, that’s just harming the environment even more. This is coming from a company who is supposedly “green”, and it also happens to be the same company busted recently for importing endangered wood.

: Goodbye Trees…

Now there are quite a few major guitar companies who are going “green”, which is a great thing. Taylor, Gibson, Fender, Martin, Yamaha and a slew of other big names are all working towards a greener guitar. But if I had to guess, it’s probably only a small portion of their business for some. Let’s not forget we probably have close to a hundred million guitars in the US alone, and I just wonder how many may be destined for a landfill. Do we really NEED more guitars? The same could be said for the car industry I guess, or any industry for that matter…

But, I suppose the more guitars there are in the world, the more work here is for me. So, build on guitar companies… build on. But DO IT SUSTAINABLY FOR GODS SAKE! And cut back on the crap guitars, that’s just wasted energy.

My charge to you, the musician lusting after guitars in the music store, don’t buy a brand new guitar. Buy used, and if you are going to buy something new, make sure you’re buying one made from sustainable materials.

P.S. – The average age for a tree used to make acoustic guitar tops is 300 years old. Think about that. 300 years. Oh humanity… I sure hope we figure this thing out soon.

Check out musicwood.org, it’s an organization run by Greenpeace that encourages instrument manufacturers to use responsible building practices and sustainable materials. Have a look.

REVIEW – RoadReady Cases’ 30″ Tall Folding Table

admin — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 23:47:16 +0000

I’ve been on the hunt for a sturdy, robust and portable table for quite a while now – I was needed a new one to use on KC Guitar Works house calls as I was dissatisfied with my current option. I have pretty specific needs, and after doing a lot of research, I finally decided to make my move.

Road Ready Cases

Enter Road Ready Cases. I first came across Road Ready cases a few years back at the NAMM show in Anaheim, CA. They primarily make DJ related cases, but they also build backline related cases, and also offer custom builds. They have some unique ideas and and cool solutions, and they think outside the box, which I really like.

FOLDED RRSTAND1

When I first ran across them at NAMM, they were showing a new folding table, the RRSTANDT1, which sells for $234.99. It’s based on the Intellistage System, which Road Ready also makes. Those are ultra portable stages and risers, which consist of interlocking platforms and expanding support legs. It’s an innovative approach to an old idea, and their low weight and ease of assembly make them a great choice for bands on a tight budget.

Road Ready makes the RRSTAND1 in several different dimensions. I chose the 30″ height because my workbox lays on top and gives me an additional 6 inches of height. The table top is made up of four 6″ slats that are about 4′ long, and are attached together by piano hinges. The whole table top folds into a square tube that houses the folded legs, which are made of aluminum, and accordion out to support the entire work surface. Once folded, the table, with legs inside, can be carried via shoulder strap wherever I need. I can get in and out in one trip, rather than having to go back for a large table or stand.

While you can buy their products from Guitar Center, I am allergic to most noisy Guitar Departments. Plus, this particular product would have been a special order, so I bought via roadreadycases.com. Ordering was quick and easy thanks to their simple checkout process, and before I knew it I was waving goodbye to my money. The table arrived right on time a few short days later. Upon close inspection, the whole thing seemed to be made very well, and I was impressed by the simple design.

My RRSTAND1, Unfolded

On the under side of the table there are several dense foam blocks which, when folded, hold the legs firmly in place. They are glued in, but upon arrival I found two of the blocks had been dislodged – Probably due to a rough ride during shipping. Not a huge deal, they were easy to glue back – but that could be an indication that they will be troublesome in the long term. I will likely bring this on tour with me, and that means many bumpy rides. Only time will tell… Other than that my table arrived very much in tact.

Set up is super easy. You simply unfold the table, remove the legs, expand them, then plop the

Legs Open, Top On

top onto the support legs – which have posts that meet up with holes in the table top to keep it from sliding around. There are 6 latches that swing into place to hold the table to the legs at each point of contact. They do seem a little flimsy, but they aren’t actually supporting anything.

My only real complaint so far are the straps that hold the table top together in it’s tube form – they were REALLY hard to get undone, and it took me about 8 mins just to get them off. I can see that as being an issue for me, as I need to be able to set up fast, otherwise I’m spinning my wheels and wasting valuable time. I replaced them with better straps.

The best part about this table is the Road Ready Lifetime Warranty, which pretty much covers the table as far as defects goes. They will replace it or repair it as long as it hasn’t been misused. I don’t plan on dropping out of an airplane for my next house call, but who knows… I’ve worked in some strange places before.

All in all I love the table – a great concept, good implementation, solid customer service. The price is a little high for a “table”, but given the super portability of the design, I think it’ll be well worth it for my particular purposes. I’ll try it out for now, and if I have any issues, I’ll report them here.

Aww... One Big Happy Family

T-Mobile To Release 3G Fender Limited Edition Phone

admin — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 15:11:45 +0000

T-Mobile's myTouch Fender Limited Edition

According to the website http://appmodo.com, T-Mobile is releasing a 3G phone with a sunburst wood finish and Fender style case. Sounds pretty cool, maybe they will do a Fender iPhone…

“T-Mobile’s Fender Stratocaster inspired Android phone, the myTouch 3G Fender Limited Edition, will be formally launched on January 20th. According to a T-Mobile document, this limited edition phone features a Fender Stratocaster inspired design for finish and case, 16GB micro SD card, 3.5mm headphone jack, two-way syncing for music, movies and photos with double Twist, exclusive media content and complimentary Fender accessories. There has been no word on price, as of yet. Based on the fancy woodgrain finish and the other bundled features, it’ll probably cost more than the current myTouch 3G.”

