Gymi's

How Would You Like To Take A Crack At These Babies

2012-05-25T20:49:00.001-04:00

I have always been a huge Kenny Roberts fan, given the chance to ride one of his G.P. bikes would be as close as it gets to heaven on earth for me. I wouldn't turn down a shot at Sheene's bike either

Here's a taste of The King and Sheene going at it in the "old days"

Still Driving While Blind

2012-05-24T16:29:00.000-04:00

If you stop by this blog every now and then, you probably already know how I feel about driving and texting or looking at the Internet. For those who don't, I think the people who do this should be pretty much drawn and quartered. About a week ago I was heading north on Main from 13 Mile in Royal Oak when I found myself having to swerve into the right lane to avoid a head on with a young man in a F-250. Like the nineteen year old described in the video below, he was steering with his forearms while staring into his cellphone. I was lucky, I had a clear lane to change to and there was not a vehicle occupying the space I used to escape becoming an hood ornament. He was taking up three quarters of the northbound lane I was traveling in and had I been on a two lane like the Kuberts, I would have surely suffered the same fate or worse.

The laws on distracted driving are far too lenient as far as I'm concerned. People who text and drive on a regular basis obviously have complete disregard for not only the others they affect on a daily basis. But are so self absorbed, that they are oblivious to the danger they are posing to themselves as well as any passengers they may have with them. It is my hope that the Kuberts legal action is successful and gets the ball rolling for laws that have a bit more "teeth". They should be at least as strict as those for drunk driving. In my eyes, they are both in the same league. Thanks Felix for sending me this video.

R.I.P J.M.

2012-05-21T13:57:00.000-04:00

My deepest condolences to all his family and friends. Unk passed Saturday morning, way too soon.

I sniped this pic from Surly I am going to miss his sense of humor and his view of the world. The good ones always seem to go too early.

This Video Makes Me Want To Sign Up

2012-04-18T18:41:00.001-04:00

I have verizon, but man, does she look good on that Ducati. Almost makes me want to change my service, not quite, but almost. I didn't think anything could make a 1098 look any better, I guess I was wrong.

Michigan Goes Topless

2012-04-13T14:54:00.000-04:00

Today Michigan Governor Rick Snyder signed Senate Bill 0291 repealing Michigan's helmet law. If you are at least twenty one years old, carry at least an additional $20,000 in medical insurance and have either passed a motorcycle safety course or had their motorcycle endorsement for at least two years, you can let your locks blow in the breeze. What does this mean to me, it means Michiganders now can decide for themselves whether or not they would like to wear a helmet or not. I have always supported one's right to make decisions on which safety devices they care to utilize. That doesn't mean you will catch me topless anytime soon. While I support an individuals right to choose what's right for them, does not necessarily mean it's right for me. I have been wearing a helmet for forty years now, and this law really isn't going to change how I feel about ensconcing my brain holder in fiberglass and padding.

Here is how the Michigan State Police are looking at it;

In a memo sent to all posts, Michigan State Police Director Col. Kriste Kibbey Etue clarified for officers how the law will be enforced.

"The law does not require a motorcycle operator to carry or present proof he or she has a motorcycle endorsement for at least two years or has successfully passed the motorcycle safety course.
The law does not require a motorcycle operator or passenger to carry proof of the $20,000 security required to operate or ride a motorcycle without a helmet.
Officers may not stop a motorcyclist for not wearing a helmet based on the possibility the operator or passenger may be in violation of the helmet law.
Operators and passengers who violate the new law are responsible for a civil infraction".

So Y'all that have been waiting in sweaty anticipation for this law to be signed, get out there and let the wind blow your hair back. I'll be riding right next to you looking through my smoked faceshield. Till Next Time.........................

More Mini Bike Madness

2012-04-05T20:18:00.000-04:00

Big Toe has been toiling away whipping up new Mini Bike Drag racers. Here are a couple of the bikes he is currently working on.

These bikes will do 80-90mph in the 1/8 mile, that's enough to get your hair standing up. If you want one of your very own head over to Outlaw Fab Shop or click the minibike in the sidebar.

BIG BRASS ONES

2012-03-13T16:25:00.000-04:00

A little more bike on ice action, I don't know how he stays on that R1 with the set he has.

Check out those meat grinder tires!!!!!!!!!!!

