July 09, 2017

Designated Survivor

SGstandard550.jpg

This is a mid-70s SG Standard that I hardly ever play because it currently lives at my friend Jen's house. Because there are just too many damn guitars in my tiny apartment, plus I think she plays it sometimes. Also, if the worst should happen, and North Oakland should sink into the mud, fall into the sea, or get smitten in some other way, destroying my place and all the guitars in it, there will be one guitar left to carry on. The Designated Survivor. (But if Berkeley also goes, we're screwed.)

In fact I haven't laid eyes on it in years but last night we were drinking bourbon and I started feeling maudlin and sentimental enough to want to visit it, so she lugged it out. I took a picture, just to remember. And that brings the situation up to date.

This wasn't the main guitar for very long, probably for only a few months in '90 or '91. I loved the sound but it was awkward and neck-heavy and once I acquired the white Junior it basically just got retired. But it is the Love American Style / Milk Milk Lemonade guitar, which I get asked about quite often. (For anyone curious, the set-up there was this SG, a Mesa Boogie Mark IV head, and... dunno about the cabinet.)

Also, J's husband has a fantastic but under-maintained Martin from the 30s that I drunkenly played the whole night -- I couldn't stop. Despite the crusty strings and high action, it's the sweetest sounding thing, a thing I love and want to marry. Old wood, man. Gotta get me one (he says, knowing he'll never have the wherewithal to do so, if wherewithal is the word I want.)

Posted by Dr. Frank at July 9, 2017 03:46 PM