66 Sax

Vinyl production platform aims to treat listeners to master-quality records

aqmstaffo@mailbag.com (Dan Stafford) — Mon, 22 Aug 2022 22:54:00 -0700

https://newatlas.com/technology/elasticstage-vinyl-production-platform/

Portable Didgideroo Imported From Japan

aqmstaffo@mailbag.com (Dan Stafford) — Sun, 28 May 2017 03:10:00 -0700

This is my new digideroo, Digzy. She just came home today.

I'm impressed by the seller.

Now to watch and try learning a ton of Youtube video on learning to play.

The didgideroo is a truly ancient instrument in its original form. The Alpine horn is very similar and also ancient.

These instruments possess a strong meditative quality when played well.

Wish me luck.

Dan

12-Bar Blues Riff I'm Learning...

aqmstaffo@mailbag.com (Dan Stafford) — Thu, 15 Sep 2016 11:30:00 -0700

I'm trying to get this down, and Rosie is cooperating a lot better than my fingers! Lol.

I plan on working on this for the next month or so - and it'll be a bit different than in the vid, because I naturally strum with my right thumb instead of picking. I've got one heck of a callus on the left corner of my right thumb, and it's only getting more so. I also tend to grow out the left corner of that thumbnail so that I can pick with it when I need to.

Here's the lesson:

And here is Rosie with my little First Act MA-104 4-watt practice amp:

I'm Really Enjoying The New Theme...

aqmstaffo@mailbag.com (Dan Stafford) — Wed, 14 Sep 2016 23:36:00 -0700

I love the blues, so the new theme I just finished here on 66 Sax is hitting me just right.

I love the starfield background, and I've tweaked the fonts and colors to go with a "blues night club" kind of feel.

In that spirit, here's a really classic blues number from the year I was born in, 1962. I only discovered this amazing artist this past month, which really shocks me. I give you the amazing Barbara Lynn, who was so far ahead of her time:

Some Sweet Old Soul-Blues Fusion:

I first heard this song last year, but had no idea who sang it. I listen to a lot of blues and soul on Sirius XM radio. Love those sounds.

I heard this again just yesterday, and got the chance to look it up on Google. It turns out to be a very rare bird indeed - Ms. Barbara Lynn, who was a female lead vocalist and lead guitarist, and songwriter in the 1960's.

I love this song. To me, Barbara Lynn's voice is as smooth as butter half-an-hour out of the 'fridge. I want to practice a baritone version of this song and sing it for karaoke.

For now, let's just enjoy some righteous ear candy.

Dan

Made-In-Mexico Vs. USA Standard Stratocaster

aqmstaffo@mailbag.com (Dan Stafford) — Wed, 14 Sep 2016 19:13:00 -0700

Phillip, I want to thank you for this vid. I bought a MIM Strat a few years ago because it was what I could afford. I absolutely love my little red "Rosalita". (Yeah, I named my guitar after the gal in the Springsteen song)

Rosy cost me $350 with a stand, hard case, Crate 25W amp, cable, tuner, picks, and extra set of strings included. While I want to support American labor, I work for a living, and I just couldn't shell out the 2 grand that all the US gear would've cost me.

Rosie plays like a dream, and in a kind of mystical fashion, holds her tune for a year at a time. I'm serious, I can check her with the tuner and she never budges except for a tiny tweak on the 2nd string once in awhile. I'm using Fender Super Bullet strings and have never used a whammy bar with this guitar, even though I have it.

Hats off to those guitar makers in - I believe - Esmerelda, Mexico, because they allowed me to get a guitar I could only have dreamed of otherwise. It even makes me feel better knowing that many of them play guitar as well. Now, if only I could play as good as the guitar I love! I have a lifetime to work on that.

FYI, I did spring for a Roland Cube 40XL amp a little later, and that thing is fantastic.

Most evenings, I just use a little 4-Watt MA-104 from Toy-R-Us for simple practice, however.

It's nothing to carry and keeps my fingers on the strings. The thing is the size of a hardcover book. I can run that in my garage at 2am and bother not a soul.

