An updated Shiner family photo

[luvmyshiner]

I know y'all have done this before. I tried to run a search to find the thread that had Spudman's roof shot, and got nowhere. So anyway, it's been awhile since we got all the kids together for a family photo. Here ya' go.

[Algonquin]

Nice looking bunch of kids you have their Shiner / CB :

[just strum]

Wow, look at all those nice guitars and the two taking front and center:

I didn't realize you had three amps - I know about the cube and the Behringer Acoustic (don't remember model#), but what's the third?

Those two latest additions to the guitar collection are real beauties.

[just strum]

Oh, and stop posting the EA20SDL, you're tearing my heart out.

[Childbride]

Oh, and stop posting the EA20SDL, you're tearing my heart out.

Strummy, you know i take good care of her...

she told me her name was Savage, and that she loves the longhorns, and likes texas weather better than ohio's. you can't have her back, buddy... but i promise to love her lotses.

[monkfish1979]

Holy cow. You have a helluva lot of guitars. Nice work

[tot_Ou_tard]

Oh, and stop posting the EA20SDL, you're tearing my heart out.

Are you sure there isn't a .632734TRD42 in there somewhere?

There doesn't seem to be enough letters & digits to specify a guitar. It could just as easily be a cleaning product.

: Just who is the head of the Washburn advertising department? :

This guy?

[Plank_Spanker]

That's a rather lovely family you preside over, Shiner!

[mrmudcat]

Are you sure there isn't a .632734TRD42 in there somewhere?

There doesn't seem to be enough letters & digits to specify a guitar. It could just as easily be a cleaning product.

: Just who is the head of the Washburn advertising department? :

This guy?

Now you know why some of us left!!! Robert has big veins and dresses better:

[luvmyshiner]

I didn't realize you had three amps - I know about the cube and the Behringer Acoustic (don't remember model#), but what's the third?

Hey Strum, sorry I missed your question first time around. The other amp was the first one I bought when I got my OE30, based on the recommendation of Wingsdad. It's a Behringer GMX110. Sweet little solid state amp with 30 watts and a buttload of effects.

[just strum]

Hey Strum, sorry I missed your question first time around. The other amp was the first one I bought when I got my OE30, based on the recommendation of Wingsdad. It's a Behringer GMX110. Sweet little solid state amp with 30 watts and a buttload of effects.

I commented about that amp in another thread this weekend. It looks to be an impressive amp and zZound has them for $120 (B Stock). I didn't realize you had that amp. Hell, you're set - well, until you sell and then buy more guitars and amps and...

[luvmyshiner]

I commented about that amp in another thread this weekend. It looks to be an impressive amp and zZound has them for $120 (B Stock). I didn't realize you had that amp. Hell, you're set - well, until you sell and then buy more guitars and amps and...

Strum, it's a sweet amp for someone like me who just wants to noodle around with different sounds to learn. I don't remember exactly what I paid for it, but I think it was about twice that. The cool thing is that it comes with a pedal that allows you to switch over to the effects. That's why Wingsdad recommended it and that's what sold me on it.

[sunvalleylaw]

Nice looking set there guys! Looks like your place is a fun place to come and hang out!

[luvmyshiner]

Thanks y'all. We do enjoy them. I think I'm getting ready to thin the heard a little bit though. There's a few other ones out there I've got my eye on, and we need to get rid of a few that we don't play to make room.

[Tone2TheBone]

A house full of geetars is the best in the west!

[luvmyshiner]

You may be right Wingsdad. Honestly, I'll have to go back and check cause I don't really remember what I paid for it.

[sunvalleylaw]

That is great. I have utmost respect for your efforts. I am not at the place where I can write yet, other than in the crude limerick sense.

[Childbride]

That is great. I have utmost respect for your efforts. I am not at the place where I can write yet, other than in the crude limerick sense.

maybe i have to watch august rush a few more times, and connect to my inner universe, or something, so i can hear how the words and the tones connect. i think there's another Level you have to reach to acquire this, and i work towards it.

and maybe i need to get a tutorial from Strummy on what his teacher told him about basic music construction.

on a weird side note on this subject... for years, i would write not just poetry but what came to be known to my 'Inner Circle' as 'kimmie stories.' they were quite popular in law school, helped keep us all sane. and what was funny, is that a lot of times, the story reminded me of a song, past or present, and i would start the story with the lyrics of the song that the story evoked. if i could do that in another sense... i'd be there, i think.

[Brian Krashpad]

Good lookin' family shot! Tell me 'bout the 'lectrics. Is the black on in the corner a Guild? Can't quite make it out. And the Tele, a Fender MIM?

Since I asked questions I'll also give some answers, even though they were questions asked of Spud, the ones regarding writing. It seems everyone has a different methodology to how they write. A large batch of people start with a musical riff, or a beat or rhythm, and see what that evokes lyrically. A large number of working bands, particularly ones that have a lead singer who doesn't play an instrument, will make up a whole song instrumentally, based on this sort-of "jamming" method, and then expect the vocalist to come up
with lyrics for it. But the method can work for a solo-type person too, just play some random chords, find a progression you like, and see what kind of mood it evokes. It may be that some lyrics/poetry you've already written will "fit," or you may need to start from scratch.

All that said, that's not how I write. I can do it if in a collaborative sitch, but that's not my default methodology. I tend to write songs "internally," all of a piece. In other words, typically I don't write with an instrument. I write the words with a specific melody in mind, and (if no one's around) will actually sing the lines a capella as I write. But this can be done entirely "in your head" as well. I've written entire songs, for example, while mowing my lawn.

After I have the melody and lyrics written (again, I do this all at the same time, jotting down or memorizing the lyrics as I go), then I pick up a guitar and figure out the chord progression of the song. One advantage of writing based on the singing side rather than the instrumental side is, you'll never write a song in a key you can't sing it in, or one with notes outside your vocal range. For "singers" (and believe me, I use the term loosely) such as myself with an extremely limited vocal range, this method of writing is a godsend.

Good luck with your writing!