The Smith Strat || 1982 Stratocaster || Guitar Series

This is the one that started it all for me.  My first true love of an electrical instrument.  It began one day about 14 years ago when I walked into The Starving Musician in Santa Clara.  I saw wall after wall of these Fender guitars.  Besides the paint job they all looked the same to me.  The only difference that my novice eye could see in them was the price tag.  They seemed to range from $200 to $2000.  Why?  I gauged that it was probably something to do with quality but I really wanted to find out what goes into making a good guitar.  Especially a classic.

Some easy definitions were where they were manufactured.  Overseas seemed to be cheaper.  Vintage american instruments got to an outrageous amount of money for an instrument.  More importantly as I searched deeper and deeper into peoples passion for stratocasters, I realized that there was this romantic love for this instrument.  Be it maybe the musical life cut short of Buddy Holly or seeing Clapton gravitate to them in mid-career, people loved them.  Then I started picking them up and understanding why they loved them.  They are like a fine wine or a fine woman.  They just feel right.  Leo Fender hit it out of the park when he designed his second solid body guitar in 1954.  The stratocaster has become as American as Baseball and Apple Pie.  And I wanted one.

Many trips to Starving Musican came that year back in 2001.  Their inventory always kept changing and they keep the shelves stocked with a good cross-section of instruments.  Then it happened.  The '82 stratocaster caught my eye.  The first thing I noticed about it as I grabbed to take it off the rack was how heavy it was.  It was a solid piece of machinery.  It appeared aged, but not worn.  I placed it on my knee and strummed a chord.  Everything just felt right.  It was the most solid piece of musical equipment I had ever felt.  Still being a novice I knew little about this guitar besides that it just felt right.  So after giving it an initial test run through an amp, I finished up my lunch break and went back to work.  Not before noting the first couple of digits in the serial number on the headstock.  E207....

Back at the desk I searched the internet for how to read Fender Serial Numbers.  The first two digits were the decade and the specific year it was made.  That would translate this one to 1982.  But what caught my eye beyond the serial dating was an article.  Somewhere out there on the internets, a fellow lover of the "smith strat" (as it became to be known) wrote about guitars made during the time that Dan Smith was hired as marketing manager for Fender.  The Fender Musical Company wanted to attract players back to their instruments.  They wanted the draw and allure that they had before Leo sold the Company to CBS in early 1965.  Dan Smith had the idea to not cut corners and to use the same materials and quality control that had gotten away from Fender by the big corporate purchase.  CBS was all about mass production and cutting costs.  They started building quality instruments again in this magical year of 1982.  They also had a revolutionary idea that year and a great marketing ploy to actually be able to charge more...they started the Vintage Series.  They built reissue '57 Strats and reissue '62 Strats.  Two key years in Stratocaster design.  They were able to phase out the high cost of the typical american series strat and get more money for it by saying it was a vintage reissue.  Brilliant.  But for one key year they built all instruments of quality.  Then the divisions began.  They shipped off product to japan for the low-end entry level guitars, continued making the mid-level "american series" along with the new high end "Vintage Reissue" series.

So out of sheer luck and the lack of lore that now bestows the '82 Smith Strats, I was able to pick up my baby for the cost (at the time) of a brand new American Series.  I thought it was quite a bargain back then.  She taught me how to play the electric guitar.  She taught me how to explores tones.  She was my Number 1 for a good 10 years.  I had many a good guitar.  And utilized many a different guitar onstage as well as record.  However, no guitar has been on more recordings or been played live more than my '82 Strat.  Her frets are wearing a little thin and her paint job is a little more chipped than when I got her, but she is still a beauty in my eyes.

They are still out there.  If you can find an '82 Strat in good condition for the price of a new Strat, my recommendation is at least plug her in and see how she sounds.  My bets are that you wont be disappointed.

And this is how it sounds....

Dreaming || 1984 Designer Series Gibson Flying V || Old Guitars

In september of 1984 I was a 12 year old kid taking a huge bite out of the guitar licks bellowing from the Scorpions newly released album, "Love at First Sting".  The dueling solos between Mattias Jabs and Rudolph Schenker filled my young head with dreams of someday being on stage wielding an axe nearly as cool as these guys.  I loved Matthias' explorer, but oh that flying V was the real dream.  Ever since I saw it sketched on Dave Fedorenko's book cover in math class the love affair began.

However years, responsibility, boredom, etc. got in the way and it took me until 2006 to finally think about getting a band together.  The Booty Chesterfield Trio played the circuit for several years.  My main axe at the beginning was a 1982 Smith Stratocaster by Fender.  It is still a sweet guitar, but not much of an attention grabber.  Around the end of 2009 I saw The Gillbillies play for the first time.  The first thing that struck me about these cats was how bad ass Jimbo was for rocking a Flying V.  The flame of my old (and almost forgotten) love was reignited.  I wanted to be like Jimbo.  I wanted to rock a Flying V.  But not just any V would do.  If there is one thing that I learned from The Gillbillies is that you have to have a different, unique approach.  So I wasn't just going to find an "off the shelf" V; I wanted something with style.

