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NAMMLog '08: Pilgrim's Progress

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- Rated: 195 ↑
Jan 16, 2008 9:20 a.m. Proteus:

A Hoosier Hillbilly goes to Disneyland

Well, the Anaheim Convention Center is near Didneyland, anyway.

I'm off to the Magic Kingdom of GASgear, the World Fair of Guitars, the ark of the Gretsch covenant...the Gretsch corner of the Fender Pavilion at WinterNAMM '08.

Since I've been duly deputized as the representative of this august assembly at NAMM, and Gretsch's liaison with y'all, I want you to get your moneysworth, so I'm taking you along.

Guitar reports, star and starlet sightings, the ultimate opportunity for Gretsch gear shootouts, contests and Q/A begin tomorrow, probably in a different thread. For now, getting across 2,000 miles of America.

Dateline last night. Last minute details attended to, but still some computer business "paper"work to attend to on the flight. Clothes, computer, cameras, digital recorder stowed in two carry-ons.

5:45 a.m. EST You gotta be kidding me. I knew I would be making my version of an ultimate sacrifice for y'all by getting up before the sun comes up (I think it's in the 11th Commandment), but I hadn't remembered just how Wrong It Seems.

My bags are packed / I'm ready to go / They're waiting down / Beside the door / I hate to wake her up to say goodbye...

6:30 a.m. The white van is rolling. It's star-visible dark, frost sparkling on roads and stubble of winter fields. 16°.

Two hours of rural 2-lane roads, southeast across Indiana toward Louisville. The van slowly warms; I drive in solitude and silence, with a big sytrofoam cup of cold milk and a Home McBreakfast sandwich, compliments of my good and faithful wife.

Schoolbuses? No wonder kids drop out of school! HOW do they get up this early?

Stays dark for an hour, then rosy-fingered dawn begins to grope at the eastern sky. It doesn't flinch. A blush of color lasts only a few minutes, then gives way to an even steely dawn.

8:30 a.m. The west bank of Louisville, across the Ohio in Indiana, traffic backs up before the bridge, where I take the exit to my daughter's house. Ten minutes for the last mile.

Short visit with her and my grandson (both under the weather), then son-in-law drops me off at Standiford Field. After 9:00 now, traffic has eased. Plenty of time for a 10:55 flight.

9:45 - 10:18 Through security and seated at the gate "lounge." Internet access is 3.95 for two hours. What will they think of next?

No trouble in security; my mini-screwdriver even made it through in my clothes bag. (That and a tuner, so I can do setups if needed.) Glad I wore hole-free socks and new shoes.

Waiting, writing, watching.

Silver wings, shining in the sunlight / roaring engines headed somewhere in flight...

Radio stories include reports of a massive UFO sighted near Dallas - maybe I'll see it! - and a mention that the Santa Ana winds have kicked up again in SoCal.

Hey, Mr. Spaceman / Won't you please take me along / I won't do anything wrong

Here come those Santa Ana winds again?

So OK, I have a lot of new music to transfer from Powerbook to iPhone, something to listen to during the flight. Better get to it.

Stay tuned.
- Rated: 195 ↑
Jan 16, 2008 9:28 a.m. Proteus:

10:26 a.m.
Now boarding all rows.

Made up my mind to make a new start, / Going to california with guitars in my heart.
- Rated: 82 ↑
Jan 16, 2008 9:35 a.m. Mark S(ynchro):

Just remember Proteus, if the plane crashes jump as high as you can just before it hits the ground and you'll be alright.

Mark S

Mechanic's certificate 2x1xxxx

Pilot's certificate 2x1xxxx
- Rated: 39 ↑
Jan 16, 2008 9:46 a.m. Ric12string:

Journey safely, Proteus!
- Rated: 39 ↑
Jan 16, 2008 11:04 a.m. JC:

I'm getting all excited now,can't wait! Safe journey Prot

Massive UFO!
- Rated: 195 ↑
Jan 16, 2008 11:38 a.m. Proteus:

iPhone. Internet. Airborne. Amazing.

Thanks for the good thoughts, Synchro.
- Rated: 94 ↑
Jan 16, 2008 12:10 p.m. Setzer:

Have fun Tim! Grab me some Gretsch guitar picks please and any other brands that you can muster...for my collection. I'll trade you something cool for them.
- Rated: 18 ↑
Jan 16, 2008 12:15 p.m. Mark:

Hope you've got your credit cards with you.
- Rated: 195 ↑
Jan 16, 2008 12:46 p.m. Proteus:

12:34 p.m., Dallas-Ft Worth
Small plane, one seat on one side of the aisle and two on the others. Bumpy flight, otherwise uneventful.

