Scotty's Blog 2/20/2010

These Are My Girls!!!

1. 2005 - G&L ASAT CLASIC  (she's a lovely bird)
2. 1983 - Gibson ED335 (bought it in 1984)

 Here Are My Boys!

 Bluesbreaker style 2x12 cabinet with (1) Celestion G12H - 30 and (1) Celestion Vintage 30 with opitional closed or ppen back

1. Homemade Amp.  I built this one Christmas of 2009.  A two-stroke 8 watt all tube dual-single-ended combo.  Awesome.  Made the Cabinet out of Heart Pine recovered from an old victorian house I renovated in Downtown Savannah!  My friends call it "La Cabronita"  or  "Lil' Bastard" it has (1) Celestion Greenback. 
2. Vox AC 30 (just like the Beatles).... Well not exactly!  Mine is a 2007.  A few chages have occored along the way, however once I put the two Celeston Blues in it!  BAM!!!  That made all the diffrence.  Now I know why these is one of Joe Walsh's favorites.  BAM!
3. Fender Delux Reverb.   A good amp.  Every guitar player wants a Fender in their collection.  There are better Fenders... but this is my boy!   

Scotty's Blog 1/8/10

Windows 7 - “The good the bad the ugly”

I updated to Windows 7 for the New Year and “now” that I have finally finished all the unexpected work…  I like it!  Sort of!

Yes, one should do more homework than I did prior to switching operation systems.  What is sad is this is just one of many operating system upgrades I have installed over the years.  It seems every time I do it I forget how big of job it is.   But with all the excitement and hype of Windows 7, I just flew into it with arrogance and disregard, forgetting to back-up several programs before plowing into Windows 7.  Additionally, I did not check my external hardware to insure they would be compatible with Windows 7.  I never went to Vista because of all the negative publicity but realized my Windows XP was getting slow and just loaded with junk.   So… time to upgrade right?  Well…

Here are a few bullet points I recommend before going to Windows 7:

1.       Back-up your data files and any program you may have downloaded.  My Windows XP could not be upgraded… meaning saving my programs and setting was not possible.  Therefore Windows 7 simply puts all you files in a folder called “Old Windows Files” and installs.  This leaves you with what is basically a new computer.  All programs and settings will have to be re-installed.  MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THEM BEFORE DOING THIS!     

2.       Refresh yourself first.  Take a little time to remember where all you files are.  Files you use daily are often pointed to by the programs and we forget where they are actually kept on the computer.  The better organized your files are before you start the easier it will be when you make the change. 

3.       Check external hardware to see if it is compatible.  Most external hard drives and jump drives should be fine, however I have a fancy little Tascam USB audio interface that I bought about 3 years ago that will not work with Windows 7.  And, according to the company, they may not be offering a Windows 7 upgraded driver for it (They suggest I just buy the newer model).  Who knows if they will ever get around to offering the upgrade?  Additionally I have a very expensive Savin copier/scanner/printer/fax that is about 4 years old and it too does not have a Windows 7 driver or software… Yet?  So now, I have to run my printer/scanner/copier off of my netbook jump, driving data between the two. What a pain.     

To sum it up, your browser and internet will run lightening fast.  The Look of all the windows and the way it helps your programs look and run better is awesome.  And the ease of use is a big plus (more like the Mac than ever but, still Windows).  You just have to make sure all your critical programs and hardware are Windows 7 ready and that you are prepared for a pretty intense computer upgrade session.

Scotty's Blog 8/13/09

Les Paul 1916-2009

My favorite quote from Les Paul is “most people think I’m a Guitar”.  As a guitarist I have a great appreciation for pioneers such as Les Paul.  Moreover much of the praise he received at the announcement of his death was deserved.  However I heard CNN Headline News give Les Paul the credit for “inventing the electric guitar”.   Hummm... Really???  A little research would have helped those guys.  It is well documented that many great players like Eddie Durham, Bob Wills, Charlie Christian AND Lester Polfus all played forms of electrified or amplified guitars as early as the late 20’s.  However it is Eddie Durham who is credited as first to record using an electric guitar.  The true inventor of the Electric Guitar is just not known.  Gibson INC.’s Lloyd A. Loar is known to have begun working on electrified guitars for Gibson as early as 1919 but was never able to convince the management to introduce them to the public because there was no demand for them at the time.  Rickenbacker gets the credit by most as the first to offer a commercialized electric guitar in 1931 and the Dopera Brothers (Dobro) had electric resonator guitars on the market in 1932.  The Solid Body Gibson “Les Paul” came to the market in 1952 in response to the commercial success Clarence Leo Fender was beginning to achieve with his solid body guitars. The fact is Les Paul was right in the thick of all of it and in the end has his name is on one of the most popular guitars ever made and played.  Almost every great guitarist in all music genres has a Gibson Les Paul… or wants one.  I am unfortunately in the later category.  It could easily be said that Les Paul was the most influential SOLID body electric guitar player to ever endorse a guitar!  Wow… now that just doesn’t have the same ring as “invented the electric guitar”.  Regardless… Thanks to Les Paul, his name will forever be synonymous with the solid body guitar and Rock n’ Roll.
Scotty Snipes