Looks Like Someone Is Going To Need Some Asbestos Converse

2012-03-10T18:45:00.001-05:00

Curly is back at work on his XS650 bobber and by the look of things, he is going to need to commission Converse to whip him up some asbestos Chuck Taylors. He and Big Toe whipped up a new exhaust for the XS and it is going to shoot flames awfully near the forward controls.

They are working on a way to get the shifter to shift the normal one down four up pattern without the linkage winding up looking like a ladder.

They still have quite a bit of tweaking to do, so the exhaust will probably get tweaked as well. I hope so, 'cause if it stays like it is now, it will look cool, but Curly will have some awfully toasty feet.

Turkey Buzzards

2012-03-05T17:55:00.000-05:00

Two sure signs that spring is right around the corner for me are, I saw two Turkey Buzzards today

And Felix and his "Ducati Buddies" are making me jealous!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

For those who may be wondering, the Ducatsi are as follows; 999, Diavel, and Mulistrada. And believe me, the owners, BASTARDS all of them.

Plus my foot is at about 96.3% so I am cracking out the FJ for the first time this year Wednesday and riding it to work. YEEE HAAA Mo Fo's. Shit, that's three things. I guess I'm not as smart as I think I am, well I can count to three, that has to count for something.

Yer Unk

2012-02-23T05:22:00.001-05:00

One of my Favorite people I have never met got some scary news recently. If there is one thing I do know about him is he is one tough son of a bitch. When presented with a challenge, Yer Unk meets it head on with both fist up. So I know this one will be no different, I'm thinking about you Unk, and I'm in your corner. You can stop by and check on Unk as he kicks this shit in the teeth at notwhatiwantedtohear.wordpress.com or just click on The Big Blue Plastic Motorcycle to embiggen as Unk likes to say.

It's Fat Tuesday And You Know What That Means

2012-02-21T05:01:00.002-05:00

The Triumphant return of our luscious bathing beauty. Run out and get those paczkis' while they're hot.

What to Do About Those Mid Winter Motorcycle Blues

2012-02-09T12:05:00.001-05:00

Well. If you're in my part of the country, you ride you're bike (unless you somehow broke your left foot). This year we have had almost perfect riding weather in South East Michigan. Normally, we are up to our armpits in snow and freezing cold temps. In a normal Michigan winter, if you're anything like Mika Kallio, head down to local motorcycle shop or fire up you 'puter and pick up a bag or two of Kold Kutter ice racing screws, get out your toolbox and start mounting them. Then you find a gaggle of like minded individuals, clear a nice road course on a frozen lake and have at it. Thanks to Felix for sending this video in my direction, puts a smile on my face. As usual, view in full screen for maximum viewing pleasure.
Maybe riding dirt bikes on ice is not your style, you prefer just a little more horsepower. Oh some thing that has like 193hp weighs around 455 lbs with all fluids topped up and has a top speed right around 190 mph. Maybe just maybe a BMW 1000RR is more to your liking. Either way, I can see many trips to my orthopedic doc if I find myself engaging in one or both of these activities.

I Think I Would Rather Be Shot Across The Straits From A Cannon

2012-01-22T10:30:00.008-05:00

than cross the Mighty Mack in the conditions pictured above. That photo comes from the bridge authorities traffic cam. If you click on the highlighted link, you can view the current conditions on the bridge. They also have some interesting history about the Mighty Mack. Early last year, Red proposed a bike trip to Canada so he could add getting his "Canada Card" to his list of endeavors. He invited Unk and myself to Join him, but through a series of circumstances, his wife broke her ankle, I wound up being needed on an emergency project at work, the trip never happened.. Luckily, Unk and Surly did wind up going on a adventure of their own so all was not lost. The four of us have had a Internet kinship going for quite some time, and I would like nothing better than meeting these folks face to face and going on a ride.

While we were in the planning stages I pointed out we would have to cross a couple of bridges some find pretty intimidating. First being the Mackinac bridge, it is five miles long and spans the straits of Mackinac. Riding the bridge can be somewhat of a challenge, it seems to always be pretty windy up there. Second, the bridge authority paints the bridge from one end to the other May until October. The painting itself is no big deal in a car, but if you are on a bike and crossing the bridge between nine am, and five pm. Monday through Friday, the outside lanes are closed to traffic and you have to ride the grate. What is the grate you ask, it is a metal grate that spans 3,800 hundred feet and is 199 feet above the water. It was put there by design to allow wind to pass through the bridge so it remains stable instead of acting like a sail and leading to it’s failure like the Tacoma Narrows Bridge that collapsed in spectacular fashion on November seventh 1940 due to high winds. The wind had no way of passing through the bridge and it began an irreversible gyration and came apart.