Months went by.  Then in February of 2010 I saw this beauty rear its ugly head on good old Craigslist.  A 1984 Designer Series Gibson Flying V.  I had to have it.  Plus, I thought it was a heck of a deal.  My main reason for acquiring it was kind of as a joke, i.e. to live out a childhood fantasy of rocking a Flying V on stage.  Then I got my hands on it....

I got it off some kid in N. San Jose's Japantown.  It was in decent shape.  At one time it had stickers all over it that had been removed still the clear coat has aged at different times.  The pickups had been switched out a long while back to Seymour Duncans.  There were no breaks or major chips and the neck felt good.  There were two missing volume knobs and a cracked tone knob.  After a quick test run I quickly paid the chap his cash and headed home for a true test drive.

The first thing I noticed was how good the pickups sounded.  I had a Classic Les Paul before with 500t & 496r pickups in it and it sounded like golden ringing compared to my LP (which I soon traded away).  The neck also was super fast and played awesome.  I replaced the volume and tone knobs with some old jaguar ones and we were off to the races.  I played this guitar as my main stage axe for all of 2009 and pretty much all of the rest of the Booty Chesterfield Trio shows.  I don't ever plan on selling this bad boy.  Too cool for school, plus it has a little bit of my childhood metal roots embedded within those licks it puts out.  Enjoy the pictures.

And here are a couple of videos of the V in action:

Live shots are courtesy of Ian Healy & Murray Bowles

Archers of Loaf || Return of Original Music || GAMH 9-2-11

I thought that I would never be able to say that I had been to an Archers of Loaf show.  Why?  Because the most original rock band of the last 20 years (before this year) had not played a live show in over 13 years.  I thought it was hopeless.  Sometime back in April of this year I received a text from the east coast gentlemen who introduced me to their sound.  Blue Lang wrote, "Archers of Loaf, September 2nd.  Date Night.  Get a babysitter."  I was pretty stoked to get this message.

They were the biggest influence on my old band, The Booty Chesterfield Trio.  Blue and I started jamming in the spring of 2006.  As a lot of jams go, you start to bring in your influences.  One of the first bands that Blue turned me on to (and that I took and instant liking to) were these guys.  I got what he wanted out of the music and tried to transcribe that thought process into original tunes.  Hence, the reason for being so influential.  More importantly; they rocked.  And all I wanted to do is rock too.  They are smart punk rock.  Their songs are a mixture of built up drama entangled with overwhelmingly powerful hooks.  They have a lot of "eek and awnk" chord structures in alternate tunings that you don't hear every day.


I had heard several live recordings of them but nothing to prepare me for the show.  Unfortunately, due to a family emergency, Blue did not make the show.  He was back home in Florida.  As the day of the show approached, like so many other things in life when you age, I was tired and just wanted to have a weekend to relax.  Driving up to the City on a Friday night didn't sound too appetizing.  But we rallied and made the most of it.

The opening band sucked.  I cannot even remember their name.  And for the most part I thought the evening was going to suck because the dinner service at the Great American Music Hall.  I had always wanted to sit in the "good seats" that got you dinner and a show, but my cheap ass could never pony up to it.  I need never do it again.  My advice, just get the regular tickets.  While the GAMH is one of the best venues to see a small and intimate show in San Francisco, it is not known for the food or the service.  And the following statement shall serve as an exclamation point.  We had the A grade tickets that night; they gave us the C grade waitress.  A terrible management issue by whoever was in charge that night.  I believe that she was probably new to the job, probably took a hit out of the bong before showing up to work and was completely off.  When it took her 15 minutes to get us a drink from a non-packed upstairs bar (about 30 feet from us) that we were in for it.  Then I noticed the only other group there for dinner had completely finished their meal. I walked up to an usher to inquire (our waitress was no where in site).  Turns out that she completely forgot to place our order and we finally ate overly salted and peppered cafeteria food about hour and a half after our arrival sitting in the dark through a shitty band.  That is the mood that was set.  I was ready to go home.  My buddy took it upon himself to make sure at least we had cocktails on the house floating into our veins to cool our heated jets.  Go for the music; don't go for the food.  And never use a cocktail waitress there.  Very unreliable for such a small intimate venue.

Now for some action.  The Archers came out and completely blew the doors off the non capacity crowd.  They played it perfectly, rolling through all the songs that one who was half a fan would want to hear.  Even more important; it felt real.  It felt like they meant it.  They were not here for the money and to sell more Archers CDs, they were here to put on a kick ass live rock and roll show.



