sergiodeblanc
New Member
- Joined
- Apr 26, 2012
- Messages
- 27,388
It was the year I was trying to fill the hole in my heart (that I self-diagnosed as guitar shaped) and I was simultaneously painting a cedar walled 1970's basement, mixing a Deathmetal-Screamo band, taking care of my mom, and babysitting three stoned rich teenagers...
My life at that time was sh!t.
I would spend the morning getting the kids to high school, sit in an hours worth of traffic to get to the painting gig where I would watch the cedar suck up the millionth coat of benign off-white-yellowy-beige paint, stop by my moms to make sure she was still alive, then drive to Chicago in the late afternoon to callp the mixes on an analog Beck/Wards console (only to have the band cancel), and finally drive back north (in another hour of traffic) to make sure the kids weren't too high (or getting busy with their GF's/BF's) to do their homework.
See, I had been trying to buy this (blue) SASNF off this weird dude on CL for almost a week. It was a time period where I just couldn't buy a guitar for the life of me (you may recall the threads). The guy was insane.. He email'd me any only wanted to talk on the phone, and when we did so he would act all evasive in a very thick Chinese accent (which I only mention because it made his odd requests even harder to understand). I was to meet him at one GC parking lot one day, then he'd ghost. I would then get a call a couple days later asking if I was still interested (I was) and we'd make plans to meet at a different GC and then he'd ghost again. He finally got back to me saying that he needed a picture of the money to make sure I wasn't scamming him. Oh boy! I needed an X-amonut of dollars in one-hundred dollar bills that I would then text a picture of to him before he would agree to meet.
We all know how this sounds, but as I alluded to earlier, in my mind getting killed in a GC parking lot at that point in my life didn't seem like the worst thing that could happen. So I sent the pic, and since there were some 50's and 20's in there (C'mon!) dude never got back to me! I don't know why he needed 100's.. I can only speculate, but to do so would be... you know...
Well, I came here (and while observing the strict rules of no buy/sell threads) posted said pic and started b!tching about not being able to buy yet another guitar.
actual picture
Then by sheer coincidence
, my homie Rider1260 texts me that he was in the middle of his own (of many ) GAS frenzy(s). Seeing that pile-o-loot proved to be too much for a fellow gear whore to resist, so he starts throwin' out deals at me. First it was the 305 (that Gush now has), then it was his 25th Mira, and then I calmly reminded him that I had called dibs a couple years earlier on his KL33.
To be honest, I don't think he really wanted to let go of it. And rightly so, it's an absolutely f@ckin' Bangin'! guitar.
We threw some prices around trying to come to an agreement that would allow him to purchase another guitar (also Bangin'!) from a fellow member here but I wasn't sure if I could/should afford it. So I do what I always do when I'm being a Pu$$yclaat about buying a guitar, I texted Hans.
And with that solid boot-up-my-arse, I texted Rider back and I told him I'd be "in the car right now" if he'd throw in that 25th Mira's white case (I also have this "thing" about luggage, you see). We both agreed that we'd both be eating ramen noodles for the next few months (GAS is a cruel mistress as we all know) but that it was on.
My legs started spinning in place like one of those Warner Bros. cartoons of someone getting ready to run, and I'm fairly sure I laid tracks across the hardwood floors of my sisters house. Past the niece with bloodshot eyes and a bag of Doritos lying comatose upon the sofa, over the hills of Hentai mags of the middle child's, and lightly kissing the bumper of the slutty French chick's parent's Lexus who was dubiously locked away unsupervised in my oldest nephew's adolescent-scented room, I sped (speeded?) from Winnetka to Aurora!
Google maps says it takes 1 hour and 47 mins to make that trip.. I will tell you that in actuality all it takes is about thirteen cigarettes and about three songs less than the running time of The Best of Earth Wind and Fire album(1:10:30) as I was parked in front of his home by the time Boogie Wonderland came on (58:10-ish).
We say "Wassup" and head to the basement where I see this:
dramatic re-enactment, not actual picture as mods and champagne not included
I didn't realize the interior of the case was red, since all the ones I'd seen were either black or blue, so it was one of those "meant to be" things as I adore the color red. After I hand over the money I play a couple of Rider's incredible new PRS he picked up, including his ME which rang like a bell... so much so that I handed it back to him after a couple of chords saying "I don't wanna know!" and said goodbyes.
The ride home seemed even faster than the trip out. I showed it to the kids (who all play instruments),sent a pic to Hans, plugged it into one of my nephew's amps' and turned it all the way up!
The dog, cat, and children all bolt from the vicinity. I play Slayer songs and wanky lead guitar sh!t for an hour, crack open a bottle of wine, play some more, step outside for a smoke, and then just stare at it through the window. I get a text back from Hans sayin' "Happy Hanukkah" before realizing the mashup of holidays, neither of which I celebrate.
The next few days were spent with it, or thinkin' of it. When my Sis told me she was on her way home, I left in such a hurry that I forgot to close the case and gave it its first gouge, and since then I've abused and modded, and practically never play any of my other guitars.
Three years later I think I can honestly say it's my favorite guitar. The solid Korina construction and unplated John Mann 1980 spec. bridge emit the sweetest lead tones I've ever coaxed out of a guitar. The scale length and body shape just work for me, so comfy and substantial... it's perfect.