ORIGINALLY POSTED AT APPMODO BY MARY ANN NEDER ON JANUARY 13, 2010 AT 9:00 AM

Anvil Workbox For Sale – $800 OBO

admin — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 17:01:23 +0000

[postcardviewer id="31" width="700" height="600"]

Located in East Nashville. Would function as an awesome production workbox. I used it as part of my guitar world setup but I’m downsizing my storage needs. Had it custom made from Anvil in 2007 for $1050. I’m asking $800 OBO. Local pickup is preferred but I’m flexible.

It’s very similar to a standard case they make, but I had them make it slightly taller in the cubby space. The case is in great shape, it’s been around the world twice. Solid drawer glides, though I did replace one set. I’ll include a second spare set of glides for the inevitable on the road glide replacement. The casters are in good spape, but the locks are no longer functioning but are easily replaced. Specs below…

Overall Specs:
52in High, 25in Wide, 28in Deep
Made from 1/2in Ply
Powered Flip Top
Clean carpet in drawers and on workspace/top
Case Lid becomes 25in X 46in table
4 Drawers, top 3 are lockable, 1 glide per side
19in X 12in open cubby space for Printer/rack ears, Misc stuff
Trap Door in back for rear cubby access

Drawer specs:
1 at 4.5in deep – lockable
2 at 6.5 in deep – lockable
1 at 9.5 in deep

It’s the tall workbox pictured below, and the lid is the table holding my guitar workbox, which is not for sale.

Evertune Bridge keeps guitar in tune forever

admin — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 15:34:29 +0000

Stringed instruments have been around for centuries, but nobody’s figured out how to keep those strings in tune — until now. The breakthrough introduced at CES 2010 is called the Evertune Bridge, with individual springs constantly pulling against each string at precisely the correct tension to keep each note the same … indefinitely.

It’s hard to see the inner workings of this miracle machine, but in our hands-on encounter with two guitars rigged with the Evertune Bridge, each string stayed in tune no matter what we did. It not only works on guitars, but any stringed instrument such as a piano or banjo. This is brilliant. Look for it on guitars everywhere within a year or two.

Via http://evertune.com and http://device.com

You Rock Guitar is hybrid of real guitar and controller, News from GamePro

admin — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 19:57:30 +0000

You Rock Guitar is hybrid of real guitar and controller, News from GamePro.

You can use it for Rock Band, Guitar Hero, and you can plug it into a guitar amp.

According to Inspired Instruments, the company showing the You Rock Guitar at CES this week, this new hybrid guitar “lets anyone rock right out of the box.” Awww yeah (everyone throw up the horns.) “It works seamlessly with Guitar Hero and Rock Band on Wii, PS3, and Xbox 360 gaming platforms, but can also can be plugged into a standard guitar amplifier or headphones and played like a conventional guitar using any of 100 pre-set guitar and synth sounds,” the company states. Incorporating a touch-sensitive neck and real strings for accurate picking, the device is designed to “effectively deliver the performance and feeling of a real six-string instrument.”

Check out the video below for more information.

For more gaming news from CES 2010, check out our CES news hub, and also check out CES gadget news from our sister publication PC World.

BBC News – Picasso toy guitar found in Italy

admin — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 02:24:08 +0000

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8435418.stm

Picasso toy guitar found in Italy

Picasso's Little Guitar sculpture is said to be priceless

Italian police have found a toy guitar sculpture created by Pablo Picasso for his daughter Paloma, which had been kept in a shoe box by a businessman.

Rome police tracked the sculpture down to the businessman’s apartment in Pomezia, a town south of the capital.

The businessman, who was not named, was charged with fraud and is now on bail.

Picasso gave the piece to an Italian artist, Giuseppe Vittorio Parisi. He then lent it to the businessman, who was to make a glass showcase for it.

The plan was for the priceless piece to go on display at the civic museum in Maccagno, a small town on Lake Maggiore in northern Italy where Parisi was born.

But the piece disappeared after Parisi handed it over two years ago. When Parisi died in January this year his widow told police that it was still in the businessman’s hands.

The Little Guitar will now go on display at the museum in Maccagno, Italy’s Ansa news agency reports.

An expert is reported to have authenticated the work, which bears the inscription “Paloma”.

Celebrated as a pioneer of Cubism, Picasso is widely regarded as one of the 20th Century’s greatest artists.

MTV Multiplayer: Blackstreet Member Allegedly Uses ‘Rock Band’ Guitar As Weapon

admin — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 02:23:35 +0000

Blackstreet Member Allegedly Uses ‘Rock Band’ Guitar As Weapon » MTV Multiplayer.

Posted 12/30/09 10:30 am ET by Russ Frushtick in News

Teddy Riley, of the band Blackstreet (of “No Diggity” fame, video above), has been accused by his daughter of physical abuse. TMZ is reporting that Taja Riley has accused her father of “stomping, punching and bashing” her and her older sister in their LA home on December 23rd.

So why is this on a gaming-centric blog? Well, apparently he didn’t stop there. According to court documents, Taja said that Teddy “lifted a ‘Rock Band’ guitar and threatened to kill person(s) w/ it.” Ouch. If you want to play drums, all you have to do is ask.

4 Walden Apartments Available In January

admin — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 21:26:11 +0000

The much talked about development in East Nashville where I live has 4 openings starting in Jan 2010. All of them have concrete floors, huge windows, spa like bathroom, great lighting, good sized balcony, and great kitchens with lots of storage and high end finishes. Very lofty feeling. And needless to say, the area is pretty awesome as well. Anyway, thought I’d throw that out there in case there is someone who might be interested in getting a jump on it before they start advertising. Here are some photos of my place, which will be one of those available come the 1st of Jan.

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