Update: Guitar Playing

I've been practicing more, not only at the behest of Tom (my guitar mentor), but because I've actually got a bit of a gig coming up (more on that later).

One of the coolest thing I got over the holidays was my amp.  I ended up getting a Peavey Vypyr 15, a modeling amp from a reputable maker.   As for buying the amp, that's an intersting story.

I researched and researched which amp I would purchase.  Tom was invaluable in this endeavor.  We both agreed that I would benefit from a smaller amp and go with modeling to allow for experimentation until I found "my sound".  Between the Peavey and a Line 6 amp, we traveled to a Guitar Center located in the city and compared the two.  In the end the Peavey just played better for us.  Decision made. Christmas money was spent (when I got it).

Now here is where the story got intersting.  My wife and I talked and decided that we should go ahead and make this purchase from a brick & mortar, just in case it's defective.  I decided to go back to the same Guitar Center as before.  Bad mistake.

Now, before I continue, you have to understand something.  I spent two years as a store manager for a major retail chain.  As per my training, I personally believe and appreciate "platinum" customer service.  It's that important to me.  Mess up on that and you've very well lost a customer for life.  I understand having a bad day, but rudeness is inexcusable.

Having said that, went into Guitar Center.  Absolutely busy.  I mean busy.  A shortage of sales clerks didn't help the situation.  My son and I waited behind a man who was chekcing out at the counter in the guitar section.  It took about ten minutes or so (long enough for me to hear how Austin has four or five Goldtop Gibsons lying around and San Antonio can't keep them in-stock), and finally the man was finished.  The clerk promptly rushed to the counter by the entrance/exit and then went behind closed doors.  He came back, ignored me, and went about doing something else.  I attempted to gain one clerk's attention, but he was simply too busy.  I saw the original clerk who helped Tom and me when we compared the two amps previously.  Thinking perhaps I had a rapport, and queried to him, "Excuse me; can I ask you a question?".

His exact response:  [Deeply sighs while rolling eyes, speaks flatly] Yes.  I've only got two other people to help.

Keeping my tone even, I asked if he had this particluar amp in stock as it appeared it was out.  He quickly reponsded no, and took off on his tasks.  Again, I know he was busy.  I know I wasn't about to drop two grand on equipment, but gimme a break.  I've got income to spend.  I've got kids who are musically inclined.  He doesn't know any of this and this warrants a shitty attitude and service?  I so badly wanted to say "F__ you mister; I'm sorry to have bothered you."  I didn't, but I wanted to.

Disappointed, I went home that evening, calmed down, and the following morning placed an order with Sweetwater. 

 I will forever be a customer with them.  Excellent service, continued support by your own pesonal sales technician, and genuine follow-ups.  Case in point, my purchased amp was so popular it was backordered for almost two weeks.  I was disappointed, but eager nonetheless.  The wait was bearable only because Brian, my sales tech, kept me informed and up to 

date as to the progress of my order.  So the lesson is this:  Never ever visit Guitar Center ever again; buy only from Sweetwater.  At least, that's my recommendation.  If you have a great clerk at your Guitar Center, you are lucky; as for me, I will never recommend them EVER!

On a side note, again at the behest of my friend Tom, I actually wrote letters to both Sweetwater and Guitar Center.  Sweetwater was quite happy with the response, but of special interest was Guitar Center's response:

"Im very sorry about what happened to you in one of our store. I what to assure you that that is not the way we normally do business. I have forwarded your email up the chain and to the management of that store directly so they will know what happened.

Once again I am very sorry."

A nice attempt, but sorry dude; the damage has been done.  'Nuff said.

Since I've had my amp, I've been playing a bit more and really experimenting.  I think I've found the sound I like most.  The best way to describe it is by listening to "Yellow Ledbetter" by Pearl Jam.  Lots of reverb, almost as if you're in a big empty hall.  Barre chords are slowly working their way into my repotoire, thanks to some songs that I'm working on (namely Bon Jovi and Nickelback).  Even built me a nice little amp stand.  It's actually not that little, it stands close to two and a half feet tall.  Cheap and effective, it works for me.  Now to paint it with a base of metallic red and black, with an overlay of glow in the dark.  Wowza.

More later.  For now, enjoy some tunes on the side.

Cheers.

