Extreme Enthusiasm or My GAS collection

Hey my name is Steve and I have gas. no.. it’s not what you think. I’m about to talk about what i really, really get behind more than ANYTHING. GAS as it is called nowadays meaning Guitar Acquisition Syndrome is something that I have almost finished curing, though i still suffer from it.. enthusiastically i might add, and I never stop on my search.

Here’s the short version:

For the past 20 years or so, or from the moment I started really “growing into myself”, I thought of my small bedroom as a vast chamber to customize and build my own feng shui into. I figured out ways to fit things into my bedroom that nobody thought would or could ever be possible. A mountain bike or 2 hung from the ceiling, many amplifiers were stacked just right utilizing the least amount of floor space, and I had 6 guitars hanging in the other corner of the room. I coated my walls with memories and collected shit like any young artist, and I went through a pack rats inside joke phase for a few years, but most of the stupid things were thrown away.

I found myself in bliss whenever i had a guitar that I could possibly make playable again. It wasn’t too long until i had to make room and build 2 huge shelves to support more guitar cases because i was fixing them up all the time.

I used to love going to countless yard sales, but after attending luthiery (guitar-making) school, working with sam ash, using ebay and craigslist everyday as well as hitting up a live auction, and finding some fixer-uppers, my knowledge and my collection grew. Eventually I even bought a drum kit to add on to. Nowadays, I have a rehearsal/recording room in my basement with most of my gear, with guitars set up in full stereo.

As of July 11th

From Left: Foot Clave, Boss DD6, RV5, PN2, EHX Deluxe Memory man, CH3, Ibanez TS10, CS3, EHX micro POG, Ibanez EQ, RMC3 LTD Gold wah (If you want to see just how adjustable this wah pedal is, watch this you tube video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9Ov73jD4cU

From front: 1974 Fender Precision w/ maple fingerboard stock, 1977 Ibanez Silver Series lawsuit P-Bass, 1972 Guild JS-1 Bass, Danelectro Baritone modded to 6 string bass, Danelectro Hodad w/ 3 lipstick tube pickups in sparkle indigo purple, 1976 Hi Flyer Bass in black, Fender P-bass Jr.

BTW, I’m enthusistic about bartering and i have an extensive ‘trade list” of pedals, guitars, cymbals, stands and gear to trade you for your cool shit or for your “once was cool but is now broken” shit.

I also just made business cards. Email me and i’ll send you one!

I also love to jam, so if you want to jam, get in touch and you can come over within a day or so.

As for the GAS.. I just need a few more things sorted..

Wanted: (updated frequently)

Wilson Effects Rippah Q wah or Area 51 wah

Colorsound Wah

A TIP 3rd hand pedal (these are so cool)

A working Korg Microkorg

In the works in my shop:

Custom Tele Thinline, My handmade sex bass, MXR Dynacomp mod

I also own a copy of the 1976 Worlds Livestock Auctioneer Competition on CD that i hold dear.

OT: I ALSO want to express that I am a huge fan of George Carlin and his book Brain Droppings. Robin and I got to see the show before his last, June 13 at The Orleans in Las Vegas recently and it was a fantastic show. He shouldn’t have died yet… He looked too good to die. I will never forget the way he danced off the stage. A master of funny faces and body language and comedy as a whole. He will be missed by many.

take it ez

Even more ice cream enthusiasm

Awesome ice cream lady

Ms. Pac-man

I get behind Ms. Pac-man.

Ms. Pac-man important facts (a nerdy public service message):

• It’s very important that you understand that Pac-man and Ms. Pac-man are COMPLETELY different games. It is not simply that she has a bow in her hair. Pac-man actually gets boring very quickly because it is the same level repeated over and over. Ms. Pac-man is a much more fun game whererin the levels change and you have to chase down all the fruit.

• The game is at a level of greatness that each ghost has a distinct personality, a stupid name and is programmed to react differently.* You should be most careful around Pinky (the pink ghost) and Inky (blue ghosts). You can be less careful around the Sue (orange) which is the stupidest which will probably run away from you.
  

• There are loads of places have a real Ms. Pac-man machine for you to play. An incredibly incomplete list includes: some Urban Outfitters stores, JFK airport** and of course Barcade in Williamsburg. But the reality is there is only one Ms. Pac-man machine you need to know about in all of New York City. There is an amazing Pac-man machine at the Golden Dove Diner on Staten Island.** The machine has 5 different kinds of Pac-man and the option of playing each version in fast and regular modes. Also: the Golden Dove has excellent challah french toast.

• If you can’t get out to Staten Island***you can of course play a semi-decent version here:



Click to Play!

*Stupid but true.

***Don’t bother playing at JFK as it costs $1 per game. Never play Ms. Pac-man for more than 25 cents unless you are really, really bored.

** Take the X1 bus from Manhattan or the S79 from Bayridge.