I enjoyed some new-to-me Daniel Lanois in the air, but found that familiar music plays best when flying. Ended up listening to some of my own forgotten scratchpad pieces and Danny Gatton.

He sometimes plays too many notes.

iPhone earbuds don't seat in my ears properly. Anyone suggest alternatives? They seem to be too large to project properly into my earholes.

The taxi from runway to terminal at DFW was...uh...interminable. Then a tram to another concourse. There are too many people in the world, making too many trips, and we've built too much stuff over too much land.

Found an outlet next to a wall and now squat there charging the Powerbook. Nice deal: the 3.95 2-hour account I created with Boingo at the Louisville airport works here as well.

I've seen four or five folks with guitar cases here; some look serious. One might have been Albert Lee...is that possible?

Boarding soon for longer flight to Santa Ana. Nyeeeeeeeerrrrrrr....
- Rated: 77 ↑
Jan 16, 2008 12:48 p.m. Deed Eddy:

I have to say, this is pretty darn snappy.

Bon voyage, Protey!
- Rated: 108 ↑
Jan 16, 2008 12:51 p.m. wenzel:

Proteus, I grew up in Santa Ana. You're going to be an hour from my home. You are lucky!

I know you won't be coming home without at least one new Gretsch either!!!
- Rated: 36 ↑
Jan 16, 2008 1:08 p.m. J(et)D:

Prot, remember that a "Falcon" headstock works like a "floatation device"

Have a great time.
- Rated: 31 ↑
Jan 16, 2008 1:24 p.m. do not be afraid:

Proteus: I've seen four or five folks with guitar cases here; some look serious. One might have been Albert Lee...is that possible?
i'd say so! he does have that Music Man signature model, and i'm pretty sure he does clinics and stuff like that for them, so, why not? most guitar companies haul out their clinicians and endorsers at NAMM to show off their products, and stuff…

are you just going to be hanging out at the Gretsch booth, or checking out/reporting the whole NAMM experience? at the very least it'd be cool to see all the new guitars at the "Fender Pavillion", and not just the ones with "Gretsch" on the headstock!
- Rated: 71 ↑
Jan 16, 2008 2:21 p.m. sassy:

Man ...I wish I was going with you...BUT...I won't fly anywhere period...Trains, YES
- Rated: 36 ↑
Jan 16, 2008 2:29 p.m. dubkitty:

Schoolbuses? No wonder kids drop out of school! HOW do they get up this early?

they're forced to do it by parents and the State.
- Rated: 39 ↑
Jan 16, 2008 3:45 p.m. Ric12string:

Proteus, you were asking earlier in another thread what special requests we might have... I would request a transcribed interview with Albert Lee, please. Or, Alvin Lee, if he is there.
- Rated: 19 ↑
Jan 16, 2008 4:06 p.m. TyPierce:

This thread is going to be a ton of fun... it's already interesting, and Proteus hasn't made it outside of TSA jurisdiction yet!
- Rated: 4 ↑
Jan 16, 2008 4:22 p.m. DrDiabolo:

Not like you'll have the chance before your trip ends, but check out the Etymotic ER-6i headphones - they're a world apart from the stock iPhone headphones. They come with various sizes of silicon or foam inserts which are far more comfortable, imho, than Apple's buds. Shure even makes a microphone adapter which allows you to plug in normal headphones (like the ER-6i) and still use a mic with the phone.

I'm enjoying this thread - keep up the reportage!
- Rated: 195 ↑
Jan 16, 2008 4:52 p.m. Proteus:

2:30 p.m. WST, Santa Ana Airport Los Angeles give me home in Indiana / Tidewater four ten oh nine / Tell the folks back home this is the promised land callin'' / And the poor boy's on the line.

It wasn't Albert Lee, but it WAS SOMEone, and we were seated next to each other and talked music biz the whole way. More on that when I'm not texting!

Great flight, on the ground in Orange County. Blue sky, palm trees, breezy and shirtsleeves. I'm out front of the terminal enjoying the weather; if no Joe in a few minutes, I'll hail a cab.
- Rated: 82 ↑
Jan 16, 2008 4:56 p.m. Mark S(ynchro):

Proteus said: if no Joe in a few minutes, I'll hail a cab.
Maybe it's just a big practical joke to fly you out to paradise and leave you stranded at Orange County airport.
BTW, I saw you toss that apple-core out of the plane as you flew over Arizona.
- Rated: 21 ↑
Jan 16, 2008 5:06 p.m. stjohn:

hey have a good trip. So exactly how many Gretsch's are you coming home with? Looking forward to the updates.

