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.

the epi is great and the strat is back

having a great time with the epi dot. Sounds great unplugged, and really good through the fender amp. There is a little fret buzz, but I'll fix that when I change the strings. It doesn't bother me much.

As for my next guitar, I"m back to the strat. I can handle the 25.5 scale length for my RnB single note improv stuff. The Epi I'll use for the acoustic-style Blues. This makes sense -- I can play both guitars -- take my Epi to school for lessons, and play the strat at home for the solo stuff that Tom (my teacher) doesn't cover. The epi is good for school also because Tom sometimes forgets to bring an amp, and the epi plays well unplugged -- I can hear it when he's playing his classical guitar, which is the one he usually brings.

Ahh, guitars..... they're so great!

i got the Epiphone Dot!

I Got the Dot.

Black finish with chrome hardware. Beautiful! The 24.75 scale length is great! Much easier to play than a strat 25.5 inch. I'm not into strats anymore! The quality in the guitar is just excellent. Fine craftsmanship. It sounds great -- great tone. The neck feels great. I'm getting used to the bigger body size. It's great unplugged, too. Semi-hollow body.

I Love the Dot!

epiphone dot soon

It looks like the weekend of the 18th I'll be heading up to Milwaukee and Marty will get me the Epiphone Dot. Looking forward to it!!!

After that, do I really need another guitar? My Yamaha Pacifica is a nice strat-type. So with that and the Epi Dot I've got the range covered: 2 scale lengths, single coil and humbucker, solid body and semi-hollow.

Maybe I don't need a Fender strat. I have thought of the Gibson Melody Maker. Made in the USA, 400 bucks (!), 1 single coil, mahagony body, Les Paul body style. That would get me my "made in America" fix and save a few hundred bucks compared to the Strat Highway 1.

But maybe the Epi Dot and Yamaha are all I need. Two nice guitars.....

pick winning now

now I"ve gone to using the pick for solos. well, my fingers were hurting -- mild arthritis or something. so now the pick feels better and I'm going with it.

also I've picked up the acoustic again to mess around with, especially while sitting on the couch or in the kitchen. just a nice smaller guitar with easy to play nylon strings.

the lessons progress. i'm learning more how to structure a blues solo against the 12 bar pattern in a way that makes sense.