to make a t-shirt that says,
YES I’VE HAD LUNCH
PS. I decided I’m going back to bass guitar. It feels right for me and this time I will eventually get a little drum machine to bop with too. I went to Jeongno-sam-ga again yesterday, but this time I touched the merchandise. I have money now for the first time in my adult life but no real sense of …uh geez I don’t even know the word — ‘drive to be tight, to save’. I am saving, but I don’t know why, just because everybody else does.
I was looking at Rickenbacker basses online and eventhough they’re dear, I’ve always wanted one. I saw one yesterday but it was way overpriced. The reasonable thing to do is buy a korean-made job. I really don’t know much about guitars, and I had this idea fixed in my head that heavy = more good. I went from one little shop to the next asking to see the heaviest guitar they had. Ash is the heavy wood, but as I eventually found out, “it is the nature of ash to be unpainted”. Before I heard, each time they’d bring out a woodgrain thing that looked like y’mumma’s kitchen table and I was instantly disappointed.
I had a little list of specs in my head. Rosewood fretboard, fender body shape, pleasing colour, only 4 strings please and all the machine heads in a row– not one on the side. Preferably more than one pick-up. Heavy.
I gave up on the heavy ash after having a go of a ‘Swing’ (it’s a korean make name) bass that was made of ‘basswood’, which reminded me of unspecified meat; found in some foods. But it’s shorthand for some kind of tree. It had active electronics, which was groovy and goes on the list. I almost bought it but it had this woodgrain covering on the front which I wasn’t too fond of. I’ll have another look next week, but may go grab that one because it checked out in all the other areas.
As a sidenote, two out of the three sales-guys I spoke to had surprisingly good English.
For posterity’s sake, here’s a list of the guitars, amps n efx that sonic youth had pinched.
GUITARS SERIAL # description
------- -------- -----------
Kimberly Hollow Body Accoustic day glo tiger
sticker, spring
held in place w/wire
Gibson Les Paul Jr. Tobacco Sunburst 5789 Snoopy sticker
Fender Jazzmaster White 126646
Fender Jaguar (leopard paint job) 33 custom paint looks
like leopard spots
Fender Mustang Orange w/racing stripe 259425 Chrome tuner low E,
white knobs all others
Fender Telecaster Thinline F hole 370090 Semi-Hollow Body
Fender Jaguar /blond refin L98559 w/clover sticker
Fender Jaguar dark stain bare wood 12570 deep scratches on
body; DDA, Humbucking
pickups
Fender Jazzmaster Burgundy mist refin 44364
Travis Bean Koa Wood 102
Gibson Les Paul Red Sparkle 512510
Travis Bean Red Flat Top 375 Target sticker,
only two knobs,
wood broken around knobs
Fender Jazzmaster Sunburst 176211
Fender Duo-sonic White W/blue pickguard
Fender Jazzmaster Blue SY 006
Fender Jazzmaster Sunburst L68761 Japanese Neck #K625188
Drifter 4 String Guitar NA Four string, obvious
fractures, drumstick
under strings
Fender Jazzmaster Sunburst 100958
Fender Jazzmaster Black refin 614960 28 sticker, chrome
humbucking pickups
Gibson RD Artist 71218092 Controls removed,
holes showing in
body
Fernandez Sustainer guitar 89802 Dark red, Fender
bridge
looks like
threaded rod
Fender P-Bass L64305
Gibson Les Paul Special 400357 Possibly SN 503202
Yamaha Pacifica Red Sunburst Mod.312 NA
Fender Jazzmaster Red 145507 w/Squiggly Pen Lines
AMPLIFIERS/SPEAKER CABINETS
---------------------------
Peavey Roadmaster 3A-01673927 In White Hardshell Case
Peavey Roadmaster 4A-1798945 Black Calzone Hardshell
case
Mesa Boogie 400 Plus Bass Amp B 2589 or 1664
Fender Bassman Guitar Head 22111 Black face amp in black
roadcase
Fender Bassman Guitar Head A12534 Black face amp in black
roadcase
Fender 2x12 Speaker box NS
Marshall 4x12 Slant Cabinet A13762 Pink Hardshell Case
Mesa Boogie 1x18 Speaker Cabinet SY020 Self contained in road
case with heavy
duty casters
Fender 4x12 Cream Color Speaker Cab.LO-436025 Blue roadcase for same
Fender Concert Amplifier N/A Combo amp,
Red/Blue/Yellow
target painted on grille
PEDAL EFFECTS UNITS
-------------------
Sovtek Big Muff Distortion Pedal (two)
ProCo Turbo Rat Distortion (three)
MXR Phase 90 (two)
MXR Blue Box Distortion (two)
Jimi Hendrix Octave Fuzz (three total)
Mu-Tron Volume Wah 5806
MOOG Moogerfooger Ring Modulator #00608
Korg EXP2 Expression Pedal
DOD PDS1002 Two Second Delay FX994837
Maestro Ring Modulator RM-1B AE-914248 2 prong black cord,
LED and
Footswitches (custom
mod)
Maestro Ring Modulator 3 prong white cord,LED
and footswitches
(custom mod)
Hughes and Kettner Tube Factor 244117
Hughes and Kettner Tube Rotosphere 229974
Ibanez AD-80 Analog Delay 121817/111519
18 Volt Power supply
soldered in
Mutron Bi Phase Effect unit 1321 In wedge shaped suitcase
w/pedal and templates
Mutron Expression pedal 1197 In suitcase W/above
Electro Harmonix Hot tubes Vintage pedal, some wear
Electro Harmonix Micro Synth pedal Re-issue fairly new