Conference napalm::guitar

    I was in HOLLYWOOD for two weeks in aug. and sept. . The music stores
    you should definitely check out are.......
    
    GUITAR CENTER,,,,, this is right on SUNSET blvd. in HOLLYWOOD.
    (met dwizle zappa, robert downy jr. the actor not the guy with the
    big mouth.)
    
    NADINES,,,,, 6251 SANT MONICA blvd. in HOLLYWOOD .
    (met STEVE VAI , he came up to me while I was playing viv woman
     off his flexable album, I looked up and staired into the eyes of
     a famous stranger.) S.I.R. rehersal studios is right next to it
     alot of popular people go there, I met EUROPE they were cool, they
    all own chrysler lebaron conv. they said they got some kind of a
    deal on them if they would drive them.
    
    My friend is pritty popular out there so I was introduced to gregg
    bisonette, and jammed with paul gilberts nightmare, he was really
    a friend of pauls and played just like him. He invited us to MR.
    BIGS next video shooting but paul did not make it there so they
    posponed it, but I was leaving in two days. Yes I missed it.
               
                        well I hope you have a good time out there.
     P.S., if you get the chance eat at SIZZLER and get the salad bar.
    
    
                                                      \mArK/
                                                                                              

>       <<< Note 1527.1 by BOSOX::MCLEMENT "TURNED MY HEAD AND STAIRED" >>>
>    (met STEVE VAI , he came up to me while I was playing viv woman
>     off his flexable album, I looked up and staired into the eyes of
>     a famous stranger.) S.I.R. rehersal studios is right next to it
    
    Did he give you a lesson? :-)
    
>                        well I hope you have a good time out there.
>     P.S., if you get the chance eat at SIZZLER and get the salad bar.
    
    Mark, SIZZLER's are all over Phoenix.  I admit, they are good.
    
    Mike

    

    No he did not give me a lesson, he had no time he was on his way
    out. 
    
     
    I'm from taxachucetts, I did not notice that you were from PNO.
    we need them out here!
    
                                       \mArK/
    

	There's a Guitar Center not too far away from the Anaheim
	Convention Center. It's in Santa Ana on Main Street.  To get
	there, just take the 5 freeway south and get off on Grand, head
	west, and turn left on Main...I think. It might be a good idea
	just to call the store and get real directions: (714) 547-6655. 
	But if you've got a free day, Hollywood is probably more fun. 

I thought some of you might like to see a summary of my guitar hunt in LA.
My intentions at the beginning of the day were to try anything &
everything.  Especially the guitars that are hard to come by in Phoenix.

A big plus in this journey was having my wife with me.  Now that she has
seen all the equipment and how I sound playing it, she's all for it :-)
Seriously though, she is almost as excited as I am.

While I was there, I visited the following stores:

GUITAR CENTER - I went to the one in Santa Ana but they also have one in
Hollywood and are practically all over the country.  Lots and lots to
choose from all the big sellers: Gibsons, Fenders, Ibanez, Martin, etc.
They had one 6 space rack in the whole store and a few Marshall stacks.
They also carry Ampeg.  I wasn't overly impressed especially after they
took my money.  They have a bad habit (I confirmed this with others
afterwards) of taking your cash offer back to the manager after you agree
on a price with the salesman ala "car salesmen".  Needless to say, I took
my money and left when he brought it back.

LAB SOUND - My favorite by far!  I went to the Garden Grove store, but they
also have one in Van Nuys and they just opened a new one on Sunset Blvd.
(Hollywood) across from Guitar Center.  This is THE rack store.  They do
nothing but racks (mostly custom)!  All they had besides racks, were
Mesa/Boogie 4x12s and 2x12s all along the walls.  I demoed a couple custom
guitars while there through a Mesa/Boogie Mark III combo.  The guitars were
a Zion Radicaster (fire engine red, 2 single coil & 1 humbucking Ultrasonic
pickups, 5 position pull switch, Kahler system, $1500) and an Anderson
(cool grey marble looking finish, 2 single coil & 1 humbucking Anderson
pickups, 3 toggle switches, Kahler system, $1000).  I'm already partial to
the Zion's, but it was clearly better to me.  It has probably one of the
better feeling necks this side of my wife :-)  Larry Carlton, Phil Keaggy,
Kerry Livgren, and Bob Hartman are all regulars there and all have bought
their Mesa/Boogie amps from them.  Hartman also bought his Zion there.
They also had on display the winner of the LA Guitar Show:  it was a Zion
with a Picasso finish.  Totally rad guitar!

THE CARPENTER MUSIC STORE - These guys advertise all the time in CCM so I
decided to check them out.  They are in Lomita off of Pacific Coast
Highway.  Nice store!  They had one huge rack with various components in it
that you can test out.  While I was there, I demoed a Takamine 6 string
acoustic/electric, Ibanez RG570, Charvel (not sure what #, had a neck like
a Les Paul), Fender Strat Plus, and another Zion Radicaster with EMG's and
a blue finish that I fell in love with ($1700).  I played them all through
the same Peavey combo (forget the number) and still preferred the Zion.

I also got the talk for a couple hours with the owner.  Turns out that he
is one of the contributing editors for CCM and the salesman that waited on
me is the new lead guitarist for the Darrell Mansfield band.  He was an
unbelievable player!  The owner was pretty excited about his next
assignment, he's going to interview Kerry Livgren for CCM.  Watch for Bruce
Adolph's article in the December or January issue.  Bruce also told me how
Larry Carlton, Phil Keaggy, Mike Sweet, Oz Fox, and Kerry Livgren all shop
there and put on clinics for them.  Keaggy and Livgren both bought their
Zion's there and Larry Carlton is going to do a guitar clinic there on
February 19th.  All of them do about 3 clinics a year for them.  Bruce also
told me that Larry Carlton is married to Michelle Pillar.  Michelle is also
a fine Christian Pop/Rock singer with a few Grammy nominations to her credit.

I didn't go to NADINE's because I was told by a trusted source that they
are mainly a keyboard store.  Plus I didn't feel like driving to Hollywood
just to get mugged.

If all goes well, the Zion at Carpenter's Music will be mine in a few
months (tax free).  I felt that Zion just makes super custom guitars.
I really like the sound and feel of them and I've already set up mail order
arrangements with LAB SOUND and CARPENTER'S MUSIC.  If anyone is interested
in anything, I can supply you with names and phone numbers for LAB SOUND
and CARPENTER'S MUSIC. 

It is painfully obvious that LA is THE place for anyone with an interest in
music and/or guitars.  All the young guns there have a great opportunity to
learn from the pros in person!

Mike

>A big plus in this journey was having my wife with me.  Now that she has
>seen all the equipment and how I sound playing it, she's all for it :-)
>Seriously though, she is almost as excited as I am.

    Yeah...like my wife was when I was searching for a new guitar about a
    year and a half ago.  "Buy *something* dammit, and quit dragging me to
    these music stores".  I guess that's one way to get a new purchase
    approved...   
    
    8^)
    
    Greg

    Yeah Greg, I know what you mean.  It isn't just the guitar though, she
    says you "...gotta get one of them amps too!"
    
    I love it!  I'm going to test drive one of those Marshall mini-stacks
    next.
    
    Mike

    She probably thought you were gonna drag her around looking at amps
    later on...  ;^)
    
    Greg

    The Carpenter's Music store mentioned previously in here will be
    hosting a Larry Carlton clinic on Monday, Feb. 19, at 8pm.  Ticket
    prices are $12 and $15.  Reps from Marshall, ADA, ART, Fender, Ibanez,
    Zion, and Fostex will also be in attendance.
    
    Mike