Recent content by jfine

Clubowners have been trying for years to avoid paying ASCAP and BMI. Back in the '70's, when you could play cover songs in bars and actually get paid a living wage, I made my living doing just that. Back then, the licensing fees were just part of the clubowner's cost of doing business, whether...

Oh. My. God. Someone's been reading my mind. John Mayer, Paul--YOU KIDS GET OUT OF MY HEAD!! Seriously, that guitar could have been designed for me. It's probably way out of my price range, but dang, that thing is way cool. And it's only available for a short time, so unless I win the lottery...

AMEN! Viking, you got the one I wanted--natural was my first finish choice; couldn't find one, and I wanted the rosewood fingerboard, so I found a whitewash one instead (it's my avatar pic). Great guitar, and you certainly don't see a lot of them around--but after a couple of decades of "close...

I use mine a lot, depending on what kind of music I'm playing. I set my amp fairly bright (and clean, most of the time), so if I need a jazz sort of tone I'll switch to my neck pickup and roll some treble off--or, if I'm going for a Cream-era Clapton thing with a dirty tone, I'll use the neck...

Cream reunion, Royal Albert Hall, 2005

I know the feeling! I started playing folk music on a nylon-string at the age of 12, open-handed strumming and a little fingerpicking, but I didn't want to be a folkie; I wanted to play rock 'n' roll--my initial influences were Chuck Berry and Dick Dale, and even after I got an electric guitar I...

My Funny Valentine.

I like Guitar Center Sessions. Saw one the other night featuring Chicago. They sounded great, and considering that over the years they lost two out of the three original lead vocalists, they sound better than they did in the old days. One of my favorite bands in the late '60's, and they're even...

I don't see why not. A lot will depend on how busy he is when you run into him. He does sign a lot of stuff, though, and bringing the backplate will be a lot easier than bringing the whole guitar! A couple of years ago I went to Sweetwater Music's Gearfest and got Paul and Brent Mason to sign...

I may be one of the few who don't like PRS strap buttons. When I got my Brent Mason, I got a nice thick PRS signature strap to go with it, and I couldn't get the strap over the buttons, even after enlarging the slots in the strap. I wound up using Dunlop buttons (without the locks) with the...

Whoa!! Be still, my wallet...

I like the pickguard designs on the SE and S2 Standards, and I have a Brent Mason, so I don't have a problem with pickguards--some of my favorite PRSi have them (DC3, for instance). That being said, if I could afford a Private Stock Brent Mason I wouldn't want a pickguard covering up the top...

I got this message too. What's up?

Very nice! That's the color I wanted on my Brent Mason (I got Whitewash)--love that natural korina! And I prefer the cream pickup rings--they look great with the korina.

Great clip! I've known for a long time that there are tonal differences between wood species--I can hear them--but there are so many variables that I've never been able to do more than generalize (maple is bright, mahogany is darker, etc.). This is the first time I've seen a reasonably...