This newly discovered 1,100-year-old song reshapes what we know about European music

aqmstaffo@mailbag.com (Dan Stafford) — Sat, 20 Dec 2014 07:26:00 -0800

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/12/this-newly-discovered-1100-year-old-song-reshapes-what-we-know-about-european-music/

What did ancient Babylonian songs sound like? Something like this

aqmstaffo@mailbag.com (Dan Stafford) — Mon, 15 Dec 2014 07:33:00 -0800

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/12/what-did-ancient-babylonian-songs-sound-like-something-like-this/

Jimmy And The Bones (Lyrics)

aqmstaffo@mailbag.com (Dan Stafford) — Tue, 28 Oct 2014 13:41:00 -0700

(MP3 Audio)

Jimmy and The Bones,
Had a Halloween candy jones.

So they went out Halloween night,
Trickin' all the candy in sight.

Jimmy found a pretty little witch,
To pick up every stitch.

Jimmy and The Bones,
Had a Halloween candy jones.

She gave her wand a flick,
Flew him home on his broomstick.

She put him in her pot,
But the spell got too hot.

Jimmy and The Bones,
Had a Halloween candy jones.

Daddy Warlock got off the first shot,
They buried Jimmy in a backwoods plot.

Now Jimmy is the bones,
No more Halloween candy jones.

Now every Halloween night,
That witch won't take flight.

She stands over a patch in the backwood,
Crying over nothing good.

Now Jimmy is the bones,
No more Halloween candy jones.

Daniel A. Stafford

On Watching Sonic Highways Reminisce on The D.C. Punk Scene Tonight...

aqmstaffo@mailbag.com (Dan Stafford) — Fri, 24 Oct 2014 22:34:00 -0700

I loved that "DIY and if you love it, go with it" ethos. It reminds me of Madison, WI on so many levels. Being that near such a big university, there was never anything I thought I couldn't do.

Ok, maybe I'm never going to be good enough to play a 5k crowd, let alone 50k, but who gives a shit? If you love it, you do it what you can, when you can, how you can. You be creative and wild and woolly and just go with it.

I'm not great at music. But I love it. I can make some horrible noise and some OK noise. I can do my own album art. I can record stuff on a laptop and make CD's if I feel like it.

One of my best friends in high school exemplifies that. He embraces weird, funky, and comedic with a sheer determination and subterranean genius that no ine can deny after they dig in and listen. (Art Paul, that's you.)

So I loved tonight's Sonic Highways for its spirit.

Rock on,

Dan

Totally.

aqmstaffo@mailbag.com (Dan Stafford) — Thu, 23 Oct 2014 12:45:00 -0700

Neil Young's Pono music store has more than 600K songs 'ingested,' downloads are another matter | Network World

aqmstaffo@mailbag.com (Dan Stafford) — Mon, 20 Oct 2014 11:11:00 -0700

http://www.networkworld.com/article/2835694/neil-youngs-pono-music-store-has-more-than-600k-songs-ingested-downloads-are-another-matter.html?source=NWWNLE_nlt_daily_am_2014-10-20#tk.rss_all

I Want To See Your Smile | Indiegogo

aqmstaffo@mailbag.com (Dan Stafford) — Fri, 3 Oct 2014 07:41:00 -0700

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/i-want-to-see-your-smile

Aretha Franklin’s version of Adele’s ‘Rolling in the Deep’ will blow you away

aqmstaffo@mailbag.com (Dan Stafford) — Tue, 30 Sep 2014 05:10:00 -0700

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/09/aretha-franklins-version-of-adeles-rolling-in-the-deep-will-blow-you-away/

Willie Nelson and Neil Young Come to the Aid of Bold Nebraska

aqmstaffo@mailbag.com (Dan Stafford) — Sat, 6 Sep 2014 17:23:00 -0700

http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/26024-willie-nelson-and-neil-young-come-to-the-aid-of-bold-nebraska

This Is The Only Version Of “Stand By Me” You’ll Ever Want To Hear Again. It’s THAT Good! | The Mind Unleashed

aqmstaffo@mailbag.com (Dan Stafford) — Sun, 31 Aug 2014 01:41:00 -0700

http://themindunleashed.org/2014/08/version-stand-youll-ever-want-hear-good.html

In Two Weeks...

