How did you discover PRSi?

Growing up as a kid moving from home to home I relished when I lived with my grandparents. My grandfather had 3 strats, like old strats, that he used to sit and pick on from time to time. This was in the early 60's. From that point on I always had a small flame for wanting to play, but never did. Fast forward to now, just a FEW decades later. Following a military, civilian and now government career I have finally chosen to pursue the dream. In December of last year I began doing some research, online, friends, co-workers. I knew very little, really still do compared to most of you masters here. Thanks to online information, good and bad, which is bountiful, I stumbled across conversations about this PRS product. I spent countless hours reading, listening, learning and viewing product. In the meantime I bought an Epiphone 335 Limited Edition off a friend at work for almost nothing to start working these old hands. I knew this wasn't anything more than filler and that I would pull the trigger soon enough with something else. As I read and learned more about the history of PRS I found myself lost in the his journey, how he turned a passion into an amazing enterprise. I learned that as I was working the early years of my military career this PRS fellow was about 1.5 hours north of where I was serving beginning his. To see how his dream coalesced into these amazing tools that both represent what our hearts want, and in the right hands, can bring to our and others ears some pretty amazing sounds. In no time, and I literally do mean no time, I found the decision easy and chose to purchase my PRS to aid me in my personal quest of learning and eventually being the old guy sitting around picking. In fact the decision is so fresh the guitar will arrive tomorrow!
 
I worked at GC in Detroit back in the mid-90s and there was what I think I recall as an Artist 22 with a clear finish that had hung on the wall for quite a while. I was just always drawn to it and would play it whenever I had the chance but since I worked at GC, I couldn't afford it even with the decent discount we had back then. Then came the fateful Saturday when I watch some guy take her home and my dream guitar got away. 20+ years later, I've had a slew of SEs and now have a nice S2 Mira that I love and am really getting the whole "gateway" thing as I now find myself looking at older CE and Custom 22s. The 2019 Paul's Guitar is now coming onto my radar too.

What the hell have I gotten myself into???
 
I worked at GC in Detroit back in the mid-90s and there was what I think I recall as an Artist 22 with a clear finish that had hung on the wall for quite a while. I was just always drawn to it and would play it whenever I had the chance but since I worked at GC, I couldn't afford it even with the decent discount we had back then. Then came the fateful Saturday when I watch some guy take her home and my dream guitar got away. 20+ years later, I've had a slew of SEs and now have a nice S2 Mira that I love and am really getting the whole "gateway" thing as I now find myself looking at older CE and Custom 22s. The 2019 Paul's Guitar is now coming onto my radar too.

What the hell have I gotten myself into???
I'm in that foxhole with you!
 
Sidebar: isn't "Mook" some kinda racial slur?

I have no idea. I've been using this handle since the late 90s and it has no particular meaning. It's just something I came up with as a dumb 20-something and never changed it.

EDIT: I guess it is a word.

Definition of mook

slang
: a foolish, insignificant, or contemptible person
 
Yup, likely during his "Damn Yankees" band days. I think I liked Nugent better during that time than during his solo career.

These days, Nugent is playing a Les Paul most of the time, a PRS for "Fred Bear", and the Birdland comes out at the end of the show. At least as of a couple years ago. I haven't seen him since he went back to the trio format - I think his stuff works much better with a rhythm guitarist involved, and I love Derek St. Holmes' voice.
 
These days, Nugent is playing a Les Paul most of the time, a PRS for "Fred Bear", and the Birdland comes out at the end of the show. At least as of a couple years ago. I haven't seen him since he went back to the trio format - I think his stuff works much better with a rhythm guitarist involved, and I love Derek St. Holmes' voice.

Good gravy! I've not been following Ted's band endeavors since 'Damn Yankees' when his music was more popular back then. I think Ted's career took a turn for the worse when he began advocating the political scene (many took sides for and against him).

IMO, Ted's ability as a rhythm guitarist was above par for most guitarists during his heyday. Perhaps acceptable as a lead guitarist. Certainly better than a lot of guitarists, including myself.

At least during his Damn Yankees years Ted's songwriting ability improved over his solo years, from a continuity / flow / musicality point-of-view. "Coming of Age" was a song you could tap your fingers to, or boogie down on the dance floor with. Not so much with Ted's earlier years.

Thanks for your response.
 
Good gravy! I've not been following Ted's band endeavors since 'Damn Yankees' when his music was more popular back then. I think Ted's career took a turn for the worse when he began advocating the political scene (many took sides for and against him).

IMO, Ted's ability as a rhythm guitarist was above par for most guitarists during his heyday. Perhaps acceptable as a lead guitarist. Certainly better than a lot of guitarists, including myself.

At least during his Damn Yankees years Ted's songwriting ability improved over his solo years, from a continuity / flow / musicality point-of-view. "Coming of Age" was a song you could tap your fingers to, or boogie down on the dance floor with. Not so much with Ted's earlier years.

Thanks for your response.

Ted's music, when you get down to it, is really kind of groove-oriented. He yammers on a lot about the Motown sound and refers to his band as 'funk brothers'. And that element is definitely there, but in the trio format, when he solos, that sense of groove is really minimized. That's what I miss when he doesn't have Derek or another rhythm guitarist. Plus, Derek brings something to the vocals that Ted can't, which is not a knock on Ted - I think he's a fine vocalist, but he's not Derek St. Holmes. (Along the same line, there's a version of "Street Rats", I think, from Free For All w/Derek singing, and he's no Meat Loaf, so it's all relative!).

One of the things I liked most about Damn Yankees is Ted - to his credit - was a piece of the puzzle, not the whole puzzle. He didn't try to take over or drive the band. He fit in where he was needed and it worked so well. I'd love to see that band get back together now that Cartellone is going to be available when Skynyrd is done.
 
...One of the things I liked most about Damn Yankees is Ted - to his credit - was a piece of the puzzle, not the whole puzzle. He didn't try to take over or drive the band. He fit in where he was needed and it worked so well. I'd love to see that band get back together now that Cartellone is going to be available when Skynyrd is done.

This. When Ted was thinking band/team oriented, it was to his credit. Individually, I think is where Ted was falling short of his goal.
 
These days, Nugent is playing a Les Paul most of the time, a PRS for "Fred Bear", and the Birdland comes out at the end of the show. At least as of a couple years ago. I haven't seen him since he went back to the trio format - I think his stuff works much better with a rhythm guitarist involved, and I love Derek St. Holmes' voice.

This was the guitar set up when I saw him last summer.
 
Ted's music, when you get down to it, is really kind of groove-oriented. He yammers on a lot about the Motown sound and refers to his band as 'funk brothers'. And that element is definitely there, but in the trio format, when he solos, that sense of groove is really minimized. That's what I miss when he doesn't have Derek or another rhythm guitarist. Plus, Derek brings something to the vocals that Ted can't, which is not a knock on Ted - I think he's a fine vocalist, but he's not Derek St. Holmes. (Along the same line, there's a version of "Street Rats", I think, from Free For All w/Derek singing, and he's no Meat Loaf, so it's all relative!).

One of the things I liked most about Damn Yankees is Ted - to his credit - was a piece of the puzzle, not the whole puzzle. He didn't try to take over or drive the band. He fit in where he was needed and it worked so well. I'd love to see that band get back together now that Cartellone is going to be available when Skynyrd is done.

Totally agree with this entire post!
 
Back
Top