Youngstown, Ohio Business Journal visits Rosewood

  From the Youngstown Business Journal: Mike Moliterno's "Off The Beaten Path" segment on Rosewood Vintage Guitars is now on YouTube!  Check out the link:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tL-boSg5rSY

WYTV's "Greta On The Go" visits Rosewood

Check out the following video links to reporter Greta Mittereder from WYTV's "Greta On The Go" in Youngstown, Ohio when she visits Rosewood.

Part 1: http://www.wytv.com/content/features/daybreak/gretaonthego/story/Greta-On-The-Go-at-Rosewood-Vintage-Guitars/Z-XiTLI2pkS3mv52H8Slfg.cspx

Part 2: http://www.wytv.com/content/features/daybreak/gretaonthego/story/Greta-On-The-Go-at-Rosewood-Vintage-Guitars-pt2/XEeaf-9vD0eVq_jFu5-o8A.cspx

First Act, Paul Westerberg PW580 and VW GarageMaster: "Cheap Chic"

For anybody who reads my blog from time to time you may be thinking this guy's finally gone off the deep end reviewing a couple of First Act guitars and calling them collectible.  First Act for years has done a great job creating affordable, playable, entry level guitars that have started many a guitar player on their way to developing the passion we all have for the instrument.  But First Act collectibles?  I submit for review the Paul Westerberg PW580 and VW GarageMaster special additions.  Both were created for a short time in 2006 and have recently built up somewhat of a cult status among collectors as well as players.  

Paul Westerberg PW580

Paul Westerberg was the legendary lead singer, chief songwriter, and mostly rhythm guitar player for the groundbreaking group The Replacements throughout the 80's and early 90's. Often called the greatest unknown band in rock and roll at the time,  the "Mats" were never quite given their just dos. After their breakup, Westerberg went on to perform as a solo act and apparently was on tour in America when he stopped into a retailer to buy supplies and found a crimson ME501 First Act guitar.  He bought it on the spot, played it onstage that night, and continued to use it for the rest of the tour.  First Act upon hearing this, invited Westerberg in collaboration to design a signature Paul Westerberg model. The black bodied PW580  featured a single "vintage voiced" Alnico pick-up, a volume and tone control, and an oh-so-appropriate punk style red plaid pick guard.  This is quite simply a bare bones, garage-rock guitar and even if you don't play it, it is extremely cool looking and getting hard to find these days,

VW GarageMaster

In the fall of 2006, Volkswagen of America had the brilliant idea of teaming up with First Act to design a guitar that would play through the audio system of select VW models. As a result, during the fourth quarter of that year,  each new Jetta, Rabbit, and  Beetle was shipped with what was to be know as the GarageMaster guitar.  The key to the guitar's unique design was a special built-in pre-amp that allowed the guitar to plug directly into the VeeDub's auxiliary jack. The preamp is activated by one of three small switches that are located by each of the knobs (volume, tone, preamp boost). If you activate the preamp, a blue LED will light up. If you flip the selector switch for the volume knob, you will overdrive the pickup. If you flip the tone switch, it will boost the tone signal and give the guitar a punchier sound. The control knobs, truss rod cover, and neck plate all have VW logos.  An engraved plate on the back of the headstock featured the same Vehicle Identification Number as the newly purchased car.  A good friend of mine who performs regularly, recently purchased a GM and likes it so much he now uses it as part of his arsenal on stage.

Volkswagen's supporting ad campaign included TV spots featuring John Mayer, Slash of Guns N' Roses, and Christopher Guest (as Nigel Tufnell of Spinal Tap).

Check out this promo clip of Slash playing the GarageMaster and using VW's as Marshall style stacks: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCQHgETt1dw&feature=related

In the First Act tradition, both of these guitars were inexpensive  to purchase when new.  In fact the GarageMaster was a giveaway if you purchased a VW.  They can still be bought relatively cheap and are just a blast to play.  Hey..... it could be time to join the cult! 

Harmony Rocket: Retro-Rockets Rule!

Introduced in 1959, the Harmony Rocket has to be a contender for one of the best named guitars in history. With the space race in full swing at the time and even American cars looking like space ships, who wouldn't want a guitar named "Rocket"?  The fact that they were very affordable as well as playable made them even more appealing.

What has become more enduring than the name however is the guitar itself.  Though old Rockets are still plentiful and were reissued several years ago, the original design seems to be the most popular and collectible. These first models were a single cutaway equipped with DeArmond Indox Golden Tone pickups through 1965.  In 1966 the pickups changed to a bezel design with individual adjustable pole pieces.  These "mustache" pickups as they came to be know because their grill-work resembled a mustache, continued to be used into the double cutaway design change in 1968 and up until the Rocket's demise in 1972.  It has become great debate among Rocket aficionados as to which pickups have that legendary "Rocket Twang".  I think it's best to leave it up to the individual to decide.

