New Job for Me==New Guitar to Celebrate

So... My final paycheque from my employer that destroyed my hands (nerve/tendon damage) saw me with a bit more'n I normally get. To the tune of almost double. Add that to my "Economic Relief" cheque, plus tax returns... And the partner was very generous in allowing me to buy yet another instrument or two.

So first up, I went ahead and bought The Handpainted Lauren that Jerry was bored and painted featured on Samurai Guitarist's video about horrible Reverb listings. I thought it looked like something that was pulled from the bottom of the ocean, loved the way the listing was worded, and felt that it would be a great way to teach my kid about guitar setup work, without ya know, damaging anything I care too much about.

Jerry didn't take the strings off before he painted it, and it needs a lot of work to make it actually playable, but it does have a pretty nice sound, NGL.

Yes, I know, I know. WHY? I ask myself that. But honestly, it's unique. I dig it for that, and again, it looks like something pulled from the bottom of the ocean, and I didn't name my track "Rain Under the Waves" for no reason, ja?

Moving on. Yesterday, I put an order in for This, a Mountain Guitars Headless .strandberg knockoff. It's supposedly even aped their EndurNeck, which is the main reason I snagged it. All that nerve/tendon damage makes it a pain in the neck (pun ABSOLUTELY intended) to play for extended periods, and I'm hoping that this will help with that. Yes, I could have saved some dosh and went with a different top and got the same benefits of the neck, but I mean, come on--look at that thing! IT'S GOT A FISH ON IT.

I've recently started making (crappy as hells) YouTube videos about the derth of cheap pedals on Amazon. I'll be making video reviews of these as well, once I get a decent place set up in my (currently completely trashed out because HEY! Remember that massive rainstorm that moved through the southeast? Yeah... renovations and repairs are why I didn't get a .strandberg proper) house for it.

Pretty excited about the new job, too. I'll be working first shift, the commute is HALF the time, and those what remember my posting about a practice routine, well, now I'll have all the time in the world to practice in the evenings. I've even signed up for online piano lessons, got some "how to draw" books, pulled out my old computer programming stuff from my university days...

Guys, gals, and non binary pals, I'm about to have a life again.

And I'm FUCKING EXCITED!

Congrats on the purchases! The koi fish looks sweet. I hope that you get endless enjoyment out of these.

CONGRATS! On all the things :) That's some pretty sweet unique gear. Excited to see your video reviews.

After the year it sounds like you've had, I'm so happy to hear there's a new gig with less commuting in your future. Congrats!

Sounds like you'll have a bit more time each day to focus on music & health. I love that.

"Good luck to whoever made this, good luck to whoever bought it, may God have mercy on your souls."

In all seriousness though, congrats man!

those are some extremeley eye catching guitars.... I mean, a headless guitar with a stylized koi painted on it?

"Good luck to whoever made this, good luck to whoever bought it, may God have mercy on your souls."

In all seriousness though, congrats man!

Good thing I know a thing or two about guitar building, repair, and setup. I mean, I'm no Dan Erlewine (who is?), but I'm a fair hand with a fretfile! :D

CONGRATS! On all the things :) That's some pretty sweet unique gear. Excited to see your video reviews.

It'll be a hot minute, right now I've got to focus on getting the roof back on the house, then getting the walls re-gypsum'd, and fixing one of the rooms floors. That storm did a number on this place, ngl. We had just enough with taxes, insurance, and savings to put it to rights, get a few extras, and start on my studio. Oh yeah, by year's end, it'll be up and running (I hope). Hopefully the guitar videos won't take too long to get up, though. I mean, I may not be the contractor I was (health woes slowed me down for sure), but I'm still fairly quick.

Congrats on the purchases! The koi fish looks sweet. I hope that you get endless enjoyment out of these.

Already loving the Lauren. Got some ebony key tuners picked out for it, some abalone end pins, and going to give it a blast of clear coat to keep the craft herpes--I mean huge chunks of glitter in place. Playability just gotta do a proper setup, some fretwork, and change out those tuners.

After the year it sounds like you've had, I'm so happy to hear there's a new gig with less commuting in your future. Congrats!

Sounds like you'll have a bit more time each day to focus on music & health. I love that.

It's not only that, but family as well. Once the partner finds first shift work, we'll actually be a fairly normal family again, can do the whole "Family game night," or whatever, and assuming this lockdown ever goes away, we've a lovely firepit in our back yard I've recently built that'll do great for campfire style socials!

those are some extremeley eye catching guitars.... I mean, a headless guitar with a stylized koi painted on it?

That's what caught my eye. I mean, as a rule I'm not a flashy guy. Strats, Teles, Hel's Bells, the most "extreme" guitar I own is a bleeding ICX-120 Iceman (well, and a Steinberger and an EART .strandberg clone). So yeah, fairly traditional, but every once in a great while, something catches my eye and, much like those curtains in the window with a certain southern bell, "I just had to have it." May have just dated myself a bit there... Don't care what anyone says. Carol Burnett's version is the best, "bar" none!