A couple of highlights from the show; staring down from the balcony into the crowd with the Archers in full blast off mode I witnessed  this swirling pool of middle-aged balding white dudes, many with glasses and plaid shirts, attempting to re-start up that pit again, just like they did back in 1993.  But this time with a lot less force.  It was cute (for lack of a better term).  I saw myself in there at one point in time too.  Another highlight was when the Archer's entered into the classic "Low" I heard, check that, we all heard someone shout out "Fuck Yeah!  I have been waiting 15 years to hear this song!!!"  I think that is how many people felt that night.  See, Archers were always an East Coast band.  They never had much of an impact on the west coast as let's say, Pavement or someone else from that era.  Probably because they didn't tour a lot on the west coast.  Maybe two or three times.

So why write about this?  I'd like to encourage musicians to understand the real impact that bands make on people.  The music never dies.  It just keeps on growing.  Now, to see it live...that is a whole different story.  After Friday night I feel like I was one of the fortunate ones....

Archers Of Loaf "Audiowhore" from christopher Bettig on Vimeo.

Pirate Pat's Lost Treasure || 1976 Black on Black Stratocaster || Old Guitars

I think I need not mention my love affair with the guitar.  If you have read any of my earlier posts it comes across quite evident.  When one ages, we tend to acquire more things.  From the previous spoken love, I started collecting guitars.  The true guitar behind the 1976 stratocaster is actually a 1964 Fender Jaguar.

I love the off-set shape of the jaguar and wanted a vintage one.  This preceded me learning the valuable lesson of "never buy a guitar on eBay".  I was misled by this online dealer that I decided to attempt to acquire a jaguar from.  Vintage City Music out of Lansing, MI sold me an "all original" guitar.  Jaguars are known to be complex instruments.  When I received it I couldn't figure it out.  The bridge pick up seemed dead.  I called up Guitar Showcase and they pointed me toward the direction of Mark Brown, whom I am forever indebted to in the guitar buying world.  I took the guitar right over to Mark.  He told me that the neck had been refinished, possible fret job, new reproduction tuners and the neck pick up needed to be rewound.  All in all about $700 worth of work to get it up to snuff.  I said, "ah, I got ripped off" and Mark so eloquently replied, "How much did you pay for this guitar? $2500.  You didn't get ripped off, with the work you would have a $3200 guitar, about the price of a vintage jaguar in good condition."  I love his thought philosophy.

The jaguar story does have a good ending.  They had a 24 hr. return policy, and honored it as "24 hr. business days" and took the guitar back with me paying the shipping.  Now I had cash burning a whole in my pocket.

60s Smugglin' Pat

The cosmos must of aligned wanting me to have, our family friend, Pat Ryan's 1976 black stratocaster.  I met Pat through my uncle Craig.  This guy was a real character; boisterous laugh and parrot on his shoulder.  Pat had a rough go at the end of his life.  He lost his wife, Carol, from a obscure ailment and this sent him into an unfortunate tailspin.  He couldn't hold down a job leading to a depressed & broke dude.  He stated it was his buddhist teachings that made him want to get rid of all of his prized possessions and live a simple life.  Looking back on it now and think he was just preparing for the ending.  Unfortunately Pat took his own life at the age of 58.

80s Jammin' (note Blackie in the background)

Before the end, he approached me about buying his 1976 Black on Black Stratocaster.  It was in good shape with just the tuners being changed.  He wanted $1900 for it.  I was flush with the return cash of the jaguar.  I wanted a vintage instrument and the opportunity to try and help a buddy out.  I did give him the caveat that if he ever wanted his Strat back, I would give it to him for the money I paid.  He said he would not be wanting it back.  An unfortunate truth.  This is the story of how I am in possession of a beautiful 1976 Stratocaster.  He said he bought it because David Gilmour of Pink Floyd fame played one.  But he said he never played it that much because he was much more of a Gibson man.  I understood this philosophy because I am more of the opposite.  I love Fender guitars.  And this one was a beauty, right down to the instruction manual and extra springs.  I did have Mark Brown set it up for me and the tone pots needed replacing and I also had him put back on the original tuners.  It plays and looks great.  See for yourself...

 

 

 

And this is how it sounds......

Patrick Joseph Ryan 1951-2009

The Perfect Mai Tai || Compliments of Joe Izzo

Is summer here yet?  It feels like we have not kicked into high gear in regards to the summertime weather.  In an effort mentally take us there a little sooner I would like to pass on my favorite Mai Tai recipe and encourage other to try it out and enjoy the beginnings of the ever-so-pleasant time of year.

