Now, just posted today on Ebay! My beloved 1966 Gibson Es 330. I think I’m gonna cry. Happy F#@%ing Christmas everyone!
This just in… The Holidays are coming a little quicker than expected for an old friend who just popped for this guitar. Thanks to K.M. I know it’s going to the very best of homes!
The Real Nativity Scene?
…Freak out in a Moonage Daydream Oh Yeah! As if I don’t have enough to worry about. I guess I just don’t get it. I don’t know or really want to know who’s thinking about a purple marshmallow 13 minutes ago. All of this one sentence Cyber-Farting is getting me down. I reluctantly joined MySpace just so I could connect with local musicans and it’s been pretty handy but there’s so much garbage being pumped into it now with advertising and the new “look at my banal observation”-style messaging that it’s become hard to even think about logging on…then, now everyone else has abandoned last week’s “latest craze” and is on the Facebook deal and basically saying nothing to each other all day long. C’mon folks! People constantly tell me that I need a Facebook page. Why? Here’s what I say…if you really have something to say, get yourself a Blog from WordPress like I use, or my good friend Alan who does a music commentary about all kinds of cool stuff and bands you might have never heard of. You’ll find a link to it on my site. It’s called…nowthat’swhaticallbullshit. Then there’s the Cell Phone thing. Remember when we had Pay Phones? You wouldn’t spend all day yacking about idiotic nonsense just to hear yourself speak…would you? “Where you at Dog? ” “Who me? I’m chowing a Big Mac in my Suburban right now and throwing the wrapper out the window. Gotta get me a Big Gulp to wash this shit down. Where you at now Dog?” The phone bill for talking to someone during the day on a pay phone away from your home phone was about 25 cents. Or if you had a copy of “Steal This Book” by Abbie Hoffman, it was free! All you needed was a paper-clip to rub against the pay phone coin box and the reciever, you could call anyone for free. My apologies to Ma Bell. I did it all the time. Sorry to hear that the phone company is nearly destitute due to my antics. Why do we ‘mericans love being railroaded? Consumerism as a lifestyle is being shoved down our throats by corporate swine who have just stolen this country, not to mention the financial state of almost the entire world. Remember the recession? Get out there and buy something or service you don’t need! This is officially the end of this rant for the time being. Now for something completely different…before the advent of the Internet, Cell Phones, (sit on my) Facebook, and the “Deer in the headlights”-type kids who are forever transfixed to brainless, numbing video games… There was Glam!
Ladies & Gentlemen, Mick Ronson in better days.
Sorry, but now I gotta go sign up for Facebook. I can’t wait to tell everyone what kind of mundane and clever thing I’m thinking about right this very second. Or did I just do that already?
Hey Now! I’m sorry to report that Guitar Safari’s exclusive promotion “A Free Wig With Every Purchase” has finally come to an end. This longstanding and well loved bonus will be sadly missed by all the hundreds and thousands of worthy patrons who proudly don these fine quality coifs.
I thought about promising “Free sticks and strings while they last” like my competition but just about anyone could go out any day of the week and find a stick and a piece of string…what a way to dupe the unsuspecting Pink Tutu wearing girls and Shirtless Heavy Metal Leather Pants Wearing dudes of this town that put their backs to the wind, and the camera lens, then march off hand in hand into the smoke from the smoke machine. Now why didn’t I think of that ad campaign? I’ll give you one guess. No. Wrong. It’s just base and sexist. I have plenty of girls coming in to my shop who play kick-ass guitar, bass or drums and don’t adhere to the insulting and sterotypical. Well alright, now then… the photo here features two of the smartest and wildest local talents…straight from BLACK SPARROW PRESS!…Danny and Adam! These guys rock and if you listen closely you will hear them playing at Harold’s Place on December 3rd, 2009 on the bill with legendary SST Records Producer and Genius, SPOT…or at an House Party near you very soon. Nice wigs guys! Where’d you score those sweet mops?
I was digging through some old photos and found this little jem. It’s a shot of my 1974 Hiwatt Custom 50 with matching 4 X 12 Fane Loaded cabinet and my 1963 Gibson SG Junior. These two could really make a mess! Louder and heavier than Hell in more ways than one. Like a mini version of what Pete Townshend of The Who used from around 1969 to the early 80’s. These amps are built to take a beating…and deliver one to the listener as well! Designed by David Reeves and made in the U.K. to Military Specifications, employing the very best of components and assembled by technicians wearing white lab coats! You probably won’t ever find one of these at the local flea market or nearby garage sale but if you do, well, consider yourself warned. Oh by the way…I do have an early 80’s 100 Watt Hiwatt Head in the shop for sale right now…gimme a call.
