guitar contests!

OK, I'm entering contests for free guitars!

Fender -- win a jazzmaster. drawing on Jan. 18.

Gibson/Epiphone -- easymusiclessons.com gives away an epiphone every month.

Also, the thomas nichols band has an epiphone giveaway contest (drawing after Dec. 31).

ALSO, a contest to win a texan 1964 epiphone acoustic guitar -- some tim mcgraw contest (drawing on Dec. 21.)

Ibanez -- free bass guitar (drawing on Dec. 15).

ESP -- free metal style guitar and some huge amp (drawing on Nov. 30 or so),

Carvin guitars -- once a month 500 bucks certificate for their stuff. (1st of each month)

premiere guitar mag -- free benedetto archtop contest and jazz amp (drawing Dec. 16).

Guitar world website: BBE equipment (drawing one week after Dec. 31). and sweetwater.com gear giveaway (winner each day Dec. 1-24).

zzounds: gear giveaway (drawing Jan. 15).

ultimate guitar.com -- BC Rich Lita Ford guitar contest (drawing Dec. 2-12). (winner chosen.)

Also an Epiphone Flying V guitar for Fall of Troy band contest (drawing Dec. 4 or so). (winner chosen).

guitar edge.com -- contest to win a Tregan Shaman guitar (drawing Dec. 15).

revolver.com -- hard rock magazine; contest for jackson c20 bass and esp/ltd guitar. unknown when contest ends

Logan Lynn: win a guild acoustic guitar. drawing after Jan. 5. not sure if I"m entered -- the reply email asked to "download" something and I didn't! so maybe I'm not in this one.

http://www.learn-to-play-rock-guitar.com/guitar-contests.html

a list of guitar contests

enter now and win!!

downstroke achieved!

yes, I've finally broken that barrier and can now downstroke with the pick. I'm overdoing it and downstroking all the time, but that's too really embed it in the muscles; later I'll alternate between downstrokes and upstrokes. It sounds better, certainly, and it feels better to be able to play guitar a little more normally. My accuracy is still not as good as with an upstroke, but it's getting there, and it's good enough for now.

The recital is coming up. I'll be doing a blues arrangement I came up with using some riffs and parts that Tom taught me. I'll be playing the Yamaha, as the epiphone dot hardshell case is out of stock until January.

buffalo nickel

I actually got a 1935-D buffalo nickel in change when I went to Aldi.... wow, that's weird. And yes, I still check my change when it's handed to me. Forever a coin collector....... oh and the nickel's worth about 35 cents.