I play the sh!t outta this thing. Always with me (like my CE I've had for 20+ years, although it's not getting played hardly) and I suspect it always will be. Modded, hot-rodded, winged, and dinged.
Happy Anniversary, KL33.
And thank you, Rider. I owe you.
My life at that time was sh!t.
I would spend the morning getting the kids to high school, sit in an hours worth of traffic to get to the painting gig where I would watch the cedar suck up the millionth coat of benign off-white-yellowy-beige paint, stop by my moms to make sure she was still alive, then drive to Chicago in the late afternoon to callp the mixes on an analog Beck/Wards console (only to have the band cancel), and finally drive back north (in another hour of traffic) to make sure the kids weren't too high (or getting busy with their GF's/BF's) to do their homework.
See, I had been trying to buy this (blue) SASNF off this weird dude on CL for almost a week. It was a time period where I just couldn't buy a guitar for the life of me (you may recall the threads). The guy was insane.. He email'd me any only wanted to talk on the phone, and when we did so he would act all evasive in a very thick Chinese accent (which I only mention because it made his odd requests even harder to understand). I was to meet him at one GC parking lot one day, then he'd ghost. I would then get a call a couple days later asking if I was still interested (I was) and we'd make plans to meet at a different GC and then he'd ghost again. He finally got back to me saying that he needed a picture of the money to make sure I wasn't scamming him. Oh boy! I needed an X-amonut of dollars in one-hundred dollar bills that I would then text a picture of to him before he would agree to meet.
We all know how this sounds, but as I alluded to earlier, in my mind getting killed in a GC parking lot at that point in my life didn't seem like the worst thing that could happen. So I sent the pic, and since there were some 50's and 20's in there (C'mon!) dude never got back to me! I don't know why he needed 100's.. I can only speculate, but to do so would be... you know...
Well, I came here (and while observing the strict rules of no buy/sell threads) posted said pic and started b!tching about not being able to buy yet another guitar.
actual picture
Then by sheer coincidence
, my homie Rider1260 texts me that he was in the middle of his own (of many ) GAS frenzy(s). Seeing that pile-o-loot proved to be too much for a fellow gear whore to resist, so he starts throwin' out deals at me. First it was the 305 (that Gush now has), then it was his 25th Mira, and then I calmly reminded him that I had called dibs a couple years earlier on his KL33.To be honest, I don't think he really wanted to let go of it. And rightly so, it's an absolutely f@ckin' Bangin'! guitar.
We threw some prices around trying to come to an agreement that would allow him to purchase another guitar (also Bangin'!) from a fellow member here but I wasn't sure if I could/should afford it. So I do what I always do when I'm being a Pu$$yclaat about buying a guitar, I texted Hans.
And with that solid boot-up-my-arse, I texted Rider back and I told him I'd be "in the car right now" if he'd throw in that 25th Mira's white case (I also have this "thing" about luggage, you see). We both agreed that we'd both be eating ramen noodles for the next few months (GAS is a cruel mistress as we all know) but that it was on.
My legs started spinning in place like one of those Warner Bros. cartoons of someone getting ready to run, and I'm fairly sure I laid tracks across the hardwood floors of my sisters house. Past the niece with bloodshot eyes and a bag of Doritos lying comatose upon the sofa, over the hills of Hentai mags of the middle child's, and lightly kissing the bumper of the slutty French chick's parent's Lexus who was dubiously locked away unsupervised in my oldest nephew's adolescent-scented room, I sped (speeded?) from Winnetka to Aurora!
Google maps says it takes 1 hour and 47 mins to make that trip.. I will tell you that in actuality all it takes is about thirteen cigarettes and about three songs less than the running time of The Best of Earth Wind and Fire album(1:10:30) as I was parked in front of his home by the time Boogie Wonderland came on (58:10-ish).
We say "Wassup" and head to the basement where I see this:
dramatic re-enactment, not actual picture as mods and champagne not included
I didn't realize the interior of the case was red, since all the ones I'd seen were either black or blue, so it was one of those "meant to be" things as I adore the color red. After I hand over the money I play a couple of Rider's incredible new PRS he picked up, including his ME which rang like a bell... so much so that I handed it back to him after a couple of chords saying "I don't wanna know!" and said goodbyes.
The ride home seemed even faster than the trip out. I showed it to the kids (who all play instruments),sent a pic to Hans, plugged it into one of my nephew's amps' and turned it all the way up!
The dog, cat, and children all bolt from the vicinity. I play Slayer songs and wanky lead guitar sh!t for an hour, crack open a bottle of wine, play some more, step outside for a smoke, and then just stare at it through the window. I get a text back from Hans sayin' "Happy Hanukkah" before realizing the mashup of holidays, neither of which I celebrate.
The next few days were spent with it, or thinkin' of it. When my Sis told me she was on her way home, I left in such a hurry that I forgot to close the case and gave it its first gouge, and since then I've abused and modded, and practically never play any of my other guitars.
Three years later I think I can honestly say it's my favorite guitar. The solid Korina construction and unplated John Mann 1980 spec. bridge emit the sweetest lead tones I've ever coaxed out of a guitar. The scale length and body shape just work for me, so comfy and substantial... it's perfect.
I play the sh!t outta this thing. Always with me (like my CE I've had for 20+ years, although it's not getting played hardly) and I suspect it always will be. Modded, hot-rodded, winged, and dinged.
Happy Anniversary, KL33.
And thank you, Rider. I owe you.
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