Imagine being the guy rescuing the dog from the car and walking off the bridge, that must have been awesome. I digress, the whole point of this post is about “riding the grate” and crossing the bridge in less than ideal conditions. On a motorcycle, it can be about as much fun as pulling your own teeth with a pair of pliers. Your bike starts to gyrate like Gypsy Rose Lee and makes you want to clamp on the handle bars with a death grip. This only makes it worse. You have to have kinda have a light touch on the bars to lessen the effect and still maintain control. Then you have the added pleasure of having a front row view to the straits that lie two hundred feet below. Combine the two and you have a pretty hair raising experience on your hands. Maybe this year, if all the planets align, we can do the trip or at least something close to it. I guess we’ll have to see what kinda cards we are dealt. Here is a riders perspective of riding the grate, I sniped the photo from Pako's page, there is some good shots as well as their views about the experience.

Compare Bikes Side by Side

2012-01-20T16:00:00.005-05:00

Find the best has come up with an comparison site that allows you to compare all types of consumables. What does that mean to us in the motorcycling community, well they have a very easy to use side by side page that allows you to directly compare bikes from any category at a glance. Trevor contacted me and inquired if I would like to add my blog to the blog section of FindTheBest.com. After reviewing the site, I have to say I was more than happy to. If any of the other "motorcycle bloggers" that stop by here from time to time would like to do the same, you can contact Trevor below and get started. I'm now going to turn the reigns over to Trevor and let him tell you a little more about what they have happening at FindThe Best.com

In today’s endless sea of websites, the pursuit of information can be a nightmare. The search to find the best motorcycles can lead you you on a wild goose chase through this mayhem and will often leave you empty handed. FindTheBest recognizes this problem and created a smart, organized, and easy to use tool that allows you to find exactly what you need quickly and efficiently. You now have a place to compare dirt bikes side by side and filter them by the facts that actually matter to you. Never before has there been a way to design a search around your personal needs in such a user friendly format. Here’s a side by side of some top performing sport bikes:

Compare All Motorcycles

We don’t stop with bikes, either. We cover everything from cars to blogs, and if you are interested in being added to our database please contact Trevor Salas at tsalas@findthebest.com

Progressive International Motorcycle Shows 2012

2012-01-16T20:02:00.006-05:00

The good people at the Progressive International Motorcycle Shows have asked me to pass on some savings on the remaining shows to the readers of my blog. Clicking on the picture below will take you to their website where you will receive a $3.00 discount on tickets purchased in advance using this code, MOTOINF.
The remaining stops on the tour are as follows:
January 20-22, 2012 Jacob K. Javits Convention Center New York, NY
January 27-29, 2012 I-X Center Cleveland, OH
February 3-5, 2012 Minneapolis Convention Center Minneapolis, MN
February 10-12, 2012 Donald E. Stephens Convention Center Chicago, IL
February 24-26, 2012 Charlotte Convention Center Charlotte, NC
March 14-17, 2012 Ocean Center Daytona Beach, FL

I missed the stop here in Detroit cause of the bum foot. I have been to a few in the past and they are always a good time. So if the show is coming to a town near you, save a couple bucks, Check out the Dream Pavilion, Smage Bros Stunt Show, Ultimate Builder Custom Bike show with a $90k prize and Kawasaki Design-a-Bike. The Marketplace is a showcase to find the latest aftermarket parts and accessories for your bike, and the main exhibit floor features what’s new with your favorite motorcycle manufacturers. Even though I couldn't make it, hope Y'all can stop by, it's a great way to spend an day or two.

These Boys Have More Talent in Their Pinky Nails Than I have In My Whole Bloodline

2012-01-16T12:40:00.003-05:00

All I can say is, Don't try this at home kids. For your viewing pleasure, please view in fullscreen.

An Exercise In Clutch Control

2012-01-15T20:05:00.001-05:00

My guess he was trying to compensate for the extra weight of having a passenger on his bike.

