The good news is that Guitar Center has opened a new store in San Antonio. The bad news is that the store is very convoluted with all guitars in an upstairs room. You have to navagate a twisting set of stairs to get to there, then the high end Taylors and Martins are not in their usual place in the acoustic room where they could be played in comfort. They are on display near the registers where it would be uncomfortable to play. Plus, I went on a Saturday and there were way too many sales people on duty with nothing to do but try to sell something. I did play an excellent Epiphone Masterworks dreadnaught. Clean, rich sound for $650.

I am very disappointed in Larrivee's newer D03's. They show some of the ugliest spruce tops I have ever seen on a solid top guitar. The grain is very pronounced, wide and uneven, almost like pine! Fortunately they still sound fine and are very playable, but I would hesitate buying a guitar that is that ugly!

Took some photos of some neat guitars at Sam Ash. Will post. Played several. My favorite so far a Larrivee D03R which is your basic dreadnaught with Rosewood B&S, Sitga Spruce top. Enhanced treble, barking mids and bo0ming bass, more bass than the mahogany model, more mellow highs and mids. Still balanced though, very playable.

The last few sessions have been at San Antonio's Sam Ash store. Last night was especially nice. A great selection of Larrivee's, not the Blackwoods like I played before at Guitar Tex, but the old fashioned mahogany D03 like I'm used to. Also a mahogany '000' with that same light tan south american mahogany. I sure do like the way Larrivee does their mahogany. It's a gorgeous caramel color with great balance and sustain pure treble with bass that does not overpower. If you want a deeper base, the D03R is particularly rumbley and Martin-like. I could have a lot of fun with this guitar.
The sales person was a very talented player and was showing his chops on a Taylor Sunburst. Payday is a week away so I'll be making a decision soon.

I'm staying with Mike Romanyszyn in San Antonio, so today we dropped by Guitar Tex. Mark, the proprieter had a very interesting selection to offer and gave us free reign to play. One great deal was on a Taylor 714 CEL Rosewood/Cedar. Very playable, choice warmth and balance. For less than a thousand there was a Garrison guitar, very maple, very presentable. Another was from Larrivee, a Blackwood D03. Impressive looks but a little to bright for my taste. I'll take the Taylor and run.

Tonight Mike and I are working on a cover of David Grey's "Nightblindness." I'm having fun again for the first time in months!

I had to let the L09FM go. Guitar Center had put the price back up to $1500 instead of the $900 I thought I had to pay. That was more of a miscommunication than foot dragging on my part but totally understandable. I couldn't expect them to hold it out on Layaway when I had no money down on it. Guess I'll have to see what kind of deal I can get on a Collings when I get to Texas.

I know where there is a BlueRidge dealer here in Columbia, so I think I'll go play a bit.

The L09FM is still at Guitar Center, hanging on by a prayer. If I pull off the job in San Antonio, I could send for it long distance. I guess it'll just hang there till I tell them yeah or neah. If I can save it, I will.
Meanwhile, I ache for something to play. I love to sit in the gathering twilight, playing melodies and riffs, one into another, till is slowly gets too dark to see.