Below are the model numbers and configurations of the original single cutaway Rockets:
H53 - 1 pickup, Sunburst, then Red in 1963, Production years: 1959-1967
H54 - 2 pickups, Sunburst, then Red in 1963, Production years : 1959-1967
H56 - 2 pickups with vibrato, Red, Production years: 1965-1967
H59 - 3 pickups, Sunburst, then Red in 1963, Production years: 1960-1967

Please note that there are many variations of the above models as Harmony brand  labeled the Rocket for many companies such as Sears\Silvertone, Airline, and Heath Kit, which was actually an "assemble your own Rocket kit". 
For a great reference, check out this link to the "Harmony Database"
http://harmony.demont.net/model.php?id=150 

It has a wealth of info on the Rocket as well as many other Harmony models and their affiliated brands.

In the end, the Harmony Rocket is a legendary and just "super-cool" guitar.  It's also one you can add to your collection without breaking the bank.

Fender Jazzmaster: A Viable Strat\Tele Alternative

  If you are a "Fender Freak" chances are your dream guitar is a pre-CBS Stratocaster or Telecaster.  Prices of original Strats and Teles are now well into five figures and unless you've got the cash on hand for one of these classics, a good alternative may be the Jazzmaster.

First introduced in 1958, the Jazzmaster was initially created to appeal to Jazz guitarists, hence the name.  Because many Jazz artists prefer to play in the seated position the contoured body, which is larger than the Strat's, was designed for comfort. A full 25½ inch scale length and lead and rhythm circuit switching with independent volume and tone controls were also included. The cream colored soapbar pickups were unlike any other single coil Fender had offered up until that time.  The coil was wound flat and wide, unlike those on Strats and Teles which have tall, thin coils. The result is the Jazz having a warmer tone without losing Fender's legendary single coil clarity. The main aspect that deterred Jazz players from embracing the Jazz however was it's tendency to produce feedback. Fender had also intended for it to be a solid body alternative to the large hollow body archtop guitars or "Jazzboxes" as they were called that had become the hallmark of Jazz guitarists. From a marketing standpoint, the idea never caught on.

Fortunately for Fender, the Jazzmaster developed a life of it's own beyond the Jazz genre. In the early '60's  "Surf Rock" as it came to be called took hold in California and began to spread worldwide with the popularity of the Beach Boys and instrumental bands like The Ventures and The Fireballs who became prominent Jazzmaster users.  The Jazz's mellower, jazzier tone worked well for the Surf Sound they were creating.

The original Jazzmaster was discontinued by Fender in 1980 but, in another twist of fate, it achieved cult status when artists like Elvis Costello and Sonic Youth began to use them prominently in their recordings and on stage.  Ironically, the same feedback characteristics that deterred Jazz players from using the Jazzmaster were now being embraced by more experimentally-minded rock guitarists like Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth as a new way to color their music.  As a result, the Jazzmaster was reintroduced in the mid '90s in many variations including signature Elvis Costello and Thurston Moore models.

Vintage Jazzmasters have grown considerably in value over the past several years with some original pre-CBS models fetching as much as $10,000 or more. Newer models (1965 to 1980) are much more affordable but still very collectible.  Check out the early '66 dot neck pictured in our shop at the top of this post as well as on our website.  Let's face it....every Fender Fanatic has a Strat or Tele right?  But if you dance (or play) to the beat of a different drummer you may want to check out the Jazzmaster.

Teisco Gold Foil Pickups: The Search for the Holy Grail

Over the past several years the gold foil pickups used by the Japanese guitar maker Teisco in the mid sixties have been gaining what could be described as cult status. Though Teiscos were inexpensive guitars sold during the period these pickups have become famous for their unique sound especially among slide and blues guitarists. Hound Dog Taylor played a Kawai (Teisco) with gold foils. Ry Cooder has used the gold foils extensively for many years for slide either on Teisco or related brand guitars or has installed the pickups on Fender models in particular Stratocasters . Among aficionados Ry's hybrid models have been given the nicknames of "Frankenstrat" or "Coodercaster"

It is important to note that there are several versions of the gold foil. One has the large screw pole pieces running along the center with a chrome surround. Another type has smaller pole piece screws and a chrome surround with four fixing screws somewhat like a Rickenbacker toaster or a DeArmond. The magnets in these two types as explained by Jason Lollar, renowned pickup designer, are actually magnetized rubber. A third type has small pole piece screws along the edge and are the type used by Ry Cooder. These are pictured at the top of this post on a Teisco SS4L. The third type is considered by many to be the best sounding of the three with a slightly higher output, roughly 5.6k ohms, and alnico magnets in the pole pieces.

As the gold foil phenomenon grows these pickups are becoming more valuable. Whether you are a collector or just a lover of slide guitar or blues in general, check out the gold foils. You won't be sorry you did!

The Pink Paisley Telecaster: Chicken Pickin' goes Psychedelic

In the late 60's country music was in decline and rock & roll had grown into a major cultural force. As a result, the Telecaster, Fender's premier country twanger, fell into disfavor and was not seen as "cool" among the period's rock bands. In what seemed like a somewhat desperate move, Fender, now owned by CBS, decided to make a "hippie" version of the venerable Tele. Taking what is described as "wallpaper" Fender applied a paisley pattern to the front and back of Telecasters in 1968 and 1969. These Teles were not only paisley, but the wallpaper was feathered into the edges of the guitar with a pinkish-red color. Pretty soon, they were known as Pink Paisley Teles. A blue floral design was also developed by applying floral wallpaper to the front and back of the guitar and feathering the edge with blue paint.


