Brand New Strings

Brand New Strings is the name of a Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder disc...and it's pretty incredible. The title track features a (then) 22 year-old kid who blows me away with his flat pickin'. If I hadn't seen him play this (twice), I'd hardly believe what I was hearing on the CD. There's a moment in the song where the guy is playing a bazillion notes per second, and Ricky Skaggs calmly calls on him, "Wear it out, Johnny."

So, one of my non-Christmas presents this year was a well-used Epiphone (made in Korea) guitar. Looks to be a Les Paul Junior model, but with 2 humbucking pickups instead of 1...or a Les Paul, without "the top" on the guitar. Needed some bridge adjusting (still does), some contact cleaner on the pickup selector switch, some neck adjustments, some knob work, and a set of brand new strings.

I got the axe from a friend, who happens to be my boss. I mentioned to him several years ago, when doing some work in his storage shed, that I'd be willing to buy the thing off him if he ever decided to get rid of it. Turned out to be a gift.

I strung her up with some Ernie Ball Extra Slinky (.09) strings. Checking out the package, I noted that the strings were made in the USA. So I checked my other strings...D'Adarrio's, I use the phosphor bronze on my acoustics, are also made in the USA.

Wear it out, Johnny!