NAMM 2017

Chase Bliss Audio - Beer - LA Tacos - Palm Trees - Streets you could land an Airbus on.

Mike Blaha playing a Screamin' Eagle Baritone. Credit: Shinano Katagiri Emanuele http://somesortofescapade.com/ — Mike Blaha playing a Screamin' Eagle Baritone. Credit: Shinano Katagiri Emanuele http://somesortofescapade.com/

We weren't exhibiting this year, but it was a significant milestone for us...

January 2016 Update

Hello fellow citizens of Earff.

Photo Credit: Bill Hickey, https://www.facebook.com/HickeyPhotography — Photo Credit: Bill Hickey, https://www.facebook.com/HickeyPhotography

“We’re working hard to put some cool shit out in the wild.”

— me to the internet, just now.

This is a note to say we have a lot coming up for you this year. 2016! This is our year, baby! A new design, a new model, baritones, basses, new pricing, new ways to buy, and we'll be working with some really cool people, companies, artists and bands along the way.

“2016! This is our year, baby!”

— me on this blog post, just a little bit earlier.

A little preview of what's coming up:

There's going to be some kind of "How they're made" / company propaganda video.

BloodNStuff recorded their new record at Pachyderm Studio recently. Their MPLS guitar was used extensively, mostly because they wanted to but also our Enforcer ninja was there making them.

Zak Sally's The Hand is working on putting out a record soon in addition to their muisc as CSA thing here. I'll let them talk about the release on their terms when they're ready. Should be sweet though.

The Hand @ the Turf Club 01/21/16 - photo by Jacob Swogger

Tony and I saw them at the Turf last night. Great time. Zak owns the first baritone prototype we built and it was sounding great to my biased ears. That baritone features a body shape that gives some clues into the new design.

Speaking of Baritones and Basses (and standard tuning 6 strings, obvi) - A new design is nearly complete and you'll be able to purchase more or less by scale length and choose 4 or 6 strings. Options will be somewhat limited but we'll be adding stuff all the time.

Here's a Bass VI we did recently gives some more insight into the new design.

RETAILER - Soon you'll be able to go to a sweet guitar shop and test one out. More info on that SOONSIES.

Faster builds, more pickup choices, more colors, and other fun shtuff. We're working really hard to bring you more options and at a reasonable price. We'll also be putting together some more shows, and we'll be working with some awesome bands - stay tuned for more, More, MORE!

Photo Credit: Bill Hickey, https://www.facebook.com/HickeyPhotography

If it pleases you, follow us on facebook and Instagram for more info and updates.

An interview with Ian Babineau on Mnartists.org

Ian Babineau is a friend of ours. I attended Zak Sally and Dan Ibarra's Schoolha.us class with him in 2014 and we've been friends since. Ian makes some great portraiture - he did some for our site which I'm way behind on getting up here but it's coming. He also does zines and prints on his Risograph 3750.

Here's a link to the article.

One of Ian's prints available on his site, titled Avail Yourself (Click to buy):

Autoptic 2015

August kicked my ass. This whole summer kinda did. In some ways that are fabulous and in some ways that are less than. Now that we're coasting into sweater season, I'm weirded out by it being over, my head still spinning.

Autoptic 2015 was a fabulous part of the summer. It was so cool being a part of it. I could list all the feelings I felt but mainly I was inspired.

I should have mentioned that leading up to this event, we were furiously working to finish Baritone Prototype #1. We did finish it. It is pretty fantastic if I do say so myself. And we had it on display at our little corner of the festival.

The New Baritone and the new Guitar stand I finished that morning.

I had grand plans for a new stand to display the guitars on. Time, being the cruel master that it is, would only allow so much to get done. I painted most of it that morning. The event started at 10 and I waddled in at 10:30 with all my shit. I got to practice my "I know this entire room of artists managed to have their shit together enough to be here on time, yet here I am, late" - facade of coolness. Really, I just felt like a dummy.

Headstocks / Fighting the sunlight from the window behind us.

The festival was fun. Like I said, inspiring. There was so much greatness here it was hard to take in. I knew I was going to spend a metric buttload of money on stuff later. So much eye (and brain) candy. I ended up buying prints by Edie Fake, Ryan Duggan, Dwitt, and some Bartkira madness from Floating World Comics, and my favorite publisher, NOBROW.

Saturday night was a highlight for me. The festival moved to Cedar Cultural Center for an aural experience: Low, David Bazan, and The Hand.

Saturday night featured Low, David Bazan, and Zak Sally's The Hand.

It was a really great show. David Bazan, in particular, was just fantastic. But Low was fun as well - not always my thing, but I had a great time.

The Hand (check them out). Zak Sally's band. Zak had purchased one of our guitars. Our first Baritone, in fact. More on the specifics of our baritones in a later post, but this was the first time I'd heard it outside the shop. And for Zak, having just been handed the guitar that afternoon, this was also the first time he'd heard it. Ever. And it was live. On stage. In front of a few hundred people. Ha! He's got some balls.

The Hand sounded great. They have a ton of energy and it was pretty refreshing to get blasted with some noise after Bazan and Low. The baritone sounded great (imho) and didn't explode on stage. Which was nice.

Then I went to White Castle.

Then I went to sleep.

Autoptic was a great time. We were honored to be a part of such a gathering of talent. 2017 will be the next one. I suggest you put it on your calendar now.

Red Stag Block Party

We had fun at the 2015 Red Stag Block Party. Saw a bunch of people we know and love and met some new humans too. We met a couple from Boston who are canoeing down the Mississippi. How cool is that? We tried out a new stand I made....it's rough but it works I think.

Al Church played one on stage so that was cool.

2015 Cult Membership Application I mean Catalog

At Art-A-Whirl this past weekend, we gave out this 16-page catalog that Jake made and printed on his Risograph.

Buildings & Holler House at Hymie's Vintage Records

Had a really fun time at Hymie's last Thursday night (11/20). I bought Yes' Fragile and the new Blind Shake record, Breakfast of Failures which was a success on it's own. Building crushed it and Holler House played our guitars during their set, so that was all gravy.

It was our first real event as a little company, something we've been wanting to do for a long time: sponsor shows that are a little different. In this case, it's just two great bands in an awesome record shop. We gave away some Hymie's gift cards, some new MPLS shirts, some art prints, we had cake and beer and pizza. It was fun. Looking forward to the next one. Thanks to Hymie's owners Laura and Dave for hosting. Your store is one of the city's gems. Thanks to Buildings and Holler House for playing sweet jams. Thanks to all who came out. Good Times, Good Jams, Good Buds, Good Cake.

PHOTOS BY SHINANO KATAGIRI EMANUELE - somesortofescapade.com - Thanks Shinano!