Sometime in 1969, Elvis Presley bought a Pink Paisley Tele and gave it to James Burton, his lead guitar player who became legendary for his work with Presley, Ricky Nelson, and many others. Though Burton had long been well respected in the guitar players' world, most rockers at the time had no desire to play a pink paisley axe. Dealers that had taken a chance on the model found the guitars the subject of ridicule and nearly impossible to sell. Many were sold at bargain basement prices just to get rid of them and others were even given away to customers who bought other items. The Blue Floral Tele fared a little better but it too was a failure in the stores so the experiment was discontinued in 1969.

For many years the '68/'69 Paisley and Floral Teles could be bought for much less than comparable Teles with standard finishes. Indeed many were stripped to the natural wood or painted other more standard colors. In the 1980's, mostly due to their uniqueness, the "Psychedelic Teles" started to become collectible, especially the Pink Paisleys. The demand was such that Fender Japan started making both the Pink Paisley and Blue Floral Tele reissues in 1984. Fender USA, having seen the power of the reissue market, started importing the Japanese versions.

The collectability rating of the original '68 and '69 Paisleys and Florals has been on the rise since the early 90′s to where they have become one of the most sought after Telecasters on the vintage market. Because so many were sanded down or stripped, finding one with an original finish is quite rare making them more valuable every year.

Steve Miller: No Joker

There's no denying the success of The Steve Miller Band as a mainstream pop/rock band. They were one of the most popular bands of the mid 70's with songs like The Joker, Fly Like an Eagle, Rockin' Me Baby, and others. Indeed SMB was churning out hit tunes well into the 80's. I am certainly not arguing with Steve's success but I must say I much prefer his earlier San Francisco blues/psychedelic rocker period of the late 60's and early 70's to what came later.

Miller was born in Milwaukee the son of a pathologist who was friends with the likes of Charlie Mingus, T-Bone Walker, and Les Paul who taught young Steve some guitar chords and let him sit in on a session. Miller then formed a blues band called the Marksmen at age 12 with his friend Boz Scaggs. After stints at the University of Wisconsin and the University of Denmark in Copenhagen, Miller moved to Chicago in 1964 to get involved in the local blues scene. There he found himself jamming with Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters, Buddy Guy, and Paul Butterfield. During these years, Miller honed his guitar skills moving from Chicago to New York to Dallas, finally ending up in San Francisco where he then formed the first incarnation of the Steve Miller Blues Band featuring guitarist James "Curly" Cooke, bassist Lonnie Turner, and drummer Tim Davis. In 1967 Steve's childhood friend Boz Scaggs moved to San Francisco and replaced Cooke in time to play the Monterrey Pop Festival. Capitol Records was so impressed with their performance, it signed the group as the Steve Miller Band.

Shortly afterwards, the band flew to London to record their first album Children of The Future, adding Ben Sidran on keyboards. It was praised by critics and received some airplay on FM radio. The album established Miller's early style as a blues-rocker influenced but not overpowered by psychedelia. The follow-up album Sailor, is considered by many critics to be Miller's best early effort. In fact the first two albums played in succession could really be consider a double album in their cohesiveness. Several great albums followed: Brave New World, Your Saving Grace, and Number 5. While Miller remained a popular artist, pop radio failed to pick up on any of his material at this time, even though tracks like "Space Cowboy" and "Brave New World" had become FM rock staples. The next effort, Rock Love, a partially live album was panned by critics for having poor material. Miller followed it with Recall the Beginning: A Journey from Eden in 1972. Though Eden did not meet with much commercial success it did return to a more laid back version of the psychedelic blues that had been the hallmark of Miller's earlier albums.

Not long after Journey From Eden's release, Miller broke his neck in a car accident and developed hepatitis. His recuperation put him out of commission for most of 1972 and early 1973. It was during this period that he began reinventing himself as a blues-influenced pop/rocker, writing compact, melodic, catchy tunes. This approach was introduced on his 1973 LP, The Joker which became an instant success and ushered in the second and more popular phase of Steve Miller's career.

The Dylan Masterpieces

Most every long-time fan has their "personal favorite" Bob Dylan albums. With such a large catalog of music to draw from, spanning nearly fifty years, it is a hard decision to make. In listening to him since the late 60's, the three that I consider his masterworks are "The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan", "Blonde on Blonde", and "Blood on the Tracks". They are, in my estimation, his most brilliant and cohesive bodies of work.

