Distortiony goodness

And now we return to a subject that I was quite obsessed about back in 2009; learning to play the electric guitar. One of the songs that I was working on Saturday needs distortion, bass, drums, B3 and a really dirty slide. The distortion on my practice amp is really unappealing to my ears, really harsh and brittle. I want a creamier, more musical distortion, so Dean Farley suggested an Ibanez Tubescreamer distortion pedal (he says they're friendly, but I think he meant "idiot-proof," though he's too nice to say it). I picked one up cheap, and plugged it in... and... well... see, I'm just so not used to THAT response when I play guitar and I think it messes with my attack or something. It sounds like ass. My dad once told me that it didn't matter what you played if you played with confidence, and hopefully that's all I'm lacking at this point.

Otherwise, just keepin' on keepin' on. Writers group meets again Wednesday at 6 - can't wait!

Sad guitar

My oldest guitar friend, my 1972 Gallagher G45 Custom, is a sick baby. The weather was just too much for it this year and the neck is...bendy...I can't play it anyway because it causes my right rotator cuff to freak OUT, dreadnaughts are just too big for me. But it was my dad's guitar, and he gave it to me after I had a bunch of work done on it in the 80's...and now...sigh. I have to call Don Gallagher Monday and talk to him about it and it's probably going to make me cry. I adjusted the truss rod as much as it'll adjust, and it's not enough. He could probably put a new neck on, but he'd want to put a new back on, too, because the back is the home of the Crack of Doom... it's been a working guitar, so it's taken a beating through weather and winters and who the hell knows what all. I don't know if it would be the same guitar after all that...and maybe that's ok - maybe that's a good thing - new back and new neck with a modern truss rod and carbon fiber rods - maybe I'd get another 35 years out of it. I should live at least that long...well...we'll have to have a good long chat about it Monday. In the meantime, I'm all worried about it...