When this drink first came into my existence its concoctions were so potent that it brought down divine forces keeping me out of a head on collision.  Back in '98 I used to get up around quarter to six in the morning, grab my 9 foot surfboard and strap it to the top of a '78 Grand Marquis paneled station wagon and head over the hill to Santa Cruz with my venerable Uncle Craig and one, Joe Izzo.  Joe is a peculiar fellow and this was the beginning of our friendship.  I didn't really know what to expect from the guy.  It was all summed up in one experience; in the makings of a Mai Tai.  We had just peeked over the hill on the 17 heading for a pleasant day of surf.  The topic started off with Mint Julips and quickly drifted onto the Mai Tai.  That is when I blurted out from the back seat that I had never had a Mai Tai.  Joe shoulders and head turned 180 degrees facing me head on and said, "you have never had a Mai Tai?  We need to fix that problem."

The next week we booked a reservation at a Thai restaurant close to my apartment.  Joe was reviewing restaurants for The Metro Newspaper at the time.  A nice friend to have.  Joe showed up with a whole box of ingredients and mixed up a batch of heaven for a couple of friends before heading out to Siam Square.  I had never tasted, felt & fully enjoyed so much pleasure in a beverage before.  I devoted a will to perfect this drink.  I think I have you tell me.  This is how you make it:

First off, you need to get yourself a 16oz. barrel glass.  I recommend going to Hula's in Downtown Santa Cruz and picking up a couple with their logo's on them.  They are pretty cool and it is always a good memory buying a tiki glass or mug.  Fill it with cubed ice.  First put in about 2oz. of Barcadi White Rum.

Then add about an ounce of O.J. and an ounce of pineapple juice. 





Then add just a splash of Trader Vic's Mai Tai mix. 


Then add in a half of ounce of Grenadine, nice and slow so it goes to the bottom and separates away from the mixed juices.
Then add a nice hefty floater of Myer's Dark rum.
Garnish with a skewer of pineapple with cherry and umbrella of top. 

And with a short bendy straw if you got one.  They look beautiful with the three separate layers.  For the rookies and the non-regulars and recommend a good stir after you are done enjoying the scenery.  Personally, I like sipping on the dark rum floating around on top.

Let me know if you have any successes or suggestions when mixing up this drink.  Enjoy!

What Happens to Pickle's First Love? || '82 CAR Fender Stratocaster '62 reissue || Old Guitars

I love old guitars. New guitars have no soul...yet. But old guitars tell stories. They tell tales of old smoke-filled dive bars with remnants of beer splattering encased in between rusty screws and beat up pick ups. They have performed. And that is the reason why we love instruments so much; it is in their performance. So give me the most beat up ugly guitar and that is a guitar that has been truly loved by an owner. It is the 30 year old guitars in pristine condition that scare me. If that guitar sat around and wasn't played, that's telling me something. That is the story of a guitar that never found the right tone for someone.

This brings me to Sweet Pickle's (aka Mr. Laflen to some, key axe wielder in Them Slack Jawed Sons of Bitches as well as life-long member of The Ex-Old Ladies) 1982 Candy Apple Red AVRI '62 Stratocaster. No one sees this guitar much lately, but I am lucky enough to currently have it on loan and in my possession. For that reason I decided to snap some pictures of this beauty and tell it's tale via Sweet P.

This guitar, 1982 Candy apple red Fullerton reissue strat, was my main axe with my old bands in the 90's, The Lowdown(funk-rock) , Big Joe(alt-country), the Money Shot and SpaceFish(hippy Jam band). I have some great pics somewhere.

So I purchased this guitar somewhere in the mid-90's. A time I refer to when I was in Tucson as 'the lost weekend'.

I had a fullerton black maple necked reissue stolen from my house in the Sam Hughes district near the University of AZ. I loved that guitar and I was crushed to come home and find it missing. My band practiced in the house so it was easy for the wolves to figure out there was an electric guitar to be had. I came home to find the input jack of the guitar still attached to the cord meaning they grabbed my guitar and literally ran out the back door with it. The only thing left was the jack of the guitar as a memory of my own blackie. No insurance. So... I looked in our weekly paper and in the newspaper and found a Red reissue strat for sale for 550 bucks. The guy was freshly married and clearly on a new path. He pulled the perfect condition strat literally from under the bed where it was stored. I played it and new it'd be the one. I think I ended up paying 500 but can't recall. We were both happy with the deal. I still do not recall how I got the money for this guitar back then as I was as poor as everyone else with pickup jobs and par-time work while I was going to school.

I primarily used this guitar with a 4-10 bassman, vintage rat pedal, cs-9 chorus and Boss DD-2 delay. It served me well and the neck pickup is amazing.

That is the story on this beauty, now let's look at some pictures of this true relic.  And next time, you see him on stage make sure to ask Pickle where the hell is the red strat!