The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan: Released May, 1963
Unlike his first album "Bob Dylan" which contained only two original songs, eleven of Freewheelin's thirteen songs were written by Dylan himself. Recorded over the course of the year prior to it's release in May '63, Dylan's songwriting development and proliferation were moving at an extraordinary pace. Events such as the Cuban Missile Crisis, the escalation of the Civil Rights Movement and sharing an apartment in New York with his girlfriend Suze Rotolo were making his songs much more topical and political. Freewheelin' debuted one of Dylan's most famous songs, "Blowin' in the Wind" as well as the epic "A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall". The latter became an anthem to the threat of nuclear holocaust which was so ominous in the early sixties. Other songs done in this vein include "Masters of War" and the comically tragic "Talkin' World War III Blues". Dylan was just as poignant concerning love and heartbreak with songs like "Don't Think Twice It's Alright", and "Girl From The North Country" which is Dylan's rewrite of the traditional English ballad "Scarborough Fair". "Oxford Town" gives an account of the injustice at the University of Mississippi a year earlier when U.S. Air Force veteran James Meredith became the first black student to enroll there. When Meredith first tried to attend classes at the school, a number of Mississippians pledged to keep the university segregated, including the state governor himself. Dylan's version of "Corrina, Corrina", a non-original 12 bar country blues tune also borrows lyrics from Robert Johnson's "Stones in My Passway". The album ends with "I Shall Be Free", a rewrite of Leadbelly's "We Shall Be Free". At the end of such a monumental piece of work, it is a welcomed comical rant about the culture of the day including J.F.K., Marlyn Monroe, Willy Mays, Sophia Loren, Martin Luther King and even "greasy kid's stuff".

Blonde on Blonde: Released May, 1966
Many believe Blonde on Blonde to be the first significant double album in rock history. Released in 1966, it preceded the Beatles' double "White Album" by over two years. It is also perceived by many critics as being the best album of Dylan's career. A year earlier in 1965 the Byrds had recorded Dylan's "Mr. Tambourine Man" with electric 12 string guitar, bass, and drums along with some haunting three part harmony vocals. It was a major hit and was labeled with the term "folk rock". Dylan himself had already gone electric with his two previous albums "Bringin' It All Back Home" and "Highway 61 Revisited" which included his biggest single "Like a Rolling Stone". In fact he was actually booed while performing some of the electric songs from these albums at the Newport Folk festival that year. For Dylan, it was not so much the so called folk rock sound he was looking for but rather a more bluesy feeling to compliment the more personal and sometimes cryptic songs he was now writing. This sound is what evolved and was best captured on his next album.
At the end of his 1965 tour Dylan decided to take his backing band the Hawks (later know simply as "The Band"), into Columbia Studios in New York. There they recorded a handful of songs but nothing really gelled. Sensing a need for a change of venue, Dylan decided to take the advice of session guitarist Charlie McCoy and scheduled sessions at Columbia's Music Row Studios in Nashville. Dylan brought along Jamie Robbie Robertson of the Hawks and Al Kooper who played organ on Highway 61 from New York. He also hired several top Nashville session musicians including McCoy. Recording began in February of 1966. The change of scenery worked and the songs began to flow with Dylan writing several in the studio during the sessions.
Blonde on Blonde kicks off with "Rainy Day Women No. 12 & 35" which includes the phrase "but I would not feel so all alone...everybody must get stoned!" "Visions of Johanna" is consider to be one of Dylan's greatest songs. At seven and one half minutes long, it's meaning has been interpreted in many ways with Dylan himself referring to it as his favorite song on the album capturing that "thin, wild mercury sound". "I Want You" is thought to be a song about Anita Pallenberg, at the time, the girlfriend of Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones who was a friend of Dylan's. "Just Like A Woman", arguably the most commercial track on the album, was released as a single featuring Dylan with the Nashville session players. "4th Time Around" is widely considered a response to "Norwegian Wood" the first Beatles track where the lyrics are seen as being more important than the melody and show an obvious Dylan influence. At over eleven minutes long "Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands" takes up the entire fourth side of the original double LP. Dylan is said to have written it for his wife Sara and acknowledges this in the song "Sara" from the "Desire" album.
A month after the release of Blonde on Blonde, Dylan suffered a near-fatal motorcycle accident and withdrew from public life for several years. During this period Dylan worked with the Hawks in a house in upstate New York recording and developing songs which would later become known as the "Basement Tapes", the most famous bootleg album in rock history.

Blood on the Tracks: Release January, 1975
Blood on the Tracks marked Dylan's return to Columbia Records after doing two albums with David Geffen's Asylum records. The content of it's material is generally thought to be the direct result of Dylan's personal turmoil over the breakup with his wife Sara. The songs would certainly support this theory though Dylan insists it is not the case. All ten songs on the album were originally recorded at Columbia's New York studios. After Dylan played the acetates for his brother David Zimmerman, it was decided that five would be re-recorded. David arraigned for studio time in Minneapolis and booked some local musicians for the sessions. The Minneapolis remakes are as follows: "Tangled Up In Blue", "You're a Big Girl Now", "Idiot Wind", "Lily, Rosemary, and the Jack of Hearts", and "If You See Her Say Hello". This collection of New York songs as well as the revamped Minneapolis songs were what was released as the official album in January of 1975.
Though widely labeled as his "confessional" album, Dylan insists these are not songs of his personal pain. In an interview discussing the album's ongoing popularity and stature as one of his greatest, Dylan stated "A lot of people tell me they enjoy that album. It's hard for me to relate to that. I mean, it, you know, people enjoying that type of pain, you know?"

