I’ve been looking for a solid guitar with P-90s and I think I finally found it. The Yamaha SGV 800. In the 60s this was Yamaha’s answer to the Mosrite and it’s pretty similar. The one I got is a 2000 reissue. All chrome hardware, Sperzel locking tuners, binding on the neck. This is a well made guitar.
I traded an SG Special for it, and after playing it last night quite a bit, I think I got a sweet deal.
This Wednesday at the Prolo we’re playing a Commune Music show with our pals Casino and a new Houston band called The Prodigal Sons. The Prodigal Sons are a last minute replacement for Austin’s Lomita who couldn’t make it down after all.
The Sons include some former members of The John Sparrow and I believe their bass player is in Pale. They fit in fairly well with my original plan, which was a show in which fully 50% of the music would be guitar solos. Suffice it to say, all three bands are prone to some Stones-y/Face-y aspirations. Also, Casino and The Prodigal Sons actually look like real rock bands, with the long, spiky hair and the tight pants and the well placed cigarettes. Which means that, for once, it might be midnight before you see a bunch of sloppy nerds w/ glasses strap on guitars (that would be us).
Here’s the lineup:
The Prodigal Sons 9:30
Casino 10:30
Bright Men of Learning 11:30
You should pick up a copy of the Houston Press this week. We get a lil’ blurb in there.
If you ever wanted to attend a taping of VH1’s Storytellers, The Commune may be the closest you’re going to get. Every Wednesday the Proletariat hosts this event, where local bands play their songs and discuss them with fans. Today, Bright Men of Learning headline with their alt-country-meets-classic-rock sound. Their tunes provide a laidback vibe perfect for toe-tapping and beer-sipping. The only musical influence listed on their MySpace is Tom Petty, but the band more often invokes the vibe of Houston star Michael Haaga and his Plus and Minus Show. Ask the Bright Men about that after Casino gets a turn at the podium.
Anyways, thanks to Dusti Rhodes of the Press, who contacted me via MySpace and wrote the small piece. We appreciate the plug. I also want to point out that our MySpace site mentions both Tom Petty and Eddie Money. Don’t forget about Eddie!
Rene Cruz, the guy what did the amazing artwork for our CD, has launched a new Web site that shows off some of other work he’s done. In addition to BMOL, Rene also designed album artwork for our pals Spain Colored Orange, Sharks and Sailors, and Ghost Shark. All that work is featured on the site, plus he’s added selections from his sketchbook, and a few of his really good posters.
Check it out. We’ve also added him to our list of links on the right.
When it comes to multi-track home recording, I’ve never demanded a whole lot in terms of sound quality. I’ve depended more on ease of use and quick access. That’s why I was such a big fan of my old Boss BR-8 zip disc recorder. The built in guitar emulation and the easy-to-use rhythm generator made it easy for a dummy like me to craft some decent sounding home recordings. Well, it bit the dust, but here’s a new machine I might like even better.
Sure, it’s only got 4 tracks, but it’s got nearly all the other features I used on my old BR8, including the rhythm tracks and guitar effects. And it’s only $229! Yeah, this is on my Christmas list.
