Got the D-35 strung up with a set of fresh strings over at Portland Fretworks on Alberta. Nice, nice group of fellas over there.

“Owning a Martin” has been a psychic hurdle to get over, concerning the day-to-day use of the new guitar. I’m just kinda afraid of fucking something up with the thing. Gotta get over that. Gotta drop him a couple good times*, get some bumps and bruises, and then I’d be comfortable enough to do something as simple as installing new strings.

I’ve built up a bit of lore around the thing. It’s just wood and metal and glue, right? Well, he’s gonna be with me a long time, so, I gotta do things right by him.

The guys at the shop walked me through some of the finer point of “stringing up a Martin.” Now, I pretty much new the steps he showed me, but, he offered some nice tricks and starting points. Thanks.

Man, he’s sounding good. All bright and clean.

For the record, he’s #1080298 of the Martin legacy.

*Quite possibly the worst sound one should hear: The jarring, discordant “not right” sound of a falling guitar. Bad, bad news.

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Gonna go see those Bottle Rockets tonight. Kinda excited. “America’s Best Bar Band” is how we parlay their Midwestern sounds to friends and newcomers.

Plus, Henneman is just ‘good people.’

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And fuck if it ain’t the halfway point of the summer! Ha! Hump day. All downhill from here, as we pine for open roads and new skylines to ponder. Fall tour announcement soon. Really. Big excitement.