Oh yes, almost forgot,
It's true, Danny Gatton often seems to play too many notes. The man was in a hurry through this life, though.
Slow the music down and almost every note is RIGHT. Much of the time his music triumphs when slowed, all the better to note how fast his MIND was working. Too rapid for me, I know that much. It's ultranatural.
Try a bit of varispeed on Gatton, and Django too.
Only then is the true and simple beauty revealed.
ummmm...what a treat! Sure the trip is free and lots of fun but its still a lot of hard work. Thanks for doing this Proteus and giving some of us an experience we'd never be able to afford. +1up
Hey Proteus..any more three quarter scale Gretsches being made ???
I NEED a cool Gretsch Shirt 
Proteus... The show hasn't even started and I'm already enjoying the heck out of your coverage.
I'm looking forward to tomorrow!
"I'm a traveling man....made alot of stop...." Proteus just make sure you have fun,and play every guitar you can!
First pics from NAMM08
By the time I walked to the car to get my camera, the sky was darkening...so the entry pics aren't as SoCal luscious as they should be. Better when the sun is bright tomorrow.
Then a quick walk into the center, up the stairs, and into the Gretsch vault of the Fender Pavilion.
Finally, quick & dirty first peeks at ... well, you'll know when you see them.
Many more – and better – pics tomorrow.
That DL looks delightful!
Glad you made it safely Pro and thanks for the eye candy. Be careful down there. Pappy, You be careful too, Good to see your post.
Okay...I'm gonna clean. I REALLY like the looks of that G. Love Corvette!
Proteus, my request is for an in-depth review of how that green machine plays and sounds.
And FWIW...I was a fan of G. Love in his early days ("I Like Cold Beverages") - it fit right in with the FAT POSSUM stuff I was grooving on.
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Wow Proteus, great pics so far. Sounds like your having fun, and your doing a great job at reporting. Remember, put on that lotion, don't get burned by those sunny Cali rays!
Oh, and remember, lots of Electromatics, including the amp, for us cheapos, modders, and those paying tuition! Of course, those dream guitars are always great to look at. Wait, why am I telling you how to do your job? You know what we want!
PS. If you see an Electromatic amp lying around, unwatched, they're small enough to smuggle out and would fit great in my dorm next year!
Send Joe my regards, and keep up the great work!
J(et)D said: Prot, remember that a "Falcon" headstock works like a "floatation device"Not to mention... the bridge, um, floats.
Is that the litho that comes with the DL? And what is the green sig next to it?
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Is it safe to assume that Fred Jr. doesn't want anyone laying his grubby mitts on that G6120-125? I'm almost surprised that there aren't any armed guards standing watch over it. In fact, isn't that a job that we could call Pappy home to do?
Proteus, the back and sides of the Anniversary G6118T-125 almost look like the green of the earlier Annies, but I had understood that the sides and back are the metallic gold. Does the gold really predominate, or is it closer to an Annie green?
In the tenth photo, is the gold guitar on the right the Keith Scott model?
In the twelfth photo, is the Duo Jet the relic'd G6128TDS-R? From the photos that Joe posted earlier, I couldn't really see the relic'd features very well. Can you get any closeups that show us what makes this guitar so special? In what respects would this guitar differ from my G6128T-1957?
Keep up the good work. I can hardly get any of MY work done due to my desire to see what YOU have posted next!
Great gig Proteus! To quote Homer Simpson, you must feel like a kid in...some kinda store. Thanks for the pics.
re: Lanois, I really like his "Shine" CD. He recently released his "Here Is What Is" soundtrack and a bootleg online via Red Floor Records.
As for earbuds, I use Shure ec2 sound-isolating in-earbuds for my iPod. Great sound. (Oh, when will the iPhone come to Canada?)
Anyway, have a ball!
Thanks for the pics Proteus. That sure looks like a lot of fun!
How about some pics of Gretsch basses Tim?
Great work so far, Proteus! I have a feeling that your coverage is going to be keeping us all very, very busy for the next couple days...
Hey Proteus,
I work down the street from the convention center.
If I sneak around back, do you think you could kick the door open when no one is looking?
I'll let you borrow my pass to Disneyland....
Great job, Pro-man!
I particularly like your close-up side shot of the gold-leafed 6120. Really shows off that finish nicely. What an extravagant guitar!
Have fun; I'm looking forward to tomorrow's reporting.
Oh yeah, Proteus, I almost forgot my manners. Welcome to sunny California where it always feels like summer... and where the temperature outside my house right now is a balmy 7 degrees. No palm trees in this part of California!
hey all... can someone please have a look to see if the chris cheney sig. falcon is at NAMM?? I read in an article it was going to be released at NAMM.. Let us know!! Thanks 
12:01 a.m., Doubletree Inn, Anaheim
Just back from an intense evening with Joe Carducci; great stories and priceless history came rapid-fire. Guys, Joe has deeper roots in Fender than any of us could have imagined, going back to 1973 when he started on the amp assembly line, in the original Fender Music building in Fullerton.
And he's been "one of us" since he was a kid: lit up by the Beatles, wanting a guitar, promising his dad he'd practice, saving for a cheap Japanese beater, playing in bands.
Except he did it in Southern California, where he started playing for pay when he was 12. Joe played weekend gigs regularly till last summer, and still plays occasionally. Weapon of choice? 6128 with Dynas, and a Falcon for backup.
He was a final assembly inspector for guitars during the CBS era, when the quota for each inspector was 200 guitars a day, or about 2-1/2 minutes per guitar. Do we need to wonder where quality went during those dark days?
He spent time as one of two guys handling guitar repair and service AND was The Man for Fender Rhodes keyboard repair, service, tuning, and voicing. (He rebuilt Ray Charles' Rhodeseseses twice a year.)
The tales go on and on...but here's a guy who's at least as excited about guitars as any of us, and probably more; you just can't doubt his commitment and pure joy in dealing with guitars every day.
The Santa Ana winds have kicked up something fierce; as we drove the endless suburbs of Orange County on a little historical tour, we were dodging tumbleweeds the size of small cows.
The tour? The site of K & F Radio (Leo's pre-Fender business, where he started building amps, lap steels, and guitars) in Fullerton. A parking garage now sits on the spot, but the history is marked with a plaque.
And then we ate in the sports bar which now occupies the building Leo put up in 1959, and which was the home of Fender till 1984. The bar itself sits where Leo's office was, and behind this steel door was guitar assembly; behind that one, amps.
As the company grew, the building grew down the block. Fender Rhodes, Rogers drums, drumsticks, the wood shop, the paint shop, the parts bins...all of it right there.
And down the street from that? The original home of Music Man, and the nondescript small industrial park buildings which still house G & L, and where Leo spent his last days.
Pretty heady stuff, all narrated with enthusiasm and passion by Joe – a guy who worked firsthand with many who were part of Fender in the early days. That's continuity, huh?
So now I've eaten a cheeseburger at Leo's desk. A pretty debilitated drinker at the bar wanted us to know Fender guitars used to come from that very building. Did we know that the Fender and the Strat companies merged?
Hey Proteus, awesome stuff. YOu are a true Gretsch scholar and gentleman.
Much appreciation.
I only would like to kindly ask if you can somehow get a picture of the new bracing in the Jag and Gold Annie and perhaps a shot of the colors close up if it ins't to much trouble. Thanks and look forward to your posts regardless