You can also find great outtakes and alternate versions of the songs on these albums on the following CDs.
Bob Dylan: The Bootleg Series, Vols. 1-3 : Rare And Unreleased, 1961-1991
Bob Dylan: Biograph Boxed Set

Little Feat Skin It Back DVD: The Rock and Roll Doctor Returns

In the annals of Rock and Roll history, no one can compare to Lowell George. That's not to suggest he has no equals but his musical genius was like no one else's. Growing up in Hollywood, he worked his way through several bands before landing a gig with Frank Zappa's Mothers of Invention in the late 60's. After conflicts arose, Zappa told George he would be better off starting his own band. That band became Little Feat including Bill Payne on keyboards (who had auditioned for the Mothers but had not joined), Mothers' bassist Roy Estrada, and drummer Richie Hayward from George's previous band "The Factory". Lack of commercial success of their first two albums, caused the band to split up, with Estrada leaving to join Captain Beefheart's Magic Band. In 1972 Little Feat reformed, with bassist Kenny Gradney replacing Estrada. With George on slide guitar, the band also added a second guitarist Paul Barrere (who had known George since their teen years), along with percussionist Sam Clayton.

This lineup of players lasted from 1973 to 1979. This group of top notch musicians really gelled and developed a sound like no other. Call it perhaps the Allman Brothers Band meets the Mothers of Invention. A delightful mix of brilliant slide guitar, a New Orleans Jazz\Funk gumbo, and some Georgia sunshine thrown in for good measure. This is in fact the lineup that appears on the wonderful DVD "Skin It Back" a live show filmed in Germany in July 1977 for the concert series "Rockpalast". Released in September 2009, this is the same concert that was available a few years back, but with more video clarity, better sound and outtakes from the rehearsals before the show. In August 1977 Little Feat recorded a live album from gigs at The Rainbow Theater in London and Lisner Auditorium in Washington, DC. The album titled "Waiting For Columbus" is considered by many rock music critics to be one of the best live rock albums of all time. This video from the same tour captures the band on film at their zenith and is the perfect visual companion to the album.

For the "Feat-O-Philes" it's filled with classics. Skin it Back, Fatman in the Bathtub, Dixie Chicken, Tripe Face Boogie, Willin' and several more. The performances are superb with the whole band playing at the top of their game. The bonus rehearsal tracks are a great added feature as well with two more versions of Fatman and the great tune Rock 'N' Roll Doctor which didn't make the concert footage.

Tragically, Lowell George died in 1979. The Feat still perform and are still a great band. With Lowell George at the helm however, as this video will attest to, they were one of the greatest bands in Rock and Roll.

Check out this priceless video clip of Lowell George backstage demonstrating his slide technique and giving a nod to fellow slide guitar master Ry Cooder. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7oPHLzEc3Q The impromptu harmony vocals from the surrounding band members are incredible. Long live the Rock and Roll Doctor!

Fender Telecaster Plus Version One

The Fender Telecaster Plus (Version One) is becoming one of the most collectible Teles of the last twenty years. This first version was built from

1989 to 1995. It had a short style bridge that is similar to the one you'd find on a Stratocaster. It also came equipped with Lace Sensor Noiseless Pickups.....a "Dually Red-Red" in the bridge and "Blue" in the neck. The control plate also differed from the standard Telecaster due to an extra mini switch between the tone and volume knobs which was used to select different pickup settings giving the guitar an expanded range of different tones. The Dually Red can produce a fat Humbucker tone or use the mini-toggle to split the coils for more of a traditional Strat sound. Whatever your preference, the Plus is one of the most versatile production Teles ever made.

So what makes them collectible? One reason would have to be Jonny Greenwood, lead guitarist for the alternative rock group Radiohead, who has gathered somewhat of a guitar player's cult following. The Tele Plus is his signature guitar and for those who are looking to capture Greenwood's sound, the Plus is a great place to start. Another reason, I believe, is that this is a custom Tele without all the frills. No bound Strat-like contour body, roller nut, or locking tuners. You can get all that stuff if you like in the Tele Plus Version Two or more recently the Tele Deluxe. The V1 is just a plain old Tele with upgraded electronics. I think that is what has made this guitar so appealing to collectors. It's not pre-CBS but hey.......if you don't have an extra 20K or more to fork over for a 50's or early 60's Tele, I think the Tele Plus Version One would be a great investment. And they are definitely fun to play as well!