'82-'83 Suzuki Katana

2012-01-05T18:23:00.009-05:00

If there is another bike I would trade the Fj for besides the VF1000R it would be Suzuki's original Katana. The styling of this bike is always been a love, hate affair for most, guess what side of the argument you'll find me on. Originally Hans Muth of target design drew up the design for MV Agusta, they were not crazy about it and a modified version found a home at Suzuki. It only sold for two years here in the States and are scarce as hens teeth. They loved the design so much in Japan, it rolled off the assembly line until 2000. The first incarnation was the GS1000S Katana, You could have it in 1000 or 1100cc flavors depending on you country of origin. the specs for this bike are as follows, Overall Length: 2 260 mm (89.0 in)
Overall Width: 715 mm (28.1 in)
Overall Height: 1 195 mm (47.0 in)
Seat Height: 775 mm (30.5 in)
Ground Clearance: 175 mm (6.9 in)
Wheelbase 1 520 mm (59.8 in)
Dry Weight: 232 kg (511 lbs)
Engine type: Air-cooled 998 cc inline-4,
DOHC, 16 valves. 108 hp/ 8,500 rpm, 9,3 kg-m/ 6,500 rpm.
It had my eyes poppin' out of my head the first time I saw one. There was an '83 model for sale in the Columbus Ohio area two years ago. I'm still kicking myself in the ass over that bike as it was only three grand and an original unmolested bike in pristine condition. Suzuki for '83 added a blue racing stripe down the tank, but still sported that hair raising body work.
While I keep my eye out for an nice example to pop up in my gun sites, the only ones of late have carried a hefty tariff. last fall a fellow in the Chicago area was asking eight grand for his SV model. I bit steep by my standards, the ad has been taken down so it may have been worth that sum to somebody or simply had no takers.

I just recived the latest issue of Practical Sports bikes and found they had the Katana as the bike of choice for their 5 best section. Every month, they do a profile on five classic sports bikes that the lucky owners have modified to suite their individual taste. The number one choice among the editors topped my own personal list. It is owned by a gent named of Steve Adams. He bought it as a basket case and gave it what I like to call the "resto-mod" treatment. He has sold off the bits he didn't want and went about adding a raft of modern hardware in it's stead. He was going to use a 1200cc mill from a bandit, but used a 1000cc unit punched out to 1170cc. Topped it off with standard valves, GSX1100EFE cams and had the heads flowed. Chose a set of 37mm keihin smooth bores to do the breathing. A generous friend dropped a set of Dymag wheels in his lap. So to hold them to the bike he fitted a 1200 bandit swingarm suspended by a set of Ohlins piggy back shocks. Went with GSX-R750 K4 forks fitted into a Fireblade yoke. Bringing the party to a stop is a set of 320mm front discs sourced from a 1200 Bandit, squeezed by a set of 4 piston radial calipers yanked off a '04 R1. I sniped these photos from TopSpeed.com
Mixed all together makes my breathing shallow, beads of perspiration form on my fore head and I have to take a seat because I'm light headed. If I got within ten feet of this bike I would probably need CPR or have my heart restarted with a defibrillator. I am a true fan of attention to detail and the less is more philosophy. Mr. Adams more than achieved this with his master piece of a Katana, well done sir.

Extended Riding Season Cut Short

2011-12-27T18:37:00.007-05:00

We have been enjoying an unusually mild fall here in Michigan that has extended the riding season deep into December. While I normally ride in the winter as long as the weather allows, it has been tough to get any winter riding in the last two years. Too many snow storms and freezing and thawing has made riding difficult the last two winters. I do not like riding after salt and chloride have been used to clear the roads, way too corrosive. Way too much of those two compounds spread around for my liking the last two years, does awful things to your bike.
The weather has nothing to do with my premature exit from winter riding this year. My doctor says I can still ride, just not my bike, but the crazy contraption pictured above. It's called a rollabout, and you use it to get around when you have an injury that you have to keep weight off of. After the wife brought it home and I got a look it, I won't be riding it either. Not unless I can mount a motor on it, it is a rental, so there will be none of that. It's heading back to the hospital supply. The photo pictured here is of my left foot. You see, my dumb ass went out and fractured my fifth metatarsal. I rolled my left foot as I walked out of a wet environment onto a painted porch with a fresh dusting of snow on it. I knew it wasn't good when I looked down and my foot was at a ninety degree angle to my leg and heard a sound like a twig snapping. Now all I have to look forward to is a six week vacation from work and a lot of sitting on my ass.
There is a silver lining in this black cloud though. I will have a lot of time to spend learning to play the blues. I have played the guitar for some years now and am basically a rhythm player. I have always wanted to learn scales and modes, this injury presents the perfect opportunity to head down that road. While I didn't get my VF1000R for Christmas, I did get a new Fender Telecoustic. I have to say, the timing of that gift could not have been better. It is a great addition to my Standard and Thinline Telecasters. So it looks like the only thing I'll be riding for a while is the couch, at least I have something to keep me busy.