Iphones Rock, don't they? My wife got one, and I never would have thought I would be GAS'ing for one, but crap they're cool.

Ipod/Iphone buds are uncomfortable, but I use an old standby: a foldable set of in-ear headphones that came with a Sony discman I got about 20 years ago.

Good Luck!
- Rated: 47 ↑
Jan 16, 2008 5:07 p.m. Curt:

iPhone earbuds don't seat in my ears properly. Anyone suggest alternatives? They seem to be too large to project properly into my earholes.
I turn them around 180 degrees and wrap the wire around the back of my ear. I usually go to sleep listening and have found this to work best.
- Rated: 47 ↑
Jan 16, 2008 5:31 p.m. Curt:

This post has been deleted
- Rated: 23 ↑
Jan 16, 2008 6:01 p.m. Shuie:

Hi Proteus,

"Take me to the hotel/ baggage going nowhere/ c'mon, c'mon won't you get me to my room..."

Hope a little bit of Travellin' Band by Creedence helps you on your way.

Great to see that your great contribution to the Gretsch Pages has not slipped the attention of the Fender Corp. Bet you know far more about the current Gretsch line and it's historical context than anybody else there.

Travel safe, have a ball and don't forget to mention the dearth of Dyna lefties to the 'man'!!

Shuie
- Rated: 195 ↑
Jan 16, 2008 6:54 p.m. Proteus:
4:36 p.m. Anaheim Convention Center
The show hasn't started, but I have.

Joe and I connected at the airport like clockwork and threaded the traffic, so...

Welcome from the man-behind-the-curtain area of the Fender/Gretsch display!

No pics yet, but the setup here is awesome. You enter the convention center through a stately grove of palm trees. In the main doors, and an escalator to the left through the atrium...looking like the stairway to...OK, you know.

The Fender Pavillion is at the top of those stairs. The FIRST poster you see on the left as you enter the hallowed hall is a backlit double-lifesize image of the gold leaf 6120.

A long hallway lined with other FMIC/Gretsch posters, and you're in Fender land. Immediately to the left as you finally (and dramatically) come into the room is the Gretsch area. And the first guitar is the gold leaf 6120 in a glass case.

I've seen all the new models: guys, every one is stunning.

The DL translates beautifully in the flesh; the graphics are PERfect, and the black binding even tones down some of the too-muchness of most Falcons for me. It's a Falcon built by a don't-give-me-no-crap hot rodder. Like, did you bring that thing to SHOW, or does it GO? Cause don't even get it out if you ain't ready to rumble. That kind of vibe.

The jag tan 125th Annie...oh yeah! You haven't seen its true colors. The gold and tan go together like the two-tone color combo on the (coincidentally) Anniversary Gold '58 Impala I drove in high school.

Much more coming on all these models later.

Fred Gretsch was waiting at the door to the Fender display as we came in, and I renewed his acquaintance. The complete gentleman, he remembered me from our meeting at Music 1-2-3 in November '06. Little-known fact about Fred: he has a pony-tail. How cool is that?

The show hasn't begun; that's tomorrow. Things are in last-minute setup mode. Most displays are generally completely set up; only exhibitors are in the hall. Things are quieter than they will be again for the next four days.

I'm in the IT den - a little cubbyhole behind the curtains of the Gretsch display, set up on a couple of cafeteria tables with several guys from Fender who will be uploading Fender's video coverage on youtube.

It all starts in earnest tomorrow...what can you expect?
- Lots and lots of pics. Mostly guitars, maybe...you know.
- Audio: the guitars, interviews, maybe artist performances.
- Shootouts? Joe's given me permission to record demos of any and every guitar. My impossible mission? To get up a sample of every guitar. Compare 6120s with different bracing, Power Tennies vs regular Tennies, the 6128T with Dynas and the relic 6128 with SD Dynos...you name it. I can't promise it will all get done, but I have hopes. I hope to find a POD to record through; should have brought mine but my foresight failed.
- A pictorial run-through of each model in every Gretsch line.
- Contests, giveaways...
And, of course, surprises.

You're about to get non-stop wall-to-wall coverage of Everything Gretsch, in as much depth as we have time and bandwidth for.

Hang on!