They're home...

 

We picked up Steph and Dan at the airport last night.  They had a layover in Dallas - their plane coming into Dallas was about 15 minutes late, but they were good on time there.  When they boarded in Dallas, we got another text from Steph...

    "Let’s hope! There’s a baseball team on the plane. Every plane crash movie seems to have a sports team     onboard."  😳😱 

To which I replied: "Not funny."

We picked them up at the door they told us they'd be at in the text we received while getting close to the airport.  Sky Harbor International Airport is huge - nice to have the ability to coordinate so none of us had to wait.  Easy. 

We walked into their house with them after the drive from the airport - I wanted to see if the cats would all come running.  It wasn't the animal reunion like you see in the movies - Tango acted like he was afraid of them.  Joan scooped Tango up and put him in Steph's arms... he was fidgety.  

Ah, home sweet home.  Now, we can all get back to normal.  For a few days. 

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When I was a kid and complained about the weather, my Mother used to say to me: "Whether it's good or whether it's not, the weather we have is the weather we got."  Sage advice?  Not really.  It was her way of saying: "Nothing you can do about it (the weather)."

The "Extreme Heat Warning" were supposed to expire yesterday.  Didn't happen.  In fact, they have been extended through most of this next week.  No, I'm not surprised - it's the desert.  In August. 

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More GAS...

Gear Acquisition Syndrome.  While together with what I call "my local guys" at Allan's house on Friday, Allan asked me if I had any use for an acoustic amp.  I had seen it there in his rehearsal space, but didn't pay much attention - we don't play acoustic type music with this group.  I told Allan I'd take it home and give it a try...

 

It's a brand I'd never heard of (Monoprice Stage Right).  Small(ish) in size.  20 watts, 8" speaker and a tweeter.  I plugged it in and plugged my X20 into it... sounds decent.  It doesn't have the volume or tone of a similar size Fishman Loudbox, but it really is... decent.  At a budget price.

I plugged in a couple other guitars, first an Emerald X10, then a Taylor T5.  The T5 isn't an acoustic guitar - it is a semi-hollow body electric guitar that is what I consider a hybrid: it has both electric and acoustic pickups and a good variety of tones.  That unique guitar sounds really good in this amp.  The X10 is an acoustic guitar that has a humbucking pickup, as well as individual piezos; so, also a hybrid.  I guess I am drawn to these guitars.

Acoustic amps are generally "flat response" - they don't color the sound, but try to reproduce what the guitar sounds like (with varying success).  Electric amps have their own tone.  And some electric amps are "modeling," meaning they try to sound like (model) a variety of other amps.  This is why you often see electric guitar players with a variety of amps.  And why I have almost as many amps as guitars.  And that is known as "justification"... not really a technical term.  ;-)

And just for grins, I ran a line out from this Stage Right into the small Marshall amp I have - the combination sounds huge. In a small size.  No, I won't likely use it this way.