Review: Caravan of Thieves Bouquet

A few months back I got a call on my cell phone. It was Fuzz Sangiovanni from the "Caravan of Thieves". I had spoke to him weeks earlier about several guitars he had seen on our website. He had mentioned that the band would be passing through town sometime in May on their way to the Midwest and they would like to stop in. Sure enough, on Memorial Day I found myself opening up the shop and letting the "Thieves" hangout. What a treat! These folks are definitely from "du Hot Club de France". For those who don't know, this is a reference to the brilliant Gypsy, jazz guitarist from the 30's Django Reinhardt and his band Quintette du Hot Club de France. The "Thieves" as their fans affectionately call them, hail from Bridgeport, Connecticut and include: guitarists, vocalists, and main songwriters, Fuzz and Carrie Sangiovanni, violinist Ben Dean, and on double bass Brian Anderson. Their wonderful debut album is called "Bouquet". It is a combination of Gypsy jazz, swing, and some beautifully harmonized vocals by Fuzz and Carrie who co wrote all of the songs with the exception of Dr Flynn, written by bassist Brian Anderson. Karen and I were treated to a mini concert in our acoustic instrument room which included several tracks from the album. I heard remnants of Dan Hicks, The Ophilia Swing Band, and the Central Park Sheiks all rolled into a tightly knit package. I asked Fuzz if in fact any of the above bands were an influence on the group. Fuzz said he's heard the comparison to Hicks before but that he had never heard his music until they had a chance to go on tour with him this past year. That would have surely been a gig worth seeing! The comparisons don't matter anyway. The Thieves truly have their own style and if you are a fan of old time, acoustic jazz with a swing influence and great harmony vocals don't miss Bouquet or a chance to see them live. And Fuzz.....bring the band back sometime. I've got some new arrivals hanging on the walls you might like to try out!

Review: The Beatles Capitol Releases

There have been thousands of reviews of the Beatles' music over the years. Surely more than any other group in history, their songs and albums have been dissected so many times that no one really needs to hear from another fan his opinion concerning the music of the Fab Four. So why am I writing this review? It's not so much to critique the music but rather to explain for those who may not know that there were different versions of some of their albums.

From the very beginning of their recording career in 1962 up until the end of 1966, there were a different set of songs included for each album released in the U.S. and the U.K. I specifically want to discuss the period from late '65 to mid '66. This is known as the Beatles' mid period and includes the albums Rubber Soul, Yesterday and Today, and Revolver. Having been a fan since the Beatlemania days in 1964, I have long contemplated which period was their best. After all these years of listening, I am convinced this is the time when they were at their most creative as a unit. Of course, many brilliant songs were written and recorded by the Beatles in the late '60s, but I feel this is the time when they were really peaking as a band and not just as John, Paul, or George, with the others backing them up.

For the British releases on Parlophone Records, the Beatles for the most part had control over the content of the albums. Typically they would release a single and an album, which did not include the single or it's flip side, on the same day. For the U.S. Capitol Records releases, the single was included on the album and several tracks from the British LP were left off to compensate.

By the time they got to "Rubber Soul", the Beatles were really upset with Capitol and decided for the followup release, "Yesterday and Today", they were going to make a statement by having an album cover of them sitting in lab coats covered with dismembered baby dolls and raw pieces of meat. Although Paul McCartney claimed at the time that this was the Beatles comment on the Vietnam War, it is widely believed it was done to symbolize how the big American record company had butchered their work. In fact, the original photo on the front of Y&T has long been known as the "Butcher Block" cover. Approximately 750,000 of these sleeves were issued before being recalled by Capitol who felt it was too distasteful. In some cases, the new cover with the Beatles sitting in and around an old steamer trunk was simply pasted over the original. These Butcher Block covers by the way will today demand a hefty sum on the collector's market.

Here are the differences in the albums:
Rubber Soul: The U.K. version contains 14 songs starting off with Drive My Car and also included the hit single Nowhere Man, one of John's best. The US version has only 12 songs starting out with I've Just Seen a Face, an upbeat acoustic song of Paul's actually pulled from the U.K. version of the Help album. Many critics claim this is the better of the two versions because it maintains a more acoustic, folky sound than the UK version.

Yesterday and Today: A U.S. release only, it was meant to be a bridge between Rubber Soul and Revolver containing songs from the U.K. versions of Help, Rubber Soul, and the upcoming Revolver. Though critics panned it for it's choppiness and it did not sell well when first released, it contains some of the best Beatle songs from this period. Imagine having Yesterday, Nowhere Man, We Can Work It Out, and Day Tripper all on the same LP!

Revolver: Long considered the Beatles best album and by some the best rock album ever made, was also released in two versions. The UK release had 14 songs including I'm Only Sleeping and Doctor Robert. The U.S. version was the same with the exclusion of these two songs which had previously been released on Y&T.

Confused? The point is if you are looking for the US versions of these albums because they are the ones that have been stuck in your head for years, the only one you will find at this point is Rubber Soul. The U.S. mono and stereo versions are included in the boxed set The Capitol Albums Volume 2 along with three earlier albums. I would highly recommend it.

You can however, create your own mix of these three albums. Just find a friend and borrow the following CDs. Help, Rubber Soul, Revolver, (these are all the UK versions), and Past Masters Volume 2. You will then have every song you need to recreate the three US albums. Go to Wikipedia or a Beatle source of your choice and get the running order of songs on each album. I would also recommend two singles from this period that were not included on any of these albums. Paperback Writer and Rain. Both can be found on Past Masters Volume 2.

If you are a purist, I would stick with the UK versions as the Beatles intended. But if you are an elder Beatlephile like me and grew up with the US versions of these albums, I think you will enjoy hearing them again.

