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I don’t know about you, but when a new year comes along, I jump at the chance to re-examine my goals and re-focus my efforts.  Yep, I’m sentimental that way.  In terms of reaching my goals musically, 09 was a good year but not a great one.

The Good of 2009– I started this blog, joined Twitter and connected with a great community of guitarists, musicians, & craftsmen.  I bought the Taylor guitar of my dreams (or one of ‘em, anyway ).  I also hooked up with House of Echo and Amanda Joy, 2 fun projects I will be involved with for the foreseeable future.  I continued to play with the ever-exciting Joyful Noise band.

My Goals for 2010–

Reinvent my Tone: Late in 09, I decided to completely reinvent my guitar tone.  That led me to discover and buy a set of Slider’s Vintage Classics Pickups, which are blowing my mind (and my neighbor’s ears).  The blog entry is overdue on these pickups, I realize.  Sorry, Slider! I’ll continue to reinvent my tone in 2010, including (hopefully) assembling my own guitar and shopping for stompboxes.

Become a Student Again: My practice time has become all about learning the next set of tunes.  I need some fresh teaching.  I’m starting with Robben Ford.  I’ve been listening to him lately and his playing is fresh & inspired.

Have a Working Studio: One thing I started (but did not finish) in 09 was cleaning & setting up the studio so that I can record.  This is a top priority for 2010!  So is recording, both fingerstyle and electric.  My last release is dated 2003.  ‘Nuf said.

Give my Home Church Priority: I do a lot of fun music projects, but many of them are outside of my home church.  This year, I want to get into a rhythm (no pun intended) with our praise band Levite, and help make our worship services excellent.  I also want to include many other talented people in our performances this year, including my kids (at least 2/3 of which have strong musical ability).

Continue Working with Amanda Joy & House of Echo: Special things are happening here, and I’m fortunate to be part of this group of incredible musicians.  I’ll be blogging more about these projects in the new year.

With these goals, my family, job, and hockey it looks like I’m in for a pretty productive year.

Buckle up,  it’s 2010!  Happy New Year!

Tasty Warmoth Goodness

Last week this little gem popped up in my Google Reader’s Recommended list: Warmoth Showcase Guitar Bodies.  Hmm…Google knows me too well sometimes.  Knowing this is nothing but fuel for my GAS, I click.  It’s nothing but a feed with pictures & descriptions of their stunning guitar bodies for sale.

I highly recommend this feed for guitar lovers & tinkerers.  The standard GAS warnings apply.

Turns out they also have feeds for guitar necks, bass bodies, and bass necks.

One day I’m going to build a custom strat-style guitar with parts from Warmoth and the Slider’s pickups I just ordered.  More on that little project is coming.

So many guitars, so little time…

I just bought a Taylor this Spring.  And I don’t regret that decision one bit.  I got a sweet deal on an incredible guitar.  But let me indulge in some window shopping on their latest set of masterpieces: the 35th anniversary series.

Taylor is venturing into new territory on some of their acoustic offerings with a 9-string, a Parlor guitar, and a Baritone.

I had never seen a 9-string before, which has a doubled b string and octave-doubled d and g strings.  It’s supposed to offer the best of both the 6 and 12 string guitar (defined bass and highs that aren’t too trebly).  I’m intrigued.  I hope to try one out someday:

Taylor 35th Anniversary 9-string Guitar

A parlor guitar is a smaller bodied guitar, and goes back to the days of early America, when music was primarily played in people’s homes (for a fantastic read on the history of guitar in America, check out Guitar: An American Life by Tim Brookes):

Taylor 35th Anniversary Parlor Guitar

The baritone would be my choice, hands down.  Baritone guitars are slightly longer and tuned down to a fourth or fifth below standard guitar tuning (Taylor’s comes tuned a 4th down).

Taylor 35th Anniversary Baritone Guitar

I had an Alembic electric baritone for a while, which I sold after a few years.  It just wasn’t right for what I was doing at the time.  But Don Ross’s wonderful use of baritone acoustic has convinced me that I’ll need to acquire an acoustic bari someday:

This song, Tight Trite Night, was later covered by Andy McKee.

Have a look at all the Taylor 35 guitars.  They also have a Brazilian, an Armrest guitar, a 12-fret, and some T3 electrics and solidbody electrics.  All of the woods appear to be top-notch.  Serious fuel for your GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome).  As I said when I started this blog post, I just bought my FIRST Taylor this Spring.    Happy shopping!

Hand-carved pick by Rob

Turns out the Taylor guitar I bought this Spring had a bad part in the electronics.  Taylor referred me to a nearby luthier who does warranty work for them.  A lifetime warranty is a happy thing!  Of course my wife says I spent so much on that guitar that “it’d BETTER have a lifetime warranty!”

Sending me to someone who makes guitars is probably not a good idea financially.  It’s kinda like giving my son a credit card and sending him to Gamestop to window shop… but hey– a guy’s gotta do what a guy’s gotta do.

Not to be confused with Warwick Basses, J Warwick Guitars is the team of Jim Warwick and Rob Mock, who make custom, handcrafted acoustic guitars.  They make a great team.  What struck me about their work is the quality, attention to detail, and creativity.  Rob’s skill at woodcarving adds an exciting element to Jim’s expert luthery.

I must’ve seemed like a kid on Christmas morning to them, asking a million questions and pulling out my iPhone & snapping photos.  But Rob happily obliged with a tour of the shop, showing off their works in progress while Jim patiently zeroed in on the problem with my guitar and fixed it while I waited (I was thrilled to not have to leave it).

These guys are doing some great work!  The vine concept guitar is one of the most creative and well-executed guitars I’ve ever seen.  They’re also into using indigenous woods, like the unusual Shenandoah Sycamore.  Enjoy the eye-candy!

J Warwick Guitars Pictures from my Tour of J Warwick Guitars

Hand-carved pick by Rob	This is their vine "concept" guitar. Redwood Top, Black Acacia Back and Sides. Check the maple binding and it’s inside the guitar, too.	Close-up of the soundhole. The maple rosette is like part of its own vine, coming from the fingerboard and flowing down thru the guitar. Beautiful. You can also see that the bracing inside the guitar carries the vine theme.
Inside the soundhole. The bracing is achieved thru vine-like supports. Yep, that’s a carved and painted ladybug!	The back of the vine guitar. That maple isn’t an inlay, its a 3-piece back (black acacia & maple).	The neck of the vine guitar. The maple vine carries thru into the headstock.
Closeup of the headstock.	How the vine guitar will look once finished and assembled.	The neck for another guitar. This is mirrored carving, so one side is a mirror-image of the other. Painstaking detail.
The bloodwood back of a classical guitar in progress.	Cedar top of the classical guitar. The rosette on this one is exquisite.	Another classical, with finish applied and signature inside.
A quilted sapele back. It really pops when finished.	A Shenandoah Sycamore back, I’d never seen a guitar with this wood before. Very unusual look.	A finished Shenandoah Sycamore guitar back. A beautiful and unusual pattern.
Note the detail work on the bracing inside this spruce-topped guitar.	I was lucky that this one was in the shop for some work so I could play it. Jim doesn’t keep any guitars around, he’s got a waiting list of about a year.	The headstock of the guitar I played. The truss rod cover is magnetized and pops off.

Dave Carroll is keeping his promise to write 3 songs about United Airlines baggage handlers breaking his Taylor guitar.  Here’s song 2: