RTP-area local music and culture

[Michael Warren <p_michael_warren AT yahoo.com>]

The best thing would be to take someone who knows guitars with you, but if 
that's not possible here are some suggestions:
 
1. Don't buy it at Wal-Mart, Sears, the pawn shop, flea market, or any place 
whose primary business is church pianos and organs. Go to a real music store 
such as Music Loft, Guitar Center, Sam Ash, Don's, etc. ( there are others, 
look in the phone book).
2. Stick to better known brands like Gibson, Fender, Gretsch, Hamer, Ovation, 
Ibanez, Peavey,etc. Many of their guitars are way out of your price range, 
but most of these companies sell a less expensive line of guitars ( Gibson 
has Epiphone, Fender has the Squier line, Hamer sells Slammers) It would be 
good to buy an American- made model, but you probably can't afford that and 
Asian- made guitars are a lot better generally than they used to be.
3. I recently bought a Slammer guitar really cheap when the store I worked at 
closed. It is made by the Hamer company and is a copy of a Fender 
Stratocaster. With proper set-up it's a decent guitar and retails for around 
$300 and you could surely buy one for less.
4. A crucial point on any guitar is whether the neck is straight or has any 
warp to it. Look carefully
down the neck from both ends and if it's bad you can see it. Most stores and 
manufacturers offer some sort of warranty that will cover any problems. Read 
the warranty! Avoid guitars that have more than a couple of knobs or lots of 
bells and whistles. These are mostly gimmicks for looks to boost sales and 
can be trouble.
5. The amplifier is less crucial for a beginner. There are small practice 
amps available in the $30 - $60 range and some have headphones for quiet 
practice. You can buy a bigger one later. Remember that teenagers are 
notorious for gaining and losing interest in everything quickly. You can 
probably get a good deal on something larger at a pawn shop. Avoid anything 
with broken or missing knobs, or with signs of mildew on it, meaning it has 
been stored in a damp place. Make sure it works before you leave the store. 
This also applies to used guitars. A pro might get a great deal buying 
something that needs minor repair, but you may wind up with a piece of junk.  
     
6. You can save a lot of money buying on-line from one of several internet 
based instrument suppliers, but having been in that business myself I can 
tell you that guitars often do not arrive properly set up and damages in 
shipment are fairly common. Much of this stuff is drop-shipped directly from 
the distributor or factory, which can mean somewhere in China.
I'm not a guitar guru and there are probably guys on this list who can offer 
some more technical suggestions, but I hope this helps.
mw
 
 


                
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>From newsgate AT newsguy.com  Thu Aug 26 16:26:46 2004
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Date: 26 Aug 2004 12:59:02 -0700
From: local506 AT earthlink.net (Local 506)
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Seeing that our ad was somehow omitted in this week's Indy, here is
what we have going on this week and beyond.  Also, effective
immediately, we are discontinuing Microphone Mondays (hint to local
bands - you'll probably have a greater chance getting a show by being
the first to ask for any given Monday than the tenth band to ask to
open for Mike Watt or Explosions in the Sky.)  Oh yeah, for some
reason, our website local506.net is not mirroring the actually
accurate local506.com...so make sure to go to that one for updates. 
Thanks, glenn



8/26    THU     PEOPLE UNDER THE BRIDGE / A PROBLEM OF ALARMING DIMENSIONS
8/27    FRI     WXYC's Early 90's Dance!
8/28    SAT     DANIELLE HOWLE / DJANGO HASKINS / PATTI ROTHBERG
8/29    SUN     SUNDAY DRIVER / THE NEW TRANSIT DIRECTION / Vagrant Recording
Artist DOWN TO EARTH APPROACH
9/1     WED     Jamaica Meets East Coast: The  Best of Reggae / Hip Hop DJ's
and Artists (Atlantic Record Giveaways) Special Guest Cayenne the Lion
King from WNCU 90.7 FM
9/2     THU     GO MACHINE / EYES TO SPACE / PERMANENT DARLING
9/3     FRI     SHARKQUEST Record Release Party w/ DES ARK / BILLY SUGARFIX
9/4     SAT     SHALLOW BE THY NAME / ROBERT DEEBLE - plus HI MOM! - The Best
of the #7 Fest 2004
9/5     SUN     POLYNYA / CENTRIC / GLISSADE
9/7     TUE     The Independent Presents INTERNATIONAL ORANGE / REGINA
HEXAPHONE / THE BALANCE
9/8     WED     THE BACKWARDS (Beatles Tribute band from the Czech Republic) /
THE SPINNS
9/10    FRI     NODCRAFT.COM Present Back to School Hip-Hop Bash w/ KAZE /
ILL ROTTIN INTELLIGENCE / LIVING DEAD / DJ NOTIK 1
9/11    SAT     NORTH ELEMENTARY / MENDOZA LINE / TRANSPORTATION
9/12    SUN     THE NATURAL HISTORY / THE NEIN / BITTER BITTER WEEKS
9/14    TUE     PALOMAR / DUMBWAITERS / BY DEVINE RIGHT
9/15    WED     MINUS THE BEAR / PARIS TEXAS / THE STATISTICS
9/16    THU     SLEEPY LA BEEF
9/18    SAT     Cat's Cradle Presents HER SPACE HOLIDAY / NEOTROPIC /
OCTAVIUS  / THAVIUS BECK
9/19    SUN     JIMMY & THE SLEAZERS / Fat Possum Recording Artist THEE SHAMS
9/21    TUE     Benefit for Erskine Bowles w/ BAREFOOT MANNER / GRIPWEED
MANIFOLD
9/22    WED     Cat's Cradle Presents THE JON BUTLER TRIO
9/23    THU     ALL NIGHT / CRIMSON SWEET / THE NOT
9/25    SAT     DIBIASI / PSYCHE ORIGAMI / MANAMINA GOODSONG
9/27    MON     THE BILLY NAYER SHOW
9/28    TUE     Cat's Cradle Presents WILLY PORTER
9/30    THU     GIBBY HAYNES AND HIS PROBLEM / HEROINE SHIEKS / THE FAKERS
10/1    FRI     CUB COUNTRY CD Release Party
10/2    SAT     THE NEIN / COLD SIDES / SORRY ABOUT DRESDEN / AUDUBON PARK
10/3    SUN     EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY / ZYKOS
10/4    MON     Cat's Cradle Presents DO MAKE SAY THINK
10/7    THU     Cat's Cradle Presents DEAD MOON
10/8    FRI     IQU
10/12   TUE     SATURDAY LOOKS GOOD TO ME / HEAD OF FEMUR (The Sunshine Fix
has cancelled)
10/15   FRI     DYNAMITE BROTHERS / BLOODTHIRSTY LOVERS
10/16   SAT     THE HONORED GUESTS CD Release Party w / NORTH ELEMENTARY /
THE RACHEL NEVADAS
10/17   SUN     BARN BURNING / REVEREND GLASSEYE
10/19   TUE     INTERNATIONAL ORANGE /  JOSH JOPLIN / CORDERO
10/20   WED     RADIO FOUR / JETT RINK / THE LAST VEGAS
10/21   THU     NYLES LANNON (of Film School) / BRIAN McTEAR (of Bitter
Bitter Weeks)
10/30   SAT     Cat's Cradle Presents DAVID THOMAS AND TWO PALE BOYS
10/31   SUN     Cat's Cradle Presents MIKE WATT
11/3    WED     GO THERE!
11/4    THU     SOLEX / ON! AIR! LIBRARY! / WORM IS GREEN
11/5    FRI     MEMPHIS
11/6    SAT     WXYC 10 YEARS OF WEBCASTING ANNIVERSARY PARTY
11/10   WED     SOUTHERN CULTURE ON THE SKIDS
11/11   THU     SOUTHERN CULTURE ON THE SKIDS
11/12   FRI     SOUTHERN CULTURE ON THE SKIDS
11/13   SAT     Cat's Cradle Presents HOLLY GO LIGHTLY / THE WOGGLES
11/19   FRI     $2 DOLLAR PISTOLS / CUB COUNTRY / RANDY WHITT & THE GRITTS
11/20   SAT     GoGirlsMusicFest w/ THE PINK SLIPS (PILOT TO GUNNER
cancelled)