Review: The Kinks Muswell Hillbillies

Originally released in 1971, Muswell Hillbillies was not well accepted after the Kinks previous album "Lola versus Powerman and the Money-Go-Round, Part One" and the smash hit "Lola" from that album. Though Ray Davies had been under a lot of pressure to perform a similar feat, he resisted in making another radio friendly single and album and came up with MH.... what he then called his "existentialist-type record." It is a marvelous collection of country and urban bluesy rock tunes centered around Ray and Dave Davies hometown of Muswell Hill, a working class suburb of London, that documents the English proletariat and their struggles with modern life, (20 Century Man, Complicated Life), simple pleasures, (Holiday, Have a Cuppa Tea), demons and desperation, (Alcohol, Holloway Jail, Here Come the People in Grey), and dreams of life in a far away place, (Oklahoma U.S.A).

This album was recorded at the end of the counterculture period when folks were getting "back to the land" after the purple haze of the late '60's. I can hear shades of "The Band" in this album who were emerging as a major force in rock at the time as well as "The Grateful Dead" from the same period. Indeed "Uncle Son" could be inserted right in the middle of the "Workingman's Dead" album and sound like it's supposed to be there. I am not a Kinks aficionado and I don't own many of there albums, but I believe Muswell Hillbillies ranks right up there among the all time greats from the period. In recently rediscovering this album, I feel that it's one of those rare recordings that somehow sounds as fresh today as when I first heard it a long time ago. So "Have a Cuppa Tea" and give it a listen! I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Muswell Hillbillies has been remastered and is widely available on CD including two bonus tracks that deserve to be there too!

Review: The Kentucky Colonels Appalachian Swing

Recorded in 1964 Appalachian Swing is considered to be one of the most essential and groundbreaking recordings in bluegrass music history. Featuring the legendary Clarence White on guitar and his brother Roland on mandolin, this album is filled with Clarence's brilliant, syncopated, lead guitar and Roland's innovative licks as well. Just listen to "Listen to the Mockingbird" or "Nine Pound Hammer" and then try and play it the way the brothers do. Rounding out the band were Billy Ray Lathum on banjo, Bobby Slone on fiddle, Roger Bush on double bass, and guest artist Leroy Mack McNees on dobro. For one who played bluegrass guitar, I still consider Clarence White to be at the top of the heap when it comes to flatpicking. Frankly, I don't know that I would have ever had much interest in the genre if it weren't for listening to this album and Clarence's later work as lead guitarist with the Byrds, Muleskinner, and the latter day Kentucky Colonels. (Has anybody out there heard when there might be a re-release of "The New Kentucky Colonels Live in Sweden 1973)?

There have been several versions of this album released over the years. I have a copy of the LP version I bought in the 80's that includes the original 12 instrumentals plus two bonus vocal tracks "For Lovin' Me" and "The Ballad of Farmer Brown". I believe this was also released on CD but may be out of print. Possibly the best version and currently available from Sierra Records includes three cuts from Tut Taylor's "Dobro Country" album, an excellent album itself from the same era and features Tut along with Clarence and Roland. This all instrumental, remastered, version of Appalachian Swing includes: CLINCH MOUNTAIN BACKSTEP / NINE POUND HAMMER / LISTEN TO THE MOCKING BIRD / WILD BILL JONES / BILLY IN THE LOWGROUND / LEE HIGHWAY BLUES / I AM A PILGRIM / THE PRISONER'S SONG / SALLY GOODIN / FADED LOVE / JOHN HENRY / FLAT FORK / Bonus Tracks from Dobro Country: PICKIN' FLAT / A FOOL SUCH AS I / BLACK RIDGE RAMBLE.

Whatever version you might find, I would highly recommend this classic even if you are not a bluegrass fan. Any guitar player would benefit from listening to Clarence White who was a pioneer flatpicker as well as a virtuoso acoustic and electric guitar player. Tragically, Clarence was killed in an auto accident in 1973 but his music lives on and Appalachian Swing is one of the best examples from his legacy.

Rickenbacker "Toaster" Pickups

For all you Rick fans out there. Here's some interesting stuff I've gathered from the Internet on the older style "Toaster" pickups vs. the newer Hi-Gains . Although many are aware of the obvious tonal differences between the two, I for one didn't realize there were so many different versions of the toasters as well.

Vintage reissue models, and some signature models, come with Toaster Top pickups, which resemble a classic two-slotted chrome toaster. Despite their slightly lower output, "Toasters" produce a brighter, cleaner sound, and are generally seen as key to obtaining the true British Invasion guitar tone, as they were original equipment of the era.

Within the Toasters, there are four subgroups based on impedance and time of release. The original pickups were used from approximately 1956 to 1968 (although 4001 models continued to use the Toaster for a neck pickup until around July 1973). Later came the Vintage Reissue pickups of the mid-1980s and 90s; with approximately 12 kilo-ohms of resistance, they had a similar impedance and sound to the high-gains, and are seen by many to be strictly for aesthetic purposes. In the late 1990s, more accurate, scatter-wound pickups were made, with about 7.5 kilo-ohms of resistance, closer to the originals. The final group are found only on 325C58 models, and are designed to replicate the toasters of the 1950s, with about 5 kilo-ohms of resistance.