Till Next Time...................

How About A Duc For The Holidays

2011-12-24T12:08:00.006-05:00

Even if it doesn't look like my Christmas wish isn't going to come true this year, at least I get to see a good friend get his stocking stuffed. My buddy Felix, A.K.A. Bayou Boy just picked himself up a '05 Ducati 999. He already owns a Road King and was considering giving it up in favor of the Duc. He called me to get my thoughts. I advised him while the Ducati is certainly a work of art, riding it is going to be a bit painful. Designed as a no holds barred track weapon, rider comfort is sacrificed for all out performance. I told him he may find this bike too uncomfortable after his Road King and Triumph Scrambler. So he kept the Road King and added the 999 to his stable. He decided this bike was just to sexy and too much of a bargain to pass up. So he now has the best of both worlds, a bike he can ride coast to coast in total comfort and a finely honed sporting tool at his beck and call. The styling of this bike was somewhat controversial, following the 916/998, which is considered by many to be the most striking Ducati design. Myself, I prefer the 999 looks over the 916/998. I would have a hard time keeping this bike out of my house. I would enjoy looking at it as much as riding it, I just love it's lines. For Felix, this bike is his first dip into the sport bike pool. I believe he is going to find this bike to be completely alien to ride at first. Not that he hasn't rode bikes like this, he hasn't lived with one yet. My guess, he will find it's combination of light weight, handling and power to be overwhelmingly addictive. He won't be alone when he ventures out, he has quite a few riding buddies who are Ducati owners. I am sure they will take him to the best roads they know to make his riding experience with his new mount a good one. Being that riding a sport bike will be a totally new riding experience to him after riding heavy metal all these years he told me he will send me a couple post relaying his thoughts on the bike. He is in for a totally new riding experience, and to me, that's a good thing. He chose to skip the frying pan and jump strait into the fire on this one. Will he like the heat of that fire, only time with the bike will tell. I think once he gets used to the riding position and different riding dynamics he will be hooked for good. Especially when he is presented with the right riding environment, maybe even a couple track days. I hope you love your 999 Felix, and I have to admit, I am jealous as hell.

Till Next time.......

All I Want For Christmas is........

2011-12-15T20:15:00.007-05:00

A VF1000R. With ten days left till Christmas, it looks like my wish will not be fulfilled this year. That is unless someone out there has grown tired of their 1000R and is willing to donate it to me. I'm not holding my breath though. The 1000R was not most sharply honed back road weapon of it's time. It is heavy,even in it's heyday, but still handled well at speed, although it's weight becomes more apparent at low speeds. It also was hampered by a stiff price tag for it's day. It was built in the guise of "FWS" HRC works bikes that Freddie Spencer, Mike Baldwin and Joey Dunlop were using to tear up the competition.
That bike was a beast, the road going version didn't quite live up to it's legend. It did have a bit of grunt though, pumping out around 122 hp. Also sports gear driven cams. The specs are as follows,
Engine...............................DOHC 4stroke 16 valve v4
Bore & stroke.................77 x 53.6 mm
Displacement...............998 cubic centimetres Compression Ratio........10.5 : 1
Carburetors.................4 x 36 mm cv type
Max Horsepower...........122 ps/10500 rpm
Max torque..................9.4 kg-m/8000 rpm
Ignition......................electronic advance
Transmission...............5 speed
Final Drive..................O ring lubrication sealed chain
Wheelbase..................1505 mm
Seat Height.................810 mm
Ground Clearance.......130 mm
Fuel Capacity.............25 L including 4.5 reserve Wheels......................NS-type aluminium Com Star
Tires.........................120/80 v16-v250,140/80 vr17-v25
Front suspension.......41mm 3way adj. rebound damping 155 mm travel
Rear suspension.........Pro-link 3way remote adj. rebound 123mm travel
Front Brakes..............duel floating disks with duel piston calipers
Rear Brakes...............ventilated discs with opposed piston calipers
Dry Weight................238 kg
I have been using craigspal to track down a suitable unit for the last few months. I can search All of Michigan, Indiana, Illinois and Ohio at the same time with this program. Or the whole country if I care to. A couple have popped up on my radar, but were not the best examples. For a low production bike, they seem to pop up for sale round these parts more than one would expect. I can't really tell you why, but I have always lusted after this bike. It makes the hair on the back of my neck stand at attention, and gives me goose bumps I could remove ten coats of paint with.

