My New Babies Part 1

Cracklin_rosey woke up this morning (ok, afternoon) with an itch to spend her birthday cash. After a lunch with her friend Laurie, Ms. Rosey paid a visit to Sam Ash, where she allowed the sales boys to fawn over her as she looked at bass guitars.

Upon returning home, she was eager to head back out with Big Bro Joe in tow to finalize her purchase. I was all about it, as Rosey seems really interested in playing the bass, and I think everyone should play a musical instrument (you hear me Gravity Boy?). We got to Sam Ash around 6:30 p.m., and by 6:45 Rosey had one of the sales boys performing a little concert just for her. The guy was good (later found out it he's the lead singer/guitarist for indie Tampa band The Beauvilles, a band Scott Harrell just wrote a cover story about for the Planet!) and Rosey seemed in good hands.

My mind had begun to wander, though. Up on the wall was a reasonably-priced orange Ibanez semi-hallow-bodied guitar. I asked Rosey's little helper (Shawn) about the guitar and he said that while that one was on lay away, he just got in a new sunburst model that was the same price. It waa still in the back. Did I want to take a look.

So, I looked, and long story short:



It's my new baby! The thing sounds great. Through my other new baby (see below) I can get a sweet Jazz tone (finally), a crisp blues sound, a biting rock tone, AND the end of the world metal yell we all know and love so much! I am super excited.

Mr. Mescalito's blue Strat has been my ax of choice for over two years now. I will truly miss that guitar, a fine instrument and a credit to the Fender company and to Mescalito's a) taste, b)ability to find a great sale, and c) generosity in letting me borrow it. Still, it was time for the upgrade.

Oh, and I even bargained with the guy and everything! It's all just a show, and he gave me the standard discounts, but it amounted to hundreds of dollars, and if I had not of said anything he gladly would have charged me those hundreds of dollars. It was a truly satisfying shopping experience -- and I almost never say that.

In the end, both me and cracklin_rosey walked out with new instruments. She picked up a cool purple Ibanez bass (it plays really well) and the cutest little bass amp you've ever seen!

Rock on!