Good Evening. Ahem…It’s not often that one might stumble across an original Fender Esquire, let alone an Esquire Custom. Basically what we have here is a Telecaster with only one pick up, a different tone circuit and binding on the body. Way back when, you could buy a two pickup Telecaster for about the same price as one of these single pickup Customs. To most people it didn’t make much sense to spend more to get less…except for the way cool binding. This one sports a Rosewood fretboard, which I prefer. It reminds me of my ‘63 Tele Custom…Yup, Custom. Most guitars from the 60’s have a Maple Fretboard. This example is from 1969 which sadly is the very last year of the original production run from the late 50’s to when this little girl was born. I’m working from memory here but I think there were only about 12 of these made that year…at any rate not many of these guitars exist at all in stock, clean condition like this one, from any year prior to 1969. Just check the clean interior of the original case it’s standing in. Most of these were probably modified to act and look something like their sibling, The Telecaster. I love this guitar but I’m considering putting it out there for sale some time soon, probably via the Internet. Keep an eye out and I’ll keep you posted. Not a tease, just something for you to drool over for now.
Hope y’all have a big ol’ Turkey Day this year…Cheers!
Just a quick one here…while she’s away…Here’s a photo of Randy Bachman of The Guess Who holding my, well what once was mine, super rare double cutaway Silvertone. This guy is a serious collector and knows his shit. That’s why I’m without this fine and very rare guitar. Thanks to Bann and Randy!!! ROCK ON!!!…and if you ever wanna sell that thing you better call me first!
…and another thing! Last night my silly band played at Godmother’s here in Pedro. What a thrill and scary thing it was to have Glenn Cornick of Jethro Tull sit in with us! We played, or should I say, tried to play, New Day Yesterday. What a great song that is! I must say Scott did a great job of getting that together at the last minute. I, on the other hand, was just a little too happy at that point. Then Cliff Wagner gets up and blows everyone away with a couple of songs. This is the kind of show that makes life feel alive. A pile of great folks having a night out. Thanks to everyone for coming down and also to David Pratt for letting me borrow his drum throne…NOW, I gotta get to work. I love you!
Okay…Thanks to all who came out and had a blast at the Gears show. It was really amazing and guess what? They said they want to do it again! Hooray for San Pedro! This month I’m blowin’ out the stock I have of AXL Badwater guitars. These babies have EMG Pickups and a very cool array of finish options. Once they’re gone that’s it! Only $129.00!!! And I’ll throw in free Fender Chord Book…there’s enough chords in this book to keep you busy for a hunded years!!! This month’s Pin-Up is the young and Rockin’ Guitar Safari Super Spokesmodel, Arielle in younger days. She’s probably about 15 years old when this shot was taken and playin’ the heck out of a 1936 National Duolian…what could be better than that?
As always, I do repairs ($30.00 per hr.) and set-ups ($45.00 per w/strings…that’s half the price of the other Local Yokels!) on all kinds of guitars and tube amp repair…get rid of that solid state, made to break, diposable junk and buy a real amp before there aren’t any left! Line 6 my ass! Why buy an amp that is trying so hard to sound like a real live tube powered amp? Guitar Center is like the Bush Administration selling you down the river with that crap. When it takes a dump…just throw it away! Because it costs more to fix it than to buy a new one. That’s just great! …and another thing, I have a friend named Cliff Wagner. He has a band called Old Number 7 and all you good folks need to get out of your little box and check this guy out. He’s got several records/Cds out and is a powerhouse when live. Good Time Bluegrass with a twist. He just finished making a SLASHER MOVIE SOUNDTRACK fer chrissakes! More on that to follow as details arrive to the Guitar Safari News Center. What else? Happy Birthday to Mahatma Gandhi!!!! Born October 2nd (Assassinated on January 30th, 1948) We really miss you! Oh yeah, make sure you take a bath after reading this because your hair kind of stinks.
GUITAR SAFARI PROUDLY PRESENTS!…Another Fine Slut Production.
Okay. I’m gonna play it straight and tell you that you had better get your lazy “punk” diaper butts on down to Harold’s Place on September 26th and check out one of the best original Los Angeles Punk bands and get your lame, brand name Social Distortion brain tamed and edified by how great these guys are. THE GEARS…yeah, THE FUCKING GEARS are going to play in San Pedro. Riding high on the crest of the re-release of their crazy cool “Rockin’ At Ground Zero” record/cd, they’ve given us the honor of playing in the humble confines of the only bar in town that matters…well, I still gotta give some cred to Godmother’s, but they ain’t got no Punk Rock. If you don’t live anywhere near San Pedro I feel very sorry for you this time. Rounding out this Trainwreck, will be the incredible (for a multitude of reasons, good and bad) Seatbelt & The Pecking Order and the reconstituted Pedro band The Longhorns. This is a night that should not be missed. Be sure to tip Deb the bartender and of all things, DON’T BE AFRAID TO POGO! This shit is FREE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
*Extra! Extra! This just in! Mike Watt + The Missingsecondmen will also be opening this show for THE URINALS! I had a feeling that this was going to happen! It’ll be a quick half hour set blasting it out with Pete and Raul. Get there early!
