Spare Parts

The Alvarez is back from the shop, having been expertly repaired by the Chuck Levin staff. There should be no lingering bad effects, except those that I create myself. Thanks for all the get-well cards ...

I always play sitting down but today I decided to stand and use a strap -- just because I happen to have a couple of nice ones that were given to me as gifts but never get used. Now, this would be a revelation only to a greenhorn like me but, man, the guitar is an entirely different instrument when you're standing up. I had to cinch it way, way up high so I could lean over the body and keep an eye on the strings.

In a frank admission, I will reveal that yes, I did indeed go over to the full-length mirror to see how I looked wearing a guitar. I guess it's sort of nerdy to have your chin resting on the body; not very rock star at all ...

That guitar on the right is not broken. It's called a Centerfold, designed by an airline pilot and made by Devillian, a Swedish company. It's billed as the ultimate in guitar portability and you don't even have to take off the strings when you fold it. Supposedly this folding process won't even knock it out of tune. It costs about $3,400 ...

There are a couple of new sidebar items on the right side that will greatly enhance the blog-reading experience for the tens of thousands of people who end up here after Googling eddie van halen bathroom. One is a list of music-related books I've read this year and the other is a little jukebox that will play some blues masters. Believe me, you'd rather listen to them than me.