Time is running out fast for Santa to slip one of these beauties under my tree. But I will continue my search until the right example shows up in my gun sight. Until then, I will be have to be content to feed my midlife hunger with the FJ.

Till Next Time............

All I Can Say Is WOW

2011-11-27T18:24:00.003-05:00

This Guy is the Ken Block of motorcycling.

Talk About Talent,

2011-11-10T21:03:00.001-05:00

I have always been amazed at the level of skill possessed by trials riders. These boys make it look like child's play.

Coming Soon to a City Near You

2011-11-01T19:42:00.003-04:00

The 2011-2012 Progressive International Motorcycle Shows 12-city tour schedule is as follows:

November 18-20, 2011 San Mateo County Event Center San Mateo, CA
December 2-4, 2011 Dallas Convention Center Dallas, TX
December 9-11, 2011 Long Beach Convention Center Long Beach, CA
December 16-18, 2011 Washington State Convention Center Seattle, WA
January 6-8, 2012 Suburban Collection Showplace Novi, MI
January 13-15, 2012 Washington Convention Center Washington D.C.
January 20-22, 2012 Jacob K. Javits Convention Center New York, NY
January 27-29, 2012 I-X Center Cleveland, OH
February 3-5, 2012 Minneapolis Convention Center Minneapolis, MN
February 10-12, 2012 Donald E. Stephens Convention Center Chicago, IL
February 24-26, 2012 Charlotte Convention Center Charlotte, NC
March 14-17, 2012 Ocean Center Daytona Beach, FL

Jeremiah

2011-10-29T19:17:00.010-04:00

Ed is just one of those people that can transfer the images in his mind into tangible objects. Or fix just about anything he lays his hands on. About six or seven years ago, he built his first guitar, in the classic Martin style dreadnought. That guitar turned out incredible. I have a friend that is a professional Blue Grass musician, when he played this guitar, he said he couldn't believe it. Ed's guitar had the feel and sound of his classic Martin's and he has a couple valued in the twenty to thirty thousand dollar range. High praise indeed, but Ed, always modest, was like, I did nothing special, anyone can do it. This was not a kit guitar, he built it from scratch. Enter Ed's first attempt at a arch top guitar. He has always admired the style and craftsmanship of the D'Angelico New Yorker. So it was a New Yorker or nothing for Ed. The guitar pictured above is an Original 1947 New Yorker. Originals are highly prized and worth a fortune. John D'Angelico hand made 1164 guitars in four different designs New Yorker, Excel, Style A and Style B before he passed away in 1964. The New Yorker is copied by several guitar makers and some of the high end builders get large sums of money for their versions.
Money was the last thing on Ed's mind when he decided to take on the challenge of building an arch top. He had more selfless ambitions in mind, but we will get to that later. He started this project, again, not from a kit but from a storm damaged maple tree. He did buy the sitka spruce as a solid piece from Alaska, and hand formed it for the top of the guitar. As any luthier will tell you, this is no simple task. It has to be shaped to not only the right form, but the right thickness or you will not be able to get the proper vibration to produce the sweet tone you are striving to achieve. He took the best pieces of the maple and quarter sawn it and then book matched and carved the back. He also made veneer from the same cuts of wood to make the sides. And made the neck from a solid piece. He used ebony for the fretboard and hand carved all the inlays and abalone he filled them with no dremel tool for Ed.Sorry about the quality of the pictures, I only had my cell phone on me at the time. I will post better pics later as these don't do the instrument justice. It took him about two years to build this beauty and the results are stunning. I had a chance to play it yesterday and have to say, it plays as smooth as butter, and sounds as good as any hollow body arch top I have ever played. I'm not in the same league as our buddy Richard, hell, I'm not even in the same sport when it comes to the quality of my playing ability. But I can play fairly well and have been playing for more years than I care to remember. I am truly impressed by the quality and sound of both guitars Ed has made. Oh yeah, I almost forgot I got so caught up in hyping Ed's latest creation. The reason Ed was compelled to build this guitar in the first place, He built it for his son Jeremiah's eighteenth birthday. Happy Birthday Jeremiah, here is one present you will never forget.

Till Next Time...........