Poke Your Eyes: Forbes Magazine

Ahhhh...That's a sigh of satisfaction, as I decided to come up with a new monthly entry called "Poke Your Eyes".

For those unfamiliar, it's an expression, an idiom if you will, that basically means that someone is trying to trick, deceive, or con you into believing something. Politicians are notorious for trying to poke your eyes. I'd never heard it before moving to South Texas, but hey, it's a really big world.

In any case, this entry is about someone who recently, at least to me, attempts to "poke our eyes". It may be a big issue; it may not be. In any case, it's disappointing to be presented with something like this.

Without further ado...

Peter C. Beller, writer for Forbes, decided to pen up an interesting story about Bobby Kotick, CEO of Activision, the software company knowed recently for console hits such asTony Hawk,  Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, and Guitar Hero.  While all three are hits in their own right, it's some of the choice words that Beller decided to use that is offensive.

Beller wrote:

EA also teamed with MTV to sell Rock Band, a shameless knockoff of Guitar Hero that added drums, bass and a microphone to the world of make-believe rock stars. EA says it is returning to an "auteur model" of designing games, taking bigger chances on fewer ideas. (Source: Forbes Magazine Website, January 2009)

These are some inflammatory words, especially for those that are informed about these matters.  I'd like to initially conclude that Forbes probably doesn't target the typical gamer, and as such probably didn't consider to really delve into the actual facts of the matter (I won't even go into the possible "buying out/buying ad space etc. argument").  The two primary parties of Guitar 

Hero I & II are Red Octane (hardware developer; read: plastic guitars) and Harmonix (software developer).  In short, the two parted companies (a whole 'nother story, too long for here) and were bought up by Activision (bought Red Octane) and MTV Games (bought Harmonix).  Both continued to develop games, with Activision publishing Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock, while MTV Games publishing Rock Band, a new series that introduces the concept of an entire band (two guitars, drums, and a mic).  This was a hit at E3 2007, garnering the best Music Game of 

the show.  The innovation of the game invovling a band, a group of people, to successfully maneuver instruments and a voice to create music (through the convoluted pressing and tapping of plastic) is just that: innovation.

And that my readers is where our eyes got poked:  Harmonix, EA, and MTV all were the innovators in this genre.  Not to say that Guitar Hero didn't start off that way (assuming you overlook the precursors to GH).  Rock Band elevated the standard.  Period.  No rip offs.  No shameful actions.  Just simply producing a good game.

Personally, I prefer the Rock Band series (as does my son).  But, we do own copies of  both series and they both play well.  In short, do your research Beller.  Readers of your magazine expect 

(at least I would think that) you to write informative and factually based articles.  For me, I will forever be wary of your words.  

Unless you write that retraction really quick...

Guilty Pleasure: Clint Eastwood

I can't think of a film by Eastwood that I didn't like (closest was Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil but that had Kevin Spacey).

Gran Torino is one of those movies that I watched because 1) it had Clint Eastwood in it; and 2) the title simply rocked.  To be honest I actually thought the title was referring to something else, but it is still a great title.

I'm not going to really delve into the movie.  Simply put, if you like Eastwood films, especially how you take a jerk of a man who is "misunderstood" by the rest of the world, you'll like this one.  I was piqued by the involvement of Asians, specially the Hmong people.

So what is it about Eastwood?  Is it the fact that his whiskey drawl voice still carries with the menace that made me respect my elders at a young age?  Or that fact that Eastwood again makes his characters believable and likeable? (I didn't say loveable, because you don't always love his characters). 

My brother was eager to watch the film; now that he has the opportunity to do so and having heard my opinion of it, he'll probably watch in the next few days.  

I remember watching Heartbreak Ridge with him when it showed on Showtime.  Not being old enough to recognize good or bad plots, we liked the interplay between Eastwood and his antagonist within the Marine Corps, the cadence that started with "Model A Ford and a tank full of gas...".

I remember watching the first parts of Dirty Harry and Sudden Impact at our Grampa's house.  The fact that he sits there, all badass and such, proclaiming to the crook, "You're asking yourself did he six shots or five?"  Anyone tries that now and the bit would fall flat.

Eastwood, 73, literally brings his best guns to Gran Torino.  And for that, Eastwood remains on my list of guilty pleasures.   For your viewing pleasure...

You like him too, right?

"Well do you...punk?"