Welcome to the wonderful world of AUGUST! I’ve put together a show on August 15th at Harold’s Place on Pacific Avenue here in town. The seminal Los Angeles Punk Band…The Urinals…aka 100 Flowers (remember the Minutemen’s cover song Ack Ack Ack?) will headline the show and blow your little heads off! If you were born in the ’80’s, and you probably were, then you missed it! Well now’s your chance to get a dose of what put Los Angeles on the map. Those were the days…Germs, Nervous Gender, Minutemen, Peer Group, The Bags, The Alleycats, I.U.D. …there were no rules, no formulas. This was and still is the stuff of great invention. This notorious band, The Urinals are wonderful and very dear friends of mine. This is a show that’s not to be missed! You might think you’re Punk Rock but then there are those who know what it is and where it comes from. So jump on this tip! Travel back, back to before you were born. It’ll be just fine.
http://www.myspace.com/chairsofperception
Along on the bill is the Freak Folk Punk Collective Harbinger…Black Sparrow Press…straight from Pedro! Watch out for Danny on lead bucket and the right and left handed mirror image of brothers Chris and Adam banging away on their guitars respectively. Songs of drunken bliss, sober torment and love in the toilet reign as staples in their set. Shown is Adam and Danny, sadly sans Chris but I liked this photo. Come on down and see Chris in person! I hope they’ll be selling their new CD at the show. It’s beautiful and features an amazing artwork poster by Danny. Get it!
http://www.myspace.com/blacksparrowpress
Last but not at all least is a band that’s been through a few incarnations led by local heart-throb, recent graduate and guitar slinging genius, Giovanni Boskovich and his new band …Black Warhol…This guy can write a pop song that will ring in your head for days. This show is free, and as always, presented by Guitar Safari. Again, Another Fine S.L.U.T. Production (Support Local Unsigned Talent) . The video below highlights the Pope Of Pop, Giovanni, with one of his very best songs. Usually he can be found wearing his Greek Captain’s hat scored at the soon to be defunkt Pedro Stalwart, Union War Surplus Store over here on 6th Street (okay! 63 years in the making, and demise…what the hell do you want? How about 63 more years?) Thanks to Cheerful Al!…Sorry to see you go! Many thanks for all the 501 jeans and camouflage g-strings over the years! More information for the show as it rears it’s ugly head.
Come on down and see Chris in person!Howdy! I’ve been so busy selling a pile of guitars for a friend who inherited over 30 from a dearly departed collector. Check my eBay auctions for more to come! Do a search for bigmilk…that’s me! Okay, so the Crazy Danelectros are in stock and everyone is flipping out about the look and feel of the new series. C’mon down and take a test drive!
I had the privilege of recording a song for the new Reactionaries tribute record. The Reactionaries pre-date the amazing, San Pedro’s own, MINUTEMEN. I played the drums with Mike Watt on bass and Jack Brewer (from Saccharine Trust) on vocals. Kevin Carle played guitar. It was very hot and sweaty but just about the most fun I’ve ever had. The song we played is “1979″ and is also the title of the record. Basically the project consists of ten songs culled from a practice tape and names were drawn from a hat to see who would be playing on each song…how lucky can one man be? Me?!?!!? Not on your life usually, but this time I scored!
I sold about six Republic Resolians last month. This is the most popular item I’ve had, ever. New ones are arriving all the time so get your name on the list…these only last a day or two every time I get one in stock.
Now the good news! The August Issue of Los Angeles Magazine just gave my humble shop huge props for being the place to be. Check it out. Page 47! Yeah! Thanks to those great folks for recognizing how much hard work goes into having a business and highlighting my efforts.
Remember! My Set-Up charge is half of what the other clowns are charging…and I do a good job! $45.00 for new strings and a neck adjustment, fret polishing with the intonation set…what a deal! Bring me your tired, your hungry, your huddled guitar masses…and I’ll do something with it to make your life better. In closing I would happily welcome you to feast your eyes on Guitar Safari’s Official Spokesmodel Arielle in the latest series of eye popping photos featuring a 1957 Salmon Pink Gibson Lap Steel and a 1952 Gibson ES-295…WOW! Evil and lovely all in one package! You can look but don’t touch! 