Scatter-wound toasters, which are spot-on re-pros of the originals, have been available since 2000. Compared to Hi-Gains, they are brighter and more jangly, and have fairly low output. Hi-Gains, by comparison, are louder and distort faster, but are darker and somewhat more midrangey. Pre-2000 toaster reissues are wound hotter than the scatter-wounds (and true vintage toasters), and are closer in tone to Hi-Gains. These are the pickups that many have unwound to be closer to vintage spec. You can easily distinguish the older reissues by the Phillips head screws holding the pickup cover to the base. The newer toasters have vintage-correct flat head screws.

Opening Day!

February 17th, 2009
After a lot of planning, perseverance and perspiration, today we have finally opened our "physical" store in Sharon, PA. This was truly a labor of love and I would like to thank all of the folks that helped make it happen. Most especially I want to thank my fiancee', my best friend, my partner in life and in business, Karen Winner. Without her, this dream would never have become a reality.
As we all know, times are tough right now in the old US of A. Am I crazy for opening a new business in this environment?......... maybe. But from many responses I've already received from folks through our on-line store, I don't think so. There is still a great market for vintage instruments and if you have the "right stuff" it will only increase in value. You can't say as much for 401Ks these days. Besides..........I think owning your "dream" guitar is valuable in itself and knowing it's also become a safe haven for your cash ain't a bad deal either!
So here's to all of us that still crave that special fretted dream machine. Go for it! It's a lot more fun looking at than your 201K!

Review: Dan Hicks Original Recordings

Dan Hicks is certainly one of the most unique artists to ever hit the American music scene. Coming out of San Francisco in the late sixties, you might think he would fall under the umbrella of "acid rock" His first album released in 1969, "Original Recordings", is anything but however. He and his band the "Hot Licks"sound was an eccentric combination of folk, country, and old-timey parlor music with some of Hick's signature twisted humor thrown in for good measure. I can't think of anyone else who could come up with a song title like "How Can I Miss You When You Won't Go Away?" Then there is the brilliant solo of violinist "Symphony" Sid Page on "I Scare Myself." To this day it still has a mesmerizing effect on me every time I hear it.
The original album had 11 tracks. It is still available on CD as an import but the sound quality is not the best. A good alternative and readily available is "The Most Of Dan Hicks and His Hot Licks" It has 9 of the 11 remastered tracks from "Original" on it missing "Shorty Falls In Love" a great track, and "It's Bad Grammar Baby" which I think is marginal at best. Hicks also recorded a number of songs for a follow up album that was never released. "The Most" also contains 7 tracks that were meant for inclusion on that album. If you're trying to track down the original cuts, I think "The Most" is the way to go. Either way, this is a great album from a uniquely talented artist. Check out Dan's whole catalog with and without the Hot Licks. If you like the sound of this one, it's hard not to want them all.

In these hard times.......guitars as gold

We're all experiencing it. The home devaluations, the 401K's shrinking worth, gasoline and medical costs soaring. So what's this have to do with guitars? Well how about a place to "stash your cash." Let's face it, very few of us can afford to buy that perfect '59 Sunburst Strat worth $60,000. Or that pre-war Martin worth 100K. If you ARE one of the lucky owners of these fine instruments and can afford to sit on them, then you know their value will only increase over time. Some estimates have shown upwards of 25% per year for the right pieces. For the rest of us, there is still hope. It's been my experience that a quality guitar only gets better with age. This is more noticeable with acoustic and hollowed bodied electrics, primarily because the aging process of the wood tends to give the guitar a richer, deeper sound. I will say though the same is true for solid body guitars as there seems to be a "burn in" period for the pickups and playability of the fingerboard. Something like a finely tuned sports car. You gotta drive it awhile to see what it can do. The key word here really is quality. A guitar with an established brand name and design that's been around for many decades will stand the test of time. There are many "knock off" brands that can give you the look and feel of a Les Paul, Stratocaster, or Martin D-28. But believe me......it ain't the same! So if you're thinking of buying that knock off Strat 'cause it looks like the real thing, I would suggest thinking twice and saving up another few hundred bucks to buy a good new or used "original." History shows it won't lose value and if you take care of it, it just may be a better return on investment than those mutual funds we've all seen take a dive recently.

Review: Central Park Sheiks Honeysuckle Rose

Check out the album cover on the home page blog link. It's the Central Park Sheiks "Honeysuckle Rose". I'd like to make it an ongoing tradition at "tom sed what" to review some of my old and new favorite albums\cds from time to time. Yes.....I am old enough to remember and own many great old record albums. This is a favorite of mine from the mid 70's. The Sheiks were a great NYC based acoustic swing band. Richard Lieberson on guitar, who sadly passed away a few years ago, and Matt Glaser on fiddle were the mainstays of the band back then. This whole album is great with a combo of traditional and original tunes. I especially remember sitting in Homestead Music in Mercer PA with my old buddy Mike Reznor, who designed this website by the way, working out the intro and then learning the chords to Mr. Blake, a fun tune that I still like to sing and play. HSR is still available as an import and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys this genre.