September 2002 Swallow Hill Music Association Canoe and Camping Trip 

Check out photos from RiverJamm 2002 with Celeste Krenz

Kraig Kenning at Geeks Garage, Steamboat Springs, Colorado

Fingerpicker, dobro-slide and singer-songwriter extraordinaire, Kraig Kenning, and I played a couple shows in Steamboat Springs back in December.   Special thanks goes to Kip at Geek's Garage for being an incredible host.

Another great Chicago-based slide guitar player, singer and friend, Rob Anderlik, hosted a show at Border's Books in Mt. Prospect, IL as I was traveling through for the holidays.  Rob and his wife, Sharon, both joined me on my songs.  Rob first introduced me to the Weissenborn Hawaiian guitar, even though I would not pick one up and play it until several years later.  My whole family came out for the show.  

Thanks again, Rob & Sharon.

Stringed Instrument and Soul Restoration

As I started writing and recording songs for my upcoming record, I became obsessed with finding the right stringed instruments.  I had been playing my Taylor 712c guitar, but it didn't seem to have the soul that my Weissenborn and Gibson mandolin had.  I thought maybe because they happen to be made by hand and are 70 years older!

Anyway, being an eBay and music shop junkie, I sold a bunch of instruments that were collecting dust and bought a bunch more!  Most of these that I buy, always need restoration, repair and setup.  Fortunately, Micah from Zebra Junction is still doing all the crazy things I ask him to.

So I was looking for a nice 50's or 60's Gibson J-45 guitar.  Once I got to try one, I realized I didn't like the thin neck.  While surfing eBay, I found this early 60's Goya guitar.  After researching what little there is out there on the internet, I decided to buy it.  It has turned out to be a fantastic guitar.  If you're a guitar freak like me, check out Jack Walsh's Goya Guitars very comprehensive website.  If you're someone who might bid against me on one of these guitars on eBay, forget his site and these guitars, they're all junk - you don't need one.

Behind me is a Levin Mandolin Guitar made by the same company in Sweden.

I've had this little strumstick or dulcimer stick for a while, but I slapped a pickup on it so I can perform with it live.  Rob and I occasionally close our set with a little eastern raga as he plays the Udu.

The pictures below:

Left:  After listening to the Blind Boys of Alabama with David Lindley on Oud, I had to try one.  I should mention that I finally got to meet Mr. Lindley last month after his show in Boulder.  He played a wicked electric oud.  I also found the little Portuguese Guitarra.  It's like a little brother to the guitarra on the right.  Both were originally 12-strings and I had Micah convert them to 10-strings.  The little one is the perfect little mandolin/mandola.

Middle and Right:  While traveling through Toronto, I managed to pickup these two instruments.  A 30's Rickenbacker Bakelite Lapsteel and an old Koa wood parlor guitar.  I also got to meet an incredible slide guitarist, Steve Dawson, at Hugh's Room in Toronto.  His band, Zubot and Dawson were absolutely incredible.

To check out more instruments, click here.

Below:  A style 2 Weissenborn guitar.  It looks so different than the style 1 when you actually have it in your hands.