aqmstaffo@mailbag.com (Dan Stafford) — Fri, 29 Aug 2014 11:48:00 -0700

Electro Harmonix Micro Synth: http://youtu.be/T7jcnuN9vAw

Led Zeppelin unveil two previously unheard recordings | The Raw Story

aqmstaffo@mailbag.com (Dan Stafford) — Wed, 23 Apr 2014 14:06:00 -0700

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/04/23/led-zeppelin-unveil-two-previously-unheard-recordings/

Cyborg drummer able to establish 'intimate connections' and play with the dead | The Raw Story

aqmstaffo@mailbag.com (Dan Stafford) — Thu, 10 Apr 2014 13:41:00 -0700

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/04/10/cyborg-drummer-able-to-establish-intimate-connections-and-play-with-the-dead/?onswipe_redirect=no

Classic Albums Live Plays Beatles' "Abbey Road" 100% Live, Note-For-Note...

aqmstaffo@mailbag.com (Dan Stafford) — Sun, 6 Apr 2014 22:41:00 -0700

...with the exact same instruments and equipment the Beatles used to record the album: This is NOT about personas, backdrops, sets, outfits, or fluff. This is about the music, and nothing but the music. This crew played the entire album, studio-quality, for their first set. Not. One. Mistake. Their second set was a wonderful mix of Beatles' ballads and pumped-up psychedelic rocker tunes that had the audience up for a full-on standing ovation. Their encore consisted of my personal Beatles favorite, "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," AND "Twist And Shout." On the last song, the audience was dancing in the aisles. The warmth and richness of being able to hear every sound, combined with the studio-polished perfection was absolutely phenomenal. The only thing better for audio quality would've been being a fly on the wall in the studio for the last take as the Beatles recorded each song. 11/10, I shit you not. And only $45 bucks. My wife gets a total score for catching this one.

http://m.torontosun.com/2014/01/29/classic-albums-live-digs-deep-into-the-beatles-abbey-road

Dan

Cathy's 70's-themed Birthday Party And The Rest Of The Evening...

aqmstaffo@mailbag.com (Dan Stafford) — Sat, 29 Mar 2014 23:59:00 -0700

We had a blast at Cathy's birthday party. I think she had nine lava lamps, probably as many sprigs of lit fiber optics in color, color disco lights, 70's music with a dance floor, 70's band posters, (and Farrah in the red swimsuit) food, and open bar. It was in the wood-paneled basement of the local VFW post. Perfect! We danced our butts off. They even had a vircle dance! People were all dressed up too. One gal had on flower power bell bottoms. A guy had the white Saturday Night Fever dance suit, and the moves to go with it. What a Blast!!

After that, we came home and watched a Dr. Who episode. Then my Honey went to sleep, and I took my rose-red Strat Rosalita down to the underground parking garage for a test drive of my brand new Roland Cube 40XL amplifier.

Friggin' AWESOME!!! BEST. PRACTICE. SESSION. EVER. That amp sounds fantastic! He gets a name: Mario...after Mario Lanza, who my Sicilian grandmother (Noni) loved to listen to on one of those old suitcase record players.

I am just totally thrilled! What a super, super night...I am going to be itching to practice every day now!

Dan

Roland Cube 40 XL amp just came home.

aqmstaffo@mailbag.com (Dan Stafford) — Fri, 28 Mar 2014 15:49:00 -0700

Garage. Strat. First noise...*cheezin grin*

Nearly-Completed Pedal Board

aqmstaffo@mailbag.com (Dan Stafford) — Sun, 16 Mar 2014 18:05:00 -0700

Completed pedal board. The only thing left to do is mount about 8 circular rubber door stops underneath so I can set it down on concrete without damage to the brass.

Rock on,

Dan

Effects Pedal Board Concept

aqmstaffo@mailbag.com (Dan Stafford) — Sun, 16 Mar 2014 18:04:00 -0700

Epilepsy drug turns out to help adults acquire perfect pitch and learn language like kids | The Raw Story

aqmstaffo@mailbag.com (Dan Stafford) — Mon, 6 Jan 2014 12:37:00 -0800

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/01/06/epilepsy-drug-turns-out-to-help-adults-acquire-perfect-pitch-and-learn-language-like-kids/

Lou Reed’s death leaves dwindling number of rock icons | The Raw Story

aqmstaffo@mailbag.com (Dan Stafford) — Tue, 29 Oct 2013 23:09:00 -0700

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/10/29/lou-reeds-death-leaves-dwindling-number-of-rock-icons/